Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) began the week on a constructive note after surging over 6%, 13% and 10% in the previous week. BTC holds steady around $63,500, ETH approaches a key technical resistance at $1,800, while XRP has broken above the upper boundary of a falling channel, strengthening the bullish outlook.
Bitcoin could extend gains if it closes above the $64,000 resistance zoneBitcoin price trades at $63,500 on Monday after surging over 6% in the previous week. BTC is maintaining a capped bias as price remains below the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), all of which sit well above spot.
The immediate ceiling is the horizontal level around $64,004, with the 50-day EMA near $65,763 adding to overhead supply further up, while the longer-term 100-day and 200-day EMAs near $69,469 and $75,427 respectively, reinforce a broader bearish structure despite a modestly positive Relative Strength Index (RSI) around 51 and a firmly positive Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), which hint at improving but still constrained momentum.
On the topside, a break above the nearby horizontal resistance at $64,004 would open the door toward the 50-day EMA at $65,763, followed by the 100-period EMA at $69,469 and the 200-day EMA at $75,427, before the more distant horizontal barrier around $84,410 comes into focus.
On the downside, the absence of clearly defined nearby supports in the provided data suggests that any renewed selling below $63,554 would rely on emerging price action and lower historical lows to attract dip-buying interest rather than on pre-identified structural floors.
Ethereum nears the 50-day EMAEthereum price trades at $1,784 on Monday, up over 13% in the previous week. ETH maintains a bearish bias as it remains below a stack of key EMAs. Price is capped first by the 50-day EMA near $1,806, with the 100-day EMA around $1,972 and the 200-day EMA near $2,241 reinforcing the broader overhead supply zone.
Momentum, however, is improving, with the RSI hovering near 57 and the MACD firmly positive, suggesting upside attempts may continue but will likely struggle while these EMAs remain intact above spot.
On the topside, immediate resistance is seen at the 50-day EMA around $1,806, followed by the 100-day EMA near $1,972 and the horizontal barrier at $2,000, before the longer-term 200-day EMA up toward $2,242.
On the downside, the nearest meaningful structural support is the horizontal level around $1,385, where buyers previously emerged, with any decline toward that zone likely to test the resolve of the nascent recovery despite the currently constructive momentum backdrop.
XRP closes above the upper boundary of the falling channelXRP trades at $1.148 on Monday after rallying over 10% and breaking above the upper boundary of the falling channel in the previous week. However, XRP maintains a broadly bearish configuration, with price holding below the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs, clustered between roughly $1.180 and $1.500, keeping the medium-term trend capped despite a modest rebound from recent lows.
Momentum is improving, with the RSI hovering just above the 50 line and the MACD in positive territory, suggesting a corrective recovery within a still-dominant downside structure.
On the topside, immediate resistance aligns with the 50-day EMA near $1.183, followed by the 100-day EMA around $1.286 and the horizontal barrier at $1.300, with the 200-day EMA near $1.495 and the prior resistance line around $1.900 reinforcing a broader supply zone higher up.
On the downside, initial support emerges at the lower parallel-channel region around $1.110, where a break would expose further weakness, while holding above this area would allow buyers to keep testing the nearby moving-average ceiling.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Cryptocurrency prices FAQs Token launches influence demand and adoption among market participants. Listings on crypto exchanges deepen the liquidity for an asset and add new participants to an asset’s network. This is typically bullish for a digital asset.
A hack is an event in which an attacker captures a large volume of the asset from a DeFi bridge or hot wallet of an exchange or any other crypto platform via exploits, bugs or other methods. The exploiter then transfers these tokens out of the exchange platforms to ultimately sell or swap the assets for other cryptocurrencies or stablecoins. Such events often involve an en masse panic triggering a sell-off in the affected assets.
Macroeconomic events like the US Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates influence crypto assets mainly through the direct impact they have on the US Dollar. An increase in interest rate typically negatively influences Bitcoin and altcoin prices, and vice versa. If the US Dollar index declines, risk assets and associated leverage for trading gets cheaper, in turn driving crypto prices higher.
Halvings are typically considered bullish events as they slash the block reward in half for miners, constricting the supply of the asset. At consistent demand if the supply reduces, the asset’s price climbs.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has published a long-term development plan he calls "Lean Ethereum," outlining a sweeping set of protocol upgrades expected to roll out over the next three to four years. The plan, shared publicly via a draft known as the strawmap, touches nearly every layer of the network.
Quantum Resistance and Privacy Take Center Stage Buterin was direct about the urgency of one issue in particular. "Quantum safety has shifted up a LOT in priority," he said, adding that finalizing a quantum-safe solution for blobs has "become urgent." He also confirmed that quantum resistance has moved significantly higher on Ethereum's development priorities, with work on quantum-safe blob designs already underway for several months.
Privacy has become a first-class goal, not an afterthought, extending Buterin's broader privacy push. Rather than treating privacy as an application-layer feature, Buterin said future protocol upgrades will be designed with privacy built into their architecture. To support both goals, the roadmap explores RISC-V or leanISA virtual machine designs to support programmable privacy while maintaining scalability.
The roadmap also proposes integrating recursive STARKs, cryptographic proofs designed to verify computations efficiently, as a native verification component within the Ethereum protocol. Buterin calls Lean Ethereum the network's third major evolution after the Merge, with upgrades spanning three to four years and touching nearly every core part of the protocol.
Foundation Restructuring Adds Pressure on Delivery The roadmap arrives against a backdrop of significant organisational change at the Ethereum Foundation. The Foundation laid off 54 employees and announced a roughly 40% budget reduction, executing one of the most sweeping structural overhauls in the organisation's history. Vitalik Buterin framed the cuts as part of a deliberate shift to an endowment model, targeting a long-term annual spending rate of 5% of treasury assets by 2030, down from roughly 15% before this year.
Tomasz Stańczak stepped down as co-executive director in February, followed by co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang, bringing total senior departures since January to nine. Protocol coordinators Tim Beiko and Barnabé Monnot also left in May.
Some in the community have pushed back on the timeline. Researcher Dankrad Feist argued the three-to-four-year window is too slow and suggested AI could help developers ship the upgrades within a year, while crypto analyst Ignas Fiodorovas praised the plan but cast doubt on the Foundation's ability to deliver within the stated schedule, citing its history of missing deadlines. The strawmap is still a draft, not a confirmed schedule, but it signals clearly where Ethereum's core development priorities are headed for the remainder of the decade.
Sources:
BeInCrypto: Vitalik's Lean Ethereum Roadmap Draws Pushback on Its Timeline
Unchained Crypto: Ethereum Foundation Cuts 20% of Staff and 40% of Budget
CoinDesk: Ethereum Foundation Cuts 20% of Staff Amid Leadership Exodus
TL;DR Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $526.64 million in net outflows last week, extending their losing streak to eight consecutive weeks. Spot Ethereum ETFs also posted net outflows of $13.67 million, marking an eighth straight week of withdrawals. In contrast, SOL, XRP, and HYPE ETFs attracted fresh capital, with XRP ETFs leading weekly inflows. Analysts say ETF flows remain a key indicator of institutional sentiment as investors monitor Bitcoin’s next market direction. U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued to face heavy selling pressure last week, recording $526.64 million in net outflows between June 29 and July 2. The latest withdrawals mark the eighth consecutive week of net outflows, the longest weekly redemption streak since spot Bitcoin ETFs began trading in the United States.
The trend reflects continued caution among institutional investors as Bitcoin struggles to regain momentum. According to SoSoValue data, total net assets across U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have fallen to approximately $74.37 billion, while Bitcoin traded near $61,500 during the reporting period, as shown in the accompanying chart. The sustained redemptions come after June became the worst month on record for spot Bitcoin ETFs, with roughly $4.5 billion leaving the products.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs See $527M Net Outflows Last Week, Extending Outflow Streak to 8 Weeks
From June 29 to July 2 (ET), spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $527 million in net outflows, marking the eighth consecutive week of outflows. Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $13.67 million in net outflows,… pic.twitter.com/mqujUflCEl
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 6, 2026
Spot Ethereum ETFs also remained under pressure, posting $13.67 million in net outflows over the same period. Like Bitcoin funds, Ethereum ETFs have now logged eight straight weeks of investor withdrawals, highlighting persistent risk-off sentiment across the two largest digital assets.
Altcoin ETFs Buck the Trend as SOL, XRP, and HYPE Attract Fresh Capital While Bitcoin and Ethereum products continued to lose assets, several newer crypto ETFs managed to attract fresh investment.
Spot Solana (SOL) ETFs recorded $5.75 million in weekly net inflows, while XRP ETFs brought in $17.19 million, making XRP the strongest performer among the major altcoin funds. Hyperliquid (HYPE) ETFs also remained in positive territory with $4.32 million in net inflows, although the figure represented a slowdown compared with previous weeks.
The divergence suggests that some investors are rotating capital into alternative digital assets rather than exiting the crypto ETF market entirely. Although Bitcoin remains the largest institutional investment vehicle in the sector, selective demand for altcoin-based products indicates that investors continue to seek exposure to projects they believe offer stronger upside potential.
Bitcoin ETFs Face Mounting Pressure Despite Brief Daily Recovery Despite the weak weekly performance, the reporting period ended with a small sign of stabilization. On July 2, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded more than $221 million in daily net inflows, breaking a 10-session outflow streak. However, analysts caution that a single positive trading day is unlikely to reverse the broader trend after eight consecutive weeks of withdrawals.
Market observers attribute the prolonged outflows to a combination of macroeconomic uncertainty, higher interest-rate expectations, and reduced appetite for risk assets. Bitcoin has remained under pressure alongside broader financial markets, while institutional investors continue trimming exposure through ETF redemptions.
Going forward, ETF flows are expected to remain a closely watched indicator of institutional sentiment. A sustained return to net inflows could signal renewed confidence in Bitcoin, while continued withdrawals may reinforce expectations of subdued demand until broader market conditions improve.
Bitcoin is trading at $63,169 with a modest 0.73% gain over the past 24 hours, holding above the $63,000 level that has proven sticky through the early week. Ethereum trails slightly at $1,774.75, up 0.60% on the day, as both assets mark time after last week's rally off June lows.
The continued consolidation reflects cautious positioning heading into what has historically been a volatile period for risk assets. Bitcoin's market cap stands at $1.27 trillion, with 24-hour trading volume at $20.3 billion — respectable levels but far from breakout intensity. Ethereum's volume of $11.3 billion suggests traders are managing exposure rather than chasing directional conviction.
Last week's bounce from late June's capitulation appears to be holding, but neither asset has generated the kind of follow-through volume that would suggest a sustained breakout is underway. The recovery from June's 20% drawdown for Bitcoin established a higher low, but we remain well below the $70,000 level that would signal a meaningful reversal of medium-term weakness.
Macro conditions remain mixed. Friday's weak jobs report initially supported risk appetite, but the bid has been inconsistent as traders weigh competing narratives around Fed policy and inflation trajectory. Without clear directional catalysts, crypto is tracking broader risk sentiment rather than generating its own momentum.
The week ahead matters more than the data point of the day. Institutional traders returning from weekends have already factored in the jobs data. What moves Bitcoin and Ethereum from here is whether equity markets hold the post-data bounce or if macro volatility returns.
PANews July 6 news, according to SoSoValue data, the overall crypto market showed an upward trend, with the CeFi sector performing strongly, up 2.74% in 24 hours. Among them, Binance Coin (BNB) rose 3.19%, and Bitget Token (BGB) rose 1.01%. At the same time, Bitcoin (BTC) rose 1.21%, breaking through $63,000; Ethereum (ETH) rose 1.26%, approaching $1,800.
In other sectors, the DeFi sector rose 2.41% in 24 hours, with Lighter (LIT) up 18.06%; the Layer 1 sector rose 2.15%, with Canton Network (CC) up 4.50%; the Meme sector rose 1.38%, with Pump.fun (PUMP) up 7.83%; the PayFi sector rose 1.12%, with Ultima (ULTIMA) up 11.19%; the Layer 2 sector rose 0.21%, with Starknet (STRK) up 1.94%.
In addition, the NFT sector fell 0.93%, with Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) down 2.81%.
JPMorgan Chase maintains an "Overweight" rating on Tencent, with a target price of HK$690.
JPMorgan said in a report that uncertainties surrounding Tencent’s WeChat AI Agent include whether it can fully integrate into the WeChat platform, the extent of its transaction permissions, and whether Tencent can build a supply system accessible to AI Agents without relying on existing e-commerce platforms to open inventory. With Tencent launching the beta test for WeChat AI Agent in June, the bank has significantly boosted its confidence in the agent’s value creation framework. The Agent service is now sufficiently visible, enabling a clear distinction between its existing components and areas still under development. This has shifted WeChat AI Agent from an AI initiative with no clear timeline to a phased rollout project with observable milestones. The bank believes the initial impact of WeChat AI Agent’s launch on Tencent’s stock price will likely stem from a reduction in risk premium and higher valuation multiples, rather than short-term earnings per share growth. It assigned Tencent an "Overweight" rating, with a target price of HK$690.
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South Korea is pushing forward civil enforcement rules for virtual assets, with plans to allow courts to seize and liquidate crypto assets.
South Korea’s Supreme Court has issued a legislative notice for the Partial Amendment to the Civil Execution Rules, which will for the first time bring virtual assets under the scope of civil compulsory enforcement. Following a public comment period, the amended rules are set to take effect on October 1, 2026. Key provisions include: Compulsory enforcement of claims for digital asset transfers (courts may launch enforcement via seizure orders, barring third-party debtors like trading platforms from transferring assets to the debtor, while restricting the debtor from disposing of such claims); Compulsory enforcement of digital assets themselves (courts may seize virtual assets held by the debtor, which will be taken over by enforcement officers, with the debtor prohibited from disposal); Liquidation methods: Seized digital assets can be monetized via transfer orders or auction orders. For assets with low liquidity, conversion into other digital assets prior to auction is allowed.
2 minutes ago
Garret Jin increases his short position on ZEC, with the position valued at $14.9 million.
According to monitoring by Onchain Lens, Garret Jin, agent of the "BTC OG Insider Whale", has increased his ZEC short position to 32,759.57 ZEC, worth $14.9 million. Garret still holds a 5x leveraged BTC long position valued at $80 million, currently with a loss exceeding $16.38 million.
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Analysis: Bitcoin rebounds, yet spot trading volume shrinks rapidly, with risks of long squeezes in derivatives accumulating.
Crypto analyst Murphy notes that as Bitcoin rebounded from $58,000 to nearly $64,000, its spot relative volume plummeted rapidly. A rebound unsupported by spot demand is unlikely to form the foundation of a trend reversal, often being merely a sentiment-driven recovery rally, so its sustainability demands close monitoring. On the positive front, the USDC/USDT exchange rate has retreated from 1.001 to 1.0006, signaling waning exit intentions and recovering trading activity. While major stablecoins on trading platforms still remain in net outflow, the outflow magnitude has continued to narrow, and this marginal improvement in funding conditions underpins the rebound’s continuation. However, the weakening of spot drivers means derivatives have gained relatively more weight. The 7-day average long premium for perpetual contracts has climbed steadily to $160,000 per hour, indicating taker buy orders have persistently pushed perpetual contract prices above spot levels. Open interest has declined somewhat but remains significantly higher than levels in February this year. The current long premium is still within a normal range, but as the rebound persists, the risk of a long squeeze will keep building. Once open interest rebounds again, fierce battles between bulls and bears will trigger faster and more violent volatility—a hidden risk that requires advance attention.
