Halliburton (HAL - Free Report) closed at $33.01 in the latest trading session, marking a -2.77% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.03%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.66%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the provider of drilling services to oil and gas operators had lost 15.4% lagged the Oils-Energy sector's loss of 4.76% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.
The upcoming earnings release of Halliburton will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on July 21, 2026. On that day, Halliburton is projected to report earnings of $0.54 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 1.82%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $5.48 billion, down 0.5% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $2.34 per share and a revenue of $22.23 billion, demonstrating changes of -3.31% and +0.21%, respectively, from the preceding year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Halliburton. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Halliburton currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Looking at valuation, Halliburton is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 14.49. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 21.44.
Also, we should mention that HAL has a PEG ratio of 1.47. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Oil and Gas - Field Services industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.
The Oil and Gas - Field Services industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 162, this industry ranks in the bottom 35% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
T. Rowe Price (TROW - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $116.11, demonstrating a +2.13% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.66%.
The financial services firm's shares have seen an increase of 8.99% over the last month, surpassing the Finance sector's gain of 2.72% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of T. Rowe Price in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect T. Rowe Price to post earnings of $2.35 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 4.91%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $1.89 billion, up 9.78% from the prior-year quarter.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $9.7 per share and a revenue of $7.6 billion, indicating changes of -0.21% and +3.87%, respectively, from the former year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for T Rowe Price. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.71% higher within the past month. T. Rowe Price presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Looking at valuation, T. Rowe Price is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 11.73. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 11.59, which means T. Rowe Price is trading at a premium to the group.
One should further note that TROW currently holds a PEG ratio of 5.78. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Financial - Investment Management industry held an average PEG ratio of 0.97.
The Financial - Investment Management industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 188, finds itself in the bottom 24% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow TROW in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces an investigation of ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. (“ZoomInfo” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GTM) on behalf of investors concerning the Company's possible violations of federal securities laws.IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO LOST MONEY ON ZOOMINFO TECHNOLOGIES INC. (GTM), CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING A CLAIM TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS.What Is The Investigation About?On May 11, 2026, after market hours, ZoomInfo released i.
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Jim Cramer spent Monday night on Mad Money doing something television hosts rarely do on camera: calling himself an idiot. A viewer named Kyle phoned in about her Corning (NYSE:GLW | GLW Price Prediction) position, worried about the wild swings, and Cramer used the question to torch his own track record on the mega-caps before validating her thesis.
Kyle told Cramer she bought Corning a few months ago and had watched steady appreciation punctuated by what she called massive swings. Cramer’s first move was to disclose that his Charitable Trust had just trimmed. “We actually sold some for the trust today. It’s been a big win,” he said. Then came the self-flagellation. “I just castigated myself over Microsoft, over Nvidia, over Apple, over Meta… Yeah, I’m the biggest idiot in the world, but we own a lot of Corning too.”
His framing of the broader tape is the part worth taping to your monitor. “The script is flipped in the tech trade. The suppliers are winning right now and the old leaders have to earn their way back.” Kyle’s marching orders from Cramer were simple: stay with the position.
Why Corning became the AI supplier trade The math behind Cramer’s enthusiasm sits inside Corning’s optical communications segment. On the Q1 2026 report filed April 28, 2026, Corning posted EPS of $0.70 against a consensus of $0.6916, its fourth consecutive EPS beat. Optical Communications revenue landed at $1.846 billion, up 36% year over year, powered by hyperscaler data center connectivity.
Then came the kicker. CEO Wendell Weeks disclosed that Corning “finalized two more hyperscaler deals similar in size and duration to our recently announced multiyear, up-to-$6 billion agreement with Meta.” You can read the exact language in the company’s 8-K exhibit filed with the SEC. Since then, Corning also secured a multibillion-dollar Amazon deal to supply optical fiber for AI data centers. The deal brings roughly 1,000 new jobs in North Carolina. Bank of America now estimates up to $10.3 billion in AI data center-related revenue by 2030.
Q2 2026 guidance calls for core sales around $4.60 billion and core EPS of $0.73 to $0.77. So the story Cramer is telling Kyle is that Corning stopped being a glass company that also made cables and started being the plumbing behind hyperscaler capex.
The same investor newsletter that told subscribers to buy Amazon in 2002, Netflix in 2004, and Nvidia in 2005 still publishes two new stock picks every month. Over 23 years, Motley Fool's Stock Advisor has more than quadrupled the S&P 500. New members get this month's picks, the Top 10 Rankings, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click here to unlock their next top stocks while new members are still being accepted.
The score behind Cramer’s self-castigation Look at what the tape did to the old leaders and you understand the confession. Year to date through June 30, 2026, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is down 22.53%. Meta (NASDAQ:META) is off 14.52% even as it signs Corning up for a fiber deal worth up to $6 billion. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) has managed just 7.42%, Apple 6.64%, and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) 3.26%.
Corning, over the same window, is up 192.71%. One year: up 391.06%. That is what Cramer means by the script flipping. The company selling picks to five gold miners has outrun the miners themselves by an order of magnitude.
The volatility Kyle is worried about Now for the other side. Corning trades at a trailing P/E near 123x and a forward P/E around 81x, with an analyst target price of $206.07 that already sits below where the stock trades. GuruFocus recently flagged the shares as 321% overvalued against intrinsic value, and insiders sold $54.1 million over the past three months with zero purchases. On July 1, the stock gave back 14.06% in a single session, which is roughly what Kyle called about.
Cramer’s trust took profits into that strength for a reason. The rotation into suppliers is real, the hyperscaler deals are contractual, and the AI data center buildout that Jensen Huang described as “the largest infrastructure expansion in human history” genuinely benefits the fiber guys. Kyle’s swings are the cost of admission when a stock triples in six months. What Cramer was telling her, between the insults he threw at himself, is that the trade is still working. The old leaders are the ones who need to prove something now.
If You'd Bought Amazon When the Motley Fool Said To…In September 2002, Stock Advisor told subscribers to buy Amazon. In December 2004, Netflix. In April 2005, Nvidia. The newsletter still publishes two new stock picks every month — and over 23 years, has more than quadrupled the S&P 500. Here's how to get this month's picks:
- Join Stock Advisor for one year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Get this month's two new picks — plus the Top 10 Rankings and the full historical pick list
- Read the analysis, decide for yourself, and trade through your own brokerage
Five years from now, you'll probably wish you'd bought this month's picks. Don't miss them.
In the latest close session, Lam Research (LRCX - Free Report) was down 9.73% at $391.17. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.66%.
The semiconductor equipment maker's stock has climbed by 29.58% in the past month, exceeding the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 2.58% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Lam Research in its upcoming release. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $1.68, marking a 26.32% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $6.65 billion, indicating a 28.67% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $5.68 per share and a revenue of $23.11 billion, representing changes of +37.2% and +25.35%, respectively, from the prior year.
It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Lam Research. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.56% increase. Lam Research is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Looking at valuation, Lam Research is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 76.3. This denotes a premium relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 59.72.
We can also see that LRCX currently has a PEG ratio of 3.58. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Electronics - Semiconductors industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.2.
The Electronics - Semiconductors industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 56, which puts it in the top 23% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
Applied Materials (AMAT - Free Report) closed at $650.91 in the latest trading session, marking a -9.97% move from the prior day. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.22% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.66%.
The stock of maker of chipmaking equipment has risen by 47.54% in the past month, leading the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 2.58% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Applied Materials in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on August 13, 2026. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $3.35, marking a 35.08% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $8.98 billion, up 23% from the prior-year quarter.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $12.11 per share and revenue of $33.29 billion. These totals would mark changes of +28.56% and +17.34%, respectively, from last year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Applied Materials. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.71% higher. Currently, Applied Materials is carrying a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Looking at valuation, Applied Materials is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 59.72. This represents no noticeable deviation compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 59.72.
One should further note that AMAT currently holds a PEG ratio of 2.01. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As the market closed yesterday, the Electronics - Semiconductors industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.2.
The Electronics - Semiconductors industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 56, positioning it in the top 23% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.
Did you buy ZTS securities between January 14, 2025, and May 6, 2026?
Affected ZTS Investor Summary
Who: Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) What: Securities fraud class action lawsuit filed Class Period: January 14, 2025 through May 6, 2026 Deadline to Seek Lead Plaintiff Status: July 27, 2026 Key Lawsuit Allegations: Material misstatements and/or omissions concerning the company's product adoption. Investor Action: Contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) for recovery options , /PRNewswire/ -- Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com), a nationally recognized securities litigation law firm, informs investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against Zoetis Inc. (Zoetis) (NYSE: ZTS) on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired Zoetis securities between January 14, 2025 and May 6, 2026, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit is filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned City of Ann Arbor Retiree Health Care Benefit Plan & Trust v. Zoetis Inc., No. 26-cv-04401 (S.D.N.Y.). Investors have until July 27, 2026, to file for lead plaintiff status.
CONTACT KTMC TO DISCUSS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS:
If you purchased or acquired Zoetis securities and have lost money on your investment, please provide your information here:
You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at [email protected]. There is no cost or obligation to speak with an attorney.
ZOETIS INC. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT - COMPLAINT ALLEGATION SUMMARY:
Zoetis is an animal health company that develops, manufactures, and sells vaccines, medications, diagnostics, and more for companion and livestock animals.
The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material facts about the company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) prescription growth and use of Librela, a pain treatment for dogs, was weakening following FDA safety warnings of serious neurological complications; (2) Simparica Trio, a preventative for fleas, ticks, and heartworm, was losing significant market share to a lower priced competitor; (3) the company's dermatological products, specifically Apoquel and Cytopoint, were also losing market share to competition; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' statements about the company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Why did Zoetis's Stock Drop?
On May 7, 2026, Zoetis reported its 2026 first quarter financial results which showed significant decline across its Companion Animal business. On this news, Zoetis's stock price fell 21.5%.
WHAT ZTS INVESTORS CAN DO NOW:
File to be lead plaintiff by July 27, 2026. Contact KTMC for a free case evaluation. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Retain counsel of choice or take no action. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS FOR ZOETIS INC. INVESTORS:
Zoetis investors may, no later than July 27, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Zoetis investors to contact the firm for more information.
ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC):
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (KTMC) is a leading U.S. plaintiff-side law firm focused on securities-fraud class actions and global investor protection. The firm represents individual investors as well as institutions, such as major pension funds, asset managers, and international investors. KTMC has led some of the largest recoveries in securities litigation and has been recognized by peers and the legal media with numerous accolades, including The National Law Journal's Plaintiff's Hot List and Trailblazers in Plaintiffs' Law, BTI Consulting Group's Honor Roll of Most Feared Law Firms, The Legal Intelligencer's Class Action Firm of the Year, Lawdragon's Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, and Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar. The firm operates globally with offices in Pennsylvania and California. KTMC has recovered over $25 billion for our clients and the classes they represent. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com. The complaint in this matter was not filed by KTMC.
CONTACT:
Jonathan Naji, Esq.
(484) 270-1453
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
[email protected]
May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) between January 14, 2025 and May 6, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important July 27, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Zoetis securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Zoetis class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/zoetis-inc/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 27, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and touted growing market share, strong veterinarian adoption, and accelerating sales growth across Zoetis’ flagship Companion Animal products and/or failed to disclose that: (1) veterinarian prescription growth and adoption of Zoetis’ Librela, a canine pain treatment, were sharply weakening as clinicians became more cautious following FDA safety warnings concerning serious neurological complications in dogs; (2) Zoetis’ Simparica Trio was losing significant market share to a lower priced competing canine parasiticide with broader indicated use in a slowing overall market; and (3) Zoetis’ dermatology products, Apoquel and Cytopoint, were losing substantial market share to a newly launched competing canine treatment. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Zoetis class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/zoetis-inc/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
-------------------------------
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected]
www.rosenlegal.com
Less than a year ago, Empery Digital was buying Bitcoin by the hundreds of millions. Now it is considering selling some of that Bitcoin to fund a $65 million bet on AI infrastructure.
The company, which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker EMPD, announced on June 30 that it plans to acquire a 25% ownership stake in a newly formed entity focused on converting a Midwest industrial property into an AI data center. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2026.
What the deal actually looks like The facility already has 150 megawatts of power capacity in place, with room to scale to 300 MW.
Empery is partnering with Hunt Properties on the project, combining what the company describes as its capital markets expertise with Hunt’s background in power procurement and infrastructure development.
The financial structure is notable. The tenant of the AI data center will cover both build-out costs and operating expenses. Empery says long-term lease payments from the arrangement could reach $1 billion, which would represent a significant return on a $65 million entry check.
Advertisement
To fund the investment, Empery is considering selling a portion of its remaining Bitcoin holdings, which currently sit at approximately 2,914 BTC valued at around $170.7 million as of June 30.
The company is also discontinuing its Bitcoin-based net asset value dashboard, which it previously used to track BTC holdings as a core metric.
From Bitcoin maximalist to AI infrastructure play in under a year Empery Digital, formerly known as Volcon Inc., adopted its Bitcoin treasury strategy in July 2025, raising over $481 million and deploying over $473 million of that into Bitcoin purchases.
The company sold 370 BTC in early 2026 at an average price of $66,632 per coin. The remaining 2,914 BTC represents a meaningful position, but it is a fraction of what the company was accumulating less than 12 months ago.
The company faced shareholder activism related to its Bitcoin treasury approach, a recurring theme among smaller firms that adopted aggressive digital asset strategies.
What this means for investors watching the space Empery’s stock declined following the AI investment announcement.
The bear case is straightforward. Empery spent most of 2025 building a Bitcoin treasury identity, raised hundreds of millions around that thesis, and is now selling that Bitcoin to fund a single illiquid infrastructure bet that gives them a 25% stake, not operational control, in one data center.
The bull case: AI data center demand is real and growing fast. Facilities with existing 150 MW capacity are genuinely scarce. A structure where the tenant covers build-out and operating costs while Empery collects lease revenue is capital-light once the $65 million check clears. And a potential $1 billion in long-term lease payments, if it materializes, would transform the company’s financial profile.
For investors, the key question is execution. Empery has demonstrated an ability to raise capital quickly, having pulled in over $481 million in 2025. The Q3 2026 close date for the deal will be the first real milestone to watch, followed by any announcements about the data center tenant, whose identity has not been disclosed.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
As the effects of the bear market, which has lasted for approximately 9 months, continue, the cryptocurrency analysis company The DeFi Report evaluated Bitcoin’s on-chain data and macroeconomic outlook in its latest video report.
According to analyst Mike’s assessment, while the market is starting to show green lights for “buying,” the possibility that a definitive bottom has not yet been reached remains.
One of the most important technical indicators highlighted in the report is Bitcoin trading below its 200-week moving average (approximately $62,400). Analysts noted that the price is fluctuating between $59,000 and $60,000, adding that historically, Bitcoin hasn’t spent much time below these levels, and this generally signals a significant cycle bottom.
