Murtuza Merchant

Consulting Editor

Murtuza is a seasoned finance journalist with extensive experience covering cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. He has contributed to Benzinga and Cointelegraph, among other publications, reporting on emerging trends, the regulatory landscape, and more. Find him at @murtuza_merc on Twitter and mmerchant001 on Telegram. Disclosure: Murtuza holds ATOM, AKT, TIA, INJ, and OSMO.

Articles by Murtuza Merchant (463)

MARKETS

Kishu Inu Jumps 30% as Dog-Themed Meme Tokens See a Fresh Wave of Retail Interest

Kishu Inu surged 30% in 24 hours to May 15, 2026, trending on CoinGecko as retail traders rotated into lower-cap dog-themed meme tokens alongside broader.

05/15/2026

MARKETS

Zano’s Privacy Blockchain Returns to Trending Lists as Surveillance Concerns Drive Niche Demand

Zano's ZANO token trended on CoinGecko on May 15 with a $173 million market cap as the privacy blockchain's ring signature model attracted renewed interest in.

05/15/2026

MARKETS

NEAR Protocol Integrates Private USDC Payments for AI Agent Commerce

NEAR Protocol has integrated private USDC payments using Confidential Intents, enabling AI agents to transact on-chain without exposing payment data to third.

05/15/2026

MARKETS

VCI Global Launches Gold Treasury Program Backed by Physical Gold and Tether Gold

VCI Global has launched a strategic gold treasury program combining physical gold holdings with Tether Gold (XAUT), a gold-backed digital asset on the Tether.

05/15/2026

MARKETS

Shift4 Partners With Lydian to Enable USDT Payments at Point of Sale

Shift4 Payments partnered with Lydian to accept **Tether** [(USDT)](https://www.noncemedia.com/asset/usdt) USDT at point-of-sale terminals, bringing stablecoin.

05/15/2026

LEARN

Why Blockchain Transparency Is A Privacy Problem

Three cryptocurrency projects claim to solve the same problem: the fact that most blockchains are completely transparent ledgers where any observer can trace your funds. Zcash, Monero, and Firo each…

05/15/2026

MARKETS

Canton Network Posts 8% Gain as Institutional Blockchain Draws Attention

Canton Network's CC token gained 8% in 24 hours to May 15, reaching a $6.5 billion market cap as the institutional blockchain protocol attracts fresh investor.

05/15/2026

MARKETS

Zcash Attracts Fresh Attention as Privacy Coin Demand Grows Among Cryptocurrency Investors

Zcash is trending globally in May 2026 as privacy coin demand returns. ZEC holds a top-20 market cap rank as investors seek untraceable transaction options.

05/15/2026

MARKETS

Privacy Coins Zano and Firo Trend as Demand for Untraceable Transactions Grows

Privacy coins Zano and Firo both trend on CoinGecko in May 2026 as renewed interest in untraceable transactions lifts smaller assets in the category.

05/14/2026

MARKETS

XRP Climbs 5.5% to $1.49 as Senate Banking Committee Passes Crypto Vote

XRP rose 5.5% to $1.49 on May 14, 2026, after the Senate Banking Committee passed a bipartisan crypto vote 15 to 9, boosting regulatory sentiment.

05/14/2026

MARKETS

Venice Token Falls 2% as AI Privacy Platform Navigates a Difficult Narrative Gap

Venice Token fell 2% on May 14 while broader crypto markets rallied, raising questions about how AI privacy platforms convert narrative appeal into durable.

05/14/2026

MARKETS

Strive Announces Daily Dividends on SATA Stock and Reports Q1 2026 Results

Strive announced daily dividend payments on its SATA stock and published Q1 2026 financial results on May 14, after retiring a $20 million Coinbase Credit loan.

05/14/2026

MARKETS

Bitcoin Surges to $82,000 as CLARITY Act Clears Senate Committee

Bitcoin surged to $82,000 on May 14 after the Senate Banking Committee advanced the CLARITY Act, a landmark cryptocurrency regulatory bill.

05/14/2026

RESEARCH

What Hyperliquid Actually Is, And Why The Architecture Matters

The most disruptive exchange in cryptocurrency did not debut on a billboard in Times Square, did not conduct a venture capital raise, and did not stage a token sale. It…

05/14/2026

MARKETS

Privacy Coins Zano and Firo Trend as Demand for Untraceable Transactions Grows

Zano and Firo both trended on May 14 as privacy coin interest resurged. Zano holds a $178M market cap; Firo sits at $24M. Here's what's driving both tokens.

05/14/2026