Zcash’s Ironwood network upgrade, the solution to an “infinity” bug discovered in May on the privacy-focused blockchain’s main private transaction pool, Orchard, is set to go live on July 28.
Announced in June, Ironwood closes the current Orchard pool, prevents new activity in it and sets up a new private pool. Funds leaving Orchard would have to pass through an accounting checkpoint before entering Ironwood, which could produce evidence about whether any counterfeit Zcash (ZEC) tokens were produced through the Orchard bug.
“Zcash's Ironwood mainnet activation height has been set and tagged! All of the major organizations are committed to activation of NU6.3 at height 3428143, which is approximately July 28th at 8AM EST,” Zcash core developer Sean Bowe said on Thursday.
Source: Sean Bowe
Shielded Labs had floated delaying Zcash’s Ironwood upgrade, warning that ecosystem participants such as exchanges, mining pools and wallets would not have enough time to prepare their systems for a late-July mainnet activation. Bowe’s latest comment confirms the upgrade will go ahead one week later than its earlier target date of July 21.
In June, Shielded Labs said Ironwood may provide evidence about whether the Orchard vulnerability was ever exploited.
“As users migrate funds from the existing Orchard pool to the new pool, any hypothetical counterfeiter faces a choice: attempt to move counterfeit funds and risk exposing their existence, or leave them behind and risk being unable to move them in the future.”
ZEC plummeted 50% to $299.25 from $602.68 after the disclosure of the Orchard bug on June 3. The price of ZEC has made a partial recovery in the weeks following and is trading at $492.61 at the time of writing.
Zcash crossed a major monetary milestone this week, with more than 80% of its maximum 21 million ZEC supply now issued. A post from ruZCASH on Monday shows that there is now 16,806,723 ZEC in supply.
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Zcash (ZEC) price shows mild recovery during early Asian hours on Friday, rising toward the $500 mark. Retail demand supports ZEC's recovery, with an 18% rise in its futures Open Interest, likely linked to the announcement of the Ironwood shielded pool.
Technically, ZEC should clear a key Fibonacci resistance level near $520 to test its all-time high of $690.
Upcoming Ironwood shielded pool lifts retail demandZcash developer Sean Bowe announced in an X post on Friday that the Ironwood shielded pool is set for mainnet activation at block height 3428143, around July 28, with full commitment from major organizations.
The successor to the current Orchard pool directs a new shielded value while restricting the old pool to spend only to restore the integrity of the verifiable circulating supply. The upgrade follows the recent counterfeiting vulnerability discovered in the Orchard pool, adding formal verification, independent audits, and quantum-recoverable note formats to enhance security.
Zcash’s attempt to restore trust in its privacy coin and shielded pool lifts retail demand for derivatives. CoinGlass data shows ZEC futures Open Interest (OI) is up 18% over the last 24 hours to $914.91 million, reflecting increased capital inflows boosting positional buildup.
In addition, the volume is up roughly 10% to $1.66 billion in the same period, indicating increased activity, while a surge in the positive funding rate to 0.0105% suggests that traders are willing to take long positions even at a premium.
Zcash derivatives data. Source: CoinGlassRenewed retail support amid a network upgrade positions Zcash for an upside rally, provided that broader market sentiment holds steady even as geopolitical tensions fuel near-term volatility.
Will Zcash rally above $500?Zcash hovers around $90 on Friday, maintaining a near-term bullish bias as price holds well above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $457 and the 200-day EMA at $388. From a technical perspective, ZEC rises above a broken resistance trendline of a symmetrical triangle pattern, near $460.
The breakout rally is heading toward the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level at $520, measured over the upswing from $184 to $690. A decisive close above this level could target the all-time high of $690, paving the way for a fresh price discovery phase.
That said, momentum remains constructive, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 57 showing a steady upward trend, crossing above the midline, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line enters positive territory, together hinting at persistent upside pressure.
ZEC/USDT daily price chart.On the downside, immediate support is seen at the former descending trendline around $460, reinforced by the 50-day EMA at $457. A slip below this zone could test the 200-day EMA and the nearby rising support trendline near $388.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Zcash has scheduled its Ironwood network upgrade for July 28, setting the activation date for the protocol change designed to close the Orchard shielded pool and help verify whether the previously disclosed vulnerability was ever exploited.
Summary
Zcash has scheduled the Ironwood network upgrade for July 28 to replace the Orchard shielded pool after the counterfeit token vulnerability. Ironwood will require funds leaving Orchard to pass through an accounting checkpoint that could reveal whether counterfeit ZEC was ever created. ZEC has partially recovered from its post disclosure decline as more than 80% of the cryptocurrency’s maximum supply has now been issued. Zcash core developer Sean Bowe said on Thursday that the network will activate Ironwood at block height 3,428,143, expected at around 8 a.m. EST on July 28, confirming a one-week delay from the previously planned July 21 rollout.
Zcash's Ironwood mainnet activation height has been set and tagged! All of the major organizations are committed to activation of NU6.3 at height 3428143, which is approximately July 28th at 8AM EST.
— Sean Bowe (@ebfull) July 9, 2026 The confirmation follows earlier concerns raised by Shielded Labs that exchanges, mining pools, and wallet providers might not have enough time to prepare because many were also replacing Zcash’s long-running zcashd software with the new Z3 stack, which includes Zebra, Zaino, and Zallet.
Although the organization floated delaying the upgrade, Bowe’s announcement confirms the activation will proceed later this month.
Ironwood was proposed after developers disclosed an “infinity” bug in Zcash’s Orchard shielded pool, the network’s primary privacy-focused transaction system. Shielded Labs said the flaw could theoretically have allowed an attacker to create unlimited counterfeit ZEC, although it also said it had found no evidence that the vulnerability had been exploited.
Emergency updates addressed the software flaw before it became public. Developers first disabled Orchard transactions through a temporary network update before activating the NU6.2 hard fork on June 3 to fix the underlying issue and restore the pool.
Once Ironwood goes live, the existing Orchard pool will stop accepting new activity and users will instead move funds into a newly created private pool. According to Shielded Labs, coins leaving Orchard must pass through an accounting checkpoint before entering Ironwood, creating a process that could reveal evidence if any counterfeit ZEC had been created through the earlier bug.
The organization said users migrating funds effectively force any hypothetical counterfeiter to either move fake coins and risk exposing them or leave those coins behind without a future way to transfer them.
ZEC has recovered after sharp post-disclosure decline Following public disclosure of the Orchard vulnerability on June 3, ZEC fell about 50% from $602.68 to $299.25. The token has since recovered part of those losses and was trading at $492.61 at the time of writing.
Separately, Zcash passed another network milestone this week. A post from ruZCASH on Monday showed the circulating supply had reached 16,806,723 ZEC, meaning more than 80% of the cryptocurrency’s maximum 21 million supply has now been issued.
Zcash has confirmed July 28 as the activation date for its Ironwood network upgrade, one week later than the original target, according to core developer Sean Bowe.
Bowe announced on Thursday that "Zcash's Ironwood mainnet activation height has been set and tagged," with all major ecosystem organisations committed to activation of NU6.3 at block height 3428143, approximately July 28 at 8 a.m. EST.
What Triggered the UpgradeIronwood is the solution to an "infinity" bug discovered in May on Zcash's main private transaction pool, Orchard. The vulnerability, present since Orchard's activation in May 2022, was discovered on May 29 by security engineer Taylor Hornby and patched in an emergency fix by June 1.
Shielded Labs said the flaw could theoretically have allowed an attacker to create unlimited counterfeit $ZEC, although it also said it had found no evidence that the vulnerability had been exploited. Developers first disabled Orchard transactions through a temporary network update before activating the NU6.2 hard fork on June 3 to fix the underlying issue and restore the pool.
Following public disclosure of the Orchard vulnerability on June 3, ZEC fell about 50% from $602.68 to $299.25. The token has since recovered part of those losses.
How Ironwood WorksAnnounced in June, Ironwood closes the current Orchard pool, prevents new activity in it and sets up a new private pool. Funds leaving Orchard must pass through an accounting checkpoint before entering Ironwood, which could produce evidence about whether any counterfeit Zcash tokens were produced through the Orchard bug.
According to Shielded Labs, coins leaving Orchard must pass through this checkpoint before entering Ironwood, creating a process that could reveal evidence if any counterfeit ZEC had been created through the earlier bug. The organisation said users migrating funds effectively force any hypothetical counterfeiter to either move fake coins and risk exposing them, or leave those coins behind without a future way to transfer them.
Earlier concerns raised by Shielded Labs that exchanges, mining pools, and wallet providers might not have enough time to prepare, partly because many were also replacing Zcash's long-running zcashd software with the new Z3 stack, including Zebra, Zaino, and Zallet, were ultimately set aside. The upgrade proceeds about a week later than a previously targeted July 21 activation date.
CoinTelegraph: Zcash Sets Ironwood Network Upgrade for July 28 | Crypto.news: Zcash Confirms July 28 Ironwood Activation After Orchard Bug | CoinDesk: Zcash Plummets 38% as Shielded Labs Reveals Major Bug
Key Highlights The Ironwood network upgrade for Zcash will activate on July 28, 2026 The upgrade retires the Orchard pool after discovery of a critical counterfeiting vulnerability ZEC price has rebounded to approximately $492 following a sharp 50% decline to $299 after bug revelation Open Interest in ZEC futures climbed 18% within 24 hours to reach $914.91 million Zcash has now issued more than 80% of its total 21 million token cap The Zcash ecosystem has officially scheduled its Ironwood mainnet upgrade for July 28, 2026. According to core developer Sean Bowe, the activation will occur at block height 3428143, with full backing from every major organization participating in the network.
Zcash (ZEC) Price This upgrade directly addresses a critical vulnerability discovered in May within Zcash’s Orchard pool—the primary privacy-focused transaction layer. The flaw theoretically enabled the undetectable creation of counterfeit ZEC tokens.
Ironwood will permanently deactivate the Orchard pool while blocking any further transactions within it. A newly designed shielded pool will take its place, incorporating formal verification protocols, independent security assessments, and quantum-resistant note structures.
LATEST: ⚡ Zcash developers say they're nearing a mathematical proof that the upcoming Ironwood shielded pool has no hidden counterfeiting bugs. pic.twitter.com/5AmpKYSOEz
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) July 8, 2026
As users migrate their holdings from the deprecated Orchard pool to the new Ironwood infrastructure, all transfers must clear an accounting verification point. This mechanism could potentially expose whether any fraudulent tokens were actually minted during the vulnerability window.
Shielded Labs initially advocated for postponing the launch, citing insufficient preparation time for cryptocurrency exchanges, wallet providers, and mining operations. The confirmed July 28 date represents a one-week extension from the initially proposed July 21 activation.
Token Value Rebounds Following Sharp Correction The ZEC token experienced significant selling pressure immediately after the Orchard vulnerability became public on June 3. Prices tumbled 50% from $602.68 down to a bottom of $299.25. The token has since recovered substantially, currently trading near $492.61.
Source: TradingView FXStreet analyst Vishal Dixit observed that ZEC maintains positions above both its 50-day exponential moving average at $457 and its 200-day EMA at $388. He pinpointed the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level at $520 as the subsequent resistance target to monitor.
Sean Bowe’s announcement regarding the activation block height on X platform sparked renewed market engagement. The confirmation from all participating organizations strengthened confidence in the upcoming transition.
Futures Markets Reflect Growing Trader Confidence Data from CoinGlass indicates that ZEC futures Open Interest expanded by 18% over a 24-hour window, reaching $914.91 million. Simultaneously, trading volume increased approximately 10% to $1.66 billion during the identical timeframe.
The funding rate registered at 0.0105% positive, demonstrating that traders are accepting premium costs to maintain long exposure.
In a separate development, Zcash achieved a significant supply threshold this week. According to a Monday announcement from ruZCASH, the network has now distributed over 80% of its maximum 21 million ZEC supply cap, with 16,806,723 tokens currently in active circulation.
Zcash is preparing to activate its Ironwood network upgrade on July 28 at block height 3,428,143, a direct response to a serious bug that could have allowed unlimited counterfeit ZEC to be minted from thin air. The privacy-focused blockchain discovered the vulnerability in late May, and the past two months have been a masterclass in crisis management, or at least an attempt at one.
The bug resided in the Orchard shielded pool, the very layer designed to keep Zcash transactions private. In a cruel irony, the privacy feature that made ZEC attractive was also the mechanism that could have let someone quietly print fake coins without anyone noticing.
What happened and how Zcash responded Researcher Taylor Hornby uncovered the soundness flaw in late May 2026. The vulnerability was particularly alarming because it exposed a fundamental weakness in a system that relied heavily on developer trust rather than cryptographic guarantees for supply integrity.
The Zcash team moved quickly with emergency patches in early June. A soft fork temporarily disabled the Orchard pool entirely, followed by a hard fork to further lock down the vulnerability.
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These were stopgap measures. The real fix is Ironwood, which was initially proposed for activation on July 21 but was pushed back one week to July 28 to allow for additional testing and audits.
The upgrade introduces an entirely new shielded pool built on revised Orchard code. The headline feature is a turnstile, or accounting checkpoint, which requires any funds moving from the old Orchard pool to pass through a public checkpoint before entering the new Ironwood pool, allowing for real-time verification of total circulating ZEC supply.
Market reaction tells the story The market did not take the initial disclosure well. ZEC’s price dropped approximately 50% after the bug was revealed, falling to lows near $300.
The recovery has been notable, though. After the emergency patches and the Ironwood upgrade proposal were announced, ZEC bounced back to the $400 to $500 range.
