July has begun on a bullish note for Ethereum price as it has finally shown signs of a relief rally after weeks of heavy selling. ETH has jumped more than 5% in the past 24 hours to trade above $1,728, extending its weekly gain to nearly 12%. The recovery comes as U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs recorded inflows for the second straight day, improving investor sentiment.
Well-known crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez believes that buying activity could help Ethereum rally towards its previous all-time high.
Also Read : BMNR Stock Price Prediction 2026, 2027, 2030 – 2040: How High Can Bitmine Go If Ethereum Surges?
Binance Records Highest Ethereum Withdrawals in Three YearsAccording to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, Ethereum withdrawal transactions on Binance have surged to their highest level in more than three years. The exchange processed over 166,000 ETH withdrawal transactions in a single day, a level not seen since March 2023.
Such a large spike usually means investors are moving ETH off exchanges instead of preparing to sell.
Darkfost believes much of this activity could represent long-term accumulation around the $1,500-$1,700 area. Some investors may also be moving funds into DeFi platforms to earn yield rather than leaving coins on exchanges.
He also noted that part of the spike may have been driven by confusion surrounding Europe’s MiCA regulations, as some users wrongly believed exchange withdrawals would be restricted after July 1.
Even so, the overall withdrawal volume remains unusually high, suggesting genuine buying interest is returning.
Also Read : Tom Lee Explains Why Ethereum’s Price Crash Is Not a Bearish Signal
Ethereum ETF See Continue InflowInstitutional investors are also becoming more active again. After several sessions of outflows, U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs have now recorded inflows for two consecutive trading days, attracting $14.8 million, followed by $29 million.
Leading the outflow charge is BlackRock (ETHA), which led both sessions with $36.6 million and $29.7 million in inflows, showing institutional confidence is gradually improving despite continued Grayscale outflows.
Ethereum Is Flashing a Rare Monthly Buy SignalAdding to the bullish outlook, crypto analyst Ali Martinez says Ethereum has printed a monthly TD Sequential buy signal, an indicator that has historically appeared near major market bottoms.
His monthly chart shows Ethereum trading near the lower boundary of its long-term price channel, an area that has repeatedly attracted buyers during previous market cycles.
During the last major monthly buy signal, Ethereum went on to rally roughly 236%. Another similar setup later produced a gain of around 182% before reaching cycle highs.
Based on that long-term structure, Martinez believes Ethereum is once again approaching a high-value accumulation zone.
If buyers continue defending current support, the first major upside target sits near $3,000, which marks the middle of the long-term channel. A full recovery toward the upper boundary would place Ethereum close to $5,000, matching previous cycle highs.
Story Ends Here
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Crypto ETF flows are starting to tell a more complicated story than simple risk-on or risk-off. Bitcoin funds have seen pressure, while Ethereum products are still pulling in demand, giving traders a cleaner view of where institutional appetite may be shifting.
Data tracked by Farside Investors showed U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posting a daily outflow of $294.62 million on July 1. At the same time, Ethereum products remained a bright spot, keeping the focus on whether allocators are rotating inside crypto rather than walking away from the asset class entirely.
For more details, visit the official Farside platform.
TL;DR U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $294.62 million in daily outflows on July 1, according to Farside data.Ethereum ETF flows showed a more resilient picture.The split suggests investors may be rotating between crypto exposures rather than simply exiting the market. Bitcoin Funds Lose Ground Bitcoin ETFs have become one of the cleanest institutional sentiment gauges in crypto. When flows are steady, they can absorb spot-market weakness. When outflows accelerate, they can add pressure to an already nervous market.
The latest Farside figures put that pressure back in focus. A near-$300 million daily outflow is not automatically a trend by itself, but it does show that investors are not treating Bitcoin exposure as a one-way trade. After the huge success of spot Bitcoin ETFs, even short bursts of redemption activity now matter for market psychology.
Ethereum’s Different Signal Ethereum’s side of the ledger is more interesting because it stops the story becoming a simple crypto-exodus narrative. When Bitcoin funds lose capital while Ethereum products attract or hold demand, it suggests allocators are making more targeted decisions.
That distinction matters for traders watching BTC dominance, ETH/BTC, and broader altcoin appetite. If ETF flows continue to diverge, the market may read it as early evidence of institutional rotation into other crypto exposures. If Bitcoin outflows reverse quickly, this could instead look like a short-term rebalance after a volatile week.
For now, the fund data is giving the market a sharper signal than price alone: crypto demand has not disappeared, but it is becoming more selective.
Not Every Outflow Means Panic ETF flows need context. A single negative day can reflect profit-taking, portfolio rebalancing, tax positioning, or short-term risk reduction. The market tends to overreact when the number is large, but the better question is whether outflows continue across several sessions.
That is where the Ethereum comparison becomes useful. If Bitcoin redemptions appear alongside inflows into other crypto products, it points less toward panic and more toward internal rotation. Institutions may be reducing BTC exposure while adding to assets they see as earlier in their own ETF cycle.
The next few sessions should make the signal clearer. Sustained Bitcoin ETF outflows would pressure the market. A quick reversal would make July 1 look more like a sharp but temporary rebalance.
That is why this story is worth keeping separate from a standard market recap. ETF flows now shape daily crypto liquidity in a way that was not true before spot funds launched. When those flows split by asset, they can reveal changes in institutional conviction before they are obvious on the price chart.
This report is based on ETF flow data from Farside Investors.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
TLDR:Altcoin Sell Pressure Extends a 15-Month Distribution TrendWhat the Record Volume Gap Means for an Altcoin Recovery Altcoin sell pressure has reached a fresh multi-year low after more than 15 months of persistent net selling across major spot exchanges. The cumulative buy and sell volume difference for altcoins excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum has moved below the five-year extreme recorded in June. The prolonged imbalance indicates broad distribution, with sellers repeatedly overwhelming new demand whenever altcoin prices attempt to recover. A flattening cumulative volume gap could offer the first sign of improvement, but current data does not confirm a wider altcoin market bottom. Altcoin sell pressure has fallen to a fresh multi-year low as sellers maintain control across spot exchanges. CryptoQuant data shows the cumulative buy and sell volume difference dropped below its June extreme. The measure excludes Bitcoin and Ethereum, focusing on the wider altcoin market.
The indicator has stayed negative for more than 15 months. That pattern points to prolonged distribution rather than a brief market correction. Bitcoin traded near $61,600, while Ethereum changed hands around $1,720 as the update emerged. Yet broader altcoin demand still showed little evidence of a sustained recovery.
Altcoin Sell Pressure Extends a 15-Month Distribution Trend The cumulative volume difference measures whether traders aggressively buy or sell altcoins on spot markets. A negative reading means selling volume exceeds buying volume over the measured period.
Altcoin Sell Pressure Broke to a Fresh Multi-Year Low
“The cumulative buy/sell volume diff (alts ex BTC/ETH) hit a 5-year extreme in June. Now it's gone even lower.” – By @IT_Tech_PL pic.twitter.com/od6zSYIaN2
— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) July 3, 2026
The gauge briefly approached a balanced level in early 2025. It then reversed sharply and moved deeper into negative territory. The cumulative gap was near negative $209 billion in June. Other market estimates later showed the deficit approaching negative $240 billion.
The exact figure can vary with timing and exchange coverage. Still, the direction remains clear across the available data. Sellers have repeatedly absorbed buying attempts, while demand has failed to establish a lasting floor.
According to Cryptoquant data, the move is a continued distribution without a visible bottom. The five-year extreme reached in June has now fallen further. This trend does not mean every altcoin has declined together. Several tokens can rally on project-specific catalysts or temporary liquidity shifts. However, isolated gains do not confirm broad altcoin accumulation.
What the Record Volume Gap Means for an Altcoin Recovery A broad altcoin recovery usually needs expanding spot demand across many assets. Current data shows the opposite, with net selling still dominating the market.
The prolonged volume imbalance suggests investors are reducing exposure whenever liquidity improves. That process can limit rallies, as fresh buying meets existing holders seeking exits. It also weakens the case for an immediate altseason led by broad market participation.
The first improvement may not appear as a positive reading. A flattening trend would show that selling pressure is no longer accelerating. Several weeks of rising cumulative volume difference would offer stronger evidence that buyers are returning.
Traders may also watch altcoin market share, stablecoin flows, and Ethereum performance against Bitcoin. Those measures can reveal whether capital is rotating beyond the two largest cryptocurrencies.
Ethereum cryptocurrency can be expected to rise to the next resistance level 1856.00 (target price for the completion of the active minor correction ii and the top of earlier wave 2).
Ethereum reversed from support zone Likely to rise to resistance level 1856.00 Ethereum cryptocurrency continues to rise steadily after the price reversed from the support area located between the key support level 1529.00 (which stopped the previous minor impulse wave 1 at the start of June, as can be seen from the daily Ethereum chart below) and the lower daily Bollinger Band. The upward reversal from this support zone started the active minor correction ii – which recently broke the resistance trendline from the start of May
Given the strength of the support level 1529.00 and the predominantly bullish sentiment seen across the crypto markets today, Ethereum cryptocurrency can be expected to rise to the next resistance level 1856.00 (target price for the completion of the active minor correction ii and the top of earlier wave 2).
The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff.
The information does not constitute advice or a recommendation on any course of action and does not take into account your personal circumstances, financial situation, or individual needs. We strongly recommend you seek independent professional advice or conduct your own independent research before acting upon any information contained in this article.
About the Author: Karthik Subramanian
Karthik Subramanian is a founder, writer, and technology consultant with nine years in the crypto ecosystem. He covers token economics, L1/L2 infrastructure, DeFi protocols, wallets/custody, and the bridge between crypto and forex—broker technology, liquidity, and macro drivers. Karthik’s writing focuses on clear, practical frameworks that help professionals evaluate new products and on-chain innovation alongside FX market realities.
Bitcoin (BTC) maintains its upward momentum, holding above the $61,000 mark at the time of writing on Friday. Major altcoins such as Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) are also posting gains, signaling a modest uptick in market sentiment and renewed risk appetite among investors.
Risk appetite boosts capital inflowsFor several weeks, risk sentiment in the crypto market was subdued, weighed down by macroeconomic headwinds, geopolitical uncertainties, and a dearth of clear catalysts.
However, sentiment is now showing tentative signs of recovery, as evidenced by the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which ticked up to 21 on Friday from 19 the previous day, still deep in ‘Extreme Fear’ territory. Should this trend persist, we could see further capital inflows as investors gradually regain confidence in risk assets.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source : AlternativeInstitutional investors are making a notable return to Bitcoin, as evidenced by Thursday’s spot BTC Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) inflows of $221 million, the first significant uptick since mid-June and a clear break from a nine-day stretch of outflows.
SoSoValue data highlight cumulative ETF inflows of $51 billion and average net assets of $74 billion. This resurgence of institutional capital signals growing confidence and is lending crucial support to Bitcoin’s ongoing recovery.
Bitcoin ETF flows | Source: SoSoValueEthereum spot ETFs posted a second consecutive day of inflows, with $29 million recorded on Thursday, nearly doubling Wednesday’s $15 million. If sustained, the inflow momentum would back the ongoing recovery and cement investor confidence amid renewed market optimism. Cumulative inflows average $11 billion with net assets under management at $9 billion.
Ethereum ETF flows | Source: SoSoValueUS-listed XRP spot ETFs attracted inflows of nearly $7 million on Thursday, breaking two consecutive days of outflows. Despite withdrawals on Tuesday and Wednesday, cumulative outflows remain steady at $1.48 billion, with net assets under management averaging $988 million.
XRP ETF flows | Source: SoSoValuePrice analysis: Bitcoin buyers tighten grip as recovery gains momentumBitcoin trades at $61,725, extending its rebound for the third consecutive day. Still, the Crypto King sustains a bearish near-term tone as it sits well below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). The 50-day EMA at roughly $66,025, the 100-day EMA near $69,818 and the 200-day EMA around $75,952 all fan out above spot, suggesting the broader downtrend remains in place despite the recent stabilization.
The Parabolic SAR at about $62,200 also hovers just above price, reinforcing overhead pressure, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) lingering in the mid-40s hints at only modest, corrective upside momentum rather than a decisive reversal.
BTC/USDT daily chartOn the topside, immediate resistance is defined first by the Parabolic SAR at $62,200, with the 50-day EMA at $66,025 acting as the next significant barrier. Beyond these key barriers, the 100-day EMA at $69,818 and the downward resistance trendline break price near $75,072 converge with the 200-day EMA to create a broader supply zone that would need to be reclaimed to weaken the prevailing bearish structure.
On the flip side, immediate support is highlighted by psychological round-number levels at $60.000 and $58,000, respectively. Trading below this demand range would leave Bitcoin vulnerable to renewed selling toward a new yearly floor.
Altcoins technical outlook: Ethereum and XRP extend modest gainsEthereum edges higher above $1,700, marking three straight days of gains. Momentum has improved as reflected in the RSI, which hovers just above 50 on the daily chart and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), with its histogram in positive territory, hinting that selling pressure is easing.
Despite the upswing, the several structural levels cap ETH's upside. Trading below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day EMAs reinforces a broader downtrend.
ETH/USDT daily chartOn the topside, immediate resistance is seen at the 50-day EMA around $1,808, followed by the descending resistance trendline region referenced near $1,928. Further north, the 100-day EMA at about $1,983 and the 200-day EMA close to $2,271 define a broader supply band that would need to be reclaimed to shift the medium-term tone. Looking down, initial support is provided by the Parabolic SAR around $1,516, where a daily close below would likely reopen the path toward lower lows despite the currently improving momentum backdrop.
XRP trades at $1.10, as bulls tighten their grip. The psychological support at $1.03 allowed buyers to reengage, aligning with the broader crypto market's short-term positive outlook. Momentum is improving, backed by the RSI's recovery toward a neutral 46 on the daily chart and the MACD histogram, which has recently turned slightly positive. Together, both indicators hint at modest upside momentum within a broader downtrend.
XRP/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance emerges at the 20-day Bollinger middle band around $1.11, followed by the downtrend resistance trendline break area near $1.21 and then the 50-day EMA close to $1.19, forming a dense supply zone before the upper Bollinger band near $1.23. Higher up, the 100-day EMA around $1.29 and the 200-day EMA near $1.51 mark more substantial barriers.
