XRP could be repeating the same price pattern that came before its massive rally in the 2017/2018 market cycle.
Latest market data suggests the asset is again moving within a symmetrical triangle, similar to the structure that eventually led to a remarkable 66,000% gain and pushed XRP to $3.31 nine years ago.
The first version of this symmetrical triangle played out over several years. Specifically, it started after XRP fell from its $0.0614 high in December 2013 and continued until the breakout in March 2017.
Once XRP broke above the pattern, an impressive rally ensued. The token climbed more than 66,000%, rising from around $0.005 in March 2017 to a peak of $3.31 in January 2018.
XRP Has Formed A Bigger Triangle The current symmetrical triangle is larger and took much longer to develop than the previous one. Unlike the first pattern, this one has formed over an entire market cycle.
This second triangle started forming after XRP dropped from its $3.31 peak in January 2018. The asset remained inside the pattern for years before finally breaking above the upper resistance line.
XRP broke above the triangle’s main resistance line during the Trump-led November 2024 rally. The breakout triggered a strong move higher, sending the asset from about $0.5 to $3.4 by January 2018. After the rally, XRP pulled back before climbing again to a new all-time high of $3.6 in July 2025.
XRP Triangle Structure Notably, the rally did not continue immediately after reaching that peak. Instead, XRP entered a deep correction that brought it back toward the previous breakout area and rising macro support. This phase represents an important test of the long-term structure, as XRP currently remains in this broader downtrend.
RSI Shows Oversold Conditions Despite the ongoing weakness, one key momentum indicator has moved into an area that previously marked strong accumulation zones.
Notably, the monthly Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped into oversold territory at 41.85, near levels where XRP has historically attracted long-term buying interest.
Currently, the price remains weak, market sentiment has become exhausted, and much of the previous rally has faded.
However, the broader breakout structure has not been invalidated. Importantly, traders should prepare for continued volatility, more testing of support, and a difficult path back upward instead of an immediate recovery.
History Suggests a Key Support Level XRP’s current situation resembles what happened after the March 2017 breakout. Following that breakout, XRP dropped to $0.0075 in April 2017. The sudden decline brought the price back to the upper trendline of the triangle, allowing it to complete a successful breakout retest.
After finding support there, XRP resumed its rally and eventually reached $3.31 by January 2018. If buyers defend the present support area this time, the decline could become a normal post-breakout reset instead of the beginning of a larger structural breakdown.
The most important support zone now sits between $0.70 and $0.83, with $0.82 standing out as the key level. This area lines up with the upper trendline of the symmetrical triangle. Holding above that range would help XRP stay above the breakout level and keep the long-term bullish structure intact.
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.
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As XRP regains investor attention, cloud mining platforms like LONG DeFi are highlighting simplified access to digital asset participation and computing power.
Summary
LongDeFi expands cloud mining services as renewed XRP interest drives demand for easier digital asset participation. LongDeFi highlights AI-powered cloud mining platform amid recovering crypto market and growing interest in BTC and XRP. LongDeFi promotes AI-driven cloud mining with newcomer rewards as XRP regains investor attention after World Cup. As the World Cup concludes, the cryptocurrency market continues its recovery, with XRP once again becoming a focus of global investor attention.
With continued institutional investment and the ongoing development of the digital asset market, more and more investors are seeking more efficient and diversified asset allocation methods, hoping to capitalize on the long-term growth opportunities presented by mainstream digital assets such as BTC and XRP.
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As the digital asset market continues to develop, more and more investors are focusing on long-term allocation and diversified participation methods. In addition to traditional cryptocurrency investment, cloud mining services have emerged, and platforms are constantly optimizing to provide users with more opportunities to participate in the digital asset ecosystem. Investing in digital assets has also become an option for some users to explore the digital asset ecosystem.
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Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
Key Takeaways Liquidia's Yutrepia launch has driven strong sales, adoption and three straight profitable quarters. LQDA projects far faster 2026 revenue and EPS growth, backed by rising earnings estimates.United Therapeutics counters with a broad PAH portfolio and late-stage ralinepag pipeline. Liquidia Corporation (LQDA - Free Report) is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD).
United Therapeutics (UTHR - Free Report) boasts six FDA-approved therapies that treat PAH, PH-ILD, and neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer, in its portfolio.
Liquidia and United Therapeutics are locked in a fierce battle in the PAH market, with Liquidia's Yutrepia emerging as a challenger to United Therapeutics' blockbuster Tyvaso franchise. Their competition extends beyond commercial sales to patent disputes and a race to capture a larger share of the inhaled treprostinil market.
Given this backdrop, selecting one stock over the other can be difficult. We therefore evaluate their fundamentals, growth prospects, challenges and valuation metrics to help make an informed decision.
The Case for LQDALiquidia currently markets Yutrepia (treprostinil) inhalation powder, approved by the FDA in May 2025 and launched the following month commercially.
The company also generates revenues through a profit-sharing agreement with Sandoz for the promotion of its generic treprostinil injection in the United States.
Yutrepia is an inhaled dry-powder formulation of treprostinil developed using Liquidia's proprietary PRINT particle engineering technology. The platform is designed to enhance deep lung drug delivery, simplify administration through a low-effort dry-powder inhaler and enable higher dose levels than currently marketed inhaled treprostinil therapies.
The company supports commercialization through a specialized sales force focused on physicians treating PAH and PH-ILD, as well as stakeholders involved in reimbursement and drug distribution.
Since its launch in June 2025, Yutrepia has emerged as a strong growth driver, generating approximately $130 million in first-quarter 2026 sales. The therapy has demonstrated robust adoption, with more than 4,500 unique prescriptions, around 3,750 patients initiating treatment, and nearly 1,000 physicians prescribing the drug.
Its rapid uptake helped Liquidia post its third consecutive profitable quarter, highlighting Yutrepia's growing commercial success.
Beyond its commercial portfolio, Liquidia is advancing a pipeline of therapies for pulmonary vascular diseases. Its lead pipeline candidate, L606, is an investigational liposomal formulation of treprostinil administered twice daily via a next-generation nebulizer. L606 is being evaluated in an open-label study for PAH and PH-ILD, while a global pivotal placebo-controlled trial is underway in PH-ILD.
Liquidia also plans to expand Yutrepia into additional indications, including pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PH-COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis.
The Case for UTHRUnited Therapeutics markets a broad PAH portfolio led by Tyvaso DPI, a dry-powder inhaled formulation of the prostacyclin analogue treprostinil, which was approved by FDA in May 2022 to improve exercise ability in patients with PAH and PH-ILD.
Its portfolio includes nebulized Tyvaso, a nebulized liquid inhaled formulation of treprostinil, approved by the FDA to improve exercise ability in patients with PAH and PH-ILD.
The company also markets Remodulin, a continuously infused treprostinil therapy for PAH administered subcutaneously or intravenously, supported by the user-friendly RemunityPRO infusion pump. Its PAH portfolio further includes Orenitram, an oral extended-release treprostinil tablet, and Adcirca (tadalafil), an oral PDE-5 inhibitor licensed from Eli Lilly through the end of 2026.
Sales of Tyvaso products continue to grow, driven by higher volumes and continued growth in commercialization utilization. Moreover, Orenitram offers a convenient oral treatment option that avoids the challenges associated with continuous infusion therapies, such as Remodulin, and inhaled therapies requiring multiple daily administrations.
The company remains focused on developing additional therapies for PAH and pulmonary fibrosis (PF).
Ralinepag, an investigational, highly selective and potent prostacyclin (IP) receptor, is one of United Therapeutics' most promising late-stage pipeline assets. The candidate is being developed in two formulations — an oral version and a DPI version (RAL-DPI).
Based on positive data from the pivotal phase III ADVANCE OUTCOMES study, United Therapeutics intends to submit a new drug application for ralinepag (to treat PAH) to the FDA by the second half of 2026.
If approved, oral ralinepag could strengthen United Therapeutics’ leadership in PAH and potentially offset future competitive pressure on older products.
Beyond the oral formulation, United Therapeutics is also developing inhaled dry-powder versions of ralinepag, RAL-DPI, in collaboration with MannKind Corporation. While initially targeting PAH, management sees opportunities for RAL-DPI in PH-ILD, IPF and PPF. Together, the oral and inhaled formulations position ralinepag as a potential cornerstone of United Therapeutics' future growth strategy.
Outside its PAH franchise, the company markets Unituxin for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma.
UTHR strengthened its long-term regenerative medicine strategy by acquiring preclinical stage biotech Thymmune Therapeutics for $140 million upfront, with up to $160 million in milestone payments. The deal adds THY-100, a stem cell-derived thymic cell therapy being developed for congenital athymia, and a platform with potential applications in organ transplantation, autoimmune diseases and immune deficiencies. The acquisition broadens United Therapeutics' pipeline beyond PAH.
A Look at Estimates: LQDA versus UTHRThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for LQDA’s 2026 sales implies a year-over-year increase of 315.77%, while that for earnings per share (EPS) suggests a year-over-year improvement of 477.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 EPS has moved north to $3.02 from $2.97 and that for 2027 EPS has increased to $4.92 from $4.81 in the past 60 days.
LQDA’s Estimate Movement
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UTHR’s 2026 sales implies a year-over-year increase of 1.46%, while that for EPS suggests a year-over-year decline of 4.41%. EPS estimates for 2026 have moved south to $26.63 in the past 60 days but those for 2026 have moved north to $31.66 from $31.09 during the said time frame.
UTHR’s Estimate Movement
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Price Performance and Valuation of LQDA and UTHRFrom a price-performance perspective, LQDA has fetched better returns than UTHR so far in the year. Shares of LQDA have surged 158.2%, while those of UTHR have gained 8.7%. The industry has gained 1.4% in the said period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, LQDA is more expensive than UTHR. LQDA’s shares currently trade at 8.74X forward sales, higher than 6.50X for UTHR.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Which Stock Is a Better Pick for Now?LQDA currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while UTHR carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Although United Therapeutics remains the established leader in PAH with a diversified portfolio, a robust late-stage pipeline and expansion into regenerative medicine, much of its growth appears incremental.
In contrast, Liquidia is in the early stages of a rapid commercial expansion, driven by the impressive launch of Yutrepia, expanding label opportunities and a promising pipeline. The company's superior revenue and earnings growth outlook, upward estimate revisions, stronger year-to-date share price performance and better Zacks Rank outweigh its premium valuation.
While UTHR remains a solid long-term holding, Liquidia offers the more compelling growth story and greater upside potential at current levels, making LQDA the better pick for investors seeking higher returns.
XRPL Commons has introduced a structured three-track grants program designed to boost developer engagement and support innovation across the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ecosystem. This initiative aims to empower open-source developers, startups, and established blockchain projects as XRPL continues to expand its reach and technological capabilities.
Supporting ecosystem buildersEstablished as a non-profit, XRPL Commons works to advance the XRPL environment by providing education, incubation, funding, and ecosystem support for developers worldwide. Since 2017, total investment in XRPL ecosystem projects has crossed $550 million, with XRPL Commons playing a significant role in nurturing talent and supporting promising initiatives.
The organization reports that the funding landscape has shifted from a centralized model to a collaborative approach, where multiple independent groups come together to back builders on the ledger. After training hundreds of developers, running The Aquarium incubator since 2023, and launching the Glow initiative for rewarding open-source contributions, XRPL Commons now combines these efforts into a formal, multi-stage grants program for all stages of project development.
Three-track grants program detailsThe first track, Glow, rewards developers for completed open-source contributions to the XRPL ecosystem. Supported work includes developer tools, infrastructure improvements, documentation, security enhancements, and protocol development. Glow applications open quarterly and are planned through December 2026. Since launching in October 2025, Glow has already funded 11 projects covering topics such as node management, transaction analytics, and advances in post-quantum cryptography.
Mini dictionary: Post-quantum cryptography, a field of cryptography focused on developing algorithms that are secure against the potential capabilities of quantum computers. Its goal is to protect sensitive information even in a future where quantum computing could undermine standard cryptographic methods.
The second track targets early-stage teams building new applications on XRPL. This stage includes Make Waves, a 90-day competition that recognizes projects achieving the strongest user engagement and on-chain activity. The Aquarium, a nine-week incubator program, extends its reach internationally with online participation, offering technical mentorship and business guidance. Early Stage Grants deliver milestone-based financial support for projects already running on XRPL testnet or mainnet, focusing on teams that can demonstrate measurable adoption and progress.
Boosting enterprise adoption and network expansionThe third grant track serves established blockchain products integrating XRPL infrastructure. For example, LOBSTR, a major wallet in the Stellar ecosystem, recently integrated XRPL following a strategic partnership with XRPL Commons. This move connects over 1.5 million LOBSTR users directly to the XRPL network, expanding their access to its features.
XRPL Commons highlights that these integrations are driven by the ledger’s enterprise-ready architecture, offering a native decentralized exchange that operates without MEV or front-running, compliance-friendly Permissioned DEX capabilities, integrated payment features, escrow, and cross-currency settlements. Transaction finality is achieved in 3–5 seconds, and fees remain well below one cent, providing developers and enterprises with a low-cost, high-speed platform for financial applications.
XRPL FeatureDescriptionNative DEXNo MEV or front-runningPermissioned DEXBuilt-in compliance for regulated marketsTransaction Finality3–5 secondsFeesFractions of a centEscrow & Payment ChannelsSupport for programmable payments and settlementsRecent growth within the XRPL ecosystem is supported by Messari’s Q1 2026 report, showing 3.7 billion transactions processed and a 35.3% quarter-over-quarter rise in daily transaction volume to 2.48 million. Tokenized real-world assets on the ledger reached a record $2.25 billion, reflecting a 124.1% increase over the previous quarter and demonstrating mounting institutional interest in the platform.
Additional ecosystem partnerships have fueled momentum. Alongside LOBSTR, RedotPay recently launched an RLUSD card powered by XRPL in more than 100 countries. This card allows users to obtain stablecoin-backed credit without having to liquidate their XRP holdings.
XRPL Commons points to expanded enterprise adoption and new funding initiatives, saying that these three tracks offer builders—from individual developers to enterprise-scale products—a pathway to accelerate innovation and adoption on the XRP Ledger.
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.
EGRAG CRYPTO, a respected technical analyst in the XRP ecosystem, has reflected on the rapid evolution of both XRP and its community since the early days of the cryptocurrency. His recent analysis emphasizes the asset’s journey from minimal technical scrutiny to frequent coverage by an expanding group of experts.
The Analyst Landscape Has ShiftedEGRAG CRYPTO noted that when the XRP Ledger launched in 2012, dedicated technical analysis around the asset was extremely limited. By 2018, he was already privately analyzing XRP and Bitcoin, focusing on structures such as Fibonacci levels, moving averages, and market cycles. At the time, few analysts publicly applied advanced tools like Elliott Wave and Wyckoff methodology to XRP.
By 2021, when he began sharing his insights openly, EGRAG CRYPTO had become one of the earliest public commentators to consistently produce technical analysis for the XRP community. Since then, the landscape has diversified significantly. More analysts have entered the space, studying XRP’s price action and long-term trends using various technical approaches.
Many now apply distinct methods and may disagree about short-term movements, but a growing number of analysts often reach similar long-term conclusions regarding XRP’s structural outlook.
He believes that this diversity of opinion, coupled with recurring structural patterns identified by independent analysts, strengthens overall understanding and community resilience. For him, the presence of respectful debate helps sharpen analytical frameworks and transforms conviction into informed conviction.
A Timeline Built on StagesIn his post, EGRAG CRYPTO outlined a progression in XRP’s growth. The journey began with fundamentals, advanced through a period dominated by a handful of technical analysts, and has now reached a phase of broad-based public sharing among a larger expert group.
He projects that the next phase will focus on global adoption, anticipating that institutions, banks, corporate entities, developers, and individuals around the world will increasingly utilize XRP and the XRP Ledger for practical use cases.
Mini dictionary: The XRP Ledger is an open-source, decentralized blockchain developed by Ripple for fast and cost-effective cross-border payments. Its consensus mechanism allows quick transaction settlement without mining.
Supporting this outlook, EGRAG CRYPTO shared an illustration depicting a timeline from 2012 through 2076 and beyond. The visual summarizes growing community participation and envisions a future where XRP use spans the globe.
Consistency of VisionThroughout his years covering XRP, EGRAG CRYPTO has maintained a consistent analytical approach even when few paid attention to the asset. Today, he observes others building on some of the foundational ideas he recognized years ago.
He concludes by expressing optimism about the direction of the community, stating that joint learning and collaboration will pave the way for future growth.
Together, we study. Together, we learn. Together, we rise.
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.
Ripple has introduced Ripple Mint, a new platform designed to help institutions mint, redeem, bridge, and manage RLUSD—the company’s stablecoin—through both a user interface and API integrations. This move aims to bolster RLUSD’s significance in tokenized finance as the trend toward automated treasury workflows gathers pace.
Ripple Mint and RLUSD integrationAccording to Ripple, current RLUSD institutional users already have access to Ripple Mint and its suite of features. The launch is positioned as a key step in providing essential infrastructure for major financial firms, enabling real-time transaction visibility and seamless integration with their existing treasury operations.
The host of Crypto Sensei, a cryptocurrency-focused channel, noted that the platform’s automation and transparency are intended to help accelerate the uptake of digital asset infrastructure in traditional finance circles. Ripple’s focus is to make RLUSD a central settlement tool for tokenized assets and funds, offering liquidity beyond the traditional exchange-traded stablecoin model.
BNY Mellon’s role in stablecoin reservesBNY Mellon serves as custodian for RLUSD’s underlying cash and Treasury-backed reserves. The bank, one of the world’s largest custodians, has extended its digital asset settlement infrastructure to support Ripple’s stablecoin ambitions and broaden the access of its institutional network to the tokenized finance sector.
With approximately $54 trillion in assets under custody or administration, BNY Mellon accounts for more than 20% of the world’s investable assets. Its partnership with Ripple reflects an ongoing shift as established banking institutions explore digital asset models and custody solutions.
