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Web3 privacy-focused infrastructure provider Nym Technologies has joined Liquid Federation to support the growing Bitcoin layer-2 ecosystem, according to an April 18 statement shared with CryptoSlate.

The Liquid Federation is a group of crypto-native organizations, including exchanges, trading desks, and developers, that perform vital tasks for the premier Bitcoin sidechain, Liquid Network.

‘Enhancing privacy'As part of its engagement, Nym Technologies assumes a crucial role as one of the 15 dispersed functionary node operators for Liquid Network.

These specialized nodes, housed in tamper-proof Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), are crucial in managing the Liquid Network's core infrastructure and transactions. This includes proposing and signing blocks, overseeing the two-way Bitcoin peg, and safeguarding the network's BTC reserves through a distributed multi-signature wallet.

Meanwhile, the collaboration between Nym, the Liquid Federation, and Blockstream, the Liquid's technical provider, signifies the first step towards a broader vision.

As per the official statement, the partnership aims to integrate Liquid functionality into the Nym mixnet, bolstering transaction confidentiality during transit and elevating privacy standards for Bitcoin layer-2 users.

Nym's mixnet is a foundational privacy infrastructure at layer-0, adaptable to any blockchain and adept at concealing traffic, fortifying privacy, and enhancing security for users and validators alike.

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Dr. Adam Back, CEO and co-founder of Blockstream, said:

“Liquid's Confidential Transactions, which rely on homomorphic encryption, are designed to keep transaction details confidential while protecting the network's integrity and security. Nym's decision to become a Liquid functionary underscores our shared commitment to enhancing privacy within the Bitcoin layer-2 ecosystem”

Harry Halpin, CEO of Nym Technologies, expressed excitement about Nym's closer collaboration with Liquid and Blockstream following years of diligent development.

Notably, the partnership coincides with the impending fourth Bitcoin halving event, which would reduce block rewards to 3.25 BTC.

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Nym, a pioneer in digital privacy solutions, has joined forces with the Optimism Foundation, marking a significant milestone in advancing online privacy and security. This collaboration highlights a shared commitment to harnessing blockchain technology to enhance internet privacy for users globally.

Introducing Optimism: A Vanguard of Ethereum Scaling Optimism is at the forefront of Ethereum scalability solutions, with its development of the Superchain—a network of OP Chains built on the OP Stack. This initiative is part of the Optimism Collective, which includes companies, communities, and citizens united in their mission to foster a more open internet. The collective’s work focuses on scaling Ethereum’s technology while preserving its core principles of decentralization and security.

Optimism’s technological innovation extends to its use of Optimistic roll-ups. These roll-ups assume transactions are valid by default, which allows for scalable processing by deferring validations until transactions are challenged. This method enhances throughput on the Ethereum network without compromising on security.

A New Era of Privacy with NymVPN, Powered by Nym and Optimism The partnership between Nym and the Optimism Foundation is set to revolutionize user privacy through the introduction of NymVPN. Members of the Optimism ecosystem will be among the first to trial this innovative VPN solution, designed to offer superior privacy protection.

Why NymVPN? NymVPN is engineered to provide users with control over their digital footprint. It integrates features such as decentralized architecture, zero-knowledge infrastructure, and multi-hop routing to ensure that online activities are shielded from prying eyes. With the increasing risks to user data and privacy, NymVPN’s robust privacy features come as a timely solution.

Exclusive Early Access for Optimism Members In appreciation of the community’s enthusiasm and support, members of the Optimism ecosystem will receive early access to NymVPN. This privilege allows them to experience first-hand the cutting-edge features and privacy assurances that NymVPN brings to the table.

Engage and Learn: Upcoming AMA with Nym and Optimism To deepen the community’s understanding of the privacy projects spearheaded by Nym and Optimism, an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session is scheduled for May 3, 2024. This event will provide an open forum for users to interact with the developers and gain insights into the future of blockchain technology and privacy tools.

Setting New Standards in Online Privacy The collaboration between Nym and the Optimism Foundation is more than just a technological union; it is a step towards redefining online privacy standards. As these two entities continue to innovate, the integration of NymVPN into the Optimism ecosystem promises to empower users with unprecedented privacy and security online.

AUTHOR

Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.

Published: May 31, 2024

Last Updated: May 31, 2024

Crypto personalities are supporting Tornado Cash devs in ongoing legal battle. Nym CEO thinks Alexey Pertsev’s 64-month sentence is “radically unfair and unreasonable.” Vitalik Buterin donated $113K to support the “Free Alexey and Roman” campaign. Top crypto personalities are continuing to support the Tornado Cash developers in their legal battles with government authorities.

Nym CEO Harry Halpin criticized a Dutch court’s 64-month sentence of Alexey Pertsev, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donating $113,000 in ETH to support the legal defense of Pertsev and Roman Storm.

According to reports, Halpin criticized Pertsev’s sentence, characterizing it as “radically unfair and unreasonable.” He argued that the punishment is not proportional, noting that the court sentenced Pertsev because someone in North Korea used software he developed.

Halpin likened the scenario to jailing Richard Stallman, the Linux developer, because people in North Korea used his product, or punishing Bill Gates for those who may be using stolen copies of Windows.

