Key Takeaways CNC's integrated healthcare model supports earnings through coordinated care, pharmacy and clinical services.CNC raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance after Q1 adjusted EPS rose 16.2% YoY and revenues increased 5.1%.Centene is expanding AI, analytics and value-based care to improve costs, pricing and care quality. Centene Corporation's (CNC - Free Report) integrated healthcare model is supporting its earnings potential by combining government-sponsored health plans with coordinated clinical services, pharmacy benefits and community-based care. This approach helps the company to manage medical costs more effectively while improving health outcomes across Medicaid, Medicare and Commercial members. As of March 31, 2026, Centene served 26.3 million members, giving the company significant scale to spread administrative costs and support operating leverage.
Centene is also sharpening its operational capabilities through technology and data-driven initiatives. It expanded the use of advanced analytics and selective AI-enabled tools across medical economics, forecasting, fraud detection and payment integrity. These initiatives are helping identify emerging healthcare trends earlier, strengthen claims oversight and improve pricing decisions. In Medicare, the company continues to simplify provider contracts and expand value-based care models targeting high-cost specialties, supporting better quality and lower total cost of care.
In the first quarter of 2026, adjusted earnings per share increased 16.2% year over year to $3.37, while premium and service revenues rose 5.1%. Medicaid's health benefits ratio improved 50 bps year over year to 93.1%, reflecting the impact of better reimbursement, disciplined medical cost management and ongoing operational improvements. Encouraged by the strong start, Centene raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to more than $3.40.
However, regulatory changes and medical cost trends remain key challenges. CNC's integrated approach is creating a stronger operating foundation. Continued investments in technology, clinical programs and provider partnerships should support margin recovery and position the company for sustainable earnings growth over the long term.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of CNC’s major competitors in the value-based care space are UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) and Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV - Free Report) .
UnitedHealth continues to strengthen its integrated healthcare platform by combining UnitedHealthcare's insurance operations with Optum's pharmacy, care delivery and health services businesses. This connected model enhances care coordination, improves operational efficiency and supports UNH’s long-term earnings growth through diversified revenue streams.
Elevance Health is expanding its integrated care strategy through Carelon, which combines pharmacy, behavioral health and care management services. ELV is leveraging these capabilities to improve clinical outcomes, manage medical costs more effectively and support sustainable earnings growth across its government-sponsored and commercial businesses.
Centene’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of CNC have rallied 66.1% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s rise of 36.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Centene trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 17.39, below the industry average of 19.69. CNC carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Centene’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.46 per share, implying 66.4% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CNC stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering SM Energy (SM - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry.
This independent oil and gas company has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 16.93%.
For the last reported quarter, SM Energy came out with earnings of $1.55 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.29 per share, representing a surprise of 20.16%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.73 per share and it actually produced earnings of $0.83 per share, delivering a surprise of 13.70%.
Price and EPS Surprise
For SM Energy, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
SM Energy currently has an Earnings ESP of +4.43%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner.
With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.
While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Invesco (IVZ - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 2.13% so far this year. The investment management company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.22 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.21%. This compares to the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield of 2.81% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.4%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.86 is up 3% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Invesco has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.66%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Invesco's current payout ratio is 39%, meaning it paid out 39% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for IVZ for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $2.59 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 27.59%.
From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, IVZ is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
BENSALEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors of the upcoming August 28, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the case filed on behalf of investors who purchased Hub Group, Inc. (“Hub Group” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HUBG) securities between April 28, 2023 and May 11, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”).
IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN HUB GROUP, INC. (HUBG), CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD G. SMITH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.
Contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss your legal rights by email at [email protected], by telephone at (215) 638-4847 or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
What Happened?
On February 5, 2026, Hub Group disclosed it had “identified an error that resulted in the understatement of purchased transportation costs and accounts payable in the first nine months of 2025.” The Company determined that, as a result, financial statements for those periods should no longer be relied upon.
The Company further stated it “expects to conclude that it did not maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2025.”
On this news, Hub Group’s stock price fell $9.34, or 18.3%, to close at $41.96 per share on February 6, 2026, thereby injuring investors.
Then, on May 12, 2026, Hub Group disclosed that additional financial statements from 2023 and 2024 would need to be restated after the Company had “identified certain transactions that were prematurely or incorrectly recognized or not adequately supported.” The Company also announced that it would be unable to timely file its first quarter 2026 financial report as well as its full year 2025 annual report.
On this news, Hub Group’s stock price fell $5.24, or 12.5%, to close at $36.62 per share on May 12, 2026, thereby injuring investors further.
What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the Company’s financial statements prepared for the periods from Q1 2023 to Q4 2024 contained material misstatements caused by the premature and incorrect recognition of certain transactions; (2) the Company’s financial statements prepared for the periods from Q1 2025 to Q3 2025 contained material misstatements caused by the understatement of purchased transportation costs and accounts payable; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
If you purchased or otherwise acquired Hub Group securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than August 28, 2026 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff if you meet certain legal requirements.
Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith,
3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112,
Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020,
Telephone: (215) 638-4847
Email: [email protected],
Visit our website at: www.howardsmithlaw.com.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
LOS ANGELES, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz reminds investors that class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of shareholders of the following publicly-traded companies. Investors have until the deadlines listed below to file a lead plaintiff motion.
Investors suffering losses on their investments are encouraged to contact The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz to discuss their legal rights in these class actions at 310-914-5007 or by email to [email protected].
Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU)
Class Period: May 24, 2023 – May 27, 2026
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 25, 2026
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Futu was not in compliance with the requirements of the CSRC, including because the Company continued to conduct securities business, public fund sales business and futures business in mainland China without obtaining the requisite licenses or approval; (2) as a result, Futu was reasonably likely to face regulatory penalties, including the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and other penalties; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Futu’s financial results were overstated; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
If you are a Futu shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.
Hub Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUBG)
Class Period: April 28, 2023 – May 11, 2026
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 28, 2026
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the Company’s financial statements prepared for the periods from Q1 2023 to Q4 2024 contained material misstatements caused by the premature and incorrect recognition of certain transactions; (2) the Company’s financial statements prepared for the periods from Q1 2025 to Q3 2025 contained material misstatements caused by the understatement of purchased transportation costs and accounts payable; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
If you are a Hub Group shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.
To be a member of these class actions, you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about these class actions, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles
Frank R. Cruz, 310-914-5007 [email protected]
www.frankcruzlaw.com
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.
Hyperliquid Adds GRAM Perps After Sustained Community Requests@HyperliquidX has officially listed $GRAM perpetual futures, allowing traders to go long or short on the asset with up to 5x leverage. The listing follows a sustained wave of community requests as the token gained volume across major global venues including @Official_Upbit and @Binance.
The move gives traders their first high-performance decentralized venue for hedging $GRAM exposure. Hyperliquid is a Layer 1 blockchain known for its fully onchain order book and perpetual futures exchange, where every order and liquidation is executed and settled transparently onchain.
What Is GRAM and Why Does It Matter NowThe timing of the listing is closely tied to a significant rebrand on @Ton_blockchain. On June 15, 2026, the token formerly known as Toncoin was officially renamed Gram, with the ticker switching from TON to GRAM after a community governance vote passed with 81.22% support. The blockchain itself retains the name The Open Network.
The rebrand was a pure branding update covering name, ticker, and logo only. There was no new contract, no token swap, and no migration step of any kind. All $TON balances converted to $GRAM automatically at a 1:1 ratio, with no action required from holders.
The name Gram carries historical weight. The Gram rename is step four of Pavel Durov's Make TON Great Again roadmap, with Telegram now serving as the network's primary operator and largest validator. Gram was the original token name chosen in TON's 2018 whitepaper before U.S. regulatory pressure forced the project to pause and restructure under community leadership.
With $GRAM now trading at scale across centralized venues and the rebrand fully live, Hyperliquid's listing provides a decentralized derivatives layer for traders seeking to hedge or speculate on the asset without relying on custodial infrastructure.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The cryptocurrency Gram (GRAM), which returned to its historic name as part of a major rebranding of the TON ecosystem, is showing a local rally amid a broader market revival.
At the time of writing, the price of the GRAM token, previously named Toncoin, has already climbed from $1.56 to a local peak above $1.71, and it is currently holding around $1.65–$1.67, securing the asset in the top 20 largest cryptocurrencies on CoinMarketCap with a total market capitalization of $4.49 billion.
GRAM token price action since the rebranding announcement, Source: TradingViewThe current jump is explained by the fact that this ticker now carries an old and familiar brand for the market. It was under the name Gram that Pavel Durov and the Telegram team raised a record $1.7 billion in 2018 to build the Telegram Open Network blockchain.
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However, in 2020, due to heavy pressure from the U.S. regulator the SEC, the project had to be shut down in its original form, and Durov returned the money to investors. The blockchain was then taken over by an independent community of developers, who continued developing it for years under the Toncoin and The Open Network brand.
Binance and Hyperliquid step in for GRAMThe return to the Gram name years later has become an extremely convenient marketing move for attracting new liquidity. In a rising market, such speculative narratives work as a strong catalyst for buying, and the momentum was immediately reinforced by larger centralized and decentralized venues — Binance and Hyperliquid, respectively.
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Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, quickly opened spot pairs with USDT, USDC, and FDUSD, while also launching futures contracts. Meanwhile, the DeFi platform Hyperliquid added leveraged contracts at the community's specific request.
As a direct result, global traders received a working combination of a strong bullish backdrop, a loud news catalyst, and immediate access to trading on key platforms.
TradingView has added market data from Hyperliquid and Trade[XYZ], allowing users to chart a broader range of onchain perpetual markets directly through its platform.
Trade[XYZ] and Hyperliquid data is now live on @tradingview. Putting this data where traders live has been a top priority for us.
Markets are increasingly shaped by events unfolding around the clock, and price discovery shouldn't stop when traditional venues close.
Users now…
— trade.xyz (@tradexyz) July 2, 2026
The integration provides real time data for Hyperliquid crypto perpetuals and spot assets, alongside Trade[XYZ] markets tied to equities, commodities, foreign exchange, and pre IPO companies.
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The feeds allow TradingView users to track price discovery around the clock, including during periods when traditional exchanges are closed.
Hyperliquid operates a layer one blockchain built around an onchain perpetual futures exchange. The platform currently offers more than 300 perpetual and spot markets spanning crypto assets, commodities, and indices.
The network has also expanded beyond its core exchange through HIP-3, an upgrade that allows independent developers to launch perpetual markets using Hyperliquid’s infrastructure.
Trade[XYZ], the first major deployer under HIP-3, offers perpetual markets linked to several asset classes. Its platform currently includes Hyperliquid crypto perpetuals, equity perpetuals, and crypto spot markets.
TradingView users can find the newly added markets through the symbol search function in Supercharts. Hyperliquid markets are available under the HYPERLIQUID prefix, while Trade[XYZ] markets can be found using HIP3XYZ.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Following a major rebranding within the TON ecosystem, Gram has returned to its historic name and experienced a short-term rally in line with the broader recovery in the cryptocurrency markets. With this latest move, the asset has maintained its status among the 20 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, according to CoinMarketCap.
Price movement and market capitalizationThe price of GRAM climbed from $1.56, surging past the local peak of $1.71, before stabilizing between $1.65 and $1.67. Its total market capitalization reached $4.49 billion.
This uptick is largely driven by the renewed focus on the Gram brand, which holds significant recognition in the market. The Gram name first emerged when Telegram founder Pavel Durov and his team raised $1.7 billion in 2018 to develop the Telegram Open Network blockchain. Durov is widely known as the founder of the messaging platform Telegram.
The Gram name has long been recognized in the market after $1.7 billion was raised in 2018 for the Telegram Open Network initiative.
Setbacks due to SEC interventionInitially, the project was halted in 2020 following pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During this period, Pavel Durov returned funds to investors. The blockchain subsequently came under the stewardship of an independent developer community and continued evolving over the years under the Toncoin and The Open Network brands.
Years later, the revival of the Gram brand stands out as a compelling marketing move, particularly amid a rising market. Coupled with a surge of positive news, this strategic pivot has bolstered new liquidity and driven increased demand among investors.
Rapid listings boost upward momentumThe strong rally was further fueled by swift action from both centralized and decentralized trading platforms. Binance listed GRAM with USDT, USDC, and FDUSD trading pairs and swiftly rolled out perpetual futures contracts. Hyperliquid, responding to community demand, also introduced leveraged contracts for GRAM.
PlatformNewly added productsBinanceUSDT, USDC, FDUSD spot pairs and perpetual futuresHyperliquidLeveraged contractsBinance’s rapid rollout of spot and futures products, along with Hyperliquid’s addition of leveraged contracts in response to community demand, quickly broadened access to GRAM.
Thanks to these developments, global investors encountered an upbeat market environment, a wave of positive news, and instant access across major platforms. Together, these factors became the main pillars behind the recent price movement in GRAM.
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.
More than half of the tokenized real-world asset market showed no weekly transfer activity, according to new research from BeInCrypto.
