Peru's fiscal adjustments amid union demands could strain economic stability, potentially impacting inflation, investment, and market confidence.

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De la Espriella's presidency may shift Colombia's political landscape rightward, impacting regional alliances and investor confidence.

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Europe's gradual reduction in US Treasury purchases could increase US borrowing costs, impacting fiscal policy and global capital flows.

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Iran's refusal to allow IAEA inspections may heighten geopolitical tensions, impacting global markets and investor risk strategies.

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The US nuclear expansion could reshape energy infrastructure, boost tech power needs, and offer financial gains for investors and taxpayers.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Trump Signs Quantum Computing Orders — What Does This Mean For Bitcoin?

President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Monday aimed at cementing U.S. dominance in quantum computing while accelerating the federal government’s transition to encryption that can withstand quantum attacks. 

The move carries significant implications for Bitcoin and the broader crypto industry, which has long been warned that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could crack the cryptographic foundations underpinning digital assets.

The first order, titled Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation, sets an ambitious target: a “scientifically relevant” quantum computer deployed at a national laboratory or Department of Energy facility by 2028. 

The order also directs the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Defense alongside NASA to develop deployment plans for quantum sensors and networking technologies within five years.

White House science advisor Michael Kratsios framed the orders as a continuation of Trump’s first-term quantum push. 

“President Trump has long recognized the importance of quantum as an economic and national security imperative,” Kratsios said before the signing. 

The second order is where Bitcoin holders should pay close attention. It moves the federal deadline for adopting post-quantum cryptography from 2035 to December 2031 — a four-year acceleration — and directs NIST to complete a pilot migration of federal systems by the end of 2027. 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has also been tasked with helping critical infrastructure operators make the shift.

The concern for Bitcoin is what researchers call “Q-Day” — the moment a quantum computer becomes powerful enough to reverse-engineer private keys from public addresses, effectively allowing an attacker to drain any exposed wallet. Coinbase’s advisory council has warned that roughly 7 million BTC could eventually be vulnerable, a figure representing tens of billions of dollars in exposed holdings.

Quantum-resistant bitcoin 

In March, Google set its own 2029 deadline. BTQ Technologies launched a Bitcoin testnet built around BIP-360, a quantum-resistance proposal, while developers have since proposed BIP-361, which would freeze BTC held in vulnerable legacy addresses if owners fail to migrate. 

Other networks like Stellar have unveiled a migration roadmap earlier this month, and Algorand has pledged broad quantum resilience by 2027 — but Bitcoin, whose security model has remained largely unchanged since Satoshi’s whitepaper, has no mandatory upgrade path. 

Trump’s orders don’t necessarily regulate crypto directly, but by pulling the federal deadline four years closer, they send somewhat of a signal: Q-Day is no longer a distant hypothetical, and the window to harden Bitcoin may be narrower than the industry assumes.

This post Trump Signs Quantum Computing Orders — What Does This Mean For Bitcoin? first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Franklin Templeton Closes 250 Digital Deal, Launches Institutional Crypto Division

Franklin Templeton has completed its acquisition of 250 Digital, the crypto investment firm spun out of CoinFund in January 2026, and used the closing to launch a new institutional business line called Franklin Crypto. 

The deal, first announced in April, marks one of the most concrete moves by a major legacy asset manager to build a dedicated crypto operation from within.

250 Digital came into existence at the start of 2026 as a standalone entity carved out of CoinFund Management, bringing with it a team built around liquid crypto strategies and institutional-grade portfolio construction. 

Christopher Perkins, who leads the firm, will now head Franklin Crypto. Seth Ginns, 250 Digital’s chief investment officer, will carry that title into the new division. Both spent years at CoinFund before the spinout and bring deep roots in the institutional digital asset world.

The new Franklin Crypto unit is aimed at pensions, sovereign wealth funds, and large asset allocators that want exposure to digital assets through regulated structures. Its strategy spans liquid token markets, venture exposure, and structured products tied to blockchain infrastructure.

One of the more striking details of the transaction is how it was paid. Franklin Templeton used BENJI tokens — the on-chain representation of its Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund — as part of the acquisition consideration. 

That makes this deal among the first major M&A transactions in financial services to be settled using tokenized fund shares rather than cash or conventional securities.

BENJI tokens give holders exposure to a regulated U.S. money market fund recorded on a public blockchain. Franklin Templeton has spent years building out that infrastructure, and using it as M&A currency signals that the firm views its tokenization stack as a live commercial tool, not a proof of concept.

Franklin Templeton’s long bet on bitcoin and digital assets

Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has been direct about her view of blockchain’s threat to traditional finance — she has argued that blockchains put pressure on Wall Street’s fee structures, not just its technology. 

That posture runs through the firm’s recent moves: filing for a Bitcoin ETF years before institutional demand caught up, launching ETFs that reinvest stock dividends into Bitcoin, and now acquiring a crypto-native team to run an institutional operation at scale.

The 250 Digital acquisition is the most structural step yet. Rather than wrapping crypto exposure inside an ETF or a fund sleeve, Franklin Templeton is building a division with its own leadership, its own investment philosophy, and a mandate to go after the institutional market head-on.

With over $1.5 trillion in assets under management, Franklin Templeton’s full commitment to a dedicated crypto unit sends a signal to the rest of the asset management industry. The firm is not treating digital assets as a side product.

It is staffing, acquiring, and deploying capital as if crypto is a permanent fixture in institutional portfolios.

This post Franklin Templeton Closes 250 Digital Deal, Launches Institutional Crypto Division first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Crypto Industry Unites Behind Bill to Fix Tax Rules for Miners and Stakers

The three largest U.S. crypto trade associations sent a joint letter to the House Ways and Means Committee on June 21, calling for passage of H.R. 9175, the Tax Clarity for Mining and Staking Act, introduced by Representative Mike Carey (R-OH). 

The Blockchain Association, Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), and Digital Chamber described the bill as “a durable compromise” and pressed lawmakers to pass it without changes.

The dispute between the IRS and the crypto industry over mining and staking taxes stretches back over a decade. 

In 2014, the IRS issued Notice 2014-21, which declared that miners must report the fair market value of any mined Bitcoin as gross income at the moment of creation — not at the point of sale. The rule treats mined coins like wages: taxable on receipt, whether or not the miner ever converts them to cash.

The situation for stakers worsened in 2023, when the IRS published Revenue Ruling 2023-14, extending the same logic to proof-of-stake validators. Under that ruling, staking rewards are taxable income the moment a validator earns them, creating a cash-flow problem: validators owe tax on assets they may have no intention of selling.

This dynamic pushes U.S.-based miners and stakers into a difficult position. Proof-of-work and proof-of-stake networks secure more than $1.7 trillion in digital assets. The trade groups argue that forcing participants to recognize income on illiquid rewards discourages domestic validation activity and cedes ground to foreign competitors operating under more favorable tax treatment.

What H.R. 9175 will do for crypto mining 

H.R. 9175 does not eliminate tax on mining or staking rewards. Instead, it gives taxpayers a choice. 

Under the bill, miners and stakers can elect to treat new digital assets as self-created property, deferring tax recognition until the point of sale. The bill also allows grantor trusts holding digital assets to receive staking rewards without forfeiting their trust status — a technical fix that matters for institutional participants managing funds through trust structures.

The Ways and Means Committee held a full-committee hearing on digital asset taxation on June 9, the first of its kind in years. Six digital asset tax bills were on the table. H.R. 9175 was among them.

The June 21 letter was signed by Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger, CCI CEO Ji Hun Kim, and Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone. 

Their unified front represents a coordinated industry push at a moment of rare legislative momentum. Senator Cynthia Lummis has run parallel efforts in the Senate, introducing legislation that would defer tax on mining and staking until the point of sale — language that aligns in spirit with H.R. 9175.

The clock is a factor. Congress faces a narrow legislative window before the August recess, and Lummis — one of the Senate’s most vocal advocates for digital asset reform — departs in January 2027. The broader crypto tax reform effort has drawn support from across the crypto industry, with groups pressing Congress to treat digital assets with the same coherence applied to other asset classes.

For crypto miners and stakers who have operated under a cloud of tax uncertainty since Bitcoin’s earliest days, H.R. 9175 represents the most concrete legislative vehicle for relief in years.

This post Crypto Industry Unites Behind Bill to Fix Tax Rules for Miners and Stakers first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Nostr is the Orange Web: Bitcoin’s Niche and Futuristic Alternative Internet

If you are into Bitcoin, you might have heard “Nostr,” a strange, nearly unpronounceable word that stands for “Notes and other stuff transmitted by relay”. This acronym that’s captured the imagination of Bitcoin technologists for years has a big idea. That you don’t need to be locked into a social media giant to talk to your friends. 

Invented at the start of COVID19 by Fiatjaff in March of 2020, today the Nostr protocol has a seemingly infinite amount of websites custom-built around this niche, with world-class influencers like Edward Snowden and Jack Dorsey prominently on the platform. 

Unlike the internet and social media ecosystem of today, Nostr lets users take their followers and content with them from website to website, from app to app, as they see fit. The algorithms are fundamentally in the hands of users, supporting maximum control, variety and censorship resistance, qualities largely lost from the modern big tech clear web. 

A Tool of Bitcoin Evangelism

Built on Bitcoin native technology, Nostr has supported bitcoin micro payments called zaps from almost day one. Its login system resembles a Bitcoin wallet more than it does any other login credential, resulting in a fresh and novel experience of the web. 

Artists have started to find their way to this strange corner of the internet, as they do, growing their brands into international communities that tip in Bitcoin, not just in appreciation for great art, but to make a point. To demonstrate that, regardless of where you are in the world, Bitcoin can be delivered to your door. 

Take Pubpay, for example, a Nostr-powered music site built to elevate the musicians not just online, but in live performances. I got to see this app in action at a Bitcoin party in Las Vegas just a few weeks ago. The site seen on that massive screen showed off the artist on stage, with a massive QR code and a leaderboard of Zaps, tiny bitcoin donations made to the artist over the lightning network. Those who donated most rose to the top, claiming the bragging rights, while the artist claimed the sats. 

Have a listen to the trending tab of Wavlake, for example, another music dedicated Nostr site with a smooth design and instant access to surprisingly good music. 

Stories of onboarding new people to Bitcoin via Nostr social media apps like Primal are common at Bitcoin meetups and conferences. Primal is a Twitter clone of sorts built from the ground up around Nostr, it is without a doubt the fastest way to get into this social media niche, start growing your followers and start stacking sats by posting great content. 

Unlike the boring payments-only Bitcoin wallet whose design principles are now more than 15 years old, the Nostr app is fresh and has a direct pipeline of content that can be delivered to newcomers if done right, keeping them tumbling down the Bitcoin rabbit hole.

Easy to Understand Nostr Fundamentals

Built on Bitcoin native cryptography, Nostr uses public addresses and privacy keys to authenticate its users, the same as Bitcoin wallets. Nostr public addresses start with “npub” while private keys start with “nsec”. Users sign posts or messages they want to publish to the Nostr network with their private key. Those signed posts can be found by looking at the same user’s public address. Like normal social media apps, users can follow and mute each other across the Nostr ecosystem. 

Data about who follows whom, and what they have published, is stored on relays, special servers that users can run themselves, and which sync with other relays to varying degrees, similar to Bitcoin nodes. 

Interfaces and apps can be built on top of Nostr to let users experience their social network in different ways, and many different approaches exist, from Twitter-like clones like Primal and Amathyst, to blogging platforms, music and even micro video sites like Divine. Basically, any website can be Nostr integrated as long as it makes its users’ identities Nostr compliant, and user-generated content becomes available via relays.

If you get tired of one app or don’t like how they are treating you, you can just grab your nsec and move to another. The new app will look up your npub, find all your friends, notes and preferences and let you continue connecting with them without issue. In other words, the network effects built on Nostr apps are owned by you, controlled by you and not by the platform. This is the big idea of Nostr, and it is why so many Bitcoiners are obsessed with it. 

A lot more than Social Media

It’s important to note that Nostr isn’t just a social network protocol; it is actually an open-source and actively growing information protocol that can transfer any kind of data. Devices can talk to each other via the nostr without you having to see them. In fact, a wide range of apps have already been built to transmit data over Nostr; many of those apps can be found in one of the most important places of this ecosystem, the Zapstore.

That’s right, Nostr has its own dedicated app store, and it’s quite impressive. Led by a gentleman known as Franzaps, this open source Nostr-powered app store gives you direct and often early access to over 150 apps in the Nostr ecosystem, published directly to it by its developers, signed cryptographically and publicly with their Nostr keys.

But Zapstore goes beyond just its Nostr niche; it lets you download a wide range of popular apps that publish to GitHub. We are talking over 3000 of the most popular apps, according to Fran, who talked to Bitcoin Magazine in an exclusive interview. Examples like Mullvad VPN and Brave browser can be found on the Zapstore, along with many others; it could very easily replace the Play Store and App Store for a privacy-conscious user, by passing the choke point that Google and Apple have been building inside mobile phones. 

The Zapstore software goes through significant lengths to verify the authenticity of apps via cryptography. Fran explained that “Android uses the APK format. All APKs have a developer signature, and this is what Android checks during updates.” Google now effectively KYCs its app developers, but Nostr is decentralized, so to know whether an app was actually published by its developer, Nostr social proof is used. “Nostr is a *social* protocol where keys carry social weight, so now that Zeus signed their wallet, you can be certain it’s the real one.” 

This concept of Nostr social proof is historically known as a Web of Trust. If you log into Zapstore with your Nostr keys, you get to see if anyone you follow has engaged with the publishers of the app, an early web of trust solution to the question of security and authenticity in a decentralized world. 

Fran estimates the Zapstore has around 4,000 daily users, with half installing or updating at least one app. These are estimates — he clarified, “because we value privacy, we have zero tracking in the client and must derive them from relay and Blossom server data.”  

