Key Takeaways Loopring exhibited good levels of on-chain activity. Combined with the breakout from the triangle pattern, the chances of an LRC rally look good in the coming days.
Loopring [LRC] witnessed a 2,383% increase in daily trading volume, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
The $136.15 million market cap altcoin saw $332 million in volume in the past 24 hours, more than twice its market cap.
In fact, altcoins such as Ripple [XRP], Story [IP], and Axie Infinity [AXS] saw a surge in trading volume on the South Korean exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, over the weekend.
In that context, Loopring’s activity increased not only on Bithumb but also on Binance and MEXC.
Triangle pattern breakout for Loopring Source: LRC/USDT on TradingView The increased volume came at a fortuitous time for LRC. Over the past six weeks, LRC consolidated within a symmetrical triangle before breaking out bullishly on the 31st of August.
However, bulls quickly ran into resistance near $0.12 and were fighting to flip $0.1 to support at the time of writing. The $0.09-$0.1 area appeared to be a sturdy demand zone to the south.
Therefore, the triangle breakout should offer buyers a good opportunity to add Loopring to their holdings.
OBV, which had trended higher throughout August, spiked sharply alongside the move. On top of that, the breakout was reinforced by rising volume and supportive moving averages, both pointing toward bullish momentum.
The immediate targets were reclaiming $0.10 as support and pushing toward $0.125.
Profit-taking fears muted Source: Santiment The on-chain metrics also signaled market confidence in the token.
Daily Active Addresses saw a dip in the second half of August, but have been steady since July. It spiked higher on Sunday, as did the token’s Velocity and Transaction Volume.
Velocity measures the average number of times a single token changes addresses daily. Higher figures show the token is more frequently traded.
Having said that, sharp increases in velocity sometimes hint at profit-taking, raising caution.
Moreover, Dormant Activity remained silent, quelling fears of a network-wide distribution. Therefore, Loopring holders can remain hopeful of further gains.
Loopring price action is indicating a potential move to the upside as flagged by market analyst Crypto Patel. Loopring (LRC) is a cryptocurrency that utilizes zkRollup technology to provide users with fast, low-cost trading and payments on the Ethereum network and multiple blockchain networks. LRC’s price, which currently stands at $0.05641, has been down 2.2% and 3.4% over the past week and month, a reflection of the downtrend in the broader crypto market.
As of today, December 19, 2025, most cryptocurrency markets are trading under selling pressure, confirmed by the latest prices of Bitcoin and Ethereum, which currently hover at $88,263 and $2,964, down 4.5% and 8.5% over the past week, respectively. These negative figures give a clear picture that most crypto markets are experiencing broad declines and losses as macroeconomic uncertainty and consolidation fatigue weigh their prices down.
$LRC Price pushed up, grabbed liquidity above recent highs, and ran straight into a bearish order block: Now showing rejection.
Short zone: 0.0573
Invalidation: 0.0623
Targets: 0.0523 → 0.0496
Trend stays Bearish.
If sellers step in here, downside liquidity is the magnet.… pic.twitter.com/QAtltVcO8o
— Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) December 19, 2025 Why Buy-Side Liquidity Sweep Matters However, after recent downturns, Loopring is witnessing a potential bullish reversal and buy interest. The analyst identified a classic pattern popularly recognized as a buy-side liquidity sweep, where large players like institutions, market makers, and smart money bolster prices into zones where several stop-loss orders are sitting. As flagged by the analyst, LRC is gaining upside momentum, as so far, its price has reached the 0.0573 price zone, where big investors triggered stop-loss orders in the past.
That price sweep was accompanied by a significant rebound that previously made LRC surge higher and record strong trading volume. With the rising momentum, attention now shifts to the $0.0623 zone, which corresponds with a previous price top and could function as a resistance level, according to the analyst.
The current price of Loopring is $0.05641. What Is the Next Move For LRC? The analyst is closely watching to assess if LRC can hold above the liquidity zone or if it will retreat to test lower supports. Amid the ongoing heightened, volatile swing period in the larger market, LRC has found its footing and is consolidating, hinting potential accumulation zone where buyers are moving into the market. This market behavior signifies a robust foundation for a short-term bullish move.
The rising demand for zk-Rollups scaling solution to enhance transactions throughout while maintaining security in DEXs (decentralized exchanges) is an underlying driver for LRC’s price strength. This demand impacts the price of Loopring and other crypto market providers of zero-Knowledge Rollups solutions, such as StarNet (STRK), zkSync (ZK), etc.
AUTHOR
Nicholas Otieno is a fintech writer specializing in cryptocurrency markets. Since 2019, he has written articles to educate readers about cryptocurrency and its substantial positive impact on global prosperity. Nicholas is a Bitcoin holder, believing firmly in its fundamentals. His work has been featured in publications such as Finance Magnates, Blockchain.News, Bitcoin Magazine, Coincub, and among others. When he's not writing, Nicholas enjoys performing domestic tasks, spending time with friends, listening to music, and watching football.
The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.
According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.
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SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.
According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.
Upbit, one of South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced it will end support for trading the Loopring (LRC) token. According to the official statement, the exchange will cease LRC trading on March 16th.
As a result of this decision, trading support for Loopring on the Upbit platform will be completely terminated. Such delisting decisions are generally made based on the liquidity of the asset, developments on the project side, regulatory requirements, and the exchange’s user protection policies. Upbit’s statement did not provide details regarding the reasoning behind the decision.
With the delisting process underway, users are advised to review their open orders before the trading support ends and take necessary steps to mitigate potential risks. Furthermore, since the asset will no longer be tradable on the exchange after trading support ceases, investors are expected to consider withdrawal options to manage their assets.
Loopring stands out as a project running on Ethereum, particularly known for its Layer-2 scaling solutions. However, recent increased volatility in the cryptocurrency markets and tightening listing standards by exchanges are raising the risk of delisting for many altcoins.
Upbit’s decision to discontinue Loopring is noteworthy because it coincides with a period of increased regulation of the cryptocurrency market in South Korea and an acceleration of risk management measures by exchanges.
Users are advised to follow Upbit’s official announcements until March 16th to stay updated on the process.
*This is not investment advice.
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South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit has announced it will delist Loopring (LRC), marking another instance of tighter listing oversight within one of Asia’s most closely regulated digital asset markets. The exchange said trading support for LRC will end in mid-March, with withdrawals to remain available for a limited period thereafter, giving users time to manage positions before services are fully discontinued.
The decision follows what Upbit described as a comprehensive internal review of the project. According to the exchange, concerns were raised regarding disclosure standards, business transparency, and the sustainability of the project’s roadmap. While Upbit did not allege misconduct, it indicated that the token no longer satisfied the platform’s listing maintenance criteria, which are designed to protect investors and ensure adequate levels of project communication and operational clarity.
Delisting timeline and user impact Under the announced schedule, deposits of Loopring have already been suspended, and trading support will cease on the specified termination date. After trading ends, open orders will be automatically canceled. Withdrawals will remain available for a defined grace period before full support is terminated. Upbit advised users to review their holdings carefully and take necessary action to avoid disruptions once services conclude.
For retail investors, the immediate implication is reduced liquidity within the South Korean market. Upbit commands a significant share of domestic crypto trading volume, and removal from its platform can materially affect a token’s accessibility and price stability in the region. Market participants often view delistings by major exchanges as negative catalysts, particularly when they stem from compliance or transparency concerns rather than purely commercial considerations.
Broader regulatory context in South Korea South Korea has developed one of the world’s more structured regulatory environments for digital asset trading. Exchanges operating domestically are subject to strict reporting standards and periodic asset reviews. Projects listed on major platforms are expected to maintain consistent disclosures regarding development progress, governance structure, tokenomics, and risk factors. Failure to meet these standards can result in trading suspensions, watchlist designations, or full delistings.
In recent years, local exchanges have demonstrated greater willingness to remove tokens that fall short of evolving compliance benchmarks. This reflects both regulatory pressure and a broader industry shift toward enhanced investor protection. For exchanges, maintaining credibility and regulatory alignment has become a strategic priority, particularly as institutional participation in digital assets expands.
Loopring, an Ethereum-based layer-2 protocol designed to facilitate scalable decentralized exchange infrastructure, continues to operate independently of any single exchange listing. However, delisting from a major venue such as Upbit may limit exposure to one of the region’s most active retail trading bases. The longer-term impact on LRC’s liquidity and valuation will depend on trading activity across other global exchanges and the project’s ability to address the concerns highlighted during the review process.
As exchanges worldwide refine listing frameworks in response to regulatory developments, Upbit’s decision underscores the growing importance of transparency, consistent disclosure, and operational sustainability in the digital asset sector. The move serves as a reminder that exchange listings are conditional, and that ongoing compliance is increasingly central to a token’s continued market access.
London, June 11, 2026 – Archax, the UK/EU-regulated digital asset platform, today announced real-time streaming cash flows for tokenized securities on Hedera, the trusted public network for building fast, secure, and compliant decentralized applications. This capability enables interest payments to be distributed on a near second-by-second basis directly to investors’ wallets using Circle’s USDC stablecoin on Hedera.
This innovation expands upon Archax’s success with pooled token products on Hedera. It marks another step in delivering institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure that improves efficiency, transparency, and liquidity across tokenized markets.
Powered by Hedera’s enterprise-grade, low-fee network, the streaming cash flow capability enables interest payments to update in real-time within investors’ wallets. As tokenized securities are traded, the corresponding payments automatically follow the asset each second, with cash flows adjusting continuously based on where the security is held. Since the underlying assets can be fractionalized, the associated payments are also continuously divisible.
Graham Rodford, CEO and co-founder of Archax commented, “Tokenizing assets was the first step; streaming cash flows is a giant leap into the future of finance. Industry-leading innovation like this unlocks true on-chain utility – such as real-time yield payment streams – as well as reducing market inefficiencies. This deployment on Hedera showcases how regulated, institutional products can leverage cutting-edge DLT capabilities to deliver unprecedented liquidity and efficiency to investors. This isn’t just a 24/7 market, it’s a real-time, second-by-second market.”
“Our work with Archax is a strong example of how tokenization can improve the way financial assets are managed and distributed,” said Gregg Bell, Chief Investment Officer at Hashgraph. “By enabling cash flows to move seamlessly with tokenized securities, we’re bringing greater efficiency, transparency, and precision to capital markets. It’s an important step toward a future where financial assets and the value they generate move together in real time.”
The streaming cash flow functionality also supports broader future applications, including continuous coupon payments, real-time revenue distribution, usage-based payments, and other models that benefit from precise, real-time settlement.
Archax remains focused on bridging traditional finance by providing regulated infrastructure for issuing, trading, and safeguarding digital and tokenized assets. The deployment demonstrates how Hedera’s scalable technology, institutional governance, and built-in compliance supports financial applications in regulated markets.
About Archax
Archax is a UK and EU-regulated digital asset platform, targeted at the professional and institutional investor community. Archax supports all types of digital assets – from unregulated cryptocurrencies through to regulated tokenised real-world assets (RWAs). Archax also covers the full digital lifecycle from token issuance and fundraising through to trading and custody. For more information about Archax, visit archax.com.
About Hedera
Hedera is the trust layer of the digital economy, providing fast, secure, and efficient distributed ledger technology (DLT) powered by its unique hashgraph technology. With an open-source ecosystem, predictable, low-cost fees, and carbon-negative operations, it equips developers with the tools to build scalable applications with real-world impact.
Governed by a diverse council of world-leading institutions, Hedera ensures transparent and fair decision-making. By driving innovation in DeFi, tokenization, AI, digital identity, and sustainable finance, it is shaping a more trusted, efficient, and inclusive digital future.
For more information, visit www.hedera.com, or follow us on X at @hedera or Linkedin. The Hedera whitepaper can be found at www.hedera.com/papers.
Canary Capital has brought Hedera’s HBAR token into the ETF mainstream. The firm filed a Form 424B3 prospectus supplement with the SEC for its spot HBAR ETF, trading under the ticker HBR on Nasdaq.
The filing, submitted around October 27, 2025, preceded the fund’s trading debut on Nasdaq the following day. It makes HBR the first US spot ETF offering direct exposure to HBAR, the native cryptocurrency of the Hedera network.
What the filing actually means A 424B3 is a prospectus supplement, essentially the final paperwork that tells investors exactly what they’re buying before shares start changing hands. The more important backstory is the S-1/A filing Canary submitted on September 22, 2025, which served as the precursor registration statement. The 424B3 was the last regulatory hurdle before shares could actually trade.
The ETF is structured as a grantor trust that holds 100% HBAR, plus minor cash reserves. That structure means investors own a proportional share of actual HBAR tokens sitting in custody, not derivatives or futures contracts.
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Custodial duties are split between BitGo Trust Company and Coinbase Custody. Pricing relies on a benchmark from CoinDesk for valuation of the underlying HBAR holdings.