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ANSEM posts a short-term rally of 25%, with its current market cap standing at $380 million.
According to GMGN monitoring, Solana ecosystem meme coin ANSEM surged 25% within one hour, with its market cap rebounding to around $380 million, posting a 30% 24-hour gain and trading volume exceeding $39.7 million over the same period. The rally is likely due to Ansem himself (X: blknoiz06) announcing the completion of a new round of airdrop distribution, totaling approximately $7 million. BlockBeats Note: Meme coin trading is highly volatile, largely dependent on market sentiment and concept hype, with no actual value or use cases; investors should exercise caution regarding risks.
2 minutes ago
HTX Genesis Hackathon Attracts Over 30 Teams from Top Universities at Home and Abroad
According to official social media announcements, the HTX Genesis Hackathon—hosted by HTX DAO and B.AI, and co-organized by OpenCSG, TinTinLand, and OpenCity—has entered the preliminary screening phase. More than 100 developer teams have registered for the event, with participants hailing from over 30 top universities across 22 global cities, including Tsinghua University, Fudan University, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Edinburgh. The hackathon offers a total prize pool of 20,000 USDT and over $100,000 in computing power support. Participating teams will innovate in areas such as $HTX use cases, B.AI ecosystem applications and computing power services, AI Agent finance, on-chain asset management, trading infrastructure, DAO tools, and smart financial operating systems. The HTX Genesis finals will be held offline on July 19 during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai.
Leading cryptocurrencies gained alongside stock futures on Sunday as investors braced for the release of the Federal Reserve’s June meeting minutes.
Crypto Market LiftsBitcoin spiked late evening, nearly breaking $64,000, as trading volume increased marginally. Ethereum broke through $1,800, with a 41% jumpe in 24-hour volume, while XRP and Dogecoin inched higher.
Over $160 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, with $108 million in bearish short positions, according to Coinglass data.
Bitcoin’s open interest rose 1.21% over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, retail and whale derivatives traders remained net long on the apex cryptocurrency.
"Extreme Fear" sentiment prevailed in the market, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.
Top Gainers (24 Hours)
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.13 trillion, representing a 2.39% increase over the last 24 hours.
Stocks Futures RiseStock futures edged higher overnight on Sunday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures rose 82 points, or 0.15%, as of 8:45 p.m. EDT. Futures tied to the S&P 500 spiked 0.54%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures rallied 1.36%.
Eyes will be on the Federal Reserve this week as traders await the minutes of the June meeting, the first chaired by new Chairman Kevin Warsh, which are due on Wednesday. The central bank kept the federal funds rate steady in a target range of 3.50% to 3.75%
Macro Pullback Phase?“Stablecoin contraction historically reflects a macro pullback phase, as active capital is redeemed for fiat or sidelined during broad market corrections,” the analyst stated.
Michaël van de Poppe, another popular cryptocurrency commentator, expressed optimism for a “shallow” BTC correction followed by a swift rebound, viewing it as the catalyst to reclaim the 200-week moving average, around approximately $62,500-$62,600, and exit the bearish price action.
Photo: KateStock / Shutterstock
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CoinGecko, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency data aggregators, lists the top 10 Layer 1 (L1) coins by Market Cap. These top projects include Bitcoin ($BTC), Ethereum ($ETH), Tether ($USDT), BNB ($BNB), USDC ($USDC), XRP ($XRP), Solana ($SOL), TRON ($TRX), Hyperliquid ($HYPE), and Dogecoin ($DOGE).
Layer 1 (L1) serves as the basic, autonomous chain on which transactions are directly executed and confirmed, and provides the necessary infrastructure for the blockchain network. Here are the top Layer 1 coins by market cap. These Layer 1 coins hold a collective market cap of $1.79 trillion with a change of 0.3% in the last 24 hours. CoinGecko has shared this news through its official social media X account.
Bitcoin Maintains L1 Dominance While Ethereum Surges Double Digits Bitcoin ($BTC) is in the leading position in the entire list of top (L1) coins in terms of market cap, and with a new price. Bitcoin ($BTC) is trading at $62823.69 with a positive change of 0.6% in price over the last 24 hours. Bitcoin ($BTC) holds a market cap of $1259903710228.
Ethereum ($ETH) is the runner-up in this race with a market cap of $213089130330, along with a positive change in price of 11.8% throughout the week. ETH/USDT is currently changing hands at $1765.36. Tether ($USDT) and BNB ($BNB) come at the 3rd and 4th positions with $0.9992 and $575.98 of current prices, respectively. Tether ($USDT) has a market cap of $184136854405 with stability in price over 24h and 7D.
BNB ($BNB) has a market cap of $77645950317 with a positive change of 0.5% over the last 24h. USDC ($USDC) is appearing with a new price of $0.9995 along with the market cap of $72914007626. USDC ($USDC) is also showing no change in price over the last 24h or 7D.
Solana and Hyperliquid Lead Weekly Gains Across Major Layer-1 Cryptocurrencies As per CoinGecko data, XRP ($XRP) comes at the 6th position in the list with a market cap of $70744944422 with the current price of $1.14. This L1 coin shows a negative response in terms of price over the last hour of 0.2%, but it shows 7.7% positive growth in price change over the whole week. These values are observed at the time of writing this article. In which different top Layer 1 coins show their dominance in terms of market caps and prices.
Next to these are Solana ($SOL) and TRON ($TRX), which show positive change of 11.9% and 1.0% over the last week and hold market caps of $46706073293 and $30800068747. Solana ($SOL) and TRON ($TRX) come at the 7th and 8th positions, respectively, in the given list of top Layer 1 coins.
Furthermore, Hyperliquid ($HYPE) trades at $68.69, along with a 0.4% change in price over the last hour and 9.2% in the last week. Hyperliquid ($HYPE) holds a market cap of $15279949960. Last but not least, Dogecoin ($DOGE) trades at $0.07592, along with a market cap of $11763415911. Dogecoin ($DOGE) faces 2.7% change in price last week.
AUTHOR
Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Meme coin dominance has slipped to 3.7% of the altcoin market, its lowest level since February 2024, according to CryptoQuant. Analyst Darkfost says the number of meme coin holders now sits at a three-year low.
The reading marks a steep retreat from November 2024, when a post-election trading frenzy pushed meme tokens above 10% of the altcoin market. Capital has since flowed elsewhere.
Meme coin holders are becoming increasingly rare. Source: CryptoQuant Capital Rotates Toward Utility TokensThe dominance ratio weighs the combined value of meme tokens against the wider altcoin market. A falling reading shows the group losing ground to its rivals.
“Meme coin holders are becoming increasingly rare,” Darkfrost highlighted.
The rotation shows up in raw market value. Meme tokens are worth roughly $28 billion combined. Real-world asset (RWA) tokens, a sector now drawing capital, top $64 billion, more than double that, per CoinGecko data.
Analysts tracking the current altcoin narratives point to artificial intelligence (AI), RWA, and decentralized finance (DeFi) as the main draw.
Dogecoin (DOGE) remains the biggest meme coin, worth about $12.1 billion. That is close to half the entire sector’s value.
Long-Term Holders Feel the SqueezeFew cases show the shift better than Murad Mahmudov. On the Token2049 stage in 2024, he pitched a meme coin supercycle, arguing culture-driven tokens would outrun Bitcoin and Ethereum.
He has held that meme coin portfolio for more than two years. On-chain data tracked by Arkham shows he has not sold a single token. The portfolio has still fallen about 81% from its peak.
MURAD HAS BEEN HOLDING MEMECOINS FOR 2 YEARS
Murad has been holding his memecoin portfolio for over 2 years now. He’s down 81% from his portfolio all-time-high – but he’s still holding.
He never sold anything. Will Murad make it after all? pic.twitter.com/85VxzfwmPq
— Arkham (@arkham) July 3, 2026 SPX6900 (SPX) leads that book. The token trades near $0.40 and is down roughly 67% over the past year, well below its July 2025 high.
SPX6900 (SPX) Price Performance. Source: CoingeckoPolitical meme coins have fared worse. Official Trump (TRUMP), launched days before the January 2025 inauguration, spiked near $73 before collapsing. It now changes hands around $1.71, down about 98%, and most of its buyers sit underwater.
Perhaps the most blatant example of corruption in the history of American politics. pic.twitter.com/SlNdRmWFvg
— Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) July 1, 2026 The pattern has precedent. The last time meme dominance sat this low, in early 2024, a sharp rally followed within months. Whether that repeats depends on retail traders returning, and for now a fresh meme coin season looks distant while money favors tokens with real-world uses.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
The Ethereum network’s next epoch came into sharper focus on Sunday as co-founder Vitalik Buterin detailed a multi-year technical blueprint aimed at tackling gas costs, quantum-era cryptography, and state growth simultaneously. According to the original report, the plan—dubbed “Lean Ethereum”—represents the blockchain’s third major evolutionary phase, with rollouts expected over the next three to four years.
Ethereum has long battled fee volatility and state bloat while facing a slow-burning cryptographic challenge from advancing quantum computing. Buterin’s outline, therefore, attempts to bundle several deep architectural changes into one sequential push, rather than address them in isolation. Developer activity remains high across the ecosystem, as evidenced by Ethereum’s consistent top ranking in recent blockchain developer metrics.
The STARK and Quantum Resistance Overhaul One of the most consequential pieces of the Lean roadmap is making recursive STARKs a native verification mechanism within Ethereum. STARKs—scalable transparent arguments of knowledge—already underpin several layer-2 validity proofs, but embedding them directly into the protocol could reduce verification costs and improve L2 composability. Recursive STARKs, in particular, allow a single proof to verify many others, a technique increasingly studied for data compression and throughput at scale.
Simultaneously, Buterin signaled that remaining quantum-vulnerable cryptography would be swapped for post-quantum alternatives. This addresses a structural risk that often gets deprioritized in the near term: if a fault-tolerant quantum computer emerges sooner than expected, signature schemes based on ECDSA could be broken, exposing billions in user funds. By baking quantum resistance into the Lean upgrades, Ethereum aims to remove that tail risk before it materializes, a move that may pressure other layer-1 chains to accelerate their own post-quantum planning.
A Scalable State Layer for Token Efficiency The roadmap introduces a “scalable state” architecture capable of reaching 100 terabytes by 2030, a dramatic shift from today’s state size, which has been a persistent concern for node operators. The new state type is designed to slash transaction costs for certain tokens by more than 10x, a figure that points to a structural refactoring of how data is stored and accessed.
This matters most for high-volume ERC-20 tokens and stablecoins, where every small fee reduction compounds into real liquidity advantages. If the scalable state works as described, it could fundamentally alter the economics of on-chain trading, lending, and payments, pulling activity away from centralized exchanges and back onto the mainnet or its rollup layers. But the 2030 target date for the full 100 TB vision underscores that this is a long-range infrastructure play, not an immediate fix for users frustrated by current congestion.
Near-Term Gas Limit Relief and New Virtual Machines Before the deeper Lean upgrades, the upcoming Glasterdam upgrade is expected to significantly boost Ethereum’s gas limit. Gas limit increases expand block capacity in the near term, offering immediate relief for rollup batch posting and complex contract interactions. Historically, such adjustments have been contentious among validators, as larger blocks can increase latency and centralization pressure. Buterin’s public endorsement of the increase suggests that sufficient tooling and client optimizations are now in place to handle the bump without degrading network stability.
Separately, the roadmap explores RISC-V or leanISA virtual machines as a way to introduce programmable privacy. By moving away from the current EVM model toward a more flexible execution environment, Ethereum could enable confidential transactions and shielded smart contracts without relying on external privacy layers. The concept remains exploratory, but it signals that privacy—often relegated to niche chains—is being considered as a native feature of the protocol’s long-term design.
What’s Clear and What’s Conditional The Lean Ethereum roadmap is ambitious by any standard, and the industry has seen grand protocol visions stall or mutate under real-world constraints. The three-to-four-year rollout window inevitably overlaps with other critical milestones, including further L2 fragmentation, regulatory shifts, and competitive pressure from modular ecosystems. Whether developers can ship recursive STARKs and post-quantum cryptography in a coordinated fashion without introducing new attack surfaces remains an open question.
Still, the outline gives the Ethereum ecosystem something it has occasionally lacked: a unified design thesis that ties together scaling, security, and cost reduction. For protocols, rollup teams, and institutional users mapping multi-year migration plans, the Lean roadmap provides a reference point that reduces guesswork. The market’s reaction will likely be muted in the short term—these are slow-moving infrastructure bets—but the direction is now unambiguous.
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.
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, has introduced a new roadmap titled “Lean Ethereum,” emphasizing advancements in quantum resistance, privacy, and scalability. The initiative, developed with researcher Justin Drake, aims to simplify Ethereum’s layer-1 protocol and integrate post-quantum signatures, streamlined validator operations, and reduced complexity. The roadmap targets full post-quantum infrastructure by 2029, with early proof points already confirming viability. This strategic direction seeks to future-proof Ethereum against quantum threats while maintaining decentralization and user freedom.
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Key Takeaways The new roadmap appears to align with Ethereum’s long-term vision, aiming for significant infrastructure improvements by 2029. Market pricing suggests increased interest in Ethereum’s future potential, with slight increases in YES pricing for Ethereum reaching $10,000 by the end of 2026. The development may indicate a proactive shift by Ethereum to enhance its cryptographic foundations against emerging threats. What to Watch Market participants will closely watch for subsequent developments and potential announcements related to the “Lean Ethereum” roadmap. Key indicators include any major network upgrades, regulatory responses, or significant shifts in institutional investment patterns. Observers will be attuned to any further details from Vitalik Buterin or the Ethereum Foundation that could influence market pricing and sentiment. The market’s reaction to these developments will help gauge confidence in Ethereum’s trajectory towards its scalability and security goals.
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What Price Will Ethereum Hit Before 2027
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31, 2026 1.4% — — View market → December 31, 2026 2.6% — — View market → December 31, 2026 3.1% — — View market → December 31, 2026 4.2% — — View market → December 31, 2026 5.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 11.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 15.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.1% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 7.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 67.9% — — View market → January 1 2027 11.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 3.9% — — View market → January 1 2027 26.5% — — View market → Ethereum All Time High
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h September 30, 2026 1.3% — — View market → December 31, 2026 5% — — View market →
Ethereum traded near $1,764.43 on July 5, according to crypto.news market data. The token was up 0.2% over 24 hours and 11.58% over seven days. Its market cap stood near $212.91 billion, while 24-hour volume was about $11.16 billion.
Summary
Ethereum remains trapped between $1,700 support and $1,800 resistance as liquidation clusters frame price action. Vitalik Buterin’s Lean Ethereum roadmap focuses on STARKs, quantum resistance, privacy and future scalability. ETH’s MACD shows improving momentum, but weak volume keeps a confirmed bullish reversal out of reach. The latest daily range showed ETH moving between $1,751.18 and $1,801.59. That placed the token close to the $1,800 resistance area after a recovery from the June low near $1,500.
