Mauricio Pochettino has officially become the most successful coach in US men’s national team World Cup history. Three wins from three group-stage and knockout matches at the 2026 tournament on home soil will do that.
But the real story for crypto markets isn’t just about goals scored. It’s about the growing queue of digital asset companies, including Kraken and Chiliz, eyeing the USMNT’s surging profile as a sponsorship vehicle.
The on-field record that’s attracting off-field money Pochettino, appointed on September 10, 2024, as Gregg Berhalter’s successor, wasted no time reshaping the team’s identity. His first official match was a 2-0 friendly win over Panama on October 12, 2024.
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The USMNT opened with a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, followed by a 2-0 win over Australia, and then a 2-0 shutout of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three wins, eight goals scored, one conceded. No previous US coach had strung together this kind of World Cup run. Bruce Arena, who guided the team to the 2002 quarterfinals, held the previous benchmark.
US Soccer’s investment in Pochettino reflects how seriously the federation is treating this cycle. His annual salary is estimated at $6 million, placing him among the highest-paid national team coaches globally. Part of that financial commitment was backed by major donors, including hedge fund manager Ken Griffin.
Where crypto enters the picture Exchanges like Kraken and fan engagement platform Chiliz are reportedly exploring partnership opportunities tied to the tournament’s momentum. Chiliz, which already operates the Socios.com platform powering fan tokens for clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, would be a natural fit for a tokenized fan experience around the USMNT.
Crypto.com paid $700 million to rename the Staples Center in Los Angeles. FTX slapped its name on the Miami Heat’s arena before its implosion. National team sponsorships during a home World Cup offer something club-level deals don’t: a unified national audience. The 2026 World Cup is being hosted across the US, Mexico, and Canada, with the bulk of matches on American soil.
No major token launches have been announced in direct conjunction with Pochettino’s appointment or the team’s World Cup campaign as of early July 2026. Chiliz’s existing technology could enable tokenized voting on things like man-of-the-match selections or exclusive digital collectibles tied to specific games, a model already proven at the club level in European football.
What this means for crypto investors The CHZ token, which powers the Socios ecosystem, tends to see volume spikes around major tournaments. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar drove a measurable uptick in fan token trading activity across the platform.
For Kraken, a potential USMNT partnership would represent a more traditional exchange marketing play. The company has been steadily building its regulatory footprint in the US while competitors navigate enforcement actions.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Prediction markets have moved from being a niche corner of crypto to one of its fastest-growing sectors in 2026.
What was once a small experiment in decentralized forecasting has evolved into a market attracting traders, analysts, AI developers, and everyday users looking to participate in events beyond traditional cryptocurrency trading.
This rapid growth has pushed platforms like Polymarket into the spotlight, but it has also opened the door for newer ecosystems that approach prediction markets differently. Among them is MemeToro ($MT), an AI-powered project that combines decentralized forecasting with automated token launches, SocialFi, and behavioral finance.
Prediction Markets Have Become a Major Crypto Narrative Prediction markets have experienced remarkable growth throughout the second half of 2026.
Industry tracking now places them among the fastest-growing sectors across crypto, outperforming many traditional decentralized finance applications in both user activity and fee generation. Instead of focusing purely on token trading, these platforms allow participants to forecast real-world outcomes and earn rewards based on accurate predictions.
The appeal extends far beyond cryptocurrency prices.
Political elections, sporting events, entertainment, economic indicators, and major global developments have all become active prediction categories. This wider scope has helped prediction markets attract users who may not normally participate in decentralized finance.
As more people look for interactive blockchain applications, prediction markets continue expanding their audience.
Polymarket Continues Leading the Sector Polymarket remains one of the biggest names in decentralized prediction markets.
The platform has recorded record levels of daily trading volume and open interest, driven largely by political forecasting and macroeconomic events. As global elections and financial uncertainty generate more public attention, user participation has continued increasing across multiple market categories.
Its success has helped validate prediction markets as a standalone blockchain sector rather than a temporary trend.
However, Polymarket remains primarily focused on forecasting itself.
Users participate in prediction contracts, but the broader ecosystem is intentionally specialized around that single purpose.
That creates space for newer platforms exploring how prediction markets can integrate with additional blockchain products.
MemeToro Takes a Broader Approach Prediction markets represent one important piece of MemeToro ($MT) ecosystem rather than the entire platform.
Users can forecast outcomes across cryptocurrency, sports, entertainment, politics, and global events using $MT and BNB, but those markets operate alongside several AI-powered products instead of functioning independently.
The platform’s AI Agent continuously analyzes social conversations, market narratives, online trends, and cultural movements before supporting automated no-code memecoin launches.
This creates a connection between AI automation and community participation that extends beyond forecasting alone.
Instead of encouraging users to visit for one activity, MemeToro is building an ecosystem where prediction markets naturally complement other blockchain tools.
AI Creates a Different User Experience Artificial intelligence plays a much larger role inside MemeToro than on traditional prediction platforms.
Rather than limiting AI to market analytics, the platform uses autonomous agents to support fair token launches while continuously monitoring changing online sentiment across multiple industries.
That information helps power ecosystem activity while keeping AI involved throughout the user experience.
Beyond prediction markets, the ecosystem also includes SocialFi participation, behavioral finance tools, and staking rewards of up to 35% APR.
Together, these features create multiple ways for users to engage with the platform instead of relying exclusively on prediction market volume.
For investors evaluating long-term blockchain ecosystems, that diversification may prove just as important as prediction market growth itself.
Early Access Before Public Trading Unlike established prediction market platforms, MemeToro is currently progressing through Stage 3, where $46,314.54 has already been raised toward the current $80,644.11 funding target. Each $MT token is available for $0.00171, with pricing scheduled to increase as future milestones are completed.
The project has a fixed supply of 1.2 billion tokens, with 71% allocated directly to public participants. Investors can access the presale using BNB, ETH, USDT, USDC, or a bank card through the official MemeToro portal.
For those interested in prediction market ecosystems before exchange listings, the current presale represents a different entry point from buying established platforms already trading publicly.
Prediction Markets Are Still in Their Early Growth Phase The rapid rise of prediction markets suggests the sector still has significant room to develop. Polymarket has demonstrated that decentralized forecasting can attract large trading volumes and global attention, helping establish the category as one of crypto’s fastest-growing markets.
MemeToro is launching on-chain prediction markets where being right pays out in $MT and USDC. From day trading movements and global macro shifts to sports scores and pop culture trends, you can bet on the outcomes that matter to you.
The system is entirely transparent, running on audited BNB Smart Chain smart contracts to guarantee fast payouts and low fees. With $MT acting as the ultimate fuel for every prediction, securing tokens during the presale offers an early gateway into this SocialFi ecosystem.
Join today before the price increases.
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Arm Holdings (ARM) stock is up 194% this year. However, it has stalled and slipped since mid-June, and big investors are quietly selling. The reason is simple. Arm is the chip stock most exposed to rising interest rates.
The next test comes on July 14, when new inflation data is due. A hot reading would push the Federal Reserve closer to a rate hike. And Arm has the most to lose.
ARM Holdings Stock Price Chart. Source: Google FinanceBig Money Started Leaving in Mid-JuneThe clearest warning comes from money flow. Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), a proxy for institutional buying, peaked at 0.37 around June 15 and has since fallen to 0.01. In plain terms, big buyers nearly vanished.
Arm Money Flow Rolls Over: TradingViewNote: Arm is based in the United Kingdom, but its shares trade in New York in US dollars, so Federal Reserve rate moves drive it like any American chip stock.
The timing is not random. Inflation hit 4.2% for the year on June 10, the hottest in three years. Days later, on June 17, the Federal Reserve held rates but signaled it may raise them. More so, institutional money began leaving in the run-up to the June 17 Fed meeting.
Since then, markets have gone back to pricing hikes. Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former chief economist at the IIF, says one number will set the tone.
Markets are bracing for a hawkish speech from Warsh today and we're back to pricing almost 40 bps in hikes for this year. He will repeat his mantra of "price stability," but that doesn't mean much. The only thing that really matters is the CPI on July 14.https://t.co/9h3RQKGgJH pic.twitter.com/asewL8Q3Vn
— Robin Brooks (@robin_j_brooks) July 1, 2026 Here is why that hits Arm (ARM) hardest. A hot inflation report makes the Fed more likely to raise interest rates. Higher rates make profits expected years from now worth less today. Arm is the priciest big chip stock, and most of its profits sit far in the future. Investors are paying mainly for growth from its AI chip designs in the coming years, not for the money it makes today.
That makes Arm the most rate-sensitive name in its sector. Its price tends to move in the opposite direction of interest rates, and by more than any other big chip stock.
Arm Rate Sensitivity vs the Sector: Charlie Quant LabSo it falls more than the average chip when rate fears rise. When a major bank warned of up to three more hikes on June 23, Arm dropped over 10% in a day.
Bank of America now expects three Fed rate hikes in 2026 with 25bps increases in September, October and December taking rates to 4.50%.
The bank also doesn't expect cuts until 2028 while Polymarket now gives a 61% chance of at least one Fed hike next year. pic.twitter.com/W4VyvboQtU
— Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) June 22, 2026 Options Traders Turned Defensive TooThe options market flashed the same signal. Arm’s put-call ratio compares bets on a fall against bets on a rise. On June 15, with Arm near $412, the volume ratio was 0.51, so traders still bought more calls than puts.
Yet the open interest ratio was already 1.22, meaning longer-standing bets leaned bearish.
Arm Put-Call Ratio on June 15: BarchartBy July 1, with Arm near $337, both had turned bearish. The volume ratio jumped to 1.75, and open interest sat at 1.17.
Arm Put-Call Ratio on July 1: BarchartIn short, traders went from hopeful to defensive as rate-hike talk grew louder. The ARM price chart tells the same story.
The ARM Stock Chart Confirms the WarningThe rally was already running on empty. From May 6 to June 30, Arm rose, but the buying volume behind each move kept shrinking.
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That weakness stalled Arm at about $362. The stock now trades near $337, just under the $340 level it needs to hold.
If it breaks lower, $303, then $298, come into view. Far deeper support sits near $198 if the selling speeds up. To turn things around, Arm must reclaim $362 with strong buying, which would pull money flow back up. The real line, though, is $399 (the $400 zone).
Arm Price Analysis: TradingViewAbove $400, ARM regains genuine strength. Below it, with a hot July 14 report threatening another rate scare, every bounce is likely to be sold. The $400 mark separates a fresh leg higher from more selling into every rally.
China’s quantitative hedge funds are having a moment. The country’s private fund industry hit a record 23.5 trillion yuan, roughly $3.5 trillion, by the end of April 2026, with quant managers grabbing an increasingly dominant share of that pile.
For three consecutive months starting in February 2026, new quant fund registrations have outnumbered their non-quant counterparts.
The numbers behind the boom The average return across the Chinese quant fund sector hit approximately 30.5% in 2025. Some shops did even better. High-Flyer, one of the country’s leading quant managers based in Zhejiang, posted average returns of roughly 56-57% in 2025.
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By April 2026, 71 securities-focused quant managers had crossed the 10 billion yuan AUM threshold, with 11 new entrants joining that club in April alone. The number stood at around 61 by March 2026, with the top cohort collectively managing more than 1.8 trillion yuan.
China’s A-share market delivered what industry observers describe as a “high volatility + structural bull market” environment, exactly the kind of setup where quantitative models tend to feast.
AI enters the chat Leading quant managers like High-Flyer, Minghong Investment, and Ubiquant have aggressively scaled their operations with AI-enhanced strategies.
The ghosts of quant quakes past Chinese quant funds experienced a significant boom in 2021, partly fueled by regulatory crackdowns on other sectors that redirected capital into systematic strategies. What followed was a painful stretch from 2022 through early 2024, marked by losses, regulatory scrutiny, and growing skepticism.
The most dramatic episode came in February 2024, when a so-called “quant quake” rattled the sector. State-driven purchasing that favored large-cap stocks effectively kneecapped many quant strategies that were positioned in smaller, more volatile names. Regulators subsequently tightened constraints on high-frequency trading and short-selling.
What this means for investors With 71 managers now running over 10 billion yuan each, and the number growing monthly, concerns about strategy crowding have emerged, with excess returns potentially dwindling as more capital competes for the same market inefficiencies.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The SEC of the Philippines has authorized BlockShoals to commence the regulatory sandbox testing of the project, utilizing Binance as its partner. This move will enable Filipino consumers to access chosen crypto products through the Strategic Sandbox program in a supervised way. BlockShoals Technologies Inc. has been authorized by the Philippine SEC to undertake product testing through the Strategic Sandbox program. This move was triggered by BlockShoals completing further regulatory requirements after being cleared under the StratBox program in November 2025.
The Binance co-founder He Yi announced the news through social media, confirming Binance’s entry into the Philippines through the program. This is one more step made in the direction of the examination of blockchain-based financial services under a supervised regulatory regime. Philippine regulators keep on enhancing their testing programs.
The Strategic Sandbox enables firms to test innovative financial products before pursuing a wider commercial launch of the product. Regulatory bodies monitor and evaluate compliance, control systems, and consumer protection initiatives for the firms during every testing process.
Binance Supports Testing Phase of BlockShoals As per the approved framework, BlockShoals would operate using a crypto-asset intermediary structure that links local individuals with a number of digital asset products. The individuals in the Philippines will access their services via the crypto asset service provider partner network of BlockShoals internationally within the existing regulatory framework.
BlockShoals would use ninety days for integration of its systems. Also, with local virtual asset service provider partners before launching any testing phase. Once it completes the integration process, it will move ahead with its testing plans. Customer onboarding is part of the rollout process, where Binance acts as the Crypto Asset Service Provider Partner of BlockShoals during the sandbox exercise period.
SEC Conducts Blockchain Testing As stated by the Philippine SEC, the Strategic Sandbox was established to foster innovation within the financial sector despite regulation before widespread application. The companies enrolled in the program should complete their testing tasks before seeking further approvals or expansion. This shows that regulators continue applying a controlled testing environment for the evaluation of financial instruments powered by blockchain technology.