Major stakeholders appear to be rallying behind the fix. Zcash Open Development Lab, Project Tachyon, and Valar Group are all backing the upgrade with full developer support. Rigorous audits are reportedly underway, orchestrated primarily by Project Tachyon and its partners.
What investors should be watching The July 28 activation date is the obvious milestone, but the migration process from the old Orchard pool to the new Ironwood pool will be a critical period. Users will need to move their funds through the public checkpoint.
Watch the audit results closely. Project Tachyon is coordinating these audits, and the findings will likely influence whether institutional investors who fled during the price crash are willing to return.
There’s also the question of whether any counterfeiting actually occurred before the bug was patched. Once funds migrate through the checkpoint, any counterfeit ZEC would theoretically be caught. If the total supply checks out after migration, it would be a powerful signal that the system’s integrity was maintained despite the vulnerability.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The public stance of one of the world’s most watched sovereign wealth funds has shifted only slightly since the FTX collapse: no direct crypto exposure, and no plans to add any. Nagi Hamiyeh, chief investment officer at Temasek, repeated that message this week, according to the original report from CNBC. The Singapore state fund took a roughly $275 million impairment on its FTX investment in 2022, and the lesson it drew appears fixed in place.
The fund has no direct crypto holdings, Hamiyeh said, adding that regulatory uncertainty keeps digital assets “outside our investment scope.” That language matters. It is not a temporary pause or a tactical portfolio decision. It is a boundary drawn by institutional risk parameters, the kind that sets a ceiling on the capital that can flow into crypto markets from this class of allocator until the legal ground shifts.
The FTX Shadow and Institutional Memory A $275 million write-off is not large by Temasek standards. The fund manages nearly S$400 billion in assets, so the loss was absorbable. But the reputational sting outlasted the financial hit. An internal review followed the FTX impairment, and the fund’s leadership faced public questioning over due diligence lapses. Temasek subsequently said it had conducted extensive review of FTX’s financials, but it was clearly burned by governance failures that red-team processes missed. Since then, the fund has drawn a clean line around direct crypto exposure.
That line is dotted on the blockchain side. Hamiyeh confirmed Temasek will continue to monitor blockchain and related infrastructure applications in the real economy. That is not a throwaway comment. It signals that the fund is comfortable with the technology layer—settlement systems, supply chain tools, tokenization rails—but views crypto assets as a separate category, one where price discovery is still too loose and regulatory frameworks remain inadequate.
The Regulatory Barrier and the Bank Fight Hamiyeh’s reference to regulatory uncertainty arrives at a moment when the architecture of US crypto law is being fought over. The biggest crypto market-structure bill in years is facing fierce opposition from banks just days before a Senate vote, highlighting how far the industry remains from settled rules. For sovereign funds that require policy stability to commit to new asset classes, that kind of legislative volatility is itself a disqualifier.
Without transparent custody rules, clear definitions of securities versus commodities for digital assets, and cross-border regulatory coordination, large funds like Temasek are structurally unable to build direct crypto positions at any scale that would matter to their portfolio. The boundary Hamiyeh describes is therefore not just philosophical; it is operational.
Diverging Paths in Institutional Allocation Temasek’s posture does not represent every large allocator. The tokenization of real-world assets is accelerating, with tokenized Treasury products crossing $20 billion on-chain and major financial institutions settling trades directly on blockchain rails. The divide is increasingly between those who want exposure to the infrastructure and those who want exposure to the underlying coins. Temasek is firmly on the infrastructure side.
What remains uncertain is whether that distinction can hold. As tokenized funds and on-chain settlement become more mainstream, the line between a blockchain application and a crypto asset will blur. A fund that holds tokenized government bonds on a public ledger is not far from holding a stablecoin-denominated yield product. Temasek’s language leaves room for evolution, but only on the fund’s terms, and only within a tighter regulatory perimeter than exists today.
The developer side of blockchain ecosystems continues to hum despite the institutional caution around spot crypto. Activity across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon remains robust, with Ethereum leading the pack in weekly developer activity. For a fund that says it monitors blockchain infrastructure, that steady technical output likely registers more than a rally in a memecoin.
What This Means for Crypto Market Depth Temasek’s continued absence from spot crypto is a small data point in the global pool of sovereign capital, but it travels. When a blue-chip state fund that already took a mark-to-market hit declares the asset class off-limits until regulations improve, it reinforces a narrative among pension boards, endowment committees, and family offices that digital assets remain too hot to handle.
That does not cap crypto prices—markets will do what they do—but it does cap the breadth of institutional participation. A deeper, more liquid market depends on exactly the kind of parallel-sideways capital that Temasek represents. For now, that capital is watching the technology but keeping its wallet closed.
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Temasek Holdings has ruled out direct crypto investments, the Singapore state-owned investment firm said Wednesday, pointing to regulatory uncertainty and the lingering damage from its $275 million write-off following the collapse of FTX in 2022.
The firm, which manages S$518 billion (approximately $400 billion) in assets, will instead redirect capital toward artificial intelligence, targeting AI-related holdings of 15% of its portfolio by 2031, up from 6% in the first quarter of 2026.
"We don't have directly any investment in crypto," Nagi Hamiyeh, president of Temasek Global Investments, told CNBC. "I can't forecast what happens in the future, and the role that crypto is going to play in the main economy, depending on the different regulations that might happen."
The FTX shadow
The FTX collapse and subsequent crypto market failures exposed weak consumer protections in Singapore, prompting the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to tighten supervision of digital asset players operating in the city-state. The result was higher compliance costs and slower licensing timelines – barriers that have made Singapore a more difficult operating environment for crypto businesses.
Those regulatory headwinds, combined with the FTX loss, have kept Temasek on the sidelines of digital assets despite continued interest in the underlying technology.
Blockchain, not crypto
Temasek's position is nuanced: the fund is not abandoning blockchain entirely. Hamiyeh said the firm is continuing to explore blockchain technology and its potential to transform the real economy. The distinction the fund appears to be making is between speculative crypto exposure — particularly direct token holdings — and infrastructure or enterprise applications of distributed ledger technology that may emerge as AI systems become more integrated into financial markets.
The pivot also reflects timing. "The AI investment cycle has just begun and will continue for decades," Hamiyeh said, though he cautioned that valuations in parts of the AI sector have run ahead of business fundamentals — a warning that echoes concerns already voiced by a number of institutional investors watching AI multiples compress after the 2022-2023 surge.
Context for the crypto industry
Temasek's stance is notable as a data point in how major institutional capital continues to treat digital assets with caution despite recovering markets. The firm joins a cohort of large, long-horizon investors — including several sovereign wealth funds — that have publicly distanced themselves from direct crypto exposure even as they acknowledge blockchain's potential.
The regulatory environment Temasek cites has shown some signs of improvement. MiCA full enforcement is now live in the EU, the CLARITY Act draft is expected in the US, and Singapore's updated payment services framework has provided more regulatory clarity. Whether those developments are enough to shift Temasek's position over time remains an open question.
The fund's broader portfolio continues to grow: it reported net portfolio value of S$518 billion for its latest reporting year, up S$49 billion from the prior year, with AI-related investments forming part of that expansion.
Uniswap (UNI) is up 3% at press time on Friday, extending a three-day streak of steady recovery above its 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) around $3.08. Uniswap’s rising market share in stable-to-stable swap volume to 58% over the last 30 days reflects increased network demand. Rising retail demand, with a 5% jump in UNI futures Open Interest, suggests further upside.
Uniswap should clear overhead barriers, including the 200-day EMA barrier at $3.90 and a previous swing high near $4.17, for a sustained rally.
Rising stablecoin activity on Uniswap fuels retail demandUniswap announced in a social media post that it processed 58% of all stablecoin-to-stablecoin swap volume over the last 30 days. Typically, an increase in stablecoin activity on a Decentralized Exchange (DEX) like Uniswap translates into increased liquidity, enabling more efficient transfers. DeFiLlama data shows the 7-day DEX volume on Uniswap is roughly $8.73 billion on Friday, outpacing other DeFi protocols, including PancakeSwap and Pump.fun.
Protocols based on DEX volume. Source: DeFiLlamaOn the retail side, a positional buildup is seen in UNI futures as speculative demand rises. CoinGlass data shows the Open Interest (OI) is up 5% over the last 24 hours to $237.91 million, indicating a rise in the notional value of open contracts, while the funding rate of 0.0076% reflects a bullish bias in the positional buildup, with traders willing to buy long positions at a premium.
Uniswap derivatives data. Source: CoinGlassWill Uniswap price extend its gains toward the 200-day EMA?Uniswap hovers around $3.50 on Friday, maintaining a bullish near-term bias as price rises above the 50-day EMA at $3.08 and the 50% retracement of the $4.20 to $2.31 downswing at $3.10. From a technical perspective, Uniswap remains capped below the 200-day EMA at $3.90, which serves as immediate resistance, with the previous swing high at $4.20 as the next level of resistance.
Momentum on the daily chart suggests buyers remain in control. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 71 sits in overbought territory, while Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) maintains an uptrend in the positive territory with its signal line. Together, the indicators suggest firm but stretched upside momentum.
UNI/USDT daily price chart.On the downside, the initial support zone is now seen at the 50% retracement and the 50-day EMA near $3.10, where a pullback could attract dip-buying interest.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
US crypto concept stocks rose in pre-market trading, with Circle surging nearly 8%.
According to market data from BIT (bit.com), U.S. crypto-related concept stocks advanced in pre-market trading. Circle jumped nearly 8% after the firm secured approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to set up its national digital currency bank. Strategy rose nearly 5%, Coinbase gained over 4%, and Robinhood climbed more than 3%.
9 minutes ago
Ark Invest increased its Circle stock holdings by $13.7 million and trimmed its Robinhood positions.
Cathie Wood’s investment firm Ark Invest added to its holdings in Circle Internet Group on Thursday while offloading part of its Robinhood stake. Latest trading disclosures show Ark purchased a total of 217,896 Circle shares via its three ETFs—ARKK, ARKW, and ARKF—valued at roughly $13.7 million based on Thursday’s closing price of $63.01 per share. Separately, Ark sold 85,319 Robinhood shares worth $9.8 million.
9 minutes ago
Metaplanet is exploring the introduction of Bitcoin-backed digital credit to Japan.
According to CoinDesk, Tokyo-listed firm Metaplanet is forming a joint research team with Japanese yen stablecoin issuer JPYC and regulated security token platform Progmat to explore Bitcoin-backed digital credit products. The initiative will tokenize BTC collateral for use in debt instruments that accrue interest daily and can be traded and settled 24/7. Siiibo Securities, which Metaplanet acquired this year and plans to rebrand as Metaplanet Securities, will also participate in the research, handling product design and sales. Currently, Metaplanet holds around 43,000 BTC, which it intends to use as credit enhancement, a store of value, and compliant collateral assets to address the high financing costs and cumbersome processes faced by medium-sized and growing Japanese enterprises in the traditional bond market.
9 minutes ago
AI writing startup Marker secures $13 million in seed funding.
London-based AI writing startup Marker, co-founded by a former DeepMind creative lead, has exited stealth mode and announced a $13 million seed funding round. The round was led by Index Ventures, with participation from Local Globe. Angel investors include Writely co-founder Steve Newman, Slack co-founder Cal Henderson, and Hugging Face’s Thomas Wolf.
9 minutes ago
Ledger: Tangem Hardware Wallets Have Laser Attack Vulnerability, No Fix Available for Devices Already Sold
Ledger researchers have discovered that a laser attack can reset the passcodes on all Tangem hardware wallet cards. The attack requires physical access to the device, roughly $250,000 worth of laboratory equipment, and existing cards already in circulation cannot be patched.
9 minutes ago
Bitget expands its pledge-to-borrow service to support 26 stock tokens as collateral.
According to an official announcement, Bitget’s staking and borrowing platform has added stock tokens (rTokens) as collateral assets. The first batch includes 26 popular U.S. stocks and ETF tokens, such as rNVDA, rAAPL, rGOOGL, and rQQQ, covering sectors including technology, semiconductors, and index funds. Users holding these stock tokens can now use them as collateral to borrow mainstream assets like USDT and USDC, unlocking capital liquidity without selling their positions. The web-based feature is already live, while the app version will launch next week. For specific collateral parameters and more details, please refer to Bitget’s official platform. It is noted that rTokens, identified by the format of the letter 'r' plus the stock ticker (e.g., rNVDA for Nvidia), are issued by Reality, Bitget’s licensed Real-World Asset (RWA) protocol. Via a partnership with regulated broker Alpaca, they directly connect to global liquidity pools including the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange. Their key features include: 1:1 reserve of underlying assets held by licensed custodians, stock dividends distributed on a 1:1 basis in token form, synchronized mapping of corporate actions (such as stock splits and consolidations), and eligibility as combined margin for unified accounts and U.S. dollar-denominated contracts, enabling users to flexibly manage their funds while holding global stock assets.
Five AI-Focused Funds Go Live on BNB ChainReserve Protocol has launched five tokenized AI equity funds on BNB Chain, using Ondo Finance Global Markets tokenized stocks as the underlying assets. The funds cover AI infrastructure, power, photonics, cloud compute, and robotics, targeting some of the most active corners of public equity markets right now.
The products are available for trading on PancakeSwap, giving eligible users onchain access to AI sector exposure without going through a traditional brokerage. Access is open across roughly 145 countries, though U.S. persons are excluded due to regulatory restrictions, consistent with how Ondo Global Markets operates across its entire platform.
Ondo Global Markets: The Infrastructure Behind the LaunchOndo Global Markets, which powers the underlying assets in these funds, became the first tokenized-stock platform to surpass $1 billion in total value locked, exceeding the combined TVL of competing platforms. Ondo Finance holds more than 70% market share among tokenized equity issuers, per RWA.xyz.
