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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) are showing multiple long-term bottom, according to technical analysis by a prominent analyst.

Bitcoin’s Macro Bottom ZoneIn an X post on July 2, crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez pointed to historically reliable technical and on-chain indicators that suggest accumulation may be underway.

For Bitcoin, Martinez identified $48,300 as the most important long-term accumulation level.

The price corresponds to Bitcoin’s Investor Price, an on-chain metric that estimates the average acquisition cost of economically active coins by excluding permanently lost Bitcoin.

Historically, Bitcoin has found major bear-market bottoms around this level, making it one of the market’s most closely watched long-term support metrics.

Over the past month, retail investors holding less than one Bitcoin and mid-sized holders with 10 to 100 BTC have led the buying activity.

Meanwhile, the largest entities controlling between 1,000 and 100,000 BTC have also turned into net buyers, albeit at a slower pace.

Martinez said synchronized buying by both retail investors and whales has historically coincided with durable market bottoms and laid the foundation for longer-term recoveries.

ETH Monthly Buy Signal ReturnsIn another X post on July 3, Martinez said Ethereum has entered a historically significant support zone, with $1,100 representing the lower boundary of its long-term price channel dating back to 2021.

Every previous test of the channel floor has attracted aggressive buying, making the level one of Ethereum’s highest-conviction long-term accumulation areas.

If Ethereum successfully defends the support, Martinez projects an initial recovery toward the channel midpoint near $3,000, followed by a potential move toward the upper boundary around $5,000, which aligns with prior cycle highs.

Adding to the bullish outlook, Martinez highlighted that the TD Sequential indicator has printed a fresh monthly buy signal for Ethereum.

Previous monthly sell and buy signals preceded a 78% correction from the 2021 highs, a 235% rally following the 2022 bottom and a 182% advance after the March 2025 buy signal.

The latest signal, Martinez said, points to macro-level seller exhaustion and raises the possibility that Ethereum is carving out another major bottom.

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A new nonprofit backed by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin and top ETH treasury firms aims to give Wall Street a dedicated point of contact as the Ethereum Foundation narrows its role.

Posted July 2, 2026 at 6:54 am EST.

A new independent nonprofit called Ethereum Institutional launched Wednesday with the goal of accelerating institutional adoption of Ethereum, its layer-2 networks, and the broader ecosystem. The organization aims to give banks, asset managers, and other enterprises a “credible, independent front door” as they evaluate Ethereum for tokenization, stablecoins, and other onchain financial infrastructure.

The group is led by David Walsh, Marius Smith, and Matthew Dawson, with Walsh having previously headed the Ethereum Foundation’s enterprise efforts. It launched with backing from BitMine Immersion Technologies and Nasdaq-listed SharpLink Gaming, Ethereum’s two largest publicly traded treasury firms, along with Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, who anchored funding alongside dozens of other individual and institutional contributors.

This story is an excerpt from the Unchained Daily newsletter.

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The launch reflects a broader restructuring of who speaks for Ethereum. The Ethereum Foundation has narrowed its focus toward stewarding the core protocol after a turbulent stretch that included nine senior staff departures this year and a sweeping restructuring that eliminated 54 positions and cut its budget by 40%. Ethereum Institutional is now the second independent nonprofit to launch in as many weeks, following EthLabs, a research and development organization backed by many of the same donors.

The response from the ecosystem was largely positive. Standard Chartered told CoinDesk the initiative addresses a “longstanding communications gap” between Ethereum and major financial institutions. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan on X called it an example of “a decentralized system [healing] itself.”

Related Listen: How the New Ethlabs Plans to Make Ethereum More Intentional in Designing ETH

AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.

The cryptocurrency market broadly rises on Thursday, reflecting improvement in risk sentiment following an extended period of selling pressure. Bitcoin (BTC) is back above $60,000 after testing support at $58,000 earlier in the week. Ethereum (ETH) aligns with BTC’s positive short-term outlook, rising above $1,600. Similarly, Ripple (XRP) has steadied its rebound, trading above $1.06 amid strengthening momentum indicators.

Qatar reports positive progress in indirect US-Iran talksIndirect peace talks between the United States (US) and Iran concluded on Wednesday. According to CNN, the Qatari mediators said that the negotiations made “positive progress” with issues related to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and that both sides agreed to continue discussions.

At the same time, low-level technical talks between US and Iran officials are underway indirectly through Qatar and Pakistan mediators. US Vice President J.D. Vance said that discussions on the nuclear issue are expected to start soon, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, Iran has warned of an “immediate powerful response” to attacks by Israeli Forces, calling on the US to restrain its ally. This development comes in the wake of remarks from Israel’s defense minister, who declared that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is now a direct target.

The crypto market has sprung up as risk-off sentiment marginally eases, with Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP logging in the second straight day of gains. The crypto Fear & Greed Index continues to signal Extreme Fear, but a rise from 11 to 19 suggests an incremental shift in market sentiment. While the uptick is modest, it indicates that investors may be regaining a cautious appetite for risk, improving the outlook for a sustained crypto market rebound.

Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: Alternative“What we are witnessing is not the end of Bitcoin's long-term bull cycle but rather a necessary repricing phase that mirrors the evolving global macroeconomic landscape, where cryptocurrencies have become far more sensitive to economic fundamentals than they were just a few years ago,” Simon-Peter Massabni, XS.com Head of Business Development, said in a comment.

Price analysis: Bitcoin tests its recovery potentialBitcoin is edging higher above $60,000 after respecting support around $58,000, which prompted bulls to reengage. Although the overall technical structure is bearish, indicators signal a potential positive turnaround. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram has turned positive on the daily chart, hinting at a tentative recovery attempt, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 39 still reflects subdued momentum rather than a decisive bullish shift.

BTC/USDT daily chartOverhead, the latest Parabolic SAR reading at $62,523 reinforces the notion that the rebound is unfolding within a broader downside context. Above this barrier, the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) near $66,157, caps the short-term trend. Higher up, the 100-day EMA at roughly $69,963 precedes a more significant hurdle at the downtrend resistance trendline around $75,208, with the 200-day EMA near $75,923 forming a dense structural zone that would need to be reclaimed to neutralize the prevailing bearish bias.

Altcoins technical outlook: Ethereum and XRP gain momentumEthereum trades at $1,623 following a brief rebound from the demand range between $1,500 and $1,600. Despite the upswing, ETH maintains a bearish near-term bias as the price holds well below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day EMAs at $1,808, $1,987 and $2,256 respectively.

Meanwhile, the MACD histogram has turned positive on the daily chart, hinting at an attempt to stabilize losses rather than a decisive bullish reversal. The RSI around 41 on the same chart, reflects subdued demand despite recovering from near oversold conditions.

ETH/USDT daily chartInitial resistance emerges at the 50-day EMA near $1,808, ahead of the break level of the descending trendline at about $1,936, where sellers could reassert control. Further up, the 100-day EMA at roughly $1,987 and the 200-day EMA near $2,256 form a broader supply zone that would need to be reclaimed to negate the current bearish setup and open the way for a more sustained recovery.

As for XRP, the price holds above $1.06, marking a mild increase from the immediate psychological support at $1.03. Despite the uptick in the price, the remittance token sustains a bearish near-term bias as it holds well below the key moving averages.

Momentum is mixed, with the MACD just above zero and slightly positive on the daily chart, hinting at modest stabilisation, while the RSI near 38 still reflects subdued buying interest rather than a decisive recovery.

XRP/USDT daily chartOn the topside, immediate resistance lies at the 50-day EMA ($1.19), followed by the 100-day EMA at $1.30, where any advance would likely face renewed selling pressure. A sustained break above these barriers would be needed to challenge the higher structural cap at the 200-day EMA around $1.52 and to ease the prevailing bearish tone.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins FAQs Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.

Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.

Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin’s interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.

Ethereum, the largest altcoin, surpassed its previous all-time high (ATH) in August 2025, reaching a new all-time high of over $4,900. However, this rise from its previous ATH of $4,891 to its new ATH pales in comparison to Bitcoin’s break above its previous ATH of $69,000 and its new ATH of $126,000.

Although Ethereum hit a new price record at this point, its rise was very limited, and it failed to break through the psychological barrier of $5,000.

This situation has made investors more cautious about ETH, with a former Ethereum Foundation researcher stating that ETH lacks a clear value narrative.

Ansgar Dietrichs, a former Ethereum Foundation researcher and current director of Ethlabs, who appeared on journalist Laura Shin’s Unchained podcast, stated that Ethereum has been unable to surpass the $5,000 mark for five years.

He stated that the main reason it couldn’t surpass $5,000 was the lack of a clear value narrative for ETH.