This approval comes after the Philippine SEC has taken steps towards building a regulatory framework. It surrounds digital assets in the country. It is also worth noting that the process of testing BlockShoals would be monitored by regulators. Before considering other blockchain initiatives in the future.
Highlighted Crypto News:
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I specialize in Web3 and crypto writing, producing clear, research-driven content on blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and market trends.
dYdX Labs, the team behind a decentralized exchange (DEX) focused on perpetuals (perps), has unveiled a new platform, Arcus, on Robinhood Chain.
According to the announcement, Arcus will be separate from dYdX and its chain, but will charge zero fees while allowing traders a round-the-clock trading experience.
We built Arcus to reduce these barriers. Arcus gives traders 24/7 access to 95 tokenized stocks and perpetuals backed by Robinhood Chain’s deep liquidity.
Robinhood Crypto’s director of product management, Seong Seog Lee, also echoed the move as a way to democratize access to financial markets.
Robinhood has always believed that the financial system should work for everyone. Arcus is the natural extension of that mission into the onchain world.
The platform will begin with perps and stock trading and later on expand to pre-IPO offerings and allow tokenized stocks as collateral.
Worth pointing out that the update has been teased for the past five days. Traders have been front-running the announcement, pushing the DYDX token to nearly double.
dYdX dumps 45% after Arcus debut But the final update turned out to be a ‘sell-the-news’ event as earlier projected by AMBCrypto. As of writing, DYDX, the native token of dYdX, has sharply dropped by 45% and effectively erased the gains made ahead of the Arcus announcement.
Source: DYDX/USDT, TradingView Worth pointing out, the Arcus update has no link or direct impact on the native token. In a statement, the dYdX Foundation said,
DYDX is, and remains, the governance and staking token of dYdX Chain. Its mechanics, supply, and operational characteristics remain unchanged.
That said, the Arcus update saw the token surge to record positive Weighted Sentiment. However, the Supply on Exchanges spiked slightly while the amount of Tokens Outside of Exchanges remained flat (blue line).
Source: Santiment This meant that despite the update being positive, it didn’t lead to significant spot demand for the DYDX token, as underscored by the flat blue line. In other words, traders didn’t jump to accumulate the token after the update.
Thus, it was not a surprise, as the announcement had been front-run in the past few days. That said, the 200-day Moving Average (MA, blue line on price charts) and the trendline support could be potential price floors.
If so, the massive dump could be a buying opportunity only if the broader market sentiment also improves.
Final Summary The team behind dYdX has unveiled a similar DEX, Arcus, that will be based on the Robinhood Chain According to the project team, Arcus would help democratize access to stock markets, but DYDX traders turned bearish.
The biggest League of Legends tournament of the mid-year calendar is finally here. MSI 2026 opens its main bracket on July 3 in Daejeon, South Korea, with Hanwha Life Esports squaring off against Team Secret Whales in what promises to be one of the more intriguing first-round matchups of the double-elimination format.
The full event runs from June 28 through July 12, 2026, and the main bracket matches are best-of-five series.
The matchups that matter Hanwha Life Esports arrives at MSI as the top seed out of the LCK, the Korean league widely considered the most competitive in the world. They earned that seed by defeating T1 with a 3-1 series result on June 12.
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Their opponent, Team Secret Whales, comes in from a completely different trajectory. TSW qualified first for MSI 2026, which is worth noting on its own, and they did it by running through the LCP Split 2 without dropping a single series.
The other marquee opening match pairs G2 Esports against Top Esports. G2 brings its trademark aggressive, chaotic style from the LEC. Top Esports represents the LPL, China’s league, which has historically been the most decorated region at MSI.
Daejeon, South Korea serves as the host city, which gives HLE something resembling a home crowd advantage, at least in terms of cultural proximity.
Where crypto enters the picture Coinbase is a major sponsor of MSI 2026, and the exchange has integrated prediction markets for the event directly onto its platform.
In plain terms: you can now bet on League of Legends outcomes through one of the largest regulated crypto exchanges in the United States. Traders who follow esports can deploy capital on tournament outcomes. Esports fans who hold crypto can put conviction behind their predictions.
The Hanwha blockchain angle There is a second crypto thread running through this tournament, and it connects directly to one of the teams on the field. Hanwha Life Insurance, the parent company of Hanwha Life Esports, signed a memorandum of understanding with Liberty City Ventures in January 2026. The stated purpose was to explore digital finance and blockchain opportunities.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Illuvium reports 40,000 daily active users averaging 90 minutes of gameplay in its open beta, signaling a shift from speculative token farming to genuine player engagement. The Lamborghini partnership triggered a 35% rally in ILV prices, integrating the automaker into the Beyond game with limited collectibles and a $50,000 Motorverse Cup prize pool. Staking V3 migrated to the Base network with up to 3x reward boosts for users who lock tokens and hold legacy staking history from V1 and V2 contracts. Web3 gaming tokens surged 300% in early 2026, though ILV’s historical annualized volatility exceeds 100%, making it unsuitable for capital-preservation investment strategies overall. Illuvium shifted from inflationary staking rewards to a Revenue Distribution model in 2026, tying token holder returns directly to actual game revenue rather than emissions. Web3 gaming tokens surged 300% in early 2026, and Illuvium sits at the center of that recovery with 40,000 daily active users in its open beta, CoinMarketCap’s latest analysis noted. An unexpected Lamborghini partnership announcement drove a 35% rally in ILV.
But does gameplay engagement translate into sustainable token value? This article examines Illuvium’s investment case through five lenses: gameplay metrics, tokenomics, staking mechanics, competitive positioning, and risk factors.
Gameplay Metrics and the Lamborghini Partnership Illuvium’s open beta reports 40,000 daily active users averaging 90 minutes per session. The game spans several connected experiences: an open-world RPG for creature capture, a strategy battle arena, and a land management simulation.
All share the same NFT asset layer, meaning creatures captured in the RPG transfer into the strategy game; top players have earned between $100 and $300 per week.
The Lamborghini collaboration, announced in mid-2026, integrates Automobili Lamborghini into the Beyond game through limited Wave 5 collectibles, custom Battleboards, and The Motorverse Cup event with a $50,000 prize pool, NFT Playgrounds reported.
ILV surged 35% on the announcement, then pulled back. VanEck’s digital assets team published a detailed assessment asking whether Illuvium can become “crypto gaming’s AAA breakthrough,” in a report on their website.
Tokenomics: From Inflationary Rewards to Revenue Distribution Illuvium’s investment structure revolves around three asset categories: the ILV governance token, Land NFTs, and in-game collectible Illuvials. In 2026, the project shifted from inflationary staking rewards to a Revenue Distribution model, as explained in Bitget’s investment guide.
This structural change ties token holder returns to actual game revenue rather than emission schedules, reducing the sell pressure that plagued earlier GameFi token models.
Staking V3 migrated to the Base network, requiring users to bridge ILV tokens from Ethereum. Stakers can choose between an ILV vault and an ILV/ETH vault.
Lock periods boost rewards up to 3x, with additional multipliers for users who staked on V1 and V2 contracts, as the Illuvium Portal’s staking guide details. This legacy loyalty mechanism rewards long-term holders over recent buyers, creating a structural advantage for early participants.
Risk Factors and Competitive Pressures ILV’s annualized volatility has historically exceeded 100%, and its price is currently trading around $3.54, with an expected peak of $4.10, CoinMarketCap’s prediction model estimates. This level of volatility makes ILV unsuitable for capital preservation strategies.
The broader GameFi sector faces intense competition, with Gala Games, Axie Infinity, and new entrants all competing for a limited pool of Web3-native players.
ILV’s price depends heavily on game adoption metrics. If daily active users plateau or decline, demand for tokens from gameplay-driven transactions falls. The 2022-2024 GameFi collapse demonstrated how quickly player numbers can evaporate when token incentives dry up.
Illuvium’s shift to revenue distribution addresses this by removing dependence on emission-funded rewards, but the model’s sustainability depends on growing game revenue, which remains unproven at scale. FinanceFeeds’ coverage of the DeFi-powered mobile gaming sector provides additional context on how gaming token economics are evolving across the industry.
Illuvium’s 40,000 daily active users and 90-minute average session times compare favorably to most blockchain games but remain far below traditional gaming benchmarks. For context, mid-tier mobile games routinely sustain 500,000-plus daily players.
The Lamborghini partnership adds brand credibility but no recurring revenue stream. The real investment thesis hinges on whether the Revenue Distribution model can generate sufficient income to justify ILV’s current valuation without relying on token-emission subsidies.
Regulatory Implications Gaming NFTs and governance tokens face evolving regulatory scrutiny. The SEC has not issued definitive guidance on whether in-game NFTs constitute securities. MiCA’s treatment of utility tokens may provide a framework for European classification. Illuvium’s DAO governance structure could attract regulatory attention if ILV is reclassified as a security in any major jurisdiction.
Next Steps for Gamers Illuvium’s full launch remains the primary catalyst. The Motorverse Cup tournament will test whether competitive events can drive sustained engagement beyond the current beta user base.
Investors should track daily active user trends, Revenue Distribution payouts, and Staking V3 participation rates as leading indicators of token demand. Price projections are speculative and depend on adoption metrics that remain in their early stages.
FAQs What is Illuvium and how does its game work?
Illuvium is an AAA blockchain game on Immutable X combining an open-world RPG, strategy arena, and land simulation, where players capture, battle, and trade NFT creatures.
How many daily active users does Illuvium have?
Illuvium reports 40,000 daily active users in its open beta as of 2026, with players averaging 90 minutes of gameplay per session across its connected game experiences.
What is Illuvium’s Staking V3, and where does it operate?
Staking V3 runs on the Base network, offering ILV and ILV/ETH vaults with up to 3x reward boosts for locked stakes and legacy bonuses for V1 and V2 stakers.
What was the Illuvium Lamborghini partnership about?
Automobili Lamborghini partnered with Illuvium to integrate branded content into the Beyond game, including limited collectibles, custom Battleboards, and a $50,000 tournament prize pool.
Is ILV suitable for conservative investors seeking stable returns?
No, ILV’s annualized volatility has historically exceeded 100%, and its price depends on game adoption metrics, making it unsuitable for capital preservation or stable-return strategies.
How did Illuvium change its tokenomics in 2026?
Illuvium shifted from inflationary staking rewards to a Revenue Distribution model that ties token holder returns directly to actual game revenue rather than emission schedules.
What risks should investors consider before buying ILV tokens?
Key risks include extreme price volatility exceeding 100% annually, dependence on player adoption growth, intense competition in the GameFi sector, and evolving regulatory treatment of gaming NFTs.
References Can Illuvium Become Crypto Gaming’s AAA Breakthrough? – VanEck Illuvium Staking V3 Guide – Illuvium Portal Lamborghini Powers Into Illuvium NFTs – NFT Playgrounds Illuvium Investment Guide 2026 – Bitget Academy
Trust Wallet just handed its 220 million users a new security layer, integrating Intercepta’s real-time threat detection technology to flag risky transactions before they get signed.
The partnership is notable not just for its scale but for its timing. Trust Wallet suffered a browser extension breach in December 2025 that resulted in roughly $7 million in losses. Adding Intercepta’s screening is a direct response to the kind of threat that already cost its users real money.
What Intercepta actually does Intercepta, which rebranded from its previous identity as Web3 Antivirus, operates as infrastructure-level security rather than a consumer-facing product. It plugs into wallets and platforms behind the scenes, running risk analysis on transactions before users ever hit “confirm.”
The company offers six core modules: threat detection, signing simulation, risk and compliance screening, automation rules, and continuous monitoring. It watches what’s happening onchain in real time, simulates what a transaction will actually do, checks it against known threats, and flags anything suspicious, all in under one second of processing time.
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Intercepta claims a false positive rate below 0.001%. False positives in security systems are the reason people disable their antivirus software. A near-zero false positive rate means the warnings carry weight when they actually appear.
The platform monitors more than 100,000 threats daily across its supported blockchains.
A security infrastructure play across major wallets Trust Wallet isn’t Intercepta’s first major integration. The company already provides security infrastructure for MetaMask, which has over 100 million users, and 1inch, the DEX aggregator that has facilitated more than $788 billion in swap volume. Adding Trust Wallet’s 220 million users to that footprint makes Intercepta one of the most widely deployed security layers in the self-custody wallet ecosystem.
The company was founded around 2022 by Alexei Dulub, and its trajectory from a niche Web3 security tool to a platform embedded in the three largest wallet and trading interfaces in crypto has been remarkably quiet.
Trust Wallet’s December 2025 incident is a case study in why proactive screening matters. That $7 million loss came through a browser extension vulnerability, exactly the kind of attack vector that transaction simulation and threat detection are designed to catch before funds move.
What this means for investors and the broader market The self-custody wallet sector is entering an era where security is table stakes, not a differentiator. When the three largest wallet platforms—MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and the interfaces connected through 1inch—all run the same underlying threat detection infrastructure, the baseline expectation for transaction safety rises across the entire industry.
The risk to watch is concentration. If a single security provider underpins transaction screening for 300 million-plus wallet users across multiple platforms, a vulnerability in that provider’s system becomes a systemic risk for the entire ecosystem.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
HomePodcasts & VideosVideosRocket Pool's Saturn 1 upgrade reshapes the math for RPL and rETH holders. Darren Langley, GM of Rocket Pool, sits down with Camila Russo to explain how the protocol expands its scaling capacity, stabilizes rETH's peg, and turns RPL staking into a real ETH-yield strategy.
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Rocket Pool just made it a lot cheaper to run an Ethereum validator. The protocol’s Saturn 1 upgrade, which launched on Ethereum mainnet on February 18, 2026, cuts the minimum validator bond from 8 ETH to 4 ETH, effectively halving the barrier to entry for node operators who want to participate in decentralized staking.
What Saturn 1 actually changes Under the new structure, 8 ETH of bonded capital can now support up to 56 ETH in liquid deposits. Every dollar a node operator puts up can attract roughly seven dollars from passive stakers.