Mini dictionary: BNY Mellon is a global bank and financial services company known for its asset servicing, investment management, and digital custody offerings, playing a key role in financial market infrastructure.
Tokenized treasuries and always-on marketsWhile tokenized Treasury settlement products are growing, they remain relatively small compared to the traditional bond market. U.S. Treasuries outstanding exceed $30 trillion, while the current market for tokenized Treasury products was estimated at around $7.4 billion.
The push for “always-on” markets aims to make Treasury, collateral, and credit transaction infrastructure available 24/7. In this setting, RLUSD could operate as a cash-equivalent form of settlement liquidity for tokenized assets, facilitating round-the-clock operations rather than functioning solely as a stablecoin for exchange trading.
In the pursuit of continuous settlement, RLUSD is positioned to support the liquidity needs of tokenized funds and Treasury instruments, potentially transforming it from a traditional stablecoin into an institutional-grade settlement solution.
Institutional applications and XRP-backed receiptsCrypto Sensei indicated that Ripple Prime, the company’s institutional digital asset platform, has reportedly begun issuing depository receipts backed by XRP. This structure lets institutions post XRP as collateral and, in return, access dollar-denominated credit. Such a mechanism makes it possible for institutions to gain trading exposure, including to CME futures, without needing to directly sell their XRP holdings.
Some financial institutions face restrictions on holding crypto assets directly. The creation of receipts representing XRP held in custody could allow these firms to manage exposure to digital assets through traditional portfolio systems. The current scale and list of official counterparties for this initiative have not been disclosed publicly.
Mini dictionary: Depository receipts are transferable financial instruments that represent ownership of securities or assets held by a custodian, allowing institutional investors to gain indirect exposure to underlying assets.
Some institutional desks may not have the regulatory clarity required to directly hold crypto, so XRP receipts facilitate access and credit without breaching internal policies.
XRP ETF exposure growsThe analyst also cited an uptick in U.S. spot XRP ETF activity, which is approaching $1 billion in assets under management. Current figures suggest these ETFs are about 23 million XRP away from surpassing that milestone, highlighting increasing institutional interest in XRP-based investment products.
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.
Signature Youth Initiative Anchors the Second Annual Impacting the Carolinas Campaign; First Horizon Bank Named Presenting Partner of Bee-Ball For All
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlotte Hornets have announced First Horizon Bank (NYSE: FHN or "First Horizon") as the presenting partner of Bee-Ball for All, the organization's signature youth engagement platform and cornerstone of the second annual Impacting the Carolinas initiative. Through Bee-Ball for All presented by First Horizon Bank, the Hornets will distribute 10,000 basketballs to youth through participating Boys & Girls Club locations across North and South Carolina, expanding access to the game while creating opportunities for mentorship, literacy, wellness and community engagement throughout the region.
First Horizon Bank and Charlotte Hornets Bee-Ball for All Event - Northridge Middle School, Charlotte NC To officially tip off the initiative, Hornets, First Horizon Bank and Boys & Girls Club leaders – along with Hornets Legend Muggsy Bogues – gathered at Northridge Middle School on Thursday, July 23 for a formal announcement and youth basketball clinic celebrating the launch of the two-state distribution effort. The event served as the beginning of a broader effort that will place 10,000 basketballs into the hands of children across North and South Carolina.
"This isn't just about giving away basketballs; it's about opening doors for youth development in multiple ways," said Justin Rutledge, Senior Vice President and Charlotte Market President for First Horizon Bank. Laura Bunn, Executive Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional President for First Horizon Bank added, "Sports also build teamwork, discipline and skills youth will carry through their lives. While we're proud to celebrate in Charlotte today, the mission reaches far beyond this community. Bee-Ball for All helps us connect with youth across the Carolinas, so opportunities aren't limited to one city, but shared across more than 200 Boys & Girls Clubs spanning North and South Carolina."
"Partnerships like this allow us to make a greater impact than we ever could alone. We are incredibly grateful to First Horizon Bank for sharing our commitment to investing in youth and strengthening communities throughout the Carolinas," said Hornets Sports & Entertainment Senior Vice President of Community Impact Betsy Mack. "Together, we are creating opportunities for young people to grow, learn, build confidence and connect through the game of basketball."
Launched in 2025, Impacting the Carolinas is designed to strengthen Hornets Sports & Entertainment's community impact and regional presence across North and South Carolina while reinforcing the organization's commitment to being the Team of the Carolinas.
About First Horizon
First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN), with $84.4 billion in assets as of June 30, 2026, is a leading regional financial services company, dedicated to helping our clients, communities and associates unlock their full potential with capital and counsel. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, the banking subsidiary First Horizon Bank operates in 12 states concentrated in the southern U.S. The Company and its subsidiaries offer commercial, private banking, consumer, small business, wealth and trust management, retail brokerage, capital markets, fixed income, and mortgage banking services. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. Bank. More information is available at www.FirstHorizon.com.
About Hornets Sports & Entertainment
Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) owns the Charlotte Hornets and the Greensboro Swarm (NBA G League), and operates Spectrum Center, the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Carolinas. Charlotte's first professional sports team, the Hornets joined the NBA in 1988 and are a member of the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. HSE is committed to positively impacting the Carolinas through community programming and the Charlotte Hornets Foundation. Spectrum Center is celebrating its 20th anniversary and reopened following a two-phased renovation as a fully transformed world-class arena in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. Through the years, Spectrum Center has hosted nearly 2,500 events and has welcomed more than 25 million guests. Directly across from Spectrum Center, the state-of-the-art Novant Health Performance Center is being built to enhance player development and foster a culture of high performance.
For more information, please visit hornets.com, gsoswarm.com or spectrumcentercharlotte.com
XRP has achieved several major milestones that investors once hoped would trigger a significant price rally. These include resolving its lengthy legal dispute with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the emergence of seven spot XRP exchange traded funds holding over $1 billion in assets, and the expansion of Ripple‘s ecosystem through products like RLUSD, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar.
Institutional adoption grows but price action disappointsAlthough Ripple, the company behind the XRP Ledger (XRPL), has secured critical regulatory clarity and increased institutional interest, XRP’s price has not yet reflected these gains. According to CoinCodex, XRP is trading at $1.09, which remains about 70% down from its 2025 all time high of $3.65.
CoinMarketCap observed that discussions around XRP have shifted from whether the asset has improved its regulatory and adoption outlook, to questioning why sustained demand has yet to materialize despite these positive developments.
Ripple has seen significant institutional inflows following its regulatory victories. The approval and subsequent growth of seven spot XRP ETFs, which now manage over $1 billion, indicate rising interest from traditional markets and asset managers.
At the same time, Ripple continues to enhance XRPL’s utility. By launching RLUSD and supporting new on-chain liquidity solutions, the company seeks to increase the use of XRPL across enterprise-grade payment and tokenization applications.
Mini dictionary: RLUSD, a stablecoin issued by Ripple, is designed to facilitate faster payments and higher on-chain liquidity by maintaining a fixed value pegged to the US dollar and operating natively on the XRP Ledger.
Metric2025 All Time HighCurrent ValueXRP Price$3.65$1.09Spot XRP ETFsN/A7 ETFs, $1B+ in assetsStrengthening fundamentals and technical outlookRipple CEO Brad Garlinghouse emphasized XRP’s advantage over the SWIFT network for cross border settlement. Garlinghouse cited the speed and reliability of XRP transactions as key factors reducing settlement and counterparty risk when compared with traditional banking infrastructure, where transactions may take several days to complete.
XRP’s rapid transaction settlement enables financial institutions to minimize exposure and risks typically associated with delayed cross border payments, setting it apart from legacy systems like SWIFT.
Meanwhile, Ripple has focused on advancing tokenization, digital asset custody, and global payment solutions. These expansions go beyond mere speculative interest and aim to entrench XRPL’s real-world relevance for financial institutions and enterprises.
Technical analysts are closely watching XRP for what could be an important price inflection. Market analyst EGRAG CRYPTO stated that XRP appears to be undergoing a significant macro breakout retest, and predicted that if confirmed, the next major upside target could be $6.40. Long-term projections see this figure rising even further should a sustained bull market emerge.
Many investors remain cautious, waiting for a confluence of factors such as broader crypto market strength, growing ETF inflows, expanding adoption, and a convincing breakout before expecting any reversal in XRP’s current trend.
Despite favorable regulatory and technical advancements, XRP has yet to sustain the buying momentum required to overcome its recent downtrend.
Market participants are now looking for renewed strength across multiple fronts, including a positive shift in broader cryptocurrency demand, continued increases in institutional participation, and real world adoption of XRPL solutions to drive a breakout above long-standing price resistance levels.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Three leading cryptocurrency advocacy organizations in the United States have called on the Senate to approve the CLARITY Act, urging lawmakers to establish a more defined regulatory framework for digital assets.
Joint push for regulatory clarityThe Digital Chamber, Chamber of Digital Commerce, and Blockchain Association delivered a collective statement requesting Senate leadership to pass the CLARITY Act. These groups asserted that the current lack of regulatory guidelines for digital assets could erode the country’s edge in blockchain innovation, as other countries advance regulatory policy more quickly.
BankXRP, an independent blockchain researcher, highlighted that industry stakeholders remain concerned about ongoing regulatory ambiguity, which continues to deter large-scale institutional participation in digital assets such as XRP.
The CLARITY Act aims to provide a comprehensive legal structure outlining the classification of digital assets as securities or commodities. Such distinctions have significant implications for companies and investors operating in the space.
The Digital Chamber, Chamber of Digital Commerce, and Blockchain Association urged that clear legislation could restore the United States’ global competitiveness and help institutional participants enter the market with greater certainty.
Impact on XRP and institutional adoptionRipple, the technology company behind XRP and the XRP Ledger, has expanded beyond its initial cross-border payments focus into areas such as stablecoins, asset custody, tokenization, and enterprise blockchain solutions. The firm has launched RLUSD, a stablecoin product designed to offer new options for digital transactions.
The groups argued that regulatory certainty under the CLARITY Act would enable banks, payment providers, asset managers, and investment firms to develop new financial products and services based on XRP. This could reduce legal risk, facilitate capital commitments, and make long-term planning easier for institutions considering entry into the crypto sector.
Developers and businesses may also become more willing to build decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, tokenize real-world assets, or launch blockchain applications using the XRP Ledger if federal rules are clarified. Increased development in these areas could enhance network activity and utility, supporting greater demand for XRP.
Exchanges, custodians, brokerage platforms, and potential ETF issuers would benefit from a clear legal framework for XRP, potentially accelerating new institutional products and investment channels tied to the asset.
Industry consensus around the CLARITY Act signals growing support for comprehensive crypto regulation in the United States, according to the groups. This unified approach has the potential to drive bipartisan momentum within Congress.
For XRP, passage of the CLARITY Act represents a possible turning point, as it could resolve lingering regulatory concerns and enable Ripple and its partners to bring expanded products and real-world blockchain applications to a wider institutional audience.
Mini dictionary: The Digital Chamber, Chamber of Digital Commerce, and Blockchain Association are major U.S.-based nonprofit organizations that advocate for policies supportive of blockchain innovation, industry standards, and regulatory clarity for digital assets.
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.
Most major cryptocurrencies are trading lower on July 24, 2026, with Bitcoin down 0.85% to $65,104.61 and sharper declines across Ethereum, XRP, and Solana, all off more than 2%. Two forces are compounding today: a broader risk-off move across financial markets tied to rising oil prices and escalating US-Iran military tensions, and fading confidence in the CLARITY Act’s path through the US Senate, with prediction-market odds for 2026 passage falling to 38% from 46% just a day earlier.
Key Takeaways Crypto is trading broadly lower today, with Bitcoin down 0.85% and sharper declines of more than 2% across Ethereum, XRP, and Solana. Rising oil prices tied to escalating US-Iran military tensions have pushed Treasury yields higher and pressured risk assets broadly, including crypto and equities like the Nasdaq. The CLARITY Act’s Senate outlook has darkened, with prediction markets cutting implied 2026 passage odds to 38% after Senate Democrats criticized the latest draft’s ethics and consumer-protection language. Dogecoin (DOGE) is down more sharply than other majors today, continuing its pattern of amplifying broader market moves in both directions. Not every asset is down — Monero (XMR) remains up sharply for the week, a reminder that today’s decline isn’t uniform across the entire market. Today’s Main Drivers Macro pressure and geopolitical risk. Oil prices have surged toward $88.60 a barrel amid escalating US military action linked to Iran, pushing Treasury yields higher and dampening risk appetite across both crypto and equities — the Nasdaq fell over 2% this week on the same pressures. This kind of broad risk-off move tends to hit crypto alongside, not separately from, traditional risk assets.
CLARITY Act uncertainty deepens. The bill’s Senate outlook, which looked genuinely promising just days ago on reports of a White House ethics-package agreement, has darkened after Senate Democrats criticized the latest draft as insufficient on ethics and consumer protections. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has acknowledged the bill will likely miss its pre-recess deadline, and prediction markets have responded by cutting implied 2026 passage odds to 38%. For the fullest picture, see Crypto News Today and Crypto Market Today.
Other Factors Worth Noting Uneven declines across assets. Dogecoin is down more sharply than Bitcoin or Ethereum today, consistent with its history of amplifying broader market moves in both directions due to lower relative liquidity and a heavily retail trading base.
Monero moving against the trend. XMR remains up sharply for the week even as most of the market pulls back, a reminder that today’s decline reflects broad market pressure rather than a uniform, asset-by-asset sell-off.
Bitcoin ETF inflows remain positive. Despite today’s price action, Bitcoin ETFs have logged seven consecutive days of net inflows — a genuinely supportive signal that institutional demand hasn’t broken down alongside the price pullback.
Is This a Bad Sign, or Normal Volatility? Today’s declines, while broader than some recent sessions, remain within the range of normal crypto volatility. Bitcoin is still up 3.58% for the week despite today’s drop, and the immediate catalysts — oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and a specific legislative timeline — are identifiable rather than mysterious. That said, the combination of deteriorating CLARITY Act odds and rising macro pressure is a genuine, not merely cosmetic, shift from the more optimistic mood earlier in the week, and it’s worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as routine noise.
What Would Reverse Today’s Trend? A CLARITY Act stabilization. Any sign that Senate leadership has found a path to address Democrats’ ethics and consumer-protection concerns, or confirmation that floor action will begin before the recess, would likely ease some of today’s regulatory-driven pressure.
Easing geopolitical tensions. A de-escalation in US-Iran military tensions and a pullback in oil prices would remove one of the two compounding pressures currently weighing on risk assets broadly.
Continued ETF inflows. An eighth consecutive day of Bitcoin ETF inflows would reinforce the case that institutional demand remains intact despite today’s price weakness and darkening regulatory outlook.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct independent research before making investment decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions Why is Bitcoin down today specifically? Bitcoin is down 0.85% today as rising oil prices tied to US-Iran tensions and fading CLARITY Act passage odds combine to pressure risk assets broadly across the market. It's a genuine shift from the more optimistic mood earlier in the week, though BTC remains up 3.58% for the week despite today's decline.
Is today's crypto dip something to worry about? The decline is broader than some recent sessions but still falls within normal volatility ranges, and Bitcoin remains up for the week overall. The underlying catalysts — oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and a specific legislative timeline — are identifiable and worth monitoring rather than dismissing, but don't yet signal a deeper structural problem.
Which cryptocurrencies are down the most today? Dogecoin has fallen more sharply than Bitcoin, Ethereum, or XRP today, consistent with its tendency to amplify broader market moves due to lower relative liquidity. Ethereum, XRP, and Solana are all down more than 2%, while Bitcoin's decline has been comparatively more modest by comparison. This detail matters most for anyone actively tracking today's market movements.
When will crypto recover from today's dip? There's no fixed timeline. The clearest potential catalysts are a stabilization in the CLARITY Act's Senate outlook, an easing of US-Iran geopolitical tensions and oil prices, or continued Bitcoin ETF inflows extending their current seven-day streak, any of which could shift sentiment relatively quickly given how closely the market has been tracking these stories.
AUTHOR
Brenda is a writer with three years of experience specializing in cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. She graduated from the University of Mombasa with a degree in Psychology. She has worked at Cryptopolitan and Blockchain Reporter.
Ethereum has reclaimed key support levels, with the $2,100 price point looming as a potential pivot. Analysts remain split on whether the recent momentum can power Ethereum toward $2,500, or if resistance ahead could trigger another downward move.
Key support reclaimed, upside targets in playAfter rebounding from the $1,505 zone, Ethereum climbed back above the $1,825 threshold, a development seen as significant by market watchers. Prominent crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe pointed to this recovery as maintaining the overall target between $2,500 and $2,620, despite market volatility in recent sessions.
Technical analysis shows Ethereum’s price recovering above its short-term moving averages. Turning the $1,825 area from resistance into support could strengthen bullish sentiment. The next critical resistance lies near $2,465, and breaking above this level would increase the likelihood of reaching the broader target range.
A daily close under $1,825 could undermine the recent recovery and bring the $1,700 zone into focus. Larger support remains near $1,505, a level hit during June’s market lows. If Ethereum fails to hold above $1,825, the rally could stall and set up a retest of lower levels.
For now, market attention remains on whether Ethereum can maintain this reclaimed support and push on toward $2,000 and higher targets, or if renewed selling will shift the outlook bearish.
$2,100 test marks decisive moment for trendAnother prominent analyst, CobraTrader, shared an Elliott Wave analysis suggesting Ethereum might extend its rebound up to $2,100 before risk of a major correction resurfaces. The $2,100 region, situated near the 0.31 Fibonacci retracement, represents a pivotal resistance according to this perspective.
CobraTrader’s setup identifies this move as a potential fourth-wave top within the Elliott Wave cycle. A sustained breakout above $2,100 could weaken the case for a deeper correction. However, failure to overcome this resistance may trigger a fifth downward wave, with price targets in the $1,000 to $1,250 range.