Digital Identity on Hard Mode

Since authentication into Nostr is done via Bitcoin-style private-public key pairs, the security practices to protect your identity are similar. Rather than emails, passwords and password resets, in Nostr, you have to take precautions to make sure your nsec (private key) does not get hacked. If it ends up on the dark web somehow, there’s not much you can do to recover it, and your identity and data can not be transferred to a new key pair either; the hacker can take control. For years, I’ve criticized this design, but while a protocol-level solution to password resets in Nostr has not been widely adopted, other solutions have emerged, such as remote signers.

Amber, an app created by Greenart7c3, a popular Nostr developer, can generate and sign Nostr events remotely, giving you full control over the nsec, without exposing it to every website you connect to. This technology works quite well, with wide adoption. It takes advantage of NIP-46 — an open-source Nostr improvement proposal designed for this purpose.

If you have never had a Nostr account, Amber is a great place to start, have it generate your Nostr keys, and use it exclusively to login to Nostr apps. 

Zap Zap Zap!

The most viral and innovative element of Nostr, a feature called by some “the moat” of Nostr apps, is, of course, the Zap. Those small bitcoin tips, which can be as little as 1 satoshi, though can be much higher as well, with a new Nostr site designed specifically around onchain Zaps, making the minimal viable over 1500 sats. Zaps, as a result, can deliver an excess amount of dopamine to its recipients relative to the cost, a reinvention of the Facebook “like”, with the weight of the hardest money in the world behind it. The Zap anchors approval and value to something that can not be faked by sock-puppet accounts on social media. If you want to try to game the popularity of a post, you have to pay up. 

The potential of Zaps is likely still in its infancy, but may one day serve as a novel kind of advertisement medium, ultimately paying consumers to experience content, or simply as an undeniable sign of gratitude from Nostr users towards a piece of content and its creator. 

Setting up Zaps on your Nostr account however could be easier, there are two sides to getting your Zaps up and running, sending and recieving, and for both you need the right kind of Bitcoin wallet. Not all Bitcoin wallets are made the same, as you might know. Most focus on handling onchain transactions, which, for the most part, are not compatible with Zaps. You need a lightning wallet that supports NIP-57, which gives you an email like nym, such as bitcoinmagazine@b.tc, a human-readable address that can receive lightning payments. And you also need to be able to send Zaps from a lightning wallet, which does not have to be the same one you receive them to.

The easiest way to start by far is by using Primal.net, likely the most popular Nostr social media client to date. Primal has a deep range of tools for Nostr users and often serves as the gateway to the ecosystem. It has a wallet built in that manages to stay on the self-custodial side of the regulatory line, while also being a low effort, low cost lightning wallet. It does this by using Spark, a layer 2 protocol similar to lightning. 

Most important of all, Primal’s wallet support Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) a very powerful and standard in the ecosystem under NIP-47, which lets you connect Nostr enabled websites to a wallet, to enable Zaps, without giving every website custody of your satoshis.

Other options range from running an Alby lightning node, which costs $12 dollars a month on server fees, far too much if you ask me, though a viable option for power users. Or running an Electrum Lightning wallet from a home machine and making sure it is always open and online. From there, there’s a wide range of lightning node software that enthusiasts can set up and make compatible with NWC and Nostr Zaps.

A Glimpse of the Nostr Ecosystem

Including all the tools mentioned above, here are some of the most notable Nostr sites and tools I discovered in my deep dive into the Nostr ecosystem, in no particular order. 

Social media apps:

• Primal
• Dark Wisp
• Amathyst
• Zap.cooking
• Ditto
• divine.video 
• Wavlake (music!)
• Pubpay (music events!)

Web of trust tools:

• plebsvszombies.cc
• brainstorm.nosfabrica.com  

Bitcoin Wallets + Nostr:

• Bitcoin-safe (Multisig Nostr Coordination)
• Electrum (NWC lightning node)
• Albyhub
• Cashu.me

Remote Signing and Key Management:

• frostr.org 

• Amber 
• LNbits Remote Signer (hardware!)

Other:

• nostrhub.io
• Npub.world   
• Citrine (Run a Nostr relay on a phone)
• Morganite (Serve your own data, like images and video) 
• Zapstore.dev

This post Nostr is the Orange Web: Bitcoin’s Niche and Futuristic Alternative Internet first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

The Future of Collecting: Alladan Flinn of Based Trading Cards on Cards, Community, and Culture 

In February 2026, a single piece of cardboard sold for $16,492,000. The 1998 Pikachu Illustrator — the only known PSA 10 example of one of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence — was sold by Logan Paul through Goldin Auctions to A.J. Scaramucci, who called the purchase the first move in a “planetary treasure hunt” for the world’s rarest objects. It became the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction. Card collecting, long treated as a culture at the margins, is now impossible to ignore.

What’s new is what’s driving today’s prices: live-stream ripping has turned pack openings into spectator sport, auctions and secondary markets with advanced data-responsive metrics, new printing methods, and communities built around scarcity and authenticity are reshaping the category from first principles. It is, not by coincidence, the same vocabulary the bitcoin world has spoken for years — and the two cultures have begun to find each other.

As a lifelong creator and entrepreneur, Alladan Flinn grew up tearing open packs of Marvel cards and inventing characters of his own.  When NFTs got marketed as collectibles while lacking the scarcity of physical cards, he built what he saw as missing: launched in late 2022 and known both as Based Trading Cards and Bitcoin Trading Cards, his company makes limited, serialized cards designed to teach the principles of sound money and decentralization.

I sat down with Alladan to talk about where this is headed; community-driven commerce, the blurring line between physical and digital ownership, and why bitcoiners keep reaching for trading cards to carry the history of the movement. 

BMAG: The trading card industry has changed dramatically over the past five years. What are the biggest trends you’re seeing in 2026 that collectors may not have noticed yet? Do you think the market is putting a new premium on verifiable scarcity and authentication—and why so much change now?

Over the past five years, we’ve seen the industry explode, cool off, and now surge right back to the all-time highs we are in today. A huge driver of this is people simply looking for genuine community—they want those personal interactions with others who share their hobby. But at the same time, people are extremely worried about the broader economy. Because the trading card economy continues to rise, many are looking at the hobby as an alternative investment or even a potential lottery ticket. As for a new premium on verifiable scarcity and authentication, I don’t think there is a massive, market-wide callout for it just yet. However, we are seeing key influencers start to take a stance and ask companies to do better. This is definitely a growing trend right now, but we are just getting started. I believe there will be a lot more to come on this front, especially as the market eventually starts to dip.

BMAG: As a company founder, you’ve built a strong community around Based Trading Cards and its releases. How important is community engagement compared to traditional marketing in today’s collector landscape?

Right now, the indie card space is wild. On one hand, off-the-shelf printing tech like eufyMake is empowering creators to bypass traditional gatekeepers, which is a beautifully decentralized concept. On the other hand, it’s creating a lot of high-time-preference noise. While printing cards at home is a great way to produce art for collectors, it puts a massive risk on transparency and quick pop-up money grabs that can easily reprint cards and inflate their supply. This introduces real opportunities for counterfeits and rug pulls, meaning we are definitely in the danger zone of a hype cycle. There are so many new brands popping up using AI-generated artwork and relying on influencer hype rather than putting in the hard work to craft a meaningful story. Print-on-demand sets knocked out overnight are a warning sign that we might be hitting a top. Ultimately, these physical art collectibles only become truly valuable when they archive a story that outlasts the current trend. Brands that are doing the work, ensuring top-notch quality and honoring a deep, globally recognized narrative, the way One Piece does, are the ones that will thrive. The rest will wash out when the hype fades.

BMAG: What types of collectors are entering the space today, and how are they different from collectors who entered during previous generations?

The collector base right now is split between raw hype and seasoned experience. We have a huge influx of new people who run straight toward the loudest trend, easily falling for gimmicks because they haven’t developed a filter yet. In this hobby, just like in crypto, you usually have to live through a painful bear market before you stop buying the hype and start looking at the actual underlying value. The saving grace right now is that old collectors are returning to the space completely reinvigorated. They already know these lessons, and they are stepping up to mentor the newcomers. Every all-time high brings noise, but the return of legacy collectors is what gives the space its real foundation.

BMAG: Looking ahead, what innovations or changes do you think will have the biggest impact on the trading card industry over the next three to five years? Do you see physical cards and digital ownership converging, and what would that mean for collectors?

The real innovation over the next few years is going to come down to what can actually be achieved on cardboard. It is about how far you can stretch the medium and turn a physical card into a true work of art through complex layers of embellishments and advanced printing techniques. I also expect a major push toward the digital side, but I do not think NFTs will be the bridge that connects the physical and digital worlds. Instead, I see augmented reality taking over. The digital layer shouldn’t be about artificially inflating the financial value of the card. It should be about utility, giving collectors new ways to play, interact, and gamify their collections. At the end of the day, the fundamental value will always be anchored to the physical product itself. AR will simply be the tool that lets us experience that physical art in a completely new dimension. 

BMAG: Based Trading Cards has successfully merged bitcoin-culture with physical collectibles. Why do you think bitcoin enthusiasts have embraced trading cards as a way to celebrate and preserve the history of the movement—and where do you see that intersection heading?

Our success stems from the fact that we took the time to build a solid foundation. We did not jump out with any gimmicks or try to manufacture artificial hype around the cards. Instead, we took our time and let trust, transparency, and true scarcity be the driving force, applying the exact same low time preference ethos that defines Bitcoin itself. There is real proof of work in every card we produce. When we feature pioneers like Michael Saylor or Adam Back, we are not just using their likeness for a quick trend; we actually get their explicit permission and blessing to create these trading cards. This hobby is the perfect medium because it acts as a physical timestamp. A card proves you were there during the bull market and the bear market, weathering the highs and lows. It proves you were at the conferences and that you stayed when the tourists left. It is a tactile way to preserve the history of Bitcoin that can be collected and shared among friends and family, capturing the people, the books, the companies, and the artists together as a collective community.

Find the full Based Trading Cards collection and upcoming releases on their website, and follow @based_cards for drop announcements, community events, and artist features.

The BMAG Card Expo at Bitcoin Asia brings a full trading card floor to Hong Kong this August 27–28 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Expect card vendors, TCG tournaments, on-site grading, and a museum-grade centerpiece on public display. Vendors and sponsors can find table and partnership details here.

Card enthusiasts headed to Bitcoin Aisa can use code BMAGHK for a discount on tickets.

This post The Future of Collecting: Alladan Flinn of Based Trading Cards on Cards, Community, and Culture  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Dennis Koch.

Ripple is pursuing a coordinated expansion of its stablecoin infrastructure across Europe and Africa, combining a strategic investment in payments company Flutterwave with preliminary regulatory approval in the European Union to widen the reach of its digital-asset services.

The dual-track strategy targets high-volume cross-border payment and remittance corridors in sub-Saharan Africa while giving Ripple a potential regulatory base across the 30-country European Economic Area.

By placing its dollar-pegged RLUSD stablecoin within Flutterwave’s regional payment network, the San Francisco-based company is seeking to move beyond its role as a provider of cross-border payment and liquidity technology and become part of the infrastructure supporting regulated commercial stablecoin flows.

The plan pairs two assets that stablecoin issuers increasingly need to compete: permission to serve financial institutions in major markets and access to payment networks capable of generating regular transaction volume.

Ripple’s proposed crypto-asset service provider license in Luxembourg would provide the regulatory reach. Flutterwave, which processes payments for businesses across Africa, would supply local collection methods, payout channels, and remittance customers.

The approach shows how competition in the stablecoin market is shifting beyond token issuance. The largest providers have established deep liquidity on exchanges, but the next phase of growth is increasingly tied to whether stablecoins can be integrated into payroll, trade, treasury management, and cross-border payments without requiring customers to handle the underlying technology.

Flutterwave gives RLUSD a route into African payments

Ripple participated in Flutterwave’s Series E financing round, which valued the African payments company at $3.2 billion. The companies did not disclose the size of Ripple’s investment.

The partnership calls for Flutterwave to integrate RLUSD, Ripple Payments, and the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into infrastructure that already connects businesses with cards, bank transfers, mobile wallets, and other domestic payment methods.

Flutterwave revealed plans to use RLUSD as a settlement asset within its payment network and Send App remittance service. It also intends to use the XRPL blockchain network to clear transactions and connect its regional infrastructure with Ripple’s international payout network through a common application programming interface.

The arrangement could allow a business to accept or send money through familiar local methods while RLUSD moves between financial intermediaries in the background. That would reduce the need for merchants and consumers to hold cryptocurrency directly.

Flutterwave said its broader stablecoin infrastructure is already operating commercially and being tested within Send App. The integration of RLUSD and Ripple’s other products represents the next stage of that buildout rather than evidence that the entire system is already processing transactions at scale.

Reece Merrick, Ripple’s managing director for the Middle East and Africa, said the investment would place RLUSD within Flutterwave’s infrastructure and direct stablecoin flows through the XRP Ledger. Ripple also plans to make its payment network available for more cross-border transactions in the region.

The companies have not provided a launch timetable, expected transaction volume, or projected savings for customers. They also have not identified the first payment corridors that will use RLUSD or explained how they will manage conversion between the stablecoin and local currencies.

Those details will determine whether blockchain settlement produces lower costs for businesses. Moving tokens across a ledger can take seconds, but the full transaction may still depend on banks, currency dealers, compliance reviews, and sufficient liquidity at the point where digital dollars are converted into local money.

Nigeria shows the demand Ripple is chasing

Ripple’s investment gives it a route into markets where stablecoins are already being used for purposes beyond speculation.

Nigeria received about $59 billion in crypto-asset inflows between July 2023 and June 2024 and has accounted for roughly 60% of stablecoin inflows into sub-Saharan Africa since 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.

Dollar-linked tokens have become an alternative for households and companies dealing with naira depreciation, inflation, and limited access to foreign exchange. They allow users to store dollar-denominated value, pay overseas suppliers, and receive money from abroad through smartphones and digital wallets.

Stablecoins can also compete with conventional remittance services. Sending $200 to sub-Saharan Africa costs about 9% of the transaction on average, compared with a global average of approximately 6%, the IMF said, citing World Bank data.