The upgrade also introduces megapools, a feature that lets operators manage multiple validators under a single smart contract. Instead of deploying separate contracts for each validator (and paying gas fees every time), operators can consolidate.
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Then there’s the RPL fee switch. Saturn 1 activates a protocol-wide mechanism that routes roughly 9% of protocol revenue to staked RPL holders, paid out in ETH rather than through token inflation. Instead of printing more RPL tokens as rewards, the protocol now shares actual revenue.
How Rocket Pool got here The Atlas upgrade in 2023 was the one that first brought the bond requirement down to 8 ETH, creating what the protocol called “minipools.” Houston followed, focusing on governance improvements and operational refinements, laying the groundwork for the revenue-sharing mechanisms that Saturn 1 now implements.
The Saturn series was always envisioned as a multi-phase rollout. Saturn 1 handles the bond reduction, megapools, and fee switch. Rocket Pool occupies an unusual position in the liquid staking landscape: while Lido dominates market share with a more centralized operator model, Rocket Pool has leaned into permissionless node operation as its differentiator, where anyone can run a node with no application required.
What this means for investors and stakers By doubling validator capacity per bonded ETH, Rocket Pool is making a direct play for more total value locked. For rETH holders, that translates to better liquidity and tighter spreads when entering or exiting positions.
The shift from inflationary rewards to ETH-denominated revenue sharing fundamentally changes the value proposition of holding and staking RPL. Under the old model, staked RPL holders received more RPL. Under Saturn 1, they receive ETH. Pre-launch enthusiasm already drove upward price momentum for RPL.
There’s also the question of whether 4 ETH bonds attract operators who are genuinely committed to running reliable infrastructure, or whether the lower barrier brings in participants who are less prepared for the operational demands of validating. Slashing risk doesn’t disappear just because the entry price dropped.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Key HighlightsTech Giant Establishes Frontier Division for Corporate AI SolutionsStrategy Focuses on Multi-Model AI ImplementationShares Rise Amid Intensifying AI Consulting CompetitionGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Microsoft shares increased 1.86% following the announcement of its Frontier AI business division worth $2.5B.
The division will assist corporate customers in selecting and implementing AI technologies.
6,000 Microsoft employees will be stationed at client locations through this initiative.
The strategy emphasizes adaptable AI frameworks and integration with proprietary client data.
This initiative intensifies Microsoft’s competition in the corporate AI consulting market.
Microsoft (MSFT) shares advanced 1.86% to reach $391.42 as the technology company announced plans to expand its corporate AI offerings. After opening lower, the stock reversed course and maintained gains close to its session peak. The upward movement came after Microsoft revealed its intention to establish a $2.5 billion AI-focused business division.
Microsoft Corporation, MSFT
Tech Giant Establishes Frontier Division for Corporate AI Solutions Microsoft announced the creation of Microsoft Frontier Company, a new operational division designed to assist enterprises in navigating AI technology selection and implementation. The division will serve prominent clients such as Unilever and Novo Nordisk, concentrating on AI frameworks that deliver measurable returns and practical business applications.
The Redmond-based company is allocating $2.5 billion to this initiative as corporate appetite for AI solutions continues expanding. The plan involves deploying 6,000 personnel directly at client sites through a forward deployed engineering model. These deployment teams will comprise technical advisors, customer support professionals, account managers, and vertical market experts.
Rodrigo Kede Lima, previously overseeing Microsoft’s operations across Asia, has been appointed as president of the division. The organization will merge Microsoft’s current AI consulting teams with on-site engineering resources. This shift represents Microsoft’s evolution from merely selling software to actively assisting clients in constructing operational AI infrastructures.
Strategy Focuses on Multi-Model AI Implementation Enterprise organizations increasingly deploy multiple AI frameworks rather than relying exclusively on a single vendor. Numerous corporations now blend Microsoft platforms, third-party models, and open-source solutions tailored to distinct operational requirements. Consequently, AI implementation has become more expensive and complex to administer.
The Microsoft Frontier Company will guide customers through selecting, integrating, and transitioning between various AI frameworks. Additionally, the division will facilitate connections between these frameworks and each organization’s confidential internal information. Importantly, clients will retain ownership of all outputs and associated intellectual property within their own infrastructure.
Microsoft developed this methodology based on lessons learned from Copilot and other enterprise AI offerings. Initially, the company depended substantially on OpenAI’s technology when developing its AI assistant. However, emerging frameworks from Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, and competing providers have driven demand for platform-agnostic solutions.
Shares Rise Amid Intensifying AI Consulting Competition Microsoft’s equity value increased following the disclosure, though shares have struggled year-to-date. The corporation has allocated substantial capital toward data center expansion and generative AI capabilities. Despite these investments, certain AI products have experienced modest uptake among business customers.
This new division positions Microsoft in direct competition with Amazon, Palantir, OpenAI, Anthropic, Accenture, and EY. Amazon recently announced a comparable $1 billion field engineering program targeting AI customers. Palantir has established expertise deploying engineering personnel to serve government agencies and corporate accounts.
Microsoft currently generates income from enterprise consulting and channel partner programs throughout its software portfolio. The company disclosed approximately $2.1 billion in enterprise and partner services revenue during the March quarter. As such, the Frontier division represents an expansion of proven business practices into the broader AI services marketplace.
Oliver Dale
Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]
The Arbitrum Foundation just put a $43.5 million price tag on keeping the lights on through 2027. The formal governance proposal, submitted on May 22, requests $16 million in real-world assets and stablecoins, 1,740 ETH, and 230 million ARB tokens to fund everything from core infrastructure to ecosystem development.
Here’s the thing: the Arbitrum DAO only generated $23.49 million in gross profit during 2025. Asking for roughly 1.85 times your annual revenue to cover next year’s expenses is, to put it mildly, a conversation starter.
The numbers that matter The Foundation projects $27.6 million in operating expenses for 2027, plus an additional 244.9 million ARB tokens earmarked for various costs. More than half of the budget, about 54%, goes toward technical infrastructure, security, and hosting for the Arbitrum One and Nova networks.
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The 2025 revenue of $23.49 million came from transaction fees, a mechanism called Timeboost, and expansion programs. One DeFi analyst flagged that the Foundation would effectively be operating at approximately 2.3 times its 2025 revenue level if the proposal passes.
An on-chain vote is scheduled to begin on June 8, giving ARB token holders the final say. This funding request goes beyond the initial AIP 1.1 allocation, meaning the Foundation is coming back to the well for more than originally planned.
Why Offchain Labs looms large Buried in the proposal is a detail that adds urgency to the timeline. Offchain Labs, the primary developer behind Arbitrum’s core technology, has its current funding arrangement through the Foundation set to expire in January 2027. Without a new deal, the team building the actual protocol could theoretically need to seek DAO funding directly.
The Foundation positions itself as a cost center designed to let the DAO maximize revenue, handling operational work so the broader ecosystem can focus on generating value.
Growth metrics vs. financial reality Daily transactions on Arbitrum have increased over 270% since early 2023, and the network’s stablecoin supply has tripled over the same period.
The 230 million ARB tokens requested represent meaningful dilution pressure. When a DAO allocates hundreds of millions of its native token for operational expenses, those tokens eventually hit the market in some form, whether through direct spending, grant distributions, or contractor payments.
The 2.3x revenue-to-expense ratio is the number to watch. If Arbitrum’s transaction fee revenue scales meaningfully through 2027, possibly driven by that 270% transaction growth trend, the spending could look prescient. If revenue flatlines or L2 fee compression continues across the industry, this proposal could become exhibit A in a case study about DAO fiscal discipline.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The third quarter of 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest periods for crypto presales in recent years. Instead of chasing short-lived hype, investors are increasingly comparing projects based on utility, development progress, and the problems they aim to solve after launch.
AI, Layer-2 scaling, payments, and blockchain infrastructure have become the dominant themes as capital continues rotating into early-stage opportunities.
Among the projects attracting the most attention are MemeToro ($MT), Bitcoin Hyper, Little Pepe, Remittix, and Maxi Doge. Although all five remain in their presale phases, each targets a completely different segment of the crypto market.
1. MemeToro ($MT) MemeToro earns the top position because its ecosystem extends well beyond a traditional memecoin launch.
The platform combines artificial intelligence with several blockchain products, including automated memecoin creation, decentralized prediction markets, SocialFi participation, behavioral finance, and staking. Rather than relying on a single feature, the ecosystem is designed around continuous user engagement.
Its AI Agent remains the project’s biggest differentiator.
Instead of requiring manual developer launches, the system continuously analyzes online discussions, market narratives, cultural trends, and community activity before autonomously supporting fair no-code token launches.
That automation is paired with decentralized prediction markets covering cryptocurrencies, politics, sports, entertainment, and global events, allowing users to participate using both $MT and BNB.
For investors looking beyond launch-day speculation, the combination of AI utility and multiple ecosystem products has helped keep MemeToro near the top of many Q3 watchlists.
2. Bitcoin Hyper Bitcoin Hyper approaches the market from an infrastructure perspective.
The Layer-2 project has already raised more than $32.9 million, making it one of the largest crypto presales currently underway. Its token is priced at $0.01368, while development focuses on improving Bitcoin scalability without abandoning the network’s security model.
Rather than competing with AI-focused ecosystems, Bitcoin Hyper appeals to investors who believe Bitcoin’s long-term growth depends on faster and more efficient Layer-2 infrastructure.
Its strong fundraising reflects continued demand for Bitcoin-focused blockchain expansion.
3. Little Pepe Little Pepe combines meme culture with Ethereum Layer-2 technology.
The project has attracted more than $28.29 million during its presale, with tokens currently priced at $0.0022 as fundraising enters its final stages.
Instead of focusing exclusively on branding, the project aims to provide a dedicated Layer-2 environment for meme-related blockchain activity.
That combination of infrastructure and community engagement has helped Little Pepe remain one of the strongest-performing meme-focused presales this year.
4. Remittix Remittix targets an entirely different market.
Rather than AI or Layer-2 development, the project focuses on cross-border payments, allowing users to move between fiat currencies and cryptocurrency through a decentralized framework.
The presale has already entered its distribution phase, with early participants now able to register for the upcoming RTX token airdrop. Investors are also watching closely as the project prepares to announce its official launch price within the coming days.
For investors interested in payment infrastructure instead of AI applications, Remittix offers a very different investment thesis.
5. Maxi Doge Maxi Doge rounds out the list with a community-driven approach.
The project has raised more than $4.8 million, combining meme branding with staking incentives that currently advertise rewards of up to 65% APY through its smart contract system.
Rather than emphasizing infrastructure or artificial intelligence, Maxi Doge focuses on community participation and passive reward mechanisms.
Its simpler strategy has continued attracting investors looking for high-yield opportunities within the meme sector.
Why MemeToro Still Offers an Earlier Entry Unlike several projects on this list that are approaching their final fundraising milestones, MemeToro remains earlier in its development cycle.
The project is currently progressing through Stage 3, where $44,914.54 has already been raised toward its $80,644.11 target. The current presale price is $0.00154 per $MT, with pricing scheduled to increase as future milestones are completed.
The token has a fixed supply of 1.2 billion, with 71% allocated directly to public participants. Investors can join the presale through the official MemeToro portal using BNB, ETH, USDT, USDC, or a bank card.
More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:
Website: https://memetoro.com/
X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt
Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt
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WSJ: Ronin Ventures Corp. Announces Conditional Acceptance By The Tsx-V Of Previously Announced Qualifying Transaction With 1301756 B.C. Ltd. (Dba) Ocal Financial And Transaction Update
Key Takeaways Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest acquired 287,609 Circle shares valued at approximately $17.8M on Wednesday CRCL has plummeted more than 38% over the last 30 days, including a 15% decline across two consecutive sessions Circle’s removal from three Russell growth indexes on June 26 sparked the selloff New competitor Open USD entered the market this week with support from BlackRock, Mastercard, Visa and over 140 other firms Bernstein continues to project a $190 price target for CRCL shares Circle Internet Group (CRCL) is experiencing turbulent market conditions. The cryptocurrency stablecoin company’s shares settled at $61.95 on Wednesday, representing a decline exceeding 38% over the previous month. Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest viewed this weakness as a strategic entry point.
Circle Internet Group, CRCL
Wood’s investment firm accumulated 287,609 shares of CRCL on Wednesday, distributed across three exchange-traded funds, totaling approximately $17.82 million based on closing prices.
The ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) accounted for the majority of the purchase with 210,343 shares. Meanwhile, the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) contributed 53,846 shares to the transaction, while the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) acquired 23,420 shares.
This acquisition followed consecutive difficult trading days for CRCL investors. Shares tumbled 14.15% during Tuesday’s session before declining an additional 1.09% on Wednesday to settle at $61.95. The combined two-day loss totaled 15%.
Catalysts Behind the Selloff The downward pressure began when Circle was eliminated from three Russell growth indexes on June 26 as part of the annual Russell reconstitution process. This forced index funds and passive investment vehicles to liquidate their positions.
Specifically, Circle was dropped from the Russell 1000 Growth Index, Russell 3000 Growth Index, and Russell Midcap Growth Index. The mandatory selling from passive investment strategies typically creates significant downward pressure on stock prices.
Additional competition emerged simultaneously. Open USD (OUSD), a newly launched rival stablecoin, debuted this week with endorsements from more than 140 organizations, including major players like BlackRock, Coinbase, Ripple, Mastercard, and Visa. This development creates immediate competitive challenges for Circle’s USDC offering.
Circle has responded proactively. The firm recently unveiled a strategic partnership with Standard Chartered enabling institutional investors to mint and redeem USDC directly. This announcement helped CRCL rebound 4.25% to $64.58 during Thursday’s premarket session.
Wall Street Remains Optimistic Notwithstanding the significant price decline, Bernstein analysts maintain their $190 price target on CRCL shares. This projection represents more than triple Wednesday’s closing price, indicating analysts believe the recent selloff has been excessive.
ARK’s acquisition aligns with this perspective. Wood’s investment vehicles have consistently added cryptocurrency-related holdings to their portfolios, including positions in Coinbase, Robinhood, and Bullish, in addition to Circle.
