The NASDAQ-100's decline highlights investor concerns over economic growth and tech sector vulnerability amid a cooling labor market.

The post NASDAQ-100 declines sharply after soft June NFP report as labor market cools appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Meta's massive AI investment could redefine digital advertising and productivity, potentially reshaping tech industry standards and practices.

The post Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects AI benefits in 3-6 months as company doubles capex to $145B appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Tokenized equities onchain could revolutionize finance by enabling 24/7 trading, DeFi integration, and broader access to traditional assets.

The post Securitize debuts shares on NYSE and onchain as first mover in tokenized equities appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The pursuit of Enzo Fernndez by Real Madrid could amplify the influence of fan tokens and crypto investments in sports finance.

The post Real Madrid’s pursuit of Enzo Fernández highlights the growing role of fan tokens and sports finance in crypto appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Robinhood's Q2 earnings report could signal its strategic shift's success, impacting its market position and future growth trajectory.

The post Robinhood to report Q2 earnings on July 29, will live stream the call on X appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Exchange Inflows Spike to 49,000 BTC in a Day, Signaling More Volatility is Coming: Report

CryptoQuant’s weekly report, “Incoming Volatility?”, makes a clean, data-backed case that something is about to break.

Bitcoin exchange inflows spiked to roughly 49,000 BTC on June 30 — an extreme reading seen only four other times in 2026. Ethereum inflows blew past 1.25 million ETH the same week. Altcoin deposit transactions hit nearly 45,000 a day, the highest in two months and the exact pattern that front-ran Bitcoin’s slide from $82K in early May to below $58K in late June. 

Every one of those signals has historically preceded a directional move, usually down.

And yet, as of Thursday morning, Bitcoin is trading around $61,600 — back above the $60K support the report frames as the line in the sand, and up several thousand dollars from Wednesday’s print near $58,600. The chain is screaming risk-off but the price just shrugged it off. 

The most bearish detail in the report isn’t the raw inflow volume — it’s the composition. The average deposit size doubled from 1 BTC to 2 BTC. That’s not retail panic-selling in dribs and drabs; that’s whales and institutions deliberately repositioning coins onto exchanges. 

As CryptoQuant’s Julio Moreno notes, a jump in average deposit size is a more bearish tell than high volume alone, because it signals intent rather than noise. When large holders queue up to sell, they usually know something, or think they do.

So why did price go the other way? Because the flows aren’t happening in a vacuum. Bitcoin’s June bleed had less to do with anything crypto-native than with capital rotating out of digital assets and into the semiconductor trade, U.S.-Iran tensions stoking inflation fears, and Strategy trimming its stack. 

Mt. Gox moving 10,422 BTC last month revived creditor-selling anxiety ahead of the October repayment deadline. Spot Bitcoin ETFs, meanwhile, have bled billions across a double-digit streak of outflow sessions. 

The whales moving coins to exchanges may simply be positioning for that same macro storm and not really causing it. 

Thursday’s bounce came courtesy of dovish Fed commentary that eased rate-cut fears. That’s the tell within the tell: in this market, macro is the dog and on-chain flows are the tail. 

Bitcoin price action

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $61,469.98, up $1,322.54 (+2.2%) on the day after bouncing off a 24-hour low of $59,520 and peaking near $62,148 around 10 a.m. 

The recovery back above $60,000 — with $32.49B in daily volume and a $1.23T market cap — lines up with the report’s read that $60K is the battleground level, and today the bulls are holding it.

This post Bitcoin Exchange Inflows Spike to 49,000 BTC in a Day, Signaling More Volatility is Coming: Report first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Wavespace Launches MiCA-Compliant Self-Custodial Bitcoin Debit Card Powered by Lightning and NWC

Wavespace, a Bitcoin neobank serving the Eurozone, has announced MiCA compliance of its ‘self-custodial’ debit card. The young fintech company is at the cutting edge of Bitcoin payments technology in Europe, with support for the Lightning Network, and auto DCA to self-custody. 

Debit cards in the Bitcoin and broader crypto industry have traditionally worked by preloading custodial accounts with bitcoin or stablecoins. The process of preloading was usually on-chain, taking time to settle and requiring manual input from the user to send from self-custody wallets or cold storage. If the preloaded balance ran out on the card, spending would not be possible. 

Wavespace’s self-custody debit card solves these problems with a novel Bitcoin technology called Nostr Wallet Connect, or NWC for short. This protocol, documented in NIP-47, allows users to connect a service like this debit card to a self-hosted Lightning node. The user sets a minimum balance, say $200 and every time the user spends from the card via the VISA network, Wavespace pulls sats from the user’s self-custodial wallet to top up the card. This process minimizes custodial exchange risk while maximizing user exposure to the asset and automating away the friction to spend bitcoin.

NWC is a technology developed by the Nostr ecosystem, a high-tech niche within the Bitcoin industry that is branching out into social media and other communication protocols.  

The Wavespace Neobank

As a high-tech neobank, Wavespace gives users a personal IBAN account, which they can send fiat to, to purchase Bitcoin. Their automated DCA services can be set to withdraw bitcoin upon purchase to a selected Bitcoin address. 

The company is MiCA compliant, making it one of the few surviving Bitcoin exchanges in Europe, as the complicated crypto regulations came online.

On the privacy front, the deep Lightning network integration of Wavespace lets user get access to the banking system in a clear and compliant manner, without exposing all their payment data on the Bitcoin blockchain. Since Lightning payments are off-chain, there is no single public record that leaks user data; instead, transactions move through payment channels between various user services, leaving no obvious public trace. The result is a growing compromise between the high privacy, cypherpunk values that created the Bitcoin and crypto industry, while also unlocking access to the legacy financial system, and compliant integration with regulation-heavy areas like Europe. 

In an interview with Bitcoin Magazine, Eivydas Račkauskas, Chief Orange Pill Giver at Wavespace, said that 70% of the payments made on the platform use the Lightning Network and that the company is looking into the ARK protocol for further self-custody-oriented payments integrations. He also revealed that the company is integrated with Lightspark and is ready for an expansion into the USA, though he did not reveal further details on the matter. 

Wavespace has been almost entirely bootstrapped and self-funded, according to Račkauskas, except for an early Relai angel investor who supported them in 2025. They are currently in the middle of another fundraising round.  

This post Wavespace Launches MiCA-Compliant Self-Custodial Bitcoin Debit Card Powered by Lightning and NWC first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitget Bolsters Stock+ Platform With U.S. Stock Options Trading

Crypto exchange Bitget has launched US stock options, allowing users to trade options on US-listed companies. 

The company described itself in a note to Bitcoin Magazine as the world’s largest Universal Exchange and states that it is the only major crypto exchange offering US stock options alongside crypto and contract-for-difference markets in gold, forex, commodities and indices.

The initial release includes long call and long put strategies for eligible users. A call option lets a trader take a bullish position on a stock, while a put option allows a trader to express a bearish view or manage downside exposure. 

Risk for buyers is limited to the premium paid, and an option can expire without value if the expected price movement does not occur.

The launch expands Bitget’s stock product line. 

The company’s earlier products include tokenized stocks and pre-IPO access to private market opportunities. Stock options join the Stock+ offering, which the company positions as a direct-access venue for US equities built for traders familiar with established stock market products and regulated market infrastructure. 

Bitget stated that the addition supports its goal of combining crypto, stocks, commodities and other assets in one trading environment.

Bitget: The U.S. options market is booming

Demand for listed options has reached record levels. The US options market processed more than 15.2 billion contracts in 2025, an average of about 60 million contracts per trading day. The figures reflect wider use of options among retail and institutional participants for directional trading, hedging and capital management.

“We have moved first to connect stock opportunities with our users,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “From tokenized stocks to now options, we are executing on convergence. Our products provide advanced trading access to stocks, gold, crypto and worldwide assets.”

The first release focuses on single-leg options buying to provide an entry point for users. The company plans additional functionality, including multi-leg strategies, as the Stock+ options product develops.

For the launch, eligible users who complete a first US stock options trade may receive $15 in NVIDIA stock, subject to campaign terms and regional availability.

Bitget said they have more than 125 million users and access to over two million crypto tokens, along with 500-plus tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, foreign exchange and precious metals such as gold. 

The company holds partnerships with MotoGP and UNICEF, the latter to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget states that it leads the tokenized traditional-finance market across 150 regions.

This post Bitget Bolsters Stock+ Platform With U.S. Stock Options Trading first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

FBI Director Kash Patel Did Not Disclose Six-Figure Strategy (MSTR) Stake: Report

FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed a six-figure investment in Strategy (MSTR), the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, more than six months past the deadline set by federal ethics law, according to a report from NOTUS. The lapse has reopened a fight over stock trading by senior government officials and raised questions about a potential conflict of interest.

Patel purchased between $100,001 and $250,000 in shares of Strategy on November 21, 2025. He did not report the trade to federal regulators until May 26, 2026, a gap of more than 180 days. The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act requires senior executive-branch officials to disclose individual stock trades over $1,000 within 45 days of the transaction.

In his May 26 letter to the Office of Government Ethics, Patel said the trade had been “inadvertently omitted” from a prior filing. Two days later, Deputy Assistant Attorney General William Taylor attributed the omission to a miscommunication, and an FBI official told NOTUS the late reporting was “not realized and unintentional.” 

First-time STOCK Act violators face a $200 fine. The Department of Justice, which would issue or waive the penalty, has not fined Patel. The bureau said the corrected filing was reviewed and approved by a DOJ ethics official.

Why Patel’s stock omission is drawing attention

Strategy, the firm led by Michael Saylor, pioneered the corporate Bitcoin-treasury model and holds more than 760,000 BTC. The stock functions as a proxy for the price of Bitcoin, which makes it one of the most direct routes to a Bitcoin bet through a brokerage account. Strategy’s shares have lost about half their value since the date of Patel’s purchase.

The identity of the company is the crux of the concern. The FBI, under Patel, plays a central role in cryptocurrency enforcement, and Patel has promoted that record.

In a June 19 post on X, he warned crypto fraudsters that “this FBI will find you, and we will bring you to justice.” Weeks before his purchase, he had touted a case that seized roughly $15 billion 

Strategy has done millions of dollars in business with the Justice Department, of which the FBI is a part, along with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and State, over the past decade, according to the report.

Taylor maintained that Patel’s stake does not create a conflict of interest with his oversight of the bureau.

Patel is not an outlier. Vice President JD Vance disclosed up to $500,000 in Bitcoin, and President Trump and his sons reported more than $1 billion in crypto-related income last year. 

This post FBI Director Kash Patel Did Not Disclose Six-Figure Strategy (MSTR) Stake: Report first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Metaplanet Adds 2,823 Bitcoin, Reaches 43,000 BTC and Becomes World’s Third-Largest Corporate Treasury

Metaplanet crossed the 43,000 BTC threshold on July 2, a milestone that places the Tokyo-listed firm as the world’s third-largest corporate Bitcoin holder. The company now trails Strategy and Twenty One Capital across the global corporate ranking, and its climb underscores Japan’s role in the corporate Bitcoin accumulation race.

Metaplanet acquired an additional 2,823 BTC during the second quarter of 2026, a purchase worth about $170.7 million. The buy brought total holdings to 43,000 BTC, valued near $2.6 billion. Shares of the company (ticker 3350) closed 3.5% higher at 207 yen ($1.28) on Thursday following the announcement.

The average acquisition price for the quarter landed at roughly 12.71 million yen (about $80,000) per Bitcoin, according to the company. The effective purchase price fell to around 12.09 million yen (about $77,000) once income from the firm’s Bitcoin Income Generation business is counted. 

That segment produced approximately 1.75 billion yen ($10.85 million) in operating revenue for the quarter, lifting first-half revenue to about 4.72 billion yen. On a trailing 12-month basis, the division’s revenue reached about 11.4 billion yen.

