Crypto companies have spent $189 million on the 2026 U.S. midterm elections so far, accounting for 37% of all corporate political spending this cycle, according to a new Public Citizen report.
Ripple, Crypto.com, And Coinbase Are Writing The Biggest ChecksEntities tied to Gemini (NASDAQ:GEMI) and the Winklevoss twins added another $25.7 million, bringing those four groups alone to roughly $149 million combined.
The money flows primarily to two destinations. Fairshake, the crypto-focused super PAC, received $82.6 million in crypto-related contributions this cycle.
MAGA Inc., the Trump-backing super PAC, received $56.2 million from crypto companies, with Crypto.com alone sending $35 million directly to that vehicle.
Crypto Is Outspending AI, Big Tech, And Online Betting CombinedThe report puts total corporate political spending across crypto, AI, big tech, and online betting at $294 million this cycle.
Crypto accounts for $189 million of that total on its own, more than AI and big tech ($60 million) and online betting ($45.6 million) put together.
Andreessen Horowitz leads all corporate donors at $51.65 million, but shifted its focus this cycle toward the AI-prioritizing Leading the Future PAC with a $50 million contribution, stepping back from its prior heavy involvement with Fairshake.
Cantor Fitzgerald, the Wall Street firm that serves as Tether’s banking partner, contributed $10 million to Fellowship PAC, a third crypto-focused political vehicle.
The CLARITY Act Is What This Money Is Trying To BuyCrypto’s 2024 spending helped pass the GENIUS Act, which created a federal framework for stablecoins.
The industry is now pushing for the CLARITY Act, which would extend federal regulation to the broader crypto market.
That bill has stalled in the Senate, and analysts say it almost certainly dies if Democrats retake the House in November before it passes.
Public Citizen Research Director Rick Claypool said the full amount of corporate spending is likely higher than FEC disclosures show, since dark money groups allow corporations to conceal contributions entirely.
The $189 million figure already exceeds crypto’s entire $170 million spend during the 2024 election cycle, and November is still four months away.
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XRP is currently hovering close to a crucial support area as technical indicators and on-chain data point in different directions. While short-term rebound scenarios are being discussed, ongoing selling activity from large investors continues to exert downward pressure on the price. Against this backdrop, XRP’s near-term outlook appears set to fluctuate around the $1.06 level as July 2026 approaches.
Signs point to possible short-term recoveryOn the daily chart, the Tom DeMark Sequential indicator has triggered a “9” candle signal, viewed as a sign of exhaustion after the latest round of selling. This development suggests that the downward trend is weakening and a brief price recovery could be on the horizon.
Adding to the positive signals, XRP has formed a Morning Star Doji pattern over the past three sessions, which in technical analysis often indicates that downward momentum is fading and a local bottom may be forming. If buying volume picks up notably, the price could first target $1.27, followed by the $1.35 zone.
Network data reveals higher usageOn-chain activity on the XRP Ledger has accelerated in recent weeks. Data from Santiment shows that the number of daily active addresses has risen from 23,000 to around 40,000, marking an almost 50% increase in a short period. The XRP Ledger is known as the distributed ledger infrastructure where transactions in the Ripple ecosystem are recorded.
Santiment noted that some of the address increase may be driven by internal movements between wallets, rather than new demand.
This assessment suggests that while on-chain activity is rising, it does not necessarily confirm strong market demand on its own. Nevertheless, the growing usage is not being dismissed entirely, as it could support liquidity conditions and influence price dynamics.
Large investor sales highlight key supportDespite these positive signals, significant attention is being drawn to ongoing sales by large holders. According to Santiment, major investors—often referred to as whales—have sold over 30 million XRP within the past five days. If this selling continues, it could limit any potential upward movement in the short term.
Data from Glassnode highlights the $1.06 level as a critical support point for XRP. More than 830 million XRP have previously changed hands in this zone, making it an area closely watched by analysts as a potential region where buyers could return in strength.
If the price remains above $1.06, the prospects for a short-term recovery improve. However, if this support is breached, subsequent support levels are seen at $0.80, $0.62, and $0.51. Currently, XRP finds itself at a pivotal point, with bullish signals and selling pressure creating a delicate balance in the market.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
XRP and HYPE ETFs saw significant net inflows in June 2026, amounting to $59 million and $161 million, respectively, according to CoinDesk. This development contrasts with the broader trend of outflows in Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs during the same period. These inflows may indicate increased institutional interest in these assets, supported by regulatory developments such as the CLARITY Act for XRP and strong on-chain demand for HYPE. XRP’s price hovered around $1.30 in early June, while HYPE reached approximately $57, close to its all-time high.
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Key Takeaways XRP and HYPE ETFs’ net inflows in June suggest growing institutional interest, contrasting with outflows in other crypto ETFs. Market pricing suggests that the inflow into XRP ETFs could influence XRP’s price, potentially pushing it higher. Regulatory clarity and robust on-chain demand appear to support these inflows and the positive market sentiment surrounding XRP and HYPE. What to Watch Watch for the potential impact of regulatory developments, particularly the passage of the CLARITY Act, which could further influence XRP’s price movement. Additionally, any significant announcements from major asset managers regarding XRP ETFs might affect the pricing. Observing XRP’s ability to break resistance levels, such as $1.45, and market reactions to broader crypto trends will be crucial in the coming days.
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Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h July 6 1.8% — — View market → July 6 26% — — View market → July 6 55.5% — — View market → July 6 1.4% — — View market → July 6 2.2% — — View market →
Blockchain development firm Peersyst has revealed plans for a major new upgrade to the XRP Ledger EVM sidechain, known as XRPL EVM. This sidechain brings Ethereum-compatible smart contract capabilities to the XRP Ledger. The company stated that version 11 of the software will strengthen economic security, make cross-chain operations safer, improve validator management, and enhance the resilience of the network’s infrastructure.
Testnet proposal might arrive this weekAccording to Peersyst, an initial proposal for the upgrade could be introduced on the testnet as early as this week, with the transition to the mainnet to follow. The XRPL EVM sidechain was first launched on mainnet in June 2025. Since then, the network has undergone gradual improvements, including the integration of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin into the ecosystem in June.
Peersyst highlights that the main goal of version 11 is not to introduce new features, but to make the network more secure, resilient, and easier to operate.
The company also noted that many of the changes introduced in this release may not be immediately noticeable to developers or end-users. Nevertheless, the upgrade is expected to play a fundamental role in ensuring the long-term security and stability of the network.
Two major changes in validator structureVersion 11 brings a range of new developments, particularly in validator management, cross-chain infrastructure, and internal security processes. Peersyst describes this as a security-first update. The highlights include bolstering economic security, reducing the network’s attack surface, and strengthening both the validator and IBC layers.
Mini glossary: IBC refers to the communication layer that enables different blockchains to transfer data and assets between each other. Proof of Authority is a consensus model where validators are selected based on an authorization mechanism, rather than open participation.
XRPL EVM operates using the Proof of Authority consensus model. In this system, joining the validator set depends on approval from a designated authority instead of open staking. With version 11, the standard method for creating validators will be closed after network launch, effectively preventing any party outside the authorized mechanism from joining the validator set.
The update also introduces a significant change in how validators leave the system. Now, validators will be able to exit the network at their own discretion, without having to wait for intervention from the authority. This move is intended to streamline operational processes and provide more flexibility in validator management.
AI-powered audit processPeersyst also disclosed that the XRPL EVM sidechain now undergoes regular, AI-supported security audits. Version 11 will be the first release to fully benefit from this new end-to-end audit process. The company aims for this approach to make internal security processes more systematic and to support earlier identification of potential vulnerabilities.
The v11 release is described as a comprehensive update package that prioritizes economic security, minimizes attack surfaces, and reinforces both validator and IBC layers.
This approach underscores Peersyst’s commitment to enhancing the robustness and resilience of the XRPL EVM sidechain. The company is focused on long-term improvements rather than short-term feature additions, and these changes are positioned as vital for the ecosystem’s future stability.
Although end-users and developers may not immediately notice direct impacts, Peersyst emphasizes that these underlying changes are expected to fortify the network’s foundation. The improvements align with industry best practices on blockchain security and validator governance.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cover image via U.Today 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.
TL;DR
Shiba Inu entered Q3 with a major supply shift: investors withdrew 2.6 trillion SHIB from centralized exchanges after the token closed its worst Q2 on record with a 29.5% quarterly drop.XRP defended the $1 level at the Q2 close: buyers held the token above its key psychological support as the price bounced near the 3-month 23 EMA, preserving the broader bullish structure.Citi cut its Bitcoin forecast by 27%: the bank lowered its 12-month BTC target from $112,000 to $82,000, citing capital rotation from crypto into artificial intelligence.Bitcoin is stuck near critical support: BTC is trading close to $58,500 after its worst month in a year, with the $53,000–$58,000 zone now deciding whether Citi's bearish $53,000 scenario comes into play.The broader crypto market opens July defensively: ETF outflows, tighter Fed expectations, stalled U.S. crypto legislation and thin holiday liquidity leave traders exposed to sudden weekend moves.Investors withdrew 2.6 trillion SHIB from exchanges after the worst quarter in historyThe meme-cryptocurrency market closed the quarter with a major regrouping of forces. According to Arkham, on June 30, investors withdrew 2.6 trillion Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens from centralized exchanges in a single move. This powerful on-chain outflow was the culmination of an entire month — for thirty days, major players had been systematically draining wallets on trading platforms such as Binance and Kraken.
The massive token withdrawal coincided with a historic low. According to CryptoRank statistics, Shiba Inu has just closed the worst second quarter in its history, with Q2 2026 ending in a -29.5% decline. In June alone, the token fell by 24%, dropping to the $0.000004194 level — SHIB has never had such a prolonged summer downtrend in all previous years.
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On-chain exchange flow for Shiba Inu (SHIB), Source: ArkhamThe only clear pattern behind this pre-Q3 exodus is historical cycles: for the last four years, from 2022 to 2026, July has always closed in positive territory for SHIB — for example, by +13.4% in 2022 and +8.92% in 2025. Moving assets to cold wallets right before July technically dries up exchange supply, reducing pressure on order books before the start of the new quarter.
Nevertheless, this token deficit is only an internal movement of capital. Whether it turns into a July rally, or whether the transfer of 2.6 trillion SHIB was just a routine technical reshuffling inside funds with no connection to growth expectations, will become clear in the coming weeks.
Rare macro trend saved XRP at the Q2 closeXRP buyers managed to defend the key psychological level of $1.00 at the most important moment — the close of Q2 2026. The June decline, triggered by a broader cooling of the crypto market, stopped around $1.01–$1.04 — exactly where the chart met a strong long-term support level that had been forming over the past several years.
The main protective factor for the asset was a rare macro trend. On the three-month (3M) chart by TradingView, it is clearly visible that the price landed precisely on the 23-period exponential moving average (23 EMA). This green indicator line acted like a reinforced-concrete barrier, as it protected the global uptrend and did not allow sellers to close the quarterly candle below the critical dollar mark.
3-month XRP price chart with moving averages attached, Source: TradingViewPanic among retail traders during the sell-off was offset by a restrained external backdrop and the cold calculation of major players. Some of the market pressure was eased by steady capital inflows into spot XRP ETFs and the long-awaited completion of important regulatory deadlines in the United States.
In particular, this refers to the California Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL), which came into force on July 1, and for which Ripple adapted its custody services in time, reducing legal risks.
Holding the moving average at the Q2 close preserved the integrity of XRP's global bullish structure. The fact that the price held above $1.00 protected the market from automatic stop-order triggers, which otherwise could have set off a deep chain correction at the very start of July.
AI instead of crypto: Why Citigroup cut its Bitcoin forecast to $82,000American investment bank Citigroup revised its expectations for the cryptocurrency market, cutting its 12-month Bitcoin forecast from $112,000 to $82,000 and its Ether forecast from $3,175 to $2,240.
The main reason for such a significant revision of its models was the massive outflow of institutional capital into the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, which is now showing record returns and appears to be a more tangible growth driver for large investors.
Against this backdrop of rotation, Citi analysts completely reset their expectations for net inflows into spot ETFs over the next year, lowering the target from the previous $10 billion to zero. This is supported by stark market statistics: since the beginning of the current year, net outflows from Bitcoin funds have already exceeded $3.3 billion.
Citigroup updated base case for Bitcoin aligned with upper Bollinger Band on a weekly timeframe, Source: TradingView Additional pressure on the industry is coming from the prolonged political deadlock in the U.S. Senate, where the adoption of sector-specific legislation has stalled, as well as from growing risks that large corporate treasuries may begin selling their digital reserves to cover operating expenses.
Under its updated scenarios, Citi sees Bitcoin's base-case target at $82,000. However, if capital outflows from ETFs accelerate further, a severe bearish scenario could be triggered, sending the price down to $53,000.
Crypto market outlook: Break below the 200-week MA and ETF flight pin Bitcoin to supportThe crypto market is opening July in deep defense mode: fear is intensifying, capitalization is shrinking again, and Bitcoin is holding near a yearly low after its worst month in a year. Pressure is coming from three factors at once — record ETF outflows, a more hawkish Warsh-led Fed, and the failed momentum around the CLARITY Act.
Key checkpoints:
Bitcoin's trend breakdown: BTC is trading near $58,500, losing 2.2% over the past 24 hours and staying close to its yearly low of $58,190 after falling 20.5% in June. It also closed below the 200-week moving average (MA) for the first time since 2023.Regulatory split in the EU: The launch of MiCA on July 1 forced Binance, MEXC and Bitget to suspend part of their services in the European Union. The delisting of USDT affected the stability of $186 billion in capital. OKX, Backpack and Coinbase are introducing deposit bonuses to capture the freed-up share of the European market.Record ETF exhaustion: Spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $4.5 billion in June — the worst month since the instrument launched in 2024. The main blow fell on BlackRock's IBIT, from which investors withdrew $3.55 billion.The Warsh Fed removes the macro driver: The first meeting under Kevin Warsh shifted market expectations toward tighter policy. The updated dot plot effectively removed the fast rate-cut scenario and left the crypto market without a key growth catalyst.Political deadlock around the CLARITY Act: The odds of the law passing in 2026 on Polymarket fell to 48%, down from 74% a month earlier. The reason is the breakdown of negotiations over ethics provisions. The next window for legislative progress will open only after senators return on July 13.Macro calendar and thin liquidity: On Thursday, July 2, the Non-Farm Payrolls report, the unemployment rate and Initial Jobless Claims will be the nearest test. The situation is worsened by the long weekend in the U.S. for Independence Day on July 4. The closure of traditional venues and the absence of U.S. market makers will sharply reduce order book depth, multiplying the risks of manipulation and cascading liquidations over the weekend. You Might Also Like
REAL launches a confidential execution layer using ZKsync's Prividium tech, letting banks and funds manage tokenized assets onchain with privacy controls and Ethereum settlement.
REAL, a blockchain infrastructure provider focused on tokenized real-world assets, has rolled out a confidential execution layer aimed at regulated financial firms that want to operate onchain without broadcasting every move.
The new layer runs parallel to REAL's public Layer 1 network and uses ZKsync's Prividium technology, which gives banks, asset managers, and funds privacy controls over positions, allocations, and counterparty data. Settlement still happens on Ethereum, so institutions retain access to public liquidity even while keeping sensitive activity off the open network.