Additional support appears around $1,505, where Ethereum previously found long-term buyers. A breach of this level could sharpen the bearish case and shift focus to the lower accumulation zone, where more pronounced buying interest may emerge.
Despite the short-term uncertainty, the long-term outlook remains cautiously optimistic. The Elliott Wave model indicates a possible major recovery post-correction, projecting potential moves above $3,400 and even toward $5,000 if macro conditions improve.
At present, Ethereum’s fate rests at the $2,100 mark. Bulls must clear this hurdle to maintain upward momentum, while failure to do so could mean a swift return to recent lows.
Mini dictionary: Elliott Wave — A technical analysis tool first outlined by Ralph Nelson Elliott that identifies recurring wave patterns in markets, often used to forecast likely support, resistance, and reversal points in asset prices.
Support/ResistancePrice LevelMajor support (June low)$1,505Reclaimed support$1,825First major resistance$2,100Secondary resistance$2,465Target range$2,500-$2,620Bearish scenario support$1,000-$1,250Long-term bullish target$3,400-$5,000Hanging onto the $1,825 support remains key for Ethereum as it sets its sights on $2,000 and possibly higher, though a failure to hold may trigger a return to June lows near $1,505.
Technical models project that while $2,100 could be reached during the current rebound, rejection at that level may open the door for a deeper correction before any potential move toward all-time highs.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Ethereum’s price faced downward pressure on July 24, but technical signals suggest that further gains are possible if the cryptocurrency can maintain its position above a key support level. Analysts and investors are monitoring ETH’s status above $1,850, which is currently viewed as a critical threshold for the asset’s near-term direction.
Price action and key technical levelsAs of the latest trading session, Ethereum is priced at $1,891.58, representing a 1.13% decline over the previous 24 hours. The coin’s daily trading volume reached $19.26 billion, with a total market capitalization of $228.9 billion. Despite the minor decrease in value, Ethereum remains above a significant technical support region that may dictate its next price movement.
Ali Martinez, a widely followed cryptocurrency analyst, published an update on July 24 reflecting his latest technical assessment of Ethereum. According to Martinez, after retesting its lower price channel, Ethereum experienced a rebound. He believes the $1,850 level serves as essential support and that as long as Ethereum stays above this mark, any upward attempt could set $2,060 as the next resistance to watch.
Ali Martinez identified $1,850 as a crucial support. Sustaining this level could pave the way for a rebound toward $2,060, while any move below would weaken the technical outlook.
At present, Ethereum’s trajectory remains within its established trading channel. Observers said the coming days may prove pivotal in determining whether the current rebound signals a more substantive market recovery.
Derivatives market signals and investor positioningThe derivatives market surrounding Ethereum continues to present a balanced scenario, even following its recent dip.
Open interest, a key measure reflecting open derivative contracts, slipped by 1.50% to $27.34 billion. This change suggests some unwinding of leveraged positions after recent market fluctuations, with less short-term speculation in the market. Meanwhile, trading volume recorded a 7.78% rise to $37.07 billion, reflecting robust market engagement.
MetricCurrent ValueChangePrice$1,891.58-1.13%Market Cap$228.90 billion—Daily Trading Volume$19.26 billion—Open Interest$27.34 billion-1.50%Total Trading Volume$37.07 billion+7.78%This dynamic, where volume increases as open interest drops, indicates that while some investors are closing positions, new participants continue to enter the market. Another notable metric, the OI-weighted funding rate, remained stable at around 0.0005%. This near-zero figure shows a balanced market, with little premium for those taking long or short positions—suggesting buyers and sellers are evenly matched.
Mini dictionary: OI-weighted funding rate, a measure in crypto derivatives that indicates the interest rate paid between long and short position holders, weighted by open interest. It helps signal market bias between buyers and sellers.
Short-term outlook and support levelsThe next several trading sessions could be crucial in establishing Ethereum’s near-term trend. Market participants are watching to see if buyers can sustain momentum above the $1,850 level, while trading activity remains high.
If Ethereum maintains its hold above this support, there is potential for a gradual move toward the resistance at $2,060, as identified by Martinez. Should selling pressure increase and trigger a drop below $1,850, focus may shift to lower support areas.
Currently, Ethereum’s technical framework remains resilient. Analysts note, however, that renewed buyer interest and strong price action would be necessary to signal a convincing recovery in the near term.
Despite current technical strength, sustaining buyer momentum and confirmation through price action will be important for an extended move higher.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Ethereum price has retreated to $1,880 after failing to clear $2,000, as profit-taking, rising derivatives leverage and a sharp U.S. technology-stock sell-off weakened market sentiment.
Summary
Ethereum price fell toward $1,880 after failing to break the key $2,000 resistance. Spot ETH ETFs logged $26.3 million in inflows despite weaker market sentiment. Holding $1,850 could support a rebound toward $1,950 and eventually $2,060. According to data from crypto.news, Ethereum (ETH) price traded near $1,882 at press time, down about 3% over the previous 24 hours after reaching the $1,935–$1,950 region earlier in the week. Sellers emerged below the psychological $2,000 barrier and the 100-day exponential moving average, ending a rally that began near $1,560 in late June.
Wall Street’s technology rout added pressure during Thursday’s session. The Magnificent Seven stocks fell 4.8% and erased about $797 billion in market value, their worst day since the tariff-driven sell-off in April 2025. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, while the Nasdaq 100 lost 1.9%, according to CoinDesk.
Alphabet’s decision to raise its 2026 capital-spending forecast to as much as $205 billion and weaker-than-expected profits at Tesla drove the equity decline. High-beta assets came under pressure as investors questioned whether returns from artificial-intelligence spending could justify the sector’s rising costs.
Ether absorbed a steeper loss than Bitcoin, which held near $65,400 with a decline of less than 1%. The difference showed that investors remained more cautious toward altcoins as capital moved away from riskier trades.
ETF inflows and rising leverage have kept Ethereum’s recovery intact U.S. spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds recorded $26.3 million in net inflows on July 23, extending their positive run to five consecutive sessions. BlackRock’s ETHA received $8.5 million, Fidelity’s FETH attracted $14.9 million, and Grayscale’s mini Ether fund added $2.9 million, according to Farside Investors.
The latest total followed inflows of $38 million, $37.5 million and $72.7 million during the first three sessions of the week. Although ETF demand has remained positive, Thursday’s figure dropped sharply from the previous day and failed to offset selling in the spot market.
Institutional access also expanded in Switzerland after BancaStato integrated Sygnum’s digital-asset infrastructure. The cantonal bank’s clients can now trade Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and USD Coin through its existing web and mobile banking platforms, adding another regulated distribution channel for ETH.
Derivatives traders increased their exposure as Ether approached resistance. Open interest climbed by 600,000 ETH over two days to 14.6 million ETH, its highest level since June 7, according to CoinGlass data.
Funding rates, positive through most of July, briefly turned negative on Thursday for the first time since June 29. The change occurred as $41.55 million in leveraged positions were liquidated over 24 hours, including $34.4 million in longs. A rise in open interest alongside negative funding leaves both bullish and bearish positions exposed to forced closures.
U.S. spot demand has yet to match the ETF recovery. CryptoQuant’s Coinbase Premium Index has remained negative for nearly three months, which means Ether has continued to trade at a discount on Coinbase compared with offshore exchanges.
Ethereum must defend $1,850 to preserve its ascending channel The 4-hour chart places ETH at the lower boundary of an ascending parallel channel that has guided its recovery since early July. Immediate support sits between $1,850 and $1,880, while the channel’s upper boundary could reach approximately $2,060 if buyers reclaim $1,950.
Ethereum 4-hour price chart — July 24 | Source: crypto.news According to crypto analyst Ali Martinez, the latest reaction has kept the channel structure valid.
“As long as this support at $1,850 continues to hold, I’m watching for a move back toward the upper boundary near $2,060.”
Short-term momentum remains weak. The 4-hour relative strength index has fallen to 44.06, below its moving average of 52.62, while the MACD line at minus 1.48 sits beneath its 5.42 signal line. Its negative histogram reading of 6.90 shows that sellers still control the immediate move.
On the daily chart, ETH trades near the Ichimoku conversion line at $1,879 and above the forward cloud’s $1,816 upper boundary. The Chaikin Money Flow remains positive at 0.07, showing that net capital has not fully left the market despite the pullback.
Ethereum price daily chart — July 24 | Source: crypto.news CoinGlass’s weekly liquidation heatmap places the closest concentration of leveraged positions around $1,900–$1,910. A larger overhead cluster sits near $1,955–$1,965, where a price advance could force short liquidations and reopen the path toward $2,000.
Ethereum liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass Downside liquidity has accumulated around $1,840–$1,850, followed by another concentration near $1,820. A 4-hour close below the channel boundary and $1,850 would invalidate the immediate recovery setup, exposing $1,816 and then $1,750–$1,730.
Persistent equity weakness, higher bond yields or renewed inflation pressure could deepen that breakdown. Bulls instead need to reclaim $1,910 and break the $1,950–$1,965 supply zone before Ethereum can make another credible attempt at $2,000.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Whale 0x446B Dumps 8,010 ETH After Eight Months of SilenceAn Ethereum wallet identified as 0x446B executed a full liquidation of its $ETH holdings on July 24, 2026, offloading 8,010 ETH worth $15.11 million into open market liquidity. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain confirmed the transaction, noting that the wallet had been completely dormant for eight months before the sudden exit.
The sale resulted in a realized loss of $10.8 million, equivalent to a 37% drawdown from the entity's original cost basis. The figures indicate the wallet accumulated its position at a significantly higher average price, only to exit well below that entry point after an extended period of inactivity.
A Broader Pattern of ETH Whale LossesThe 0x446B exit is not an isolated case. Lookonchain data from early July showed a separate whale selling 2,468 ETH at an average price of $1,572, realising a loss of $4.33 million after originally purchasing the same coins at $3,327. That whale sold 2,468 ETH for $3.88 million, having bought the same position at $3,327 per coin, amounting to $8.21 million.
The pattern reflects a difficult year for longer-term Ethereum holders. An Ethereum whale holding 9,389 ETH for roughly four years is sitting on a $23.8 million unrealized loss, according to Lookonchain. ETH has been trading near $1,780, down roughly 32% year-to-date.
Not all large holders are capitulating. Large withdrawals from centralized exchanges are often interpreted as bullish signals in the cryptocurrency market, and recent weeks have seen a separate cohort of whales moving $ETH off exchanges and into staking rather than selling. Ethereum's staking ratio reached a record 33.9%, representing roughly one-third of the network's circulating supply. The divergence between holders exiting at a loss and others accumulating underscores the uncertainty currently surrounding Ethereum's price outlook.
Sources:
Bitget News: Whale Sold 2,468 ETH, Incurring $4.33 Million Loss (Lookonchain data)
Bitcoin.com: ETH Whale Holds 9,389 ETH at $23.8 Million Unrealized Loss
The Coin Republic: Ethereum Staking Ratio Hits Record 33.9%
Ethereum remains under pressure on the higher timeframes despite showing signs of stabilization over the past several weeks. The daily structure continues to trade below key moving averages, while the 4-hour chart shows buyers attempting to build a higher low above a key support area. On-chain data also continues to provide a constructive backdrop as exchange balances keep declining.
Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart The daily chart shows ETH trading around $1.86K after recovering from the June sell-off that briefly pushed the price into the major demand zone around $1.5K. Although that support area successfully halted the decline, the broader trend has yet to shift decisively in favor of the bulls.
The asset sits just above the higher trendline of the long-term descending channel after the recent breakout. However, both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages are still overhead, indicating that sellers still control the higher timeframe structure. The recent test of the 100-day moving average around $2k has been rejected, which leaves ETH trapped beneath several technical barriers.
The first resistance sits around the $2K supply zone, where the key moving averages also converge. A stronger resistance zone is located roughly around $2.4K, which capped the previous recovery attempt in April. Reclaiming these levels would be required to suggest that the broader downtrend is losing momentum.
ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart The lower timeframe presents a more constructive picture. Since the early July rebound, ETH has been printing higher highs and higher lows while respecting a rising trendline (white) that continues to support the advance.
Yet, following the rejection from the higher boundary of the ascending channel (yellow), the asset has pulled back toward the white trendline, where buyers have so far stepped in. These trendlines form a short-term rising wedge, and as long as price remains above the lower bound and the $1.75K support zone, the short-term bullish structure remains intact.
The next objective for buyers is another test of the recent highs around $1.9K to $1.95K. A decisive breakout above that region and the channel could open the path toward the daily supply zone at $2K.
On the other hand, a breakdown below the white ascending trendline would weaken the short-term structure and increase the probability of a deeper retracement toward $1.75K, with $1.7K and $1.6k serving as the next notable support levels.
On-Chain Analysis The Exchange Supply Ratio continues to trend lower, reaching fresh lows despite Ethereum’s prolonged corrective phase. This metric measures the proportion of ETH held on centralized exchanges, and a declining reading generally indicates that coins are leaving exchanges and moving into private wallets or long-term storage.
The persistent decline suggests that sell-side liquidity available on exchanges continues to shrink. Historically, sustained exchange outflows have often reflected improving investor conviction and reduced immediate selling pressure.
Although this alone does not guarantee an upside reversal, the on-chain backdrop appears considerably healthier than the current price structure. If demand begins to strengthen while exchange balances remain depressed, the reduced available supply could provide additional support for a broader recovery once ETH overcomes its key technical resistance levels.
Fu Peng, the newly appointed chief economist of Xinhuo Group, shared his views yesterday, noting that global assets—including the fundamentals of mainstream cryptocurrencies—are tied to liquidity. The current shift from loose to tight liquidity has triggered a "shrinking circle" market trend, with funds flowing into high-certainty core assets. Fu Peng believes the AI industry has reached a critical inflection point, moving from the capital-burning hardware infrastructure phase to value validation. Major players like Google have seen their free cash flow drop to zero, and capital markets no longer endorse the logic of mere capital expenditure expansion. “The AI industrial chain is divided into upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, each with its own independent industry lifecycle, and clear sector rotation shifts and allocation windows. Never treat AI as a 'faith' to hold blindly long-term; turning the AI sector into pure concept speculation will definitely lead to pitfalls.” “The full AI industry cycle spans roughly 20 to 25 years, with the first 10 years already completed. The first decade’s core focus was upstream hardware infrastructure, while the next decade’s will be end-user applications. However, a cycle gap exists currently, and the next 10 to 18 months will be the industry transition window. During this window, do not go all-in; strictly follow industry cycle rules for allocation to avoid volatility risks.” On the other hand, the crypto market will follow liquidity contraction. After the winnowing process, core assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum will stabilize, while junk coin speculation will become ineffective. Investors need to allocate in stages according to industry cycles and be wary of leverage risks.
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Gemini and Bitfinex have recorded significant outflows, while Binance’s holdings have remained mostly stable, according to CryptoQuant analyst Amr Taha.
658,600 Fewer ETH on Exchanges Data shared by Taha shows Gemini’s Ethereum reserve fell to 384,400 ETH on July 24. This marks its lowest level since March 2024.
Notably, the exchange has lost about 188,600 ETH, or 32.9%, since holding 573,000 ETH on April 23.
Meanwhile, Bitfinex has also seen a major decline. Its Ethereum reserve dropped from 2.71 million ETH on May 11 to 2.24 million ETH. That represents a reduction of roughly 470,000 ETH, or 17.3%.
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The 30-day simple moving average (SMA) of funding rates for Ethereum perpetual contracts on Binance has risen to approximately 0.00339. This is the highest level in six months, with ETH trading near $1,920.
Funding rates represent the cost traders pay to maintain leveraged positions. A rising positive funding rate usually signals stronger demand for long positions and growing bullish sentiment.
According to Arab Chain, the indicator has reversed after declining for several months. The shift comes as Ethereum has recently recovered in price.
ETH is trading at $1,885, down 2.3% over the past day but remains up 2.56% over the past week. Moreover, the monthly chart shows ETH is up 13%.
Essentially, the move in the derivative markets suggests traders are willing to pay to hold long positions, reflecting expectations that ETH could continue moving higher.
However, Arab Chain noted that funding rates are still below the elevated levels that have historically appeared before major market corrections.
He added that continued increases could signal rising leverage in the market. This may increase the risk of widespread liquidations if Ethereum faces a sharp price decline.
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.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he hopes the U.S. will lead in both open-source AI and proprietary AI models, adding that he "welcomes" the statement Nvidia’s CEO made on social media regarding the open letter jointly issued by over 20 U.S. tech companies.
Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Investments, has called on Bitcoin developers to urgently create a clear strategy to strengthen the blockchain against potential quantum computing threats. Edwards believes that a precise plan would not only reassure investors, but could also trigger a rapid increase in Bitcoin’s value.
Quantum computing debate intensifies among Bitcoin developersThe Bitcoin development community is increasingly divided on whether the network should be modified to withstand quantum computing attacks. While some developers warn that a lack of preparation poses a major risk, others argue that quantum computers capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography remain years away and caution against implementing drastic changes that could undermine Bitcoin’s founding principles.
Edwards shares his perspective with a sizable audience on X, highlighting the risk that a sufficiently advanced quantum computer could compromise Bitcoin’s cryptographic security. Industry players such as BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, have flagged quantum technology as a potential long-term risk in disclosures to spot Bitcoin ETF investors.
Edwards suggests that if Bitcoin’s core development team were to announce a definitive plan to address quantum vulnerabilities within the next few months, the market could respond extremely quickly. He states that a transparent two-year roadmap would be “amazing news” and could erase a significant portion of current market anxiety overnight.
If the Bitcoin core team were to outline a roadmap with clear steps for achieving quantum resistance within two years, that clarity could act as a substantial catalyst for Bitcoin’s price, according to Charles Edwards.
He also contends that despite the topic being pushed to the background, resolving it could provide a strong upside for prices. “It’s somewhat counterintuitively an upside catalyst potential,” Edwards says, noting that existing Bitcoin Improvement Proposals have yet to deliver a real solution.