The gap creates an opening for companies that can connect blockchain settlement with local payout networks. A stablecoin transfer may move quickly between digital wallets, but it becomes more useful for commerce when recipients can reliably convert it into bank deposits or domestic currency.

That conversion layer is where Flutterwave could prove valuable to Ripple. Its existing relationships with banks, merchants, and payment providers may give RLUSD a distribution channel that would be difficult for Ripple to build independently in each African market.

Meanwhile, this opportunity also carries regulatory risks.

The IMF has warned that widespread use of dollar stablecoins can resemble digital dollarization, reducing demand for domestic currencies and weakening the transmission of monetary policy. Transactions conducted through wallets and offshore platforms can also be harder for authorities to monitor than payments routed through banks.

Ripple and Flutterwave are betting that placing stablecoin transactions inside regulated corporate infrastructure can address some of those concerns.

Even so, the companies will have to comply with different foreign-exchange, payments, and digital-asset rules across the continent rather than relying on a single African regulatory framework.

Luxembourg opens the European side

Ripple’s preliminary approval in Luxembourg addresses the institutional end of the proposed network.

On June 23, the Brad Garlinghouse-led firm announced that the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier issued Ripple a “Green Light Letter” for a crypto-asset service provider license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. The decision remains subject to final conditions and is not yet a full authorization.

Once completed, the license would allow Ripple to provide covered crypto services across the European Economic Area, which includes the EU’s 27 member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Ripple intends to combine the authorization with its existing Luxembourg electronic money institution license. The company said the two approvals would allow banks, financial technology companies, and corporations to collect, exchange, and distribute fiat money, stablecoins, and other crypto assets through one integration.

That combination is central to Ripple’s strategy. The electronic money license covers parts of the conventional payments system, while the MiCA authorization would govern its provision of crypto-asset services.

Together, they could allow Ripple to link European institutional customers with payment and settlement channels outside the region.

Cassie Craddock, Ripple’s managing director for the UK and Europe, said demand from banks and fintech companies is expanding as financial institutions explore blockchain-based payments, collateral management, and tokenized assets.

Ripple says its payments platform has processed more than $100 billion and operates in more than 60 markets. It also says it holds more than 75 regulatory licenses globally.

The Luxembourg application comes as Europe approaches the end of the maximum transition period for companies operating under earlier national crypto registrations. MiCA requires service providers to obtain authorization from one member state, after which they can use the license to serve customers across the bloc.

The deadline has increased the commercial value of obtaining approval. Binance faces the prospect of losing permission to serve EU customers after its application in Greece was expected to be rejected, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the process.

Binance said Greek regulators had not formally informed it of a rejection and that it would update users before the June 30 deadline.

Ripple’s preliminary approval does not guarantee that its final license will arrive on a particular date. It nevertheless places the company closer to authorization at a time when some larger crypto businesses are struggling to secure a European regulatory base.

RLUSD's distribution must still translate into volume

While RLUSD has shown considerable growth since its 2024 launch, it remains much smaller than the stablecoins that dominate global crypto trading.

Its market value stood at about $1.62 billion, with tokens issued on Ethereum and the XRP Ledger, according to DeFiLlama. In comparison, Tether’s USDT, the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, had about $186 billion in circulation, while Circle’s USDC had approximately $74.5 billion.

That difference explains why payment distribution is important to Ripple. RLUSD is unlikely to challenge the leading stablecoins through exchange liquidity alone.

So, embedding it within Flutterwave’s business-payment and remittance infrastructure could create transaction demand tied to commerce rather than trading. At the same time, the Luxembourg license could support the other end of those flows by giving European institutions a regulated way to access Ripple’s payment and stablecoin services.

In theory, a European business could send value through Ripple’s infrastructure while Flutterwave manages collection, conversion, or payout in an African market.

In practice, Ripple still must demonstrate that customers will choose RLUSD over bank deposits, USDT, USDC, or conventional payment networks. It must also ensure that enough liquidity exists to convert RLUSD into local currencies without widening foreign-exchange spreads and erasing the savings promised by faster settlement.

The post Ripple gives RLUSD a MiCA foothold in Europe and route into African payments – but is volume there? appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Through June 18, US-traded spot Bitcoin ETFs shed nearly $2.3 billion, and Ethereum ETFs lost around $200 million. Hyperliquid products attracted about $50 million in net inflows, XRP ETFs added roughly $24 million, and Solana finished with $3.4 million in outflows.

Altcoin inflows totaled about $74 million, less than 3% of the $2.5 billion that left Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs over the same period.

Bitcoin ETFs outpaced HYPE inflows by roughly 46-to-1 and XRP inflows by roughly 96-to-1, shutting down the argument for a rotation.

Hyperliquid's HYPE persistent bid

Bitwise launched its spot Hyperliquid ETF (BHYP) on May 14, describing it as one of the first US spot Hyperliquid products and the first to incorporate in-house staking.

Farside Investors' flow tables also list 21Shares' THYP and Grayscale's HYPG, showing cumulative HYPE ETF inflows of about $189 million through June 18, even as Bitcoin and Ethereum products bled.

The $50 million June inflow comes from a category that launched mid-May and has logged fewer than 25 trading sessions, making consistency the more meaningful signal.

The demand pattern reads as a concentrated institutional bet on an on-chain derivatives venue, specific enough in its thesis to hold while broader crypto ETF appetite contracted.

The bull case holds that persistence through a broadly negative ETF environment shows that Hyperliquid has a distinct buyer base, such as allocators who express a thesis on on-chain perpetuals infrastructure and stay in the position as BTC and ETH products shed assets.

The bear case is that the category is six weeks old, assets under management are thin, and a single week of institutional redemptions could reverse the cumulative inflow figure built across the product's entire trading history.

XRP's recurring demand

SoSoValue-aggregated data showed XRP spot ETFs added $10.6 million during the June 14-18 trading week, with cumulative inflows reaching about $1.5 billion and total net assets across the category at roughly $995 million.

XRP ETFs logged only two negative weeks since mid-March, a stretch that included several sessions when Bitcoin and Ethereum products saw outflows, pointing to recurring appetite for regulated access to an asset whose retail and institutional base predates ETF wrappers, with existing holders seeking a compliant format for exposure they already held.

The bull case is that two negative weeks in three-plus months, amid a difficult broader environment, show a durable buyer base with an appetite that persists through macro- and crypto-specific weakness.

The bear case is that $1.5 billion in cumulative inflows across several months, distributed across a category with net assets below $1 billion, describes measured demand with weekly additions of $10 million to $25 million landing far short of what would register against BTC ETF sessions like June 18's $90 million outflow.

What the Bitcoin outflow data shows

Bitcoin ETFs recorded negative flows on 11 out of the 14 trading sessions in June. The June 18 outflow of $90.7 million occurred on the same day Ethereum ETFs also shed $12.8 million.

ETF flows carry macro weight because they represent brokerage-account demand, dollars moving through regulated wrappers with settlement and custody infrastructure, the kind of institutional flow that moves price over weekly timeframes.

Citi estimated that spot Bitcoin ETF flows account for roughly 45% of weekly BTC price moves, a figure from a bank research note that could not be independently verified in Citi's primary materials, but whose directional claim tracks the persistent negativity of June sessions and BTC's price performance.

The Federal Reserve held its target range at 3.50% to 3.75% on June 17 and described inflation as still elevated relative to its 2% goal, keeping short-term dollar yields meaningful and the opportunity cost of volatile crypto exposure working against allocators who might otherwise add to ETF positions.

The two altcoin categories with net inflows carried specific narratives: Hyperliquid as an on-chain derivatives venue, XRP as a regulated-access product with a pre-existing holder base.

Whether HYPE and XRP inflows hold in July depends on whether Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs return to positive weekly flows.

If they do, the altcoin bid looks like early positioning. If BTC and ETH keep shedding assets, the residual inflows into smaller products describe the floor of crypto ETF demand, with HYPE and XRP as the last positions allocators held on to.

The post Investors pulled $2.5B from Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, but Hyperliquid and XRP still found buyers appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin is trading near $64,000, roughly mid-channel in the $57,000-$77,000 range that has defined the market since the Strait of Hormuz shock.

Can-Luca Köymen, investment strategist at Sygnum, called the current setup a catalyst-light regime in a note:

“Absent a decisive catalyst the path of least resistance is range-trading driven by positioning and flows rather than fresh spot demand.”

Angie Malltezi, chief operating officer of Altius, agrees on the mechanics:

“Markets often spend extended periods consolidating before a catalyst emerges, and that catalyst is frequently something investors weren't focused on beforehand.”

Both place the first real inflection point late in the third quarter and cite the same reason. The oil shock that drove energy to account for more than 60% of May's CPI increase has not yet been reflected in the data.

According to Köymen:

“Energy shocks pass through inflation with a lag, so a single softer reading doesn't undo it. A read that genuinely reflects post-MOU normalization realistically only shows up in the August data, which is the print the FOMC weighs in September.”

He added that the genuine inflection “is a late-Q3 story at the earliest.”

The data is still carrying the shock

The May CPI rose 0.5% month over month and 4.2% year over year, with gasoline up 7.0% for the month and 40.5% year over year.

The Fed held its funds rate target range at 3.50%-3.75% in June and described inflation as still running above its 2% goal, partly reflecting supply shocks, including energy.

Its June Summary of Economic Projections moved the 2026 PCE forecast to 3.6% from 2.7% in March, and the core PCE forecast to 3.3% from 2.7%.

Dallas Fed modeling shows the oil shock lifting headline inflation through the third quarter, even in a one-quarter closure scenario, raising quarter-on-quarter headline inflation by 0.6 percentage points and core by 0.2 percentage points.

Köymen's read of the Fed's posture carries direct weight for the calendar:

“This is a print-by-print Fed now, and the number that also matters is core PCE, not just CPI, since that's the Fed's preferred gauge. We should also expect less forward guidance from here onwards, something Chair Warsh signaled clearly at his first meeting.”

A Fed unwilling to pre-commit raises the market's incentive to front-run the data, because investors cannot anchor positioning to forward guidance, each incoming print carries more weight, and the first genuinely clean print does not arrive until August.

OFAC issued Iran General License X on Jun. 22, authorizing Iranian-origin crude and petroleum transactions through Aug. 21, and the sequencing of data releases around that window reinforces the bottleneck.

June CPI lands Jul. 14 and still carries the shock-period imprint. July CPI, due Aug. 12, gives the first cleaner read on whether energy costs are fading. The September FOMC meets on the 15th and 16th, with the August CPI in hand but not the August PCE, which the BEA releases on Sept. 30.

Malltezi flagged this:

“September remains the most likely inflection point, but it's not an absolute constraint.”

She added that the Fed retains authority to act between meetings if conditions warrant, though intermeeting moves are rare.

How the oil curve is already pricing the answer

The oil curve has already answered the question CPI will take weeks to confirm, and Köymen reads the futures curve as the signal of where the base case sits:

“The futures curve has relaxed significantly, with most dated WTI contracts now below $75 and selected 2027 contracts even below $70. The market is pricing the supply premium out across the whole curve, not just at the front.”

Physical evidence supports the read that several Middle Eastern producers have restarted refineries and oil fields, which Köymen describes as a sign “the parties on the ground are treating this as a durable peace rather than a pause.”

Malltezi reads the broader asset response the same way:

“Oil prices have retraced much of their initial geopolitical risk premium, and broader risk assets have remained resilient, suggesting investors expect the negotiations to continue without a major escalation.”

The relief is already partly reflected in Bitcoin's price, as both sources point to the mid-$60,000s as the base case where the MOU holds.

The Aug. 21 deadline on OFAC's license window is the visible risk node, but Köymen does not treat it as a hard cliff:

“The encouraging part is that the US has signaled willingness to extend the window if there's no clean solution by the deadline, which stops the deadline from becoming a hard cliff. Re-escalation risk is minor, but it isn't zero, and that residual risk is what keeps positioning hedged rather than outright long.”

Malltezi echoes the asymmetry:

“The market is assigning a relatively low probability to a severe disruption while recognizing that a breakdown in talks could quickly reprice energy markets and inflation expectations.”

The structural forces keeping the range intact

Köymen identifies a newer element in Bitcoin income products that reinforces range-bound behavior, even if macro conditions stay benign.

He mentioned BlackRock's recently launched covered-call ETF (BITA), which can reinforce range-bound behavior: it sells call options against its holdings, so it's effectively selling into rallies.

Köymen added:

“That introduces a recurring source of profit-taking on the way up that wasn't present in earlier cycles and, while still small relative to the spot ETF complex, at the margin it dampens upside follow-through.”

BlackRock's own risk disclosures confirm that writing covered calls on IBIT shares limits gains above the option's exercise price while leaving the fund exposed to downside risk.

He also flagged that the market must see meaningful accumulation by professional investors via ETFs at attractive entry levels, so investors should monitor whether demand genuinely returns and whether accumulation in size materializes.

In Köymen's read, recent ETF outflows look more like profit-taking and macro de-risking than a structural exit, and the outflow momentum has subsided at current levels.

Both conditions need to move together before Bitcoin has the fuel to break the range on its own.

Two paths through the data calendar

The bull case runs through the oil curve continuing to normalize, July CPI and PCE showing energy relief contained to headline prices, and September cut odds climbing before the Fed formally moves.

Fed funds futures currently price around a 52% chance of a September cut, per Sygnum's market read. Köymen framed the channel:

“Our base case, if flow continues and even improves through Hormuz, is the Fed holding across the next two to three meetings.”

Yet, he stated that Bitcoin can reprice on the expectation of easing before the Fed delivers it.

The bear case is that the inflation sequence proves stickier than the oil curve alone implies. EIA's June Short-Term Energy Outlook projected Brent at $105 per barrel in June and July, with wholesale gasoline running roughly 50% higher than its pre-conflict baseline.

If gasoline and goods prices keep feeding into core CPI despite easing crude, the Fed holds longer, real rates stay elevated, and Bitcoin retests the lower bound.

Malltezi puts the honest constraint on prediction:

“Identifying the specific trigger in advance is extremely challenging. Whether it's macroeconomic data, monetary policy, ETF flows, regulatory developments, or an unforeseen event — until then, continued range-bound trading remains a reasonable base case.”