During the same trading session, ARK also purchased approximately 27,740 shares of Bullish (BLSH), valued at roughly $700,000.
Conversely, ARK continued reducing its Alibaba (BABA) holdings, disposing of 79,632 shares worth approximately $7.81 million. This continues a pattern of substantial Alibaba liquidations totaling tens of millions of dollars throughout the past week.
According to Benzinga Edge rankings, CRCL’s Momentum score currently registers in the 2nd percentile, reflecting the recent price deterioration.
Lighter [LIT] attracted fresh buying interest after its price rose 11.16% over the past 24 hours, reaching $2.09 at the time of writing. Trading activity also accelerated sharply, with 24-hour volume climbing 98.45% to $168.3 million.
The simultaneous increase in price and volume suggested that more participants entered the market as the rally developed rather than activity fading after the initial move. Buyers also maintained control above the $2.00 psychological level, reinforcing the token’s recent strength.
Why are Binance traders staying bullish? Binance derivatives data continued showing strong bullish conviction despite LIT‘s price rally. At press time, top trader accounts held 67.96% of positions on the long side, while only 32.04% remained short.
That distribution pushed the Long/Short Ratio to 2.12, indicating that bullish exposure exceeded bearish positioning by more than two to one. The ratio also stayed elevated after briefly approaching 2.30 during the recent advance, highlighting sustained confidence instead of a rapid shift toward profit-taking.
However, such crowded long positioning often increased liquidation risks whenever volatility accelerated. Besides, traders continued favoring higher prices, suggesting expectations for another leg higher remained intact as long as LIT defended its newly established support.
Source: CoinGlass LIT’s persistent leverage demand The OI-Weighted Funding Rate remained positive throughout the recent rally and stood near 0.005% as of writing. Earlier sessions had produced spikes above 0.025%, showing leveraged longs willingly paid premiums to maintain their positions.
Although funding cooled from those extremes, it never crossed into negative territory, indicating bullish leverage continued dominating the derivatives market. This pattern suggested traders reduced excessive leverage without abandoning their positive outlook.
However, the moderation also lowered immediate overheating concerns after the strongest funding spikes faded. As long as funding remained positive, derivatives activity continued to support the prevailing bullish structure instead of signaling an aggressive shift toward short exposure.
Source: CoinGlass LIT clears resistance as RSI gains strength LIT broke decisively above the $2.03 resistance level and traded around $2.09, confirming a continuation of its broader uptrend.
Price also stayed comfortably above the ascending trendline that had guided the rally since late May, preserving the market’s bullish structure.
Meanwhile, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) climbed to 68.53 at press time, while its Moving Average stood at 58.19, showing buying pressure strengthened without entering deeply overbought territory. The RSI approached the 70 threshold, leaving room for additional upside before reaching extreme conditions.
The next major resistance sat near $2.50, whereas $2.03 now served as the first support. If buyers maintain control above that level, LIT could challenge higher resistance. However, losing $2.03 would likely expose the ascending trendline and potentially trigger a deeper pullback toward $1.85.
Source: TradingView Can LIT defend its breakout? LIT maintained a constructive market structure after reclaiming and holding above $2.00.
Bullish positioning and positive funding continued supporting the uptrend, while price remained above key technical support. If buyers defend $2.03, the rally could extend toward $2.50.
However, heavier profit-taking or excessive long liquidations would likely place the breakout under pressure and increase the probability of a correction toward $1.85.
Final Summary LIT held above $2 as higher volume reinforced renewed buying interest across the market. Positive funding and bullish Binance positioning continued supporting LIT despite growing leverage exposure.
XRP has now closed below the 200-week moving average for the first time since the 2024 rally, confirming the overall bearish market trend.
This move comes during the ongoing downtrend that started in Q4 2025 and has now lasted for ten months. Despite the decline, past trends suggest that a drop below this major moving average after an uptrend can indicate that a possible bottom may be forming.
However, it does not necessarily mean prices will recover right away. In most cases, this phase represents a change toward stabilization, not an immediate rebound.
XRP Closes Below 200WMA Specifically, in the first week of June, XRP closed at $1.155, while the 200-week moving average stood at $1.189, confirming the breakdown.
This marked the first time XRP traded below this level and the first weekly close under it since the first week of November 2024, just before the Donald Trump-led market rally.
The 200WMA represents the average price over about four years of weekly closes, and this makes it an important long-term benchmark. When prices stay below it, it shows that most medium- and long-term holders are now holding at a loss.
Since the breakdown, XRP has now spent three weeks below the 200WMA and is heading into a fourth week. At the time of writing, XRP trades at $1.0584, while the moving average has climbed to $1.20.
The 200WMA has also flipped from dynamic support to resistance. This means that if price moves back toward it, sellers are more likely to step in, which could limit any short-term recovery attempts.
How XRP Behaved in 2022 A similar breakdown occurred during the Terra ecosystem collapse in May 2022, when XRP closed below the 200WMA in the second week of May 2022 for the first time in over a year.
After that, XRP remained below the moving average for five weeks before reaching a cycle low of $0.28 in June 2022.
Although this level marked the bottom, recovery did not happen quickly. Specifically, XRP did not begin a clear uptrend until November 2024, more than two years later.
During that time, the price oscillated above and below the 200WMA multiple times before finally breaking above it during the November 2024 rally, which confirmed a stronger trend.
XRP’s 2019 Case Before that, XRP showed a similar pattern in August 2019, when it closed below the 200WMA after an uptrend. It then stayed below the moving average for five weeks and reached a low of $0.22 in September 2019, which seemed like a bottom at the time.
However, the recovery that followed this floor price failed, and XRP dropped below the moving average again, eventually falling further to $0.11 in March 2020, about seven months after the initial breakdown.
XRP Closes Below 200WMA Nonetheless, most analysts see this as an exception because it was caused by the COVID-19 market crash, an unexpected global Black Swan event.
Meanwhile, after reaching the $0.11 bottom in March 2020, XRP eventually staged a recovery effort. The price later moved back above the 200WMA in January 2021, which led to a strong rally that pushed the asset up to $1.96 by April 2021.
Is This a Buying Opportunity? If no major external shock occurs, XRP could follow the 2022 pattern, where it formed a bottom within a few weeks after falling below the 200WMA.
However, history shows that reaching a bottom does not mean a new bull run will begin immediately. In the 2022 cycle, XRP still spent nearly two years moving around the 200WMA, struggling to stay above it before finally breaking out.
For now, even if XRP finds a bottom soon, the market may only see short-term relief rallies instead of a strong recovery. A longer period of sideways movement could come before any clear uptrend begins.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
Key Highlights MSFT gained 3% during Wednesday’s session and added another 0.7% in Thursday’s premarket The tech giant tumbled 23% during H1 2026 — marking its weakest opening half since 2000 Haleon, a consumer health company, entered a five-year AI and cloud collaboration with Microsoft Reports suggest Microsoft may reduce headcount by less than 2.5% of its approximately 228,000 workforce Analyst consensus stands at Buy from 35 of 36 covering analysts, with a $562.10 average target Microsoft (MSFT) shares climbed approximately 3% during Wednesday’s trading session on July 2, offering relief after a challenging year-to-date performance.
Microsoft Corporation, MSFT
The technology behemoth experienced a 23% decline during the first half of 2026 — representing its most challenging six-month period since the year 2000. The month of June proved particularly brutal, with shares plummeting 17%, the sharpest single-month drop since December 2000.
However, market dynamics appear to be changing.
A notable sector rotation away from semiconductor stocks toward software names has begun benefiting companies like Microsoft. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) posted gains across four consecutive sessions ending Wednesday, accumulating a 7% advance over eight trading days. Meanwhile, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) retreated 8.5% during the identical timeframe.
Microsoft’s significant exposure to software — previously considered a weakness this year — has now become an advantage.
Shares extended their recovery with a 0.7% gain in Thursday’s premarket activity. The S&P 500 remained relatively flat, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite edged down 0.3%.
Haleon Announces Five-Year Microsoft AI Partnership Wednesday brought news that Haleon, a global consumer healthcare enterprise, established a new five-year partnership to expand deployment of Microsoft’s artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and data analytics capabilities throughout its worldwide operations.
The comprehensive agreement encompasses Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure cloud platform, and additional AI technologies. According to Haleon, these solutions will streamline repetitive processes, enhance team collaboration, and bolster cybersecurity measures.
Both organizations intend to co-develop AI tools designed for consumer insights, innovation in product development, and optimization of supply chain operations.
Haleon stated the partnership aims to empower its workforce with faster decision-making capabilities and accelerate product delivery to end consumers. The company maintains an ambitious objective of reaching an additional one billion consumers by 2030.
For Microsoft, this represents another significant enterprise client committing to its artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Workforce Reductions Expected Soon The encouraging developments arrive alongside less favorable news. According to a Business Insider report, Microsoft may announce several thousand job eliminations as soon as the coming week.
The anticipated workforce reduction is projected to impact less than 2.5% of Microsoft’sapproximate 228,000 full-time employee base — representing a more modest scale compared to earlier restructuring that eliminated roughly 4% of personnel.
Sales teams and consulting divisions may face cuts, alongside previously anticipated reductions within the Xbox gaming unit.
Microsoft has not issued official confirmation regarding the layoffs. The projected timing corresponds with the conclusion of Microsoft’s fiscal year on June 30, a period when the company traditionally conducts budget assessments and workforce evaluations.
Despite the challenging 2026 opening, Wall Street maintains an optimistic outlook. Microsoft currently trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 21.52 times.
Revenue growth projections exceed double the S&P 500’s expected pace through 2028, according to MarketWatch analytics.
TipRanks data reveals 35 of 36 analysts covering Microsoft assign it a Buy rating, with one Hold recommendation and zero Sell ratings. The consensus 12-month price target sits at $562.10, suggesting approximately 38% upside potential from present trading levels.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) are showing multiple long-term bottom, according to technical analysis by a prominent analyst.
Bitcoin’s Macro Bottom ZoneIn an X post on July 2, crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez pointed to historically reliable technical and on-chain indicators that suggest accumulation may be underway.
For Bitcoin, Martinez identified $48,300 as the most important long-term accumulation level.
The price corresponds to Bitcoin’s Investor Price, an on-chain metric that estimates the average acquisition cost of economically active coins by excluding permanently lost Bitcoin.
Historically, Bitcoin has found major bear-market bottoms around this level, making it one of the market’s most closely watched long-term support metrics.
Over the past month, retail investors holding less than one Bitcoin and mid-sized holders with 10 to 100 BTC have led the buying activity.
Meanwhile, the largest entities controlling between 1,000 and 100,000 BTC have also turned into net buyers, albeit at a slower pace.
Martinez said synchronized buying by both retail investors and whales has historically coincided with durable market bottoms and laid the foundation for longer-term recoveries.
ETH Monthly Buy Signal ReturnsIn another X post on July 3, Martinez said Ethereum has entered a historically significant support zone, with $1,100 representing the lower boundary of its long-term price channel dating back to 2021.
Every previous test of the channel floor has attracted aggressive buying, making the level one of Ethereum’s highest-conviction long-term accumulation areas.
If Ethereum successfully defends the support, Martinez projects an initial recovery toward the channel midpoint near $3,000, followed by a potential move toward the upper boundary around $5,000, which aligns with prior cycle highs.
Adding to the bullish outlook, Martinez highlighted that the TD Sequential indicator has printed a fresh monthly buy signal for Ethereum.
Previous monthly sell and buy signals preceded a 78% correction from the 2021 highs, a 235% rally following the 2022 bottom and a 182% advance after the March 2025 buy signal.
The latest signal, Martinez said, points to macro-level seller exhaustion and raises the possibility that Ethereum is carving out another major bottom.
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Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli, the 35-year-old in-game leader who transformed Aurora Gaming into a legitimate CS2 contender, has officially stepped down from the team’s active roster. He’s not leaving the building, though. Aurora confirmed he’ll remain with the organization in a yet-to-be-announced role.
The move, effective July 2, 2026, comes after roughly 14 months of competitive play during which MAJ3R guided Aurora to a championship at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 and runner-up finishes at the Esports World Cup 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 23. His reason is refreshingly human in an industry that tends to burn through talent: he wants to spend more time with his family.
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What MAJ3R built at Aurora MAJ3R joined Aurora in April 2025, arriving from Eternal Fire alongside several core teammates. The PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 win was the crown jewel, putting Aurora on the map as a team that could compete with the established CS2 elite under MAJ3R’s tactical direction as IGL.
His departure leaves Aurora with XANTARES, woxic, Wicadia, and soulfly still on the roster. The timing also coincides with broader roster adjustments at Aurora. Coach Fabre has already departed, and rumors are circulating about potential international recruits being brought in.
This isn’t being framed as a retirement. MAJ3R has been careful to call it a pause from professional gaming.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
CNBC’s Jim Cramer says investors shouldn’t panic over the recent rotation out of AI stocks. Instead, he sees it as a chance to buy some of the market’s strongest companies at lower prices.
According to Cramer, quarterly rotations are common, but they usually last only a few sessions before money flows back into long-term winners.
“You are getting a chance to sell the losers at a premium and switch to winners at a discount,” Cramer said. “This is one of those breaks. Don’t blow it.” He said.
Micron and SanDisk Lead the AI StockCramer remains highly bullish on Micron, calling its latest earnings one of the strongest quarterly reports he has seen. He said memory prices are “going through the roof” as AI data centers require increasing amounts of high-performance memory.
He also highlighted SanDisk, saying both memory companies have benefited from soaring AI demand and remain among the biggest winners in the sector despite the recent pullback.
Intel, AMD and Marvell Stay at the Center of AICramer named Intel as one of his favorite AI plays, praising CEO Lip-Bu Tan for the company’s turnaround. He said Intel has three major growth drivers: AI-focused CPUs, its high-margin chip packaging business, and its expanding semiconductor manufacturing operations.
He also continues to like AMD, saying the recent dip offers investors another buying opportunity. According to Cramer, AMD’s CPUs and GPUs make it an essential supplier for AI data centers, while CEO Lisa Su has positioned the company well for long-term growth.