The sponsor fee is set at 0.95%. For context, that’s higher than most spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have largely settled into a fee war in the 0.20%-0.25% range.
The numbers so far As of June 2026, the fund’s net assets sit at approximately $52.6 million. The market price per share was around $11.14 as of June 8, 2026. The fund’s CUSIP number is 136945102.
Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg framed the approval as a significant moment for broadening investor access to digital assets.
Why this matters beyond HBAR The Hedera network operates a hashgraph-based distributed ledger, which is technically distinct from traditional blockchain architecture. It’s governed by the Hedera Governing Council, a body that has included companies like Google, IBM, and Boeing.
For investors considering the HBR fund, the 0.95% sponsor fee is the most immediate cost to weigh. With $52.6 million in net assets, the fund is still relatively small. Smaller ETFs can trade at wider bid-ask spreads, meaning investors might pay a slight premium when buying and accept a slight discount when selling compared to the fund’s net asset value.
Every dollar flowing into HBR translates to actual HBAR purchases by the trust, creating buying pressure that didn’t previously exist from the traditional finance channel.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Archax has introduced real-time yield payments on Hedera, enabling interest generated by tokenized securities to be distributed continuously in USDC.
The system allows interest payments to update automatically as tokenized securities move between wallets. According to Archax, cash flows are transferred alongside the underlying asset, allowing yield to follow ownership in real time.
Most tokenized securities continue to distribute interest through periodic payments, similar to traditional financial products. Archax said its system allows cash flows to accrue and settle continuously, supporting applications such as real-time coupon payments and revenue-sharing arrangements.
The launch builds on Archax's earlier work on tokenized investment products. In September, the company introduced Pool Tokens on Hedera, allowing multiple tokenized assets to be bundled into a single onchain instrument, including a product backed by money market funds from several major asset managers.
Graham Rodford, CEO and co-founder of Archax, said tokenization was "the first step," while real-time cash flows could allow tokenized assets to support yield streams and reduce market inefficiencies.
Archax is a UK-regulated digital asset exchange and custodian, while Hedera is a public distributed ledger network used by financial institutions developing tokenized asset products. According to Hedera, Archax's platform hosts more than $300 million in tokenized assets from six asset managers.
Yield-bearing tokenized assets gain tractionFinancial institutions are increasingly bringing yield-bearing assets onto blockchain networks, with tokenized money market funds becoming a growing segment of the real-world asset market.
In April, OKX added BlackRock's BUIDL tokenized Treasury fund to a collateral framework with Standard Chartered, allowing institutional clients to use the yield-bearing asset as trading margin while it remains in regulated custody.
Weeks later, JPMorgan filed to launch a tokenized money market fund on Ethereum designed for stablecoin issuers. The fund will invest in Treasury bills and overnight repurchase agreements, allowing issuers to earn yield on reserves backing their stablecoins.
The push comes as tokenized real-world assets continue to expand, bucking broader weakness in the crypto market. According to Binance Research, the value of active tokenized RWAs has increased 589% since early 2025, with tokenized bonds and money market funds adding roughly $6.5 billion in value over the period.
Growth in tokenized US Treasurys began climbing in early 2025. Source: RWA.xyz
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The crypto market is recovering, but not every coin is telling the same story. The Pi Network price is extending a painful downtrend with no clear floor in sight, while the Hedera price today is showing early signs of a bounce, though volume is too thin to call it a real reversal.
Both coins are part of a wider market trying to find its footing, and both come with meaningful risks for anyone watching the best crypto to buy right now. BlockDAG is approaching this moment differently. No recovery story needed, no chart to wait on, just a Legacy Sale at $0.00000044 and a Buyback Program locking in $0.05 per coin. While others are still figuring out where the bottom is, BlockDAG has already built the exit.
Pi Network Price: 6 Straight Weekly Losses With No Floor in Sight Table of Contents
Pi Network Price: 6 Straight Weekly Losses With No Floor in SightHedera Price Today Is Moving, But Is Anyone Behind It?BlockDAG: A $0.05 Buyback Value Is Gaining Investors’ Attention Final Thoughts The Pi Network price is hovering below $0.1300 and recording its sixth consecutive weekly loss of 12%. Trading volume has been declining alongside price, which is one of the more concerning signals a chart can show. When price falls and volume shrinks at the same time, it means demand is not stepping in to absorb the selling.
Technically, the Pi Network price is sitting below the 50, 100, and 200-day EMAs at $0.1549, $0.1676, and $0.2142, respectively. RSI is hovering around 30, just above oversold territory, and MACD remains deep in negative territory.
Immediate support sits at the $0.1184 low from Saturday, followed by the S2 Pivot at $0.1124. Among the best crypto to buy conversations happening right now, Pi Network is not generating the kind of momentum that makes a compelling case.
Hedera Price Today Is Moving, But Is Anyone Behind It? The Hedera price today sits at $0.08157, following a bounce off the key Fibonacci swing low support at $0.07687. That support level held, buyers stepped in, and the broader altcoin market gave HBAR a helpful tailwind.
The setup has real positives. Hedera was named a top altseason 2026 pick on June 6, with TOTAL2 breaking out of an 18-month accumulation range. Research linking HBAR to the proposed CLARITY Act and Kalshi’s filing for HBAR perpetual futures in the US adds genuine narrative weight.
But trading volume dropped more than 50%. A bounce without volume is a bounce without conviction. Resistance sits at $0.0850, then the $0.0920 to $0.0950 zone. Losing $0.07687 support reopens the path to $0.0720.
The Hedera price today is one of the more interesting setups among the best crypto to buy watchlists, but interesting and ready are two different things.
BlockDAG: A $0.05 Buyback Value Is Gaining Investors’ Attention Among the best crypto to buy options right now, most require a leap of faith. BlockDAG requires math. The Legacy Sale has BDAG priced at $0.00000044. The Buyback Program locks in a guaranteed exit at $0.05 per coin. That structure removes the single biggest risk in crypto buying in with no clear way out. While Pi Network is searching for a floor and Hedera is bouncing on thin volume, BlockDAG has already answered the question most buyers are asking.
For existing holders, BDAG Swap offers entry at 30% below the market price, with up to 250 million BDAG per wallet per day at $0.00025 per coin and uncapped daily sell limits.
Beyond the financials, the BlockDAG casino is a real demand engine. Every bet placed, every reward claimed, and every transaction processed inside it requires BDAG. That creates constant internal buying pressure that does not depend on market sentiment or outside speculation. Players come in, spend BDAG, earn BDAG, and cycle it back; everything stays within the ecosystem, keeping the token moving constantly.
What makes this work smoothly is the technology underneath it. BlockDAG’s network delivers fast transactions, low fees, and high scalability. Smart contracts handle games and rewards automatically, making every interaction instant and seamless.
In a market where Pi Network is losing ground weekly and Hedera is holding a fragile bounce, BlockDAG is running on structure. The Legacy Sale window is open but not indefinitely, and among the best crypto to buy opportunities in 2026, very few come with a guaranteed number already attached.
Final Thoughts The Pi Network price is in a persistent downtrend with declining volume and no clear catalyst to reverse it. The Hedera price today is showing early recovery signs, but thin participation keeps the outlook cautious. Both coins carry real uncertainty, and both require patience that may not be rewarded quickly this year.
BlockDAG does not ask for that patience. The Legacy Sale entry and the Buyback return are time-limited and already drawing serious attention. A growing casino ecosystem powered by fast, low-fee, scalable technology keeps BDAG in constant circulation, building demand from within rather than depending on the market.
For anyone filtering through the best crypto to buy in 2026, the gap between $0.00000044 and $0.05 is not a prediction. It is already on the table, and it will not stay there forever.
Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network
Website: https://blockdag.network
Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial
Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
TLDR: Public RWA trackers show $64.5M on Hedera, while RedSwan reports over $5B tokenized assets. RedSwan’s Hedera-based platform targets $25B in tokenized commercial real estate growth. Private security token offerings may explain why billions remain absent from public dashboards. Hedera expands U.S. regulatory engagement as HBAR trades near key support and resistance levels. Hedera’s tokenization activity has drawn fresh attention as discussions continue around the network’s real-world asset presence.
While public dashboards show a relatively modest amount of tokenized real estate, data shared by ecosystem participants points to a much larger footprint that remains outside publicly tracked markets.
Private Real Estate Tokenization Draws Attention to Hedera Network Activity Hedera remains under market pressure, with HBAR trading near $0.078 and posting losses over the past 24 hours. Trading activity has stayed muted, while the token continues moving within a narrow range between $0.075 and $0.081.
A recent post from X Finance Bull brought renewed focus to Hedera’s real-world asset ecosystem. The post argued that publicly available RWA trackers may not reflect the network’s full tokenization activity.
🚨Look what I found on $HBAR that needs attention right now. 👇
The public RWA data shows $64.5M in tokenized real estate on Hedera.
RedSwan’s own numbers? OVER $5 BILLION
The gap between what trackers display and what's actually on the network is enormous.
And almost… https://t.co/U2sQSs0YTL pic.twitter.com/ulZGIerolD
— X Finance Bull (@Xfinancebull) June 11, 2026
According to the post, public dashboards currently display about $64.5 million in tokenized real estate on Hedera. However, figures associated with RedSwan CRE place the value above $5 billion.
RedSwan CRE is a commercial real estate tokenization platform based in Houston. Hedera’s official information states that the company has tokenized more than $5 billion in institutional-grade properties on the network. The platform also plans to expand that figure to $25 billion over the next 36 months.
The company’s leadership includes CEO Edward Nwokedi, who previously served as an executive director at Cushman & Wakefield. The platform reports more than 13,000 investors and manages funds focused on the United States, Africa, and Gulf markets.
In 2023, RedSwan secured a $4 billion portfolio from a Dubai-based client. The portfolio included 36 mixed-use properties across the Middle East. Those assets were appraised by Cushman & Wakefield and tokenized through RedSwan’s Hedera-based platform.
The discussion has centered on why those figures remain largely absent from many public RWA dashboards. According to the information shared, these assets are structured as regulated security token offerings and are available only to verified investors.
Regulatory Engagement Continues as HBAR Trades Sideways Alongside tokenization developments, Hedera has increased its participation in regulatory discussions in the United States. The network recently joined a coalition of roughly 200 organizations supporting the Clarity Act.
The coalition is seeking clearer rules for digital commodities and broader market structure legislation. Supporters argue that clearer regulations could provide greater certainty for blockchain networks and digital assets operating within the U.S. market.
At the same time, Hedera representatives are taking part in the Blockchain Association’s Member Fly-In. During the event, participants are scheduled to meet with 52 U.S. Senate offices to discuss market structure legislation and regulatory frameworks for the industry.
Meanwhile, market performance has remained subdued. HBAR has declined nearly 9% during the past week, according to market observers cited in the update. Traders have pointed to low volume as a key factor behind the token’s limited price movement.
Analysts continue monitoring nearby technical levels. Resistance remains between $0.084 and $0.10, where stronger buying activity would be required for a breakout. On the downside, support around $0.075 remains an area closely watched by traders.
For now, attention remains divided between Hedera’s regulatory efforts and the debate surrounding the scale of tokenized assets operating on its network.
While public trackers present one view of activity, discussions around private security token offerings continue shaping perceptions of Hedera’s role in real-world asset tokenization.
Debate over the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) in the Hedera ecosystem has surged again. Public data dashboards put the value of tokenized real estate on the network at $64.5 million, while ecosystem insiders claim the actual volume is far higher, hinting at a multi-billion dollar discrepancy.
Discrepancy between public and company dataHBAR, the native token of Hedera, was trading at around $0.078 at the time of writing, after marking a loss in the past 24 hours. Price activity remained compressed between $0.075 and $0.081, and trading volumes were reported as muted.
A post by X Finance Bull on X (formerly Twitter) has brought renewed attention to Hedera’s RWA ecosystem. The post claims that public RWA tracking dashboards do not fully reflect the total tokenization activity on the network.
Public RWA data shows $64.5 million in tokenized real estate on Hedera, whereas RedSwan reports a figure exceeding $5 billion. This suggests a significant difference between what dashboards display and the actual on-chain assets, according to information shared by ecosystem participants.
Shared data indicates that open dashboards track roughly $64.5 million in tokenized real estate on Hedera. In contrast, numbers affiliated with RedSwan CRE suggest that this figure has surpassed $5 billion.
Houston-based RedSwan CRE is known as a platform specializing in commercial real estate tokenization. Hedera’s official sources confirm that more than $5 billion worth of institution-grade real estate has been tokenized through RedSwan CRE on the Hedera network. The platform also aims to grow this volume to $25 billion within the next 36 months.
Glossary: A security token offering is a token on the blockchain representing regulated financial rights such as equity, debt, or revenue share. Since these products are usually accessible only to verified investors, they may appear only to a limited extent on public market dashboards.