The report, Real State of Tokenization in 2026, tracked roughly $60 billion in tokenized real-world assets across more than 7,000 products and 12 asset classes. It found that the market is growing fast, but actual on-chain activity remains far thinner than the headline numbers suggest.
Across 1,289 tokenized assets worth more than $100,000, 910 showed zero weekly transfers. Those dormant assets represented $32.9 billion in value, or 56% of the market measured for transfer activity.
Only 379 assets showed weekly movement. Together, they represented $26.2 billion in active value.
Tokenization Has Value, But Not Always Movement The finding points to one of the biggest gaps in tokenized finance. Assets may be brought on-chain, but that does not mean they are actively traded, transferred, or used across financial infrastructure.
The report draws a distinction between “Distributed” assets and “Represented” assets.
Distributed assets can move on public blockchain rails and may be used across wallets, platforms, or DeFi protocols.
Represented assets use blockchain more like an internal ledger or digital record of an off-chain position.
But why does this distinction matter? Because about $27 billion of dormant value came from Represented assets.
In these cases, low transfer activity does not necessarily mean failure. Some products were not designed for public secondary-market movement in the first place.
However, the data still shows that tokenized finance has not yet become a broad, liquid market. Even among active assets, activity is concentrated in a much smaller group than the total product count suggests.
The Next Problem Is Infrastructure The research concludes that tokenization’s next phase depends less on launching more assets and more on building the systems that allow those assets to move, settle, comply with regulation, and reach investors.
Without stronger infrastructure around access, transfer controls, compliance, collateral use, and market depth, many tokenized assets may remain digital records rather than usable financial instruments.
The full BeInCrypto Research report is available here.
The financial system does not fail everyone equally. It fails specific people, in specific corridors, in ways that have not changed in 50 years.
I have lived on the wrong side of that line. My father came from Asia to the UK. My family moved to the US, and I myself moved to Africa. Growing up between those journeys taught me that crossing a border is a financial act as much as anything else, and the cost lands on the person who can least afford it.
I spent my career inside the plumbing. I helped bring one of the first PISPs to market in the UK. I worked on FCA-regulated projects after that. I ran ecommerce in Beijing. I have been close enough to the systems that work to understand why they do, and close enough to the ones that fail to know that technology is not the gap. The rails were never built for these markets.
My first project in this industry was a decentralized social media platform. We built it to make equal access real. The person in Karachi should have the same voice as the person in San Francisco, alongside the same access to the financial tools that come with it. That belief stayed constant with me from scaling wallets and stablecoins to real world assets, and most recently lending markets, with Fira Finance, where I grew a lending protocol to close to $500 million in TVL. The products changed. The belief did not.
The infrastructure underneath those products kept failing the people who needed it most. Good products, broken rails.
That is why I joined Movement as Chief Marketing Officer.
Movement is the rails. Licensed, live, and already moving money in the corridors I know best. Most infrastructure plays in this space are roadmaps. Movement is a network that exists today, in the markets that have been waiting the longest for it. What I have spent my career building toward and what Movement has already built are the same thing. Joining was the only decision that made sense.
The work now is market-building. Finding the fintechs and neobanks across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America who need this infrastructure and making sure they know it exists. That’s the problem I have spent 15 years learning to solve.
I live in Africa. I use the products that run on this infrastructure. To me this is a family problem just as much as a financial one. The person sending money home, the neobank that cannot reach users across a border, the fintech building on rails that were never designed for where it operates. The network is for them.
15 years of building markets for things that do not have them yet. Yet, this time the problem being solved hits so much closer to home.
Key Takeaways International Flavors launched SENSORA, a patent-pending pro-fragrance technology for lasting scents.IFF said that SENSORA extends fragrance up to 20 days post-activation across multiple applications.International Flavors introduced Floral Fusion for detergents with evolving floral notes on dry fabrics. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF - Free Report) announced the launch of its advanced patent-pending pro-fragrance technology, SENSORA. This development is in sync with the rising demand for a longer-lasting scent.
Details of IFF’s SENSORAInternational Flavors is combining its deep expertise in fragrance design with pro-fragrance science to create SENSORA that will revolutionize the use of scent across home, fabric and personal care applications. The technology is designed to prolong fragrance well beyond wash, unveiling complex scent profiles over time and extending the scent for up to 20 days post-activation.
The company announced the launch of Floral Fusion, which is a light-activated pro-fragrance under the SENSORA portfolio. This is designed specifically for liquid detergents that provide a long-lasting, evolving scent experience by releasing refined floral notes on dry fabrics. This elevates the product's base fragrance profile.
International Flavors’ Q1 PerformanceIFF reported adjusted earnings of $1.25 per share in first-quarter 2026, up 4.2% year over year. The results beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.08 by 15.7%.
International Flavors’ quarterly net sales were $2.741 billion, down 3.6% from the year-ago period but beating the consensus mark of $2.65 billion by 3.4%. On a comparable currency-neutral basis, sales increased 3%, supported by volume gains across all four segments.
The Scent segment’s sales were $651 million, up 6% year over year. On a comparable basis, currency-neutral sales inched up 1% as growth in Consumer Fragrances and Fine Fragrances was partially offset by a decline in Fragrance Ingredients. The adjusted operating EBITDA increased 5% year over year to $148 million.
IFF Stock’s Price PerformanceIn the past year, the company’s shares have gained 8.4% compared with the industry’s growth of 5.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
International Flavors’ Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Dow's current-year earnings is pegged at $2.61 per share, indicating a 377% year-over-year surge. DOW shares have gained 13.6% in a year.
Albemarle has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 74.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $12.45 per share, indicating year-over-year growth from a loss of 79 cents. ALB shares have skyrocketed 124% so far this year.
Avino Silver has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 125%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Avino Silver’s 2026 earnings is pegged at 39 cents per share, indicating 34.5% year-over-year growth. Its shares have surged 62.7% in a year.
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ChampionX Corporation (NASDAQ: CHX) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ChampionX securities between February 29, 2024 and April 1, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CHX.
ChampionX Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
while repurchasing millions of dollars' worth of ChampionX Corporation ("ChampionX" or the "Company") common stock, Defendants were in possession of material nonpublic information regarding offers made by Schlumberger Limited ("SLB") to acquire ChampionX at a premium to prevailing market prices; Defendants failed to either abstain from trading or disclose SLB's offer(s), which, if disclosed, would have signaled to investors that ChampionX's stock was worth significantly more than its trading price; Defendants further failed to disclose subsequent offers and negotiations involving ChampionX and SLB; and as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next for ChampionX Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/CHX, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in ChampionX you have until July 14, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to ChampionX Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for ChampionX Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
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Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/297983
Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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NEW YORK, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ChampionX Corporation (NASDAQ: CHX) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ChampionX securities between February 29, 2024 and April 1, 2024, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/CHX.
ChampionX Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
while repurchasing millions of dollars’ worth of ChampionX Corporation (“ChampionX” or the “Company”) common stock, Defendants were in possession of material nonpublic information regarding offers made by Schlumberger Limited (“SLB”) to acquire ChampionX at a premium to prevailing market prices;Defendants failed to either abstain from trading or disclose SLB’s offer(s), which, if disclosed, would have signaled to investors that ChampionX’s stock was worth significantly more than its trading price;Defendants further failed to disclose subsequent offers and negotiations involving ChampionX and SLB; andas a result, Defendants’ statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. What's Next for ChampionX Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/CHX. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in ChampionX you have until July 14, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to ChampionX Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for ChampionX Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
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Contact Info
Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
917-590-0911 | [email protected]
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2026) - National plaintiffs' law firm Berger Montague PC announces a class action lawsuit against ChampionX Corporation (NASDAQ: CHX) ("ChampionX" or the "Company") on behalf of investors who sold ChampionX common stock during the period from February 29, 2024 through April 1, 2024 (the "Class Period").
Investor Deadline: Investors who sold ChampionX common stock during the Class Period may, no later than July 14, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. To learn your rights, CLICK HERE.
Prior to its July 2025 acquisition by SLB, ChampionX was a global leader in chemistry solutions and engineered equipment for the oil and gas industry.
The lawsuit alleges that while ChampionX and its senior executives were in possession of material, non-public information - specifically, unsolicited acquisition offers from SLB - the Company repurchased a significant amount of its own shares at market prices artificially deflated by the concealment of that information.
Specifically, on February 29, 2024, ChampionX received an unsolicited, non-public offer from SLB to acquire all outstanding shares of ChampionX for $36.70 per share. On March 7, 2024, SLB raised its offer to $37.80 per share. Throughout the Class Period, ChampionX's average stock price was $33.32 per share - materially below the undisclosed offer prices. Despite having an obligation to either disclose the acquisition offers or abstain from purchasing ChampionX stock, the Company continued to repurchase shares at those depressed prices and benefitted significantly from keeping this information from investors.
On April 2, 2024, during pre-market hours, ChampionX disclosed that it had reached an agreement to be acquired by SLB. The merger eventually closed on July 16, 2025, with SLB acquiring ChampionX for $40.58 per share.
If you are a ChampionX investor and would like to learn more about this action, CLICK HERE or please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at [email protected] or (215) 875-3015, or Caitlin Adorni at [email protected] or (267) 764-4865.
About Berger Montague
Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. With more than $2.4 billion in 2025 post-trial judgments alone, the Firm is a leader in the fields of complex litigation, antitrust, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For over 55 years, Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago; Malvern, PA; Minneapolis; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/303706
Source: Berger Montague
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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against CommVault Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVLT) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired CommVault securities between April 29, 2025 and January 26, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CVLT.
CommVault Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
Defendants provided investors with misleading guidance and projections regarding CommVault's anticipated annual recurring revenue ("ARR") growth for fiscal year 2026, including projections related to new net ARR growth; Defendants simultaneously disseminated overly positive statements while concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of the Company's ARR growth environment; Defendants knew or recklessly disregarded that the Company's ARR growth guidance failed to properly account for critical variables, including the type of sales driving ARR performance; and as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis and were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next for CommVault Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/CVLT, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in CommVault you have until July 17, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to CommVault Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for CommVault Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/298055
Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.
If you purchased or acquired Commvault securities between April 29, 2025 to January 26, 2026 and would like to discuss your legal rights, contact Bragar Eagel & Squire partners Brandon Walker or Melissa Fortunato by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 355-4648.
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NEW YORK, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
What’s Happening?
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Commvault Systems, Inc. (“Commvault” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:CVLT) in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Commvault securities between April 29, 2025 to January 26, 2026, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Investors have until July 17, 2026 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. What are the Allegation Details?
According to the complaint, during the class period defendants created the false impression that Commvault’s annualized recurring revenue (ARR) growth would remain steady throughout fiscal year 2026. Plaintiff alleges that Commvault knew or recklessly disregarded that the Company’s ARR growth guidance failed to properly factor in crucial variables, such as the type of sale. Such statements absent these material facts caused Plaintiff and other shareholders to purchase Commvault’s securities at artificially inflated prices.Plaintiff then alleges that the truth was revealed on January 27, 2026, when Commvault published third quarter 2026 fiscal results, which included ARR growth below the guidance provided by the Company. Commvault reported ARR growth for the third quarter 2026 was $39 million, which fell short of the $45 million projection provided. On this news, the price of Commvault’s common stock declined from a closing price of $129.36 per share on January 26, 2026, to $89.13 per share on January 27, 2026, a decline of over 31% in a single day. What are my Next Steps?
If you purchased or otherwise acquired Commvault shares and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Melissa Fortunato by email at [email protected], telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, South Carolina, and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in securities, derivative, and commercial litigation as well as individuals in consumer protection and data privacy litigation. The firm has a nationwide practice and routinely handles cases in both federal and state courts. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn and Facebook, and keep up with other news by following Brandon Walker, Esq. on LinkedIn.
Key Takeaways Constellation Brands beat Q1 earnings and revenue estimates despite lower reported sales.Beer sales rose 2% y/y to $2.284B, led by higher shipments and pricing despite softer depletions.Wine and Spirits organic sales grew 8%, while cash flow supported dividends and buybacks. Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ - Free Report) delivered a solid first-quarter fiscal 2027 performance, surpassing earnings and revenue expectations despite lower reported sales following last year's wine divestitures. Growth continued to be led by the Beer business, while the streamlined Wine and Spirits portfolio showed encouraging organic momentum. Higher profitability, disciplined pricing, healthy cash generation and continued market-share gains underscored the quarter, although softer beer depletions for flagship brands and a cautious consumer backdrop remain areas to monitor.
Constellation Brands continues to execute against its long-term strategy by focusing on premium beer, optimizing its Wine and Spirits portfolio and maintaining disciplined capital allocation. A closer evaluation of the company's financial and operating metrics provides deeper insight into the quality of its earnings and future growth trajectory. (Read more: Constellation Brands' Q1 Earnings Beat, Sales Top on Beer Strength)
STZ's Q1 Key Financial Metrics DiscussionThe Beer business once again remained the primary growth engine during the quarter. Net sales increased 2% year over year to $2.28 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.27 billion, driven by a 1.8% rise in shipment volumes and favorable pricing. Beer operating income also grew 2% to $891.4 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $878 million. However, the operating margin remained nearly flat at 39% as higher marketing investments and an unfavorable sales mix offset pricing benefits. Despite a modest 0.3% decline in depletions, Constellation Brands continued to outperform the broader U.S. beer industry, ranking as the top dollar-share gainer across Circana-tracked channels. Pacifico and Victoria delivered particularly strong depletion growth, helping offset softer trends in Modelo Especial and Corona Extra.