ETH/USDT remains in a broader downtrend from the May highs. Still, the short-term chart has improved after buyers defended the $1,500 region and pushed price back above $1,700.
Liquidation clusters keep ETH boxed in Traders are watching two large liquidity zones around Ethereum. One sits above price near $1,800 to $1,830, while another sits below around $1,700. This keeps ETH inside a narrow range where quick moves can reverse fast.
One trader said, “As long as Ethereum stays in this range, I’d expect chop and fakeouts.” The same view points to a bigger move only after one side of the liquidity zone gets cleared.
Crypto.news previously reported that Ethereum liquidation heatmap data showed large leverage clusters near $1,700 to $1,760 and another major zone near $1,800. Those levels remain close to the current price range.
Professor Crypto also said ETH has started to build momentum after defending the $1,500 area. He said bulls need to reclaim and hold $1,800 before the market can target $1,900 to $2,000.
$ETH is slowly starting to build some momentum after defending the $1.5K region.
The recent move back above $1.7K is encouraging, but the real test is whether bulls can reclaim and hold the $1.8K resistance.
A clean break above that level could open the door for a move toward… pic.twitter.com/xUwNKs5pCU
— Professor Crypto (@profcryptotalks) July 5, 2026 Momentum improves, but confirmation is limited The daily chart shows ETH struggling to extend above $1,780 to $1,800. The latest candle opened near $1,780.64, reached $1,780.75, and dipped to $1,748.79 before stabilizing.
Nearby support sits around $1,700. A loss of that level could return focus to $1,600 and then $1,550. A clean break above $1,800 may bring $1,830 to $1,850 into focus.
The MACD continues to improve. The histogram is positive near 30.20, while the MACD line stays above the signal line. That shows short-term bullish momentum.
Still, the MACD line remains below zero. This means ETH is in a recovery phase, not a confirmed trend reversal. Volume near 315,730 ETH also remains moderate, so buyers still need stronger activity to confirm continuation.
Source: TradingView
Crypto.news reported that Ethereum recently targeted $1,800 after a rare TD buy signal. The report also said failure to hold $1,700 could return focus to $1,650 and the lower support area near $1,500.
Vitalik’s Lean Ethereum roadmap adds long-term focus Ethereum’s price action also came as Vitalik Buterin shared a new long-term roadmap called Lean Ethereum. The plan focuses on faster verification, stronger security and better scalability over the next several years.
The roadmap includes native recursive STARKs, post-quantum cryptography, new virtual machine designs and a larger state architecture. Reports also said the upcoming Glasterdam upgrade may raise Ethereum’s gas limit.
The plan does not guarantee short-term price gains. It does, however, shift part of the discussion away from daily ETH moves and toward Ethereum’s technical future.
For now, ETH traders remain focused on the same near-term levels. Ethereum needs to hold $1,700, break $1,800, and attract stronger volume before the recovery can target the $1,900 to $2,000 zone.
Ethereum’s development has entered a new phase as researchers introduced ‘Lean Ethereum,’ a multi-year overhaul targeting the network’s long-term evolution. Rather than a single upgrade, the plan aims to replace the cores of the Ethereum [ETH] protocol over the course of approximately 3-4 years.
The plan introduces recursive STARKs, quantum-safe cryptography, multidimensional gas, and redesigned state architecture to improve scalability and security. Furthermore, developers expect H-star to become Ethereum’s final pre-Lean fork before broader changes accelerate.
Source: X The roadmap also anticipates increasing the gas limits on the network. This includes using more scalable state architectures to improve finality speed and lower transaction costs.
Successful implementation of the Lean roadmap may allow it to scale the efficiency of the Ethereum network. Moreover, it will be maintaining backward compatibility, thereby allowing for continued growth throughout the next decade.
The infrastructure behind Lean Ethereum Building on the Lean Ethereum roadmap, developers are now translating long-term goals into practical protocol upgrades. Currently, development is focused on post-quantum secure protocols as well as scalable state management.
These are two of the most significant long-term technical threats facing Ethereum. Rather than waiting for quantum computing to mature, developers have already launched PQ Devnets 0-4. These will test networks and evaluate quantum-resistant cryptography while preserving compatibility with existing wallets.
More importantly, Glamsterdam has laid down the technological groundwork for this future-proofing of Ethereum through ePBS, protocol simplification, and increasing gas limits above 200 million.
Source: Galaxy Research In addition to building the infrastructure needed to provide fast and secure transactions, developers are reworking how state is managed using Verkle trees, state expiration models, and scalable storage models. This involves reducing the cost of validation and shortening the time it takes for nodes to sync, while keeping decentralized functionality intact.
These are logical next steps since the underlying technology needs to mature before Ethereum can safely exapnd its scalability and decrease its costs over the next decade.
Together, both initiatives strengthen Ethereum’s long-term resilience while limiting disruption for existing applications.
Final Summary Ethereum is rebuilding its core protocol to deliver faster scaling, stronger security, and long-term network resilience. ETH aims to future-proof the network through quantum-safe upgrades and more efficient state management.
ETH just flashed a major signal that has historically led to massive gains (especially against BTC).
Ethereum could be on the verge of a massive price increase after its painful declines in late 2025 and early 2026 that brought it down toward $1,500.
July has already started on the right foot, with a double-digit increase in days. However, it follows two consecutive double-digit monthly declines.
Worst Is Over? Popular analyst Michaël van de Poppe noted on X in a post from this weekend that “the worst period for ETH is over.” He believes that the altcoin is breaking out upwards and building a higher low against the market leader, which means “that we’re back in an uptrend.”
This comes after ETH closed June in the red, marking its third consecutive quarter with major losses for the first time ever. Moreover, each of those was by more than 20% – 28.28% in Q4 2025, another 29.26% in Q1 2026, and 25.28% in Q2 this year. Given the significance and rarity of this moment, van de Poppe said: “The chances of having four in a row are statistically very low.”
He also outlined the highly anticipated but not certain Clarity Act, which is expected to be signed into law by the end of the year and to benefit Ethereum a lot more than other assets, including BTC. He believes the potential approval will “unlock more liquidity flowing into the ETH ecosystem.”
Triple-Digit Surge Against BTC Next? Merlijn The Trader shared a similar bullish opinion on ETH, especially against BTC. This is because ETH dipped to 0.026 against the market leader, which is a historically important level that has launched a major rally in the past.
He noted that the last time this signal appeared, the largest altcoin outperformed BTC by over 230%. ETH peaked at over 0.043 against bitcoin in August last year when it charted its ATH against the greenback, but it has been mostly downhill since then.
You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $62K, Ethereum (ETH) Plunges 6% Daily: Market Watch 5 Reasons Why Bitcoin Just Crashed Below $63K as Liquidations Top $500M Bitmine Buys 52K ETH as Tom Lee Believes the Best Years for Crypto Are Still Ahead It indeed dipped to and below 0.026 in the past few weeks, but has managed to bounce and now sits at over 0.028. If it’s to mimic its past 230% surge, it could rocket past 0.08, a level not seen in four years.
The last time this signal fired, Ethereum crushed Bitcoin by 233%.
It fired at 0.026.
ETH/BTC today: 0.026.
Same level.
New golden cross forming.
Five years of pain, just to return to the launchpad.
The market forgot. The chart didn’t. pic.twitter.com/nNAG1HJ4r6
— Merlijn The Trader (@MerlijnTrader) July 4, 2026
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The main technological intrigue of recent weeks around Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has received an unexpected continuation. For those who missed the essence of the dispute, on June 22 Buterin challenged neural networks to test the popular thesis about the complete loss of privacy on the internet.
He admitted that during the current decade he had published several Ethereum documents under someone else's name and invited AI to identify them by his individual writing style.
13 days.
So far no one has found it.
My only hint is that I would encourage people to somewhat broaden their search; I've seen quite a few searches and AI scripts that fail to include categories of documents that really should be included. https://t.co/ClBx2SEvhP
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— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) July 5, 2026 Thirteen days later, Buterin summarized the interim results of the experiment. Neither any researcher nor any advanced AI script managed to find the text. The failure of modern deanonymization algorithms prompted Buterin, 13 days after launching the quest, to release a key hint and point to a systemic error made by the search bots.
What's hidden in Ethereum documents, and where did AI stumble?Since the material in question is of importance for the Ethereum ecosystem, the hidden text could be a technical proposal for improving the network, an analysis of cryptographic protocols, a mathematical study, or a scaling concept. According to Buterin's own estimate, there are between 200 and 2,000 documents of similar scale online, which significantly narrowed the sample for analysis.
However, automation lost to humans because of the banal limitations of its settings. According to the Ethereum co-founder, AI scripts stumbled over their own rigid filters.
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In his latest statement, Buterin recommended that researchers expand the search area. He noted that he had seen many search attempts and AI scripts that simply ignored entire categories of documents, even though they should be taken into account.
Neural networks became hostages of standard templates, scanning only official blogs or technical specifications while completely missing other layers of publications.
This experiment clearly confirms why Buterin consistently maintains his AGI skepticism and points to the vulnerability of modern AI models when facing non-standard tasks. The failure of AI in the first round proves that the creation of an all-powerful superintelligence is still far away, while human secrecy remains stronger than algorithms.
CZ’s like on the donation tweet for meme coin TCC pushes the token’s market cap to briefly top $72 million.
Crypto community user ddotaek posted that he has shifted from the Solana-based MEME coin market, which he described as "constantly being rugged", to BNB Chain, noting that the BNB ecosystem "truly supports builders and long-term projects". He cited advantages including no rug pulls, no bot-driven wash trading, and clean launches (he personally verified front-running cases). He also mentioned that project team @TCryptochicks donated 10 million TCC tokens to GiggleAcademy, an educational charity founded by CZ. CZ later liked the tweet, lifting market sentiment, and TCC’s market cap briefly surged past $72 million before retreating to around $54 million. Previously, the "Giggle" token gained CZ’s public like and retweet in September 2025 via a donation to GiggleAcademy, with its market cap once soaring to over $100 million. CZ once stated "this completely changed my view on MEME coins", but later clarified multiple times that the related tokens were not officially issued by GiggleAcademy, and reminded holders to watch for subsequent selling pressure. BlockBeats reminds users: Most MEME coins have no practical use cases and are highly volatile. Please protect your assets and do not FOMO.
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AI capital expenditure is projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2027, potentially surpassing U.S. defense spending for the first time.
The Kobeissi Letter stated in a post that the AI spending boom is reshaping the U.S. economy. AI capital expenditures by Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle are projected to rise to roughly 3.2% of U.S. GDP by 2027. If the forecast holds, annual AI capital spending will for the first time exceed U.S. defense outlays, which are expected to account for around 2.7% of GDP next year. For this year alone, the group’s AI capital spending is forecast to jump from 1.5% of GDP in 2025 to roughly 2.5%, nearly matching the 2.7% share of GDP allocated to defense spending. The five firms’ combined AI capital expenditures are projected to top $800 billion in 2026, then climb to a record $1.1 trillion in 2027. These figures are "staggering".
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US and South Korean stocks Monday price preview: Micron Technology is forecast to rise more than 6% in pre-market trading, while Samsung Electronics is expected to open 4% higher.
Due to the U.S. Independence Day holiday (July 3), U.S. stock markets were closed last Friday, paired with the regular weekend closure. "On-chain Nasdaq" Trade.xyz enables continuous trading and real-time price discovery unavailable in traditional finance via perpetual contracts, pricing in advance for Monday’s U.S. and South Korean stock sessions. Top U.S. stock tickers on Trade.xyz showed mixed moves compared to Thursday’s after-hours trading, and are expected to consolidate with minor fluctuations ahead of Monday’s pre-market. Weekend performance details: Micron (MU) is currently at $1038.71, versus $976.63 in U.S. Thursday after-hours trading; SanDisk (SNDK) at $1856.65, versus $1762.011 Thursday after-hours; NVIDIA at $197.83, versus $194.44 Thursday after-hours; Intel at $124.2, versus $121 Thursday after-hours; Google at $360.06, versus $359.91 Thursday after-hours; AMD at $537.34, versus $519.5 Thursday after-hours; SpaceX at $161.27, versus $160.95 Thursday after-hours. For top South Korean stock tickers on Trade.xyz, their weekend performance is as follows: Samsung Electronics is currently at $210.49, versus $202.35 at Friday’s close; SK Hynix is at $1623.16, versus $1585 at Friday’s close.
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SK Hynix seeks to attract more AI investors via its US listing.
SK Hynix’s upcoming $29 billion U.S. stock market listing could be the largest initial public offering (IPO) by a foreign company in history, but the move is not just about raising capital. More importantly, the firm aims to compete in the hottest segment of global stock markets right now: memory chips for AI computing. Daniel Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust (which holds Micron stock), said the market is in a period of extreme hype for chip stocks, and now is a good time to bring U.S. investors on board for its shares. Zhou Di, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment Management (which holds SK Hynix stock), noted that the offering targets investors who currently cannot access South Korea’s stock market. SK Hynix’s Nasdaq listing gives investors direct, frictionless access to one of the most attractive pure-play assets in the AI memory cycle. (Jin Shi)
2 hours ago
Ming-Chi Kuo: Foldable iPhone may repeat the iPhone X playbook, launching later and facing supply constraints through the end of the year.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in a note that the foldable iPhone could repeat the iPhone X playbook: it will be unveiled alongside other models, but pre-orders and official launch will be delayed, and supply shortages may persist through the end of 2026. Based on third-quarter 2026 production volumes, the foldable iPhone is likely to mirror the 2017 iPhone X. That year, the iPhone X was unveiled alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus on September 12, but due to insufficient stock, pre-orders were pushed back to October 27 and official sales to November 3. Given the foldable iPhone’s limited third-quarter shipments, it may also open pre-orders and official sales only in the fourth quarter of 2026. After discussions with telecom operators, sales channels, and resellers/parallel import agents, Kuo concluded that even if the foldable iPhone is priced at roughly $2,300 to $2,500, demand will remain strong at least through the end of 2026. This means the device could sell out rapidly once pre-orders open, with shipment wait times potentially jumping to 4 to 6 weeks or longer, extending into December. He added that the foldable iPhone’s initial limited supply, distinct design, and innovative user experience could drive up short-term resale prices, with resale prices 50% to 100% higher than the official retail price not being out of the question.
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Analysis: Powell’s tight-lipped approach makes the Fed’s June meeting minutes even more important.
George Goncalves, Head of US Macro Strategy at MUFG Securities Americas, noted that Waller’s concise communication style makes the June Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes carry more weight than usual, offering valuable insight into the differing stances among Fed officials. “The meeting minutes will become even more important because, up to now, we don’t know what the Fed is thinking,” Goncalves said. “It will be very instructive to see how they debate and what they prioritize.” He added that some investors have questioned Waller’s “hands-off” approach, with many calling for a return to greater transparency. Many market participants are unaccustomed to reduced information flow, and there remains considerable skepticism over how long the Fed can maintain this stance. For now, we can only read between the lines. (Source: Jinshi)
Bitcoin’s rebound has not removed the risk of another volatile move. CryptoQuant is warning that exchange deposit activity has picked up across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins, a pattern that often appears when traders are preparing to move risk around quickly.