Metaplanet’s total Bitcoin investment now stands at approximately 659.25 billion yen (about $4.2 billion), with holdings valued near 409 billion yen (about $2.6 billion) as of June 30. The overall average cost basis sits at 15.33 million yen (about $102,500) per BTC.

The company reported a BTC Yield of 6.6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, a metric that tracks growth in Bitcoin per share. That figure remains a core indicator for corporate treasury strategies of this type.

The corporate Bitcoin leaderboard is now well defined. Strategy, the former MicroStrategy, leads with holdings above 847,000 BTC. Twenty One Capital holds second place. Metaplanet takes third, a position that puts it ahead of other large players such as MARA Holdings, according to data tracked by Bitcoin Treasuries.

Michael Saylor marked the occasion on X, tweeting, “Congrats to Metaplanet on reaching ₿43,000 and becoming the #3 corporate Bitcoin treasury in the world. You are proving that the Bitcoin treasury strategy is global.”

The strategy behind Metaplanet

Metaplanet has scaled at speed since it adopted the treasury model in 2024. CEO Simon Gerovich has drawn on equity offerings, debt instruments, and options strategies to build the position, an approach designed to limit the shareholder dilution that comes with large corporate purchases. The Bitcoin Income Generation business uses Bitcoin options to create recurring cash flow while the company expands its holdings.

The balance sheet leaves room to grow. Total debt and preferred stock represent about 23% of the net asset value of the firm’s Bitcoin, a cushion that gives Metaplanet capacity to keep buying.

The dual model, one part aggressive accumulation and one part recurring income, cements Japan as a rising force in the corporate push to hold Bitcoin as a reserve asset.

This post Metaplanet Adds 2,823 Bitcoin, Reaches 43,000 BTC and Becomes World’s Third-Largest Corporate Treasury first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

DeFi lending protocol Edel disclosed a $403,000 exploit that hit the layer where tokenized stocks are trying to become DeFi collateral.

Edel said no depositor would bear losses, and the team would absorb the bad debt, restore affected balances one-to-one, and rebuild the protocol's oracle architecture for a version two release.

The attack manipulated the exchange rate between wGOOGLx, a wrapped version of Edel's tokenized Google stock, and GOOGLx, the token it wraps. Edel said the manipulation pushed wGOOGLx's collateral value to roughly 78 times its correct level.

SlowMist traced the root cause to Edel's price source, which used latestAnswer() to return an ERC-4626-style vault's convertToAssets() rate. That conversion rate can be manipulated when an attacker controls enough of the underlying flow, and Edel's price feed reads it directly.

CertiK described the same flaw from the lending side: the attacker manipulated wGOOGLx's collateral price, which tracked its GOOGLx balance, then borrowed against the inflated value.

GoPlus noted that the attacker used a flash loan to repeatedly supply and borrow, distorting the wGOOGLx/GOOGLx conversion rate. The inflated collateral then supported real borrowed assets, including 384,215 USDC and wrapped positions in SPYx, QQQx, MSTRx, NVDAx, and TSLAx.

Security firms published different estimates. Cyvers put the loss at roughly $353,000, GoPlus cited about $403,000 in losses and roughly $305,000 in attacker profit, and CertiK put the drained funds at roughly $204,000.

The gap appears to reflect different measurements, including bad debt, gross loss, and net attacker profit.

The disconnect probably comes from each firm measuring something different, such as bad debt, gross loss, or net profit.

The critical failure sat in the exchange rate between the wrapped token and its underlying counterpart, a relationship that Edel's lending market priced as though it were stable. Alphabet's share price did not drive the exploit.

The market in numbers

RWA.xyz puts tokenized stocks' onchain value at $1.7 billion, up 2.17% over the past 30 days. Monthly transfer volume sits at $8.92 billion, and holders at over 396,000.

xStocks alone lists more than 100 stocks and ETFs across more than 50 integrated platforms, with over $25 billion in total transaction volume. It describes itself as fully backed and open to plugging into any DeFi protocol without permission.

Backed, the issuer behind xStocks, markets the tokens explicitly for DeFi use: lending tokenized Apple shares or borrowing against them without selling.

Kamino says it became the first major lending protocol to accept tokenized equities as collateral, allowing users to deposit tokens such as SPYx, QQQx, GOOGLx, AAPLx, NVDAx, TSLAx, MSTRx, and HOODx to borrow stablecoins or earn yield.

Robinhood launched stock and ETF tokens for EU customers in June 2025, then opened a public testnet for Robinhood Chain. The network is an Ethereum layer-2 built on Arbitrum, designed around tokenized real-world assets including equities, ETFs, and private assets.

The selling point across all of this is the same: tokenized stocks should move and connect like any other crypto asset. Edel is a reminder that once they move like crypto, they can also break like crypto.

The disconnect between backing and safety

A lending market prices several layers, such as the tokenized equity itself, the wrapped version built on top of it, and the exchange rate a vault uses to convert between the two.

It also prices the oracle path that reports a value, the lending market's own borrowing limits, and whether that collateral can actually be sold during a period of stress. Edel's exploit sat almost entirely in the wrapper and oracle layers.

Using a tokenized stock as collateral adds a second pricing problem on top of the equity itself. A protocol also has to price every on-chain representation built around that stock, including how a wrapper's exchange rate behaves under stress. That exposure comes from the collateral integration built around a tokenized stock.

Flash loans, collateral manipulation, and ERC-4626 exchange-rate attacks have all shown up in DeFi exploits before. This exploit's novelty lies in the asset class these techniques target, and it appears to be one of the first clear tokenized-stock-collateral exploits on record.

How this plays out

In the bull case, protocols spend the next year isolating wrapper risk. That means capping how much collateral in a lending market can come from wrapped tokenized stocks, separating issuer-level prices from wrapper exchange rates, and building oracle paths that a single flash loan cannot move.

Tokenized equities then become credible collateral for conservative borrowing against liquid names like Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, and Google. Edel ends up remembered as the early failure that forced better design before the category scaled.

In the bear case, listings outrun the risk work. More venues accept tokenized stocks as collateral before oracle design and wrapper isolation catch up.

The number of wrapped tokens, bridges, and vaults built around each ticker keeps multiplying faster than anyone can audit them.

Along that path, more exploits in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars continue to surface involving exchange-rate manipulation and thin liquidity. Tokenized stocks have become a security flashpoint over how DeFi protocols use them as collateral.

The first phase of tokenized stocks was access: letting eligible users hold tokenized exposure to names such as Apple or Google. The second phase was trading, which involved making that claim move across chains around the clock.

Edel arrived at the start of the third phase, collateral, where holding a tokenized stock also allows borrowing against it.

The first two phases of tokenized stocks rewarded whoever listed the most tickers or reached the most chains. The next one rewards whoever can price a wrapped stock correctly under stress, every time.

The post How tokenized stocks fail as collateral even when the stock price does not move appeared first on CryptoSlate.

France’s crypto security problem is expanding beyond private keys to include the people whom attackers can identify, threaten, and force to authorize transfers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said French authorities have recorded 77 cases this year involving unlawful confinement, abduction, extortion, or attempted extortion tied to crypto-sector actors, according to <a href=”https://www.bfmtv.com/crypto/cryptomonnaies-laurent-nunez-promet-de-renforcer-la-securite-des-acteurs-du-secteur_AD-202606300994.html”>BFM TV</a>.

Le Parisien, in a report published with AFP, said the figure compares with 45 cases across 2025, giving the new total a clear reference point.

The increase is pushing France beyond the familiar playbook of cold storage, seed phrases, and wallet hygiene.

Nuñez said 200 people had been arrested either after incidents or in anticipation, while 724 crypto-sector participants had been enrolled in immediate-identification systems intended to help emergency services recognize high-risk individuals more quickly. The plan he described points to a different kind of crypto security model: intelligence sharing, an expert network linking the industry and the state, and tighter operational cooperation between French services and foreign jurisdictions where organizers may be based.

France is becoming a test case for a problem the industry has often treated as peripheral. Public wealth, liquid assets, leaked personal data, and online visibility can turn crypto ownership into a physical-security exposure for founders, executives, public investors, employees, families, and high-profile holders.

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Crypto holders in France are being violently targeted again — and it’s no longer just insiders

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Mar 13, 2026 · Gino Matos

France’s new numbers change the risk model

The headline figure marks the point at which French authorities are treating crypto-linked coercion as a recurring organized-crime problem.

The attack surface now includes more than an exchange, a smart contract, or a wallet. The person behind an account can become the attack surface.

A founder whose address is exposed, an employee whose role is visible, or a major holder whose wealth is signaled online may face risks that software controls alone cannot absorb.

The risk boundary is still tighter than broad crypto ownership. The French figures and official response are centered on crypto-sector actors and exposed people.

The practical takeaway is targeted: firms and visible holders need to treat personal information, travel patterns, public appearances, home addresses, and emergency-response channels as part of their security posture.

Crypto security culture has long focused on preventing unauthorized digital access. Hardware wallets, multisig, withdrawal delays, and custody controls all reduce the chance that a remote attacker can drain funds without consent.

Physical coercion changes the problem. Once criminals identify a person with access, the technical barrier becomes one layer of defense among several.

The aim is to pressure, threaten, or detain someone who can authorize a transfer.

That dynamic explains why the French plan leans toward intelligence and coordination. Le Parisien reported that Nuñez described three axes: reinforced intelligence sharing, a deeper partnership with ADAN through a network of experts from the sector and relevant state agents, and stronger operational coordination among services and with countries where organizers may be present.

France is building a police-industry bridge

The French approach treats attackers as networks first and opportunists second. It also assumes that the useful data may sit outside the blockchain: addresses, family links, executive roles, social media trails, leaked customer records, company filings, conference attendance, and information about who has authority to move assets.

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Ledger customer data breached including info that leads violent criminals to your door

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Jan 6, 2026 · Gino Matos

Crypto’s public ledgers can help investigators trace stolen funds. Blockchain visibility still cannot prevent coercion before it starts.

Chainalysis has warned in its 2026 Crypto Crime Report introduction that physical coercion and violence are increasingly intersecting with on-chain activity as criminals force victims to transfer assets.

CertiK separately reported 72 verified physical coercion incidents worldwide in 2025, up 75% from 2024, with kidnapping as the primary vector and physical assaults up 250%.

Methodologies differ between security researchers and French officials, so the figures should sit beside each other as context instead of a direct comparison.

They still point in the same direction: crypto wealth is creating a risk category that sits between cybercrime, organized crime, executive protection, and financial intelligence.

France had already begun building a crypto-sector protection framework before the latest figures.

In May 2025, the Interior Ministry said after meeting sector actors that measures would include priority emergency access, home-security audits for exposed people, briefings by elite units including GIGN, RAID, and BRI, a cybercrime contact point, and an ADAN-linked working group.

The June 30 update suggests that architecture is becoming more formal. Immediate-identification platforms are meant to give registered high-risk people a faster way to be recognized by emergency services.

Intelligence sharing is meant to help authorities move from reacting to attacks toward mapping organizers and logistics. Cross-border coordination has become central because commanditaires, recruiters, or handlers may be outside France.

The kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland showed why that blend matters.

The Gendarmerie described a response involving judicial organized-crime coordination, GIGN deployment, cyber specialists, crypto ransom tracing and freezing, and more than 230 gendarmes.

That is a full law-enforcement operation in which the digital asset and the physical victim are part of the same case.

France has also begun addressing the data-exposure side of the problem. A 2025 decree published on Légifrance allows company officers and indefinitely liable partners to request that personal home addresses be kept confidential in company registry filings.

Although broader than crypto, the measure speaks directly to one of the mechanisms that can make executives and entrepreneurs easier to target.