For years, regulated firms have faced a structural tradeoff. Public blockchains offer global reach, near-instant settlement, and composability, but they also expose treasury strategies, portfolio positions, and trading relationships to anyone watching the chain. That visibility has kept many of the largest potential participants out of the tokenized real-world asset market, even as issuance volumes climbed.
REAL is positioning the confidential layer as a direct response to that gap. The architecture lets firms keep privacy and public settlement together, with the confidential chain handling sensitive activity while the public chain provides access to onchain liquidity.
"Institutions shouldn't have to choose between public liquidity and operational privacy. We're building infrastructure that delivers both," said Ivo Georgiev, CEO of Real Finance.
The company's view is that issuance volumes alone will not define the next phase of tokenization. What matters is whether institutions can run their daily operations on these systems.
The new layer is designed around workflows where confidentiality is a baseline requirement: wealth and asset management mandates, balance sheet operations, tokenized deposit structures, and selective disclosure to auditors, compliance officers, and regulators when a review calls for it. Firms still get blockchain-native settlement and distribution, but their portfolio activity does not sit in plain view.
The release extends REAL's broader pitch around the lifecycle of tokenized real-world assets, which spans issuance, risk assessment, insurance, trading, and institutional execution under one compliance-aware architecture. The company has been building toward an environment where regulated capital can move onchain without forcing operators to rebuild reporting and oversight processes from scratch.
"This is about giving institutions a practical path into onchain finance," Georgiev added. "Real-world assets onchain require infrastructure that reflects how regulated finance actually operates. That's what we're building."
Tokenized real-world assets have drawn growing interest from major banks, asset managers, and other regulated firms over the past two years. The pitch is straightforward: blockchains can move money and assets faster and at lower cost than legacy rails. The friction has come from infrastructure that does not match how institutional desks actually operate, especially around confidentiality of positions and counterparties.
REAL is built on Cosmos Tendermint and uses a dual-validator model that includes both technical validators and business validators such as tokenizers, risk scorers, insurers, and credit agencies. Prividium, the underlying privacy infrastructure for the new layer, is ZKsync's product for regulated entities seeking configurable confidentiality and Ethereum settlement.
The company is headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Winklevoss Twins are moving Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to Gemini crypto exchange, blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence flagged the transfers as selloffs by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Meanwhile, BTC and ETH prices continue to remain under pressure.
Winklevoss Twins Are Dumping Bitcoin and Ethereum to Gemini Arkham Intelligence reported on July 1 that the Winklevoss Twins transferred $60 million in Bitcoin (BTC) to hot wallets associated with their Gemini crypto exchange. The blockchain analytics firm claimed that the move signals usual selling patterns.
The Winklevoss Twins have made about $1.7 billion in total Bitcoin profit since 2015. They still hold over $300 million in BTC.
In addition, they moved $7 million in Ethereum (ETH) to Gemini hot wallets from custody. These transfers come amid recent weakness in the broader crypto market. Also, it coincided with a significant drop in odds of the Clarity Act passing this year after President Trump disclosed $1.4 billion in crypto windfall.
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss last transferred Bitcoin worth $67.5 million to hot wallets associated with their Gemini crypto exchange in June. They also transferred $130 million in March this year.
Winklevoss Twins Move Bitcoin and Ethereum to Gemini. Source: Arkham BTC and ETH Prices to Fall Deeper? Citigroup further lowered its 12-month price forecasts for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Citigroup cut Bitcoin price target from $112,000 to $82,000 and Ethereum price target from $3,175 to $2,240.
Bitcoin price tanked to a low of $57,747 over the past 24 hours and is currently trading near $58,600. Furthermore, trading volume has increased by 9% over the last 24 hours, but $4.5 billion in net outflows from Bitcoin ETFs in June kept investors at bay.
Analyst Ted Pillows said “Sellers are still dominating, while Coinbase Bitcoin Premium is at its lowest level this cycle.” If Bitcoin loses the $57,000-$58,000 zone, the price could drop deeper towards $50K.
Bitcoin Price in Daily Timeframe. Source: Ted Pillows Meanwhile, Ethereum price is trading 1% lower at $1,572. The intraday low and high are 1,549 and 1,600, respectively, with a further drop in trading volume over the past 24 hours.
Analyst Cheds Trading pointed out that Ethereum has made its lowest monthly close since 2023. Also, the monthly chart has formed Red Marubozu pattern, indicating bearish continuation.
Ethereum Monthly Price Chart. Source: Cheds Trading If you’re looking to buy the dip in the crypto market across both centralized and decentralized lending models, check out our Best Crypto Loan Platforms of 2026 recommendations list.
Crédit Agricole, Europe's third-largest bank by assets, has launched the EURO eXchange Token (EURXT), a euro-backed stablecoin issued through its asset servicing arm, Crédit Agricole Caisse d'Epargne Investor Services (CACEIS).
CACEIS announced the launch on Wednesday, alongside the first subscription using EURXT into a tokenized Amundi Money Market Fund.
Issued on the Ethereum blockchain, EURXT is an electronic money token (EMT) pegged 1:1 to the euro. It is initially targeted at institutional investors and corporate clients as part of Crédit Agricole’s plan to accelerate its push into tokenized finance.
The launch adds to growing competition among traditional financial institutions exploring stablecoins and tokenization, as major banks move to bring blockchain-based settlement into mainstream financial markets. HSBC and BNP Paribas, Europe's top two banks by assets according to S&P Global, last September joined the Canton Foundation to accelerate tokenization of institutional real-world assets.
Reserves and supply structureAccording to the project’s white paper, there is no hard cap on EURXT issuance, meaning the supply can expand based on demand through its smart contract system.
“As of the date of the white paper, there is no limit on the issuance of EURXT. The number of EURXT in circulation will depend on market demand,” the white paper reads.
Source: Stable-xt.io
According to data from the project’s website, there are 20.02 million EURXT tokens in circulation at launch, matched by roughly 20.02 million euros in reserves held by CACEIS Bank.
CACEIS secured MiCA license in FranceThe EURXT stablecoin launches in compliance with Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA), the European Union’s crypto regulatory framework targeting crypto exchanges and issuers of digital assets.
The launch comes a year after CACEIS secured a MiCA crypto-asset service provider (CASP) license from French regulators in June 2025.
Source: Stable-xt.io
Cointelegraph was unable to locate the EMT approval on the register by the European Securities and Markets Authority, shown as last updated on June 26. A spokesperson for CACEIS told Cointelegraph that the French banking regulator, the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR), has authorized CACEIS Bank to issue EURXT, and that the ESMA register has not yet been updated to reflect the authorization.
The launch of EURXT adds to a wave of fresh stablecoin launches both in Europe and globally as traditional finance and crypto-native companies compete to issue regulated digital dollars and euros.
In Europe, AllUnity has been expanding its MiCA-compliant stablecoin stack, while Quantoz Payments continues rolling out euro-denominated stablecoins.
In the US, more than 140 companies, including Visa, Mastercard, Coinbase and Ripple, have joined the Open USD (OUSD) stablecoin project, which lets participants mint the dollar-pegged token at no cost and keep all earnings from its reserves.
Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight
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The cryptocurrency market trades under intense headwinds on Wednesday, led by Bitcoin’s (BTC) deepening sell-off below $60,000. The Crypto King hovers above $58,000.
Altcoins such as Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) are tracking Bitcoin’s downward momentum, with ETH confined to the $1,500–$1,600 range and XRP testing critical support at the $1.00 level.
Crypto sentiment remains fragile as capital outflows persistSentiment in the broader crypto market remains significantly subdued, as reflected in the Fear & Greed Index, which holds in Extreme Fear territory at 11 on Wednesday, down from 15 the previous day. Persistently weak risk appetite dampens demand for risk assets and constrains price movement across the market.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: AlternativeOutflows from US-listed Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) underscore waning institutional interest, with $223 million withdrawn on Tuesday alone. This marks the ninth consecutive day of net redemptions, reinforcing the ongoing bearish narrative.
Despite the outflows, cumulative inflows remain positive at $51.15 billion, while net assets under management average $70.95 billion.
Bitcoin ETF flows | Source: SoSoValueEthereum spot ETFs present a similar grim picture to BTC, with outflows totaling $28 million on Tuesday, down slightly from $30 million on Monday. According to SoSoValue, ETH ETF outflows have persisted for the ninth consecutive day, reflecting ongoing market caution.
Despite the current market headwinds, cumulative inflows hold steady at $10.85 billion, with total assets under management at $8.33 billion, signaling that conviction among long-term investors remains resilient.
Ethereum ETF flows | Source: SoSoValueInterest in XRP spot ETFs took a downturn, with nearly $3 million in outflows on Tuesday, after logging two consecutive days of notable inflows totaling $16 million on Friday and $15 million on Monday.
Cumulative inflows hold steady at $1.48 billion while net assets under management average $944 million, according to SoSoValue data. Appetite for XRP investment products has remained relatively steady despite the headwinds experienced in recent weeks.
XRP ETF flows | Source: SoSoValuePrice analysis: Bitcoin extends losses amid technical weaknessBitcoin trades at above $58,000, keeping a clear bearish bias as price sits well below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs).
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram remains slightly negative while both lines hover below the zero line on the daily chart, and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) holds near 30, which together suggests persistent but somewhat fatigued downside momentum rather than an imminent bullish reversal.
BTC/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance emerges at the 50-day EMA near $66,333, with further barriers at the 100-day EMA around $70,124 and the broken descending trendline region close to $75,348, before the broader bearish cap from the 200-day EMA at about $76,174. This is the first time Bitcoin has traded around the $58,000 psychological support since September 2024, underscoring the broader bearish outlook. Other key areas of interest for traders include $56,000 and $52,000, where investors may reengage to increase exposure.
Altcoins technical outlook: Ethereum and XRPEthereum trades at $1,575 maintaining a bearish near‑term bias as the spot price holds well below the key moving averages. The 50‑day EMA at roughly $1,814 sits as the nearest dynamic cap, with the 100‑day EMA around $1,994 and the 200‑day EMA near $2,286 reinforcing a broader downtrend structure.
The MACD histogram has inched into positive territory on the daily chart, hinting at a modest attempt to stabilize, but the RSI hovering in the mid‑30s suggests that rebounds are still occurring within a weak, corrective context rather than a sustained trend reversal.
ETH/USDT daily chartOn the topside, immediate resistance lies at the 50‑day EMA around $1,815. A daily close above this zone would be required to ease the current downside pressure and open the way toward the descending trendline resistance near $1,946. Beyond these barriers, the 100‑day EMA at about $1,994 and the 200‑day EMA close to $2,286 form successive hurdles that would need to be reclaimed to shift the medium‑term outlook back toward a constructive bias. Looking down, trading below the narrow range support at $1,500 could reinforce an extended bearish trend.
XRP trades at $1.04, keeping a bearish near-term tone as it sits well below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day EMAs clustered from roughly $1.19 to $1.52. The long-standing descending resistance trendline, with a break price around $1.23, continues to cap the broader structure, while the RSI hovering near 33 on the daily chart hints at lingering weak momentum rather than a decisive oversold rebound.
The MACD histogram holds just below zero with a marginally negative reading, suggesting downside pressure is fading but not yet reversed.
XRP/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance lies at the 50-day EMA near $1.19, with the trendline break area around $1.23 acting as the next barrier if buyers attempt a recovery. Above that, the 100-day EMA around $1.30 forms a more substantial cap, ahead of the 200-day EMA near $1.52, which defines the upper boundary of the broader bearish regime. Conversely, price action below the current area at $1.04 will be driven by whether sellers can extend the current slide or if oversold conditions entice a corrective bounce back toward those overhead EMAs. The next psychological support lies at $1.00.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Crypto ETF FAQs An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment vehicle or an index that tracks the price of an underlying asset. ETFs can not only track a single asset, but a group of assets and sectors. For example, a Bitcoin ETF tracks Bitcoin’s price. ETF is a tool used by investors to gain exposure to a certain asset.
Yes. The first Bitcoin futures ETF in the US was approved by the US Securities & Exchange Commission in October 2021. A total of seven Bitcoin futures ETFs have been approved, with more than 20 still waiting for the regulator’s permission. The SEC says that the cryptocurrency industry is new and subject to manipulation, which is why it has been delaying crypto-related futures ETFs for the last few years.
Yes. The SEC approved in January 2024 the listing and trading of several Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Funds, opening the door to institutional capital and mainstream investors to trade the main crypto currency. The decision was hailed by the industry as a game changer.
The main advantage of crypto ETFs is the possibility of gaining exposure to a cryptocurrency without ownership, reducing the risk and cost of holding the asset. Other pros are a lower learning curve and higher security for investors since ETFs take charge of securing the underlying asset holdings. As for the main drawbacks, the main one is that as an investor you can’t have direct ownership of the asset, or, as they say in crypto, “not your keys, not your coins.” Other disadvantages are higher costs associated with holding crypto since ETFs charge fees for active management. Finally, even though investing in ETFs reduces the risk of holding an asset, price swings in the underlying cryptocurrency are likely to be reflected in the investment vehicle too.
AAVE added 1,806 fresh wallet addresses in a single day on Ethereum, a level not seen since October 2021. The number came from an on-chain update from Santiment, and it lands at a moment when the token had already surged 23% in a week. But the network growth number cuts through the noise of a quick price spike. It points to something less fleeting: a material expansion in the number of market participants interacting with the protocol.
Network growth measures the count of new wallet addresses making their first on-chain move. When that metric jumps to a nearly five-year high, the market tends to pay attention. It’s not the same as a social volume spike or a one-day trade flow anomaly. New wallets can signal the early stage of onboarding—the phase that often precedes deposit growth, borrowing demand, and the kind of sticky on-chain activity that DeFi protocols need to build sustainable revenue.
Why a five-year high in network growth matters Aave’s Ethereum deployment has been the backbone of its lending market for years. Seeing 1,806 new wallets show up in a single 24-hour window suggests the recent DeFi revival is pulling in participants who were not previously active in the protocol. That matters because fresh wallets tend to test the waters with small deposits first, and if conditions remain favorable, some of them stay. The last time AAVE saw this pace of daily wallet creation, the DeFi market was approaching its previous cycle peak in late 2021.
The broader DeFi ecosystem has been regaining momentum, but not every protocol is recording the same on-chain expansion. Aave’s specific catalysts—Standard Chartered’s long‑term price outlook, the Ethereum rollout of Aave V4, governance conversations around market caps, and a growing revenue narrative tied to Smart Value Recapture—have created a distinct convergence of narratives. That combination is turning attention toward the protocol from both retail and institutional corners.
What the catalyst mix means for the second half Standard Chartered’s analysis added an institutional-weight endorsement to the AAVE story, while V4’s deployment on Ethereum brings technical upgrades that lower costs and improve capital efficiency. Governance activity around market caps suggests the DAO is actively calibrating risk parameters, which tends to attract serious depositors. And Smart Value Recapture—a mechanism that redirects value from external liquidators to the protocol itself—is a revenue-centered narrative that DeFi investors have been tracking closely this year.