The Wine and Spirits segment continued to reflect the impact of the 2025 divestitures, with reported net sales declining 47% year over year to $149.2 million, but beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $142 million. However, the underlying business showed meaningful improvement. Organic net sales increased 8%, supported by 7.7% organic shipment growth and 6.6% depletion growth. Brands such as Kim Crawford and Mi CAMPO Tequila continued to perform well, enabling the portfolio to outperform the broader wine and spirits category in both dollar and volume sales. The segment also reported an operating loss of $1.1 million, narrower than both the year-ago loss of $6 million and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of $1.37 million, as improved volumes and lower operating expenses partly offset the effect of the divestitures.
Profitability strengthened across the enterprise. Comparable operating income increased 6% year over year, while reported operating income climbed 18%, reflecting improved gross margins, lower impairment-related charges and disciplined expense management. The company generated operating cash flow of $662 million and free cash flow of $485 million during the quarter, allowing it to return more than $400 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases while continuing to invest in brewery expansion projects.
Constellation Brands also reaffirmed confidence in its financial outlook by raising its fiscal 2027 reported EPS guidance while maintaining its comparable EPS, operating cash flow and free cash flow targets. Although management still expects a relatively modest sales environment, continued pricing discipline, premium brand strength, market-share gains and strong cash generation position the company well to deliver stable earnings growth through fiscal 2027.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 4% in the past six months against the industry’s growth of 12%.
STZ Stock's 6-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderARKO Corp. (ARKO - Free Report) operates a chain of convenience stores in the United States. ARKO currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARKO's current fiscal-year sales implies a decline of 2.8%, while the same for current fiscal-year earnings implies growth of 93.3% from the year-ago reported figures. ARKO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 43.2%, on average.
Fomento Economico Mexicano (FMX - Free Report) is a leading multinational consumer company with operations spanning proximity retail, fuel, health, digital financial services, logistics and distribution, while also holding a controlling stake in Coca-Cola FEMSA, the world's largest Coca-Cola franchise bottler. The company presently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1.
FMX delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 17%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FMX’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 17.3% and 130.9%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.
The Coca-Cola Company (KO - Free Report) is a global beverage giant with a portfolio of more than 4,700 beverage products (and more than 500 brands), ranging from sodas (or sparkling beverages) to energy drinks. KO currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coca-Cola’s 2026 sales and earnings indicates growth of 3% and 8.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. KO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 4.5%, on average.
Peter Andersen addresses newfound instability in what was considered a once stable trade: alcohol. He believes current worldwide events will offer a notable boost to the alcohol industry, though he's not confident that demand will hold long-term.
Key Takeaways American Eagle faces higher SG&A, tariff costs and weaker demand for women's bottoms.AEO is investing in digital marketing, TikTok Shop and supply chain to drive customer growth.AEO trades below its historical and industry forward P/E despite ongoing execution efforts. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO - Free Report) , a prominent player in the retail apparel and shoes sector, has seen its shares plunge 35.1% in the past six months, underperforming the Zacks industry’s decline of 7.8%. The stock has also underperformed the broader sector’s 1.4% decline and the S&P 500 Index’s 9.5% increase in the same period.
AEO Stock’s 6-Month Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
In the same period, American Eagle has trailed the performance of Tapestry, Inc. (TPR - Free Report) , Fossil Group, Inc. (FOSL - Free Report) and Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN - Free Report) . Shares of TPR and FOSL have gained 11.6% and 11%, respectively, in the past six months, while shares of URBN have lost 6.6%.
AEO’s Share Price Performance VS Peers
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AEO Stock Falls on Rising Costs & Macroeconomic UncertaintyAmerican Eagle faces several near-term headwinds stemming from a challenging macroeconomic environment, rising operating costs and tariff-related uncertainty. The company continued to experience cost pressures in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, with SG&A expenses increasing 11% due to planned advertising investments. Interest expense also increased following a transaction involving the sale of a portion of its tariff claims.
Looking ahead, management expects growth of the SG&A expenses to accelerate to the mid-teens in the fiscal second quarter, primarily due to continued advertising investments, which are likely to keep operating expenses elevated in the near term.
Product-related challenges also weighed on performance in the quarter. Management highlighted that women’s bottoms, particularly denim, underperformed expectations and were the primary contributor to the decline in American Eagle sales. Performance was affected by the need to refine the product assortment toward more relevant styles and fits, while a colder-than-normal spring reduced demand across several seasonal categories. Although these factors pressured results, management remains focused on improving execution and enhancing product productivity in areas within its control.
The company is also facing meaningful cost pressures from import tariffs. For the fiscal second quarter, American Eagle expects an incremental tariff headwind of approximately $20 million compared with the prior year. The planned tariff rate on imports is expected to remain at 10% in the fiscal second quarter before increasing to 15% for the remainder of the year, creating an additional drag on profitability.
More broadly, management noted that the retail environment remains highly dynamic and continues to be shaped by macroeconomic uncertainty. Softer consumer demand in women's bottoms, tariff-related cost inflation and unfavorable seasonal conditions contributed to a more challenging operating environment in the first quarter and are expected to remain near-term headwinds.
American Eagle Invests in Marketing, Digital and Brand PartnershipsDespite near-term challenges, American Eagle continues to benefit from several long-term growth drivers that support customer engagement, traffic and brand visibility. The company remains committed to investing in its brands and operational capabilities where it expects the highest returns. As part of this strategy, AEO opened its West Coast distribution center in Phoenix in early May to further optimize its supply chain and improve inventory placement. Management believes the new facility will enhance product availability while giving customers greater flexibility in how and when they receive their purchases.
The company has also successfully shifted away from broad-based promotional activity toward a more disciplined commercial strategy focused on profitable growth. Management emphasized that this approach prioritizes higher-margin sales and more targeted promotions rather than widespread discounting. By improving promotional discipline, AEO aims to enhance the quality of revenue while building a more sustainable, margin-focused operating model.
Customer engagement remains strong, supported by American Eagle’s marketing initiatives and strategic brand partnerships. The company’s customer file expanded to more than 19 million, representing 3% year-over-year growth, reflecting continued brand relevance and customer loyalty. Digital innovation and social commerce also remain key priorities.
AEO recently launched a dedicated TikTok Shop and the AE Creator Community to engage its core demographic through more authentic and timely content. In addition, the company is reallocating marketing investments toward digital media, performance marketing and influencer partnerships to drive higher-converting traffic and shift its focus from broad brand awareness to customer conversion.
How Have Estimates Shaped Up for AEO?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEO’s current quarter and the current year earnings per share has remained unchanged at 21 cents and $1.77, respectively, in the past seven days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
American Eagle is currently trading at a forward 12-month P/E multiple of 9.43X, lower than the industry average of 14.68X and well below the S&P 500 multiple of 21.13X. The stock is also trading below its 12-month median P/E of 12.29X, reflecting potential undervaluation.
American Eagle’s Valuation Picture
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How to Play AEO Stock?American Eagle is navigating macroeconomic challenges, tariff-related uncertainty and rising cost pressures, which may temper near-term performance. However, the company continues to benefit from digital innovation and strategic collaborations, which provide additional avenues for long-term growth. Given the balance between near-term headwinds and long-term growth opportunities, investors may prefer to remain on the sidelines until there is greater visibility into the pace of growth.
At present, AEO carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Disclaimer: In compliance with MiCA requirements, unauthorized stablecoins are subject to certain restrictions for EEA users. For more information, please click here. This is a general announcement and marketing communication. Products and services referred to here may not be available in your region. Fellow Binancians, From 2026-07-03 00:00 (UTC), Binance will update the campaign rule to this airdrop campaign, rewarding all eligible users who hold World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) on our platform. Eligible users will share rewards from a grand prize pool of 178 million World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokens. Key Update From 2026-07-03 00:00 (UTC), USD1 in Binance Futures or Margin accounts can receive a 1.2x bonus multiplier on rewards, only if the user’s Daily Open Interest on USD1 Futures pair(s) is maintained at a minimum of 300 USD1. Binance will take hourly daily snapshots of each user’s Open Interest each day and use the lowest recorded amount to determine if the users’ Daily Open Interest on that day meets the minimum requirement and their eligibility of the 1.2x bonus multiplier. Note: If the users’ Daily Open Interest on USD1 Futures pair is less than 300 USD1 on certain days, and hold more than 0.01 USD1 in their Margin or Futures Accounts, they will still receive 1x rewards on those days, just not the 1.2x bonus rewards. The rest of the campaign terms remain unchanged. Case examples: User A’s Daily Open Interest on USD1 Futures pair from Day 1 to Day 6 is maintained at 1,500 USD1, Day 7 at 100 USD1. Throughout the 7 days, the user holds 10,000 USD1 in Spot and 20,000 USD1 as collateral in Margin, and effective base APR is 20%, effective boosted APR is 24%, User A's rewards due to be received at the end of 7 days will be as follows:[(10,000 * 20% * 7) / 365] + [(20,000 * 24% * 6) / 365] + [(20,000 * 20% * 1) / 365] = 128.21 USD worth of WLFIUser B’s Daily Open Interest on the USD1 Futures pair is maintained at 1,500 USD1 throughout week 1. The user borrowed 5,000 USD1 from VIP loan or Margin (“liabilities”). Among this borrowed 5,000 USD1, 4,000 USD1 was used as collateral in Margin, the remaining 1,000 USD1 was held in their Spot Account in week 1. The effective base APR is 20%, effective boosted APR is 24%, User B’s rewards due to be received at the end of week 1 will be as follows:Qualifying Balance = 0 [(0 * 20% * 7) / 365] + [(0 * 24% * 7) / 365] = 0 USD worth of WLFIUser C’s Daily Open Interest throughout Week 1 was maintained at 100 USD1. The user had 1,000 USD1 in the Margin Account and used it as collateral to borrow 4,000 USDT through Margin (“Liabilities of the other Stablecoins”), then converted this 4,000 USDT to USD1. The user now holds 5,000 USD1 in Margin (“USD1 Balance”) in week 1. The effective base APR is 20%, effective boosted APR is 24%, User C’s rewards due to be received at the end of week 1 will be as follows:Daily Open Interest < 300, doesn’t qualify for 1.2x bonus rewards. Qualifying Balance = MAX [5,000 - 4,000, 0] + {5,000 - MAX[5,000 - 4,000, 0] } = 1,000 + (5,000 - 1,000) * (1 - 70%) = 2,200[(2,200 * 20% * 7) / 365] = 8.43 USD worth of WLFI Important Notes: Snapshots of user’s Open Interest will be taken at any point of time each hour to get users’ hourly Open Interest. The lowest USD1 Open Interest captured during those snapshots on each day will constitute their Daily Open Interest. If the Daily Open Interest is lower than 300 USD1 for a specific day, then for that day the user won’t receive 1.2x bonus rewards. Terms and Conditions: Users may not be eligible for rewards if there are active restrictions on their accounts.WLFI token value for airdrop distribution will be based on the official Binance market closing price one day before the airdrop distribution day.Snapshots of user balances and total pool balances will be taken multiple times at any point of time each hour to get users’ hourly balances in the aforementioned account categories. The lowest USD1 balance captured during those snapshots on each day will constitute the user’s Qualifying Balance and be used to calculate their rewards.At any snapshot time, any one of users’ supported assets must be greater than 0.01 USD1 to be included in the calculation.Broker accounts are not eligible for this campaign. Binance reserves the right to periodically update the rules to accommodate changes in legal, regulatory, or other factors.Users must complete account verification (KYC) and also be from an eligible jurisdiction to participate in the campaign. Currently, users residing in the following countries or regions will not be able to participate in the USD1 campaign (notwithstanding that they may hold USD1): Åland Islands (Finland), Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Crimea (Ukraine – disputed territory), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Donetsk People’s Republic, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luhansk People’s Republic, Luxembourg, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cuba, Réunion, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Martin (French part), Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America and its territories.Please note that the list of excluded countries provided here is not exhaustive and may be subject to changes due to evolving local rules, regulations, or other considerations. This list may be updated periodically to accommodate changes in legal, regulatory, or other factors.For clarity, references to “USD1” in the content above are not direct acronyms of the “United States Dollar” fiat currency unless otherwise specified.Binance reserves the right to disqualify a user’s reward eligibility if the account is involved in any dishonest behavior (e.g., wash trading, illegally bulk account registrations/logins, self dealing, or market manipulation). Binance further reserves the right to disqualify any participants who tamper with Binance program code, or interfere with the operation of Binance program code with other software.Binance reserves the right at any time in its sole and absolute discretion to determine and/or amend or vary these terms and conditions without prior notice, including but not limited to canceling, extending, terminating or suspending this Promotion, the eligibility terms and criteria, the selection and number of winners, and the timing of any act to be done, and all Participants shall be bound by these amendments.Binance reserves the right to suspend any user's Margin borrowing at any time, without prior notice, in its sole discretion, if any abnormal or suspicious activity is detected.There may be discrepancies between this original content in English and any translated versions. Please refer to the original English version for the most accurate information, in case any discrepancies arise. Thank you for your support! Binance Team 2026-07-02 Trade on-the-go with Binance’s crypto trading app (iOS/Android) Find us on TelegramWhatsAppXFacebookInstagramDiscord Binance reserves the right in its sole discretion to amend or cancel this announcement at any time and for any reasons without prior notice. Disclaimer: Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. The APR is calculated weekly, and is expressed as an annualised percentage yield for illustrative purposes only. Each APR is not indicative of future results. The APR is likely to fluctuate week-to-week and the estimated rewards may differ from the actual rewards generated. APR is an estimate of rewards you will earn in cryptocurrency over the selected timeframe. It does not display the actual or predicted returns/yield in any fiat currency. Past performance is not a reliable predictor of future performance. You should only invest in products you are familiar with and where you understand the risks. You should carefully consider your investment experience, financial situation, investment objectives and risk tolerance and consult an independent financial adviser prior to making any investment. This material should not be construed as financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use, and our Risk Warning. To learn more about how to protect yourself, visit our Responsible Trading page.