The next security layer is operational

For the crypto industry, the implication is practical and uncomfortable. A firm can have strong custody controls and still expose people through public records, staff profiles, predictable routines, conference schedules, or weak internal escalation procedures.

That makes physical security and data minimization operational issues for any business with exposed leadership or staff who can authorize movement of funds.

Companies may need clearer threat models for who can authorize transfers, who appears in public materials, what information is available about family members or home addresses, and how quickly they can reach law enforcement if a threat emerges.

The same applies to high-profile holders and influencers, though the risk is unevenly distributed. Public status, visible wealth, and identifiable location data create a different exposure profile from simple asset ownership.

The more an attacker can connect a person, an address, a role, and an assumed balance, the less the threat looks like generic crypto crime and the more it looks like targeted extortion.

Related Reading

Lamborghini Bitcoin carjacking puts crypto's wrench-attack crisis in a US courtroom

A Missouri man's guilty plea links a Danbury kidnapping to the same human-targeting pattern already visible in France.

Jun 9, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

CryptoSlate has previously covered the rise in physical wrench attacks and the way France became a focal point for violent targeting.

The new development is that French officials are now describing an expanded response around numbers, registration systems, intelligence flows, and international coordination.

That is the signal to watch. If the French approach works, the next phase of crypto security may look less like a wallet tutorial and more like the risk programs used in banking, executive protection, and organized-crime investigations.

If it fails, attackers may keep adapting through proxies, foreign organizers, leaked data, and lower-level recruits who can be replaced after arrests.

The market’s security frontier is moving offline. For visible crypto operators, the next test is whether enough personal, corporate, and law-enforcement infrastructure exists to stop digital wealth from becoming a physical target.

The post France’s crypto kidnapping surge exposes the personal data trail behind wrench attacks appeared first on CryptoSlate.

ISIS-K, the Islamic State affiliate active across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of Central Asia, had USDT balances frozen on 131 TRON addresses after an OFAC sanctions update, creating an enforcement test for stablecoins. Once public-chain intelligence, a sanctions list, and issuer controls were in place, Tether could freeze the balances within its own token system.

The July 1 action updated the ISIL Khorasan designation with digital-currency identifiers. Chainalysis said OFAC added 134 crypto addresses, including 131 TRON addresses and three Monero addresses.

It also said Tether froze the balances on all 131 TRON addresses.

The outcome turns a sanctions entry into a map of who can stop the flow of money. Governments identify a target; blockchain intelligence maps the wallets; exchanges and compliance vendors screen for exposure; and a freezeable issuer can interrupt balances within its token system.

Chainalysis said the 131 TRON wallets controlled by ISIS-K had received more than $1.4 million since 2023 and sent more than $880,000. Those figures do not show how much remained in the wallets when Tether froze them, and they should not be treated as the frozen balance.

But the flow totals show the enforcement model in action. The wallets were more than symbolic identifiers on a list. They were part of an on-chain funding route that touched mainstream services and could be screened after designation.

Stablecoin sanctions now have an issuer switch

OFAC has treated digital-currency addresses as sanctions identifiers for years, but stablecoins add a control point that does not exist in the same way for every crypto asset.

OFAC’s virtual-currency guidance says it may add digital-currency addresses to the SDN List and that parties identifying blocked digital currency should block the property and report relevant information.

For an exchange, custodian, payment firm, or compliance vendor, that means screening the listed addresses and related exposure. For a stablecoin issuer, it can also mean disabling the token balance at the contract or issuer-control layer.

Tether had already moved toward that posture. In December 2023, the company said it had introduced a voluntary wallet-freezing policy for activity related to individuals on OFAC’s SDN List.

Related Reading

Tether commits to freezing addresses linked to sanctions as scrutiny over USDT misuse grows

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The ISIS-K case shows what that policy means in practice when the asset sits on a transparent chain with a large USDT footprint.

The result is a different kind of sanctions perimeter. Traditional sanctions often work through banks, correspondent accounts, payment processors, and custodians. In this model, the stablecoin issuer sits closer to the asset itself.

If a listed address holds a freezeable token, the enforcement pathway can run through the issuer rather than relying only on exchanges to reject deposits or withdrawals.

That does not make the system automatic or complete. It still depends on timely intelligence, accurate labeling, legal process, operational capacity, and the issuer’s willingness or obligation to act.

It also raises hard questions about private companies becoming choke points for dollar-linked tokens that circulate globally. But the ISIS-K update shows that the issuer role is no longer theoretical.

This is the policy tension stablecoin issuers now carry. The same control that lets an issuer respond to a sanctions designation can become a standing expectation from regulators, law enforcement, exchanges, and analytics firms.

Once that expectation exists, a dollar token is judged by more than reserve quality, liquidity, and redemption access. It is also judged by how fast its issuer can act when a listed wallet appears on-chain.

TRON-based USDT sits at the center of the case

The TRON address count is the detail that gives the action its shape. Chainalysis said the ISIS-K update included 131 TRON addresses, compared with three Monero addresses.

Tether’s freeze applied to the TRON side because those balances were in a token system the issuer can control.

That detail affects exchanges and payment firms because TRON-based USDT has become a common rail for fast, cheap dollar transfers. When a sanctions action names TRON addresses, the compliance burden does not stop at the listed wallets.

Firms have to ask whether they received funds from those addresses, sent funds to them, interacted with related clusters, or served customers via adjacent cash-out routes.

Related Reading

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Nov 27, 2023 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Chainalysis said several of the designated wallets sent funds to Syria-based crypto exchangers and had heavy exposure to mainstream services. That is where stablecoin sanctions become infrastructure rather than paperwork.

The listed address is the starting point. The real work is mapping counterparties, deposits, withdrawals, service exposure, and any linked addresses that may not yet be public.

Tether’s recent history reinforces that trend. In April, the company said it supported freezing more than $344 million in USDT in coordination with OFAC and U.S. law enforcement.

In May, it said the T3 Financial Crime Unit involving Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs had frozen more than $450 million tied to illicit crypto flows.

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Those are separate actions from the ISIS-K update, but they show a repeatable pattern: analytics identify risk, public or private enforcement channels flag wallets, and the issuer freeze becomes part of the response.

The policy backdrop is moving in the same direction. In an April proposed rule, FinCEN and OFAC set out AML/CFT and sanctions compliance requirements for permitted payment stablecoin issuers, including technical capacities to block, freeze, and reject impermissible transactions.

Regulators increasingly treat stablecoin issuers as financial infrastructure with compliance duties, not just software-adjacent token companies.

The Monero addresses show where the model stops

The same OFAC update also included three Monero addresses. That contrast is important because it shows the limit of issuer-driven enforcement.

Monero accounts are controlled through private keys, not by a centralized issuer that can disable a token balance. OFAC can list an XMR address, and exchanges or other covered firms can screen for exposure where they have visibility.

Investigators can still pursue leads, counterparties, devices, service providers, and user errors. But there is no equivalent of asking Tether to freeze a USDT balance at the issuer layer.

That split is likely to shape behavior. If stablecoin freezes become faster and more routine, sanctioned actors and illicit networks have incentives to shift funds toward assets or routes with fewer issuer controls.

That does not make those routes safe or invisible. It does make them harder to interrupt at a single corporate control point.

For governments, the appeal of freezeable stablecoins is obvious. Public chains leave trails. Stablecoins often touch centralized services. Issuers can act like payment processors or banks when legal and operational conditions are met.

The result is a sanctions tool that can move faster than traditional cross-border finance in some cases.

For crypto users and infrastructure providers, the tradeoff is just as clear. The same feature that lets an issuer stop funds tied to a sanctioned terrorist group also confirms that tokenized dollars carry centralized control.

That may be acceptable, even expected, for regulated payment stablecoins. It also marks a dividing line between assets designed to behave like compliant money-market infrastructure and assets designed to minimize third-party control.

That dividing line gives the ISIS-K action its forward-looking edge. The enforcement gain is strongest when illicit finance uses tokenized dollars on public chains.

The incentive to adapt is strongest when those actors can move into assets or venues where the issuer switch is absent, visibility is weaker, or cash-out points sit outside cooperative channels.

The next fight is over the route, not the wallet

The ISIS-K update points to the next phase of crypto sanctions: enforcement will focus less on a single wallet and more on the route around it.

A listed address can be frozen if it holds issuer-controlled stablecoins. It can be screened by exchanges and custodians. Its counterparties can be mapped by analytics firms.

But the funding network can still adapt by moving through new addresses, unlisted intermediaries, offshore exchangers, privacy tools, or assets without issuer controls.

The OFAC and Chainalysis record goes beyond Tether freezing 131 wallets. Stablecoin rails are becoming part of a standing enforcement stack.

The stack includes sanctions lists, blockchain intelligence, issuer controls, exchange compliance, and vendor tooling. Each part covers a different piece of the route.

The ISIS-K case also shows the model’s built-in limitation. Freezeable stablecoins are powerful when illicit finance uses tokenized dollars on transparent chains.

They are less decisive when funds have already moved, when balances are gone, when counterparties sit outside cooperative venues, or when activity shifts to assets without a centralized issuer.

For stablecoin issuers, the message is that scale now comes with enforcement expectations. For exchanges, the pressure is to detect exposure before a listed wallet arrives at the deposit page.

For compliance vendors, the value is in turning public designations into real-time routing maps. For users, the case is a reminder that the most liquid on-chain dollars are not neutral pipes. They are programmable balances inside systems that can be stopped.

The next signal will be whether actions like this remain case-by-case responses or become a normal operating layer for dollar stablecoins.

If issuer freezes, exchange screening, and chain analytics continue to converge, stablecoins will do more than just move dollars on public chains. They will help decide which on-chain dollars can keep moving.

The post Tether freezes 134 ISIS terror wallets as stablecoins now sit inside the sanctions machine appeared first on CryptoSlate.

A pseudonymous respondent has appeared in New York court to challenge a lawsuit seeking control of over $200 billion worth of long-dormant coins tied to the network’s earliest days, including those linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's pseudonymous founder.

The respondent, using the name John Doe 33, filed a notice of appearance on June 30 in New York Supreme Court, saying he is a “natural person and a real human being” with constitutionally protected property rights.

He said he is not “a Bitcoin blockchain address string, a digital wallet, a line of source code, or any other form of inanimate data.”

The filing marks a shift in the litigation brought by ABC Company, XYZ Company, and a pseudonymous plaintiff operating as Noah Doe, who are seeking to claim ownership of Bitcoin associated with 39,069 inactive addresses under New York lost-property law.

The targeted wallets include coins widely attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto and other early Bitcoin miners.

The case now has a person on the other side

John Doe 33’s appearance changes the posture of a lawsuit that had previously centered on silent blockchain addresses.

The plaintiffs’ case treats the inactive wallets as lost property and seeks legal title to about 3.799 million Bitcoin.

At current market prices, the targeted coins are worth more than $200 billion, while the plaintiffs list the claim at $10 for statutory and jurisdictional purposes.

That gap has drawn attention across the crypto industry as the lawsuit asks a court to grant ownership over one of the largest pools of dormant Bitcoin ever identified, while relying on the claim that inactivity can support a lost-property theory.

John Doe 33’s filing pushes the court toward a different question of whether a person who may have rights tied to those assets can be reduced to a numbered wallet entry.

Speaking on this development, Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, said:

“A person (‘a real human being' not ‘any form of inanimate data') has filed a notice of appearance in the abandoned property litigation where ‘Noah Doe’ is claiming title over Satoshi’s coins. Someone is stepping up to fight noah doe as a respondent, not just amicus brief.”

The respondent is also fighting to stay anonymous

Meanwhile, the mystery claimant is trying to contest the case without exposing himself to the risks associated with his large crypto holdings.