Another stock on his list is Marvell Technology, which specializes in optical networking used by AI infrastructure. Cramer noted that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has previously suggested Marvell could eventually become a trillion-dollar company.
While most AI infrastructure stocks pulled back, Meta moved higher after reports that it plans to launch its own cloud computing business.
Cramer says this could become a major long-term growth driver beyond advertising.
“I think it has more room to run because their cloud business will be instantly profitable,” he said, adding that renting out excess computing capacity could create a lucrative business similar to Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
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Renowned investor Ross Gerber on Wednesday attributed Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) ongoing slump to President Donald Trump’s profits from cryptocurrency businesses
Gerber Comments On ‘Grift’Gerber reacted to Trump’s disclosure that he earned over $1 billion in his first year as president through cryptocurrency ventures, which include World Liberty Financial and the Official Trump (CRYPTO: TRUMP) memecoin.
The CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management said that the “grift is real,” and the main reason why “Bitcoin went down and isn’t going anywhere.”
‘The Most Corrupt President’Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, one of the loudest critics of Trump’s business activities and his family deals, called him the “most corrupt president in American history.”
The Big Uproar Over Trump’s Crypto GainsTrump’s disclosures have created a stir, sparking allegations of conflicts of interest and misuse of his position.
The windfall included over $635 million in royalties collected from the TRUMP memecoin. Meanwhile, people who bought it have lost 97% of their money from the highest price.
A White House spokesperson told Benzinga that all actions by the Trump administration are taken in the “best interest of the American people,” while rejecting any suggestions of “conflict of interest.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pushed for stronger cryptocurrency legislation to prevent Trump and his family from profiting off cryptocurrency.
When asked to comment on his cryptocurrency riches, Trump said that the investments are handled by institutions with which he has no direct communication. He added that he has "a lot" of money, which he gives to institutions that then determine how it is allocated.
Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was exchanging hands at $60,090.98, up 2.43% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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TLDRRobinhood Pushes Tokenized Real-World AssetsBitcoin Weakness Contrasts With Robinhood’s RWA PushEthereum and DeFi Fit Robinhood’s Tokenization PlansWall Street Adoption Supports the Onchain ShiftGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said crypto’s future growth depends on real-world assets rather than memecoins. Robinhood launched Stock Tokens to let eligible users trade tokenized equities around the clock. Tenev said tokens need underlying utility to become productive assets in financial markets. Robinhood plans to connect tokenized equities with DeFi lending pools and collateral use. Tenev said traditional financial rails will eventually move onchain through tokenization. Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said crypto’s next growth phase depends on real-world assets, not speculative memecoins. His comments followed Robinhood’s launch of Stock Tokens for eligible users. The product expands tokenized equities trading and supports the company’s wider onchain finance strategy.
Robinhood Pushes Tokenized Real-World Assets Tenev told CNBC that real-world assets will define crypto’s future. He said assets need underlying utility to become productive. He also questioned the value of creating many memecoins.
“The future of crypto is in real-world assets,” Tenev said. He added that tokens without utility lack productive value. Therefore, Robinhood wants tokenized finance tied to existing market assets.
Robinhood launched Stock Tokens on Wednesday for eligible users. The service allows 24/7 trading of tokenized equities. It also supports plans for lending pools and trading collateral.
Bitcoin Weakness Contrasts With Robinhood’s RWA Push Bitcoin traded at $61,601.41 on Thursday morning. The asset fell 30% year to date as broader crypto markets weakened. Meanwhile, Tenev pointed to real-world assets as a stronger growth driver.
The crypto market has lost about $1 trillion in value this year. However, Robinhood sees tokenization as a bridge between crypto and markets. Tenev said real-world assets can move traditional products onto blockchain rails.
He said Bitcoin would not lose relevance despite current market pressure. Yet he argued crypto’s next phase needs more than major tokens. As a result, real-world assets remain central to Robinhood’s expansion plan.
Ethereum and DeFi Fit Robinhood’s Tokenization Plans Ethereum also declined this year as major digital assets faced pressure. Still, DeFi remains important to Robinhood’s tokenization roadmap. The company plans to use tokenized shares in lending pools.
Robinhood wants users to deploy tokenized equities as collateral. That plan could connect real-world assets with broader DeFi trading systems. It also shows how tokenized products may support market activity.
The company is also exploring exposure to private companies like OpenAI. This move would extend real-world assets beyond public equities. Tenev said traditional rails will eventually move onchain through tokenization.
Wall Street Adoption Supports the Onchain Shift Institutional adoption has become a bright area for the crypto industry. Wall Street firms and payments companies now test blockchain systems. Many of those efforts focus on tokenized real-world assets.
Tenev said crypto is becoming infrastructure for financial markets. “Everything that is running on traditional rails will eventually become onchain,” he said. He called tokenization “a freight train that can’t be stopped.”
Robinhood started as a retail stock trading app. However, it now uses tokenized real-world assets to expand its crypto business. Its latest launch strengthens its push into onchain market infrastructure.
A Bittensor subnet called Trishool just dropped a safety model that beats every other open-weight guard model on the market. HaloGuard 1.0, released on July 2 by Astroware Labs, achieved top marks across seven established prompt-safety benchmarks, and it did so with a model small enough to run as a lightweight filter.
HaloGuard 1.0 comes in two sizes: a 0.8B parameter version and a 4B parameter version. The 4B variant is the headline grabber, securing first place across all seven benchmarks it was tested against.
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Both models function as runtime guards, meaning they operate in real time to screen prompts before they hit the LLM or agent handling user requests. This is a fundamentally different approach from post-generation filtering, which tries to catch harmful outputs after the damage is already done.
The earlier Alpha version of HaloGuard was integrated into the Chutes subnet on May 19 for live AI chat applications. That deployment hit an 87% F1 score on safety benchmarks including Aegis and HarmBench, which gave the team real-world validation before pushing to version 1.0.
Trishool, designated SN23 on the Bittensor network, operates as a decentralized adversarial red-teaming network. Miners on the subnet are incentivized to continuously attack and stress-test safety models, finding vulnerabilities so they can be patched. The more effectively a miner breaks the model, the more they earn.
The subnet was relaunched roughly seven months before the HaloGuard 1.0 announcement. Astroware Labs, which operates the subnet, has positioned its work as building “production-grade safety layers” for AI applications.
A full arXiv paper detailing HaloGuard 1.0’s architecture and benchmark results is expected soon.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Ondo Finance expanded its U.S. footprint on Thursday with the launch of tokenized versions of BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Micron (MU) shares under the third-party custodial framework outlined by the SEC in January.
The launch marks the first time a third party has tokenized U.S.-listed securities on a public blockchain while operating within the existing U.S. regulatory and market infrastructure, according to Ondo in a statement, adding that such products previously operated offshore or relied on issuer sponsorship on an individual basis.
In its January guidance on tokenized securities, the Securities and Exchange Commission described a structure in which a third party holds the underlying securities and issues crypto assets representing an investor's entitlement to those holdings. Ondo said its tokenized IVV and Micron products are built around that framework.
Under the model, the underlying shares remain in the conventional U.S. custody chain, while Oasis Pro TA, Ondo's SEC-registered transfer agent subsidiary, mints corresponding tokens backed 1:1 by the securities. The tokens are issued on Ethereum and held by regulated custodians, according to the statement.
Token holders receive the same shareholder rights and protections available through traditional brokerage accounts, including issuer communications and onchain proxy voting through Broadridge's ProxyVote.com platform. Transfer restrictions are enforced by participating broker-dealers, transfer agents, and custodians in line with existing regulatory requirements, Ondo said.
"Today's milestone shows we can tokenize securities in ways that meet both market and regulatory requirements, for U.S. and global investors and provides a strong foundation for our expanding access to onchain investments for more U.S. investors," Ondo Finance CEO Ian De Bode said.
Ondo focuses on tokenizing real-world assets and institutional financial products. Its Global Markets platform outside the U.S. supports more than $1 billion in tokenized securities spanning more than 430 stocks and ETFs, according to the company.
The firm has continued to expand its tokenized equities offering in recent months. In June, Ondo partnered with Exodus to launch Exodus Markets, a platform that provides eligible users with access to more than 200 tokenized stocks, ETFs, and real-world assets through the Exodus app on Solana.
According to The Block's data, the tokenized equities sector reached a market capitalization of $5.5 billion as of June 8, up roughly 147% from $2.23 billion at the start of the year. The category ranks as the fourth-largest segment within the real-world asset market.
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Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.
Ondo Finance tokenizes BlackRock's S&P 500 ETF and Micron stock on Ethereum in a first for U.S. regulated tokenized securities.
For the first time, a U.S.-listed stock and ETF have been tokenized by a third party on a public blockchain and done so entirely within America's existing regulatory framework.
Ondo Finance, the leader in tokenized securities by total value, has launched tokenized versions of BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Micron (MU) stock on the Ethereum blockchain.
The firm launched it in partnership with Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), one of the world's largest financial services infrastructure companies, which will provide voting rights and shareholder communications for token holders.
Why this is a firstUntil now, tokenized versions of U.S. securities have largely operated outside the United States or required the issuing company itself to sponsor the process. Neither of those models worked at scale for the U.S. market.
Ondo's model is different. It follows a framework the SEC laid out in a January 2026 statement describing how a third party, not the company that issued the stock, can hold securities in custody and issue blockchain tokens representing ownership of those shares.
Ondo's launch of IVV and MU tokens are the first live deployments of that model in the United States.
"Today's milestone shows we can tokenize securities in ways that meet both market and regulatory requirements," said Ondo Finance CEO Ian De Bode.
"Ondo has built the regulatory, product, and service infrastructure to support all major models within the United States."
How it worksWhen you hold a tokenized stock through Ondo's model, the underlying share never leaves the traditional U.S. custody system.
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Ondo's registered transfer agent, the company responsible for keeping official records of who owns what, creates a corresponding blockchain token backed 1:1 by that share. The token lives on Ethereum and is held by regulated custodians.
In plain terms: the real share stays in the existing financial system. The token is a digital representation of your ownership, verifiable on the blockchain.
Transfer restrictions are enforced by the broker-dealer, transfer agent, and custodian involved, the same parties that handle traditional securities today, ensuring the process stays within existing regulatory requirements.
Trending on TheStreet Roundtable:Citi drastically slashes Bitcoin, Ether price targetsFamous crypto analyst reveals the right time to buy BitcoinAnalyst predicts 200% upside for Circle stock despite fierce competitionWhat token holders actually getThis is where the Broadridge partnership becomes critical. Owning a tokenized stock has historically meant giving up some of the rights that come with owning the real thing, particularly the ability to vote on company decisions and receive official communications from the issuer.
Ondo's token holders get both. Through Broadridge's ProxyVote.com platform, they can participate in proxy voting and receive the same regulatory disclosures as shareholders holding through a standard U.S. brokerage account. The experience works for both custodial and synthetic tokenized securities.
"Tokenization will only scale when it delivers both innovation and investor confidence," said Doug DeSchutter, President of Broadridge's Investor Communication Solutions business.
"By enabling proxy voting, issuer communications, and regulatory disclosures for Ondo's token holders, we're living up to our promise to empower investors and issuers with the full range of trusted governance capabilities for tokenized securities."
The bigger pictureOndo is already the largest tokenized securities platform by total value globally. This launch extends that leadership into the U.S. market, the world's largest equity market, under a model that regulators have explicitly described and endorsed.
The move signals a maturation in how tokenized securities are being built. Rather than working around existing U.S. financial infrastructure, Ondo is working within it, bringing blockchain access to U.S. stocks without asking regulators, custodians, or investors to abandon the safeguards they already rely on.
Ondo Finance is adding shareholder voting rights to its tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through a partnership with financial infrastructure provider Broadridge, addressing one of the key limitations of blockchain-based securities.
The companies announced Thursday that holders of more than 250 tokenized securities issued through Ondo will be able to participate in proxy voting and access corporate communications, including regulatory filings and other shareholder documents.
The integration uses a Web3-enabled version of Broadridge’s investor communications platform, allowing users to authenticate with blockchain wallets while accessing governance services typically reserved for shareholders in traditional markets.
The move comes as tokenized equities gain momentum among digital asset companies seeking to bring conventional financial products onchain. While tokenization promises faster settlement and around-the-clock trading, questions have remained over whether investors would receive the governance rights that accompany traditional direct stock ownership.
Source: Ondo Finance
Ondo said the governance features will accompany the launch of its first US custodial tokenized securities, including tokenized versions of BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Micron Technology (MU). The company said the assets are the first issued under the US Securities and Exchange Commission's third-party custodial framework for tokenized securities.
Competition heats up in tokenized equitiesThe market for tokenized stocks has expanded rapidly this year, as its total value first surpassed $1 billion in March, according to Foresight Ventures. Data published by Ondo on Wednesday showed the market has since grown to $1.67 billion, with nearly 181,000 unique holders.
Ondo is one of several companies competing for a share of the fast-growing market. Backed Finance, which issues tokenized stocks through its xStocks platform, has also expanded its footprint, with its products now available across multiple crypto exchanges and blockchain networks.
The market for tokenized stocks has grown nearly 14-fold since May 2025. Source: Ondo Finance
Tokenization has emerged as one of crypto’s fastest-growing sectors in 2026, defying broader market weakness. A recent 21shares report attributed the trend to rising institutional adoption and improving infrastructure. Separate data from Binance showed the value of tokenized real-world assets, including stocks, has surged nearly 600% over the past year.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Ondo Finance is adding shareholder voting rights to its tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through a partnership with financial infrastructure provider Broadridge, addressing one of the key limitations of blockchain-based securities.
The companies announced Thursday that holders of more than 250 tokenized securities issued through Ondo will be able to participate in proxy voting and access corporate communications, including regulatory filings and other shareholder documents.
The integration uses a Web3-enabled version of Broadridge’s investor communications platform, allowing users to authenticate with blockchain wallets while accessing governance services typically reserved for shareholders in traditional markets.