The CLARITY Act sits on the sidelines in both scenarios. Köymen puts it at roughly 50/50 for 2026, consistent with Polymarket's approximately 45% odds and a Senate Banking Committee vote in May that advanced the bill 15-9.

Malltezi noted that the bill depends on congressional timelines and bipartisan support, not geopolitical developments, and that an unexpected passage would push the range higher far faster than the oil and PCE sequence could, arriving before most investors have positioned for it.

The post The oil scare is fading, but Bitcoin is still trapped by the gas-price hangover appeared first on CryptoSlate.

South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI stock index plunged nearly 10% today, triggering a market-wide trading halt one day after the country’s top financial regulator acknowledged that authorities had rushed the approval of leveraged funds tied to its two largest chipmakers.

According to reports, the KOSPI closed down 9.99% at 8,203.84, its steepest decline since March 4. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix lost more than 12% each as overseas investors retreated from the semiconductor shares that had driven South Korea to the top of global equity-market rankings.

Bitcoin fell alongside the retreat in risk assets, dropping as much as $1,500 within several hours and slipping below $63,000.

The cryptocurrency traded near $62,300 after touching an intraday low of around $62,000, according to CryptoSlate data.

Chip Concentration Turns a Retreat Into a Rout

The South Korean selloff followed weakness in US technology shares and growing expectations that interest rates could remain elevated. Selling spread across Asia, pushing the MSCI Asia-Pacific index down about 2.9% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 roughly 3% lower.

South Korea suffered the largest decline because of the KOSPI’s dependence on Samsung and SK Hynix.

Together, the two companies account for more than half of the index’s market value, leaving the benchmark closely tied to investor expectations for artificial intelligence servers and high-bandwidth memory chips.

That concentration had produced substantial gains before Tuesday. The KOSPI reached a record above 9,100 points on Monday and, even after the selloff, remained up almost 95% for the year.

The same structure worked in reverse when foreign investors began reducing their exposure. Declines in the two chipmakers pulled down the broader index and triggered an automatic 20-minute suspension of trading.

South Korean investors have also accumulated record amounts of debt to participate in the rally. Borrowed retail investment reached about 60 trillion won, or $39 billion, by the end of May, increasing the risk that falling prices would produce margin calls and forced sales.

South Korean regulator reverses course on leveraged ETFs

The market break followed an unusual admission from Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin.

On June 22, Lee reportedly said that the regulator had acted too quickly when it permitted leveraged exchange-traded funds tracking Samsung and SK Hynix. The products, introduced in late May, seek to deliver multiples of each stock’s daily performance and can therefore produce larger losses when the underlying shares decline.

Authorities had viewed the funds as one way to draw South Korean retail investors away from US markets and back toward domestic stocks, potentially reducing pressure on the won.

Lee acknowledged that the products had done little to stabilize the currency and said he regretted not blocking their introduction.

Sixteen leveraged funds tied to Samsung and SK Hynix launched with about $3 billion in combined assets. Their holdings subsequently increased to more than $9 billion, with retail investors accounting for roughly 92% of ownership.

That growth raised concerns about the funds’ rebalancing requirements. Leveraged ETFs must buy or sell securities and derivatives as prices move to maintain their targeted daily exposure.

Those transactions can reinforce the direction of a market move, particularly when the products track companies that already dominate an index.

Goldman Sachs estimated before the launch that a 5% swing in Korean stocks could generate approximately $4.7 billion of dealer rebalancing flows, equivalent to about one-eighth of normal daily share turnover.

The Financial Supervisory Service is now considering stabilization measures, though Lee did not specify whether they could include leverage limits, tighter eligibility requirements, or restrictions on new products.

Bitcoin’s decline triggers wider unwind in leveraged trades

Bitcoin’s fall below $63,000 accelerated as traders reduced exposure to risk assets and leveraged crypto positions began to unravel.

CoinGlass data showed that exchanges liquidated around $190 million in crypto positions within the past 1 hour. Long traders accounted for about $184 million of the total, reflecting how heavily the market had been positioned for prices to rise.

Liquidations climbed to approximately $714 million over 24 hours. Bitcoin traders suffered about $215 million in forced closures, while ETH positions accounted for roughly $177 million.

The selloff intensified after Bitcoin fell through price levels at which some leveraged positions no longer had sufficient collateral. Exchanges automatically closed those trades, generating additional sell orders and adding momentum to the decline.

The timing does not mean the KOSPI rout directly caused Bitcoin’s fall. Rather, both markets were caught in a broader retreat from technology shares and other risk-sensitive assets as investors assessed the prospect of tighter financial conditions.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin had also entered the session with weaker institutional demand. US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a rolling 30-day net outflow of about $6.35 billion, the largest for any comparable period since the funds began trading.

Those withdrawals have removed an important source of buying support, leaving the market more vulnerable to sudden changes in sentiment.

So, this price decline showed how a wider risk-off move can become more severe in crypto when leverage forces traders out of their positions.

The post South Korea’s KOSPI crashes 10% as regulator admits ETF mistake – Bitcoin falls below $63,000 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

On June 22, five former senior Ethereum Foundation researchers announced Ethlabs, an independent nonprofit R&D lab with a mission to make Ethereum the settlement layer of the global economy.

The co-founders, Ansgar Dietrichs, Barnabé Monnot, Caspar Schwarz-Schilling, Josh Rudolf, and Julian Ma, framed the launch around Ethereum, the protocol, and ETH, the asset.

Their announcement names ETH “the most valuable, programmable store of value” and lists research into ETH monetary properties among Ethlabs' early work areas, a posture the Foundation, in its traditional credible-neutrality framing, avoided taking directly.

The backer list includes BitMine and SharpLink, two ETH treasury companies whose public-market narratives depend on ETH being treated as institutional-grade capital, and lists them as supporters alongside Joseph Lubin, Anchorage, Octant, and SNZ.

Funders will have accountability but not control over the research agenda, with final direction resting with Ethlabs leadership, quarterly reporting, and independent annual audits.

The vacuum Ethlabs is walking into

Trent Van Epps, a former EF contributor, published an essay arguing that the Foundation succeeded in communicating that it should not be Ethereum's sole center of power, but has not clearly defined who inherits responsibility when it steps back.

He warned of a potential core protocol funding crisis within three to nine months, estimating that core capacity requires around $30 million annually across client teams, research, and coordination.

Van Epps noted that the EF needs a full reset of the social, political, and economic contracts between stakeholders, extending well beyond reducing its own footprint.

That matches what became visible through individual departures before the Ethlabs announcement. Several co-founders posted directly that they were leaving the EF to join the new lab.

Yuga Cohler said he was sad to see dysfunction at the Foundation and that it was losing leaders faster than it could replace them. Dankrad Feist said the people leaving still believe in the EF's stated strategy, placing the failure squarely in management execution.

Ethlabs is one answer to the funding and legitimacy gap Van Epps described: an independent lab formed by former EF researchers, targeting the specific areas that the EF's narrowing mandate leaves exposed.

ETH value capture becomes a protocol goal

ETH treasury companies are now funding Ethereum R&D, and their business models create explicit alignment between the protocol's success and the ETH price.

BitMine disclosed annualized ETH staking revenue of approximately $258 million in a June 2026 SEC-filed release. If firms like BitMine directed even a fraction of their staking revenue toward public-goods research, the math would cover a meaningful share of the $30 million annual core-dev figure Van Epps cited.

Funding Ethereum R&D turns ETH treasury firms into actors in Ethereum's political economy, with incentives to push the protocol toward outcomes that increase ETH's institutional utility via settlement finality, monetary clarity, and DeFi liquidity depth.

Marc Zeller responded that Ethereum will be fine even if the EF hits a wall, because others will pick up the work.

Haseeb Qureshi framed it from the venture side as EF builders spinning out while the Foundation narrows its mandate. Joe Lubin described the emerging structure as a network of “steward nodes,” a multi-node future, which is exactly the language in Ethlabs' own announcement.

Ethereum carries roughly $157 billion in stablecoin market cap and about $14.9 billion in active RWA market cap, per DefiLlama data. Stablecoins, tokenized assets, DeFi, and eventually AI-agent commerce all require neutral settlement infrastructure.

Ethereum's ETH-aligned funders are backing Ethlabs because their holdings gain value if Ethereum wins institutional settlement and their preferred base layer holds that position against competing L1s or L2s.

What the bull and bear cases look like

The bull case holds that Ethlabs represents the first real institutional answer to Van Epps' succession problem.

Former EF researchers bring protocol credibility, ETH-aligned capital brings funding and urgency, and the nonprofit structure with independent governance keeps the research agenda from being captured by any single sponsor.

If the multi-node stewardship model produces coordinated R&D without roadmap capture, Ethereum gains execution capacity while preserving the credible neutrality that makes it defensible as a global settlement infrastructure.

ETH becomes easier to underwrite as institutional collateral because the protocol now has explicit, funded advocates for its monetary properties, researchers doing the work the EF declined to name as its own.

The bear case is that legitimacy follows funding, and once ETH treasury companies, DeFi founders, L2s, investors, and former EF researchers are all funding different parts of Ethereum's roadmap, who decides what counts as “Ethereum work” has no clean answer.

The EF's soft power provided a focal point, and Ethlabs may solve a funding gap while opening a governance disconnect: Ethereum moves from one soft power center to many, which is more decentralized in form but harder to coordinate when roadmap disputes arise.

Observers will ask whether Ethereum has replaced the Foundation's influence with a more distributed network of capital-backed stewardship nodes, while still organized around ETH value capture as a shared goal.

Its chief strategy advisor published a framework for evaluating and funding spinouts on the same day Ethlabs announced its plans, suggesting the Foundation is actively managing a transition, with Ethlabs occupying a sanctioned role in a deliberate handoff.

If the EF and Ethlabs-type organizations end up competing for legitimacy over the same protocol decisions, the risk of governance fragmentation compounds faster than the funding gap closes.

What comes next

Ethereum's public discourse is already moving toward openly pro-ETH framing in a way the Foundation rarely practiced.

Ethlabs names ETH as a programmable store of value and lists ETH monetary research as core work. This language would have been unusual coming from the EF in its traditional posture.

Expect that posture to produce friction as the broader Ethereum community debates whether optimizing for ETH value capture and optimizing for credible neutrality are compatible objectives or competing ones.

The conditions that created Ethlabs, such as a narrowing EF, a funding gap, and institutional capital looking for protocol-adjacent returns, will produce more organizations like it.

The test for Ethereum's multi-node stewardship model is whether those nodes can coordinate without re-centralizing around a new set of funders who happen to hold large ETH positions.

Van Epps identified that the problem of subtraction without succession creates a vacuum, and Ethlabs is the first serious attempt to fill it. How it navigates the tension between ETH investability and Ethereum neutrality will define whether the model holds.

The post Ethereum breakaway developers turn a funding gap into a fight over who steers the network appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Markets are flashing red across every asset class. In a matter of hours, more than $3 trillion in value has evaporated, and the damage is not confined to one corner of the market — equities, crypto, gold and silver are all falling together. The synchronised drop is what has investors rattled, because it points to forced selling and liquidity stress rather than a single bad headline.

Here's where things stand:

• $Bitcoin: −3.52%
• Gold: −2.24%
• Silver: −4.78%
• KOSPI: −10.68%
• Nikkei: −4.85%
• Hang Seng: −3%
• US futures: −1%

South Korea took the hardest hit. The losses were severe enough to trigger a 20-minute trading halt on the Kospi, the fourth such suspension this year, leaving the index down 10% on the day. South Korean chip giants SK Hynix and Samsung tumbled more than 12% each to drag the Kospi index down by 10%, after Monday finished at a record high.

What's actually causing the sell-off?

1. Profit-taking in AI, tech and semiconductors

After a blistering 2026 rally, investors are cashing out of the trades that drove the gains. The latest selloff reflects a sharp unwinding of crowded AI and semiconductor trades that have dominated Asian equity performance for much of 2026. Valuations had simply run too far, too fast, and the bar for justifying them kept rising.

2. The yen carry trade is unwinding again

With USD/JPY hovering near 161–162, the same dynamic that crushed markets in August 2024 is back in play. Investors borrow cheap yen, sell it for dollars and buy higher-yielding assets, including equities, credit and other risk-sensitive assets. When the yen rises quickly, those trades become expensive to maintain, forcing traders to sell assets to raise cash and repay yen liabilities.

**CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

3. Fears the Fed stays higher for longer

Stronger US data and a hawkish tone from policymakers have gutted rate-cut expectations. The sector was hit by heavy profit-taking as investors sold on fears of higher U.S. interest rates this year, with heavyweights including Alphabet and SpaceX logging deep losses.

4. A broad risk-off rotation

This isn't just one asset cracking — everything that rallied is now being sold. Gold, silver, bitcoin and US equity futures unwound all of Monday's US-Iran relief rally, while WTI held its lows around $73/bbl. When safe-havens like gold fall alongside risk assets, it's a classic sign investors are raising cash, not rotating into defensives.

How bad is the historical context?

This ranks among the worst sessions in years for Korean equities. The KOSPI experienced its second-worst session since 2008. The contagion has already crossed into Europe, where chip names like ASML, Infineon and STMicroelectronics have shed between 5% and 8%, and US premarket pointed to a bruising open.

Where does this go from here?

The key variable is the yen. A further sharp move higher would force more carry-trade unwinding and deeper deleveraging across crypto and equities alike. For now, the market is in a position-reduction phase — and as one analyst put it, there may still be considerable selling pressure waiting in the wings before investors are willing to step back in.

• Who he is: Austrian doctor turned crypto entrepreneur, author, and YouTuber who built his wealth and fame on Bitcoin via TenX and Cake DeFi (later Bake).
• What he did: In early 2025 he exited most of his crypto holdings, even shorted Bitcoin, and rotated into the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ).
• Where he stands now: One of the most vocal Bitcoin skeptics in the German-speaking world, calling crypto "pure speculation."
• Why critics are angry: They say someone who got rich on Bitcoin and once promoted it as a lifetime asset is now fear-mongering against it for personal gain — and point to his history with TenX, a BaFin investigation, and the DeFiChain collapse.
• Why supporters defend him: They say he simply changed his mind with new information and reallocated his portfolio — exactly what good investors do.