Four out of six key on-chain indicators (KPIs) tracked by The DeFi Report are currently giving a clear bullish signal:
Loss-Making Supply: More than 48% of the circulating Bitcoin supply is currently at a loss. Looking at the situation of long-term holders, it appears that the market is very close to the lows of past bear markets. Missing Pieces: Two key indicators not giving a bullish signal are the Realized Market Value (RMV) and MVRV ratios. According to analysts, there hasn’t been enough “capital destruction” or change of hands in the market yet to fully confirm the final lows of past cycles. Potential macroeconomic risks that could shake markets and trigger a final wave of capitulations in crypto assets are listed as follows:
Markets are pricing in a 70% probability of a potential interest rate hike in September. The Fed’s commitment to bringing inflation down to 2% could create renewed selling pressure in equity and crypto markets. A sharp 20-25% pullback in NASDAQ or AI-focused technology stocks in general could drag the crypto market down with it. Despite the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raising interest rates to 1%, the highest level in 30 years, the continued depreciation of the yen poses a significant risk. This could lead global investors to close their cheap carry trades, resulting in a liquidity crunch. Increased political polarization ahead of the US elections and consumer confidence index hovering at historically low levels are putting indirect pressure on risky assets.
*This is not investment advice.
Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!
Two of the most aggressive corporate Bitcoin buyers just had a very busy June. Strategy Inc. and Strive Inc. collectively added 6,989 BTC to their treasuries, funded almost entirely through preferred equity instruments rather than traditional stock sales or debt offerings.
Strategy picked up 3,625 BTC on a net basis, while Strive added 3,364 BTC. Each company deployed approximately $200 million raised from their respective preferred equity products: STRC for Strategy and SATA for Strive.
The preferred equity playbook Neither company went the conventional route of issuing new common shares or tapping revolving credit lines. Instead, both relied on preferred equity instruments designed to trade near $100 par value with effective yields ranging from 11% to 13% or higher.
Advertisement
For Strategy, the STRC instrument has become the primary engine for Bitcoin accumulation. The company did sell 32 BTC during the month to cover STRC dividend obligations, which is why the net figure comes in at 3,625 rather than the gross amount purchased.
Strive’s approach was even more front-loaded. The company’s largest single transaction in June was a 2,500 BTC purchase funded almost entirely through SATA proceeds. That single buy accounted for roughly three-quarters of Strive’s monthly total.
The running scoreboard Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings now exceed 845,000 BTC as of early June, roughly 4% of all Bitcoin that will ever exist. Strive, meanwhile, has climbed to nearly 20,000 BTC.
Both companies were buying during a period when Bitcoin prices fluctuated between roughly $60,000 and $65,000. At those levels, each company’s $200 million deployment bought somewhere around 3,000 to 3,500 BTC, which lines up neatly with the reported figures.
The combined haul of nearly 7,000 BTC represents meaningful demand at a time when Bitcoin’s supply dynamics continue to tighten following the April 2024 halving event. Miners now produce roughly 450 BTC per day, meaning Strategy and Strive alone absorbed the equivalent of about 15 days’ worth of new Bitcoin supply in a single month.
Why preferred equity changes the game The 11% to 13% yields on these instruments aren’t trivial, but they’re manageable as long as Bitcoin’s price trajectory cooperates. If Bitcoin appreciates faster than the cost of the preferred dividends, the companies are effectively borrowing at a negative real rate to accumulate a scarce asset.
Strategy’s small 32 BTC sale to cover STRC dividends hints at this dynamic. The company is already using its Bitcoin stash to service the preferred equity, creating a direct link between the treasury’s size and its ability to sustain the financing mechanism.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin price climbed above $60,000 on Wednesday, a level the asset had ceded during the last couple weeks of turbulence, after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh told a central bank forum that the threat of persistent inflation had moderated.
The cryptocurrency traded near $60,171 this afternoon, a gain of about 2.7% on the day, with a 24-hour high of $60,474 and a low of $57,718. Trading volume for the session reached $26.68 billion.
Warsh, in remarks at the European Central Bank forum in Sintra, Portugal, said inflation expectations in surveys and bond prices had eased. He paired the observation with a warning that price growth remains too elevated and that the Fed will not accept inflation above its 2 percent target.
“We’re going to deliver price stability,” Warsh said.
Markets read the balance as a tilt toward relief. Bitcoin advanced as U.S. stocks rose and the dollar retreated from a weekly high. A softer dollar tends to lift demand for Bitcoin and other risk assets.
The move offered a reprieve in a hard year. Bitcoin sits about 30% below where it started 2026 and more than $66,000 under its record of $126,277, a slide that has kept the bear-market label in view. Its market value stands near $1.2 trillion.
Strategy (MSTR) and Strive (ASST) jump over 10% at times in intraday trading Bitcoin treasury companies posted sharper gains. Strategy, the software firm turned Bitcoin holder under Michael Saylor, rose close to 7.5% on the day — with highs of 13% during the day. Strive jumped more than 10% at times to $12.02.
Both trade as leveraged proxies for Bitcoin, and their swings tend to exceed those of the coin. Strive has spent 2026 building a treasury that now tops 16,000 BTC, and the stock has climbed more than 100% across three months.
Earlier this week, Strategy released a new Digital Credit Capital Framework that raised the dividend on its STRC preferred shares to 12%, authorized up to $2 billion in share buybacks, and created a bitcoin monetization program allowing limited BTC sales for specific corporate purposes.
The company also established a $2.55 billion U.S. dollar reserve to cover preferred dividends and debt interest, with board rules requiring at least 12 months of coverage at all times. Strategy said any bitcoin sales would be limited to replenishing reserves, funding dividends and interest when preferable to issuing equity, or financing stock buybacks, while reaffirming bitcoin as its primary treasury asset.
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.
Bitcoin’s latest sell-off intensified as bearish momentum continued building across Binance’s derivatives market. After repeatedly testing lower support levels, Bitcoin [BTC] briefly slipped below $58,000 for the first time since September 2024.
This price drop was accompanied by a net taker volume of about -$330 million. This exceeded the -$311 million that was seen on the 25th of June.
The deeper negative reading shows sellers aggressively crossed the spread instead of waiting for buyers, overwhelming available bids and accelerating the decline.
Source: CryptoQuant At the same time, the 7-day Open Interest trend remains positive. This indicates traders continue to add leverage based on their expectations of further declines in price.
Unless buyer absorption strengthens and aggressive selling subsides, leveraged bearish positioning could keep Bitcoin under sustained downside pressure.
Institutional distribution weakens Bitcoin demand That aggressive sell-side pressure also coincided with a continued deterioration in institutional demand. Rather than absorbing the latest wave of selling, U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs extended their distribution trend, shedding more than 100,000 BTC during 2026 alone.
Source: CryptoQuant Furthermore, the total number of BTC sold off by ETF issuers has reached approximately 160,000 BTC since they hit a high-water mark in their reserves in late October 2025. This represents losses totaling more than $11 billion.
Source: CryptoQuant Therefore, it is likely that numerous institutional participants remain underwater. The persistent reduction in the reserves held by the EFTs suggests that EFTs have moved from providing support to Bitcoin’s bull run to creating additional structural supply.
Consequently, if ETF flows do not soon turn positive again and institutional demand continues to weaken. This will then result in an increase in negative pressure for all segments of the overall market.
Can Spot demand replace fading ETF support? There is concern now even though there was a significant amount of Spot buying activity after weeks of ETF selling. The market did not see strong enough demand to sustain the price of Bitcoin above $60,000.
Since then, while there are increasing signs that Long-Term Holders have been accumulating, the absorption of excess supply has continued to be spotty at best.
Also, the Short-Term Holder MVRV still hovers below one. This implies that most new buyers in this period have unrealized losses on their positions.
As such, until Coinbase Premium strengthens and Spot Taker CVD turns decisively positive, weak spot demand could leave Bitcoin vulnerable to renewed downside pressure.
Final Summary BTC faces growing pressure from aggressive selling and persistent ETF outflows. Bitcoin needs stronger Spot demand to stabilize and regain momentum.
DDC Enterprise is buying back its own stock after the market effectively priced the company at 30 cents on the dollar relative to its Bitcoin holdings. The board approved a share repurchase program worth up to $10M or 20% of outstanding Class A shares on June 9, signaling that management thinks Wall Street is dramatically undervaluing what’s sitting on the balance sheet.
Here’s the math that makes this interesting: DDC holds 2,899 BTC valued at roughly $170M as of June 17. The company’s market cap? Approximately $44M. That gives it a market net asset value multiple of about 0.3x, meaning investors can theoretically buy $1 worth of Bitcoin for about 30 cents by purchasing DDC shares.
A food company with a Bitcoin problem (or opportunity) DDC Enterprise started life as an operator of Asian food brands. That business still exists, but the company has pivoted hard into the Bitcoin treasury strategy that MicroStrategy popularized years ago.
Advertisement
Its shares have been trading between $0.90 and $0.93 in late June and early July 2026, a range that implies the market is either skeptical of the company’s ability to hold and manage its crypto position, or simply hasn’t caught up to the balance sheet reality.
The company raised $124M in equity capital back in October 2025 specifically to fund Bitcoin accumulation. That capital raise has, on paper, generated significant unrealized gains given Bitcoin’s trajectory since then. But the stock price hasn’t followed.
How the buyback works The repurchase program will be funded primarily through free cash flow and operational cash, according to the company’s announcement. DDC also left the door open to using its Bitcoin as collateral in financing arrangements to support the buyback.
The program has a planned capital allocation window of up to 18 months, giving management flexibility on timing. There’s no obligation to repurchase the full $10M.
A $10M buyback against a $44M market cap is meaningful. That’s roughly 23% of the entire company’s public market value being allocated to share repurchases, assuming shares stay near current levels. Even at the stated cap of 20% of Class A shares, this program could materially reduce the float.
What this means for investors A 70% discount to net asset value raises real questions. Can DDC’s underlying food business generate enough cash flow to avoid selling Bitcoin during downturns? What happens to the collateralized financing if Bitcoin drops sharply?
If DDC pledges Bitcoin to borrow money for buybacks and Bitcoin’s price falls sharply, the company could face margin calls or forced liquidation of its crypto position at the worst possible time.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
SPOILER ALERT: Jeff Booth does not know what the world will look like in 2036.
I know, I know… You probably wanted to hear from Jeff — author of The Price of Tomorrow and someone with incredible foresight and vision — that all eight billion of us would be living in the type of abundance he often talks about on podcasts.
You likely wanted to read that Jeff foresees Bitcoin replacing fiat by 2036 and that we’ll all be able to just kick back and relax as we enjoy living in a deflationary system by then.
I, too, was slightly disappointed when he didn’t paint a picture of a Bitcoin-fueled utopia that will exist a decade from now.
That said, in true Jeff Booth fashion, he offered some perspective that was perhaps even more profound than expected:
“It can exist for them right this second,” said Jeff in regard to when people can begin to reap the benefits of existing in a Bitcoin-buoyed system. “The question is ‘Do people move their time and energy to this new system?’”
Leave it to Jeff, someone who I often refer to as the Eckhart Tolle (author of The Power of Now) of Bitcoin to remind us that we don’t have wait for a day in the far off future when Bitcoin has transformed the world, we can begin to use right now it to transform our own personal world and the worlds of those with whom we engage.
“We are the change,” said Jeff. “We always have been.”
There’s just one caveat to Jeff’s message, though…
To fully experience the benefits that Bitcoin offers, we cannot simply view it as another asset within a broken system, we have to see it for what it actually is: a protocol.
Bitcoin As A Protocol According to Jeff, seeing Bitcoin as anything but a protocol will not only result in our not fully benefitting from it, but ultimately in the failure of the protocol itself.
That’s a lot, I know.
Let’s unpack it.
When Jeff looks out at the world, he sees a spectrum of Bitcoin enthusiasts — and, of course, those who will continue to simply dismiss Bitcoin.
The latter will resume focusing their efforts on trying to reform the broken and insolvent system that continues to steal their time and wealth while consistently blaming the powers that be for their lot in life, further handing over their power to those actors in the process.
If you’re reading this article, you’re likely not one of those types. You, instead, exist somewhere on a spectrum of Bitcoin understanding that Jeff has conceptualized.
On one side of that spectrum are those who take risky bets with bitcoin or even with other crypto assets in efforts to get rich quickly. This type lends much of their energy to searching for the next scheme to trade. Very few in this world win big and almost all lose over a longer time horizon.
One level up from that are those who see bitcoin as a store of value. The problem with this perspective is that the asset is trapped within the broken monetary and financial systems instead of replacing them. If bitcoin only remains a store of value, its ownership will continue to centralize over time, leading to a Bitcoin elite, a new breed of kings, as opposed to a world in which all human beings benefit from bitcoin. This scenario will also lead to continued issues with Bitcoin custodians.
“If we continue to have a debt-based system on top of bitcoin, bitcoin will continue to be held by custodians who will get liquidated time and time again as they take risks with their customers’ bitcoin,” said Jeff. “It’ll look like Celsius and BlockFi over and over and over again.”
Finally, there are those who see Bitcoin as a protocol.
They understand that Bitcoin emerges in layers, each of them enabling it to be used more easily and privately as money. It’s those for whom Bitcoin will serve as a true catalyst.
“It’s only if you view Bitcoin through the protocol lens that the world will change for you,” said Jeff.
“Every single other one of those perspectives relies on ‘It’s somebody else, not me.’ But the last one says ‘I create the future from my intention,’” he added.
“So, when we think about 2036, the real question is ‘How many people realize that they have the agency to change the world?’”
While this may seem like a relatively easy question to answer for oneself, it becomes more challenging when considering that we exist in a world that is constantly trying to distract us from what Bitcoin truly is.
Don’t Get Caught From flavor of the month FUD to hero worship, it’s easy to give up your power.
“People often give their agency away to the likes of those who spread fear around quantum computing breaking Bitcoin or to those talking about how Jeffrey Epstein tried to infiltrate Bitcoin Core,” said Jeff.
Much of the Core vs. Knots debate was also driven by fear, which also siphoned people’s power, according to Jeff. With regard to this particular issue, Jeff noticed the name calling and ad hominem attacks, but opted not to contribute to the drama. Instead, he simply saw it as a signal that the issue was worth investigating. He believes that the debate offered people an important opportunity to fight for what they want Bitcoin to be.
“We’re used to seeing only a small part of consensus and not seeing views that are outside of it,” said Jeff. “The consensus mechanism and the agency of all participants fighting for what they see bitcoin as allows each person to see the entire debate and make their choice of what bitcoin is to them.”
Jeff went on to say that instead of being driven by fear and blindly digging in with one side or the other in such debates, it’s important to look inward at these times. Both doing so and advocating for what you want Bitcoin to be is ultimately how the protocol stays safe in his eyes.
“If there are enough hypervigilant people focused on the issues, Bitcoin stays secure,” said Jeff. “If there are enough people building on this and they are all hypervigilant as they build, it stays decentralized.”
Bitcoin enthusiasts also give away their agency to figures in the Bitcoin space who convince them that bitcoin is nothing more than a store of value — digital capital, if you will — according to Jeff.