Ondo Global Markets gives non-U.S. investors onchain access to publicly traded U.S. stocks and ETFs, with instant settlement, transparent custody, and no intermediaries, traded through PancakeSwap, BNB Chain's leading decentralized exchange. BNB Chain joined Ondo Global Markets in October 2025.
The Reserve Protocol and Ondo Finance collaboration reflects a broader push to package tokenized equities into structured, theme-based products rather than single-asset offerings. By bundling AI-related stocks into discrete funds and routing them through PancakeSwap, the two protocols are making sector-level equity exposure composable within the BNB Chain DeFi ecosystem.
Sources:
The Defiant: Ondo Finance Adds 173 Tokenized Stocks and ETFs
Yahoo Finance: Ondo Global Markets Tops $1B TVL
Ondo Finance: Global Markets Live on BNB Chain
A wave of payment-focused developments announced in June has significantly boosted Solana’s position in the digital finance ecosystem. According to Solana Payments data, Mastercard has launched seamless stablecoin settlement on the Solana network and brought Solana into its machine-centric Agent Pay initiative. These steps in payment infrastructure signal that the Solana network is gaining visibility not just in crypto transactions but also in everyday financial use cases.
Institutional payment adoption gains tractionIn South Korea, leading payment provider KG Inicis reached an agreement to explore stablecoin payments across its merchant network, which processes close to 25 trillion won per year. MoneyGram has also begun staking SOL to participate in network validation while expanding payment services to over 60 million customers worldwide. These moves underline the growing interest among major institutions in integrating Solana’s blockchain for real-world payment scenarios.
As Mastercard rolled out 24/7 stablecoin settlement on Solana, institutions like KG Inicis and MoneyGram have also begun evaluating the network for their payment services.
Digital bank Toss Bank has started pilot testing stablecoin transfers for its 15 million users. SoFiUSD grew its supply on Solana by $200 million within just five weeks. The Solana ecosystem continues to expand with new offerings like the Canadian dollar-backed CADC stablecoin and Open USD, which is supported by a consortium of major financial institutions.
The addition of subscription and allowance features to Solana means that recurring payments, payroll, and invoicing can now be executed directly on the blockchain, eliminating the need for third-party apps. The platform also highlights solutions such as international corporate banking, digital prepaid cards, and crypto-based lending products that use wallet behavior instead of traditional credit scores.
Network data points to rapid growthSince January 2025, the amount of stablecoins on the Solana network has surged by 154%, reaching $14.75 billion. Payment volume has jumped 87% compared to the same period last year. Card-based payment transactions alone have totaled $420 million. Solana’s share in the cryptocurrency payments sector climbed from 5.43% to an impressive 10.1%.
IndicatorDataStablecoin supply$14.75 billionIncrease since start of 2025154%Annual payment volume growth87%Card payment volume$420 millionMarket share5.43% → 10.1%According to Birdeye’s data from the first half of 2026, over half of Solana’s stablecoin total is made up of USDC, now spread across 7.54 million wallets. For seven consecutive weeks, Solana has ranked first among blockchains in USDC transfer volume. Birdeye is recognized as a leading crypto analysis platform for on-chain data and market tracking.
Mini glossary: Stablecoin settlement refers to the finalization of payments using digital assets that are typically pegged to fiat currencies like the dollar. USDC is a widely used, dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle.
In the current week alone, the network processed 22.7 million transactions, equivalent to about one third of all USDC transaction volume. During the same period, payroll payments on Solana reached $1.6 billion, with peer-to-peer transfers among retail users totaling $803 million.
Key technical levels in focus for SOLAnalyst Celal Kucuker notes that SOL’s price continues to demonstrate resilience and retains its upward potential. He highlights the $77 level as a critical support zone, marking the intersection of previous price action and important Fibonacci retracement points.
Celal Kucuker assesses that if SOL breaks above the descending monthly trend established at the start of 2025, resistance areas at $145 and $188 may come into play.
Should SOL maintain its position above the downward trendline, the $145 and $188 levels are likely to emerge as the next resistance points. However, if the support is lost, the current bullish scenario may weaken, possibly delaying broader upward momentum in the market.
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.
Wells Fargo has adjusted its portfolio of crypto-related assets, according to its latest filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The bank boosted its holdings in Strategy shares—a company known for holding large Bitcoin reserves—as well as in Ethereum and Solana-linked investment products. In contrast, Wells Fargo scaled back certain Bitcoin ETF positions, reflecting a more defensive approach amid increased geopolitical tension.
Shift in Strategy and Bitcoin ETF PortfolioThe filing shows that Wells Fargo increased its holdings in Strategy shares, led by Michael Saylor, by approximately 125% from the previous quarter to nearly 726,000 shares. This expansion cost about $41.5 million. Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, is closely tied to Bitcoin price movements due to its massive Bitcoin reserves.
While growing its position in Strategy, Wells Fargo also restructured its portfolio of Bitcoin ETFs, taking a more cautious stance in several areas.
The bank reduced its investment in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust by 75,102 shares, but simultaneously opened a new call option position on the product. The filing also reveals increased exposure to put options on IBIT, indicating a more conservative outlook. These changes come against the backdrop of rising tensions between the US and Iran, prompting a more risk-averse strategy.
Additionally, Wells Fargo trimmed its positions in the Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF, ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund. However, the bank did not fully exit Bitcoin exposure; instead, it increased investments in Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, and Bitwise Bitcoin ETF. Notably, the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF position grew by 24% quarter-over-quarter.
Expansion in Ethereum and Solana InvestmentsWells Fargo expanded its exposure to Ethereum-linked products as well. The bank increased its stake in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust by nearly 65%. This position now stands at over 1.10 million shares, valued at approximately $17.56 million.
According to the filing, the bank also holds 257,157 Bitwise Ethereum ETF shares, 4,637 Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF shares, and 623 VanEck Ethereum ETF shares. In a first, Wells Fargo took positions in Solana, buying 13,280 shares of Grayscale Solana Trust and 1,638 shares of Fidelity Solana Fund.
Glossary: Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, is a US-based software company notable for holding a significant volume of Bitcoin on its balance sheet. An Ethereum staking ETF is a type of exchange-traded fund that aims to provide investors with returns tied not only to the price of Ethereum but also to validation income generated by staking.
Broader Moves in Crypto-Linked EquitiesBeyond exchange-traded products, Wells Fargo also broadened its portfolio in crypto-related equities. The bank dramatically increased its holding in Bitmine Immersion from 2,323 shares to 21,547 shares, an increase of about 828%, valued at approximately $426,000.
The filing indicates that Wells Fargo is building a diversified portfolio connected not only to Bitcoin, but also to Ethereum and Solana assets.
The disclosure also lists new treasury-related positions in American Bitcoin Corp. and Strive Asset Management. American Bitcoin Corp. has previously received backing from the Trump family. In addition, Wells Fargo increased its Robinhood stake by 65% to roughly 2.56 million shares and opened a new put option position valued at around $116,000 in Robinhood.
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.
Bitwise named the CLARITY Act as one of the key catalysts for crypto markets in the third quarter, saying its passage could likely mark the bottom of the current bear market.
The asset manager laid out four catalysts in its Q3 2026 report. It added that this quarter is make-or-break for the market structure bill.
Why the CLARITY Act Tops Bitwise’s Q3 ListThe CLARITY Act has been one of the most-watched bills for the crypto sector. However, it has faced key hurdles, with two issues now stalling its progress.
First, ethics provisions tied to the president’s family’s crypto interests have become a sticking point. Section 604, which shields non-custodial developers from money transmitter rules, has also drawn contested debate among lawmakers and law enforcement groups.
Prediction markets put the odds of the bill passing in 2026 near 40%. That figure has fallen sharply from 75% in mid-May.
Polymarket Odds For The CLARITY Act Passing in 2026. Source: PolymarketNonetheless, Bitwise remains cautiously optimistic about the bill’s chances. It said a successful vote would likely mark the bottom of this bear market. According to the firm, a failure would bring early volatility.
“If it passes, we believe it likely marks this bear market’s bottom. If it fails, expect volatility initially, then a clearing of uncertainty as the industry keeps building under a pro-crypto SEC and CFTC,” the statement read.
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The Other Q3 Crypto Market Catalysts on Bitwise’s RadarIn addition to the CLARITY Act, the asset manager outlined three more upcoming catalysts. Stablecoins sit second on the list. Regulators are due to finalize GENIUS Act rules this quarter, ahead of the law taking effect in January 2027.
Bitwise expects more large firms to announce stablecoin projects before go-live. It pointed to OpenUSD, backed by Stripe, BlackRock, Visa, Coinbase, and about 140 other firms.
“Stablecoin supply has held near $300 billion since last fall, a quiet show of resilience through crypto’s selloff. We see accelerating stablecoin growth as a catalyst for chains like Ethereum and Solana in Q3, as attention builds ahead of January’s effective date,” it added.
The firm also flagged the new Federal Reserve under Chair Kevin Warsh, whose approach remains largely unknown to markets. He has held rates steady so far. Bitwise expects a much clearer read on his Fed by the end of the quarter. The direction of rates is still hard to call. However, the firm noted that the Fed shapes sentiment across all risk assets, so any rate decision could move markets.
Finally, Bitwise highlighted a quiet re-rating in Decentralized Finance (DeFi). In the past month, Bitcoin (BTC) fell about 22%, yet the firm’s DeFi index dropped just 4%.
“DeFi usually swings much harder than Bitcoin, so holding up this well is unusual, and almost no one is talking about it. We think DeFi is quietly re-rating,” the report read. “We expect DeFi’s outperformance to keep playing out in Q3, the kind of shift the market tends to notice late.”
Bitwise’s outlook follows a punishing Q2, crypto’s third straight quarter of losses and its worst run since 2022. How the current quarter progresses will show whether that streak extends or breaks.
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Key Highlights The banking institution expanded its Strategy position by 125%, reaching approximately 726,000 shares with roughly $41.5 million in additional exposure BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF saw a reduction of 75,102 shares, though the bank redistributed holdings across alternative Bitcoin investment vehicles Ethereum-based ETF positions grew by 65%, with BlackRock’s Ethereum ETF holdings exceeding 1.10 million shares Initial investments in Solana-focused funds appeared in the filing, alongside an 828% expansion in Bitmine positions Galaxy Digital holdings were slashed by 97%, while Coinbase positions decreased by 25% A comprehensive SEC filing from Wells Fargo reveals the financial institution’s extensive digital asset holdings, demonstrating significant portfolio adjustments across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana investment products, along with cryptocurrency-focused equities.
The financial powerhouse, managing $2.5 trillion in assets, amplified its stake in Michael Saylor’s Strategy by 125%, elevating total ownership to nearly 726,000 shares. This strategic move represents approximately $41.5 million in additional exposure to the prominent Bitcoin treasury enterprise.
Strategic Bitcoin ETF Portfolio Reallocation Despite reducing its BlackRock Bitcoin ETF stake by 75,102 shares from the previous quarter, Wells Fargo maintained its overall commitment to Bitcoin investment products. The institution similarly decreased positions in Invesco Galaxy’s Bitcoin ETF, ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, and Fidelity’s Bitcoin offering.
Conversely, the bank strengthened investments in Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, and Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF. The Bitwise allocation specifically increased by 24% on a quarterly basis.
Additionally, Wells Fargo initiated a fresh call option position in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF while simultaneously expanding put exposure—strategic decisions made during heightened market volatility linked to geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Iran.
Growing Commitment to Ethereum and Initial Solana Entry The bank’s Ethereum ETF strategy demonstrated notably different momentum. Wells Fargo increased its BlackRock Ethereum ETF allocation by approximately 65%, elevating total holdings beyond 1.10 million shares valued at roughly $17.56 million.
Supplementary Ethereum positions include 257,157 shares in Bitwise’s Ethereum ETF, 4,637 shares in Grayscale’s Ethereum Staking ETF, and 623 shares in VanEck’s Ethereum product.
Notably, the disclosure documents the bank’s inaugural positions in Solana investment vehicles. Wells Fargo acquired 13,280 shares of Grayscale’s Solana Trust alongside 1,638 shares of Fidelity’s Solana Fund.
Regarding cryptocurrency-related equities, Bitmine Immersion holdings surged dramatically from 2,323 to 21,547 shares—an extraordinary 828% increase—boosting Ethereum treasury exposure to approximately $426,000.
The institution also established new positions in American Bitcoin Corp, the Trump family-affiliated Bitcoin treasury enterprise, and Strive Asset Management’s treasury investment vehicle.
Wells Fargo enhanced its Robinhood position by 65%, reaching approximately 2.56 million shares. Concurrently, the bank initiated put option positions in Robinhood valued at nearly $116,000.
However, certain cryptocurrency stocks experienced significant reductions. Wells Fargo decreased its Galaxy Digital ownership by approximately 97% and trimmed its Coinbase stake by roughly 25%, according to regulatory disclosures.
The comprehensive filing illustrates a major financial institution actively reconfiguring its cryptocurrency market presence, prioritizing treasury-focused companies and diversified ETF instruments while strategically reducing exposure to specific individual equities.
Key Takeaways Fear and uncertainty surrounding Solana hit 2026 peaks while trading volumes plunged to yearly lows A critical resistance barrier exists between $79 and $85 where approximately 105 million SOL tokens were previously traded Successfully breaching $85 could trigger a rally toward $100, followed by $127; failure may result in a decline to $53 or beyond Network fundamentals remained robust in Q2 despite bearish price action and market sentiment Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe emphasizes that maintaining the $73-$76 zone is essential for any upward movement past $100 Solana currently confronts unprecedented levels of market anxiety and skepticism for 2026. Simultaneously, trading activity has plummeted to its weakest point this year, data from Santiment reveals.