Ethereum, where Aave primarily operates, continues to see robust developer engagement, as a Top 10 Blockchains by Developer Activity This Week report highlights. That active builder base provides a stable environment for DeFi protocols that rely on frequent contract interactions and composability. If Ethereum’s developer network stays strong, Aave’s upgrades and governance decisions reach a broader user base faster.
Still, a spike in new wallet creation does not guarantee a sustained recovery. Past periods of rapid network growth have sometimes coincided with airdrop speculation or short-lived governance farming. The key question for July and the rest of Q3 is whether these new wallets turn into active depositors and borrowers. If they do, the protocol’s total value locked and revenue metrics will reflect it. If they don’t, the spike may mark a local top in on‑chain engagement rather than the start of a durable second‑half recovery.
Market watchers will be tracking Aave’s upcoming governance proposals and on‑chain revenue figures closely. The network growth print gives the bulls something to work with, but the real test lies in whether fresh interest converts into on‑chain capital that stays.
AUTHOR
Kester is an experienced freelance content writer. His focus is primarily on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. One might even refer to him as a "blockchain enthusiast." He has been following advancements in the crypto and blockchain area for several years, researching and writing his insights in the media. In addition to being a skilled content writer, Mushumir is also knowledgeable in SEO and digital marketing. He aspires to succeed as a content creator in the digital realm, dealing with customers in the finance and tech industries to generate traffic through engaging taglines and content. Mushumir enjoys traveling, reading, and playing cricket when he is not writing. He now works as a news and article writer for BlockchainReporter.
Cover image via U.Today 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.
Peersyst, a blockchain development startup, has announced an upcoming upgrade to the XRP Ledger EVM sidechain.
The XRPL EVM is a sidechain for the XRP Ledger that adds Ethereum-compatible smart contracts. In a recent X post, Peersyst released information about the upcoming XRPL EVM v11, stating that this next upgrade would focus on strengthening the network with increased economic security, safer cross-chain connectivity, enhanced validator management, and additional stack hardening. Peersyst teased a proposal for Testnet as soon as this week, with Mainnet to follow.
📣 XRPL EVM v11 is coming!
Our next upgrade is focused on strengthening the network with improved economic security, safer cross-chain connectivity, enhanced validator management, and additional hardening across the stack.
We will make a proposal for Testnet as soon as this… https://t.co/kI9FL5GpKK
HOT Stories
— Peersyst Technology (@Peersyst) July 1, 2026 The XRPL EVM sidechain went live on Mainnet in June 2025, with the network continually adding new improvements.
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As a key part of its multichain expansion, Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin arrived on the XRPL EVM sidechain in June.
Upcoming changesWhile many network upgrades focus on introducing new features, Peersyst noted that the XRPL EVM v11 is focused on something equally important: making the network safer, more resilient, and easier to operate.
This release introduces a series of improvements across validator management, cross-chain infrastructure, and internal security processes.
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The majority of these changes take place behind the scenes, with little impact on developers or end users, yet they all contribute to the network's long-term security and resilience.
The v11 upgrade is a security-first release for the XRPL EVM sidechain that prioritizes economic security, reduces the attack surface, and hardens the validator and IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) layers.
XRPL EVM uses a Proof-of-Authority consensus model, where validator set changes are gated by a designated authority rather than open staking. v11 makes two changes: the standard validator-creation path is now blocked after launch, so no one can join the validator set outside the authority. Validators can now remove themselves voluntarily, instead of relying on the authority to remove them.
The XRPL EVM runs a recurring, AI-assisted security audit, and v11 is the first release to benefit from it end to end.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
CACEIS Brings Institutional Euro Stablecoin to EthereumCrédit Agricole, Europe's third-largest bank by assets, has launched the EURO eXchange Token (EURXT), a euro-backed stablecoin issued through its asset-servicing arm, Crédit Agricole Caisse d'Epargne Investor Services (CACEIS). The token is designed for institutional and corporate clients as part of the group's broader push into tokenized financial infrastructure.
Compliant with the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory guidelines, EURXT launched with an initial circulating supply of 20.02 million tokens on Ethereum using the ERC-20 standard, backed 1:1 by euro-denominated cash held on CACEIS Bank's balance sheet. According to the project's white paper, there is no hard cap on EURXT issuance, meaning the supply can expand based on demand through its smart contract system.
One notable feature is that this is a bank-issued EMT, where the CACEIS balance sheet backs the token, with plans to segregate reserves internally, including CACEIS cash and up to 70% in highly liquid securities. The minimum subscription amount is set at €10,000, keeping the product firmly within institutional territory for now. The token will initially be made available to institutional and corporate clients of CACEIS, though the project's website indicates plans to support retail investors in the future.
First Use Case and Broader Market ContextAlongside the EURXT launch, Crédit Agricole announced the first subscription via EURXT into a tokenised Amundi money market fund, described as a European first. The token forms part of the group's ACT 2028 strategy, which includes the development of blockchain-based settlement and asset servicing tools.
The launch comes a year after CACEIS secured a MiCA crypto-asset service provider (CASP) license from French regulators in June 2025. The launch of EURXT adds to a wave of fresh stablecoin launches both in Europe and globally as traditional finance and crypto-native companies compete to issue regulated digital euros and dollars. HSBC and BNP Paribas, Europe's top two banks by assets, last September joined the Canton Foundation to accelerate tokenization of institutional real-world assets, while a separate consortium of major European lenders including ING, UniCredit, and BNP Paribas is also preparing a competing MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin under the Qivalis venture.
For Crédit Agricole, the EURXT debut represents a concrete step beyond regulatory preparation. With a fully operational EMT on a public blockchain, the bank is positioning CACEIS as a gateway for institutional capital flows into tokenized markets under Europe's mature MiCA framework.
Sources
Cointelegraph: Crédit Agricole Launches EURXT Stablecoin On Ethereum
Ledger Insights: Crédit Agricole launches euro stablecoin via CACEIS
CACEIS Official Announcement
EthInstitutional, a new initiative aimed at enabling large institutional investments in Ethereum, has been launched. This development, supported by notable entities including BitMNR and Joseph Lubin of Ethereum, is expected to facilitate broader institutional access to the Ethereum ecosystem. The announcement by @Sharplink highlights the collaboration’s potential to influence Ethereum’s market dynamics positively. Institutions like BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, and Grayscale Investments are among those closely watched for their potential involvement.
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Key Takeaways The launch of EthInstitutional suggests an increased focus on attracting institutional investors to Ethereum, which may indicate broader market interest. Current market pricing for Ethereum reaching a new all-time high by September 30, 2026, shows slight support for a YES outcome, moving from 1% to 1.9% YES in the last 24 hours. The impact on Ethereum’s market perception is consistent with potential for increased institutional activity, potentially influencing the asset’s price trajectory. What to Watch Observers should monitor announcements from key institutional investors such as BlackRock and Fidelity for indications of increased participation in Ethereum. Additionally, any statements or developments from the Ethereum Foundation regarding network upgrades could further influence market sentiment. Watch for potential regulatory developments, particularly from the SEC, which could impact institutional investment flows into Ethereum.
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Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h September 30, 2026 1.9% — — View market → December 31, 2026 6% — — View market →
Citi slashes 12-month bitcoin, ether targets as ETF flows dry up. (Pixabay)Summary
Citi cut its BTC target to $82,000 from $112,000 and ETH target to $2,240 from $3,175. The bank now expects zero net ETF inflows over the next 12 months, versus previous forecasts for fresh demand. Stalled U.S. legislation, weak market sentiment and concerns over digital asset treasury selling have outweighed supportive macro conditions.Wall Street bank Citi cut its 12-month price targets for bitcoin BTC$59,720.20 and ether (ETH), citing a collapse in exchange-traded fund (ETF) demand and diminishing prospects for U.S. crypto legislation to revive investor interest.
The bank lowered its base-case forecast for bitcoin to $82,000 from $112,000 and cut its ether target to $2,240 from $3,175. It now assumes no net ETF inflows over the next year, abandoning an earlier expectation that regulatory progress would drive fresh institutional allocations.
Bitcoin was trading around $58,400 at publication time, ether at $1,570.
"The absence of a catalyst for increased investor interest means we reduce our base-case flow expectations to zero over the next 12m," wrote analyst Alex Saunders in a Tuesday report.
U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund demand has weakened sharply in recent months, removing what has been the crypto market's biggest source of institutional buying since the funds launched in 2024. The ETFs recorded a record $4 billion in net outflows in June, the largest monthly withdrawal on record, after a 13-day redemption streak pushed year-to-date flows into negative territory for the first time.
The downgrade marks a sharp reversal from Citi's previous outlook, which assumed passage of U.S. digital asset market structure legislation would spur adoption among financial advisors and traditional investors. The bank now believes that timeline has slipped, leaving the market without a meaningful catalyst.
Saunders said ETF flows continue to be the main force behind crypto prices, with recent demand turning negative as investors pulled back from risk.
According to the bank's analyst, sentiment has also been hurt by concerns that digital asset treasury (DAT) companies could become net sellers of bitcoin. Recent corporate actions by Strategy amplified those fears despite involving relatively modest BTC sales.
The report noted that bitcoin and ether both remain below key technical levels, including their 200-day moving averages, while speculative capital has shifted toward AI-related investments.
The bank's revised forecasts assume flat ETF flows in its base case. In its bull case, stronger retail and institutional adoption lifts bitcoin to $108,000 and ether to $2,932. Its bear case, based on recessionary macro conditions and continued ETF outflows, sees BTC falling to $53,000 and ETH to $1,094.
While the bank's equity strategists have become more constructive on U.S. stocks, providing some support through crypto's equity correlation, the report said that positive macro factors are insufficient to offset weakening flows.
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.
A new independent nonprofit, Ethereum Institutional, has launched to accelerate institutional adoption of Ethereum, providing banks, asset managers and other enterprises with a neutral point of contact as they evaluate the blockchain for tokenization, stablecoins and other financial applications.The launch comes as the Ethereum Foundation narrows its focus to stewarding the core protocol, with independent organizations like EthLabs emerging to take on ecosystem functions such as research & development.A new independent non-profit, Ethereum Institutional, has launched with the goal of accelerating institutional adoption of Ethereum, its layer-2 networks and the broader ecosystem.
The organization is led by David Walsh, Marius Smith and Matthew Dawson. Walsh previously led the Ethereum Foundation's enterprise efforts, while the organization said its leadership brings experience spanning institutional engagement, capital markets and Ethereum ecosystem development. It said its mission is to provide institutions with a neutral, independent point of contact as they evaluate Ethereum for tokenization, stablecoins and other onchain financial infrastructure.
In announcing the initiative on X, Ethereum Institutional said institutions need "a credible, independent front door" to the Ethereum ecosystem. While Ethereum's neutrality is one of its defining strengths, the group argued, that neutrality has often left enterprises without a clear organization to engage as they make long-term infrastructure decisions.
The launch comes as the Ethereum Foundation continues to narrow its role to stewarding the core protocol, with ecosystem participants increasingly spinning up independent organizations focused on specific areas such as business development, institutional outreach and developer support. The shift follows broader changes at the foundation, including leadership restructuring and longstanding community calls for greater transparency.
Ethereum Institutional is also the latest addition to a growing network of Ethereum-focused organizations. It follows the launch of EthLabs, another initiative aimed at strengthening Ethereum's ecosystem, as the network seeks to capitalize on growing institutional interest in tokenization, stablecoins and blockchain-based financial markets.
The non-profit said its work will focus on institutional engagement, market intelligence, ecosystem marketing, industry research and events. It launched with backing from BitMine, Nasdaq-listed SharpLink Gaming and Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, with additional institutional and individual supporters expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
"The world's largest institutions are deciding where tokenization, stablecoins, and onchain markets will settle," the organization said. "We're ready to make Ethereum the base layer for institutional finance."
Read more: Ether’s biggest corporate holders back new Ethereum research hub
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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.
Bitmine, Sharplink and Joe Lubin fund a new dedicated go-to-market organization built by Ethereum Foundation alumni
NEW YORK, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ethereum Institutional, an independent non-profit organization, today announced its public launch as the dedicated institutional front door for the Ethereum ecosystem. The organization consolidates a year of institutional engagement work led by the Ethereum Foundation’s go-to-market team, housing it in an independent organization with a sharper mission, broader geographic footprint and long-term funding. Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BMNR), Sharplink, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBET) and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin are anchoring the funding, along with dozens of individual and institutional contributors.
Ethereum Institutional exists so as the world’s largest financial institutions make their foundational, long-lived platform decisions about tokenization, stablecoins and onchain market infrastructure, they engage Ethereum through a credible, neutral counterpart. Ethereum does not force a single rigid configuration, but lets institutions choose the approach that fits each use case, while deriving security from the world’s most robust and reliable digital asset settlement layer.
This launch represents the second major independent steward organization for Ethereum’s ecosystem unveiled in the last week, following the announcement of Ethlabs, a research and development lab also founded by former Ethereum Foundation leaders. Together, Ethlabs and Ethereum Institutional form complementary pillars of Ethereum’s next chapter: one advancing protocol-layer innovation and core infrastructure, the other ensuring institutions have a credible, dedicated counterpart to guide them from evaluation through deployment at scale. Ethereum Institutional brings ecosystem experience and unbiased expertise to the world’s largest financial institutions.
The institutional adoption moment is now. Ethereum currently hosts roughly $180 billion of stablecoins on mainnet, approximately 60% of total stablecoin supply and roughly two-thirds of all tokenized real-world assets. Leading financial institutions across asset management, banking, payments, custody and market infrastructure are actively building on the network. Meanwhile, competing ecosystems have made institutional adoption their explicit commercial priority, each running well-funded business development organizations with dedicated mandates to land institutional deployments.
The platform decisions institutions are making in the next 12-24 months will set the topology of onchain finance for decades. Coordinated, credible representation now unifies the conversation, and supports expanding Ethereum’s robust network, which benefits its existing and future users.
Ethereum Institutional launches with a proven track record and existing momentum: the team has built over 500 institutional relationships covering the global universe of Tier-1 banks, top-tier asset managers, sovereign institutions, custodians and market infrastructure providers. The team has established a thought leader gathering through the Institutional Ethereum Forum, which brought together more than 150 senior executives and Heads of Digital Assets from institutions representing roughly $250 trillion in combined assets under management.
Ethereum Institutional will operate along five focus areas from day one: Institutional Education and Engagement, Institutional Intelligence, ETH and Ecosystem Marketing, Standards and Best Practices and Institutional Events. Geographic coverage will expand from New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore into additional primary financial centers including Zurich, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi, with dedicated institutional leads embedded in each region operating under a shared credibly neutral mandate.
Thomas “Tom” Lee, Chairman of Bitmine. “Financial institutions are making infrastructure decisions today that will shape capital markets for decades, and Ethereum is increasingly at the center of those conversations. Ethereum Institutional arrives at exactly the right moment, creating a trusted, independent home where institutions can engage with the ecosystem, develop standards and accelerate adoption. It’s an important step toward making Ethereum the backbone of the next generation of global financial infrastructure.”