“If you talk about digital capital and digital assets or building a debt-based system on top of Bitcoin, you aren’t viewing Bitcoin as a protocol,” explained Jeff. “Building a debt-based system on top of Bitcoin is centralizing, which isn’t good for Bitcoin. If you’re trying to concentrate bitcoin and become a new king, then both Bitcoin and the game you’re playing will ultimately fail.”
Jeff attributes the fact that some aren’t able to see how building a system that resembles the system Bitcoin was designed to replace is ultimately doomed to the notion that many are trapped in old mental models. In other words, we often bring our baggage from the old system into this new one. Those who see Bitcoin as a protocol, those using it as money in Bitcoin circular economies on a day-to-day basis, fundamentally understand Bitcoin through a different lens. They intuitively know that every choice, want, and need is a choice to distribute value or give value. And as bitcoin becomes more ubiquitous as money, then those playing financial games with bitcoin will ultimately be forced to give up their coins.
“You can try to create debt on top of bitcoin, but, eventually, as Bitcoin adoption increases, prices will begin falling so fast that those trying to centralize Bitcoin will have to figure out a way to deliver value to society in excess of what they’re spending to pay back and service their debt, which they won’t be able to do, forcing them to distribute their bitcoin,” said Jeff.
In short, Bitcoin inevitably liquidates those playing a zero-sum game; therefore, according to Jeff, it’s best to focus on what you’re doing to provide value to the world rather than focusing on how prominent figures in the Bitcoin space are rebuilding the same type of debt-based system that we’re trying to escape on top of bitcoin.
Why Bitcoin Remains Decentralized and Secure For this issue, the editorial staff and writers involved have presupposed that Bitcoin is still sufficiently decentralized and secure come 2036. The truth is, though, as Jeff points out, if we all don’t claim our own power and embrace Bitcoin as a protocol, then it centralizes and fails.
Put another way, Bitcoin is not inevitable.
Yet, at the same time, Jeff is all but 100% convinced that Bitcoin does, in fact, succeed.
Why is that? you might ask.
Well, to use Jeff’s own words, he believes that Bitcoin will win because he “believes in us.”
Now, I know what you might be thinking: How could Jeff believe in us?… I mean, has he seen all the pleb slop out there? Has he seen how quickly many have been to abandon their Bitcoin vision and morals in pursuit of fiat gains? And does he think we’re all as good at thinking for ourselves as he is?
While I didn’t ask Jeff those questions, I’d imagine his answers to the second and third ones are “yes” and that he’s too humble to even respond to the final one. And as for the first question, he answered it without my posing it to him directly.
“As time goes on, more and more people discover what Bitcoin truly is, and each of them begins to move their agency into this space,” he explained. “In the process, people discover that their agency matters and that they can bend reality to their will. And when we share different thoughts about Bitcoin with others, it opens people’s minds, further causing them to shift their time and energy. I’m so positive that Bitcoin succeeds because I believe in the best in us, and I’ve already seen so many people move their time into this space and how that has had such a positive impact on them.”
Still, Jeff, c’mon! Most of us are still simply trying to convince our friends and family members that Bitcoin isn’t a scam, much less something that they should be moving their time and energy into. Even the idea of moving one’s time and energy into Bitcoin seems like an abstract and foreign concept to most people today.
Jeff gets that, too. And so he offered a caveat:
“Not everybody has to move their time — only a small fraction do.”
Now, given that my intention in writing this piece isn’t simply to help share Jeff’s perspective but to encourage you to embrace your own agency and power, I’m not going to share how much that small fraction is composed of in Jeff’s mind. Doing so might put you back into the mindset you may have had before you started reading this piece, the “Bitcoin is inevitable, and my efforts mean nothing in regard to its success or failure” mindset. Since that’s neither productive nor empowering, let’s not go there. The point is that Jeff believes that there are enough of us out there who will “hold the line and fight for freedom” as we work to maintain what he terms “the honest chain.”
“__% of people will cheat and go back to the dishonest chain,” said Jeff. “They’ll tell themselves ‘I needed to do it for my family.’ Deep down, they won’t have wanted to move to the dishonest chain, but they will feel that the consequences of not doing so were just too great. So, they’ll take the bribe. They’ll tell themselves ‘If not me, somebody else will do it, and I have to do it, too.”
Though that remaining percentage of people who support the honest chain may be small, it will be more than enough to have the balance of most people eventually move with them, according to Jeff.
“That small group forces a foundation from which others can benefit,” said Jeff.
A beautiful dimension of Bitcoin is that it’s a group, as opposed to a single figure, that keeps the network safe. And what shields this group is that Bitcoin enables them to remain anonymous. This can be contrasted with public leaders or religious figures who’ve challenged power and been martyred for it.
“Those leaders and religious figures had to be killed because they were open and very dangerous to the system of power,” said Jeff. “Now, those who want to stand up for what’s right no matter what to keep Bitcoin protected can do so because privacy is built into its layers. If this fight were occurring in the open, the intransigent minority, those who want to stand up for what is right, would be knocked off in time; it would be too dangerous for them to stand up.”
In this light, Bitcoin could be viewed as the greatest tool for human liberation we’ve ever seen. And the most exciting part is, we may have all of the components we need to scale it securely and in a manner that offers people transactional privacy.
Scaling Bitcoin: We May Already Have All We Need Given how often Jeff refers to scaling Bitcoin in layers, I asked him how many layers he envisions Bitcoin having by 2036, anticipating that he had some ideas for layers that few of us could have yet conceptualized.
To my surprise, his answer to my question was direct: “I think we have almost everything already.”
(LFG.)
“We have Bitcoin, composed of energy, mining, and the consensus rules,” began Jeff. “Next, we have Lightning, Liquid, Ark, etc. This is the transport layer where you can now transport value instantly at very fast speeds. On top of or integrated with that, you have fedimints for ecash, the privacy layer. We also have Nostr, the identity layer, web of trust, and privacy layer. And that might be all we require. Everything there is enough to enable all applications to take part in the first global free market that’s ever existed.”
But what about a capital markets layer? Will we see tokenized assets on a Bitcoin layer by 2036, or at any point in the future for that matter?
According to Jeff, that’s a hard “no.”
“Tokenization is part of the fiat scam,” said Jeff. “The idea with tokenization is that people are going to take more assets and drive more money into those assets. In the world I’m talking about, you don’t need tokenization because the protocol preserves value for you — everything is priced in prices that are falling.”
According to Jeff, tokenized assets, whether on traditional ledgers (e.g., brokerage accounts) and on blockchains, are part of the current system, which is extractive. In a world underpinned by bitcoin, people won’t need to rely on tokenized assets to preserve their wealth.
“In this new world, capital markets get way smaller,” said Jeff. “In 1900, capital markets only made up about 1% of the economy, and now it’s closer to 40%. Tokenization helps the extractive economy carry on; it becomes unnecessary in a world in which Bitcoin succeeds as a protocol.”
Jeff contextualized his point by describing how he and the team at ego death capital, the Bitcoin venture capital firm that he co-founded, think about making investments in a world where bitcoin continues to appreciate in value.
“At ego death, we deploy risk capital where we think we can exceed a 45% IRR (internal rate of return),” Jeff explained. (Bitcoin’s IRR over the past 15 years is approximately 45%.) “Most startups don’t get funded with debt. Family and friends typically fund startups and what they’re doing is saying ‘I believe you can do this,’ while not necessarily considering the fact that most startups fail because it’s so hard to create value in the free market. Investors only come in when they see a startup starting to win and when they think a business will provide tons of value moving forward.”
And most investors in public markets today are only investing because fiat currencies are losing value at such an alarming rate. In a world that’s on a bitcoin standard, speculating in markets as a means to preserve value is no longer necessary.
Start Today Each of our actions in this Bitcoin space have power.
They are helping to chart a course in which, by 2036, there will be exponentially more of us reaping the benefits of living on a bitcoin standard.
While that future surely isn’t promised, Jeff feels confident that we’re on the right path.
“Our future is created by these collisions of us talking to each other, learning from one another, and expanding our knowledge to other people,” he explained.
Plus, the longer Jeff works with and invests in high-integrity builders in the Bitcoin space, the more confident he feels that Bitcoin remains decentralized and secure, as it must for it to succeed.
With that said, Jeff understands that many will sell out as the fight continues to be brought to Bitcoin’s doorstep, which is why he says that we should feel free to “slay our heroes.” Instead, he believes, we should look within ourselves for answers.
The Bitcoin story isn’t one of looking out to or up to; it’s one of looking inward and embracing responsibility and critical thinking, both of which are necessary in pursuit of increased personal power and agency.
If we want a world transformed by Bitcoin in 2036, we have to start by making the essential personal transformations and moving more of our time and energy into Bitcoin today.
Don’t miss your chance to own The 2036 Issue — featuring articles written by many influential figures in the space pondering the challenges of the next decade!
This piece is featured in the latest Print edition of Bitcoin Magazine, The 2036 Issue. We’re sharing it here as an early look at the ideas explored throughout the full issue.
President Donald Trump is officially a crypto billionaire, with proceeds from his memecoin and family crypto company accounting for the bulk of his digital assets fortune. But the commander-in–chief has also shown an appetite for blockchain-related stocks and more exotic cryptocurrencies, according to a filing from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics released on Tuesday.
Trump’s business entities generated more than $635 million in royalty income from his memecoin and almost $600 million through World Liberty Financial—a crypto company he cofounded with his three sons, longtime business associate Steve Witkoff, and Witkoff’s two sons. And the president pocketed nearly $197 million through DT Marks SC, a company that owns 38.5% of Stablecoin Holdco, a Miami-based stablecoin venture.
Trump also has exposure to more niche digital assets through his crypto businesses. The entity connected to World Liberty Financial received more than $33 million in annual income from Bitcoin and over $150 million from Ethereum over the course of 2025, plus about $1.8 million from staked Ethereum. Through another company named DT Marks Defi, the president also earned more than $5 million across several altcoins, including LINK, AAVE, ENA, MOVE, and ONDO, and over $56 million from the stablecoin USDC. The president’s financial disclosure did not clearly specify how these crypto positions generated income. “Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged—or will ever engage—in conflicts of interest,” Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, told Fortune in a statement.
A January Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that the Trump family secretly sold a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial to Aryam Investment 1, a company backed by Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who serves as the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser. According to the president’s latest financial disclosure, his entities DT Marks Defi and DT Marks SC realized nearly $263 million in net proceeds from the sale.
World Liberty Financial did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s disclosure also showed active trading of MSTR shares, tied to Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, across multiple investment accounts. These $15,000 to $50,000 trades gave him indirect exposure to Bitcoin. In addition, Trump’s disclosure showed buying and selling Coinbase and Robinhood shares in different investment accounts. (Previously the President’s son Eric Trump has argued that his father’s investment holdings “are maintained exclusively in fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions.” He denied that the president, his family and The Trump Organization has any role in selecting, directing, approving, influencing or soliciting specific investments.)
Michael Saylor, Strategy’s executive chairman, emerged as a key crypto ally to the Trump White House. The pioneer of the world’s largest Bitcoin asset treasury attended the president’s first crypto summit at the White House in March 2025. Eric Trump has also previously stated that he and Saylor had a friendship spanning two decades.
The prominence of crypto in Trump’s financial portfolio comes amid ongoing scrutiny of his ties to the industry. Since taking office, Trump has faced questions over his proximity to multiple crypto ventures while advancing a crypto-friendly agenda. Lawmakers have raised conflict of interest concerns, which the president has repeatedly rejected. The disclosure also lands as senators push to pass the Clarity Act, a bill that would regulate crypto market structure. Critics argue the current draft lacks adequate ethics safeguards.
“The crypto legislation heading to the Senate floor must prevent the president, vice president, senior administration officials, members of Congress, and their families from profiting off the crypto industry,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a statement on Tuesday.
Bitcoin made notable strides on Wednesday, rallying to as high as $60,200 before retreating to an intraday low of $57,737. The world’s largest cryptocurrency still managed to recover roughly 2.7% in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Ether posted a 3% gain, and Solana surged by 4.85%, signaling a broader rebound across major digital assets.
Markets bounce back, but investor caution prevailsDespite the apparent recovery in prices, investor sentiment remains distinctly cautious. Key “fear and greed” indicators, which track the emotional state of the crypto market, are currently hovering around 11 out of 100. This figure firmly places the market in the “extreme fear” zone, highlighting significant apprehension among investors. Notably, even with the recent rebound, Bitcoin is still down by nearly a third year to date.
While Bitcoin has enjoyed a short-term recovery, broader market data suggests that investor confidence has yet to stabilize in any meaningful way.
ETF outflows clash with long-term accumulationAnalyzing the available data reveals diverging trends in investor behavior. Spot Bitcoin ETFs listed in the United States have recently experienced notable outflows, outpacing inflows for several consecutive weeks. In June alone, a staggering $4.5 billion left these funds—a record for monthly withdrawals since the ETFs debuted.
In contrast, on chain data points to large-scale long-term accumulation. Over the past two weeks, long-term holders have reportedly added approximately 270,000 BTC to their portfolios. This wave of buying suggests that influential investors have interpreted the recent price correction as a strategic buying opportunity rather than a reason to sell.
Leverage builds up in a critical price rangeOne of the most closely watched short-term metrics has been the funding rate, which has remained positive for three straight days. In practical terms, this means that despite Bitcoin’s tests of new lows, bullish leverage trades continue to dominate. Such concentrated leverage on one side of the market, especially with tepid price action, can heighten the risk of increased volatility.
Recent data from three leading exchanges shows that leveraged positions have piled up most densely between $57,000 and $60,500—the same price corridor where Bitcoin has been trading since the end of June. Outside this range, specifically above $61,000 and below $56,000, the intensity of these positions drops off dramatically.
This distribution reveals that forced liquidations are clustered close to the current trading range. Should Bitcoin break upward past $61,000 or fall below $56,000, analysts anticipate that price swings could quickly become much more dramatic.
The first 24 hour outlook remains neutralIn the near term, the overall outlook is considered neutral. To confirm a clearer shift in trend, both Bitcoin’s price and leveraged positions would need to demonstrate simultaneous growth. However, the latest data indicates that this alignment has not yet materialized.
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.
$MSTR surged as much as 13% on Wednesday, extending a rebound that began Monday when Michael Saylor unveiled Strategy's new Digital Credit Capital Framework. The stock closed at $97.22 on July 1, up from a two-year low of $82.31 on June 26, a sharp recovery after a heavy pullback from the $130s earlier in June.
What the Framework Actually DoesStrategy adopted the Digital Credit Capital Framework to strengthen its series of preferred securities, enhance liquidity, preserve long-term Bitcoin exposure, and support long-term value creation for shareholders. The package has several moving parts.
The board authorized up to $1 billion of preferred security buybacks and $1 billion of common stock repurchases, though neither program obligates the company to make purchases. On the dividend side, the dividend rate on the Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock ($STRC) was increased from 11.5% to 12% per year.