Who Is Julian Hosp?

Julian Hosp is an Austrian medical doctor who became a crypto entrepreneur, bestselling author, and YouTube personality after buying Bitcoin early. He is one of the most recognizable — and most polarizing — figures in the German-speaking crypto scene. A former competitive kitesurfer, he reinvented himself around the goal of making people "cryptofit," publishing widely-read books and building a large following across YouTube and X.

That same decade has been shadowed by repeated controversy. Hosp's name is attached to a string of high-profile projects that generated enormous attention — and, for many of their investors, painful losses.

Julian Hosp: Key Facts

• Full name: Dr. Julian Hosp
• Background: Austrian medical doctor and former competitive kitesurfer
• Known for: Co-founding TenX (2017), Cake DeFi / Bake, and DeFiChain (DFI); bestselling crypto books; large YouTube and X following
• Active in crypto since: ~2015 (bought Bitcoin early)
• Major controversy points: TenX ICO and 2019 exit; BaFin investigation into Cake DeFi (2022); DeFiChain (DFI) token collapse; legal dispute with co-founder U-Zyn Chua
• The 2025 pivot: Exited most crypto positions, went short Bitcoin for a period, moved into QQQ, declared crypto "pure speculation"
• Current role: Bitcoin skeptic, content creator, paid education ("Inner Circle")

What Are TenX, Cake DeFi, and DeFiChain?

TenX, Cake DeFi (later Bake), and DeFiChain are the three crypto ventures that define Julian Hosp's track record — and all three ended in controversy or steep losses for investors. To understand the current debate, you have to understand this history.

• TenX (2017): Hosp rose to prominence as co-founder and president of TenX, a crypto payment-card project that raised around $80 million in a 2017 ICO. The product never delivered on its ambitions, the card program faltered, and Hosp departed in January 2019 after an internal dispute. Some industry critics labelled it an exit scam — a characterization Hosp rejects.
• Cake DeFi / Bake: After TenX, Hosp co-founded Cake (later rebranded Bake) with U-Zyn Chua, offering staking, lending, and liquidity mining. In January 2022, Germany's financial regulator BaFin opened an investigation, stating the company was operating in Germany without the required license.
• DeFiChain (DFI): The blockchain associated with Cake/Bake. Its token collapsed dramatically from its December 2021 peak, leaving many holders deep underwater.

The Cake chapter ended bitterly. Co-founder U-Zyn Chua filed to wind up the company in late 2023 amid a shareholder dispute, and reporting at the time detailed allegations around financial management and use of company funds — claims Hosp's side contested. Bake was eventually sold to a subsidiary of GSTechnologies, and Hosp signaled he would step back from the crypto spotlight.

Hosp has long disputed the harshest framings of these events, attributing failures to market conditions, partners, or broader industry turmoil rather than wrongdoing on his part.

Why Is Julian Hosp Controversial Now?

The current controversy stems from Julian Hosp's early-2025 decision to exit crypto, short Bitcoin, and move into stocks (QQQ) — after years of promoting Bitcoin as a transformational asset. The flashpoint isn't a failed project; it's the pivot itself.

In early 2025, Hosp announced he had exited most of his crypto positions, at one point even going short, and rotated into other asset classes, notably the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ). He framed crypto as having less and less real-world utility and called it "pure speculation."

Since then, he has become one of the most vocal Bitcoin skeptics in the German-language space. Through 2025 and into 2026 he repeatedly warned of further large declines — at various points floating scenarios of Bitcoin falling toward $20,000–$30,000 or even lower — while citing structural concerns like weakening institutional demand, quantum-computing risk, and over-reliance on a handful of large buyers such as Michael Saylor's Strategy. He has also stated that since selling near the end of January 2025, his QQQ-led portfolio outperformed Bitcoin with lower volatility and better risk-adjusted ratios.

For a man who built his fortune and fame on $Bitcoin, that reversal is exactly what lit the fuse.

What Are People Actually Saying?

The dispute has played out publicly on X, where critics accuse Hosp of hypocrisy and ingratitude, while Hosp dismisses them as bitter "Bitcoin socialists" who missed his calls. The exchange captures the two camps cleanly.

A critic, posting as mgp.eth, summed up the resentment many longtime followers feel. Paraphrased: Hosp went from kitesurfer and doctor to crypto millionaire purely because he bought Bitcoin early and built TenX and Cake with it — and without Bitcoin he'd "probably still be an accident surgeon in Innsbruck." Instead of gratitude, the critic argues, Hosp now trashes Bitcoin in almost every video, scares people, and plays the "concerned warner." The charge: that's not critical thinking, it's ingratitude and hypocrisy — and someone who'd have remained a nobody without Bitcoin shouldn't ruin the entry for those still trying to get in.

Hosp's response was equally pointed. Paraphrased: he mockingly rewrote the critic's complaint as sour grapes — that he made a fortune in Bitcoin from 2014 to 2025 and told everyone, then switched to QQQ in 2025 and told everyone that too; the critic was "too greedy," didn't listen, is now down significantly versus Hosp's returns, and rather than admitting Hosp was right is whining on X for engagement. He dismissed the critic as a "Bitcoin socialist" who wants redistribution and "never sees the fault in themselves."

Is Julian Hosp a Scam or a Smart Investor? Two Ways to Read It

• There is no consensus: some see Hosp as a savvy investor who legitimately rotated out of crypto, while others see narcissistic, self-serving behavior given his history. Reasonable people land on opposite sides.
• The "he did nothing wrong" view. In this reading, Hosp did what every investor is supposed to do: he spotted an opportunity early, profited, and reallocated when his thesis changed. Selling an asset and moving to something you believe is better isn't betrayal — it's portfolio management. He says he was transparent about both the buying and the selling, in public and in real time. Being early to Bitcoin and later cautious on it isn't a contradiction; it's an evolving view. No one is obligated to stay loyal to an asset forever, and changing your mind with new information is a feature of good investing, not a character flaw.
• The "narcissistic and harmful" view. The opposing camp sees something more troubling. To these critics, Hosp spent years promoting Bitcoin as a near-permanent, life-changing asset, built businesses and a personal brand on that promise, enriched himself — and then turned around to publicly disparage the very thing that made him, in ways they read as fear-mongering aimed at selling his own products and webinars. Layered on top is his history: TenX, the BaFin investigation, and the Cake/DeFiChain collapse and legal fight. For investors who lost money following his earlier enthusiasm, the pivot reads as self-serving and arrogant rather than principled. The tone of his rebuttals — dismissing critics as "socialists" and "whiners" — reinforces that perception for them.

What's the Takeaway on Julian Hosp?

Whether Julian Hosp is a smart investor who timed his exit or a polarizing figure who profited and then pulled the ladder up depends on how much weight you give his track record versus his returns. His story sits on a fault line that runs through all of crypto: the gap between conviction and salesmanship, between changing your mind and abandoning the people who believed you.

What's not in dispute is that he remains one of the most-watched voices in the space — and that his Bitcoin skepticism, right or wrong, will keep generating debate for as long as he keeps posting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Julian Hosp

Who is Julian Hosp? 

Julian Hosp is an Austrian medical doctor turned crypto entrepreneur, author, and YouTuber, best known for co-founding TenX and Cake DeFi (Bake) and for becoming a prominent Bitcoin critic after exiting crypto in 2025.

What happened to TenX? 

TenX raised around $80 million in a 2017 ICO for a crypto payment card, but the product failed to deliver on its goals. Hosp left in January 2019 after an internal dispute, and the project is widely viewed in the industry as a failure.

Why did Julian Hosp leave Bitcoin? 

Hosp said he exited most of his crypto positions in early 2025 — even shorting Bitcoin for a period — because he saw declining real-world utility and viewed the market as "pure speculation." He moved into other asset classes, primarily the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ).

Was Cake DeFi investigated? 

Yes. In January 2022, Germany's financial regulator BaFin announced an investigation into Cake DeFi for operating in Germany without the required license.

Is Julian Hosp a scam? 

There is no consensus, and no criminal conviction has been established in the matters discussed publicly. Critics point to his track record (TenX, the BaFin probe, the DeFiChain collapse) and accuse him of self-serving behavior; supporters argue he is a transparent investor who simply changed his strategy. Readers should research the facts and form their own view.

What is Julian Hosp doing now? 

He continues to publish crypto and macro commentary on YouTube and X, runs paid education offerings, and remains a vocal Bitcoin skeptic while favoring tech-stock exposure such as QQQ.

Where Does SpaceX Stock Trade Right Now?

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) is having a brutal start to the week. On Monday the stock fell as much as 10% intraday, its third straight session of losses, trading back down toward the $165 area after closing the prior week near $185.

That puts SPCX roughly 27% below its all-time high of $225.64, set just days earlier on June 16. The slide follows a retreat of more than 8% across the previous Wednesday and Thursday, before US markets paused for the Juneteenth holiday. In other words, much of the euphoric post-IPO rally has now been unwound — though the stock still trades comfortably above its $135 IPO price.

How Did SpaceX Stock Get Here So Fast?

SpaceX listed on the Nasdaq on June 12 in the largest IPO in history, raising about $75 billion at a $135 offer price and debuting at a valuation near $1.77 trillion. The first week was pure mania: shares popped 19% on day one and ripped to $225.64 by June 16, briefly vaulting SpaceX past Amazon and Microsoft to become the world's fifth-most-valuable company.

Retail investors drove the move, buying more SPCX than any other stock on the market for several consecutive sessions. Then the music stopped — and a thin, sentiment-driven stock started falling as fast as it rose.

Why Is SpaceX Stock Falling?

The decline isn't a single scandal. It's a stack of pressures hitting a richly valued stock at the same time.

• A massive bond sale. The immediate trigger this week was news that SpaceX is preparing its first-ever investment-grade US dollar bond offering, expected to total at least $20 billion. The proceeds would refinance a bridge loan maturing in 2027 and fund the company's AI ambitions. Markets read "massive borrowing spree" against an unprofitable balance sheet and sold.
• A razor-thin float. Only around 4–5% of SpaceX shares are free to trade; the rest are locked up. That tiny supply fueled the explosive melt-up — and now amplifies the drop, since even modest selling moves the price several percent with little liquidity to absorb it.
• A stretched valuation. Even after the pullback, SPCX trades at a price-to-sales multiple north of 90x, versus the S&P 500's ~3.7x, on a company that booked an $18.7 billion revenue year but a sizeable GAAP loss. A former Nasdaq chief publicly warned this week that the stock is trading on hopes rather than fundamentals.
• Lockup expiration fears. The supply cliff is coming into view: the first insider selling windows open around the late-July to August earnings period, the standard 180-day lockup lapses near December 2026, and Elon Musk's stake stays locked until June 2027. More tradable supply over time pressures a stock built on scarcity.
• An ESG black eye. MSCI handed SpaceX a CCC rating — its lowest tier — citing governance and sustainability concerns. Musk dismissed it on X, but the headline added to the negative tape.

Is the SpaceX Crash a Sign of Trouble?

Not in the underlying business, according to most analysts. Starlink remains profitable and growing, with over 10 million subscribers, $11.4 billion in 2025 revenue and a 63% adjusted EBITDA margin, while the launch business set records in 2025. The pullback reflects an expensive stock and a tiny float — not a deterioration in operations.

That said, the caution is real. One widely-shared note this week projected SPCX could fall 50% or more by year-end as the hype fades. Morningstar's fair value estimate sits near $63, while the Wall Street consensus average is around $164 — close to where the stock trades today.

**Investments carry risks. Trade responsibly.

What Comes Next for SPCX?

Two mechanical catalysts dominate the near-term picture. Around early July, expected Nasdaq-100 inclusion could trigger an estimated multi-billion-dollar wave of forced passive buying from index funds — demand driven by rules, not sentiment. Then the first post-IPO earnings report, due in early September, will deliver the market's first hard fundamental checkpoint, alongside the end of the underwriters' quiet period and a flood of fresh analyst coverage.

Until those arrive, expect more of the same: a thinly-floated, sentiment-led stock capable of swinging double digits in a single session — in either direction.

How Does the Crypto Market Compare to SpaceX Today?

While SPCX bleeds, the crypto market is holding up far better — a useful contrast for anyone weighing where to put risk capital. As of Monday, June 22, the picture looks like this:

• Bitcoin ($BTC): trading around $65,000, up modestly on the day after opening near $63,200 — broadly steady despite a more hawkish Fed.
• Ethereum ($ETH): around $1,775, recovering after a soft open near $1,705.
• $BNB: near $593, holding firm.
• $XRP: around $1.14, roughly flat.
• Solana ($SOL): near $72, down about 2% on the day.
• TRON ($TRX): around $0.33, modestly higher.

The total crypto market cap sits near $2.21 trillion, up about 0.4% over 24 hours, with $Bitcoin dominance remaining strong as investors favor the larger caps.

The takeaway for investors is the difference in character. SpaceX is a brand-new, thinly-floated single stock swinging 10% in a session on bond-sale headlines and lockup fears. Crypto majors — far more mature markets with deep liquidity — are absorbing the same hawkish-Fed macro backdrop with relative calm. Both are volatile asset classes, but right now the volatility is concentrated in SPCX, not in BTC or ETH. For those building a diversified risk book, that contrast matters: a falling stock and a steady crypto tape can present very different entry points at the same moment.

Why Could the SpaceX Dip Be a Buying Opportunity?

For long-term investors, a sharp pullback in a high-conviction name is often where opportunity lives. The logic of buying the dip is simple: if your thesis on the underlying business hasn't changed, a lower price means you're buying the same company for less. SpaceX's pullback hasn't been driven by a broken business — Starlink is profitable and scaling, the launch business is setting records, and the AI segment is expanding. What's fallen is the price, not the fundamentals.