That does not automatically mean a crash is coming. It does mean the market is becoming more sensitive.
For more details, visit the official Cryptoquant platform.
TL;DR CryptoQuant’s latest market read points to a jump in exchange deposits, including elevated Bitcoin inflows. Rising deposits can be a volatility signal because coins moving to exchanges are more likely to be sold, hedged, rotated, or used as collateral.
The important word is “can.” On-chain deposits are not a perfect sell signal. Sometimes coins move to exchanges for liquidity management, derivative margin, or market-making activity. But when deposits spike while price is already under pressure, traders tend to pay attention.
That is the situation Bitcoin is in now. BTC has stabilised, but the wider market still feels jumpy. ETF flows have been uneven, altcoins are fragile, and macro risk appetite is not giving crypto a clean tailwind.
Why Deposits Matter Here Exchange inflows matter because they change the available supply profile. Coins sitting in cold storage are usually less likely to hit the market quickly. Coins arriving on exchanges are more flexible. They can be sold, used to open positions, or shifted into other assets.
When a large number of coins arrives at once, the market starts asking why.
If the inflow is driven by whales preparing to sell, spot pressure can build. If it is linked to derivatives positioning, volatility can rise even if the coins are not immediately dumped. If it reflects market makers preparing for higher activity, price can swing both ways.
That is why the signal is more about volatility than direction. The market is being primed for movement.
Bitcoin Needs More Than A Bounce Bitcoin’s short-term recovery gives bulls room to argue that sellers are losing control. But on-chain deposit pressure complicates that argument.
A healthy rebound usually wants to see coins moving away from exchanges, not toward them. It wants accumulation, calmer leverage, and improving flows. If deposits keep rising, traders may stay defensive even while price holds above recent lows.
The next phase will depend on whether those deposited coins become sell pressure. If Bitcoin absorbs the inflows and holds its recovery, that would be a constructive sign. It would show that the market can handle supply without breaking.
If price rolls over while deposits remain elevated, the CryptoQuant warning will look more serious.
For now, this is not a panic signal. It is a caution flag. Bitcoin has bounced, but the market is still loaded with enough exchange-side activity to make the next move sharp.
This report is based on information from CryptoQuant.
The practical takeaway is that traders should avoid reading the current rebound in isolation. A market can look stable on the surface while exchange-side liquidity is preparing for a larger move. That is why deposit data belongs next to ETF flows, funding conditions, and spot support levels when assessing Bitcoin risk this week.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Gareth Soloway, chief market strategist at VerifiedInvesting.com, says the crypto market has entered a meaningful short-term recovery phase, but warns that the bigger bear market trend has not yet ended and further downside remains likely later in the year.
Bitcoin: $73,000 to $74,000 in Sight, But Sub-$50,000 Still Possible
Bitcoin rallied from around $57,800 back to approximately $62,700 and Soloway believes the move has further room to run. His near-term target sits at the $73,000 to $74,000 range, where a key downsloping trend line provides resistance. As long as Bitcoin holds above $58,000 on a confirmed closing basis, he is maintaining a bullish short-term bias.
However, Soloway was clear that this is a swing trade setup, not a reversal of the broader trend. He still expects Bitcoin to eventually break below $50,000 as part of the bear market’s final phase, which he describes as a bottoming process that typically takes the form of a rounded base or cup and handle structure. The trigger for that final flush, in his view, would be a broad risk-off event where capital exits everything, including crypto, gold, and biotech simultaneously.
Ethereum: Parallel Trend Line Breakout Targeting $2,000
Ethereum has broken out of an important trend line structure. He sees initial resistance around $1,800 but expects ETH to push through toward $2,000, where he would reassess. The breakout is notable because the trend lines on Ethereum are running parallel to Bitcoin’s structure, which he says signals order within the broader market chaos.
XRP: Wedge Break Could Mean More Upside
XRP broke out of a multi-month wedge pattern that stretched back to early 2025. The longer a wedge forms, Soloway argues, the larger the breakout move tends to be. XRP has already moved from around $1.02 to $1.17. He expects a pullback toward $1.10 to $1.15 before the next leg higher, targeting the $1.25 resistance zone as an exit point for his current trade.
Story Ends Here
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Ethereum’s price has staged a notable recovery, buoyed by persistent demand between the $1,400 and $1,600 levels. After forming a double-bottom pattern near $1,500, ETH climbed as high as $1,767, suggesting that sellers are losing ground and buyers are regaining influence in the short term.
Critical technical barrier around $1,800The market’s focus has now shifted to the resistance at the neckline, located between $1,780 and $1,800. A daily close above this range could confirm a bullish reversal, potentially setting the stage for further gains. If buyers manage to propel ETH above this threshold, price targets at $1,900 and $2,000 become viable, with the formation’s measured objective pointing up to $2,160.
However, a rejection below $1,800 remains a real possibility and may trigger another pullback. In this alternative scenario, Ethereum could retrace first to $1,700 and possibly revisit the strong demand area at $1,600. Shoring up above this zone is considered crucial for maintaining the current constructive outlook.
Crypto analyst DON highlights that while momentum is building in Ethereum, further confirmation is needed before declaring a lasting uptrend.
Indicators favor the bullsTechnical indicators are reinforcing the recovery outlook. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has risen to 55.53, with its moving average at 40.53. Surpassing the neutral 50 mark after bouncing from oversold territory signals intensifying buying pressure. Importantly, the RSI is not yet overbought, suggesting there’s still room for Ethereum to climb.
The MACD picture also remains upbeat. The MACD line is at minus 22.84, comfortably above the signal line at minus 53.27. A histogram expansion to 30.43 reveals strengthening positive momentum. The widening gap between the lines signals that buyers are consolidating their control.
IndicatorLevelCommentRSI55.53Above the neutral 50 markRSI average40.53Supports the recovery trendMACD-22.84Above the signal lineSignal line-53.27Strengthens the bullish outlookHistogram30.43Positive momentum is buildingEthereum’s roadmap targets quantum resistanceBeyond the short-term price action, Ethereum has also unveiled a roadmap to futureproof its network against attacks from quantum computers. As one of the largest blockchains powering smart contracts and decentralized applications, Ethereum’s focus on quantum resistance signals a forward-thinking approach to network security.
Mini glossary: Quantum resistance refers to safeguarding cryptographic systems against the potential threat posed by powerful quantum computers. Such measures ensure the long-term security of digital wallets and blockchain infrastructure.
Progress in this area over the next three to four years could prove decisive for Ethereum’s security, scalability, and efficiency. Experts suggest that if the plan succeeds, it could slash application costs by over ten times and pave the way for broader adoption of the Ethereum network.
Ethereum’s quantum resistance strategy aims to boost network security, improve scalability, and cut application expenses by more than a factor of ten.
In the near term, sustaining the bullish momentum will require a breakout above resistance, underpinned by strong buying volume. Otherwise, Ethereum may continue to consolidate below this region before attempting another move upward.
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.
Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, has rolled out a detailed three to four year roadmap aimed at future proofing the network against that looming threat: quantum computing. Announced as a sweeping set of upgrades, the plan envisions infrastructure changes stretching to around 2029, seeking not only to bolster security but also to propel further gains in scalability and efficiency for the Ethereum ecosystem.
A new era in transaction verification and signature structureCentral to the proposed roadmap is a strategic shift from today’s transaction re-execution model towards native STARK verification. Ethereum’s distributed apps, under this new model, could see verification become far more efficient, with some calculations predicted to cost over ten times less than the current approach.
Mini dictionary: STARK is a cryptographic proof method based on zero knowledge proofs, designed to verify transactions without replaying their details and to significantly enhance efficiency.
With this verification leap, the Ethereum network is poised to better handle surging transaction volumes and ever more intricate decentralized apps. The roadmap also proposes replacing current ECDSA and BLS signature schemes with hash based alternatives that are quantum resistant, building a stronger defense for the future.
Vitalik Buterin’s roadmap aims to make Ethereum quantum resistant while slashing verification costs by over a factor of 10 on some applications.
These cryptographic upgrades are seen as pivotal for securing user assets, supporting validator operations and safeguarding the integrity of the Ethereum blockchain. Many analysts agree: advances in quantum technology could soon challenge today’s encryption methods, making these preparations critical.
Expanding storage and research horizonsEthereum is also setting its sights on a massive boost in storage: by 2030, the network aspires to handle around 100 terabytes of state data. This vast expansion is geared towards increasing scalability without sacrificing performance, opening doors for more robust DeFi protocols, tokenized assets, and enterprise grade blockchain uses.
The Ethereum Foundation is ramping up research too, having established a new team dedicated to post quantum security as of January 2026. This nonprofit supports core research and development vital to the entire Ethereum ecosystem.
Current initiatives include leanXMSS post quantum security signatures, leanVM (a zero knowledge virtual machine focused on signature compression), weekly interoperability tests involving over ten different client teams, and various projects on optimizing data availability infrastructure.
Shifting cryptographic infrastructure on a blockchain with global usage demands a long term phase in, involving multiple years of testing, coordination, and progressive deployment before full implementation is possible.
Notably, Ethereum’s new roadmap aligns with cryptography standards developed in 2024 by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. Meanwhile, EIP 8141 introduces local account abstraction, meaning users can adopt quantum resistant signatures without having to trigger a full network wide upgrade.
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.
Glamsterdam, @ethereum's next major hard fork, has reached its final devnet stage with ten Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) locked in. Core developers call it the most significant protocol change since The Merge.
Two EIPs Driving the UpgradeTwo proposals sit at the heart of the upgrade. Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS), defined in EIP-7732, integrates the block-building process directly into the Ethereum protocol. This removes the current 80 to 90 percent reliance on third-party relays like MEV-Boost, reducing centralization risks and ensuring a fairer, more transparent distribution of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV).
The second headliner is EIP-7928, Block-Level Access Lists (BALs). Block-level Access Lists let blocks declare the accounts and state they will touch, enabling faster parallel execution and raising the L1 transactions-per-second ceiling.
Beyond the two headliners, the package also contains EIP-7708 (ETH transfers and burns emit a log), EIP-7778 (block gas accounting without refunds), EIP-7843 (a SLOTNUM opcode), EIP-7954 (raising the maximum contract size from roughly 24 KiB to 32 KiB), EIP-7975 (eth/70 partial block receipt lists), EIP-8024 (backward-compatible SWAPN, DUPN and EXCHANGE opcodes), EIP-8037 (state-creation gas-cost increase), and EIP-8159 (eth/71 Block Access List Exchange).
Gas Limit and TimelineTogether, the two headline proposals clear a path toward a dramatically higher gas ceiling. The 200 million gas limit is the design target for what Glamsterdam unblocks, not a value the fork itself enforces. Validators set the limit via standard gas-vote signaling, which they currently coordinate around the 60 million range, and would step it up only as nodes prove they can handle the larger blocks without degraded propagation.
The final devnet is the last major engineering phase before client releases, security reviews, and public testnets. Holesky and Hoodi will fork before mainnet, and only after multi-client stability holds for several epochs across those networks. Past forks have run two to four months of public-testnet seasoning, putting a mainnet window broadly between September and December 2026.
Ethereum Foundation contributors note Glamsterdam is proving trickier and slower than Fusaka, so a slip remains possible. No firm mainnet activation slot has been set. What is clear is that $ETH's base layer, if the upgrade lands on schedule, will be materially more capable heading into 2027.
Sources:
The Defiant: Ethereum's Glamsterdam Upgrade Enters Final Devnet Phase
Datawallet: Ethereum Glamsterdam Upgrade and EIPs Explained
Kiln: Glamsterdam, Ethereum's Next Hard Fork Explained
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published his takeaways from an updated version of the network's draft long-term roadmap, describing the multi-year "Lean Ethereum" effort as a near-total rebuild of how the network operates.
In an X post Saturday, Buterin wrote that Lean Ethereum "is not a single one-shot upgrade" but a series of improvements arriving over three or four years. Still, he called it "the third major iteration" of Ethereum, on par with the Merge, adding that "almost every major piece of the protocol will be replaced."
The post follows a meeting of Ethereum researchers in Berlin in late June, Buterin said. The revised plan is published at strawmap.org, the draft roadmap that Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake introduced in February, which outlines seven network upgrades through 2029.
The changes Buterin listed touch nearly everything: how the network confirms transactions are valid, the cryptography protecting it from future quantum computers, how quickly transactions become final, and how the chain stores its data. He said the transition can happen without breaking existing apps, writing, "We've done this before (the Merge), we can do it again."
Buterin also gave the effort a timeline marker, saying Hegota, currently slated as Ethereum's second upgrade of 2026, is probably the network's last thematically "pre-Lean" fork. In other words, nearly every upgrade after this year will be part of the rebuild.
A cheaper way to store data Buterin identified the storage changes as "probably the single most disruptive part of the plan." Today, Ethereum keeps all of its state data, from token balances to exchange contracts, in a single, expensive-to-maintain format; the plan would keep that system for the most complex applications while adding a new, cheaper tier for simpler ones.
As an illustration, he described a possible Ethereum in 2030 where the new storage tier holds 50 times more data than the old one. The emphasis extends the case Buterin made in March for restructuring how Ethereum stores state.
Most tokens, NFTs, and DeFi apps could use the cheaper tier, Buterin said, while complex systems like Uniswap's exchange contracts would stay on the existing one. No app would be forced to move, but he said migrating would be "very cost-effective": a token redesigned for the new system could see transaction fees fall by more than 10x.
Quantum safety and privacy move up in priority Buterin said quantum safety has "shifted up a LOT in priority." The concern is that future quantum computers could break the cryptography securing today's blockchains, and the roadmap calls for replacing every vulnerable component before that becomes possible.
The most pressing piece, he said, is finding a quantum-safe design for blobs, the temporary data storage that Layer 2 networks rely on to keep their fees low. Buterin said that work has become urgent and has already been underway for months.
Privacy received similar billing. "Privacy is no longer an afterthought, it is a first class goal," Buterin wrote, saying new features are now designed from the start around the question of how private transactions would work through them. The stance extends a push he has led through efforts like the foundation's Kohaku wallet framework.
Both themes sit among the strawmap's five "north star" goals, which include a quantum-proof network secured for the long term and private ETH transfers built directly into the base layer, rather than left to third-party apps.
Replacing Ethereum's engine Buterin also revisited the long-term push to move past the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the software environment that runs every application on the network. He named RISC-V and leanISA, two alternative computing formats, as the most likely replacements, though he acknowledged that outcome is "still far away."
His stated ideal is a network that runs entirely on the new engine, with the current EVM kept around as a translation layer so that existing apps continue to work untouched. A more efficient engine would make it far cheaper to mathematically prove that transactions are valid, a core requirement of the Lean Ethereum design, and easier to build privacy features directly into apps, he said.
In March, Buterin sketched a gradual path to get there: introduce the new format for limited internal use first, then let developers write apps in it, and only retire the EVM at the end.