The Nym CEO expressed his disappointment with the Dutch court for not learning from a World War II scenario where the Nazis exterminated most of the Netherland’s Jewish population due to sophisticated identity tracing systems. Halpin urged Pertsev to appeal the judgment.

In a related development, the “Free Alexey and Roman” campaign is gaining momentum and receiving support from several sectors of the crypto community. A verifiable transaction on Etherscan, the Ethereum blockchain explorer, shows that Vitalik Buterin donated 30 ETH to support the Pertsev and Storm legal defense.

Details of the transaction reveal the transfer originated from Buterin’s wallet and reached a Juicebox address linked to the “Free Alexey and Roman” legal defense fund. A crypto privacy advocacy group created the “Free Alexey and Roman” fund to provide legal representation for the pair.

The fund has raised 593 ETH, equivalent to $2.2 million, as of this writing. The authorities charged both developers with money laundering due to their role in creating the Tornado Cash privacy solution.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

AI makes it even easier for governments to surveil you — Nym CEO

Nym Technologies, the company behind privacy protocol Nym, is now a step closer to launching NymVPN, which it claims will be the "world's most private VPN."

Nym touts NymVPN's anonymous zero-knowledge proof registration feature—which means not even the app will know who's using it. It's also introducing extra noise at the network level in an effort to combat AI's ability to detect patterns and deanonymize traffic.

It's been a long road to reach the beta phase, said CEO Harry Halpin.

"We are proud to launch NymVPN for public beta testing at Web3 Summit where we first took Nym out of stealth mode in 2019," he said in a release. Halpin gave a demo of the NymVPN at the Web3 Summit on Wednesday morning in Berlin.

Nym was founded in 2017 and has raised more than $100 million from the likes of Andreessen Horowitz, Digital Currency Group, Polychain Capital, Tayssir Capital, and 1kx. It's best known for its mixnet, which uses network nodes to shuffle and recombine details linked to packets of data.

With NymVPN in its open beta phase, anyone can now register to test it. The VPN offers "genuine unlinkability and privacy that wan withstand AI-driven pattern recognition," the company said.

The antidote to AI, which has supercharged the technical ability to de-anonymize metadata, is noise. Nym says its VPN is the first of its kind to generate extra noise as "cover traffic" to help obscure which users are talking to one another.

It's not unlike how Nym's mixnet works, which disaggregates pieces of metadata, like a person’s IP address or the recipient of a message, and mixes it with other metadata. The resulting packets of encrypted data combine the IP addresses, time, date, and location of many different people’s metadata.

The mixnet is most effective when many node operators participate, breaking apart and remixing packets of metadata. Otherwise it’s like trying to hide in a crowd of only a couple of people. But generating noise at the network level bypasses the problem of needing to scale before there's enough activity to keep all users private.

"The result is a “noisy” communication pattern, effectively preventing network observers from determining who is speaking to whom," Nym said.

Nym is also promising that its VPN won't know who's using it because of its zero-knowledge proof registration. Its zk-nyms will allow users to verify and manage their accounts without ever having to reveal their identity.

"This technology ensures that even the platform itself has no knowledge of who is using the service," according to Nym.

And rather than choosing to sacrifice speed for increased anonymity or vice versa, Nym said its VPN puts that decision in the hands of its users. The VPN's fast mode will obscure the user's IP address and route the traffic through two independent servers.

But the anonymous mode will route traffic through five servers, add "noise," and use novel onion encryption—similar to the technology used by The Onion Router (TOR). "This mode offers unparalleled privacy by making it extremely difficult for any observer to trace your online activities. It is optimal for highly sensitive traffic which is latency insensitive," the company said. 

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Nym Technologies, the startup behind the privacy-preserving mixnet of the same name, has unveiled a VPN (or virtual private network) that will help shield users' identities online.

“Traditional VPNs have long been marketed as privacy tools, but they fall short of delivering true anonymity,” the team wrote in a press release.

NymVPN’s registration process leverages zero-knowledge cryptography, a way of validating information without revealing the content or context, meaning users can sign up without disclosing their real identities. The app will also incorporate “noise” into the network crowd of users to obscure IP addresses and mask users’ communication patterns.

This works, at least in concept, in a similar way as Tor — the private web browser that scrambles users’ online activity by routing traffic through various relays. By mixing communications NymVPN can help prevent observers from determining who is speaking to whom, the team explained.

Nym’s mixnet operates similarly, by shuffling data around a series of network nodes. It’s called a mixnet because it mixes data to help obscure where information is coming from and going to — including metadata like the time and location of a sent message.

There are two options for users of NymVPN to toggle between: “fast mode” and “anonymous mode.” As those names suggest, the former will prioritize speed by offering a lightweight version of the app that only routes traffic through two servers. Whereas anonymous mode uses five servers, adds in noise and uses a “novel onion encryption” (a la Tor).

Halpin noted in the press release the world of cryptography needs to keep pace with artificial intelligence, which is rapidly gaining the ability to identify internet users by their web traffic.

Nym, founded in 2017 by cypherpunk Harry Halpin, has raised funding from heavyweights including Andreessen Horowitz, Digital Currency Group, Polychain Capital and Google Ventures, among others. Last year, it launched a $300 million “innovation fund” to invest in projects building privacy-preserving tools.

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© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

The current generation of virtual private networks (VPNs) has a problem, according to Nym CEO Harry Halpin.