Capriole Investments, founded by Edwards in 2019 and based in Melbourne, is a hedge fund specializing in Bitcoin and digital assets. The firm employs a mix of quantitative analysis, artificial intelligence, and macroeconomic research to shape its investment decisions.
Mini dictionary: Capriole Investments is a digital asset hedge fund that uses data-driven strategies and macroeconomic analysis, focusing primarily on Bitcoin and blockchain-related assets.
Market impact and estimated discount from quantum riskEdwards argues that regulatory uncertainty and quantum-related fears have weighed on Bitcoin’s price. At the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading at $65,270, representing a drop of about 49% from its October peak of $126,100.
MetricCurrent ValueAll-Time HighDiscount (%)Bitcoin price$65,270$126,10049%Estimated fair value discount40%––Quantum risk discount30%––According to Edwards, Bitcoin trades roughly 40% below its fair value, attributing about 30% of this discount specifically to quantum risk. He argues this is already accounted for in current pricing, in line with available information on quantum computing progress.
He clarifies that these risk assessments depend on anticipated timelines for so-called “Q Day”. Quantum computing specialists and technology companies currently predict that quantum systems capable of breaking cryptographic security could emerge within four to five years, though Edwards allows for considerable uncertainty in both directions.
Mini dictionary: Q Day refers to the moment when quantum computers become powerful enough to compromise existing cryptographic security protocols, allowing adversaries to derive private keys from public addresses.
Ethereum’s developers are reportedly on track to implement their own quantum-resistant upgrade by 2029, which many believe will increase scrutiny of Bitcoin’s response in the coming years.
Edwards also considers the lengthy process required to develop and implement a technical solution for Bitcoin, referencing BIP-360 author Ethan Heilman’s view that it could take years to deploy effective defenses.
While Edwards says that the quantum risk is already reflected in the market, he warns that the situation could change suddenly if major firms such as Google demonstrate unexpected advances in quantum research. At the same time, he suggests the probability of positive developments for Bitcoin remains greater than the risk of deeper losses from here.
“I think the risk falls significantly if a roadmap to a solution is announced, but it could grow if there is rapid progress in the quantum computing field,” Edwards noted.
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: Ethereum price retreated toward $1,880 after sellers blocked its recovery below the psychological $2,000 resistance level. The $1,850 support zone now protects Ethereum’s ascending channel and could determine whether the recent rebound stays intact. Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $26.3 million in daily inflows, extending their positive flow streak to five trading sessions. Rising open interest and negative funding rates increase liquidation risks as traders build leveraged positions near key price levels. Ethereum price fell toward $1,880 on July 24 after failing to break the psychological $2,000 resistance level. The decline erased part of the recovery that started near $1,560 in late June.
Ether traded near $1,882 at press time, down about 3% over 24 hours. Sellers emerged after ETH reached the $1,935 to $1,950 region earlier this week.
The broader technology-stock sell-off also weakened risk appetite. Major U.S. technology companies lost nearly $797 billion in market value during Thursday’s session.
Bitcoin declined less than 1% and traded near $65,400. Ether’s sharper drop showed that investors continued reducing exposure to higher-risk altcoins.
Ethereum Price Faces Pressure From Leverage and Tech Losses The Ethereum price weakened as Wall Street investors questioned growing artificial-intelligence spending. Alphabet raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to as much as $205 billion.
Weaker Tesla earnings also added pressure to technology stocks. The Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.9%, while the S&P 500 declined 1.2%.
Crypto derivatives showed that traders increased exposure before the rejection. Ethereum open interest rose by 600,000 ETH within two days.
Total open interest reached 14.6 million ETH, its highest level since June 7. Rising leverage increased the risk of forced liquidations during sharp price moves.
Funding rates briefly turned negative on Thursday for the first time since June 29. Around $41.55 million in leveraged positions faced liquidation over 24 hours.
Long traders accounted for about $34.4 million of that total. The figures showed that bullish positions absorbed most of the damage during the pullback.
Spot Ethereum ETFs still recorded $26.3 million in net inflows on July 23. The result extended their positive streak to five consecutive trading sessions.
Fidelity’s FETH received $14.9 million, while BlackRock’s ETHA attracted $8.5 million. Grayscale’s mini-Ether fund added another $2.9 million.
The daily total fell from earlier weekly inflows of $38 million, $37.5 million, and $72.7 million. ETF demand therefore failed to offset selling across spot markets.
Ethereum Price Must Hold $1,850 to Protect Recovery Ethereum technical analysis places ETH near the lower boundary of an ascending channel. That structure has guided the recovery since early July.
Ethereum $ETH has rebounded after testing the lower boundary of its channel.
As long as this support at $1,850 continues to hold, I'm watching for a move back toward the upper boundary near $2,060. pic.twitter.com/3H29SDOprG
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) July 24, 2026
Immediate ETH support sits between $1,850 and $1,880. Holding this area could allow buyers to target $1,910 before challenging the $1,950 supply zone.
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez says the channel remains valid while Ethereum holds $1,850. The upper boundary could reach approximately $2,060 during another rebound.
Momentum indicators still favour, sellers in the short term. The four-hour relative strength index dropped to 44.06, below its moving average of 52.62.
The MACD line also fell below its signal line. Its negative histogram showed that bearish momentum continued during the latest session.
The Ethereum price remains above the forward Ichimoku cloud boundary near $1,816 on the daily chart. Chaikin Money Flow stayed positive at 0.07, suggesting capital has not fully left the market.
Liquidation data shows significant leveraged positions near $1,900 and $1,910. Another large liquidity cluster sits between $1,955 and $1,965.
A break above those levels could force short liquidations and reopen the route toward $2,000. Buyers must first reclaim $1,910 with stronger spot volume.
Source: Coinglass Downside liquidity has formed between $1,840 and $1,850, followed by another cluster near $1,820. A four-hour close below $1,850 could expose $1,816.
Further selling could then push ETH toward the $1,750 to $1,730 region. Continued equity weakness or higher bond yields could increase pressure around those lower levels.
The crypto derivatives market just served up another painful reminder that leverage is a double-edged sword. Over the past 24 hours, $271 million in total positions were liquidated across perpetual futures platforms, according to data from Coinglass.
The damage was overwhelmingly one-sided. Long positions accounted for $228.2 million of the carnage, while shorts contributed a comparatively modest $42.8 million.
Bitcoin and Ethereum led the bloodbath Bitcoin longs took the biggest hit, with $120.2 million wiped out. That’s roughly half of all long liquidations in a single asset. Bitcoin shorts, by contrast, only saw $22.1 million liquidated.
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Ethereum wasn’t far behind in the pain department. Long positions on ETH accounted for $45.7 million in liquidations, while short liquidations came in at $12.2 million.
The ratio tells the story. For every dollar of short liquidations, roughly $5.33 in longs got blown out. That kind of asymmetry typically signals a swift downward price move that caught leveraged bulls off guard, triggering a cascade of margin calls that fed on itself.
What this means for investors The dominance of long liquidations suggests that bullish sentiment had gotten ahead of itself. The $228.2 million in liquidated longs versus just $42.8 million in shorts tells you the market was leaning hard to one side, and it snapped back.
Coinglass, which aggregates liquidation data across major perpetual futures platforms, monitors exchanges in real time and provides granular breakdowns by asset and position direction, giving traders and analysts a clear view of where leverage is building up and where it’s getting unwound.
One thing is clear: the derivatives market remains a dominant force in crypto price action. When $271 million gets liquidated in a single day, that’s not just a footnote. It’s a market-moving event that feeds directly into spot prices and shapes the trading environment for everyone, leveraged or not.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The price of Ethereum [ETH] was down 1.77% in the past 24 hours. Daily trading volume dipped by just over 6%, and Open Interest has slid by 3.2%. CoinGlass data showed that long liquidations might help explain the recent price drop.
The bullish derivatives traders faced around $67 million in liquidations, measured from July 22. These liquidations forced sell orders to close the position in perpetual markets, increasing the sell pressure on ETH.
CryptoQuant data showed that the funding rate was positive but declining. Since the first week of July, the 7-day moving average of the funding rate has dipped from +0.0088% to +0.0054%, a mildly positive reading.
Source: CryptoQuant The taker buy/sell ratio measures the proportion of aggressive [market] buying versus selling volume. This metric fell deep into negative territory recently. However, its 7-day moving average has not slipped below zero, as it did in May.
The Ethereum price action is likely to turn bearish now AMBCrypto reported on whale accumulation and improved ETF demand recently. The network’s validator queue has also dropped to zero with no waiting time, signaling conviction from long-term stakers.
Source: ETH/USDT on TradingView The price charts told a different story. On the 1-day timeframe, the swing structure remains firmly bearish. A breakdown below the February low at $1,742 in early June confirmed this.
At the time of writing, Ethereum was experiencing a price bounce, but has not managed to reach key Fibonacci retracement levels.
Traders’ call to action- Sell Source: ETH/USDT on TradingView Another set of Fibonacci retracement levels was plotted based on the late May-early June selloff. Back then, the Ethereum price raced lower from $2,043 to $1,510. Earlier this week, the 78.6% retracement level had been tested.
ETH bulls have faced a setback from the resistance level at $1,929. The 4-hour and 1-day timeframes were in agreement on a bearish bias. As things stand, a price drop toward $1,510 appeared likely.
A rally beyond $2,043 would invalidate this bearish case.
Final Summary The Ethereum whale accumulation and cleared validator queues signaled long-term conviction, but the price charts remained bearish. The derivatives market saw aggressive sell pressure in the past 48 hours, and the funding rate has been sliding lower, showing a cool-off in demand.
The Verus Ethereum Bridge has been targeted by a major security breach for the second time in just over two months, resulting in the theft of approximately $7.54 million in various crypto assets. The incident occurred on July 23 when attackers exploited a vulnerability, once again raising concerns about the security of cross-chain protocols in decentralized finance (DeFi).
Attacker Drains Bridge’s Ethereum ReservesThe breach allowed the attacker to abuse the bridge’s submitImports function, which triggered Ethereum-side payouts without equivalent assets being locked on the Verus blockchain. This vulnerability enabled the unauthorized extraction of funds from the bridge’s reserves.
Blockchain security firm Blockaid and independent researcher exvulsec both confirmed and investigated the exploit. According to on-chain data, roughly 1,137 ETH, as well as tBTC, USDC, USDT, EURC, MKR, and scrvUSD, were drained from the bridge reserves at around 03:45 UTC. The stolen assets were quickly swapped through decentralized exchanges, then consolidated into nearly 3,916 ETH before parts of the funds were routed through Tornado Cash.
Mini dictionary: Tornado Cash, a decentralized non-custodial privacy solution on Ethereum, is designed to break the on-chain link between source and destination addresses, making transaction tracing more difficult.
AssetAmount stolenEstimated valueETH1,137Included in $7.54M totaltBTCUnknownUSDCUnknownUSDTUnknownEURCUnknownMKRUnknownscrvUSDUnknown Investigators noted that by exploiting the same contract, function entry point, and vulnerability as a previous May breach, the attacker bypassed standard cross-chain verification and triggered unbacked payouts, draining several digital assets from Verus’ Ethereum bridge reserves.
Recurring Security Flaws and Recent HistoryThe latest breach revived scrutiny over Verus’ handling of a previous exploit in May, which resulted in an $11.58 million loss. Experts stated that this attack exploited the exact vulnerability from the earlier incident, indicating that core issues may have remained unaddressed. Blockaid observed that while this latest event involved a different attacker wallet, the method and targeted contract remained unchanged.
Following the May attack, the same attacker returned 4,052 ETH—about 75% of the stolen funds—after reaching an agreement with Verus. Despite that partial restitution, the repetition of the exploit has heightened doubts regarding the bridge’s security remediation process.
Experts pointed out that the repeated vulnerability likely resulted from an incomplete technical fix after the earlier breach, leaving Verus exposed to additional attacks. There is growing pressure for the protocol team to publish a thorough incident report and technical breakdown.
Ongoing Investigations and Broader RisksThe Verus incident is one of several recent DeFi bridge attacks highlighted by on-chain monitoring services. Lookonchain reported that combined losses from incidents involving Verus, AFX Trade, and B² Network have climbed to approximately $35.55 million.
Mini dictionary: Lookonchain is an on-chain analytics platform known for monitoring blockchain transactions and identifying patterns related to hacks, large movements, and abnormal activities.
Security analysts explained that bridge protocols are increasingly targeted due to logical flaws in cross-chain messaging mechanisms, which, if exploited, can allow fund withdrawals without equivalent collateralization.
Next Steps for Verus and UsersAmid the investigation, Verus halted all bridge operations but has not announced a compensation plan or released a detailed technical report. The absence of a clear official explanation has drawn criticism from the user community.
Observers expect the Verus team to prioritize closing the technical vulnerability, improve their validation process, and offer a roadmap to locate and potentially recover missing assets. Until these steps are made public, scrutiny around trust and transparency in the protocol will likely continue.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Even though the meme cryptocurrency is still trading close to multi-month lows, Dogecoin has seen a significant increase in trading activity, with 24-hour spot volume rising by more than 123%. The increase in participation indicates that traders are becoming more active in the current support zone, even though price action is still weak.
Dogecoin's volumes riseThe most recent market data shows that DOGE's spot trading volume has increased to about $219 million, and its futures volume has reached about $1.5 billion. The fact that open interest is more than $1.1 billion shows that leveraged traders are still heavily exposed even though the asset is having difficulty making a significant comeback. But from a technical standpoint, the chart is still very negative.
DOGE/USDT Chart by TradingViewAfter yet another rejection below the 26-day exponential moving average, which is now close to $0.074, Dogecoin is trading at about $0.069. Additionally, the price is still significantly below the 50-day EMA at $0.078 and the 100-day EMA at $0.087, indicating that sellers continue to control the medium- and longer-term trends.
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The 200-day moving average, which is currently above $0.10, is still sloping downward, indicating how much more work bulls have ahead of them before a structural reversal is feasible. Momentum indicators are just as cautious. With an RSI of roughly 34–35, DOGE is in the vicinity of oversold territory.
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Even though that raises the likelihood of a technical bounce, oversold conditions by themselves seldom indicate a long-term bottom during established downtrends. It is interesting to note that derivatives positioning paints a more positive picture.
Who's exposed to DOGE?Top traders on Binance and OKX have substantially more long than short exposure, and long-to-short ratios on major exchanges continue to be strongly skewed toward bullish wagers. However, this optimism has not yet resulted in persistent spot market buying pressure.
Thus, the rise in trading volume warrants consideration. Increasing volume during a protracted decline frequently indicates one of two things: either accumulation as larger players covertly take supply from weaker hands, or capitulation as remaining holders give up their positions.
Price confirmation is necessary to differentiate between those results. As of right now, Dogecoin is still printing lower highs and lower lows, indicating that the trend has not altered. Bulls' first task is still to recover the 26-day EMA at $0.074. A stronger breakout would aim for the $0.087 resistance zone, while a move above that level might set off a recovery toward the 50-day EMA near $0.078.
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) plunged 6% on Thursday, as Elon Musk admitted in an Economist interview that he got “carried away” with politics and the Department of Government Efficiency.
What Did Musk Actually Say About DOGE?In a wide-ranging interview with the Economist, Musk said he backed Trump with $200 million in 2024 before heading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, overseeing $150 billion in budget cuts and forcing tens of thousands of people out of federal jobs.
“I think instead of doing Doge, I would have basically worked on my companies,” Musk said.
While DOGE the government department and DOGE the cryptocurrency have no official connection, Musk’s long association with the token through public statements and social media has kept the two tightly linked in market perception.
Where Does DOGE Stand After 20 Months Of Losses?Crypto analyst CrediBULL Crypto noted on X that DOGE has fallen roughly 78% against Bitcoin over the past 20 months and has now entered his first area of interest on the DOGE/BTC pair.
He said he is still looking for a bit more downside on the USD pair before considering a position for the first time.
Meanwhile, spot Dogecoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $345,130 on July 21, their first inflow since June 17, according to SoSoValue data. However, those inflows returned to zero by July 23.
Is Today’s Bounce A Recovery Or A Trap?DOGE attempts a 1% bounce to $0.069 Friday after yesterday’s breakdown below $0.07, a support level that held for weeks.
The $0.07 level has now flipped from support to resistance, and every major EMA sits overhead in a bearish stack: 20-day at $0.073, 50-day at $0.078, 100-day at $0.087, and 200-day at $0.103.
Any bounce that fails to reclaim $0.07 on a daily close traps fresh longs rather than signals a reversal. Breakdown targets sit at $0.055 to $0.058 on continuation.
Key levels for DOGE: $0.07 — broken support now acting as resistance $0.073 — 20-day EMA, next ceiling above $0.068 — immediate demand zone below $0.060 to $0.058 — next meaningful floor if $0.068 fails Photo via Shutterstock
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"The next big move could shock everyone," one analyst predicted.
The biggest meme coin by market capitalization is down 12% over the past month, while its most recent plunge below a critical level suggests sellers may now be in full control.
On the other hand, Ali Martinez pointed to the formation of a rare setup that could be a precursor to a major bull run.
Will Bears Keep the Wheel? DOGE has tumbled by roughly 5% on a 24-hour scale and is currently worth around $0.069 (according to CoinGecko). The X account BSCN noted that in its weekly anomaly report, Santiment flagged the meme coin as “hype without news,” warning that a price drop below $0.071 would hand control to the sellers.
“Santiment’s core read was that DOGE trades as amplified Bitcoin beta, falling harder in selloffs, and this session proved it on cue,” it added.
According to the analytics platform, a quick reclaim of the key $0.071 zone would repair the setup, but staying beneath it would indicate that bears continue to dominate.
Other market observers who also touched upon DOGE include Kamran Asghar and Scient. The former claimed that the token is approaching “a make or break” level, predicting that “the next big move could shock everyone.” The latter was firmly on the bearish side, expecting a further drop in the coming days.