The idea has been contested since Buterin first proposed a RISC-V swap in April 2025. Researchers at Offchain Labs, the core developer behind Arbitrum, argued last November that WebAssembly is the better choice; it did not appear among the contenders Buterin listed Saturday.
Timeline pressure Buterin said Ethereum's capacity will keep rising steadily over roughly the next five years, with a large gas limit increase, meaning more room for transactions in each block, expected in the Glamsterdam upgrade. Glamsterdam, originally expected in the first half of 2026, has yet to activate, with Hegota scheduled to follow.
The post arrives about a week and a half after the Ethereum Foundation concluded a restructuring that cut 54 staff, roughly 20% of its workforce. Buterin closed by writing "Ethereum is CROPS," a reference to the censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security properties he has said should define the foundation's narrowed focus.
Ether (ETH) was trading at roughly $1,780 as of Sunday afternoon Eastern Time, down about 1% over the past day, according to The Block's Ethereum Price page.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.
Vitalik Buterin just told the Ethereum community to buckle up for another multi-year construction project. The co-founder unveiled the “Lean Ethereum” roadmap on July 4-5, describing it as the most significant redesign the network has undergone since it ditched proof-of-work back in September 2022.
The full rebuild is expected to take three to four years.
What’s actually in the plan The roadmap, developed alongside Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, attacks three problems simultaneously: simplification, privacy, and quantum resistance. Full implementation of post-quantum cryptographic signatures is targeted for 2029.
On the technical side, the plan involves replacing quantum-vulnerable components with a recursive STARK-based verification mechanism. The roadmap also introduces a new multidimensional gas pricing system, which would let the network price different types of computational resources independently rather than lumping everything into a single fee.
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By 2030, Ethereum is projected to handle roughly 2 TB of dynamic state and support a 100 TB state model. The expanded capacity is designed to better serve ERC-20 tokens, NFTs, and DeFi applications.
The roadmap includes considerations to move beyond the Ethereum Virtual Machine entirely. Alternatives like RISC-V or a custom architecture called leanISA are being explored.
Context: Ethereum’s third act This marks Ethereum’s third major iteration. The first was the original proof-of-work chain launched in 2015. The second was the Merge in September 2022, which transitioned the network to proof-of-stake and cut its energy consumption by over 99%. Now comes the simplification era.
The Ethereum Foundation recently underwent significant operational restructuring, cutting its budget by approximately 40% and reducing its workforce by about 20%, amounting to 54 jobs, in June 2026.
What this means for investors The Merge proved that Ethereum can execute massive upgrades without breaking everything. A three-to-four-year timeline with incremental milestones gives the market predictable checkpoints rather than a single high-stakes deadline.
The projected state capacity increases, 2 TB dynamic and 100 TB total by 2030, also have competitive implications. If Ethereum can handle dramatically more on-chain activity without sacrificing decentralization, it narrows the argument for alternative Layer 1s that pitch themselves primarily on throughput.
One risk worth watching: the potential EVM migration. Every smart contract on Ethereum today runs on the EVM. Transitioning to RISC-V or leanISA would require either backward compatibility layers or developer migration, both of which introduce friction.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Vitalik Buterin is mapping out Ethereum’s most ambitious multi-year overhaul yet, and quantum computing is the reason it’s moving faster than anyone expected. The Ethereum co-founder revealed that quantum safety has “shifted up a LOT in priority,” reshaping the network’s upgrade roadmap in ways that will define the next half-decade of development.
At the center of this plan sits the Hegota hard fork, targeted for the second half of 2026. Buterin indicated it will likely be the last upgrade before Ethereum enters what he calls its “Lean” phase, a streamlined era focused on simplification and resilience against threats that don’t fully exist yet but are getting uncomfortably close.
The Strawmap: seven forks in four years The broader transformation Buterin is describing goes by the name “Strawmap.” It’s essentially a sketch of approximately seven anticipated hard forks spanning from 2026 through 2030.
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The three pillars of this plan are quantum resistance, statelessness through Verkle Trees, and operational simplification.
The Hegota fork, sometimes referred to as H-star, follows the earlier Glamsterdam upgrade and is expected to land around late Q3 or Q4 of 2026. Two key proposals are driving the conversation around what Hegota will include.
First is EIP-8141, which introduces “frame transactions” designed to support native post-quantum signatures. Second is EIP-7805, known as FOCIL (Forced Inclusion Lists). This one targets censorship resistance by creating enforced inclusion lists that make it harder for block builders to selectively exclude transactions.
The quantum clock is ticking, sort of Buterin places a 20% probability on a significant quantum breakthrough occurring before 2030. Most estimates for “Q-Day,” the hypothetical moment when quantum computers can break current cryptographic standards, land somewhere in the 2030s.
The Strawmap spreads the work across seven forks rather than attempting one massive overhaul, with Hegota laying the foundational groundwork through native post-quantum signature support.
What this means for investors The market has not shown any immediate reaction to the Strawmap or Hegota proposals. The Verkle Trees component of the Strawmap also deserves attention. Statelessness, the ability for nodes to validate blocks without storing the entire state history, would dramatically lower the hardware requirements for running a node.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
CZ’s like on the donation tweet for meme coin TCC pushes the token’s market cap to briefly top $72 million.
Crypto community user ddotaek posted that he has shifted from the Solana-based MEME coin market, which he described as "constantly being rugged", to BNB Chain, noting that the BNB ecosystem "truly supports builders and long-term projects". He cited advantages including no rug pulls, no bot-driven wash trading, and clean launches (he personally verified front-running cases). He also mentioned that project team @TCryptochicks donated 10 million TCC tokens to GiggleAcademy, an educational charity founded by CZ. CZ later liked the tweet, lifting market sentiment, and TCC’s market cap briefly surged past $72 million before retreating to around $54 million. Previously, the "Giggle" token gained CZ’s public like and retweet in September 2025 via a donation to GiggleAcademy, with its market cap once soaring to over $100 million. CZ once stated "this completely changed my view on MEME coins", but later clarified multiple times that the related tokens were not officially issued by GiggleAcademy, and reminded holders to watch for subsequent selling pressure. BlockBeats reminds users: Most MEME coins have no practical use cases and are highly volatile. Please protect your assets and do not FOMO.
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Ethereum’s net supply increased by 83,550 ETH over the past 30 days.
According to data from Ultrasound.money, Ethereum's net supply has increased by 83,550 ETH over the past 30 days, bringing its total supply to 121,838,278 ETH, with the current annual supply growth rate standing at 0.835%.
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AI capital expenditure is projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2027, potentially surpassing U.S. defense spending for the first time.
The Kobeissi Letter stated in a post that the AI spending boom is reshaping the U.S. economy. AI capital expenditures by Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle are projected to rise to roughly 3.2% of U.S. GDP by 2027. If the forecast holds, annual AI capital spending will for the first time exceed U.S. defense outlays, which are expected to account for around 2.7% of GDP next year. For this year alone, the group’s AI capital spending is forecast to jump from 1.5% of GDP in 2025 to roughly 2.5%, nearly matching the 2.7% share of GDP allocated to defense spending. The five firms’ combined AI capital expenditures are projected to top $800 billion in 2026, then climb to a record $1.1 trillion in 2027. These figures are "staggering".
2 hours ago
US and South Korean stocks Monday price preview: Micron Technology is forecast to rise more than 6% in pre-market trading, while Samsung Electronics is expected to open 4% higher.
Due to the U.S. Independence Day holiday (July 3), U.S. stock markets were closed last Friday, paired with the regular weekend closure. "On-chain Nasdaq" Trade.xyz enables continuous trading and real-time price discovery unavailable in traditional finance via perpetual contracts, pricing in advance for Monday’s U.S. and South Korean stock sessions. Top U.S. stock tickers on Trade.xyz showed mixed moves compared to Thursday’s after-hours trading, and are expected to consolidate with minor fluctuations ahead of Monday’s pre-market. Weekend performance details: Micron (MU) is currently at $1038.71, versus $976.63 in U.S. Thursday after-hours trading; SanDisk (SNDK) at $1856.65, versus $1762.011 Thursday after-hours; NVIDIA at $197.83, versus $194.44 Thursday after-hours; Intel at $124.2, versus $121 Thursday after-hours; Google at $360.06, versus $359.91 Thursday after-hours; AMD at $537.34, versus $519.5 Thursday after-hours; SpaceX at $161.27, versus $160.95 Thursday after-hours. For top South Korean stock tickers on Trade.xyz, their weekend performance is as follows: Samsung Electronics is currently at $210.49, versus $202.35 at Friday’s close; SK Hynix is at $1623.16, versus $1585 at Friday’s close.
2 hours ago
SK Hynix seeks to attract more AI investors via its US listing.
SK Hynix’s upcoming $29 billion U.S. stock market listing could be the largest initial public offering (IPO) by a foreign company in history, but the move is not just about raising capital. More importantly, the firm aims to compete in the hottest segment of global stock markets right now: memory chips for AI computing. Daniel Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust (which holds Micron stock), said the market is in a period of extreme hype for chip stocks, and now is a good time to bring U.S. investors on board for its shares. Zhou Di, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment Management (which holds SK Hynix stock), noted that the offering targets investors who currently cannot access South Korea’s stock market. SK Hynix’s Nasdaq listing gives investors direct, frictionless access to one of the most attractive pure-play assets in the AI memory cycle. (Jin Shi)
2 hours ago
Ming-Chi Kuo: Foldable iPhone may repeat the iPhone X playbook, launching later and facing supply constraints through the end of the year.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in a note that the foldable iPhone could repeat the iPhone X playbook: it will be unveiled alongside other models, but pre-orders and official launch will be delayed, and supply shortages may persist through the end of 2026. Based on third-quarter 2026 production volumes, the foldable iPhone is likely to mirror the 2017 iPhone X. That year, the iPhone X was unveiled alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus on September 12, but due to insufficient stock, pre-orders were pushed back to October 27 and official sales to November 3. Given the foldable iPhone’s limited third-quarter shipments, it may also open pre-orders and official sales only in the fourth quarter of 2026. After discussions with telecom operators, sales channels, and resellers/parallel import agents, Kuo concluded that even if the foldable iPhone is priced at roughly $2,300 to $2,500, demand will remain strong at least through the end of 2026. This means the device could sell out rapidly once pre-orders open, with shipment wait times potentially jumping to 4 to 6 weeks or longer, extending into December. He added that the foldable iPhone’s initial limited supply, distinct design, and innovative user experience could drive up short-term resale prices, with resale prices 50% to 100% higher than the official retail price not being out of the question.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has named quantum resistance, scalability and privacy as three of Ethereum's top priorities under a new "Lean Ethereum" strawmap, which lays out the network's technical direction for the remainder of the decade.
In a post to X on Saturday, Buterin said the collection of upgrades will roll out over the next three to four years, touching nearly every layer of Ethereum in a transformation he compared in scale to the September 2022 Merge, which shifted the network away from energy-intensive mining.
“Quantum safety has shifted up a LOT in priority,” he said, adding that finalizing a quantum-safe solution for blobs has “become urgent.” Enhancing privacy is another priority, Buterin said, stating that it has become a “first class goal.”
The “Lean Ethereum” strawmap timeline from 2026 through to 2029. Source: Strawmap.org
The change in roadmap comes amid a series of changes at the Ethereum Foundation, which laid off roughly 20% of its staff last month in a bid to become leaner and reduce its budget by 40%.
The leaner structure comes on top of several executive departures in recent months, including Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak, while protocol contributors Tim Beiko and Barnabé Monnot also left in May.
Buterin is also pushing for the development of a new virtual machine like leanISA or RISC-V to support programmable privacy and better scalability.
Questions remain over Buterin’s timelineDankrad Feist, a researcher behind the payments-focused layer-1 Tempo blockchain, praised the new plan but argued the 3-4 year timeline is too slow, stating that AI could help developers ship the upgrades within a year.
Crypto analyst Ignas Fiodorovas was also in favor of the plan but cast doubt on the Ethereum Foundation's ability to deliver the upgrades within the stated timeline, citing the organization's history of missing deadlines.
Fiodorovas said the only key feature missing from the roadmap was improved tokenomics for Ether (ETH), which has continued to slide in price amid a broader market downturn.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has named quantum resistance, scalability and privacy as three of Ethereum's top priorities under a new "Lean Ethereum" strawmap, which lays out the network's technical direction for the remainder of the decade.
In a post to X on Saturday, Buterin said the collection of upgrades will roll out over the next three to four years, touching nearly every layer of Ethereum in a transformation he compared in scale to the September 2022 Merge, which shifted the network away from energy-intensive mining.
“Quantum safety has shifted up a LOT in priority,” he said, adding that finalizing a quantum-safe solution for blobs has “become urgent.” Enhancing privacy is another priority, Buterin said, stating that it has become a “first class goal.”
The “Lean Ethereum” strawmap timeline from 2026 through to 2029. Source: Strawmap.org
The change in roadmap comes amid a series of changes at the Ethereum Foundation, which laid off roughly 20% of its staff last month in a bid to become leaner and reduce its budget by 40%.
The leaner structure comes on top of several executive departures in recent months, including Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak, while protocol contributors Tim Beiko and Barnabé Monnot also left in May.
Buterin is also pushing for the development of a new virtual machine like leanISA or RISC-V to support programmable privacy and better scalability.
Questions remain over Buterin’s timelineDankrad Feist, a researcher behind the payments-focused layer-1 Tempo blockchain, praised the new plan but argued the 3-4 year timeline is too slow, stating that AI could help developers ship the upgrades within a year.
Crypto analyst Ignas Fiodorovas was also in favor of the plan but cast doubt on the Ethereum Foundation's ability to deliver the upgrades within the stated timeline, citing the organization's history of missing deadlines.
Fiodorovas said the only key feature missing from the roadmap was improved tokenomics for Ether (ETH), which has continued to slide in price amid a broader market downturn.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
TL;DR Vitalik Buterin has introduced the Lean Ethereum roadmap, with upgrades planned over the next three to four years. The roadmap prioritizes quantum-resistant cryptography, native STARK verification, and improved network scalability. Ethereum also plans to expand programmable privacy and introduce a scalable state architecture capable of handling up to 100TB by 2030. The upcoming Glasterdam upgrade is expected to raise Ethereum’s gas limit, boosting the network’s transaction capacity. Ethereum’s long-term development roadmap is taking center stage after co-founder Vitalik Buterin unveiled a sweeping vision for the network’s next phase of evolution.
Dubbed “Lean Ethereum,” the roadmap lays out a series of protocol upgrades expected to unfold over the next three to four years. The initiative aims to strengthen Ethereum’s security, improve scalability, expand privacy capabilities, and prepare the blockchain for future technological threats, including quantum computing.
Two weeks ago, Ethereum researchers met in Berlin to continue charting the protocol's long-term trajectory, following along discussions with client teams in Svalbard in April.
The updated strawmap is at https://t.co/HZEerH1xxI, and I attached a picture of it to this post.
My… pic.twitter.com/KPGayHSySf
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) July 4, 2026
The proposal comes as Ethereum continues refining its post-Merge architecture while developers work toward making the network more efficient and resilient for long-term adoption, a move that has had quite some effects on its price.