John Doe 33 said his pseudonym was adopted to protect his identity, safety and privacy in a high-profile proceeding involving risks of doxxing, extortion and physical targeting against identified cryptocurrency holders.

He also said he is separately asking the court for permission to proceed under a pseudonym. John Doe 33 went further by reserving all defenses and objections, including those raised in an accompanying motion to dismiss.

Meanwhile, the filing carefully separates the person from the wallet list. John Doe 33 said his name does not correspond to the 33rd Bitcoin address in the plaintiffs’ exhibit or to any specific numbered entry.

He argued that the numbered John Does in the caption are the plaintiffs’ labels for inanimate blockchain addresses, whereas he is appearing as a person.

That distinction could shape the next phase of the case. If the court allows pseudonymous participation, other holders may have a path to contest the lawsuit without publicly linking themselves to valuable Bitcoin addresses.

On-chain moves and legal warnings set up the challenge

John Doe 33’s appearance landed after the lawsuit had already been strained by on-chain movements and outside legal objections.

CryptoSlate previously reported that about 52 of the addresses named in the lawsuit transferred roughly 34,335 Bitcoin, worth more than $2 billion at current market valuations.

These transfers created a factual problem before John Doe 33 created a legal one. Bitcoin wallets can remain inactive for years for reasons unrelated to abandonment, such as long-term custody, cold storage, lost keys, or a deliberate decision not to transact.

This means that the movements weakened any simple link between dormancy and surrender.

Apart from that, the lawsuit had also faced organized legal resistance in late May, when pro-Bitcoin attorney Ian Cohen filed an amicus brief challenging its viability.

At the time, Cohen argued:

“Plaintiffs' theory is wrong on every level: textual, structural, constitutional, and practical. Article 7-B of the New York Personal Property Law was designed for physical objects physically found by human beings. It has no application to a computational scan of a public ledger. Dormancy on a public blockchain is not abandonment. It is, in many cases, the deliberate choice of a Bitcoin holder who stores private keys securely and transacts rarely.”

Meanwhile, Thorn, citing the novelty of the case, previously urged major industry participants to intervene in the matter before it could set a precedent for claiming dormant crypto wallets through abandoned-property claims.

In light of these developments, the next phase of the lawsuit will likely turn on two questions: whether the court allows John Doe 33 to defend the case under a pseudonym, and whether his motion to dismiss can halt Noah Doe’s bid before the lawsuit advances toward any claim of title over the wallets.

A ruling on either issue could determine whether other potential holders have a safe path to appear in court, or whether the case continues to test how far lost-property law can be pushed against inactive Bitcoin addresses.

The post Mystery owner challenges the $200B ‘lost’ Satoshi Bitcoin claim in New York court appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Glassnode's latest Week Onchain report shows that roughly 10.83 million BTC are now in the red, against 9.22 million still in profit.

Loss-making supply now accounts for roughly 54% of the measured total, compared with 46% still in profit, meaning underwater coins exceed profitable coins by about 1.61 million BTC.

Glassnode describes this as one of the sharpest deteriorations in investor profitability since the current bull market began, a threshold with real psychological weight.

Crossing it before has coincided with genuine capitulation among newer buyers, the kind of stress that shapes a structural drawdown.

Underwater holders are the ones most prone to selling into panic or exiting near breakeven once the price recovers, which keeps a layer of resistance above the market.

Yet those same coins can migrate to higher-conviction buyers if patient capital is willing to absorb them, and Glassnode's data shows exactly that kind of buyer has begun to show up.

The seller profile is already changing underneath that stress, as Glassnode says long-term holders have started rebuilding positions, a reversal from an extended stretch of distribution, with net position change back in positive territory.

The pace stays modest, well short of the buying waves seen in prior accumulation cycles, but the direction has turned. The first sign of a bottom often shows up here, in experienced holders deciding a drawdown is worth buying, well before price itself confirms anything.

Glassnode's Accumulation Trend Score climbed across multiple cohorts this week, with the strongest readings among wallets holding less than 1 BTC and entities holding 100 to 1,000 BTC.

Wallets in the 1,000-to-10,000 BTC range also turned net buyers. Bitcoin's quiet bid is spreading across the entire ownership ladder, from the smallest wallets to mid-sized entities.

US-traded spot Bitcoin ETFs remain in sustained net outflow territory, and that selling pressure has persisted even as on-chain conviction builds in the opposite direction. The ETF story explains why the price stays weak, while the on-chain story explains who is taking the other side.

Coinbase and Binance both show books shifting toward the bid, with buyers adding liquidity below spot. That bid looks patient, which is why the price can still look weak even as a base starts to form underneath it.

Hyperliquid traders hold a long bias at the highest level Glassnode has tracked, using leveraged exposure to bet on a bounce before spot conviction is fully confirmed.
The cash market is trying to build a floor, while the derivatives market is trying to get there first.

Options traders are already paying up for protection: the 14-day put-to-call volume ratio climbed above 1.0, its highest reading in a year. Implied volatility is climbing too, up from depressed levels, though Glassnode stops short of calling it a panic reading.

The market carries enough fear to begin bottoming, though the fear needed to confirm a finished capitulation may still be building.

Put together, the pattern looks unusual for a bottoming process, and Bitcoin may be finding a floor through an unusual mechanism: ETF investors are selling while stronger, more patient hands absorb the exit in real time.

Glassnode frames it as an early, still-developing bottoming process and flags that a final capitulation-driven volatility spike stays possible.

Long-term holders buying also trails the scale of prior accumulation waves by a wide margin, keeping the recovery in accumulation fragile.

Bitcoin can probably bottom without ETF inflows returning, as long as outflows slow enough to stop overpowering on-chain accumulation, and the crowded long positioning on Hyperliquid unwinds gradually through price strength.

How this plays out

In the bull case, ETF outflows continue but slow, while long-term holders and broader wallet cohorts continue to accumulate through the summer.

Bid-heavy order books keep absorbing supply from newer, underwater holders, and the aggressive Hyperliquid long positioning resolves through a genuine bounce.

Bitcoin's correction becomes a controlled migration, from ETF sellers and short-term holders into the hands of patient on-chain capital, and the transfer phase becomes the bottom.

In the bear case, the crowded long positioning in Hyperliquid gets flushed, ETF outflows persist, and underwater holders capitulate at lower prices.

Implied volatility spikes toward genuine panic levels, and long-term holder accumulation slows as the drawdown deepens. Bitcoin still ends up transferring to stronger hands, but through one final capitulation event.

Bitcoin's next bottom may begin with an unusual sequence: institutions leaving, weaker holders capitulating, and stronger hands quietly taking the other side. A bottom starts as a turnover in who owns the supply, well before it shows up in price.

The post Wall Street is selling Bitcoin but the old holders are now buying it back appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The clock ran out on July 1, 2026. Under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), any exchange without a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence can no longer legally serve residents of the European Economic Area. The most consequential casualty is the biggest name in the game: Binance withdrew its MiCA application in Greece on June 24 and is now suspending core services for EU users.

If your funds are sitting on Binance — or on Bybit Global, or any other platform that didn't make the cut — you need a new home. And the licensed exchanges know it. What's unfolding is a full-blown land grab: MiCA-approved platforms are throwing cashback, deposit matches, VIP perks and even a €1,000,000 prize draw at anyone willing to move their crypto over. Below is the complete breakdown of who's offering what.

Why is Binance leaving the EU?

MiCA is the EU's single rulebook for crypto. To legally operate anywhere in the 27-member bloc, an exchange must hold a CASP licence from one member state — that licence then "passports" across the entire EEA. The 18-month transition window closed on July 1, 2026, and ESMA confirmed there would be no extension.

Binance bet on Greece as its entry point and lost, formally withdrawing its application days before the deadline. Of the estimated 1,100–1,300 legacy crypto providers operating in Europe, only around 200 secured a MiCA licence — a clearance rate of roughly 15%. The rivals who cleared the bar are now competing hard for the displaced users, and that competition is good news for your wallet.

A quick but important note: MiCA protection applies to the specific licensed legal entity, not the brand. Bybit Global, for example, is restricting EEA access, while its Austrian-licensed entity Bybit EU remains fully authorised. Always confirm which entity holds your account.

Which MiCA exchanges are offering the best promotions?

Here's how the six major licensed players stack up right now.

Bitpanda — win 3 $BTC + €25 bonus & 5% cashback

The Austrian veteran is running arguably the most generous package. Move your crypto over using code CRYPTOTICKER and you unlock three rewards at once: 5% cashback in EURCV on your transfer, a €25 welcome bonus in $BTC after your first €100 purchase, and one entry into a 3 $BTC giveaway for every euro of qualifying crypto you transfer. Bitpanda holds BaFin regulation in Germany alongside its Austrian licence, making it one of the most solidly regulated options on this list. The catch: it's strictly limited and first come, first served, running only until July 12.

→ Get started with Bitpanda here

OKX — up to 8% deposit bonus (+ €400 for new users)

OKX Europe holds MiCA, MiFID and Payment Institution licences via Malta. Opt in through the OKX app and deposit as little as €10 to earn up to 8% on your net deposit, capped at €20,000 in USDC and paid out over 52 weeks. New users get an extra welcome bonus of up to €400, plus a free 30-day VIP upgrade unlocking reduced fees and up to 10% card cashback. The offer runs until July 31. Note: OKX has delisted $USDT for EU users, as Tether doesn't meet MiCA's stablecoin rules — $USDC and USDG are the supported alternatives.

→ Get started with OKX here

Coinbase — 5% bonus on transferred funds

Coinbase is keeping it simple: 5% back in $BTC on up to €1,000,000 in crypto transferred to the platform before July 14. You'll need an active Coinbase One subscription to qualify, and only genuine crypto transfers from another exchange or wallet count — fiat deposits, crypto purchases, wire transfers and crypto-to-crypto conversions are excluded.

→ Get started with Coinbase here

Crypto.com — up to 10% deposit bonus (in CRO)

New EEA users who register, verify and make a net crypto deposit of at least $10 earn a tiered bonus paid in $CRO — scaling up to 10% on larger deposits, distributed in 12 equal monthly instalments. The campaign runs until July 22 and is capped, so it may close early.

→ Get started with Crypto.com here

Bybit EU — up to €100 welcome bonus + 3% cashback

Not to be confused with the restricted Bybit Global, Bybit EU operates under an Austrian MiCA licence. New accounts can claim up to €100 in welcome rewards, including €50 in $BTC after a €100 deposit, plus up to €120 in Bybit Card bonuses and first-month subscription cashback. Larger deposits unlock up to 3% annual $USDC cashback and VIP perks. It runs until July 31.4.

→ Get started with ByBit here

How do I know if an exchange is actually MiCA licensed?

Don't take a banner's word for it. Check ESMA's public CASP register, which is updated weekly — if a platform isn't listed, it can't legally serve EU residents after July 1. A properly licensed exchange will also display its CASP authorisation and issuing regulator, usually in the website footer or on a dedicated regulatory page. If an exchange only references an old national registration rather than a MiCA CASP licence, it isn't authorised.

What should EU crypto users do now?

If your exchange lost its EU access, your crypto generally remains withdrawable — but services like trading, deposits and staking may be restricted, so acting sooner rather than later avoids disruption. The practical move is to pick a MiCA-licensed platform, verify your account, and transfer your assets across. Given that every one of these exchanges is currently paying you to do exactly that, there's rarely been a better moment to make the switch. Just read each campaign's terms carefully — most require your funds to stay put for a set period, and several are capped or first-come-first-served.

The bottom line: the MiCA deadline forced the shake-up, but the promo war means EU users hold the leverage right now. Compare the offers, confirm the licensing, and let the exchanges compete for your deposit.