Joseph Chalom, Chief Executive Officer of Sharplink. “I spent two decades helping the world’s largest institutions adopt new technology, and I have rarely seen the conditions align the way they have for Ethereum. These institutions are moving from interest to action across tokenization, stablecoins and a new financial market infrastructure. Ethereum Institutional was built to meet them at exactly this moment.”
Joe Lubin, Ethereum co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Consensys. “Ethereum has become the premier infrastructure for decentralized, verifiable, programmable trust. For more than a decade, the researchers, developers and ecosystem have focused on doing the hard work without cutting corners: making the network more scalable, more affordable, more usable, and protecting credible neutrality and censorship resistance via progressive rigorous decentralization. This is why it has been the first and prevailing choice for the majority of stablecoin activity, tokenized assets, DeFi and other onchain financial infrastructure. Traditional finance is already onboarding itself to Ethereum’s decentralized rails. Ethereum Institutional will help accelerate this next major chapter, enabling institutions to engage at scale, promoting the openness and permissionless innovation that make the network uniquely powerful and valuable.”
Concluding, David Walsh, Executive Director of Ethereum Institutional, said, “Ethereum’s credible neutrality is one of its greatest strengths, but neutrality without representation can often be seen as silence. The Ethereum ecosystem needs a credible, independent counterpart institutions can engage with directly; someone financial leaders can call, brief their board with, and trust to come back with honest answers. Ethereum Institutional exists to be this dedicated counterpart. Our job is to translate institutional requirements into deployments that scale, and ultimately to make Ethereum the foundational layer for institutional finance.”
Lee, Chalom and Walsh will serve as the members of the Board of Directors.
About Bitmine
Bitmine (NYSE: BMNR) is a Bitcoin miner with operations in the US. The company is deploying its excess capital to be the leading Ethereum Treasury company in the world, implementing an innovative digital asset strategy for institutional investors and public market participants. Guided by its philosophy of “the alchemy of 5%,” the Company is committed to ETH as its primary treasury reserve asset, leveraging native protocol-level activities including staking and decentralized finance mechanisms. The Company launched MAVAN (Made-in America Validator Network), a dedicated staking infrastructure for Bitmine assets, in 2026.
About Sharplink
Sharplink (NASDAQ: SBET) is a leading institutional-grade Ethereum treasury platform designed to give public market investors smarter, more productive exposure to ETH. Ethereum underpins the majority of global stablecoin, tokenized real-world assets and decentralized finance settlement. Sharplink was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Learn more at sharplink.com.
About Ethereum Institutional
Ethereum Institutional is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the institutional adoption of Ethereum. The organization functions as the neutral front door for institutions to enter the Ethereum ecosystem, working directly with banks, asset managers, custodians, market infrastructures, fintechs, and sovereign institutions to translate their requirements into on-chain deployments. The organization operates five focus areas: Institutional Education and Engagement, Institutional Intelligence, ETH and Ecosystem Marketing, Industry Discovery and Requirements, and Institutional Events. Learn more at ethereuminstitutional.org.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains statements regarding anticipated institutional interest in Ethereum, research focus and roadmaps, governance arrangements, funding availability, and program scaling. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including market conditions for digital assets, regulatory changes, protocol-level developments, timing of institutional deployments, funding availability and general economic conditions. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and are not guarantees. Ethereum Institutional and its funders undertake no obligation to update them except as required by law. This press release is for informational purposes only.
TL;DR Ethereum’s staking rate has climbed above 33% for the first time, setting a new all-time high. Around 33.06% of the total ETH supply is now locked in staking, reducing the liquid supply in circulation. A newly created wallet withdrew 9,876 ETH worth $15.4 million from Binance and staked the entire amount. Ethereum price continues to hold above the $1,550 support level, while $1,700 remains a key resistance to watch. Ethereum staking participation has reached a new milestone, with the network’s staking rate climbing above 33% for the first time since the Merge upgrade. According to CryptoQuant data, approximately 33.06% of the total ETH supply is now locked in staking, marking a new all-time high even as the Ethereum price remains near $1,500.
The latest figures highlight a growing divergence between investor behavior and market performance. While Ethereum’s price has moved through several periods of volatility, staking participation has continued to rise steadily, suggesting that many long-term holders are choosing to lock up their ETH rather than sell during the current market downturn.
Adding to the trend, blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported that a newly created wallet withdrew 9,876 ETH, valued at approximately $15.4 million, from Binance before staking the entire amount.
Ethereum Staking Reaches Record High as Investors Lock Up More ETH CryptoQuant’s data shows Ethereum’s staking rate has maintained a consistent upward trajectory since the network transitioned to Proof-of-Stake. The latest increase to 33.06% means that roughly one-third of the total ETH supply is now committed to staking, reducing the amount of Ether available in circulation.
ETH Staking Data | Source: CryptoQuant The continued growth in staking participation suggests that investors remain committed to Ethereum’s long-term outlook despite ongoing market uncertainty. Instead of moving assets to exchanges for potential selling, more holders are choosing to secure the network while earning staking rewards.
Although a rising staking rate does not guarantee an immediate increase in Ethereum price, it does reduce the liquid supply of ETH. If market demand strengthens in the future, a smaller circulating supply could support stronger price movements.
Ethereum Price Holds Key Support but Faces Resistance Ahead While staking continues to set new records, Ethereum price remains under pressure. At the time of the accompanying data, ETH was trading near $1,571, while the CryptoQuant chart showed the asset around the $1,500 level as staking reached its highest level on record.
Technical charts by analysts indicate that Ethereum has so far managed to hold above the $1,550 support area, even as Bitcoin fell to a new yearly low. According to the analyst’s view provided with the chart, Ethereum has displayed relative strength compared with Bitcoin during the recent market decline.
1-day ETH/USDT Chart | Source: X However, the analysis also notes that ETH is not yet out of danger. The chart identifies $1,700 as a key resistance level, indicating that Ethereum would need to reclaim that area before the risk of another move lower begins to ease.
For now, the data points to a market where long-term participation continues to strengthen despite short-term price weakness. With staking at a record high and more ETH being removed from the liquid supply, investor conviction appears to remain intact even as Ethereum price continues to trade below key resistance levels.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s tech newsletter covering the most important stories in blockchain. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, a reporter at CoinDesk.
We’re giving you a deeper look at the biggest trends, breakthroughs and debates shaping blockchain technology each week.
This week, we’re diving into the creation of EthLabs, and why it was launched during a period of transition for the Ethereum ecosystem.
EthLabs, Ethereum’s newest nonprofit research organization, has demurred at insinuations that it is attempting to replace a struggling Ethereum Foundation. Instead, its founders, former leaders of the foundation, argue it's a response to a changing Ethereum ecosystem, one where the foundation is narrowing its focus while new organizations step in to tackle broader adoption.
The timing of EthLabs' launch calls that into question.
The organization publicly unveiled itself just one day before there were major layoffs at Ethereum Foundation, and only a few days after co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang announced her resignation, adding to what has become a period of significant turnover at Ethereum's most influential institution. Since January, at least nine prominent members of the Ethereum Foundation have departed as the organization undergoes a broader strategic realignment.
For many observers, the departures have fueled questions about the foundation's future role and whether Ethereum's governance model is entering a new chapter. According to EthLabs executive director Ansgar Dietrichs, that transition is exactly why the organization was created.
"We looked around, didn't see anyone else stepping up," Dietrichs told CoinDesk in an interview. "After two months of that, we looked at each other and said, 'Well, if no one else is stepping up, then it has to be us.'"
Dietrichs, along with four other former Ethereum Foundation researchers and developers, some of whom left the foundation just this year to launch EthLabs, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing Ethereum's technical roadmap with a stronger emphasis on real-world adoption.
The creation comes as Dietrichs describes Ethereum as entering a fundamentally different phase of its evolution. "The decade of infrastructure build-out of Ethereum is coming to an end," he said. "Now it's much more about actual institutional adoption."
Over the past decade, Ethereum's developer community focused on building the foundational pieces of the network: from smart contracts and decentralized finance to scaling technologies and layer-2 networks. With those building blocks largely in place, Dietrichs believes the next challenge is ensuring Ethereum can support large-scale financial infrastructure.
"I don't think crypto and Ethereum will ever go back to a time like it was in the past," he said, arguing that the ecosystem has moved beyond the boom-and-bust cycles that previously defined it.
That transition has also reshaped the Ethereum Foundation itself.
Earlier this year, the foundation published a renewed mandate emphasizing Ethereum's core values: including credible neutrality, self-sovereignty and open infrastructure, while reducing its involvement in some implementation-focused initiatives. Combined with ongoing budget constraints, the shift has resulted in restructuring across the organization.
Dietrichs views those changes less as a crisis than an overdue evolution. "It's more a transition period," he said. "Ethereum is now much more intentionally, proactively reorienting itself to be ready for this new time period."
Filling in the gapsBut as the turmoil started to unveil itself at the EF, many have started to wonder whether EthLabs would replace it. Dietrichs sees that rather than competing with the foundation, EthLabs intends to complement it. "We're deliberately positioning ourselves to fill the gaps that the Ethereum Foundation now deliberately leaves," Dietrichs said. "We're not trying to create a competing vision for Ethereum."
Those gaps, he argues, center on adoption-oriented engineering work, like improving Ethereum's scalability, strengthening layer-1 performance, advancing interoperability, and identifying the technical barriers preventing broader institutional use.
"The gap we see is this more practical, adoption-oriented work, making Ethereum, practically useful for the real world," he said. EthLabs plans to continue work its founders previously led within the foundation, including layer-1 scaling research, while expanding into areas like interoperability and engagement with financial institutions exploring blockchain infrastructure.
For that, Dietrichs deliberately chose to structure the organization as a nonprofit, and its sole objective is supporting Ethereum's long-term success rather than generating commercial returns. "The only interest is we help Ethereum," Dietrichs said. "There's no other incentive we have other than we help Ethereum."
A broader vision for EthereumThe changes come as the direction of the Ethereum network is heading for a revamp. For Dietrichs, EthLabs is about more than protocol development. He believes Ethereum itself needs a clearer narrative for what comes next.
"Ten years ago everyone knew what Ethereum was trying to achieve," he said. "Today it's not so clear that there's a shared answer." He sees the coming years as defining Ethereum's role in an increasingly onchain financial system.
"I think there's a world in which Ethereum really is at the very center of the global financial system as it comes onchain," he said.
Whether EthLabs succeeds remains to be seen. As a newly formed nonprofit, it must establish its own funding base while proving it can influence Ethereum's technical direction outside the foundation.
But its emergence reflects something larger than the creation of another Ethereum organization. Many at the top of the industry are pushing for a broader redistribution of responsibility across the ecosystem, one where the foundation is becoming a steward of the protocol's core values, while independent organizations like EthLabs take on the work of driving adoption and implementation.
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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.
Key Takeaways Carl Rinsch received a 30-month prison sentence for misappropriating $11 million from Netflix The funds were allocated for producing a science fiction series titled “White Horse” (later “Conquest”) Rinsch initially lost approximately half the money through options trading before pivoting to cryptocurrency A Dogecoin investment of roughly $4 million grew to approximately $27 million, though this didn’t affect his conviction Proceeds funded extravagant purchases including multiple Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari, and high-end furnishings A federal court in Manhattan has sentenced Hollywood filmmaker Carl Rinsch to 30 months of incarceration following his conviction for misappropriating $11 million in production financing from Netflix.
Director sentenced for production fraud: “Carl Erik Rinsch promised to make a television show,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Instead, he used $11 million meant for production as his personal casino and luxury fund.”https://t.co/5XHj1gWFyi
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) June 29, 2026
The sentencing occurred Monday after Rinsch was found guilty in December 2025 following a week-long trial. Rinsch previously gained recognition directing the 2013 Keanu Reeves action film “47 Ronin.”
The criminal case revolved around a science fiction streaming project initially titled “White Horse” and subsequently renamed “Conquest.” Between 2018 and 2019, Netflix had already provided Rinsch with approximately $44 million in production financing for the series.
In March 2020, Netflix transferred an additional $11 million intended to complete production work. Federal prosecutors maintained this payment was never applied to its designated purpose.
Rinsch instead channeled the money through various accounts before landing it in a personal trading account. He deployed $10.5 million to purchase options contracts linked to pharmaceutical stocks and the S&P 500 index.
Within less than eight weeks, he had lost more than half of those funds.
The Cryptocurrency Gamble Following his substantial trading losses, Rinsch moved over $4 million of the remaining balance to cryptocurrency platform Kraken. He allocated the entire amount to Dogecoin.
The speculative wager proved financially successful. Upon liquidating his Dogecoin holdings in May 2021, he realized profits of approximately $27 million.
Federal prosecutors maintained that the cryptocurrency windfall was irrelevant to the underlying criminal conduct. The money had been secured through fraudulent representations and deployed for unauthorized purposes.
While the Dogecoin transaction generated significant public interest in the case, judicial proceedings concentrated on Rinsch’s acquisition methods and subsequent use of the funds.
Luxury Spending Spree Rinsch allocated roughly $10 million of his trading profits toward personal luxuries and expenses.
His purchases encompassed $3.8 million in high-end furniture and collectible antiques, $2.4 million for five Rolls-Royce automobiles plus a Ferrari, $1.8 million toward outstanding credit card balances, $1 million in attorney fees for litigation against Netflix, and $652,000 on premium timepieces and designer clothing.
The television series was never completed. No funds were repaid to Netflix.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton emphasized the verdict’s significance in a public statement. “Fraud will not be tolerated,” he declared.
Lighter Than Requested Punishment Federal prosecutors had requested a five-year prison term. Rinsch’s legal team advocated for probation without incarceration, pointing to mental health considerations. Character references from relatives, acquaintances, and actor Keanu Reeves were submitted to the court on Rinsch’s behalf.
The presiding judge imposed a 30-month sentence, considerably less than prosecutors sought.
Additional penalties include three years of supervised release following imprisonment, $11 million in forfeiture payments, and $700 in mandatory court assessments.
Rinsch’s convictions included one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and five counts of conducting financial transactions with illegally obtained funds.
The legal proceedings began with his arrest in March 2025 and concluded with sentencing on July 1, 2026.
Dogecoin price traded lower on Wednesday as sellers tightened control after fresh rejection near resistance. DOGE fell 1.32% to $0.0714 over 24 hours, extending its weekly loss to nearly 10%. The meme coin also dropped below the $0.073 support, indicating less strong momentum since the wider crypto sentiment remained wary in the big assets on Wednesday.
Dogecoin Price Faces Pressure After Support Breakdown Dogecoin price dropped to a new cycle low of $0.0711 after losing the key $0.073 support. The trend ratified a temporary technical failure and initiated increased selling action
Trading volume jumped 37.83%, showing that sellers became more active after the breakdown. DOGE also remained below $0.08, which now acts as a key resistance area for bulls.
Latest rejection indicates that buyers are yet to reclaim control. The sentiment was also impacted by the broader market weakness. Bitcoin price recovered almost to $59,000 after falling to as low as $57,800, and Ethereum price remained above $1,500. XRP also stabilized at around $1.00 as traders waited to see new catalysts.
Analyst Spots Key Dogecoin Price Level Before Next Breakout Crypto analyst Ali highlighted $0.06 as Dogecoin’s key support zone. According to him, this level has been characterized by great accumulation periods in previous cycles. The monthly DOGE chart depicts that the price trades around $0.072, which is near that support area.