Private offerings limit public visibilityIt has been noted that RedSwan CRE CEO Edward Nwokedi previously held senior positions at Cushman & Wakefield. The platform reports that it has surpassed 13,000 investors and manages funds focused on the US, Africa, and Gulf markets.
In 2023, RedSwan received a $4 billion portfolio from a Dubai-based client. This mixed-use portfolio, consisting of 36 properties in the Middle East, was appraised by Cushman & Wakefield before being tokenized via RedSwan’s Hedera-based platform.
The debate now focuses on why such a substantial volume does not appear on most public RWA dashboards. Sources say these assets were structured as regulated security token offerings and were only available to verified investors.
Regulatory engagement and price outlook trackedAlongside the topic of tokenization, Hedera has increased its participation in regulatory discussions in the United States. The network recently joined the Clarity Act coalition, which is supported by approximately 200 organizations and advocates for clearer rules on digital commodities and market structure.
At the same time, Hedera representatives attended meetings organized by the Blockchain Association, where plans were made to discuss regulatory frameworks and market structure for the sector with 52 US Senate offices. On the market front, HBAR has declined around 9 percent over the past week, with resistance seen between $0.084 and $0.10, and support tracked at $0.075.
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.
TLDR: HBAR price stays trapped between $0.085 support and $0.095 resistance with low volatility. Whale OTC movements and upgrade activity have kept liquidity balanced within a narrow trading range. Supply expansion pressures persist, but buyers continue to defend the key support near the $0.085 zone. A breakout above $0.095 may trigger a momentum shift, while a loss of $0.085 risks a drop toward the $0.080 level. HBAR traded near $0.08 while price action remained locked in a tight consolidation range, as whale OTC flows and a recent network upgrade shaped short-term sentiment.
Market behavior reflected balanced pressure between accumulation activity and supply-side token releases.
HBAR price structure and whale-driven range behavior Large OTC transactions worth $250 million were reported ahead of the Hedera upgrade, aligning with increased positioning around key network changes.
This activity coincided with HBAR trading within a narrow band between $0.085 support and $0.095 resistance.
The price structure showed repeated rejection near the upper boundary, while buyers continued to defend lower levels.
Cheeky Crypto noted in an X post that HBAR whales moved $250 million OTC before the June 10 upgrade. The report connected this movement to positioning ahead of network changes.
HBAR Whales Just Moved $250,000,000 OTC Before June 10th Upgrade! (Here’s Why)
Hedera Hashgraph quietly pushed its version 0.74 mainnet upgrade live, sparking massive off-market whale movements. This technical milestone shifts Fortune 500 supply chains from private tests onto… pic.twitter.com/JVYen0GkDA
— Cheeky Crypto (@CheekyCrypto) June 14, 2026
Price action remained compressed during this period, with volatility contracting as liquidity concentrated around the mid-range zone.
The behavior suggested accumulation phases often seen before directional expansion.
HBAR price analysis showed that the $0.085 level continued acting as a short-term demand zone.
Each retest of this area attracted buying activity, preventing deeper breakdowns. At the same time, the $0.095 level acted as supply resistance, limiting upward continuation attempts.
The range structure defined intraday movement and reduced breakout momentum in both directions.
Key levels, supply dynamics, and trading range outlook HBAR price analysis also reflected the influence of ecosystem supply expansion, with nearly 3.97 billion tokens scheduled for circulation through ecosystem funding.
This created periodic supply pressure during sideways trading conditions. Despite this, price stability remained intact above the $0.080 psychological level.
Market participants monitored whether HBAR price analysis would confirm a breakout above $0.095 resistance or a breakdown below $0.085 support.
A sustained close above resistance would open room toward $0.102, while a failure to hold support risked a move toward $0.080. These levels defined the active trading corridor.
HBAR price analysis continued to reflect a neutral-to-range-bound structure, with volatility compression signaling a buildup phase.
Trading activity remained influenced by both enterprise adoption narratives and circulating supply adjustments.
The market structure stayed responsive to liquidity shifts around the established support and resistance zones. Short-term momentum remained tied to whether buyers could sustain accumulation above the mid-range area.
Until a decisive breakout occurs, HBAR price analysis indicated continued sideways movement within the defined range, shaped by alternating pressure between demand absorption and supply release.
HBAR surged around 7.7 percent over the past 24 hours, trading near $0.0835. According to short-term TradingView data, the price briefly hit $0.0842 before settling. This upward movement followed a period of consolidation between $0.077 and $0.079, indicating a breakout after a prolonged squeeze in a tight range.
Stronger buying after technical breakoutThe price action was shaped as sellers gradually lost control within a narrowing formation. Buyers then managed to push the price above the upper trendline, reclaiming a key resistance zone. This shift brought renewed upward momentum in the short-term outlook.
A chart shared by Crypto With Gopal revealed that HBAR formed a rounded bottom after an extended downtrend from early April highs. The chart highlighted two distinct lows, with the second one forming inside a falling wedge pattern—a technical setup often signaling possible reversals.
After holding support near $0.077, HBAR broke above the descending resistance line. This move sparked stronger buying interest and drove the price above $0.082.
The analysis pinpointed two possible upside targets. The first key area stands at $0.086, followed by a higher target near $0.090. Both levels coincide with former trading zones where previous recovery attempts faced heavy selling pressure.
Intraday recovery covers broad price rangeBraveNewCoin data showed HBAR trading at $0.08348, with the session’s low dropping to $0.07691. This performance signaled a robust rebound from the lower end of the day’s range. The token’s market capitalization reached about $3.61 billion, while trading volume was reported at $96 million.
The data illustrated that HBAR first bounced from below $0.077, then broke past $0.079 before stabilizing around $0.080. A second wave of buying later in the session propelled HBAR above $0.082, with the close occurring near the upper range.
The 24-hour chart reflected not a sharp, single surge but a gradual rise spread throughout the day.
Indicators point to short-term positive signalsTechnical indicators supported the short-term upward trend. The MACD line stood at 0.00078, remaining above its signal line at 0.00068. Meanwhile, the histogram stayed in positive territory at 0.00010, pointing to sustained bullish momentum.
The Chaikin Money Flow indicator reached 0.19, reinforcing signs of growing buying pressure.
Mini glossary: The Chaikin Money Flow combines price and volume to measure market inflows and outflows. Values above zero typically indicate stronger buying interest.
Based on TradingView data, HBAR is now approaching its first resistance area. For the rally to continue, the price needs to clear $0.085, and then target $0.088 and $0.090. On the downside, initial support is at $0.082, followed by $0.080. If the price slips below $0.079, the earlier wedge pattern may come back into play.
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.
16 June 2026 | 03:27 Hedera HBAR is trading around $0.083, stuck in a range that has held since late May despite a series of institutional developments that would move most assets considerably higher.
Key Takeaways:
HBAR trades near $0.083, below the $0.095 resistance level, with all three major moving averages positioned above current price Canary Capital’s HBAR spot ETF has recorded over $93 million in net inflows since launch, with only a single day of outflows A mid-June open interest surge of 40% alongside a 98% volume spike explains short-term price volatility despite positive fundamentals JPMorgan Asset Management named Hedera the preferred public-permissioned DLT for tokenizing money market funds A JPMorgan endorsement, a Merck supply chain deal, tier-one institutional custody via Copper.co, and $93 million in ETF inflows have all landed within weeks of each other — and the price has barely reacted.
Why Price and Fundamentals Are Moving in Opposite Directions In mid-June 2026, HBAR’s open interest on derivatives exchanges surged by 40%, simultaneous with a 98% spike in trading volume that pushed 24-hour figures above $513 million, according to data from CoinGlass. When a token’s derivatives market is that active relative to its spot market, price responds to liquidation cascades rather than to news — which is the structural reason why positive catalysts have not translated into sustained upward movement.
The spot bid from Canary Capital’s ETF, which has logged over $93 million in net inflows with only a single day of outflows, provides a baseline floor but is not large enough on its own to absorb the volatility generated by that level of leverage. Adding to the near-term headwinds is an upcoming ecosystem token unlock of approximately 3.97 billion HBAR, which OTC desk activity suggests is being anticipated by large holders. Until the unlock clears or spot buying picks up, short-sellers hold the structural advantage.
HBAR’s Descending Channel and Where Support Sits Since peaking near $0.12 in late 2025, HBAR has moved lower through a descending channel, and all three major moving averages sit above the current price and slope downward — meaning any recovery attempt has to work through layered resistance before it carries technical significance.
The nearest support floor at $0.078 has held twice in recent weeks. A confirmed daily close above $0.095 would open a path toward $0.102 and eventually $0.13. RSI at 47.27 places the asset in neutral-to-weak territory, while its 14-period average sits at 39.09 — a level that historically precedes either a bounce or an acceleration downward depending on whether buyers step in at support.
Level / Indicator Value Signal Current price $0.083 Neutral zone Near-term support $0.078 Held twice in June Key resistance $0.095 Needs daily close above Next target if $0.095 clears $0.102 → $0.13 Technical projection 50-day moving average $0.088 Price below — bearish 100-day moving average $0.089 Overhead resistance 200-day moving average $0.100 Not reclaimed in months RSI (14-period) 47.27 Neutral momentum What Merck’s Supply Chain Partnership and JPMorgan’s Endorsement Actually Mean On June 9, The Hashgraph Group formalized a partnership with Merck & Co. that connects the pharmaceutical company’s M-Trust authentication technology with TrackTrace, a decentralized product passport system built on Hedera. Every unit batch in Merck’s global supply chain receives an immutable cryptographic identity recorded through the Hedera Consensus Service. The mechanism that makes this economically viable on Hedera rather than a general-purpose blockchain is fee predictability — Hedera’s transaction costs are pegged in US dollar terms, starting at fractions of a cent, which means Merck can log millions of supply chain entries at a fixed, forecastable cost that variable gas fee networks cannot match at enterprise scale. In global pharmaceutical logistics, where regulators in both the US and EU are tightening traceability requirements, that cost predictability is not a minor advantage — it is the difference between a system that can scale compliantly and one that cannot.
On the institutional finance side, a JPMorgan Asset Management report explicitly identified Hedera as the optimal public-permissioned distributed ledger technology framework for the tokenization of money market funds — a sector representing trillions in institutional capital. The bank’s analysis pointed to three specific attributes: its consensus mechanism’s security architecture, an energy footprint of just 0.00025 kWh per transaction compared to Ethereum’s 2.95 kWh, and the fixed-fee model that makes large-scale settlements predictable. This kind of assessment from an institution with direct financial interest in getting infrastructure decisions right moves Hedera out of the altcoin conversation and into a category where corporate treasuries evaluate it alongside traditional financial infrastructure rather than alongside other layer-1 tokens.
A Network Running at Enterprise Scale The network’s raw performance data reflects the same picture:
Metric Value Notes Total processed transactions 71+ billion Since mainnet; mostly enterprise data logging Network throughput capacity 10,000+ TPS Theoretical maximum Active operational load ~2,400 TPS Average real-world rate RWA settlements $10 billion+ Cumulative on-chain value settled Active wallet growth (Q1 2026) +140% YoY Year-over-year change in active addresses Energy per transaction 0.00025 kWh vs. Ethereum ~2.95 kWh / Bitcoin ~1,087 kWh Hedera has processed over 71 billion transactions since mainnet launch, settled more than $10 billion in real-world assets on-chain, and grown its active wallet count by 140% year-over-year in Q1 2026 — none of which has translated into meaningful upward price pressure for the same reasons outlined above.
Under the Hood: What the Block Node Migration Changes Hedera is currently overhauling how it stores historical transaction data. Previously, nodes relied on external cloud providers like AWS or Google Cloud for historical data retrieval — an external dependency that created complications for enterprises seeking regulatory certification. The new architecture stores transaction history directly on dedicated Block Nodes rather than external cloud providers, cutting confirmation times to under a second and removing the external dependency entirely. For industries like pharmaceuticals and finance, where compliance certification requires a self-contained and independently verifiable audit trail, that distinction matters considerably.
AI Infrastructure, Copper.co Custody, and the Japan Listing The Hedera Agent Kit V4 allows AI agents to execute independent on-chain financial transactions within hard-coded compliance guardrails:
Hourly HBAR spending caps set at the protocol level that the agent cannot exceed Whitelisted payment destinations the agent cannot override Mandatory audit trails of the agent’s decision logic, recorded immutably to the Hedera Consensus Service at the point of execution This solves a problem that has slowed enterprise AI deployment in regulated industries: how to let a system transact independently without losing the audit trail that compliance teams require. Separately, Hedera’s payment schemas were accepted into the x402 protocol standard, enabling native HBAR and USDC micropayments for machine-to-machine API transactions — directly relevant to technology companies building AI systems that require continuous low-cost payments between services.