Several factors make this dip worth a closer look:

• The fundamentals are intact. The decline reflects an expensive valuation and a thin float, not deteriorating operations. The core businesses are still growing.
• Mechanical demand is coming. Expected Nasdaq-100 inclusion in early July could force index funds to buy SPCX regardless of sentiment — a structural tailwind that doesn't care about short-term mood.
• Dollar-cost averaging smooths volatility. Rather than trying to call the exact bottom, buying in tranches as the stock dips lets you build a position at a better average price while sidestepping the impossible task of perfect timing.
• Volatility cuts both ways. The same thin float that drives 10% down-days also drives explosive rebounds. Sharp recoveries can happen just as fast as the falls.

That said, dip-buying is not risk-free. SPCX remains expensive on any traditional metric, and lockup expirations later in 2026 could add supply. The point isn't to catch a falling knife — it's to accumulate a quality asset at a discount if you believe in the long-term story.

How Can You Buy the SpaceX Dip?

If you want to act on the dip, XTB is one of the most accessible ways to do it — offering real SpaceX (SPCX) shares, not synthetic exposure, so you actually own the equity listed on the Nasdaq.

Here's why XTB stands out for trading SpaceX:

• Real share ownership. You buy the actual SPCX stock, giving you genuine exposure to the company rather than a derivative product.
• Beginner-friendly platform. XTB's award-winning app and web platform make it straightforward to search "SPCX," set your amount, and place an order in minutes.
• Fractional investing. You don't need the full share price to get started — buy a slice of SpaceX with the budget you have, ideal for dollar-cost averaging into a dip.
• Low, transparent costs. Competitive commission structure with no hidden fees, so more of your capital goes into the position.

Getting started is simple:

1. Open a free XTB account via this link and complete the quick verification.
2. Fund your account using your preferred deposit method.
3. Search "SPCX" in the platform to find SpaceX shares.
4. Set your amount — a full share or a fraction — and place your buy order.
5. Monitor and average in by adding to your position on further dips if your thesis holds.

👉 Buy SpaceX (SPCX) shares on XTB →

**Investments carry risks. Trade responsibly.

Bitcoin is back near the $65,000 zone, but the market is still far from euphoric. After days of mixed signals, ETF pressure, geopolitical uncertainty, and cautious altcoin moves, Michael Saylor’s Strategy has once again stepped in with another Bitcoin purchase.

Strategy added 520 BTC for around $35 million, bringing its total holdings to 847,363 BTC. The latest buy comes as Bitcoin trades close to $65K, raising an important question for investors: is Saylor buying the bottom, or is Bitcoin still at risk of another rejection?

Saylor Buys Bitcoin While the Market Hesitates

The timing of the purchase is what makes this move interesting. Bitcoin is not breaking into a clear bullish rally yet. It is recovering, but still moving in a fragile range where every move above resistance is being closely watched.

This latest 520 BTC purchase is not Strategy’s largest buy, especially compared to some of its previous billion-dollar accumulation moves. However, it still sends a strong message. Strategy is continuing to accumulate Bitcoin even while the broader market remains uncertain.

That matters because the market has recently been dealing with several conflicting signals. On one side, Bitcoin is holding above the $64K area, Ethereum has recovered slightly, and major altcoins such as Solana, XRP, BNB, and Dogecoin are also trading in green. On the other side, sentiment is not fully risk-on yet, and recent ETF outflows have shown that institutional demand has not been consistently strong.

This creates a split market: long-term buyers are still active, but short-term traders are waiting for confirmation.

Why Strategy’s 520 BTC Purchase Matters

Strategy’s latest Bitcoin purchase is important for three reasons.

First, it confirms that Michael Saylor’s long-term Bitcoin thesis has not changed. Even after volatility, corrections, and concerns around previous BTC sales, Strategy remains one of the strongest corporate Bitcoin buyers in the market.

Second, the purchase comes near a critical price zone. Bitcoin trading around $65K is not just a random level. It is close to the area where traders are watching for either a breakout continuation or a rejection back toward lower support.

Third, the buy arrives at a time when market confidence is still rebuilding. Bitcoin has not yet returned to a strong bullish structure, but moves like this can help improve sentiment because they show that major corporate accumulation has not disappeared.

Still, this does not automatically mean Bitcoin will rally immediately. Strategy’s purchases are usually more important as a long-term confidence signal than as a short-term price trigger.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Key Levels to Watch

For Bitcoin, the next move depends on whether buyers can turn the current recovery into a real breakout.

The first key level is around $65,000 to $66,000. If Bitcoin breaks above this range with stronger volume, the next targets could move toward $68,000 and then $70,000. A clean move above $70K would be much more bullish, as it could signal that the market is moving beyond short-term fear and back into a stronger accumulation phase.

However, if Bitcoin fails near $65K, the market could quickly turn cautious again. In that case, BTC may retest the $62,000 to $60,000 region. A deeper breakdown below that area would weaken the recovery and could bring back fears of another sharp correction.

For now, Bitcoin is not in a confirmed breakout yet. It is in a decision zone.

Bullish Scenario: Saylor’s Buy Supports a BTC Recovery

The bullish case is simple: Strategy’s purchase could reinforce the idea that Bitcoin is being accumulated near a local bottom.

If BTC manages to hold above $64K and push through $66K, traders may start seeing the current range as a base rather than a warning sign. That could bring fresh momentum into the market, especially if ETF flows stabilize and macro fears cool down.

In that scenario, the Saylor buy becomes part of a bigger narrative: weak hands sold, institutions slowed down, but long-term Bitcoin believers kept accumulating.

If this narrative gains strength, Bitcoin could attempt a move back toward $70K.

Bearish Scenario: Bitcoin Still Faces Rejection Risk

The bearish case is that Strategy’s buy may not be enough to change the short-term trend.

Bitcoin has already shown that corporate accumulation does not always prevent downside moves. If the broader market remains cautious, ETF outflows continue, or geopolitical risks return, BTC could still struggle to hold the $65K region.

A rejection from this area would be negative because it would show that buyers are not strong enough yet to reclaim higher resistance. In that case, Bitcoin could return toward $62K or even retest the psychological $60K level.

This is why traders should not treat the Saylor purchase as a guaranteed bottom signal. It is bullish for sentiment, but price confirmation is still needed.

Is Michael Saylor Calling the Bitcoin Bottom?

Michael Saylor is not trying to trade short-term Bitcoin candles. Strategy’s accumulation strategy is built around a long-term view of BTC as a treasury asset. That means the latest 520 BTC purchase should not be seen as a direct prediction that Bitcoin will rally tomorrow.

However, it does show that Strategy remains confident enough to buy while the market is still uncertain. That is what makes the move important.

If Bitcoin breaks above $66K and moves toward $70K, this purchase may later be remembered as another well-timed accumulation near a local bottom. But if BTC fails at resistance, the market could still face another pullback before any stronger recovery begins.

For now, the message is clear: Saylor is still buying, but Bitcoin still needs to prove itself on the chart.

Conclusion

Strategy’s latest 520 BTC purchase gives Bitcoin bulls a fresh confidence boost at a critical moment. BTC is trading near $65K, the market is slowly recovering, and major cryptocurrencies are showing green daily moves.

But the next step is confirmation. A breakout above $66K could open the door toward $70K, while a rejection could send Bitcoin back toward lower support.

Saylor’s move may support the bullish case, but the chart still has the final word.

Which Cryptos Gained the Most This Week?

While $Bitcoin and $Ethereum spent the week struggling for direction amid cautious investor sentiment, a handful of altcoins broke away from the pack and delivered strong double-digit gains. This kind of divergence — capital rotating into specific tokens with their own catalysts while the majors stall — is a classic sign of selective, narrative-driven buying.

Here are the five standout movers over the past seven days, each up notably while the broader market drifted:

1. Aerodrome Finance (AERO) — +34.56%
2. Uniswap (UNI) — +15.45%
3. Jupiter (JUP) — +13.43%
4. SKYAI — +12.81%
5. Ethena (ENA) — +12.44%

What makes this list interesting is that each token rose for its own reason — protocol upgrades, institutional price targets, deflationary proposals, corporate takeover news, and ecosystem partnerships. Let's break them down.

1. Aerodrome Finance (AERO): +34.56%

The week's clear leader, $AERO is the dominant decentralized exchange (DEX) on Coinbase's Base network. At around $0.52 with a market cap near $501M, it nearly doubled the gains of the next token on the list.

The rally has real fundamentals behind it. Aerodrome continues to dominate DEX volume on Base, and the move was driven by a combination of catalysts: a major buyback program that has locked up over 190 million AERO (reducing circulating supply), and anticipation of its biggest upgrade yet — a "Predictive Allocation" model launching in July and an eventual merger with Velodrome into a unified cross-chain DEX called "Aero." The protocol's standout feature is that 100% of trading fees flow directly to locked token holders, giving AERO a clear value-capture story that many DEX tokens lack.

One thing to watch: AERO has repeatedly stalled at the $0.50 resistance level, and a token unlock is scheduled for late June. A clean close above $0.50 would signal a genuine breakout rather than just a recovery to resistance.

2. Uniswap (UNI): +15.45%

The largest token on this list by market cap ($1.87B, trading near $3.01), $UNI staged one of its strongest recoveries of the year. Notably, though, it's still deep in the red year-to-date at −48.17% — a reminder of how far DeFi blue chips have fallen.

The catalyst was institutional. A report from Standard Chartered set a $100 long-term UNI price target by 2030, sparking a sharp 22–24% single-session surge on heavy volume. Underlying this is Uniswap's "UNIfication" overhaul — a newly activated fee-burn mechanism that redirects a portion of swap fees into buying and burning UNI, creating deflationary pressure tied to actual protocol usage. There's also growing TradFi interest via a proposed spot UNI ETF filing.

The caveat: much of the move was a headline-driven pump that became crowded on the long side, and UNI has since seen some pullback after hitting local resistance near $3.75. This is a sharp recovery within a still-broken yearly chart, not yet a confirmed trend reversal.

3. Jupiter (JUP): +13.43%

Jupiter is the leading DEX aggregator on Solana, and at around $0.21 with a $703M market cap, it rode two tailwinds at once.

The first was a broad Solana ecosystem rally and capital rotation into Solana-based DeFi tokens. The second was protocol-specific: a community proposal to increase $JUP buybacks and burns from 50% to 70% of protocol fees, which would meaningfully boost the token's deflationary pressure. Combined, these gave traders both a sector narrative and a concrete tokenomics catalyst — a powerful pairing for short-term momentum.

JUP also stands out for being one of the few tokens on this list that's positive year-to-date (+12.64%), suggesting more durable strength than the recovering DeFi names.

4. SKYAI: +12.81%

The most speculative name on the list, $SKYAI is a BNB Chain-based AI infrastructure token (built around a "Model Context Protocol" for feeding blockchain data to AI agents). At roughly $0.37 with a $372M market cap, its weekly gain is eye-catching — but its YTD figure of +884.46% tells the real story of how volatile this token is.

The standout catalyst was unusual: a takeover bid from Nasdaq-listed Forward Industries for SKYAI's parent company, which triggered a speculative re-rating and tripled on-chain buying volume as the token got reframed as part of a corporate acquisition story. Beyond that, SKYAI rides the broader AI-token narrative, which tends to attract momentum traders in waves.

A strong word of caution here: analysts have repeatedly flagged SKYAI's extremely concentrated supply and noted that several of its past surges came on declining volume without fundamental news — a pattern often associated with sharp, sudden reversals. This is by far the highest-risk name among the five.

5. Ethena (ENA): +12.44%

Rounding out the list, Ethena is the protocol behind USDe, a crypto-native synthetic dollar. Trading around $0.096 with an $888M market cap, $ENA — like UNI — remains deeply negative year-to-date at −52.11%.

This week's gain came from an ecosystem partnership catalyst, with reports linking ENA's surge to an Avalanche payments collective boost, adding to a string of integrations across major DeFi venues like Jupiter and Kamino. Earlier in June, Coinbase Ventures also made its first open-market purchase of ENA, a notable institutional endorsement.

The balanced view: Ethena's product (USDe) still holds billions in supply and remains genuinely useful, but the token faces persistent headwinds from insider unlocks and a steep decline from its all-time high. The weekly bounce is encouraging, but ENA needs to overcome real structural pressure to sustain it.

What Do These Movers Tell Us About the Market?

Stepping back, a few clear themes emerge from this week's gainers:

• Narratives are driving rotation. With Bitcoin range-bound, money is rotating selectively into tokens with specific, identifiable catalysts rather than lifting the whole market.
• Tokenomics matter. Three of the five (AERO, UNI, JUP) rallied partly on buyback-and-burn or fee-capture mechanics — a sign the market increasingly rewards tokens with real value accrual.
• Recovery vs. momentum. UNI and ENA are deep in the red YTD (bouncing off lows), while JUP and SKYAI are positive YTD — meaning some of these "gainers" are recovering blue chips and others are momentum plays.
• Risk varies wildly. AERO and UNI have solid fundamental stories; SKYAI is a high-volatility speculative token where caution is warranted.

Thailand's DSI says a Chinese "grey capital" network used illegal crypto mining and cash mules to launder more than $300 million a year.

Crypto majors are selling off as big Tech gets routed; Saylor is hoarding cash; and ETH heavyweights team up to fund R&D with ETHLabs.

A bipartisan housing bill the Senate passed 85-5 Monday would block a Fed digital dollar through 2030, and now heads to the House.

The analysts underscored that Strategy's Stretch (STRC) can't technically lose its “peg.”

Some of Ethereum's largest holders are coming together to fund a new research and development lab aimed at boosting the network and ETH.

XRP faces a 16.98% June plunge as a monthly Bollinger Bands breakdown triggers a sub-$1 scenario.

Japanese crypto exchange welcomes SHIB with a playful twist.

Bitcoin slides to $62,000, but Hyperliquid data reveals whales are aggressively loading up on longs.

Bitcoin sees selling activity among large holders drop to lowest level since 2024, providing a bullish outlook for the asset despite weak price movements.

Solana's state on the market is somewhat sad, but implementation of privacy futures might turn things around.

