Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

A memecoin launchpad that didn’t exist two years ago just out-traded every decentralized exchange on the planet. Pump.fun, operating through its integrated DEX called PumpSwap, recorded approximately $1.769 billion in 24-hour trading volume, placing it ahead of Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and every other competitor across all chains.

How a memecoin machine became a trading giant Pump.fun launched on January 19, 2024, with a straightforward pitch: let anyone create and trade memecoins without needing to seed liquidity pools upfront. That low barrier to entry turned it into the dominant launchpad for Solana’s memecoin economy almost immediately.

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The real strategic move came in March 2025, when the platform introduced PumpSwap, its own built-in DEX. Instead of sending users to Raydium or other external exchanges once tokens graduated from the bonding curve, Pump.fun kept the trading activity in-house.

That decision is now paying off in spectacular fashion. The ~$1.769 billion daily volume isn’t even the platform’s all-time high. Back in early January 2026, Pump.fun hit a $2.03 billion single-day volume, suggesting this isn’t a one-off spike but a sustained pattern of massive trading activity.

The revenue engine behind the volume By mid-March 2026, the platform’s cumulative revenue crossed the $1 billion mark. In the 30 days leading up to its record volume event, Pump.fun generated approximately $39 million in revenue, with daily revenue running around $1.13 million.

A significant piece of Pump.fun’s economic model is its aggressive buyback program for the native $PUMP token. The platform spent roughly $332 million, equivalent to about 2.328 million SOL, buying back more than 106 billion $PUMP tokens. That effort reduced the circulating supply by approximately 30%.

The $PUMP token itself launched through a public sale from July 12-15, 2025, priced at $0.004 per token.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Litecoin's first smart contract layer takes shapeLitecoin ($LTC) has spent 14 years doing one thing well: fast, cheap payments. That scope is now expanding. @LitecoinVM, an EVM-compatible zero-knowledge rollup, is building a Layer 2 that brings smart contracts, DeFi, and real-world asset tokenization to Litecoin without touching its base layer.

LitVM is an EVM-compatible, zero-knowledge Layer 2 rollup designed to bring smart contracts and DeFi to Litecoin without altering its base layer. It operates as a Layer 2 rollup that posts proofs to Litecoin's existing blockchain, requiring no hard fork, soft fork, or consensus change. The network is built on a modular stack comprising Arbitrum Orbit, Espresso's decentralized sequencing, Succinct's SP1 zkVM for zero-knowledge validity proofs, and BitcoinOS' Grail Bridge for trustless LTC bridging.

The network's native gas token is zkLTC, Litecoin trustlessly bridged to LitVM, meaning every transaction on the network is powered by $LTC rather than a speculative token. The testnet, known as LiteForge, launched in April 2026 and has already processed over 75 million transactions. If mainnet fees remain in a similar range to testnet levels, LitVM would be competitive with the cheapest Layer 2s on Ethereum.

Institutional backing and a mainnet timeline LitVM is backed by Litecoin creator Charlie Lee, who has joined as an adviser and investor, with support from the Litecoin Foundation. On the institutional side, Lite Strategy, Inc. (Nasdaq: LITS), the first U.S. public company to adopt Litecoin as its primary treasury reserve asset, announced the closing of a $1.0 million lead strategic investment in ZK Innovations Inc., the developer of LitVM. The deal was structured as a SAFE at a $50 million post-money cap and includes a token warrant for up to 2% of LitVM's supply at launch, plus governance rights and a Strategic Advisory Committee seat.

Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin and a member of Lite Strategy's board, said the programmable layer could open the door to new applications while preserving Litecoin's security and decentralization. The mainnet launch is pending the completion of multiple independent security audits and is expected later in 2026. If LitVM delivers, Litecoin's long-established reputation for reliability could become the foundation for a broader Web3 ecosystem, rather than just a payments rail.

Sources
Lite Strategy press release via Manila Times: $1M investment in LitVM
The Crypto Times: LiteForge testnet launch and early transaction data
CoinMarketCap: LitVM joins CMC Labs accelerator

@Cardano's RealFi Phase 1 testnet goes live on July 6, opening the first public testing window for what founder @IOHK_Charles has called the largest upgrade in the network's history. The project aims to bridge decentralized finance with the real-world economy by putting idle on-chain liquidity to work in lending and credit markets. Hoskinson says RealFi is moving from the concept stage to actual implementation, with mainnet deployment expected to follow the testnet shortly after.

What RealFi Is Trying to Solve The core argument behind the initiative is direct: stablecoins have scaled as money but not as capital, leaving hundreds of billions of dollars sitting idle with no utility and no impact on the real economy. RealFi is @realfi_co's answer to that problem, with the testnet designed to let users stress-test the protocol's core features before a mainnet rollout. During Phase 1, participants can explore the platform, use its core features, and share feedback that will directly shape the protocol, framing the process as collaborative infrastructure-building in public.

Founder Charles Hoskinson called it "the largest upgrade" in the project's history, with the ambition of transforming hundreds of billions in idle stablecoins into productive capital for real-world economic impact. The broader RealFi vision extends beyond DeFi-native users. The milestone represents a significant step toward Cardano's long-standing mission of bringing financial services to unbanked populations while connecting blockchain liquidity with real-world economic activity.

A Busier Technical Calendar for $ADA The RealFi testnet is not the only upgrade on Cardano's near-term roadmap. Concurrently, the Protocol Version 11 (van Rossem) hard fork, for which major exchanges including Binance and Coinbase are already prepared, promises cheaper smart contracts and ZK-ready cryptography. Hoskinson has reiterated that Cardano's long-term fundamentals remain intact, pointing to continued progress across RealFi, the Midnight privacy chain, and Bitcoin DeFi as evidence that the ecosystem is expanding despite temporary setbacks.

For now, attention is on July 6. The Phase 1 testnet is open to the public, with @realfi_co inviting users to test core features and shape the protocol ahead of a mainnet launch that Hoskinson says is not far behind.

