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 (462)

LEARN

What “Hyperliquid Explained” Actually Covers

Most decentralized exchanges borrow a blockchain built by someone else. Hyperliquid took a different path: it built its own layer-one network specifically so its trading platform would never have to…

05/18/2026

MARKETS

BankrCoin and the on-Chain AI Agent Economy Building Around Farcaster

BankrCoin is the token of an AI agent that deployed it directly on Farcaster. Here is what that means for on-chain AI agent economics and crypto's next.

05/18/2026

MARKETS

Monad Targets 10,000 Transactions per Second as EVM-Compatible Layer-1 Enters Market

Monad is a new Layer-1 blockchain targeting 10,000 transactions per second with full EVM compatibility and near-zero fees. Here is what that means.

05/18/2026

MARKETS

Bitcoin Holds Near $77,000 as Whale and Retail Divergence Hits January 2024 Lows

Bitcoin held near $77,000 on May 18 as on-chain data showed whale addresses reducing exposure while retail buyers stepped in, a divergence last seen in January.

05/18/2026

MARKETS

BOB Surges as Bitcoin Layer-2 Token Posts $29M in Daily Volume

BOB, the native token of the Build on Bitcoin layer-2 network, is trading at $0.0083 with $29 million in 24-hour volume as Bitcoin scaling draws attention.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Internet Computer Protocol Holds Rank 57 as on-Chain Web Infrastructure Tests Real Demand

The Internet Computer Protocol's ICP token holds a $2.4 billion market cap at rank 57 on May 17, 2026, as the network tests demand for fully on-chain web.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

DeFi Total Value Locked Has Fallen 49% Since October 2025 as Sentiment and Prices Retreat

DeFi total value locked has dropped 49% since October 2025 to May 17, 2026, as falling prices, reduced leverage, and weaker sentiment compress the sector's.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Dolphin POD Token Posts 49% Surge as Small-Cap Asset Draws Trading Attention

Dolphin's POD token surged 49% in 24 hours to $0.422 with $5.8 million in volume and a $23 million market cap, landing on CoinGecko's trending list at rank 831.

05/17/2026

RESEARCH

The Intesa Sanpaolo Trade And What It Actually Signals

Italy’s largest bank quietly grew its cryptocurrency exposure from roughly $100 million to nearly $235 million between the final quarter of 2025 and March 31 of this year, a move…

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Venice Token Climbs 13% as Privacy AI Network Posts $63 Million in Volume

Venice Token (VVV) gains 13% with $63 million in 24-hour volume at rank 86, as the privacy AI model marketplace draws fresh cryptocurrency market interest.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Monero Holds Rank 18 as Privacy Coin Demand Persists Through Regulatory Pressure

Monero holds rank 18 with a multi-billion dollar market cap in May 2026 as privacy coin demand persists despite exchange delistings and global compliance.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Venice Token Climbs 12% as Privacy AI Network Draws Fresh Trending Interest

Venice Token gained 12% in 24 hours to May 17, reaching $14.18 with a $654 million market cap as its privacy AI inference network draws renewed trending.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

VerifiedX Bets Bitcoin’s Next Chapter is Programmable and Private

VerifiedX says its **Bitcoin** [(BTC)](https://www.noncemedia.com/asset/btc) sidechain enables programmable, privacy-preserving transactions without synthetic.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Japan’s Largest Brokerages Prepare to Offer Cryptocurrency Investment Funds to Retail Clients

Japan's largest brokerage firms are preparing to offer cryptocurrency investment funds to retail clients, marking a significant shift in the country's crypto.

05/17/2026

MARKETS

Strategy Weighs Selling Bitcoin to Fund a $1.5 Billion Convertible Note Retirement

Strategy is weighing selling Bitcoin to retire $1.5 billion in convertible notes, a shift that tests the durability of its indefinite BTC accumulation thesis.

05/17/2026