Bitcoin (BTC) fell to $74,190 on Saturday, marking its lowest level in over a month, one day after Kevin Warsh was sworn in as Federal Reserve chair. The drop followed the US 2-year Treasury yield rising to 4.14% and futures markets pricing a possible 25-basis-point hike in December, challenging hopes for near-term easing.

On 24 May 2026 at 11:21, Fannie Mae accepted its first crypto-backed mortgage product, enabled via Better Home & Finance and Coinbase after an FHFA directive to incorporate digital assets into risk reviews. The structure pairs a standard Fannie Mae mortgage with a separate Bitcoin-collateralized loan that funds the down payment, keeping BTC in Coinbase Prime custody and avoiding a taxable sale. In the example provided, buying a $500,000 home uses $250,000 in Bitcoin to secure a $100,000 (20%) down payment loan under a 2.5:1 collateral ratio.

U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $1.2 billion in net outflows over five trading days, marking one of the worst weeks on record. The biggest single-day withdrawal was $647 million on May 18, 2026, followed by additional redemptions through May 23. Despite the flow pressure, Bitcoin fell less than 2% over the past week, while total net assets across these ETFs stood at $98.87 billion.

A report cited by Bitcoin journalist Joe Nakamoto says France accounts for about 70% of so-called crypto "wrench attacks," where victims are physically threatened to surrender digital assets. Nakamoto said France has recorded 41 crypto-related kidnappings so far in 2026, and linked the spike to centralized KYC databases and past breaches such as Ledger's 2020 customer-data leak.

Polymarket traders have wagered $154.44 million on whether the U.S. and Iran will reach a permanent peace deal by various deadlines through December 31, 2026. On May 23, 2026, President Donald Trump said his choice was a "solid 50/50" between accepting a diplomatic agreement and resuming strikes, while bitcoin rose 1.5% and moved back above $77,000. BTC hit an intraday high of $77,303 on Bitstamp at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Bitcoin rebounded above $77,000 on May 24, 2026 after sliding to $74,500 on Saturday and then recovering within hours. The move followed Donald Trump's remarks about a near-finalized U.S.-Iran peace understanding that referenced reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Data also showed $328.97M in liquidations for the day, including $190M in longs and $138.97M in shorts.

Pseudonymous onchain trader 'Evaded' reportedly closed long positions in HYPE, ZEC, and ETH, realizing a combined $4.6 million profit. The trader then opened a 990 BTC short on Hyperliquid valued at about $74.84 million, which later showed $783,000 in unrealized gains at the time it was flagged. The positioning comes as bitcoin faced pressure amid $209 million in long liquidations and continued U.S. spot BTC ETF outflows.

Bitcoin traded around $75,800 at publication, down nearly 40% from the roughly $126,000 peak set in October 2025. After BTC dipped under the $75,000–$76,000 support band, Michaël van de Poppe said a move toward $60,000 is possible unless price climbs back to at least $76,600. Other analysts pointed to mixed signals, including CME futures gaps above spot and BTC trading below key EMAs.