The MiCA enforcement deadline has finally landed, pushing the world's biggest exchange out of the EU. A 140-company alliance just detonated a bomb under the leading regulated stablecoin issuer. And Bitcoin is grinding near its lowest levels in over a year as institutional demand stays soft. Here's what's actually moving the market today.

Why is Bitcoin falling today?

Sentiment is firmly risk-off. The global crypto market cap sits around $2.11 trillion, down roughly 1.8% over 24 hours, with total trading volume near $76.9 billion. $BTC is trading around $58,500, off about 2.2% on the day, while $ETH is near $1,573, down roughly 1.4%.

The mood gauge tells the story. The Fear & Greed Index has dropped to 11 — deeper into "extreme fear" — down from 15 a day earlier, as total market cap slipped from $2.16T to $2.11T. The backdrop is a persistent bear phase: ETF outflows, worries over a delayed CLARITY Act, and money rotating out of crypto and into AI stocks have all extended the downturn that dragged $BTC to its lowest levels since 2024 last week. Not everything is red, though — Polkadot and the XRP Ledger ecosystem were among the day's biggest gainers, and Stellar's $XLM climbed close to 12%. 

What does the Binance EU exit mean for the market?

Today is the day MiCA gets real. As of 1 July 2026, any crypto firm serving EU residents must hold a MiCA licence — and Binance doesn't. It withdrew its Greek licence application on 24 June, leaving it without authorisation in any EU country, and from today it halts new sign-ups, spot trading, deposits and Earn products for EU users, though withdrawals stay open.

The scale of the regulatory cull is the real headline. Of more than 3,000 firms that were operating across Europe, only around 210 have secured full CASP authorisation — a pass rate near 7%. Rivals like Coinbase, Kraken and OKX cleared the bar; the world's largest exchange did not. For traders, that means hundreds of thousands of users across Spain, France, Italy and Poland are now weighing where to move their funds — a live migration that favours already-licensed venues.

Why did Circle stock crash?

This is arguably the biggest structural story of the week. Circle ($CRCL) shares fell about 16.5% on 30 June after a consortium of more than 140 companies unveiled Open USD (OUSD), a stablecoin built to compete head-on with USDC. The stock traded as low as $63.10 after opening near $72.46, one of its sharpest single-day drops since listing, and is now down more than 40% over the past month. 

What makes OUSD dangerous to incumbents is its economics. Launch partners include Stripe, Coinbase, Mastercard, Visa and BlackRock, and the new stablecoin lets partners keep the reserve earnings — striking directly at one of the core economics of today's issuers. Where issuers like Circle earn revenue by investing reserves in short-term Treasuries and keeping most of the interest, OUSD instead distributes that yield to participating businesses, with free, uncapped minting and shared governance. The Coinbase angle stings most: Circle paid Coinbase roughly $908 million in a single recent year in USDC distribution fees — and that partner is now backing a rival. OUSD is expected to go live later this year, initially on chains including Base and Solana.

Other regulatory news to watch

Several fronts are heating up at once. Jefferies has warned of crypto market volatility as the CLARITY Act faces a key Senate test, noting passage would boost institutional adoption while delays would prolong regulatory uncertainty. Meanwhile, the stablecoin rulebook is diverging across borders: the UK's Financial Conduct Authority has proposed lowering stablecoin capital buffers, undercutting the EU's stricter MiCA requirements. And in Asia, Taiwan has passed a sweeping crypto law introducing licensing, reserve mandates and tough penalties, now awaiting final presidential approval.

Binance is shutting the door on EU customers. From 1 July 2026, the world's largest crypto exchange can no longer offer services to residents of the bloc, after failing to secure a licence under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) before the transition period closed. If your funds are sitting on Binance, you don't need to panic — but you do need a plan. This guide explains what happened and walks you through moving your crypto to a regulated platform, step by step.

What actually happened with Binance and MiCA?

MiCA is the EU's single rulebook for crypto. To legally serve customers anywhere in the bloc, an exchange must hold a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence from one member state — that licence then "passports" across all 27 EU countries and the wider European Economic Area. The transition period that let legacy operators keep working while awaiting authorisation closed on 1 July 2026, the hard enforcement date.

Binance bet on Greece as its entry point. On 24 June 2026, it formally withdrew the application it had filed with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, citing prolonged review timelines and the absence of any formal decision — just days before the deadline. The exchange says it remains confident it will secure an EU licence in the coming months and intends to approach France next. But any approval will land after 1 July, leaving a gap where Binance is locked out.

The scale of the cull is striking. Of more than 3,000 crypto firms operating across Europe, only around 210 received full MiCA authorisation by the deadline — a clearance rate of roughly 7%. Rivals including Coinbase, Kraken, OKX and Crypto.com cleared the bar; the largest exchange in the world did not.

Are my funds on Binance safe?

Yes. This is a suspension and orderly wind-down, not a shutdown or a seizure. From 1 July, Binance halts new spot orders, deposits, sign-ups and Earn, staking and launchpool products for EU residents — but funds remain accessible and withdrawals stay active. The Convert feature stays usable for selling only, so you can wind down positions in an orderly way.

Think of it as closing the register while leaving the warehouse open so you can collect your goods. That said, staying on an unlicensed platform means giving up the consumer protections MiCA was built to guarantee. ESMA has called on unlicensed firms to halt new registrations, restrict activity to asset transfers and account closures, and give customers clear timelines. The sensible move is to migrate to a licensed platform or a self-custody wallet.

Why is Bitpanda a strong alternative?

Bitpanda is a European-headquartered exchange that is already fully regulated, holding licences with Germany's BaFin, Austria's FMA and Malta's MFSA. It secured MiCA authorisation through Austria, meaning it can legally serve users right across the EU, with a strong focus on capital security and consumer protection. For anyone leaving an unregulated venue, that is exactly the kind of safe harbour the new rules were designed to reward.

One key tip before you move: under MiCA, USDT (Tether) cannot be traded on regulated EU platforms. If you hold USDT on Binance, convert it to a MiCA-compliant asset such as USDC, or to EUR, before transferring — so your funds arrive ready to use.

How do I move my funds from Binance safely?

1. Open and verify your Bitpanda account

Sign up here, complete identity verification (KYC) and enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Have your ID ready — verification usually takes only a few minutes.

2. Tidy up your Binance holdings first

Convert any USDT to USDC or EUR and consolidate small balances. This avoids assets being unusable on a MiCA-regulated platform and keeps network fees lower.

3. Get your Bitpanda deposit address

Choose the asset you want to receive (e.g. $BTC, $ETH or a stablecoin), select Deposit, and copy the wallet address. Make sure you pick the same network you'll use on Binance (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum/ERC-20).

4. Withdraw from Binance to Bitpanda

On Binance, go to Wallet → Spot → Withdraw. Select the asset and the matching network, paste your Bitpanda address, and double-check it character by character. For transfers above €1,000 you may be asked for Travel Rule details — your own name must match your KYC on both platforms.

5. Send a small test first

Withdraw a small test amount before moving everything. Wait for it to arrive (usually 2–15 minutes depending on the network), confirm it landed correctly, then send the rest.

6. Confirm and you're done

Once the full balance appears in Bitpanda, you're fully migrated to a regulated EU platform — consumer protections intact and your crypto ready to trade.

What's the catch with switching now?

The main thing to watch is the USDT conversion — don't transfer Tether and expect to use it on a regulated platform. Beyond that, the usual rules apply: always send a test transaction, match networks exactly, and verify addresses character by character. The market context also matters: with millions of users facing restricted access, capital is expected to shift fast toward compliant platforms, so acting sooner rather than later avoids any last-minute congestion.

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The crypto market is bleeding again, but the biggest story may not be the Bitcoin crash itself.

Bitcoin has slipped below the $59,000 level, Ethereum is trading near $1,560, and most major altcoins are flashing red. Dogecoin, TRON, XRP, BNB and Litecoin are all under pressure, while only a few names such as Zcash, Stellar and Hyperliquid are showing relative strength.

At first glance, this looks like another risk-off day for crypto. But behind the sell-off, a much bigger shift is taking place: some of the world’s largest financial and payment companies are moving deeper into stablecoins.

A new initiative called Open Standard has launched a global dollar-backed stablecoin named Open USD, with major names including Visa, Mastercard and Coinbase involved. Reports also point to backing or participation from companies such as BlackRock, Google and Stripe, making this one of the most important stablecoin stories of the year.

The result is a strange but important contradiction: crypto prices are falling, but crypto infrastructure is becoming more institutional than ever.

What Is Open USD?

Open USD is a new U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin designed to make digital dollar payments cheaper, easier and more scalable for businesses.

According to Reuters, the project is being launched by a consortium of more than 140 participating businesses under the Open Standard initiative. The stablecoin is designed to be freely minted and redeemed by businesses, with no volume restrictions. The model also includes shared reserve earnings for participating consortium members after a management fee.

That detail is important.

Stablecoins are already one of the most useful parts of crypto. They allow users and businesses to move dollars onchain without relying on traditional banking rails for every transfer. But the market is still dominated by a small number of players, mainly Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC.

Open USD appears to be targeting that dominance by offering a more open, business-friendly model. Instead of just creating another dollar token, the project seems designed as a shared infrastructure layer for companies that want access to stablecoin payments without building everything from scratch.

Why Visa and Mastercard Entering Stablecoins Matters

For years, stablecoins were seen as a crypto-native product. Traders used USDT and USDC to move between exchanges, avoid volatility and park liquidity during market swings.

Now, the biggest payment networks in the world are no longer watching from the sidelines.

Visa and Mastercard entering deeper into stablecoin infrastructure suggests that the payment industry sees digital dollars as a long-term part of global settlement. This does not mean stablecoins will replace credit cards tomorrow. But it does mean the biggest players in payments are preparing for a world where money moves faster, cheaper and across borders with fewer intermediaries.

Mastercard has already been expanding settlement capabilities to include stablecoins, intraday transfers, weekend settlement and holiday settlement options. That shows the company is not treating stablecoins as a temporary trend, but as part of the next payment infrastructure cycle.

This is why the Open USD launch matters more than a normal token launch. It is not a meme coin. It is not another speculative altcoin. It is a sign that traditional finance and crypto payment rails are moving closer together.

Could Open USD Challenge USDT and USDC?

The real question is whether Open USD can compete with USDT and USDC.

USDT remains the largest stablecoin in crypto and is deeply integrated across global exchanges. USDC, meanwhile, has stronger regulatory and institutional positioning, especially in the United States. Together, they dominate the digital dollar market.

But Open USD has one major advantage: distribution.

If Visa, Mastercard, Coinbase, Stripe, BlackRock and other major companies support the same stablecoin infrastructure, Open USD could gain faster access to businesses, wallets, exchanges, payment platforms and fintech apps.

That does not guarantee success. Stablecoins need trust, liquidity, regulatory clarity and deep integrations. Traders and businesses do not switch stablecoins just because a new one launches. They switch when the new option is cheaper, safer, faster or more useful.

Still, the launch could pressure both USDT and USDC. If Open USD succeeds, the stablecoin market could become less about crypto exchanges alone and more about payments, business settlement and mainstream financial infrastructure.

Why This Is Happening While Bitcoin Is Crashing

The timing is what makes this story powerful.

Bitcoin is showing weakness below $59,000, and technical sentiment across the market looks fragile. Many major coins are trading with “sell” or “strong sell” signals, while altcoins remain under pressure.

Normally, a Bitcoin crash dominates the crypto news cycle. But this time, the market is split between short-term price fear and long-term infrastructure adoption.

That is the key point: prices can crash while adoption continues.

In previous cycles, crypto infrastructure often slowed down during bear markets. This time, payment giants, banks and asset managers are still building. JPMorgan has also been talking about digital assets moving closer to the core of the financial system, especially through tokenization and programmable money.

This creates a very different market narrative.