Solana (SOL) Price Market participants have adopted a wait-and-see approach. Disappointment has set in after SOL underperformed relative to expectations, despite heightened interest in tokenized equities and real-world asset initiatives built on its blockchain.
Santiment observed that the convergence of pessimistic sentiment with diminished trading volumes can occasionally weaken selling pressure. This environment may allow institutional buyers to accumulate positions with minimal resistance.
✍️ TL;DR: Solana FUD hits highest point of 2026, generally a bullish sign
📊 Metrics Used: Trading Volume, Negative Sentiment
🔗 Link to chart: https://t.co/3d3XHYAsY3
😬 Solana is getting hit with a rough sentiment combo: trading volume has fallen to its lowest level of 2026,… pic.twitter.com/e020pDoOJ9
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) July 9, 2026
Crypto strategist Michaël van de Poppe shared his perspective on X, stating that maintaining support within the $73-$76 corridor and establishing a bounce from that level would signal market readiness for a breakout above $100. He cautioned that losing this critical zone could trigger widespread declines.
Things start to become interesting here for $SOL.
If it is able to hold between $ 73- $ 76 and bounce back upwards, it is a strong signal that the markets are ready to run to higher than $100.
If that doesn't happen, boy, we'll be seeing new lows across the board. pic.twitter.com/XRz4iMfxY6
— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) July 8, 2026
Massive Supply Cluster Creates Overhead Resistance Market analyst Ali Charts identified approximately 105 million SOL tokens that previously traded hands within the $79-$85 price band. This concentration represents significant overhead resistance, as holders approaching their entry prices may be inclined to liquidate positions.
SOLANA: BIG SUPPLY WALL
Solana is currently attempting to reclaim a resistance zone between $79 and $85.
According to URPD data, roughly 105 million SOL were transacted within this range, establishing a dense supply cluster.
Reclaiming this zone as support clears the overhead… https://t.co/CZXB9kPtOz pic.twitter.com/jiZI3GJ8z4
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) July 8, 2026
Should buying pressure drive SOL beyond $85 while establishing that threshold as new support, subsequent price objectives would be $100 followed by $127. Conversely, rejection at this resistance could precipitate a retreat toward $53, with additional support zones located between $45 and $36.
Analyst Astekz similarly identified $45.60 and $36.64 as critical downside objectives should SOL fail to maintain its current trading range.
Robust On-Chain Metrics Contrast Bearish Price Action Contrary to the pessimistic market sentiment, Solana’s Q2 blockchain metrics painted an encouraging picture. The network handled approximately 100 million transactions daily. Average daily active addresses reached 1.93 million, while decentralized exchange volumes averaged $2.09 billion per day.
Decentralized applications operating on Solana produced $262 million in quarterly revenue. This achievement marked the ninth consecutive quarter where Solana led all blockchains in Web3 application revenue, capturing 41% of the total market share.
Real-world assets deployed on the platform expanded from $2 billion in March to surpass $3.48 billion by July. Stablecoin transaction volume climbed to $1.79 trillion in June, representing a 63% increase from the previous month.
Pump.fun contributed $91.43 million in revenue throughout Q2. The first week of July witnessed a historic milestone with over one billion non-vote transactions recorded on the network.
SOL remains trapped between compelling blockchain fundamentals and hesitant trader positioning, with the $79-$85 supply concentration serving as the decisive battleground.
Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper better known as Bono, just did something no keeper has managed since FIFA started tracking the stat in 1966. He saved four penalties in a single World Cup tournament. And because this is 2026, the internet responded the only way it knows how: by launching a memecoin.
A Solana-based token trading under the ticker $Bono appeared on decentralized exchanges almost immediately after Bounou’s record-setting performance, with no official connection to the player, his club Sevilla FC, or any of his sponsors. Welcome to the intersection of world-class goalkeeping and degenerate crypto speculation.
The saves that broke the record Bounou’s most dramatic stop came on July 9, 2026, during the quarter-final against France. The man standing over the ball was Kylian Mbappe, arguably the most dangerous penalty taker on the planet. Bounou dove the right way and kept it out.
That save pushed his career World Cup penalty record to a staggering seven saves from nine attempts, with only two goals conceded. In English: he stops nearly 78% of the penalties he faces in World Cup play, a rate that would make most keepers weep into their gloves.
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The 2026 tournament wasn’t Bounou’s first rodeo. He built his reputation during Morocco’s surprise run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals and Bounou became the first Moroccan goalkeeper to save a penalty outside of a shootout in World Cup history.
From penalty box to memecoin casino The token trades on Solana-based decentralized exchanges, which means low transaction fees and near-instant settlement. There are no official endorsements from Bounou, his management, or any football organization. The token exists purely because the internet decided it should.
The lack of any official backing is the biggest red flag. Memecoins without real utility or institutional support are essentially pure speculation, and the decentralized exchange environment where $Bono trades offers none of the consumer protections found on regulated platforms. Price swings of 50% or more in a single day are not unusual in this corner of the market.
NFTs enter the pitch The memecoin isn’t the only blockchain-adjacent development tied to Bounou’s World Cup heroics. Panini America, the trading card company that has been a fixture in sports collectibles for decades, released blockchain-based Prizm NFT trading cards featuring the goalkeeper as part of its 2026 World Cup collection.
Unlike the $Bono memecoin, Panini’s NFTs carry the weight of an established brand with licensing agreements across major sports leagues.
What investors should actually watch The $Bono memecoin and Panini NFTs represent two very different risk profiles for anyone looking to put money where Bounou’s gloves are.
The memecoin is a pure momentum trade. It has no fundamentals, no revenue model, and no connection to Bounou himself. Its value is entirely a function of attention and sentiment.
The Panini NFTs sit in a different category entirely. They’re backed by a recognized brand, tied to officially licensed content, and part of a collectibles ecosystem that has decades of history in physical form. Bounou saving penalties is legitimately historic. A Solana token named after his nickname is legitimately a gamble. Knowing the difference between the two is the whole game.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the 2026 World Cup, assisted on the second, and somehow managed to miss a penalty, all in the same match. France beat Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals on July 9 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And while the footballing world was processing another masterclass from the French captain, crypto traders were doing what they do best: gambling on it.
Solana-based meme tokens loosely tied to Mbappe saw sharp spikes in trading volume during and after the match. None of these tokens are authorized or endorsed by the player.
What happened on the pitch Mbappe missed a penalty in the first half, a rare stumble from a player who has otherwise been surgically precise in front of goal this tournament.
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He made up for it in the 60th minute, finding the back of the net to break the deadlock. That goal, his eighth of the tournament, puts him alongside Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race.
Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead. After the match, Dembele credited Mbappe’s instructions before the goal as the key to unlocking Morocco’s defense. Mbappe drew defenders toward him, creating the space Dembele needed to finish.
Morocco, who made a historic run to the semifinals in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, couldn’t replicate that magic. France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinal round.
The crypto sideshow Solana-based tokens, many of them bearing Mbappe’s name or likeness without any official connection, experienced noticeable trading volume surges that correlated directly with goal announcements and match results. We saw similar dynamics during the 2022 World Cup, when fan tokens and speculative assets moved in tandem with match outcomes. But the 2026 version is faster, more fragmented, and almost entirely concentrated on Solana’s low-fee infrastructure.
Investors were not thrilled during similar cycles in previous tournaments when tokens pumped 300% and then cratered within the same day.
Major football leagues and player associations have experimented with official fan tokens through platforms like Socios. But those products have struggled with utility and sustained engagement. The unauthorized meme coins, ironically, sometimes generate more trading volume than their official counterparts, precisely because they’re unregulated and can move faster.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Robinhood just went from selling crypto to building the infrastructure it runs on. The company launched Robinhood Chain’s public mainnet on July 1, and within a week, projects started migrating away from Solana to join it.
What Robinhood actually built Robinhood Chain is a permissionless Ethereum Layer 2 built on Arbitrum’s infrastructure. The chain is designed specifically for on-chain financial services and tokenized real-world assets. Block times clock in at 100ms, and the platform already supports tokens representing shares of major companies including NVIDIA, Google, and Apple.
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Early partners include Uniswap, the largest decentralized exchange by volume, and Pleiades.
Solana’s problem just got more concrete World.xyz, a decentralized prediction market, initially launched on Solana. Then, on July 8, it packed up and moved to Robinhood Chain. The entire lifecycle from Solana debut to migration took roughly one week.
World.xyz cited lower fees and access to Robinhood’s massive retail user base as key motivations.
To be fair, Robinhood hasn’t abandoned Solana entirely. The company has supported SOL with listings and staking options since as early as 2022, and it continues to offer Solana-based services.
Wall Street noticed Robinhood’s stock surged over 8% following the mainnet launch announcement. The stock jump reflects broader market enthusiasm for DeFi innovation and stock tokenization. Robinhood Chain sits at the intersection of both, and Robinhood, as an already-regulated broker-dealer, potentially solves both regulatory clarity and distribution simultaneously.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Crypto market traders are bracing for Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), XRP, and Solana (SOL) options expiry today. Traders anticipate short-term volatility in the broader crypto market ahead of next week’s US CPI and PPI inflation data releases. Seasonality, cooling jobless claims, and US-Iran technical talks have sparked a recovery in crypto prices.
Bitcoin, ETH, XRP, and SOL jumped amid a fall in oil prices, US Treasury yields, and the US dollar index. Crypto market sets eyes on max pain amid potential recovery further.
Crypto Market Braces for $1.5 Billion Bitcoin Options Expiry According to Deribit data, more than 23K BTC options with a notional value of almost $1.5 billion expire on July 10, with a put-call ratio of 1. In the last 24 hours, call volume remains higher than put volume with a put-call ratio of 0.75, indicating a neutral stance among traders.
Moreover, max pain price is at $62,000, lower than the current Bitcoin price of $64,100. This shows a high odds of a pullback, but implied volatility and 25-delta skew signaled traders expect crypto market to remain flat.
Options traders are selling out-of-the-money calls, which indicates that institutions generally agree the market lacks upward momentum. This could keep Bitcoin price below $65K resistance level.
Bitcoin Options Open Interest. Source: Deribit Ethereum Options with $250 Million in Notional Value to Expire Over 140K ETH options with a notional value of $248 million are set to expire. The put-call ratio is 1.27. However, call volume has exceeded put volumes over the last 24 hours, with a bullish put-call ratio of 0.81.
Also, the max pain point is at $1,700, below the current market price. Notably, the call bets are higher at the strike price, indicating lower chances of massive selling pressure. Traders expect ETH price to move towards $1,800 after this week’s options expiry.
Ethereum Options Open Interest. Source: Deribit Ethereum price jumped almost 2% over the past 24 hours amid hopes of US-Iran talks to continue and broader crypto market recovery. The 24-hour low and high are $1,730 and $1,786, respectively. However, trading volume has dropped by 13%.
XRP and Solana (SOL) Max Pain Price XRP options of notional value $2.47 million to expire, with a put-call ratio of 0.76. The max pain price is at $1.06, indicating the key level to watch as the crypto asset shows higher volatility amid whale moves.
XRP price climbed 1.50% to $1.11, rising above the max pain price despite massive net outflows of $7.29 million from Bitwise XRP ETF. It saw a massive drop in trading volume over the past 24 hours.
XRP Max Pain Price. Source: Deribit Meanwhile, $17 million in Solana options will expire today, with a put-call ratio of 0.40. The max pain price is $75, lower than the current market price. However, traders eye upside momentum towards $80 strike price.
Crypto market traders await US CPI inflation data for cues before making further trades. Core inflation is projected to come in at 0.3% against 0.2% US CPI inflation print last month, keeping Core CPI YoY stable at 2.9%.
Cleveland Fed data showed the annual CPI inflation rate cooled from 4.2% in May to 3.9% in June. However, Goldman Sachs claims the combined effects of AI-induced increases in memory, software, and electricity prices are boosting inflation in the US.
AI Driven Memory Chips Costs Boosts Inflation. Source: Goldman Sachs Aside from adjusting their options positions, many macro-focused traders are actively placing wagers on the best crypto prediction markets to speculate directly on whether the core CPI will meet expectations.
Solana is struggling to hold its ground at key support levels on both the weekly and daily charts, with the overall market focusing on the $78 mark as a decisive short-term pivot. If this crucial support is maintained, the price could attempt a recovery toward $98, according to recent market analyses. However, failure to preserve this level may weaken the outlook and shift attention to lower ranges.
Broader targets in the weekly outlookExamining the weekly chart, Solana is once again testing a fundamental horizontal support zone, under continued pressure from a descending trendline originating from previous highs. This area has proven itself as a fiercely defended region by buyers throughout the wider market correction. Successfully maintaining support here could reinforce the case for a sustained recovery over longer timeframes.
Analyst Celal Kucuker highlights that Solana currently showcases one of the strongest defenses in the market. He suggests that as long as the current structure endures, there is potential for Solana to reach a new all-time high by the end of the year.
Celal Kucuker believes that Solana’s present structure continues to leave room for upward movement, and that holding the strong support keeps the possibility of new highs on the table.
On the weekly chart, the first significant upward resistance is around $188.25. Surpassing this level would signal renewed buyer strength. In the broader outlook, a long-term target of approximately $417.40 is identified, echoing Kucuker’s projection of reaching $400 within six to nine months.
Nonetheless, this optimistic scenario depends on a clear breakout above resistance. Should Solana fail to defend its current support and remain below the descending trendline, bullish expectations could be dampened.
$78 to $98 range in focus for the short termOn the daily chart, Solana is retesting the lower edge of its trading range, an area previously serving as dependable support. The $78 level now stands as the central defense zone for buyers, determining the immediate short-term structure.