$0.06 is the most important support level for Dogecoin $DOGE.
This multi-year accumulation zone has historically marked the beginning of some of the strongest rallies. pic.twitter.com/I6RZUILgrg
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) June 30, 2026
Dogecoin price is tracking within a giant multi-year bullish pennant, another analyst, Trader, claimed. According to his view, DOGE recently touched the lower boundary of the pattern. He referred to the arrangement as compressed, and the retests reduced the structure even more.
$Doge/3-month#Dogecoin is coiling inside a massive multi-year Bullish Pennant — and price just hit the bottom of the pattern.
This setup has been compressing for years. Every touch tightens the spring.
💥 Technicals are screaming bullish reversal. The pattern is textbook. The… pic.twitter.com/00ogO33zAg
— Trader Tardigrade 🧬 (@TATrader_Alan) July 1, 2026
Buyers are now observing whether they are able to defend the $0.06 area. A firm grip could help a recovery to more resistance levels. But a lack of adherence to this zone can undermine the optimistic expectations. For now, analysts see the area as critical for Dogecoin’s next major move.
According to Dogecoin derivatives data, the market was mixed as traders took up positions. Trading volume increased by 43% to $1.37 billion which indicated increased short-term participation.
Source: Coinglass data However, open interest fell 5.91% to $948.61 million, showing some leveraged positions closed. The options volume was decreased by 9.20% and options open interest increased by 6.59% to $477,490, indicating reserved positioning by traders due to ambiguous momentum.
Will Dogecoin Price Break Lower If $0.069 Support Fails? The latest DOGE price traded at $0.07102 on, slipping 0.67% on the four-hour chart.
Dogecoin price remained under pressure following the loss of the support zone of $0.075. The action continued to hold sellers at their present levels.
The chart shows DOGE hovering above $0.06993, which now acts as immediate support. Any drop below this will reveal $0.068.
The MACD remains weak, with both lines below neutral levels. This indicates that there is no strong bullish activity at the moment.
Nonetheless, CMF is close to 0.06, with weak capital inflow. This will help in a short-term recovery.
Should buyers protect $0.069, the future Dogecoin outlook price might seek a short-term revival. The initial upside target will be close to $0.075.
Source: Tradingview A more aggressive recovery can lead to a price increase up to $0.080. This level is an important resistance level. The bigger rebound objective is at $0.085, at which the sellers have dominated momentum.
Cardano (ADA) trades around $0.146 on Wednesday, stabilizing after a sharp correction as selling pressure eases. Weakening derivatives metrics indicate traders remain cautious, while fading bearish momentum indicators suggest a potential recovery for ADA.
Derivatives traders remain cautiousCardano’s derivatives metrics support a negative outlook. ADA’s futures Open Interest (OI) dropped to $360 million on Wednesday after a mild rise in mid-May but has been continuously falling since mid-January. This drop in OI reflects waning investor participation and projects a bearish outlook.
Cardano open interest chart. Source: SoSoValueIn addition, CoinGlass’ long-to-short ratio for ADA reads 0.69 on Wednesday, nearing its lowest level in over a month. This ratio, being below one, reflects bearish sentiment in the market, as more traders are betting on the asset’s price to fall.
ADA long-to-short ratio chart. Source: CoinglassSome signs of optimismCryptoQuant’s summary data shows mild bullish sentiment. Cardano’s spot markets show large whale orders amid neutral conditions across other metrics, supporting a potential recovery.
Cardano Price Forecast: Fading bearish momentumCardano price trades at $0.146 on Wednesday, consolidating after a recent correction. However, ADA maintains a long-term bearish bias, with price holding well below the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at roughly $0.187, $0.221, and $0.297.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has stabilized near 33, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line remains slightly positive, hinting at tentative downside fatigue but not yet altering the overarching downward structure.
On the topside, initial resistance is seen at the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement near $0.173, ahead of the 50-day EMA around $0.187 and the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement close to $0.1957. Further up, the 50% retracement level at $0.213, the 100-day EMA at $0.221 and the downtrend resistance trendline’s break area near $0.226 form a broader supply band, followed by clustered barriers between the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement at $0.231, horizontal caps at $0.236 and $0.245, and the upper band defined by $0.256–$0.299 including the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement, the 200-day EMA around $0.2976 and overhead horizontal resistance.
On the downside, immediate support sits at the Fibonacci anchor at $0.1382; a clear break below this floor would expose fresh lows in the broader downtrend.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
The stablecoin market on the Cardano network recorded a double-digit increase over the past week, pushing its valuation above the $60 million mark.
According to data from DeFiLlama, Cardano’s stablecoin market cap climbed to $60.39 million, representing a 14.67% increase over the past seven days. The rise marks one of the strongest short-term expansions in the network’s stablecoin sector in recent months and signals increasing participation in Cardano’s decentralized finance ecosystem.
Cardano Stablecoin Market Cap Soars USDCx Fuels Cardano Stablecoin Valuation The surge came only days after an unidentified user bridged more than $10 million worth of USDCx onto the Cardano blockchain. Several ecosystem participants highlighted the transaction, including Cardano DeFi aggregator DEX Hunter.
Meanwhile, additional USDCx tokens have continued to enter circulation on Cardano. Data shared by SNEK co-founder Rami indicates that roughly $4.5 million worth of USDCx was minted on the network within two days, further strengthening stablecoin liquidity. As a result, the fresh capital inflow has deepened liquidity across the ecosystem.
USDCx, the Circle-backed stablecoin introduced to Cardano earlier this year, has quickly established itself as the dominant stable asset on the network.
Currently, USDCx commands a market share of 59.38%, accounting for $35.85 million of Cardano’s total $60.39 million stablecoin market cap. The rapid growth highlights increasing adoption of the asset as users seek seamless access to cross-chain liquidity within the ecosystem.
Stablecoin Growth Supports Total Value Locked The rise in stablecoin liquidity also lifted Cardano’s total value locked (TVL), which climbed to approximately $82 million earlier this week before retreating to around $75 million following the latest decline in ADA’s price.
Despite the pullback, analysts believe the recent increase in stablecoin reserves provides a stronger foundation for future DeFi expansion on the network. Cardano research analyst Dr. Cuadrado believes the recent influx of stablecoin liquidity marks the beginning of a major growth phase for the ecosystem.
According to him, the most explosive stage of the current bull market could begin once Cardano’s stablecoin market cap surpasses its total value locked. He argued that such a development would signal the presence of excess liquidity waiting to be deployed across decentralized applications.
In his view, higher stablecoin reserves would lead to deeper liquidity pools, increased borrowing and lending activity, larger trading volumes, and more attractive yield opportunities across the network.
ADA Remains Under Pressure Despite Improving Fundamentals Meanwhile, ADA continues to face bearish pressure despite the improvement in on-chain metrics. The asset has gradually slipped down the global cryptocurrency rankings and currently stands as the world’s 18th-largest crypto by market cap.
At press time, ADA had a market valuation of $5.53 billion and traded at $0.1519 per token, representing a 35.43% decrease over the past month.
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.
CSWAP has highlighted a new integration aimed at simplifying how Bitcoin holders can participate in decentralized finance on the Cardano network.
The update follows an announcement from BTC Karma, CSWAP’s Bitcoin-native DeFi protocol, confirming support for the Phantom Wallet. With the integration now live, Bitcoin users can connect their Phantom wallets directly to BTC Karma and stake BTC in just a few clicks.
According to BTC Karma, the new wallet support removes onboarding friction and creates a more straightforward path for Bitcoin holders seeking yield opportunities through decentralized finance applications.
CSWAP Positions Wallet Expansion as a Liquidity Gateway Following the announcement, CSWAP emphasized the broader importance of the integration for the Cardano ecosystem.
The protocol noted that every additional wallet it supports lowers the barriers that prevent Bitcoin liquidity from flowing into Cardano-based applications. Consequently, the addition of Phantom support marks another step toward attracting the next generation of Bitcoin DeFi users.
“Every wallet we support makes it easier for Bitcoin liquidity to enter the Cardano ecosystem,” CSWAP remarked.
CSWAP CEO Hints at More Integrations Reacting to the launch, CSWAP founder and CEO Jon Kravetz reiterated the team’s commitment to expanding BTC Karma’s reach across additional wallets and user communities.
He described the Phantom integration as part of a broader effort to extend the BTC Karma ecosystem across the cryptocurrency industry. Furthermore, Kravetz hinted that the team is already developing additional integrations, signaling plans to continue lowering entry barriers for Bitcoin holders interested in Cardano’s DeFi opportunities.
Just added @phantom wallet support on @btc_karma.
We're spreading good $KARMA far and wide.
We're turning bitcoin…in to productive capital one wallet at a time. (There's more coming!) https://t.co/npV7lJoNyQ
— Jon Kravetz (@CSWAP_Destroy) June 30, 2026
For context, BTC Karma is widely regarded as the first Bitcoin-native DeFi protocol operating directly on the Cardano mainnet. The platform serves as a bridge, allowing Bitcoin holders to earn yield and receive new tokens while participating in the Cardano ecosystem.
Notably, the protocol’s design aligns closely with Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson’s vision of bringing idle Bitcoin capital into the ADA ecosystem. Hoskinson argued that Cardano can unlock more than $2 trillion in Bitcoin DeFi opportunities, stressing that the network has a strong chance of becoming a major player in the emerging sector.
Cardano Continues to Expand Its Bitcoin DeFi Ambitions Meanwhile, Cardano continues to advance its broader DeFi strategy through several processes, including Bitcoin integration initiatives.
Earlier this year, Fluid Tokens completed the first atomic swap between Bitcoin and Cardano, demonstrating growing interoperability between the two networks. In addition, Cardano previously introduced its first Bitcoin DeFi protocol, Cardinal, which allows BTC holders to bridge and stake their assets without selling them.
Hoskinson also revealed plans earlier this year to launch a one-click Bitcoin yield system on Cardano before year-end. However, the project has yet to provide an update on its progress.
In the meantime, competition in the Bitcoin DeFi sector continues to intensify, with rivals such as Flare arguing that they are better positioned to lead the race for Bitcoin-based decentralized finance.
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.
BTC bears remain in charge as the asset briefly tumbled to $58,000.
June was brutal for the primary cryptocurrency, with its price crashing about 20% over the month. And even though July is usually a strong period for BTC, this one kicked off poorly, and the asset continues to trade well below $60,000.
Several altcoins have mimicked the move, posting additional losses, while Cardano (ADA) is among the few daily gainers.
BTC Under Pressure The asset has been in a steep decline lately, driven by several key factors, including the prolonged bear market affecting the entire crypto sector, waning interest from institutional investors, uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, and more.
Yesterday (June 30), BTC tried to reclaim the psychological level of $60,000, but the bulls quickly lost control, and the price started another downturn. As of this moment, it trades at around $58,900 (per TradingView), representing a 1.5% decline on a daily scale.
BTC Price, Source: TradingView July has historically been a strong month for Bitcoin, and we have yet to see whether it could deliver a long-awaited revival in the weeks ahead. At the same time, many bearish signals point out to the possibility of a further pullback, while analysts believe the cycle’s bottom has not arrived yet.
Following the latest price slump, BTC’s market capitalization has dropped to approximately $1.18 billion, while its dominance over altcoins remains over 56% on CG.
ADA Re-Enters the Top 20 Club Many alternative coins have followed BTC’s footsteps, registering mild declines over the last 24 hours. Ethereum (ETH) is down 0.5% for the day, whereas Hyperliquid (HYPE) has lost 2% of its valuation. LAB (LAB) is the worst-performing cryptocurrency from the top 100 list, posting a loss of 27%, with Audiera (BEAT) coming next at -7%.
You may also like: Bitcoin Whales Are Dumping: But This Rare Signal Says the Bottom May Be Close Bitcoin Bulls Fight for $60K as Markets Digest US-Iran News (Market Watch) Bitcoin Could Fall Into the $40,000s Before Bottoming: Bitfinex Analysts Still, some have defied the bearish conditions. Cardano’s ADA has risen by 4% and reclaimed $0.15. Its market cap surged past $5.6 billion, meaning the token is once again among crypto’s 20 largest cryptocurrencies.
Other altcoins flashing in green today (July 1) include WBT (+15%), JPT (+13%), XLM (+12%), CC (+5%), and more. The total crypto market capitalization has remained rather unchanged at around $2.1 trillion.
Cryptocurrency Market Overview July 1; Source: QuantifyCrypto Tags:
Cardano appears to be breaking out against Bitcoin, as its price has considerably outperformed the apex cryptocurrency in the past few days.
Cardano (ADA) is having a good start to July, bouncing 4% already today to reclaim $0.150. This is a positive sign considering the altcoin dumped 38% in June, its worst monthly performance since November 2018.
The uptick comes after days of consolidation at a key support level around $0.140. This rebound against the USD pair and its recent performance against Bitcoin is beginning to look like the start of a sustained move to higher prices.
ADA/BTC Chart Turns Bullish The daily ADA/BTC chart shows a clear disparity between the two assets’ price trends in the past few days. While Bitcoin has trended lower, Cardano has gained strength and moved in the opposite direction.
Over the past three days, ADA has gained against Bitcoin. After a mild 0.41% increase on Monday, the ADA/BTC pair rose by 1.65% on Tuesday and an impressive 3.66% so far today. This price trend is reflected in the 4% Cardano rise and nearly 1% Bitcoin drop in the past 24 hours.
ADA/BTC Breaking Out Typically, Bitcoin controls the mood of the broader crypto market. Its drop or increase has a ripple effect on altcoins, forcing them to follow its trend in most cases.
As such, the Cardano breakout against BTC is significant. It suggests that ADA could continue to gain strength regardless of Bitcoin’s trend. This could see the altcoin target higher prices if momentum sustains, even if the broader market is bearishly biased.
Resistance Levels Ahead However, the ADA/BTC pair has clear resistance levels ahead. Currently at 0.00000255, it trades exactly at the 20-day exponential moving average (EMA). This dynamic supply zone forced the pair lower in early June, following the rejection at 0.00000325.
How ADA/BTC reacts around this EMA would determine its next direction. A sustained trend above this level would confirm the breakout, while a rejection would form another lower high and kickstart another leg down.
Higher EMAs like the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day are at 0.00000279, 0.00000310, and 0.00000369, respectively. They are also areas of interest if the upward momentum endures.
Cardano Volume Spikes 60% as Momentum Returns Following the rally to reclaim $0.150, trading activity has increased 60% over the past 24 hours to $471.3 million, signaling growing market participation.
Open interest has also improved 1.43% to $371 million, showing emerging derivative interest. The slight uptick in OI shows that the recent increase is not derivative-driven but rather the momentum from dip-buying among spot traders.
Cardano Derivative Data/Coinglass Coinglass’s Cardano spot flows activity confirms this. Over the past 24 hours, exchange outflows have surpassed inflows, with the former at $29.13 million and the latter at $28.55 million.
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.
Cardano activity is showing signs of recovery after EMURGO addressed user concerns tied to Yoroi wallet syncing and connection lag. The issue was a client-side wallet problem, not a protocol exploit, and there has been no indication that user funds were lost or that the Cardano network itself was compromised.
