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Live markets: Bitcoin hangs near $77,000 as interest rates continue surge, stocks continue slump
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Live markets: Bitcoin hangs near $77,000 as interest rates continue surge, stocks continue slump
May 19, 2026 7:43 AM

14:15 UTC — Bakkt jumps 19% on insider buying

Crypto ( CRCW )-related stocks opened mixed. Coinbase (COIN) and eToro (ETOR) posted modest gains while Robinhood (HOOD) and Gemini (GEMI) traded lower. Crypto ( CRCW ) mining stocks were mostly in the red as well, with Cleanspark ( CLSK ) standing out as one of the few gainers, up about 2%.

One notable mover was Bakkt ( BKKT/WS ) , which surged 19% in early trading after regulatory filings showed that director Michael Alfred’s investment vehicle bought roughly $4.85 million in company shares. The purchases came as Bakkt ( BKKT/WS ) pushes deeper into stablecoin payments and digital asset infrastructure following its acquisition of Distributed Technologies Research, a firm focused on stablecoin and agentic payments systems. Bakkt ( BKKT/WS ) shares traded near $10 before the opening bell after closing Monday at $8.72, though the stock remains far below its 52-week high of $49.79.

Alfred’s buying follows a difficult first quarter for the company. Bakkt ( BKKT/WS ) reported revenue of $243.6 million, down from $1.07 billion a year earlier, alongside a net loss of $11.7 million. CEO Akshay Naheta recently described the quarter as “the beginning of a new chapter,” as the company pivots toward stablecoin infrastructure through products such as Bakkt Markets and Bakkt Global.

14:15 UTC — U.S. long bond yield rises to highest since 2007

The 30-year Treasury yield just hit its highest in nearly two decades, flashing a fresh warning for stocks, cryptocurrencies and just about every other risk asset.

The yield rose to 5.186%, the highest since 2007, according to data source TradingView. It has added 20 basis points this month and over 50 basis points since the onset of the Iran war in late February.

The 10-year yield, widely seen as the benchmark rate, has jumped to 4.66%, the highest since February 2025. At the same time, the two-year yield, which is sensitive to Fed interest rate expectations, has jumped to 4.11%, also the highest since February 2025.

Rising bond yields make "safe" assets such as government bonds pay more, so investors are disincentivized to take risks in other markets such as stocks, cryptocurrencies or even gold, which doesn't have an inherent yield.

The impact doesn't end there. Rising yields also raise borrowing costs across the economy, hurting future profits and making risky assets look less attractive.

Note that U.S. Treasury yields aren't the only ones rising. Japanese and U.K. government bond yields are seeing similar spikes, suggesting financial tightening across the advanced world.

Crypto ( CRCW ) analysts warned early this month that rising yields could weigh on bitcoin (BTC) and the wider market. As of writing, bitcoin traded near $76,800, down 0.5% over the past 24 hours and down from above $82,000 late last week. Stocks, meanwhile, are lower for a third straight session, led by the Nasdaq's 1.25% decline.

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