Dietrichs also noted that he found it difficult to clearly articulate the true role ETH plays as an entity today.

He also added that one of the core goals of Ethlabs, which he founded along with five other former researchers at the Ethereum Foundation, is to provide clear direction on what ETH’s purpose is and what it should be.

Podcast host Laura Shin noted that the most surprising part of her conversation with Dietrichs was his statement that ETH, despite failing to surpass $5,000 in five years, still lacks a clear value narrative.

*This is not investment advice.

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A Regulated First for On-Chain U.S. Equities@OndoFinance and @Broadridge (NYSE: BR) have taken a significant step in bringing U.S. equity markets on-chain, launching what they describe as the first regulated solution for third-party tokenized U.S. securities. The collaboration places shares of Micron ($MU) and BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF on the @Ethereum blockchain, while keeping the underlying assets firmly within the existing domestic regulated custody chain.

The key distinction here is compliance. Previous tokenized equity products have largely sidestepped U.S. regulation by targeting offshore investors. This structure is different. For the first time, holders of third-party tokenized stocks and ETFs are able to participate in proxy voting , with token holders receiving the same legal protections and governance rights as conventional brokerage clients.

Proxy Voting, Oasis Pro, and the Regulatory Architecture The feature, built with Broadridge Financial Solutions, allows holders of more than 250 tokenized securities on Ondo's platform to review company filings and submit voting preferences through Broadridge's ProxyVote system. Token holders can log in with their crypto wallets to access voting materials, receive prospectuses and regulatory filings when a company calls a shareholder meeting, and submit votes directly through wallet signatures.

The regulatory backbone for the U.S. issuance side comes from Oasis Pro. Oasis Pro operates as a FINRA-member broker-dealer and SEC-registered transfer agent, and was among the first firms authorized to support digital securities settlement in both fiat and stablecoins such as USDC and DAI. The deal gives Ondo Finance SEC-registered broker-dealer, ATS, and transfer agent licenses to operate regulated tokenized securities markets. By routing token issuance through Oasis Pro as the registered transfer agent, the system achieves 1:1-backed token issuance that operates entirely within the existing U.S. regulatory perimeter.

Ondo Finance now operates the largest tokenized stocks platform in the market, holding roughly 70% of total market share in the tokenized equities sector, with over $700 million in total value locked across 250+ tokenized stocks and ETFs. The Broadridge integration extends that lead by adding institutional-grade governance infrastructure. As Doug DeSchutter, President of Investor Communication Solutions at Broadridge, said in the official announcement: "Broadridge is proud to expand its voting infrastructure to connect our new Web3-enabled platform with the governance, disclosure, and investor participation standards that underpin modern capital markets."

Together, the two partnerships, Broadridge for governance and Oasis Pro for regulated issuance, give Ondo a full-stack compliance architecture that could serve as a template for how tokenized U.S. equities are structured going forward.

Sources
Broadridge Official Press Release: Ondo Finance Brings Shareholder Voting Capabilities to Tokenized Securities
CoinDesk: Ondo Finance Adds Proxy Voting for Holders of Its $700 Million Tokenized Equities
Blockworks: Ondo Finance Finalizes Oasis Pro Acquisition

Ethereum Layer 2 network Taiko has resumed its bridge service following a recent security breach. The project team announced that asset transfers between the Ethereum and Taiko networks are once again operational, marking the completion of their post-attack recovery process.

Bridge operations back onlineTaiko reported that all users impacted by the attack have been fully compensated. The team emphasized that the bridge is now functioning with a complete 1:1 asset backing, ensuring every token on the Taiko network is matched by an equivalent locked asset on Ethereum.

The Taiko team stated that all affected users have been made whole and that the bridge is once again operating with full 1:1 asset backing on the Ethereum side.

As a Layer 2 scaling network on Ethereum, Taiko aims to provide faster and cheaper transactions. With the reopening of the bridge, the project confirmed that the network is fully operational once again.

Mini Glossary: 1:1 asset backing means that every token on a network is supported by an equivalent asset locked on another chain. This balance is fundamental for the security of cross-chain bridges, allowing users to transfer assets safely.

Details of the June attackThe security incident took place on June 21, when the attacker compromised the mechanism that verifies the chain’s state, managing to inject fraudulent proofs into the system. As the protocol accepted these false proofs as valid, unauthorized withdrawals were made from Ethereum’s bridge vault.

Blockchain security firms estimated that up to $1.7 million worth of crypto assets were stolen in the attack. Following the breach, the Taiko team halted bridge operations and redirected efforts toward restoring network security.

The project team highlighted that the finalized chain state was thoroughly reviewed, ensuring that no fake checkpoints or unprocessed malicious claims remained in the system.

Recovery plan executed in four phasesEarlier, Taiko had published a four-phase recovery strategy to bring the network back online safely. The team confirmed that every stage of the plan has now been completed. Security patches have been implemented, the chain’s final state has been examined, and the upgrades have been reviewed first by the Security Council, then by independent security experts.

Although the bridge has been reopened, temporary withdrawal limits will remain in place as an additional precaution. Taiko stated these limits have been set conservatively and are not expected to disrupt normal usage. However, specific thresholds have not yet been disclosed.

EventDetailsAttack dateJune 21Time to reopen11 daysEstimated loss$1.7 millionCollateral status1:1 asset backing restoredMarket reaction and industry impactFollowing the announcement that the bridge was operational again, Taiko’s native token TAIKO briefly surged to $0.35 before retreating to around $0.14. The project team also revealed plans to publish a detailed technical review in the coming days, covering the attack, the recovery process, and additional safeguards introduced to prevent future incidents.

Separately, blockchain security firm PeckShield reported that crypto projects collectively lost $75.87 million to major security breaches in June, with 40 significant incidents identified over the month.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Major cryptocurrencies are broadly in the green Thursday with Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and other top coins showing gains as crypto liquidations climb—with short positions making up the majority of the carnage.

Bitcoin topped the $62,000 mark Thursday morning for the first time in more than a week, rebounding to $62,078 after falling to a 21-month low under $58,000 earlier in the week. At a recent price of $61,808, Bitcoin is up about 3% on the day and 4% in the last week.

Other major cryptocurrencies are showing similar gains, with Ethereum and Solana both up nearly 5% on the day, hitting recent prices of $1,701 and $81 respectively. Solana is the biggest gainer among the top 10 cryptocurrencies in the last week, rising more than 22% during that span. XRP is up more than 3% on the day at a recent price of $1.09.

Crypto liquidations have surged to $602 million over the last 24 hours, per data from CoinGlass, with Ethereum flipping Bitcoin to become the biggest contributor with $187 million in liquidations compared to $184 million for BTC. Overall, short liquidations make up $400 million of the pile.

The bullish rebound comes following comments Wednesday from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, who declined to say whether the agency planned rate hikes later this year. As of this writing, interest rate traders foresee roughly even odds of the Fed either holding rates steady or raising them at its September meeting, though they project a 64% chance of some kind of rate hike by the FOMC's October meeting, per CME's FedWatch.

On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employers reported adding significantly fewer jobs in June than expected—57,000 vs. a target of 115,000, down from a revised figure of 129,000 jobs added in May.

Stocks are mixed following the news, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both down for the day, but the Dow still green, per Yahoo Finance.

Major crypto stocks are showing gains on the day, with Strategy (MSTR) up nearly 7% to $100 per share—after falling to nearly $80 last week—while Coinbase (COIN) is up 3.35% to $165 and USDC stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) has gained almost 5% to $65.

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Market corrections often change the way investors evaluate opportunities. Instead of chasing assets after strong rallies, many begin looking for projects that either appear undervalued or are still developing before reaching wider adoption.

That has become especially relevant in 2026, as several established cryptocurrencies continue trading below important resistance levels while AI-powered presales attract fresh attention.

Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe recently observed that bearish sentiment across major cryptocurrencies has reached levels commonly associated with long-term accumulation phases before broader market recoveries.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Cardano remain among the industry’s most recognized digital assets. At the same time, MemeToro ($MT) is taking a different route by expanding its ecosystem during the presale stage rather than after exchange listings.

Comparing these projects highlights how different investment strategies can fit into the current market environment.

Bitcoin and Ethereum Continue Defending Key Levels Bitcoin remains the benchmark cryptocurrency despite recent weakness.

The asset has fallen below $59,000, placing greater attention on the important support range between $56,200 and $58,200. Although short-term momentum remains cautious, Bitcoin continues serving as the reference point for institutional participation across the wider digital asset market.

Ethereum has experienced an even more challenging period.

The network entered July trading near $1,570, completing its first-ever streak of three consecutive negative quarters. Even with this difficult price performance, Ethereum continues supporting the largest decentralized application ecosystem in crypto, giving many investors confidence in its long-term relevance.