“They basically say, ‘Trust us, we're not going to log or copy your data’,” he said onstage at Web Summit, “but actually they can. You just have to trust them.” Independent audits can be faked, he added, or are “not particularly trustworthy themselves.”

“Two or three large VPN companies actually run most user-facing VPNs,” he explained, adding that because they’re centralized, “you're not really making your connection private in any meaningful sense—you're just trusting some other company with all of your network data.”

Nym is aiming to solve that problem with its own decentralized VPN (dVPN), which was designed to be “NSA-proof.”

“A few years ago, I worked for the French government after Snowden, and they said, ‘Can we make a VPN that even the NSA can't crack?’” Halpin said. The project was subsequently spun out into a startup that, he joked, has produced “the world's most private and slowest VPN.”

Where a traditional VPN routes traffic through another computer, Halpin explained, “we take your traffic and we encrypt each packet separately, and send each packet through a different network of computers.” Each packet is routed separately, and mixed with other packets so the order is jumbled.

On top of that, NymVPN mixes fake traffic in with the packets, and is fully decentralized, “so there's no single server or even single company that controls the VPN, and any payments are unlinkable,” Halpin said. “That's all quite new tech, and it does make things slower,” he added.

In order to make NymVPN suitable for mainstream users, the service offers two security tiers that users can flip between: a high-security, slower “5-hop” option using Nym’s mixnet, and a less secure but faster “2-hop” option with onion encryption for “people that just want to stream cat videos,” Halpin said.

The slower mixnet mode, Halpin said, is intended for “people who are in a high-security, high-privacy situation,” like Nym security consultant Chelsea Manning, who was jailed after leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks. Manning joined Nym after having “more or less thought of the same concept while in jail,” Halpin said.

Manning explained that together with a colleague working at privacy-centric browser Brave, she originally mapped out a plan to upgrade privacy project Tor and whistleblower platform SecureDrop. “We knew that even then, thinking into the 2020s and the 2030s, we were going to have to innovate and develop a mixnet, and add decoy traffic into the network,” she said. Manning then teamed up with Halpin and economist Claudia Diaz to develop the reward system underpinning Nym.

“If we’re successful and we're able to fund this venture, we should be able to develop the most secure consumer-level tool that's ever been conceived of,” she said.

With NymVPN now available for public testing on a free 30-day trial, the two are planning the next steps for the network. Future plans include creating a standard for hardware acceleration on the network, setting the stage for the integration of technologies like secure enclaves, Manning said.

“Right now, we have to choose between privacy and speed, but we would like everyone to be anonymous, totally private by default, and for that to be the same speed as a normal VPN,” Halpin said.

And has the NSA been in touch?

“I’m not aware of that," said Manning. “I’m sure that they’re interested.”

Edited by Andrew Hayward

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Nym, a top routing platform for Web3, has announced its latest partnership with Celestia, a modular blockchain using Data Availability Sampling. The partnership targets to advance the scalability and integrity of the modular blockchains with the integration of “noise obfuscation”. This will benefit the data availability modules of Celestia through Nym Network. The platform took to social media to reveal this endeavor.

https://twitter.com/nymproject/status/1880193401783742551?t=7GoZg4LJ6D-r2UQ_IkDSXw&s=19

Nym Collaborates with Celestia to Enhance Blockchain Scalability Nym mentioned that collaboration with Celestia focuses on utilizing “noise obfuscation” feature for Celestia. In this respect, the data availability modules of Celstia can leverage this functionality through Nym. Celestia reportedly permits anyone to develop their separate blockchain with the use of its exclusive modular structure. It offers a matchless flexibility and scalability.

The platform has also created a L0 network for secure routing via the “Noise Generating Mixnet” project. Nym’s NGM can offer an anonymization layer to enable data retrieval, consensus, and queries. This reportedly ensures that the querying entity stays uncensored. In addition to this, any wallet, application, or blockchain can integrate Nym to secure traffic in transfer.

Celestia mainly endeavors to enhance blockchain scaling while retaining the chain security. For the improvement of its DAS’s integrity, Celestia has reportedly outlined a unique security improvement. This enables it to prevent a likely selective disclosure exploit. This could take place when the verification procedure gets manipulated by a malicious node.

In such a case, the node selectively replies to the given queries while holding back the block data. Though this hazard is at current theoretical, protecting DAS in each situation is required as Celestia chains perform efficient scaling.

Leveraging U-DAS Module to Prevent Selective Disclosure Exploits Aiming at Requesters According to Nym, its partnership with Celestia reflects a crucial landmark in the venture toward improving the blockchain security and scalability. As included in this development, Nym will create an Unlinkable Data Availability Sampling module. This will unlink the request from the requesting party through the Nym NGM. This will prevent selective disclosure exploits targeting requesters. Hence, with the latest U-DAS module, Celestia’s network participants will get the capability to sample as well as verify the sections of the data. They can do this without lacking chain integrity.

AUTHOR

Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.

Web3 has a metadata problem, and it’s not going away

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Dash, the digital-cash network that began life as Darkcoin, has been integrated as a payment option for NymVPN. It is a move that stitches together two long-standing projects in the privacy space and gives users a way to “pay for privacy with privacy.”