The move comes as tokenized equities gain momentum among digital asset companies seeking to bring conventional financial products onchain. While tokenization promises faster settlement and around-the-clock trading, questions have remained over whether investors would receive the governance rights that accompany traditional direct stock ownership.
Source: Ondo Finance
Ondo said the governance features will accompany the launch of its first US custodial tokenized securities, including tokenized versions of BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Micron Technology (MU). The company said the assets are the first issued under the US Securities and Exchange Commission's third-party custodial framework for tokenized securities.
Competition heats up in tokenized equitiesThe market for tokenized stocks has expanded rapidly this year, as its total value first surpassed $1 billion in March, according to Foresight Ventures. Data published by Ondo on Wednesday showed the market has since grown to $1.67 billion, with nearly 181,000 unique holders.
Ondo is one of several companies competing for a share of the fast-growing market. Backed Finance, which issues tokenized stocks through its xStocks platform, has also expanded its footprint, with its products now available across multiple crypto exchanges and blockchain networks.
The market for tokenized stocks has grown nearly 14-fold since May 2025. Source: Ondo Finance
Tokenization has emerged as one of crypto’s fastest-growing sectors in 2026, defying broader market weakness. A recent 21shares report attributed the trend to rising institutional adoption and improving infrastructure. Separate data from Binance showed the value of tokenized real-world assets, including stocks, has surged nearly 600% over the past year.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Ondo Finance tokenized securities have hit some historic milestones, marking a new beginning. On July 4 , when America would be celebrating 250 years of independence, Ondo Finance is set to do the first-ever live deployment of third-party tokenized U.S. securities, and it’s running entirely inside the existing U.S. regulatory perimeter. So this move pulled in BlackRock’s iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Micron Technology (MU) shares onto the chain for the first time.
What Makes Ondo’s Tokenization Model Different From Prior Attempts? Up until now, tokenized securities have mostly been kept offshore. Ondo does it differently and basically follows the SEC’s third party custodial model, which is a framework the regulator talked about in a January 2025 staff statement. With this kind of setup, the underlying IVV and Micron shares never leave the usual U.S. custody chain.
Ondo’s registered transfer agent, Oasis Pro, mints the tokens on Ethereum, and they are backed 1:1 by the real shares. Regulated custodians then hold the underlying securities.
Financial infrastructure firm Broadridge handles proxy voting, issuer communications, and regulatory disclosures. Basically every single token holder ends up with the same shareholder rights as someone holding through a traditional U.S. brokerage account.
“Ondo has built the regulatory, product, and service infrastructure to support all major models within the United States,” said Ian De Bode, CEO of Ondo Finance. “Today’s milestone shows we can tokenize securities in ways that satisfy both market and regulatory requirements.”
It’s worth noting that the product is not yet available to U.S. investors. The launch currently aims at global investors outside the U.S., and this is happening as the tokenization space heats up broadly. Securitize makes its NYSE debut under the ticker SECZ, backed by BlackRock and Morgan Stanley, this week after its SPAC merger with Cantor Equity Partners II. This move makes it the first publicly listed tokenization platform.
Why the Tokenized Securities Debate Has Been Years in the Making There is lots of controversy regarding whether third-party tokenized stocks have real shareholder rights. This uncertainty grabbed mainstream attention mid-2025, when OpenAI said publicly that it had not authorized Robinhood’s tokenized offering tied to its shares. It also disclosed that those tokens do not represent ownership or any equity in the company. That controversy accelerated pressure on regulators to clarify the rules.
Ondo’s launch is basically a direct reply addressing the issue on ground. By routing issuance through a registered transfer agent , and by keeping the custody chain intact, Ondo Finance is positioning its tokenized securities legally defensible in U.S. markets.
Citi projected in a June 2026 report that the tokenized securities market could reach about $5.5 trillion by 2030. Robinhood has launched a public blockchain for tokenized stocks, while DTCC has expanded its blockchain infrastructure. Also, NYSE and Nasdaq have mentioned their own tokenization efforts as well. In the meantime, Ondo is already managing more than $1 billion in tokenized stocks and ETFs across 430+ securities outside the U.S.
At the same time the wider tokenization infrastructure seems to be maturing on several fronts. Ripple’s New XRP Lending Protocol for banks, announced just days earlier, allows financial institutions to borrow against tokenized assets on the XRP Ledger. That basically points to the same institutional push Ondo is now going after, but from within U.S. regulatory rails.
Choosing between ZetaChain and LayerZero is not simply a choice between two interoperability products. It is a decision about where your application executes and where its canonical state lives. It also determines how much distributed infrastructure your team must operate. In a ZetaChain vs LayerZero evaluation, start with the application architecture you need, not a feature checklist.
Start Building on ZetaChain and test whether a Universal App can simplify your most demanding workflow.
The short version: ZetaChain lets developers build Universal Apps whose core logic and state can live on ZetaChain while interacting with connected networks. LayerZero provides a messaging protocol that applications use to send information between deployments. One model centers the application on a programmable Layer 1; the other connects application components that developers deploy elsewhere.
This guide focuses on that architectural decision. It gives technical teams a practical framework for comparing implementation scope, user experience, operations, and security assumptions before committing engineering time.
ZetaChain vs LayerZero at a glanceIn brief: ZetaChain provides a Layer 1 environment where a Universal App can coordinate logic and canonical state. LayerZero provides messaging infrastructure for communication between application deployments. The right fit depends on whether your product benefits more from consolidated execution or locally deployed components.
Decision areaZetaChainLayerZeroPrimary modelUniversal Apps execute on ZetaChain and can interact with connected networksMessaging protocol connects application deployments and endpointsCore application logicCan be consolidated in a Universal App contractTypically remains in contracts deployed on destination networksCanonical stateCan be maintained on ZetaChainApplication teams determine how state is distributed and synchronizedDeployment surfaceOne central application deployment can serve interactions across supported networksApplication components generally need deployment and configuration wherever messages are receivedBest starting questionCan one application coordinate this workflow?How should existing deployments exchange messages?
The table is a starting point, not a verdict. Both approaches can support sophisticated applications. The meaningful difference is what your team must build around the interoperability layer. That difference affects contract count, upgrade coordination, observability, incident response, and the number of state boundaries engineers must understand.
How do the execution models differ?ZetaChain centers execution in a Universal AppA Universal App is a smart contract deployed on ZetaChain that can coordinate interactions involving connected networks. Instead of treating interoperability as a message sent between several copies of an application, developers can place the workflow's logic and state in one application. ZetaChain's connectivity layer and protocol components handle the interaction path.
This model can be useful when an application needs one source of truth for balances, permissions, positions, or workflow status. A developer can reason about the core state transition in one contract environment, then define how the app handles inbound calls and outbound actions. Consolidation can also make it easier to test invariants because the most important business rules live in one contract system.
ZetaChain supports native Bitcoin programmability. That matters for teams whose product needs to incorporate Bitcoin without requiring users to move through a wrapped-asset workflow first. Review the ZetaChain developer documentation for current supported networks, contract patterns, and implementation details.
LayerZero centers communication between application endpointsLayerZero is a messaging protocol. An application uses endpoints and configured pathways to communicate between contracts on different networks. The application developer decides what message is sent, how receiving contracts process it, and how the wider application maintains consistent behavior.
That model can fit a team that already operates deployments on several networks and wants those deployments to exchange information. It preserves local execution environments, but it also leaves the application team responsible for the contracts, configuration, monitoring, and state model that surround each endpoint.
The practical distinction is straightforward: messaging connects components; a Universal App can consolidate the application that coordinates them. Neither model removes the need for careful contract design, but each puts that responsibility in a different place.
Start Building with the Universal Apps documentation to compare these execution patterns against your application's hardest workflow.
Where should canonical state live?Canonical state is the authoritative record that resolves conflicting observations. For a lending product, it may be a user's debt position. For a game, it may be item ownership. For an order system, it may be the current fulfillment state. Before selecting infrastructure, teams should identify each authoritative record and decide which execution environment can change it.
A Universal App can keep the central state machine on ZetaChain. Connected-network interactions become inputs to or outputs from that state machine. This structure can reduce synchronization logic and make rules easier to audit. It can also simplify product analytics because teams have one coordinating application to observe.
A messaging design can leave state within application deployments. That gives teams control over local execution and integrations, but requires an explicit policy for ordering messages, rejecting duplicates, resolving partial completion, and reconciling state after failures. Those requirements are manageable when designed deliberately. They become dangerous when treated as edge cases after launch.
Draw the state machine before writing integration code. Mark every state transition, authorized caller, retry path, timeout, and recovery action. The resulting diagram will often reveal which architecture best fits the product.
How to choose the right architecture for your appMap the canonical state. Write down the state that must remain authoritative, such as a lending position, account permission, game inventory, or order status. If one source of truth would simplify the product, a Universal App deserves close consideration. If each deployment must remain locally authoritative, a messaging model may fit better.
Count the contracts you must deploy and maintain. Include application contracts, receiver logic, configuration, permissions, and upgrade paths. Do not compare only the first proof of concept. Compare the production system your team must operate after adding the next three networks.
Trace the user's full transaction journey. Note every wallet switch, approval, fee asset, waiting period, and recovery step. The architecture is only successful if users can complete the intended action reliably.
Define failure behavior. Decide what happens when an inbound call cannot execute, an outbound action fails, liquidity is unavailable, or an application contract is paused. Design retries, refunds, and idempotency before launch.
Review security and governance assumptions. Document validators, message verification, application permissions, administrative controls, upgradeable proxy patterns, and emergency procedures. Avoid treating any contract or transaction as universally immutable or irreversible.
Prototype the hardest workflow. Build the path with the most state, assets, and failure cases. A simple token transfer rarely exposes the operational tradeoffs that determine long-term engineering cost.
Review the Universal Apps documentation while mapping your proof of concept, including current contract patterns and supported connections.
Developer experience and operational tradeoffsArchitecture changes the work that happens after the demo. A distributed application surface can require repeated deployments, configuration management, monitoring, incident response, and upgrades. Every additional receiver and permission creates another place where configuration drift or an incomplete release can cause problems.
A Universal App can reduce that surface by consolidating core logic and state on ZetaChain. This does not eliminate operational work. Developers still need robust contract tests, observability, access controls, and explicit handling for inbound and outbound failures. It does change the unit being operated: one coordinating application rather than several application instances that must stay aligned.
Teams should compare both approaches using the same production checklist:
How many contracts, endpoints, and administrative roles will exist?
Where does canonical state live, and how is conflicting state prevented?
What must be monitored for every supported network?
How are failed operations retried, refunded, or reconciled?
How will upgrades be tested and rolled out?
What does the user need in their wallet to complete an action?
Operational cost also includes cognitive load. An on-call engineer needs to identify whether a problem originated in application logic, endpoint configuration, message verification, connected-network conditions, or a downstream integration. Fewer moving parts can shorten diagnosis, while local deployments can offer useful isolation. Measure these tradeoffs using realistic incidents, not only successful test transactions.
ZetaChain's introduction to Universal Apps explains the application model in more detail. Teams evaluating interoperability design can also review ZetaChain's approach to interoperability.
What should developers compare in the security model?Security comparisons should identify assumptions and failure domains, not declare an abstract winner. Begin by diagramming every component that can authorize, verify, relay, execute, pause, or upgrade an operation. Then ask what happens if each component is unavailable, misconfigured, or compromised.
For a messaging-based application, review the verification configuration, endpoint contracts, receiving logic, owner permissions, and every deployed application's controls. For a Universal App, review ZetaChain's validator and connectivity architecture, the Universal App contract, protocol contracts it calls, and its administrative controls.
In either design, the application remains responsible for secure business logic. Validate message or call origins, constrain permissions, protect replay-sensitive operations, use idempotent processing where appropriate, and test adversarial failure cases. If contracts use upgradeable proxy patterns, document who can upgrade them and how those powers are governed. If a workflow handles valuable assets, commission an independent audit and prepare an incident response plan.
A useful threat-model workshop assigns an owner to every failure domain and records the intended response. Include unavailable validators, delayed observations, incorrect configuration, compromised administrative keys, failed outbound execution, and unexpected connected-network reorganization. The exercise turns a broad security comparison into testable engineering requirements.
Which model fits common application scenarios?Consider ZetaChain when one application should coordinate the experienceA product needs one state model while accepting users or assets from supported networks.
The workflow includes native Bitcoin programmability.
The team wants to minimize repeated application deployments and synchronization logic.
The user experience should abstract network-specific complexity behind one application.
Consider a messaging model when existing deployments need to communicateThe product already has important local deployments and state.
Each deployment must preserve network-specific execution or integrations.
The team is prepared to operate and secure receiver contracts and configurations across its supported environments.
The application mainly needs to transmit instructions or state updates between those deployments.
Some systems can combine architectural patterns. If you consider a hybrid, define one canonical state model and make every ownership boundary explicit. Adding mechanisms without a clear reason usually increases the failure surface. A hybrid should solve a specific product constraint, not act as a substitute for choosing where critical logic belongs.
A practical proof-of-concept planBefore choosing, run a short, evidence-based evaluation. Select one user journey that touches the most difficult requirements. Implement it with realistic permissions and failure handling, then measure what your team will actually maintain.
Specify the user action, authoritative state transition, and expected final state.
List every contract and configuration required for the production version.
Implement origin validation, replay protection, retries, and refunds where applicable.
Simulate delayed delivery, failed execution, unavailable infrastructure, and a paused contract.
Record deployment steps, monitoring requirements, and upgrade procedures.
Compare user steps, engineering effort, and operational surface against your product priorities.
Score each prototype on deployment count, lines of application-specific integration code, user steps, test coverage, failure recovery, monitoring effort, and upgrade coordination. Include qualitative feedback from the engineers who build and operate the prototypes. The best architecture is the one that makes the product's hardest requirements easier to satisfy without creating unacceptable assumptions elsewhere.
This exercise produces a much stronger decision than comparing marketing terminology. It also gives the team an initial threat model and operating runbook.
Frequently asked questionsIs ZetaChain a bridge?ZetaChain is a Layer 1 blockchain designed for Universal Apps. Its model lets an application execute and maintain state on ZetaChain while interacting with connected networks. That is broader than a bridge whose primary purpose is moving assets between environments.