Rather than abandoning these assets, many long-term holders continue viewing the current market as a period of accumulation.

XRP and Cardano Are Waiting for Stronger Catalysts XRP and Cardano have also struggled to generate sustained momentum.

XRP remains tightly consolidated around $1.05, relying on strong support between $1.00 and $1.06 while investors continue monitoring regulatory developments. Delays surrounding the CLARITY Act have reduced expectations for immediate policy changes, leaving technical price levels as the primary focus.

Cardano continues facing its own technical challenges.

The token remains below both its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages, making it difficult for buyers to establish a convincing recovery despite continued ecosystem development.

Both projects retain active communities and established blockchain infrastructure, but neither has fully escaped the broader market slowdown affecting large-cap cryptocurrencies.

MemeToro Offers a Different Entry Point Unlike established cryptocurrencies that already trade on major exchanges, MemeToro ($MT) is still expanding during its public presale.

The platform combines artificial intelligence with several blockchain products instead of relying on one standalone application. Its AI Agent continuously analyzes online discussions, market narratives, social trends, and cultural developments before autonomously supporting fair no-code memecoin launches.

The ecosystem extends far beyond token creation.

Users can participate in decentralized prediction markets covering cryptocurrencies, politics, sports, entertainment, and global events using $MT and BNB. The platform also includes SocialFi participation, behavioral finance tools, and staking rewards of up to 35% APR, encouraging continued activity throughout the ecosystem.

Rather than waiting until after launch to introduce utility, MemeToro is building those products during the presale itself.

Early $MT Token Buyers Still Get the Better Deal Stage 3 of MemeToro’s presale keeps rolling forward, currently sitting at $44,714.54 raised against an $80,644.11 target. The per-token price of $0.00171 won’t hold forever, it’s set to increase as upcoming milestones are reached, rewarding those who act sooner rather than later.

With a hard cap of 1.2 billion $MT, the lion’s share, 71% or 857,936,900 tokens, goes to public participants. The remaining supply is divided between exchange liquidity (10%), marketing and partnership efforts (7.56%), platform operations (5%), ecosystem rewards (4.44%), and core team holdings (2%), all supporting the project beyond launch.

BNB, ETH, USDT, USDC, and bank cards are all accepted through the official presale portal.

Market Conditions Are Changing Investor Behavior Bear markets often encourage investors to look beyond short-term price movements.

Meanwhile, He Yi, co-founder of Binance, has emphasized that projects capable of delivering real infrastructure during difficult conditions are more likely to succeed than those focused primarily on speculative price appreciation.

Those observations help explain why investors continue comparing established cryptocurrencies with earlier-stage AI ecosystems instead of treating them as competing investments.

Many portfolios now include both categories.

More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

Website: https://memetoro.com/

X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt

Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt

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Most crypto investors still obsess over price charts. But in 2026, a growing share of attention is shifting back to improving the fundamentals of the protocols.

Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche are preparing some of their largest protocol upgrades in years, while Coinbase’s Base network rolled out its Beryl hard fork last Friday in a bid to streamline the network, with a native token standard and shorter withdrawal windows.

Bitcoin development however, remains frozen, with developers still arguing over controversial covenant proposals and post-quantum computing upgrades.

Tim Sun, a senior researcher at Hong Kong-based asset manager HashKey Group, told Cointelegraph that protocol upgrades have historically focused on adding features, speed and throughput.

However, in 2026, he said the emphasis is shifting toward reliability, predictable governance, and institutional-grade infrastructure that can support large-scale financial use cases.

Here are the top five major blockchain upgrades to watch in the second half of 2026.

Ethereum: GlamsterdamGlamsterdam is arguably the most consequential upgrade this year, and its already being tested on devnets. According to Ethereum’s public roadmap, Glamsterdam is designed to improve scalability, harden the layer-1, and make the network easier to use, with a mainnet launch expected sometime in the second half of 2026.

Sun said the upgrade should improve processing speeds by allowing more transactions to be processed simultaneously, expand capacity so Ethereum can handle more data at higher throughput, and reduce database bloat. Those changes should make the chain better suited for stablecoin settlement and real-world asset use cases, he said.

Holly Atkinson, chief product and technology officer at 1inch, told Cointelegraph that Glamsterdam is viewed by many as Ethereum’s most significant upgrade since The Merge in September 2022, which transitioned the blockchain from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake.

Glamsterdam. Source: Ethereum.org

She said enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) is a key change because most validators still depend on a small set of specialized builders and relays, which concentrates control over transaction ordering.

That setup amplifies maximal extractable value (MEV), censorship and centralization risks, she said. ePBS is designed to pull block building and proposing back into the protocol and make the process more transparent and accountable.

Pavan Kaur is a Solana Foundation judge and founder of RuleSpark, a compliance engine for digital asset marketing. She told Cointelegraph that ePBS is better understood as one step in Ethereum’s broader roadmap and does not eliminate MEV or fully solve builder centralization. “Practices like sandwich attacks may therefore migrate rather than disappear,” she said.

Solana: AlpenglowSolana’s biggest change this year is Alpenglow, a consensus upgrade that reworks the network’s core protocol. Alpenglow has been billed by many, including Solana ecosystem lead David Liang, as the chain’s “most significant consensus upgrade yet.”

After being overwhelmingly approved through a governance process in September 2025, Alpenglow remains under development but is expected to ship alongside the Agave 4.1 validator client release later in 2026.

Arun Krishnakumar, vice president of institutional capital at R3 enterprise software firm, told Cointelegraph that Alpenglow will be a major tailwind that will reinforce the ‘internet capital markets’ thesis even more strongly.

Solana Network Updrades. Source: Solana

At its core, Alpenglow is designed to dramatically speed up how quickly the network reaches finality. Instead of relying on Solana’s existing TowerBFT-based consensus mechanism, it introduces a redesigned system built around a new voting component called Votor.

The practical impact is a major reduction in confirmation times, with finality targeted at roughly 100-150 milliseconds in optimal conditions, compared to around 12.8 seconds today.

Beyond speed, the upgrade also removes onchain vote transactions, which currently account for a significant portion of network activity. By streamlining how validators communicate and agree on the state of the chain, Alpenglow is intended to make Solana both lighter and more efficient under load.

Hadley Stern, board director, DeFi Development Corp, told Cointelegraph that removing onchain vote transactions is the “real story” for institutional allocators because it “cleans up validator economics and gives you honest telemetry, which matters when you're underwriting SOL as a treasury asset.” 

He said that a network that can migrate its consensus layer as cleanly as is planned, would show the kind of “governed adaptability legacy financial infrastructure can't match.”

Base: BerylBase’s Beryl hard fork went live on Friday, following a short sequencer-related outage, when block production stalled for around two hours following an invalid block that triggered a temporary consensus failure.

Base co-founder Jesse Pollak said user funds were unaffected during the incident. While he stressed that “all funds are safe,” he added that “a halt is not okay” and said that lessons learned from the episode will be used to further strengthen Base as a platform for “global, 24/7 finance.”

Jesse Pollak speaks about the chain halt. Source: Jesse Pollak

According to Base’s documentation, Beryl introduces a set of changes aimed at tightening the network’s performance and reducing friction at the edges. These include the B20 native token standard, a shortening of withdrawal finality from seven days to five, and integration with Reth V2, which is expected to reduce node storage requirements while improving execution efficiency.

Sun said Base has been moving toward a more unified “stack” approach, giving it greater control over how the network is built and upgraded, and allowing changes to ship more quickly than under the earlier Optimism Superchain model.

The trade-off, he said, is that liquidity, which once moved more freely across the broader Superchain ecosystem, may become more fragmented, even as Base deepens its integration with Coinbase’s wider user base.

Avalanche: OctaneAvalanche’s next chapter is less about a single branded hard fork than a broader push to improve performance while courting institutions and tokenized asset issuers.

Sun told Cointelegraph that Avalanche’s recent Etna hard fork replaced the old subnet model with sovereign Avalanche L1s, cutting the cost of launching a dedicated blockchain by more than 99% and making the network more attractive to institutional players.

It's already seen success in this regard. Sun pointed to Progmat, which he said accounts for roughly 63% of Japan’s national security token market, which migrated more than $2 billion in tokenized assets to a dedicated Avalanche L1, as well as the Avalanche Payments Collective backed by firms including Franklin Templeton, VanEck and WisdomTree.

Progmat Migrates $2B+ of its Tokenized Securities to Avalanche. Source: Avalanche

Atkinson said Avalanche is also pushing two upgrades aimed at making its C-Chain one of the fastest Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) environments.