The integration lets NymVPN subscribers pay using Dash, which the companies say delivers fast, low-cost and censorship-resistant transactions. NymVPN, endorsed publicly by Edward Snowden, offers a two-tier service: a “Fast” WireGuard-based 2-hop VPN for everyday browsing and streaming, and an “Anonymous” 5-hop mixnet mode designed to protect metadata from sophisticated surveillance, including AI-driven analysis.

“By integrating Dash, we’re giving our users the ability to pay for privacy with privacy,” said Joël Valenzuela, core member of Dash DAO. “This partnership bridges a crucial gap in the privacy tech stack: you can now keep your identity safe when connecting to the internet and when paying for that protection.”

Why it Matters One of the thorniest problems in online privacy is that buying privacy services often leaves a payment trail. Traditional payment rails expose names, billing addresses and other identifiers; many public blockchain payments also create transaction histories that can be analyzed or correlated. The Dash–Nym tie-up aims to close that gap by combining Dash’s optional privacy features and instant settlement with Nym’s metadata-resistant network.

“This collaboration with Dash strengthens our mission to offer  privacy across different kinds of financial transactions,” said Nym’s CEO, Harry Halpin. “With Dash payments that offer a degree of privacy beyond most cryptocurrencies, our users can access NymVPN’s metadata-resistant mixnet, further shielding their transactions from mass surveillance.”

Dash is built for speed and low fees, attributes that make it practical for subscription payments. Launched in 2014 as Darkcoin, it was among the early cryptocurrencies to pioneer protocol-level privacy options and remains one of the few privacy-capable coins listed on major exchanges. Nym’s offering, by contrast, focuses on network-level protections: its mixnet adds hops and covers traffic to obscure who is talking to whom, and, the company says, to blunt the kind of large-scale metadata analysis increasingly powered by machine learning.

Taken together, Dash handles the payment leg without revealing identifiable financial rails, while NymVPN masks the communications leg. That combination, both projects argue, creates a fuller privacy posture for users who want to avoid leaving an identifiable trail either when they connect to the internet or when they pay for the protection.

A Blueprint, Not Just a Feature Beyond the immediate convenience of a new payment option, Dash and Nym frame the integration as a broader blueprint for privacy tooling. Secure communications and private transactions are working together rather than in isolation. While payment censorship and surveillance pressures grow, the partnership points to interoperable privacy primitives as a practical defense.

The integration also marks a homecoming of sorts for Dash: a return to the currency’s privacy roots while emphasizing usability and low-cost everyday payments. These are the attributes the project says make Dash suitable both for ordinary purchases and for privacy-critical use cases.

NymVPN users will now see Dash among the available subscription payment methods. The companies highlight the attributes that make Dash attractive for this role: near-instant finality, low transaction costs, and optional privacy features that reduce the amount of traceable payment data.

NymVPN subscribers, meanwhile, can choose the mode that best fits their needs: the speedy WireGuard option for regular use, or the 5-hop mixnet for situations requiring stronger metadata protection. Overall, the Dash-Nym partnership is being pitched as a practical, consumer-facing answer: bringing together private payments and private communications into a single, seamless experience.

AUTHOR

Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.

Top AI IPOs To Watch in 2026: OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX, and More

SNT: Status v2.38: Mobile Browser, Private Notifications, New L2 Networks, and a Faster App Experience

The shares began trading at well above the expected $135 price.

SpaceX’s IPO on Thursday broke Saudi Aramco’s record by becoming the largest in history as the company raised $75 billion. Shares were expected to start trading today at $135, but they actually opened at $150 under the SPCX ticker.

More volatility ensued in the initial trading minutes, with the newly listed asset going toward $170, where it was stopped, and now sits below $160.

Nevertheless, SpaceX quickly entered the top 10 global assets by market capitalization of over $2 trillion. It sits at the 9th spot as of press time, above Broadcom’s $1.8 trillion and below TSMC’s $2.2 trillion.

The company’s public listing and official valuation into the trillions of dollars has skyrocketed Elon Musk’s paper fortune, as the Tesla CEO has also become the world’s first trillionaire.

BREAKING: Elon Musk officially becomes the world’s first trillionaire as SpaceX, $SPCX, stock begins trading. pic.twitter.com/oSmBxDYuIz

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) June 12, 2026

The spaceflight, telecommunications, and AI company, founded in 2002, sold 556 million shares yesterday at an initial price of $135 per share. Individual investors were able to request shares from five brokerages: Charles Schwab, Fidelity, SoFi, Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade, and Robinhood.

“All eligible clients who completed the affirmation process received at least a portion of their requested order,” a Charles Schwab spokesperson said to CNN.

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About the author

Jordan got into crypto in 2016 by trading and investing. He began writing about blockchain technology in 2017 and now serves as CryptoPotato's Assistant Editor-in-Chief. He has managed numerous crypto-related projects and is passionate about all things blockchain.

Key Highlights DOGE price jumped 7.6% on June 12, 2026, reaching an intraday peak of $0.091 SpaceX launched its IPO at $150 per share, driving the company’s market cap beyond $2.1 trillion Elon Musk became the first individual in history to achieve trillionaire status, lifting crypto market sentiment Bitcoin simultaneously bounced back above the $64,000 threshold Market experts remain divided on DOGE’s momentum sustainability, noting early profit-taking activity Dogecoin posted impressive gains of up to 7.6% on June 12, reaching a session high of $0.091 before retracing to approximately $0.087. The rally coincided precisely with SpaceX’s highly anticipated public market launch on U.S. exchanges.