Is LayerZero a blockchain?LayerZero is a messaging protocol rather than a Layer 1 application-execution blockchain. Developers use its endpoints and messaging pathways to connect application contracts deployed in different environments.
Does ZetaChain replace every application deployment?Not necessarily. A Universal App can consolidate core logic, but the right design depends on required integrations, supported networks, local execution needs, and product constraints. Prototype the hardest workflow and verify current support in the documentation.
What is the biggest ZetaChain vs LayerZero difference?The central difference is execution architecture. ZetaChain supports applications that can centralize logic and state on its Layer 1, while LayerZero supplies messaging that connects application components deployed elsewhere.
Start with the architecture, then test the workflowThe right comparison is not which platform has the longest feature list. It is which execution model matches your application's state, user journey, and operational capacity. If a single coordinating application can simplify the product, build a Universal App proof of concept and test its hardest path.
Start Building with the ZetaChain documentation, then validate supported networks, contract patterns, and production requirements against your design.
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Hyperliquid Adds GRAM Perps After Sustained Community Requests@HyperliquidX has officially listed $GRAM perpetual futures, allowing traders to go long or short on the asset with up to 5x leverage. The listing follows a sustained wave of community requests as the token gained volume across major global venues including @Official_Upbit and @Binance.
The move gives traders their first high-performance decentralized venue for hedging $GRAM exposure. Hyperliquid is a Layer 1 blockchain known for its fully onchain order book and perpetual futures exchange, where every order and liquidation is executed and settled transparently onchain.
What Is GRAM and Why Does It Matter NowThe timing of the listing is closely tied to a significant rebrand on @Ton_blockchain. On June 15, 2026, the token formerly known as Toncoin was officially renamed Gram, with the ticker switching from TON to GRAM after a community governance vote passed with 81.22% support. The blockchain itself retains the name The Open Network.
The rebrand was a pure branding update covering name, ticker, and logo only. There was no new contract, no token swap, and no migration step of any kind. All $TON balances converted to $GRAM automatically at a 1:1 ratio, with no action required from holders.
The name Gram carries historical weight. The Gram rename is step four of Pavel Durov's Make TON Great Again roadmap, with Telegram now serving as the network's primary operator and largest validator. Gram was the original token name chosen in TON's 2018 whitepaper before U.S. regulatory pressure forced the project to pause and restructure under community leadership.
With $GRAM now trading at scale across centralized venues and the rebrand fully live, Hyperliquid's listing provides a decentralized derivatives layer for traders seeking to hedge or speculate on the asset without relying on custodial infrastructure.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The cryptocurrency Gram (GRAM), which returned to its historic name as part of a major rebranding of the TON ecosystem, is showing a local rally amid a broader market revival.
At the time of writing, the price of the GRAM token, previously named Toncoin, has already climbed from $1.56 to a local peak above $1.71, and it is currently holding around $1.65–$1.67, securing the asset in the top 20 largest cryptocurrencies on CoinMarketCap with a total market capitalization of $4.49 billion.
GRAM token price action since the rebranding announcement, Source: TradingViewThe current jump is explained by the fact that this ticker now carries an old and familiar brand for the market. It was under the name Gram that Pavel Durov and the Telegram team raised a record $1.7 billion in 2018 to build the Telegram Open Network blockchain.
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However, in 2020, due to heavy pressure from the U.S. regulator the SEC, the project had to be shut down in its original form, and Durov returned the money to investors. The blockchain was then taken over by an independent community of developers, who continued developing it for years under the Toncoin and The Open Network brand.
Binance and Hyperliquid step in for GRAMThe return to the Gram name years later has become an extremely convenient marketing move for attracting new liquidity. In a rising market, such speculative narratives work as a strong catalyst for buying, and the momentum was immediately reinforced by larger centralized and decentralized venues — Binance and Hyperliquid, respectively.
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Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, quickly opened spot pairs with USDT, USDC, and FDUSD, while also launching futures contracts. Meanwhile, the DeFi platform Hyperliquid added leveraged contracts at the community's specific request.
As a direct result, global traders received a working combination of a strong bullish backdrop, a loud news catalyst, and immediate access to trading on key platforms.
TradingView has added market data from Hyperliquid and Trade[XYZ], allowing users to chart a broader range of onchain perpetual markets directly through its platform.
Trade[XYZ] and Hyperliquid data is now live on @tradingview. Putting this data where traders live has been a top priority for us.
Markets are increasingly shaped by events unfolding around the clock, and price discovery shouldn't stop when traditional venues close.
Users now…
— trade.xyz (@tradexyz) July 2, 2026
The integration provides real time data for Hyperliquid crypto perpetuals and spot assets, alongside Trade[XYZ] markets tied to equities, commodities, foreign exchange, and pre IPO companies.
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The feeds allow TradingView users to track price discovery around the clock, including during periods when traditional exchanges are closed.
Hyperliquid operates a layer one blockchain built around an onchain perpetual futures exchange. The platform currently offers more than 300 perpetual and spot markets spanning crypto assets, commodities, and indices.
The network has also expanded beyond its core exchange through HIP-3, an upgrade that allows independent developers to launch perpetual markets using Hyperliquid’s infrastructure.
Trade[XYZ], the first major deployer under HIP-3, offers perpetual markets linked to several asset classes. Its platform currently includes Hyperliquid crypto perpetuals, equity perpetuals, and crypto spot markets.
TradingView users can find the newly added markets through the symbol search function in Supercharts. Hyperliquid markets are available under the HYPERLIQUID prefix, while Trade[XYZ] markets can be found using HIP3XYZ.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Following a major rebranding within the TON ecosystem, Gram has returned to its historic name and experienced a short-term rally in line with the broader recovery in the cryptocurrency markets. With this latest move, the asset has maintained its status among the 20 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, according to CoinMarketCap.
Price movement and market capitalizationThe price of GRAM climbed from $1.56, surging past the local peak of $1.71, before stabilizing between $1.65 and $1.67. Its total market capitalization reached $4.49 billion.
This uptick is largely driven by the renewed focus on the Gram brand, which holds significant recognition in the market. The Gram name first emerged when Telegram founder Pavel Durov and his team raised $1.7 billion in 2018 to develop the Telegram Open Network blockchain. Durov is widely known as the founder of the messaging platform Telegram.
The Gram name has long been recognized in the market after $1.7 billion was raised in 2018 for the Telegram Open Network initiative.
Setbacks due to SEC interventionInitially, the project was halted in 2020 following pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During this period, Pavel Durov returned funds to investors. The blockchain subsequently came under the stewardship of an independent developer community and continued evolving over the years under the Toncoin and The Open Network brands.
Years later, the revival of the Gram brand stands out as a compelling marketing move, particularly amid a rising market. Coupled with a surge of positive news, this strategic pivot has bolstered new liquidity and driven increased demand among investors.
Rapid listings boost upward momentumThe strong rally was further fueled by swift action from both centralized and decentralized trading platforms. Binance listed GRAM with USDT, USDC, and FDUSD trading pairs and swiftly rolled out perpetual futures contracts. Hyperliquid, responding to community demand, also introduced leveraged contracts for GRAM.
PlatformNewly added productsBinanceUSDT, USDC, FDUSD spot pairs and perpetual futuresHyperliquidLeveraged contractsBinance’s rapid rollout of spot and futures products, along with Hyperliquid’s addition of leveraged contracts in response to community demand, quickly broadened access to GRAM.
Thanks to these developments, global investors encountered an upbeat market environment, a wave of positive news, and instant access across major platforms. Together, these factors became the main pillars behind the recent price movement in GRAM.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
More than half of the tokenized real-world asset market showed no weekly transfer activity, according to new research from BeInCrypto.
The report, Real State of Tokenization in 2026, tracked roughly $60 billion in tokenized real-world assets across more than 7,000 products and 12 asset classes. It found that the market is growing fast, but actual on-chain activity remains far thinner than the headline numbers suggest.
Across 1,289 tokenized assets worth more than $100,000, 910 showed zero weekly transfers. Those dormant assets represented $32.9 billion in value, or 56% of the market measured for transfer activity.
Only 379 assets showed weekly movement. Together, they represented $26.2 billion in active value.
Tokenization Has Value, But Not Always Movement The finding points to one of the biggest gaps in tokenized finance. Assets may be brought on-chain, but that does not mean they are actively traded, transferred, or used across financial infrastructure.
The report draws a distinction between “Distributed” assets and “Represented” assets.
Distributed assets can move on public blockchain rails and may be used across wallets, platforms, or DeFi protocols.
Represented assets use blockchain more like an internal ledger or digital record of an off-chain position.
But why does this distinction matter? Because about $27 billion of dormant value came from Represented assets.
In these cases, low transfer activity does not necessarily mean failure. Some products were not designed for public secondary-market movement in the first place.
However, the data still shows that tokenized finance has not yet become a broad, liquid market. Even among active assets, activity is concentrated in a much smaller group than the total product count suggests.
The Next Problem Is Infrastructure The research concludes that tokenization’s next phase depends less on launching more assets and more on building the systems that allow those assets to move, settle, comply with regulation, and reach investors.
Without stronger infrastructure around access, transfer controls, compliance, collateral use, and market depth, many tokenized assets may remain digital records rather than usable financial instruments.
The full BeInCrypto Research report is available here.
The financial system does not fail everyone equally. It fails specific people, in specific corridors, in ways that have not changed in 50 years.
I have lived on the wrong side of that line. My father came from Asia to the UK. My family moved to the US, and I myself moved to Africa. Growing up between those journeys taught me that crossing a border is a financial act as much as anything else, and the cost lands on the person who can least afford it.
I spent my career inside the plumbing. I helped bring one of the first PISPs to market in the UK. I worked on FCA-regulated projects after that. I ran ecommerce in Beijing. I have been close enough to the systems that work to understand why they do, and close enough to the ones that fail to know that technology is not the gap. The rails were never built for these markets.
My first project in this industry was a decentralized social media platform. We built it to make equal access real. The person in Karachi should have the same voice as the person in San Francisco, alongside the same access to the financial tools that come with it. That belief stayed constant with me from scaling wallets and stablecoins to real world assets, and most recently lending markets, with Fira Finance, where I grew a lending protocol to close to $500 million in TVL. The products changed. The belief did not.
The infrastructure underneath those products kept failing the people who needed it most. Good products, broken rails.
That is why I joined Movement as Chief Marketing Officer.
Movement is the rails. Licensed, live, and already moving money in the corridors I know best. Most infrastructure plays in this space are roadmaps. Movement is a network that exists today, in the markets that have been waiting the longest for it. What I have spent my career building toward and what Movement has already built are the same thing. Joining was the only decision that made sense.
The work now is market-building. Finding the fintechs and neobanks across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America who need this infrastructure and making sure they know it exists. That’s the problem I have spent 15 years learning to solve.
I live in Africa. I use the products that run on this infrastructure. To me this is a family problem just as much as a financial one. The person sending money home, the neobank that cannot reach users across a border, the fintech building on rails that were never designed for where it operates. The network is for them.
15 years of building markets for things that do not have them yet. Yet, this time the problem being solved hits so much closer to home.