Key Highlights

• Wolfe Research elevated Target (TGT) to Outperform status and designated it as a Top Pick heading into year-end
• Spencer Hanus, the firm’s analyst, established a $162 price objective, suggesting approximately 25% potential gain from Monday’s $129.73 close
• The retail giant delivered its first positive comparable store sales expansion in five quarters during Q1 2026, recording net revenue of $25.44 billion—a 7% annual increase
• Fresh customer acquisition has surged to +4.1% during the most recent four-week period, marking a dramatic reversal from the prior 52-week trend of -8%
• Wolfe simultaneously lowered ratings on Home Depot and Five Below to Peer Perform in the same research note

Target shares advanced in early Tuesday trading session after Wolfe Research elevated the big-box retailer to Outperform and designated it as a Top Pick through the end of the year.

Target Corporation, TGT

Spencer Hanus, the firm’s analyst, established a $162 price objective, representing roughly 25% upside from Monday’s closing level of $129.73.

According to Hanus, Target’s narrative now “has a rhythm that we haven’t seen in years,” propelled by comprehensive store refreshes, enhanced operational execution, and fresh leadership at the helm.

The Minneapolis-based retailer added two former senior executives from Nike and Walmart to its board of directors this past January, and the impact of these additions is becoming evident in performance metrics.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Target delivered its initial positive comparable store sales growth after five straight quarters of declines. Net revenue reached $25.44 billion, marking a 7% increase compared to the prior-year period.

The company also exceeded analyst projections on both revenue and earnings, breaking a streak of four consecutive quarters featuring sales contractions.

Hanus increased his fiscal 2026 earnings per share projection to $8.48 and established his 2027 forecast at $9.52, surpassing the consensus estimate of $8.95. His $160 valuation on the earnings analysis applies a 17x multiple to mid-$9 earnings per share.

New customer acquisition momentum has accelerated to +4.1% over the past four weeks, representing a dramatic turnaround from the 52-week pattern of -8%. Hanus characterized this shift as “a significant directional improvement.”

He noted that Target is currently executing a rapid transformation of its store layouts for the summer season, and his research team has been favorably impressed by their on-site observations.

“Target is becoming a destination once again, and for a stock that is still very debated, the future is increasingly compelling,” Hanus wrote.

Paired Downgrades Accompany the Positive Call

The research note included two rating reductions alongside the Target upgrade. Wolfe downgraded Home Depot to Peer Perform, pointing to the ongoing lock-in effect constraining the housing market, return on invested capital dilution stemming from significant Pro segment acquisitions, and heightened interest rate concerns.

Hanus indicated that meaningful legislative initiatives to unlock the housing market would likely be “a Mid-2027 event at the earliest.” The firm expressed a preference for Lowe’s within the home improvement sector due to greater company-specific upside opportunities.

Five Below also received a downgrade to Peer Perform. Hanus highlighted emerging evidence that the Dumpling merchandise trend is losing steam, with Google Trends data revealing declining search volume and field observations indicating stagnant demand patterns.

He projected Five Below’s Q1 2027 comparable store sales at -8%, substantially below the Street consensus forecast of -1.3%.

Analyst Community Remains Divided

Notwithstanding the upgrade, the broader analyst community maintains a mixed stance on Target. The stock currently holds a Moderate Buy consensus rating, composed of 12 Buy recommendations, 14 Hold ratings, and 2 Sell calls over the trailing three-month period.

The consensus analyst price target stands at $136, implying merely 5% upside potential from current trading levels—significantly below Wolfe’s $162 objective.

TGT advanced 2.59% during Tuesday’s session following the rating upgrade.

The post Target (TGT) Stock Surges After Wolfe Research Elevates Rating to Outperform appeared first on Blockonomi.

Quick Overview

• FedEx delivers fiscal Q4 results Tuesday after market close — marking its inaugural report as a dedicated parcel operation following the FedEx Freight (FDXF) separation completed June 1.
• Wall Street forecasts approximately $5.92 in earnings per share alongside revenue near $24.01 billion, reflecting roughly 8% growth versus last year.
• Market volatility indicators suggest the stock could move as much as 7% in either direction through week’s end.
• Shares have surged over 40% this year; a 7% rally would establish a fresh all-time peak above $352.
• Critical focus areas: residual expense structure following divestiture, revenue per package dynamics, and Network 2.0 efficiency gains.

FedEx (FDX) enters its quarterly reporting period Tuesday evening with a transformed business model. Following the successful separation of FedEx Freight (FDXF) on June 1, the company now operates exclusively as a parcel and express logistics provider. Market participants are eager to determine whether this streamlined structure translates into stronger operational performance.

FedEx Corporation, FDX

The equity has demonstrated impressive momentum. FDX shares have climbed more than 40% since January, currently hovering near the $328–$330 range ahead of the announcement. Derivative pricing models indicate potential volatility of approximately 7% through Friday’s close. An upward move of that magnitude would propel shares beyond $352 — establishing new record territory. Conversely, a downside scenario would pull the stock under $309.

Analyst sentiment remains predominantly optimistic. Among 10 experts surveyed by Visible Alpha, nine maintain buy recommendations on FDX while one holds a neutral stance. Average price projections cluster around $410, suggesting roughly 25% appreciation potential from present levels. The broader consensus of 28 analysts establishes a mean objective at $345.73.

Projections call for adjusted earnings per share between $5.90 and $5.92 alongside approximately $24.0 billion in total revenue, marking an 8% year-over-year top-line expansion. This represents improvement from the March quarter’s $5.25 EPS result, which exceeded the $4.11 consensus forecast by 27.74%.

Residual Expense Structure Under Scrutiny

The predominant concern surrounding Tuesday’s disclosure centers on the fate of shared expenses that previously supported the freight operation. With FedEx Freight now functioning as an independent entity, market observers are keen to understand how much overhead — termed “stranded costs” — persists within FedEx’s financial structure and management’s timeline for eliminating these items.

Bank of America recently revised its price objective downward to $376 from $440, reflecting the removal of the Freight division’s contribution, while noting that investor attention will concentrate on additional cost reduction opportunities.

FedEx currently operates without a permanent chief financial officer. John Dietrich departed his position earlier this month, and stakeholders are monitoring developments regarding the executive search.

Network 2.0 and Revenue Quality

Beyond expense management, another significant narrative involves FedEx’s ongoing Network 2.0 transformation — a comprehensive initiative merging air and ground infrastructure. With organizational complexity reduced following the divestiture, analysts seek evidence that efficiency improvements are accelerating.

Regarding pricing dynamics, industry commentators characterize the parcel marketplace as bifurcated. Economy service segments remain intensely competitive, whereas premium offerings demonstrate greater rate discipline. Management commentary on yield trajectories and shipment composition will provide crucial insight into margin sustainability.

Earnings per share projections have increased 1.33% during the past two months, while revenue estimates have risen 0.84% over the identical period — modest yet favorable directional movement.

This quarterly report also represents the final disclosure under FedEx’s fiscal May calendar structure. The organization is transitioning to calendar-year reporting conventions, potentially prompting near-term analytical model adjustments across Wall Street.

FedEx Freight (FDXF) will release its independent quarterly results Thursday.

The post FedEx (FDX) Earnings Preview: First Report as Standalone Parcel Company appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Cboe is considering converting its Bitcoin and Ether continuous futures into perpetual-style contracts.
• The move would build on Cboe’s existing PBT and PET products, which already feature daily settlement mechanisms.
• Perpetual futures generated about $61.7 trillion in trading volume across crypto markets in 2025.
• The CFTC issued guidance on May 29 that expanded flexibility for regulated crypto derivative products.
• Cboe’s potential transition would place it in direct competition with CME, Kalshi, and Coinbase-linked perpetual offerings.

Cboe is evaluating a transition from its Bitcoin and Ether continuous futures products to perpetual-style contracts. The move would expand its presence in regulated U.S. crypto derivatives markets and align its products more closely with structures used by offshore exchanges. The proposal surfaced after ETF Store President Nate Geraci disclosed the possibility on June 23 through a post on X.

Cboe Builds on Existing Bitcoin and Ether Products

Cboe entered regulated crypto derivatives markets in 2022 with Bitcoin Continuous Futures (PBT) and Ether Continuous Futures (PET). These contracts provide long-term exposure and use daily cash settlements tied to spot market indexes. As a result, traders avoid the manual rollover process common in traditional futures markets.

PBT and PET already include features that resemble perpetual products. They automatically roll exposure and support maturities extending up to 120 months. Therefore, a move toward perpetual futures would adjust an existing framework rather than replace it entirely.

Industry participants continue to compare Cboe’s products with those offered by CME Group. CME’s Bitcoin futures and options markets hold several billion dollars in open interest across different expirations. By contrast, market sources indicate that Cboe’s continuous futures maintain lower trading activity and smaller open interest levels.

Perpetual Futures Gain Attention Across U.S. Markets

Perpetual futures remove expiration dates and instead rely on funding-rate mechanisms to keep prices aligned with underlying assets. Offshore exchanges including Binance, OKX, and Bybit use these contracts as their primary leveraged trading products. CryptoQuant data showed perpetual futures generated about $61.7 trillion in trading volume during 2025.

U.S. regulators have also begun addressing demand for these products. On May 29, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a perpetual-style Bitcoin contract from Kalshi. The agency also issued guidance that gave exchanges more flexibility when designing crypto derivative products.

Several firms now offer different approaches to continuous crypto exposure. Kalshi uses a regulated event-contract structure, while CME continues offering monthly and quarterly futures contracts. Meanwhile, Coinbase connects eligible U.S. traders to offshore perpetual markets through its derivatives platform and intermediary arrangements.

Cboe occupies a position between those models. Its existing contracts already feature daily funding-like adjustments and automated rolling exposure. Consequently, analysts view a potential conversion as an extension of the company’s current product strategy.

Competition Intensifies After Regulatory Changes

The CFTC’s May policy actions triggered immediate reactions across exchange-related stocks. Reports showed Cboe shares fell about 9% in early June as markets assessed future competition. CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange also recorded declines during the same period.

The debate expanded further on June 18. CME filed a lawsuit against the CFTC and argued that perpetual futures should qualify as swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act. However, the regulator rejected that position and defended its approach as part of ongoing market modernization efforts.

Geraci highlighted the latest development in a post on X. He wrote that traditional exchanges continue adopting structures originally developed by offshore crypto platforms. His comments appeared as exchanges increased efforts to capture activity within the expanding perpetual derivatives market.

The post Cboe Explores Bitcoin and Ether Perpetual Futures Transition appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Nasdaq 100 futures plummeted 2.8% while S&P 500 futures declined 1.4% during Tuesday’s pre-market session
• South Korean KOSPI index crashed 10% following 12%+ losses in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix
• Concerns over AI sector valuations intensified following Nobel laureate John Jumper’s departure from Google to Anthropic
• Bitcoin retreated 2% to $62,883 amid widespread risk aversion across markets
• Micron’s Wednesday earnings report becomes critical indicator for memory semiconductor demand outlook

Global equity futures experienced significant pressure Tuesday morning as an international semiconductor sector sell-off sparked renewed concerns about artificial intelligence investment valuations.

Nasdaq 100 futures plummeted 2.8% during early trading. S&P 500 futures declined 1.4%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures retreated approximately 270 points, or 0.5%, demonstrating relative resilience thanks to lighter technology sector weighting.

Semiconductor Sector Experiences Severe Downturn

South Korea’s KOSPI index experienced a dramatic 10% decline Tuesday, driven primarily by substantial losses among two dominant global memory chip manufacturers.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both registered losses exceeding 12%. The Seoul market collapse amplified mounting concerns that artificial intelligence-driven semiconductor demand may have become excessively valued.

Micron shares plunged 10% in pre-market activity, just twenty-four hours after reaching an all-time closing high. The company’s Wednesday earnings announcement has emerged as a pivotal event for gauging memory chip market strength.

Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom also experienced pre-market declines, extending the semiconductor industry’s widespread downturn.

Alphabet Stock Falls Following AI Research Talent Loss

Market sentiment deteriorated after John Jumper, a Nobel Prize-winning artificial intelligence research scientist, revealed his decision to depart Google for Anthropic.

The announcement triggered a substantial decline in Alphabet shares Monday and intensified the technology sector sell-off continuing into Tuesday’s session.

SpaceX equity also extended recent losses, with the company’s market capitalization at risk of falling below the $2 trillion threshold following three consecutive days of declines.

Cryptocurrency Retreats Amid Broader Risk-Off Movement

Bitcoin dropped 2% to $62,883 throughout the past twenty-four hours, mirroring the decline across risk-sensitive asset classes.

The digital currency has remained confined within a trading range as geopolitical tensions and Federal Reserve monetary policy uncertainties continue dampening investor risk appetite.

The U.S. dollar reached a twelve-month peak, bolstered by safe-haven demand and expectations for additional Federal Reserve interest rate increases.

The Fed is projected to implement multiple rate hikes during 2026 based on current market expectations, as inflationary pressures persist above target levels.

Crude oil prices initially declined before stabilizing. Brent crude futures fell to approximately $76.45 per barrel while WTI dropped to $72.55, though prices subsequently traded relatively flat following the United States’ announcement of a 60-day sanctions waiver on Iranian oil exports.

FedEx and Cerebras Systems are both scheduled to release earnings reports Tuesday. Cerebras Systems will deliver its inaugural results since its May initial public offering, making it a particularly significant event for the AI semiconductor industry.

The 10-year Treasury yield decreased 3 basis points to 4.48%, reflecting investor rotation toward safer investment vehicles.

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Key Highlights

• Meta unveiled AI-equipped smart glasses beginning at $299, undercutting Ray-Ban Meta’s entry price by a minimum of $80
• Three models debuted: Adventurer, Fury (both $299), and Starfire ($399) developed with Kylie Jenner
• Products manufactured with EssilorLuxottica but branded exclusively with Meta’s name, removing Ray-Ban and Oakley logos
• Company exploring camera-less variant focused on audio functionality at even lower prices
• Strategic release precedes Apple’s anticipated smart glasses introduction in 2026

Meta introduced a fresh collection of AI-enabled smart glasses on Tuesday carrying exclusively the company’s branding, with pricing beginning at $299. This marks a significant discount of at least $80 compared to the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer that debuted in the previous year.