The most consequential element, however, is the Bitcoin Monetization Program. For a company whose signature promise has been to hoard Bitcoin and never sell, board approval to sell $BTC to pay preferred dividends, replenish its cash reserve, or fund buybacks is a clear shift in posture, even as Strategy insists Bitcoin remains its "primary treasury reserve asset." The authorization covers up to $1.25 billion in $BTC, equivalent to roughly 20,800 coins, or about 2.5% of Strategy's 847,363 $BTC stack.
Strategy says it now holds about $2.55 billion in USD reserves, which Saylor said "should cover the dividend payments for 17.4 months," with a commitment to maintain at least 12 months of coverage.
A Shift in Thesis, or Just Prudent Management?Under Saylor, Strategy pursued an ambitious path of consistent accumulation funded through equity and preferred securities, positioning itself as a leveraged proxy for Bitcoin's long-term potential. The new framework marks a departure from that accumulate-only posture.
CFO Andrew Kang said the structure gives Strategy flexibility when monetizing Bitcoin is preferable to issuing common equity, which matters because common equity issuance can pressure shareholders when the stock trades close to net asset value.
The new policy also gives the board a clearer playbook for using Bitcoin holdings as a financial resource rather than a static reserve, which may influence how other companies think about crypto in their own treasury frameworks. Whether that reads as disciplined capital management or a crack in the long-held Bitcoin-maximalist thesis is now the central debate among investors.
Sources
Strategy Official Press Release via Business Wire
CoinDesk: Strategy Announces $2 Billion Buybacks and Bitcoin Monetization Plan
Yahoo Finance: Strategy Rewrites Its Bitcoin Playbook
For years, Strategy Inc. traded at a hefty premium to its Bitcoin stash. Investors were willing to pay more than the underlying crypto was worth just for the privilege of exposure through a publicly traded stock. That era appears to be over.
Bloomberg reports that Strategy’s enterprise multiple to net asset value, known as mNAV, has fallen below 1x. In English: the company’s total enterprise value is now less than the market value of the Bitcoin sitting on its balance sheet. As of late June 2026, Strategy’s enterprise value sat at roughly $50.4 billion, while its 847,363 Bitcoin were worth approximately $51.1 billion.
From premium darling to discount bin The stock, which once traded near $540 in November 2024, has cratered to around $82. That’s an 85% decline from its peak.
Bitcoin’s own trajectory tells much of the story. After surging past $126,000 during the 2025 rally, the largest cryptocurrency has retreated to approximately $60,000. Strategy, which has staked its entire corporate identity on accumulating Bitcoin, absorbed every bit of that decline and then some.
Advertisement
The company, which rebranded from MicroStrategy in February 2025 to better reflect its Bitcoin-centric mission, essentially operates as a leveraged Bitcoin vehicle. Because investors valued Strategy stock above the Bitcoin it held, the company could issue new shares at inflated prices and use the proceeds to buy more Bitcoin. Each share issuance was accretive, meaning existing shareholders got more Bitcoin exposure per dollar invested.
$10 billion in unrealized losses and a shrinking playbook With Bitcoin trading near $60,000, Strategy is now sitting on more than $10 billion in unrealized losses based on the average acquisition cost of its holdings.
The vanishing premium has also killed the equity issuance strategy that fueled the company’s buying spree. To adapt, Strategy has reportedly pivoted toward alternative capital strategies. The company’s playbook now includes debt mechanisms and preferred stock instruments, with plans that could involve up to $1.25 billion in either Bitcoin buybacks or sales. A company that built its brand on never selling Bitcoin is now keeping the option on the table.
Strategy’s balance sheet features a mix of convertible notes, preferred stock offerings, and traditional debt, all layered on top of a single underlying asset.
What this means for investors The mNAV falling below 1x fundamentally changes the investment thesis for Strategy stock. What remains is a stock that gives you slightly less than one dollar of Bitcoin for every dollar you invest, plus corporate debt and preferred stock obligations sitting on top.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs now offer investors direct Bitcoin exposure without the corporate overhead, debt obligations, or management risk that come with owning Strategy stock. When Strategy traded at a premium, it offered something ETFs couldn’t: leveraged upside. At a discount, the value proposition gets murkier.
Investors watching this space should pay close attention to whether Strategy actually executes any Bitcoin sales from that $1.25 billion authorization. The company still holds 847,363 Bitcoin, making it by far the largest corporate holder of the asset.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Strategy Inc. and Strive Inc. are both running perpetual preferred equity instruments backed, at least philosophically, by their Bitcoin treasury positions. One trades at a discount to par. The other is nearly flat.
Strategy’s STRC is currently stabilizing around $85, against a target par value of $100. Strive’s SATA is trading closer to par, somewhere in the $97 to $98 range.
What these instruments actually are Both are Nasdaq-listed perpetual preferred stocks, meaning they have no maturity date and sit ahead of common shareholders when it comes to residual asset claims. Neither is directly collateralized by Bitcoin holdings.
Advertisement
STRC currently carries a variable dividend yield in the 11.5% to 12% range. SATA offers a slightly higher annualized rate of 13%. Both emerged in 2025 as part of a broader wave of Bitcoin treasury companies trying to raise capital without diluting their common equity or taking on conventional debt.
STRC has more than $10 billion in notional outstanding. SATA sits at roughly $500 million.
What happened in June and why it matters June 2026 was not kind to either security. Leverage unwinds and declining Bitcoin prices pushed both STRC and SATA lower during the month.
SATA made a structural move in mid-June that has become a talking point among investors following these securities. Strive shifted SATA to daily dividend payments, contrasting with STRC’s bi-monthly schedule.
Strategy holds a substantially larger Bitcoin reserve than Strive. The company has accumulated hundreds of thousands of Bitcoin over several years. Strive’s position is estimated at somewhere between 13,000 and 20,000 BTC.
What investors should think about before stepping in STRC trading at $85 against a $100 par target means buyers today are getting the dividend yield plus a potential 17% upside if the instrument ever trades back to par.
SATA trading near par at a 13% annualized rate on a near-par instrument is a cleaner yield calculation than STRC’s discounted setup, which has a return profile that depends heavily on where you think the price goes from here.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, has announced a significant shift in its financial strategy, unveiling a $1.25 billion Bitcoin monetization program. This move marks a transition from solely accumulating Bitcoin to actively managing its balance sheet, as the company also increased the dividend on its STRC perpetual preferred stock to 12%. This development comes as Strategy’s USD reserves stand at $2.55 billion, with substantial Bitcoin purchases overshadowing U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF inflows. The market is now assessing whether this strategy pivot indicates a halt in the company’s previously aggressive Bitcoin accumulation approach.
Advertisement
The impact of this announcement is reflected in the prediction markets. Current pricing suggests a high likelihood of Bitcoin maintaining a value above $54,000 on July 2, with some markets pricing in a near certainty. The strategic use of Bitcoin as a capital tool appears to be interpreted by market participants as a positive financial indicator, potentially bolstering confidence in Bitcoin’s price trajectory.
Key Takeaways Strategy’s $1.25 billion Bitcoin monetization program and increased STRC dividend suggests a strategic shift towards active balance sheet management. Market pricing indicates high confidence in Bitcoin maintaining a value above $54,000 by July 2, 2026. The company’s move is seen as a positive indication of financial health, likely influencing Bitcoin’s price in the short term. What to Watch Observers will closely monitor Strategy’s subsequent actions and whether its shift in strategy affects Bitcoin’s market dynamics. Key factors include further announcements from Strategy and broader market reactions to Bitcoin’s monetization. Additionally, developments related to Bitcoin ETF inflows and regulatory actions could either support or challenge the current pricing expectations.
Get prediction market intelligence as a structured API feed. Early access waitlist.
Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h July 2 99.8% — — View market → July 2 99.9% — — View market → July 2 0.7% — — View market → July 2 0.1% — — View market → July 2 99.9% — — View market → July 2 2026 76.5% — — View market → July 2 2026 97.8% — — View market → July 2 2026 13.7% — — View market → July 2 2026 99% — — View market → July 2 2026 0.2% — — View market → July 2 2026 0.2% — — View market →
The Bitcoin [BTC] halving is often misinterpreted as an instant price catalyst.
In reality, it works through a gradual supply reduction effect, supported by Bitcoin’s technical setup. Notably, major upside phases have occurred in the 12-18 months after a halving, rather than immediately. After the 2016 halving, for instance, Bitcoin saw its main expansion in 2017, gaining over 1,000%. Similarly, after the 2020 halving, the strongest upside played out through 2020-2021, with a full-cycle rally of roughly 60%.
By contrast, the second halves (H2) of 2018 and 2022 are widely viewed as late-cycle drawdowns. In 2018, Bitcoin fell 40%-45% in the second half of the year. In 2022, it fell 15%-20% before bottoming toward year-end. Taken together, it does appear that H2 weakness in those cycles reflects a “post-halving cooling phase.”
Source: TradingView (BTC/USD) Bitcoin cycle tested as 2026 moves into H2 phase The crypto market has officially stepped into the H2 phase of the 2026 cycle.
So far, the cycle structure is broadly tracking Bitcoin’s post-halving behavior seen in 2018 and 2022. Bitcoin is closing H1 down over 30%, which is similar in character to H1 2018 (down nearly 54%) and H1 2022 (down over 56%). In this context, 2026 looks consistent with a post-halving cooldown phase following the 2024 halving, which cut Bitcoin’s block subsidy from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block.
If the same playbook holds, Bitcoin could be on track to close H2 in the red. This is also supported by K33 Research Senior Analyst Vetle Lunde, who noted:
The 2022 Bitcoin drawdown lasted for 286 days. In the 2014 and 2018 bear markets, the bottoms occurred 12-13 months after the bear markets began, with a max drawdown of 84-85%. If history is to repeat, a bottom could be expected to form near year-end.
In this context, the roughly 30% H1 drawdown this year can still be viewed as part of a broader post-halving cooldown phase.
However, the 2025 cycle stands out as the first time Bitcoin closed H2 down over 18%. That’s historically unusual and raises a key question: Did 2025 break the post-halving pattern? If so, does it imply Bitcoin is diverging from the 2018 and 2022-style H2 drawdowns, potentially setting up a different trajectory for 2026?
Late-cycle dynamics shift toward liquidity stress To understand what to expect in H2 2026, it’s worth taking a step back.
Following Bitcoin’s major expansion phases in 2017 and 2021, the subsequent bear markets of 2018 and 2022 can be considered part of a broader post‑halving normalization. During these periods, the market digested prior gains, locked in profits from earlier rallies, and ultimately transitioned into large‑scale distribution and deleveraging.
However, the similarities between the second halves of 2018 and 2022 go beyond just that structural setup. Both periods shared a similar macro backdrop. In 2018, the Fed raised interest rates four times over the year, tightening liquidity conditions. Similarly, the 2022 bear market was largely driven by the collapse of Terra, alongside a tight liquidity backdrop, as highlighted in a post by Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro at Fidelity.
Source: X Against this backdrop, calling the 2018 and 2022 H2 bear markets a “cooldown phase” may be premature.
According to AMBCrypto, this is where Bitcoin’s path into H2 2026 can be better analyzed. And one factor that may sit at the center of this discussion is not just halving structure, but “liquidity.”
Cycle history meets new market structure in Bitcoin’s 2026 outlook The macro backdrop in 2026 has, so far, closely resembled the previous two post-halving bear markets.
From a macro perspective, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have kept the newly appointed Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh, cautious on rate cuts, with markets increasingly pricing in a higher-for-longer interest rate environment. The economic data supports this, with U.S. inflation rising to a two-year high of 4.2% in May, keeping liquidity conditions tight.
Against this backdrop, H2 appears set to be another challenging period for Bitcoin. However, this is where the current cycle starts to diverge. Unlike the previous two post-halving cycles, the current liquidity backdrop is stronger. While Bitcoin’s supply remains fixed, liquidity across the broader crypto market has expanded, a trend also highlighted in Fidelity’s latest report:
Crypto bull markets have often been fueled by new trends that bring fresh money into the market. The 2020–2021 cycle, for example, was driven by the rise of NFTs and memecoins. Today, new growth areas such as RWA tokenization, stablecoins, and AI-powered crypto applications are gaining momentum. If these sectors continue to grow, they could bring new capital into crypto.
Now, the focus shifts to the on-chain growth across these sectors. The key question is whether the liquidity flowing into these projects is large enough to support sustained capital inflows across the broader market. If it is, Bitcoin could begin to diverge from the post-halving patterns seen in 2018 and 2022.
If not, the current macro backdrop, combined with the post-halving cooldown phase, could keep pressure on BTC through H2. In that case, Bitcoin could finish the second half in the red, potentially pulling the broader crypto market to its first double-digit annual decline since the 2022 bear market.
The liquidity landscape is changing, but can Bitcoin benefit? The growth across these sectors is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Reflecting this shift, Stellar President Denelle Dixon said at the start of 2026:
On-chain finance is entering an era of exponential growth, and 2026 will be all about acceleration, not experimentation. Partners like PayPal and MoneyGram have already brought stablecoins into the mainstream, and we’ll continue to see deeper, trusted integration into the everyday financial system.
The on-chain data largely supports that view. In the RWA sector, tokenization has accelerated rapidly this year, with the total value of tokenized assets climbing to nearly $40 billion, a 90% year-to-date increase. However, the liquidity picture is more mixed. The stablecoin market (the crypto market’s primary liquidity source) has contracted by roughly $11 billion in market cap.
In essence, liquidity isn’t spreading evenly but remains concentrated in a few growth sectors. Despite not fully aligning with previous post-halving patterns, Bitcoin’s H2 2026 outlook therefore is still being shaped more by a volatile macro backdrop, which is keeping liquidity tight going into H2.
As a result, uneven capital flows across crypto are limiting a broad-based bullish Bitcoin cycle.
K Wave Media had a Bitcoin strategy. Then it didn’t. On May 6, 2026, the Nasdaq-listed K-Pop and entertainment company sold its entire Bitcoin holdings for $64.2 million, closing the book on a treasury experiment that lasted less than a year.
The company used proceeds from the sale to repay debt, completing a strategic reversal that left KWM holding zero Bitcoin and a very different roadmap than the one it pitched to investors in 2025.
From $1 billion Bitcoin bet to zero Less than a year ago, K Wave Media looked like it was building a serious crypto treasury operation. In 2025, the company secured $1 billion in capital capacity through two separate financing agreements: a $500 million SPA with Anson Funds and a $500 million SEPA with Bitcoin Strategic Reserve.
Advertisement
The terms were explicit. Eighty percent of net proceeds from certain instruments were designated specifically for Bitcoin purchases. The company followed through, acquiring 88 BTC in July 2025 as the foundation of that strategy.
Then the pivot happened. On May 4, 2026, KWM announced it would redirect up to $485 million of its remaining financing capacity toward artificial intelligence infrastructure initiatives. Two days later, the Bitcoin was gone.