Conversely, the lone nearby structural cushion is the Bollinger lower band, now around $0.99, where buyers could attempt to slow any further decline.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Crypto ETF FAQs An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment vehicle or an index that tracks the price of an underlying asset. ETFs can not only track a single asset, but a group of assets and sectors. For example, a Bitcoin ETF tracks Bitcoin’s price. ETF is a tool used by investors to gain exposure to a certain asset.
Yes. The first Bitcoin futures ETF in the US was approved by the US Securities & Exchange Commission in October 2021. A total of seven Bitcoin futures ETFs have been approved, with more than 20 still waiting for the regulator’s permission. The SEC says that the cryptocurrency industry is new and subject to manipulation, which is why it has been delaying crypto-related futures ETFs for the last few years.
Yes. The SEC approved in January 2024 the listing and trading of several Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Funds, opening the door to institutional capital and mainstream investors to trade the main crypto currency. The decision was hailed by the industry as a game changer.
The main advantage of crypto ETFs is the possibility of gaining exposure to a cryptocurrency without ownership, reducing the risk and cost of holding the asset. Other pros are a lower learning curve and higher security for investors since ETFs take charge of securing the underlying asset holdings. As for the main drawbacks, the main one is that as an investor you can’t have direct ownership of the asset, or, as they say in crypto, “not your keys, not your coins.” Other disadvantages are higher costs associated with holding crypto since ETFs charge fees for active management. Finally, even though investing in ETFs reduces the risk of holding an asset, price swings in the underlying cryptocurrency are likely to be reflected in the investment vehicle too.
Cryptocurrencies gained ground on Thursday while major stock indexes closed at all-time highs, as softer-than-expected jobs data lowered expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike.
Crypto Market RalliesBitcoin briefly broke $62,000 but failed to sustain the rally, pulling back to the low $61,000 range. Ethereum experienced a more pronounced rally, breaking through the $1,700 level before consolidating sideways.
Nearly $460 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, predominantly in short positions, according to Coinglass data
Bitcoin’s open interest rose 1.14% over the last 24 hours to $46.22 billion. Derivatives traders on Binance, including both retail and whale investors, remained net long on the leading cryptocurrency but trimmed their long positions.
Top Gainers (24 Hours)
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.2 trillion, following a dip of 0.79% over the last 24 hours.
Dow Closes At New RecordMajor indexes bounced back on Thursday after a brief pause. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 594.83 points, or 1.14%, to hit a record close of 52,900.07. The S&P 500 eked out a narrow gain to end at 7,483.24, while the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8% to close at 25,832.67.
U.S. job growth slowed sharply in June, with only 57,000 jobs added, missing economists’ forecast of 110,000 and down from 129,000 in May. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.2%, below the 4.3% consensus.
The CME Group’s FedWatch tool showed markets lowering the likelihood of the Fed keeping the rates unchanged in September to 45% from nearly 50% the day before.
‘Incoming Volatility’Blockchain analytics firm CryptoQuant warned that Bitcoin’s failure to hold $60,000 could trigger accelerated selling, potentially driving the price down toward its realized price of $53,000, which serves as a major support level.
CryptoQuant reported that the average Bitcoin deposit size has doubled from 1 BTC to 2 BTC, signaling increased activity from whales and institutional investors rather than retail participants.
“Whales appear to be leading the move. Incoming volatility,” the firm added.
Michaël van de Poppe, a widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader, said that he’s not selling his altcoins and plans to take profits once market excitement around altcoins returns.
“The markets are just waking up and sentiment can change fast,” Van De Poppe said. “There’s no need to be looking to be selling the actual market bottom, as that would be here.”
Photo Courtesy: Marc Bruxelle on Shutterstock.com
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This Friday, we examine Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid in greater detail.
Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum managed to bounce off support at $1,500 and recovered last week’s losses. This is also why it closed the week with an impressive 10% rally, as buyers regained control of price action.
To be confident in a sustained recovery, the price will need to eventually break the current resistance at $1,800. Anything less than that would only be a short relief before sellers return to dominate.
Looking ahead, Ethereum has a real chance here to set a local bottom and attempt a rally. The question is if buyers have the volume and strength to sustain it and break the key resistance in the days and weeks to come.
Source: TradingView Ripple (XRP) This week, buyers managed to defend $1, sending the price 6% higher. However, there is resistance at $1.1, which has managed to hold off the bulls, at least as of this post.
Similarly to Ethereum, XRP needs to make the best of this bounce and turn it into a sustained rally if it wants to break away from its current downtrend. Even if the $1.1 resistance falls, the price still has to claim $1.3 to confirm a breakout.
Looking ahead, the price reaction at $1 was somewhat expected since it’s a key psychological level. If buyers fail to capitalize on this in the coming days and weeks, then sellers will likely return to put pressure again.
Source: TradingView Cardano (ADA) This week, ADA impressed with a 16% bounce after the price briefly fell under the $0.15 support. With the support secured, this cryptocurrency has a good shot at moving higher. However, as of this post, the price formed a lower high.
To be confident in a sustained recovery, Cardano will have to move beyond its previous high of 19 cents. Anything less than that would make this a bearish bounce, eventually leading to ADA falling lower.
Looking ahead, sentiment across the crypto market has improved with the start of July, but the month is only just beginning, and it is too early to say whether the current price action will be sustained. At a macro level, ADA remains bearish.
Source: TradingView Binance Coin (BNB) Compared to the other coins on our list, Binance Coin remained flat this week. This is atypical and rather bearish because the price failed to reclaim its support at $580. Because of that, sellers retain the upper hand and may aim for $500 next.
The $500 support hasn’t been tested yet, but it’s the next major level if bears continue to dominate the chart. Moreover, Binance failed to secure a MICA license in the EU at the start of July, which made it lose a key market to competitors.
Looking ahead, any weakness for Binance, the exchange, will likely translate to its token, BNB. The current chart seems to confirm this, as it remains in a bearish trend with no bounce or recovery in sight.
Source: TradingView Hype (HYPE) HYPE found good support above $60 and bounced by 6% this week. This has placed it in flat price action since early June. This consolidation is also forming a large pennant. Once that is resolved, we will know where this cryptocurrency is headed next.
When a pennant forms, the price tends to respect the underlying trend, which, in this case, is bullish. Therefore, the higher probability is for the price to break away and aim for new highs.
Looking ahead, HYPE will have to secure $68 as a key support and hold above it if it wants to challenge the current all-time high at $77. Anything less than that, or a break below $60, would be a bearish signal with lower lows likely.
Upbit and Bithumb, two of South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, announced new trading support for Metaplex (MPLX) and Nexus (NEX). However, following its initial announcement, Upbit stated that it had changed the trading start times for both assets.
Accordingly, the trading start date for Metaplex (MPLX), previously scheduled for July 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM, has been postponed to 7:00 PM, while the start time for Nexus (NEX), previously announced as 6:00 PM, has also been moved to 7:00 PM.
According to Upbit’s announcement, MPLX will be traded on the Solana network for BTC and USDT, while NEX will be traded on the Ethereum network for USDT. Deposits and withdrawals for both assets are planned to open within two hours of the announcement’s release. The exchange also stated that the trading start time may be postponed again if sufficient liquidity is not available.
The new listings will also implement various trading restrictions for users. Accordingly, buy orders will be restricted for approximately 5 minutes after the trade opens. During the same period, sell orders cannot be placed at levels more than 10% below the previous day’s closing price. In addition, all order types except limit orders will be temporarily restricted for the first two hours.
Bithumb also announced on the same day that it would add MPLX and NEX to its South Korean won (KRW) market. According to the exchange, MPLX trading was scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM on July 3rd, and NEX trading at 6:00 PM on the same day. Bithumb shared a reference price of 32.09 won for MPLX and 0.0028 won for NEX.
Metaplex is among the prominent projects offering NFT and token infrastructure within the Solana ecosystem, while Nexus stands out as a layer-1 blockchain project combining verifiable computing infrastructure with financial applications. Following their listings, both assets are expected to be closely watched in the South Korean market.
*This is not investment advice.
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The historic volatility of cryptos once again reminded market operators that short-term certainties do not exist in this universe. This Thursday, July 2, the ecosystem recorded a technical reversal, inflicting dry financial losses on investors positioned short. Indeed, this sudden surge, occurring after several days of bearish pressure, redefines the short-term price dynamics for the main market assets. Understanding the mechanisms of such a purge is essential today, as it illustrates the extreme sensitivity of the crypto market to leverage effects and global macroeconomic indicators.
In brief The crypto market rebound triggered a massive liquidation of short positions, with over 600 million dollars wiped out in just 24 hours. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP saw a clear rebound, driven by a strong short position coverage movement. The latest US economic indicators, notably the slowdown in employment, revived hopes of a Fed monetary policy easing. Shares of major crypto-related companies, like Strategy, Coinbase and Circle, also benefited from this renewed optimism. Bitcoin: cleaning up short positions in the derivatives market The crypto market rebound, after a violent drop, observed over the last 24 hours, completely caught bearish investors’ strategies off guard, causing major price movements and massive losses on derivatives products :
Bitcoin (BTC) surge : the top market crypto surpassed the $62,000 mark for the first time in over a week, reaching a local high at $62,078 after having plunged below $58,000 earlier in the week (a 21-month low). It then stabilized around $61,650, up 3% on the day and 4% on the week ; The scale of global liquidations : the technical purge totaled $602 million in 24 hours, with short positions representing the majority of the carnage with $400 million in net losses ; The case of Ethereum (ETH) : notably, ETH surpassed bitcoin as the top contributor to forced liquidations with $187 million wiped out by its traders, versus $184 million for BTC, taking its price to $1,701 (nearly 5% increase) ; The performances of Solana (SOL) and XRP : Solana jumped nearly 5% for the day to $81, becoming the biggest weekly gainer in the top 10 with over 22% gain. XRP increased over 3% to trade at $1.09. This exceptionally large technical purge demonstrates how quickly forced liquidations can feed into each other. The simultaneous reversal of major altcoins confirms that the market was trapped by an excessive accumulation of highly leveraged short positions, turning a simple technical resistance into a powerful global short position cover rally.
Macroeconomic catalysts and US employment indicators This bullish turnaround in capital markets stems directly from the latest economic releases and the monetary policy directions in the United States. The rebound began following statements by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who deliberately maintained ambiguity on the institution’s future intentions. Indeed, investors reacted positively when the leader “declined to say whether the agency planned rate hikes, but later this year”.
Following this intervention, interest rate traders now estimate almost equal probabilities regarding the Fed decision to hold or raise rates at the September meeting. However, they still project a 64% probability that a rate hike will occur by the October FOMC meeting.
The upward movement intensified Thursday after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that US employers created only 57,000 jobs in June. This figure was much lower than the initial target of 115,000. Moreover, it is a clear decline compared to the revised 129,000 jobs recorded in May.
This marked slowdown in US employment paradoxically boosted global risky assets in particular bitcoin, easing fears of a prolonged monetary tightening by central bankers. While traditional markets reacted mixedly, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing lower and the Dow Jones remaining in the green, the crypto sphere took advantage of this slowdown to initiate its technical relief rally.
Stock market reaction and the surge of Web3-linked stocks The impact of this price rebound was not limited to retail investor portfolios; it also shook the shares of listed crypto sector companies. Michael Saylor’s Strategy, which remains the world’s largest corporate bitcoin holder, saw its stock appreciate nearly 7% to reach $100.
This recovery is all the more significant because the stock had dropped to nearly $80 the previous week. In the same bullish momentum, the American exchange platform Coinbase’s stock rose 3.35% to $165. Circle, issuer of the USDC stablecoin, completed this positive picture by recording a nearly 5% increase to reach $65, showing strong resilience.
However, the future implications of this global movement invite a nuanced analysis of the market’s macroeconomic structure. While this technical rebound validates cryptos’ immediate responsiveness to Fed signals and illustrates the constant danger of leverage for sellers, the overall trend calls for real ethical caution. Taking the necessary perspective, bitcoin still shows a 16 % decline over the last month and trades approximately 52% below its all-time high near $126,000 set in October 2025.
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Luc Jose A.
Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.
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The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
Ethereum price climbed 6% to $1,713 as the wider crypto market recovered. Bitcoin’s move above $62,000 lifted sentiment across major tokens. Solana, XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin also gained, adding momentum. Traders now watch whether stronger demand can push ETH toward $2,000 next week amid improving risk appetite and volume signals.
Crypto Market Recovery Fuels Fresh Demand The crypto market rose 2.71% in 24 hours, pushing its value to $2.14 trillion. That action gave traders renewed confidence following a number of poor performances.
Bitcoin price outlook also fluctuated around the level of $62,000, which contributes to the broader recovery. Bitcoin strength, as usual, boosted demand in major altcoins.
Ethereum price rose by almost 10% throughout the week, with more robust short-term momentum. Solana price has also risen 18%, and Cardano and XRP prices rebounded.
Meanwhile, short sellers were under intense pressure as prices were reversed. Short positions were liquidated to the tune of about 281 million in the market.
US Iran Peace Talks Improve Sentiment ETH price was also boosted by the relaxed tensions in the Middle East. It was reported that the US officials suspected that Israel might attack Iranian negotiators.
The suspected targets included Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The two personalities were associated with delicate negotiations between Iran and Washington.
US officials allegedly warned Iran using regional intermediaries. They feared any strike could end talks and restart the conflict.
But market response is now indicating that traders perceive reduced war risk. The oil prices fell to a 4-month low.
The fact that the oil prices are lower can ease the issue of inflation in all their markets worldwide. Thus, the risk assets tend to appreciate as the energy pressure begins to diminish.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours shows a clear split
The majority of vessels using the Iranian route are either headed to, or leaving Iran.
Whilst tankers traveling elsewhere are using the Omani route, which is still being protected by U.S…
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 3, 2026
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz still remains below normal. However, markets seem not to be so concerned about the broader war in the region.
This reduced waving contributed to the crypto prices gaining momentum more effectively. Consequently, further peace development would be beneficial to Ethereum price.
ETF Inflows Support Ethereum Price Outlook ETF flows added another reason for a possible Ethereum price rally. Spot Ethereum ETFs had their first inflows since mid-June.
The products had faced a difficult period during June. The net outflows amounted to approximately 529 million during the month.
However, July opened with stronger demand from investors. Spot Ethereum ETFs experienced net inflows of 14.9 million on July 1.