The Bullish Signals Contrary to its poor performance as of late, the renowned analyst Ali Martinez outlined that DOGE’s weekly TD Sequential indicator has flashed numerous consecutive buy signals. He labeled the development “a rare setup that could be warning a major bull rally is approaching.”
X user Cryptollica chipped in, too, noting the “dead attention” surrounding Dogecoin recently. At the same time, they believe this is the best moment to jump on the bandwagon, saying:
You may also like: Mining Profits Dry Up Across Bitcoin, DOGE, LTC, and BCH Could Dogecoin (DOGE) Be Setting Up for Its Next Big Move? Analysts Think So ‘Dead Meme’ or Major Opportunity? DOGE Is Flashing The Same Signal That Preceded Its Biggest Rallies “Invest when no one else cares. That way, you will make money.”
The institutional interest is also worth mentioning. Earlier this week, spot DOGE ETFs witnessed their first green day since mid-June. However, the capital flowing into these products remains negligible, and appetite from big players like pension funds and hedge funds should seriously increase to positively impact the price.
Dogecoin is once again trading at an important long-term support area that has historically marked cyclical lows, according to several technical analysts. The memecoin is entering this zone after months of declining prices, raising questions over whether it is poised for another accumulation phase or if further losses are ahead.
Dogecoin revisits historical cycle supportAnalysis from Cryptollica has identified a rising support level that previously anchored major Dogecoin cycle bottoms in 2015, 2020, and 2022. Each retest of this area coincided with periods of weak momentum and low market interest, typically preceding significant recoveries for the cryptocurrency.
A 10-day chart shared by Cryptollica illustrates how Dogecoin tends to form higher cyclical floors, even as it undergoes large price swings between bull and bear market cycles. This recurring pattern has prompted speculation that DOGE may be re-entering an accumulation period, mirroring previous phases in its price history.
Cryptollica’s proprietary cycle indicator, used to gauge the current phase of Dogecoin’s market cycle, recently began to rise from significantly low levels. With its score currently at 23, the analyst describes DOGE as being in a “rebuilding phase,” rather than having started a confirmed upward expansion. This suggests that while selling pressure might be easing, buyers have yet to demonstrate strong momentum.
Dogecoin’s cycle indicator is showing early signs of recovery from extreme lows, putting the token in a rebuilding phase rather than suggesting an imminent breakout.
Despite similarities to previous market cycles, analysts warn that historical data alone cannot confirm a new bottom has been reached. Any decisive breakdown below this rising support would weaken the bullish outlook and could lead to an extended decline.
Analysts are closely monitoring whether DOGE will continue consolidating above this key support. A sustained recovery from this structure, followed by a break above the current series of lower highs, could serve as the first clear signal for a wider rebound.
Critical support zone follows sustained downtrendDOGE is now trading near $0.069, having dropped from its 2024 high of approximately $0.48. The token remains under a descending resistance trendline, reflecting that sellers still have control over the broader market structure.
Analyst Kamran Asghar has highlighted the $0.055 to $0.060 support band as an area that stabilized Dogecoin during sharp selloffs in both 2022 and 2023. The latest test of this level is viewed as crucial for DOGE’s medium-term direction.
If the green support zone continues to hold, a relief rally may materialize. This would especially be the case if buyers manage to reclaim the $0.075 to $0.095 region, signaling potential strength and breaking the sequence of lower highs.
The area has held through several major corrections, making the latest test critical for Dogecoin’s long-term structure.
However, favorable risk-to-reward dynamics depend on support remaining intact. A weekly close below $0.055 risks invalidating the historical support thesis and could open the door to a deeper bearish move.
Currently, Dogecoin stands at a crucial decision point. Its price action in the coming weeks will determine whether this support level marks the base for renewed accumulation or signals the breakdown of a multiyear floor.
Year/CycleSupport Zone TestedOutcome2015Cycle Low SupportFollowed by Recovery2020Cycle Low SupportMajor Rally2022-2023$0.055-$0.060Stabilization, Relief MoveNow (2024)$0.055-$0.060Decision PendingDisclaimer: 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.
Dogecoin fell after Elon Musk admitted he got "carried away" with politics while reflecting on his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Elon Musk has acknowledged that his involvement in U.S. politics and the Department of Government Efficiency went further than he intended.
“I think I got a little too involved in politics,” Musk said in an interview with The Economist published on July 23.
“Got carried away, frankly.”
Dogecoin fell sharply after the interview was released, extending the memecoin’s recent losses despite having no formal connection to the government initiative that shared its DOGE acronym.
Musk reflects on his DOGE rolePresident Donald Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency by executive order on Jan. 20, 2025, tasking it with modernizing federal technology and improving government efficiency.
Musk became the initiative’s most visible figure as it pushed to reduce federal spending, contracts and staffing. His appointment as a special government employee was limited to 130 days, and his government role ended in late May 2025. DOGE’s cost-cutting work continued after Musk’s departure until the initiative officially terminated on July 4, 2026.
Trending on TheStreet Roundtable:Analyst cuts Coinbase price target 40% ahead of Q2 earningsNew Senate bill could ban Trump from launching his own tokensPopular crypto firm files for Chapter 11 after token collapseDuring the July 23 interview, Musk continued to defend the initiative’s work but conceded that politics had taken too much of his attention.
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His latest comments echo an earlier admission that he would have prioritized his businesses differently.
“I think instead of doing Doge, I would have basically worked on my companies,” Musk previously said.
Dogecoin drops following interviewDogecoin traded near $0.0723 shortly before the interview’s publication before falling below $0.07, according to CoinMarketCap data shown in the accompanying chart.
DOGE dropped to approximately $0.0685, representing a decline of more than 5% from its pre-publication level. It was also down around 4.9% over the previous seven days.
Dogecoin drops after Elon Musk's statement: Coinmarketcap
The Department of Government Efficiency and Dogecoin are unrelated.
However, their shared acronym and Musk’s years of public support for the memecoin have kept the two closely connected in traders’ minds.
Attention and sentiment surrounding Musk’s social media activity have historically influenced Dogecoin’s market performance.
Dogecoin has repeatedly reacted quickly to Musk’s statements, endorsements and jokes. This time was no exception, with DOGE trading at about $0.0686 at the time of writing.
Cardano (ADA) price is down by 3.74% today, July 24, to trade at $0.167 at the time of writing. This drop comes as Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson warns that President Trump’s ties to the crypto sector are delaying the passage of the CLARITY Act bill.
Besides Cardano, the rest of the crypto market remains down today, July 24, after the Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that the CLARITY bill might not pass before August.
Charles Hoskinson Sounds CLARITY Act Warning In a recent post on X, Hoskinson revealed that the debate around the CLARITY Act has been reduced to three talking points: crypto, Trump, and corruption.
He says that Trump’s ties to the crypto sector, including the recent disclosure that he made $1.4 billion in profit from crypto activities in 2025, will continue to push Democratic senators away from voting for the CLARITY Act and all other crypto bills.
“The process was mismanaged, and it led to this talking point. No progress can be made if crypto is partisan,” the Cardano founder said.
Hoskinson’s remarks come as Senator Elizabeth Warren asks Trump to disclose any profits that he has made from crypto since July 15. Warren says that the disclosure should come before Senate can vote on CLARITY Act.
Democratic Senators also argue that the White House concessions on ethics rules are not enough, saying that state Attorneys General, and not the DoJ, should ensure that the President does not issue digital assets.
Cardano Price Tests Ascending Channel Support Amid Selling Pressure The price of Cardano has been moving within a rising channel since July 14. This channel suggests that ADA has been on an uptrend for ten days.
But ADA is now testing the support at the lower boundary of the rising channel. If it closes below this support, it will suggest that ADA price is about to start a downtrend, and the price could drop to the psychological support of $0.15.
The RSI reading of 42 supports a bearish long-term Cardano price prediction. The RSI line is also creating a lower low on the four-hour chart, suggesting that the selling pressure is rising.
ADA/USDT: 4H Chart (Source: TradingView) The AO bars that are red and negative also suggest that bears are tightening their grip, and this further strengthens a bearish case of a move to $0.15.
Whales Scoop 30M ADA After Van Rossem Upgrade Whales have scooped 30 million Cardano tokens despite the recent decline in price, per analyst Ali Charts.
The purchases come after the Van Rossem hard fork went live on Cardano to pave the way for the Leios upgrade that will make the network 60 times faster.
Still, Hoskinson notes that Cardano and other blockchain networks need to improve their security and prevent hacks, failure to which the crypto industry could die within 15 years.
His remarks come after a recent hack on the Wanchain bridge that links Cardano to BNB Chain.
The SecondFi protocol is also shutting down after being hacked in June with this marking the third project on Cardano to shut down after TapTools and JPG Store.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has argued that President Donald Trump should not actively participate in the cryptocurrency market while serving in office.
Hoskison’s comments came after Senator Elizabeth Warren urged lawmakers to reject the latest version of the Clarity Act, claiming it does not adequately prevent President Trump from financially benefiting from his crypto-related activities.
Warren Raises Conflict-of-Interest Concerns According to Warren, the bill lacks sufficient safeguards to stop the president from profiting from cryptocurrency ventures while in office. She also argued that the legislation does not do enough to combat illicit finance or protect investors and the broader financial system.
Additionally, Warren described the proposal as a missed opportunity to address potential conflicts of interest involving Trump’s crypto businesses, which she claimed generated approximately $1.4 billion in revenue last year.
It is worth noting that the U.S. President is associated with several cryptocurrency ventures, including the Official Trump meme coin and the World Liberty Financial project, which have fueled broader discussions about potential conflicts of interest.
Cardano Founder Reacts Reacting to Warren’s criticism, Hoskinson revealed that he had expressed similar concerns more than a year ago during several interviews. He argued that the political approach to cryptocurrency regulation had been misguided from the outset.
According to Hoskinson, those decisions ultimately strengthened the narrative that cryptocurrency regulation revolves around President Trump, making bipartisan cooperation increasingly difficult.
He stressed that meaningful progress cannot occur if cryptocurrency becomes a partisan political issue.
Hoskinson Calls Trump “the Ultimate Insider” In a follow-up statement, Hoskinson argued that no sitting president should participate directly in financial markets because of the extraordinary influence and privileged access associated with the office.
He stated that the president occupies a unique position of power and information, making Trump “the ultimate insider.” Although Hoskinson acknowledged that he rarely agrees with Senator Warren, he said her concerns about presidential involvement in financial markets were justified.
He added that stronger safeguards are necessary to prevent potential conflicts of interest and preserve public confidence in cryptocurrency policymaking.
Updated Clarity Act Introduces Ethics Restrictions Meanwhile, the Clarity Act continues to attract significant attention in Washington.
Earlier this week, Republican lawmakers introduced an updated draft of the legislation that includes a new ethics provision. The proposal would prohibit the President, Vice President, members of Congress, and their spouses from issuing or sponsoring digital assets while serving in office.
Congressional leadership is reportedly aiming to bring the bill to a Senate floor vote before the upcoming August recess. However, a packed legislative schedule and continued Democratic criticism over the strength of the ethics provisions could delay its passage.
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.
A closer look at everything most interesting surrounding ADA, BTC, and ETH.
Cardano’s ADA has rebounded over the past week, with some key factors supporting a more substantial upward trend ahead. Another element, though, suggests a renewed correction might be on the way.
Several analysts believe Bitcoin (BTC) has yet to reach its bottom for this cycle, while the recent exodus from exchanges hints that Ethereum (ETH) might be gearing up for a rally.
ADA Stuck in an Indecisive Zone Earlier this week, Cardano’s native token soared to a two-week high of around $0.18 before retracing to the current $0.166 (per CoinGecko). This represents a 5% weekly increase, while the latest whale activity hints at a further upswing in the near future.
The large investors recently boosted their total holdings to 25.6 billion coins (the highest level since February). The stash translates into roughly 70% of the token’s circulating supply. Moreover, whales have bought 30 million ADA (worth more than $5 million) over the last 30 days.
These market participants rarely make intuitive decisions, as some believe they enter the ecosystem after careful research or inside information that others lack. That said, their activity may encourage smaller players to hop on the bandwagon, too.
Another bullish ADA element is its Relative Strength Index (RSI), which yesterday (July 23) slipped to 28 and now stands at 31. It remains quite close to the oversold zone that is usually seen as a buying opportunity.
On the other hand, exchange inflows have recently exceeded outflows, meaning that investors have moved some of their holdings to centralized platforms, thereby increasing immediate selling pressure.
You may also like: Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio Signals an ‘Optimal’ Spot Accumulation Window Ethereum (ETH) Is Cheap, But Not at Bottom Yet: Analysts Ethereum’s Next Leg Higher? Historic Indicator and Whale Activity Align Major BTC Warning The bear market over the past several months has been quite persistent, briefly dragging Bitcoin’s price below $60K. It currently trades at nearly $65,000, and every resurgence gives some investors hope that the bulls might finally regain full control.
However, X user BATMAN poured cold water on these expectations, drawing a parallel between BTC’s current performance and that of the autumn of 2022, which was later followed by a massive collapse to roughly $16,000.
Other short-term skeptics include Kabuki and Ali Martinez. The former predicted a plunge to $47,000 by August, while the latter noted that the following month has historically been an unfavorable period for BTC, resulting in a correction every time since 2022.
ETH’s Next Move? Earlier this week, the second-largest cryptocurrency made another attempt to surpass the $2,000 psychological level but was rejected and currently trades at around $1,880.
Still, the declining amount of ETH stored on exchanges suggests the bears may soon loosen their grip. Over the past month, investors have withdrawn approximately 1 million units (worth over $1.8 billion at ongoing rates) from centralized platforms. The total figure dropped to a 10-year low of roughly 15.1 million ETH as the development results in reduced immediate selling pressure.
Analysts on crypto X remain largely optimistic about the asset. Not long ago, Arthur Hayes acquired ETH for over $2.5 million, while popular pundits like KALEO think the price could rise toward $2,400 within the next month. However, the latter warned that the pump might be short-lived and followed by a major crash to nearly $1,200 by September.
Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson says the next phase of cryptocurrency adoption will be driven less by faster blockchains and more by safety, governance and consumer protections.
Ethereum ‘Keeps Doing Things Wrong’In an interview with CoinDesk on July 23, Hoskinson, a co-founder of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) before launching Cardano, was sharply critical of the network’s governance model.
He argued Ethereum lacks an on-chain treasury capable of sustainably funding long-term development and instead depends on a handful of influential organizations.
"If Ethereum was to just take 5% of protocol revenue and give it to the Ethereum Foundation, they’d have $390 million a year to work with," he said.
Hoskinson also criticized Ethereum’s reliance on large companies to shape development priorities, arguing that meaningful decentralization requires token holders, not corporations, to determine the network’s future through on-chain voting.
He said Cardano’s governance framework, while slower to develop, provides a more sustainable long-term model.
"People are starting to wake up, especially in the age of AI hacking where everything is getting broken, that speed to market is not necessarily the most desirable thing," Hoskinson said.
Crypto Needs An Insurance LayerFollowing a recent bridge exploit involving Cardano-related infrastructure, Hoskinson said the industry’s biggest missing component is insurance.
He proposed optional insurance products for crypto wallets and cross-chain bridges, funded through premiums and backed by collateral pools.
Under the model, users would pay recurring fees while protocols meeting defined security standards could qualify for coverage.
Insurance would compensate victims after hacks and encourage better software practices across the industry, he said.
"You need financial systems with rule of law and checks and balances and the ability to get restitution when bad things happen," Hoskinson said.
Hoskinson expects the next wave of crypto adoption to come from integrating blockchain with identity, privacy, insurance and real-world financial infrastructure rather than simply increasing transaction throughput.
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Cardano has emerged as one of the fastest-growing blockchains for real-world assets (RWAs), reinforcing its expanding role in the rapidly evolving tokenization sector.
According to data shared by the RWA Foundation, citing Token Terminal, Cardano ranked as the fifth fastest-growing blockchain by RWA value over the past 30 days. During the period, the value of tokenized real-world assets on the network surged 23.1% to $55.3 million.
The ranking tracks month-over-month growth in RWA value across leading blockchain ecosystems, providing insight into where tokenized assets are expanding at the fastest pace.
Cardano Outpaces Several Larger RWA Ecosystems Despite hosting a smaller RWA market than several competing networks, Cardano outperformed many established blockchains in terms of growth.
For instance, Avalanche recorded a 22.6% increase, even though it maintains one of the largest RWA ecosystems at $2.5 billion. Sonic followed with 22.1% growth, bringing its RWA value to $124.2 million.
Meanwhile, Fraxtal expanded 18.4% to $39 million, while BNB Chain, which hosts the largest RWA market among the ranked blockchains at $9.2 billion, posted a 16.5% monthly increase. TON completed the top 10 with 6.4% growth, lifting its RWA value to $670.4 million.
Notably, four blockchain networks recorded even stronger monthly RWA growth. Robinhood Chain dominated the rankings with an extraordinary 11,416.2% surge, increasing its RWA value to $323.7 million. Tempo claimed second place with 74.3% growth, followed by Monad at 36.7% and Plume Network at 35.7%.
Cardano Ranks Among Fastest-Growing Blockchains in July Charles Hoskinson Says RWA Could Spur Crypto Growth The real-world asset sector continues to gain momentum as analysts project it could evolve into a multi-trillion-dollar industry over the coming years.
Specifically, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has projected that the RWA market could reach $10 trillion by 2030, fueled by the tokenization of traditional financial assets. He expects tokenized real-world assets to account for a substantial share of the crypto industry’s growth before the end of the decade.
Cardano Expands Its Presence in RWA Tokenization As the RWA market grows, Cardano continues to position itself as a key infrastructure provider for asset tokenization.
Recently, the network participated in an initiative involving the London Stock Exchange, which introduced the MCM Fund I from Members Capital Management (MembersCap). While the investment was recorded on the London Stock Exchange’s private blockchain, Archax tokenized the fund on the Cardano blockchain.