Lean Ethereum Prioritizes Quantum Security and Network Efficiency One of the biggest priorities outlined by Buterin is making Ethereum resistant to future quantum computing threats. He proposed replacing the network’s remaining quantum-vulnerable cryptographic components with post-quantum alternatives, reflecting what he described as a growing urgency around quantum security.
Another key objective is integrating recursive STARKs as a native verification component. STARKs are cryptographic proofs designed to verify computations efficiently while improving scalability and security. Making them native to Ethereum could simplify verification processes across the network.
The roadmap also introduces a new “scalable state” architecture capable of expanding to roughly 100 terabytes by 2030. According to Buterin, the approach could reduce transaction costs for certain token types by more than tenfold while allowing Ethereum to handle significantly larger amounts of on-chain data.
Network capacity is also expected to improve through the upcoming Glasterdam upgrade, which Buterin said should substantially increase Ethereum’s gas limit. A higher gas limit would allow more transactions and computational work to fit into each block, improving throughput without fundamentally changing the network’s architecture.
Privacy Becomes a Core Ethereum Goal Beyond scalability and security, the roadmap elevates privacy to one of Ethereum’s central development goals.
Buterin said the project will explore RISC-V or leanISA virtual machine designs to support programmable privacy while maintaining scalability. Rather than treating privacy as an optional feature, the roadmap positions it as a core part of Ethereum’s long-term evolution.
The proposed changes extend across multiple layers of the protocol, making the roadmap comparable in scope to previous landmark upgrades such as The Merge, which transitioned Ethereum from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake in 2022.
While the roadmap presents an ambitious technical vision, its implementation will likely depend on Ethereum’s ability to deliver complex upgrades over several years.
The proposal arrives during a period of organizational change at the Ethereum Foundation, which has recently undergone restructuring aimed at streamlining operations. Those changes have prompted broader discussions within the community about how quickly major protocol improvements can be delivered.
Vitalik Buterin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, has announced the “Lean Ethereum” roadmap, outlining the network’s next three to four years of technical evolution. The comprehensive strategy introduces far-reaching changes aimed at strengthening security, scalability, privacy, and the long-term technical resilience of Ethereum’s protocol.
Quantum-proof security and scaling take center stageAmong the most striking elements of Buterin’s roadmap is a focus on preparing Ethereum for the risks posed by future quantum computing advances. To address this, core cryptographic components that remain vulnerable to quantum attacks are slated to be gradually replaced with post-quantum alternatives.
Vitalik Buterin is prioritizing the elimination of Ethereum’s remaining quantum vulnerabilities and preparing the network for next-generation computing threats.
Another key pillar in the plan is integrating native recursive STARK verification into Ethereum. This innovation will enable more efficient validation of complex transactions, directly supporting the network’s ambitions for greater security and scalability.
Mini glossary: STARK is a cryptographic technology that allows one to prove the correctness of computations or transactions without revealing all underlying data. Recursive STARKs let these proofs validate each other, enabling much larger data volumes to be handled more efficiently.
Buterin is also proposing a new structure labeled “scalable state architecture.” This model is projected to support approximately 100 terabytes of data capacity by 2030. With this approach, transaction costs for specific token types could be reduced more than tenfold, and the network’s on-chain data capacity would see significant expansion.
The roadmap’s vision for boosting Ethereum’s transaction throughput also features the Glasterdam upgrade. Buterin anticipates that this update will markedly raise the network’s gas limit, allowing each block to process more transactions and computational workloads than ever before.
Privacy is elevated to a core directionBut the focus extends beyond speed and security. Buterin has also positioned privacy as one of Ethereum’s fundamental ambitions. In this context, virtual machine designs based on RISC V or leanISA are planned to enable scalable programmable privacy while maintaining performance.
This strategy signals a shift: privacy is set to move from being an optional feature to a core architectural goal of the Ethereum network. The scope of these proposed changes is seen as comparable to The Merge update in 2022, which transitioned Ethereum from proof of work to proof of stake.
Although Buterin’s roadmap sets forth an ambitious technical vision, its realization will rely on implementing a series of complex updates over the coming years. As a result, the Ethereum Foundation, which has recently undergone structural changes, may face even greater pressure to deliver. The Foundation remains a central force in driving Ethereum’s core research and development efforts.
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.
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After months of persistent underperformance that left Ethereum bulls deeply frustrated, the highly watched ETH/BTC cross-asset pair is finally showing signs of life.
According to prominent market trader CarpeNoctom, the daily ETH/BTC chart is approaching a major convergence of technical buy signals.
However, given the pair’s history of head fakes and false starts over the past year, market participants are remaining disciplined, waiting for definitive confirmation before aggressively entering the trade.
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Eyes on the Kumo CloudThe asset has spent the entirety of late 2025 and the first half of 2026 locked within a descending pitchfork channel.
The ETH/BTC spot exchange rate is currently trading at 0.028. It is directly interacting with a thick, red-shaded Ichimoku Kumo cloud and a critical descending red trendline designated as the "mega diagonal resistance."
ETH/BTC
warming up, nearing a kumo breakout + ML PF breach. mega diag res to watch as well. this one has continued to disappoint for months so i wont be touching until confirmation of breakout. pic.twitter.com/QfytzhF3u8
— CarpeNoctom (@CarpeNoctom) July 4, 2026 A yellow arrow superimposed on the chart outlines the projected path forward. If Ethereum can gather enough bullish momentum to breach the upper boundary of this pitchfork channel and trigger a full "kumo breakout," it opens a clear technical path to push upward toward the 0.036 zone by late summer.
The "Lean Ethereum" roadmapIn the meantime, Ethereum’s core developers are completely reinventing the network’s underlying architecture to spark a long-term fundamental reversal.
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Following a high-level research summit in Berlin two weeks ago, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published the network’s updated development blueprint.
Dubbed "Lean Ethereum," this roadmap outlines the third major iteration of the protocol, representing a multi-year reconstruction phase as significant as the historic transition known as "The Merge."
According to the official project outline published at strawmap.org, the four-year upgrade cycle will touch almost every major core mechanism of the protocol to future-proof the network.
Is the Ethereum [ETH] resurgence underway? The leading altcoin’s bulls have defended the $1,560 support level twice in June. At the time of writing, the price was at $1,767 and inching toward the psychological $2k mark.
AMBCrypto reported that a whale had taken a $9 million loss after closing a short position on ETH worth $54.1 million. The futures market data showed more active participation from retail traders.
Alongside this potential short‑term revival, the monthly chart flashed a buy signal. The last two times this signal appeared, Ethereum rallied 235% and 182%, respectively.
Source: CryptoQuant On the 3rd of July, ETH’s Funding Rate leapt to 0.0136%, matching the highs it reached in the first few days of June. Yet, Ethereum was trading much lower than it had been a month ago.
Funding Rates rising to highs from early June, while prices stabilized above the $1,560 local lows, suggested a long-side bias has built ahead of a structural recovery, pointed out crypto analyst Zizcrypto on CryptoQuant Insights.
Source: ETH/USD on TradingView The structure remained bearish on the 1-day price chart. AMBCrypto reported that a double-bottom just above the $1.5k mark was formed lately. To climb back to the $2,000 level, the $1.8k level must be flipped to support first.
Even if this level is flipped to support, the Fibonacci retracement levels emphasized that a bounce to $2.1k-2.2k would still be one for swing traders to sell.
A clean breakout past $2,466, the recent swing high on this timeframe, is needed to flip the structure from bearish to bullish.
Exploring the Ethereum builder divergence Something has changed about Ethereum. The divergence between speculative capital inflow and network utility was getting more profound. It is possible that this scenario could lead to a price appreciation.
Source: CryptoQuant Notably, crypto analyst Crypto Onchain wrote that new smart contract deployments have surged 303% compared to the 90-day average. Meanwhile, Binance stablecoin netflows were down by 887%, averaging a daily outflow of $170 million.
The analyst believed that this was a “builder’s phase” where, as traders stepped out of the market, developers were moving into the ecosystem. Soon, a utility-driven price momentum move could commence.
It will hinge on recovering macroeconomic conditions, increased demand and liquidity conditions, and a recovery in investor confidence.
Final Summary Ethereum’s funding rate climbed to highs last seen in early June, even as its price structure deteriorated sharply over the past month. The increase in smart contract deployment alongside falling trading activity illustrated a “builder’s phase” divergence.
F2Pool co-founder Wang Chun reportedly transferred a portion of his WBTC and ETH purchases from June to Binance, making a profit of approximately $3.4 million at current prices.
According to on-chain data, Wang Chun purchased approximately 70,600 ETH and 966 WBTC in June. The total value of these purchases is estimated to be around $117 million for ETH and approximately $60.29 million for WBTC.
Following the recovery in the cryptocurrency market in July, Wang Chun reportedly transferred 36,600 ETH and 160 WBTC to Binance in recent days. These transfers are believed to be aimed at profit-taking after the dips seen in June.
On the other hand, another significant transaction that caught attention in the market came from a wallet allegedly linked to Mining Express. Approximately 16 hours ago, this wallet reportedly exchanged 5,004 ETH for around 8.8 million DAI.
Blockchain researcher Specter stated that he first identified this address on June 15th, but recently completed the detailed tracking and analysis process. Specter also shared multiple linked wallets to verify the address.
This large-scale ETH swap has raised questions in the market regarding past fund movements and potential liquidation motivations. According to Specter’s analysis, the address has an on-chain connection to the Mining Express project, launched in Ukraine in 2019 by Brazilian founder Kaze Fuziyama.
Mining Express initially attracted investors with a multi-level marketing model, but was later accused of being a Ponzi scheme. After halting repayments, the project shifted its focus to cloud rendering and similar business models.
Historical on-chain records show that the wallet in question received 4,512 ETH from a linked address on March 19, 2024, and subsequently staked these assets via Lido and Ether.fi. As of April 2026, all of the ETH was staked, and it was completely unstaken on May 4th.
*This is not investment advice.
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5 July 2026 | 10:25 Ethereum is caught in a striking split: its co-founder just unveiled ambitious roadmap, even as the token defends the exact line separating a five-year uptrend from a breakdown. In between sits the quiet proof that matters most, institutions keep building on Ethereum regardless of price.
Key Takeaways Vitalik Buterin unveiled “Lean Ethereum,” a three-to-four-year rebuild of the protocol. It prioritizes quantum resistance, privacy, scalability, and a leaner architecture. ETH sits at $1,763, exactly on the 100-month average that has held since 2022. Crédit Agricole just launched a euro stablecoin on Ethereum, which hosts 52% of the market. There’s a striking split in Ethereum right now. On one side, its co-founder has just laid out the most ambitious technical roadmap since the network abandoned mining, a multi-year plan to rebuild almost everything about how Ethereum works. On the other, the token itself is sitting on the exact line that separates a five-year uptrend from its first structural break. And in between those two extremes sits the quiet evidence that may matter most: institutions keep building on ETH regardless of what the price does. Put together, these three threads tell a coherent story about where Ethereum actually stands in mid-2026, ambitious in vision, fragile in price, and increasingly entrenched as financial infrastructure.
Vitalik’s Blueprint for the Next Ethereum On July 4, Buterin published on X what he calls “Lean Ethereum,” describing it not as a single upgrade but as the network’s third major iteration after the original launch and the 2022 Merge. The framing matters: this isn’t another routine hard fork. It’s a coordinated sequence of work, scoped across the next three to four years, that touches nearly every layer of the protocol, verification, consensus, execution, state storage, privacy, and cryptography.
The headline priorities are clear. Quantum resistance has, in Buterin’s words, “shifted up a LOT in priority,” with quantum-safe designs for ETH’s data “blobs” now treated as urgent. Privacy gets elevated from an optional, application-level feature to something built into the protocol itself; as Buterin put it, “privacy is no longer an afterthought, it is a first-class goal.” And the scalability work is sweeping: continued gas-limit and blob increases, faster slot times, and a new “scalable state” architecture that could expand to roughly 100 terabytes by 2030 while cutting transaction costs for some token types by more than tenfold.
Ethereum’s scaling trajectory alongside its long-term technical roadmap. Perhaps the most far-reaching idea is a possible move beyond the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Buterin floated transitioning the protocol toward a leaner execution environment built on architectures like RISC-V or leanISA, with today’s EVM eventually becoming a compatibility layer rather than the core engine. Alongside that sits a shift away from every node re-executing every transaction, replaced by recursive STARK proofs that verify correctness mathematically, one prover does the heavy lifting, everyone else checks a compact proof.
The unifying theme is exactly what the name suggests: a leaner, simpler, more defensible Ethereum. As Buterin summed it up, “Ethereum is scaling. Ethereum is reinventing itself.”
Two weeks ago, Ethereum researchers met in Berlin to continue charting the protocol’s long-term trajectory, following along discussions with client teams in Svalbard in April.
The updated strawmap is at https://t.co/HZEerH1xxI, and I attached a picture of it to this post.
My… pic.twitter.com/KPGayHSySf
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) July 4, 2026
There are two things worth holding in view before treating any of this as done. First, the timeline: nothing in Lean Ethereum changes the network in 2026. This is a “strawmap,” Ethereum’s term for a working plan that is explicitly not a locked schedule, with forks spread across the rest of the decade and core post-quantum work targeted around 2029. It’s a direction, not a delivery date.
That priority draws support from outside the core developer world, too. Fundstrat’s Tom Lee has argued that Ethereum may be better positioned than Bitcoin to handle future quantum-computing risks, precisely because it can upgrade both its protocol and its wallets as threats evolve. He’s also pointed out that many smart-contract platforms are increasingly using formal verification to keep code “pristine and basically resistant to exploit.” Lee expressed confidence that “the Bitcoin community is going to figure this out,” but his view is that Ethereum has more flexibility to push protocol-level security upgrades if quantum threats become real, which is exactly the adaptability the Lean Ethereum roadmap is designed to formalize.
Second, the context. The roadmap arrives while the Ethereum Foundation is in the middle of restructuring, having cut roughly 20% of its staff to reduce spending, with several notable contributor departures this year. That’s the tension critics have flagged: an enormously ambitious multi-year plan announced by an organization that just got smaller. Whether the reorganized Foundation and its client teams can convert this vision into time-bound deliverables is the open question the roadmap can’t answer on its own.
The Price Is Fighting for Its Foundation While the roadmap looks years ahead, the ETH chart is fighting a battle happening right now, and it’s happening at a precise level. ETH trades at $1,763, sitting almost exactly on its 100-month simple moving average at $1,762. That line, converging with the long-term ascending trendline drawn from the 2022 lows, is the same confluence zone that marked the 2022 bear-market bottom and the 2025 low near $1,400. It’s the line separating a five-year uptrend from its first genuine structural break.
ETH/USD monthly macro technical chart on Coinbase / Source: TradingView June closed as a large red monthly candle that sliced through that 100-month average intraday. July has clawed it back, up 12.35% month-to-date. A monthly close above $1,762 keeps the multi-year structure intact; a close below it, and below the trendline, would be the first break of that ascending support since 2022.