Dogecoin (DOGE) Price SpaceX stock began trading at $150 per share, representing an 11% jump from its $135 IPO pricing. The shares subsequently surged to $176 during peak trading before stabilizing around $161. This performance elevated SpaceX’s market capitalization beyond the $2.1 trillion mark.

With his substantial equity position in the aerospace company, Elon Musk’s personal wealth surpassed $1 trillion—an unprecedented achievement that marked him as humanity’s first trillionaire.

Digital asset markets responded favorably to this development. Bitcoin reclaimed the $64,000 level following recent downward pressure, while numerous altcoins recovered portions of their previous losses during the same trading period.

Dogecoin emerged as one of the session’s top performers. The meme coin has consistently demonstrated sensitivity to Musk-related developments, reflecting his ongoing public endorsement of the cryptocurrency.

Chart Analysis Reveals Bullish Momentum Building Examining the four-hour timeframe, DOGE successfully breached a downward-sloping trendline that had restricted upward movement for more than a week. The digital asset also reclaimed territory above the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement at approximately $0.0867, a level traders are monitoring as potential short-term support.

Source: TradingView The MACD histogram has flipped to positive territory, with the MACD line crossing above its signal line. This technical configuration suggests intensifying bullish momentum following the bounce from the June 6 bottom near $0.0776.

The Supertrend indicator continues to display resistance around the $0.088 mark. Should DOGE maintain prices above this threshold, subsequent Fibonacci resistance targets emerge at $0.0896 and $0.0924.

A breakdown below current levels could push prices back toward $0.0827 or challenge the recent support zone.

Market Watchers Question Rally Durability Cryptocurrency analyst AltcoinSherpa expressed skepticism on X regarding the rally’s longevity. The analyst indicated the price action seems primarily fueled by enthusiasm surrounding Musk’s wealth achievement rather than meaningful improvements in Dogecoin’s underlying value proposition.

$DOGE: Crypto is often a game of relationships and relative comps. Elon = Doge pump, something I didn't think about (but in hindsight makes a lot of sense). Good move today but probably a better scalp opportunity vs. swing play pic.twitter.com/fOb4JIDAph

— Altcoin Sherpa (@AltcoinSherpa) June 12, 2026

Additional market commentators highlighted another potential headwind. Galaxy Digital recently issued a forecast suggesting Bitcoin might decline to approximately $30,000 before establishing a sustainable bottom. Such a significant downturn would almost certainly create downward pressure on speculative cryptocurrencies including DOGE.

At the time of writing, DOGE was changing hands near $0.087, having surrendered some of its daily advance. The token’s inability to maintain its $0.091 intraday peak indicates profit-taking among traders as initial enthusiasm moderated.

Investors increasingly appear to be willing to prioritize growth opportunities over defensive positioning.

Bitcoin (BTC) and gold are the only two major asset classes in the red so far in 2026, posting year-to-date losses of 27% and 3%, respectively, according to market analyst Charlie Bilello.

What makes it unusual is not just the losses themselves but the combination, with both assets never having finished as the two worst performers among the majors in a calendar year, going back to 2011.

Rotation Showing Up Across Markets The backdrop makes the situation harder to explain, as Bilello pointed out in a recent market report. Data he shared showed the S&P 500 was up around 9% on the year, and small-cap stocks had gained 19% in the same period. Furthermore, he noted that value stocks have jumped 15%, and emerging market equities were outperforming expectations.

Basically, everything is in positive territory except for gold and BTC, the two assets most commonly associated with protection against uncertain times as well as monetary debasement.

The analyst’s chart, which has tracked annual returns for the last 15 years, showed just how out of character this performance is for both assets. Gold posted gains of 63.7% in 2025 and 26.7% in 2024, while Bitcoin returned 121% in 2024 and had one of its best showings in 2013 when total returns hit 5,500%.

Looking at the long-run numbers, they’re also quite impressive, with BTC’s cumulative returns since 2011 sitting at 21,000,000%, annualized at 121.6%, while gold has returned 179% in total over the same period. And while the current drawdown doesn’t erase that history, it’s certainly raising questions about what role these assets are playing in 2026.

According to Bilello, part of what’s happening is down to rotation, with the tech sector seeing a 28% outperformance vs. the S&P 500 off the March lows, which he says is the largest such move ever recorded, being even bigger than the 1999-2000 dot-com run.

You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $62K, Ethereum (ETH) Plunges 6% Daily: Market Watch Saylor Should Stop Buying Bitcoin, Says CryptoQuant Bitcoin Holds Key Price Floor Despite Weak Bullish Signals: Bitfinex Alpha Tech now accounts for close to 40% of the S&P 500, some way above the 35% peak seen at the height of the dot-com bubble, and in such an environment, the market observer says capital has opted to move to assets with earnings momentum rather than staying on stores of value with little to no yield.

Price Action in Gold and BTC At the time of writing, the world’s foremost cryptocurrency was trading above $66,000, having touched $67,000 for the first time in two weeks earlier in the day. That uptick followed news that the United States and Iran were due to sign a peace deal later in the week in Switzerland, which briefly lifted sentiment across risk assets.