The company also sold its main subsidiary, Play Co., a move designed to eliminate roughly $48 million in debt and liabilities, pending shareholder approval. In a matter of days, KWM went from crypto treasury company to AI infrastructure play.
The market reaction was not subtle Investors who bought into KWM for its Bitcoin exposure were not given much warning. Shares dropped 24% on the day the strategic pivot was announced.
KWM is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and trades on Nasdaq under the ticker KWM. The company’s core business has historically centered on K-Pop content and entertainment.
What this means for corporate Bitcoin holders KWM’s exit is a useful case study in the gap between a company announcing a Bitcoin strategy and actually committing to one. MicroStrategy, now rebranded as Strategy, has held Bitcoin through multiple severe drawdowns and built its entire corporate identity around the position.
The K Wave situation illustrates a specific risk that applies to smaller companies mimicking the treasury playbook: the financing structures used to accumulate Bitcoin often come with conditions, counterparties, and redemption mechanics that can make the position less permanent than it looks from the outside.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin is back above $61,000, but the road there was ugly. The recovery, which played out during Asian trading hours on June 6, followed one of the sharper single-day liquidation events of the year, a cascade that wiped out approximately $1.6 billion in leveraged positions across the crypto market in just 24 hours.
The proximate cause was a U.S. jobs report that nobody on Wall Street wanted to see. The economy added 172,000 jobs in June, against an expectation of 130,000. In English: the labor market was too strong, which means the Federal Reserve has less reason to cut interest rates anytime soon, which means risk assets everywhere took a hit.
When Wall Street sneezes, crypto catches a cold The Nasdaq 100 dropped approximately 5% on June 5, the day the jobs data dropped. Bitcoin followed the broader selloff, briefly touching $59,227 before buyers stepped back in.
Of the $1.6 billion wiped out, $534 million was tied specifically to Bitcoin long positions. Ether contributed another $423 million in liquidations. The overwhelming majority of those positions were longs, meaning traders who had bet on prices continuing higher got caught leaning the wrong way.
Advertisement
The correlation between crypto and AI-related equities was hard to ignore during the selloff. Both asset classes sold off in near lockstep on June 5.
Altcoins had it worse. Ether posted a weekly decline of around 21.6%, while Solana dropped approximately 23.7% over the same stretch.
The macro backdrop keeping Bitcoin pinned Bitcoin has been in a consolidation phase throughout this stretch, oscillating around and below $61,000 as a cluster of macro forces keep a ceiling on the rally. Federal Reserve officials have been careful not to signal any urgency on rate cuts, and the stronger jobs print only reinforces their patience.
ETF flows have added another layer of complexity. Recent outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs have chipped away at the buying support that helped drive earlier 2026 highs.
MicroStrategy’s activity has also been on traders’ radar. Reports of potential Bitcoin sales from the company, which became synonymous with aggressive corporate Bitcoin accumulation, have weighed on sentiment.
What this means for investors watching the $60K level The size of the liquidation event matters for what comes next. Forced selling clears out overleveraged positions, which can actually create a cleaner base for the next move higher. With $1.6 billion in positions flushed out in 24 hours, the froth is at least partially removed from the long side of the market.
For traders, the $60,000 level is now the line in the sand. Holding above it keeps the structure constructive. Losing it again risks another round of stop-loss triggered selling in a market that has already shown it has plenty of leveraged exposure left to unwind.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
While Ripple’s US dollar-pegged stablecoin RLUSD continues its rapid growth, some members of the XRP investor community have raised concerns that the rise of RLUSD could be eroding the role of XRP on the XRP Ledger. However, XRP-focused treasury services firm Evernorth says that on-chain data shows the opposite is true.
Transaction data points to ecosystem expansionEvernorth has analyzed all RLUSD transactions on the XRP Ledger and found no evidence that RLUSD is displacing XRP’s utility. Instead, the company reports that RLUSD has improved network liquidity, spurred trading activity, and boosted overall use of the ledger.
According to the data, RLUSD’s share of transaction volume on the XRP Ledger has climbed from less than 1% to nearly 12% in under 18 months. With this increase, the network now hosts a native US dollar market that was previously missing from its infrastructure.
Evernorth emphasizes that RLUSD is not diminishing the importance of XRP; rather, it is deepening network liquidity and broadening the utility of the XRP Ledger.
One notable metric is the RLUSD/XRP trading pair: in just six months, this pair has generated approximately $900 million in transaction volume. This trend demonstrates that users can seamlessly move between dollar-based assets and XRP entirely within the network, without needing to leave the ecosystem.
How RLUSD’s function on the network is evaluatedEvernorth draws a parallel between RLUSD’s function on the XRP Ledger and the role of the US dollar in global currency markets. Much like the dollar acts as a fundamental asset in financial transactions worldwide, RLUSD is quickly becoming the primary dollar benchmark on the XRP Ledger. However, XRP remains the network’s essential medium for settlement and payments.
All RLUSD transactions ultimately settle on the XRP Ledger, with network fees paid in XRP; as the use of RLUSD rises, so does demand for XRP in transactions.
This structure suggests that as RLUSD adoption grows, it could ultimately support greater XRP utility as well. Because transaction fees are paid in XRP and these fees are permanently burned, the expansion of network activity could gradually place downward pressure on the circulating supply of XRP.
Data now shows that the XRP Ledger has become the principal network for RLUSD. More than 50% of RLUSD’s total supply is currently held on the XRP Ledger—up from only 17% back in April.
Evernorth concludes that this evolution is a sign not of RLUSD undermining XRP, but of the XRP Ledger’s expansion into a more liquid and active platform. In this dynamic environment, XRP’s core role as the native asset for payments and settlement remains intact.
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.
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.
Following the standard monthly unlock of one billion tokens, Ripple locked away 70% of the available supply, releasing exactly 300 million XRP into market circulation as per Whale Alert. If this holds by the end of the day, the volume will confirm the 2026 norm — the precise amount of net liquidity Ripple steadily releases each market cycle after completing mandatory re-escrow procedures.
The core reason why exactly 300 million XRP was released lies in the pragmatic financial discipline of Ripple's market approach, dictated by current crypto market capacity.
Inside Ripple's 'North Star' approach to XRP managementIn July 2026, XRP's average daily trading volume on licensed platforms stabilized around $1.61 billion. Under such strict order book density, an uncontrolled release of larger batches would inevitably lead to monetary imbalance and serious price pressure.
HOT Stories
The company cannot direct volumes of its "North Star", as Ripple CEO Garlinghouse once called XRP, above this limit into trading orders without negative consequences for price stability.
In dollar terms, this July tranche is estimated at approximately $319 million, and from the perspective of global tokenomics, these allocated millions represent a negligible share of the company's massive reserves.
card
According to analytics platform XRP Scan, around 35.8% of the total token supply remains under Ripple's direct control in frozen escrow smart contracts, equivalent to 35.8 billion XRP. Thus, the entire net July unlock does not even reach 1% of the issuer's locked assets.
The final balance of the current unlock proved so well-calibrated that the token is showing confident growth in today's trading. The positive backdrop around the XRPL ecosystem allowed buyers to quickly absorb the new coins.
According to the latest technical chart, the asset firmly secured the key support level at $1.0390, where the volume's point of control is, and moved into a local rally, coming close to the psychological barrier of $1.06.
XRP continues to trade below a key technical threshold in its July 1, 2026 sessions, as traders and analysts set their sights on the $1.65 level. This price point, which aligns with the 50-period simple moving average (SMA) on the monthly chart, is seen as a crucial indicator for confirming a sustained breakout. As of press time, XRP stood at $1.04, having slipped 0.11% in the past 24 hours and 4.01% over the past week. Trading volume, meanwhile, rose 0.51% to $1.61 billion.
Key moving averages in technical analysisAnalyst Egrag Crypto notes that XRP started July under the 50-period SMA on the monthly chart. According to Egrag, the $1.65 level serves as a significant barrier in terms of the macro outlook. The analyst points out that in previous cycles, XRP’s price bottoms have often formed near the 88-period SMA, with broad upward moves typically following these levels being tested.
Egrag Crypto emphasizes that as long as XRP remains below $1.65, the asset is caught in a macro consolidation. A decisive break above this level would, in Egrag’s view, sharply change the overall picture.
The highest-probability scenario in the analyst’s forecast map is a retest of the 88-period SMA, assigned a 55% likelihood. The chance of rapidly reclaiming the 50-period SMA and preventing a deeper pullback is put at 30%. A third scenario, where XRP dips below the 88-period SMA and the macro recovery stretches over a longer period, is given a 15% chance.
Upside targets: $7.50 and $42Egrag Crypto suggests that if XRP breaks above $1.65, it could trigger a structural shift in the chart pattern. The analyst identifies $7.50 as the first major expansion target, with $42 cited as a potential longer-term, historically derived level. Until the price decisively clears the 50-period SMA, however, Egrag maintains a cautious stance.
The analyst highlights that previous cycles have seen strong expansion moves after lows formed around the 88-period average, and market participants are watching closely to see if this pattern will repeat.
Derivatives data signals limited market appetiteShort-term sentiment remains muted in derivative markets as well. According to CoinGlass data, XRP futures trading volume slipped 2.14% to $1.70 billion, while open interest declined 2.73% to $2.27 billion. The funding rate for open positions in XRP hovered at 0.0027%.
Mini glossary: Open interest refers to the total size of contracts in futures markets that have not yet been closed. The funding rate is a periodic payment designed to keep perpetual futures markets balanced between long and short positions.
Claims about Japan’s XRP holdings draw attentionAnother noteworthy point in the market comes from X platform analyst Xrp Herald, who claims that Japan’s total XRP holdings now exceed $60 billion. The post highlights Japan’s long-standing status as one of the strongest markets for XRP, attributing this to institutional relationships with SBI Holdings, robust retail interest, and increased blockchain-related activity.
Xrp Herald also underscores the sustained momentum for XRP in Japanese financial markets, naming SBI Holdings as one of the largest corporate holders of XRP globally. SBI Holdings is a major financial group based in Japan and is well-known for its ongoing initiatives connected to the Ripple ecosystem.
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.
XRP is trading at $1.05, up 2.02% in the past 24 hours, with a market capitalisation of $65.97 billion and 24-hour trading volume of $1.61 billion.
Where The Price Stands
On the weekly chart, the broader bear market structure for XRP remains technically intact. A full reversal has not yet been confirmed. However, the token is holding a key support zone between $0.90 and $1.00, and the most recent local low bounced from almost exactly $1.00, which is an encouraging sign for short-term stability.
On the upside, resistance sits around $1.13. That is the level XRP needs to clear convincingly before any recovery narrative can take hold.
The Bullish Divergence To Watch
On the daily chart, a bullish divergence is still technically in place, though it is getting close to invalidation. If XRP pulls back further and the Relative Strength Index breaks below its previous low from early June, the current divergence would be invalidated.
That said, the Relative Strength Index reached extremely oversold levels approximately a month ago, which makes it statistically likely that some form of bullish divergence confirms eventually, whether it is the current one or a new one that forms after another slight dip. The oversold conditions from that June low still provide a meaningful technical backdrop.
What To Expect In The Short Term
The base case for the next couple of weeks is relatively sideways price action with possibly a minor relief bounce. This is not a setup for significant bullish momentum or a trend reversal. It is a short-term pause in what has been an extended period of bearish pressure. Traders should not expect strength. The larger bear market structure is still in place and any bounce should be treated as relief rather than reversal until confirmed otherwise.
Story Ends Here
Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.
Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.
Sponsored and Advertisements:Sponsored content and affiliate links may appear on our site. Advertisements are marked clearly, and our editorial content remains entirely independent from our ad partners.
Ripple has completed its standard monthly token unlock, releasing 1 billion XRP, and has relocked 70% of that total. As a result, a net 300 million XRP has entered circulation. According to data from Whale Alert, unless further changes occur before the end of the day, this amount aligns with the company’s established net liquidity plan that it has followed throughout 2026.
Ripple’s balance in managing XRP supplyThe controlled release of 300 million XRP reflects Ripple’s cautious approach to market liquidity. By putting only a limited amount of net supply into circulation after mandatory re-locks, the company aims to reduce downward price pressure that could result from excessive token inflows.
As of July 2026, the average daily trading volume of XRP on regulated platforms stands at about $1.61 billion. In a market of this size, Ripple’s management believes that large, uncontrolled releases could disrupt order book stability and create additional volatility in XRP’s price.
Brad Garlinghouse, who has referred to XRP as Ripple’s “North Star,” has said that the company’s strategy is to keep unlocked token volumes within limits that won’t threaten price stability.
The most recent unlock in July translates to approximately $319 million in dollar terms. However, this figure represents only a small portion of Ripple’s total reserves and is considered a limited share in the context of the global token economy.
Locked reserves and market responseData from XRP Scan shows that about 35.8% of the total XRP supply—equating to 35.8 billion XRP—remains locked in escrow contracts controlled directly by Ripple. This means that July’s net increase of 300 million XRP is less than 1% of Ripple’s current locked assets.
Mini glossary: An escrow contract is an on-chain mechanism in which a set amount of tokens is locked under predetermined rules and later released. This method is used to limit sudden increases in supply and to make token release schedules more predictable for the market.
Following the latest unlock, XRP maintained a strong intraday performance. Positive sentiment in the XRPL ecosystem has facilitated quicker absorption of newly released tokens by market buyers.
Key price levels on the XRP chartFrom a technical standpoint, the $1.0390 level currently represents a significant support zone. After holding this area, XRP staged a local rally and moved closer to the psychological threshold of $1.06.
The shape of the market for the rest of the day will depend on whether current demand can keep pace with the net addition of 300 million XRP. For now, the relocking measure appears to be effectively limiting supply-side pressure.
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.
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) developer community is currently buzzing about the successful return of a highly anticipated network upgrade.
The "Batch" amendment, which was previously delayed due to security concerns, has been merged back into the core repository and is now queued for validator voting.
The announcement was made by XRPL core developer Denis Angell, who confirmed the integration following a rigorous period of testing and review.
HOT Stories
"Batch is BACK!!" Angell declared on X (formerly Twitter). "After an attack-athon, a security audit, and 4 reviews, the batch is officially merged back into the xrpld repo and will be up for voting in the next release."
Angell accompanied his announcement with a quote from Confucius: "A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake."
You Might Also Like
The pull request has been officially merged from Angell's branch into the development branch of the XRPLF/rippled repository.
What the amendment means for XRPLProminent XRPL community validator and commentator Vet praised the core development team in light of the most recent development. "Massive shoutout to Denis and the whole core dev community for prioritizing the rework with huge amounts of security audits," Vet posted.
An "atomic" transaction means that a series of operations is executed as a single unit. Either all the transactions within the bundle succeed together.
According to Vet, this atomic bundling capability unlocks crucial new functionalities for the network.
Users can bundle a "send" and a "receive" transaction together, ensuring that a token swap only executes if both parties fulfill their end of the trade simultaneously.
Developers can bundle complex interactions into a single transaction block.
Network validators will vote on its activation in an upcoming rippled release.