She described Streaming Asynchronous Execution as a way to separate transaction execution from consensus so the chain can run more continuously and size capacity closer to normal demand. For users, she said, the practical effect should be higher throughput and lower, steadier fees during periods of heavy activity.

Bitcoin: OP_CATBitcoin is the outlier here because its biggest developments in 2026 are not scheduled upgrades but a continuation of passionate debates over whether the protocol should become more programmable and how urgently it should be hardened against quantum threats.

Bitcoin has not activated a major soft fork since Taproot in 2020, which upgraded Bitcoin’s scripting to make transactions more flexible and improve privacy.

Since then, discussion around covenant-related proposals such as OP_CAT, CheckTemplateVerify (CTV) and Lightning-focused ideas like LNHANCE has intensified. None of these changes has an agreed path to activation.

Researchers have also been debating BIP-360 and related proposals as ways to make it easier to migrate coins into quantum-resistant spending paths, if and when the quantum computing threat becomes real.

Atkinson described Bitcoin as the wildcard of the group. She said covenant proposals could unlock safer storage and richer scripting, but the subject remains divisive and subject to much debate.

Sun said those proposals could improve self-custody security, fee management and protocols such as Lightning and Ark, while giving institutions more programmable custody logic directly on the L1.

Bitcoin development is infamously slow, and any change to the protocol is pored over from every angle. There is general agreement that no covenant opcode is on track for activation this year, and reaching consensus on proposals like OP_CAT or CTV is still some distance away.

On the post-quantum side, BIP-360’s authors estimate that a full migration to quantum-resistant addresses and signatures would take years even under optimistic assumptions. It seems unlikely at this point that a quantum-resistance upgrade will be implemented before the end of 2026.

Magazine: How AI just dramatically sped up the quantum risk for Bitcoin

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While Ethereum adoption keeps growing, Layer-2 networks are becoming more important for reducing costs and scaling transaction capacity. These networks are efficient in processing transactions while still gaining from Ethereum’s security.

However, gas costs and execution overhead can still affect Layer-2 performance. One aspect of optimization involves improving how the network accesses and processes state data during block execution. 

Block-Level Access Lists (BAL) offer a way to organize and predefine state access patterns for a whole block instead of individual transactions. This can improve execution efficiency, reduce unnecessary operations, and lower overall gas consumption. 

In this article, we will explain how Block-Level Access Lists work, why it is vital, and the steps involved in incorporating them on Ethereum Layer-2 networks.

Key Takeaways Block-Level Access Lists (BAL) help optimize how state data is accessed during block execution. BAL differs from transaction-level access lists by operating at the block level rather than the individual transaction level. Improved state access can reduce execution overhead and contribute to better gas efficiency. Layer-2 networks can benefit from lower transaction costs, higher throughput, and improved scalability. Successful BAL implementation requires proper planning, testing, and performance monitoring. Understanding Block-Level Access Lists (BAL) These are structures that identify the accounts, state data, or storage slots likely to be accessed during the execution of a block. 

Instead of preparing access information for each transaction separately, BAL applies these optimizations at the block level. 

This approach can help execution environments prepare state data in advance. It also reduces the number of expensive state lookups needed during processing. Hence, transactions may execute more efficiently and consume fewer resources.

For Layer-2 networks, where massive numbers of transactions are processed together, BAL can enhance performance by streamlining state access and reducing execution overhead. This can contribute to better throughput, lower costs, and improved scalability. 

Why Gas Efficiency Matters on Layer-2 Networks Here’s how it plays an important role in scaling.

1. Lower transaction costs Reducing gas consumption lowers the cost of executing transactions on Layer-2 networks. This makes decentralized applications affordable and encourages greater user participation.

2. Improved network throughput Efficient transaction execution enables more transactions to be processed within the same resources. This enhances network throughput and helps support growing levels of activity.

3. Better user experience Faster processing times and lower fees create a smoother experience for users. This can boost adoption and encourage more frequent use of blockchain applications.

4. Increased scalability Gas-efficient systems can manage larger transaction volumes without significantly increasing operational demands. This enables Layer-2 networks to scale more effectively as usage grows.

5. More efficient resource usage Optimizing execution processes reduces unnecessary computations and storage operations. This helps networks use available resources more efficiently and enhance overall performance. 

6. Stronger ecosystem growth Affordable transactions and enhanced performance can attract businesses, developers, and users. This supports ecosystem growth and encourages the development of new applications.

Prerequisites for Implementing Block-Level Access Lists Here are some essential features to note, which can simplify the implementation process:

1. Understanding of Ethereum state access Developers should understand how Ethereum stores contract and account data. It also stores how state information is retrieved during transaction execution across Layer-2 environments.

2. Familiarity with Layer-2 architecture A solid understanding of Layer-2 network design helps developers identify where Block-Level Access Lists can boost performance and reduce execution overhead.

3. Access to development tools The required testing frameworks, software tools, and development environments should be available to support debugging, implementation, and performance evaluation activities.

4. Knowledge of smart contract execution Developers should learn how smart contracts consume gas, access storage, and interact with blockchain state during execution and validation processes.

5. Testing environment setup A dependable testing environment is important for measuring BAL performance, identifying issues, and validating improvements before deployment to production systems. 

6. Monitoring and analytics tools These solutions help monitor execution metrics, resource usage, and gas consumption. This makes it seamless to evaluate the effectiveness of BAL implementations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Block-Level Access Lists (BAL) Follow these steps to incorporate BAL effectively:

1. Analyze current state access patterns Review transaction execution data to know how contracts and accounts access state information. This helps identify opportunities for reducing repeated storage lookups.

2. Identify frequently accessed storage slots Determine which storage locations are accessed most often during block execution. These locations are likely to gain the most from BAL optimization. 

3. Design the BAL structure Create a structured access list that includes frequently used accounts and storage slots expected to be accessed during block processing activities.

4. Integrate BAL into the execution pipeline Modify the execution workflow so that predefined access lists can be utilized and referenced throughout the block processing lifecycle. 

5. Configure state prefetching mechanisms Design systems that load commonly accessed state data before execution commences. This reduces delays associated with repeated state retrieval requests.

6. Test access list performance Run simulations and benchmarks to evaluate the impact of BAL on execution speed, gas consumption, and overall network efficiency.

7. Measure gas savings and throughput improvements Compare performance metrics before and after implementation to determine if BAL delivers meaningful improvements in efficiency and scalability.

8. Optimize and refine the implementation Review test results and adjust access list configurations as needed to maximize performance while maintaining system reliability and stability. 

9. Deploy to production After successful optimization and testing, deploy the BAL solution to the production environment and keep monitoring performance over time.

Conclusion: Improving Layer-2 Efficiency with Block-Level Access Lists  Block-Level Access Lists offer a practical way to improve gas efficiency on Ethereum Layer-2 networks. By optimizing how state data is accessed during block execution, developers can reduce unnecessary overhead and improve overall network performance.

When implemented correctly, BAL can contribute to lower transaction costs, faster execution, and better scalability. As Layer-2 ecosystems continue to grow, techniques such as Block-Level Access Lists may play an increasingly important role in building more efficient and cost-effective blockchain infrastructure.

By combining careful planning, thorough testing, and continuous monitoring, developers can maximize the benefits of BAL and support the long-term growth of their Layer-2 solutions.

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

It's getting harder for bulls to defend XRP's chart. The asset continues to print lower highs and lower lows following months of continuous selling pressure, maintaining the overall downtrend. Is a significant reversal even feasible at this point? The most recent move below the crucial support zone around $1.30 has only strengthened pessimism. 

XRP just finished breaking down from a descending triangle formation that had been forming since March, according to the daily chart. These patterns usually indicate that the market will continue to decline, and it has done so nearly flawlessly. XRP lost another significant support cluster after the breakdown, and it is currently trading close to $1.05, one of its lowest points of the year. The moving averages show a similar pessimistic outlook. 

XRP/USDT Chart by TradingViewXRP is still below the downward-sloping 50-, 100-, and 200-day moving averages. This alignment indicates that sellers maintain control over both near-term and long-term periods. The 200-day moving average, which is currently close to $1.51, is particularly significant because it indicates the level that XRP must recover before any meaningful conversation about a trend reversal can start.

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Not much encouragement has come from volume either. Buying activity has been comparatively muted, despite sporadic spikes during selloffs. This implies that market participants are still reluctant to make aggressive purchases, despite the significant drop from earlier highs. 

The Relative Strength Index is the only positive indicator for bulls. The RSI is getting close to oversold territory at 35. Such readings have historically preceded short-term relief rallies, especially if sentiment in the cryptocurrency market as a whole improves. However, oversold conditions alone rarely reverse a significant trend. 