On June 12, Copper.co integrated Hedera into its institutional custody platform, giving corporate treasuries and large funds tier-one custody and staking access within a compliance-grade framework. This removes the last significant compliance barrier that had kept institutional capital on the sidelines despite growing interest in the network. In Asia, Hedera cleared Japan’s Financial Services Agency regulatory process — among the most stringent in the world for digital assets — and secured a listing on OKCoin Japan with a direct Japanese yen trading pair, giving Japanese investors their first regulated access to HBAR.
Where Hedera’s Critics Have a Point Two structural criticisms of Hedera remain unresolved by the recent run of positive developments. First, despite 71 billion total transactions, the majority of that volume comes from enterprise data logging — health trackers, ad fraud verification, supply chain entries — rather than the retail DeFi activity that drives token appreciation and speculative engagement on competing networks like Solana or Ethereum. Second, while anyone can hold HBAR and open a wallet, only Governing Council members — currently including Google, IBM, Boeing, FedEx, Accenture, Nvidia, and McLaren Racing among others — validate transactions at the consensus layer. Hedera is phasing in public node validation, but the network remains permissioned at its core, which rules it out for anyone who prioritizes decentralization above all else.
The long-term bull case, with price targets toward $1.00 extending into the 2026–2030 window, depends on corporate pilot programs transitioning to full mainnet production use — converting enterprise activity into sustained, recurring demand for the token. That transition has no fixed timeline. In the near term, the price behavior will be determined by two competing forces: whether the 3.97 billion token unlock generates enough sell pressure to break the $0.078 floor, and whether the accumulation of institutional developments — the ETF inflows, Copper.co custody, the Japan FSA clearance, and the JPMorgan endorsement — is sufficient to hold support and eventually force a clean break above $0.095.
Date Category Development Q1 2026 Regulatory SEC/CFTC classify HBAR as digital commodity, removing securities-classification risk for institutional holders Q1 2026 Markets Canary Capital HBAR spot ETF surpasses $93M in net inflows with only one day of outflows since launch Q1–Apr 2026 Governance FedEx and Accenture join the Governing Council for logistics and enterprise AI infrastructure respectively Q2 2026 Infrastructure x402 standard integration approved; native HBAR/USDC micropayments for machine-to-machine transactions Jun 9, 2026 Enterprise Merck & Co. supply chain partnership: M-Trust connected to TrackTrace for immutable pharmaceutical batch tracking Jun 12, 2026 Institutional Copper.co adds Hedera to institutional custody platform; tier-one custody and staking for corporate treasuries Jun 2026 Regulatory HBAR listed on OKCoin Japan with JPY pair after clearing Japan’s FSA framework This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a professional before making investment decisions.
Author
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.
According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.
1 seconds ago
US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.
According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.
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Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks
According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.
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SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.
According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.
Hedera’s native cryptocurrency, HBAR, is currently hovering around a critically important demand support zone—sparking intense debate among investors over whether the price will hold its ground. If HBAR manages to stay above this key level, a reversal to the upside may still be on the cards, but a drop below could trigger even heavier selling pressure. Meanwhile, a new real-time payment infrastructure developed through Hedera’s partnership with Archax aims to speed up settlement processes on the institutional side.
Technical eyes are on the critical price zoneAt the time of writing, HBAR is trading at $0.08105. The token has seen a 24-hour trading volume of $82.4 million and boasts a market capitalization of $3.52 billion. Although HBAR has slid by 2.63 percent in the same period, market observers note that both price action and ongoing developments on the network may open the door to a rebound scenario—making any selloff far from a foregone conclusion.
Cryptocurrency analyst Kamran Asghar points out that HBAR is once again revisiting a demand area which in the past has generated strong upward moves. While this zone has historically been met with heavy selling, it has consistently provided a solid price floor and paved the way for significant rallies in subsequent sessions.
Kamran Asghar comments that HBAR is trading in a crucial demand region that previously sparked sharp upward reactions, and if buyers manage to defend this zone, prices of $0.20 and even $0.30 could make a comeback into the conversation.
Market watchers stress that if this support holds, the technical outlook for HBAR could shift bullish, setting the stage for a recovery toward $0.20 and possibly $0.30. However, a failure by buyers to defend this zone may expose the price to further downside in less liquid ranges.
Archax and Hedera zero in on institutional paymentsOn the corporate front, industry attention has turned to Hedera and Archax’s new collaboration to develop real-time streaming payment systems. Hedera is known as a network focused on distributed ledger technology, while Archax serves as a financial platform providing digital asset infrastructure for institutional investors. Their joint solution aims to reduce reliance on bulky, traditional payment processing systems by empowering financial transactions to be constantly and instantly updated.
Mini glossary: Programmable finance refers to the automated execution of financial rules—like payments, interest distribution, or collateral management—through software logic. This setup allows transactions to be processed on a distributed ledger instantly and continuously, based on set conditions.
The core objective of this collaboration is to create a digital asset network where payments are not only continuous and programmable but also instantly and automatically updated. This new model has the potential to replace slow, static settlement systems with a faster and more dynamic structure coded into distributed ledgers.
According to sector analysis, such an approach may deliver advantages such as lightning-fast settlement, real-time yield distribution, and risk reduction. By bringing financial institutions and blockchain-based infrastructures closer together, the hope is to accelerate the mass adoption of digital assets on a global scale.
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.
Hedera’s native token HBAR continues to show weakness, with recent technical indicators suggesting its price is approaching a critical threshold. Although the market-wide pressure persists, attention remains focused on a significant support zone that has previously seen renewed buying interest from investors.
Support zone comes into focus amid continued selling pressureAt the time of reporting, HBAR was trading at $0.07899. The token registered a 24-hour trading volume of $79.06 million and a market capitalization of approximately $3.45 billion. Declining by 1.08% over the past 24 hours, HBAR maintains its overall sideways and subdued trend seen in recent sessions.
Looking at a broader time frame, HBAR lost 4.72% over the past week and 10.50% in the last month. This performance points to an ongoing search for direction, marked by an ongoing tug-of-war between buyers and sellers for market control.
On June 22, 2026, crypto analyst Token Talk stated that HBAR was testing a key support zone that historically attracted strong buyer demand. According to Token Talk, the price chart is displaying a falling wedge pattern, which many market participants view as a potential sign of an imminent recovery.
Token Talk emphasized that HBAR is hovering near notable historic lows, with the RSI indicator positioned at similar levels. This alignment, combined with waning selling pressure, could point to a short-term rebound opportunity.
Indicators signal a slowdown in selling momentumTechnical data shows HBAR is trading near the lower boundary of its Bollinger Bands. The lower band is set at $0.07661, while the middle band stands at $0.08040. Price action near the lower band suggests a potential reduction in selling momentum.
For positive price momentum to gain traction, HBAR would likely need to climb above the $0.08420 resistance. Failure to defend the current support region, however, could reintroduce downside risks for the token.
The MACD indicator has also signaled early signs of stabilization. With the histogram moving into positive territory at 0.00018, the MACD line was reported at minus 0.00215, and the signal line at minus 0.00233. While this is not yet confirmation of a clear trend reversal, it indicates that downward pressure may be easing in the short term.
All eyes on HBAR’s next price reactionAs a platform focused on distributed ledger technology, Hedera uses HBAR as its native token. With the price nearing a crucial support level, market watchers are closely monitoring whether buyers will defend this zone in the period ahead.
For now, technical signals suggest HBAR is attempting to establish a base for a potential bounce. However, for this scenario to strengthen, buying momentum must continue and the price should remain above nearby resistance areas.
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.
While most retail investors continue watching HBAR’s price chart, the real story may be unfolding far away from exchanges. According to one analyst, Hedera’s biggest opportunity before December 2026 could come from enterprise supply chains rather than speculation.
Here’s what he meant!
Top 3 Factors That Could Boost HBAR1. Real Enterprise Usage Through Merck Integration
The Merck-TrackTrace integration puts Hedera into a real-world supply chain workflow rather than a speculative blockchain use case.
At first glance, the announcement may appear like another corporate partnership. But the bigger question is whether this integration can create repeatable, real-world network activity on Hedera.
Since, every product verification, authentication check, and digital record created through the system has the potential to generate network activity on Hedera.
2. Growing Demand for Product Authentication
Having said that, counterfeit goods remain a major challenge across industries such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, luxury goods, and food. By linking physical products to verifiable digital records, Hedera-based solutions can help businesses improve transparency, compliance, and trust across global supply chains.
3. EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) Regulations
The European Union’s Digital Product Passport initiative could create long-term demand for blockchain-based tracking systems. As companies prepare to comply with new requirements around product origin, sustainability, repairability, and lifecycle data, Hedera could benefit if its infrastructure becomes part of these compliance workflows, driving recurring network usage through audits, credentials, and verification checks.
The Metric to WatchFor analyst, the main question is not whether a single announcement will move HBAR’s price. Instead, it’s whether these pilot programs turn into large-scale deployments.
The long-term case for Hedera depends on whether businesses begin using the network as part of everyday operations. If that happens, HBAR’s future could be driven less by market speculation and more by steady enterprise activity that continues regardless of market cycles.
At the time of writing, HBAR was trading at $0.0772, down 2.54% over the past 24 hours. The token has largely moved in line with the broader crypto market sell-off, as investors continue to adopt a risk-off approach amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
HBAR also maintains a strong correlation of 0.88 with the S&P 500, suggesting that recent price movements have been driven more by broader market sentiment than Hedera-specific developments.
Story Ends Here
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HBAR’s price has once again approached a critical technical milestone, according to analyst reviews. Token Talk notes that the token has retreated to a multi-year ascending trendline, which it has respected since 2020, and a robust support zone. This area, clearly visible on the weekly chart, has historically marked the point where buyers have stepped in during notable market downturns.
Multi-year support zone gains prominenceIn previous cycles, sharp pullbacks in HBAR’s value were met with strong demand near this trendline, helping preserve its long-term structure despite high volatility. After a powerful rally in 2021, HBAR underwent a prolonged correction, giving back much of its gains. During this phase, the price movements narrowed and volatility decreased, forming a “falling wedge” pattern according to analysts.
Analysts also highlight that the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has fallen to the mid-30s. This region has historically acted as a zone where potential recovery signals have surfaced. HBAR, the native token of the Hedera network, operates within an enterprise-focused distributed ledger known for high-speed transaction validation.
In Token Talk’s analysis, HBAR is once again testing its multi-year support zone and approaching the upward trendline tracked since 2020 on the weekly chart.
Technical reviews based on market structure highlight the $0.10 to $0.13 range as a stand-out buying zone. Within this band, multiple technical factors—such as a historic support area, re-test region after a breakdown, and long-term trend base—converge. Additionally, analysts point out that this range is close to the accumulation area from 2022 and 2023, when HBAR traded sideways.
LevelTechnical significance$0.10 to $0.13Key buy and support zone$0.18 to $0.20First recovery target$0.25 to $0.30Next major resistance area based on past performanceShort-term resistance and downside risk under watchAccording to the analysis, if buyers manage to defend current levels, HBAR could attempt an initial recovery toward the $0.18 to $0.20 range. If this area is breached, the $0.25 to $0.30 band—previously a cap on upward moves—may become the next upward target. This makes the current test critical for confirming any potential breakout to the upside.
However, MCO Global presents a more cautious view in the four-hour chart. The firm observes a short-term bearish Elliott Wave structure developing. The fact that HBAR’s price has spent a considerable period below a downward trendline indicates that sellers currently maintain the upper hand in the short run.
Mini glossary: The Elliott Wave theory is a technical analysis approach that tries to explain market movements through recurring wave patterns. Analysts typically track correction and main trend phases using this method.
MCO Global assesses the $0.088 to $0.102 range as a strong resistance. If HBAR fails to break above this zone and falls below the $0.072 to $0.073 band, the price could enter a steeper downtrend.
In this scenario, the next downside target highlighted in the analysis falls within the $0.05 to $0.045 range. Conversely, to reduce the risk of further decline, the price must find footing above the $0.102 to $0.11 area. Until that happens, short-term recovery attempts are considered likely to remain as mere corrections.
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.
Hedera Global Policy VP Isadora Arredondo shared her unique views on the regulatory environment in the U.K. as she worked for the FCA and is now on the other side of the fence in crypto. (Isadora Arredondo)Summary
Isadora Arredondo, a former U.K. Financial Conduct Authority official now at Hedera, says Britain’s crypto hub ambitions have been slowed less by hostility to the sector than by competing regulatory priorities and a gap between policy design and execution.She argues the U.K. has taken a split approach, moving quickly and proactively on institutional and wholesale crypto while subjecting startups and retail-focused firms to lengthy, complex authorization under legacy rules rather than a dedicated framework like the EU’s MiCA.Arredondo believes the next phase of digital money will hinge on interoperability and common standards across blockchains, stablecoins and CBDCs, and she sees the growing role of major financial institutions in crypto as proof that core crypto ideas are being absorbed into mainstream finance rather than abandoned.Isadora Arredondo has a unique outlook on crypto regulation in the United Kingdom. Before joining Hedera as vice president of global policy, she worked at the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), where she was involved in policy work during Brexit and,later, in crypto regulation.