XORA, a custodial neobank built on the XRP Ledger, has launched a platform that lets XRP holders earn a daily yield on their XRP and spend it in the real world through the XORA card. The company, which went live in February 2026, is targeting a large and often overlooked audience: the millions of retail investors who hold XRP but have had few ways to use it.
That audience is a defining feature of XRP. Unlike Bitcoin, whose supply has moved increasingly into institutions and exchange-traded funds, XRP remains overwhelmingly retail-owned, with everyday investors holding the majority of circulating tokens. For years, those holders could do little with their XRP beyond buying it and waiting. XORA is built to change that.
With XORA, a user signs in with a passkey and deposits XRP from any wallet or exchange to a personal XRP Ledger address. Idle balances begin earning automatically, currently 15% paid in XRP plus an estimated 7% in native XORA tokens for tier-one balances. Withdrawals settle on the XRP Ledger in about three seconds, with no lock-up and no deposit or withdrawal fees. The XORA card, now rolling out, lets holders spend their XRP balance at everyday merchants, with conversion handled at the point of payment.
“The market keeps talking about institutional crypto, but XRP’s strength has always been its retail base,” said Joren Lundgren, founder and CEO of XORA. “Those holders did not want another place to trade. They wanted to earn on what they hold and spend it like money. That is what we built.”
The platform is designed around verifiable custody. XORA operates a segregated, custodial treasury on the XRP Ledger whose backing can be checked on-chain through any XRPL explorer. It runs daily reconciliations, automated circuit breakers, and a separately funded depositor-reserve buffer drawn from protocol revenue, with a public bug bounty. The company also discloses that the native XRP yield is currently a time-limited treasury subsidy that will step down as deposits grow, transitioning toward on-chain sources such as XRP Ledger automated market-maker liquidity provision and lending. XORA states that it is not a chartered bank and that balances are not government insured.
XORA is building toward a broader neobank over time. A native XORA token unlocks tiered benefits as holdings grow, including planned metal cards, travel perks, governance rights, and concierge banking, and additional card features are on the roadmap.
For XRP’s retail base, the proposition is utility rather than speculation: a way to put an existing holding to work and spend it, rather than leaving it idle in a wallet.
About XORA
XORA is a custodial neobank on the XRP Ledger where holders earn on idle XRP and spend it in the real world with the XORA card. Launched in February 2026 and based in Stockholm, Sweden, XORA is led by founder and CEO Joren Lundgren. More information available at https://xora.finance.
Disclaimer: Crypto investments carry risk. Yields are variable, and the native XRP yield is currently a disclosed, time-limited treasury subsidy. XORA is custodial and not a chartered bank, so balances are not FDIC or government insured. Card features are subject to availability.
Ripple (XRP) is trading around $1.04 at the time of writing on Wednesday, grinding toward the psychological $1.00 support. The remittance sector continues to struggle to make meaningful rebounds, reflecting persistent headwinds across the broader crypto market.
Moreover, investor sentiment remains cautious, as evidenced by ongoing outflows from digital asset products and a sluggish derivatives market.
XRP lags recovery as risk-averse sentiment persistsMarket sentiment across the crypto sector has deteriorated significantly in the past few weeks, with the Fear & Greed Index lingering in Extreme Fear territory at 15 as of Wednesday, down from 15 the previous day. This persistent risk aversion continues to suppress demand for risk assets and keeps price action tightly constrained.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: AlternativeXRP spot ETFs saw a reversal in investor flows, recording almost $3 million in outflows on Tuesday following substantial inflows of $16 million on Friday and $15 million on Monday.
Despite recent volatility, cumulative inflows remain stable at $1.48 billion, with average net assets under management at $944 million, according to SoSoValue data. This shows that while short-term sentiment is wavering, longer-term investor interest in XRP products has proven resilient amid ongoing market challenges.
XRP ETF flows | Source: CoinGlassRobust institutional participation remains critical to offset the ongoing weakness in retail trading activity. According to CoinGlass, perpetual futures Open Interest (OI) has cooled to $2.31 billion on Wednesday, down from $2.35 billion the day before and far below the $10.94 billion peak in July. Subdued OI underscores the prevailing risk-off stance among retail investors, while sustained recovery will likely hinge on a resurgence of retail engagement.
XRP Futures OI | Source: CoinGlassPrice analysis: XRP tests key support as headwinds lingerXRP trades at $1.04, maintaining a bearish near-term tone as price holds below the Bollinger middle band around $1.12 and all key Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), with the 50-day EMA near $1.19 and the 100-day and 200-day EMAs much higher at $1.30 and $1.52 respectively.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram remains fractionally negative on the daily chart while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers just above the oversold area near 32, suggesting lingering downside pressure but with the potential for only modest corrective bounces while these overhead levels cap the pair.
XRP/USDT daily chartInitial resistance aligns with the Bollinger middle band near $1.12, followed by the 50-day EMA around $1.19 and the Bollinger upper band close to $1.24, with the broader bearish structure reinforced by the more distant 100-day and 200-day EMAs at roughly $1.30 and $1.52. the downside, the next notable support emerges at the Bollinger lower band around $0.99, where a decisive break would reopen the decline, while any recovery attempts are likely to struggle as long as XRP trades below the clustered moving averages overhead.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Ripple FAQs Ripple is a payments company that specializes in cross-border remittance. The company does this by leveraging blockchain technology. RippleNet is a network used for payments transfer created by Ripple Labs Inc. and is open to financial institutions worldwide. The company also leverages the XRP token.
XRP is the native token of the decentralized blockchain XRPLedger. The token is used by Ripple Labs to facilitate transactions on the XRPLedger, helping financial institutions transfer value in a borderless manner. XRP therefore facilitates trustless and instant payments on the XRPLedger chain, helping financial firms save on the cost of transacting worldwide.
XRPLedger is based on a distributed ledger technology and the blockchain using XRP to power transactions. The ledger is different from other blockchains as it has a built-in inflammatory protocol that helps fight spam and distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks. The XRPL is maintained by a peer-to-peer network known as the global XRP Ledger community.
XRP uses the interledger standard. This is a blockchain protocol that aids payments across different networks. For instance, XRP’s blockchain can connect the ledgers of two or more banks. This effectively removes intermediaries and the need for centralization in the system. XRP acts as the native token of the XRPLedger blockchain engineered by Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto and David Schwartz.
Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP from escrow through three separate transactions valued at nearly $1.04 billion.
The unlock followed Ripple’s established monthly escrow schedule and increased the amount of XRP available in circulation.
The release included 500 million XRP worth $519.85 million, 300 million XRP valued at $311.91 million, and 200 million XRP worth $207.94 million.
However, the release alone did not indicate that the entire allocation would enter the market immediately. Instead, the transaction placed renewed attention on whether the additional supply would eventually influence exchange flows and price performance.
Spot flows resisted heavy selling pressure Exchange data showed that XRP did not experience aggressive Spot selling despite the billion-token unlock.
Spot netflows remained negative at approximately -$2.87 million, indicating that exchange outflows continued exceeding inflows during the latest session.
The pattern suggested traders had not rushed to transfer large amounts of XRP onto exchanges for immediate liquidation.
Instead, the relatively modest outflow reflected restrained sell-side activity even after Ripple increased circulating supply. However, the negative reading remained small enough to indicate cautious positioning rather than aggressive accumulation.
Source: CoinGlass XRP clings to support as bears stay active XRP continued defending the $1.03-$1.04 support region after several weeks of declining prices. The asset traded near $1.049 while remaining well below the major resistance levels around $1.26 and $1.50.
Buyers repeatedly protected the current support zone, preventing another decisive breakdown despite persistent selling pressure. However, the broader structure still favored caution because prices remained beneath previous breakdown levels.
The MACD also reflected that weakness. Its signal line stayed below the zero line, while the MACD line remained slightly beneath the signal line, indicating bearish conditions had persisted despite the recent stabilization.
However, the shrinking histogram suggested downside pressure had eased compared with earlier sessions.
XRP would likely need to reclaim the $1.26 resistance before a stronger recovery structure could develop.
Source: TradingView Where could liquidation pressure strike next? The Liquidation Heatmap revealed that the largest concentration of leveraged liquidity remained below XRP’s current trading price.
The brightest liquidity zone appeared around the $1.02-$1.03 range, directly beneath the market, highlighting an area where additional downside movement could trigger substantial liquidations.
Smaller liquidity pockets existed above the current price, although they lacked the intensity shown below support. The imbalance suggests leveraged positions had clustered beneath XRP rather than above nearby resistance.
If sellers force XRP below its current support, the price could accelerate toward those liquidity pools before stabilizing. However, continued defense of the present range would likely prevent those positions from being triggered.
Source: CoinGlass To conclude, Ripple’s latest 1 billion XRP escrow unlock increased the circulating supply, yet exchange flows remained relatively stable as spot netflows stayed negative. XRP also continued holding above a key support zone despite bearish MACD readings.
If the current support remains intact, the market could continue absorbing the additional supply. However, a break below $1.03 would likely expose the large liquidation cluster beneath price and increase downside pressure.
Final Summary Ripple increased XRP’s circulating supply, while spot exchange activity remained relatively unchanged. XRP continued defending key support as bearish technical signals kept recovery under pressure.
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) logged a third straight month of ETF inflows in June, pulling in $59.4 million even as the token trades near its lowest level in over a year.
XRP And HYPE Are The Only ETFs Taking In Money Right NowUnlike most tokens drawing ETF interest, Hyperliquid generated just over $80 million in fees over the past 30 days according to DefiLlama, placing it third among all protocols globally behind only Tether and Circle.
XRP Is Printing A Rare Reversal Signal At A Critical LevelXRP bounces 2% on Wednesday at one of the most important technical levels of the year.
The year-long descending trendline from July 2025’s $3.65 peak sits right at current price, the same line that rejected every rally attempt for 11 months.
XRP also prints its third RSI bull divergence signal at these lows. The prior two, in November 2025 and February 2026, each produced rallies of 40% to 80%.
A close above the trendline and the 20 EMA at $1.1050 targets $1.1932 then $1.3014. Losing $1.00 breaks the divergence setup and opens $0.90 then $0.80.
July Has Historically Been One of the Strongest Month for XRPHistorical data shows XRP has averaged a 9.53% gain in July across all years on record, with the median return sitting at 6.91%.
In 2024 XRP gained 31.2% in July, and in 2023 it surged 47.6%, making it one of the token’s most consistently strong calendar months heading into Q3.
FxPro Chief Market Analyst Alex Kuptsikevich noted Bitcoin has ended July higher in 10 of the past 15 years, with an average gain of 19% against an average decline of just 7.8%, adding broader seasonal tailwinds behind the current bounce attempt.
XRP Derivatives Show Longs Outnumber Shorts But Open Interest Is FadingXRP open interest sits at $2.31 billion, down 1.01% on the day, while the long/short ratio across accounts on Binance stands at 2.59 and OKX at 3.05, meaning longs outnumber shorts by a wide margin.
Top traders on Binance hold a long/short ratio of 2.93 by accounts, signaling conviction on the long side despite the price weakness.
Over the past 24 hours, $2.07 million in longs were liquidated against $1.21 million in shorts, a relatively balanced flush.
Moreover, options volume jumped 61.6% to $3.23 million, suggesting traders are actively hedging or positioning around the current trendline test rather than sitting on the sidelines.
Image: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
XRP, after defending its first major support zone, is now approaching a critical technical threshold. Trading at approximately $1.06, the crypto asset remains above the $0.98–$0.99 region. However, indicators suggest that the overall technical weakness has not yet been fully resolved.
Technical landscape: $1.16 stands out as a turning pointAccording to market research platform More Crypto Online, XRP’s broader structure remains tilted downward. The platform highlights that simply holding the support zone is not enough to confirm a sustained recovery; reclaiming stronger resistance levels is needed for such confirmation. Noted for its focus on wave-based technical analysis, More Crypto Online’s observations suggest the bear trend persists unless key levels are surpassed.
More Crypto Online emphasizes that the bearish structure in XRP can only be significantly weakened if the price decisively breaks above $1.16. Such a move could technically confirm a wider second wave of recovery.
According to Elliott Wave analysis, the main scenario still sees a risk of further pullback. The $0.98–$0.99 range is being watched as the first significant demand zone, and unless there is a clear move above $1.16, the downside structure remains in place.
Mini glossary: Elliott Wave analysis is a technical approach linking price patterns to investor psychology, interpreting market movements through wave structures. The method uses support and resistance levels to project likely next moves in price.
LevelSignificance$1.16First critical resistance that could weaken the bearish outlook$1.27–$1.42Supply zone where stronger selling pressure may emerge$0.98–$0.99Primary support and demand zone$0.74Next major level to watch if support breaksSeller resistance persists despite short-term reboundEven if XRP sees a short-term uptick, a stronger resistance zone lies between $1.27 and $1.42. This area is considered a key supply region, where sellers may reassert themselves. If the price fails to break through this band, any upward movement is expected to be interpreted as a brief relief rally rather than a lasting trend reversal.
While XRP has defended its support, current buying activity does not appear strong enough to completely negate the downtrend scenario.
Downside risks: eyes on the $0.74 levelIf the $0.98–$0.99 support zone is breached, renewed selling pressure could intensify. In this case, a pullback toward $0.74 could come into play, which More Crypto Online identifies as the next crucial support area.
As a result, market focus is converging around two key levels. A move above $1.16 could signal improvement in the technical outlook, while losing the current support would increase the probability of a deeper correction.
Moreover, XRP has historically shown robust performance in July, with past seasonal trends occasionally giving buyers an edge in the short term. Still, unless major resistance levels are broken, the overall technical picture remains cautious, urging patience among traders.
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.
Cybersecurity researchers at McAfee Advanced Threat Research have uncovered an extremely sophisticated cryptocurrency-stealing malware campaign dubbed "Silent Swap."
It relies on a malicious browser extension to intercept and modify user clipboards and then swap legitimate cryptocurrency wallet addresses with fake ones.
The bad actors are hunting for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), XRP, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, as well as other cryptocurrencies.
HOT Stories
Silent Swap is different from primitive "crypto clippers" due to its alarming level of sophistication.
You Might Also Like
The campaign relies on advanced browser manipulation, decentralized command-and-control (C2) infrastructure, and other cutting-edge techniques.
The "Google Notes" disguise The infection typically begins with the victim downloading unsigned .NET or Golang installers. They are often disguised as free or cracked versions of legitimate software.
The installer then deploys a malicious extension that masquerades as a benign "Google Notes" application.
By tampering with the browser's configuration files, Silent Swap forcibly sideloads itself into Chromium-based browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera
Normally, Chromium browsers store security verification data. Silent Swap bypasses this defense by recalculating and updating these security values after injecting its code.
The "Google Notes" extension, which gets installed by uninitiated victims, grants itself invasive permissions.
Server-side wallet mappingAs soon as the extension detects a copied address matching the regex patterns for BTC, ETH, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, or Dash, it does not use a hardcoded replacement. Instead, it queries the attacker's backend server.
