Dartmouth University has publicly disclosed its exposure to Bitcoin worth $7.7 million. （The Bitcoin Historian）

In the past two rounds of cryptocurrency bear markets, Bitcoin experienced a significant decline in May of the US midterm election year, dropping from nearly 10000 to around $7000 in May 2018; In May 2022, it dropped from about 40000 to 28500 and further to 20000. Analyst Merlijn Enkelaar stated that the Bitcoin crash in midterm election years is a historical pattern, and even with favorable factors such as the advancement of the CLARITY Act, it is difficult to change the cycle. He warned that if market sentiment worsens, Bitcoin may fall to 33000. Alphractal CEO Joao Wedson believes that if Bitcoin continues to fall below 78000, the market may enter a "surrender style selling" phase, and short-term pressure remains high.

According to Bloomberg, Polymarket and Kalshi still allow Indian users to register and trade despite warnings from the Indian government. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India sent a letter last month saying that these platforms were operated illegally and should be blocked by Internet service providers.

According to Fortune, US President Trump has stated that interest rate related data cannot be truly studied until the end of the war. He mentioned that the United States needs to pay about $3 billion in interest on $38 trillion in debt every day, and believes that lowering interest rates can boost the economy and reduce the cost of debt interest. The report states that Trump's nominee, Walsh, aligns with his philosophy and advocates for lower interest rates. Trump also mentioned that the rise in oil prices caused by the Iran War has pushed up inflation and may prolong the waiting time for interest rate cuts.

The onshore Chinese yuan closed at 6.7979 against the US dollar at 4:30 pm on May 18th, up 73 points from the previous trading day.