Cardano has also continued to strengthen its RWA ecosystem through strategic partnerships. Earlier this year, Kinka partnered with EMURGO to issue gold-backed tokens on Cardano. In addition, EMURGO collaborated with compliant tokenization platforms, including Haus, OpenEden, and DigiFT, to bring tokenized assets such as private credit, U.S. government bonds, and insurance factoring onto the network.
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.
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Cardano saw a significant drop in spot flows in a matter of hours as traders reacted to the ongoing decline in the market.
The crypto market largely traded in the red on Friday, with most cryptocurrencies, especially in the top 100, posting losses between 1% and 11%.
Cardano itself was down 4.60% in the last 24 hours to $0.166. Amid the drop, the spot flow metric, which depicts the capital moving into and out of spot markets across crypto exchanges, is flashing a signal that might be hard to ignore.
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Cardano spot flows dropped by 1,917.11% in four hours, with outflows exceeding inflows, according to CoinGlass data. In this time frame, $1.19 million was recorded as inflows while outflows amounted to $1.49 million, with a negative net flow recorded at $303,100. The negative net flow might suggest increased withdrawals from crypto exchanges rather than deposits in the timeframe, indicating a rise in buying activity at the time.
Cardano prepares for next major upgradeFollowing a successful van Rossem hard fork upgrade, Cardano, through the Intersect hard fork working group, is already discussing, assessing, and coordinating preparations for the next major Cardano upgrade, the Dijkstra era hard fork, which will introduce Ouroboros Leios to the network.
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The van Rossem hard fork governance action was enacted at the epoch boundary in epoch 644 on July 18, 2026, at 21:44:51 UTC. The hard fork marked an achievement for the Cardano ecosystem and the whole community, being the first hard fork in the full governance era, voted on by all three governance bodies: DReps, SPOs, and CC.
In a fresh post-hard fork update, Intersect reported that there was a nearly 10-minute gap before the first block was produced after the enactment of the hard fork governance action. Although transient in nature, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and engineering teams continue to monitor the network behavior.
Observations made while entering a new epoch showed no issues, with a block being created just under 15 seconds into the new epoch, well within the standard average 20-second block range.
Cardano faced a sharp decline in spot flows within a few hours on Friday as the broader crypto market remained in negative territory. Most major cryptocurrencies from the top 100 traded lower, with losses ranging from 1% to 11% during the day.
Cardano’s spot flows see sharp declineADA, the native token of Cardano, dropped 4.60% over the past 24 hours to $0.166. The decrease came amid strong selling pressure, with traders reacting to continued weakness across digital assets.
Spot flow, a key metric that tracks capital moving in and out of cryptocurrency exchanges, saw a drastic swing. According to data from CoinGlass, Cardano’s spot flows fell by 1,917.11% in just four hours. Inflows during this period reached $1.19 million, while outflows totaled $1.49 million, leaving Cardano with a negative net flow of $303,100.
A negative net flow in spot markets generally reflects more assets being withdrawn from trading platforms than deposited, which can indicate increased accumulation by holders and a temporary rise in buying activity despite overall price declines.
Mini dictionary: CoinGlass is a data analytics platform widely used by cryptocurrency traders for on-chain metrics, derivatives, and spot flow analysis.
MetricValue (4-hour window)Inflows$1.19 millionOutflows$1.49 millionNet Flow-$303,100Change in Spot Flows-1,917.11% Cardano’s spot flows dropped by 1,917.11% in four hours with outflows surpassing inflows by $303,100, suggesting investors pulled more funds from exchanges than they deposited.
Cardano’s recent hard fork activityCardano, a public blockchain platform focused on scalability and research-driven development, recently completed the van Rossem hard fork. This upgrade, enacted at epoch boundary 644 on July 18, 2026, marked a first for Cardano as it was voted on by all three governance entities: Delegated Representatives (DReps), Stake Pool Operators (SPOs), and the Constitutional Committee (CC).
The upgrade was carried out by the Intersect hard fork working group, an organization dedicated to coordinating key changes within the Cardano ecosystem. The successful execution of the van Rossem hard fork transitioned Cardano into its official “full governance era,” accelerating plans for further upgrades.
Preparations are already underway for the Dijkstra era hard fork, which intends to bring Ouroboros Leios to the network.
Mini dictionary: Ouroboros Leios is a protocol upgrade aimed at improving network efficiency, consensus security, and scalability in the Cardano blockchain.
Post-upgrade network performanceShortly after the van Rossem hard fork, Intersect reported a nearly 10-minute delay before the network produced its first block. While initially notable, this lag proved transient. Both Site Reliability Engineering and core engineering teams continue to monitor for irregularities as the network stabilizes.
As the blockchain entered the new epoch, block creation normalized. The first block appeared just under 15 seconds into the new epoch, aligning well within the typical target of a 20-second average block interval. No technical issues were observed and network operations remained stable through the transition.
Block production following the van Rossem hard fork resumed within standard parameters despite a brief initial delay, according to updates from Intersect.
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.
A crypto market analyst has highlighted that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cardano are nearing a pivotal technical crossroads at a time when U.S. Senate action on the Clarity Act and renewed tensions involving Iran signal a period of heightened uncertainty for the digital asset market.
Regulatory moves and geopolitical uncertaintyCurrent uncertainty centers on both the evolving situation in the Middle East, where the U.S. continues to strike Iranian military positions, and the lack of clear progress in Washington on the Clarity Act, a crypto market structure bill before the Senate. The market observer noted that digital assets historically react poorly to extended periods of uncertainty, and stressed the importance of imminent news from the U.S. Senate.
On the legislative front, Patrick Witt, a lead negotiator for the Clarity Act, reportedly expressed confidence about the bill advancing, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune cast doubt, reportedly telling reporters the measure remains unlikely to reach a floor vote before the August recess.
The risk of indefinite delays in the Senate could sustain recent volatility and extend ongoing price consolidation in the crypto market. Market participants are paying close attention to the possibility that Senate leadership may decline to call the bill to a vote prior to the recess, which could postpone regulatory clarity.
The analyst identified the next several business days as especially critical, with August 7 cited as the latest practical deadline before the U.S. Senate breaks for recess. Positive signals from lawmakers or easing geopolitical tension could help digital assets break out of their current patterns, while negative developments are likely to reinforce risk-off sentiment.
Technical set-ups for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and CardanoFrom a technical perspective, Bitcoin is now forming a potential inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, which has historically been viewed as a bullish reversal signal. However, the analyst noted this formation has not yet been confirmed and depends on Bitcoin’s ability to hold or move higher. A push toward the 200-day moving average, now close to $72,000, would mark a significant bullish development and could reverse weeks of declining momentum.
Key support for Bitcoin lies in the $61,000 to $59,000 range. A sustained breakdown below this area could push the asset toward a broader Fibonacci retracement band from approximately $48,000 to $57,000, with $56,000 highlighted as a crucial pivot level.
AssetKey ResistanceInitial SupportCritical Support ZoneBitcoin$72,000$61,000-$59,000$48,000-$57,000Ethereum$2,100Near downtrend line$1,500CardanoTesting moving averages$0.13$0.10-$0.12Ethereum currently trades just above a descending trendline, while its 20-day moving average attempts to cross above the 50-day average. The analyst cautioned that similar patterns have failed in the past, but a solid rally toward the 200-day average near $2,100 would be a notable bullish signal. Conversely, if weakness returns, Ethereum may target the $1,500 zone.
Cardano is also grappling with declining momentum, testing key moving averages after several unsuccessful reversal attempts. A sharp downturn could cause ADA to revisit $0.13 or even fall toward the $0.10 to $0.12 range.
Legislation, charts, and investor strategyThe analyst emphasized that while regulatory developments are not the only factor shaping market direction, they are arriving at a moment when technical indicators for major cryptocurrencies are at critical levels. This convergence makes support, resistance, and proactive allocation strategies increasingly important for investors in the coming weeks.
As markets await clarity from U.S. lawmakers, traders are closely monitoring geopolitical updates and technical inflection points on major crypto charts. Outcomes over the next business days may set the tone for price action into the end of the summer.
Mini dictionary: Clarity Act, a proposed U.S. law aiming to define the regulatory status of digital assets and clarify the roles of federal agencies regarding cryptocurrency oversight.
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.
Bloomberg has published an investigation examining Tether’s role in negotiations leading up to the passage of the GENIUS Act. It alleged that the stablecoin issuer worked to shape provisions of the landmark U.S. legislation through lobbying, political relationships, and engagement with policymakers.
According to Bloomberg, the investigation draws on interviews with current and former U.S. officials, industry participants, court filings, and other records.
It explores Tether’s interactions with key figures in the Trump administration, discussions around stablecoin regulation, and negotiations over provisions affecting foreign issuers.
Bloomberg details Tether’s Washington campaign Bloomberg reported that Tether executives and advisers sought to influence negotiations over the GENIUS Act as lawmakers debated the first federal framework for payment stablecoins.
The publication said the company’s efforts focused on issues such as compliance requirements for overseas issuers, reserve rules, and the treatment of foreign-issued stablecoins in the U.S. market.
The report also examined relationships involving Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House AI and crypto adviser David Sacks. Bloomberg said it reviewed court filings, financial disclosures, and other records, and interviewed people familiar with the negotiations.
Bloomberg further reported that negotiations evolved as lawmakers refined the bill, with debates covering reciprocal regulatory arrangements, anti-money laundering requirements, and compliance timelines for foreign issuers seeking access to the U.S. market.
Investigation focuses on changes to stablecoin legislation According to Bloomberg, several provisions in the final version of the GENIUS Act differed from earlier legislative proposals. The report said discussions centred on how overseas stablecoin issuers would comply with U.S. requirements.
Also, the transition period before compliance obligations take effect, and the conditions under which foreign-issued stablecoins could continue operating in the country.
Bloomberg noted that the legislation ultimately established the first federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins in the United States. This came after months of negotiations among lawmakers, regulators, and industry participants.
Ardoino praised GENIUS Act after White House signing The investigation comes over a year after Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino attended the White House ceremony marking President Donald Trump’s signing of the GENIUS Act.
In a post on X following the event, Ardoino thanked Trump for the invitation and said the administration’s embrace of digital assets could help expand USDT’s global adoption while strengthening the U.S. dollar’s international position.
Source: X At the time of writing, neither Ardoino nor Tether had publicly responded to Bloomberg’s investigation.
Final Summary Bloomberg published an investigation into Tether’s lobbying efforts and its role in negotiations over the GENIUS Act. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has not publicly addressed the investigation. However, he previously praised the GENIUS Act after attending its White House signing ceremony.
The United States owes more than $39 trillion in gross federal debt. But here’s where it gets interesting: the composition of who’s actually lending America all that money is shifting in ways that should make both traditional finance and crypto investors pay very close attention.
Foreign investors hold approximately $9.1 to $9.5 trillion in US Treasuries, representing roughly 30% to 32% of the publicly held debt. That sounds like a lot. It is a lot. But it’s a dramatic decline from where things stood just over a decade ago, when foreign holders owned nearly 49% of publicly held US debt back in 2011-2012.
The great rotation away from Treasuries Japan remains the largest foreign holder at roughly $1.18 trillion, followed by the UK at approximately $866 billion and China at around $683 billion. China’s position is particularly notable because it has been steadily reducing its exposure for years, a trend that accelerates every time US-China tensions flare up.
The current account deficit sits close to 4% of GDP. Someone has to fund that gap. And increasingly, the “someone” isn’t a central bank in Tokyo or Beijing. It’s domestic mutual funds, the Federal Reserve’s residual holdings, and, in a twist that would have seemed absurd five years ago, a stablecoin company based in the British Virgin Islands.
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Recent reports indicate that foreign demand for US Treasuries is slowing, with several sovereign wealth funds and central banks diversifying into other countries’ government bonds.
Enter Tether, America’s unlikely creditor Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, was one of the top foreign net buyers of US Treasuries in 2024, purchasing approximately $33.1 billion on a net basis. A crypto company that didn’t exist 11 years ago is now a more aggressive buyer of American government debt than most countries.
This isn’t charity. Tether backs its stablecoin reserves primarily with short-dated US Treasury bills, which means every time someone mints new USDT, Tether essentially needs to go shopping for more government paper.
Tether’s Treasury holdings also create an unusual feedback loop. The more widely USDT is adopted globally, the more Treasuries Tether needs to buy, which in theory supports demand for US debt at precisely the moment when traditional foreign buyers are pulling back.
Why this matters for crypto and traditional investors The AI boom has already demonstrated a key dynamic, as private capital floods into US equities, particularly tech stocks, rather than parking in government bonds.
For crypto investors specifically, Tether’s growing role as a Treasury buyer introduces a novel form of systemic interconnection. A major disruption to USDT, whether from regulatory action, a de-pegging event, or a sudden wave of redemptions, could theoretically ripple into the Treasury market if Tether were forced to liquidate holdings quickly. The $33.1 billion in net purchases during 2024 alone makes Tether a meaningful participant, not just a rounding error.
On the flip side, several stablecoin bills currently moving through Congress would essentially mandate that issuers hold high-quality liquid assets like Treasuries. If those bills pass, the crypto industry could become an even larger structural buyer of US debt, partially filling the gap left by retreating foreign governments.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Two hot tech stocks and a quieter healthcare mover take the attention of @Stockstotrade's Tim Bohen to close out the trading week. He sees Alphabet (GOOGL) tapping notable support as a tentative buy opportunity, expects Super Micro (SMCI) to make a similar bull run it saw earlier this week, and points to CVS Health (CVS) as a reliable, low beta stock.
First Hawaiian NASDAQ: FHB executives said the bank delivered loan growth, wider net interest margin and continued solid credit quality in the second quarter of 2026, while preparing for its proposed combination with TriCo Bancshares.
Chairman, President and CEO Bob Harrison said the company was “very excited” about the TriCo transaction, which is expected to close near the end of the year. He said First Hawaiian is focused on the work required to complete the deal and does not have additional information beyond what was presented during its July 23 investor call.
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Hawaii economy and loan growth Harrison pointed to relatively stable economic conditions in Hawaii. The statewide employment rate was 2.5% in May, compared with a national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Total visitor arrivals through May rose 2.9% from a year earlier, driven primarily by visitors from the U.S. mainland and Japan, while year-to-date visitor spending reached $9.7 billion, up 7.5% from 2025 levels.
Hawaii housing prices also remained firm. The median Oahu single-family home sales price was $1.2 million in June, up 10.4% year over year, while the median condo price was $528,000, up 3.5%.
Total loans increased $137 million during the quarter, representing annualized growth of about 3.6%. Growth was led by commercial and industrial, or C&I, lending and commercial real estate lending. C&I balances increased $98 million, primarily because of dealer-flooring growth and expansion in the company’s Hawaii corporate portfolio.
Completed construction projects resulted in the conversion of $95 million in construction loan balances into commercial real estate loans. Construction loan payoffs and lower residential balances partly offset the broader growth, as residential payoffs exceeded new production.
Harrison said management continues to see a “very robust pipeline” in C&I and commercial real estate, with construction activity representing a meaningful portion of commercial real estate opportunities. The bank also is working with some new customer relationships, he said. Residential lending, however, is expected to remain slow because of the interest-rate environment.
Deposits, margin and earnings outlook Total deposits declined $623 million in the second quarter, largely due to expected public-deposit outflows. Chief Financial Officer Jamie Moses said retail deposits were essentially flat, while commercial deposits fell about $156 million because of seasonal volatility. Public deposits declined $467 million, mainly in operating accounts, and public time deposits decreased by $115 million. The remaining public time-deposit balance was $9 million.
Moses said the declines did not reflect lost customer relationships. Municipal partners found other ways to invest certain balances off the bank’s balance sheet, he said, while First Hawaiian expects retail and commercial deposits to increase in the second half because of seasonal patterns. The company’s noninterest-bearing deposit ratio was 32%, and its total cost of deposits declined two basis points from the first quarter.
Net interest income increased $3.5 million sequentially to $171 million. Net interest margin rose six basis points to 3.25%, helped by deposit mix and repricing, higher loan and securities yields, and lower cash balances.
Management revised its full-year net interest margin outlook to a range of 3.24% to 3.25%, based on market expectations for one rate increase later this year. First Hawaiian expects third-quarter margin of about 3.27%. Moses said the company assumed a rate increase early in the fourth quarter in its outlook.
The balance sheet remains asset-sensitive, according to Harrison. Moses said roughly $6 billion of assets would reprice immediately following a rate increase based on SOFR, while approximately $3.5 billion to $4 billion of liabilities would also reprice to some degree.
Cash balances declined in the quarter primarily because of public-deposit outflows. Management expects to keep cash around the quarter-end level, approximately $1 billion, through the rest of the year, even as it anticipates further loan growth.
Fees, expenses and credit quality Noninterest income totaled $60.3 million, aided by higher bank-owned life insurance income, an excise tax refund and increased swap fees. Moses said the BOLI contribution reflected a component of the portfolio that is sensitive to market movements rather than a death benefit.
First Hawaiian maintained its full-year noninterest income outlook of about $220 million. Moses said the company generally views approximately $55 million per quarter as a baseline, though one-time or market-related items can cause quarterly variation.
Noninterest expense was $130.4 million, including $4.2 million in costs related to the TriCo transaction. The company expects more transaction costs in the second half as it moves toward closing and integration. Excluding TriCo-related costs, First Hawaiian expects reported expenses of $515 million to $520 million for the full year.
Moses said higher second-half expenses will reflect continued hiring to support loan growth, along with project-related salary, professional-services and information-technology costs.
Chief Risk Officer Lea Nakamura said credit performance and credit metrics remained healthy. The allowance for credit losses declined both in dollar terms and relative to coverage, primarily because of a material reduction in classified assets.
The company reported a return on average tangible assets of 1.28% and a return on average tangible equity of 16.34% for the quarter. Its effective tax rate was 22.9%.