Bitcoin makes a moveThe recent price movement of Bitcoin indicates that the market is still having difficulty finding a stable bottom. Following its inability to sustain momentum above important moving averages in May, Bitcoin started a new downward trend that has moved it closer to the lower end of its current trading range. A move toward $52,000 cannot be ruled out based on the technical structure seen on the daily chart. 

BTC/USDT Chart by TradingViewFor bulls, the total loss of trend support is the most alarming development. The 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages of Bitcoin are currently below $63,000, $68,000, and $76,000, respectively. This alignment supports a very pessimistic market structure. Over the past few months, every attempt at recovery has failed to reach the longer-term trend indicators. 

Upon closer examination, it can be seen that BTC recently broke down from a rising channel that had formed between April and May. What at first appeared to be a recovery phase turned out to be a typical bear-market rally. Sellers swiftly regained control and accelerated the decline after the channel's support failed. 

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The bearish narrative is further supported by volume behavior. The biggest spikes in recent weeks have coincided with selloffs rather than recoveries, suggesting that sellers are more confident than buyers. After Bitcoin briefly touched the low $60,000 region, there was some dip-buying activity, but demand was insufficient to buck the trend. The next significant support zone is located between $57,000 and $58,000. 

At the moment, Bitcoin is testing that level. If it breaks decisively, the market may start aiming for the $52,000 area, which is the next significant historical support level and a place where buyers have previously intervened forcefully. One factor prevents a scenario of complete collapse. 

With a reading of about 35, the Relative Strength Index is still close to oversold territory. Such conditions frequently result in temporary relief rallies. However, oversold readings during established downtrends usually lead to brief bounces rather than long-lasting reversals.

Ethereum stays relevantEthereum is far from being forgotten by the market, even after months of disappointing price movement and increasing competition from other networks. Although ETH has substantially underperformed relative to its historical benchmarks, the chart indicates that investors are still closely monitoring the asset, even as it remains caught in a broader bearish trend.

ETH/USDT Chart by TradingViewAfter yet another unsuccessful attempt at recovery, Ethereum is currently trading close to $1,600. According to the daily chart, the asset recently broke down from a descending wedge-like formation that developed between April and May. The pattern resolved to the downside rather than initiating a sustained breakout, pushing ETH back toward local lows and bolstering sellers' dominance. 

The technical picture remains challenging. Ethereum is currently trading below the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day major moving averages. While the 100-day and 200-day averages at $1,850 and $2,280, respectively, continue to be significantly above current price levels, the 50-day moving average at $1,690 has served as immediate resistance. The overall trend remains negative until ETH begins reclaiming these levels. 

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However, market behavior refutes the notion that Ethereum has completely lost relevance. Every significant drop attracts buyers who are prepared to step in near support areas, and volume remains relatively steady. The market isn't actively accumulating ETH, but it isn't abandoning it either. The Relative Strength Index is another factor that supports that view. 

The RSI is close to 38, which indicates weakness but not total capitulation. Major bottoms in the past frequently occurred when traders became far more pessimistic than current conditions suggest. Put another way, despite the prolonged correction, there is still active participation in the asset. 

Reclaiming the $1,690 area is Ethereum's primary goal from a technical standpoint. The 100-day moving average around $1,850 would come back into focus if that level were breached. If buyers are able to overcome both obstacles, sentiment may improve significantly. Ethereum remains under pressure, but it is still a major player in the market. 

Over the past several months, selling pressure on XRP has intensified, with the chart showing a series of lower highs and lower lows. After failing to hold the crucial $1.30 support level, XRP slid to around $1.05, approaching some of the lowest levels seen this year. Technical signals indicate that sellers remain firmly in control in both the short and long term.

XRP’s downward trend remains unbrokenOn the daily chart, the breakdown of a descending triangle pattern that has formed since March has further weighed on XRP. Typically, such patterns signal a continuation of the prevailing downtrend, and the breakout resulted in yet another support cluster being lost. The fact that the price remains below the 50, 100, and 200 day moving averages only strengthens the bearish outlook for XRP.

In particular, the 200 day moving average stands at about $1.51. For any meaningful technical recovery, XRP would first need to reclaim levels above this point. Trading volume analysis shows buyer activity remains weak; selling waves have brought volume spikes, but rebound attempts have been very limited.

Losing the $1.30 support in XRP and falling back to the $1.05 range highlight that the overall downward trend is still intact.

One of the few promising technical signals for XRP has come from the Relative Strength Index (RSI). With the RSI approaching 35, XRP is nearing oversold conditions. While these levels can sometimes trigger short lived price bounces, a single indicator is not considered sufficient for calling a lasting trend reversal.

Glossary: RSI is a technical indicator that measures the speed and strength of price movements. Values approaching 30 generally indicate oversold conditions, while values nearing 70 suggest overbought territory.

Bitcoin tests a vital support zoneBitcoin also failed to hold above key moving averages in May, resulting in a fresh wave of declines. Daily charts reveal that the rising channel seen from April to May has broken downward. Though this downturn initially resembled a temporary correction, sellers quickly regained control, leaving the rebound short lived.

Currently, Bitcoin’s 50, 100, and 200 day moving averages remain below $63,000, $68,000, and $76,000 respectively—a structure that underlines persistent market weakness. Notably, stronger volume spikes have occurred on selling days compared to rallies, suggesting sellers are now acting with greater conviction.

AssetCurrent Price RangeKey ResistanceKey SupportXRP$1.05$1.51Below $1.30Bitcoin$57,000 to $58,000$63,000 and higher averages$52,000Ethereum$1,600$1,690 and $1,850local bottom regionRight now, the $57,000 to $58,000 range is drawing attention in the market. Should Bitcoin break clearly below this zone, the next historically significant support could come into play at $52,000. While the RSI near 35 keeps the door open for a potential short term bounce, these types of signals tend to have limited impact in an established downtrend.

If Bitcoin fails to hold the $57,000 to $58,000 region, technical analysis signals a renewed pullback toward $52,000 could be on the horizon.

Ethereum remains under pressure but investor interest persistsDespite its recent weak price performance, Ethereum continues to attract close scrutiny from the market. After a failed rebound attempt, ETH has settled near $1,600, breaking below a descending wedge pattern formed between April and May. This move has reinforced bearish momentum and pushed ETH back toward its local lows.

ETH trading below its 50, 100, and 200 day moving averages leaves its technical prospects clouded. The 50 day moving average at around $1,690 now marks the first key resistance, with longer term averages at $1,850 and $2,280 providing additional upside hurdles. That said, buyers have shown some engagement near support zones during sharp declines, and volume has not completely dried up.

The RSI for Ethereum is hovering near 38, indicating ongoing weakness but not yet signaling total market capitulation. Technically, recapturing the $1,690 level stands as the initial target for ETH; surpassing this could bring $1,850 back into focus as the next milestone.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Robinhood has gone chain-native. The brokerage firm launched the public mainnet of Robinhood Chain on Wednesday, an Arbitrum-powered Ethereum layer-2 network that the company described as permissionless, AI-native, and purpose-built for real-world assets.

Robinhood Presents: The World is Flat https://t.co/klNh8iHFPd

— Robinhood (@RobinhoodApp) July 1, 2026 The announcement was made at an event held at the Old Royal Naval College in London, where CEO Vlad Tenev outlined a vision that bridges Robinhood's traditional brokerage offerings with an expanding suite of onchain financial products.

What the chain does

Robinhood Chain is designed to host tokenized real-world assets, beginning with Stock Tokens — on-chain representations of shares in companies including Nvidia and Apple. Eligible users in more than 120 countries can trade these tokens 24/7 directly within the Robinhood Wallet. The tokens can be deployed into lending pools or used as collateral across DeFi protocols, unlocking yield opportunities that traditional brokerage accounts do not permit.

Day-one ecosystem partners include Uniswap (dedicated AMM for public liquidity) and Pleiades (proprietary AMM for prop trading). Infrastructure integrations cover Alchemy, BitGo, and Chainlink.

The Lighter integration

Perpetual futures are now available within the Robinhood Wallet via Lighter, a decentralized exchange. Eligible users in select jurisdictions can access perps through the integration, with Lighter committing $11 million worth of $LIT to the Robinhood community. Users earn 2x points when trading perpetuals through Robinhood Wallet versus Lighter's own app.

Robinhood Earn is also rolling out to eligible US users — lending USDG stablecoin at ~7% APY, insured through Lloyd's of London and RELM. Infrastructure is powered by Morpho.

AI-native positioning

The "AI-native" label is central to the pitch. Agentic Accounts for crypto trading are being prepared for eligible US traders, with Robinhood's Trading MCP allowing AI models to connect to Robinhood data and execute strategies within user-set parameters. At the London event, Robinhood set a Guinness World Record for the most items purchased by an AI agent in three minutes using a single credit card.