TL;DR EMURGO patched Yoroi wallet sync and integration concerns. Cardano active address growth has reportedly started to recover after the update. The issue was connected to wallet-side lag and connectivity, not a Cardano protocol failure. Users should avoid treating the incident as a hack or loss-of-funds event. Wallet issues can create outsized anxiety because users experience them directly. If a balance is slow to load or a connection does not sync cleanly, many people naturally fear the worst. In this case, the validated handoff points to connection and synchronization concerns around Yoroi, with the underlying Cardano protocol not suffering a network-level disruption.
Why wallet reliability matters For most users, a blockchain is only as usable as the wallet sitting in front of it. Cardano can continue producing blocks, but if a wallet interface feels slow or unreliable, users may still lose confidence. That is why client-side fixes matter even when the underlying network remains secure.
Yoroi has long been one of the more familiar wallet names in the Cardano ecosystem. When integration or sync issues appear, they can affect perception across the broader ADA community. A patch that restores smoother access helps reduce uncertainty and gives users a clearer path back to normal activity.
Activity shows signs of returning After the technical update, Cardano active address growth reportedly showed signs of recovery. That does not necessarily mean a sudden surge in price demand or a major new adoption wave. It does suggest that some users who had paused or struggled with wallet interaction are returning to normal chain usage.
Active address data is always imperfect. One user can control multiple addresses, and activity can be influenced by wallet behaviour, staking, transfers, or dApp interactions. Still, a recovery after a wallet fix is a useful sign that the issue was not causing lasting network-wide damage.
Keep the security framing clean The most important editorial distinction is security. This was not a hack. It was not a smart contract exploit. It was not a loss-of-funds event. Framing it correctly matters because crypto users are understandably sensitive to wallet headlines, and inaccurate language can create unnecessary fear.
For Cardano, the story is more about user experience and trust than crisis. The network appears to have continued operating, EMURGO addressed the wallet-side concerns, and activity is beginning to normalize. That is a useful recovery story, but it should be told without exaggerating the original issue.
For readers, the recovery is a reminder that ecosystem trust often depends on the small things working smoothly. Wallet reliability, clean communication, and fast technical fixes can matter just as much as larger roadmap announcements when users are deciding whether to stay active.
This report is based on information from Yoroi Wallet.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
TRON’s native asset, TRX, has recently attracted renewed attention amid short-term expectations of a potential rebound. Improved market sentiment alongside ongoing institutional purchases are among the key factors supporting a positive near-term outlook for the cryptocurrency.
Price outlook and current situationAt the time of reporting, TRX was trading at $0.3143, with a 24-hour trading volume of $617.99 million and a market capitalization of $29.82 billion. Although the price dipped by 1.62% over the past day, analysts noted that when considering the current structure together with institutional accumulation, an upward reversal remains a possibility.
According to data from CoinCodex, TRX is projected to reach $0.3420 within the next month, representing an 8.58% increase from current levels. This forecast suggests that TRX could maintain its positive short-term trend and continue the momentum seen in recent weeks.
CoinCodex data indicate that TRX could climb to $0.3420 within the next month, reflecting an 8.58% rise over the current price.
However, it’s important to note that these algorithmically generated price predictions are based primarily on technical indicators and historical data. As such, actual price movements may differ from expectations due to broader market risk appetite, Bitcoin’s trajectory, and sudden news developments.
Tron Inc expands holdingsOn the institutional side, Tron Inc has continued to expand its portfolio. The firm recently purchased 152,867 TRX at an average price of $0.3271 per token. With this latest transaction, Tron Inc’s total TRX holdings have exceeded 702.9 million.
Tron Inc pursues a treasury management approach focused on the TRON ecosystem, allocating digital assets as part of its capital deployment strategy. Reports also indicate that the company plans to further increase its share within the Tron DAT structure.
Mini glossary: DAT here refers to the treasury and allocation structure used by the company to gradually increase its TRX holdings. The strategy is based on steadily expanding direct TRX acquisitions over time.
Following the latest purchase, Tron Inc’s TRX holdings have surpassed 702.9 million, while the company intends to keep increasing its allocation within the Tron DAT framework.
The company’s strategy of enlarging its digital asset reserves is seen as a demonstration of both its long-term return ambitions for shareholders and its confidence in the TRON blockchain and broader crypto asset market.
Market conditions remain decisiveDespite a positive price outlook and continued institutional accumulation, TRX has not completely diverged from the cautious trends seen across the broader cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin’s sideways movement continues to weigh on altcoins, and TRX is similarly impacted by this environment.
In this context, both the technical setup for TRX and the general direction of the market will play key roles in the weeks ahead. Observers are closely watching whether ongoing institutional accumulation will help propel TRX toward the projected price levels.
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.
Quantum computers can’t break blockchain cryptography today. But “today” has an expiration date, and TRON is apparently not waiting around to find out when it arrives.
On June 30, the TRON Nile Testnet deployed GreatVoyage-v4.8.2-PQ1-build1, an upgrade that introduces end-to-end support for post-quantum digital signatures. The build integrates two NIST-standardized signature schemes into the network’s core functions: transactions, block signing, peer-to-peer handshakes, and smart contract verification through new TVM precompiles.
Two signature schemes, two very different tradeoffs The upgrade introduces FN-DSA-512, based on the Falcon-512 standard, and ML-DSA-44, based on Dilithium-2. Both are algorithms that the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has formally standardized for post-quantum use.
The two schemes differ meaningfully in their technical profiles. FN-DSA-512 produces variable-length signatures capped at 667 bytes. ML-DSA-44 outputs fixed signatures at 2,420 bytes. That size difference matters more than it sounds like it should.
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Current ECDSA signatures used by most blockchains, TRON included, run about 64-72 bytes. A jump to 667 bytes is notable. A jump to 2,420 bytes is a different conversation entirely, one that involves bandwidth costs, storage requirements, and downstream effects on every wallet, explorer, and dApp that touches the chain.
Both schemes are activated through separate on-chain committee proposals, meaning the TRON community gets to vote on each one independently after a hard-fork gate.
Why post-quantum matters now Justin Sun announced TRON’s formal post-quantum initiative on April 14, and the Nile Testnet deployment followed roughly eleven weeks later.
The upgrade builds on earlier Nile Testnet iterations. Version 4.8.0 landed in Q1 2025, and v4.8.1 followed in late 2025, both focused on network performance improvements and better alignment with Ethereum Virtual Machine standards. The post-quantum build represents a sharper pivot toward security hardening rather than feature parity.
The infrastructure headache hiding in larger signatures When signature sizes balloon from 72 bytes to potentially 2,420 bytes, every piece of infrastructure downstream needs to accommodate the change. Wallets need to handle larger transaction payloads. Block explorers need to parse and display new signature types. Exchanges that support TRON deposits and withdrawals need to update their signing and verification logic. dApps that verify signatures on-chain need to integrate with the new TVM precompiles.
If post-quantum signatures increase per-transaction data by 10x to 30x compared to current ECDSA signatures, the aggregate bandwidth impact could be material, particularly for super representatives and full nodes.
What this means for investors TRON is positioning itself ahead of most major Layer 1 chains on quantum resistance. Bitcoin and Ethereum have both seen community discussions about post-quantum upgrades, but neither has deployed NIST-standardized PQ signatures on a testnet, let alone a mainnet.
The key metric to watch is whether TRON’s ecosystem of wallets, dApps, and infrastructure providers actually builds out PQ support during the testnet phase. The real test is whether TronLink, major exchanges, and high-volume dApps integrate the new signature types before any mainnet proposal goes to vote.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
TRON’s on-chain activity reached a new milestone after daily active accounts climbed to 26.97 million, while daily transactions surged to 385.77 million.
The figures reflect sustained user participation across the network rather than a brief spike in activity.
Growing transaction throughput also suggested that decentralized applications and stablecoin transfers continued attracting consistent engagement.
Unlike previous growth phases, both active addresses and transaction volume reached fresh all-time highs together, highlighting broader ecosystem expansion.
However, the record network usage failed to trigger an immediate bullish response from traders. Market participants continued approaching TRX cautiously despite the stronger blockchain fundamentals.
Why were Binance traders still leaning bearish on TRON? Despite the surge in network adoption, Binance’s top traders continued favoring short positions.
The latest Long/Short Ratio stood at 0.66, showing that only 39.77% of positions remained long while 60.23% favored shorts. Those figures indicated that professional traders had not yet aligned with the improving on-chain metrics.
Instead, they maintained a defensive stance even after TRON recorded record activity.
However, the ratio also remained above the month’s lowest readings, suggesting bearish conviction had eased slightly compared with earlier sessions. Despite that, sellers still controlled positioning across the exchange.
Until long exposure increases meaningfully, derivatives sentiment would likely continue limiting bullish conviction despite the stronger network fundamentals supporting TRX.
Source: CoinGlass TRX support holds, but can buyers regain control? At the time of writing, TRX traded near an important support area around $0.314, while immediate resistance remained close to $0.332 and stronger overhead resistance sat near $0.376.
Price had previously rejected the higher resistance before retracing toward support, showing that buyers lost strength after the rally.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) also weakened to 38.70, falling below the neutral 50 level and reflecting fading buying pressure.
In addition, the Parabolic SAR continued printing dots above price, confirming that sellers retained short-term control throughout the recent decline.
However, TRX still defended the lower support instead of breaking beneath it.
If buyers continue protecting this zone, the token could attempt another move toward the $0.332 resistance before challenging higher levels.
Source: TradingView To sum up, record network growth strengthened TRON’s fundamental outlook, but derivatives traders remained unconvinced.
Price continued holding a critical support zone despite weakening technical indicators and negative funding.
If buyers maintain support and sentiment gradually improves, TRX could challenge the $0.332 resistance. However, bearish derivatives positioning would need to weaken before a sustained recovery toward higher resistance became more likely.
Final Summary TRON recorded historic network activity while derivatives traders continued favoring bearish positioning across Binance. TRX defended key support, although weak RSI and negative funding reflected cautious market sentiment.
Changpeng Zhao failed to reserve his preferred username during WhatsApp’s global rollout this week. The mishap shows how easily scammers could exploit recognizable names as the app drops phone numbers as its main identifier.
CZ, Binance’s former chief executive, ranks among crypto’s most recognized public figures. His failed claim illustrates a broader risk facing WhatsApp’s new system.
WhatsApp’s Username Debut Draws Scam WarningsWhatsApp began letting users reserve custom usernames this week, replacing phone numbers as the main way to connect.
WhatsApp said creators, small businesses, and organizations can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on the app. An optional username key adds protection, but WhatsApp’s first-come first-served rollout means unclaimed handles remain open to whoever registers first.
WhatsApp also plans to rate-limit new contacts and block repeated attempts to guess a username’s key. The measures target the exact abuse patterns Telegram struggled to contain.
Scammers can also exploit lookalike characters, swapping a capital I for a lowercase l. The trick is nearly impossible to spot without comparing handles side by side.
WhatsApp Users Chase Premium Usernames for Future ProfitA growing number of users are trying to reserve sought-after WhatsApp usernames early. The behavior mirrors the hype already seen on Telegram, where early adopters fetched seven-figure sums for prominent handles.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov said in July 2025 that an early “@crypto” handle drew a $25 million offer. 2025 data shows “@news” sold for $5.8 million. Some users now hope that famous brands, celebrities, and crypto terms reserved early on WhatsApp could carry similar value.
WhatsApp usernames are free to reserve directly in the app. Meta has not built a marketplace for buying or selling them. That gap, unlike Telegram’s tokenized Fragment platform, could limit how much resale value ever materializes.
What Users Can Do to Protect ThemselvesCZ’s experience highlights what is at stake as impersonation scams change. One recent impersonation-based staking scam already resulted in a criminal sentence, showing regulators are paying attention.
Security researchers recommend enabling WhatsApp’s optional username key manually, since Meta leaves it off by default. Without it, anyone who learns a username can message that person on the first attempt.
Enabling the key requires a four-digit code before a stranger can reach out. Experts also recommend watching for lookalike characters, since a reserved username alone does not confirm authenticity.
The safest approach is to confirm any high-profile contact through its official, verified account before trusting a message.
What Happens Next for WhatsApp UsersCrypto users already face elevated fraud risks this year. June’s hack losses show attackers continue to target both platforms and individuals. This impersonation risk echoes a broader industry debate, including the long-running quantum risk debate over emerging threats to digital trust.
WhatsApp’s wider username rollout is still weeks away, giving Meta time to add safeguards. Whether those measures arrive before scammers adapt remains the key question for the platform’s three billion users.
TL;DRBNB Agent Studio is live on BNB Smart Chain. Builders describe an AI agent in one prompt inside platforms like Cursor, Claude Code and other platforms, and it ships to the chain.Agents pay their own LLM bills from a wallet you fund. They top up automatically via the x402 protocol, so the agent keeps running between your wallet refills.Each agent gets an onchain identity via ERC-8004 and a task interface via ERC-8183. Other agents can find it and call it.Open standards across the stack: x402, ERC-8004, ERC-8183. Nothing about the agent is locked into a single vendor.If you want to ship a useful AI agent on chain today, you have to assemble at least five things separately:
A walletAn identityA payment railA hosting environmentAccess to a Large Language Model. Each one is a different vendor, a different SDK, a different login. Every seam in that stack is a place something can break, and every dependency is a future migration headache waiting to happen.
Even when that stack is wired up correctly, the agent often doesn't last long. The moment its language model credits run out, it stops. It has no way to refill its own balance. The result is an agent that looks autonomous until it isn't, and you end up checking on it the way someone checks on a houseplant.
BNB Agent Studio is a developer product that takes those pieces and puts them inside one workflow. You describe the agent in one prompt inside Cursor or your favourite vibecoding platform, and the product handles the rest. Your agent comes out of deployment already paying its own bills and already addressable on BNB Smart Chain.
Inside BNB Agent StudioThe whole flow lives inside an AI IDE. Install the bnb CLI, describe what you want the agent to do, and BNB Agent Studio scaffolds the code, sets up the wallet, registers the agent's onchain identity, and deploys it to a managed runtime.
The pieces underneath:
bnb CLI - A single-line install. Detects supported AI IDEs (Cursor, Claude Code) and registers Studio's MCP server with them automatically.Studio MCP server - Exposes Studio's tools to the IDE, so the AI assistant can scaffold and deploy agents on your behalf.BNB Chain SDK - Runtime layer with primitives for identity, payments, and language model calls. Available in Python today, with additional languages coming.AWS Bedrock AgentCore - Where your deployed agent runs. Agents live on production-grade infrastructure rather than your laptop.x402 payment protocol - The payment rail an agent uses to top up its own balance.ERC-8004 - Agent identity standard. Each deployed agent gets its own onchain identity.ERC-8183 - Agent task interface standard. Other agents can discover and call the one you've built.From One Prompt to a Live AgentThe developer experience is meant to look like a normal coding session.
Local testing happens in the same environment. Once you're satisfied, deployment is a single instruction. Behind that, Studio compiles the agent, pushes it to AWS Bedrock AgentCore, registers an ERC-8004 identity for it, binds its wallet to that identity, registers the ERC-8183 task interface, and turns on the self-funding loop.