Arredondo believes one of the main reasons Britain's ambitions to become a crypto hub have struggled to gain momentum is a gap between policymaking and implementation.
"I had never encountered first-hand the world that separates policy ambition from policy execution," Arredondo told CoinDesk in an interview in London. "There is a great divide between the ambition to drive policy and how it is actually implemented."
CoinDesk’s interview with Arredondo took place before the Bank of England announcement of new rules for stablecoins, in which the U.K.’s central bank essentially rolled back a previous proposal to cap limits on fiat-pegged stablecoins held by individuals and businesses. Instead, the BOE pivoted to a macro-level "temporary issuance guardrail," capping the total circulation of any single systemic stablecoin at 40 billion pounds ($50.6 billion).
Crypto hub ambitionsTo understand why the U.K.’s ambition to become a global crypto hub has moved slowly, Arredondo points to events that shaped the FCA during her time there between 2018 and 2021.
Her view differs from that of many crypto firms, which have argued that slow approvals and regulatory hurdles reflect hostility toward the sector. Arredondo says much of the delay came from competing priorities inside the regulator.
First came Brexit, which required the FCA to rewrite large parts of its rulebook for life outside the European Union. Then came the economic shock of COVID-19.
"The COVID crisis hits, and crypto goes from a perimeter issue to a back-door issue," Arredondo said. "The entire organization's focus shifts to crisis mode, dealing with COVID loans, banking responses, and forbearance measures."
When the crisis eased, the regulator was dealing with the fallout from high-profile investment failures, including the collapse of London Capital & Finance and the Woodford Fund.
Arredondo said those events pushed the FCA toward a stronger focus on consumer protection. Crypto was increasingly viewed through that lens, particularly under CEO Nikhil Rathi.
A split approachArredondo argues that the FCA's approach to crypto has developed along two tracks: one for large institutions and another for startups and retail-focused firms.
On the wholesale side, the FCA launched projects such as the Digital Securities Sandbox and worked with financial institutions exploring tokenization and digital assets.
"When it comes to institutional engagement with crypto, they are quite forward-looking, proactive, and hands-on," Arredondo said.
The picture looks different for smaller crypto firms.
Unlike the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework, which created crypto-specific rules, the U.K. has largely tried to fit crypto activities into existing regulatory structures. For startups, Arredondo said that can mean long authorization processes and repeated reviews from different teams.
Crypto firms have frequently criticized those delays, arguing they make it harder to build businesses in the U.K. The Bank of England’s cautious, slow approach to crypto has frustrated the private sector, according to a recent Financial Times article. It noted that while businesses are pushing for fast integration, the central bank’s tight restrictions on stablecoins have created a massive regulatory bottleneck.
Yet Arredondo also defended the country's standards. "While playing by the U.K.'s rules is incredibly difficult, it pays off," she said. "Well-regulated businesses thrive, bringing a baseline of institutional credibility."
U.K. regulations are set to come into effect in October 2027.
Looking beyond regulationNow at Hedera, Arredondo spends much of her time looking at how governments and central banks are approaching digital money.
Her concern is not necessarily the technology itself. "We have sophisticated solutions to many problems, but we don't yet have a coordinated effort on interoperability," she said.
Arredondo argues that the industry has spent years building separate blockchain networks, stablecoins and digital money projects, but has spent less time ensuring those systems can work together.
"We need to move the market from everyone doing their own very cool things to actually thinking about standard-setting across the piece."
The issue has become more important as governments, banks and private companies increasingly experiment with tokenized deposits, stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
Arredondo pointed to the European Union (EU) as an example of a jurisdiction seeking to accommodate multiple forms of digital money simultaneously.
The EU's approach allows stablecoins, tokenized bank deposits and central bank money to coexist under the same broad framework, she said.
Wall Street's crypto roleThe growing role of banks, asset managers and large financial institutions in crypto has divided the industry. Some early crypto supporters argue the sector is moving away from its original goals of decentralization and disintermediation.
Arredondo sees it differently. "The early crypto vision raised fundamental economic questions and brought them to the mainstream," she said.
For Arredondo, the rise of institutional crypto does not mean the industry's early ideas failed.
Instead, she sees it as evidence that ideas first developed inside the crypto sphere are increasingly being adopted by mainstream finance. "It shouldn't be disappointing that we are maintaining the pillars that have long anchored trust in money."
PANews, June 24 – The UK’s push to become a “global crypto hub” has slowed, mainly because regulatory resources were diverted by Brexit, pandemic response and multiple wealth management scandals, pushing crypto from a priority to a fringe issue, according to Isadora Arredondo, former UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) official and now vice president of global policy at Hedera, as reported by CoinDesk. She noted that the UK is actively exploring tokenisation in institutional and wholesale markets through initiatives such as the Digital Securities Sandbox, but for startup teams and retail-facing crypto businesses, it still relies on approvals under the old regulatory framework – a lengthy and complex process that lacks bespoke rules similar to the EU’s MiCA. Arredondo believes the next phase of digital money will hinge on interoperability and common standards across different blockchains, stablecoins and CBDCs, and that the current entry of large institutions is more about traditional finance absorbing crypto ideas than rejecting the sector.
HBAR, the native token of the Hedera network, experienced a significant downturn in the last 24 hours, losing 4.82 percent of its value and falling to $0.07402. During trading, the price fluctuated between $0.07395 and $0.07810. With a market capitalization of $3.22 billion and a 24-hour trading volume of $66.8 million, HBAR is now closely monitored by the crypto community as it nears critical support zones.
Dipping below key support levelsThe intraday chart revealed that HBAR began the day at around $0.077 but saw a steady pullback throughout the session. Recovery attempts towards $0.078 quickly lost momentum. Later in the day, intensified selling pressure drove the price under the $0.076 mark, reaching as low as $0.0735.
Data shows that the downtrend, marked by lower highs since June 16, continues in HBAR. The latest drop has established a new short-term low, highlighting persistent weakness.
Analysts have identified the $0.073 to $0.074 range as a crucial short-term support. A sustained break below this zone could bring $0.070 back into focus, and if selling extends, attention might shift to the $0.068 area—an important zone where previous sideways price action occurred.
On the upside, the immediate goal is to reclaim $0.075. However, a stronger resistance awaits between $0.077 and $0.078, a region that previously saw upward moves being met with increased selling pressure and subsequent pullbacks.
Indicators highlight prevailing sell pressureTechnical indicators further confirm the dominance of sellers in the short term. The MACD line has dropped to approximately negative 0.00085, while the signal line stayed around negative 0.00058. The histogram, measuring roughly negative 0.00027, remains in the red, underlining continued downward momentum as HBAR approaches session lows.
Glossary: The Chaikin Money Flow is a technical indicator that combines price and volume to assess buying and selling pressure. Values below zero suggest that selling volumes surpass buying during the period analyzed.
The Chaikin Money Flow indicator currently stands at negative 0.37. This reading implies that sell-side volume dominates in the monitored timeframe. Its persistently negative values since the latest leg down suggest buyers have yet to stage a strong or lasting comeback.
While a short-lived relief rally could emerge, technical conditions for confirming a higher low or renewed bullish momentum are not yet present on the chart.
Long-term view draws parallels with AmazonMarket analyst Vuori Trading drew an analogy between Hedera’s post-2021 market capitalization chart and Amazon’s trajectory following the dot com bubble crash. Hedera, which leverages distributed ledger technology and targets enterprise use cases, appears to exhibit a structural similarity to that earlier era in the tech world.
According to the analyst, both assets underwent a prolonged consolidation after a speculative early peak, with price action forming a base along an ascending trendline. The implication is that, should HBAR hold its current range, it might be developing a stronger long-term foundation.
Nonetheless, the analyst stressed that this comparison does not guarantee identical outcomes. While Amazon’s subsequent rally was fueled by revenue growth and business expansion, HBAR’s future market cap will depend on network adoption, utility, circulating token supply, and overall market conditions.
For now, HBAR maintains a weak short-term outlook. With the token trading near daily lows and a persistent downtrend in place, it must recover and break above the $0.077 to $0.078 range to signal any near-term reversal.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
The American Arbitration Association and a broad coalition of tech, crypto, and enterprise companies have launched the Legal Context Protocol, an open standard designed to add a legal layer to agentic AI transactions.
The not-for-profit American Arbitration Association (AAA) announced LCP with Integra Ledger on Wednesday, aimed at addressing legal issues that could arise during agent-to-agent transactions.
“The legal infrastructure that has supported e-commerce over the last 20 years… like click-throughs and terms of service — none of that translates... when agents are negotiating with other agents," said Bridget McCormack, the president and CEO of AAA, when talking about the protocol during a podcast in May. "There had to be some understanding about how legal context attaches to agentic transactions."
The new protocol comes as enterprise and financial institutions are looking at ways to use agentic AI in commerce. Gartner projects the agentic payment economy will reach $15 trillion in spending by 2028.
The LCP aims to make legal terms, consent, and dispute resolution “discoverable and verifiable” when AI agents transact on behalf of people and organizations, the AAA explained.
LCP, which doesn’t require a blockchain, complements existing payment and identity protocols, such as x402 and Machine Payments Protocol, by answering under what terms, governed by what law, and with what recourse a transaction occurred.
“Payment infrastructure is actively being built for AI agents. The legal layer — what was agreed, under what terms, and how disputes will be resolved — is not,” said David Fisher, CEO of Integra Ledger, a co-founding partner in the project.
As AI agents start making decisions and transacting on our behalf, “we need to know there’s a clear answer to what happens if something goes wrong,” said Mance Harmon, co-founder of Hedera.
The AAA, founded in 1926, is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services in the world. It has partnered with Integra Ledger, a firm providing open protocols and middleware that give AI agents verifiable identity.
Founding contributors to the protocol include tech and crypto firms, including Google, IBM, Circle, Wayfair, the Stellar Development Foundation, Ava Labs, Cardano, Hedera, Crossmint, the Aptos Foundation, Sei Labs and Mysten Labs, the original contributor to Sui.
Huge predictions for agentic AI market growthAgentic AI payments have been a big narrative in 2026, with varying predictions on how fast and how much it will grow in the near future.
In March, Digital Applied estimated the agentic AI market will grow by more than 30 times over the decade, from $7.6 billion today to $236 billion by 2034. McKinsey research’s global projections push those estimates as high as $5 trillion by 2030.
Agentic AI is expected to drive a “24-fold increase in token consumption by 2030” as consumers and enterprises adopt the technology, predicted Goldman Sachs researchers in May.
Estimated monthly token count for agentic AI applications. Source: Goldman Sachs
Magazine: AI is banking the unbanked in Africa... faster than crypto
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Key HighlightsEntering a Competitive LandscapeBridging Institutional Bitcoin to DeFiGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Circle unveils cirBTC, a Bitcoin-backed wrapped token with 1:1 BTC reserves for institutional markets The token will debut on Ethereum, Circle’s Arc blockchain, and the Circle Mint platform Primary target audience includes OTC trading desks, market makers, and DeFi lending platforms BitGo’s WBTC dominates with approximately $8B market cap; Coinbase’s cbBTC holds $5.9B Circle joins an increasingly competitive field featuring Kraken, Binance, OKX, and additional players The stablecoin powerhouse Circle, known for issuing USDC, is expanding its product lineup with a wrapped Bitcoin offering. The firm revealed Thursday its intention to introduce cirBTC — a digital asset with 1:1 Bitcoin backing — on Ethereum’s blockchain infrastructure.
🗞️📲 Circle is launching cirBTC, a 1:1 backed wrapped #Bitcoin designed for institutions.
It will launch on Ethereum & Arc and integrate with Circle's infrastructure, offering institutional-grade security. pic.twitter.com/kwn20o9qUt
— Bitcoin.com News (@BitcoinNews) April 2, 2026
The initiative specifically targets institutional market participants: over-the-counter trading desks, liquidity providers, and DeFi lending platforms. Circle positions the product as a “highly secure and neutral version of wrapped BTC.”
Wrapped Bitcoin tokens enable BTC to operate across alternative blockchain networks such as Ethereum, providing asset holders entry into decentralized finance ecosystems that remain inaccessible with standard Bitcoin.
Beyond Ethereum, cirBTC deployment will extend to Circle’s proprietary layer-1 blockchain called Arc, along with integration across the Circle Mint infrastructure.
This development represents Circle’s inaugural venture into wrapped digital assets — a sector the company has avoided until now, despite its position as a leading cryptocurrency infrastructure provider.