Sources:
The Crypto Basic: Hoskinson Says Largest Upgrade in Cardano History Is Imminent
CryptoPotato: Why Is Cardano (ADA) Up 15% in a Week?
DigitalToday: Cardano Nears Biggest Upgrade, Hoskinson Says ADA Fundamentals Solid

Cardano’s [ADA] treasury has become a central mechanism in developing the ADA ecosystem and funding long-term development. As governance expands in the Voltaire era, there is a need to evaluate if current spending limits are adequate. Therefore, Cardano has proposed to increase the Net Change Limit (NCL).

If the NCL increases from 350 million ADA to 500 million ADA, this represents a 43% increase in the treasury’s ability to fund infrastructure, DeFi, and the ecosystem projects.

Source: X The treasury currently contains approximately 1.47 billion ADA, with only approximately 68 million ADA withdrawn to date. This indicates that funding capability consistently exceeds usage.

While these numbers provide insight into the potential size of the treasury, they also highlight the importance of governance. Currently, DRep voting represents over 5 billion ADA. However, proposal ratification is averaging around 56%.

Looking ahead, stronger oversight and efficient capital deployment will determine whether the higher limit accelerates growth or reduces fiscal discipline.

On-chain activity begins to validate the outlook Whether that additional treasury flexibility translates into long-term growth now depends on how the broader Cardano ecosystem responds. Since the 23rd of June bottom, the network has added 14,783 non-empty wallets, reversing the previous slowdown in holder growth.

This represents a reversal of the earlier slowing rate of addition of new holders. Notably, ADA simultaneously recovered to about $0.20, rebounding 35% from its late‑June low. Such a recovery supports the idea that there is increasing participation and less speculation at this time.

Source: Santiment Notably, the continued increase in the number of wallets indicates users are continuing to enter or rebuild their positions even during the current volatile market conditions. This change occurred while the overall ecosystem was experiencing an unusually high level of uncertainty over several weeks.

Sustained growth in the number of holders, combined with a definitive recapture of $0.20, will further support the notion that recent capitulation has shifted to a larger-scale accumulation phase.

Taken together, Cardano requires efficient treasury execution and growing network participation to sustain its emerging recovery.

Final Summary Cardano could strengthen ecosystem growth if higher treasury funding is matched by disciplined governance and efficient capital allocation. ADA wallet growth and a price recovery toward $0.20 suggest confidence is gradually returning across the network.

There are plenty of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks grabbing investors' attention these days, and many of them are semiconductor designers and manufacturers. But while the AI data center boom is driving many chip stocks higher, there are other ways to play the artificial intelligence supercycle.

Arista Networks (ANET 3.78%) is a prime example. The company's networking equipment and software help the biggest tech companies run their AI data centers -- and it could benefit from infrastructure spending for years to come.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why Arista stands out in the AI crowd Arista Networks sells data center networking hardware and software that enables tech companies to manage their data center systems. That's become a very good business to be in, considering that the largest technology players are spending an estimated $750 billion on AI infrastructure this year alone.

While Arista has most of its business tied to a handful of large companies -- including Microsoft and Meta -- it's somewhat protected from this concentration. Once a company begins using Arista's hardware and software, it becomes difficult to switch. AI data center systems are complex and costly, and hardware and software upgrades are expensive.

What's more, most of its customers don't want to switch, with independent data showing that 94% of them are strongly positive about Arista.

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Arista is in great financial shape Arista reported its first-quarter 2026 results in May, and investors were initially disappointed by the management's gross margin guidance of between 62% to 64% for 2026. Arista's gross margins for 2025 were 64.1%, but investors were hoping they would expand further.

The slight margin decline comes as memory prices have skyrocketed over the past few years due to a supply shortage driven by AI data centers. Arista uses memory in its hardware systems, so it's feeling the pricing pressure too. It's worth noting that this isn't an Arista-specific issue. Apple just raised prices on many of its devices due to rising memory costs.

The bigger picture -- and what potential investors should focus on -- is how Arista is benefiting from surging AI data center demand. The company's sales jumped 35% to $2.7 billion in the first quarter, and non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share rose nearly 32% to $0.87.

What's more, Arista has no debt, it generated $1.64 billion in free cash flow in the first quarter, and management expects sales to rise 28% in 2026 to $11.5 billion.

In short, Arista is in great financial shape and continues to benefit from a rapidly expanding AI market.

If there's one concern for potential buyers of Arista Networks, it's that its stock currently has a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 56, above the tech sector average of about 41.

But with strong sales and earnings growth, high gross margins, and strong free cash flow, there's little to worry about with Arista.

Chris Neiger has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Arista Networks, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

E.l.f. Beauty (ELF 2.96%) stock soared 32% in June, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Since it has high exposure to tariffs, it's benefiting from tariff refunds. It also announced a new product line that opens up its addressable market.

Not your grandmother's makeup E.l.f. has disrupted the traditional mass-market cosmetics industry with its faux-luxury products that are eco-friendly and a marketing strategy that's social-media literate. It's growing quickly, and it has already displaced some legacy products as the no. 1 product in several categories.

In the 2026 fiscal fourth quarter (ended March 31), sales increased 35% year over year to $449 million. However, Investors have been worried about its high exposure to tariffs, which have been weighing heavily on its margins. The tariff rate in fiscal 2026 was 55%, more than double the previous year. Gross margin increased 1.3 percentage points in the fourth quarter to 73%, but it came from price hikes, which it's had to implement to offset the negative impact of tariffs. However, the company is working on getting a $58.5 million refund.

Image source: Getty Images.

Otherwise, much is going right. The company changed its growth strategy last year when it acquired the luxury brand Rhode, founded by model Hailey Bieber. The cult favorite has been a massive hit, and it adds new growth potential for e.l.f.

In June, it also announced that it's entering the hair care category, with a six-product line. A pilot run received 96% positive sentiment on social media channels, and 65% of buyers were new to e.l.f.

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There's a good chance that this effort will capture market share. E.l.f.'s makeup line gained 9.2 percentage points in dollar share rank over the past seven years, the most of any brand by far, according to Nielsen, and its skincare line went from no. 25 in 2021 to no. 11 in 2026.