Gold, meanwhile, is trading around $4,300 per troy ounce, with a weekly range between $4,025 and $4,340, and a 3% year-to-date dip that looks modest when compared to the cryptocurrency’s, even though it still represents an unusual reversal for an asset that spent much of the last two years at or near record highs.

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SEC’s Atkins Launches “Make IPOs Great Again” With 2 New Rules

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Quick Answer: XRP is trading at $1.17 on June 18, 2026, down 2.52% as the post-FOMC selloff continues. The defining XRP news this week is legislative: the CLARITY Act cleared the Senate Banking Committee 15-9 in May and has been placed on the Senate floor legislative calendar on June 1 — meaning a full Senate vote can happen at any time. Polymarket prices 2026 passage at 72%. If the bill passes before the July 4 target set by the White House, XRP’s digital commodity status becomes permanent federal law — a classification that no future administration can reverse with a memo. Standard Chartered and JPMorgan both project $4–8 billion in XRP ETF inflows under that scenario, three to six times the $1.44 billion accumulated to date. XRP exchange reserves have fallen to a 7-year low of 1.6 billion tokens. Whale wallets holding 10M+ XRP now control 68.5% of circulating supply — the highest concentration since May 2018.

Key Takeaways

CLARITY Act is on the Senate floor legislative calendar — a full Senate vote can now happen at any time, with the White House targeting July 4 signing The bill cleared Senate Banking Committee 15-9 in May, with all 13 Republicans voting yes after Sen. John Kennedy committed his support — the bipartisan vote was cleaner than feared XRP exchange reserves at a 7-year low of 1.6 billion tokens — 50% below the October 2025 peak of 3.76 billion, compressing available sell-side liquidity to multi-year lows RLUSD reached $1.7B market cap, ranking as the 8th-largest stablecoin globally — Mastercard added RLUSD to its 24/7 settlement network on June 3; Ripple is pursuing a Federal Reserve master account Post-FOMC pressure is the dominant short-term headwind: hawkish dot plot (9 Fed members projecting hike) outweighs XRP-specific positives in the near term — but the structural setup has rarely been this clean XRP Price Today: $1.17, Absorbing FOMC Hawkishness XRP is at $1.17 on June 18, down 2.52% with a market cap of $73.02 billion and 24-hour volume of $1.91 billion — up 14%. Of the 100 billion maximum supply, 62.05 billion circulate across 535,830 holders. Fully diluted valuation is $117.68 billion.

Today’s move is entirely macro-driven. Yesterday’s FOMC dot plot — 9 of 18 members projecting a rate hike by year-end, PCE revised to 3.6% — reset rate expectations across all risk assets. XRP is not immune to that. But what separates XRP from most assets in the current environment is the independence of its primary catalyst: the CLARITY Act moves on legislative, not monetary, logic.

The SEC case against Ripple concluded in August 2025 with a joint dismissal of appeals, confirming XRP is not a security when sold on public exchanges. Ripple paid a reduced $50 million penalty with $75 million returned as part of the settlement. Both the SEC and CFTC currently view XRP as a digital commodity, but that classification has not been written into law. An executive agency classification can be reversed by the next administration with a memo. A statute cannot. The CLARITY Act changes that permanently.

Key levels:

Resistance: $1.20 (psychological), then $1.28–$1.30 (June 15 high) Support: $1.10 (critical), then $1.00 (psychological floor) The CLARITY Act: Where It Stands Right Now The CLARITY Act was officially added to the Senate legislative calendar on June 1, after clearing the Senate Banking Committee. The next step is a full Senate vote, after which it will be sent to President Trump for signing.

The CLARITY Act passed the House 294 to 134 and cleared the Senate Banking Committee 15 to 9. The Senate floor vote is the decisive gate. The bill needs 60 votes to clear the filibuster — meaning at least 7 Democrats must cross over. The committee vote passed 15-9 with some bipartisan support, which is the baseline Democrats need to replicate on the floor.

Why 60 votes matters: The Senate has 53 Republicans. A 60-vote threshold requires 7 Democrats. The senators to watch are Warner and Cortez Masto — those votes are the hardest part of getting to 60. The Reed stablecoin amendment that nearly derailed the committee markup was defeated, keeping the bipartisan compromise language intact — a positive signal for floor vote prospects.

Prediction markets have priced 2026 signing odds around 72%. The White House has set a July 4 signing target. Senate floor time between now and July 4 is limited — the bill needs to be scheduled and voted before the Independence Day recess.

What passage does for XRP specifically: A clear commodity classification removes listing hesitancy. Exchanges that stayed cautious during the legal fight could deepen XRP support, tightening spreads and improving liquidity. Institutions need regulatory certainty before allocating. Clear rules strengthen the case for more XRP ETF products and larger inflows, building on the spot ETFs already live.

The Supply Story: Exchange Reserves at 7-Year Lows XRP exchange reserves fell to a 7-year low of 1.6 billion tokens this year, a 50% drop from October 2025’s 3.76 billion peak, compressing sell-side liquidity to multi-year lows.

This is one of the most consequential structural developments for XRP’s price setup. When exchange reserves fall this sharply, the coins leaving exchanges are going to private custody — not being sold. The implication: the supply available for large sell orders on exchanges is structurally thinner than at any point in seven years.