Trader Daan Crypto Trades emphasizes that bulls must protect the lower limit of this zone. A strong rebound from here would indicate active buyers and the preservation of Solana’s current price range.
Daan Crypto Trades underscores that holding the $78 region is crucial for short-term prospects, and sustained support at this level could see Solana move back toward $98.
TimeframeCritical supportUpside targetRisk levelDaily$78$98$67WeeklyCurrent horizontal support zone$188.25 and $417.40Sustained move below trendlineShould Solana rebound from these levels, the initial short-term target stands at $98, a major resistance zone that previously capped upward moves. However, a daily close below $78 could weaken the bullish scenario and bring the lower support area near $67 into focus.
The market’s main signal right now is whether Solana can sustain the $78 support. If this level holds, targets of $98 and—over longer horizons—even $188 or $417 may come back into play for Solana.
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.
Shiba Inu has recorded an unusual on-chain anomaly after its daily transaction count plunged by 95% within 24 hours.
According to data from CryptoQuant, Shiba Inu’s daily transaction count soared to 78,558 on July 6—its highest level since October—before tumbling to 3,922 the following day. At press time, the metric had recovered slightly to 4,184 transactions. Even so, it remains 94.67% below the July 6 peak.
Despite the sharp fluctuation in network activity, SHIB’s price remained relatively stable throughout the period, indicating that the surge had little or no direct impact on the broader market.
Shiba Inu Transaction Count Potential Reason Behind Sudden Surge Initially, the spike resembled the type of large-scale wallet reorganization that cryptocurrency exchanges occasionally perform when transferring funds to cold storage.
However, data from the blockchain analytics platform Arkham showed no notable exchange inflows or outflows during the period. This effectively ruled out exchange wallet management as the source of the unusual activity.
Since Arkham tracks total transfer volumes, any major exchange movements would have appeared on its liquidity charts. Instead, exchange-related activity remained largely unchanged.
The lack of price volatility, coupled with the abrupt 95% drop in transactions, suggests the spike resulted from automated, non-market activity rather than retail trading.
As a result, analysts believe the anomaly was likely caused by either a large SHIB holder redistributing tokens across private wallets or developers conducting automated tests involving smart contracts or blockchain infrastructure.
A Similar Trend? The unusual transaction activity comes as Shiba Inu’s on-chain address count continues to expand.
Notably, Shiba Inu has added more than 1,700 addresses since the beginning of July, pushing the total above 1.6 million. At press time, SHIB’s address count stood at 1,675,798 (1.67 million).
Recently, WoofSwap, a Shibarium-based decentralized exchange (DEX), disclosed that it was responsible for much of the recent address growth. The DEX used a smart contract to generate multiple wallet addresses and transferred 1 SHIB to each in an effort to increase the number of on-chain holders.
The disclosure quickly sparked controversy within the Shiba Inu community, with some supporters accusing WoofSwap of artificially inflating holder statistics as a marketing strategy for its token.
In response to the criticism, WoofSwap said it would discontinue the practice and explore alternative marketing initiatives that provide greater value to the SHIB ecosystem.
At press time, Shiba Inu traded at $0.00000429, up 1.54% over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, its daily trading volume declined 8.46% to $67.61 million, reflecting relatively muted trading activity despite the recent on-chain anomaly.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
Shiba Inu is one of those altcoins that annoy as much as they intrigue. Far, very far from the dreamed and once proclaimed dollar, the token oscillates without a compass. The burns follow one another, but the falls remain more violent than the flaps of a butterfly’s wings. At one time, these massive destructions served as spectacular springboards. Yet, the operational magic seems to have lost its allure.
In brief Shiba Inu burned 110 million tokens on July 8, its biggest burn in six months. SHIB’s price nevertheless dropped 5% during the day and 9% over the month. Total supply remains colossal with 585 trillion SHIB in circulation, rendering burns insignificant. Memecoins’ market share collapsed, falling from 10% to 3.7% in two years. 110 million SHIB go up in smoke, but the price keeps tumbling On July 8, 2026, the Shiba Inu community carried out its biggest burn in six months. More than 110 million SHIB were sent to dead wallets, permanently removed from circulation.
A wallet linked to Robinhood led the way by burning 109 million tokens in a single transaction. Smaller wallets completed the rest of the operation.
This massive destruction should have, in theory, supported the price. Yet, SHIB dropped 5% during the day and 9% over the month. The token now moves in a narrow range, unable to break its immobility.
Weekly burns rose to 152 million, a 55.77% increase. This surge in activity nonetheless did not convince the most seasoned traders.
Meanwhile, whales dumped more than 1,000 billion SHIB on exchanges, nullifying any positive effect of the burns.
585 trillion tokens : the ocean that burns can’t dry up Since its launch, the Shiba Inu community has burned over 410 trillion tokens. Yet, there are still 585.6 trillion SHIB in circulation. Even by maintaining the record pace of July 8 for an entire year, only a tiny fraction of this colossal mass could be reduced.
In May 2021, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder, received half of the total SHIB supply as an unsolicited gift. He burned 410.24 trillion tokens, amounting to 6.7 billion dollars at the time. This single event still represents almost all SHIB ever destroyed.
Recent community burns are therefore just a drop in the ocean. Trader James Wynn has even called SHIB “dead.” Whales continue to offload their positions, a sign that confidence is eroding.
The real problem is not on the supply side, but on the demand side. And demand is evaporating from the memecoin sector.
Memecoin freefall hits Shiba Inu head-on In the fourth quarter of 2024, memecoins represented more than 10% of the total altcoin market capitalization. Today, this share has fallen to 3.7%. Dogecoin has experienced heavy retail selling, while memecoin dominance reached its lowest level in two years.
Capital is fleeing the sector, and burns are not enough to reverse this heavy trend. Memecoin bullish cycles have always been fueled by renewed retail interest, not supply mechanisms. Traders therefore do not reward deflationary tokens in the absence of real demand.
Analysts believe that the adoption of Shibarium, Shiba Inu’s layer 2 blockchain, will have more impact on price than any burn. The real battle is happening elsewhere, on utility and adoption. As long as interest in memecoins does not return, burns will only have a marginal impact on prices.
Key figures to remember: Record burn on July 8: 110 million SHIB; Total circulating supply: 585.6 trillion SHIB; Historic Vitalik burn: 410.24 trillion SHIB; SHIB price at time of writing: 0.00000427 dollar. No matter the challenges faced, Shiba Inu did not fail to shine at the end of June. The historic milestone of 1.6 million holders was reached. Proof that the community endures despite market tremors.
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La révolution blockchain et crypto est en marche ! Et le jour où les impacts se feront ressentir sur l’économie la plus vulnérable de ce Monde, contre toute espérance, je dirai que j’y étais pour quelque chose
DISCLAIMER
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.
Shiba Inu is showing early bullish divergence signals as its price challenges a descending trendline, sparking optimism over a rebound.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is beginning to attract attention as two early signs show a bullish development could be on the horizon. Chart data shows a bullish divergence on multiple momentum indicators, as SHIB is attempting to break above a descending trendline on the daily timeframe.
SHIB Momentum Indicators Show Improving Strength Both the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) are displaying bullish divergence, indicating momentum has improved. Shiba Inu continues to make lower lows, yet these indicators are making higher lows, a conflicting trend that suggests underlying strength.
This divergence became very noticeable last month. After an early dip to $0.00000430 on June 6, the RSI also dropped to 20. After a brief recovery, SHIB formed a low, dropping to $0.00000405 on June 26. However, the RSI didn’t make a new low but hit a higher low of 21.44.
At the same time, the MACD line trended upwards in a higher low pattern, aligning with the RSI. Its trend histogram also moved from red bars to green bars, printing longer bars last seen in March.
Shiba Inu RSI and MACD Bullish Divergence Notably, analysts often view this divergence as an early sign that selling pressure is fading. It usually precedes a strong market reversal to higher prices.
Shiba Inu Nears Descending Trendline Breakout Meanwhile, SHIB is also pressing against a descending resistance line, making this a critical area to watch. The token has remained below this trendline since its high of $0.00000670 in May, with subsequent upside attempts capped near the line.
Today’s nearly 2% rise to $0.00000437 places SHIB on the cusp of a breakout. Should the current momentum persist, Shiba Inu could finally break above this multi-month resistance.
Interestingly, a successful breakout, followed by a close above the trendline, would strengthen the bullish case and confirm that buyers are beginning to regain control.
The target for this breakout is a potential 28% rally to the June high of $0.00000558. Further upside could take SHIB to the May high of $0.00000670, a 53% increase from the current market price.
Shiba Inu Accumulation Adds Momentum Further bolstering the breakout optimism is the ongoing Shiba Inu accumulation trend. The CryptoQuant exchange netflow shows a negative figure of 131.88 billion SHIB in the past 24 hours, suggesting strong buying activity.
Shiba Inu Trending Metrics/CryptoQuant The total exchange netflows calculate the difference between inflows into and outflows out of exchanges. A negative figure shows more withdrawals than deposits. This means that users shifted Shiba Inu massively out of trading platforms into self-custody wallets, highlighting accumulation.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
ApeCoin [APE] finally broke out of an extended period of tight consolidation, trading between $0.13 and $0.14.
At press time, APE traded at $0.168 after rising by 15% on the daily charts. Over the same period, the memecoin’s trading volume surged 218%, indicating strong market participation.
What’s driving ApeCoin APE buyers increased capital deployment and defended the higher price levels. Thus, the memecoin rebounded, driven by strong market demand.
For starters, on the spot side, the memecoin recorded 27.3 million in Buy Volume over the past 24 hours. At the same time, the memecoin’s Sell Volume declined to 25 million.
Source: Coinalyze As a result, the market Buy-Sell Delta skyrocketed to 2.3 million, a significant surge from -234k before the market pump. Such a jump in market delta signaled that buyers had retaken the market and displaced sellers.
On the derivatives side, speculative traders also returned to the market. In doing so, they pushed the memecoin’s Open Interest (OI) to climb 40% to $38 million.
At the same time, the Derivatives Volume climbed by 236% to $144.7 million. Rising OI and volume together suggested that traders aggressively opened new positions, either longs or shorts.
Source: Coinglass Historically, strong demand across both the spot and derivatives markets has preceded stronger upward price movement. Thus, if sustained, it could clear a path for continued gains.
Can the upside momentum hold? In the short term, APE has shown relative strength, with bulls retaking the market. In doing so, the memecoin’s Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI) formed a bullish crossover and rose to 54 as of writing.
The SMI’s upward trajectory validated the trend’s strength, confirming traders are in total control of the market. At this level, the indicator indicates that if demand holds, APE could make further gains.
Source: TradingView If the current trend continues, APE could target a breakout above the $0.18 resistance in the short to medium term.
Impact of ApeCoin’s Q3 accelerator Beyond market performance, ApeCoin seeks to expand its reach with the upcoming accelerator launch in Q3. The accelerator, led by ApeCo, is designed to incubate Web3, metaverse, and gaming projects, with the goal of expanding market reach and driving broader adoption.
This could be a major boost for APE, since the token’s utility will require APE for project submissions and investments. Thus, once launched, the initiative will greatly expand APE usage, which will, in turn, translate into price action.
Therefore, for Q3, the accelerator could boost ApeCoin’s market direction and help the memecoin reclaim $0.25, with $0.3 as the most bullish case.
Final Summary Apecoin broke out of a tight range, surging 15% to a monthly high of $0.168 before retracing at press time. APE rebounded, driven by recovered demand across the spot and derivatives market
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.
Ledger: Tangem Hardware Wallets Have Laser Attack Vulnerability, No Fix Available for Devices Already Sold
Ledger researchers have discovered that a laser attack can reset the passcodes on all Tangem hardware wallet cards. The attack requires physical access to the device, roughly $250,000 worth of laboratory equipment, and existing cards already in circulation cannot be patched.
11 minutes ago
Bitget expands its pledge-to-borrow service to support 26 stock tokens as collateral.
According to an official announcement, Bitget’s staking and borrowing platform has added stock tokens (rTokens) as collateral assets. The first batch includes 26 popular U.S. stocks and ETF tokens, such as rNVDA, rAAPL, rGOOGL, and rQQQ, covering sectors including technology, semiconductors, and index funds. Users holding these stock tokens can now use them as collateral to borrow mainstream assets like USDT and USDC, unlocking capital liquidity without selling their positions. The web-based feature is already live, while the app version will launch next week. For specific collateral parameters and more details, please refer to Bitget’s official platform. It is noted that rTokens, identified by the format of the letter 'r' plus the stock ticker (e.g., rNVDA for Nvidia), are issued by Reality, Bitget’s licensed Real-World Asset (RWA) protocol. Via a partnership with regulated broker Alpaca, they directly connect to global liquidity pools including the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange. Their key features include: 1:1 reserve of underlying assets held by licensed custodians, stock dividends distributed on a 1:1 basis in token form, synchronized mapping of corporate actions (such as stock splits and consolidations), and eligibility as combined margin for unified accounts and U.S. dollar-denominated contracts, enabling users to flexibly manage their funds while holding global stock assets.
11 minutes ago
Binance Alpha launches the second round of Irys airdrop, requiring users to reach 245 Alpha points.
According to official announcements, Binance Alpha has launched the second round of the Irys (IRYS) airdrop campaign. Users holding 245 or more Alpha points can claim 2,900 IRYS on a first-come, first-served basis, with 15 Alpha points deducted per claim. If the airdrop pool is not fully distributed, the point threshold will automatically decrease by 5 points every 5 minutes. Users must confirm their claim on the Alpha campaign page within 24 hours; unclaimed rewards after this period will be forfeited.
11 minutes ago
Japan's Finance Minister plans to advance lifting the ban on cryptocurrency ETFs in Japan.