Is the market loving e.l.f. again? Even with this increase, e.l.f. stock is about flat year to date and 65% off its all-time high. It trades at a P/E ratio of 171, but that's misleading, since the net loss accounted for the Rhode acquisition. It trades at only 20 times forward, 1-year earnings.

Patient investors who have a long-term horizon can feel comfortable starting a position in e.l.f. stock right now. As it keeps growing and launching new products, it should reward investors over time.

The wallet associated with the Step Finance attack has become active again after approximately five months of inactivity.

According to on-chain data, the attacker sold all of their 261,933 SOL, generating approximately $21.4 million. They then bridged these funds to the Ethereum network, purchased 12,128 ETH, and deposited the assets into the privacy protocol Tornado Cash.

This transaction is considered a classic money laundering tactic aimed at covering up the trail of funds obtained from the attack. On the SOL side, it is stated that the $21.4 million in selling pressure was absorbed by the market and the potential risk of a sell-off for Solana investors has been eliminated.

However, the most noteworthy point was the transfer of funds to the Ethereum network and their conversion to Tornado Cash. This move is expected to make tracking the assets more difficult.

In late January 2026, Step Finance suffered a devastating security breach when hackers gained access to the platform’s treasury and fee wallets by taking over administrative devices. The attackers withdrew approximately 261,854 SOL, initially worth between $27 and $30 million, causing the value of the STEP token to drop by over 80%.

*This is not investment advice.

Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!

A year ago, Alphabet (GOOG 0.48%)(GOOGL 0.23%) traded under $180 per share and carried a market value less than half of today's. As of this writing, the stock sits at about $360 -- a clean double in 12 months, achieved by a company that was already one of the largest in the world when the run began.

A move like that leaves two groups of investors uneasy: those who own the stock and wonder whether to take profits, and those who don't and wonder whether they missed it. With shares about 12% below their 52-week high after an early July wobble in artificial intelligence (AI) trades, the question is worth asking properly. Is it too late to buy?

Image source: Getty Images.

It's not just the stock that's soaring The important thing about Alphabet's run is that it wasn't only the stock that soared. The earnings power underneath it transformed, too.

In the first quarter of 2026, Alphabet's revenue rose 22% year over year to $109.9 billion -- the company's 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Profits came with one caveat: earnings per share soared 82%, but a large slice of that jump reflected unrealized investment gains rather than operations. The cleaner signal was operating income, which rose 30% as operating margin expanded 2 percentage points to 36.1%.

The main engine behind the stock's run, however, is Google Cloud.

"Google Cloud revenues grew 63% with backlog nearly doubling quarter on quarter to over $460 billion," said CEO Sundar Pichai in the company's first-quarter earnings release.

A backlog isn't guaranteed revenue, and converting it will take years. But it gives Alphabet's growth a visibility few businesses this size can claim -- customers have effectively reserved hundreds of billions of dollars of cloud computing and AI infrastructure work in advance.

The quarter also showed a strong consumer business. Alphabet said paid subscriptions, led by YouTube and Google One, have reached 350 million -- and management called it the company's strongest quarter ever for its consumer AI plans.

And the core business has seen impressive momentum, too. Google Search and other revenue grew 19% last quarter, quieting the fear that hung over the stock through 2025 -- that AI chatbots would erode search advertising. So far, the opposite appears true, with search usage climbing alongside the new AI features.

Is there still room? A doubled stock naturally raises the suspicion that the price ran ahead of the business. The numbers, however, suggest something more balanced is happening. At about 26 times forward earnings, Alphabet trades near the valuation multiples many slower-growing defensive names command -- while compounding revenue at a 20%-plus rate. That isn't cheap in absolute terms, because nothing growing this fast is. But it's far from the valuations attached to the market's more speculative AI names.

Still, buyers today should keep three risks in view.

First, the growth requires staggering investment. Alphabet has lifted its planned 2026 capital spending to as much as $190 billion, and management expects the figure to rise significantly again in 2027. Returns on that capital could take years to prove out.

Second, the bar is high. After cloud revenue accelerated significantly in Q1 to an impressive 63% year-over-year rate, investors will likely expect further acceleration throughout the year. And the same cloud backlog that gives investors visibility also means they have high expectations.

Third, a stock that doubles in a year can retrace sharply on sentiment alone. Alphabet's own 12% slide from its high in recent weeks is a mild preview of what a broader AI-spending scare could do.

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So, is it too late?

I don't think so -- with an adjustment to expectations. The next double will almost certainly take far longer than 12 months, because the market has already repriced Alphabet from doubted search company to AI infrastructure leader. What remains is the slower, steadier compounding of a dominant business still growing faster than almost anything else its size.

For investors who watched the run from the sidelines, Alphabet, at 26 times forward earnings with accelerating growth, arguably beats most defensive names trading at similar multiples with single-digit growth. Starting a position here and building it gradually -- in case the AI trade's summer volatility offers better prices -- still looks reasonable for a long-term portfolio. The stock's rerating is likely over. But the compounding probably isn't.

ServiceNow (NOW +0.23%) has made a solid comeback of late, despite the ongoing pessimism in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry.

The company recently delivered strong results, investors have embraced its growing portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI) products, and many now see ServiceNow as a potential winner in the next phase of enterprise AI.

The bullish argument is straightforward. As businesses deploy more AI agents, they will need a way to manage, monitor, and coordinate all the work those systems create. ServiceNow hopes to become the platform that handles those workflows.

It is an appealing vision. But before investors buy into that story, they should consider one important question: Will AI create more workflows than it eliminates? The answer could have a major impact on ServiceNow's long-term prospects.

Image source: Getty Images.

The traditional software model may be changing Historically, businesses purchased software to help employees perform specific tasks.

A company might use one application for customer support, another for human resources, and another for approving expenses or managing inventory. ServiceNow built a highly successful business by enabling systems to communicate with one another through automated workflows.

The model worked because software applications often work independently. Someone needed to coordinate information between departments and systems.

But artificial intelligence may change how employees interact with software altogether. Instead of opening multiple applications and following predefined workflows, employees may increasingly rely on AI assistants that can perform tasks on their behalf.