Retail traders may be asking whether Bitcoin is heading to $55,000 or lower. Institutions, meanwhile, appear to be asking how stablecoins, tokenized assets and digital settlement systems can become part of the financial system.

Is This Bullish for Crypto?

Open USD is not automatically bullish for Bitcoin in the short term.

A new stablecoin does not mean BTC will reverse today. It also does not mean Ethereum, Solana, XRP or BNB will immediately recover. The market is still dealing with weak momentum, low confidence and heavy selling pressure.

But from a structural perspective, this is bullish for the crypto industry.

Stablecoins are one of the clearest real-world use cases in crypto. They are used for payments, trading, settlements, remittances, cross-border transfers and onchain liquidity. If major global companies are now competing to build stablecoin infrastructure, that supports the argument that crypto is not disappearing — it is becoming more embedded in traditional finance.

The market may be crashing, but the infrastructure layer is expanding.

That is why this story matters.

The Bigger Picture: Stablecoins Are Becoming the Mainstream Crypto Use Case

For years, Bitcoin was the face of crypto. Then came Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, meme coins and ETFs. But stablecoins may now be the sector’s most important bridge to the real world.

They do not need users to believe in price appreciation. They do not need people to speculate. They simply need to be useful.

Businesses want faster settlement. Payment companies want cheaper rails. Fintech apps want global dollar access. Crypto exchanges need deep liquidity. Institutions want tokenized cash equivalents that can move across blockchain networks.

Stablecoins sit at the centre of all of that.

That is why Open USD could become one of the most important launches of the year. Not because it will pump like a meme coin, but because it shows that the stablecoin race is entering a new phase.

Final Thoughts

The crypto market looks weak today. Bitcoin is below $59,000, Ethereum is struggling, and most large-cap altcoins are trading in the red.

But the launch of Open USD tells a different story.

While traders focus on the crash, Visa, Mastercard, Coinbase, BlackRock and other major players are moving deeper into stablecoins. That means the next crypto battle may not only be about Bitcoin price predictions or altcoin pumps. It may be about who controls the future of digital dollars.

If Open USD gains adoption, the stablecoin war could become one of the biggest crypto narratives of the year.

For now, Bitcoin may be falling. But the financial giants are still building.

It's been a brutal week across the crypto market, but some tokens got hit far harder than others. While $Bitcoin and $Ethereum bled on macro pressure, a handful of altcoins suffered eye-watering collapses — led by a meme-coin platform that lost three-quarters of its value in a matter of days.

Here are the 5 cryptos that crashed hardest over the past 7 days, ranked by their losses, along with the reason behind each drop.

5 Cryptos That Crashed Hardest This Week 

1. MemeCore ($M): down 75.75%

The week's undisputed worst performer is MemeCore, which cratered a staggering 75.75% over 7 days, now trading around $0.6894 with a market cap of roughly $909M. Notably, it's actually up 16% on the day — a small dead-cat bounce after the carnage.

This was a textbook thin-liquidity implosion. MemeCore's token price fell from $3 to $0.50 in less than 30 minutes on Wednesday evening, with low trading volume and concentrated insider ownership making it vulnerable to a sudden crash. The structural red flags were there all along. Most of the supply is held by a handful of insiders, and the token carried allegations of insider-driven market price manipulation, limited trading volume, and listings on just a handful of exchanges.

The trigger remains murky, but the mechanics are clear. It's unclear what started the drop, but with minimal active bidding, it didn't take much to consume MemeCore's available market liquidity. The one silver lining: the crash cleared out most of the excess leverage, with nearly $8 million in long positions liquidated, and price has since shown early signs of stabilization around the $0.65 level.

2. Ethena ($ENA): down 63.58%

Ethena's ENA token was the second-worst performer, down a brutal 63.58% YTD and bleeding 8.20% on the day, now trading near $0.07270 with a $675.7M market cap.

ENA's problem is structural and well-flagged: token unlocks. ENA remains exposed to token unlock pressure, where a large portion of supply has already been unlocked while the remaining supply continues to vest — and these unlocks can limit price recovery by creating steady selling pressure even when the underlying project has strong adoption. The core challenge is one of demand. ENA still has to prove that protocol growth actually translates into token demand, and until that becomes clearer, it remains a token with weak near-term momentum.

It's not all bleak, though — there are genuine catalysts brewing. Ethena-backed StablecoinX completed its merger with TLGY Acquisition Corp and is set to begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker USDE, expanding its stablecoin infrastructure business. 

3. Mantle ($MNT): down 56.08%

Mantle is next, down 56.08% over the period and trading around $0.4224 with a $1.39B market cap. It was also among the day's biggest losers. Mantle (MNT) fell 13.19% in 24 hours to around $0.43, with trading activity near $62.62 million, ranking it among the top losers of the day. -

Mantle's decline has been less about a single scandal and more about the broader risk-off rotation hammering mid-cap altcoins. As capital flees to safety and Bitcoin dominance climbs, ecosystem and Layer-2 tokens like MNT tend to suffer outsized drawdowns with little token-specific news to cushion the fall.

4. Worldcoin ($WLD): down 25.75% (7d)

Worldcoin, now trading around $0.4179 with a $1.46B market cap, fell 25.75% over 7 days. But unlike MemeCore's panic implosion, WLD's drop looks far healthier. Worldcoin's decline looks more like a cooldown after a strong multi-week run — it had rallied for five straight weeks, putting plenty of short-term holders into profit, so profit-taking was always on the cards.

That distinction matters: a pullback driven by profit-taking after a sustained rally is a very different animal from a liquidity-driven collapse. WLD is still up 1.03% on the hour, hinting at some stabilization.

5. Cosmos ($ATOM): down 21.30% (YTD)

Rounding out the list is Cosmos, trading around $1.51 with a $782.5M market cap, down 21.30% YTD and 13.70% over 7 days. Like Mantle, ATOM's weakness is largely a victim of the broader environment rather than any single headline.

As an established Layer-0 ecosystem token without a fresh catalyst, ATOM has been swept up in the same risk-off tide pulling capital out of altcoins and into Bitcoin. With sentiment firmly in "Bitcoin Season," even fundamentally solid projects like Cosmos struggle to attract buyers, leaving them to drift lower alongside the broader altcoin market.

Why are Altcoins Down?

None of these drops happened in a vacuum. The entire market has been under heavy pressure, and the macro backdrop explains why speculative altcoins fell hardest. Capital has been running toward safety rather than risk, with Bitcoin dominance climbing above 58% and the Altcoin Season Index deep in "Bitcoin Season" territory.

The drivers are familiar: a hawkish Fed, ETF outflows, and broad risk aversion. Markets are now pricing in a rate hike in 2026 after previously expecting cuts, sustained Bitcoin ETF outflows have added pressure, and capital is rotating toward AI narratives and institutional partnerships rather than memecoins and speculative tokens.

Researchers say a new jailbreak technique tricked AI models into treating attacker-written text as their own reasoning, bypassing safety guardrails and exposing a deeper security flaw.

BlackRock-backed tokenization firm Securitize now has shares trading on the New York Stock Exchange—or via Solana and Avalanche.

SBI Crypto, the subsidiary of the Japanese financial giant, is the latest firm to shutter its Bitcoin mining endeavor.

Bitcoin continued rising after hitting a 21-month-low earlier this week, topping $62,000 and leading a broader crypto market rebound.

FBI Director Kash Patel failed to disclose a significant purchase of stock in Bitcoin treasury firm Strategy from last November.

Bitcoin (BTC) remains trapped in a multi-week downtrend that has consistently invalidated traditional bullish continuation signals.

Highly speculative "fast money" has abandoned both Bitcoin and precious metals in a massive capital rotation toward semiconductors.

The supply of RLUSD on the XRP Ledger has surged significantly, as about 51–52% of all RLUSD in circulation is now on XRPL.

Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, is migrating to the XRP Ledger (XRPL) at a remarkable pace, with on-chain volume surging 40-fold over the last six months alone.

XRP price surge triggers a massive market squeeze, leaving short sellers just 20% away from the ultimate max pain liquidation level just above $1.3.

TL;DR

• Bitcoin climbed above $62,000 after rebounding from a recent low near $57,700.
• Whale wallets accumulated roughly 270,000 BTC, supporting bullish sentiment.
• More than $606 million in leveraged positions were liquidated, with shorts suffering heavy losses.
• Analysts see strong resistance between $62,000 and $65,000 despite improving momentum.

Bitcoin price regained momentum on Wednesday, rising above $62,000 after a sharp rebound from recent lows. The recovery followed renewed whale accumulation and a wave of short liquidations that accelerated the rally. 

However, analysts remain cautious as persistent inflation concerns, Federal Reserve policy uncertainty, and weakening institutional flows continue to weigh on the broader crypto market.

Bitcoin reached an intraday high of approximately $62,137, gaining about 3% over the past 24 hours after bouncing from a local bottom near $57,735. The move marked one of the strongest daily recoveries since the recent market pullback.

Whale Accumulation Fuels Bitcoin Price Recovery

On-chain data shows large Bitcoin holders accumulated roughly 270,000 BTC during the recent market weakness. The buying activity has strengthened confidence that long-term investors continue viewing current prices as attractive accumulation levels.

The rebound also triggered widespread liquidations across derivatives markets. According to Coinglass, more than $606 million in leveraged positions were wiped out over the past day, with bearish traders accounting for most of the losses. Short liquidations helped push Bitcoin higher as traders rushed to close positions.

Market analyst Scott Melker believes the aggressive whale accumulation could indicate Bitcoin is forming a local bottom. Meanwhile, order book data shows notable selling pressure between $62,000 and $65,000, where traders have placed significant sell orders.

Conversely, strong buy orders remain concentrated between $55,000 and $57,000, creating a potential support zone if Bitcoin experiences another pullback.

Analysts argue that if Bitcoin breaks decisively above $65,000 with strong spot market demand, the cryptocurrency could rally another 8% to 10% in a relatively short period.

Macro Headwinds Continue to Challenge Crypto Market

Despite the recent rebound, macroeconomic conditions remain a significant risk for the crypto market.

Persistent inflation concerns have increased expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could keep interest rates elevated for longer than previously anticipated. Higher Treasury yields and a stronger U.S. dollar generally reduce demand for risk assets such as cryptocurrencies.

At the same time, capital continues flowing into artificial intelligence-related equities, limiting fresh investment entering digital assets.

Institutional demand has also softened. Continued outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs suggest some large investors remain cautious despite Bitcoin’s recovery above $60,000.

Several analysts warn that broader equity market weakness, particularly within the S&P 500, could spill over into cryptocurrencies if macroeconomic conditions deteriorate further.

Bitcoin has reclaimed an important psychological level above $60,000, but traders continue watching whether buyers can overcome the heavy resistance between $62,000 and $65,000 while maintaining strong spot demand.

The post Why Is Bitcoin Price Up Today? Whales Buy 270,000 BTC as BTC Reclaims $62K appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Microsoft shares increased 1.86% following the announcement of its Frontier AI business division worth $2.5B.

• The division will assist corporate customers in selecting and implementing AI technologies.

• 6,000 Microsoft employees will be stationed at client locations through this initiative.

• The strategy emphasizes adaptable AI frameworks and integration with proprietary client data.

• This initiative intensifies Microsoft’s competition in the corporate AI consulting market.

Microsoft (MSFT) shares advanced 1.86% to reach $391.42 as the technology company announced plans to expand its corporate AI offerings. After opening lower, the stock reversed course and maintained gains close to its session peak. The upward movement came after Microsoft revealed its intention to establish a $2.5 billion AI-focused business division.

Microsoft Corporation, MSFT

Tech Giant Establishes Frontier Division for Corporate AI Solutions

Microsoft announced the creation of Microsoft Frontier Company, a new operational division designed to assist enterprises in navigating AI technology selection and implementation. The division will serve prominent clients such as Unilever and Novo Nordisk, concentrating on AI frameworks that deliver measurable returns and practical business applications.