The malicious actors behind Silent Swap also do not hardcode their command-and-control (C2) domains into the malware. Instead, they utilize a technique known as "EtherHiding."
Silent Swap has a globally distributed infection footprint, with a particularly high concentration of victims in India.
Manny Rutinel has secured the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District and will move on to the November election with the backing of a crypto-aligned political action committee. Preliminary results show Rutinel received 61.7% of the vote, while his opponent, Shannon Bird, garnered 33.6%.
Super PAC support stands out in primaryDuring the campaign, the group You Can Push Back Super PAC spent heavily in favor of Rutinel. The PAC, reported to be operating with a $3.5 million donation from Ripple Labs’ co-founder Chris Larsen, spent $1 million ahead of the primary to boost Rutinel’s campaign.
Rutinel has been rated as “strongly supportive of crypto” by Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-affiliated advocacy group. This assessment is based on his responses regarding stablecoins, market structure, and regulatory clarity. Stand With Crypto is known for tracking and promoting policies on digital assets across the United States.
Voters have witnessed serious allegations of corruption in the crypto space and seen high-ranking officials profit in such an environment. Meanwhile, ordinary people have faced losses and fraud risks.
Crypto funding fuels election debateCoinbase is also a major donor to Fairshake PAC, which supports both Democratic and Republican candidates perceived to be pro-crypto in Congressional races. Fairshake has become one of the most visible political networks influencing US elections through digital asset policy agendas.
The advocacy group Public Citizen reported on Tuesday that the crypto sector has contributed approximately $189 million so far in an effort to sway the outcome of the 2026 US elections. Most of these funds have reportedly been channeled through political action committees.
Some experts believe the industry is following a similar path to its 2024 strategy. They expect crypto advocates to keep funding candidates seen as more favorable to digital assets from their perspective.
Debate over Washington influence intensifiesMark Hays, associate director for crypto and fintech at Americans for Financial Reform, explained that voters are seeking equal treatment for crypto companies, preferring rules similar to those applied to other financial institutions rather than special privileges. Hays emphasized that shaping regulations through political donations creates unease among the electorate.
On Tuesday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated that President Donald Trump and his family are not engaged in, nor will they be involved in, any conflicts of interest.
Polling has revealed that the majority of Democratic, Republican, and independent voters are concerned about the influence of industry donations on crypto-related regulations. Americans for Financial Reform noted voters largely favor clear and reasonable rules for the sector.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Ethereum Institutional has arrived as a nonprofit liaison for institutional adoption.
Listen
0
0:00 0:00
Subscribe to Bankless or sign in
A new nonprofit called Ethereum Institutional debuted today, positioning itself as the Ethereum community's unified point of contact for banks, asset managers, and other TradFi players weighing onchain deployments.
Notably, the group has been funded by Ethereum treasury companies Bitmine and Sharplink alongside Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin.
1/ Announcing Ethereum Institutional
An independent non-profit dedicated to accelerating the institutional adoption of Ethereum, its L2s, applications and overall ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/XUeViH6rrq
— Ethereum Institutional (@ethereuminsti) July 1, 2026 What's the Scoop?The team: Ethereum Institutional grew out of work started inside the Ethereum Foundation's enterprise unit, and its leadership, like David Walsh and Matthew Dawson, all cut their teeth there before spinning their efforts into an independently funded organization.The mission: Rather than pitch a specific product, the new nonprofit positions itself as a neutral go-between that will field questions from institutions, translate their requirements into deployable strategies, and represent Ethereum broadly.The numbers: The team says it's already cultivated 100s of relationships with major institutions, and they hosted a forum earlier this year drawing senior digital-asset executives who are collectively responsible for many trillions of dollars' worth of assets.The timing: The launch lands roughly a week after EthLabs, another EF-spinout nonprofit focused on protocol R&D, arrived.The Case for a Second Ethereum R&D Lab on Bankless
Making ETH inevitable and scaling Ethereum to the world. Ethlabs’s co-founders sat down with Bankless to unpack the new org’s mission.
BanklessWilliam M. Peaster
0
Written by Bankless
784 Articles • View all
It’s time to break up with your bank, and join the movement for a better world.
Johann Kerbrat, senior vice president and general manager, Crypto and International Robinhood (CoinDesk)Summary
Robinhood launched the public mainnet for its Layer 2 blockchain, Robinhood Chain, bringing tokenized stock trading live in more than 120 countries and introducing Robinhood Earn, a decentralized lending product offering an estimated 7% yield on USDG.The launch comes as Robinhood expands beyond its brokerage roots into crypto, tokenized assets and AI-powered trading, underscoring how the line between traditional finance and blockchain-based finance continues to blur.Robinhood (HOOD) officially launched the public mainnet for Robinhood Chain, marking the company's biggest step yet into onchain financial infrastructure as it looks to expand beyond brokerage services and into decentralized finance.
Announced during a Wednesday event in London, Robinhood Chain is a layer-2 blockchain built on Arbitrum (ARB) and designed for tokenized real-world assets and decentralized finance applications. The launch comes about four months after Robinhood began testing the network on testnet.
With the launch of the public mainnet, Robinhood's tokenized stock products are now also fully live. Stock Tokens are available through Robinhood Wallet in more than 120 countries, although availability varies by jurisdiction. The company said the goal is to allow users to trade tokenized equities around the clock and use them across decentralized finance applications, including lending protocols and as trading collateral.
Robinhood also introduced Robinhood Earn, a decentralized lending product that allows users to lend USDG, the company's dollar-backed stablecoin, through a self-custody wallet. The product offers an estimated annual percentage yield of 7%.
Beyond the Robinhood Chain ecosystem, the company announced several additional product launches and international expansion efforts. Robinhood said it is expanding perpetual futures trading in Europe to include commodities, ETFs and foreign exchange markets alongside crypto. It also plans to launch crypto trading in the U.K. and said its services are now available in Canada following its acquisition of WonderFi.
The company also unveiled Agentic Accounts for crypto, an AI-powered trading tool that will allow eligible U.S. users to connect AI models to Robinhood's trading infrastructure while retaining control over capital allocation and trading parameters.
"Decentralized finance unlocks possibilities beyond what traditional finance can offer, but historically, it has required technical expertise to navigate," Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood's senior vice president of crypto.
Robinhood's product push shows how the lines between crypto and traditional finance are continuing to blur. The brokerage has steadily expanded beyond stocks and spot crypto trading into tokenized equities, derivatives and event contracts, better known as prediction markets. That strategy fits into the race for the "everything exchange" to host all kinds of trading and financial activity under one roof, increasingly on top of blockchain rails.
At the same time, the company also said last month it would lay off 10% of its workforce, some 290 employees, to streamline its organization and management structure.
12345678910
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.
A new independent non-profit called Ethereum Institutional launched on 01 July with a stated mission to accelerate the adoption of Ethereum, its Layer 2 networks and broader ecosystem by the world’s largest financial institutions.
The organisation is being established to serve as what its founders describe as a credible, neutral front door for institutions navigating the Ethereum ecosystem. Banks, asset managers, custodians and market infrastructure providers making long-term platform decisions today often lack a dedicated, unbiased counterpart who can walk them through the technical and commercial landscape without an agenda tied to any single product or protocol.
Why Now
Institutions are currently making foundational infrastructure choices around tokenisation, stablecoins and digital asset custody that will have enduring network effects. The decisions being made today will shape which blockchain platforms become embedded in global financial infrastructure for decades. Ethereum Institutional argues that Ethereum’s neutrality, often cited as one of its core strengths, can read as silence without active representation in those conversations.
Who Is Behind It
The founding team built the Ethereum Foundation’s enterprise engagement function from the ground up, working with hundreds of institutions across banking, asset management, custody and market infrastructure. Ethereum Institutional is designed to scale that work independently and with long-term funding rather than operating within the constraints of the Foundation itself.
The organisation launched with anchor funding from BitMNR, Sharplink and Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, alongside a broader coalition of individual and institutional contributors to be announced.
Five Areas Of Focus From Day One
Institutional engagementInstitutional intelligenceEthereum ecosystem and ETH marketingIndustry discovery and requirementsEvents and conveningsWhat It Is Not
Ethereum Institutional is not a lobbying group and is not affiliated with any single Ethereum project or commercial entity. The independence from the Ethereum Foundation is intentional, giving the organisation the flexibility to represent the full ecosystem rather than any particular subset of it.
Story Ends Here
Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.
Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.
Sponsored and Advertisements:Sponsored content and affiliate links may appear on our site. Advertisements are marked clearly, and our editorial content remains entirely independent from our ad partners.
In brief Ethereum Institutional, a new nonprofit, will help Wall Street firms adopt Ethereum-based infrastructure. The group follows last week's launch of Ethlabs, another Ethereum nonprofit backed by many of the same supporters. Both initiatives come as the Ethereum Foundation faces mounting criticism, leadership departures, and a major restructuring. A new nonprofit aimed at onboarding Wall Street to Ethereum launched Wednesday, marking the second major Ethereum-focused initiative backed in recent weeks by network co-founder Joe Lubin alongside top treasury firms BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink.
Ethereum Institutional will serve as an independent point of contact for banks, asset managers, and other financial institutions seeking to get more involved with tokenization, stablecoins, and other on-chain financial infrastructure, according to an organization mission statement.
The organization said it will build on institutional engagement efforts previously led by the Ethereum Foundation, but will operate independently with funding from BitMine and SharpLink, Wall Street’s largest publicly traded Ethereum treasury firms.
Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin will also anchor the group’s funding, along with dozens of other individual and institutional contributors. (Disclaimer: Lubin, through his company Consensys, and BitMine Chairman Tom Lee are investors in Dastan, Decrypt’s parent company).
Wednesday’s launch follows the debut last week of Ethlabs, a separate nonprofit research and development organization created by former Ethereum Foundation researchers and backed by many of the same supporters.
“Together, Ethlabs and Ethereum Institutional form complementary pillars of Ethereum’s next chapter,” entities involved in both endeavors said, “one advancing protocol-layer innovation and core infrastructure, the other ensuring institutions have a credible, dedicated counterpart to guide them from evaluation through deployment at scale.”
If these organizations see themselves as Ethereum’s future, the implication could be that the Ethereum Foundation is a remnant of the past. The longstanding nonprofit, which has quarterbacked the network’s technical development for years, has come under fire recently for failing to take proactive measures to bolster both ETH’s price and the network’s public image.
In the last few months, numerous Ethereum Foundation leaders have abandoned their posts. The organization then laid off 20% of its workforce last week and instituted a substantial reorganization.
Former linchpins of the Foundation have come out recently with proposals to “save Ethereum” by allocating significant funds towards the goal of increasing ETH’s long-sagging price. The moves were widely seen as digs at Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s idealistically minded co-founder and current steward.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
In brief Ethereum Institutional, a new nonprofit, will help Wall Street firms adopt Ethereum-based infrastructure. The group follows last week's launch of Ethlabs, another Ethereum nonprofit backed by many of the same supporters. Both initiatives come as the Ethereum Foundation faces mounting criticism, leadership departures, and a major restructuring. A new nonprofit aimed at onboarding Wall Street to Ethereum launched Wednesday, marking the second major Ethereum-focused initiative backed in recent weeks by network co-founder Joe Lubin alongside top treasury firms BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink.
Ethereum Institutional will serve as an independent point of contact for banks, asset managers, and other financial institutions seeking to get more involved with tokenization, stablecoins, and other on-chain financial infrastructure, according to an organization mission statement.
The organization said it will build on institutional engagement efforts previously led by the Ethereum Foundation, but will operate independently with funding from BitMine and SharpLink, Wall Street’s largest publicly traded Ethereum treasury firms.
Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin will also anchor the group’s funding, along with dozens of other individual and institutional contributors. (Disclaimer: Lubin, through his company Consensys, and BitMine Chairman Tom Lee are investors in Dastan, Decrypt’s parent company).
Wednesday’s launch follows the debut last week of Ethlabs, a separate nonprofit research and development organization created by former Ethereum Foundation researchers and backed by many of the same supporters.
“Together, Ethlabs and Ethereum Institutional form complementary pillars of Ethereum’s next chapter,” entities involved in both endeavors said, “one advancing protocol-layer innovation and core infrastructure, the other ensuring institutions have a credible, dedicated counterpart to guide them from evaluation through deployment at scale.”
If these organizations see themselves as Ethereum’s future, the implication could be that the Ethereum Foundation is a remnant of the past. The longstanding nonprofit, which has quarterbacked the network’s technical development for years, has come under fire recently for failing to take proactive measures to bolster both ETH’s price and the network’s public image.
In the last few months, numerous Ethereum Foundation leaders have abandoned their posts. The organization then laid off 20% of its workforce last week and instituted a substantial reorganization.
Former linchpins of the Foundation have come out recently with proposals to “save Ethereum” by allocating significant funds towards the goal of increasing ETH’s long-sagging price. The moves were widely seen as digs at Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s idealistically minded co-founder and current steward.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
The line between traditional finance and Ethereum just got a new, purpose-built entry point. Ethereum Institutional launched this week as an independent non-profit, positioning itself as what the organization calls the dedicated institutional front door for onchain finance. The announcement lands at a moment when tokenized real-world assets have crossed $20 billion onchain, major custodians are building settlement rails, and asset managers are no longer asking whether blockchain fits their stack—they’re working out how quickly they can move.
The details are sparse. The initial disclosure, the original report confirms the entity’s status as a non-profit, but stops short of naming board members, funding sources, or the precise programs it intends to run. That absence of detail is itself a signal: this is a structural play, not a product launch. By incorporating as a non-profit, Ethereum Institutional sidesteps the commercial baggage that comes with being a vendor or service provider. Its mandate, framed loosely as bringing institutional finance onchain at scale, suggests an orchestration role—convening technologists, regulators, asset managers, and protocol teams around standards, education, and shared infrastructure.
The launch comes against a backdrop of accelerating institutional activity across the Ethereum ecosystem. In May, Bullish closed a $4.2 billion acquisition of Equiniti, Ondo Finance and JPMorgan executed the first live tokenized Treasury settlement, and the total value of real-world assets onchain surged past $20 billion, according to a recent roundup. Those moves aren’t experiments; they’re production-grade capital flows. A non-profit gatekeeper could help accelerate that trend by giving allocators a single source of technical and regulatory guidance—something the Ethereum space has historically delivered through a scattered constellation of firms and consortia.
Why a Non-Profit Gateway, and Why Now Institutional entry into decentralized networks isn’t just a technology problem. It’s a coordination problem. The Ethereum landscape today includes multiple layer-2 networks, staking protocols, DeFi venues, and compliance layers, each with its own risk profile and operational nuance. A dedicated non-profit can act as a neutral switchboard without competing with the service providers it aims to onboard. This matters because many of the largest financial institutions remain wary of building on top of for-profit entities that could change terms, deprecate products, or face conflicts of interest. The non-profit structure aligns more naturally with the long-term, public-infrastructure mindset that regulated institutions require before committing balance-sheet capital.