Consider a simple example. Today, a new employee joining a company might trigger a series of workflows. A manager submits a request; IT prepares a laptop; human resources creates employee records; security grants system access; and finance updates payroll information.

Tomorrow, a manager may simply tell an AI assistant: "Prepare everything for our new employee starting next Monday." The AI could automate much of the process behind the scenes, coordinating tasks across multiple systems with little direct human involvement.

If that happens on a large scale, businesses may require fewer traditional workflows than investors currently expect. For a company that relies on managing the ever-more-complicated workflow for its customers, that is a risk it cannot ignore.

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ServiceNow believes it is part of the solution To be fair, ServiceNow's management sees the future very differently.

The company argues that AI agents will still require governance, security controls, approvals, compliance checks, and monitoring. In other words, even if AI handles more work, organizations will still need a system to determine what actions AI agents can take and how those actions are tracked.

That is the opportunity ServiceNow is pursuing. The company is investing heavily in becoming an AI-native business, embedding AI into every product, feature, and interaction on its platform. It also aims to become the AI Control Tower, helping customers manage ever more complex AI-driven workflows.

So far, customers appear receptive to that strategy, which explains the company's ongoing revenue growth -- up 22% year over year in the first quarter of 2026. Particularly, its Now Assist (AI service) customers spending over $1 million in annual contracts grew 130% year-over-year in the same period.

In short, the company's growth remains strong, suggesting that AI is currently acting as a tailwind rather than a threat.

Investors should watch one key question The debate on whether AI is an enabler or destroyer of ServiceNow's business model ultimately comes down to the same question: Will AI generate more workflows than it eliminates?

If the answer is yes, ServiceNow could emerge even stronger than it is today. Every AI agent would create actions, approvals, decisions, and processes that require oversight. ServiceNow's platform could become increasingly valuable as organizations deploy thousands of AI-powered workers.

However, if AI eventually becomes capable of managing many of those processes independently, the long-term opportunity may prove smaller than investors expect. And that's what investors should recognize: the biggest risk facing ServiceNow isn't a recession, competition, or slowing demand.

It's the possibility that AI changes enterprise software in ways that are difficult to predict today.

What does it mean for investors? ServiceNow has built one of the highest-quality software businesses in the market. Its recurring revenue, high switching costs, and expanding product portfolio have created tremendous value for shareholders over time.

The company's next chapter may be even larger if it succeeds in becoming the control center for enterprise AI.

But that future is not guaranteed. If AI gradually reduces the number of workflows within organizations, it may shrink ServiceNow's addressable market.

And that's the biggest risk that investors should watch closely in the coming years.

PANews news, July 5 — Token Unlocks data shows that tokens including PUMP, HYPE, APT and others will see large unlocks next week, specifically:

Pump.fun (PUMP) will unlock approximately 82.5 billion tokens on July 12 at 10:00 PM Beijing time, representing approximately 29.23% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $125 million;

Hyperliquid (HYPE) will unlock approximately 452,000 tokens on July 6 at 8:00 AM Beijing time, representing approximately 0.2% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $30.9 million;

Aptos (APT) will unlock approximately 11.31 million tokens on July 12 at 10:00 PM Beijing time, representing approximately 0.66% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $6.9 million;

RedStone (RED) will unlock approximately 40.85 million tokens on July 7 at midnight Beijing time, representing approximately 9.8% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $4.1 million;

Movement (MOVE) will unlock approximately 165 million tokens on July 9 at 8:00 PM Beijing time, representing approximately 4.29% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $2 million;

Linea (LINEA) will unlock approximately 1.08 billion tokens on July 10 at 7:00 PM Beijing time, representing approximately 3.63% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $2.7 million;

io.net (IO) will unlock approximately 13.29 million tokens on July 11 at 8:00 PM Beijing time, representing approximately 3.61% of the circulating supply and worth approximately $2.3 million.

Meta Platforms (META 4.80%) has been a jarring growth stock over the past year. It's down by 15% year to date, but its fundamentals continue to improve. The stock only trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 20 and has solid growth rates already, so a single catalyst could result in a meaningful rally.

Reality Labs could be the catalyst. It's the AI hardware part of Meta Platforms' business that includes Quest headsets and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Here's what investors should know.

Image source: Getty Images.

Meta Glasses can become a major hit Meta Glasses are an innovative technology that let you take pictures, speak with AI tools, make and receive calls, and type on virtual surfaces just by wearing them. You don't have to pull out a smartphone to do any of those things anymore.

Meta Platforms debuted Meta Glasses in June with prices starting at $224. Payment plans are available starting at $19 per month, which lasts for two years at 0% APR. These prices are well within the ballpark of what many people can pay, including the $19 monthly plan. This technology is no longer science fiction, and just as importantly, it's more accessible to the average consumer.

While Meta Platforms released smart glasses a few years ago that had a relatively muted reception, those smart glasses were technologically limited and had no AI capabilities. They just let you take pictures using your glasses instead of taking out your smartphone. They were pretty much cameras with no other features. These current AI glasses are far more advanced, which can help them generate more traction.

The company has a massive head start compared to competitors in this new industry. It controls 85% of the AI glasses industry and already has 3.56 billion daily active users on its family of apps, which is a 4% year-over-year increase. Meta Platforms can promote its AI Glasses to its vast user base to get quick momentum and preserve its comfortable lead over competitors.

Having control over a high-potential industry remains compelling. Grand View Research projects a 24.2% CAGR for the smart glasses market through 2033, but the research company also estimates that the smart glasses market is only worth $3.2 billion. If it gets anywhere close to the smartphone market's $556.4 billion total valuation, this early start will be massive.

The success of Meta's AI Glasses should make it much easier for the company to sell other consumer hardware, similar to how Apple sells iPhones and MacBooks. The AI Glasses segment may be a sleeping giant, and the stock's 20 P/E ratio leaves a lot of room for upside momentum if that proves to be the case.