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Pump.fun (PUMP) edges higher on Thursday, building on support around $0.0014. The token trades above $0.0015, up by more than 13% on the day, backed by robust momentum indicators and a broadly recovering crypto market following weeks of heavy selling pressure.
PUMP derivatives activity climbs as risk appetite improvesRetail participation in the derivatives market remains relatively elevated, given that futures Open Interest (OI) averages 86.54 billion PUMP on Thursday, up from 84.68 billion PUMP the previous day. A broader scope suggests a stronger derivatives market at current levels than on June 24, when OI averaged 68.28 billion PUMP. If the growth is sustained, the increase in demand would support a short to medium-term recovery.
PUMP Futures OI | Source: CoinGlassPrice analysis: PUMP bulls test rebound strength PUMP holds elevated above $0.0015 after breaking a two-day bearish streak, with support around $0.0014 encouraging buyers to reengage and increase risk exposure. Despite the price increase, the token retains a mildly bearish near-term bias, with upside capped by descending trendline resistance around $0.0017, which converges with the 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at about 55 on the daily chart hints at improving but still moderate bullish momentum. Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram retains a bullish outlook on the same chart, suggesting recovery attempts are supported by PUMP's technical structure.
PUMP/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance is clustered near $0.0017, where the descending trendline and the 100-day EMA converge, before a stronger barrier emerges at the 200-day EMA around $0.0020. Looking down, the Parabolic SAR at $0.0012 offers the next meaningful support level, with a daily close below that signal likely opening the door to a deeper pullback in the short term.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Open Interest, funding rate FAQs Higher Open Interest is associated with higher liquidity and new capital inflow to the market. This is considered the equivalent of increase in efficiency and the ongoing trend continues. When Open Interest decreases, it is considered a sign of liquidation in the market, investors are leaving and the overall demand for an asset is on a decline, fueling a bearish sentiment among investors.
Funding fees bridge the difference between spot prices and prices of futures contracts of an asset by increasing liquidation risks faced by traders. A consistently high and positive funding rate implies there is a bullish sentiment among market participants and there is an expectation of a price hike. A consistently negative funding rate for an asset implies a bearish sentiment, indicating that traders expect the cryptocurrency’s price to fall and a bearish trend reversal is likely to occur.
DeFiLlama has cut all ties with DL News after unidentified buyers acquired the outlet’s website and X (Twitter) account. The analytics platform says no future posts from the brand carry its endorsement.
Core developer 0xngmi went further, warning users not to trust anything the brand publishes. DL News ended editorial operations in May 2026 before its assets changed hands.
From DeFiLlama News Arm to Sold AssetDL News launched in 2022 as the news arm of DeFiLlama, the open-source analytics platform tracking DeFi deposits. Unlike the platform, however, the outlet was built to turn a profit.
DeFiLlama announced the break in a July 1 statement on X.
“New owners have taken over the @dlnews website and assets. We expect them to resume posting soon. They’re no longer affiliated with DefiLlama in any way. We can’t corroborate any information about outreach and no posts should be considered to be endorsed by us.”
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
The relationship fractured in March 2023, when 0xngmi publicly threatened a fork over a LLAMA token plan the team opposed. The sides reconciled within days, but the newsroom operated separately for the next two years.
1/3 The DeFiLlama team would like to apologize for the events that unfolded yesterday, as a result of poor communication and a misunderstanding within the team.
— DefiLlama.com (@DefiLlama) March 20, 2023 Director Paige Aarhus announced the closure on May 7, citing shrinking readership and AI’s damage to search traffic.
DL Research, its 2024 commercial arm, grew revenue by 270% in 2025 and crossed the seven-figure mark. The growth still failed to offset the audience collapse.
DeFiLlama, meanwhile, continues to operate as normal. It recently drew scrutiny for relisting Aster perpetual data, a sign of how closely users watch its neutrality.
Why DeFiLlama’s DL News Buyback Failed0xngmi told users not to trust anything published under the DL News name, likely indicating the open-source analytics platform no longer endorses the publication.
Further, the core developer explained that DeFiLlama attempted to buy the assets after the shutdown but failed.
Obviously I wouldn't have sold it but it was not owned by me
After dlnews shut down we even tried to purchase it as defillama just to fully close it, but it wasnt possible
— 0xngmi (@0xngmi) July 2, 2026 The purchase failed because the brand belonged to Llama Corp, a Dubai-based entity, not the analytics team.
“Why does being sold mean it can’t be trusted? Doesn’t automatically follow, new ownership doesn’t guarantee bad journalism,” one user challenged.
The core developer did not immediately respond to BeInCrypto’s request for comment.
The site still lists Llama Corp in its footer and displays the closure notice.
DeFiLlama Cuts Ties With DL News After Surprise Ownership SaleThe buyers remain unidentified. But market data suggests why the brand still found one.
An April 2026 analysis of 107 crypto news sites found more than 40 with zero organic traffic. Five outlets captured 78% of search visits.
That concentration gives dormant brands residual value. AI tools also drive over 25% of referrals to US crypto media, rewarding domains with citation history.
Trust remains the open question. Research shows crypto press releases can move risky asset prices, and an inherited newsroom brand could carry similar influence.
Whether the new owners identify themselves once publishing resumes may decide how much credibility survives the transfer.
Bitwise said STRC’s collapse is a classic late-cycle deleveraging event, not a sign of impending liquidation at Strategy.Strategy’s new framework shifts MSTR from a one-way bitcoin buyer to a more flexible capital allocator.The asset manager expects institutional investors, not Strategy, to become bitcoin’s dominant source of demand in the next cycle.Asset manager Bitwise said the sharp decline in Strategy’s (MSTR) perpetual preferred stock, STRC, is a hallmark of a maturing crypto cycle rather than evidence of a looming crisis at the company.
Bitcoin’s recent pullback below $60,000 coincided with STRC breaking from its intended $100 par value, as investors questioned Strategy’s willingness to maintain preferred dividend payments.
While the selloff rattled markets, Bitwise argued Strategy remains fundamentally well-capitalized, with roughly $52 billion in liquid assets against about $7 billion of debt.
"The volatility in STRC is a natural and important part of the crypto cycle. I think we’re nearing the bottom," Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said in a Wednesday blog post.
Bitcoin was trading around $61,400 at publication time, STRC at $88.
According to Hougan, Strategy’s decision to stop defending STRC’s $100 price through automatic rate hikes, and instead allow the security to trade freely while retaining the option to sell bitcoin or repurchase STRC, was a pragmatic response to deteriorating market conditions.
Earlier this week, Strategy unveiled a capital framework allowing selective bitcoin sales to fund preferred dividends, while authorizing preferred share repurchases and stock buybacks. It also set a minimum cash reserve covering 12 months of preferred dividend and interest payments. Its $2.55 billion cash balance currently covers about 17 months.
Hougan said the episode marks a broader shift in Strategy’s role within bitcoin markets. Rather than serving as crypto’s dominant, one-way buyer, the firm is likely to become a more flexible participant whose bitcoin purchases or sales depend on market conditions.
Looking ahead, Bitwise believes institutional investors, including asset managers, banks, pensions, endowments and sovereign funds, are positioned to replace Strategy as bitcoin’s primary source of demand.
More broadly, STRC volatility is seen as part of the leverage unwind that typically marks the late stages of every crypto cycle. As speculative excess is flushed from the system, the market moves closer to establishing a durable bottom, though the exact timing remains impossible to predict, the report added.
Wall Street bank JPMorgan said Strategy's new policy allowing selective bitcoin sales to fund preferred dividends creates avoidable two-way risk, increasing uncertainty and market volatility.
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
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Building the Zcash Machine: Tachyon and Quantum Readiness
Building the Zcash Machine: Tachyon and Quantum Readiness
Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Jun 30, 2026
Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Why it matters:
Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Somewhere in Nairobi, someone just paid for a cab ride with Bitcoin. Not in the “sold BTC on an exchange, withdrew to a bank account, then transferred funds” kind of way. The actual, tap-your-phone-and-go kind of way. And the driver received Kenyan shillings instantly without ever touching a crypto wallet.
That’s the promise of Tando, a Kenyan payments app founded by Jason and Sabina Waithira that has quietly built a bridge between Bitcoin’s Lightning Network and M-Pesa, Kenya’s dominant mobile money system.
How Tando actually works A customer pays in Bitcoin over the Lightning Network. Tando converts it to Kenyan shillings instantly. The merchant receives KES directly into their M-Pesa account. No crypto wallet required on the merchant’s end, no volatility risk, no waiting around for block confirmations.
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The app launched in July 2024 and was already processing over 100 transactions daily by mid-2025. Users pay no additional transaction fees, which removes one of the biggest friction points that has historically plagued crypto payments.
In May 2026, Tando hit a milestone that explains why this story matters beyond Kenya’s borders. The app enabled approximately 40 million Kenyans to receive Bitcoin payments by converting their M-Pesa phone numbers directly into Lightning addresses. Forty million people, roughly the entire adult population of Kenya, can now be on the receiving end of a Lightning payment without downloading anything new or understanding what a satoshi is.
Why Kenya is the perfect testing ground To understand why this works in Kenya specifically, you need to understand M-Pesa. Launched in 2007 by Safaricom, M-Pesa essentially turned every phone number into a bank account long before the rest of the world started talking about “financial inclusion.”
Real-world use cases have already been demonstrated publicly. During the 2024 African Bitcoin Conference, attendees used Tando to pay for transportation fares and restaurant bills. By the time the Bitcoin Nairobi Conference rolled around in June 2026, the app’s new capability of converting M-Pesa numbers into Lightning addresses was a major talking point.
The founders champion a “spend, not sell” approach to Bitcoin. Rather than treating BTC as a speculative asset you eventually cash out, the idea is to use it as actual money.
What this means for investors and the broader market Tando has demonstrated that you can plug Bitcoin into an existing, trusted, widely adopted financial system without asking merchants to change anything about how they operate. The merchant doesn’t need a wallet. They don’t need to understand Lightning channels. They just get shillings.
The risk, of course, is regulatory. Kenya’s approach to crypto regulation has been evolving, and any sudden policy shift could disrupt Tando’s operations. There’s also the question of sustainability: processing payments with zero fees is a great user acquisition strategy, but it’s not an obvious business model.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The headline number is useful, but the real story is what it says about positioning. Bitcoin Reclaims $61,000 as Dovish Inflation Outlook Softens Market Fear gives NewsBTC readers a clean angle on Bitcoin Price at a point where the market is trying to separate durable signals from short-lived noise.
According to the source material reviewed for this report, the story turns on a few concrete details rather than vague sentiment. That matters because crypto headlines can move quickly, but the pieces that tend to last are the ones backed by filings, official releases, data dashboards, or protocol-level records.
TL;DR
Bitcoin reclaimed the $61,000 level after a sharp recovery from support at $58,000. The move was triggered by public comments from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh suggesting that inflation risks have eased. Traditional equity chip selloffs did not halt the digital asset recovery. For more details, visit the official Federalreserve platform.
A Fresh Signal For The Market The immediate relevance is that this development fits into one of the market’s main themes for the day: institutional positioning, network usage, regulatory pressure, protocol development, or asset-specific rotation. In this case, the key topic is Bitcoin Price, which is why it deserves a dedicated read rather than being buried inside a broader market recap.
For traders, the useful part is not simply that the headline exists. It is the way the facts line up with the current market backdrop. When official sources, market data, or protocol records show a fresh shift, readers get a better sense of whether the move is just a one-day reaction or part of something more structural.
The Numbers That Matter The core source for this story is federalreserve.gov with supporting data from federalreserve.gov. That source trail is important because the final article should not rely on discovery-only media links or second-hand summaries.
Bitcoin reclaimed the $61,000 level after a sharp recovery from support at $58,000.
The move was triggered by public comments from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh suggesting that inflation risks have eased.