Self-funding is the part that does the heavy lifting once your agent is live. Your agent watches its own language model balance. When the balance falls below a threshold, the SDK initiates a payment over x402, drawing from the wallet you funded at deployment and settled in $U on BNB Smart Chain. Your agent stays online during the top-up. When the underlying wallet runs low, you refill it.
Less Plumbing, More AgentWhat changes for you is mostly what you no longer have to build. Wallets, identity, payments, and hosting are part of the product. The SDK ships in Python today, with more languages coming. The CLI works in any MCP-compatible AI IDE, which means your existing Cursor and Claude Code workflows pick up Studio without any extra setup.
Three things to know about how this actually works:
Your agent handles its own credit top-ups, drawing from the wallet you fund. That changes the operational model. An agent you deploy today keeps running without you intervening between tasks. You only step in when the underlying wallet runs low.Open standards are the default. ERC-8004, ERC-8183, and x402 are all open. Nothing about your agent's identity, payments, or task interface is locked to BNB Chain or to Studio.Studio doesn't get in the way of how you build. The user flow above is a reference shape, not a contract. The SDK and CLI work fine if you want to wire things up differently.To get started, read the quickstart in the docs.
Live Today on BNB ChainBNB Agent Studio is live on BNB Smart Chain mainnet. The CLI is publicly available, the SDK installs via pip, and the supported AI IDEs at launch are Cursor and Claude Code, with additional MCP-compatible environments coming through MCP itself.
AWS Free Tier: A Limited-Time Free ExperienceTo support developers, the BNB Agent Studio AWS Free Tier offers a no-cost way to try the full cloud agent deployment pipeline using only a GitHub login with no AWS account or credit card required.
From there you get access to agent creation, cloud deployment, onchain registration via ERC-8004, and ERC-8183 / x402 onchain interactions, all without setting up your own infrastructure first.
This is a limited-time campaign with a capped budget, so access closes once it's gone. Here's everything you need to know about how it works.
Eligibility Dimension
Rule
GitHub account
Must be registered for at least 30 days.
Participation limit
Each GitHub account may participate once only. No re-enrollment.
Network
bsc-testnet only. Mainnet is not supported.
Total campaign budget
Limited on a first come, first served basis. Campaign ends automatically once the budget is exhausted.
Timing Dimension
Rule
Timer start
First successful bag deploy (not at login).
Trial duration
48 hours.
Expiry reminders
CLI reminders at 12 hours and 1 hour before expiry.
On expiry
All cloud resources automatically and permanently deleted. Cannot be recovered.
Login without deploying
Does not count toward the 48 hours. No resources consumed.
Usage limits Limit
Default Value
Invocation rate
60 requests / minute
Concurrent invocations
Max 2
Max single session duration
5 minutes (forcibly terminated on timeout)
Idle auto-reclaim
Reclaimed after 1 minute of inactivity
Max agents per user
10
Deployments per hour
Max 10
Concurrent in-flight deployments
Max 3
Zip package size
≤250 MB
Container image size
≤2 GB
Single request size
Max 10 MB
Campaign End MechanismWhen total campaign spend reaches the budget threshold ($3,000 × 80% ≈ $2,400), campaign end is automatically triggered:
New user entry is immediately closed: Deploy and invoke requests return "Campaign has ended."Users already inside their 48-hour window are unaffected and continue running until their individual expiry.Note: AWS billing has a delay of roughly 24 hours, so the actual trigger point is based on estimated spend reaching the threshold (subject to adjustment). Final spend is determined by actual AWS billing.
Data After ExpiryWhen the 48-hour trial ends, all cloud resources are immediately and permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. Onchain identity and transaction records are permanently retained and unaffected.
Content
Status After 48 Hours
Local code files (main.py, etc.)
Fully retained (stored locally on user's machine)
Onchain identity (ERC-8004)
Permanently retained (on BSC)
Onchain transaction records
Permanently retained (on BSC)
Local wallet files
Retained (stored locally on user's machine)
Cloud AgentCore runtime instance
Permanently deleted
CloudWatch runtime logs
Permanently deleted
ECR images (runtime + user-uploaded)
Permanently deleted
Secrets (wallet keys, etc.)
Immediately and permanently deleted. No recovery window.
S3 code bundle
Permanently deleted
Important:
Always use a testnet-dedicated wallet. Never use a mainnet wallet holding real assets.The system sends CLI reminders before expiry. Back up your local code in time.What’s Next?The current shape of the product is the developer surface for shipping individual agents. Further work covers ecosystem features and additional wallet and language model integrations. None of that is required for you to start building today.
Here’s what’s to come:
Late June 2026 - more options at every step:
TWAK wallet integration as an additional wallet option.BinancePay B402 merchants integration, so agents can purchase CMC data through x402.Microsoft Azure as a cloud runtime option alongside AWS.Free AWS runtime for up to 48 hours.Mid July 2026 - more choice and control:
Developer dashboard to view, pause, and restart agents without touching the CLI.Enterprise-grade security model for agent wallet private keys.Additional wallets to pick from and more data services your agent can pay to use.The roadmap updates regularly as we ship. For the latest, see the BNB Agent Studio page:
bnbchain.org/en/bnb-agent-studio
BNB Chain has been pointing toward a chain where autonomous software does real work for some time. BNB Agent Studio is the developer surface that makes that workable. The product is built for you if you want to ship agents that actually do the work, not chatbots that need supervision.
Let me tell you about a regulatory tug-of-war happening right now that most crypto headlines are ignoring, but that matters a lot for the fourth-largest cryptocurrency. While everyone obsesses over Bitcoin’s slide, two of the world’s biggest financial jurisdictions, the UK and the EU, are quietly pulling in opposite directions on stablecoin rules, and the outcome has real stakes for Binance and its token, BNB. Let me walk you through it.
First, the price. BNB is trading at $546.54, down about 1.3% on the day and 5.7% on the week, holding up roughly in line with the broader market through a rough stretch (live BNB price on CoinGecko). It has been more resilient than many altcoins over the longer run, and there is a structural reason for that, which we will get to. But right now, the interesting story is regulatory.
The tug-of-war: UK versus EU Here is what is happening. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority just proposed lowering the capital buffers, essentially the financial cushions, that firms must hold against stablecoins. This follows the Bank of England backtracking on limits to how much stablecoin value an individual could hold. The clear direction: the UK is moving to make itself more welcoming to stablecoin businesses.
At the same time, this move directly undercuts the EU’s MiCA framework, which imposes stricter requirements. So you have got two major jurisdictions competing, the UK loosening up to attract crypto business, the EU holding a tighter line. For a global company, that competition creates both opportunity and complication: friendlier rules somewhere, tighter rules elsewhere, and the constant challenge of navigating both.
Why this matters for BNB specifically Now here is the connection to BNB, and it is a direct one. Unlike most cryptocurrencies, BNB’s fortunes are tied tightly to Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, because BNB is the native token of the Binance ecosystem. So anything that affects Binance’s regulatory standing affects BNB more directly than regulatory news affects, say, a decentralized coin.
And Binance has a specific, live regulatory situation in Europe: it is facing a looming rejection of its MiCA license application in the EU, though it has said it is seeking alternative ways to maintain its European presence. So this UK-versus-EU stablecoin tug-of-war is not abstract for BNB holders. A more welcoming UK could offer Binance an alternative path in a key market, while the tighter EU stance is exactly the kind of pressure that has complicated its European operations. The regulatory chessboard genuinely matters here.
The structural strength underneath Let me balance the regulatory uncertainty with what is actually working for BNB, because it is real. BNB is not a purely speculative token. It has genuine utility: people use it to pay trading fees at a discount on Binance, and to power activity on BNB Chain. On top of that, Binance regularly burns BNB, permanently removing coins from supply, a deflationary mechanism that supports the price over time.
That combination, real utility plus shrinking supply, is why BNB tends to hold up better than many altcoins in downturns, and it is doing exactly that this week. The recent Maxwell upgrade to BNB Chain also improved the network’s performance, and integrations like Tether Gold keep expanding what people can do on it. These are the quiet, steady strengths that sit beneath the regulatory noise.
So how do you read BNB right now? This is the balance. On one side, BNB has real utility, deflationary burns, an improving network, and better resilience than most altcoins. On the other, it carries a concentrated risk tied to Binance’s regulatory standing, and right now that standing sits in the middle of a genuine UK-versus-EU regulatory divergence with real consequences.
That makes BNB a fundamentally different kind of hold than something like Bitcoin. When you own BNB, you are partly betting on Binance successfully navigating a complex, shifting global regulatory landscape, with all the upside if it does and the specific risk if it stumbles. Both sides deserve your attention.
The levels worth watching On the downside, the $540 area is immediate support, with $520 below it as the level that has held through recent pressure. Holding $520 keeps the structure intact. On the upside, BNB needs to reclaim $560 to ease the pressure, then the $580 to $600 zone to signal a stronger recovery is taking shape.
Where this leaves us BNB at $546 is holding up reasonably through a rough week, supported by its real utility and deflationary burns, with the Maxwell upgrade strengthening the network underneath. But it sits in the middle of a genuine regulatory tug-of-war: the UK loosening stablecoin rules to attract business while the EU holds its tighter MiCA line, with Binance’s European future caught in between.
So watch both sides. The $520 support and the $560 reclaim are the levels to track on the chart. And keep an eye on the UK-versus-EU regulatory story, because for BNB more than almost any other major coin, the fate of the exchange and the token are bound together. That is what makes BNB both more resilient and more regulatory-sensitive than it looks.
FAQ What is the BNB price today?
BNB is trading at $546.54 on July 1, 2026, down about 1.3% on the day and 5.7% on the week, holding up roughly in line with the broader market. It remains the fourth-largest cryptocurrency.
What is the UK stablecoin news?
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority proposed lowering the capital buffers firms must hold against stablecoins, following the Bank of England backtracking on stablecoin holding limits. This moves the UK toward friendlier stablecoin rules, undercutting the EU’s stricter MiCA framework.
Why does the UK-EU regulatory divergence matter for BNB?
BNB is tied closely to Binance, so regulatory shifts affecting the exchange affect BNB directly. A friendlier UK could offer Binance an alternative path, while the tighter EU stance, including a looming MiCA license rejection, complicates its European operations.
Why does BNB hold up better than other altcoins?
BNB has real utility (fee discounts and BNB Chain activity) plus regular token burns that shrink supply. This combination of genuine demand and deflationary supply tends to make it more resilient than purely speculative coins in downturns.
What are the key BNB levels to watch? I
mmediate support is $540, with $520 below it. Holding $520 keeps the structure intact. On the upside, BNB needs to reclaim $560, then the $580 to $600 zone to signal a stronger recovery.
This is not investment advice. Cryptocurrency is highly volatile. Always do your own research.
BNB Chain has unveiled BNB Agent Studio, a new platform that enables developers to build autonomous AI agents capable of surviving infrastructure failures, accepting crypto payments and being owned or transferred as digital assets.
Smart money used to mean knowing the right people, being in the right rooms.
Now it means having the right agents.
For years, building one took five tools, four logins, and a painful month of work. Today, it takes just a single prompt.
BNB Agent Studio is live on BNB Smart… pic.twitter.com/Ksdmz84ZgA
— BNB Chain (@BNBCHAIN) July 1, 2026
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Built in collaboration with the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, the platform allows agents to be created in around 15 minutes from a text prompt using Claude Code, Cursor or other MCP-compatible development environments.
BNB Agent Studio automatically generates the infrastructure required to deploy agents on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, while integrating identity, payments, hosting and AI capabilities into a single workflow.
BNB Chain said the integrated solution removes the need to separately configure wallets, identity systems, payment rails, AI models and hosting infrastructure.
“Building an autonomous AI agent has typically meant assembling a fragile stack of four or more separate vendor integrations: a wallet, an identity layer, payments, an AI model, and hosting,” Nina Rong, Executive Director of Growth at BNB Chain, stated. “We’re talking days and weeks of integration work. BNB Agent Studio replaces all of that with a single install, designed as one product from the ground up.”
According to the team, agents built on the platform can generate revenue by charging for services, use those earnings to cover operating expenses and retain their intelligence across environments through a combination of AWS runtime and onchain persistence. Each agent receives an ERC-8004 digital identity controlled by the owner’s private keys.
“With Amazon Bedrock AgentCore as the runtime, BNB Chain will unlock an entirely new category: AI agents as owned, tradeable, persistent digital entities. This vision will enable agents to be paused, resumed, migrated, recovered, and transferred, including through tokenisation,” Rong added.
The launch extends the capabilities introduced through the BNB Agent SDK. BNB Chain said it intends to release new platform features every two weeks to support developers building applications for the agentic economy.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
One Prompt, One Agent@BNBChain has activated BNB Agent Studio, a developer suite designed to cut the time it takes to ship autonomous on-chain AI agents from weeks to minutes. Developers describe what they want in plain language, and the platform handles everything else. As the official BNB Chain documentation puts it, the tool brings "a wallet, an LLM, on-chain agent identity (ERC-8004), a task interface (ERC-8183), and a cloud runtime together in one toolkit."
The setup works through a single command-line install. Once in place, the CLI auto-detects @Cursor_ai and Claude Code and registers BNB Agent Studio's MCP server directly inside those coding environments, so builders can create and deploy $BNB-native agents using natural language without leaving their editor. Each agent receives its own on-chain identity under the ERC-8004 standard, a dedicated wallet, and autonomous payment capabilities via the x402 protocol, meaning the agent can pay for its own LLM calls and operational costs without manual top-ups.
AWS Infrastructure and a Growing On-Chain Agent EconomyOn the infrastructure side, BNB Agent Studio routes deployments through @AWScloud's Bedrock AgentCore, packaging agents and registering them on BNB Smart Chain in a single command. Amazon Bedrock AgentCore is a fully managed platform that enables agents to take actions across tools and data "with the right permissions and governance, all without any infrastructure management," according to AWS documentation. That 24/7 managed runtime is what allows agents deployed through Studio to execute tasks such as market rebalancing and yield optimization continuously, without human intervention.
The launch comes against a backdrop of rapid growth in on-chain AI activity on BNB Chain. The network surpassed 150,000 on-chain AI agent deployments as of April 2026, a 43,750% increase since January of the same year, positioning it as one of the most active chains for autonomous agent infrastructure. BNB Agent Studio is designed to accelerate that trajectory by removing the month-long setup cycles that previously made agentic infrastructure prohibitive for most builders.
Sources
BNB Agent Studio, official BNB Chain product page
Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, AWS product page
BNB Chain leads all blockchains with 150,000 on-chain AI agents, CryptoNews
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Stellar (XLM) is hovering at $0.17. The trading volume has skyrocketed by 124%. With the market in extreme fear, all the major crypto assets are charted in red. Among them, Stellar (XLM) is attempting to move upward to hit its recent highs. With a modest 3% gain in value, its current price is hovering within the $0.1775 range.
In the early hours, the asset traded at a bottom range of $0.172, and after testing and breaking through the levels between $0.1727 and $0.1865, XLM has climbed to a high of $0.1869. Moreover, the daily trading volume has skyrocketed by over 124% to $277.61 million.