Entering a Competitive Landscape The wrapped Bitcoin sector currently features two dominant players. BitGo’s WBTC commands the leading position with approximately $8 billion in market capitalization and roughly 119,000 tokens currently circulating — representing about 50% of its November 2021 all-time high.
Coinbase launched cbBTC in September 2024, achieving rapid expansion to a $5.9 billion market cap with approximately 88,800 tokens in circulation.
Together, WBTC and cbBTC represent approximately 208,000 BTC in aggregate supply, based on CoinGecko data.
Numerous cryptocurrency exchanges have introduced competing products — including Kraken’s kBTC, Binance’s BBTC, OKX’s okBTC, and Bitget’s BGBTC — though their market capitalizations remain significantly smaller than the top two contenders.
Circle faces the challenge of penetrating a market with established competitors and a defined hierarchy. The critical question remains whether cirBTC can attract meaningful institutional adoption.
Bridging Institutional Bitcoin to DeFi Financial institutions have accumulated Bitcoin positions at significant scale. Many now seek methods to deploy this capital within DeFi ecosystems — creating demand for wrapped asset solutions.
By enabling BTC functionality on Ethereum’s infrastructure, wrapped tokens allow institutions to access lending protocols, liquidity mechanisms, and additional DeFi services without liquidating their Bitcoin holdings.
Circle markets cirBTC as the neutral, institutional-quality solution for this use case.
The company has not yet disclosed custody frameworks or proof-of-reserve verification systems. Cointelegraph contacted Circle for additional details but has not received a response.
Circle clearly identifies an opportunity to become the trusted issuer for institutional clients — mirroring the strategy that elevated USDC to stablecoin market leadership.
No specific launch date has been announced. Circle confirmed plans to release cirBTC across Ethereum, Arc, and Circle Mint platforms without providing a definitive timeline.
According to Circle, the asset’s primary goal is to provide institutions with a neutral, highly secure alternative to wrapped Bitcoin. The most popular wrapped Bitcoin token, wBTC, is offered by BitGo and has 119,157 tokens in circulation. Its market cap is at $8 billion. Circle, a stablecoin issuer, has announced its intention to offer a wrapped Bitcoin, positioning itself to compete with BitGo and Coinbase among institutional customers. On Thursday, the asset cirBTC was revealed. It will debut on Ethereum and will be backed 1:1 by bitcoin. It is designed for OTC desks, market makers, and lending protocols.
According to Circle, the asset’s primary goal is to provide institutions with a neutral, highly secure alternative to wrapped Bitcoin. Many banks and other financial organizations have started to invest heavily in Bitcoin and are looking at decentralized finance. Wrapped Bitcoins would make DeFi available on other chains like Ethereum by making the asset usable on other chains.
Tough Competition Ahead The new asset will debut on Ethereum, Circle Mint, and their layer-1 blockchain Arc, according to Circle. The new wrapped Bitcoin from Circle follows in the footsteps of BitGo’s Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) and Coinbase’s Wrapped Bitcoin (cbBTC), which are the market leaders at the moment. With an initial quantity of 88,800 tokens and a market cap of $5.9 billion, Coinbase’s cbBTC debuted in September 2024.
The most popular wrapped Bitcoin token, wBTC, is offered by BitGo and has 119,157 tokens in circulation. Its market cap is at $8 billion. But that’s just half of what it was in November 2021, when Bitcoin reached its all-time high for the cycle.
Wrapped Bitcoin variants have been introduced by a number of cryptocurrency exchanges, including as Kraken (KBTC), Gate (GTBTC), Binance (BBTC), Huobi (HBTC), and OKX (XBTC), but their market capitalization pale in comparison to those of the two front-runners. Based on data provided by CoinGecko, the combined supply of wBTC and cbBTC is around 208,000 BTC.
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In brief Circle is launching cirBTC, a wrapped Bitcoin alternative designed to unlock Bitcoin utility for institutions and investors. The token will first launch on Ethereum mainnet and Arc, Circle's stablecoin focused blockchain. cirBTC will join notable wrapped Bitcoin products like BitGo's WBTC and Coinbase's cbBTC. Publicly traded stablecoin issuer Circle wants to unlock utility for the world’s largest crypto asset. Its solution? A new wrapped Bitcoin token—cirBTC—backed 1:1 with native on-chain Bitcoin reserves.
“Bitcoin is sitting on the sidelines of DeFi. Not because people don't want yield or liquidity—it's because they don't trust the wrapper,” Rachel Mayer, VP of product at Circle and the Arc blockchain, posted on X.
“cirBTC is Circle's answer: 1:1 backed, on-chain-verifiable, and built on infrastructure the market already trusts,” she added.
Circle claims its “proven credibility” and “full-stack flexibility” will make cirBTC an attractive alternative for institutions looking to add utility to BTC.
In other words, the firm expects that users want to put their Bitcoin to work, like via lending or borrowing in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Using a wrapped Bitcoin product allows them to engage with DeFi protocols and smart contracts on networks beyond the native Bitcoin blockchain.
The token will first launch on Ethereum mainnet and Arc, the stablecoin-focused blockchain incubated by the firm, with ready-made integrations with its dollar-backed stablecoin USDC and Circle Mint, its stablecoin issuance platform.
“We are bringing the same infra that supports USDC, EURC, and USYC to the largest digital asset, creating a neutral infrastructure for new applications for on-chain BTC,” Circle co-founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire posted on X.
Circle’s wrapped alternative joins existing wrapped Bitcoin tokens like BitGo’s Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) and cbBTC, a similar token offered by Coinbase that can be used on multiple blockchains.
But the alternative options are not free of controversy.
In August 2024, the custodian of WBTC announced it was partnering with BiT Global, a firm with connections to Tron founder Justin Sun. That invited criticisms from some in the crypto community, who were wary of the connection to Sun.
Following that move, Coinbase launched cbBTC, earning its own criticisms from Sun, who mocked the asset as the “central bank of Bitcoin.”
Following the launch of its own wrapped Bitcoin product, Coinbase ultimately delisted WBTC from its crypto exchange, leading to a lawsuit from BiT Global that alleged a “predatory and unfair move.” That suit was eventually dropped.
At the time of writing, BitGo’s WBTC remains the largest wrapped Bitcoin alternative, maintaining a market cap of nearly $8 billion at the time of writing. Coinbase’s cbBTC has nearly a $6 billion market cap.
Shares in Circle (CRCL) closed down 0.53% on Thursday, recently changing hands around $90.26. They have now fallen nearly 40% in the last six months.
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Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), one of the most widely used Bitcoin derivatives across the Ethereum ecosystem, has announced security measures amid ongoing DeFi contagion fears.
On Thursday, the project said it is upgrading its cross-chain DVN configurations, which would be done by Sunday, 26 April. It added, “These updates are precautionary and reflect our ongoing approach to maintaining robust security standards across integrations.”
For perspective, DVN (decentralized verification network) is the system that the attacker exploited on LayerZero, exposing the Kelp DAO protocol to lose $293 million.
However, the KelpDAO had a simplified DVN set-up that needed only a single verifier. This made it easier for the attacker to exploit the flaw.
As such, the wBTC team may be upgrading to a multi-signature system that needs more than two verifiers before assets move across chains.
Beyond hardening security systems, the project also placed a temporary pause on transfers across LayerZero.
WBTC OFT service via LayerZero will be temporarily paused. Service will resume once the root cause is identified and it is confirmed safe to proceed.
Why a secure wBTC is crucial For clarity, the KelpDAO exploit leveraged rsETH, a low-quality collateral, and swapped it for other higher-quality assets. Despite targeting a low-quality asset that is not widely used, the impact has been significant.
KelpDAO lost $293 million while contagion fears across lending markets triggered over $15 billion outflows from Aave. Before the attack, KelpDAO restaked ETH (rsETH) had a market cap of $1.6B and 22.8K holders.
On the other hand, WBTC has 180K holders, including major tier-1 exchanges like Binance. It has a market supply of $9.2 billion. Besides, it is the most liquid and widely used in DeFi platforms across Ethereum and Solana DeFi ecosystems, commanding a 44% market share.
Coinbase’s wrapped Bitcoin [cbBTC] comes in second with about 28% market share.
Source: Dune Over 70% of wBTC supply is locked in lending protocols and standalone buy-and-hold. In other words, a similar exploit would trigger a deeper DeFi run, noted analyst Ignas.
Got chills down my spine thinking if wBTC got hit with DVN attack. That would’ve touched every DeFi protocol as well as multiple CEXs who store wBTC.
That said, wBTC only saw about $400 million in outflows in the first two days after the KelpDAO exploit. Since 21 April, Tuesday, it has seen net inflows, underscoring resilience.
Source: DeFiLlama Final Summary Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) continues to harden its security systems to minimize the risk that exploited KelpDAO. The product has been relatively resilient despite broader DeFi outflows led by Aave’s $15B bleed out.
Another multi-million-dollar attack has hit the DeFi sector after liquidity provider and market maker TrustedVolumes fell victim to a smart contract exploit on Thursday night.
TrustedVolumes Hit By $6.7M Hack On Thursday, DeFi platform TrustedVolumes, one of 1inch liquidity providers and market makers, suffered a new exploit that drained millions of dollars in multiple assets from the project.
According to reports from blockchain security firms PeckShield and Blockaid, the attacker stole approximately $6 million in Wrapped Ethereum (WETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), USDT, and USDT after exploiting a vulnerability in the protocol’s core signature validation logic, which allowed them to bypass authorization checks and forge trading orders.
Notably, the hacker quickly exchanged all assets for 2.513 ETH on a Decentralized Exchange (DEX) and distributed them across three addresses. In an X post, TrustedVolumes confirmed the incident, sharing the addresses currently holding the stolen funds and updating the estimated loss to roughly $6.7 million.
TrustedVolumes confirms exploit. Source: X The vulnerability was a TrustedVolumes-controlled custom RFQ (request for quote) swap proxy. Crypto researcher Humphrey explained that “the Custom RFQ Swap Proxy contract contains a function designed to manage the ‘authorized order signer’ whitelist. Such whitelist mechanisms are common in DeFi—only addresses on the whitelist can issue valid transaction instructions on behalf of the protocol.”
However, he noted that “this registration function is public and lacks any permission modifiers.” As a result, the attacker exploited this public function within the contract, registering themselves as an authorized order signer.
“Since any external address can call this function, it is equivalent to giving everyone the ability to make a copy of the safe’s key,” the researcher continued.
Same Hacker, Different Attack The online reports revealed that the attacker was the same hacker responsible for the $5 million 1inch Fusion V1 Settlement contract exploit in March 2025, which TrustedVolumes was the primary victim.
Humprey highlighted that while the same individual carried out both attacks, they were significantly different on a technical level. According to the post, the 2025 vulnerability involved low-level EVM memory manipulation in the 1inch Fusion V1 Settlement contract.
At the time, the hacker “proactively initiated on-chain negotiations,” offering to return the stolen assets for a white hat bounty. The DeFi platform accepted the proposal, and most of the funds were safely returned.
Now, TrustedVolumes affirmed that it is “open to constructive communication regarding a bug bounty and a mutually acceptable resolution.”
Decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch clarified that there was no impact on its systems, infrastructure, or user funds, explaining that “TrustedVolumes operate independently as a liquidity provider, used by multiple protocols across the industry, and are not exclusive to 1inch.”
DeFi Exploits See Historic Surge This attack follows a wave of exploits that has shaken the DeFi sector over the past month. Last week, PeckShield revealed that the crypto space saw 40 major hacks in April, which drained approximately $647 million.
This figure represents a 1,140% Month-over-Month (MoM) increase from March’s $52.2 million. It also represents a 292% surge from the $165 million the DeFi sector lost during the first quarter of 2026.
Notably, the top two incidents of the month, Drift Protocol’s $285 million and KelpDAO’s $290 million exploits, accounted for 91% of the funds lost last month. In addition, they now rank among the Top 10 hacks since 2021.
ETH’s performance in the one-week chart. Source: ETHUSDT on TradingView Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
In brief Kraken will migrate its wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, from LayerZero to Chainlink's interoperability protocol. The asset maintains a market cap of more than $260 million, and Kraken said it will use Chainlink for future wrapped assets, as well. LayerZero admitted it "made a mistake" with Kelp DAO's setup, which was exploited for $292 million in April. Crypto exchange Kraken is the latest firm to ditch LayerZero’s cross-chain interoperability technology following its role in last month’s $292 million Kelp DAO exploit.
As a result, the firm will migrate its existing wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, to Chainlink’s cross-chain interoperability protocol (CCIP). In the future, any wrapped Kraken products will also make use of Chainlink’s technology.
“Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure with strict security & risk management requirements,” the exchange posted on X.
Holders of the firm’s kBTC token, which is backed 1:1 by Bitcoin held in custody by Kraken, do not need to take any action at this time. The token holds a market cap of around $266 million at the time of writing.
Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to @Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) & all future Kraken Wrapped Assets.
Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure…
— Kraken (@krakenfx) May 14, 2026
Kraken’s migration extends the list of major crypto firms which have announced their intentions to detach themselves from LayerZero’s cross-chain tech after the interoperability protocol team admitted it “made a mistake” that led to the Kelp DAO exploit.
Prior to Kraken’s departure, Kelp DAO announced its intentions to shift to Chainlink’s technology and was followed by Solv Protocol, which said it would migrate the tech backing $700 million worth of Bitcoin-related assets to CCIP as well. Last week, on-chain reinsurance protocol Re also announced plans to make the switch from LayerZero to Chainlink.
“Together, Chainlink and Kraken can help accelerate the global adoption of crypto by unlocking utility and distribution for all Kraken Wrapped Assets across DeFi,” Kraken said.
Although the firm did not mention the Kelp DAO exploit, Kraken’s decision and those of the other crypto firms migrating away from LayerZero come after the April 18 exploit that was later attributed to Lazarus Group, the notorious North Korean state-sponsored hacker group.
Attackers from Lazarus were able to drain 116,500 rsETH liquid staking tokens from Kelp DAO’s infrastructure after "poisoning" internal RPCs used by LayerZero Labs, according to a postmortem from the interoperability firm.
Last week, the protocol said no other applications have been impacted and funds are not at risk.
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In brief Kraken will migrate its wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, from LayerZero to Chainlink's interoperability protocol. The asset maintains a market cap of more than $260 million, and Kraken said it will use Chainlink for future wrapped assets, as well. LayerZero admitted it "made a mistake" with Kelp DAO's setup, which was exploited for $292 million in April. Crypto exchange Kraken is the latest firm to ditch LayerZero’s cross-chain interoperability technology following its role in last month’s $292 million Kelp DAO exploit.
As a result, the firm will migrate its existing wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, to Chainlink’s cross-chain interoperability protocol (CCIP). In the future, any wrapped Kraken products will also make use of Chainlink’s technology.
“Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure with strict security & risk management requirements,” the exchange posted on X.
Holders of the firm’s kBTC token, which is backed 1:1 by Bitcoin held in custody by Kraken, do not need to take any action at this time. The token holds a market cap of around $266 million at the time of writing.
Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to @Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) & all future Kraken Wrapped Assets.
Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure…
— Kraken (@krakenfx) May 14, 2026
Kraken’s migration extends the list of major crypto firms which have announced their intentions to detach themselves from LayerZero’s cross-chain tech after the interoperability protocol team admitted it “made a mistake” that led to the Kelp DAO exploit.
Prior to Kraken’s departure, Kelp DAO announced its intentions to shift to Chainlink’s technology and was followed by Solv Protocol, which said it would migrate the tech backing $700 million worth of Bitcoin-related assets to CCIP as well. Last week, on-chain reinsurance protocol Re also announced plans to make the switch from LayerZero to Chainlink.
“Together, Chainlink and Kraken can help accelerate the global adoption of crypto by unlocking utility and distribution for all Kraken Wrapped Assets across DeFi,” Kraken said.
Although the firm did not mention the Kelp DAO exploit, Kraken’s decision and those of the other crypto firms migrating away from LayerZero come after the April 18 exploit that was later attributed to Lazarus Group, the notorious North Korean state-sponsored hacker group.
Attackers from Lazarus were able to drain 116,500 rsETH liquid staking tokens from Kelp DAO’s infrastructure after "poisoning" internal RPCs used by LayerZero Labs, according to a postmortem from the interoperability firm.
Last week, the protocol said no other applications have been impacted and funds are not at risk.
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Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain infrastructure and moving exclusively to Chainlink CCIP to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) and all future wrapped assets.
Kraken announced it is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infrastructure for Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) and all future Kraken Wrapped Assets. The migration leverages Chainlink's enterprise-grade infrastructure, which includes ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications, secure-by-default architecture, 16 independent nodes, and native rate limits.
No action is required from kBTC customers during the migration. Kraken said additional details on the migration process will follow through official Kraken channels.
The partnership aims to accelerate global crypto adoption by unlocking utility and distribution for Kraken Wrapped Assets across decentralized finance. Chainlink CCIP (Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol) provides cross-chain messaging and token transfers with security oversight designed to meet institutional standards.
Sources: Kraken
This article was produced with the help of AI flows.
TLDR: Kraken migrates kBTC and all future wrapped assets to Chainlink CCIP, citing enterprise-grade security. The $292M Kelp DAO exploit, tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, triggered a broad LayerZero exit across DeFi. Solv Protocol, Kelp DAO, and Re also left LayerZero for Chainlink CCIP following critical cross-chain security reviews. Kraken’s kBTC holds a $266M market cap; holders require no action as the backend migration proceeds. Kraken has announced it will migrate its wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, from LayerZero to Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).
The move follows the $292 million Kelp DAO exploit in April, which was later linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Kraken cited enterprise-grade security and strict risk management as the driving reasons.
The token holds a market cap of approximately $266 million, and future wrapped assets will also use Chainlink.
Kraken Moves Away From LayerZero Infrastructure Kraken announced the deprecation of its LayerZero-based cross-chain provider this week. The crypto exchange will now use Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infrastructure.
The decision covers kBTC and all future Kraken Wrapped Assets. Holders of kBTC do not need to take any action at this time.
Kraken explained its reasons on X, formerly Twitter, in a public post. The exchange stated that Chainlink CCIP offers ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications.
Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to @Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) & all future Kraken Wrapped Assets.
Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure…
— Kraken (@krakenfx) May 14, 2026
It also noted the protocol’s secure-by-default architecture and 16 independent nodes. Native rate limits were also listed among the key security features.
The exchange wrote: “Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra.”
The post also referenced enterprise-grade infrastructure as a priority. Kraken confirmed that more details on the migration process will follow on official channels.
Kraken also noted a broader goal behind the migration. The exchange said both firms can help accelerate the global adoption of crypto.
By using CCIP, Kraken aims to unlock utility and distribution for its wrapped assets across DeFi. No specific timeline for the full migration was given.
LayerZero Fallout Spreads Across the Industry Kraken joins a growing list of firms exiting LayerZero’s technology following the Kelp DAO incident. On April 18, attackers drained 116,500 rsETH liquid staking tokens from Kelp DAO’s infrastructure.
LayerZero later admitted it made a mistake in setting up Kelp DAO’s configuration. The Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacker group, was attributed to the exploit.
Kelp DAO was the first to announce it would move to Chainlink CCIP after the incident. Solv Protocol followed, saying it would migrate infrastructure backing over $700 million in Bitcoin-related assets.
On-chain reinsurance protocol Re also announced plans to leave LayerZero last week. Each departure has added to the scrutiny around cross-chain bridge security.
The Kelp DAO postmortem revealed that attackers poisoned internal RPCs used by LayerZero Labs. This allowed them to drain tokens without triggering standard security alerts.
The vulnerability was specific to how Kelp DAO’s setup was configured, according to LayerZero. However, the event prompted a wider review of cross-chain security practices across the industry.
Chainlink CCIP has emerged as the preferred alternative for firms reassessing their interoperability stack. Multiple protocols have now committed to the technology within weeks of the exploit.
The migration trend shows how a single security event can quickly shift infrastructure preferences in crypto. For Kraken, the move is part of a longer-term strategy to secure all its wrapped asset offerings.
The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.
According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.
1 seconds ago
US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.
According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.
1 seconds ago
Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks
According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.
1 seconds ago
SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.
According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.
TLDR: Kraken DeFi Earn has surpassed $300M in total deposits, with the Bitcoin Vault alone crossing $70M shortly after launch. The vault uses a single-cycle supervised borrow strategy, eliminating recursive leverage and maintaining full market neutrality at all times. Sentora’s three-layer risk framework has recorded zero liquidations across more than three years of live vault operation since January 2021. kBTC, Kraken’s wrapped Bitcoin token, enables BTC collateral deployment across Ethereum’s DeFi infrastructure with a one-to-one redemption guarantee. Kraken DeFi Earn has crossed $300 million in total deposits, with its Bitcoin Vault contributing over $70 million. The vault converts idle BTC into structured yield positions through vetted DeFi protocols.
It operates using a supervised loan strategy, avoiding directional speculation entirely. Yield comes from the spread between borrowing costs and returns on deployed stablecoins.
The vault requires no active management from depositors at any stage.
How the Bitcoin Vault Generates Yield Without Directional Risk The vault supplies BTC as collateral to lending protocols, then borrows stablecoins against it. Those stablecoins are deployed into pre-approved yield strategies across onchain markets.
Target venues include Aave, Euler, and Morpho for stablecoin lending. Real-world assets and market-neutral AMM pairs on platforms like Curve also receive allocations. Each strategy is chosen because expected returns exceed borrowing costs.
Sentora Research flagged the vault’s milestone on X recently. SentoraHQ noted that the Bitcoin Vault alone surpassed $70 million shortly after launch.
That growth reflects strong depositor interest in BTC-based yield strategies. The vault’s design focuses on productivity without requiring price speculation. Idle BTC holdings are put to work through a constrained, structured process.
Leverage is used in this vault, but its application differs from typical margin trading. CEX margin trading often involves 5x to 100x leverage on directional bets.
The Bitcoin Vault uses a single supervised borrow with a 10–20% buffer below maximum collateral ratios. The strategy maintains market neutrality throughout its operation. If BTC falls in value, automated systems deleverage before liquidation thresholds are approached.
The vault does not use recursive leverage or looping strategies. BTC collateral is deposited once, stablecoins are borrowed once, and capital is deployed into approved venues.
There is no re-deposit cycle that compounds BTC price exposure across multiple loops. This single-cycle structure limits overall risk significantly. It keeps leverage defined, traceable, and governed by automated rebalancing at all times.
The vault uses kBTC, Kraken’s wrapped Bitcoin token on Ethereum, as its collateral format. Native BTC cannot operate directly on Ethereum’s lending and liquidity infrastructure. kBTC is redeemable one-to-one for Bitcoin with no fees attached.
For existing Kraken users, this wrapper does not introduce new custodial risk. It simply extends an existing trust relationship into the onchain environment.
Three-Layer Risk Framework Supports Vault’s Clean Liquidation Record Sentora applies a three-layer risk management model across all vault operations. The first layer involves formal research and due diligence before any capital is deployed.
Over 60 protocols across 17 networks have undergone technical and economic review. Audit history, oracle dependencies, and liquidation mechanics are all examined. No protocol enters the approved list without completing this review process.
The second layer is an automated on-chain system that acts as a 24/7 circuit breaker. It continuously tracks collateral ratios, borrow costs, and liquidation thresholds in real time.
If safety thresholds are breached, the vault autonomously recalls capital and repays debt. This process can occur within the same block when market conditions require it. Since January 2021, the vault has recorded zero liquidations across all deployments.
The third layer consists of quantitative off-chain monitoring across six risk categories. These include concentration, liquidity, interest rate, duration, leverage, and correlation. Metrics like Val01 and Exit Maturity help stress-test positions against worst-case market scenarios.
Available liquidity is evaluated to confirm clean exit conditions for each position. Large-holder movements that could shift market conditions are also tracked continuously.
Withdrawals from the vault are available through a standard five-day window. This period allows the system to exit multiple strategies while minimizing slippage costs.
The withdrawal timeline is expected to shorten as deposits scale and flows deepen. Independent audits by Spearbit and 0xMacro have reviewed the vault’s infrastructure. Sentora’s stated philosophy remains return of capital before return on capital.
The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.
According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.
1 seconds ago
US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.
According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.
1 seconds ago
Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks
According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.
1 seconds ago
SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.
According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.
In This Article cirBTC Explained: What 'Wrapped Bitcoin' Actually MeansCircle's Institutional Play: Why cirBTC Is Different From WBTCRotation, Not Revolution: How cirBTC Fits Into the Wrapped Bitcoin Market Circle, the regulated financial infrastructure company behind USDC, launched cirBTC on Ethereum on June 8, 2026, adding a new 1:1 BTC-backed wrapped Bitcoin token to a market already anchored by WBTC at roughly $8Bn in market capitalization and Coinbase’s cbBTC at approximately $5.9Bn.
Each cirBTC token is backed by native Bitcoin held in segregated, regulated custody and verified in real time through Chainlink Proof of Reserve. That is a meaningful structural claim in a category where custody transparency has not always been the default.
Here is the central tension this article unpacks: wrapped Bitcoin has existed since 2019, yet most crypto holders have never had to think about it. So why does Circle’s entry into this market matter, and does its regulated approach actually change anything for the people who would use it?
cirBTC is live on @ethereum.
Circle helped establish the institutional standard for dollar collateral with USDC.