Traditional equity chip selloffs did not halt the digital asset recovery.
The numerical claims in the pack were tied back to specific source material before writing. '$61,000' sourced from TradingView BTC/USD spot market exchange feeds; 'July 1, 2026' sourced from ECB annual forum Sintra presentation date
The Important Caveat The caution is just as important as the headline. Do not present Warsh's comments as an official FOMC policy shift; he is commenting on macroeconomic trends at the ECB forum.
That means the cleaner read is to treat this as a confirmed development with a defined scope, not as proof of a guaranteed price move or a sweeping market shift. In crypto, the difference matters. A verified data point can strengthen a thesis, but it does not remove execution risk, liquidity risk, regulatory uncertainty, or the possibility that traders fade the initial reaction.
For now, the story gives the market another piece of evidence to weigh. If follow-up filings, dashboard updates, protocol records, or official statements confirm further momentum, the angle can develop into something larger. If not, it still stands as a useful snapshot of where activity is concentrating today.
This report is based on information from federalreserve.gov and federalreserve.gov.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan said Bitcoin may be approaching a market bottom as turmoil surrounding Strategy’s STRC preferred stock forces excess leverage out of the crypto market.
In his latest weekly memo, Hougan described the recent volatility in STRC and the decline in Strategy shares as classic end of cycle dynamics. He said the correction reflects the unwinding of financial engineering that brought yield seeking capital into Bitcoin during the bull market.
“The volatility in STRC is a natural and important part of the crypto cycle,” Hougan wrote. “I think we’re nearing the bottom.”
STRC is a perpetual preferred stock launched by Strategy to provide investors with a high yield while targeting a trading price near its $100 par value. Strategy used proceeds from the instrument to finance additional Bitcoin purchases.
Demand initially remained strong as Strategy gradually increased STRC’s dividend rate to 11.5%. The company raised about $10.5 billion through the product, according to Hougan.
However, STRC recently fell as low as roughly $75 as declining Bitcoin and MSTR prices raised concerns over Strategy’s ability and willingness to continue funding preferred dividends.
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Strategy responded this week by introducing a new capital management framework that allows it to sell Bitcoin to strengthen its dollar reserve, meet dividend and debt obligations, and fund share repurchases.
The company also raised STRC’s annual dividend rate to 12% and authorized as much as $2 billion in common and preferred stock buybacks.
The framework permits Strategy to generate up to $1.25 billion through Bitcoin sales while maintaining a cash reserve intended to cover at least 12 months of dividend and interest payments.
Hougan said the changes suggest Strategy’s role in the Bitcoin market has shifted. After spending years as one of the asset’s most consistent buyers, the company may now buy or sell Bitcoin depending on market conditions.
“For years, Strategy has been the most dominant Bitcoin buyer in the world and a one way source of Bitcoin demand,” Hougan wrote. “Those days are likely over.”
He does not expect Strategy to become a major seller, noting that the company has enough assets to cover its debt and preferred obligations. He also dismissed fears that Strategy faces imminent liquidation, arguing Bitcoin would need to suffer a much deeper and sustained decline before the company faced serious balance sheet pressure.
Instead, Hougan expects institutional investors to become the leading source of Bitcoin demand during the next market cycle, including banks, asset managers, pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, and financial advisers.
Hougan compared the STRC unwind with the collapse of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust premium following the 2019 to 2021 bull market. In both cases, financial structures attracted capital that depended on unusually favorable market conditions and later had to be unwound before the market could establish a durable bottom.
He said investors should watch for signs including MSTR trading below the value of its Bitcoin holdings, extreme readings in the Crypto Fear and Greed Index, and persistently negative funding rates.
Market bottoms remain impossible to identify in real time, Hougan said, but the unwinding of STRC related leverage suggests the market is progressing through the final stages of the cycle.
“I’m convinced the bottom is closer than ever,” he wrote, adding that he expects a new Bitcoin bull market to begin in the fall.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The National Bank of Kazakhstan has issued the country’s first official crypto exchange operating license, granting authorization to Pax Finance. This milestone gives the company the ability to offer services beyond the previously limited Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), marking the start of a broader era for digital assets and crypto regulation in Kazakhstan.
Expanded authority under the new licenseWith the central bank’s approval, Pax Finance is now permitted to facilitate crypto trading, provide digital asset custody solutions, and enable conversions between cryptocurrencies and traditional fiat currencies. The new license also allows the company to open branches nationwide and deploy Bitcoin ATMs across Kazakhstan, extending its reach well beyond the capital.
Founded on May 20, Pax Finance was established by prominent figures in Kazakhstan’s financial and fintech sectors. Among the founders are Arman Batayev, who previously worked at EY and within the AIFC, and Azat Bekmagambetov, recognized as an early leader in Kazakhstan’s crypto industry and a co-founder of one of Central Asia’s first Web3 accelerator programs.
Glossary: The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is a regional hub in Kazakhstan’s capital, operating under its own distinctive regulatory framework for financial services. Web3 accelerator programs provide blockchain-focused startups with mentorship, investor connections, and product development support.
The National Bank reminded market participants that the license regime for crypto sector companies officially took effect on May 1, 2026. It emphasized the requirement for all entities wishing to operate legally in the country to register with Kazakhstan’s financial regulator.
The National Bank of Kazakhstan reiterated that, as of May 1, 2026, all crypto industry participants must comply with the newly established licensing framework and fulfill ongoing registration requirements in order to operate legally.
New phase in crypto regulationKazakhstan gained prominence in the crypto mining industry a few years ago, following restrictive measures introduced in China. Initially, authorities limited permitted crypto activities to platforms overseen by residents of the Astana International Financial Centre, aiming to provide legal avenues for miners to convert their earnings.
The Digital Assets Law, introduced in 2023, granted cryptocurrencies official legal recognition; however, their use cases remained restricted for some time. Despite these limitations, the majority of digital asset activity persisted on peer-to-peer networks, unregistered exchanges, or platforms based outside of Kazakhstan.
Crackdown on illegal operations intensifiesEarlier this year, a series of legislative amendments were put in place to expand crypto oversight beyond Astana and establish a more comprehensive regulatory regime. In early May, changes to the Digital Assets Law were enacted, quickly followed by further measures to legalize crypto-related monetary flows.
This new license makes Pax Finance the first platform to be admitted into Kazakhstan’s expanded, regulated digital asset market. It also comes as authorities increase enforcement against unlicensed activity. According to local officials, nearly 130 illegal trading points were shuttered at the start of 2026, with these sites accounting for a combined $127 million in digital asset transactions. Investigations resulted in asset seizures valued at more than $5 million.
New momentum for crypto paymentsKazakhstan’s government has expressed concerns over significant capital outflows facilitated through cross-border crypto transfers. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has publicly urged regulators to curtail these outflows and strengthen oversight.
Meanwhile, authorities are also taking steps to further legitimize crypto payments within Kazakhstan’s borders. While the tenge will remain the exclusive legal tender for direct transactions, crypto holders will be able to use so-called crypto cards, which instantly convert digital assets into fiat currency for goods and services.
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.
Crypto exchange Bitget has launched US stock options, allowing users to trade options on US-listed companies.
The company described itself in a note to Bitcoin Magazine as the world’s largest Universal Exchange and states that it is the only major crypto exchange offering US stock options alongside crypto and contract-for-difference markets in gold, forex, commodities and indices.
The initial release includes long call and long put strategies for eligible users. A call option lets a trader take a bullish position on a stock, while a put option allows a trader to express a bearish view or manage downside exposure.
Risk for buyers is limited to the premium paid, and an option can expire without value if the expected price movement does not occur.
The launch expands Bitget’s stock product line.
The company’s earlier products include tokenized stocks and pre-IPO access to private market opportunities. Stock options join the Stock+ offering, which the company positions as a direct-access venue for US equities built for traders familiar with established stock market products and regulated market infrastructure.
Bitget stated that the addition supports its goal of combining crypto, stocks, commodities and other assets in one trading environment.
Bitget: The U.S. options market is booming Demand for listed options has reached record levels. The US options market processed more than 15.2 billion contracts in 2025, an average of about 60 million contracts per trading day. The figures reflect wider use of options among retail and institutional participants for directional trading, hedging and capital management.
“We have moved first to connect stock opportunities with our users,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “From tokenized stocks to now options, we are executing on convergence. Our products provide advanced trading access to stocks, gold, crypto and worldwide assets.”
The first release focuses on single-leg options buying to provide an entry point for users. The company plans additional functionality, including multi-leg strategies, as the Stock+ options product develops.
For the launch, eligible users who complete a first US stock options trade may receive $15 in NVIDIA stock, subject to campaign terms and regional availability.
Bitget said they have more than 125 million users and access to over two million crypto tokens, along with 500-plus tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, foreign exchange and precious metals such as gold.
The company holds partnerships with MotoGP and UNICEF, the latter to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget states that it leads the tokenized traditional-finance market across 150 regions.
Micah Zimmerman
Micah first discovered Bitcoin in 2018 but remained a skeptic on the sidelines for too long. Since 2021, he has covered crypto and business and now works as a news reporter for Bitcoin Magazine, based in North Carolina.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. warns that Michael Saylor’s financing overhaul at Strategy Inc. has shaken up the dynamics of the Bitcoin market by introducing the risk that one of the cryptocurrency’s biggest buyers could also become a seller, adding a new source of uncertainty for investors.
Strategy’s new policy of selectively selling Bitcoin to fund preferred-stock dividends and manage its balance sheet had created an “avoidable” two-way flow risk for the market, the bank wrote in a report late Wednesday. While maintaining larger cash reserves would reduce the likelihood of future sales, JPMorgan argued the company would need enough liquidity to cover two to three years of dividend payments before investors are confident that it won’t need to monetize its Bitcoin holdings.
Michael Saylor has highlighted that Strategy’s open interest-to-market-cap ratio has climbed to nearly 72%, far exceeding the levels seen across the largest U.S. technology stocks as MSTR rebounds above $100 alongside Bitcoin’s recovery.
Summary
Michael Saylor says MSTR’s open interest-to-market-cap ratio has reached nearly 72%, far ahead of major U.S. tech stocks. MSTR rebounded above $100 as Bitcoin climbed past $62,000, lifting other crypto-related stocks. Bitwise and Wall Street remain positive on Bitcoin despite recent Strategy price target cuts from Canaccord and TD Cowen. According to a July 2 X post by Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor, MSTR currently carries an open interest-to-market-cap ratio of almost 72%, making it the highest among the companies he compared.
Tesla ranked a distant second at 16%, followed by Meta at 11%, Microsoft at 6.1%, Nvidia at 5.8%, Amazon at 4.4%, Alphabet at 4.2%, and Apple at 3.2%. The comparison comes as investors increase activity around the Bitcoin-focused stock after its recent rebound.
Heavy derivatives positioning has outpaced Big Tech peers Open interest measures the total number of outstanding derivatives contracts tied to a stock. A high open interest-to-market-cap ratio points to unusually large positioning relative to the company’s size, although the metric alone does not indicate whether traders are betting on gains or losses because it includes both long and short positions.
Recent price action has coincided with the elevated derivatives activity. Yahoo Finance data showed MSTR rising to an intraday high of about $104 after reclaiming the psychologically important $100 level. The stock gained more than 10% during the session and has climbed over 23% from its recent low near $82 over the past five trading days. Even after the rebound, however, MSTR remains down more than 37% over the last six months.
Source: Yahoo Finance The recovery in Strategy shares came as Bitcoin briefly traded above $62,000 after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data improved sentiment across risk assets. Other crypto-linked equities, including Coinbase, Robinhood, Marathon Digital, the iShares Bitcoin Trust, and Hut 8, also recorded notable gains during the session.
Wall Street still sees Bitcoin strength despite lower Strategy targets Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan pointed to Strategy’s valuation as one of the indicators worth monitoring as investors search for signs that Bitcoin may be approaching a market bottom.
In his latest memo, Hougan wrote that MSTR trading at a discount to its net asset value would be one of the few signals to watch while also discussing Strategy’s recently introduced digital credit framework, under which the company could sell up to $1.25 billion worth of Bitcoin.
Hougan argued that institutional investors are likely to overtake Strategy as the largest buyers of Bitcoin over time. At the same time, he maintained that the company is unlikely to become a forced seller because, in his view, no mechanism currently exists that would require it to liquidate large portions of its Bitcoin holdings.
Commenting on the current weakness in Strategy’s securities, Hougan described the decline in MSTR and STRC as part of Bitcoin’s cyclical process rather than an isolated event.
“This is a painful but necessary part of the current crypto market cycle, as it is with all cycles.”
Wall Street analysts have nevertheless become more cautious on Strategy’s stock valuation. As previously reported by crypto.news, Canaccord lowered its price target on the company to $130 from $163, attributing the revision to Strategy’s prolonged share price decline rather than any change in its long-term Bitcoin outlook. The brokerage said its investment thesis for Bitcoin remains intact despite the lower target.
The Canaccord revision followed another recent adjustment by TD Cowen, which cut its Strategy price target to $260 from $400 while maintaining its Buy rating, indicating that although valuation expectations have been reduced, some analysts continue to back the company’s long-term exposure to Bitcoin.