The four-hour price chart of the XLM/USDT trading pair shows that the price might move in both up and down directions. If its recent gain has acquired more traction, the price would climb toward the resistance at the $0.18 range. With the prolonged correction on the upside, the bulls could break higher and hit higher targets.
On the flip side, with a bearish shift in the Stellar market, the price trend might trigger it to shed its gains. This could immediately initiate a drop below the support at around $0.16. A steady push on the downside with the emergence of the death cross would send the asset’s price even lower.
What’s the Next Move for Stellar? When Stellar’s Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line is above the signal line, but both remain below the zero line, it suggests that bullish momentum is starting to build within a broader bearish trend.
The bullish crossover hints that buying pressure is improving, but the overall trend has not yet turned positive. Also, this signals an early recovery, though confirmation is needed before a stronger uptrend can be expected.
Additionally, the daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) staying at 46.35 indicates neutral to slightly bearish momentum in the XLM market. Technically, the value is below the neutral level, exhibiting that the sellers have a small edge, but momentum remains fairly balanced.
The reading is above the oversold zone, so selling pressure is not strong enough. This points to a market in consolidation, where neither buyers nor sellers have clear control.
Crypto Market Highlights
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Content Writer | Crypto Enthusiast | Bridging Literature and Blockchain
Stellar Signs On as Open USD Launch PartnerStellar's native token $XLM climbed roughly 10% over 24 hours after the Stellar Development Foundation joined the launch of Open USD as both a launch partner and Open Standard participant. The move ties one of crypto's most established payments-focused blockchains to what is shaping up to be the most broadly backed stablecoin debut in the industry's history.
More than 140 companies, including Visa, Stripe, Mastercard, BlackRock and Coinbase, have joined Open Standard to launch Open USD (OUSD), a new stablecoin that shares most of the earnings from its reserves. The project is led by founding CEO Zach Abrams, co-founder of Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure startup acquired by Stripe for $1.1 billion in 2024.
The coin is designed to address longstanding complaints about the stablecoin industry: high fees for minting and redeeming tokens at scale, issuers that keep the interest earned on reserves, and a lack of input from the businesses actually using the coins. Open Standard said businesses will be able to mint and redeem Open USD without fees or volume limits, while most of the income generated by its reserves will be distributed to participating businesses after a small management fee.
A Broad Coalition, and What It Means for $XLMThe 140-plus partners span four main categories: payment networks and processors such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Stripe, and Western Union; financial institutions including BlackRock, BNY, Standard Chartered, DBS, and U.S. Bank; technology and commerce firms such as Google, Samsung Electronics, IBM, Shopify, and DoorDash; and crypto ecosystem players including Coinbase and Solana.
Open USD will be managed by an independent organization with governance shared among partner companies, rather than a single controlling issuer. The announcement had an immediate ripple effect across markets, with Circle shares falling sharply on the day as traders priced in OUSD as a direct competitor to USDC.
For Stellar, the partnership reinforces the network's positioning as institutional payments infrastructure. Stellar's speed, low fees, compliance tools, and anchor network provide financial institutions the infrastructure needed to tokenize assets while maintaining regulatory compliance. The Open USD partnership adds to a string of recent institutional milestones for the network. In May 2026, the DTCC announced plans to connect its tokenized securities platform to Stellar, with XLM designated as the settlement token and live assets targeted for the first half of 2027, covering Russell 1000 equities and U.S. Treasury bonds.
Open USD is expected to go live later in 2026, with issuance planned across Solana, Stellar, Base, and Polygon.
Sources:
The Block: Visa, Stripe, Coinbase and more join Open USD stablecoin
CoinDesk: DTCC taps Stellar for tokenized securities network
Crypto Briefing: Dozens of major companies join Open USD as launch partners
Arc Plugs Into Chainlink's Enterprise Oracle StackArc, the Layer-1 blockchain backed by Circle, has joined the Chainlink Scale program, opening up a suite of enterprise-grade oracle and interoperability services to developers building on the network.
Through the partnership, builders on Arc can now tap CCIP (Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol), Data Streams, Data Feeds, and Proof of Reserve. Chainlink CCIP is a blockchain interoperability protocol that enables developers to build secure applications that can transfer tokens, messages, or both across chains. Data Streams, meanwhile, provides pull-based oracles with sub-second latency, enabling DeFi applications to access high-quality financial market data.
The Scale program, which stands for Sustainable Chainlink Access for Layer 1 and 2 Enablement, is centered around accelerating the growth of blockchain and layer-2 ecosystems. It allows blockchains and layer-2 networks to fast-track smart contract innovation by covering the operating costs of Chainlink oracle networks for a period of time. In doing so, developers get access to a variety of important oracle services, including configurations specific to their ecosystem needs, such as Data Feeds with higher update frequencies to enable more advanced and low-latency smart contract applications.
What Arc Brings to the Table Arc features predictable dollar-based fees using stablecoins as gas, opt-in configurable privacy that supports compliance obligations, and direct integration with Circle's full-stack platform, making it uniquely suited for use cases like lending, capital markets, FX, and payments.
Chainlink has been selected as a core ecosystem partner of Arc, the newly launched layer-1 blockchain by Circle. The Chainlink Scale membership now formalises and expands that relationship, putting the full oracle toolkit directly in the hands of Arc's developer community.
Arc is currently in public testnet, with strong developer adoption and sustained network activity ahead of mainnet launch. Launch partners include BlackRock, Visa, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard, Standard Chartered, Amazon Web Services, and Coinbase, representing diverse segments of the financial ecosystem from asset managers to payment processors to infrastructure providers. The addition of Chainlink Scale infrastructure is likely to deepen that institutional appeal as Arc prepares for its mainnet debut.
Arc official website | Chainlink Scale program overview, Chainlink Blog | Arc on Chainlink Ecosystem
Chainlink (LINK) recovers modestly, trading above $7.30 on Wednesday after weeks of heavy selling pressure. The recovery could strengthen as Arc joined the Chainlink Scale program on Tuesday, boosting ecosystem growth and adoption. However, traders should remain cautious, as mixed on-chain and derivatives data continues to cap LINK’s upside.
Growing partnership boosts LINK’s ecosystem growthChainlink's official X account announced on Tuesday that Arc, Circle's stablecoin-native Layer-1 blockchain, has joined the Chainlink Scale program. It aims to provide developers with secure access to premium enterprise-grade infrastructure.
On the same day, Theo announced that it had invested $20 million in Fidelity International's FILQ tokenized USD liquidity fund via Sygnum. The investment leverages Chainlink's Runtime Environment to deliver on-chain Net Asset Value (NAV), pricing data from JPMorgan, and fund distribution metrics.
These partnerships and ecosystem developments signal a bullish long-term outlook for Chainlink and its native token, LINK, boosting ecosystem growth and bolstering investor confidence.
However, in the short term, it failed to lift LINK prices, as the price consolidated after the previous week's correction.
Mixed on-chain and derivatives caps recoveryCryptoQuant’s summary data shows mixed sentiment. Chainlink’s spot and futures markets show large whales' orders, suggesting a positive outlook, while the futures market shows sell-side dominance, suggesting a negative bias. This mixed bias suggests cautious sentiment among traders and is capping any potential recovery.
Chainlink summary data chart. Source: CryptoQuantOn the derivative side, sentiment also remains mixed. Chainlink’s funding rates turned positive on Thursday, reading 0.0060% on Wednesday, indicating that longs are paying the shorts and suggesting a bullish bias.
However, Coinglass long-to-short ratio for LINK read 0.84 on Wednesday, nearing its lowest levels in over a month. This ratio, being below 1, reflects bearish sentiment in the market, as more traders are betting the asset’s price will fall.
Chainlink funding rates chart. Source: Coinglass
Chainlink long-to-short ratio chart. Source: CoinglassChainlink Price Forecast: Fading bearish momentum could lift pricesChainlink trades at $7.31 on Wednesday, maintaining a bearish bias as the price remains well below the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), clustered between roughly $8.23 and $10.26.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at about 37 remains in weak territory, while the slightly negative Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) hints at fading downside momentum rather than a decisive turn, suggesting any recovery attempts are likely to face overhead supply.
On the topside, initial resistance emerges at the 50-day EMA near $8.22, followed by the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement at $8.74 and the 100-day EMA around $8.84. Above there, the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement at $9.82 and the horizontal cap near $9.93 precede the heavier band formed by the 200-day EMA at $10.26.
On the downside, immediate support is seen near the recent anchor around $6.99; a break below this zone would reopen the path to fresh lows in the broader corrective phase.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
World is a new onchain prediction market on Solana that allows users to trade event contracts like crypto prices and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.The platform is now live within the Phantom wallet and at world.xyz, utilizing Chainlink as its primary oracle infrastructure for market data.World enables users to trade directly from their Solana wallets, with positions, settlement, and redemptions occurring fully onchain using CASH stablecoin.World, the mysterious Solana project that garnered millions of views on X with little more than a glowing globe, cryptic posts and the tagline “Trade Everything,” is now live as a fully onchain prediction market inside Phantom.
The platform is online at world.xyz and in the Phantom wallet on iOS, Android and desktop, with Chainlink serving as its primary oracle infrastructure for its data.
Users can trade event contracts tied to crypto prices and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with additional markets on sports, geopolitics, and macroeconomics planned for the near future, according to an announcement shared with CoinDesk.
World’s world_xyz account has built attention throughsocial media posts offering scant product details, fueling speculation that the project could be a meme coin, trading app or broader Solana infrastructure play. Copycat WORLD-themed tokens have appeared on token launchpads, though those tokens are not official World assets.
The platform's identity stayed hidden until late June, when a legal disclosure on Phantom's site surfaced on X.
World is instead a non-custodial prediction market, with users being able to trade directly from their Solana wallets and funds moving only when they enter a market. Positions, settlement and redemptions happen onchain.
World uses Phantom’s CASH stablecoin as its settlement asset, allowing winning positions to be redeemed automatically inside the wallet. Phantom gives World immediate distribution through one of Solana’s largest consumer apps and follows Phantom’s broader push into in-app markets, including Kalshi prediction markets and regulated derivatives.
“Prediction markets are one of the most powerful applications you can build on a high-performance blockchain,” Pedro Miranda, head of consumer at the Solana Foundation, in Wednesday's announcement. “World is designed to show what Solana makes possible: real-time markets, onchain settlement, and a user experience that meets people where they are.”
Chainlink will provide World with market data and resolution infrastructure through Chainlink Data Streams and the Chainlink Runtime Environment.
The setup is meant to reduce reliance on human-led resolution, a longstanding friction point in prediction markets. Other event-contract platforms have also moved toward oracle-based settlement, including Polymarket for some price-based markets.
World is not the only Solana-native prediction market. Jupiter unveiled its Forecast beta on June 29, offering 15-minute bitcoin price markets.
The Phantom debut is the first of several frontend distribution partnerships World plans to activate across traditional fintech and crypto platforms in July.
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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.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
World XYZ, a prominent prediction market on the Solana blockchain, has announced its adoption of Chainlink as its primary oracle infrastructure. This integration aims to enhance the speed and accuracy of market resolutions, particularly in categories such as cryptocurrency, sports, elections, and macroeconomic events. Chainlink serves as a critical link, connecting Solana’s smart contracts to real-world data through verified data aggregation from independent node operators. This move is expected to provide immediate resolution and payout capabilities, bypassing traditional banking delays through stablecoin rails.
The integration of Chainlink is seen as a significant enhancement for World XYZ, addressing the “oracle problem” by ensuring data accuracy and reliability. With Chainlink’s established network, which has facilitated over $6.9 trillion in transaction value since 2022, the partnership is anticipated to bolster confidence in prediction markets on Solana. Market participants may interpret this development as supportive of higher trust and efficiency, potentially influencing market dynamics across various sectors.
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Market reactions have been observed in related prediction markets, specifically in the pricing of Bitcoin. Current data suggests a notable increase in confidence for Bitcoin to reach certain price ranges by July 1, with an 84% likelihood of Bitcoin being priced between $58,000 and $60,000, up from 38% just 24 hours ago. This shift appears consistent with enhanced market confidence stemming from World XYZ’s integration of Chainlink.
Key Takeaways World XYZ’s integration of Chainlink appears consistent with efforts to enhance prediction market efficiency and reliability. Market pricing suggests increased confidence in Bitcoin price predictions, with significant movements in sub-market odds. Chainlink’s established infrastructure is expected to provide immediate payout capabilities, enhancing user experience on World XYZ. What to Watch Market participants may look for further developments in World XYZ’s performance metrics following the integration. Any additional partnerships or technological advancements could further influence market dynamics. The impact on Bitcoin’s market pricing will be crucial to observe, especially as additional data from Chainlink is utilized. Watch for statements from key financial regulators or announcements from World XYZ that could further shape market perceptions.
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Bitcoin Price On July 1 2026
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h July 1 0.5% — — View market → July 1 9% — — View market → July 1 3.6% — — View market → July 1 0.1% — — View market → July 1 87.5% — — View market → July 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → July 1 2026 0.2% — — View market → What Price Will Hyperliquid Hit Before 2027
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31 35% — — View market → January 1 2027 5.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.6% — — View market → January 1 2027 63.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 11.1% — — View market → January 1 2027 5.5% — — View market →
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Economist Gita Gopinath said on Tuesday that cryptocurrency legislation, including the GENIUS Act, will have limited success reducing illicit finance due to the large number of anonymous stablecoin holdings.
Stablecoins In Self-Custody: A Dark Spot?Gopinath, at a lecture on the occasion of the Annual General Meeting of the Bank for International Settlements, pointed out that stablecoins are primarily held in their most anonymous form, a stark contrast to the preference for less anonymity in traditional money transactions.
The research found that the fewest stablecoins are held on U.S.-based centralised exchanges, including Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN), considered “least anonymous” and “analogous to bank deposits.”
Holdings in non-U.S. exchanges, such as Binance (CRYPTO: BNB), were placed between self-custody and U.S. exchanges on the anonymity spectrum.
Loopholes In US Stablecoin Act?Gopinath, former Chief Economist at the IMF, stated that the GENIUS Act, which regulates stablecoin issuers and centralized exchanges, does not cover self-custody wallets, peer-to-peer transfers, and offshore issuers and exchanges.
She added that while the European framework, i.e, Markets in Crypto-Assets, is more restrictive, it still excludes a large share of transactions.
“Consequently, GENIUS & MICA regulatory frameworks will likely have only a modest effect in preventing illicit activity,” Gopinath said.
Notably, New York’s leading prosecutors raised concerns earlier this year about the new stablecoin legislation, citing weaker safeguards for fraud victims
Stablecoin Role In Facilitating Illicit VolumeGopinath pointed to the Chainalysis cryptocurrency crime report, showing that stablecoins accounted for 84% of the illicit cryptocurrency transaction volume in 2025.
“Stablecoins are a genuine innovation, but they are held and used in their most anonymous form. The task for policymakers is to manage the resulting trade-off,” the Harvard Professor said during the lecture.
A report by CertiK, a Web3 cybersecurity firm, highlighted the emergence of several major exploit trends in stablecoin infrastructure over the past 18–24 months.
Photo Courtesy: ddRender on Shutterstock.com
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