Bitcoin Spot ETFs See $222M Net Inflow After 10-Day Outflow Streak
On July 2 (ET), Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $222 million, turning positive after 10 consecutive days of net outflows. Ethereum spot ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $29.08 million. pic.twitter.com/LP3UjuQPJV
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 3, 2026
The improvement continued on July 2, with another $29.08 million entering Ethereum ETFs. That demonstrated that demand was coming back following weeks of strain.
Spot ETFs that track Bitcoin also became positive following ten consecutive outflow days. They recorded $222 million in net inflows on July 2.
Ethereum Price Analysis: Key Levels To Watch The Ethereum breached the $1,700 mark following consistent purchasing in the short-term market. The shift brought ETH close to one of the resistance points, and now, the next target is $1,800.
The MACD is also bullish, with the blue line on top of the signal line. The histogram remains positive as well, indicating that upward pressure is still active. With this strength, the full ETH forecast report may first test $1,800 before it moves any further toward $2,000.
In the meantime, RSI is close to 71, indicating an overbought region. This reading presents a great momentum.
Source: ETH/USDT 4-hour chart: Tradingview On the downside, $1,700 now serves as the first support level. Any fall below that level might reveal $1,600 once more. With the increased selling, ETH can revisit the $1,560 demand zone before attempting another recovery.
Bitcoin climbed above the $61,000 mark and the recovery was led by macro data, as weaker U.S. jobs numbers increased expectations that the Federal Reserve may shift toward a less restrictive policy stance. The cryptocurrency was trading at $61,739 mark.
In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin was up 2.80% and Ethereum was up 6.24% to trade at $1,716 mark. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin, and Cardano gained upto 6.68%.
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Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange said the move is still a relief rally, not a confirmed reversal. For Bitcoin, $62,200 is the first resistance. A sustained move above this level can open room toward $64,000–$65,000.
ETF flows have improved for Bitcoin but remain uneven, while Ethereum ETF flows are largely flat, Sehgal further said. Bitcoin picked up to $62,000 after whales added 270,000 BTC, forcing $130M short losses and the fear and greed index has risen to 22, as the market sentiments improve but still remain under fear, said CoinDCX Research Team.
The global crypto market capitalisation went up 2.64% to $2.13 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
In the past week, Bitcoin and Ethereum were up 1.97% and 8.68% respectively. Among the major altcoins, XRP, Solana, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin, and Cardano gained upto 14.91% whereas BNB and Tron were down 1.25% and 1.15% respectively.
CoinSwitch Markets Desk said BTC staged a rebound towards $62K, driven primarily by a short squeeze. However, the broader backdrop remains mixed. Institutional demand remains weak due to persistent ETF outflows, while higher bond yields continue to compete with risk assets.
The next major directional move will likely depend on macroeconomic conditions, institutional flows, and whether BTC can sustain momentum above $62K toward the $65K resistance, CoinSwitch Markets Desk further said.
Here is what other analyst say
Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Pi42: Bitcoin’s rebound following weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data underscores how closely crypto markets are tracking macroeconomic expectations. For investors, the conversation is gradually shifting from “how low can prices go” to “when does liquidity begin returning to the market.
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Nischal Shetty, founder, WazirX: Bitcoin recovered above the $60,000 mark as investors responded positively to expectations of a more accommodative monetary policy, while Ethereum ETFs recorded fresh inflows, signalling renewed institutional interest.
Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus: The recovery above $60,000 has helped stabilise market sentiment. This follows this week's decline towards $58,000. However, it is still not enough to confirm a durable trend reversal.
Akshat Siddhant, Lead quant analyst, Mudrex: On-chain data shows Bitcoin exchange inflows have climbed above 50,000 BTC per day, along with Ethereum exchange inflows exceeding 1.25 million ETH. Historically, such spikes in exchange deposits have often been followed by increased volatility, including June’s decline to $58,000.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
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The crypto market has staged a tentative recovery, with the broader market climbing 2.2% to $2.12 trillion over the past 24 hours, and Ethereum [ETH] joining the move higher. Ethereum’s market capitalization rose 4% to $203.84 billion during the period, with its price hovering around $1,689. Yet while the tape looks like it has stabilized, the chart structure tells a different story, one that points to a fractal pattern placing the asset at real risk of another decline.
Key Takeaways Ethereum [ETH] climbed alongside a 2.2% broader market recovery to $2.12 trillion, with its own market cap up 4% to $203.84 billion and price near $1,689. A fractal pattern on the ETH chart mirrors two prior setups that both resolved as distribution, each ending in a double-digit percentage drop. Price is consolidating between support and resistance, and a decisive break in either direction will set the next trend. A fresh MACD golden cross points to building buying momentum, though the January 14 to 15 sequence shows momentum alone does not rule out a reversal. A rising Money Flow Index signals renewed capital inflows, leaving the outlook split between the bearish fractal and the bullish indicators. Ethereum’s Fractal Pattern Warns of Another Breakdown The Ethereum chart is printing a clear fractality. That fractal pattern stems from price oscillating between a defined support and resistance line, a hallmark of consolidation where investors are either distributing or accumulating the asset. In Ethereum’s case, the last two instances of this setup resolved as distribution. The asset broke down hard after an extended stretch of trading inside the consolidation range, deepening the losses already on the board.
Source: TradingView A similar outlook is forming now. At the time of writing, and as seen in the area marked with the orange circle, price is carving out the same consolidation pattern. There is no guarantee the phase has run its course, but it raises the question of whether another leg lower is coming. On the previous two occasions this pattern played out, it led to a double-digit percentage loss, with Ethereum first surrendering $3,400 before slipping well below $2,380 and now trading around $1,680.
At press time, candlestick momentum reads positive and price is pushing toward the channel’s resistance. A breakout above that resistance would tilt the outcome bullish, and any follow-through gains could confirm price has entered a bullish phase. A breakdown, by contrast, would raise the odds that the consolidation either extends or resolves lower.
Ethereum Indicators Hint This Rally Could Hold While the fractal pattern warns of a potential decline, Ethereum’s indicators suggest this rally may break the mold. The first clue comes from the Moving Average Convergence Divergence, which has just formed a golden cross. A golden cross prints when the blue MACD line crosses above the orange signal line, signaling that buying momentum is quietly building again. These crossovers often precede major rallies, and in this case one could help power an ETH advance.
Source: TradingView Weighed against prior instances, the January 14 move looks closest to the current formation. Back then the MACD was already bullish, stretching higher with a rising histogram, and price briefly breached the upper resistance. By January 15, though, the asset rolled over into a meltdown, a reminder that momentum alone does not rule out a breakdown. The Money Flow Index adds a more constructive read, pointing to high and rising capital inflows as investors rotate money back into the asset. The MFI is trending firmly upward, a sign of renewed capital and interest in Ethereum.
Conclusion Multiple factors will play a decisive role in swinging Ethereum’s price into its next phase, bullish or bearish, depending on how the current setup resolves. At the time of this analysis, sentiment remains mixed, and it is unclear whether an extended run follows. The fractal pattern’s warning still stands, yet the indicators and capital flows lean the other way, suggesting the market is still leaning bullish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is the fractal pattern warning on Ethereum’s chart?
It is price oscillating between fixed support and resistance, a consolidation phase that resolved as distribution on the last two occasions and preceded sharp declines.
What does the MACD golden cross mean for ETH?
It forms when the MACD line crosses above the signal line, signaling that buying momentum is building. The pattern often precedes a rally, though it can still fail.
Why does the Money Flow Index matter here?
A rising MFI shows capital flowing into the asset, indicating that investors are accumulating and adding weight to the bullish case.
What price levels should traders watch?
The channel’s resistance is the immediate level to watch. A breakout would favor more upside, while a breakdown risks a retest of the $1,700 area and below.
Is Ethereum bullish or bearish right now?
Sentiment is mixed. The fractal pattern warns of downside while indicators and capital flows lean bullish, so a confirmed break of the channel is needed for clarity.
The ENS DAO’s Public Goods Working Group officially closed its doors on July 2, after four and a half years of channeling funds into Ethereum’s open-source infrastructure. Working group lead Simona Pop confirmed the sunsetting in a thread on X, marking the end of one of crypto’s longer-running experiments in decentralized grant-making.
The closure also means the group’s grants platform, builder.ensgrants.xyz, is no longer accepting applications. For builders who had grown accustomed to rolling open grant submissions, the window is now shut.
What the working group actually did The Public Goods Working Group launched in early 2022, not long after ENS completed its high-profile token airdrop and formalized its DAO structure. Its mandate was broad but focused: fund projects that benefited Ethereum and the wider web3 ecosystem without expecting direct financial returns.
Over its lifespan, the PGWG funded initiatives spanning developer tooling, privacy solutions, education programs, policy research, and builder support. The grants model featured small allocations of up to 2 ETH for individual projects alongside larger funding pools. For context, a 300,000 USDC pool was planned for Q3 2024 to support more ambitious grant rounds.
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Pop’s announcement highlighted the group’s achievements without dwelling on why it was being wound down. The tone was celebratory rather than elegiac, framing the closure as a completed mission rather than a failure.
Why it’s happening now The timing is not coincidental. The PGWG’s sunsetting aligns with a broader governance restructuring inside ENS DAO that has been brewing for months.
A proposal surfaced in June 2026 that would empower the ENS Foundation with management of the treasury, grants programs, and long-term strategic planning.
It’s worth remembering where ENS itself came from. The Ethereum Name Service was initially funded by a $1 million public goods grant from the Ethereum Foundation back in 2018. The fact that a project born from public goods funding went on to create its own public goods funding apparatus, which operated for over four years, is a small vindication of the model itself.
What this means for builders and investors For Ethereum developers who relied on PGWG grants, the immediate question is where to go next. If the ENS Foundation absorbs the grants function, the funding may continue under a different structure with different application processes.
The broader Ethereum public goods funding landscape is not exactly barren. Gitcoin, Optimism’s RetroPGF rounds, and various protocol-level grant programs still operate. But the loss of any dedicated funding source matters at the margin, especially for the kinds of unglamorous infrastructure work that rarely attracts venture capital.
From a market perspective, ENS sits in an interesting position. The protocol generates real revenue from domain registrations and renewals, giving it a fundamentally different economic profile than many governance tokens. How the DAO manages its treasury and funds ecosystem development is directly relevant to the token’s long-term value proposition.
The more consequential development is the June proposal to reshape the Foundation’s mandate, which could redefine how ENS allocates resources for years to come. Investors should watch how that proposal progresses through governance and whether tokenholders push back on the scope of authority being transferred.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Crypto markets have had plenty to digest today, and this development adds another layer to the picture. Ethereum Institutional Backers Launch Independent Non-Profit to Target Wall Street Wealth gives NewsBTC readers a clean angle on Ethereum at a point where the market is trying to separate durable signals from short-lived noise.
According to the source material reviewed for this report, the story turns on a few concrete details rather than vague sentiment. That matters because crypto headlines can move quickly, but the pieces that tend to last are the ones backed by filings, official releases, data dashboards, or protocol-level records.
TL;DR
Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, alongside ETH treasury firms BitMine and SharpLink, backed the launch of 'Ethereum Institutional'. The new group is an independent non-profit designed to serve as a 'front door' for Wall Street banks and asset managers on tokenization and stablecoins. This organization aims to take over business development roles from the Ethereum Foundation, which is focusing more on core research. A Fresh Signal For The Market The immediate relevance is that this development fits into one of the market’s main themes for the day: institutional positioning, network usage, regulatory pressure, protocol development, or asset-specific rotation. In this case, the key topic is Ethereum, which is why it deserves a dedicated read rather than being buried inside a broader market recap.
For traders, the useful part is not simply that the headline exists. It is the way the facts line up with the current market backdrop. When official sources, market data, or protocol records show a fresh shift, readers get a better sense of whether the move is just a one-day reaction or part of something more structural.
The Numbers That Matter The core source for this story is prnewswire.com with supporting data from globenewswire.com. That source trail is important because the final article should not rely on discovery-only media links or second-hand summaries.
Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, alongside ETH treasury firms BitMine and SharpLink, backed the launch of 'Ethereum Institutional'.
The new group is an independent non-profit designed to serve as a 'front door' for Wall Street banks and asset managers on tokenization and stablecoins.
This organization aims to take over business development roles from the Ethereum Foundation, which is focusing more on core research.
The numerical claims in the pack were tied back to specific source material before writing. 'July 1, 2026' sourced from Ethereum Institutional official launch release date
The Important Caveat The caution is just as important as the headline. Do not state this is an official Ethereum Foundation spin-off; it is a separate non-profit.
That means the cleaner read is to treat this as a confirmed development with a defined scope, not as proof of a guaranteed price move or a sweeping market shift. In crypto, the difference matters. A verified data point can strengthen a thesis, but it does not remove execution risk, liquidity risk, regulatory uncertainty, or the possibility that traders fade the initial reaction.
For now, the story gives the market another piece of evidence to weigh. If follow-up filings, dashboard updates, protocol records, or official statements confirm further momentum, the angle can develop into something larger. If not, it still stands as a useful snapshot of where activity is concentrating today.
This report is based on information from prnewswire.com and globenewswire.com.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Quick OverviewOndo deploys tokenized S&P 500 ETF within U.S. regulatory frameworkMicron stock joins Ondo’s tokenized equity portfolioBroadridge enables shareholder voting for tokenized equity owners Ondo introduces blockchain versions of IVV ETF and Micron stock following SEC guidelines.
Each digital token maintains 1:1 correspondence with traditionally custodied U.S. securities.
Broadridge integration enables proxy voting capabilities for token holders.
Platform leverages Ethereum infrastructure while maintaining regulated asset custody.
Initiative represents significant expansion of Ondo’s U.S. tokenized securities operations.
Ondo has introduced blockchain-based representations of BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Micron Technology stock for U.S. investors. The offering operates within a third-party custodial framework outlined by the SEC in January 2026. This development integrates tokenized U.S. securities into established regulatory and market infrastructure.
Ondo deploys tokenized S&P 500 ETF within U.S. regulatory framework Ondo has released an Ethereum-based tokenized product tracking BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. This offering mirrors IVV, a major exchange-traded fund benchmarked against the S&P 500 index. The actual ETF shares continue residing within conventional U.S. custodial arrangements.