The number of wallets holding 10,000 or more XRP has hit an all-time high of 332,230. The millionaire tier — wallets holding over one million XRP — added 42 new addresses since January and accumulated 1.2 billion tokens in Q1 alone, the heaviest quarterly accumulation since 2023. Mega whale wallets holding 10 million or more XRP now control approximately 45.83 billion tokens, representing 68.5% of circulating supply — the highest concentration since May 2018.

The mechanism: when 68.5% of supply is controlled by conviction holders who are actively accumulating, and exchange reserves are at 7-year lows, even moderate institutional buying pressure produces outsized price moves. The float is thin. The buyers are patient. The catalyst — CLARITY Act — is binary and approaching.

RLUSD and ODL: The Utility Case Strengthening Independently While the CLARITY Act is the legislative catalyst, Ripple’s on-chain infrastructure has been strengthening independently in June 2026.

RLUSD has grown to approximately $1.7 billion in market cap, ranking as the eighth-largest stablecoin globally and live across more than 40 networks. On June 3, Mastercard added RLUSD to its 24/7 on-chain settlement network alongside USDC and PYUSD.

Ripple is also pursuing a Federal Reserve master account, a process currently paused until end of 2026. A Fed master account would allow Ripple to settle transactions directly with the Federal Reserve’s payment system — removing commercial bank intermediaries and dramatically reducing the cost of ODL corridor transactions. It is potentially the most significant operational milestone in Ripple’s history, but it is a 2027 story at the earliest.

Ripple, JPMorgan, Mastercard, and Ondo Finance completed a live cross-border tokenized US Treasury settlement on the XRP Ledger that finalized in under five seconds. This is not speculative — it is a completed transaction by the largest financial institutions in the world, settling real assets on Ripple’s infrastructure. The XRPL’s real-world asset capabilities are being validated in production, not just theory.

Price Scenarios: What CLARITY Act Means in Dollar Terms From around $1.17 where XRP trades now, the key scenarios are: a failed Senate vote points back toward the $0.80–$1.00 range; passage near the recess supports a re-rating to $1.60–$2.20; and passage plus renewed ETF inflows and a softer Fed opens up the $2.50–$3.50 price range.

Standard Chartered projected $4 billion to $8 billion in cumulative XRP ETF inflows by year-end if the bill passes. With flows of such volume, XRP would most likely break the current resistance, retest its 200-day moving average at $1.80, and have the runway to push toward higher targets like $3–5 by late 2026.

The bear case: If Tim Scott doesn’t schedule the markup before Memorial Day recess on May 21, or if the markup happens but Republicans can’t unify the committee vote, the bill will most likely be shelved until 2030. That deadline has now passed — the committee vote cleared 15-9. The next hard deadline is the July 4 recess. If the Senate floor vote does not happen before July 4, the next viable legislative window is after the November 2026 midterms.

For context on the current macro environment affecting all crypto assets, see our daily market update for June 18.

ETF Flows: $1.44 Billion, UBS and Bank of America Positioned US spot XRP ETFs have accumulated $1.44 billion in cumulative net inflows since their November 2025 launch across seven products. May 2026 was the strongest single month with $132 million. UBS and Bank of America took first-time XRP ETF stakes in May — the first tier-1 global banks to allocate directly to XRP products. Goldman Sachs allocated $154 million in Q1 2026.

Some of that CLARITY Act move may already be in the price, because the market has watched this bill advance for months. So the real question is not whether clarity helps XRP, but how much of the waiting money actually moves once the bill is law, and how much already has.

The honest assessment: the ETF bid is real and growing. The question of how much is already priced is legitimate. What is not priced is the pension fund and sovereign wealth fund allocation tier — those institutional buyers legally cannot allocate under agency guidance. They need a statute. The CLARITY Act is that statute.

Track real-time XRP ETF flows at SoSoValue.

Where to Buy XRP Binance — world’s largest exchange by volume, deep XRP/USDT liquidity, RLUSD trading pairs available.

Coinbase — US-regulated, XRP available for spot purchase with insured custody.

Kraken — established 2011, competitive XRP fees and strong security record.

KuCoin — wide XRP trading pairs, access to XRP ecosystem tokens.

Gate.io — RLUSD listed here alongside XRP, natural venue for XRP/RLUSD strategies.

OKX — advanced XRP derivatives, competitive funding rates.

This article does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile. Always conduct independent research before making investment decisions.

Table of contents

Gram Network ($GRM) has recently issued a clarification concerning the connection it has with the TON network. In this respect, Gram Network has addressed the recent discussions as well as speculation spread across the Web3 community. As per Gram Network’s official social media announcement, it has never claimed to be developed by, backed by, or have a partnership with the TON Foundation, Dogs, or Notcoin. Additionally, the platform has stressed it serves as an autonomous project developing its network on top of the TON blockchain because of the ecosystem’s advanced technology and scalability.

Draft Announcement GRM!

​Official Clarification Regarding Our Network & TON Ecosystem

​We want to address a recent discussion within the Web3 community regarding our project's relationship with the TON Foundation.

​To be absolutely clear: We have never claimed to be partnered…

— Gram Network (@GRMNetwork_M) June 20, 2026 Gram Network Denies TON Foundation Partnership, Stresses Autonomous Development In its declaration, Gram Network has attempted to eliminate the confusion surrounding the platform’s status in the expanding TON network. In addition to the clarification, it has also cautioned consumers about the growing scam attempts that focus on the $GRM community participants. Thus, the platform declared that its decision to go live on the TON blockchain is not a reflection of any formal collaboration or support from any well-known projects like TON Foundation.