The rest of the picture demands caution. The real ceiling is the 50-month SMA at $2,387, roughly 35% overhead, the level that capped every bounce through early 2026, and it’s now flattening and beginning to roll over for the first time since 2023. Monthly RSI at 42.18, below its signal line, is the weakest monthly momentum since the 2022 bottom, though it hasn’t yet printed the sub-35 readings that marked that low. Zoom out and the macro structure is a series of lower highs, from above $4,800 in 2021 to roughly $4,900 in 2025, before the 2026 collapse to $1,550 in June. ETH has round-tripped its entire 2024-2025 rally and sits back at levels first crossed in 2021. The +12% July candle, in other words, is a defense of the last long-term support, not yet a reversal.
The Quiet Proof Underneath the Price Here’s where the two extremes, grand roadmap and fragile chart, get reconciled by a third thread that gets far less attention: while the token is fighting, institutions keep choosing Ethereum as their settlement layer. The clearest recent example landed on July 1, when Crédit Agricole, one of Europe’s largest banks, launched its euro-denominated stablecoin, EURXT, issued on the blockchain through its asset-servicing arm CACEIS.
The details underline how serious it is. EURXT is a MiCA-compliant electronic money token, pegged 1:1 to the euro, backed by dedicated cash reserves, and it was used immediately to settle a subscription into a tokenized Amundi money market fund, described as the first such settlement of a tokenized Luxembourg-domiciled UCITS fund in a euro stablecoin at the European level. This is a systemically important European bank routing real tokenized finance through Ethereum’s rails, not experimenting on a testnet.
And Crédit Agricole isn’t an outlier. ETH remains the dominant blockchain for stablecoins, hosting $162.6 billion, or 52.4% of the entire market, according to data from Artemis. Tron sits second at $89.3 billion (28.8%), while BNB Chain (5.4%) and Solana (5.2%) trail far behind. Together, Ethereum and Tron account for 81.2% of all stablecoin supply.
Breakdown of market share across major blockchain networks / Source: Artemis That concentration matters because stablecoins are the primary source of liquidity across crypto, the chains holding the largest balances see the most trading, DeFi activity, payments, and institutional adoption. Ethereum’s commanding lead is the tangible version of the case the roadmap makes in theory: this is where tokenized dollars, and increasingly tokenized funds, actually live.
Where Ethereum Actually Stands The roadmap is Ethereum’s long-term bet, that it can out-engineer its rivals on scalability, privacy, and quantum security rather than compete on marketing, and it’s a bet that won’t pay off, or fail, for years. The chart is the short-term reality, a token defending its last major support with weak momentum, having given back years of gains. And the stablecoin and bank-adoption data is the present-tense evidence that Ethereum’s institutional foundation is deepening even through the price weakness.
Its price says the market has lost conviction; its infrastructure says the opposite. A bank issuing a regulated euro stablecoin on Ethereum, and half the entire stablecoin market living there, are not the signals of a network in decline, even as the token tests a line it hasn’t broken in five years. The roadmap describes where Ethereum wants to go, the chart describes how much doubt surrounds it right now, and the adoption data describes the foundation that has to hold for the ambition to matter. Which of those wins out is the question the next few years, and the next few monthly closes, probably will answer.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a professional before making investment decisions.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
After months of underwhelming performance, the ETH/BTC pair—trading between Ethereum and Bitcoin—has returned to the spotlight. Investors who had grown frustrated with Ethereum’s lag are now watching closely as new technical signals appear on the charts, hoping for decisive movement.
Notable consolidation on the chartsMarket analyst CarpeNoctom pointed out that several key buying signals are coming together in the daily ETH/BTC chart. Despite these encouraging signs, most investors remain cautious. Over the past year, a series of false breakouts and short-lived rallies have tempered enthusiasm for early positioning in the pair.
Since late 2025 through the first half of 2026, the ETH/BTC pair has been moving within a descending pitchfork channel, and is currently quoted at 0.028. The price is sitting at a critical juncture—touching both the thick red Ichimoku Kumo cloud and the major downward “mega diagonal resistance” trendline marked on the chart.
Mini glossary: The Ichimoku Kumo, or cloud, is the area of a technical analysis tool that highlights support and resistance zones together. A pitchfork channel describes a channel pattern used to track whether prices are moving within a particular slope or angle.
According to the chart projection, if Ethereum gathers enough strength to break above the upper limit of the channel, and delivers a full breakout from the Kumo cloud, technical analysis suggests that 0.036 could be in play by the end of summer.
Should Ethereum decisively push past the upper boundary of the pitchfork channel and stage a complete Kumo breakout, technical structure indicates clear space for a move toward the 0.036 zone by the end of summer.
Network poised for multi-year transformationAs investors watch for signs of a trend shift, Ethereum developers are quietly working on a comprehensive overhaul of the network’s underlying architecture. This initiative aims for profound, long-term transformation, well beyond any short-term price fluctuations.
Following a research summit in Berlin two weeks ago, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin unveiled the network’s updated development roadmap. As one of the ecosystem’s leading figures, Buterin continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the technical future of Ethereum.
Lean Ethereum roadmap comes to the foreThe new “Lean Ethereum” roadmap represents the protocol’s third major era, outlining plans for a multi-year reconstruction acknowledged to be as significant as the historic Merge. The approach signals an ambitious vision for Ethereum’s ongoing evolution.
According to the official project draft, a four-year cycle of updates will touch nearly every major mechanism of the protocol. The scope of these changes aims to make the network more resilient and better equipped for the demands of the future.
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.
Key Highlights Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin has announced the “Lean Ethereum” initiative, a comprehensive upgrade plan spanning 2026 through 2029 with changes comparable to the 2022 Merge Quantum defense has been significantly elevated as a priority concern, with immediate focus on developing quantum-resistant blob architecture Privacy features are transitioning from optional add-ons to fundamental layer-1 protocol components Developers are considering implementing a secondary virtual machine—either leanISA or RISC-V—to complement the current EVM Skeptics express concern about the Ethereum Foundation’s track record of meeting projected deadlines Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-creator, has released an extensive strategic roadmap dubbed “Lean Ethereum” that outlines the network’s evolution through the end of the decade. The comprehensive blueprint addresses fundamental protocol changes across multiple technical layers.
The announcement came via X on Saturday, with Buterin outlining a three-to-four-year implementation timeline. He drew parallels to the transformative September 2022 Merge that transitioned Ethereum from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus.
Two weeks ago, Ethereum researchers met in Berlin to continue charting the protocol's long-term trajectory, following along discussions with client teams in Svalbard in April.
The updated strawmap is at https://t.co/HZEerH1xxI, and I attached a picture of it to this post.
My… pic.twitter.com/KPGayHSySf
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) July 4, 2026
This strategic vision emerged from collaborative discussions at a Berlin research summit, where core developers and technical researchers convened to reassess the network’s long-term trajectory.
Quantum Threats Drive Accelerated Defense Timeline A notable recalibration in priorities involves quantum computing resistance. Buterin emphasized that quantum defense “has shifted up a LOT in priority,” characterizing the development of quantum-resistant blob infrastructure as “urgent.”
The strategic blueprint mandates elimination of all quantum-susceptible elements throughout the protocol stack. Engineers have already initiated development on quantum-secure blob architecture.
Additionally, the roadmap introduces recursive STARKs as fundamental layer-1 infrastructure, superseding the existing direct re-execution verification methodology.
Privacy Elevated to Protocol Foundation Privacy capabilities have been promoted from supplementary features to essential layer-1 objectives. Buterin noted this now encompasses critical areas including mempool architecture and state tree structure.
This represents a fundamental architectural transformation. Historically, privacy functionality within Ethereum existed primarily at the application tier rather than being embedded in the base protocol.
The roadmap also contemplates introducing an alternative virtual machine. Buterin suggested Ethereum might deploy leanISA or RISC-V parallel to the existing EVM, ultimately aiming for a more streamlined and efficient protocol foundation.
Regarding consensus mechanisms, the plan aims to achieve one- to two-round finality by separating the availability chain from finality processes. This approach seeks to enhance security while minimizing latency.
For state management, Buterin indicated Ethereum will maintain its current dynamic state architecture while incorporating additional state categories to boost scalability. Projections suggest that by 2030, Ethereum will manage 2 TB of dynamic state alongside 100 TB of newer state formats. Transitioning applications such as tokens and NFTs to these new state structures could reduce transaction costs by over tenfold.
Implementation Timeline Faces Scrutiny The proposed timeline has generated skepticism within the community. Researcher Dankrad Feist, while endorsing the strategic direction, argued that the three-to-four-year timeframe is unnecessarily prolonged, proposing that AI-assisted development tools could compress delivery to one year.
Crypto analyst Ignas Fiodorovas similarly supported the roadmap’s objectives but questioned the Ethereum Foundation’s capacity to honor its commitments, citing historical precedents of missed deadlines.
Fiodorovas also identified a critical omission: enhanced tokenomics for Ether itself, which has experienced sustained price depreciation throughout recent market turbulence.
This roadmap follows the Ethereum Foundation’s decision last month to reduce headcount by approximately 20%, part of a broader 40% budget contraction. Several prominent contributors have also exited recently, including protocol developers Tim Beiko and Barnabé Monnot.
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, recorded a sharp surge in weekly outflows as Ethereum withdrawal activity climbed to a multi-year high.
According to DefiLlama data viewed by Cointelegraph on Sunday, Binance saw $1.23 billion in net outflows during the week beginning June 29, a 207% increase from roughly $400 million the week prior, while monthly net outflows totaled about $3.2 billion.
Separately, CryptoQuant community analyst Darkfost reported Friday that Binance’s Ethereum withdrawal transactions hit their highest level in more than three years, with over 166,000 withdrawal transactions in a single day.
While some of the movement may reflect accumulation behavior, Darkfost pointed to regulatory uncertainty stemming from the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and short-term market positioning as possible drivers.
ETH outflows vs price reboundBinance’s ETH withdrawals marked the sharpest increase in withdrawal transactions recorded on Binance since March 2023, coinciding with Ether posting a modest rebound of around 10% over two days, according to CryptoQuant data.
“This surge in withdrawals could reflect genuine demand building around the $1,500 level, with investors choosing to take exposure and pull their funds off the exchange, a pattern that typically points toward longer-term accumulation rather than short-term trading,” Darkfost said.
Source: CryptoQuant
Ether prices showed a broader recovery over the past week. According to Coingecko data, ETH rose about 12.5% over the past seven days, trading at $1,766 at the time of publication.
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, also edged up 4.3% over the same period, trading at $62,925 at the time of publication.
Outflows dominate CEXs while inflows remain fragmentedApart from Binance, several other centralized exchanges (CEXs) also recorded outflows over the past week.
Bitfinex saw $407.5 million in outflows, followed by Gate at $214.3 million. OKX recorded $87.1 million in outflows, while Bybit posted $78.4 million, according to DefiLlama data.
Top five exchanges sorted by weekly net flows. Source: DefiLlama
On the inflow side, Crypto.com and HashKey Exchange led gains over the past week, recording around $63 million and $53.3 million in net inflows, respectively.
Smaller inflows were also seen across KuCoin at $22.1 million, Gemini at $17.4 million, and Bitvavo at $15.8 million over the same period.
Magazine: Bitcoin copying 2022 ‘almost perfectly,’ Ether to $4K in 2026: Market Moves
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Vitalik Buterin has outlined Lean Ethereum, a sweeping redesign he calls the network’s third major evolution after the Merge. The upgrades will roll out across three to four years, touching nearly every core part of the protocol.
Buterin shared the plan through a public roadmap he calls the strawmap, an Ethereum Foundation draft. He said almost every major piece will be replaced, calling the effort ambitious yet low-risk.
What Lean Ethereum ChangesRecursive STARKs sit at the center. The cryptographic proof system would verify the chain rather than force every node to re-execute transactions. Buterin wants these proofs enshrined as a core protocol component.
Quantum safety has also jumped up the list. The roadmap swaps quantum-vulnerable cryptography for hash-based schemes built to outlast quantum computers. The shift echoes NIST, the US standards body that finalized its first post-quantum encryption standards in 2024.
The most disruptive change targets how Ethereum stores data. Buterin would keep today’s core protocol architecture largely intact. He would add a restrictive new state type that scales toward 100 TB by 2030.
Rewriting an ERC-20 token or non-fungible token (NFT) into that format could cut fees more than 10x. Complex apps like decentralized exchanges would stay put.
Privacy becomes a first-class goal, not an afterthought, extending Buterin’s broader privacy push. Nearer term, the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade should raise the gas limit.
Buterin has reason for confidence. The 2022 Merge moved Ethereum to proof of stake and cut its energy use by more than 99%. It shipped with little disruption to users or apps.
“But make no mistake, this IS the third major iteration of Ethereum in the same way that the Merge was the second,” Vitalik Buterin articulated.
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Not Everyone Buys the TimelineThe schedule drew fast pushback, and not from outsiders. Dankrad Feist praised the vision but called three to four years far too slow. The Ethereum Foundation researcher’s data-scaling work gave danksharding its name.
“Fully proven STF and scaling to Gigagas with finality in seconds gets me excited! But 3-4 years is very slow… I think we should be ambitious and get it done in ~1 year. I think this is realistically possible now with LLMs,” Dankrad Feist suggested.
His faith in AI is not fringe. The strawmap itself assumes human-first development and concedes that AI-accelerated research could compress the timeline.
Others were more cautious. Some urged the Foundation to underpromise, drawing the reply that underpromising only leads to under-delivery.
2 years seems between possible and likely, but from a communication perspective I think it would be irresponsible for V/EF to communicate a 1-2 year expectation. Better to underpromise.
— Matt Liston (@no__________end) July 4, 2026 The stakes are practical. The overhaul arrives weeks after a leaner Ethereum Foundation cut about 20% of its staff, or 54 roles. It has also moved to a tighter, endowment-style budget.
The strawmap remains a draft, not a schedule. Buterin said the coming Hegotá fork is likely the last before the Lean era begins.
Ethereum Price Performance. Source: BeInCryptoEther (ETH) has fallen about 41% in 2026 to near $1,760. For now, its market price reflects a market waiting on delivery, not promises.
TLDR: Ethereum price prediction now centers on the $1,779 resistance level after ETH gained 4.73% and moved back near a critical short-term range. ETH reclaimed attention after moving above $1,750, while traders now watch whether the level can hold as support in the coming sessions. Whale activity, Binance outflows, and spot ETF interest are improving sentiment, although weak network activity still limits bullish conviction. A break above $1,779 could open the way toward $1,850 to $1,900, while a drop below $1,633 may renew downside pressure. Ethereum price prediction has turned sharply toward the $1,779 resistance zone after ETH rose 4.73% to $1,690.61 in the latest session. The move came as traders watched whether Ethereum could hold above the recently reclaimed $1,750 area. Market analyst Ted says ETH could move toward $1,850 to $1,900 as long as that level holds.
Still, the rebound comes after a weak quarterly stretch. Ethereum has faced falling network activity, mixed ETF demand, and pressure below key moving averages. That makes the next resistance test important for short-term direction.
Ethereum Price Prediction Focuses on the $1,779 Barrier Ethereum price prediction now depends heavily on whether buyers can clear the $1,779 resistance level. That area aligns with the Ichimoku Kijun and sits close to the MA-20 at $1,775 and MA-50 at $1,756. A clean move above that cluster could shift the short-term structure.