Oasis Pro TA, operating as Ondo’s SEC-registered transfer agent subsidiary, creates the corresponding digital tokens. Every token maintains complete 1:1 correspondence with its underlying ETF shares. Qualified custodians secure the tokens, while traditional financial custodians safeguard the physical securities.
This architecture aligns with the SEC’s January 2026 guidance regarding tokenized securities. That guidance outlined an approach where third parties maintain securities while issuing associated crypto instruments. Ondo applied this regulatory blueprint to deliver an operational U.S. tokenized ETF offering.
Micron stock joins Ondo’s tokenized equity portfolio Ondo has simultaneously introduced a tokenized representation of Micron Technology stock using identical structural principles. Micron shares remain within standard U.S. custody infrastructure. Token holders gain exposure through Ethereum-recorded ownership positions.
The Micron offering advances Ondo’s broader initiative into tokenized equities with full regulatory compliance. This approach eliminates offshore issuance requirements and functions independently of individual issuer sponsorship. Implementation occurs through pre-existing broker-dealer, transfer agent, and custody relationships.
Transfer restrictions operate via participating broker-dealers, custodians, and the transfer agent network. These mechanisms ensure token transactions align with prevailing regulatory standards. Consequently, Ondo bridges blockchain settlement capabilities with traditional U.S. securities frameworks.
Broadridge enables shareholder voting for tokenized equity owners Broadridge facilitates the rollout by delivering governance infrastructure for tokenized equity participants. Token holders gain access to issuer communications and regulatory filings through conventional distribution channels. Additionally, they can exercise voting rights via ProxyVote.com for blockchain-recorded proxy votes.
Ondo indicates token holders obtain shareholder rights and safeguards comparable to traditional brokerage account owners. These privileges encompass issuer notifications and voting participation linked to underlying securities. This configuration strengthens tokenized securities’ integration with public market governance structures.
The initiative also provides context for Ondo’s comprehensive real-world asset approach. Beyond U.S. borders, its Global Markets infrastructure handles over $1 billion in tokenized securities. That platform encompasses more than 430 equities and ETFs across various supported jurisdictions.
Ondo has simultaneously grown through strategic collaborations in recent periods. In June, the company partnered with Exodus to establish Exodus Markets on Solana. This platform provides qualified users with tokenized stock, ETF, and real-world asset access.
This recent product launch positions Ondo more prominently within U.S. tokenization markets. The implementation merges Ethereum-based issuance with conventional custody, voting mechanisms, and compliance frameworks. This integration creates a more defined pathway for tokenized securities under current U.S. market regulations.
Oliver Dale
Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]
The Ethereum Foundation published a policy guide on July 1, positioning Ethereum as neutral public infrastructure for governments and institutions. The document, prepared by the foundation’s Global Policy Strategy Team, frames Ethereum as a decentralized alternative to the centralized digital systems that many governments currently rely on for payments, identity verification, and record-keeping.
$76 Billion in Staked ETH as a Security Argument The guide cites an OpenZeppelin analysis showing approximately $76 billion in staked ETH securing the Ethereum network as of March 2026.
It would cost roughly $50.7 billion to finalize a fraudulent transaction on the network, excluding automatic slashing penalties, according to a Cryptopolitan report. The foundation contrasts Ethereum’s continuous uptime since its 2015 launch with that of other layer-1 blockchains reviewed in the OpenZeppelin analysis.
Binance Smart Chain, XRP Ledger, Tron, Solana, and Canton each experienced between one and seven outages and had comparatively few economic deterrents to attack, the report found. Ethereum’s validator set is globally distributed across nations and legal systems, with no single country controlling a majority share.
“Ethereum is a decentralized ecosystem that functions through the activity of a large, diverse, and global group of stakeholders,” the guide stated. “That breadth of participation is one of the things that makes Ethereum so secure, which in turn is what makes it the top choice for institutions, enterprises, and the public sector.”
From Investment Asset to Digital Infrastructure Ethereum has historically been discussed as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. The foundation is now framing it as foundational digital infrastructure comparable to the internet’s base protocols.
That rebranding could influence how regulators worldwide classify public blockchains and the tokens that operate on them. The guide highlights sovereign governments already using Ethereum-based solutions. Argentina and Bhutan have built decentralized identity systems on the network.
Indian authorities are testing Ethereum-based land registries to reduce property fraud in title transfers. The foundation encourages lawmakers to define a clear distinction between public blockchains open to anyone and those controlled by a single organization or foundation.
Timed With a Foundation Restructuring The policy guide arrives alongside a structural overhaul at the Ethereum Foundation. The organization cut roughly 20% of its workforce and created an “institutional layer” cluster focused specifically on government and enterprise engagement. A separate nonprofit, Ethereum Institutional, also launched this week with backing from key ecosystem participants.
If governments begin adopting Ethereum as public infrastructure, the regulatory clarity it would generate would extend well beyond Ethereum itself. The precedent would shape how all public blockchains are classified, potentially accelerating institutional investment across the broader digital asset market.
The guide cites independent security audits and uptime data while noting that one unnamed layer-1 blockchain had an organization controlling about 42% of the token supply, a trait that institutions would typically need to disclose and mitigate.
The foundation’s next test is whether this guide moves from policy paper to government procurement shortlist, a process that typically takes years rather than months.
This is not just another ticker-level move. It points to a deeper shift in how capital, infrastructure, or regulation is moving through crypto. Ethlabs Launches with Five Former Ethereum Foundation Researchers to Speed Up Settlement gives NewsBTC readers a clean angle on Ethereum at a point where the market is trying to separate durable signals from short-lived noise.
According to the source material reviewed for this report, the story turns on a few concrete details rather than vague sentiment. That matters because crypto headlines can move quickly, but the pieces that tend to last are the ones backed by filings, official releases, data dashboards, or protocol-level records.
TL;DR
Ethlabs has launched, founded by five former senior Ethereum Foundation researchers. The new entity aims to focus on improving transaction settlement speeds and strengthening ETH's monetary value case. The development highlights a shifting structure where specialized research groups take on execution duties. What Changed The immediate relevance is that this development fits into one of the market’s main themes for the day: institutional positioning, network usage, regulatory pressure, protocol development, or asset-specific rotation. In this case, the key topic is Ethereum, which is why it deserves a dedicated read rather than being buried inside a broader market recap.
For traders, the useful part is not simply that the headline exists. It is the way the facts line up with the current market backdrop. When official sources, market data, or protocol records show a fresh shift, readers get a better sense of whether the move is just a one-day reaction or part of something more structural.
Why It Stands Out The core source for this story is ethlabs.org with supporting data from globenewswire.com. That source trail is important because the final article should not rely on discovery-only media links or second-hand summaries.
Ethlabs has launched, founded by five former senior Ethereum Foundation researchers.
The new entity aims to focus on improving transaction settlement speeds and strengthening ETH's monetary value case.
The development highlights a shifting structure where specialized research groups take on execution duties.
The numerical claims in the pack were tied back to specific source material before writing. 'Five former researchers' sourced from Ethlabs official announcement co-founder list; 'June 22, 2026' sourced from Ethlabs official launch release date
What Comes Next The caution is just as important as the headline. Do not claim Ethlabs is funded directly by the EF without verification.
That means the cleaner read is to treat this as a confirmed development with a defined scope, not as proof of a guaranteed price move or a sweeping market shift. In crypto, the difference matters. A verified data point can strengthen a thesis, but it does not remove execution risk, liquidity risk, regulatory uncertainty, or the possibility that traders fade the initial reaction.
For now, the story gives the market another piece of evidence to weigh. If follow-up filings, dashboard updates, protocol records, or official statements confirm further momentum, the angle can develop into something larger. If not, it still stands as a useful snapshot of where activity is concentrating today.
This report is based on information from ethlabs.org and globenewswire.com.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Why Does Ondo’s New Launch Matter? Ondo Finance expanded its U.S. tokenized securities business on Thursday with the launch of tokenized versions of BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Micron shares under a third-party custodial framework described by the Securities and Exchange Commission in January.
The launch gives Ondo a larger U.S. footprint in the market for tokenized real-world assets, a category that has grown as asset managers, brokers, and blockchain firms test ways to move conventional financial products onto public networks without moving outside existing securities rules.
According to Ondo, the products mark the first time a third party has tokenized U.S.-listed securities on a public blockchain while operating within the existing U.S. regulatory and market infrastructure. The company said earlier tokenized securities models were generally built offshore or relied on issuer-by-issuer sponsorship.
The distinction is important. Tokenized stocks and ETFs have often been treated as a regulatory gray area when they sit outside the U.S. framework or rely on synthetic structures. Ondo is trying to place the product inside the conventional custody and transfer-agent model while using blockchain rails for token issuance and ownership records.
How Does The Custodial Model Work? The SEC’s January guidance described a structure in which a third party holds the underlying securities and issues crypto assets representing an investor’s entitlement to those holdings. Ondo said its tokenized IVV and Micron products are built around that model.
Under the structure, the underlying shares remain inside the standard U.S. custody chain. Oasis Pro TA, Ondo’s SEC-registered transfer agent subsidiary, mints corresponding tokens backed 1:1 by the securities. The tokens are issued on Ethereum and held by regulated custodians, according to the company.
That design keeps the legal and custody layer close to existing market plumbing. Investors are not simply receiving an offshore token that tracks a stock price. They are receiving a blockchain-based representation tied to securities held through regulated infrastructure.
Ondo said token holders receive the same shareholder rights and protections available through traditional brokerage accounts, including issuer communications and onchain proxy voting through Broadridge’s ProxyVote.com platform. Transfer restrictions are handled by participating broker-dealers, transfer agents, and custodians in line with existing regulatory requirements.
Investor Takeaway Ondo’s launch is not only a product rollout. It is a test of whether tokenized equities can be structured inside U.S. custody, transfer-agent, and shareholder-rights systems instead of relying on offshore wrappers or looser synthetic exposure.
Why Are IVV and Micron Useful Test Assets? The choice of BlackRock’s IVV ETF and Micron shares gives Ondo 2 different use cases. IVV is a broad-market ETF tied to the S&P 500, making it a natural test for tokenized exposure to diversified U.S. equity markets. Micron offers a single-stock example in a sector closely watched by investors because of artificial intelligence, memory chips, and semiconductor cycle exposure.
By launching both an ETF and an individual stock, Ondo can show how the same infrastructure may apply across different types of listed securities. That matters for brokers and custodians because tokenized securities will need consistent controls around eligibility, settlement, shareholder communications, restrictions, and corporate actions.
The structure also gives institutional users a clearer framework for assessing risk. A 1:1 backing model tied to conventional custody may be easier to review than offshore tokenized stock products, especially for firms that need to document custody treatment, investor rights, and regulatory controls before offering access to clients.
“Today’s milestone shows we can tokenize securities in ways that meet both market and regulatory requirements, for U.S. and global investors and provides a strong foundation for our expanding access to onchain investments for more U.S. investors,” Ondo Finance CEO Ian De Bode said.
What Does This Mean For Tokenized Equities? Ondo’s launch comes as tokenized equities are becoming a larger part of the real-world asset market. The company’s Global Markets platform outside the U.S. supports more than $1 billion in tokenized securities across more than 430 stocks and ETFs, according to Ondo.
The firm has also expanded distribution. In June, Ondo partnered with Exodus to launch Exodus Markets, giving eligible users access to more than 200 tokenized stocks, ETFs, and real-world assets through the Exodus app on Solana.
The broader tokenized equities sector reached a market capitalization of $5.5 billion as of June 8, up roughly 147% from $2.23 billion at the start of the year. That makes tokenized equities the fourth-largest segment within the real-world asset market.
The next test is whether U.S.-compliant tokenized securities can move beyond pilot-style launches and attract meaningful usage from brokers, advisers, custodians, and institutional investors. The market already has demand for onchain exposure to traditional assets. The harder part is building products that regulators, transfer agents, and market intermediaries can support without weakening investor protections.
Ondo’s launch does not settle every question around tokenized equities. Liquidity, distribution, trading access, tax treatment, and platform eligibility still matter. But by using a third-party custodial model tied to U.S.-listed securities, the company is pushing tokenized equities closer to regulated market infrastructure rather than treating them as a separate offshore product category.
The Ethereum [ETH] price action was in a longer-term downtrend, but has rallied 8.05% in the past week and 4.9% in the past 24 hours alone. Yet, according to data from Farside Investors, the Ethereum spot ETF flows since June 17, 2026, measured a negative $358.3 million.
These persistent outflows underlined the bearish market sentiment behind the leading crypto altcoin. It has lost two major support levels in 2026: the $3.2k and $2.0k levels.
AMBCrypto reported that Ethereum, trading at $1.5k, witnessed strong bearish positioning, but also warned of a possible short squeeze.
Source: CryptoQuant The taker buy-sell ratio jumped back above 1 in the past couple of days of trading. The metric’s 7-day moving average also rose back above 1. This showed that the recent gains were partially driven by aggressive buyer orders in the perpetual swap markets.
Source: CryptoQuant The Open Interest also picked up slightly. Increased speculative interest and buyer aggression could help drive a short squeeze in the coming days. However, if the Open Interest begins to slow down again, it would indicate the bounce was driven by short positions unwinding rather than sustained demand.
The dilemma for long-term Ethereum investors Source: Glassnode The Ethereum MVRV extreme deviation pricing bands use the all-time MVRV mean and degrees of deviation from it to form bands. These bands act as dynamic support/resistance levels.
Right now, the extreme low of the band, the -1.0σ, or one standard deviation below the mean, at $1,549, was acting as support.
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez pointed out in a post on X that July has kicked off with a buy signal on the monthly timeframe from the TD Sequential indicator.
In September 2022 and March 2025, when the same monthly buy signal flashed, Ethereum rallied 235% and 182%, respectively.
The ETF flows and wider market sentiment did not make it seem like a major market bottom was forming. Only time will confirm whether a deeper drawdown is lying in wait.
Final Summary The increased Ethereum taker buy ratio in perpetual markets and Open Interest signaled increased short-term speculative interest. ETH’s spot ETF flows were negative over the past two weeks, underlining weak investor conviction.
The firm used the SEC’s January custodial model to put a BlackRock S&P 500 ETF and Micron shares on Ethereum, though the tokens are not yet available to US investors.
Posted July 2, 2026 at 8:12 pm EST.
Ondo Finance on Thursday launched what it billed as the first live tokenized U.S. securities operating entirely within the country’s existing regulatory perimeter, putting BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Micron shares onchain on Ethereum.