Geographic expansion

The launch is paired with Robinhood's broadest geographic push to date. Canadian residents gained access on Canada Day, following the WonderFi acquisition, with zero trading fees until end of September. Singapore's MAS has awarded Robinhood Singapore a CMS licence. The firm is also planning a UK crypto launch.

Robinhood serves nearly 28 million customers across 38 countries. HOOD closed up more than 8% on Wednesday at $108.65 — nearly 20% gains over the past month, though still more than 29% off its 52-week high.

Ethereum Execs Launch Non-Profit to Accelerate Institutional Adoption

Ethereum Institutional has launched as an independent non-profit focused on accelerating institutional adoption of Ethereum, its Layer 2 networks, applications, and wider ecosystem. 

Summary

Ethereum Institutional launched as an independent non-profit focused on finance firms adopting Ethereum and Layer 2s. BitMine, SharpLink, Joe Lubin, and other contributors are anchoring funding for the new organization. The group will focus on education, intelligence, marketing, standards, requirements, and events for institutions. The group says it will act as a neutral entry point for banks, asset managers, custodians, market infrastructure firms, fintechs, and sovereign institutions.

The organization is backed by BitMine Immersion Technologies, SharpLink, Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin, and other individual and institutional contributors. It was formed after a year of institutional engagement work led by the Ethereum Foundation’s go-to-market team.

1/ Announcing Ethereum Institutional

An independent non-profit dedicated to accelerating the institutional adoption of Ethereum, its L2s, applications and overall ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/XUeViH6rrq

— Ethereum Institutional (@ethereuminsti) July 1, 2026 Ethereum Institutional said its launch comes as large financial firms study long-term platform choices for stablecoins, tokenization, and onchain market infrastructure. The group said Ethereum currently hosts about $180 billion in stablecoins on mainnet, about 60% of total stablecoin supply, and about two-thirds of tokenized real-world assets.

Ethereum Institutional sets five focus areas The Ethereum Institutional launch announcement said the group will work across five areas. These are institutional education and engagement, institutional intelligence, ETH and ecosystem marketing, industry discovery and requirements, and institutional events.

The organization said it has built more than 500 institutional relationships across banks, asset managers, sovereign institutions, custodians, and market infrastructure providers. It also pointed to its Institutional Ethereum Forum, which brought together more than 150 senior executives and digital asset leaders from institutions representing about $250 trillion in combined assets under management.

Ethereum Institutional plans to cover New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore from launch. It also plans to expand into Zurich, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Abu Dhabi, with dedicated institutional leads in those markets.

BitMine, SharpLink and Lubin back the group Tom Lee, chairman of BitMine, said, “Financial institutions are making infrastructure decisions today that will shape capital markets for decades, and Ethereum is increasingly at the center of those conversations.” He said Ethereum Institutional gives firms a trusted place to engage with the ecosystem.

Joe Lubin said Ethereum has become infrastructure for “decentralized, verifiable, programmable trust.” He added that traditional finance is already moving onto Ethereum’s rails and that Ethereum Institutional will help institutions engage at scale.

“Ethereum’s credible neutrality is one of its greatest strengths, but neutrality without representation can often be seen as silence,” said David Walsh, executive director of Ethereum Institutional.

He said the group will give financial leaders a direct counterpart that can provide clear answers.

Launch follows Ethlabs formation The launch follows another Ethereum-focused non-profit announced last week. As previously reported, Ethereum recruited former Foundation researchers through Ethlabs, a research group backed by Joe Lubin, BitMine, SharpLink, and other ecosystem contributors. Ethlabs focuses on scaling, settlement, interoperability, and infrastructure for institutional use.

The two groups have different roles. Ethlabs focuses on research and protocol work, while Ethereum Institutional focuses on market engagement and institutional needs. Both groups arrive as Ethereum’s ecosystem shifts more work outside the Ethereum Foundation.

As crypto.news reported, the Ethereum Foundation laid off 20% of its workforce in June as part of a wider reorganization. The foundation said the changes were tied to its long-term roadmap and internal structure.

Institutional Ethereum activity keeps growing The new group arrives as Ethereum treasury firms continue to buy ETH despite weak market conditions. Previously,BitMine bought another $90 million in ETH, lifting its holdings close to 4.7% of Ethereum’s supply. BitMine has said it aims to reach 5% of total ETH supply.

SharpLink has also kept adding ETH. SharpLink bought another $62.4 million worth of Ether after ending an eight-month buying pause, as reported. The company has also backed Ethlabs alongside BitMine and Lubin.

Tokenized asset growth adds another reason institutions are watching Ethereum. Crypto.news reported thattokenized real-world assets reached about $34 billion, with Ethereum carrying about 60% of that value. Ethereum Institutional will now try to turn that market position into a clearer path for large financial firms building onchain.

Ethereum Institutional has launched publicly as an independent non-profit — the dedicated institutional front door for the Ethereum ecosystem. The organization consolidates a year of institutional engagement work previously run by the Ethereum Foundation's go-to-market team, now housed in an independent entity with a sharper commercial mission and long-term funding.

Bitmine (NYSE: BMNR), Sharplink (NASDAQ: SBET), and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin are anchoring the funding. The board comprises Thomas Lee (Chairman, Bitmine), Joseph Chalom (CEO, Sharplink), and David Walsh (Executive Director, Ethereum Institutional).

The institutional moment

The launch is explicitly timed to the window in which financial institutions are making foundational platform decisions about tokenization, stablecoins, and onchain market infrastructure — decisions that participants argue will shape capital markets for decades.

"Ethereum's credible neutrality is one of its greatest strengths, but neutrality without representation can often be seen as silence," said David Walsh. "The Ethereum ecosystem needs a credible, independent counterpart institutions can engage with directly."

Ethereum currently hosts approximately $180 billion in stablecoins on mainnet — roughly 60% of total stablecoin supply — and around two-thirds of all tokenized real-world assets. Competing ecosystems have made institutional adoption their explicit commercial priority.

What the organization does

Five focus areas from day one: Institutional Education and Engagement, Institutional Intelligence, ETH and Ecosystem Marketing, Standards and Best Practices, and Institutional Events.

Geographic coverage expands from New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore into Zurich, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Abu Dhabi, with dedicated institutional leads embedded in each region.

The organization is launching with claimed momentum: 500+ institutional relationships covering Tier-1 banks, top-tier asset managers, sovereign institutions, custodians, and market infrastructure providers. The Institutional Ethereum Forum has convened 150+ senior executives and Heads of Digital Assets from institutions representing roughly $250 trillion in combined AUM.

Relationship to Ethlabs

This is the second major independent Ethereum steward organization unveiled in a week, alongside Ethlabs — the R&D lab also founded by former Ethereum Foundation leaders. The two are positioned as complementary: Ethlabs advancing protocol-layer innovation, Ethereum Institutional serving as the institutional-facing counterpart from evaluation through deployment at scale.

Key Highlights Ethereum Institutional debuted Wednesday with backing from Joe Lubin, BitMine, and SharpLink to strengthen ties with traditional financial institutions Standard Chartered views the initiative as solving a critical communication barrier between Ethereum and Wall Street Ethereum commands nearly 58% of tokenized real-world assets and approximately half of the $311 billion stablecoin sector The Ethereum Foundation reduced its staff by 20% this year following leadership changes and governance scrutiny Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick reaffirmed his $4,000 ETH forecast for late 2026 A freshly established nonprofit organization named Ethereum Institutional made its debut Wednesday, receiving support from Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin alongside ETH treasury entities BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink.

LATEST: ⚡️ Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin, BitMine and SharpLink have launched Ethereum Institutional, a nonprofit aimed at accelerating the blockchain's adoption among banks and asset managers. pic.twitter.com/89blgTc2LI

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) July 1, 2026

The entity aims to function as a bridge connecting the Ethereum network with global financial powerhouses including banks, asset management firms, and portfolio managers.

According to its official announcement, the organization identified that Ethereum has been missing “a credible, independent front door” for meaningful institutional engagement. Operations will span major financial centers including New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

LATEST: ⚡️ The Ethereum Foundation published a policy guide arguing Ethereum's decentralized design makes it fit for government use cases like digital identity, public records, and asset tokenization. pic.twitter.com/Q8Ujl7HNPG

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) July 2, 2026

Standard Chartered expressed strong support for the initiative, characterizing it as a solution to the longstanding communication disconnect between Ethereum and prominent financial institutions.

“The aim is to ensure Ethereum is well represented in institutional conversations,” a bank representative told CoinDesk.