According to Nikkei, Japanese Minister of Finance and Financial Services Satsuki Katayama stated in her keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the "OpenQUICK 2026" seminar hosted by financial information service provider QUICK that, against the backdrop of growing overseas trading of cryptocurrency ETFs, she hopes to advance research on lifting the ban on crypto asset ETFs in Japan. Japan is currently pushing forward legislative work to include cryptocurrencies in the regulatory framework of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act for the first time.
11 minutes ago
SlowMist launches AI on-chain intelligence tracking tool TrackAgent
According to official announcements, blockchain security firm SlowMist has launched its AI-powered on-chain intelligence tracking tool TrackAgent, which has been integrated into the company’s free stolen asset assessment service. TrackAgent supports 31 blockchains, enabling continuous tracking of stolen funds, reconstruction of complex fund flows, correlation of attacker addresses, and leveraging on-chain intelligence and security threat intelligence to assist in real-world investigations.
11 minutes ago
Serenity: Optoelectronics and NVIDIA’s roadmaps remain unchanged, institutions may seize the opportunity to build positions
Serenity noted in a post that it’s interesting to observe retail investors capitulating. Bloomberg’s article on Meta’s computing was corrected via an internal memo, and two reports about delays were also denied by NVIDIA. As a result, the photonics and NVIDIA roadmap has not fundamentally changed: LITE remains fully sold out for the next two years, and this may extend to 2029; SIVE is set to ramp up production with GlobalFoundries, Jabil, Poet, Ayar, and other hyperscale suppliers; TSMC’s COUPE and its Taiwan-based vendors (such as Xunxin, Foci, etc.) have not vanished into thin air; AAOI’s projected monthly revenue of $471 million in H2 2027 remains unchanged; IQE’s epitaxial wafer contracts with Macom and Tower Semi are still in place; AXTI’s roughly 40% share of the indium phosphide substrate supply chain has not suddenly disappeared. Rocket Lab and the aerospace sector fell by 50% in 2025; Nebius and New Cloud dropped 50% in early 2026; and months ago, Samsung and SK Hynix plummeted due to LNG, helium, and oil fears sparked by the Iran conflict. Retail investors tend to build their beliefs around price movements and imagined trends, then lose faith when share prices decline, while institutions may be placing limit orders to profit from this dynamic. Beliefs should not be tied to a single day’s stock price, but rather to long-term growth in revenue or operating profit.
Hackers compromised a widely used Injective software package in a supply chain attack with malware designed to steal crypto wallet private keys, adding to a growing attack vector involving attackers using legitimate platforms to deliver malicious payloads.
Security firm Socket discovered on Thursday that a popular npm (node package manager) package with around 50,000 weekly downloads used for building on the Injective blockchain was maliciously modified to steal wallet private keys and seed phrases.
The large number of downloads makes the incident “significant for developers and applications that handle Injective wallet workflows,” Socket researchers said. The malicious code has since been removed.
The software supply chain attack is a relatively new attack vector in which hackers don’t target a blockchain’s cryptography or smart contracts directly, but instead compromise trusted developer tools used to build wallets, exchanges and apps.
Injective is an interoperable layer 1 designed for DeFi applications. Its usage has dwindled over the past two years, with total value locked shrinking by 88% to current levels of $8.2 million from its $71 million peak in mid-2024, according to DefiLlama.
Secretly copying private keys and phrasesVersion 1.20.21 of the @injectivelabs/sdk-ts npm package was modified through a compromised developer GitHub account, with suspicious commits beginning June 8. It was also pinned across 17 other packages in the Injective Labs npm scope, “exposing users who may not have installed the SDK [software development kit] directly,” Socket said.
“The malicious release hooks wallet key-derivation functions, records private keys and mnemonics, and exfiltrates them through fake telemetry,” Socket explained.
The malicious code hooked into normal functions used to generate wallet keys, and whenever a developer’s app used these functions, it secretly copied the seed phrase or private key. The compromised data was then encoded and sent to a web address that looked like a legitimate Injective network server.
“Any keys or mnemonics passed through affected packages should be treated as compromised,” Socket added.
Socket reported that the developer whose account was infiltrated quickly detected the compromise, but the malware had been downloaded more than 300 times, and “the campaign itself isn’t yet fully contained.”
Injective CEO Eric Chen said, “it’s already fixed, and the affected versions on npm are already deprecated.” No funds on the network are at risk, he added, and Socket did not specify whether any funds were stolen in the incident.
The compromised npm package was downloaded 310 times. Source: Socket
Wallet compromises most costly this yearThe Security Alliance (SEAL) said in its second-quarter threat report that attackers are increasingly using legitimate platforms like GitHub, npm and Google to deliver payloads.
“In some cases, compromised systems are being used to push malicious code directly into a company’s own GitHub repositories, turning a single compromise into a distribution channel for the next one.”SEAL added that the malware itself has also gotten more comprehensive, “with cross-platform payloads, including a rise in macOS-specific campaigns, that combine infostealers, RATs (remote access trojans) and backdoor capabilities in a single package.”
A similar supply chain attack hit Axios npm releases in March, while a malware campaign called TrapDoor was discovered in May targeting crypto, DeFi, AI and security developers.
GitHub itself was exploited on May 20 when it reported unauthorized access to its internal repositories following the compromise of an employee’s device.
Wallet compromises were the most costly attack vector in the first half of 2026, with $444 million stolen across 33 incidents, CertiK reported Monday.
Features: Bitcoin’s quantum dilemma: Bigger blocks or STARK proofs?
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Hackers compromised a widely used Injective software package in a supply chain attack with malware designed to steal crypto wallet private keys, adding to a growing attack vector involving attackers using legitimate platforms to deliver malicious payloads.
Security firm Socket discovered on Thursday that a popular npm (node package manager) package with around 50,000 weekly downloads used for building on the Injective blockchain was maliciously modified to steal wallet private keys and seed phrases.
The large number of downloads makes the incident “significant for developers and applications that handle Injective wallet workflows,” Socket researchers said. The malicious code has since been removed.
The software supply chain attack is a relatively new attack vector in which hackers don’t target a blockchain’s cryptography or smart contracts directly, but instead compromise trusted developer tools used to build wallets, exchanges and apps.
Injective is an interoperable layer 1 designed for DeFi applications. Its usage has dwindled over the past two years, with total value locked shrinking by 88% to current levels of $8.2 million from its $71 million peak in mid-2024, according to DefiLlama.
Secretly copying private keys and phrasesVersion 1.20.21 of the @injectivelabs/sdk-ts npm package was modified through a compromised developer GitHub account, with suspicious commits beginning June 8. It was also pinned across 17 other packages in the Injective Labs npm scope, “exposing users who may not have installed the SDK [software development kit] directly,” Socket said.
“The malicious release hooks wallet key-derivation functions, records private keys and mnemonics, and exfiltrates them through fake telemetry,” Socket explained.
The malicious code hooked into normal functions used to generate wallet keys, and whenever a developer’s app used these functions, it secretly copied the seed phrase or private key. The compromised data was then encoded and sent to a web address that looked like a legitimate Injective network server.
“Any keys or mnemonics passed through affected packages should be treated as compromised,” Socket added.
Socket reported that the developer whose account was infiltrated quickly detected the compromise, but the malware had been downloaded more than 300 times, and “the campaign itself isn’t yet fully contained.”
Injective CEO Eric Chen said, “it’s already fixed, and the affected versions on npm are already deprecated.” No funds on the network are at risk, he added, and Socket did not specify whether any funds were stolen in the incident.
The compromised npm package was downloaded 310 times. Source: Socket
Wallet compromises most costly this yearThe Security Alliance (SEAL) said in its second-quarter threat report that attackers are increasingly using legitimate platforms like GitHub, npm and Google to deliver payloads.
“In some cases, compromised systems are being used to push malicious code directly into a company’s own GitHub repositories, turning a single compromise into a distribution channel for the next one.”SEAL added that the malware itself has also gotten more comprehensive, “with cross-platform payloads, including a rise in macOS-specific campaigns, that combine infostealers, RATs (remote access trojans) and backdoor capabilities in a single package.”
A similar supply chain attack hit Axios npm releases in March, while a malware campaign called TrapDoor was discovered in May targeting crypto, DeFi, AI and security developers.
GitHub itself was exploited on May 20 when it reported unauthorized access to its internal repositories following the compromise of an employee’s device.
Wallet compromises were the most costly attack vector in the first half of 2026, with $444 million stolen across 33 incidents, CertiK reported Monday.
Features: Bitcoin’s quantum dilemma: Bigger blocks or STARK proofs?
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
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.
A supply chain attack briefly compromised Injective Labs’ TypeScript SDK after attackers published a malicious npm release that harvested crypto wallet credentials, prompting warnings for developers to replace potentially exposed keys, according to cybersecurity firm Socket.
🚨 Socket detected a software supply chain compromise in @injectivelabs/sdk-ts, a popular npm package with ~50,000 weekly downloads and 87 npm dependents.
The malicious release hooks wallet key-derivation functions, records private keys and mnemonics, and exfiltrates them… pic.twitter.com/L7t2h9kSdD
— Socket (@SocketSecurity) July 9, 2026
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Socket said the compromised version 1.20.21 of Injective Labs’ TypeScript SDK injected malicious code into wallet creation functions, collecting mnemonic phrases and private key material before sending the information to an obfuscated endpoint hosted on Injective’s public infrastructure.
The malicious release was traced to commits made through the GitHub account of an existing contributor and was reversed within minutes after the account owner detected unauthorized activity. Although a clean version was subsequently released, the compromised package remained on npm as a deprecated download.
Researchers said the attackers attempted to amplify the campaign by publishing the same version number across 17 additional Injective packages that directly or indirectly depended on the compromised SDK.
The affected SDK has about 50,000 weekly downloads and 87 dependent packages, highlighting the potential reach of the incident despite its short duration.
Socket recommended upgrading to version 1.20.23, reviewing dependency chains, and treating any wallet credentials processed by the compromised releases as fully compromised.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Binance Alpha launches the second round of Irys airdrop, requiring users to reach 245 Alpha points.
According to official announcements, Binance Alpha has launched the second round of the Irys (IRYS) airdrop campaign. Users holding 245 or more Alpha points can claim 2,900 IRYS on a first-come, first-served basis, with 15 Alpha points deducted per claim. If the airdrop pool is not fully distributed, the point threshold will automatically decrease by 5 points every 5 minutes. Users must confirm their claim on the Alpha campaign page within 24 hours; unclaimed rewards after this period will be forfeited.
6 minutes ago
Japan's Finance Minister plans to advance lifting the ban on cryptocurrency ETFs in Japan.
According to Nikkei, Japanese Minister of Finance and Financial Services Satsuki Katayama stated in her keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the "OpenQUICK 2026" seminar hosted by financial information service provider QUICK that, against the backdrop of growing overseas trading of cryptocurrency ETFs, she hopes to advance research on lifting the ban on crypto asset ETFs in Japan. Japan is currently pushing forward legislative work to include cryptocurrencies in the regulatory framework of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act for the first time.
6 minutes ago
SlowMist launches AI on-chain intelligence tracking tool TrackAgent
According to official announcements, blockchain security firm SlowMist has launched its AI-powered on-chain intelligence tracking tool TrackAgent, which has been integrated into the company’s free stolen asset assessment service. TrackAgent supports 31 blockchains, enabling continuous tracking of stolen funds, reconstruction of complex fund flows, correlation of attacker addresses, and leveraging on-chain intelligence and security threat intelligence to assist in real-world investigations.
6 minutes ago
Serenity: Optoelectronics and NVIDIA’s roadmaps remain unchanged, institutions may seize the opportunity to build positions
Serenity noted in a post that it’s interesting to observe retail investors capitulating. Bloomberg’s article on Meta’s computing was corrected via an internal memo, and two reports about delays were also denied by NVIDIA. As a result, the photonics and NVIDIA roadmap has not fundamentally changed: LITE remains fully sold out for the next two years, and this may extend to 2029; SIVE is set to ramp up production with GlobalFoundries, Jabil, Poet, Ayar, and other hyperscale suppliers; TSMC’s COUPE and its Taiwan-based vendors (such as Xunxin, Foci, etc.) have not vanished into thin air; AAOI’s projected monthly revenue of $471 million in H2 2027 remains unchanged; IQE’s epitaxial wafer contracts with Macom and Tower Semi are still in place; AXTI’s roughly 40% share of the indium phosphide substrate supply chain has not suddenly disappeared. Rocket Lab and the aerospace sector fell by 50% in 2025; Nebius and New Cloud dropped 50% in early 2026; and months ago, Samsung and SK Hynix plummeted due to LNG, helium, and oil fears sparked by the Iran conflict. Retail investors tend to build their beliefs around price movements and imagined trends, then lose faith when share prices decline, while institutions may be placing limit orders to profit from this dynamic. Beliefs should not be tied to a single day’s stock price, but rather to long-term growth in revenue or operating profit.
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1,050 Bitcoin transferred from Binance hot wallet address to Ceffu, worth approximately $67.1 million.
According to Onchainlens monitoring, 1,050 Bitcoin (BTC) were transferred from Binance’s hot wallet address to Binance’s institutional custody platform Ceffu, valued at approximately $67.1 million. Over the past 30 days, Binance’s hot wallet addresses have transferred a total of 3,000 BTC to Ceffu, worth $192 million.
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Sources: Bank of Japan plans to keep interest rates unchanged in July.
Sources say the Bank of Japan plans to keep interest rates unchanged in July, while maintaining its policy guidance and committing to continuing its interest rate hike cycle. (Jinshi)
A malicious update to an Injective developer package has exposed private keys and seed phrases after being downloaded more than 300 times, Socket has found.