Tokenized versions of American stocks have circulated for a while, but they have typically traded offshore or leaned on the security’s own issuer to sponsor the token, leaving compliant U.S. products thin on the ground. Ondo instead follows a custodial model the SEC laid out in a January statement: a regulated third party holds the underlying shares in the traditional U.S. custody chain, while a registered transfer agent issues blockchain tokens representing a holder’s entitlement to them.
Ondo mints those tokens through Oasis Pro TA, an SEC-registered transfer agent and Ondo subsidiary, backing each one-for-one with the custodied securities. Its partner Broadridge Financial Solutions supplies proxy voting, issuer communications, and regulatory disclosures, so holders get governance rights rather than bare price exposure.
Ian De Bode, CEO of Ondo Finance, said in the announcement: “Tokenized Securities in the U.S. are too often framed as a binary choice between competing models and tokenization providers. This is a false premise. Ondo has built the regulatory, product, and service infrastructure to support all major models within the United States.”
One notable limit sits under the milestone: the product is not yet available to U.S. investors, despite being built around the U.S. framework.
Ondo already runs one of the larger tokenization operations outside the country. Its Ondo Global Markets platform holds more than $1 billion in tokenized stocks and ETFs across 430-plus securities and recently expanded to BNB Chain for non-U.S. users. Separately, the SEC earlier dropped a Biden-era investigation into the firm.
Doug DeSchutter, president of Broadridge’s Investor Communication Solutions business, said in the announcement: “Tokenization will only scale when it delivers both innovation and investor confidence.”
Related Listen: Why Authorities Can’t Freeze Crypto Fast Enough: DEX in the City
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
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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.
Since falling to $1,510, Ethereum has traded within a narrow range. Over the past week, the altcoin has hovered around $1,600.
At the time of writing, Ethereum [ETH] traded at $1,622, up 2.8% over the past 24 hours. The muted price action prompted some investors to reduce exposure, while others waited for a clearer trend.
Why did an Ethereum whale move $26 million? Ethereum has barely moved over the past week, leaving whales that accumulated in May and June sitting on unrealized losses.
As market weakness persisted, some investors became more cautious. One example was Satofashi [Chun Wang], who accumulated 91,945 ETH worth $159.9 million during late May and June.
Source: Arkham When Satofashi accumulated ETH, the asset traded around $2,100, with an average purchase price of $1,749.
According to Lookonchain, the whale later deposited 16,842 ETH worth $26.87 million.
A transfer to an exchange does not necessarily indicate an imminent sale. The funds could also be used for collateral or capital rotation.
If the holdings were sold, the whale would realize a loss of about $2.66 million. However, most of the wallet’s ETH remained untouched, suggesting repositioning rather than a full exit.
Source: CryptoQuant That move coincided with broader exchange inflows.
According to CryptoQuant, Exchange Netflow remained positive over the past two days. At press time, Exchange Netflow stood at 14,000, indicating more ETH moved onto exchanges than left them.
Is ETH finding stability, though? Despite persistent market weakness, Ethereum continued holding around the $1,600 level. Notably, the reported whale transfer had little immediate impact on price.
Meanwhile, the MACD remained below zero but formed a bullish crossover, rising to -64.
Source: TradingView The improving MACD suggested bearish momentum continued easing. The BvB indicator also turned positive for two consecutive days after remaining negative for seven straight sessions.
Together, those indicators pointed to gradually improving momentum rather than a confirmed bullish reversal.
If that trend continues, Ethereum could extend its recovery toward $1,777.
Even so, sustained exchange inflows, particularly from large holders, could increase selling pressure and expose the $1,500 support again.
Final Summary A $26.87 million whale transfer failed to trigger immediate weakness in Ethereum’s price. Improving momentum indicators contrasted with rising exchange inflows, leaving ETH at a key decision point.
Bitcoin held above the $61,000 level on Thursday as investor sentiment improved following a more dovish tone from the Federal Reserve that eased pressure on risk assets.
Notable Statistics:
Coinglass data shows 131,062 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $598.92 million. SoSoValue data shows net outflows of $294.6 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of $14.9 million. In the past 24 hours, top gainers include MemeCore, Uniswap and Lighter. Notable Developments:
Trader Notes:
Bitcoin OG Lucky noted Bitcoin is staging a strong recovery toward a key breakout level, with elevated leverage adding to market risk. Analysts say the next move could be decisive if BTC sustains its current momentum.
Trader Jelle highlighted Bitcoin bulls are defending key support, with a three-day bullish divergence helping price rebound toward the previous trading range.
Analysts say a move back above $65,000 would strengthen the near-term outlook, while gradual accumulation remains the preferred strategy.
CryptosBatman pointed out Bitcoin flashing a bullish divergence, with price making lower lows while the RSI posting higher lows. Analysts say BTC is now testing its 100-day EMA, a key technical level that could determine whether the next major move is a breakout or another rejection.
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The working group's final term committed $450,000 in USDC and 72.5 ETH to Ethereum infrastructure projects including Vyper, Argot Collective and Remix Labs before it was wound down.
The ENS DAO Public Goods Working Group has been sunset after four and a half years of funding Ethereum infrastructure, working group lead Simona Pop said on X Thursday morning.
The group's final term committed $450,000 in USDC and 72.5 ETH, worth roughly $123,000 at current prices, across Builder Grants, Strategic Grants and advocacy work, according to Pop and the working group's term 6 report posted to the ENS governance forum. Strategic Grants alone totaled $375,000 USDC in the term, co-funded with the Ethereum Foundation at roughly a 1-to-1.2 ratio.
Recipients included Vyper, the alternate smart-contract language whose deployments secure $2.3 billion in TVL across 23 chains, Argot Collective, the group of 25 former Ethereum Foundation employees now independently maintaining Solidity and Sourcify, and Remix Labs, the team behind the Remix IDE used to deploy more than 12 million contracts.
Pop credited BuidlGuidl founder Austin Griffith with building the rolling, milestone-based platform that let Builder Grants run continuously rather than in seasonal rounds. She framed the closure against ENS's own origin: ENS founder Nick Johnson secured a $1 million grant from the Ethereum Foundation in 2018 to build what became ENS, work that spun out into True Names Ltd.
Pop argued the DAO is walking away from a larger opportunity. ENS holds one of the largest treasuries in crypto and was positioned to become one of the ecosystem's "other heroes," a term Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has used, she wrote.
The sunset lands amid a broader restructuring of ENS DAO's governance and treasury. The DAO recently opened a temp-check vote on handing treasury and day-to-day authority to the ENS Foundation, following delegate disputes over a separate foundation proposal and a push to dissolve the DAO after Johnson blocked a security council renewal.
No new funding round has been announced to replace the working group's grants pipeline.
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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HomePodcasts & VideosVideosRocket Pool's Saturn 1 upgrade reshapes the math for RPL and rETH holders. Darren Langley, GM of Rocket Pool, sits down with Camila Russo to explain how the protocol expands its scaling capacity, stabilizes rETH's peg, and turns RPL staking into a real ETH-yield strategy.
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Rocket Pool just made it a lot cheaper to run an Ethereum validator. The protocol’s Saturn 1 upgrade, which launched on Ethereum mainnet on February 18, 2026, cuts the minimum validator bond from 8 ETH to 4 ETH, effectively halving the barrier to entry for node operators who want to participate in decentralized staking.
What Saturn 1 actually changes Under the new structure, 8 ETH of bonded capital can now support up to 56 ETH in liquid deposits. Every dollar a node operator puts up can attract roughly seven dollars from passive stakers.
The upgrade also introduces megapools, a feature that lets operators manage multiple validators under a single smart contract. Instead of deploying separate contracts for each validator (and paying gas fees every time), operators can consolidate.
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Then there’s the RPL fee switch. Saturn 1 activates a protocol-wide mechanism that routes roughly 9% of protocol revenue to staked RPL holders, paid out in ETH rather than through token inflation. Instead of printing more RPL tokens as rewards, the protocol now shares actual revenue.
How Rocket Pool got here The Atlas upgrade in 2023 was the one that first brought the bond requirement down to 8 ETH, creating what the protocol called “minipools.” Houston followed, focusing on governance improvements and operational refinements, laying the groundwork for the revenue-sharing mechanisms that Saturn 1 now implements.
The Saturn series was always envisioned as a multi-phase rollout. Saturn 1 handles the bond reduction, megapools, and fee switch. Rocket Pool occupies an unusual position in the liquid staking landscape: while Lido dominates market share with a more centralized operator model, Rocket Pool has leaned into permissionless node operation as its differentiator, where anyone can run a node with no application required.
What this means for investors and stakers By doubling validator capacity per bonded ETH, Rocket Pool is making a direct play for more total value locked. For rETH holders, that translates to better liquidity and tighter spreads when entering or exiting positions.
The shift from inflationary rewards to ETH-denominated revenue sharing fundamentally changes the value proposition of holding and staking RPL. Under the old model, staked RPL holders received more RPL. Under Saturn 1, they receive ETH. Pre-launch enthusiasm already drove upward price momentum for RPL.
There’s also the question of whether 4 ETH bonds attract operators who are genuinely committed to running reliable infrastructure, or whether the lower barrier brings in participants who are less prepared for the operational demands of validating. Slashing risk doesn’t disappear just because the entry price dropped.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) are showing multiple long-term bottom, according to technical analysis by a prominent analyst.
Bitcoin’s Macro Bottom ZoneIn an X post on July 2, crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez pointed to historically reliable technical and on-chain indicators that suggest accumulation may be underway.
For Bitcoin, Martinez identified $48,300 as the most important long-term accumulation level.
The price corresponds to Bitcoin’s Investor Price, an on-chain metric that estimates the average acquisition cost of economically active coins by excluding permanently lost Bitcoin.
Historically, Bitcoin has found major bear-market bottoms around this level, making it one of the market’s most closely watched long-term support metrics.
Over the past month, retail investors holding less than one Bitcoin and mid-sized holders with 10 to 100 BTC have led the buying activity.
Meanwhile, the largest entities controlling between 1,000 and 100,000 BTC have also turned into net buyers, albeit at a slower pace.
Martinez said synchronized buying by both retail investors and whales has historically coincided with durable market bottoms and laid the foundation for longer-term recoveries.
ETH Monthly Buy Signal ReturnsIn another X post on July 3, Martinez said Ethereum has entered a historically significant support zone, with $1,100 representing the lower boundary of its long-term price channel dating back to 2021.
Every previous test of the channel floor has attracted aggressive buying, making the level one of Ethereum’s highest-conviction long-term accumulation areas.
If Ethereum successfully defends the support, Martinez projects an initial recovery toward the channel midpoint near $3,000, followed by a potential move toward the upper boundary around $5,000, which aligns with prior cycle highs.
Adding to the bullish outlook, Martinez highlighted that the TD Sequential indicator has printed a fresh monthly buy signal for Ethereum.
Previous monthly sell and buy signals preceded a 78% correction from the 2021 highs, a 235% rally following the 2022 bottom and a 182% advance after the March 2025 buy signal.
The latest signal, Martinez said, points to macro-level seller exhaustion and raises the possibility that Ethereum is carving out another major bottom.
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Ethereum is having a tough time at the moment, with sentiment at rock bottom, but underlying supply dynamics paint a different picture.
Ethereum has a “wall of worry” where negative sentiment is meeting staking absorption, reported CryptoQuant on Tuesday.
The Coinbase Premium, a measure of institutional interest, is 230% below its three-month average, while Binance funding rates are deeply negative, signaling caution from US institutions and leveraged traders, it added.
Despite this wall of negativity, ETH’s price has stayed stable over the past week rather than breaking down.
ETH Staking Hits Record 40M Meanwhile, the Ether supply is tightening as stablecoin balances on Binance are draining while staking inflows have surged 65%, “suggesting long-term holders are locking up supply even as short-term traders de-risk,” it stated.
“While traders are shorting or de-risking on Binance, long-term holders are actively locking supply into the staking contract.”
This combination of deep pessimism and a shrinking liquid/exchange supply is a classic pattern, which historically creates fragile conditions for short traders if selling pressure exhausts.
The analysts concluded that monitoring the reversal of the Coinbase Premium will be the primary signal for a shift in this regime.
Ethereum’s Wall of Worry: Negative Sentiment Meets Staking Absorption
“Historically, when speculative sentiment is this depressed while organic supply is being absorbed by staking, it creates a fragile environment for short-sellers.” – By @CryptoOnchain pic.twitter.com/C8XO4Omlmp
— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) June 30, 2026
You may also like: Ethereum Execs Launch Non-Profit to Accelerate Institutional Adoption Bitmine Buys Another 27,000 ETH Despite Market Slump, Nears 5% of Ethereum Supply ‘Engineers, Not Business Operators’: Why Loopring Is Shutting Down Its DEX The staking figures speak for themselves, with a record amount of ETH off the table and locked up.
ETH staking has hit an all-time high of 40 million, which equates to 33% of the entire supply, according to Ultrasound.Money.
Additionally, the validator exit queue is just 9,248 ETH, while more than 2.9 million ETH are in the entry queue.
Bitmine chair Tom Lee said that crypto is a hyper-volatile asset, and some macro headwinds are weighing on ETH, such as markets seeing a Fed hike, Clarity Act purgatory, AI FOMO, and private credit hurting flows.
However, there are also some tailwinds, including the tokenization megatrend, crypto downstream of AI, money becoming digital/software, and peak pain, he said in a recent interview.
ETH Price Outlook Despite these tailwinds, ETH prices remain depressed, with the asset dipping to an intraday low of $1,550 on Tuesday.
There was little momentum during Wednesday morning Asian trading, with ETH lifting to $1,585. The longer it stays at current levels, the greater the chances of another leg down, especially if Bitcoin loses support at $58,000.
A new nonprofit backed by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin and top ETH treasury firms aims to give Wall Street a dedicated point of contact as the Ethereum Foundation narrows its role.
Posted July 2, 2026 at 6:54 am EST.
A new independent nonprofit called Ethereum Institutional launched Wednesday with the goal of accelerating institutional adoption of Ethereum, its layer-2 networks, and the broader ecosystem. The organization aims to give banks, asset managers, and other enterprises a “credible, independent front door” as they evaluate Ethereum for tokenization, stablecoins, and other onchain financial infrastructure.