The collection features two entry-level options — the Adventurer and Fury models — each priced at $299. Additionally, Meta released the Starfire edition at $399, created in collaboration with Kylie Jenner and targeted toward younger consumers seeking stylish tech.

META shares showed minimal reaction to the announcement, climbing a modest 0.08% during trading.

Meta Platforms, Inc., META

The eyewear is manufactured through Meta’s collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, which owns both Ray-Ban and Oakley brands. But in a notable departure from earlier releases, these glasses display only Meta’s branding on the temple arms and product packaging, eliminating the Ray-Ban or Oakley names entirely.

This signals an evolution in Meta’s approach to hardware development. Instead of leveraging well-known eyewear brands, the company is now staking its reputation on its own identity while offering more competitive pricing.

Alex Himel, who oversees Meta’s wearables division, explained that the new collection addresses consumer requests for “a more accessible price point.” The strategic decision to price Meta-branded glasses below both Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta options emerged from collaborative discussions with EssilorLuxottica.

These glasses don’t incorporate display screens. Instead, they pack a camera, integrated audio speakers, and Meta’s latest AI model called Muse Spark. Wearers can engage with the AI assistant through voice commands for language translation, environmental recognition, or capturing photos and videos.

An innovative adjustment mechanism allows users to customize nose pad width across three settings — a modest yet functional hardware enhancement compared to earlier generations.

Carving Out Market Position Between Premium and Entry-Level

Meta and EssilorLuxottica collectively command more than 80% of the smart glasses sector. The companies have moved millions of units since the original Ray-Ban Meta glasses hit shelves in 2021.

The Adventurer design showcases a rectangular, slim-framed aesthetic reminiscent of traditional Wayfarers, available in standard and large sizes. The Fury sports heavier frames for a bolder look. The Kylie Jenner Starfire adopts a more delicate oval silhouette. Every model offers multiple color choices and prescription lens compatibility.

Meta is evaluating a camera-free variant concentrated solely on audio capabilities — handling phone calls, music streaming, and AI conversations. Eliminating the camera component could further reduce manufacturing costs and enable additional frame design possibilities.

Rivals Accelerate Market Push

The competitive environment is intensifying rapidly. Google revealed plans last month to develop smart glasses alongside Warby Parker, utilizing its Gemini AI platform. Snap introduced its Specs product last week — carrying a $2,195 price tag and described by CEO Evan Spiegel as a potential smartphone replacement.

Apple is widely anticipated to launch its own smart glasses product next year.

Meta also previewed a $799 Ray-Ban Display version last year, which incorporates an integrated lens display system. That device occupies the premium segment of Meta’s expanding hardware portfolio.

The newly released Meta Glasses come with various lens configurations, including transition, polarized, and clear options, all supporting prescription lens customization.

The post Meta (META) Unveils $299 Smart Glasses, Undercutting Ray-Ban Line Before Apple Arrives appeared first on Blockonomi.

The U.S. Senate has approved a sweeping bipartisan housing bill that bans the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC until 2030.

The bill passed by a strong 85-5 vote and awaits action in the House, where leadership and committee members reportedly plan to advance it quickly.

CBDC Ban Advances Through Housing Package

The housing package is designed to make homes more affordable and reduce competition from corporate firms. Interestingly, one of its provisions prevents the Fed from issuing a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC) for up to 4 years.

“Agreed to, 85-5: Motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R.6644, 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” wrote the Senate.

Lawmakers were said to be considering a fast track that could see the bill signed into law as early as Tuesday, with House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill saying he “looks forward to the House moving quickly to advance this bill to President Trump’s desk.”

Senate Chair Tim Scott added that it is time for the American people to get real relief, and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren called it the biggest housing bill in over 30 years.

The latest development follows months of negotiation, during which the Senate first added the anti-CBDC provision in March, after which the House cleared the amended version in May.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 banning his administration from creating a CBDC, citing concerns that it would threaten the U.S. financial system and individual privacy. However, because this would only apply under his tenure, his allies in Congress pushed to include the restriction in the unrelated housing bill.

House Schedules July CLARITY Act Hearing

As lawmakers prepare for key meetings over the next few weeks, momentum is building around the CLARITY Act. The House Financial Services Committee said it will hold a hearing in New York on July 17 to look at the impact the legislation will have on financial innovation.

Senator Cynthia Lummis has been one of the biggest supporters of the proposal, often taking to social media to urge lawmakers to act faster. In her latest commentary, the Republican warned that regulatory uncertainty has driven talented developers overseas.

But there have been serious repercussions for others, like Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, who was found guilty of knowingly transmitting more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds. The DOJ also pushed for a retrial after the jury deadlocked on charges of money laundering and sanctions violations.

The post US Senate Clears Housing Bill That Also Halts CBDC Push appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 2% today alongside a 1.1% decline in S&P 500 futures, while South Korean tech stocks tanked as much as 10% before trading was briefly halted.

The past few weeks have spelled trouble for tech valuations overall with June 5th seeing the biggest daily drop for the Nasdaq since April 2025, falling well over 4%

The atmosphere has created strong risk-off sentiment, which has spilled over into crypto, leading Bitcoin and Ethereum to drop 4% and 6%, respectively.

Market factors

U.S. chip manufacturing giant Broadcom failed to meet quarterly sales expectations earlier this month, causing some uncertainty in the market. Sentiment is not aided by the major debt backing the massive AI expansion seen this year, with $750 billion worth of enterprise investment in AI and tech leaving the industry exposed to borrowing costs.

With the market now anticipating a potential interest rate hike in October, the future earning potential of AI companies for investors is now up for debate.

The SOX index measuring semiconductor stocks has now hit extreme volatility levels matching those seen in the 00’s dot com bubble, another concerning signal for tech investors.

Risk-off sellers offload crypto

Bitcoin has seen heightened correlation with tech stocks since 2025. BTC plunged below $62,000 earlier today in line with the drop in tech stocks, with Kalshi prediction market investors now favoring a decline below $60k this year.

Bearish sentiment has also stemmed from a stronger dollar, major ETF outflows earlier this year, and the executive order on quantum technologies signed by Donald Trump yesterday. ETH is now down 35% from its 2026 highs, while the broader altcoin market has often seen drops of over 50%.

While today’s price correction by no means spells doom for global markets, the price action is a firm reminder that the AI hype seen over the last year still relies on future profits rather than current revenues.

The post Bitcoin Caught in Crossfire as Tech Stocks Unravel appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP remains under pressure after failing to sustain last week’s recovery attempt. The latest price action shows sellers regaining control near a key resistance zone, pushing the asset back toward a major support area that is now becoming the focal point for the short-term trend.

Ripple Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily timeframe, XRP continues to trade within a broad descending channel and remains below both the 100- and 200-day moving averages. The recent rebound stalled beneath the 100-day MA and the lower boundary of the highlighted resistance zone around $1.28 to $1.35, reinforcing the bearish higher-timeframe structure.

The most recent development is the rejection from that resistance area and the subsequent move back toward the $1.07 to $1.15 demand zone. This support region has repeatedly attracted buyers throughout June and remains the most important level on the chart.

As long as XRP holds above this zone, the market may continue consolidating within its current range. However, a decisive breakdown below $1.07 would expose the previous swing low and significantly increase the probability of another leg lower.

On the upside, buyers must reclaim the $1.28 to $1.35 resistance area before any meaningful trend reversal can be considered.

XRP/USDT 4-Hour Chart

The 4-hour chart shows a clear deterioration in short-term momentum. After failing to break above the ascending resistance trendline and the $1.26 to $1.3 supply zone, XRP rolled over and erased most of its recovery gains.

More importantly, the recent rebound from the support zone produced another lower high near $1.25 before sellers regained control. Since then, price has drifted back toward the $1.1 support region and is currently trading near the lower boundary of the range.

The latest candles suggest weakening buying pressure, with XRP struggling to generate any meaningful bounce despite sitting on support. This places greater attention on the $1.07-$1.15 demand zone.

If buyers can defend the current area, another recovery toward $1.2 and eventually $1.26 remains possible. However, a breakdown below support would invalidate the recent consolidation structure and could trigger a deeper move lower.

Overall, the short-term outlook has become increasingly defensive. XRP remains trapped below key resistance while repeatedly revisiting support, leaving the $1.07 to $1.15 region as the critical level likely to determine the next directional move.

The post Ripple Price Prediction: XRP Risks Deeper Drop as $1.07 Support Comes Under Pressure appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin remains trapped beneath a major resistance cluster after failing to sustain last week’s recovery. The latest price action has shifted back in favor of the bears, with BTC breaking below its short-term rising structure and once again moving toward the lower boundary of its recent range.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily timeframe, BTC continues to trade below the first major supply zone between $65K and $68K. After briefly recovering into this area, sellers regained control and pushed the market lower, reinforcing the importance of this resistance region.

The recent rejection also keeps BTC below the 100-day moving average near $73K and well below the 200-day moving average around $77K, maintaining the broader bearish structure.

The most important support remains the $59K to $61K demand zone, which has repeatedly attracted buyers throughout June. However, each rebound from this area has produced a lower high, suggesting that bullish momentum is gradually fading.

As long as BTC remains below $68K, the market remains vulnerable to another test of the $60K support region. A decisive breakdown beneath this zone could expose the next major support area around $54K to $56K.

BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart

The 4-hour chart paints a more bearish picture in the short term. BTC recently broke below its ascending recovery channel after another rejection from the $65K to $68K supply zone.

More importantly, the latest recovery attempt failed to produce a new high and instead formed another lower high near $65K before sellers stepped back in. Price is now trading around $63K and moving toward the lower end of the recent range.

The loss of the rising trendline is a notable development because it signals weakening short-term momentum. Unless buyers quickly reclaim the $64K to $65K area, the probability of another move toward the $60K to $61K support zone remains elevated.

The immediate resistance remains the $65K to $68K supply region, while the blue support zone around $60K is the key level that bulls must defend.

Sentiment Analysis

The Binance BTC liquidation heatmap highlights a substantial concentration of liquidity beneath the current market price, making the downside particularly interesting from a liquidity perspective.

While liquidity exists above the market around $70K, $75K, and higher levels, the most significant and closest cluster is located below the current price action. Large liquidation pools can be seen around the $59K to $60K region, with even larger concentrations extending toward $55K and roughly $50K to $52K.

Since markets often gravitate toward large liquidity concentrations, this setup suggests that downside liquidity remains largely untapped. The repeated failures beneath the $65K to $68K supply zone further increase the risk that BTC eventually breaks below the $60K support area to target these lower-liquidity pockets.

In other words, while the $60K region continues to act as support, it is also sitting directly above a substantial liquidity vacuum. If sellers manage to force a decisive breakdown, the move could accelerate as the market seeks larger liquidation clusters between $55K and $50K.

For now, the key battle remains at $60K to $61K, but the heatmap suggests that the larger liquidity incentive currently resides below the market rather than above it, leaving the risk skewed toward an eventual downside sweep if support fails.

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Risks Drop Toward $55K as $60K Support Comes Under Pressure appeared first on CryptoPotato.

A group of former Ethereum Foundation (EF) researchers has launched Ethlabs, an independent nonprofit R&D organization aimed at accelerating Ethereum’s adoption as a global financial settlement layer, with backing from crypto companies Bitmine and Sharplink as well as Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin.

This is happening at a time when the EF itself is deliberately pulling back and leaving room for new institutions to take on more of the ecosystem’s core research and development work.

What Ethlabs Is and Who’s Behind It

According to a June 22 post on X, Ethlabs was founded by five former Ethereum Foundation researchers, with a mission to make “Ethereum the settlement layer of the global economy.”

The organization will sit between builders working at the application layer and the core protocol itself, helping translate real-world needs into shared standards and infrastructure.

One of the lab’s founders, Julian Ma, who spent 4 years at the EF before leaving earlier this year, explained his reasoning for staying in the ecosystem.

“We are at the moment Ethereum was built for,” he wrote on X. “Ethereum is best positioned to become the base layer for worldwide finance.”

He also said that his focus at Ethlabs will be on supporting builders and improving infrastructure. The organization will also be looking to expand distribution for Ethereum’s applications and assets.

Other founding members include Josh Rudolf, Ansgar Dietrichs, Barnabé Monnot, and Caspar Schwarz-Schilling, all of whom were previously part of the EF but left one after another over the past few months. Others who left include Tim Beiko, Tomasz Stańczak, John Stark, Trent Van Epps, and, most recently, co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang, with Ethereum insider Ryan Berckmans, who is also listed as an Ethlabs contributor, downplaying the departures, saying they reflected internal disagreements over sub-strategies rather than any loss of faith in the network itself.

The Ethlabs announcement listed Beiko as a community member, with Stańczak pointing out that he was not part of it. However, Wang and Van Epps have yet to make any public announcements about their involvement in the initiative, if any.

Funders, Contributors, and Community Members

More than 50 people and organizations are behind the new initiative, including Bitmine, Sharplink, and Lubin as anchor funders and SNZ and Octant as contributors. Community members include Uniswap’s Hayden Adams, as well as Haseeb Qureshi and Tom Schmidt from Dragonfly. There are also several active Ethereum Foundation members in the mix, including Alex Stokes and Barnabas Busa, with Zksync, Coinbase, and Polygon represented as well.

The EF itself acknowledged the launch, framing it as part of a wider pattern of new organizations stepping in. In a thread posted today, it noted that “realizing Ethereum’s potential takes a coalition of organizations working together” and said they look forward to seeing what Ethlabs will build.

Network co-founder Vitalik Buterin had also previously said that the Foundation was “not the center of Ethereum” but that it was just “one node,” which had a defined purpose alongside other nodes. According to him, the organization is moving toward a smaller, more focused role and that allowing respected contributors to work outside it was a deliberate strategy that would attract outside capital.

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