Geoff Kendrick, an analyst at Standard Chartered, noted that this launch, combined with the previous introduction of Ethlabs, carries “direct positive implications” for Ethereum’s infrastructure, including layer 1, layer 2 solutions, and DeFi protocols.

Kendrick maintained his forecast of $4,000 for ETH by the conclusion of 2026 and $40,000 by the end of 2030.

The Strategic Timing Behind This Move Ethereum presently commands nearly 58% of the tokenized real-world asset marketplace, based on Token Terminal data. The network also represents approximately half of the $311 billion stablecoin ecosystem, according to DeFiLlama figures.

Even with this market leadership, competing blockchain platforms are intensifying their campaigns to secure institutional participants. Ethereum Institutional emerges as a strategic counter to this competitive landscape.

ETH was changing hands near $1,620 on Wednesday, representing a significant decline from levels above $4,000 observed as recently as October 27. Both BitMine and SharpLink are currently experiencing unrealized losses on their ETH positions.

Ethereum Foundation Changes Provide Broader Picture This development arrives amid a transitional phase for the Ethereum Foundation. The organization eliminated approximately 20% of its staff this year while experiencing around 19 departures, including co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang.

The foundation has encountered scrutiny regarding transparency practices, governance structures, and Ether’s market trajectory.

In reaction, independent entities have emerged to fill gaps. Ethlabs, a nonprofit dedicated to Ethereum scalability research, debuted in June with backing from the same supporters behind Ethereum Institutional.

Aztec Labs CEO Joe Andrews noted the ecosystem now benefits from three nonprofit organizations championing Ethereum adoption. He characterized the institutional emphasis as a logical progression for what he termed “the only credible option” for worldwide settlement.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan praised the development on X, writing: “It’s kind of awesome to watch a decentralized system heal itself.”

Vivek Raman from Etherealize interpreted it as validation of Ethereum’s decentralized framework, emphasizing the network is “built by independent nodes” rather than dependent on any singular organization.

According to 21shares analysis, present ETH valuations have not yet incorporated the expanding institutional interest.

Solana has quietly become one of the more serious institutional blockchain platforms on the market, and the numbers are starting to reflect that. The total value of real-world assets tokenized on Solana reached approximately $3.3 billion by early July 2026, up from around $2.5 billion in April and $2.8 billion in May. That kind of consistent monthly climb does not happen by accident.

Alongside that RWA growth, the stablecoin supply on Solana crossed $16 billion, driven primarily by Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT.

Big names are choosing Solana for real financial infrastructure The first half of 2026 brought a wave of institutional partnerships that would have seemed ambitious to predict even twelve months earlier. B2C2, one of the larger crypto market makers operating in institutional circles, designated Solana as its primary network for stablecoin settlements.

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SoFi, the US-based financial services company, launched enterprise banking services built on the Solana blockchain during the same period.

Shinhan Card, one of South Korea’s largest card issuers, also signed a memorandum of understanding focused on developing stablecoin payment solutions on Solana.

Solana captured 97% of tokenized equity trading volume Perhaps the single most striking data point from this period: Solana captured 97% of cumulative on-chain tokenized equities spot trading volume by May 2026.

The Solana Foundation also rolled out new security infrastructure during this period, including the STRIDE initiative, which focuses on strengthening the network’s defenses against systemic risks. STRIDE, alongside improved cross-network DeFi recovery tools, signals that Solana is building the compliance and risk management layer that regulated financial entities require before committing serious capital.

What this means for investors watching the RWA space Solana’s $3.3 billion in RWA value by July 2026 positions it as a top-tier venue in that market, competing directly with Ethereum and BNB Chain for institutional flows.

For investors, the stablecoin supply figure is arguably the more actionable signal. A $16 billion stablecoin supply on Solana means there is substantial liquidity available for DeFi protocols, institutional desks, and payment rails operating on the chain.

Market analysts urge caution, suggesting that current metrics should be understood as peaks rather than a stable status quo. Ethereum remains the default institutional blockchain for many legacy finance entrants, and BNB Chain is aggressively courting similar RWA and payment partnerships in Asian markets.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Leading cryptocurrencies ticked higher on Wednesday, while stocks retreated, as Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh called inflation “too high.”

Crypto Market LiftsBitcoin broke past $61,000 in the evening, only to get rejected and drop back to $59,000. With trading volume spiking 11% over the past day, the struggle between bulls and bears continued.

Ethereum progressed to the mid-$1,600s before a pullback, while XRP and Dogecoin were also among the gainers.

Over $450 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, with $279 million in short positions wiped out, according to Coinglass data.

Bitcoin’s open interest spiked 1.80% over the last 24 hours. BTC’s taker buy volume exceeded the sell volume over the last 24 hours, indicating a bullish sentiment in the market.

Retail and whale derivatives traders on Binance also remained bullish on the apex cryptocurrency.

Top Gainers (24 Hours) 

The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.07 trillion, following an increase of 2.78% over the last 24 hours.

Stock Market Cools DownStocks eased on Wednesday after a recent surge in gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 13.96 points, or 0.03%, to close at 52,305.24. The S&P 500 fell 0.22% to end at 7,483.23, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slid 0.66% to close at 26,040.03.

Fed Chair Warsh said at an international conference that "prices are too high," but declined to comment on the central bank’s likely move in the July meeting.

The CME Group’s FedWatch tool showed markets pricing a 71% likelihood of the Fed keeping the rates unchanged in July, but nearly a 50% chance of a rate hike in September.

Seller Fatigue Setting In?Ali Martinez, a widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader, declared that the cryptocurrency market has reached its bottom, citing “buy” signals on the TD Sequential indicator for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana.

The monthly chart suggests a coordinated macro reversal setup,” the analyst added. “Historically, when multiple assets lock in concurrent monthly buy signals, it indicates seller fatigue and a high probability of a long-term market bottom.”

Rekt Capital, another popular chartist, noted that Bitcoin’s monthly close below the 50-month exponential moving average, currently around $63,000, aligns with patterns observed in prior cycles,

“Generally, prices tends to lose the 50-Month EMA and then turn it into new resistance before additional downside over time,” the analyst said.

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Aave Wallet Growth Hits 5-Year High Even as Standard Chartered Revises Crypto Forecasts

PANews, July 2 – According to a report by The Block, Robinhood has announced a series of global expansion and product updates, including the mainnet launch of Robinhood Chain, 24/7 tokenized stock trading, perpetual contracts, and planned crypto agentic trading. Robinhood Chain is an Ethereum Layer 2 network built on the Arbitrum technology stack, with launch partners including Uniswap, Pleiades, Alchemy, BitGo, and Chainlink. Robinhood describes it as a permissionless, AI-native network purpose-built for RWAs.

Robinhood launched Stock Tokens, tokenized stocks that allow eligible users to trade 24/7 on Robinhood Chain and deploy assets into lending pools or use them as collateral for trading in the DeFi ecosystem, covering over 120 countries but not available to U.S. users. Robinhood Wallet has integrated Lighter perpetual contract trading in select regions. Lighter has committed to distributing 11 million LIT tokens to the Robinhood community, and for the first 90 days, Robinhood will cover on-chain Gas fees for Robinhood Wallet users with zero fees on perpetual contracts. Robinhood Earn is now available to U.S. users, enabling lending of the USDG stablecoin through self-custody wallets with an estimated annualized yield of around 7%, underpinned by Morpho, with other supporting partners including Steakhouse, Ethena, Spark, and Maple.

Additionally, Robinhood announced its official launch in Canada, that its Singapore subsidiary has obtained a Capital Markets Services license from the MAS, plans to launch commodities, ETFs, and forex perpetual contracts in Europe, and that crypto trading in the UK is coming soon. For the U.S. market, Robinhood plans to introduce Agentic Accounts, an agentic trading account that allows users to connect AI models to execute trading strategies.

Jul 1, 2026, 6:25 p.m.

2 min read

Johann Kerbrat, senior vice president and general manager, Crypto and International Robinhood (CoinDesk)Summary

Robinhood launched the public mainnet for its Layer 2 blockchain, Robinhood Chain, bringing tokenized stock trading live in more than 120 countries and introducing Robinhood Earn, a decentralized lending product offering an estimated 7% yield on USDG.The launch comes as Robinhood expands beyond its brokerage roots into crypto, tokenized assets and AI-powered trading, underscoring how the line between traditional finance and blockchain-based finance continues to blur.Robinhood (HOOD) officially launched the public mainnet for Robinhood Chain, marking the company's biggest step yet into onchain financial infrastructure as it looks to expand beyond brokerage services and into decentralized finance.