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Meta Platforms is already delivering high growth rates Even though Meta Platforms' stock has been stuck in the mud for more than a year, it continues to gain market share in the online advertising industry. Revenue surged by 33% year over year in Q1, with operating income rising by 30%. Meta Platforms closed out the first quarter with a robust 41% operating profit margin, which makes the current valuation even more baffling.

Meta Platforms' vast amount of capital and high profits make it easier to invest heavily into projects like AI Glasses until they become profitable. AI Glasses can also give Meta Platforms' advertising revenue a boost by creating more ad impressions.

Meta AI Glasses don't have to make up a big portion of total revenue right now. Just an announcement in the upcoming Q2 earnings release that shows meaningful momentum in this segment, combined with results investors have become accustomed to, may be enough to trigger a rally.

Shares in Intel Corporation (INTC 5.61%) soared by 21.8% in June, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. There are probably two reasons for the increase, and both speak to the business's longer-term growth potential.

Intel and Apple make an agreement? While its important to note that neither company has confirmed reaching an agreement, in mid-June President Trump announced that Apple (AAPL +4.88%) amd Intel had reached an agreement that they would design and manufacture chips in the U.S. The deal, if confirmed, would be good news for Intel's foundry business as it tries to build scale and better compete with market leader Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM 2.15%).

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A deal would also be in line with the Trump administration's determination to encourage domestic manufacturing, and particularly with key technology providers like Apple. For example, the administration invested and entered into a public-private partnership with rare-earth company MP Materials in July of last year, which was closely followed by a $500 million long-term supply agreement for rare earth magnets between MP Materials and Apple. Given that the Trump administration also invested in Intel in 2025 (acquiring 10% of the company), it's reasonable to expect more pressure for an Apple/Intel deal.

Intel's core business has growth prospects Intel's core business of making central processing units (CPUs) is often seen as secondary to the AI data center build-out, as graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia and others have grabbed attention. GPUs are specialized for building and training large language models (LLMs) and are therefore essential to the buildout of AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, CPUs are used relatively more for inference, such as the AI applications that agents actually run.

Image source: Getty Images.

Indeed, Intel CFO David Zinsner noted on the April earnings call that the GPU-to-CPU ratio in training solutions was up to 8:1, but could drop to 3:1 in inference. He expounded on those remarks in June at a Bank of America technology conference, stating, "the ratio of CPUs to GPUs is growing meaningfully as we get from training to inference, inference to agentic and multiagent and reinforced learning. So it's just going to drive a lot of CPU requirements."

As the market's recognition of the longer-term growth potential in inference AI spending crystallizes, Intel's role in CPU manufacturing will likely be better recognized.

Where next for Intel An Apple deal would be good news, and its confirmation would probably be good news for the stock. Meanwhile, the ongoing recognition of the growing importance of inference spending should also create upside potential for the stock.

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Intel, MP Materials, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Shares of Bloom Energy (BE 6.47%) are up more than 250% so far this year. That quick rise may make some investors cautious, but there are plenty of solid reasons for the stock's ascendance. The company is at the nexus of renewable energy and artificial intelligence (AI), as its fuel cell energy solutions are increasingly used by hyperscalers to address bottlenecks in powering new data centers.

Are there risks to the stock? Most definitely. It trades at more than 140 times forward earnings, as investors have largely priced in its backlog. Even so, here are three reasons why Bloom Energy is worth buying -- and why the stock should continue to generously reward investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

Bloom's solid oxide fuel cells can be deployed quickly Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Oracle are spending billions on next-generation AI data centers, but traditional electrical grids are severely bottlenecked. Expanding a localized grid or waiting on a nuclear plant can take years.

Bloom's solid oxide fuel cells generate on-site electricity and can be deployed and operational in as little as 90 days. By bypassing traditional power grids, tech companies ensure their high-dollar AI chips don't sit idle waiting for power.

These fuel cells use renewable natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen, converting it to electricity without combustion and with minimal carbon dioxide emissions.

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It has a huge backlog with big tech Bloom's growth is no longer a speculative story; it is backed by concrete, massive commercial contracts. As of the end of 2025, the company said it had a backlog of $20 billion, including a product backlog of $6 billion.

In April, Bloom expanded its agreement with Oracle to support up to 2.8 gigawatts (GW) of fuel cell capacity. This includes Project Jupiter, a massive, multigigawatt AI data center campus in New Mexico that runs entirely on Bloom fuel cells rather than traditional gas turbines or diesel generators.

In May, Bloom secured a 328-megawatt (MW) deployment deal with AI infrastructure company Nebius, providing deep multiyear visibility for revenue generation.

It has reached a financial turning point Historically, fuel cell companies have struggled to turn a profit despite rising revenue. Bloom is actively breaking out of that mold, showcasing real operating leverage. In its first-quarter earnings release, Bloom reported a record $751.1 million in revenue, a massive 130.4% year-over-year increase.

Driven by manufacturing-scale benefits, its gross margin expanded beyond 30%, allowing the company to report net income of $70.6 million, up from a loss of $19.1 million in the first quarter of 2025. Earnings per share (EPS) were $0.23, compared to an EPS loss of $0.10 in the same quarter a year ago, while adjusted EPS was $0.44.

The earnings were a surprise to some analysts, who had predicted revenue of $539.94 and adjusted EPS of $0.12. The numbers were strong enough to prompt management to raise its full-year revenue guidance to $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion, an increase of 80% at the midpoint, and to raise adjusted EPS to between $1.85 and $2.25, up 170% at the midpoint.

Things to look out for Bloom has a few issues, but they're mostly good concerns. The company will have to spend to double factory capacity from 1 gigawatt to 2 gigawatts by the end of 2026. It also faces competition from Plug Power and FuelCell Energy.

The premium attached to Bloom Energy is massive and introduces considerable valuation risk, but it is supported by triple-digit revenue growth and positive cash generation, whereas Plug Power is an improving turnaround play with tight cash constraints, and FuelCell Energy remains trapped in a pattern of shrinking revenue and widening losses.

In the long run, given the push for renewable energy and the way AI is driving the need for more data centers, Bloom is in a good spot to benefit from long-term trends.