Bitcoin (BTC) passed $62,000 at Thursday’s Wall Street open as crypto reacted to weak US employment figures.
Key points:
US nonfarm payrolls data delivers a crypto market boost as job additions for June fall short.Investors eye an easing in the inflation outlook as optimism over BTC prices increases.Crypto begins its forecast "green July" by liquidating nearly $500 milllion of short positions.Bitcoin gains amid "volatile situation" for US labor marketData from TradingView showed new July highs of $62,137 on Bitstamp, with BTC/USD up nearly 4% on the day.
The latest nonfarm payrolls data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that the US added far fewer jobs than expected in June, at 57,000 versus the anticipated 114,000.
“Both the unemployment rate, at 4.2 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 7.1 million, changed little in June,” an official news release stated.
US unemployment data. Source: BLS
The jobs numbers painted a weak picture of the labor market — a potential tailwind for risk assets should the Federal Reserve loosen financial policy as a result.
“May's jobs number was also revised down by -43,000 jobs,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter noted in a reaction on X.
“The labor market remains in a volatile situation.”As Bitcoin and altcoins headed higher, crypto trader and analyst Michaël van de Poppe was among those shifting toward a more optimistic mid-term market view.
“Inflation expectations have come down. Now, unemployment drops too. It's at its lowest level in close to a year. Those are strong, public signals about the direction of the markets,” he told X followers.
“I don't think we'll see another drop on Bitcoin if Bitcoin can clearly break through $65,000 from here.”Bitcoin "buyers are back and strong"Other market participants also drew attention to Bitcoin bulls’ newfound strength.
“Price drilling through large asks on Binance perps orderbook is actually sign of strength. Plus, we have chasing bids supporting aggressive buyers,” commentator Exitpump reported about exchange order-book data.
“Buyers are back and strong.”BTC/USDT chart with order-book liquidity data. Source: Exitpump/X
Data from CoinGlass put 24-hour crypto short liquidations at nearly $450 million at the time of writing.
BTC/USD vs. cryptocurrency liquidations (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass
“Welcome to green July,” trader and analyst Rekt Capital continued.
As Cointelegraph reported, Rekt Capital expects a July relief rally for Bitcoin before bear-market momentum resumes in August.
An accompanying chart, which featured the 21-month and 50-month exponential moving averages (EMAs), drew comparisons to the 2022 bear market, with the implication that the cycle lows were still to come.
“And once Bitcoin turns the 50 EMA into new resistance on this relief rally, it will likely enter additional Bearish Acceleration over time,” Rekt Capital added in a separate X post.
BTC/USD one-month chart with 21, 50EMA. Source: Rekt Capital/X
This article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph's Editorial Policy and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. All investments and trades carry risk; readers are encouraged to conduct independent research.
For years, Michael Saylor’s company was the one thing Bitcoin bulls could always count on. No matter how ugly the price action got, Strategy Inc. (formerly MicroStrategy) would be there, hoovering up Bitcoin like a vacuum cleaner with a corporate credit card. That reputation just took a serious hit.
JPMorgan analysts are now warning that Strategy’s recent financing restructuring could flip the company’s role in the market from relentless accumulator to net seller. The company has authorized potential Bitcoin sales of up to $1.25 billion to shore up liquidity and fund share repurchase programs.
The numbers behind the pivot Strategy faces approximately $1.7 billion in annual preferred dividend obligations, a figure that dwarfs the cash cushion it’s been sitting on.
As of June 28, Strategy’s dollar reserves stood at roughly $2.55 billion. That covers about 6.3 months of those dividend responsibilities, according to JPMorgan’s June 2026 report.
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The company first established a $1.44 billion dollar reserve back in December 2025 specifically to service preferred stock dividends and debt.
Between May 26 and May 31, 2026, Strategy offloaded 32 BTC for approximately $2.5 million at an average price of roughly $77,135 per coin. It marked Strategy’s first Bitcoin sale since 2022.
From MicroStrategy to macro uncertainty The company rebranded from MicroStrategy to Strategy Inc. in August 2025, a name change intended to reflect its evolved focus on Bitcoin treasury management. The playbook was straightforward: issue equity, issue convertible notes, buy Bitcoin, repeat.
Strategy’s new framework tries to address liquidity concerns by creating flexibility. The company authorized up to $1 billion in share repurchases for both common and preferred stock, alongside the $1.25 billion Bitcoin sale authorization.
What this means for investors JPMorgan’s concern isn’t just about Strategy. If the most prominent corporate buyer starts becoming a seller, that creates structural implications for the institutional demand floor that retail investors and traders have leaned on.
The $1.25 billion authorization doesn’t mean Strategy will sell that much Bitcoin. Authorizations are ceilings, not commitments. But the mere existence of that ceiling changes how the market has to price risk.
The 6.3-month coverage window flagged by JPMorgan is particularly worth watching. If Bitcoin prices decline or if Strategy fails to raise additional capital through other channels, that window shrinks.
The $2.55 billion in current reserves does provide some breathing room. The restructuring looks more like a company trying to get ahead of potential problems rather than one scrambling to survive.
For Bitcoin investors specifically, the key metric to track is whether that 32 BTC sale in May was a one-time event or the beginning of a pattern. One small sale is noise. A series of sales totaling hundreds of millions would fundamentally alter the supply-demand dynamics that the market has been pricing in since Strategy began its accumulation campaign.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
US-based artificial intelligence data center company Hyperscale Data has announced the addition of 67 more Bitcoin to its reserves. With this latest purchase—which took place between June 30 and July 1—the company’s total Bitcoin holdings have now increased to 849 BTC. That makes Hyperscale Data the second most prominent public company acquiring Bitcoin in July, coming just behind Metaplanet.
Headquartered in Las Vegas, Hyperscale Data has moved up to 49th place among publicly traded companies holding Bitcoin, following its most recent acquisition. With this latest purchase, the company has surpassed Ming Shing Group, Yueda Digital Holdings, and SOS Limited in listed Bitcoin reserves.
The company’s management has positioned Bitcoin as a core asset on its balance sheet. Milton Todd Ault III, Executive Chairman of the Board, stated that Hyperscale Data plans to continue steadily accumulating Bitcoin via a disciplined dollar-cost averaging approach in order to maximize long-term returns for the company.
Milton Todd Ault III emphasized that the company aims to maintain its disciplined dollar-cost averaging strategy for Bitcoin acquisitions, as this approach is expected to strengthen Hyperscale Data’s long-term potential.
As an enterprise investing in AI-focused data center infrastructure, Hyperscale Data’s latest Bitcoin purchase comes right after a separate, recently announced addition of 53.54 BTC made just two days earlier. At the time of that statement, the company’s total reserves had climbed to 780.48 BTC.
Stock performance and asset valuation debateIn its announcement dated June 30, the company revealed that the combined value of its Bitcoin, cash, restricted cash, and silver assets was approximately $106.7 million. On that date, this figure amounted to roughly 117% of Hyperscale Data’s common stock market capitalization.
Milton Todd Ault III pointed to these figures as evidence that investors currently undervalue Hyperscale Data. He argued that the market cap of the company’s common shares does not fully reflect the value of its declared assets, operations, or the significant opportunity created by a major service contract at its Michigan-based AI data center.
Milton Todd Ault III stated that the company’s market capitalization does not accurately represent its reported assets, operations, or the scale of opportunities arising from the Michigan AI data center agreement.
According to Yahoo Finance, GPUS shares are trading at $0.1529, giving Hyperscale Data a market capitalization of $53.212 million. The company recently signed a computing power agreement with a California-based neocloud provider. Management projects this contract could generate up to $1.2 billion in revenue.
On the same day, Metaplanet also announced it had acquired 2,823 BTC as of July 1. This brought Metaplanet’s total Bitcoin holdings to 43,000 BTC, propelling the company to third place among public firms with the largest Bitcoin reserves—surpassing MARA Holdings.
Data from Bitcoin Treasuries shows that total Bitcoin held by public companies now stands at 1.268 million BTC, representing a 0.6% increase over the last 30 days. Despite this rise in holdings, the price of Bitcoin fell more than 10% in the same period. At a price of $61,809, the total value of public companies’ Bitcoin reserves stands at approximately $78.4 billion.
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 CIO Matt Hougan has said Bitcoin may be moving closer to a market bottom as Strategy’s STRC stress drains excess leverage from the market.
Summary
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says the STRC unwind could signal Bitcoin is nearing a market bottom. Hougan expects institutional investors to replace Strategy as the primary driver of Bitcoin demand. He believes the current deleveraging phase could pave the way for a new Bitcoin bull market this fall. Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan wrote in his latest weekly memo that the recent volatility in Strategy’s STRC preferred stock looks like a late-cycle unwind rather than a sign of more serious structural damage.
“The volatility in STRC is a natural and important part of the crypto cycle. I think we’re nearing the bottom.”
STRC stress has forced leverage out of Bitcoin STRC is a perpetual preferred stock created by Strategy to offer investors a high yield while keeping the instrument close to its $100 par value. Hougan said Strategy used the product to raise about $10.5 billion, with proceeds helping finance more Bitcoin purchases.
The trade weakened last week after Bitcoin and MSTR declined, sending STRC to roughly $75 and raising concerns over Strategy’s ability to keep funding preferred dividends. The company responded this week by increasing STRC’s annual dividend to 12%, authorizing up to $2 billion in common and preferred stock buybacks, and introducing a capital management framework that allows Bitcoin sales to strengthen reserves, meet dividend and debt obligations, and fund share repurchases.
According to Barron’s, STRC recently fell to a record low of $73.62 before Strategy increased the dividend and moved toward what it called active capital management. The report also said Strategy authorized up to $1.25 billion in Bitcoin sales to help strengthen reserves.
Hougan said the move means Strategy may no longer act as a one-way source of Bitcoin demand. “For years, Strategy has been the most dominant Bitcoin buyer in the world and a one way source of Bitcoin demand,” he wrote. “Those days are likely over.”
Institutions could lead the next Bitcoin rally Hougan does not expect Strategy to become a forced seller, saying the company still has enough assets to cover debt and preferred obligations. He argued Bitcoin would need to fall much further and stay depressed before Strategy faced serious balance sheet pressure.
Instead, Hougan expects the next cycle to depend more on institutions, including banks, asset managers, pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, and financial advisers.
The Bitwise CIO compared the STRC unwind with the collapse of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust premium after the 2019 to 2021 bull market. In his view, both structures pulled capital into Bitcoin during strong markets before losing support and forcing a painful reset.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin briefly climbed above $62,000 after softer U.S. jobs data improved risk appetite. Reuters reported that the U.S. added 57,000 jobs in June, below expectations, while stocks rose and the dollar weakened as traders reduced expectations for Fed tightening.
Hougan said investors should watch for MSTR trading below the value of its Bitcoin holdings, extreme Crypto Fear and Greed Index readings, and negative funding rates. While he warned that bottoms are impossible to call in real time, he wrote that the STRC unwind suggests the market is entering the final stage of the cycle.
“I’m convinced the bottom is closer than ever,” Hougan wrote, adding that he expects a new Bitcoin bull market to begin in the fall.
Circle just published the official USDC method specification for the Machine Payments Protocol, and Stacks’ USDCx is the first stablecoin built under that framework. The move positions Bitcoin’s leading layer 2 as a hub for standardized machine-to-machine payments, the kind of infrastructure that makes AI agents capable of settling transactions on their own.
What USDCx actually is and how it works USDCx is a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to USDC, fully backed by reserves held in Circle’s xReserve infrastructure. It launched on Stacks mainnet on December 17-18, 2025, with a specific contract ID (SP120SBRBQJ00MCWS7TM5R8WJNTTKD5K0HFRC2CNE.usdcx) that anyone can verify on-chain.
USDCx doesn’t rely on third-party bridges to function. It connects directly with Circle Gateway and CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol), which means moving value between chains doesn’t require trusting some random bridge operator with your funds.
The stablecoin maintains its peg near $1 and is actively traded on platforms tracked by CoinGecko. Ethereum bridging was already supported at launch, with plans to expand CCTP network support that kicked off in Q1 2026.
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The machine payments angle The MPP spec is where things get genuinely interesting. The Machine Payments Protocol establishes a standardized way for machines, think AI agents, automated services, and IoT devices, to send and receive payments without human intervention. The MPP spec was published by Circle on June 23, 2026.
USDCx being the first USDC-backed stablecoin under this spec means Stacks is effectively positioning itself as the settlement layer for AI commerce on Bitcoin. Cross-chain machine-to-machine payments on Bitcoin through Stacks are now technically possible.
Ecosystem adoption and DeFi implications Major wallets including Asigna, Fordefi, Leather, and Xverse all adopted USDCx shortly after launch. On the DeFi side, protocols like Zest and Granite integrated the stablecoin, enabling lending, borrowing, and trading with dollar liquidity on Stacks.