TriCo transaction and capital plans Harrison said First Hawaiian did not repurchase shares during the second quarter and is unlikely to conduct buybacks for the remainder of the year while the TriCo deal proceeds through regulatory review, though he said that could change. The company’s common equity tier 1 ratio remained above 13%, according to an analyst’s question during the call.
Management reiterated a target of 25% cost savings from the TriCo transaction. Moses said the company remains comfortable with that objective and expects to achieve it through a variety of measures, but did not provide further detail.
Harrison said three TriCo executives—Richard Smith, Dan Bailey and Peter G. Wiese—are expected to join First Hawaiian’s senior management team. He said First Hawaiian intends to retain much of TriCo’s management team, describing the California bank as a well-run institution that First Hawaiian plans to support while learning from its operations.
About First Hawaiian (NASDAQ:FHB)First Hawaiian, Inc is the oldest and largest bank in Hawaii, operating as the bank holding company for First Hawaiian Bank. Established in 1858, the company offers a full suite of financial services to individual, business and institutional clients. Its product portfolio includes consumer and commercial lending, deposit accounts, treasury and cash management, foreign exchange and trade finance, as well as wealth management and trust services.
First Hawaiian serves customers through an extensive network of branches, ATMs and digital channels across the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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SouthState Bank NYSE: SSB reported second-quarter 2026 results marked by continued loan growth, stable net interest margin, low credit losses and ongoing investment in banker recruiting and artificial intelligence initiatives.
Chief Executive Officer John Corbett said the company generated a 1.36% return on assets and a 17.6% return on tangible common equity during the quarter. He said results reflected “solid balance sheet growth, stable margins, improving efficiency, and continued strength in credit quality.”
Over the past year, loans increased 8% and deposits rose 5%, both within the company’s previously issued guidance ranges. During the second quarter, loan growth totaled $1.35 billion, representing an 11% annualized rate. Average loan growth also ran at an 11% annualized pace.
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Corbett said growth was broad-based across SouthState’s footprint, with Florida leading the company in loan-growth dollars. Florida, Texas and South Carolina were the largest contributors by dollar amount, while Atlanta, Virginia and Alabama posted strong percentage growth, including commercial and industrial lending gains in Atlanta.
Recruiting Supports Growth Strategy SouthState has expanded its commercial banking sales force by more than 10% over the past three quarters as it seeks to capitalize on disruption in its markets. Corbett said the company had offered division presidents the opportunity to increase their commercial relationship manager teams by 15% to 20% over several years.
The newer hires have generated $600 million of loan production so far and have a $1.5 billion pipeline, according to Corbett. Texas has been the strongest market for sales-force expansion, with its commercial relationship manager count up 25%.
The company expects loan growth to remain in the mid- to upper-single-digit range. Corbett said SouthState sees a potential mix shift in the second half, with commercial and industrial lending expected to increase while planned commercial real estate payoffs, including multifamily projects, rise.
Construction lending increased during the quarter, driven partly by owner-occupied projects for commercial clients and multifamily construction. However, Corbett noted that the overall construction category remained about 10% below its level a year earlier.
Margin Outlook Remains Stable SouthState reported a net interest margin of 3.78%, down 1 basis point from the first quarter and within its 3.75% to 3.80% guidance range. Deposit costs were unchanged from the prior quarter at 1.76%, while loan yields declined 5 basis points to 5.91% due to lower purchase-accounting accretion income.
Excluding accretion, loan yields increased 1 basis point and net interest margin rose 4 basis points, the company said. Net interest income totaled $576 million, up $14 million from the first quarter.
Chief Strategy Officer Steve Young said management’s outlook assumes no interest-rate increases or reductions through 2027 and calls for net interest margin to remain within the 3.75% to 3.80% range. He said deposit costs could rise modestly as the company funds loan growth, but anticipated asset repricing should help support the margin.
SouthState said approximately 76% of quarterly loan production carried floating rates. The share of the overall loan portfolio in floating-rate loans has increased to 38%, from 32% a year earlier.
Management also pointed to future repricing opportunities, including roughly $6 billion of loans expected to reprice over the next year and about $1 billion of securities expected to cash flow and be reinvested. Young said legacy loans with coupons in the 3% to 4% range are being replaced at rates in the 6% range.
Credit Quality and Expenses Credit quality improved during the quarter. Nonperforming assets declined 14%, classified loans also decreased, and net charge-offs were 6 basis points. It was the eighth time in the past nine quarters that SouthState’s net charge-offs were below 10 basis points.
Provision expense was $16 million, primarily reflecting loan growth. Management said it expects modest downward pressure on reserve levels absent meaningful changes in Moody’s economic forecasts and other loss drivers. The company continues to use a more conservative weighting toward Moody’s pessimistic scenario than its traditional model weighting.
Noninterest income was $97 million, or 57 basis points of average assets, within the company’s 55- to 60-basis-point guidance range. The figure was $3 million below the first quarter, as higher deposit fees were offset by lower mortgage revenue. SouthState said it continues to expect correspondent banking revenue of roughly $25 million per quarter.
Noninterest expense totaled $358 million, slightly better than guidance. Management maintained its forecast for 4% noninterest expense growth in 2026. It expects compensation costs to rise in the second half as recently hired employees remain in the run rate and company merit increases take effect July 1.
Capital Returns and Technology Investment SouthState repurchased 1 million shares during the quarter at a weighted average price of $97.62, producing a 68% total payout ratio including dividends. Year-to-date repurchases totaled 2.5 million shares and the total payout ratio was 80%.
Corbett said the company repurchased nearly 5% of its outstanding shares over the past year while increasing its dividend and maintaining a common equity tier 1 capital ratio above 11%. CET1 ended the quarter at 11.1%, tangible common equity was 8.7%, and tangible book value per share was $58.72, up 13% from a year earlier.
Management reiterated its longer-term total capital return framework of 40% to 60%, saying recent higher repurchase activity is not expected to be sustained if the company continues to target mid- to high-single-digit loan growth while maintaining CET1 in an 11% to 12% range.
Corbett also highlighted artificial intelligence as a strategic priority. The company is using the technology in credit operations, fraud management and call-center support, as well as through an internally developed small language model. SouthState is also testing commodity-hedging and foreign-exchange offerings, though Young said those initiatives are expected to launch in 2027 rather than materially affect 2026 results.
About SouthState Bank (NYSE:SSB)SouthState Bank NYSE: SSB is a bank holding company headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, that provides a range of commercial and retail banking services. Through its subsidiary, SouthState Bank, the company serves businesses, institutions and individuals with deposit, lending and treasury management solutions. Its core business lines include commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate lending, consumer mortgages and home equity loans.
In addition to traditional lending and deposit products, SouthState Bank offers specialized services such as treasury and cash management, merchant services, payment solutions and online banking.
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SouthState Bank Corporation (SSB) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 24, 2026 9:00 AM EDT
Company Participants
William Matthews - Senior Executive VP & CFO
John Corbett - CEO & Chairman
Stephen Young - Senior Executive VP & Chief Strategy Officer
Conference Call Participants
Stephen Scouten - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
John McDonald - Truist Securities, Inc., Research Division
Hannah Wynn - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Michael Rose - Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Research Division
Sun Young Lee - TD Cowen, Research Division
Gary Tenner - D.A. Davidson & Co., Research Division
Anthony Elian - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Benjamin Gerlinger - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
David Chiaverini - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
David Bishop - Hovde Group, LLC, Research Division
Samuel Varga - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Presentation
Operator
Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us, and welcome to the SouthState Bank Corporation Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions]
I will now hand the conference call over to Will Matthews, Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Matthews, please go ahead.
William Matthews
Senior Executive VP & CFO
Good morning. This is Will Matthews, and welcome to SouthState's Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call.
I'm here with John Corbett, Steve Young and Jeremy Lucas. We'll follow our typical pattern of brief prepared remarks and then move into Q&A. And I'll refer you to the Investor Relations tab of our website for the earnings materials.
Before we begin our remarks, I want to remind you that comments we make may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and regulations. Any such forward-looking statements we may make are subject to the safe harbor rules. Please review the forward-looking disclaimer and safe harbor language in the press release and presentation for more information about our forward-looking statements and risks and uncertainties, which may affect us.
PECO Pullback Presents a Retail REIT Worth Shopping ForPhillips Edison & Company, Inc. NASDAQ: PECO reported higher second-quarter funds from operations and same-center net operating income, citing sustained demand for space at its grocery-anchored shopping centers, record in-line occupancy and strong leasing spreads. The company also raised its 2026 outlook for earnings, same-center NOI growth and acquisitions.
Chairman and CEO Jeff Edison said the company generated 8.1% year-over-year growth in NAREIT FFO per share, 7.8% growth in Core FFO per share and 3.8% same-center NOI growth during the second quarter. He attributed the performance to occupancy gains, leasing activity, rent spreads and operating execution across the portfolio.
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“Our centers generated 2% year-over-year traffic growth in June and 2% traffic growth year-to-date,” Edison said, adding that consumers continued to make frequent trips to necessity-based retail destinations despite seeking value.
Occupancy and Leasing Reach New Highs President Bob Myers said second-quarter leasing activity reached a record number of leases, while retailer demand showed “no current signs of slowing.” Necessity-based categories such as quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, health and wellness, beauty, fitness, services and medical retail continued to drive activity. The company said 74% of its rent comes from necessity-based goods and services.
Portfolio leased occupancy was 97.3%. Leased anchor occupancy was 98.4%. Leased in-line occupancy reached a record 95.5%. Economic in-line occupancy reached a record 94.8%. Comparable renewal rent spreads were 21.2%. Comparable new rent spreads were 33.7%. Annual rent bumps on in-line renewal leases averaged a record 3.1%. Myers said the company retained roughly 90% of its tenants and spent less than $1 per square foot to retain them. He said Phillips Edison expects it can increase in-line occupancy by another 100 basis points over time and lift anchor occupancy by 50 to 60 basis points by year-end.
The company reported lower-than-expected bad debt of about 70 basis points of revenue in the quarter and reduced its full-year bad-debt outlook. Management now expects bad debt for 2026 to be in line with or slightly better than 2025.
FFO, NOI and Balance Sheet CFO John Caulfield said second-quarter NAREIT FFO rose to $93.7 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, while Core FFO increased to $95.5 million, or $0.69 per diluted share. Same-center NOI rose 3.8%, primarily because of higher average rents and economic occupancy.
Phillips Edison raised its full-year 2026 guidance for NAREIT FFO per share, Core FFO per share and same-center NOI growth. At the midpoint, the updated outlook implies 6.3% growth in NAREIT FFO per share from 2025, 6.2% growth in Core FFO per share and 3.7% same-center NOI growth.
Caulfield said the increased FFO outlook reflects strong first-half operations and healthy tenant credit trends. However, he noted that asset sales occurring ahead of reinvestment in acquisitions create a short-term cash-flow gap, while positioning the company for growth in 2027.
The company ended the quarter with $857 million of liquidity. Net debt to trailing 12-month annualized adjusted EBITDAre was 5.1 times at quarter-end and 5.0 times on a last-quarter annualized basis. Its debt had a 4.4% weighted average interest rate and a 5.6-year weighted average maturity, including extension options. Fixed-rate debt represented 95.9% of total debt, including Phillips Edison’s share of joint-venture debt.
Moody’s revised the company’s outlook to positive, which Caulfield said reflected operating performance, balance-sheet management and liquidity.
Acquisition Target Increased Management raised 2026 gross acquisition guidance to $500 million to $600 million, an increase of $100 million. Caulfield confirmed in response to an analyst question that the net acquisition outlook also increased by $100 million.
The company completed $278 million of acquisitions at its share year to date through the week of the call, including eight grocery-anchored shopping centers, three everyday retail centers, an outparcel and land for future development. It had more than $225 million of awarded or contracted assets expected to close in the second half.
Management said acquisitions have been funded through dispositions, equity issuance and the company’s revolving credit facility. Phillips Edison raised $92 million of equity during June and July, though Caulfield said the full-year guidance does not assume additional equity issuance.
The company continues to target unlevered internal rates of return of 9% for grocery-anchored centers and 10% for everyday retail centers. Myers said the acquisition pipeline consists of about 60% grocery-anchored properties and 40% everyday retail assets. He said the company has identified more than 50,000 potential everyday retail opportunities near leading grocers and has acquired 12 such assets to date, where it has increased occupancy by 450 basis points.
Phillips Edison also maintained 2026 disposition guidance of $100 million to $200 million. Edison said the company had sold nearly $100 million of properties at a 6.3% capitalization rate and with an IRR below 7.5%, intending to redeploy that capital into higher-return opportunities.
Development Pipeline and Grocery Outlook The company has 21 active development and redevelopment projects with estimated investment of about $82 million and estimated average yields of 9% to 12%. Eleven projects stabilized year to date, delivering more than 212,000 square feet and approximately $3.4 million of annual incremental NOI, according to Myers.
Management also discussed grocer industry developments, including Kroger’s announced acquisition of Giant Eagle. Edison called the transaction positive for Phillips Edison, which has 10 Giant Eagle-anchored centers. He said Kroger’s investment in brick-and-mortar stores signaled confidence in physical grocery locations as a channel for sales and fulfillment.
While Edison acknowledged that grocers are responding to consumer caution by investing in price and observing shifts toward private-label products, he said Phillips Edison has not seen a deterioration in portfolio traffic. The company plans to continue monitoring consumer behavior and retailer health while pursuing growth through leasing, development, acquisitions, joint ventures and portfolio recycling.
About Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:PECO)Phillips Edison & Company, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and operation of grocery-anchored, necessity-based shopping centers. The company's investment strategy is centered on properties that benefit from everyday consumer demand, seeking to deliver stable cash flows through long-term, triple-net leases with national and regional tenants in the grocery, drugstore and essential retail sectors.
In addition to its core retail portfolio, Phillips Edison & Company provides integrated services covering property management, asset management, leasing, development and acquisition sourcing.
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Consumer-Driven Stocks Boost Buybacks, Including Visa's $20B PlanByline Bancorp NYSE: BY reported record second-quarter net income of $40.2 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, as revenue increased and expenses declined from the prior quarter. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.91, up 10% sequentially and 21% from a year earlier, President Alberto Paracchini said during the company’s earnings call.
The Chicago-based commercial bank posted a 1.63% return on average assets and a return on average common equity of just under 14.5%. Its pre-tax, pre-provision return on assets was 2.49%, marking the company’s 15th consecutive quarter above 2%, according to management.
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Could This Entertainment Stock be the Belle of the Gaming Ball?“We delivered net income of $40.2 million or $0.90 per diluted share,” Paracchini said. “Record net income and excellent profitability really stood out this quarter.”
Revenue Growth and Efficiency Improvement Revenue totaled $118 million, up 4.7% from the prior quarter, while non-interest expenses fell. The adjusted efficiency ratio improved to 46.5% from 49.8% in the first quarter, which Paracchini described as the company’s best result since becoming a public company in 2017.
Boyd Gaming stock: All signs point to a significant break higherNet interest income was $101 million, up modestly from the preceding quarter. Net interest margin declined 5 basis points to 4.28%, primarily reflecting higher funding costs associated with a maturing balance-sheet hedge and changes in earning-asset mix, CFO Tom Bell said.
Management emphasized that it prioritizes growth in net interest income dollars rather than managing to a particular margin target. Paracchini said the bank may accept lower spreads on high-quality, relationship-oriented business if it is accretive to earnings and supports long-term franchise value.
For the third quarter, Byline projected net interest income of $100 million to $102 million, non-interest income of $14 million to $15 million, and gain-on-sale revenue averaging about $5.5 million per quarter. The company maintained its full-year non-interest expense outlook of $59 million to $60 million per quarter.
Bell said second-half expenses are expected to rise due largely to employee-related costs, including health care benefits and commissions tied to production. Management also said potential opportunities to hire banking talent are included in its outlook.
Loans, Deposits and Rate Environment Total loans ended the quarter at $7.6 billion, increasing at a 4.2% annualized rate. New originations totaled $234 million, while payoffs were elevated at $339 million. Loan commitments rose slightly, and line utilization increased to 60% from 59% in the prior quarter.
Management expects full-year loan growth in the mid-single digits if payoff activity normalizes in the second half. Paracchini said the recent elevated payoff activity partly reflects the bank’s effort to recycle acquired loan portfolios into new customer relationships.
Total deposits reached $7.9 billion, rising at a 3.5% annualized rate. Growth in interest-bearing checking balances was partly offset by lower money-market balances. The loan-to-deposit ratio ended the quarter at 96%.
Byline said competition for both loans and deposits remains elevated. Paracchini said price competition has intensified in commercial real estate, particularly as larger institutions return to certain segments of that market. He cited multifamily and industrial properties as areas where more capital is competing for a reduced level of transaction activity.
Bell said the company remains focused on relationship deposits rather than more rate-sensitive funding. He added that commercial customers moving balances from money-market accounts to interest-bearing checking could indicate they anticipate uses for that capital.
Credit Trends Remain Favorable Credit costs were $7.2 million during the quarter, including $4.4 million of net charge-offs and a $2.8 million reserve build. Net charge-offs equaled 24 basis points of loans, down from 32 basis points in the first quarter.
Criticized loans declined to 3.9% of total loans from 4.5% both sequentially and from a year earlier. Nonperforming loans totaled $69.1 million, or 92 basis points of total loans, up marginally from the prior quarter and flat year over year. The allowance for credit losses rose to $112 million, or 1.48% of total loans.
Chief Credit Officer Mark Fucinato said the decline in criticized and classified loans reflected improved performance at several larger operating companies, as well as the resolution of a workout situation in which an operating company sold a mortgaged asset and repaid its exposure in full. The bank also recorded a recovery on a prior charge-off.
Paracchini said management’s near-term expectation for net charge-offs remains in the range of 30 to 40 basis points, although he expects that level may migrate lower over time as the SBA portfolio becomes a smaller part of Byline’s overall balance sheet.
Capital Returns and $10 Billion Threshold Byline ended the quarter with total assets of $9.9 billion. Tangible common equity rose to 11.4%, while the common equity tier 1 ratio reached 12.9%. Tangible book value per share increased 14% from a year earlier to $24.48.