Summary
Socket found that a compromised Injective npm package copied private keys and seed phrases through fake telemetry. The malicious version was downloaded more than 300 times and spread through 17 related Injective Labs packages. CertiK reported that wallet compromises caused $444 million in losses during the first half of 2026. According to security firm Socket, version 1.20.21 of the @injectivelabs/sdk-ts npm package, which has about 50,000 weekly downloads, was altered after a developer’s GitHub account was compromised. Suspicious commits began on June 8, and the malicious release was later pinned across 17 other packages under the Injective Labs npm scope.
The security firm said the code intercepted wallet key-generation functions, recorded private keys and recovery phrases, then encoded the data and sent it through fake telemetry to a web address made to resemble an Injective server.
“Any keys or mnemonics passed through affected packages should be treated as compromised,” Socket said, warning that applications may have been exposed even if they did not install the SDK directly.
Although the compromised developer detected the intrusion quickly and the malicious package version has been removed, Socket said the campaign was not yet fully contained.
Injective CEO Eric Chen said the affected npm releases had been deprecated and the issue was fixed. Chen added that no funds on the Injective network were at risk, while Socket did not report whether the malware resulted in stolen assets.
Developers become the target Rather than attacking a blockchain’s cryptography or smart contracts, the operation targeted software that developers use to build wallets, exchanges and applications. The Security Alliance said in its second-quarter threat report that attackers have increasingly used platforms including GitHub, npm, and Google to distribute malware.
In some incidents, SEAL said, compromised machines have been used to push malicious code into a company’s own GitHub repositories, allowing one breach to become a channel for further distribution. The report also cited more cross-platform malware packages combining infostealers, remote access trojans and backdoors, including a rise in macOS-targeted campaigns.
Axios npm releases were hit by a similar supply-chain attack in March, while the TrapDoor campaign found in May targeted developers working in crypto, DeFi, artificial intelligence and security. GitHub also disclosed unauthorised access to internal repositories on May 20 after an employee device was compromised.
Wallet compromises were the costliest crypto attack method in the first half of 2026, accounting for $444 million stolen across 33 cases, according to CertiK.
Injective, an interoperable layer 1 for DeFi applications, has seen its total value locked fall 88% from a mid-2024 peak of $71 million to $8.2 million, DefiLlama data shows. Earlier this year, community members approved IIP-617, accelerating reductions in new INJ issuance while retaining existing token burns.
How the Attack UnfoldedA supply chain attack has hit the Injective ($INJ) developer ecosystem after hackers planted wallet-stealing malware inside a widely used npm package. Security firm Socket identified the threat in version 1.20.21 of the injectivelabs/sdk-ts package, the official TypeScript SDK for building applications on the Injective blockchain.
The Injective SDK is a TypeScript/JavaScript development kit for building DeFi applications, tokenized assets, and decentralized exchanges on the Injective blockchain. The package draws around 50,000 weekly downloads and is used by developers building cryptocurrency wallets, trading bots, decentralized exchanges, and payment tools.
The malicious functionality was introduced through commits submitted by a GitHub account belonging to a developer with an established history of contributions to the repository. Suspicious commits began on June 8, and the malicious release was later pinned across 17 other packages under the Injective Labs npm scope.
The malicious code hooked into normal functions used to generate wallet keys, and whenever a developer's app used these functions, it secretly copied the seed phrase or private key. The stolen data was base64-encoded and silently sent via a POST request to an endpoint made to resemble Injective Labs public infrastructure, blending the exfiltrated traffic with normal network activity.
Scope and Developer GuidanceThe impact extends beyond direct users of the core SDK. The attackers also published version 1.20.21 across 17 additional Injective Labs scoped packages that depended on and pinned the malicious SDK version, exposing developers who may not have installed the SDK directly.
The compromised version was downloaded approximately 310 times, though a download does not automatically mean a wallet key was exposed. The dangerous code would only have run while an application was actively handling a private key or recovery phrase.
Injective CEO Eric Chen said the issue was already fixed and the affected versions on npm were deprecated, adding that no funds on the network were at risk. Socket did not report whether the malware resulted in any stolen assets.
All 18 affected packages were republished clean at version 1.20.23 within approximately 49 minutes. Despite the swift response, Socket urged that any keys or mnemonics passed through the affected packages should be treated as compromised, warning that applications may have been exposed even if they did not install the SDK directly. Developers should move funds, rotate keys and mnemonics, and check for transitive dependencies, as auditing direct dependencies alone is not sufficient.
Rather than attacking a blockchain's cryptography or smart contracts, the operation targeted software that developers use to build wallets, exchanges, and applications. Wallet compromise has emerged as the most financially destructive attack category of H1 2026, generating over $444 million across just 33 incidents, according to CertiK.
Cwallet, a renowned crypto wallet, has partnered with Aptos, a popular L1 blockchain. The partnership underscores a noteworthy step toward enhancing blockchain-driven financial services to benefit consumers across the globe. As Cwallet pointed out in its X announcement, the development reaffirms Cwallet’s endeavors to make crypto more accessible via reliable and advanced blockchain infrastructure. Hence, the integration is poised to fortify the crypto network’s efficiency while also preparing for key innovations in the future.
Cwallet is partnering with @Aptos 🤝
We believe the future of crypto belongs to everyone — and getting there means building with the best infrastructure in the space.@Aptos delivers the speed, scale, & reliability of a top-tier L1 to make that real.
This is just the beginning.… pic.twitter.com/OQiAE8xwO4
— Cwallet (@CwalletOfficial) July 9, 2026 Cwallet and Aptos Alliance Drives Scalable Blockchain Expansion with Robust Wallet Services The collaboration between Cwallet and Aptos highlights a rising market trend where wallet providers are integrating high-capacity blockchain ecosystems to improve user experience. In this respect, the move stresses a mutual effort to make blockchain technology and digital assets widely available to a wider audience. In an attempt to make crypto’s future inclusive, the development permits consumers from diverse backgrounds and regions to leverage effective financial tools.
Apart from that, Aptos has become a leading L1 blockchain that pays notable attention to high throughput, reliable network activities, and low latency. The blockchain is set to process transfers rapidly while maintaining decentralization and security. The respective abilities have increasing appeal for Aptos among decentralized applications, Web3 projects, and developers looking for the infrastructure that can back broadening increasingly complicated blockchain apps and user bases.
At the same time, for Cwallet, this move could deliver the technological basis required to unveil more streamlined crypto wallet and payment experiences. Greater ecosystem efficiency and transfer processing can help enhance services like payments, asset transactions, and other key blockchain-native financial activities. Amid the continuous blockchain adoption around the world, dependable infrastructure has become more significant for entities serving both institutional and retail consumers.
Establishing Basis of Cutting-Edge Web3 Services According to Cwallet, such partnerships enable companies to enhance performance along with strengthening their position for further Web3 developments. While the usage of digital assets is expanding into payments, tokenized applications, and decentralized finance, wallet platforms require infrastructure that can support consistent growth. Thus, this collaboration marks the commencement of developing more advanced blockchain solutions. As a result, consumers can anticipate further updates concerning new features and network initiatives.
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Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.
Robinhood Chain has attracted more than $70 million worth of bridged Ether within its first week, strengthening Ethereum’s role as the settlement layer behind the brokerage’s new tokenized finance network.
Summary
Robinhood Chain has attracted more than $70 million in bridged Ether within its first week after launch. Daily Uniswap trading volume has reached $500 million while total value locked has climbed above $106 million, supported by institutional liquidity. Token Terminal said continued adoption of Robinhood Chain could create a meaningful new source of demand for Ether. Data from Token Terminal showed the Arbitrum-based layer-2 network crossed the milestone after launching on July 1, with the analytics platform saying continued adoption could make the chain “a meaningful new source of demand for ETH.”
ETH bridged from @ethereum (L1) to Robinhood Chain (L2) is up by ~70x in the past week, surpassing $70M@RobinhoodApp Chain uses ETH as its native gas token
If adoption continues, the chain could become a meaningful new source of demand for ethereum:native pic.twitter.com/ihvgnut9Hz
— Token Terminal 📊 (@tokenterminal) July 9, 2026 Robinhood introduced the EVM-compatible network as an “AI-native” blockchain built for real-world assets, using ETH as its native gas token. The launch coincided with the company’s rollout of tokenized US stocks to customers in more than 120 countries, expanding its push into blockchain-based financial products.
Recent on-chain data also points to rapid ecosystem growth. Earlier this week, DeFiLlama data showed Robinhood Chain’s total value locked had climbed above $106 million after large institutional deposits into the Morpho lending protocol, while daily Uniswap trading volume reached $500 million, placing the network behind only Ethereum mainnet over the same period.
Ethereum demand grows alongside Robinhood Chain activity Alongside the rise in bridged assets, Token Terminal said Robinhood Chain has been converting liquidity into on-chain activity. According to the firm, daily active users reached 194,000 while daily revenue climbed to about $39,000, implying an annualized run rate of roughly $14 million.
DeFiLlama reported similar growth, showing the network held 46,748 ETH, worth about $83 million at current prices, before TVL later expanded beyond $100 million. The platform added that inflows on Thursday alone totaled 31,855 ETH, or roughly $55 million.
Commenting on the network’s activity, Uniswap founder Hayden Adams said most transactions on Robinhood Chain are denominated in ETH.
“It’s the base pair for trading, the highest volume asset, and the gas token to pay for blockspace,” Adams wrote, adding that the network also burns ETH on Ethereum’s mainnet to cover data storage costs.
Institutional participation has also accelerated liquidity growth. According to DeFiLlama, nearly $90 million of the chain’s locked value is held on Morpho, where Robinhood Earn offers around 7% annual percentage yield on USDG deposits. The biggest contribution came from Ethena, which deposited $50 million into a Steakhouse Financial-managed USDG vault in a single transaction.
Institutional flows support early momentum The growing activity comes as Robinhood continues expanding its tokenized finance ecosystem. Trading on the network has centered on Wrapped Ether (WETH), memecoins, and tokenized equities including NVDA, AAPL, and GOOG, while Robinhood launched the chain with support for Uniswap’s v2, v3, v4, and UniswapX infrastructure.
RWA.xyz data shows Ethereum and its layer-2 networks account for more than half of the tokenized real-world asset market, giving Robinhood Chain access to an ecosystem that already dominates the sector.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Alchemy Pay, a renowned cryptocurrency-fiat payment gateway, is excited to expand its localized On-Ramp service in Bangladesh. This latest network expansion interconnects with four of the country’s most prominent mobile financial services- bKash, Nagad, Rocket, and Upay.
The primary purpose is to seamlessly purchase cryptocurrencies using local mobile payment services and the Bangladeshi Taka (BDT). Alchemy Pay reaches its accessibility in South Asia, selecting one of the region’s most mature digital wallet ecosystems. These local mobile wallets form the foundation of Bangladesh’s financial infrastructure. Alchemy Pay has shared this news on its official X account.
— Alchemy Pay|$ACH: Fiat-Crypto Payment Gateway (@AlchemyPay) July 9, 2026 Alchemy Pay Simplifies Crypto Purchases with Bangladesh Payment Integration The expansion of crypto purchases makes them more accessible for users in Bangladesh, it leverages widely used mobile financial services for seamless payments and reduces hurdles to entering the digital asset ecosystem. A crypto on-ramp is a payment gateway that permits users to convert fiat currency (such as BDT) into cryptocurrencies.
bKash supports 50+ million registered users, serving as the basic digital hub for daily payments in Bangladesh. Nagad, positioned as the fast-growing second major player in the market, brings tens of millions of registered users and strong growth momentum in merchant and retail transactions.
Alchemy Pay’s expansion infrastructure plays a vital role in the development of the payment pathway. It also enables exchanges, wallets, decentralized applications, and Web3 services to onboard users perfectly, along with minimizing payment hurdles. Alchemy Pay has been well-known for its latest and most effective services for many years.
Building a Seamless Gateway Between Traditional Finance and Crypto Alchemy Pay resumes sorting out the complicated access process between fiat and crypto economies, helping to connect everyday users to the expanding worldwide digital asset ecosystem. It is the best opportunity for the people of Bangladesh in terms of improving their payment infrastructure.
Furthermore, Alchemy Pay has received approval from major payment networks Visa and Mastercard, officially becoming an authentic service provider and joining the Mastercard Crypto Partner Program. The company has built long-range local payment coverage in markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, aiding localized fiat access tailored to regional payment habits.
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Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.
Bitcoin (BTC) price rises above $63,000 at press time on Friday, extending its recovery as tensions between the US and Iran ease following missile strikes earlier this week. DeXe (DEXE) and Arbitrum (ARB) are leading gains over the last 24 hours as the broader market risk-off sentiment eases.
CoinMarketCap’s Fear and Greed Index is at 30 on Friday, up from 26 on Wednesday, reaffirming a mild increase in risk appetite among traders.
Fear and Greed Index. Source: CoinMarketCapBitcoin targets the 50-day EMABitcoin maintains a mixed near-term bias as the short-term recovery approaches the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $65,398 and remains well under the 200-day EMA at $75,025. The pair is attempting to stabilize after recent losses, while the long-term moving averages reflect a broader bearish trend.
From a technical perspective, BTC must clear the 50-day EMA at $65,398, which could extend its recovery to $70,000.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 52 on the daily chart ticks up from the midline, hinting at mildly improving momentum, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) rises with its signal line toward the zero line, suggesting that downside pressure may be easing even as price remains structurally capped.
BTC/USDT daily price chart.On the downside, key support is clustered around the $60,000 region, where a horizontal level aligns with an underlying trendline base; a decisive drop through this zone would reopen the path toward deeper corrective losses.