Shares in USA Rare Earth (USAR 4.15%) fell by 23% in June, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. There are probably three unrelated reasons for the stock's decline this month. The first relates to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that might concern investors worried about a potential flood of selling by investors who had acquired their stock at lower levels. The second concerns the blacklisting of the company as part of China's export controls, and the third is a legal matter.

An overhang of shares for sale? On June 5th, the company filed an S-3/A registration statement with the SEC covering the potential resale of 93,822,662 shares, representing 35.2% of the company's issued and outstanding common stock on a diluted basis.

The selling stockholders include shares acquired at much lower prices than the current stock price via business combinations, the conversion of preferred stock and warrants, share purchase agreements, and private investment in public equity (PIPE) transactions.

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It's important to stress that there's nothing unusual about the filing, and the company was legally obligated to file it. Still, the potential overhang of shares for sale in such a large amount is bound to cause investor concern, particularly for a company that clearly needs investment to build magnet production and ultimately develop the Round Top mine in 2028.

China blacklists USA Rare Earth Toward late June, China added USA Rare Earth and its peer MP Materials to its list of companies with restricted access to Chinese technology. While neither company buys or sells directly from China, the export restrictions also cover Chinese components used in final products that could be sold to USA Rare Earth and MP Materials. Consequently, they may need to reassess their supply chains, which could affect both companies at a time when they are looking to ramp up magnet production and acquire rare-earth processing technology.

MP Materials lawsuit against USA Rare Earth Finally, MP Materials is taking legal action against USA Rare Earth, alleging that "USA Rare Earth Inc. stole its proprietary technology through a former employee," according to a Bloomberg report. While lawsuits are, unfortunately, not uncommon among peers in the U.S, the legal challenge is a distraction in the future.

Image source: Getty Images.

Where next for USA Rare Earth The events in June highlight that, as exciting as the company's long-term prospects are, there's still a long way to go, with plenty of execution risk ahead, the potential for further shareholder dilution, and the risk of concerted selling pressure taking its toll on the stock.

That said, the company is one of the solutions to the challenge of securing a domestic supply of rare earth materials and magnets, and while that remains the case, it's likely to find favor among the government and investors.

Nike (NKE +2.44%) shareholders have been suffering over the past few years as the company has dealt with problem after problem.

There were some glimmers of hope in the fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter (ended May 31) report released this past week, but management cut near-term guidance and doesn't expect meaningful progress over the next six months. So why is Nike stock rising?

Image source: Nike.

Getting its game on Nike is still picking up the pieces from some major missteps, compounded over the past few years by high inflation and strong tariff exposure. The company was poorly positioned to handle the challenges when it cut out wholesale partnerships and let its innovation engine slip.

In its favor, it got a new CEO and mapped out a turnaround plan, and while external factors are still weighing on its progress, appears to have stemmed the rapid declines.

Here are some of the fourth-quarter highlights, which beat the top and bottom lines:

Revenue decreased 1% year over year, with wholesale up 4% and direct-to-consumer down 7%. Gross margin expanded 8.9 percentage points to 49.2%. Earnings per share (EPS) increased from $0.14 last year to $0.72 this year. While momentum had been building into the quarter, it stalled when the Iran war began and oil prices spiked, putting pressure on global consumers. Although that's been easing, management had to reshuffle orders and block too much inventory that could eventually pile up and have to be marked down for sale. Over the next six months, sluggish sales are expected.

Going on the offense One particular area where Nike is truly struggling is China, where sales dropped 17% for the full year. CEO Elliott Hill said Nike is doing a "comprehensive reset" in the region, going on the offense and working with local partners to see how it can win.

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But there were many positive updates. Performance sales were up mid-single digits for the full year, which marked the fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in Nike Running.

Although China is struggling, North America is showing signs of recovery, and the wholesale business grew by double digits for the full year. So while the near term looks bleak, the recovery is possible.

In the meantime, Nike stock has fallen low enough to look like a strong value. It tanked after earnings, and its P/E ratio dipped below 20. At the current price, its dividend yields 3.8%. Value investors may have seen the opportunity, and long-term investors might be counting on a big recovery later this year.

For years, software specialist Tyler Technologies (TYL +5.28%) enjoyed a reputation as a company that was difficult to displace due to its niche public-sector focus. That changed last year, when investors fled from software names broadly in fear of the disruption the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) would have on their business models.

The once-resilient stock has now fallen by 51% from the high it touched in February 2025. That sell-off was understandable given the uncertainty software companies face. In Tyler's case, the market is worried that large language models will allow government agencies to build custom tools that can do what its products do, or adopt cheaper alternatives. This would erode Tyler's entrenched position and permanently alter its growth trajectory.

Despite the concerns, management recently raised its 2030 revenue target, and said it now expects to surpass $1 billion in free cash flow by the end of the decade. Given that its market cap is just $12 billion, and considering that the public sector is typically slow to adopt new technology, Tyler may be one software stock worth adding to your portfolio.

Image source: Getty Images.

Who needs agentic loops when you can do cloud "flips"? The optimism from leadership stems from Tyler's cloud "flip" initiative, which is shifting its government client from using software hosted on on-premises hardware to software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscriptions hosted in the cloud, turning lower-margin maintenance revenue into higher-margin recurring revenue.

On average, every on-premises client that migrates to the cloud generates 1.7 times more revenue for Tyler while adding to its multiyear contracted revenue stream. With an installed base of over 16,000 clients and a target to convert 85% of them by 2030, the runway is significant.

Management projects that its peak flip volumes will occur from 2027 through 2029. This shift should improve margins by reducing maintenance work on its legacy on-premises products and increasing cross-selling opportunities.

The company's average client currently uses about three of its products, a figure it aims to increase to 10 to 12 by selling additional modules like payments, fire prevention, and document automation.

Some risks are worth taking During its June investor day presentation, the software provider raised its 2030 targets to $3.35 billion in annualized recurring revenue (ARR) and $1.15 billion in free cash flow. To hit those targets would require ARR to grow at an average annual rate of around 10%.