For Bitcoin holders specifically, USDCx creates an option that didn’t cleanly exist before: accessing stablecoin functionality without leaving the Bitcoin economy entirely. You can collateralize Bitcoin-backed assets, borrow against them in a dollar-denominated stablecoin, and do it all within an ecosystem that settles on Bitcoin through Stacks’ Proof of Transfer consensus mechanism.
Stacks uses PoX to anchor its security to Bitcoin’s blockchain, and runs Clarity smart contracts, a language designed to be decidable, meaning you can mathematically verify what a contract will do before executing it.
What this means for investors Institutional players care about two things above all else: compliance and security in cross-chain interactions. Circle’s direct involvement through xReserve and CCTP addresses both concerns in ways that third-party wrapped tokens simply cannot. The 1:1 USDC backing, verified through Circle’s own infrastructure rather than an independent bridge, reduces counterparty risk substantially.
Trading volumes and user growth across Stacks DeFi protocols will be the metrics to watch. If USDCx drives meaningful increases in total value locked and daily active users on platforms like Zest and Granite, it validates the thesis that Bitcoin users want native stablecoin liquidity.
The risk worth monitoring is concentration. USDCx’s entire value proposition depends on Circle’s continued support and the stability of the xReserve infrastructure. Any disruption to Circle’s operations, whether regulatory or technical, would cascade directly into USDCx’s functionality.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Binance has announced that the number of blocks remaining until the next Bitcoin halving has dropped below 100,000, signaling a new milestone in the currency’s supply schedule. According to data from OKLink, there are currently 93,638 blocks left until the upcoming event on the Bitcoin network.
Halving timeline becomes clearerA Bitcoin halving takes place every 210,000 blocks, each time cutting the block reward miners receive by 50 percent. Current projections point to the next halving occurring around April 12, 2028. This marks an important transition in the network’s ongoing supply management, as the pace of new BTC creation continues to slow with each halving event.
The network’s latest milestone shows significant progress in Bitcoin’s cycle since the last halving. With issuance rates gradually decreasing as part of Bitcoin’s supply program, the amount of new BTC to be generated continues to shrink.
In a statement posted on its official X account, Binance confirmed that the number of blocks remaining until the next Bitcoin halving has now fallen below 100,000.
Majority of total supply in circulationCurrently, there are approximately 20.05 million Bitcoins in circulation, making up 95.47% of the maximum capped supply of 21 million BTC. As a result, only about 950,000 Bitcoin are expected to be mined over the next century as issuance slows further due to the protocol’s limitations.
Analysts estimate that the very last Bitcoin will not be mined until around the year 2140. Due to its code-driven fixed supply model, the Bitcoin network stands out as a unique system for predictable and deflationary currency issuance.
Price performance lags previous cyclesSince the last halving in April 2024, Bitcoin has lost roughly 3.1% in value, slipping from around $64,000 to below $62,000. After reaching an all-time high of approximately $126,000 in October 2025, the cryptocurrency has plunged more than 51% amid persistent selling pressure over the past several months.
Market observers note that, compared to earlier cycles, Bitcoin’s post-halving performance has been notably weak. Institutional outflows and waning risk appetite have pushed the price down as low as $57,717 on July 1.
Analysts highlight that Bitcoin has displayed a lower return trend after the halving compared to previous cycles.
Bounce follows macro data releaseIn the latest 24-hour period, Bitcoin rebounded by 5.22% to reach $61,715, with renewed buying momentum evident across the broader cryptocurrency market.
The rally was sparked by below-expectation labor data released from the United States. June’s nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted, rose by 57,000 — far short of May’s 129,000 increase and well below the Dow Jones estimate of 115,000. These figures have fueled expectations that the US Federal Reserve may remain cautious about further interest rate hikes in the near term.
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.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP, a leading national shareholder rights law firm, today announced that it has commenced an investigation on behalf of InMode Ltd. (“InMode” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: INMD) investors concerning the Company’s possible violations of the federal securities laws.
IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO LOST MONEY ON INMODE LTD. (INMD), CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS.
What Happened?
On June 30, 2026, a longstanding shareholder of InMode, Steel Partners Holdings L.P., issued a public letter to InMode’s Board of Directors, stating that “over the last six months,” the Company has displayed “a series of disastrous governance failures that have created a situation wherein its own CEO may be able to acquire the Company at a price below what the Board previously rejected.” Specifically, the letter claims that InMode’s Chief Executive Officer “accumulated roughly 800,000 shares in open-market purchases between February 24[, 2026] and March 10, 2026 — in the narrow window surrounding material corporate events, including the March 13, 2026 buyback announcement that moved the stock nearly 6%. These purchases are consistent with trading while in possession of material non-public information and with usurpation of a corporate opportunity belonging to the Company and all of its shareholders.”
Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email: [email protected]
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Whistleblower Notice
Persons with non-public information regarding InMode should consider their options to aid the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower Program. Under the program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Charles H. Linehan at 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224 or email [email protected].
About Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP
GPWR is a premier law firm with decades of experience representing investors and consumers in securities litigation and other complex class action litigation. Recognizing the firm’s recent successes, GPWR was named one of Law360’s Securities Groups of the Year and ranked second-highest in total investor recoveries by Institutional Shareholder Services Securities Class Action Services in 2025. GPWR’s lawyers have handled cases covering a wide spectrum of corporate misconduct and relating to nearly all industries and sectors. GPWR’s past successes have been widely covered by leading news and industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters, the Associated Press, Barron’s, Investor’s Business Daily, Forbes, and Money. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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Key Takeaways PNC Financial plans to invest $2B to open 300 branches, renovate its network and hire 2,000 staff.PNC expanded in Colorado and Arizona through the January 2026 FirstBank Holding Company acquisition.PNC's branch expansion will complement digital banking for mortgages, wealth management and business lending. While much of the banking industry continues to shrink its physical footprint in favor of digital channels, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC - Free Report) is moving in the opposite direction. The bank's decision to invest roughly $2 billion in expanding and modernizing its branch network is a calculated capital allocation strategy that reflects confidence in the long-term value of relationship banking.
PNC's expansion plan is ambitious. The bank intends to open more than 300 branches across nearly 20 U.S. markets, renovate its existing network by 2029 and hire more than 2,000 employees by 2030.
The expansion is focused on high-growth markets, particularly in the Southwest, where population growth and business activity continue to create opportunities for retail and commercial banking. Rather than spreading resources evenly across the country, PNC Financial is concentrating on regions with strong economic momentum, allowing it to build deeper customer relationships and strengthen its competitive position.
A major boost to this strategy came through the acquisition of FirstBank Holding Company in January 2026. The transaction added 95 branches and significantly expanded PNC's presence in Colorado, while increasing its Arizona network to more than 70 branches. This acquisition accelerated the company's market penetration and complemented its organic branch expansion plans, giving PNC a stronger presence in some of the fastest-growing banking markets in the United States.
PNC Financial's strategy stands out because it blends physical expansion with modern banking capabilities. While digital channels remain essential for routine transactions, branches continue to play a critical role in serving customers with mortgages, wealth management, small business lending and other complex financial needs. By investing in both its physical infrastructure and workforce, the bank aims to create a more accessible and relationship-driven banking experience.
The strategy, however, comes at a cost. Building new branches, renovating existing locations, upgrading technology and expanding staffing levels require significant upfront investment, putting pressure on operating expenses in the near term. Nonetheless, despite these short-term headwinds, PNC's branch expansion underscores its long-term growth strategy. With approximately 2,315 brick-and-mortar branches nationwide and an expanding presence in high-growth markets, the bank is well-positioned to attract new customers, deepen existing relationships and strengthen its banking franchise over the years ahead.
Branch Expansion Efforts by Other BanksPNC Financial is not the only bank that is expanding its physical footprint. Bank of America (BAC - Free Report) and JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) are among other large lenders pursuing meaningful branch expansion.
Bank of America has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan to open financial centers in new and existing markets. The company plans to open more than 150 financial centers across 60 markets by the end of 2027. With this move, Bank of America continues its aggressive expansion as part of a broader strategy to strengthen customer relationships and tap into new markets.
JPMorgan is also doubling down on physical expansion to strengthen its competitive edge in relationship banking. JPMorgan is expanding its affluent banking services with plans to open more than 500 branches by 2027, with more than 160 across 30 states to be opened this year. This move will solidify its position as the bank with the largest branch network, covering all 48 U.S. states.
PNC’s Price Performance & Zacks RankShares of PNC Financial have gained 16.6% in the past six months compared with the industry’s growth of 2.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PNC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
XRP continues to consolidate in a narrow range on both USDT and Bitcoin-paired charts, with the broader trend still favoring the sellers.
However, the latest technical signals suggest downside momentum may be fading as the market defends key support while early signs of bullish divergence begin to emerge.
Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair Against USDT, XRP remains confined within a well-defined descending channel, with the price trading below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages. This keeps the higher time frame structure bearish despite the recent stabilization.
The asset is currently holding around the $1.08 support area, which also coincides with a major horizontal demand zone. After the sharp sell-off in June, sellers have so far failed to extend the decline, allowing XRP to build a short-term base above support.
The RSI has formed a clear bullish divergence, printing higher lows while the price registered lower lows. This typically signals weakening bearish momentum and raises the probability of a relief rally if buyers manage to reclaim higher levels.
The first resistance lies around the $1.15 supply zone, while stronger resistance remains near the 100-day moving average around the $1.25 region. A recovery above these levels would improve the broader outlook, whereas losing the $1 support could expose the lower boundary of the channel near $0.80.
Source: TradingView The BTC Pair Against Bitcoin, XRP is also trading inside a long-term descending channel, reflecting persistent relative weakness. The pair remains below the major moving averages, indicating that the broader trend has yet to shift in favor of XRP.
Recently, XRP briefly broke below the key 1,700 sats low before quickly reclaiming it, creating what appears to be a fake breakdown. This rejection below support suggests sellers failed to maintain control and may have triggered a liquidity sweep before the price recovered back into the previous range.
Despite the recovery, the pair still faces immediate resistance around 1,850 sats, with a stronger supply zone located near 2,000 sats, where horizontal resistance converges with the declining 200-day moving average. A decisive move above these levels would strengthen the case for a broader recovery toward the upper boundary of the channel.
As long as XRP holds above 1,700 sats, the fake breakout scenario remains valid and could support additional upside. However, a confirmed daily close below this level would invalidate the bullish setup and likely open the door for another leg lower toward the critical 1,500 sats support area.
XRP price rebounded near $1.10 on Thursday, rising 5% in 24 hours as crypto markets recovered. Market value across digital assets increased 4.72% to $2.14 trillion. Meanwhile, oil fell below $68 after Qatar reported positive progress in indirect US-Iran talks in Doha. Bitcoin also reclaimed $61,000 after testing $58,000 earlier this week.
XRP Price Recovery Tracks Wider Crypto Rebound The XRP price remained at a point of over $1.10 as buyers came back to the broader crypto market. The relocation came after a challenging week, where traders had been keeping a close eye on macro headlines.
Bitcoin price climbed back above $60,000 a fueling the recovery trend. Ether price also surged past $1,600, further bolstering the broader recovery of significant tokens.
Concurrently, the market sentiment was slightly improved. The CMC Fear and Greed Index was going up to Extreme Fear of 16 to Fear 21.
In the case of XRP price, the momentum indicators also went up with price supported above the $1.06 area. Further gains can be favored by a stronger movement beyond the level of $1.10 provided that buyers are active.
US and Iran Conclude Positive Talks in Doha Indirect talks between the United States and Iran concluded Wednesday in Doha through Qatari mediation. Qatar said both sides made positive progress on issues linked to a memorandum of understanding.
The negotiations were also marked by technical discussions, and both parties were willing to engage further. That update alleviated part of the market anxieties related to tension in the region and risks associated with energy supply.
During the Doha update, oil prices fell to below $68, indicating reduced worry about potential supply disruption. This assisted in backing a wider relief initiative within risk assets, such as cryptocurrencies.
BREAKING: Oil has crashed below $68 after Qatar said Iran and the US made “positive progress” in indirect technical talks in Doha.
Oil is now down -43% from its US-IRAN war peak. pic.twitter.com/ArWurpyVjk
— Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) July 2, 2026
Nevertheless, the negotiations failed to provide a conclusive deal and there was still some ambiguity. Iran kept threatening new attacks and Washington remained preoccupied with future nuclear talks.
Can XRP Price Buyers Trigger a Move Toward the $1.30 Target? The latest XRP price surged to $1.105, strengthening its four-hour recovery setup. The chart reveals that the buyers pushed the price higher above $1.10 after the broader $1.00 defense.
This recovery has now positioned XRP price at a significant test with the next major resistance of $1.15.
The MACD line has crossed the signal line, indicating a stronger short-term outlook. Meanwhile, the histogram is now positive, indicating an increased buying pressure. In the meantime, the RSI has already reached 65, which is close to a robust momentum area.
Source: XRP/USDT 4-hour chart: Tradingview XRP price is currently moving within an escalating short-term channel, which demonstrates better buyer control. The structure started around the $1.00 area, where traders were unable to stretch the fall.
Nonetheless, the recovery is yet to have a clean breakout beyond the level of $1.15 to affirm stronger momentum. Any successful move above that might shift the focus to the area of $1.20.