The Redmond-based company is allocating $2.5 billion to this initiative as corporate appetite for AI solutions continues expanding. The plan involves deploying 6,000 personnel directly at client sites through a forward deployed engineering model. These deployment teams will comprise technical advisors, customer support professionals, account managers, and vertical market experts.

Rodrigo Kede Lima, previously overseeing Microsoft’s operations across Asia, has been appointed as president of the division. The organization will merge Microsoft’s current AI consulting teams with on-site engineering resources. This shift represents Microsoft’s evolution from merely selling software to actively assisting clients in constructing operational AI infrastructures.

Strategy Focuses on Multi-Model AI Implementation

Enterprise organizations increasingly deploy multiple AI frameworks rather than relying exclusively on a single vendor. Numerous corporations now blend Microsoft platforms, third-party models, and open-source solutions tailored to distinct operational requirements. Consequently, AI implementation has become more expensive and complex to administer.

The Microsoft Frontier Company will guide customers through selecting, integrating, and transitioning between various AI frameworks. Additionally, the division will facilitate connections between these frameworks and each organization’s confidential internal information. Importantly, clients will retain ownership of all outputs and associated intellectual property within their own infrastructure.

Microsoft developed this methodology based on lessons learned from Copilot and other enterprise AI offerings. Initially, the company depended substantially on OpenAI’s technology when developing its AI assistant. However, emerging frameworks from Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, and competing providers have driven demand for platform-agnostic solutions.

Shares Rise Amid Intensifying AI Consulting Competition

Microsoft’s equity value increased following the disclosure, though shares have struggled year-to-date. The corporation has allocated substantial capital toward data center expansion and generative AI capabilities. Despite these investments, certain AI products have experienced modest uptake among business customers.

This new division positions Microsoft in direct competition with Amazon, Palantir, OpenAI, Anthropic, Accenture, and EY. Amazon recently announced a comparable $1 billion field engineering program targeting AI customers. Palantir has established expertise deploying engineering personnel to serve government agencies and corporate accounts.

Microsoft currently generates income from enterprise consulting and channel partner programs throughout its software portfolio. The company disclosed approximately $2.1 billion in enterprise and partner services revenue during the March quarter. As such, the Frontier division represents an expansion of proven business practices into the broader AI services marketplace.

The post Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Climbs on Launch of $2.5B AI Enterprise Services Division appeared first on Blockonomi.

Quick Overview

• Ondo introduces blockchain versions of IVV ETF and Micron stock following SEC guidelines.

• Each digital token maintains 1:1 correspondence with traditionally custodied U.S. securities.

• Broadridge integration enables proxy voting capabilities for token holders.

• Platform leverages Ethereum infrastructure while maintaining regulated asset custody.

• Initiative represents significant expansion of Ondo’s U.S. tokenized securities operations.

Ondo has introduced blockchain-based representations of BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Micron Technology stock for U.S. investors. The offering operates within a third-party custodial framework outlined by the SEC in January 2026. This development integrates tokenized U.S. securities into established regulatory and market infrastructure.

Ondo deploys tokenized S&P 500 ETF within U.S. regulatory framework

Ondo has released an Ethereum-based tokenized product tracking BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. This offering mirrors IVV, a major exchange-traded fund benchmarked against the S&P 500 index. The actual ETF shares continue residing within conventional U.S. custodial arrangements.

Oasis Pro TA, operating as Ondo’s SEC-registered transfer agent subsidiary, creates the corresponding digital tokens. Every token maintains complete 1:1 correspondence with its underlying ETF shares. Qualified custodians secure the tokens, while traditional financial custodians safeguard the physical securities.

This architecture aligns with the SEC’s January 2026 guidance regarding tokenized securities. That guidance outlined an approach where third parties maintain securities while issuing associated crypto instruments. Ondo applied this regulatory blueprint to deliver an operational U.S. tokenized ETF offering.

Micron stock joins Ondo’s tokenized equity portfolio

Ondo has simultaneously introduced a tokenized representation of Micron Technology stock using identical structural principles. Micron shares remain within standard U.S. custody infrastructure. Token holders gain exposure through Ethereum-recorded ownership positions.

The Micron offering advances Ondo’s broader initiative into tokenized equities with full regulatory compliance. This approach eliminates offshore issuance requirements and functions independently of individual issuer sponsorship. Implementation occurs through pre-existing broker-dealer, transfer agent, and custody relationships.

Transfer restrictions operate via participating broker-dealers, custodians, and the transfer agent network. These mechanisms ensure token transactions align with prevailing regulatory standards. Consequently, Ondo bridges blockchain settlement capabilities with traditional U.S. securities frameworks.

Broadridge enables shareholder voting for tokenized equity owners

Broadridge facilitates the rollout by delivering governance infrastructure for tokenized equity participants. Token holders gain access to issuer communications and regulatory filings through conventional distribution channels. Additionally, they can exercise voting rights via ProxyVote.com for blockchain-recorded proxy votes.

Ondo indicates token holders obtain shareholder rights and safeguards comparable to traditional brokerage account owners. These privileges encompass issuer notifications and voting participation linked to underlying securities. This configuration strengthens tokenized securities’ integration with public market governance structures.

The initiative also provides context for Ondo’s comprehensive real-world asset approach. Beyond U.S. borders, its Global Markets infrastructure handles over $1 billion in tokenized securities. That platform encompasses more than 430 equities and ETFs across various supported jurisdictions.

Ondo has simultaneously grown through strategic collaborations in recent periods. In June, the company partnered with Exodus to establish Exodus Markets on Solana. This platform provides qualified users with tokenized stock, ETF, and real-world asset access.

This recent product launch positions Ondo more prominently within U.S. tokenization markets. The implementation merges Ethereum-based issuance with conventional custody, voting mechanisms, and compliance frameworks. This integration creates a more defined pathway for tokenized securities under current U.S. market regulations.

The post Ondo Rolls Out Blockchain-Based IVV ETF and Micron Stock Tokens in U.S. Markets appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Points

• Bitget introduces U.S. stock options on its Stock+ platform for qualified users.

• Platform now supports long call and long put options on U.S.-listed equities.

• Service extends beyond tokenized equity products and private market opportunities.

• Initial rollout focuses on single-leg strategies with plans for complex structures.

• Move aligns with unprecedented U.S. options market volume in 2025.

On Thursday, Bitget announced the addition of U.S. stock options trading to its Stock+ platform for qualified users. This development represents another step in the crypto exchange’s expansion into traditional financial instruments, complementing its existing tokenized stock offerings and access to private market investments.

Platform Debuts With Basic Options Strategies

The initial launch provides qualified users with long call and long put options functionality. Users can utilize call options to gain bullish exposure on U.S. stock listings, while put options enable bearish positioning or portfolio protection strategies.

Bitget chose to begin with single-leg options purchases, a more straightforward approach compared to complex multi-leg strategies such as spreads, iron condors, or butterfly positions. The exchange indicated that sophisticated options techniques will become available as the service matures.

While the product design limits potential losses to the initial premium amount, options contracts can lose their entire value when anticipated price movements don’t materialize. Users must consider factors including expiration timing, strike price selection, and market trajectory.

Stock+ Portfolio Expands Into Listed Derivatives

Bitget integrated the options offering into Stock+, its comprehensive traditional finance product ecosystem. The platform previously provided tokenized equities and opportunities to access pre-IPO companies. With this addition, Stock+ now delivers a more comprehensive range of market instruments.

Operating from the Seychelles, the exchange has designed Stock+ to function as a connection point between cryptocurrency markets and conventional financial products. This approach consolidates stocks, digital assets, commodities, foreign exchange, market indices, and precious metals within a unified trading interface. The strategy mirrors an industry-wide trend among cryptocurrency platforms evolving into diversified asset exchanges.

According to the exchange, the product addresses demand from qualified users seeking proven equity market tools. By launching with straightforward options configurations, the platform aims to provide an accessible onboarding experience. The company connected the timing to growing appetite for exchange-traded derivatives.

Surging Derivatives Activity Drives Platform Innovation

The product debut comes after an exceptional year for U.S. options trading. American options markets handled over 15.2 billion contracts throughout 2025, translating to approximately 60 million contracts during each trading session.

Options instruments have seen expanded adoption among both retail participants and institutional traders. Market participants employ them for directional speculation, risk mitigation, volatility exploitation, premium collection, and leverage management. Consequently, trading venues increasingly view options as a key engagement and revenue driver.

Bitget confronts growing competition from rival crypto platforms diversifying beyond digital currency products. In June, Coinbase revealed intentions to broaden its options infrastructure for both equities and cryptocurrencies. Through this Stock+ enhancement, Bitget advances its position in the listed derivatives space.

The post Bitget Introduces U.S. Stock Options Trading Through Stock+ Platform appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• LCID shares declined 7.62% to $6.13 following the release of second-quarter production data.

• The electric vehicle maker manufactured 4,774 units and handed over 3,953 vehicles in Q2.

• Alexander De Bock has been appointed as the new chief financial officer at Lucid.

• Major leadership restructuring aims to streamline operations and enhance accountability.

• Management seeks better alignment between production capacity, operational expenses, and market demand.

Shares of Lucid Group (LCID) experienced a sharp 7.62% decline, closing at $6.13, after the electric vehicle manufacturer disclosed its second-quarter manufacturing and delivery metrics. The downturn came alongside announcements of significant executive transitions, including a new chief financial officer and extensive leadership reorganization. These developments have intensified investor attention on the company’s operational effectiveness and cost management.

Lucid Group, Inc., LCID

Second Quarter Manufacturing and Distribution Figures Released

Lucid manufactured a total of 4,774 electric vehicles throughout the quarter ending June 30, 2026. During this same timeframe, the automaker successfully delivered 3,953 units to customers. Market participants responded negatively, sending LCID shares downward at the opening bell.

The stock experienced initial selling pressure before finding some stability and staging a minor recovery later in the trading session. Nevertheless, the overall negative movement maintained downward momentum on the company’s short-term valuation. The quarterly performance data intensified questions surrounding customer demand dynamics, manufacturing planning capabilities, and distribution effectiveness.

The company maintains its strategic focus on software-integrated electric vehicles and cutting-edge automotive technology. However, Lucid remains under considerable pressure to expand production volumes while simultaneously enhancing operational efficiency. Consequently, this latest operational disclosure coincided with a comprehensive reorganization of its management team and corporate structure.

Financial Leadership Transition Marks Latest Executive Change

Lucid has announced Alexander De Bock as its next chief financial officer. De Bock comes with over twenty years of automotive financial management expertise. His previous role included serving as CFO at TI Automotive, where he led cost optimization initiatives and organizational restructuring projects.

Taoufiq Boussaid, the current CFO, will depart from Lucid following a transition period. He is expected to remain with the organization through the publication of second-quarter financial results. This transition represents another significant shift in the company’s financial leadership structure.

Lucid simultaneously revealed multiple executive appointments under the direction of CEO Silvio Napoli. Management stated these organizational modifications will simplify corporate structure and strengthen accountability mechanisms. The restructuring will reduce the number of executives reporting directly to the CEO by fifty percent.

Organizational Restructuring Aims to Accelerate Performance and Responsibility

Raja Ramana Macha has been named chief technology officer at Lucid. In this capacity, he will direct technology initiatives and engineering implementation. Macha’s professional history includes senior technology leadership positions at Eaton spanning automotive and additional industrial segments.

Billy Hayes has assumed the role of chief customer officer, taking charge of sales operations, customer service, marketing functions, and regional execution. Hugo Martinho will step into the position of chief transformation officer effective August 1. Kay Stepper will head Lucid Technologies, supervising robotaxi development, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving systems, advanced driver assistance systems, and enterprise information technology.