The caution around the stock comes not only from the likelihood of a more competitive market but also from where its next leg of growth will come from once the majority of cloud flips are complete. Management points to its ability to cross-sell, but predicting customer demand for software that far into the future is more of a side note than an investing thesis.

While the company is not immune to the impacts of technology shifts, its customers are unlikely to abandon their court systems or property tax software for AI-driven alternatives anytime soon. Government procurement cycles are notoriously slow, which will give the company time to execute on its cloud strategy and adapt to the changing landscape.

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The stock is trading at roughly 25 times expected forward earnings, down from a five-year average in the mid-40s, and 21 times trailing free cash flow. As such, the expectations baked into the stock are far lower than they've been in the past. While the market is unlikely to bid up its shares in the near term, Tyler is priced at a level where patient investors can comfortably begin building a position.

Oklo (OKLO 0.17%) had what should have been a dream month in June 2026.

The nuclear energy start-up was racking up major wins left and right, including approvals from the Department of Energy (DOE) and a crucial partnership to secure the mission-critical uranium fuel needed to power Oklo's small modular reactors (SMRs) for a massive project.

Yet, Oklo stock slumped 21.8% in June, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The disconnect comes down to a reality check on multiple fronts. But could the markets have overreacted, offering investors an opportunity to scoop up shares of a company with significant government collaborations amid a nuclear energy renaissance?

Image source: Getty Images.

Oklo's major recent wins Oklo stock sank after its first-quarter earnings in May and a $1 billion new equity offering. Oklo is still developing fast-fission nuclear power plants called Aurora powerhouses and has yet to commercialize its technology and generate its first revenue. Its spending, however, pushed Q1 net loss to $33 million. That massive share sale further hurt the stock price as investors feared dilution of their value.

June was, comparatively, a far more positive month for Oklo.

It won a crucial DOE safety approval for its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) plant under the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program.

The Auroral-INL will be Oklo's first fast-fission plant.

In mid-June, Oklo signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Standard Nuclear to collaborate on nuclear fuel recycling and advanced fuel manufacturing.

The U.S. government is keen to use surplus plutonium lying in its stockpile as nuclear fuel for reactors, and Oklo is among the few companies developing nuclear fuel recycling facilities. It is also advancing Pluto, a plutonium-fueled fast test reactor.

Oklo also locked down a massive strategic partnership with Centrus Energy to secure high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) supplies to power up to five Aurora powerhouses over the next few years. These reactors are for Oklo's planned 1.2 GW power campus in the Ohio region to support Meta Platforms data centers.

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Oklo closed out June by acquiring Creative Engineers to beef up their advanced reactor tech. Earlier in the month, it acquired ARMEC to strengthen its reactor manufacturing capabilities.

With everything lining up so perfectly, why did Oklo shares still fall?

Why Oklo stock could continue to be volatile First, the DOE threw a curveball into the SMR market when it announced a $17.5 billion loan program for traditional, large-scale nuclear reactors. Investors betting heavily on SMRs amid the artificial intelligence (AI) power boom were instantly spooked, triggering a broad sell-off that dragged Oklo stock with it.

To be sure, the government isn't souring on small reactors. If anything, the massive loan program serves as a broad validation of the nuclear energy upcycle. The issue is that when a pre-revenue company begins trading like a high-flying stock, any perceived distraction can hit the stock hard.

Oklo eventually aims to generate electricity from Aurora powerhouses and sell it under long-term power purchase agreements. But because commercial operations are still years away, even a single mixed signal can prompt investors to do a reality check and take profits.

Gold dropped approximately $100 on Hyperliquid’s perpetual futures contract on July 4, with prices dipping below $4,090 before snapping back. The whole thing played out in roughly a minute. The flash crash occurred on Hyperliquid’s XAU perpetual contract, a synthetic instrument that tracks the price of gold using oracle feeds rather than physical delivery. Arbitrage bots and market makers quickly moved to close the gap between Hyperliquid’s price and the oracle reference, stabilizing the contract.

Hyperliquid’s gold perp was operating in thin liquidity conditions when this crash hit. Market makers and arb bots identified the price deviation from the oracle and bought the dip to restore equilibrium. But “self-corrected” doesn’t help the trader who got liquidated during the 60-second window when prices were in freefall.

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This isn’t Hyperliquid’s first rodeo with sudden price dislocations on non-crypto assets. Back in late May, the SPACEX-USDH pre-IPO perpetual contract crashed 45% after an oracle mishandled data related to a stock split. That incident liquidated $1.51 million across 1,393 positions. The gold crash appears smaller in absolute dollar terms, but the pattern is familiar: thin liquidity plus oracle-dependent pricing plus leverage equals occasional chaos.

Hyperliquid’s commodity ambitions Hyperliquid now supports over 300 perpetual and spot markets, spanning crypto tokens, commodities like gold and silver, and even indices. HIP-3 permissionless markets hit a record daily trading volume of $5.2 billion in early 2026. In January, Hyperliquid’s native HYPE token surged 24% partly driven by soaring silver futures volume on the platform.

What this means for investors For traders using leverage on commodity perps, the lesson is straightforward: position sizing matters more on platforms where a $100 wick can materialize and vanish in under a minute. Stop losses on thin markets can become stop-market orders that execute far from your intended exit. The gap between “the system eventually self-corrects” and “traders don’t get hurt” remains significant, and it widens every time someone adds leverage to a synthetic gold position during off-hours on a holiday weekend when traditional venues are closed and the usual liquidity providers aren’t active.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Travel platform Travala announced in a post on X that users can now book over 2.2 million hotels globally using XRP, in what it called a significant stride in crypto's adoption in everyday payments.

In a statement, Travala reiterated the original design intent of XRP as it was "built to move value fast," making its use for hotel bookings in line with that vision. The travel platform said users can now secure hotel bookings with instant confirmation and without the involvement of banks.

This development means XRP holders can pay for accommodation across a global hotel network, expanding XRP's use case into one of the largest consumer industries: travel and hospitality. As a result, users will be able to book over 3 million travel products globally with XRP on Travala.