XRP is trading around $1.09 and sitting roughly 70% below its all-time high, but the math behind a potential $100 XRP price target is more straightforward than most people realise, and it has already been demonstrated by assets with remarkably similar properties. That is the main argument Zach Rector, an XRP analyst, laid out in a detailed breakdown.
The Comparable Assets
The starting point is simple. Critics who call $100 XRP impossible are asked one question: based on what? NVIDIA has already reached a $5 trillion market cap. Gold has reached $28 trillion. The U.S. dollar M2 money supply sits at $23 trillion. The precedent for assets reaching those valuations exists. The question is whether XRP has the properties to get there.
Rector argues it does. XRP shares the key characteristics of gold, including scarcity, fungibility, divisibility, durability and global accessibility, but adds something gold cannot offer: a functioning payment network.
You cannot build a tokenisation platform on gold. You cannot do decentralised lending and borrowing with gold. You cannot settle trillions of dollars in cross-border transactions daily using gold. XRP can do all of those things, which in Rector’s view gives it a utility ceiling that gold cannot match.
The Price Targets by Comparison
At a conservative 100 billion XRP circulating supply, reaching NVIDIA’s market cap produces a $50 XRP price. Matching the Japanese yen’s $8 trillion equivalent produces $80. Reaching the U.S. dollar M2 supply of $23 trillion produces $231. And matching gold’s current $28 trillion market cap produces $281 per XRP token.
Using the current circulating supply of approximately 62 billion coins rather than the conservative 100 billion figure, those numbers rise significantly, with the gold comparison pushing toward $452 per token.
The Market Cap Multiplier
The most compelling part of Rector’s analysis is not the price targets but the mechanism that makes them achievable without requiring trillions of dollars to flow directly into XRP.
The market cap multiplier measures how much the total market cap changes relative to the actual net inflow of capital. In November 2025, XRP lost $41 billion in market cap from only $808 million in net outflows, a 50x multiplier. During an eight-hour period in April 2025, XRP’s market cap grew by $7.74 billion from just $12.87 million in net inflows, a 601x multiplier.
What this means in practical terms is that XRP does not need $28 trillion in new money to reach gold’s market cap. At a conservative 50x multiplier, it would need approximately $198 billion in net inflows to reach a $10 trillion market cap and a $100 price. At a 100x multiplier, that drops to $99 billion. At 200x, less than $50 billion.
For context, Bitcoin ETFs alone attracted billions in inflows during their launch period. The numbers required are significant but not extraordinary by the standards of how global capital moves.
Story Ends Here
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XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is up 5% in 24 hours, its strongest bounce since the June 15 short squeeze. The token is now challenging the year-long descending trendline dating back to the July 2025 $3.40 peak.
XRP ETFs Just Logged Their First Back-To-Back Outflows Since MarchU.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded $1.86 million in outflows on July 1, following a $2.83 million outflow on June 30, the first consecutive outflow days since March 9-10.
Despite those two days, the ninth straight week of XRP ETF flows remains net positive at roughly $10 million, extending what had been eight consecutive weeks of inflows. The outflows look like a blip rather than a trend reversal so far.
Derivatives Are Backing The Move With Real Money, Not Just Short CoveringOpen interest jumped 6.85% to $2.44 billion alongside a 29% volume spike, pointing to new longs entering rather than shorts closing.
Options volume exploded 81%, with traders actively buying calls on the bounce. Top traders on Binance sit long at a 2.94 ratio while the overall crowd remains nearly neutral at 1.07, leaving a large retail short base that could get squeezed if price holds above $1.10.
Meanwhile, spot netflow adds the most convincing signal. $9.06 million worth of XRP flowed off exchanges today, meaning holders are withdrawing rather than selling into the bounce, a sign of accumulation rather than distribution.
XRP Is Now Testing The Most Important Level Of The Entire DowntrendPrice has broken above the 20 EMA at $1.1044 for the first time in weeks and now tests the BB mid at $1.1137 at exactly the same level as the year-long descending trendline from July 2025’s $3.40 peak.
That trendline has rejected every meaningful rally attempt for eleven months.
A daily close above $1.1137 and the trendline targets $1.1895 then $1.2349. Rejection at the BB mid fades price back toward the $1 demand zone floor.
Image: Shutterstock
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Ripple President Monica Long has announced that the company’s long-term vision for the XRP Ledger (XRPL) extends beyond just cross-border payments, aiming for a broader role within the global financial infrastructure. Long stated that Ripple’s main priority is to establish XRPL as one of the foremost blockchains for enterprise payments and to expand the worldwide utility of both XRP and RLUSD.
Emphasis on Multi-Network Solutions in Enterprise PaymentsLong made these comments after Ripple joined over 140 other financial and technology companies in backing the OpenUSD initiative. According to Long, the future of global payments will be defined not by fragmented networks but by multi-chain, interoperable, enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructures that work seamlessly together.
Monica Long emphasized that Ripple’s focus is to position XRPL as the primary blockchain for enterprise payments, while also serving as a foundation for the next generation of regulated stablecoins.
She asserted that interoperability is essential for the institutional adoption of blockchain. With interoperable systems, banks, payment providers, and fintech firms can transfer value across different blockchain networks without compromising security, compliance, or efficiency.
Mini glossary: Interoperability refers to different blockchain networks conducting data and asset transfers through common standards. For enterprise use, this enables uninterrupted transaction flows between various systems.
Ripple’s Role in the OpenUSD InitiativeRipple has emerged as one of the prominent participants in the OpenUSD project. Led by a consortium, this stablecoin initiative brings together over 140 players from the industry with the shared goal of creating a more connected and efficient global payments ecosystem.
Ripple’s designation as an integration partner from the very start highlights its commitment to developing infrastructure that supports institutional adoption. This decision further solidifies the company’s position within the stablecoin environment.
Ripple highlights that stablecoins are transforming the way value is transferred and underlines that the key to institutional-scale growth is interoperability.
Complementary Roles for XRP and RLUSDRipple’s strategy aligns with its expanding ambitions in the stablecoin sector. RLUSD is designed not to replace XRP, but to serve as a complementary asset.
Accordingly, RLUSD will operate as a stable settlement asset in payment flows, while XRP will continue its role as bridge liquidity within the network. This dual approach aims to allow faster and lower-cost transfers within the XRPL ecosystem.
AssetAnticipated roleRLUSDStable settlement asset for paymentsXRPBridge liquidity asset within the networkNetwork Utilization and Future ProspectsRipple believes both RLUSD and XRP could benefit from increased network activity and transaction volumes if regulated stablecoins achieve wider adoption and if more institutions begin using tokenized assets on XRPL. The company sees this dual-asset approach as a way to further establish the XRP Ledger as a scalable platform for institutional finance, tokenization, and cross-border settlements.
Based in San Francisco, Ripple has long been recognized as a fintech firm developing digital asset-based payment infrastructures. The company’s latest messaging underscores a vision for global finance where regulated stablecoins, tokenized assets, and digital currencies move more smoothly across interconnected blockchain networks.
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.
If you spend any time in XRP circles on X or YouTube, you have seen the name Blockchain Backer. He is one of the most followed chart analysts in the XRP community, known for calm, cycle-based technical analysis in a corner of crypto famous for anything but calm. He is also anonymous, which raises fair questions. This guide covers who Blockchain Backer is, what he is known for, how his analysis works, and how to use it sensibly.
Blockchain Backer is an anonymous cryptocurrency analyst and content creator best known for technical chart analysis of XRP, Bitcoin, and the altcoin market. He publishes daily video analysis on his YouTube channel and shorter chart-based commentary on X under the handle @BCBacker, where he has grown to roughly 348,000 followers since joining in November 2019.
His public identity has never been revealed. What is known from his own profiles: he is based in the United States, describes himself as a “chart educator” and “XRP enthusiast,” and is open about personal details like being ten years sober. He explicitly states that he is not a financial advisor and that his content is educational, a framing he repeats across his channels.
That anonymity matters, and we will come back to it. But first, what made him prominent.
How Blockchain Backer became known Blockchain Backer built his reputation during the 2020 to 2021 bull run, when his chart-focused XRP videos found a large audience. The moment most often cited is an April 2021 call: he published analysis arguing XRP was on the verge of breaking out of a consolidation, backed by Fibonacci extension charts. XRP then rallied strongly within days, and the call spread widely across Reddit, Telegram, and crypto X, cementing his reputation among XRP holders.
Since then he has remained one of the most consistently followed voices in the XRP community, marking milestones like XRP’s return to all-time highs in 2025 and continuing daily coverage through the current cycle.
What his analysis actually looks like Blockchain Backer’s method is technical and cycle-based rather than news-driven. The recurring elements across his content are XRP price structures and historical cycle comparisons, Bitcoin market cycles and dominance trends, Fibonacci retracements and extensions, and identifying accumulation and capitulation phases. His argument style is to compare the current market to prior cycles, on the logic that history may not repeat but often rhymes.
Two things distinguish him from much of crypto content. First, the tone: measured and educational rather than hype-driven, which is part of his appeal in the famously noisy XRP space. Second, the balance: he mixes long-term bullish interest in XRP with explicit warnings about downside structures, rather than publishing only optimistic targets. For followers, that willingness to outline bearish scenarios is a meaningful credibility signal.
His content system spans free and paid tiers: public posts on X carry the headline idea, YouTube videos walk through the full charts, and he sells an educational course covering market cycles, TradingView tools, and exit-plan strategies for assets like Bitcoin, XRP, and Ethereum, along with premium written research on X.
The anonymity question Here is the honest part every reader should weigh. Blockchain Backer has never disclosed his identity, professional background, or credentials. That does not make him a scammer, and his long track record of published, timestamped analysis lets anyone verify how his calls aged. But it does mean you cannot evaluate his expertise the way you could a named analyst with a verifiable career.
The sensible framing, echoed by reviewers of crypto YouTube: treat analysis from anonymous creators with an extra layer of caution, judge the reasoning on its merits, and never outsource decisions to any single voice. Blockchain Backer himself reinforces this, repeatedly labeling his content “not financial advice” and encouraging viewers to do their own research.
How to use his analysis sensibly A few practical points for anyone following him. His analysis is cycle-based and often plays out over weeks or months, so a weekly bottoming structure can coexist with an ugly daily selloff; confusing timeframes is the most common way followers misread him. A post about accumulation is an educational thesis, not a buy signal, and your entries, position sizes, and exits remain your own responsibility. And as with any analyst, his calls are probabilistic: the famous 2021 breakout call worked, others have not, which is the nature of technical analysis.
Used that way, as one measured, chart-literate perspective among several, his content is genuinely educational, particularly for understanding how cycle analysis and Fibonacci tools are applied to XRP and Bitcoin.
Where to find Blockchain Backer His main platforms are X (@BCBacker) for daily chart commentary, his YouTube channel for full video analysis, and his website BCBacker.com for courses and educational material. Be aware that imitation accounts with near-identical handles exist on social platforms, a common problem for popular crypto analysts, so verify the handle before trusting any account claiming to be him, and be deeply skeptical of any account soliciting funds, which the real analyst does not do.
Bottom line Blockchain Backer is an anonymous, US-based crypto analyst who became one of the XRP community’s most followed voices through calm, cycle-based chart analysis, a famous 2021 breakout call, and a consistent educational tone across YouTube and X. His method centers on market cycles, Fibonacci tools, and historical comparisons, delivered with more balance than most of crypto social media.
He is worth following for chart education and a measured XRP perspective, with the standing caveats: he is anonymous, he is not a financial advisor by his own statement, and no single analyst, named or not, should drive your decisions. Watch the analysis, learn the method, and keep your own counsel.
FAQ Who is Blockchain Backer? Blockchain Backer is an anonymous US-based cryptocurrency analyst known for technical chart analysis of XRP, Bitcoin, and altcoins. He publishes daily videos on YouTube and chart commentary on X (@BCBacker), where he has about 348,000 followers, and describes his content as educational.
What is Blockchain Backer known for? He is best known for XRP market-cycle analysis using Fibonacci tools and historical comparisons, and for an April 2021 call that anticipated a major XRP breakout days before it happened. His measured, education-first tone in the volatile XRP space built his following.
Is Blockchain Backer a financial advisor? No. He explicitly states he is not a financial advisor and labels his content “not financial advice.” His material is educational chart analysis, and he encourages viewers to do their own research.
What is Blockchain Backer’s real name? His identity has never been publicly revealed. He is anonymous, which is common among crypto analysts but means his professional background cannot be verified. Followers should weigh his analysis on its published track record and reasoning.
Where can I follow Blockchain Backer? On X at @BCBacker, on his YouTube channel for daily video analysis, and at BCBacker.com for his educational courses. Watch out for imitation accounts with similar handles, and be skeptical of any account asking for funds.
Is Blockchain Backer reliable? He has a long, timestamped public track record, a balanced style that includes bearish warnings, and a widely cited successful 2021 call, but like all technical analysts, his calls are probabilistic and some have not worked. Treat his analysis as one educational perspective, not a signal service.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.