Disclaimer: In compliance with MiCA requirements, unauthorized stablecoins are subject to certain restrictions for EEA users. For more information, please click here. This is a general announcement and marketing communication. Products and services referred to here may not be available in your region. Fellow Binancians, From 2026-07-03 00:00 (UTC), Binance will update the campaign rule to this airdrop campaign, rewarding all eligible users who hold World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) on our platform. Eligible users will share rewards from a grand prize pool of 178 million World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokens. Key Update From 2026-07-03 00:00 (UTC), USD1 in Binance Futures or Margin accounts can receive a 1.2x bonus multiplier on rewards, only if the user’s Daily Open Interest on USD1 Futures pair(s) is maintained at a minimum of 300 USD1. Binance will take hourly daily snapshots of each user’s Open Interest each day and use the lowest recorded amount to determine if the users’ Daily Open Interest on that day meets the minimum requirement and their eligibility of the 1.2x bonus multiplier. Note: If the users’ Daily Open Interest on USD1 Futures pair is less than 300 USD1 on certain days, and hold more than 0.01 USD1 in their Margin or Futures Accounts, they will still receive 1x rewards on those days, just not the 1.2x bonus rewards. The rest of the campaign terms remain unchanged. Case examples: User A’s Daily Open Interest on USD1 Futures pair from Day 1 to Day 6 is maintained at 1,500 USD1, Day 7 at 100 USD1. Throughout the 7 days, the user holds 10,000 USD1 in Spot and 20,000 USD1 as collateral in Margin, and effective base APR is 20%, effective boosted APR is 24%, User A's rewards due to be received at the end of 7 days will be as follows:[(10,000 * 20% * 7) / 365] + [(20,000 * 24% * 6) / 365] + [(20,000 * 20% * 1) / 365] = 128.21 USD worth of WLFIUser B’s Daily Open Interest on the USD1 Futures pair is maintained at 1,500 USD1 throughout week 1. The user borrowed 5,000 USD1 from VIP loan or Margin (“liabilities”). Among this borrowed 5,000 USD1, 4,000 USD1 was used as collateral in Margin, the remaining 1,000 USD1 was held in their Spot Account in week 1. The effective base APR is 20%, effective boosted APR is 24%, User B’s rewards due to be received at the end of week 1 will be as follows:Qualifying Balance = 0 [(0 * 20% * 7) / 365] + [(0 * 24% * 7) / 365] = 0 USD worth of WLFIUser C’s Daily Open Interest throughout Week 1 was maintained at 100 USD1. The user had 1,000 USD1 in the Margin Account and used it as collateral to borrow 4,000 USDT through Margin (“Liabilities of the other Stablecoins”), then converted this 4,000 USDT to USD1. The user now holds 5,000 USD1 in Margin (“USD1 Balance”) in week 1. The effective base APR is 20%, effective boosted APR is 24%, User C’s rewards due to be received at the end of week 1 will be as follows:Daily Open Interest < 300, doesn’t qualify for 1.2x bonus rewards. Qualifying Balance = MAX [5,000 - 4,000, 0] + {5,000 - MAX[5,000 - 4,000, 0] } = 1,000 + (5,000 - 1,000) * (1 - 70%) = 2,200[(2,200 * 20% * 7) / 365] = 8.43 USD worth of WLFI Important Notes: Snapshots of user’s Open Interest will be taken at any point of time each hour to get users’ hourly Open Interest. The lowest USD1 Open Interest captured during those snapshots on each day will constitute their Daily Open Interest. If the Daily Open Interest is lower than 300 USD1 for a specific day, then for that day the user won’t receive 1.2x bonus rewards. Terms and Conditions: Users may not be eligible for rewards if there are active restrictions on their accounts.WLFI token value for airdrop distribution will be based on the official Binance market closing price one day before the airdrop distribution day.Snapshots of user balances and total pool balances will be taken multiple times at any point of time each hour to get users’ hourly balances in the aforementioned account categories. The lowest USD1 balance captured during those snapshots on each day will constitute the user’s Qualifying Balance and be used to calculate their rewards.At any snapshot time, any one of users’ supported assets must be greater than 0.01 USD1 to be included in the calculation.Broker accounts are not eligible for this campaign. Binance reserves the right to periodically update the rules to accommodate changes in legal, regulatory, or other factors.Users must complete account verification (KYC) and also be from an eligible jurisdiction to participate in the campaign. Currently, users residing in the following countries or regions will not be able to participate in the USD1 campaign (notwithstanding that they may hold USD1): Åland Islands (Finland), Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Crimea (Ukraine – disputed territory), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Donetsk People’s Republic, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luhansk People’s Republic, Luxembourg, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cuba, Réunion, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Martin (French part), Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America and its territories.Please note that the list of excluded countries provided here is not exhaustive and may be subject to changes due to evolving local rules, regulations, or other considerations. This list may be updated periodically to accommodate changes in legal, regulatory, or other factors.For clarity, references to “USD1” in the content above are not direct acronyms of the “United States Dollar” fiat currency unless otherwise specified.Binance reserves the right to disqualify a user’s reward eligibility if the account is involved in any dishonest behavior (e.g., wash trading, illegally bulk account registrations/logins, self dealing, or market manipulation). Binance further reserves the right to disqualify any participants who tamper with Binance program code, or interfere with the operation of Binance program code with other software.Binance reserves the right at any time in its sole and absolute discretion to determine and/or amend or vary these terms and conditions without prior notice, including but not limited to canceling, extending, terminating or suspending this Promotion, the eligibility terms and criteria, the selection and number of winners, and the timing of any act to be done, and all Participants shall be bound by these amendments.Binance reserves the right to suspend any user's Margin borrowing at any time, without prior notice, in its sole discretion, if any abnormal or suspicious activity is detected.There may be discrepancies between this original content in English and any translated versions. Please refer to the original English version for the most accurate information, in case any discrepancies arise. Thank you for your support! Binance Team 2026-07-02 Trade on-the-go with Binance’s crypto trading app (iOS/Android) Find us on TelegramWhatsAppXFacebookInstagramDiscord Binance reserves the right in its sole discretion to amend or cancel this announcement at any time and for any reasons without prior notice. Disclaimer: Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. The APR is calculated weekly, and is expressed as an annualised percentage yield for illustrative purposes only. Each APR is not indicative of future results. The APR is likely to fluctuate week-to-week and the estimated rewards may differ from the actual rewards generated. APR is an estimate of rewards you will earn in cryptocurrency over the selected timeframe. It does not display the actual or predicted returns/yield in any fiat currency. Past performance is not a reliable predictor of future performance. You should only invest in products you are familiar with and where you understand the risks. You should carefully consider your investment experience, financial situation, investment objectives and risk tolerance and consult an independent financial adviser prior to making any investment. This material should not be construed as financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use, and our Risk Warning. To learn more about how to protect yourself, visit our Responsible Trading page.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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Pump.fun (PUMP) edges higher on Thursday, building on support around $0.0014. The token trades above $0.0015, up by more than 13% on the day, backed by robust momentum indicators and a broadly recovering crypto market following weeks of heavy selling pressure.
PUMP derivatives activity climbs as risk appetite improvesRetail participation in the derivatives market remains relatively elevated, given that futures Open Interest (OI) averages 86.54 billion PUMP on Thursday, up from 84.68 billion PUMP the previous day. A broader scope suggests a stronger derivatives market at current levels than on June 24, when OI averaged 68.28 billion PUMP. If the growth is sustained, the increase in demand would support a short to medium-term recovery.
PUMP Futures OI | Source: CoinGlassPrice analysis: PUMP bulls test rebound strength PUMP holds elevated above $0.0015 after breaking a two-day bearish streak, with support around $0.0014 encouraging buyers to reengage and increase risk exposure. Despite the price increase, the token retains a mildly bearish near-term bias, with upside capped by descending trendline resistance around $0.0017, which converges with the 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at about 55 on the daily chart hints at improving but still moderate bullish momentum. Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram retains a bullish outlook on the same chart, suggesting recovery attempts are supported by PUMP's technical structure.
PUMP/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance is clustered near $0.0017, where the descending trendline and the 100-day EMA converge, before a stronger barrier emerges at the 200-day EMA around $0.0020. Looking down, the Parabolic SAR at $0.0012 offers the next meaningful support level, with a daily close below that signal likely opening the door to a deeper pullback in the short term.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Open Interest, funding rate FAQs Higher Open Interest is associated with higher liquidity and new capital inflow to the market. This is considered the equivalent of increase in efficiency and the ongoing trend continues. When Open Interest decreases, it is considered a sign of liquidation in the market, investors are leaving and the overall demand for an asset is on a decline, fueling a bearish sentiment among investors.
Funding fees bridge the difference between spot prices and prices of futures contracts of an asset by increasing liquidation risks faced by traders. A consistently high and positive funding rate implies there is a bullish sentiment among market participants and there is an expectation of a price hike. A consistently negative funding rate for an asset implies a bearish sentiment, indicating that traders expect the cryptocurrency’s price to fall and a bearish trend reversal is likely to occur.
DeFiLlama has cut all ties with DL News after unidentified buyers acquired the outlet’s website and X (Twitter) account. The analytics platform says no future posts from the brand carry its endorsement.
Core developer 0xngmi went further, warning users not to trust anything the brand publishes. DL News ended editorial operations in May 2026 before its assets changed hands.
From DeFiLlama News Arm to Sold AssetDL News launched in 2022 as the news arm of DeFiLlama, the open-source analytics platform tracking DeFi deposits. Unlike the platform, however, the outlet was built to turn a profit.
DeFiLlama announced the break in a July 1 statement on X.
“New owners have taken over the @dlnews website and assets. We expect them to resume posting soon. They’re no longer affiliated with DefiLlama in any way. We can’t corroborate any information about outreach and no posts should be considered to be endorsed by us.”
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
The relationship fractured in March 2023, when 0xngmi publicly threatened a fork over a LLAMA token plan the team opposed. The sides reconciled within days, but the newsroom operated separately for the next two years.
1/3 The DeFiLlama team would like to apologize for the events that unfolded yesterday, as a result of poor communication and a misunderstanding within the team.
— DefiLlama.com (@DefiLlama) March 20, 2023 Director Paige Aarhus announced the closure on May 7, citing shrinking readership and AI’s damage to search traffic.
DL Research, its 2024 commercial arm, grew revenue by 270% in 2025 and crossed the seven-figure mark. The growth still failed to offset the audience collapse.
DeFiLlama, meanwhile, continues to operate as normal. It recently drew scrutiny for relisting Aster perpetual data, a sign of how closely users watch its neutrality.
Why DeFiLlama’s DL News Buyback Failed0xngmi told users not to trust anything published under the DL News name, likely indicating the open-source analytics platform no longer endorses the publication.
Further, the core developer explained that DeFiLlama attempted to buy the assets after the shutdown but failed.
Obviously I wouldn't have sold it but it was not owned by me
After dlnews shut down we even tried to purchase it as defillama just to fully close it, but it wasnt possible
— 0xngmi (@0xngmi) July 2, 2026 The purchase failed because the brand belonged to Llama Corp, a Dubai-based entity, not the analytics team.
“Why does being sold mean it can’t be trusted? Doesn’t automatically follow, new ownership doesn’t guarantee bad journalism,” one user challenged.
The core developer did not immediately respond to BeInCrypto’s request for comment.
The site still lists Llama Corp in its footer and displays the closure notice.
DeFiLlama Cuts Ties With DL News After Surprise Ownership SaleThe buyers remain unidentified. But market data suggests why the brand still found one.
An April 2026 analysis of 107 crypto news sites found more than 40 with zero organic traffic. Five outlets captured 78% of search visits.
That concentration gives dormant brands residual value. AI tools also drive over 25% of referrals to US crypto media, rewarding domains with citation history.
Trust remains the open question. Research shows crypto press releases can move risky asset prices, and an inherited newsroom brand could carry similar influence.
Whether the new owners identify themselves once publishing resumes may decide how much credibility survives the transfer.
Bitwise said STRC’s collapse is a classic late-cycle deleveraging event, not a sign of impending liquidation at Strategy.Strategy’s new framework shifts MSTR from a one-way bitcoin buyer to a more flexible capital allocator.The asset manager expects institutional investors, not Strategy, to become bitcoin’s dominant source of demand in the next cycle.Asset manager Bitwise said the sharp decline in Strategy’s (MSTR) perpetual preferred stock, STRC, is a hallmark of a maturing crypto cycle rather than evidence of a looming crisis at the company.
Bitcoin’s recent pullback below $60,000 coincided with STRC breaking from its intended $100 par value, as investors questioned Strategy’s willingness to maintain preferred dividend payments.
While the selloff rattled markets, Bitwise argued Strategy remains fundamentally well-capitalized, with roughly $52 billion in liquid assets against about $7 billion of debt.
"The volatility in STRC is a natural and important part of the crypto cycle. I think we’re nearing the bottom," Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said in a Wednesday blog post.
Bitcoin was trading around $61,400 at publication time, STRC at $88.
According to Hougan, Strategy’s decision to stop defending STRC’s $100 price through automatic rate hikes, and instead allow the security to trade freely while retaining the option to sell bitcoin or repurchase STRC, was a pragmatic response to deteriorating market conditions.
Earlier this week, Strategy unveiled a capital framework allowing selective bitcoin sales to fund preferred dividends, while authorizing preferred share repurchases and stock buybacks. It also set a minimum cash reserve covering 12 months of preferred dividend and interest payments. Its $2.55 billion cash balance currently covers about 17 months.
Hougan said the episode marks a broader shift in Strategy’s role within bitcoin markets. Rather than serving as crypto’s dominant, one-way buyer, the firm is likely to become a more flexible participant whose bitcoin purchases or sales depend on market conditions.
Looking ahead, Bitwise believes institutional investors, including asset managers, banks, pensions, endowments and sovereign funds, are positioned to replace Strategy as bitcoin’s primary source of demand.
More broadly, STRC volatility is seen as part of the leverage unwind that typically marks the late stages of every crypto cycle. As speculative excess is flushed from the system, the market moves closer to establishing a durable bottom, though the exact timing remains impossible to predict, the report added.
Wall Street bank JPMorgan said Strategy's new policy allowing selective bitcoin sales to fund preferred dividends creates avoidable two-way risk, increasing uncertainty and market volatility.
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
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Building the Zcash Machine: Tachyon and Quantum Readiness
Building the Zcash Machine: Tachyon and Quantum Readiness
Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Jun 30, 2026
Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Why it matters:
Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Somewhere in Nairobi, someone just paid for a cab ride with Bitcoin. Not in the “sold BTC on an exchange, withdrew to a bank account, then transferred funds” kind of way. The actual, tap-your-phone-and-go kind of way. And the driver received Kenyan shillings instantly without ever touching a crypto wallet.
That’s the promise of Tando, a Kenyan payments app founded by Jason and Sabina Waithira that has quietly built a bridge between Bitcoin’s Lightning Network and M-Pesa, Kenya’s dominant mobile money system.
How Tando actually works A customer pays in Bitcoin over the Lightning Network. Tando converts it to Kenyan shillings instantly. The merchant receives KES directly into their M-Pesa account. No crypto wallet required on the merchant’s end, no volatility risk, no waiting around for block confirmations.
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The app launched in July 2024 and was already processing over 100 transactions daily by mid-2025. Users pay no additional transaction fees, which removes one of the biggest friction points that has historically plagued crypto payments.
In May 2026, Tando hit a milestone that explains why this story matters beyond Kenya’s borders. The app enabled approximately 40 million Kenyans to receive Bitcoin payments by converting their M-Pesa phone numbers directly into Lightning addresses. Forty million people, roughly the entire adult population of Kenya, can now be on the receiving end of a Lightning payment without downloading anything new or understanding what a satoshi is.
Why Kenya is the perfect testing ground To understand why this works in Kenya specifically, you need to understand M-Pesa. Launched in 2007 by Safaricom, M-Pesa essentially turned every phone number into a bank account long before the rest of the world started talking about “financial inclusion.”
Real-world use cases have already been demonstrated publicly. During the 2024 African Bitcoin Conference, attendees used Tando to pay for transportation fares and restaurant bills. By the time the Bitcoin Nairobi Conference rolled around in June 2026, the app’s new capability of converting M-Pesa numbers into Lightning addresses was a major talking point.
The founders champion a “spend, not sell” approach to Bitcoin. Rather than treating BTC as a speculative asset you eventually cash out, the idea is to use it as actual money.
What this means for investors and the broader market Tando has demonstrated that you can plug Bitcoin into an existing, trusted, widely adopted financial system without asking merchants to change anything about how they operate. The merchant doesn’t need a wallet. They don’t need to understand Lightning channels. They just get shillings.
The risk, of course, is regulatory. Kenya’s approach to crypto regulation has been evolving, and any sudden policy shift could disrupt Tando’s operations. There’s also the question of sustainability: processing payments with zero fees is a great user acquisition strategy, but it’s not an obvious business model.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