Announced during a Wednesday event in London, Robinhood Chain is a layer-2 blockchain built on Arbitrum (ARB) and designed for tokenized real-world assets and decentralized finance applications. The launch comes about four months after Robinhood began testing the network on testnet.

With the launch of the public mainnet, Robinhood's tokenized stock products are now also fully live. Stock Tokens are available through Robinhood Wallet in more than 120 countries, although availability varies by jurisdiction. The company said the goal is to allow users to trade tokenized equities around the clock and use them across decentralized finance applications, including lending protocols and as trading collateral.

Robinhood also introduced Robinhood Earn, a decentralized lending product that allows users to lend USDG, the company's dollar-backed stablecoin, through a self-custody wallet. The product offers an estimated annual percentage yield of 7%.

Beyond the Robinhood Chain ecosystem, the company announced several additional product launches and international expansion efforts. Robinhood said it is expanding perpetual futures trading in Europe to include commodities, ETFs and foreign exchange markets alongside crypto. It also plans to launch crypto trading in the U.K. and said its services are now available in Canada following its acquisition of WonderFi.

The company also unveiled Agentic Accounts for crypto, an AI-powered trading tool that will allow eligible U.S. users to connect AI models to Robinhood's trading infrastructure while retaining control over capital allocation and trading parameters.

"Decentralized finance unlocks possibilities beyond what traditional finance can offer, but historically, it has required technical expertise to navigate," Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood's senior vice president of crypto.

Robinhood's product push shows how the lines between crypto and traditional finance are continuing to blur. The brokerage has steadily expanded beyond stocks and spot crypto trading into tokenized equities, derivatives and event contracts, better known as prediction markets. That strategy fits into the race for the "everything exchange" to host all kinds of trading and financial activity under one roof, increasingly on top of blockchain rails.

At the same time, the company also said last month it would lay off 10% of its workforce, some 290 employees, to streamline its organization and management structure.

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Building the Zcash Machine: Tachyon and Quantum Readiness

Building the Zcash Machine: Tachyon and Quantum Readiness

Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.

Jun 30, 2026

Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.

Why it matters:

Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.

In brief Ethereum Institutional, a new nonprofit, will help Wall Street firms adopt Ethereum-based infrastructure. The group follows last week's launch of Ethlabs, another Ethereum nonprofit backed by many of the same supporters. Both initiatives come as the Ethereum Foundation faces mounting criticism, leadership departures, and a major restructuring. A new nonprofit aimed at onboarding Wall Street to Ethereum launched Wednesday, marking the second major Ethereum-focused initiative backed in recent weeks by network co-founder Joe Lubin alongside top treasury firms BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink.

Ethereum Institutional will serve as an independent point of contact for banks, asset managers, and other financial institutions seeking to get more involved with tokenization, stablecoins, and other on-chain financial infrastructure, according to an organization mission statement.

The organization said it will build on institutional engagement efforts previously led by the Ethereum Foundation, but will operate independently with funding from BitMine and SharpLink, Wall Street’s largest publicly traded Ethereum treasury firms.

Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin will also anchor the group’s funding, along with dozens of other individual and institutional contributors. (Disclaimer: Lubin, through his company Consensys, and BitMine Chairman Tom Lee are investors in Dastan, Decrypt’s parent company).

Wednesday’s launch follows the debut last week of Ethlabs, a separate nonprofit research and development organization created by former Ethereum Foundation researchers and backed by many of the same supporters.

“Together, Ethlabs and Ethereum Institutional form complementary pillars of Ethereum’s next chapter,” entities involved in both endeavors said, “one advancing protocol-layer innovation and core infrastructure, the other ensuring institutions have a credible, dedicated counterpart to guide them from evaluation through deployment at scale.”

If these organizations see themselves as Ethereum’s future, the implication could be that the Ethereum Foundation is a remnant of the past. The longstanding nonprofit, which has quarterbacked the network’s technical development for years, has come under fire recently for failing to take proactive measures to bolster both ETH’s price and the network’s public image.

In the last few months, numerous Ethereum Foundation leaders have abandoned their posts. The organization then laid off 20% of its workforce last week and instituted a substantial reorganization.

Former linchpins of the Foundation have come out recently with proposals to “save Ethereum” by allocating significant funds towards the goal of increasing ETH’s long-sagging price. The moves were widely seen as digs at Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s idealistically minded co-founder and current steward.

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The line between traditional finance and Ethereum just got a new, purpose-built entry point. Ethereum Institutional launched this week as an independent non-profit, positioning itself as what the organization calls the dedicated institutional front door for onchain finance. The announcement lands at a moment when tokenized real-world assets have crossed $20 billion onchain, major custodians are building settlement rails, and asset managers are no longer asking whether blockchain fits their stack—they’re working out how quickly they can move.

The details are sparse. The initial disclosure, the original report confirms the entity’s status as a non-profit, but stops short of naming board members, funding sources, or the precise programs it intends to run. That absence of detail is itself a signal: this is a structural play, not a product launch. By incorporating as a non-profit, Ethereum Institutional sidesteps the commercial baggage that comes with being a vendor or service provider. Its mandate, framed loosely as bringing institutional finance onchain at scale, suggests an orchestration role—convening technologists, regulators, asset managers, and protocol teams around standards, education, and shared infrastructure.

The launch comes against a backdrop of accelerating institutional activity across the Ethereum ecosystem. In May, Bullish closed a $4.2 billion acquisition of Equiniti, Ondo Finance and JPMorgan executed the first live tokenized Treasury settlement, and the total value of real-world assets onchain surged past $20 billion, according to a recent roundup. Those moves aren’t experiments; they’re production-grade capital flows. A non-profit gatekeeper could help accelerate that trend by giving allocators a single source of technical and regulatory guidance—something the Ethereum space has historically delivered through a scattered constellation of firms and consortia.

Why a Non-Profit Gateway, and Why Now Institutional entry into decentralized networks isn’t just a technology problem. It’s a coordination problem. The Ethereum landscape today includes multiple layer-2 networks, staking protocols, DeFi venues, and compliance layers, each with its own risk profile and operational nuance. A dedicated non-profit can act as a neutral switchboard without competing with the service providers it aims to onboard. This matters because many of the largest financial institutions remain wary of building on top of for-profit entities that could change terms, deprecate products, or face conflicts of interest. The non-profit structure aligns more naturally with the long-term, public-infrastructure mindset that regulated institutions require before committing balance-sheet capital.

There’s also regulatory timing at play. Just days ago, reports surfaced that major banks were attempting to derail a landmark U.S. crypto bill set for a Senate vote, as BlockchainReporter documented. The legislative fight shows how contested the onramps remain. In that environment, an entity like Ethereum Institutional could serve as an education and advocacy layer, helping policymakers understand the distinction between permissionless speculation and supervised onchain finance—and helping institutions navigate compliance without abandoning the core advantages of Ethereum’s settlement guarantees.

What This Means for Ethereum’s Infrastructure and Market Structure If Ethereum Institutional succeeds in becoming the front door, the downstream effects on Ethereum’s infrastructure could be significant. Institutional flows often demand specific capabilities: segregated custody, onchain identity, verifiable offchain data, and predictable fee environments. Those demands flow directly into layer-2 roadmaps, liquid staking protocols, and zero-knowledge proof deployments that prioritize compliance while preserving auditability. Over the coming quarters, projects that can plug into a unified institutional interface may see faster adoption, while those that can’t may find themselves locked out of the liquidity that regulated capital brings.

There’s already a pattern. Sui’s recent 18% price surge was driven in part by institutional staking from a Nasdaq-listed firm and a fintech integration with Paga, as reported earlier. That episode shows markets reward networks that reduce institutional friction. Ethereum Institutional’s launch, even without granular specifics, signals that the Ethereum ecosystem is deliberately building that friction reduction as a permanent public good.

Uncertainties That Will Shape the Rollout For all the structural logic, a great deal remains unknown. No timeline has been provided for programs, working groups, or deliverables. The organization hasn’t disclosed who is funding it, whether it has the backing of the Ethereum Foundation or any major protocol teams, or how it intends to avoid the fate of earlier enterprise blockchain consortiums that produced more white papers than live capital. The real test will be whether buy-side institutions—pension funds, insurance treasuries, corporate balance sheets—actually walk through the door.

Moreover, the launch does nothing to address the persistent fragmentation across Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem. An institutional gateway that isn’t tightly integrated with the major rollups and their compliance stacks risks becoming merely a directory. The market will be watching for partnerships that show genuine operational integration, not just a branding exercise. Still, the non-profit structure gives Ethereum Institutional a longer runway to get this right. In a market where hype cycles are measured in weeks, a deliberately slow, coordination-first entity may be exactly what institutional capital needs before it commits at scale.

AUTHOR

Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.