The group is led by David Walsh, Marius Smith, and Matthew Dawson, with Walsh having previously headed the Ethereum Foundation’s enterprise efforts. It launched with backing from BitMine Immersion Technologies and Nasdaq-listed SharpLink Gaming, Ethereum’s two largest publicly traded treasury firms, along with Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, who anchored funding alongside dozens of other individual and institutional contributors.
This story is an excerpt from the Unchained Daily newsletter.
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The launch reflects a broader restructuring of who speaks for Ethereum. The Ethereum Foundation has narrowed its focus toward stewarding the core protocol after a turbulent stretch that included nine senior staff departures this year and a sweeping restructuring that eliminated 54 positions and cut its budget by 40%. Ethereum Institutional is now the second independent nonprofit to launch in as many weeks, following EthLabs, a research and development organization backed by many of the same donors.
The response from the ecosystem was largely positive. Standard Chartered told CoinDesk the initiative addresses a “longstanding communications gap” between Ethereum and major financial institutions. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan on X called it an example of “a decentralized system [healing] itself.”
Related Listen: How the New Ethlabs Plans to Make Ethereum More Intentional in Designing ETH
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
Ethereum Price Prediction: Lubin, Bitmine, and Sharplink Launch Independent Non-Profit Institution to Bring Institutional Wealth Onchain Ethereum (ETH)
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Ethereum price is trading near $1,650, remaining below its major moving averages and preserving a bearish prediction. However, the biggest story this week is not the chart. Instead, Bitmine and SharpLink are betting that institutional Ethereum adoption could accelerate well before the price reflects it.
Ethereum Institutional has launched as an independent non-profit focused on institutional engagement. Backed by Bitmine, SharpLink, and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin, it formalizes outreach previously handled within the Ethereum Foundation. The organization will focus on institutional education, market intelligence, ETH marketing, standards, and global events.
1/ Announcing Ethereum Institutional
An independent non-profit dedicated to accelerating the institutional adoption of Ethereum, its L2s, applications and overall ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/XUeViH6rrq
— Ethereum Institutional (@ethereuminsti) July 1, 2026 Its leadership includes Thomas Lee as chairman, Joseph Chalom, and Executive Director David Walsh, and the operations have already spanned to New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Abu Dhabi, giving the organization an international presence from launch.
The timing reflects Ethereum’s growing role in institutional finance. The network secures roughly 60% of the stablecoin supply and about two-thirds of tokenized real-world assets. Ethereum Institutional aims to strengthen relationships with financial firms before competing blockchain networks gain market share.
Discover: The Best Crypto to Diversify Your Portfolio
Ethereum Price Prediction: $1,750 or $2,000ETH is recovering at $1,650, trading below its 20-, 50-, and 100-day EMAs. That setup keeps the near-term trend bearish. Meanwhile, the RSI sits around 43, while the Stochastic oscillator remains neutral, suggesting selling pressure has eased without confirming a reversal.
At the same time, spot Ether ETFs have recorded persistent outflows since mid-June, limiting buying momentum. As a result, recent rallies have faded near resistance. Institutional interest remains intact, but it has yet to translate into sustained price strength.
Don’t Miss Out on Our $1,000 USDT Airdrop on ByBit
The first resistance sits near the 20-day EMA around $1,670, followed by the $1,750 level that traders continue to monitor. Above that, the 50-day EMA near $1,870 becomes the next key hurdle. On the downside, support rests around $1,520, followed by $1,400 and $1,150 if selling pressure intensifies.
A bullish scenario requires ETH to reclaim the 20-day EMA and break above $1,750 with strong volume. Otherwise, the base case remains range-bound trading between $1,520 and $1,670. If support near $1,500 fails, ETH could revisit lower levels before establishing a stronger recovery.
Discover: The Best Token Presales
LiquidChain Targets Early-Mover Upside as Ethereum Tests Key LevelsETH at $1,650 with stacked resistance overhead and ETF outflows still unresolved means the upside for spot holders is capped in the near term, even with the institutional narrative firmly in place. Traders looking for asymmetric exposure to the same Ethereum-adjacent infrastructure thesis are eyeing early-stage infrastructure plays where the entry math still works.
LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is a Layer 3 infrastructure project positioning itself as the cross-chain liquidity layer, fusing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana liquidity into a single execution environment.
The architecture centers on a Unified Liquidity Layer, Single-Step Execution, Verifiable Settlement, and a Deploy-Once structure that lets developers build once and access all three ecosystems simultaneously. The project has already drawn attention as a direct infrastructure beneficiary of the multi-chain institutional expansion that entities like Ethereum Institutional are accelerating.
As of now, its presale is currently priced at $0.01475, with $880K raised to date.
Research LiquidChain here.
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The cryptocurrency market broadly rises on Thursday, reflecting improvement in risk sentiment following an extended period of selling pressure. Bitcoin (BTC) is back above $60,000 after testing support at $58,000 earlier in the week. Ethereum (ETH) aligns with BTC’s positive short-term outlook, rising above $1,600. Similarly, Ripple (XRP) has steadied its rebound, trading above $1.06 amid strengthening momentum indicators.
Qatar reports positive progress in indirect US-Iran talksIndirect peace talks between the United States (US) and Iran concluded on Wednesday. According to CNN, the Qatari mediators said that the negotiations made “positive progress” with issues related to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and that both sides agreed to continue discussions.
At the same time, low-level technical talks between US and Iran officials are underway indirectly through Qatar and Pakistan mediators. US Vice President J.D. Vance said that discussions on the nuclear issue are expected to start soon, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, Iran has warned of an “immediate powerful response” to attacks by Israeli Forces, calling on the US to restrain its ally. This development comes in the wake of remarks from Israel’s defense minister, who declared that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is now a direct target.
The crypto market has sprung up as risk-off sentiment marginally eases, with Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP logging in the second straight day of gains. The crypto Fear & Greed Index continues to signal Extreme Fear, but a rise from 11 to 19 suggests an incremental shift in market sentiment. While the uptick is modest, it indicates that investors may be regaining a cautious appetite for risk, improving the outlook for a sustained crypto market rebound.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: Alternative“What we are witnessing is not the end of Bitcoin's long-term bull cycle but rather a necessary repricing phase that mirrors the evolving global macroeconomic landscape, where cryptocurrencies have become far more sensitive to economic fundamentals than they were just a few years ago,” Simon-Peter Massabni, XS.com Head of Business Development, said in a comment.
Price analysis: Bitcoin tests its recovery potentialBitcoin is edging higher above $60,000 after respecting support around $58,000, which prompted bulls to reengage. Although the overall technical structure is bearish, indicators signal a potential positive turnaround. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram has turned positive on the daily chart, hinting at a tentative recovery attempt, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 39 still reflects subdued momentum rather than a decisive bullish shift.
BTC/USDT daily chartOverhead, the latest Parabolic SAR reading at $62,523 reinforces the notion that the rebound is unfolding within a broader downside context. Above this barrier, the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) near $66,157, caps the short-term trend. Higher up, the 100-day EMA at roughly $69,963 precedes a more significant hurdle at the downtrend resistance trendline around $75,208, with the 200-day EMA near $75,923 forming a dense structural zone that would need to be reclaimed to neutralize the prevailing bearish bias.
Altcoins technical outlook: Ethereum and XRP gain momentumEthereum trades at $1,623 following a brief rebound from the demand range between $1,500 and $1,600. Despite the upswing, ETH maintains a bearish near-term bias as the price holds well below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day EMAs at $1,808, $1,987 and $2,256 respectively.
Meanwhile, the MACD histogram has turned positive on the daily chart, hinting at an attempt to stabilize losses rather than a decisive bullish reversal. The RSI around 41 on the same chart, reflects subdued demand despite recovering from near oversold conditions.
ETH/USDT daily chartInitial resistance emerges at the 50-day EMA near $1,808, ahead of the break level of the descending trendline at about $1,936, where sellers could reassert control. Further up, the 100-day EMA at roughly $1,987 and the 200-day EMA near $2,256 form a broader supply zone that would need to be reclaimed to negate the current bearish setup and open the way for a more sustained recovery.
As for XRP, the price holds above $1.06, marking a mild increase from the immediate psychological support at $1.03. Despite the uptick in the price, the remittance token sustains a bearish near-term bias as it holds well below the key moving averages.
Momentum is mixed, with the MACD just above zero and slightly positive on the daily chart, hinting at modest stabilisation, while the RSI near 38 still reflects subdued buying interest rather than a decisive recovery.
XRP/USDT daily chartOn the topside, immediate resistance lies at the 50-day EMA ($1.19), followed by the 100-day EMA at $1.30, where any advance would likely face renewed selling pressure. A sustained break above these barriers would be needed to challenge the higher structural cap at the 200-day EMA around $1.52 and to ease the prevailing bearish tone.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins FAQs Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.
Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.
Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin’s interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.
Ethereum is currently trading in a critical area, as technical indicators present two interconnected yet divergent scenarios. On the one hand, the weekly chart identifies $1,100 as a principal support level. On the other hand, another technical perspective suggests the latest pullback could be the final correction before a powerful upward surge.
Key support level on the weekly chartWith ETH fluctuating around $1,570, the weekly technical outlook highlights $1,100 as the primary support zone for buyers to monitor. The inability of the price to hold above $2,900 in early 2026, followed by a continued downward move, points to weak short-term momentum.
Since 2021, the $1,100 level has served as a notable long-term support for Ethereum. Should prices return to this area and establish a base, it may offer a particularly attractive entry point for long-term spot investors.
If the $1,100 level is preserved, the first recovery target is $2,000. Should this region be surpassed, attention would then turn to $2,900 as the next significant resistance.
However, ETH has not yet tested the $1,100 threshold. Entering positions at the current $1,570 level exposes traders to uncertainty about whether lower support will hold. For a more robust technical setup, analysts seek a confirmed bounce near $1,100, a strong weekly close, or the formation of a higher low.
Unless such confirmation materializes, the risk of further downside is seen to persist. If $1,100 holds as support, $2,000 and subsequently $2,900 could come back into focus. Should momentum strengthen further, even $3,900 and $4,800 may once again become relevant targets.
Potential third wave in Elliott Wave analysisIn an alternative technical scenario, Ethereum, positioned near $1,623, is assessed by one analyst as undergoing a correction that forms part of a larger Elliott Wave structure. By this account, ETH completed a five-wave advance from the 2022 lows to the 2025 highs, finishing a primary first wave, and then entered an A-B-C corrective phase.
Glossary: Elliott Wave is a technical analysis method that interprets price actions as waves influenced by investor psychology. In this model, the third wave is usually the strongest segment of a bullish trend.
Current chart readings place ETH close to the bottom of the C wave. According to Elliott Wave principles, the completion of the second corrective wave could pave the way for a third, typically marked by robust upward momentum.
However, this bullish scenario has not yet been confirmed. The price remains near structural support after a sharp decline from $2,300. Signs of strength would involve a recovery above $1,700, followed by sustained moves targeting $1,900 and $2,300.
If ETH holds its current floor and weekly candles begin to close higher, confidence in the end of the second wave correction may grow. Conversely, if support fails and the price falls below the recent C wave bottom, this would weaken the bullish outlook, suggesting the correction is not yet over.
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.
Ethereum, the largest altcoin, surpassed its previous all-time high (ATH) in August 2025, reaching a new all-time high of over $4,900. However, this rise from its previous ATH of $4,891 to its new ATH pales in comparison to Bitcoin’s break above its previous ATH of $69,000 and its new ATH of $126,000.
Although Ethereum hit a new price record at this point, its rise was very limited, and it failed to break through the psychological barrier of $5,000.
This situation has made investors more cautious about ETH, with a former Ethereum Foundation researcher stating that ETH lacks a clear value narrative.
Ansgar Dietrichs, a former Ethereum Foundation researcher and current director of Ethlabs, who appeared on journalist Laura Shin’s Unchained podcast, stated that Ethereum has been unable to surpass the $5,000 mark for five years.
He stated that the main reason it couldn’t surpass $5,000 was the lack of a clear value narrative for ETH.
Dietrichs also noted that he found it difficult to clearly articulate the true role ETH plays as an entity today.
He also added that one of the core goals of Ethlabs, which he founded along with five other former researchers at the Ethereum Foundation, is to provide clear direction on what ETH’s purpose is and what it should be.
Podcast host Laura Shin noted that the most surprising part of her conversation with Dietrichs was his statement that ETH, despite failing to surpass $5,000 in five years, still lacks a clear value narrative.
*This is not investment advice.
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While Ethereum’s overall market structure is still dominated by the sellers, recent price action suggests sellers may be losing momentum after the market was held by the $1.5K support region twice. The emergence of a potential double bottom and improving short-term momentum could pave the way for a relief rally if buyers reclaim the next resistance cluster.
Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart On the daily timeframe, ETH is still trading within the same long-term descending channel that has remained intact for months, with both the long-term moving averages sloping lower just above the channel’s higher boundary. The price remains well below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, which are currently positioned around the $2K to $2.2K region, confirming that the macro trend is still bearish.
After the sharp sell-off a few weeks ago, the cryptocurrency found strong demand inside the $1.5K support zone. The price has now tested this area twice, raising the possibility of a double-bottom formation. Although the pattern is not confirmed yet, the repeated defense of this support suggests that bearish momentum is fading.
The RSI has also recovered from near-oversold conditions and is gradually pushing higher toward the midline, indicating improving momentum without reaching overbought territory.
For the bullish scenario to gain credibility, ETH needs to reclaim the $1.8K resistance zone to validate the double bottom setup. A successful move above that level would also expose the next major supply area around $2K to $2.2K, where the 100-day and 200-day moving averages converge.
Conversely, losing the $1.5K support zone could likely prove catastrophic, as it would invalidate the potential reversal structure and likely trigger a deeper leg lower within the broader downtrend.
Source: TradingView ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart The 4-hour chart presents a clearer short-term picture. The price has built liquidity beneath the $1.5K lows, as buyers stepped back into the market, preventing a lower low. This demand is gradually pushing ETH toward the first area of overhead supply.
The price is currently approaching a key fair value gap at approximately $1.7k. This imbalance coincides with the latest bearish impulse and is likely to attract selling interest. A decisive breakout above this zone would signal improving short-term strength and could open the path toward the $1.85K resistance.
Momentum has also noticeably improved on the lower timeframe, with the RSI climbing toward bullish territory while printing higher lows alongside price. This suggests buyers have regained some control after the recent rebound.