DeXe and Arbitrum eye breakout rallyDeXe is up over 20% on Friday, testing an ascending resistance trendline near $34.50. The token extends a strong bullish phase, trading well above the 50-day EMA near $20.71 and the 200-day EMA near $12.91. This wide separation between spot and the key EMAs suggests an entrenched uptrend.
That said, the RSI at 77 sits in overbought territory, hinting that upside momentum remains robust but increasingly stretched. Meanwhile, the MACD and signal line are rising into positive territory, with an expanding positive histogram, reinforcing the dominant upward bias despite the risk of a corrective pause.
A decisive close above the trendline could test the R3 and R4 Pivot levels at $40.52 and $48.04, respectively.
DEXE/USDT daily price chart.Initial support is seen at the 50-day EMA around $20.71, where any deeper pullback could test trend-following buyers’ appetite, before stronger structural demand emerges near the 200-day EMA at about $12.91.
Arbitrum is up 5% on Friday, extending the 13% gains from the previous day. ARB price trades above the 50-day EMA at roughly $0.0882, where a decisive close could confirm a bullish tilt while it still remains well below the 200-day EMA near $0.1479, keeping the broader trend capped.
Momentum is improving, with the RSI hovering around 62 and the MACD line holding in positive territory, which together suggest buyers are gaining control without reaching overbought conditions.
Looking up, the R1 and R2 Pivot levels at $0.0967 and $0.1174, respectively, emerge as key resistance levels.
ARB/USDT daily price chart.Looking down, immediate support is at the 50-day EMA at $0.0882, while a deeper pullback toward the prior breakout area at $0.0835 would need to hold to preserve the nascent bullish bias.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Valve just did something it almost never does: it changed the rules after the fact. Finn “karrigan” Andersen, the veteran Counter-Strike player who joined Team Falcons as a last-minute substitute roughly 62 days before the IEM Cologne Major 2026, has been awarded the in-game champion trophy after leading his squad to a 3-0 sweep over FURIA in the grand finals on June 22.
What actually happened Counter-Strike Majors are the sport’s premier tournaments, and Valve, which develops the game, has historically maintained strict rules about who qualifies for in-game rewards, limiting trophies, stickers, and autographs exclusively to the five players listed on an official roster. If you weren’t on the official roster, you didn’t get the trophy or the sticker.
Karrigan replaced a player named kyxsan on the Falcons roster just weeks before the Cologne Major. Under the old rules, his substitute status would have disqualified him from receiving the champion trophy, despite the fact that he literally called the shots during a dominant grand finals performance.
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Valve reversed course. When champion items dropped in CS2 following the tournament, karrigan’s name was on them.
This marks karrigan’s second Major title, cementing his legacy as one of Counter-Strike’s most decorated in-game leaders.
Why this matters beyond esports Counter-Strike stickers and trophies tied to Major events function remarkably like non-fungible digital assets. They’re scarce, tied to specific events and players, and trade on a secondary market where prices are driven by player popularity, team performance, and rarity. The key difference from NFTs is that they live entirely within Valve’s centralized Steam ecosystem, meaning Valve is judge, jury, and market maker.
When Valve decides to change who gets a trophy, it’s not just a feel-good gesture. It’s a supply decision. Karrigan items now exist in the champion collection for IEM Cologne 2026. If the old policy had held, they wouldn’t.
The bigger picture for digital asset governance The karrigan decision highlights both the efficiency and the risk of centralized governance. Valve moved quickly. There was no governance proposal, no token vote, no two-week deliberation period. The company saw an outcome that seemed unfair, and it fixed it.
But efficiency cuts both ways. The same centralized authority that can award a trophy can also revoke one, delist items, or change market rules overnight. Steam users have no recourse mechanism beyond hoping Valve makes the right call.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Morgan Stanley upgrades Lenovo's rating to Overweight, sets target price at HK$30.
AI reshapes the memory market landscape, transforming Lenovo from a victim of cyclical pressures into a beneficiary of pricing power, as Morgan Stanley significantly upgrades Lenovo Group’s rating and target price. Morgan Stanley’s Howard Kao-led team raised Lenovo’s rating from Neutral to Overweight, sharply lifting its target price from HK$14.20 to HK$30.00, representing around 34% upside from its HK$22.32 closing price on July 8. The report notes that AI-driven demand has fundamentally altered the supply-demand dynamics of the memory market, enabling Lenovo to pass on higher component costs to customers while preserving its profit margins. The bank forecasts this trend will persist at least through the second half of 2026.
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Cardano Founder Denies Resignation Rumors: "They are completely untrue and entirely fabricated."
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has denied rumors of his departure, calling them "fake, a complete lie, and totally fabricated." The rumors have spread widely—one London taxi driver even told visiting Cardano supporters that he had heard the founder was about to retire.
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Binance will adjust the funding rate cap for SK Hynix U-margined perpetual contracts.
Binance will adjust the funding rate cap for its SKHYNIX USDT perpetual contract at 16:15 Beijing Time on July 10, 2026. Following the adjustment, the cap will be lowered from ±2.00% to ±0.50%, effective at 16:00 Beijing Time on July 10, 2026.
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Aqua Labs signed a strategic investment agreement with PayTheFly at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, to jointly advance the construction of global stablecoin payment infrastructure.
On July 8, at the Stablecoin & Digital Asset Innovation Forum 2026 held at ADGM Academy in Abu Dhabi, Aqua Labs officially signed a strategic investment agreement with PayTheFly, announcing their joint push to build a global stablecoin payment infrastructure. PayTheFly, the forum’s exclusive organizer, drew hundreds of attendees including Abu Dhabi’s regulatory body ADGM, relevant UAE government departments, Visa, major banks, Web3 firms, global stablecoin industry leaders, and global payment industry executives, who gathered to discuss the development of stablecoins, digital assets, and global payment infrastructure. As a globally recognized on-chain stablecoin payment protocol, PayTheFly aims to build a new-generation global stablecoin payment infrastructure, offering enterprises secure, efficient, low-cost self-custody acquiring solutions. It is also a core strategic partner of Changer.ae, a licensed compliant institution in the UAE. The pair is collaborating to drive the compliant large-scale adoption of stablecoins in the UAE’s real estate, auto sales, offline retail, and on-chain cross-border settlement sectors. This strategic investment not only reflects Aqua Labs’ high recognition of PayTheFly’s technical strength and growth prospects, but will also accelerate PayTheFly’s strategic layout in the Middle East and global markets, as the two partners work together to advance stablecoin payment infrastructure construction and ecosystem development.
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Binance Stocks will open limit order trading for SK Hynix ADR stocks today.
According to an official announcement, Binance will allow users to place regular limit orders for whole shares of SK hynix Inc. ADR via pre-issuance trading using the temporary code SKHYV, starting at 17:05 (UTC+8) on July 10, 2026. Each SK hynix ADR represents one-tenth (1/10) of a common share of SK Hynix Inc. listed on the Korea Exchange, and holders are subject to standard ADR fees charged by the depositary bank. Pre-issuance trading for SKHYV will start at 17:05 (UTC+8) on July 10, 2026, and close at 04:00 (UTC+8) on July 11, 2026. The code is expected to change to SKHY at 21:30 (UTC+8) on July 13, 2026, when regular trading will commence. Based on Nasdaq’s historical performance, the stock is not expected to open during regular hours; the initial price discovery phase typically lasts several hours, and orders will be executed after the market officially opens. Only limit orders are supported, including Good-Till-Cancel (GTC) and day orders, while market orders are not allowed. Any unfilled SKHYV orders after the pre-issuance trading session ends will be invalid. Price limit rules apply to all National Market System (NMS) stocks. If the price exceeds the limit, trading will be suspended until Nasdaq lifts the suspension. Partner brokers may impose net buy limits or caps. Full securities lending for SKHY will take effect after trade settlement (T+1 trading day). The above new stock trading is subject to user eligibility based on their country or region.
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CASHCAT’s market capitalization briefly hit an all-time high, surging over 40% intraday.
According to GMGN market data, Robinhood Chain meme coin CASHCAT briefly hit a new all-time high in market capitalization, currently trading at $152 million with an intraday increase of over 40%. Meme coins are highly volatile, so investors should be mindful of associated risks.
Venice AI is pulling in $70 million in annualized recurring revenue through its integration with Bittensor subnet 11, powered by roughly 1.7 million daily API calls.
Delphi Digital, the crypto research firm, projects Venice AI’s total ARR at approximately $200M based on a recent three-week window of subscriber data tracking.
Inside the revenue machine Subnet 11, which previously operated under the name Dippy and has since evolved into TrajectoryRL, specializes in roleplay, companion AI, and prompt optimization. The 1.7 million daily API calls flowing through this subnet translate into revenue-backed demand for subnet tokens.
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TrajectoryRL itself documented roughly $50,000 in revenue during a single month. Scale that across the broader Venice ecosystem and you start to see how the $200M ARR projection from Delphi Digital isn’t just wishful math.
Venice AI distinguishes itself by running a privacy-focused, uncensored AI platform. Its flagship model, Venice Uncensored 1.2, was trained using compute from Bittensor’s Targon subnet. The platform offers chat, image generation, and coding tools.
The token economics behind the curtain Venice’s native token, VVV, began trading in January 2025 and has experienced significant price appreciation amid the broader AI narrative sweeping crypto markets. Holders can stake VVV for API access and earn DIEM credits that translate into computational resources on the network.
The broader Bittensor ecosystem reported approximately $43 million in revenue during Q1 2026 across all subnets.
What this means for investors NVIDIA has been engaging with the decentralized AI market. Institutional interest in decentralized AI infrastructure has been quietly building.
For investors evaluating the VVV token or the broader Bittensor ecosystem, the key metric to watch is sustained API call volume. Revenue projections based on three-week windows, however carefully tracked by firms like Delphi Digital, can be volatile.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Nous Research has added GPT-5.6 support to its Hermes Agent, available now through the Nous Portal.
Hermes Agent was not built to be a simple chatbot wrapper. Launched in February 2026, it was designed around persistent memory and skill generation, meaning the system can carry context across sessions and build new capabilities as it operates.
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What GPT-5.6 actually brings to the table OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 family entered limited preview on June 26, 2026, and it is not a single model. It comes in three variants: Sol, the flagship; Terra, the balanced middle option; and Luna, the fast and cost-efficient tier.
Hermes Agent’s Tool Gateway feature allows it to route tasks to external services, and its native desktop applications mean users are not locked into a browser-based workflow. Pairing those features with a model family that scales from cheap-and-fast to expensive-and-thorough lets developers match compute spend to task complexity.
The GPT-5.6 family is positioned around multi-step task handling, with particular strengths in coding and cybersecurity applications.
The Nous Portal’s growing model library The Nous Portal now offers access to over 400 AI models, handling subscription management, billing, and tool integrations like web browsing and image processing through a single interface.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bridge exploits have cost DeFi users billions. Mantle now moves to ensure its $2.5 billion MNT token supply doesn’t become the next statistic. The team announced that it is migrating the Mantle Super Portal to Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), a shift designed to wrap every cross-chain transfer of MNT in institutional-grade security, according to the official announcement.
The migration targets the core friction that keeps large allocators away from cross-chain activity: the fear of a single point of failure. Mantle’s Super Portal was already a gateway for moving MNT between supported networks but switching to CCIP adds a risk management framework that separates message validation from token transfer execution. Chainlink’s decentralized oracle networks verify cross-chain transactions, with additional monitoring to detect abnormal behavior before funds move.
Cutting Out Bridge Risk for a $2.5B Token Mantle’s decision lands at a moment when institutional capital is slowly crossing into on-chain environments but remains allergic to bridge risk. Weekly flows show that tokenized real-world assets just crossed $20B on-chain, with major financial names settling trades on public ledgers, as covered in a recent tokenization roundup. Yet each new bridge exploit resets trust.
CCIP’s architecture is not just about moving tokens. It includes a separate risk management network that can pause or reroute transfers independently, a feature that mimics the compartmentalized controls familiar to traditional finance. For a token with a circulating supply topping $2.5 billion, even a short window of degraded security could trigger cascading liquidity problems.
The Institutional Grade Difference with CCIP Chainlink has been positioning CCIP as the go-to interoperability layer for institutions, and Mantle’s migration adds a high-profile use case. By decoupling validation from execution, CCIP reduces the blast radius of a potential smart contract bug. The protocol also uses rate-limiting and dynamic fee models that adjust during network congestion, something liquidity providers track closely.
Developer activity remains a strong proxy for long-term ecosystem health. While Mantle builds its scaling stack, the broader competitive landscape shows Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain leading the latest developer charts. Secure interoperability could tilt the balance for projects deciding where to deploy, especially if they hold large MNT positions.
Ecosystem and Market Structure Implications For MNT holders and liquidity providers, the immediate effect is a reduction in the tail risk of cross-chain transfers. If the migration strengthens settlement guarantees, arbitrageurs may tighten spreads across decentralized exchanges where MNT trades, while market makers could feel more comfortable quoting larger sizes.
Institutional staking demand has already shown the power of safety narratives. SUI’s recent 18% surge was partly driven by Nasdaq-listed firms entering staking arrangements, reflecting how perceived security draws volume. Mantle’s CCIP move fits the same pattern—upgrading infrastructure to match the expectations of capital that will not tolerate uncontrolled bridge risk.
What remains uncertain is how regulators will classify cross-chain protocols over time and whether CCIP itself could become a chokepoint if usage centralizes. No single upgrade eliminates smart contract risk entirely, and the true test will be how Mantle’s new architecture performs under real market stress. Still, by migrating its Super Portal to an established institutional standard, Mantle signals that cross-chain safety is no longer optional for ecosystems managing billions in token value.
AUTHOR
Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.