Lucid has additionally elevated Christian Appel to vice president of program management. Appel will coordinate platform execution and manage product portfolio alignment. These organizational changes build upon previous efforts to reduce operational complexity, synchronize manufacturing capacity with market demand, and strengthen competitive positioning.

The post Lucid Group (LCID) Stock Drops 7.6% Following Q2 Results and Executive Overhaul appeared first on Blockonomi.

The cryptocurrency market has staged an evident rebound over the past 24 hours, with Bitcoin (BTC) rising by 4% and Solana (SOL) surging by 9%.

MemeCore (M), though, has outperformed all top 100 digital assets by skyrocketing 80% in a single day. Following the rally, it has become the third-biggest meme coin and could soon overtake Shiba Inu (SHIB) if it maintains momentum.

Is the Rally Sustainable?

The meme coin is currently worth around $1.50 and has a market capitalization of just under $2 billion, making it the 40th-largest cryptocurrency (according to CoinGecko). It is important to note that the major revival comes just days after M crashed by 76% following allegations of manipulation.

Just hours ago, the team behind the meme coin addressed the issue and informed that following “a comprehensive internal and on-chain review,” it has not found anything suspicious related to the matter.

“Our review confirms:
– No issues affecting the protocol or infrastructure.
– All core systems continue to operate normally.
– No token sales were conducted by the MemeCore Foundation.
– No unusual activity has been identified regarding the Foundation’s treasury or project operations,” the announcement reads.

Perhaps this has become the primary catalyst driving M’s price higher today (July 2). Despite the evident jump, many analysts remain skeptical of the token, warning investors to be extremely cautious.

X user Suf claimed that the price climbed “not because of bullish buyers, but from the traders who shorted, being forced to buy.” For his part, CryptoBuffett said he will short M “to infinity.”

“I will DCA all the way up to $3 and beyond. My whole reputation and net worth will go into shorting this manipulative team and coin to ZERO. It’s worth ZERO; they want to rug you twice. If you’re buying, you will be REKT,” he added.

Additional Red Signals

MemeCore’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) also suggests the price might head south soon. The ratio has risen to 82, representing an extreme overbought condition, which is often a precursor of an impending pullback.

The token has been labeled a scam by numerous well-known analysts in recent months. In April, lockchain investigator ZachXBT openly questioned MemeCore’s valuation and token distribution, claiming that insiders control more than 90% of its supply.

The post Viral Meme Coin Challenges Shiba Inu (SHIB) After Exploding 80% Daily: Details appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Standard Chartered has become the first global systematically important bank (G-SIB) to let institutional clients mint and redeem USDC directly through its banking platform, the lender has said.

The service removes the need for eligible clients to open separate accounts with Circle, the issuer of USDC, giving them a single onboarding process for both traditional banking and stablecoin access.

Standard Chartered Brings USDC Services Into Its Banking Platform

The new service, announced on July 2, has been developed in collaboration with Circle and will let institutional clients that qualify to mint and redeem USDC through Standard Chartered’s operations in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). According to the bank, clients will be able to access banking, custody and digital asset services through one integrated platform while using USDC for on-chain settlement and treasury management.

Initially, the offering will be available only through the bank’s DIFC business. However, Standard Chartered said it plans to expand it to more markets once it receives regulatory approvals.

“Digital assets are becoming an increasingly important component of global financial infrastructure, and institutional clients are seeking the same levels of trust and governance that underpin traditional markets,” said Roberto Hoornweg, Standard Chartered’s chief of corporate and investment banking.

Furthermore, he noted that the launch is meant to support wider institutional participation in crypto markets through established compliance and risk management standards.

Crypto market watchers viewed the announcement as another sign that the stablecoin infrastructure is moving further into regulated finance, with Spot On Chain’s Hupzy writing on X that placing a G-SIB directly into the USDC minting process will remove a major operational hurdle for institutions that in the past relied on exchanges or over-the-counter desks to get stablecoins. According to the analyst, the arrangement has the potential to increase the use of USDC among institutions, deepening on-chain liquidity in the process.

Stablecoin Competition Growing

Standard Chartered’s announcement came just a day after the introduction of OpenUSD, a new stablecoin backed by more than 140 companies, including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Coinbase, Ripple, and BlackRock. The project, designed around collaborative governance and revenue sharing, has added another competitor to the race to build institutional stablecoin infrastructure.

The bank has already been expanding its presence in regulated digital assets, including in April this year, when it was among the first groups to get a Hong Kong stablecoin issuer license, allowing it to mint Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoins for cross-border payments.

The post Standard Chartered Becomes First Major Bank to Offer Direct Stablecoin Services appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Pi Network rarely stays out of the spotlight, as the Core Team consistently rolls out ecosystem upgrades and major announcements.

Yet despite the steady stream of updates, the project’s native token has continued to slide, recently tumbling to a fresh all-time low.

The Latest Developments

Pi Network’s community has been desperately waiting for a potential catalyst that could finally trigger a price rebound for PI, with numerous members pinning their hopes on Pi2Day.

The date is symbolic, as it represents the mathematical constant 2π, and it is celebrated annually on June 28. There was widespread speculation that the team would unveil groundbreaking announcements that day, as some even anticipated a listing on Binance.

Instead, Pi Network introduced SoloHost, Pi Sign-in, and PiVerify – tools designed to expand the ecosystem beyond native apps and into AI, digital identity, and third-party services. Several hours ago, the Core Team offered additional clarification on these features, saying:

“Together, these releases point to a broader direction for the ecosystem: Pi products are built both for the Pi ecosystem and to extend Pi services and resources to the external world. This, in turn, enriches and strengthens the Pi ecosystem.”

The Reaction

Some industry participants and entities praised Pi Network for releasing the aforementioned tools. X user Onur described these as “banger updates,” while CiDi Games argued that everything the team shipped on Pi2Day “points in the same direction: real utility, built by the people who use it.”

The community, though, wasn’t unanimously impressed. Many urged the team to fix the ongoing KYC and migration issues first, claiming that these problems are more urgent than new feature releases.

PI Price Outlook

The overall market weakness, and perhaps the emergence of a classic “sell the news” scenario after Pi2Day, has resulted in a further price decline for PI, which fell to a new ATL of just over $0.11 towards the end of June.

As of press time, the token trades at roughly $0.115, representing a minor 0.8% increase on a daily scale and a whopping 96% crash since the historic peak of $3 witnessed at the start of 2025.

Still, some factors suggest that bears may loosen their grip in the short term. The number of PI coins stored on crypto exchanges has decreased by about 260,000 over the past day, bringing the total to 553.3 million. Such a trend usually leads to reduced selling pressure.

The upcoming token unlocks are also worth monitoring. Roughly 127.5 million PI are scheduled for release over the next 30 days, with an average daily unlock of 4.25 million. This is far less aggressive than in previous months and may help set the stage for a period of price stabilization.

The post Pi Network (PI) News Today: July 2 appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP continues to consolidate in a narrow range on both USDT and Bitcoin-paired charts, with the broader trend still favoring the sellers.

However, the latest technical signals suggest downside momentum may be fading as the market defends key support while early signs of bullish divergence begin to emerge.

Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair

Against USDT, XRP remains confined within a well-defined descending channel, with the price trading below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages. This keeps the higher time frame structure bearish despite the recent stabilization.

The asset is currently holding around the $1.08 support area, which also coincides with a major horizontal demand zone. After the sharp sell-off in June, sellers have so far failed to extend the decline, allowing XRP to build a short-term base above support.

The RSI has formed a clear bullish divergence, printing higher lows while the price registered lower lows. This typically signals weakening bearish momentum and raises the probability of a relief rally if buyers manage to reclaim higher levels.

The first resistance lies around the $1.15 supply zone, while stronger resistance remains near the 100-day moving average around the $1.25 region. A recovery above these levels would improve the broader outlook, whereas losing the $1 support could expose the lower boundary of the channel near $0.80.

The BTC Pair

Against Bitcoin, XRP is also trading inside a long-term descending channel, reflecting persistent relative weakness. The pair remains below the major moving averages, indicating that the broader trend has yet to shift in favor of XRP.

Recently, XRP briefly broke below the key 1,700 sats low before quickly reclaiming it, creating what appears to be a fake breakdown. This rejection below support suggests sellers failed to maintain control and may have triggered a liquidity sweep before the price recovered back into the previous range.

Despite the recovery, the pair still faces immediate resistance around 1,850 sats, with a stronger supply zone located near 2,000 sats, where horizontal resistance converges with the declining 200-day moving average. A decisive move above these levels would strengthen the case for a broader recovery toward the upper boundary of the channel.

As long as XRP holds above 1,700 sats, the fake breakout scenario remains valid and could support additional upside. However, a confirmed daily close below this level would invalidate the bullish setup and likely open the door for another leg lower toward the critical 1,500 sats support area.

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While Ethereum’s overall market structure is still dominated by the sellers, recent price action suggests sellers may be losing momentum after the market was held by the $1.5K support region twice. The emergence of a potential double bottom and improving short-term momentum could pave the way for a relief rally if buyers reclaim the next resistance cluster.

Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily timeframe, ETH is still trading within the same long-term descending channel that has remained intact for months, with both the long-term moving averages sloping lower just above the channel’s higher boundary. The price remains well below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, which are currently positioned around the $2K to $2.2K region, confirming that the macro trend is still bearish.

After the sharp sell-off a few weeks ago, the cryptocurrency found strong demand inside the $1.5K support zone. The price has now tested this area twice, raising the possibility of a double-bottom formation. Although the pattern is not confirmed yet, the repeated defense of this support suggests that bearish momentum is fading.

The RSI has also recovered from near-oversold conditions and is gradually pushing higher toward the midline, indicating improving momentum without reaching overbought territory.

For the bullish scenario to gain credibility, ETH needs to reclaim the $1.8K resistance zone to validate the double bottom setup. A successful move above that level would also expose the next major supply area around $2K to $2.2K, where the 100-day and 200-day moving averages converge.

Conversely, losing the $1.5K support zone could likely prove catastrophic, as it would invalidate the potential reversal structure and likely trigger a deeper leg lower within the broader downtrend.

ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart

The 4-hour chart presents a clearer short-term picture. The price has built liquidity beneath the $1.5K lows, as buyers stepped back into the market, preventing a lower low. This demand is gradually pushing ETH toward the first area of overhead supply.

The price is currently approaching a key fair value gap at approximately $1.7k. This imbalance coincides with the latest bearish impulse and is likely to attract selling interest. A decisive breakout above this zone would signal improving short-term strength and could open the path toward the $1.85K resistance.

Momentum has also noticeably improved on the lower timeframe, with the RSI climbing toward bullish territory while printing higher lows alongside price. This suggests buyers have regained some control after the recent rebound.

However, unless ETH successfully clears the fair value gap and establishes higher highs, the current advance could still develop into nothing more than a corrective rally within the larger bearish trend.

Sentiment Analysis

The distribution of open interest in options contracts shows that the largest concentration is positioned around the late December 2026 expiry, where call open interest significantly outweighs put open interest. Several other major expiries, including late September and late July, also display a clear dominance of call positioning.

This skew toward call options suggests that derivatives participants continue positioning for higher prices over the medium to long term despite Ethereum’s recent weakness. At the same time, the substantial notional value concentrated around the larger expiries indicates that these dates could become important volatility catalysts as expiration approaches.

While options positioning alone does not guarantee a bullish outcome, the current distribution reflects a market that still maintains longer-term upside expectations even as spot price remains trapped below major technical resistance. If ETH confirms the developing double-bottom structure and breaks above the nearby resistance cluster, the optimistic options positioning could provide additional tailwinds through improved market sentiment.

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