However, unless ETH successfully clears the fair value gap and establishes higher highs, the current advance could still develop into nothing more than a corrective rally within the larger bearish trend.
Source: TradingView Sentiment Analysis The distribution of open interest in options contracts shows that the largest concentration is positioned around the late December 2026 expiry, where call open interest significantly outweighs put open interest. Several other major expiries, including late September and late July, also display a clear dominance of call positioning.
This skew toward call options suggests that derivatives participants continue positioning for higher prices over the medium to long term despite Ethereum’s recent weakness. At the same time, the substantial notional value concentrated around the larger expiries indicates that these dates could become important volatility catalysts as expiration approaches.
While options positioning alone does not guarantee a bullish outcome, the current distribution reflects a market that still maintains longer-term upside expectations even as spot price remains trapped below major technical resistance. If ETH confirms the developing double-bottom structure and breaks above the nearby resistance cluster, the optimistic options positioning could provide additional tailwinds through improved market sentiment.
A Regulated First for On-Chain U.S. Equities@OndoFinance and @Broadridge (NYSE: BR) have taken a significant step in bringing U.S. equity markets on-chain, launching what they describe as the first regulated solution for third-party tokenized U.S. securities. The collaboration places shares of Micron ($MU) and BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF on the @Ethereum blockchain, while keeping the underlying assets firmly within the existing domestic regulated custody chain.
The key distinction here is compliance. Previous tokenized equity products have largely sidestepped U.S. regulation by targeting offshore investors. This structure is different. For the first time, holders of third-party tokenized stocks and ETFs are able to participate in proxy voting , with token holders receiving the same legal protections and governance rights as conventional brokerage clients.
Proxy Voting, Oasis Pro, and the Regulatory Architecture The feature, built with Broadridge Financial Solutions, allows holders of more than 250 tokenized securities on Ondo's platform to review company filings and submit voting preferences through Broadridge's ProxyVote system. Token holders can log in with their crypto wallets to access voting materials, receive prospectuses and regulatory filings when a company calls a shareholder meeting, and submit votes directly through wallet signatures.
The regulatory backbone for the U.S. issuance side comes from Oasis Pro. Oasis Pro operates as a FINRA-member broker-dealer and SEC-registered transfer agent, and was among the first firms authorized to support digital securities settlement in both fiat and stablecoins such as USDC and DAI. The deal gives Ondo Finance SEC-registered broker-dealer, ATS, and transfer agent licenses to operate regulated tokenized securities markets. By routing token issuance through Oasis Pro as the registered transfer agent, the system achieves 1:1-backed token issuance that operates entirely within the existing U.S. regulatory perimeter.
Ondo Finance now operates the largest tokenized stocks platform in the market, holding roughly 70% of total market share in the tokenized equities sector, with over $700 million in total value locked across 250+ tokenized stocks and ETFs. The Broadridge integration extends that lead by adding institutional-grade governance infrastructure. As Doug DeSchutter, President of Investor Communication Solutions at Broadridge, said in the official announcement: "Broadridge is proud to expand its voting infrastructure to connect our new Web3-enabled platform with the governance, disclosure, and investor participation standards that underpin modern capital markets."
Together, the two partnerships, Broadridge for governance and Oasis Pro for regulated issuance, give Ondo a full-stack compliance architecture that could serve as a template for how tokenized U.S. equities are structured going forward.
Sources
Broadridge Official Press Release: Ondo Finance Brings Shareholder Voting Capabilities to Tokenized Securities
CoinDesk: Ondo Finance Adds Proxy Voting for Holders of Its $700 Million Tokenized Equities
Blockworks: Ondo Finance Finalizes Oasis Pro Acquisition
Ethereum (ETH) has rebounded from its recent lows, but the recovery may not be enough to reverse a prolonged exodus from spot Ethereum ETFs, highlighting a growing disconnect between the cryptocurrency’s price action and institutional investor sentiment.
ETH has climbed back above the psychologically important $1,500 level and was recently trading in the $1,600-$1,620 range after briefly dipping to around $1,500. However, Simon-Peter Massabni, Head of Business Development at global multi-asset broker XS.com, cautioned that the move appears to be more of a technical rebound than the beginning of a sustained rally.
“The current rebound is still not enough to confirm a clear reversal,” Massabni said. “Instead, it mainly appears to be a corrective move after selling pressure had persisted for several sessions.”
ETF Flows Remain the Biggest HeadwindWhile Ethereum’s price has stabilized, spot Ethereum ETFs continue to paint a less encouraging picture.
According to Massabni, the funds have logged seven consecutive weeks of net outflows totaling roughly $1.18 billion, underscoring continued institutional caution toward the second-largest cryptocurrency. If withdrawals continue this week, Ethereum ETFs would extend their losing streak to eight straight weeks.
“Spot Ethereum ETFs have faced seven consecutive weeks of net outflows, with the total value reaching around $1.18 billion, clearly reflecting institutional investors’ cautious stance toward ETH,” he said.
The persistent outflows stand in sharp contrast to the optimism surrounding the launch of spot Ethereum ETFs, which many market participants expected would unlock a fresh wave of institutional demand, similar to the record inflows seen in spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Instead, Ethereum funds have struggled to establish sustained momentum as investors remain selective amid elevated interest rates, macroeconomic uncertainty and mixed sentiment across digital assets.
Macro Environment Still Weighs on CryptoMassabni believes the broader macro backdrop continues to limit risk appetite.
“The macro backdrop is still not truly supportive of risk assets,” he said, pointing to uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path. “In an environment where interest rates may stay higher for longer, capital tends to be more cautious toward highly volatile assets such as cryptocurrencies.”
He added that weak ETF demand has become a key signal of institutional positioning.
“The lack of positive ETF flows reflects cautious sentiment among large investors and reduces ETH’s short-term appeal compared with initial expectations,” Massabni said.
Ethereum also remains closely tied to broader crypto market sentiment, with Bitcoin yet to establish a decisive upward trend. As a result, ETH could struggle to outperform independently unless market conditions improve.
What Could Turn the Tide?Massabni said ETF flows may ultimately determine whether Ethereum’s rebound develops into a sustained recovery.
“If ETH manages to stay above the $1,500 area and ETF flows show signs of stabilizing, price could continue to recover toward higher zones around $1,700-$1,800,” he said.
However, he warned that renewed macro pressure or continued investor withdrawals from spot Ethereum ETFs could send the cryptocurrency back toward the $1,500 support level. A decisive break below that threshold, he added, could extend the broader downtrend before the market finds a new equilibrium.
Image: Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Ethereum Layer 2 network Taiko has resumed its bridge service following a recent security breach. The project team announced that asset transfers between the Ethereum and Taiko networks are once again operational, marking the completion of their post-attack recovery process.
Bridge operations back onlineTaiko reported that all users impacted by the attack have been fully compensated. The team emphasized that the bridge is now functioning with a complete 1:1 asset backing, ensuring every token on the Taiko network is matched by an equivalent locked asset on Ethereum.
The Taiko team stated that all affected users have been made whole and that the bridge is once again operating with full 1:1 asset backing on the Ethereum side.
As a Layer 2 scaling network on Ethereum, Taiko aims to provide faster and cheaper transactions. With the reopening of the bridge, the project confirmed that the network is fully operational once again.
Mini Glossary: 1:1 asset backing means that every token on a network is supported by an equivalent asset locked on another chain. This balance is fundamental for the security of cross-chain bridges, allowing users to transfer assets safely.
Details of the June attackThe security incident took place on June 21, when the attacker compromised the mechanism that verifies the chain’s state, managing to inject fraudulent proofs into the system. As the protocol accepted these false proofs as valid, unauthorized withdrawals were made from Ethereum’s bridge vault.
Blockchain security firms estimated that up to $1.7 million worth of crypto assets were stolen in the attack. Following the breach, the Taiko team halted bridge operations and redirected efforts toward restoring network security.
The project team highlighted that the finalized chain state was thoroughly reviewed, ensuring that no fake checkpoints or unprocessed malicious claims remained in the system.
Recovery plan executed in four phasesEarlier, Taiko had published a four-phase recovery strategy to bring the network back online safely. The team confirmed that every stage of the plan has now been completed. Security patches have been implemented, the chain’s final state has been examined, and the upgrades have been reviewed first by the Security Council, then by independent security experts.
Although the bridge has been reopened, temporary withdrawal limits will remain in place as an additional precaution. Taiko stated these limits have been set conservatively and are not expected to disrupt normal usage. However, specific thresholds have not yet been disclosed.
EventDetailsAttack dateJune 21Time to reopen11 daysEstimated loss$1.7 millionCollateral status1:1 asset backing restoredMarket reaction and industry impactFollowing the announcement that the bridge was operational again, Taiko’s native token TAIKO briefly surged to $0.35 before retreating to around $0.14. The project team also revealed plans to publish a detailed technical review in the coming days, covering the attack, the recovery process, and additional safeguards introduced to prevent future incidents.
Separately, blockchain security firm PeckShield reported that crypto projects collectively lost $75.87 million to major security breaches in June, with 40 significant incidents identified over the month.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Major cryptocurrencies are broadly in the green Thursday with Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and other top coins showing gains as crypto liquidations climb—with short positions making up the majority of the carnage.
Bitcoin topped the $62,000 mark Thursday morning for the first time in more than a week, rebounding to $62,078 after falling to a 21-month low under $58,000 earlier in the week. At a recent price of $61,808, Bitcoin is up about 3% on the day and 4% in the last week.
Other major cryptocurrencies are showing similar gains, with Ethereum and Solana both up nearly 5% on the day, hitting recent prices of $1,701 and $81 respectively. Solana is the biggest gainer among the top 10 cryptocurrencies in the last week, rising more than 22% during that span. XRP is up more than 3% on the day at a recent price of $1.09.
Crypto liquidations have surged to $602 million over the last 24 hours, per data from CoinGlass, with Ethereum flipping Bitcoin to become the biggest contributor with $187 million in liquidations compared to $184 million for BTC. Overall, short liquidations make up $400 million of the pile.
The bullish rebound comes following comments Wednesday from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, who declined to say whether the agency planned rate hikes later this year. As of this writing, interest rate traders foresee roughly even odds of the Fed either holding rates steady or raising them at its September meeting, though they project a 64% chance of some kind of rate hike by the FOMC's October meeting, per CME's FedWatch.
On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employers reported adding significantly fewer jobs in June than expected—57,000 vs. a target of 115,000, down from a revised figure of 129,000 jobs added in May.
Stocks are mixed following the news, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both down for the day, but the Dow still green, per Yahoo Finance.
Major crypto stocks are showing gains on the day, with Strategy (MSTR) up nearly 7% to $100 per share—after falling to nearly $80 last week—while Coinbase (COIN) is up 3.35% to $165 and USDC stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) has gained almost 5% to $65.
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Major cryptocurrencies are broadly in the green Thursday with Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and other top coins showing gains as crypto liquidations climb—with short positions making up the majority of the carnage.
Bitcoin topped the $62,000 mark Thursday morning for the first time in more than a week, rebounding to $62,078 after falling to a 21-month low under $58,000 earlier in the week. At a recent price of $61,808, Bitcoin is up about 3% on the day and 4% in the last week.
Other major cryptocurrencies are showing similar gains, with Ethereum and Solana both up nearly 5% on the day, hitting recent prices of $1,701 and $81 respectively. Solana is the biggest gainer among the top 10 cryptocurrencies in the last week, rising more than 22% during that span. XRP is up more than 3% on the day at a recent price of $1.09.
Crypto liquidations have surged to $602 million over the last 24 hours, per data from CoinGlass, with Ethereum flipping Bitcoin to become the biggest contributor with $187 million in liquidations compared to $184 million for BTC. Overall, short liquidations make up $400 million of the pile.
The bullish rebound comes following comments Wednesday from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, who declined to say whether the agency planned rate hikes later this year. As of this writing, interest rate traders foresee roughly even odds of the Fed either holding rates steady or raising them at its September meeting, though they project a 64% chance of some kind of rate hike by the FOMC's October meeting, per CME's FedWatch.
On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employers reported adding significantly fewer jobs in June than expected—57,000 vs. a target of 115,000, down from a revised figure of 129,000 jobs added in May.
Stocks are mixed following the news, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both down for the day, but the Dow still green, per Yahoo Finance.
Major crypto stocks are showing gains on the day, with Strategy (MSTR) up nearly 7% to $100 per share—after falling to nearly $80 last week—while Coinbase (COIN) is up 3.35% to $165 and USDC stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) has gained almost 5% to $65.
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TLDROndo Finance Uses SEC Custodial FrameworkBlackRock IVV ETF Enters Ondo Tokenized OfferingMicron Stock Gets Tokenized Under Same ModelOndo Finance Expands Tokenized Securities MarketGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Ondo Finance launched tokenized versions of BlackRock’s IVV ETF and Micron stock in the U.S. The products use a third-party custodial model outlined by the SEC in January. Oasis Pro TA mints the tokens with 1:1 backing from the underlying securities. The tokenized IVV and Micron products are issued on Ethereum and held by regulated custodians. Token holders receive shareholder rights, issuer communications, and onchain proxy voting access. Ondo Finance launched tokenized versions of BlackRock’s IVV ETF and Micron stock in the U.S. on Thursday. The products use a custodial model outlined by the SEC in January. The launch expands Ondo Finance’s regulated tokenized securities push.
Ondo Finance Uses SEC Custodial Framework Ondo Finance said the products mark a new step for tokenized U.S.-listed securities. The firm tokenized BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Micron shares. Both products trade as blockchain-based representations of traditional securities.
The SEC described this structure in January guidance on tokenized securities. Under that model, a third party holds the underlying securities. It then issues crypto assets that represent investor entitlement to those holdings.
Ondo Finance said its IVV and MU tokens follow that structure. The underlying shares remain inside the normal U.S. custody chain. Oasis Pro TA mints tokens backed 1:1 by those securities.
BlackRock IVV ETF Enters Ondo Tokenized Offering Ondo Finance issued the tokenized IVV product on Ethereum. Regulated custodians hold the related tokens for eligible users. The company said this structure keeps the product inside existing market systems.
The IVV ETF tracks the S&P 500 and remains a major U.S. equity fund. Ondo Finance now offers blockchain access to that exposure through tokenized ownership. However, the product still depends on traditional custody links.