There’s also regulatory timing at play. Just days ago, reports surfaced that major banks were attempting to derail a landmark U.S. crypto bill set for a Senate vote, as BlockchainReporter documented. The legislative fight shows how contested the onramps remain. In that environment, an entity like Ethereum Institutional could serve as an education and advocacy layer, helping policymakers understand the distinction between permissionless speculation and supervised onchain finance—and helping institutions navigate compliance without abandoning the core advantages of Ethereum’s settlement guarantees.
What This Means for Ethereum’s Infrastructure and Market Structure If Ethereum Institutional succeeds in becoming the front door, the downstream effects on Ethereum’s infrastructure could be significant. Institutional flows often demand specific capabilities: segregated custody, onchain identity, verifiable offchain data, and predictable fee environments. Those demands flow directly into layer-2 roadmaps, liquid staking protocols, and zero-knowledge proof deployments that prioritize compliance while preserving auditability. Over the coming quarters, projects that can plug into a unified institutional interface may see faster adoption, while those that can’t may find themselves locked out of the liquidity that regulated capital brings.
There’s already a pattern. Sui’s recent 18% price surge was driven in part by institutional staking from a Nasdaq-listed firm and a fintech integration with Paga, as reported earlier. That episode shows markets reward networks that reduce institutional friction. Ethereum Institutional’s launch, even without granular specifics, signals that the Ethereum ecosystem is deliberately building that friction reduction as a permanent public good.
Uncertainties That Will Shape the Rollout For all the structural logic, a great deal remains unknown. No timeline has been provided for programs, working groups, or deliverables. The organization hasn’t disclosed who is funding it, whether it has the backing of the Ethereum Foundation or any major protocol teams, or how it intends to avoid the fate of earlier enterprise blockchain consortiums that produced more white papers than live capital. The real test will be whether buy-side institutions—pension funds, insurance treasuries, corporate balance sheets—actually walk through the door.
Moreover, the launch does nothing to address the persistent fragmentation across Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem. An institutional gateway that isn’t tightly integrated with the major rollups and their compliance stacks risks becoming merely a directory. The market will be watching for partnerships that show genuine operational integration, not just a branding exercise. Still, the non-profit structure gives Ethereum Institutional a longer runway to get this right. In a market where hype cycles are measured in weeks, a deliberately slow, coordination-first entity may be exactly what institutional capital needs before it commits at scale.
AUTHOR
Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.
Ethereum Institutional, an independent nonprofit organization, has officially launched with the aim of accelerating large-scale institutional adoption of Ethereum, layer 2 networks, decentralized applications, and the broader ecosystem. The initiative comes as the crypto industry sees growing interest from major companies looking to integrate blockchain technology at the enterprise level.
Key focus areasThe foundation’s creation coincides with a period where more corporations are leveraging ETH for payment settlements, tokenization, and on-chain financial transactions. The maturation of layer 2 scaling solutions, combined with clearer regulatory frameworks in major global markets, made this an opportune time for Ethereum Institutional’s debut.
The organization’s main areas of activity include institutional relations, market intelligence, ecosystem and ETH promotion, sector requirements, and event coordination. Instead of focusing on protocol development, Ethereum Institutional aims to provide education, ensure standards compliance, and act as a bridge between traditional finance and Ethereum developers through advocacy and coordination.
The organization’s mandate is to emphasize education, standards alignment, and acting as a bridge between traditional finance and Ethereum’s development community, rather than engaging directly in protocol development.
Addressing gaps in enterprise adoptionAccording to the new initiative, the primary barriers to institutional participation are less about technical hurdles and more about operational processes, compliance requirements, and a lack of unified narrative. Ethereum Institutional intends to fill these gaps, serving as a coordination layer among businesses, developers, and infrastructure providers.
This approach could deliver a more defined institutional framework, especially benefiting exchanges, custodians, and asset managers. It is expected to help clarify enterprise needs for developers and create a central touchpoint for regulators seeking input from the industry.
Leading supportersMajor backers of the initiative include BitMine, SharpLink, and Joseph Lubin, one of Ethereum’s co-founders. Lubin, also known as the founder of Consensys, is a key figure in Ethereum’s ecosystem and brings significant expertise in protocol development and industry leadership.
Mini glossary: Tokenization refers to creating digital representations of real-world assets or financial instruments on a blockchain. Layer 2 refers to scaling solutions designed to reduce congestion and accelerate transactions on Ethereum at lower costs.
With support from BitMine, SharpLink, and Joseph Lubin, the initiative gains direct links to mining, treasury management, and protocol leadership within the Ethereum community.
Launch coincides with surging institutional interestThe announcement comes at a time when spot Ether ETF demand is climbing and stablecoin-based payment settlements are expanding across the sector. This context underlines the prospect of a strengthened institutional framework being built around Ethereum.
From a corporate perspective, clearer standards and consistent dialogue with the Ethereum community could streamline the path to broader adoption. For investors, the development signals a more visible and organized institutional ecosystem forming around $ETH.
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 analyst Aaron Dishner noted that Bitcoin recorded its lowest daily close since September 2024. According to Dishner, this move caused BTC to fall below its short-term support level, briefly forming a new local low around $57,800.
The analyst stated that the current outlook presents a contradictory picture to Bitcoin’s historically positive July performance. Dishner noted that July has historically been a green month for Bitcoin, with previous “bottom year” Julys of 2018 and 2022 seeing BTC recover an average of around 19 percent.
According to Dishner, this scenario could be consistent with a rebound in Bitcoin driven by overselling, continuing towards the weekly TBO Fast line. However, the analyst added that BTC is still strongly trending downwards on both the daily and weekly TBO indicators.
Dishner noted that Ethereum shows a similar picture to Bitcoin, stating that ETH maintains a strong bearish outlook on its daily and weekly TBO indicators. However, he added that the On-Balance Volume moving average lines for both Bitcoin and Ethereum have begun to flatten. According to the analyst, while this doesn’t confirm a new bull trend, it suggests that the current downtrend may be preparing to change character in the short term.
Excluding stablecoins, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization is still in a strong bearish zone according to the daily TBO Cloud. However, Dishner noted that the OBV moving average is starting to flatten in this area as well. According to the analyst, similar market structures in past July lows were able to recover towards the weekly TBO Fast line before falling again.
Dishner also stated that a potential July recovery could put pressure on stablecoin dominance. According to the analyst, combined stablecoin dominance was hovering near its accumulation zone target of 13%. However, if Bitcoin experiences a rebound, this rate could fall to the lower band of the daily Cloud, i.e., to 11% or lower.
However, Dishner added that the bigger risks haven’t disappeared. According to the analyst, a similar early warning reversal signal was seen before the June decline. Furthermore, August and September remain historically weak months for Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market. Therefore, Dishner stated that a potential rally in July should not be considered a confirmation that the long-term bottom has definitively formed, but rather a reaction rally stemming from oversold conditions.
On the altcoin side, according to the analyst, tactical opportunities are emerging in some assets. Dishner stated that Solana is working on a second TBO Close Short signal, which could be a bullish reversal signal in the short term. He noted that there is room for HYPE up to around $79,372, the 1,272 Fibonacci extension level, that a TBT bullish divergence structure is developing in BCH, that XMR could target the TBO resistance at $418.60 in an upward move, and that a second weekly TBT bullish divergence cluster is forming in KAS.
Dishner also noted that altcoins such as ICP, WLD, FET, SEI, WIF, and FARTCOIN are showing signs of rebound or reversal. Conversely, he said that some of the best-performing assets of late, like LAB, are starting to lose momentum.
*This is not investment advice.
Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!
A new nonprofit organization aimed at accelerating institutional adoption within the Ethereum ecosystem officially launched on Wednesday. The group, dubbed Ethereum Institutional, seeks to support banks, asset management firms, and other financial institutions in getting involved with tokenization, stablecoins, and on-chain financial infrastructure.
New entity targets institutional engagementAccording to its mission statement, Ethereum Institutional will serve as an independent point of contact for Wall Street actors engaging with Ethereum. The initiative builds on previous outreach conducted by the Ethereum Foundation, but is independently funded by BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink.
Both BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink have emerged as prominent publicly listed treasury holders in Ethereum. Joe Lubin, a co-founder of Ethereum and a key figure through his involvement with Consensys, remains influential in the broader ecosystem.
Representatives involved in both new ventures emphasized that Ethlabs and Ethereum Institutional form two complementary pillars for Ethereum’s next phase, with one focused on protocol layer innovation and infrastructure, and the other serving as a trusted counterpart for institutions from assessment to large-scale adoption.
The launch of Ethereum Institutional closely follows the recent unveiling of Ethlabs last week. Founded by former Ethereum Foundation researchers, Ethlabs is positioned as a separate not-for-profit organization focused on research and development. Both initiatives, largely backed by similar supporters, signal the emergence of a new wave of institutional frameworks within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Pressure mounts on the Ethereum FoundationThese new endeavors have surfaced at a time when the Ethereum Foundation faces mounting criticism. Long responsible for driving the network’s technical development, the Foundation has recently been accused of failing to take more active measures to support ETH’s price and strengthen public perception of the network.
As part of an organizational overhaul, the Foundation parted ways with 54 employees, equivalent to roughly 20% of its workforce. This downsizing was positioned as a component of a broader transformation following the publication of a 38-page Mandate document and updated treasury policy in March.
Glossary: Tokenization refers to representing real-world assets or financial instruments as digital tokens on a blockchain. A stablecoin is a digital asset that typically aims to be pegged to a stable value, such as the US dollar.
Over the past few months, several senior leaders and influential figures within the Foundation have stepped down. Subsequent staff reductions and major organizational changes have brought ongoing debates over Ethereum’s governance and priorities into sharper focus.
Debates intensify on price and governanceDiscussion concerning the Ethereum Foundation has extended beyond organizational structures. Some former leading contributors have proposed allocating substantial resources to address Ethereum’s prolonged lackluster price performance, which has been interpreted by some as an indirect critique of co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s more idealistic philosophy.
The Foundation stated that, following restructuring, it aims to proceed with a leaner and more focused organizational model.
The rapid launch of Ethlabs and Ethereum Institutional indicates that technical development and institutional outreach are now being separated into distinct entities. This development suggests ongoing debate about the role of the Foundation in Ethereum’s future, which is likely to continue in the months ahead.
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.
The Ethereum Foundation wants governments to stop thinking of Ethereum as “crypto stuff” and start seeing it as public infrastructure. On July 1, the foundation’s Global Policy Strategy team published a non-technical guide titled “Ethereum Basics for Governments and Institutions,” designed to walk policymakers, central bankers, and institutional leaders through how the network actually works.
What the guide actually says The primer’s core argument is straightforward: Ethereum is an ownerless, always-on piece of digital infrastructure that no single entity controls. Ethereum has experienced zero network outages since its launch in 2015. The guide contrasts this with other blockchains like Solana and TRON, which have seen between one and seven outages.
Citing an OpenZeppelin Technical Risk Assessment from March 2026, the primer notes that roughly $76 billion in ETH is currently staked on the network. The estimated cost to finalize fraudulent transactions sits at approximately $50.7 billion, plus penalties on top of that.
Advertisement
The guide highlights that Ethereum supports over five independent client implementations. The ecosystem also claims around 11,000 EVM developers actively building on it. As of March 2026, Ethereum holds approximately $159 billion in stablecoin value and roughly $15.2 billion in tokenized real-world assets.
Real-world deployments, not just whitepapers Bhutan and Buenos Aires both get mentions for decentralized identity initiatives built on Ethereum infrastructure. India appears in the context of land registry efforts. The European Investment Bank and UNICEF are both cited as entities that have used Ethereum-based tools.
The primer frames these examples under broader categories: digital identity, asset tokenization, and public records management.
Why the foundation is doing this now Two technical priorities underpin the foundation’s current roadmap: scaling solutions and post-quantum security. The first is about handling more transactions without sacrificing decentralization. The second is about future-proofing the network against quantum computing threats that could theoretically break current cryptographic standards.
What this means for investors The initial reaction to the primer’s release showed no immediate price impact on ETH. The stablecoin and tokenized asset figures are worth watching closely. At $159 billion and $15.2 billion respectively, Ethereum already dominates the categories that traditional finance is most actively exploring.
By explicitly comparing Ethereum’s uptime and decentralization to Solana and TRON, the foundation is drawing a line in the sand about which networks are suitable for sovereign-grade applications. Investors should watch for whether the primer’s framing — that Ethereum is credible public infrastructure — gets adopted in regulatory language or rejected in favor of more restrictive frameworks.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
"Could we go below $1,200? Maybe," one analyst stated.
The second-largest cryptocurrency has been severely damaged by the prolonged bear market, closing Q2 firmly in the red. Even more striking is that this marks the third consecutive quarter of losses for ETH – something unseen in the asset’s history and a clear signal of how persistent the current downturn has become.
Analysts speculate that bulls might have to endure more pain in the near future, with some projecting a price crash to as low as $1,000.
The Bears Take Total Control It was last August that ETH climbed to a new all-time high of almost $5,000. Since then, it has headed south and currently trades at around $1,560 (per CoinGecko), representing a whopping 70% decline from the historic peak.
Weak market conditions and seasonal factors suggest the asset may experience a further short-term plunge. One should keep in mind that July has rarely been a favorable month for Ethereum, as it has finished the period in the red six out of the last ten times.
ETH Monthly Returns, Source: CoinGlass The analyst who uses the X moniker Ted noted that ETH has been holding up better than BTC lately, but warned that the former isn’t out of the woods yet. He paid special attention to the $1,700 level, arguing that if the asset fails to reclaim it, the probability of setting a new low will rise significantly.
Crypto with Haris ₿ addressed the increasingly popular predictions that ETH could plunge to $1,000 during this cycle, adding that such an extreme downside scenario is far less plausible than many fear.
“Ethereum has already been one of the hardest-hit major coins this cycle and is now building a strong base around the $1,500-$1,600 zone. Even with another Bitcoin flush, I think the realistic downside is around $1,200-$1,300. Could we go below $1,200? Maybe. But I think the risk of trying to catch that exact level is much higher than people realize,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the recent whale behavior strengthens the bearish outlook. Ali Martinez revealed that large investors sold around $900 million in ETH over a single week, while the analytics platform Lookonchain reported that an anonymous market participant cashed out almost 2,500 coins, incurring a major $4.33 million loss.
You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $62K, Ethereum (ETH) Plunges 6% Daily: Market Watch 5 Reasons Why Bitcoin Just Crashed Below $63K as Liquidations Top $500M Bitmine Buys 52K ETH as Tom Lee Believes the Best Years for Crypto Are Still Ahead Some Bullish Signals Still, it is not all doom and gloom for Ethereum. The number of coins stored on crypto exchanges remains quite close to the ten-year low recorded in June: a development that reduces selling pressure.
ETH Exchange Reserve, Source: CryptoQuant Moreover, ETH’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) continues to hover around 30, indicating that the asset has entered oversold territory and could be due for a rebound. The technical analysis indicator ranges from 0 to 100; anything above 70 is considered a warning of an impending pullback.