During the quarter, the company repurchased about 275,000 shares for $9.1 million. Including dividends and buybacks, its total shareholder payout ratio was 36%.
The board also approved a 16.7% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.14 per share. Paracchini said the increase reflects the company’s capital position and earnings profile.
Management said it continues preparing to cross the $10 billion asset threshold. Paracchini said the company is not currently constraining normal balance-sheet activity to stay below that level, but it could manage the balance sheet near year-end if doing so would delay the effects of the Durbin amendment until mid-2028.
On acquisitions, Paracchini described the environment for smaller-bank transactions as constructive. He said Byline would generally seek deals with tangible book value earn-backs within three years, while continuing to weigh acquisitions against organic growth, investments in the business and share repurchases.
About Byline Bancorp (NYSE:BY)Byline Bancorp, Inc is the bank holding company for Byline Bank, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Established under its current name in 2016, the company operates as a community-focused financial institution offering a broad array of banking products and services to corporate, professional and consumer clients.
On the commercial banking side, Byline Bancorp serves small and midsize businesses, real estate developers, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations.
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NEW YORK CITY & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”) are investigating the proposed sale of Finward Bancorp (NasdaqCM: FNWD) to First Financial Bancorp. (NasdaqGS: FFBC). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Finward will receive 1.35 shares of First Financial for each share of Finward that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the.
Earnings DERBY, VT / ACCESS Newswire / July 24, 2026 / Community Bancorp. (NASDAQ:CMTV), the parent company of Community National Bank (the "Bank"), reported consolidated earnings for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, of $4.7 million or $0.84 per share, an increase of $628,008 or 15.47% compared to $4.1 million or $0.72 per share reported for the second quarter of 2025. Earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2026, were $9.1 million, or $1.62 per share, also a significant increase of $1.5 million or 19.40% compared to $7.6 million or $1.34 per share in the same period in 2025.
Second Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
(Unaudited)
Six months Ended
Quarter Ended
Six months Ended
Quarter Ended
June 30, 2026
June 30, 2026
June 30, 2025
June 30, 2025
Return on average assets
1.47
%
1.53
%
1.29
%
1.38
%
Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue return on average assets
1.96
%
2.11
%
1.67
%
1.81
%
Return on average shareholders' equity
15.63
%
15.83
%
15.05
%
15.62
%
Net Interest Margin
3.88
%
3.95
%
3.56
%
3.64
%
Efficiency Ratio
54.2
%
52.8
%
57.3
%
55.8
%
Noninterest expense to average assets
2.31
%
2.37
%
2.24
%
2.29
%
Dividend payout
30.86
%
29.76
%
35.82
%
33.33
%
Fully diluted tangible book value per common share (1)
$
19.51
$
19.51
$
16.63
$
16.63
Total capital to risk-weighted assets (2)
16.05
%
16.05
%
14.85
%
14.85
%
Total common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets (2)
14.79
%
14.79
%
13.60
%
13.60
%
Tier I Capital to Average Assets (2)
10.63
%
10.63
%
10.06
%
10.06
%
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1)
9.41
%
9.41
%
8.21
%
8.21
%
Earnings per common share
$
1.62
$
0.84
$
1.34
$
0.72
Weighted average number of common shares
used in computing earnings per share
5,590,465
5,594,749
5,608,997
5,612,675
(1)
Refer to the "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures" section of this document for additional detail.
(2)
Represents Bank-only ratios. Current period capital ratios are preliminary subject to finalization of the Bank's June 30, 2026 FDIC Call Report.
Total assets for the Company at June 30, 2026, were $1.17 billion, a decrease of $114.8 million from year end 2025, but $6.2 million or 0.53% higher compared to $1.17 billion as of June 30, 2025. The year-to-date change primarily reflects annual maturities of municipal non arbitrage relationships and lower cash balances used to pay off two maturing advances totaling $25.0 million, as well as a cyclical decrease in deposit balances. Contributing to the Company's year-over-year growth in assets was growth in the Company's gross loan portfolio of $28.8 million, or 3.06%, compared to the 2025 period. Deposit balances increased $48.7 million, or 5.22%, compared to the same period in 2025 but decreased $89.0 million or 8.31% since year end 2025 reflecting cyclical changes. The year-over-year loan growth was primarily funded by a combination of cash, maturities of securities, as well as an increase in core deposits.
The Company's securities portfolio totaled $128 million as of June 30, 2026, an 11.45% decrease compared to $144.6 million as of December 31, 2025. The portfolio is classified as available-for-sale and is required to be reported at fair market value with the unrealized loss, net of a deferred tax adjustment, as an adjustment to total equity. Such unrealized losses reflect the interest rate environment, as current rates remain below the coupon rates on the securities, resulting in a fair market value lower than current book values. As of June 30, 2026, the adjustment to equity was $9.4 million, representing an improvement of $3.1 million from the adjustment to equity of $12.5 million on June 30, 2026 and $9.6 million as of December 31, 2025.
Total net interest income for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, increased $1.4 million, or 13.68%, to $11.2 million, compared to $9.9 million for the same quarter in 2025. The quarter-over-quarter improvement reflects an increase of $1.1 million, or 7.72%, in interest and fees on loans due to strong loan growth and higher yields, partially offset by higher interest on deposits expense of $37,533, or 0.94%. Net interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2026, increased $2.9 million or 14.81%, to $22.2 million, compared to $19.3 million for the same period in 2025, reflecting the same trends.
The provision for credit losses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, was $720,967 compared to $407,046 for the same period in 2025. The year-to-date provision for credit losses was $1.1 million, compared to $732,100 for the same period in 2025. The $380,373 year-over-year increase was driven primarily by strong loan growth. The provision for credit losses for June 30, 2026, was determined under Accounting Standard No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Losses, or CECL.
Total non-interest income for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, of $2.3 million increased $254,036, or 12.34%, compared to $2.1million for the same period in 2025. Total non-interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2026, grew to $4.1 million, compared to $3.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, an increase of $420,767, or 11.57% year-over-year. Total non-interest expenses increased $497,838, or 7.47%, for the second quarter comparison period, and $1.1 million, or 7.98%, for the six months period year-over-year.
Equity capital increased to $120.9 million, with a book value per share of $21.58, as of June 30, 2026, compared to equity capital of $113.7 million and a book value per share of $20.36 as of December 31, 2025, and $106.3 million and book value per share of $18.69 as of June 30, 2025. This change includes a decrease of $237,432 in unrealized losses in the investment portfolio year-to-date and a decrease of $3.1 million year-over-year, due to changing bond rates, which increased the fair market value of the investment portfolio, as well as an increase of $6.3 million year-to-date and an increase of $12.8 million year-over-year in retained earnings. The unrealized loss position is considered temporary and does not impact the Company's regulatory capital ratios. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the Company completed the optional redemption of all fifteen of the Company's outstanding shares of its Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock. The preferred stock value of $1,500,000 was included in the Company's equity capital as of June 30, 2025.
President and CEO Christopher Caldwell commented on the Company's results: "Through the first half of 2026, the company continued its strong performance. Community banking thrives through relationship-based banking and this long-term approach to clients and our communities continues to serve us well. Our inclusion in both the ABA Nasdaq Community Bank Index and the Russell 2000 Index has increased the Company's visibility among investors and may support broader market awareness of our stock over time. Tangible book value per share increased by 17% for the year-to-date period compared to the same period of 2025. Year-to-date earnings per share increased 20% compared to the same period last year, and 16% for the second quarter compared to the same quarter of 2025. These results demonstrate the Company's commitment to serving our customers as Vermont's Community Bank. We are grateful for the trust that our communities, clients, and shareholders have placed in us."
As previously announced, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share payable August 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of July 15, 2026.
About Community Bancorp.
Community Bancorp. is the parent holding company for Community National Bank, headquartered in Derby, Vermont. Community National Bank is an independent bank that has been serving its communities since 1851, with retail banking offices located in Derby, Derby Line, Island Pond, Barton, Newport, Troy, St. Johnsbury, Montpelier, Barre, Lyndonville, Morrisville and Enosburg Falls as well as loan offices located in Burlington, Vermont and Lebanon, New Hampshire
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's financial condition, capital status, dividend payment practices, business outlook and affairs. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words like "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." Although these statements are based on management's current expectations and estimates, actual conditions, results, and events may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements, as they could be influenced by numerous factors which are unpredictable and outside the Company's control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from such statements include, among others, the following: (1) general national or regional economic conditions, national fiscal or monetary policies, or national or international tariff or trade conditions result in a deterioration of the credit quality of our loan portfolio or diminished demand for the Company's products and services; (2) changes in laws or government rules, or the way in which courts interpret those laws or rules, adversely affect the financial industry generally or the Company's business in particular, or may impose additional costs and regulatory requirements; (3) interest rates change in such a way as to reduce the Company's interest margins and its funding sources; and (4) competitive pressures increase among financial services providers in the Company's northern New England market area or in the financial services industry generally, including pressures from nonbank financial service providers, from increasing consolidation and integration of financial service providers and from changes in technology and delivery systems, and other factors that are listed from time to time in our financial filings with the SEC, including our Forms 10Q and 10K. The Company cautions you not to rely unduly on forward-looking statements because the assumptions, beliefs, expectations, and projections about future events may, and often do, differ materially from actual results or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as to the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect developments occurring after the statement is made, except as otherwise required by law.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to evaluating the Company's results of operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), management supplements this evaluation with certain non-GAAP financial measures such as pre-tax, pre-provision income; fully diluted tangible book value per common share and tangible common equity to tangible assets. Management believe these non-GAAP financial measures help investors better understand the Company's operating performance and trends and allow for better performance comparisons to other financial institutions. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures remove the impact of unusual items that may obscure trends in the Company's underlying performance. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP operating results, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other financial institutions. Reconciliations to the comparable GAAP financial measures can be found at the end of this document.
Community Bancorp. And Subsidiary
Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)
June 30,
December 31,
2026
2025
Assets
Cash and due from banks
$
19,772,554
$
11,802,391
Federal funds sold and overnight deposits
5,840,996
116,259,370
Total cash and cash equivalents
25,613,550
128,061,761
Securities available-for-sale (amortized cost $139,848,277
and $156,694,754 at 06/30/26 and 12/31/25, respectively
127,982,828
144,528,758
Restricted equity securities, at cost
1,918,950
2,933,050
Loans held-for-sale
813,332
138,000
Loans
970,535,252
965,285,662
Allowance for credit losses
(11,881,321
)
(10,864,983
)
Deferred net loan costs
940,423
786,604
Net loans
959,594,354
955,207,283
Bank premises and equipment, net
12,220,494
12,090,886
Accrued interest receivable
4,505,039
4,607,975
Bank owned life insurance
5,435,603
5,398,085
Goodwill
11,574,269
11,574,269
Other real estate owned
-
319,019
Other assets
23,090,295
22,699,860
Total assets
$
1,172,748,714
$
1,287,558,946
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Liabilities
Deposits:
Demand, non-interest bearing
$
204,738,374
$
218,842,543
Interest-bearing transaction accounts
278,551,211
299,636,739
Money market funds
125,665,889
187,132,921
Savings
146,071,626
142,543,291
Time deposits, $250,000 and over
48,195,437
46,913,997
Other time deposits
178431659
175,598,510
Total deposits
981,654,196
1,070,668,001
Repurchase agreements
35,019,257
41,498,171
Borrowed funds
10,975,022
35,975,022
Junior subordinated debentures
12,887,000
12,887,000
Accrued interest and other liabilities
11,319,225
12,843,774
Total liabilities
1,051,854,700
1,173,871,968
Shareholders' Equity
Common stock - $2.50 par value; 15,000,000 shares authorized,
5,902,267 shares issued at 06/30/26, 5,882,266 shares issued at 12/31/25
14,755,668
14,705,665
Additional paid-in capital
40,757,013
40,076,561
Retained earnings
79,287,690
73,021,908
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(9,373,705
)
(9,611,137
)
Less: treasury stock, at cost; 300,409 shares at 06/30/26 and 299,399
shares at 12/31/25
(4,532,652
)
(4,506,019
)
Total shareholders' equity
120,894,014
113,686,978
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
$
1,172,748,714
$
1,287,558,946
Book value per common share outstanding
$
21.58
$
20.36
Community Bancorp. and Subsidiary
Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)
Quarter Ended
Quarter Ended
June 30, 2026
June 30, 2025
Interest income
Interest and fees on loans
$
14,748,598
$
13,691,705
Interest on taxable debt securities
741,821
948,048
Interest on tax-exempt debt securities
80,411
80,411
Dividends
47,363
58,595
Interest on federal funds sold and overnight deposits
424,413
71,857
Total interest income
16,042,606
14,850,616
Interest expense
Interest on deposits
4,009,541
3,972,008
Interest on borrowed funds
301,838
444,596
Interest on repurchase agreements
262,376
298,057
Interest on junior subordinated debentures
221,045
241,413
Total interest expense
4,794,800
4,956,074
Net interest income
11,247,806
9,894,542
Credit loss expense
720,967
407,046
Net interest income after credit loss expense
10,526,839
9,487,496
Non-interest income
Service fees
988,219
969,775
Income from sold loans
89,692
96,705
Other income from loans
537,043
331,759
Income from investment in CFS Partners
579,795
548,307
Other income
117,998
112,165
Total non-interest income
2,312,747
2,058,711
Non-interest expense
Salaries and wages
2,632,767
2,392,661
Employee benefits
1,102,841
1,056,273
Occupancy expenses, net
779,462
794,451
Other expenses
2,650,168
2,424,015
Total non-interest expense
7,165,238
6,667,400
Income before income taxes
5,674,348
4,878,807
Income tax expense
986,564
819,031
Net income
$
4,687,784
$
4,059,776
Earnings per common share
$
0.84
$
0.72
Weighted average number of common shares
used in computing earnings per share
5,594,749
5,612,675
Dividends declared per common share
$
0.25
$
0.24
Six Months Ended
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2026
June 30, 2025
Interest income
Interest and fees on loans
$
29,181,219
$
26,906,737
Interest on taxable debt securities
1,546,571
1,807,276
Interest on tax-exempt debt securities
160,823
160,823
Dividends
99,321
106,485
Interest on federal funds sold and overnight deposits
1,081,511
393,806
Total interest income
32,069,445
29,375,127
Interest expense
Interest on deposits
8,186,172
8,157,915
Interest on borrowed funds
687,788
815,574
Interest on repurchase agreements
556,106
584,016
Interest on junior subordinated debentures
443,692
484,758
Total interest expense
9,873,758
10,042,263
Net interest income
22,195,687
19,332,864
Credit loss expense
1,112,473
732,100
Net interest income after credit loss expense
21,083,214
18,600,764
Non-interest income
Service fees
1,924,696
1,856,557
Income from sold loans
159,237
166,082
Other income from loans
887,238
601,927
Income from investment in CFS Partners
822,234
797,658
Other income
264,682
215,096
Total non-interest income
4,058,087
3,637,320
Non-interest expense
Salaries and wages
5,211,603
4,712,727
Employee benefits
2,214,118
2,074,245
Occupancy expenses, net
1,554,443
1,576,307
Other expenses
5,242,433
4,807,731
Total non-interest expense
14,222,597
13,171,010
Income before income taxes
10,918,704
9,067,074
Income tax expense
1,861,817
1,481,843
Net income
$
9,056,887
$
7,585,231
Earnings per common share
$
1.62
$
1.34
Weighted average number of common shares
used in computing earnings per share
5,590,465
5,608,997
Dividends declared per common share
$
0.50
$
0.48
Community Bancorp. and Subsidiary
Earnings Per Share ("EPS") (unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)
For the Quarter Ended June 30,
For the Six Months Ended June 30,
2026
2025
2026
2025
(In thousands, except per share data)
Net income
$
4,688
$
4,060
$
9,057
$
7,585
Less: dividends to preferred shareholders
-
$
28
-
$
56
Net income available to common shareholders
$
4,688
$
4,032
$
9,057
$
7,529
Weighted average number of common shares used in computing earnings per share
5,594,749
5,612,675
5,590,465
5,608,997
Earnings per common share
$
0.84
$
0.72
$
1.62
$
1.34
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures
(unaudited)
Community Bancorp. and Subsidiary
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)
Quarter Ended
June 30, 2026
Computation of Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue
Net interest income
$
11,247,806
Non-interest income
$
2,312,747
Less: Non-interest expense
$
7,165,238
Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue
$
6,395,315
Computation of Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue return on average assets
Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue
$
6,395,315
Average Assets
$
1,228,309,434
Pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue return on average assets
2.11
%
As of
June 30, 2026
December 31, 2025
June 30, 2025
Computation of Fully Diluted Tangible Book Value per Common Share
Total shareholders' equity
$
120,894
$
113,687
$
106,343
Less:
Preferred Stock
-
-
$
1,500
Common shareholders' equity
$
120,894
$
113,687
$
104,843
Less:
Goodwill
$
11,574
$
11,574
$
11,574
Other Intangibles
-
-
-
Tangible common shareholders' equity
$
109,320
$
102,113
$
93,269
Common shares issued and outstanding
5,601,858
5,582,927
5,608,914
Fully Diluted Tangible Book Value per Common Share
$
19.51
$
18.29
$
16.63
As of
June 30, 2026
December 31, 2025
June 30, 2025
Computation of Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets
Common Equity
$
120,894
$
113,687
$
106,343
Less:
Goodwill
$
11,574
$
11,574
$
11,574
Other Intangibles
-
-
-
Tangible Common Equity
$
109,320
$
102,113
$
94,769
Total Assets
$
1,172,749
$
1,287,559
$
1,166,586
Less:
Goodwill
$
11,574
$
11,574
$
11,574
Other Intangibles
-
-
-
Tangible Assets
$
1,161,175
$
1,275,985
$
1,155,012
Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets
9.41
%
8.00
%
8.21
%
For more information, contact:
Investor Relations
[email protected]