Now cirBTC brings that same approach to Bitcoin, bringing 1:1 BTC-backed collateral to institutional DeFi markets with neutrality, transparency, and Circle…
— Circle (@circle) June 8, 2026
cirBTC Explained: What ‘Wrapped Bitcoin’ Actually Means Think of wrapped Bitcoin like a coat-check counter at an exclusive club. You hand over your actual coat – your real Bitcoin – and the attendant gives you a numbered ticket.
That ticket represents your coat inside the venue. You can trade the ticket, use it to get a drink tab, or hand it to someone else. But the coat itself stays safely in the back room, and you can always redeem the ticket to get it back.
That is exactly how tokenized Bitcoin works. Real BTC goes into custody with a regulated entity, in cirBTC’s case, a Circle group company with assets kept explicitly separate from Circle’s corporate holdings. In exchange, an ERC-20 token is issued on Ethereum that represents the BTC at a 1:1 ratio.
The token can then move freely through Ethereum DeFi apps, smart contracts, and lending protocols. When you want your BTC back, you burn the token, and the custodian releases the underlying Bitcoin.
Why does any of this matter? Bitcoin cannot natively run smart contracts or act as collateral inside Ethereum-based lending protocols. Wrapping solves that. It is the bridge that allows Bitcoin’s roughly $1.7 trillion in value to participate in decentralized finance without the underlying asset ever leaving the Bitcoin blockchain.
Chainlink Proof of Reserve is the accountability layer; it continuously verifies on-chain that the number of circulating cirBTC tokens matches the BTC held in custody, so anyone can check the math without relying on a periodic third-party audit.
DISCOVER: Best Meme Coin ICOs to Invest in 2026
Circle’s Institutional Play: Why cirBTC Is Different From WBTC
(SOURCE: CoinGecko)
Circle is not just a crypto startup; it has established USDC as a key player in institutional digital finance and is now applying that compliance to Bitcoin collateral with cirBTC. This new offering aims to set an institutional standard for Bitcoin similar to what USDC achieved for dollar liquidity, emphasizing transparency and regulated custody.
While BitGo’s WBTC, the market leader, has around $8Bn in wrapped Bitcoin, its custodial model has faced scrutiny. Coinbase’s cbBTC, launched in September 2024, reached $5.9Bn in market cap but benefits significantly from Coinbase’s distribution.
cirBTC, however, positions itself with a compliance-focused approach while avoiding competition, appealing to institutions like OTC desks and corporate treasuries that want to leverage Bitcoin as collateral.
Despite its strengths, cirBTC faces challenges, including WBTC’s established liquidity and integrations, as well as cbBTC’s distribution advantages. While Circle’s compliance reputation is strong, it may not be enough to drive DeFi liquidity on its own.
EXCLUSIVE: Earn $10 USDC Via Binance Sign-Up
Rotation, Not Revolution: How cirBTC Fits Into the Wrapped Bitcoin Market $BTC short-term momentum is still bearish.
If we want a potential trend reversal, the first step is to have a clean break of $64k and $66k.
If $BTC doesn't manage to do that within a few days, the bearish momentum is probably going to continue.
I think in that case we… pic.twitter.com/qRIGnNPRLf
— Quinten | 048.eth (@QuintenFrancois) June 9, 2026
The wrapped Bitcoin market is poised for growth rather than disruption. The rise of corporate Bitcoin treasuries has created demand for efficient collateral deployment in institutional DeFi, a need cirBTC aims to meet.
Bull case: Circle’s compliance and USDC distribution position cirBTC well for institutional adoption, especially with integrations into major lending platforms like Aave and Morpho, creating significant liquidity and a unique cross-collateral workflow. This could lead to a substantial market share within 12 to 18 months.
Base case: cirBTC becomes the go-to wrapped Bitcoin product for compliance-focused institutions, while WBTC maintains dominance due to liquidity; cirBTC may serve as a solid third option as overall institutional demand for Bitcoin collateral rises.
Bear case: Slow integration with DeFi protocols and regulatory challenges could hamper cirBTC’s expansion, leaving it a niche product without the network effects needed to compete with established providers.
The competition is heating up as traditional finance explores tokenized products alongside crypto options, making Circle’s reputation as a regulated issuer increasingly important.
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The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.
According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.
1 seconds ago
US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.
According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.
1 seconds ago
Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks
According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.
1 seconds ago
SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.
According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.
The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.
According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.
1 seconds ago
US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.
According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.
1 seconds ago
Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks
According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.
1 seconds ago
SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.
According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.
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.
The mysterious Shiba Inu lead known under the pseudonym Shytoshi Kusama has published zero posts on his official X account.
The last post came out Aug. 5, and it was dedicated to SHIB’s anniversary and elections designed to bring “full decentralization” to the Shiba Inu network. However, even though Kusama remains silent, the community does not seem to be worried about it. That’s probably because Kusama had already disappeared a few times earlier this year from public space, as he was busy working on Shibarium. But haters and fudders continue to attack both the SHIB team and Kusama in person.
SHIB’s top executive, known as Lucie, has weighed in to defend Kusama.
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SHIB's exec defends Kusama from SHIB hatersIn a recent tweet, Lucie mentioned the upcoming reload of the LEASH token as the SHIB team plans to launch the second version of it. The problem, as Lucie described it, was that neither she nor 30,000 users were aware of the rebase mechanism in the LEASH contract.
LEASH holders will soon receive new tokens in exchange for old ones. While announcing it, Lucie lambasted fudders and haters who have been attacking the SHIB team to promote their own tokens running on Shibarium.
Lucie stated that they may continue to attack her or Shytoshi Kusama but she will not allow them to “scam and damage more investors.”
“All these delistings, hacks, and scams you are responsible for will eventually be discovered,” Lucie added.
I don’t care when you attack me, Shytoshi, or the team but I won’t let you scam and damage more investors.
All these delistings, hacks, and scams you are responsible for will eventually be discovered.
— 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐄 (@LucieSHIB) September 3, 2025 3 out of 10 largest SHIB wallets revealedAddressing the SHIB army in another tweet, Lucie also spoke about the largest holders of Shiba Inu tokens — exchanges and retail holders, and their geolocation.
According to Lucie, among the biggest SHIB holders are crypto exchanges — Binance, Robinhood and Crypto.com. They “hold tens of trillions of SHIB on behalf of millions of users.”
SHIB = Exchanges + People
•Exchanges: Major wallets like Robinhood, Binance, https://t.co/cHdxcXPUYV, and others hold tens of trillions of SHIB on behalf of millions of users. These exchange wallets make up several of the top-10 holders.
•People: Over 1.5 million individual…
— 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐄 (@LucieSHIB) September 3, 2025 As for retail holders, the majority of roughly 1.5 million individual SHIB wallets on Ethereum are based in the USA, Turkey, India, East Asia as well as Europe, Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia.
PANews reported on September 8th that Coinbase Assets announced on the X platform that the Polkadot and Kusama networks are transitioning from the current Relay Chain networks to the Asset Hub network. Coinbase will support this migration, and users of KSM and DOT tokens from the Relay Chain networks will be automatically migrated to the Asset Hub network. Kusama is expected to upgrade on October 7, 2025, and Polkadot on November 4, 2025. Prior to the migration: Kusama's send and receive functions will be temporarily disabled from October 6th to 8th; Polkadot's send and receive functions will be disabled from November 3rd to 5th; and Polkadot's staking and unstaking functions will be disabled from November 3rd to 5th.
Shiba Inu lead developer Shytoshi Kusama has issued a statement addressing community concerns about his whereabouts, reaffirming his continued commitment to the project.
Recently, questions about Kusama’s whereabouts have grown louder within the community following his silence on social media.
The Shiba Inu lead developer has been inactive on X in recent times. His last post, before yesterday, came on August 5, when he announced plans for an ecosystem election. However, he has remained silent ever since.
Frustrated by the lackluster performance of ecosystem tokens, some Shiba Inu community members have suggested that the project has been abandoned in favor of other initiatives. These concerns intensified after the Shibarium Bridge experienced a hack that led to the loss of nearly $3 million in SHIB and ETH.
Kusama Reaffirms Commitment to Broader Shiba Inu Project In reaction, Kusama confirmed that his focus has expanded beyond SHIB. According to him, he is now pursuing artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives that could benefit all Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens, including BONE and TREAT.
He dismissed speculations about distancing himself from the core team, calling them “utterly preposterous”. Notably, Kusama emphasized that he has been collaborating with other Shiba Inu developers, such as Kaal Dhairya, to determine the next steps for the project.
Acknowledging the complexity of the AI initiative, the developer noted that he prefers not to speak prematurely until he fully understands it. However, he reassured the community that the team is currently exploring the project in what he described as “the war room.”
In the meantime, he thanked Shiba Inu community members for their patience and understanding, promising that more detailed updates would be communicated through Shiba Inu’s official channels in due course.
Kusama’s AI Focus Since May, Kusama has been exploring artificial intelligence, aiming to position Shiba Inu to benefit from what he believes will be the next major wave of technological evolution driven by AI.
At the time, he updated the community about his progress through his X location marker. One of the updates suggested that he was writing a final paper on AI and would also highlight the role of the Shiba Inu in this technological evolution.
Interestingly, he wittily renamed the month of July to Jul-AI, teasing that the team would share several announcements relating to its past and future endeavors. However, he has not shared much about the AI project.
Kusama’s First Update After Latest Security Breach Notably, Kusama’s latest post marks his first update since the Shibarium Bridge suffered a major security breach. That incident resulted in losses totaling nearly $3 million.
While concerns about Shibarium’s security remain unaddressed, Kusama chose instead to stress his focus on developing AI initiatives aimed at advancing all Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens.
The fact that Shytoshi Kusama, Shiba Inu’s lead figure, continues to hide his face and real identity remains a major concern for the SHIB community. While anonymity is common in crypto, many investors fear it creates uncertainty and accountability issues, especially as Shiba Inu evolves into a broader ecosystem.
Holders worry that a hidden identity could impact trust, transparency, and long-term credibility, leaving the project vulnerable to skepticism from regulators, institutions, and mainstream investors.
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.
Kusama promised further information on the matter on Shiba Inu's official channels.
TL;DR
Despite shifting priorities toward other initiatives, Shytoshi Kusama assured the SHIB Army that they remain committed to the meme coin project. Earlier this summer, the developer emphasized that Shiba Inu’s future now rests with the community, outlining plans for fair elections to appoint an interim president who will oversee the ecosystem’s growth. Kusama Remains in ‘The War Room’ Shytoshi Kusama – the anonymous lead developer of Shiba Inu – has limited their interactions on the social media platform X lately. Earlier this week, though, they broke the silence on a matter that seems to be concerning for the SHIB community.
Kusama has previously stated that they will switch their focus outside the meme coin to push for AI initiatives “to better all our tokens.” However, that doesn’t mean they have abandoned the self-proclaimed Dogecoin-killer.
“To suggest that I am anywhere except beside Kaal Dhairyia, the devs and other appropriate parties figuring out next steps is utterly preposterous,” the announcement reads.
In addition, Kusama said the current situation is “a bit complex and deep,” but assured that they remain in “the war room.” The lead developer also promised that further details on the matter will be shared on Shiba Inu’s official channels.
The Whole Saga With Kusama Shiba Inu saw the light of day in the summer of 2020 and over the past five years has expanded its ecosystem and blasted through major milestones. Its creator, Ryoshi, deliberately stepped away after setting the foundation of the project, with Kusama emerging as the lead developer and main public voice.
Earlier this year, the latter said they will step down from their role, mostly because “there is no more vision needed, only execution and communications.” Instead, Kusama revealed plans to become Shiba Inu’s global ambassador to drive mainstream adoption of the world’s second-largest meme token.
A few months ago, Kusama disclosed that the project will have an interim president who will be chosen after “fair elections,” and the voting will go through three sessions.
You may also like: Whales Can’t Get Enough of Meme Coins as FLOKI Explodes 950% DOGE, SHIB, PEPE Explode: Is Meme Coin Frenzy Back in Full Force? “The first allows for anyone to be nominated, while the top 10 move onto the debate phase. Debates will take place LIVE or recorded on various platforms and times, while a secondary vote to find the top 3 will take place after one week,” the announcement reads.
Any community member can nominate themselves for the position and will be required to create a profile to give some details about who they are. The main goal of the appointed president will be to maintain the well-being of the entire ecosystem and oversee the proper execution of the Shib Paper guidelines.
Kusama said their leadership is in the hands of the SHIB Army, ensuring that they will remain committed to posting information on the election date and related updates.
“We will continue working on innovation, and closely with the Treat Dao and strategies therein, and will continue pursuits outside of SHIB that align with our vision and often contribute to the ecosystem or DAOs. In this way, we continue as valued Shibizens of a system we helped build from nothing,” the developer added.
PANews x BeWater co-produced: After the cold start, how do Web3 entrepreneurs solve the user growth problem of "1 to 100"? This special topic will include expert opinions, successful experiences and market research reports, etc., to provide Web3 entrepreneurs with a clear growth guide.