Ondo Finance CEO Ian De Bode called the launch a regulatory and market milestone. “Today’s milestone shows we can tokenize securities in ways that meet both market and regulatory requirements,” he said.
He added that it supports broader onchain investment access.
Micron Stock Gets Tokenized Under Same Model Ondo Finance also tokenized Micron shares under the same U.S. custodial setup. The MU-backed token gives eligible holders exposure to the chipmaker’s stock. The token uses the same 1:1 backing process.
Token holders receive shareholder rights linked to traditional brokerage accounts. These rights include issuer communications and proxy voting. Ondo Finance said Broadridge’s ProxyVote.com supports onchain proxy voting for the products.
Transfer limits also apply through broker-dealers, transfer agents, and custodians. These controls align the tokens with current regulatory requirements. Ondo Finance said the framework supports U.S. and global access.
Ondo Finance Expands Tokenized Securities Market Ondo Finance focuses on tokenized real-world assets and institutional financial products. Its Global Markets platform outside the U.S. supports more than $1 billion in tokenized securities. The platform covers more than 430 stocks and ETFs.
The firm also expanded through a June partnership with Exodus. That deal launched Exodus Markets for eligible users through the Exodus app. The platform offers more than 200 tokenized stocks, ETFs, and real-world assets.
The tokenized equities sector reached a $5.5 billion market cap on June 8. That marked a 147% rise from $2.23 billion at year-start. Ondo Finance now adds U.S.-structured IVV and MU products to that market.
Market corrections often change the way investors evaluate opportunities. Instead of chasing assets after strong rallies, many begin looking for projects that either appear undervalued or are still developing before reaching wider adoption.
That has become especially relevant in 2026, as several established cryptocurrencies continue trading below important resistance levels while AI-powered presales attract fresh attention.
Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe recently observed that bearish sentiment across major cryptocurrencies has reached levels commonly associated with long-term accumulation phases before broader market recoveries.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Cardano remain among the industry’s most recognized digital assets. At the same time, MemeToro ($MT) is taking a different route by expanding its ecosystem during the presale stage rather than after exchange listings.
Comparing these projects highlights how different investment strategies can fit into the current market environment.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Continue Defending Key Levels Bitcoin remains the benchmark cryptocurrency despite recent weakness.
The asset has fallen below $59,000, placing greater attention on the important support range between $56,200 and $58,200. Although short-term momentum remains cautious, Bitcoin continues serving as the reference point for institutional participation across the wider digital asset market.
Ethereum has experienced an even more challenging period.
The network entered July trading near $1,570, completing its first-ever streak of three consecutive negative quarters. Even with this difficult price performance, Ethereum continues supporting the largest decentralized application ecosystem in crypto, giving many investors confidence in its long-term relevance.
Rather than abandoning these assets, many long-term holders continue viewing the current market as a period of accumulation.
XRP and Cardano Are Waiting for Stronger Catalysts XRP and Cardano have also struggled to generate sustained momentum.
XRP remains tightly consolidated around $1.05, relying on strong support between $1.00 and $1.06 while investors continue monitoring regulatory developments. Delays surrounding the CLARITY Act have reduced expectations for immediate policy changes, leaving technical price levels as the primary focus.
Cardano continues facing its own technical challenges.
The token remains below both its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages, making it difficult for buyers to establish a convincing recovery despite continued ecosystem development.
Both projects retain active communities and established blockchain infrastructure, but neither has fully escaped the broader market slowdown affecting large-cap cryptocurrencies.
MemeToro Offers a Different Entry Point Unlike established cryptocurrencies that already trade on major exchanges, MemeToro ($MT) is still expanding during its public presale.
The platform combines artificial intelligence with several blockchain products instead of relying on one standalone application. Its AI Agent continuously analyzes online discussions, market narratives, social trends, and cultural developments before autonomously supporting fair no-code memecoin launches.
The ecosystem extends far beyond token creation.
Users can participate in decentralized prediction markets covering cryptocurrencies, politics, sports, entertainment, and global events using $MT and BNB. The platform also includes SocialFi participation, behavioral finance tools, and staking rewards of up to 35% APR, encouraging continued activity throughout the ecosystem.
Rather than waiting until after launch to introduce utility, MemeToro is building those products during the presale itself.
Early $MT Token Buyers Still Get the Better Deal Stage 3 of MemeToro’s presale keeps rolling forward, currently sitting at $44,714.54 raised against an $80,644.11 target. The per-token price of $0.00171 won’t hold forever, it’s set to increase as upcoming milestones are reached, rewarding those who act sooner rather than later.
With a hard cap of 1.2 billion $MT, the lion’s share, 71% or 857,936,900 tokens, goes to public participants. The remaining supply is divided between exchange liquidity (10%), marketing and partnership efforts (7.56%), platform operations (5%), ecosystem rewards (4.44%), and core team holdings (2%), all supporting the project beyond launch.
BNB, ETH, USDT, USDC, and bank cards are all accepted through the official presale portal.
Market Conditions Are Changing Investor Behavior Bear markets often encourage investors to look beyond short-term price movements.
Meanwhile, He Yi, co-founder of Binance, has emphasized that projects capable of delivering real infrastructure during difficult conditions are more likely to succeed than those focused primarily on speculative price appreciation.
Those observations help explain why investors continue comparing established cryptocurrencies with earlier-stage AI ecosystems instead of treating them as competing investments.
Many portfolios now include both categories.
More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:
Website: https://memetoro.com/
X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt
Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt
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In recent weeks, Standard Chartered, which has been focusing on the DeFi space beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, has been examining Uniswap, Morpho, and Aave.
At this point, British banking giant Standard Chartered, which previously expected a 40x increase in value for Uniswap, a 50x increase for Aave, and a 33x increase for Morpho, has now announced its target for Bitcoin.
Geoff Kendrick, head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, who attended the Digital Asset Investment Analysis Forum 2026 in Yeouido, South Korea, announced his year-end target for Bitcoin.
Kendrick stated that inflows into US spot ETFs and from institutional investors would increase, and predicted that Bitcoin would reach $100,000 by the end of the year and $500,000 in 2030.
Kendrick stated that Bitcoin will rise to $100,000 by the end of this year. However, in the short term, $75,000 and $85,000 could act as significant resistance levels. If Bitcoin breaks above these levels, it could reach $100,000 by the end of the year.
Kendrick noted that some analysts expect Bitcoin to fall to $20,000 to $30,000 in the fourth quarter, but that this probability is close to zero.
Kendrick stated that Bitcoin is nearing its bottom and that now is the time to accumulate through gradual buying rather than panic selling.
The analyst noted that spot Bitcoin ETF holders largely held onto their positions despite the recent price drop, arguing that this increases the likelihood of a different market cycle than in past downturns.
Kendrick concludes by stating that stablecoins, Ethereum, Solana, and decentralized finance (DeFi) will be key growth catalysts, predicting that Ethereum will reach $4,000 and Solana will reach $135 by the end of the year.
*This is not investment advice.
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Most crypto investors still obsess over price charts. But in 2026, a growing share of attention is shifting back to improving the fundamentals of the protocols.
Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche are preparing some of their largest protocol upgrades in years, while Coinbase’s Base network rolled out its Beryl hard fork last Friday in a bid to streamline the network, with a native token standard and shorter withdrawal windows.
Bitcoin development however, remains frozen, with developers still arguing over controversial covenant proposals and post-quantum computing upgrades.
Tim Sun, a senior researcher at Hong Kong-based asset manager HashKey Group, told Cointelegraph that protocol upgrades have historically focused on adding features, speed and throughput.
However, in 2026, he said the emphasis is shifting toward reliability, predictable governance, and institutional-grade infrastructure that can support large-scale financial use cases.
Here are the top five major blockchain upgrades to watch in the second half of 2026.
Ethereum: GlamsterdamGlamsterdam is arguably the most consequential upgrade this year, and its already being tested on devnets. According to Ethereum’s public roadmap, Glamsterdam is designed to improve scalability, harden the layer-1, and make the network easier to use, with a mainnet launch expected sometime in the second half of 2026.
Sun said the upgrade should improve processing speeds by allowing more transactions to be processed simultaneously, expand capacity so Ethereum can handle more data at higher throughput, and reduce database bloat. Those changes should make the chain better suited for stablecoin settlement and real-world asset use cases, he said.
Holly Atkinson, chief product and technology officer at 1inch, told Cointelegraph that Glamsterdam is viewed by many as Ethereum’s most significant upgrade since The Merge in September 2022, which transitioned the blockchain from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake.
Glamsterdam. Source: Ethereum.org
She said enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) is a key change because most validators still depend on a small set of specialized builders and relays, which concentrates control over transaction ordering.
That setup amplifies maximal extractable value (MEV), censorship and centralization risks, she said. ePBS is designed to pull block building and proposing back into the protocol and make the process more transparent and accountable.
Pavan Kaur is a Solana Foundation judge and founder of RuleSpark, a compliance engine for digital asset marketing. She told Cointelegraph that ePBS is better understood as one step in Ethereum’s broader roadmap and does not eliminate MEV or fully solve builder centralization. “Practices like sandwich attacks may therefore migrate rather than disappear,” she said.
Solana: AlpenglowSolana’s biggest change this year is Alpenglow, a consensus upgrade that reworks the network’s core protocol. Alpenglow has been billed by many, including Solana ecosystem lead David Liang, as the chain’s “most significant consensus upgrade yet.”
After being overwhelmingly approved through a governance process in September 2025, Alpenglow remains under development but is expected to ship alongside the Agave 4.1 validator client release later in 2026.
Arun Krishnakumar, vice president of institutional capital at R3 enterprise software firm, told Cointelegraph that Alpenglow will be a major tailwind that will reinforce the ‘internet capital markets’ thesis even more strongly.
Solana Network Updrades. Source: Solana
At its core, Alpenglow is designed to dramatically speed up how quickly the network reaches finality. Instead of relying on Solana’s existing TowerBFT-based consensus mechanism, it introduces a redesigned system built around a new voting component called Votor.
The practical impact is a major reduction in confirmation times, with finality targeted at roughly 100-150 milliseconds in optimal conditions, compared to around 12.8 seconds today.
Beyond speed, the upgrade also removes onchain vote transactions, which currently account for a significant portion of network activity. By streamlining how validators communicate and agree on the state of the chain, Alpenglow is intended to make Solana both lighter and more efficient under load.
Hadley Stern, board director, DeFi Development Corp, told Cointelegraph that removing onchain vote transactions is the “real story” for institutional allocators because it “cleans up validator economics and gives you honest telemetry, which matters when you're underwriting SOL as a treasury asset.”
He said that a network that can migrate its consensus layer as cleanly as is planned, would show the kind of “governed adaptability legacy financial infrastructure can't match.”
Base: BerylBase’s Beryl hard fork went live on Friday, following a short sequencer-related outage, when block production stalled for around two hours following an invalid block that triggered a temporary consensus failure.
Base co-founder Jesse Pollak said user funds were unaffected during the incident. While he stressed that “all funds are safe,” he added that “a halt is not okay” and said that lessons learned from the episode will be used to further strengthen Base as a platform for “global, 24/7 finance.”
Jesse Pollak speaks about the chain halt. Source: Jesse Pollak
According to Base’s documentation, Beryl introduces a set of changes aimed at tightening the network’s performance and reducing friction at the edges. These include the B20 native token standard, a shortening of withdrawal finality from seven days to five, and integration with Reth V2, which is expected to reduce node storage requirements while improving execution efficiency.
Sun said Base has been moving toward a more unified “stack” approach, giving it greater control over how the network is built and upgraded, and allowing changes to ship more quickly than under the earlier Optimism Superchain model.
The trade-off, he said, is that liquidity, which once moved more freely across the broader Superchain ecosystem, may become more fragmented, even as Base deepens its integration with Coinbase’s wider user base.
Avalanche: OctaneAvalanche’s next chapter is less about a single branded hard fork than a broader push to improve performance while courting institutions and tokenized asset issuers.
Sun told Cointelegraph that Avalanche’s recent Etna hard fork replaced the old subnet model with sovereign Avalanche L1s, cutting the cost of launching a dedicated blockchain by more than 99% and making the network more attractive to institutional players.
It's already seen success in this regard. Sun pointed to Progmat, which he said accounts for roughly 63% of Japan’s national security token market, which migrated more than $2 billion in tokenized assets to a dedicated Avalanche L1, as well as the Avalanche Payments Collective backed by firms including Franklin Templeton, VanEck and WisdomTree.
Progmat Migrates $2B+ of its Tokenized Securities to Avalanche. Source: Avalanche
Atkinson said Avalanche is also pushing two upgrades aimed at making its C-Chain one of the fastest Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) environments.
She described Streaming Asynchronous Execution as a way to separate transaction execution from consensus so the chain can run more continuously and size capacity closer to normal demand. For users, she said, the practical effect should be higher throughput and lower, steadier fees during periods of heavy activity.
Bitcoin: OP_CATBitcoin is the outlier here because its biggest developments in 2026 are not scheduled upgrades but a continuation of passionate debates over whether the protocol should become more programmable and how urgently it should be hardened against quantum threats.
Bitcoin has not activated a major soft fork since Taproot in 2020, which upgraded Bitcoin’s scripting to make transactions more flexible and improve privacy.
Since then, discussion around covenant-related proposals such as OP_CAT, CheckTemplateVerify (CTV) and Lightning-focused ideas like LNHANCE has intensified. None of these changes has an agreed path to activation.
Researchers have also been debating BIP-360 and related proposals as ways to make it easier to migrate coins into quantum-resistant spending paths, if and when the quantum computing threat becomes real.
Atkinson described Bitcoin as the wildcard of the group. She said covenant proposals could unlock safer storage and richer scripting, but the subject remains divisive and subject to much debate.
Sun said those proposals could improve self-custody security, fee management and protocols such as Lightning and Ark, while giving institutions more programmable custody logic directly on the L1.
Bitcoin development is infamously slow, and any change to the protocol is pored over from every angle. There is general agreement that no covenant opcode is on track for activation this year, and reaching consensus on proposals like OP_CAT or CTV is still some distance away.
On the post-quantum side, BIP-360’s authors estimate that a full migration to quantum-resistant addresses and signatures would take years even under optimistic assumptions. It seems unlikely at this point that a quantum-resistance upgrade will be implemented before the end of 2026.
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