The platform also mentioned that its approach to the TON network is that of an autonomous developer with a clear commitment to establishing its ecosystem responsibly. This clarification comes at a time when Web3 consumers are engaging in different discussions, especially in the areas where the project has become attractive, taking into account Nigeria and Africa. Gram Network pointed out that the purpose of this declaration is to prevent misconceptions regarding its affiliations and guarantee transparency.

At the same time, Gram Network also admitted the endeavors of TON network builders and several key opinion leaders (KOLs) who collaborate to enhance security and community awareness. Additionally, the platform elaborated that its technical connection with TON builds on the deployment of its network as well as its token on the blockchain framework.

Warning Against Fake Airdrops, Account Cloning, and Fraudulent $GRM Channels According to Gram Network, along with addressing network-related apprehensions, it has released a security alert, warning its community participants. It cautions consumers about scammers who attempt to exploit $GRM’s popularity by developing fake channels, misleading airdrop links, and clone accounts. Overall, the Gram Network’s team reiterated being committed to establishing a transparent network while promoting consumers to stay cautious against false activities.

AUTHOR

Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.

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PANews reported on March 26 that Alchemy Pay announced the completion of its Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Type 1 license upgrade with licensed institution HTF Securities, adding virtual asset trading services for professional and retail investors. The Type 4 license upgrade has already been completed, and the Type 9 license upgrade is still underway. The company stated that this move will strengthen its expansion strategy in Hong Kong for fiat currency deposits and withdrawals, stablecoins, and digital assets.

Apertum Wants to Turn Web3 Usage Into Something More Practical

ACH: Alchemy Pay | April Update 2026

Key Highlights Table of Contents

Key HighlightsMastercard Stock Maintains Momentum Despite Pre-Market DipAlchemy Pay Enters Mastercard’s Crypto Partnership InitiativeCryptocurrency Payment Expansion Generates Industry InterestGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Mastercard stock attracts investor interest following Alchemy Pay’s program enrollment.

The collaboration bolsters Mastercard’s initiatives in cryptocurrency payment solutions.

Digital asset integration expands as Alchemy Pay becomes a Mastercard crypto partner.

Partnership aims to facilitate practical cryptocurrency transactions in everyday commerce.

Mastercard’s digital currency roadmap receives renewed market attention from announcement.

Shares of Mastercard experienced upward movement following the announcement that Alchemy Pay has become part of its Crypto Partner Program, drawing increased focus toward digital payment innovation. This collaboration bridges one of the world’s leading payment processors with a cryptocurrency payment solution provider. Despite closing positively, Mastercard stock showed slight pre-market softness.

Mastercard Stock Maintains Momentum Despite Pre-Market Dip Mastercard (MA) concluded trading at $499.81, registering a 0.40% increase following a session marked by fluctuations. Nevertheless, pre-market activity saw shares retreat to $497.40, representing a 0.51% decline. This minor pullback reflected some caution ahead of the upcoming trading day.

Mastercard Incorporated, MA

Market participants responded to the cryptocurrency payment announcement, which generated increased attention. Mastercard has been actively developing relationships with digital asset companies. Consequently, the Alchemy Pay integration represents another strategic step in its payment technology evolution.

Mastercard stands among the world’s most extensive payment networks measured by transaction volume. The organization facilitates connections between financial institutions, retailers, technology companies, and payment processors. As such, its cryptocurrency collaborations frequently generate significant interest throughout digital finance sectors.

Alchemy Pay Enters Mastercard’s Crypto Partnership Initiative Alchemy Pay has officially become a member of Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program in pursuit of enhanced payment infrastructure capabilities. The platform functions as a bridge between traditional currencies and cryptocurrencies. Its technology enables individuals and enterprises to integrate digital currencies with conventional payment frameworks.

This alliance provides Alchemy Pay with greater connectivity to Mastercard’s extensive payment network. It simultaneously advances efforts to enhance cryptocurrency payment viability. Furthermore, this development illustrates the increasing convergence between conventional financial systems and blockchain-enabled payment technologies.

According to Alchemy Pay, the collaboration advances practical digital currency applications for international trade. The organization intends to pursue deeper integration through targeted Mastercard ecosystem programs. Complete implementation details, however, remain forthcoming.

Cryptocurrency Payment Expansion Generates Industry Interest This partnership emerges during a period when payment companies are actively investigating practical cryptocurrency applications. Digital currencies are increasingly transitioning from speculative trading instruments to viable payment methods, settlement tools, and international transfer solutions. Payment gateway providers are consequently pursuing stronger connections with established financial infrastructure.

Mastercard has established collaborations with numerous cryptocurrency and financial technology companies over recent years. These initiatives focus on regulatory compliance, payment accessibility, and scalable digital asset offerings. Additionally, they enable payment providers to experiment with blockchain technology within supervised financial frameworks.

Alchemy Pay’s participation in the program reinforces its standing within the cryptocurrency payment sector. It simultaneously provides Mastercard with another partner specializing in digital asset transaction processing. The announcement therefore generated increased discussion surrounding Mastercard stock and its cryptocurrency payment initiatives.

ACH: Alchemy Pay Secures Currency Transmitter License in Rhode Island