Source: TradingView The market is also watching the $1,753 zone. This level previously acted as support and now sits near the first major test for bulls. If ETH holds above it, traders may view the recent drop as a failed breakdown.
Meanwhile, the broader setup remains uneven. ETH has traded below several former support levels, including $1,925, $2,175, and $2,375. These zones may now act as resistance if the rebound extends.
Momentum signals are also split. MACD points to stronger buying pressure, while RSI near 55 shows Ethereum has not yet entered a clear bullish zone. CCI and Bull/Bear Power still lean bearish, suggesting sellers have not fully stepped aside.
That is why $1,779 matters. A breakout could invite fresh bids and short covering. Failure near that level may keep ETH trapped between $1,633 and $1,814.
Ethereum Price Prediction Weighed by Whales and ETF Flows Ethereum price prediction is not only about chart levels. On-chain and institutional signals are also shaping the current setup. Large Ethereum holders added exposure near late June lows. That buying has supported cautious optimism among traders.
Ethereum Active Addresses: Source: Glassnode At the same time, Binance withdrawals reportedly reached a three-year high. Exchange outflows can reduce available supply, especially when paired with whale accumulation. This often supports bullish narratives when price starts recovering.
However, Ethereum still faces pressure from weak network activity. Active addresses have fallen sharply from early-year highs, raising questions about user demand. Since ETH powers activity across the network, lower usage can weaken the fundamental case.
ETF flows also remain mixed but the renewed spot ETF interest and June outflows showed institutional demand was not yet stable. That divergence keeps the market from forming a clean bullish view.
For now, ETH appears likely to trade inside a consolidation band between $1,633 and $1,814. A breakout above $1,779 would strengthen the case for a move toward $1,850 and $1,900. A loss of $1,633 would shift attention back to $1,500 and deeper support near $1,200.
Institutional sentiment has improved through whale activity, exchange withdrawals, and Ethereum adoption efforts. Yet buyers still need confirmation through price action. The next decisive signal sits near $1,779, where Ethereum must prove the rebound has enough strength to extend.
According to HyperInsight’s monitoring, crypto personality "Big Brother Ma Ji" Huang Licheng has added to his ETH long positions. He currently holds a 25x leveraged long position of 9,390 ETH (valued at $16.56 million), with an average entry price of $1,721.04 and an unrealized profit of $400,000.
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The Kobeissi Letter stated in a post that leverage levels in South Korean chip stocks have spiraled out of control. Total assets of single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs tracking SK Hynix currently stand at roughly $19 billion, more than four times the stock’s approximately $4.5 billion average daily trading volume (ADTV) this year. Meanwhile, leveraged ETFs linked to Samsung hold around $12.4 billion in assets, a 176% premium over its roughly $4.5 billion ADTV. The Hong Kong-listed 2x long SK Hynix ETF has about $13 billion in assets, roughly double SK Hynix’s average daily stock trading volume — the largest gap among major stocks tracked by leveraged ETFs. By comparison, leveraged ETFs tied to Micron Technology (MU) hold roughly $9.9 billion in assets, below its approximately $27.5 billion ADTV; leveraged ETFs for Tesla (TSLA) and NVIDIA (NVDA) have around $6 billion and $5.6 billion in assets respectively, also far lower than their respective ADTVs of roughly $23.6 billion and $28.8 billion. Leverage concentration in South Korean chip stocks has reached extremely high levels.
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Intel is considering adopting a double-sided power supply architecture for its 1.4nm process technology to catch up with TSMC and Samsung.
Intel is considering adopting a dual-side power supply architecture (utilizing both front and back sides) for its 1.4-nanometer ultra-fine process to catch up with competitors. Industry sources said Intel originally planned to use PowerDirect, a dedicated backside power supply technology, for its 1.4-nm base process 14A, but is now considering introducing a dual-side architecture that leverages both front and back sides in its subsequent 14A2 process. Intel previously announced plans to achieve 1.3x higher chip density on its 14A process compared to 18A; the 14A process targets an M0 pitch of around 28nm, while the 14A2 process could push the M0 pitch to 21nm via a half-node improvement. Intel will maintain a backside power network as its primary setup, while reallocating some front-side metal interconnects for auxiliary power and clock signals to compensate for insufficient power headroom caused by scaling and lithography limitations. Intel’s 14A process is scheduled to enter risk production in 2028 and mass production in 2029. The chipmaker needs to release the 0.9 version of its 14A process design kit (PDK) to external customers this October, and secure firm orders from large fabless clients within the following 18 months. By comparison, TSMC plans to ship its true 1.4nm A14 products in 2028, while Samsung Electronics aims to commercialize its SF2Z, a modified 2nm process utilizing backside power supply technology, in 2027.
Ethereum surged by 4.73 percent in the latest trading session, pushing its price up to $1,690.61 and drawing renewed focus to its short-term resistance zone. Traders are closely monitoring whether Ethereum can reclaim and sustain levels above the key $1,750 mark. Market analyst Ted points out that if this zone is maintained, Ethereum could find momentum towards the $1,850 to $1,900 range.
The $1,779 level stands out for short-term directionIn the near term, the $1,779 threshold is emerging as a crucial level. Overlapping with the Ichimoku Kijun line—a widely referenced indicator for market equilibrium—it also sits near the 20-day moving average at $1,775 and the 50-day moving average at $1,756. If Ethereum’s price manages a clean break above this technical cluster, short-term bullish sentiment could intensify.
Mini glossary: The Ichimoku Kijun line is a technical indicator that shows the market’s mid-term balance level. A price movement above this line may signal strengthening buyer momentum in the short run.
The $1,753 area is also under close observation, as it previously acted as a strong support. For now, buyers see this level as the first important test. If Ethereum stays above this threshold, the recent pullback may be interpreted less as a lasting breakdown and more as a failed dip.
Analyst Ted assesses that now that Ethereum has regained the $1,750 zone, as long as it holds, the price could move towards the $1,850 to $1,900 range.
Nevertheless, the broader outlook remains uncertain. Ethereum is still trading below key former support levels at $1,925, $2,175, and $2,375. Even if the uptrend holds, these regions could transform into resistance as the rally progresses.
Indicators send mixed signalsNot all technical indicators are aligned. While the MACD currently suggests that buying pressure is increasing, the RSI hovering near 55 fails to decisively enter bullish territory. At the same time, both the CCI and Bull Bear Power indicators imply that sellers have not completely withdrawn from the market.
That makes the $1,779 level not only a technical resistance but also a pivotal threshold that could determine Ethereum’s short-term direction. A break above this area might ignite new buying interest and prompt shorts to close their positions, while failure could mean further range-bound trading between $1,633 and $1,814.
Whale movements and ETF interest are under the spotlightIt’s not just the charts shaping sentiment. On-chain data and institutional flows are also greatly influencing the current landscape. Reports indicate that large-scale Ethereum investors—so-called whales—were accumulating at June’s lower levels, fueling cautious optimism among traders.
Mini glossary: A spot ETF is an exchange traded fund that directly holds the underlying asset. Interest in spot ETFs within the crypto market is widely followed as an indicator of institutional demand.
At the same time, withdrawals from Binance reached their highest level in three years. When such exchange outflows coincide with whale accumulation, the readily available supply for sale in the market is reduced—potentially supporting a more robust price rebound when demand ticks up.
IndicatorLevel or StatusPossible ImpactInitial support$1,753Holding above could empower buyersKey resistance$1,779Overcoming could pave the way for the $1,850 to $1,900 zoneMajor support$1,633Dropping below could intensify downward pressureWeakening network activity keeps sentiment cautiousHowever, sluggish activity on the Ethereum network continues to weigh on its outlook. The number of active addresses has fallen sharply from its highs earlier in the year, raising ongoing questions about the cryptocurrency’s fundamental trajectory.
Despite renewed institutional interest, weak network activity is preventing the emergence of a strong, unified bullish outlook in the market.
The picture for spot ETFs is also ambiguous. Even with a recent uptick in interest, outflows in June suggest that institutional demand hasn’t yet found stable ground. This divergence makes it harder for the market to establish a clear long-term direction.
For now, Ethereum looks likely to oscillate between $1,633 and $1,814. A break above $1,779 may energize targets in the $1,850 to $1,900 range. Conversely, if $1,633 is lost, attention could shift toward deeper support levels—first at $1,500 and then near $1,200.
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.
According to Coinglass data, current funding rates on major centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) crypto exchanges show that the bearish sentiment for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) has weakened compared to earlier, but most platforms have not yet formed sustained bullish signals. Specifically, BTC funding rates on multiple platforms hover around the 0.0100% benchmark line, reflecting an overall neutral-to-weak pattern. For ETH, funding rates on multiple platforms have risen above the 0.005% threshold, with ETH’s long sentiment recovering slightly stronger than BTC’s, though no broad bullish signal has emerged yet. BlockBeats Note: Funding rates are fees set by crypto trading platforms to maintain the balance between perpetual contract prices and their underlying asset prices, typically applied to perpetual swaps. They function as a fund exchange mechanism between long and short traders; platforms do not collect this fee, instead using it to adjust the cost or return of holding contracts to keep contract prices aligned with underlying asset prices. A 0.01% funding rate is the benchmark. A rate above 0.01% indicates widespread bullish market sentiment, while a rate below 0.005% signals widespread bearish sentiment.
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Solana’s active addresses over the past seven days rose 38% year-on-year to 31.38 million, ranking first among all public blockchains.
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa), meme coins continue to be a key factor driving growth in public blockchain metrics. Solana’s active address count jumped 38% year-over-year to 31.38 million over the past seven days, ranking first among major public chains by a large margin; its transaction volume rose 9.8% in the same period, while transaction fees climbed 38%. The analyst added that today, fueled by CZ’s response, trading activity for BSC meme coins has picked up noticeably, and BSC’s on-chain data is expected to post strong performance tomorrow.
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Meme coin CZ on the BSC chain briefly surged past $80 million in market capitalization, hitting an all-time high.
According to GMGN monitoring, the BSC-based meme coin CZ (The Final Form Bull) briefly exceeded $80 million in market capitalization, hitting an all-time high, and is currently at $76 million, with a 24-hour surge of 380 times and trading volume of approximately $43.7 million over the same period. Earlier reports noted that crypto blogger @TCryptochicks released a series of "riddle" images, after which Binance founder CZ retweeted the post and replied: "Water (drop) your BNB wallet", reigniting market hype around celebrity-linked meme coins. BlockBeats Note: Meme coin trading is highly volatile, mostly dependent on market sentiment and conceptual hype, with no actual value or practical use cases. Investors should exercise caution and be mindful of the associated risks.
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The probability that the CLARITY Act will be signed into law in 2026 has risen to 52%.
According to Polymarket data, the probability that the CLARITY Act will be signed into law in 2026 has climbed to 52%, a 12-percentage-point increase from July 3. On the news front, the U.S. Major County Sheriffs' Association (MCSA) announced that after initially raising concerns about how the bill would affect illicit financial investigations, it no longer opposes the CLARITY Act. Analysts note that the MCSA’s shift in stance has eliminated a key barrier to the bill’s advancement, improving its feasibility of moving to a Senate vote. Still, opposition from the banking sector to stablecoin yield products and DeFi regulation remains a major source of uncertainty.
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South Korean chip stocks have extremely high leverage concentration, with the asset size of SK Hynix’s leveraged ETF exceeding four times its average daily trading volume.
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Intel is considering adopting a double-sided power supply architecture for its 1.4nm process technology to catch up with TSMC and Samsung.
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Decentralized lending protocol Aave’s V3 market on the Monad network has surpassed $100 million in total deposits roughly two days after launch. Aave deployed its V3 version on Monad on July 3, marking the first time lending functions and its GHO stablecoin have been introduced to the network. The launch initially supported 12 assets including USDT, USDC, GHO, WETH, and cbBTC. Deposits exceeded $75 million within the first 24 hours of going live. Per an Aave governance proposal, the Monad Foundation has committed to providing $15 million in incentives over the next 12 months, and will purchase and hold 10 million GHO for at least six months; Aave DAO will also contribute an additional 500,000 GHO to support stablecoin ecosystem development. Additionally, Aave founder Stani Kulechov noted that Aave V4’s deposit volume on the Ethereum mainnet hit a new all-time high of $250 million on July 5. He expressed expectations that V4’s deposits will grow further to $1 billion, with plans to continue expanding into crypto asset mortgage loans and securities-backed lending services.
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South Korea plans to establish a future fund using tax dividends from its semiconductor industry.
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Ethereum just published its most ambitious technical blueprint in years. The “Lean Ethereum” initiative, first introduced by Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, lays out a decade-long framework to rebuild the network’s consensus, data, and execution layers from the ground up.
The target numbers are eye-catching: roughly 10,000 transactions per second on Layer 1 mainnet, scaling up to approximately 1 million TPS across Layer 2 solutions. For context, Ethereum currently processes somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-30 TPS on mainnet.
What the strawmap actually says The roadmap has been formalized through what the Ethereum Foundation calls a “strawmap,” a draft strategic framework showcased at an internal workshop in January 2026. Seven distinct protocol upgrades are planned through 2029. The priorities break down into three buckets: scaling, improved user experience, and hardening Layer 1 systems against emerging threats, with quantum computing resistance sitting at the top of that last category.
The Lean Ethereum architecture itself rests on three pillars: lean consensus, lean data, and lean execution.
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Near-term, the “Glamsterdam” upgrade is slated for the latter half of 2026. It represents the first concrete implementation step in this broader vision.
The quantum clock is ticking The Lean Ethereum roadmap maps out incremental introductions of post-quantum cryptography through successive hard forks stretching into the late 2020s. Quantum-resistant cryptographic signatures will gradually replace current standards, staged across multiple upgrades rather than attempting a single massive migration.
Key developments supporting this transition include work on the zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine, or zkEVM, which enables cryptographic proofs that certain computations were performed correctly without revealing the underlying data. Client-side proving, another focus area, would let users generate these proofs on their own devices rather than relying on centralized infrastructure.
Privacy gets a seat at the table The Lean Ethereum framework elevates privacy from a nice-to-have to a core protocol consideration, woven into the roadmap alongside the scaling and security work. Ethereum has historically treated privacy as something to be handled by application-layer solutions built on top of the protocol.
The initiative coincides with Ethereum’s 10th anniversary in 2025.
What this means for investors Roadmaps are not releases. Ethereum has a long history of ambitious timelines that slip, sometimes by years. The original transition to proof-of-stake, initially expected around 2019, didn’t ship until September 2022.
A credible path to 10,000 TPS on Layer 1 would fundamentally change Ethereum’s competitive positioning against faster Layer 1 alternatives like Solana and Sui. The Layer 2 scaling target of 1 million TPS creates a clearer investment thesis for L2 tokens and the broader ecosystem of applications built on top of them.
Investors watching this space should pay less attention to the roadmap’s ambition and more attention to whether Glamsterdam ships on time later this year. Seven upgrades through 2029 requires coordination across multiple independent client teams, thousands of validators, and a governance process that moves at the speed of rough consensus.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