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This new real-world payment integration highlights XRP's growing use case beyond trading markets.

XRP utility expands with paymentsIn a major milestone reached early this year, the x402 facilitator went live on the XRP Ledger in February, allowing AI agents to pay for services using XRP and RLUSD with no need for API keys or accounts.

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Agents can pay per request via x402, with volume settling on the XRP Ledger. Fast forward to the present, nearly a million agent transactions have settled through the XRPL x402 facilitator, implying more agents, merchants, and volume are entering the XRP Ledger.

Ripple is expanding XRP and RLUSD utility for AI-agent payments, having introduced the XRPL AI Starter Kit in June — a set of developer tools for building AI agents that can send payments on the XRP Ledger.

As AI agents begin transacting on behalf of businesses, Ripple has joined the ecosystem supporting Mastercard's Agent Pay for Machines initiative, helping validate new use cases, establish common rules, and accelerate adoption while continuing to build the infrastructure for trusted agent-driven payments, with the XRP Ledger and RLUSD laying the foundation for the future of commerce.

Robinhood Markets (HOOD +3.75%) stock fell 11% in the first half of the year, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. It had been following the trajectory of Bitcoin, which was plunging, but it has started to climb back up.

More than cryptocurrency Robinhood is still a fairly small company, with $4.6 billion in trailing 12-month revenue, but it has already had a major impact on the markets. It introduced the fee-free trade, which is now standard for trading platforms, and it has been following that up with many fintech innovations.

Image source: Getty Images.

That hasn't been entirely positive for the company. Although it was reporting high growth, much of it was coming from cryptocurrency trading. The Bitcoin drop led to a contraction in growth. Some of its other innovations, like its Prediction Markets segment, are risky.

On the plus side, it was one of the trading platforms chosen for retail investor access to the Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) initial public offering (IPO), and it was recently approved to underwrite IPOs as well.

It's also introducing many traditional services in its bid to become a major financial player, including credit cards and bank accounts. These services provide stability and minimize the risk of other types of products.

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With cryptocurrency trading falling, revenue growth has been mediocre. Revenue increased 15% year over year in the 2026 first quarter, a huge slowdown from 50% last year. This included a 47% decrease in cryptocurrency trading revenue and 46% increase in equities trading revenue.

There were many positives in the quarter, though, including a 39% increase in platform assets and a 36% increase in Robinhood Gold subscribers, its membership program, for a total of 4.3 million. It added half a million funded accounts, and Robinhood banking grew fivefold sequentially.

Priced to buy? The 11% decrease in the first half of the year obscures the recent climb -- Robinhood stock is up 45% over the past three months. Investors are impressed with the company's new capabilities and future opportunities.

It also became much cheaper at the lower price. Robinhood stock had been priced for perfection, which made it susceptible to falling under pressure, and that's what happened.

It now trades at a P/E ratio of 55 and a price-to-sales ratio of 22, so it may be returning to premium levels. Risk-tolerant investors who have a long-term horizon might want to take a small position at this price, but as it gets more expensive, it gets back to becoming susceptible to another fall.

ServiceNow (NOW +0.49%) stock fell 20% in June, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. It's been fairly volatile as the market weighs the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on its business and how it should be valued today, and the drop was on the heels of a 41% rebound in May.

Does AI help, or hinder? As a category, software-as-a-service (SaaS) stocks have been falling as the market recognizes that agentic AI can be used to accomplish many of the tasks they're used for for free or more inexpensively. The idea behind SaaS is that clients pay a monthly fee for services that include upgrades and customer support, but if developers can create AI agents that take care of the same work, the SaaS products can become obsolete.

Image source: Getty Images.

ServiceNow has been fighting this theory with an AI-included platform that management claims provides great value for its clients. Its Control Tower product, which was already in progress before agentic AI became the threat it is right now, supervises all of a client's operations, including agentic AI, unifying its management and keeping the business, and its AI tools, safe.

Based on the company's current performance, worries about an AI takeover are far overblown. The company is as strong as ever, with $3.7 billion in subscription revenue in the 2026 first quarter, a 22% increase year over year, and $27.7 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPO), up 25%. It's highly profitable, with strong cash flow, and it's guiding for similar performance for the rest of the year.

Its platform is embedded within its 8,500 clients' operations, a strong economic moat with high barriers to entry, and its focus on pre-emptive AI measures protects its business.

The view from the market The stock was propelled higher in May after a bullish analyst rating, but the market is still weighing the opportunity. On the one hand, it's in a healthy position and reporting outstanding results. On the other hand, the AI landscape continues to shift rapidly, and it's unclear how it will ultimately impact ServiceNow.

Adding to the mix, the company has a dominant position in its category and is growing at double-digit rates, but it's past its upstart phase. The valuation piece fits in there, too -- ServiceNow stock trades at a P/E ratio of 63 and a price-to-sales ratio of 8, which makes it expensive. It's reasonable to see the stock slide at this valuation, and even if it still has a bright future, it comes at a premium.

SoFi Technologies' (SOFI 1.08%) operations were launched more than a decade ago. Back then, the company's sole activity was providing alumni-funded loans to recent grads.

Fast-forward to today, and SoFi has become a full-fledged digital financial services entity. Growth has been exceptional, as the business expanded its product and service offering. This helped to rapidly bring on new members.

In 2022, SoFi obtained a national bank charter that reshaped the company. Here's how this move could pay off for long-term investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

Taking deposits provides an advantage Before SoFi got a bank charter, its operations were funded by a mix of securitized debt, warehouse facilities, and convertible notes. These sources of capital had obviously helped the business reach that point.

The issue, though, is that this kind of funding can be expensive. And it's dependent on robust capital market conditions. This sets the bar higher. When originating loans, SoFi must aim to achieve a better return than what it pays on its funding capital to generate net interest income. This put it at a huge disadvantage relative to banking peers.

The company announced in January 2022 that it had received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve to acquire Golden Pacific Bancorp, a community bank that was based in Sacramento, California. This deal, giving SoFi a national bank charter, was then closed in February of that year.

Since that seminal moment, SoFi has been completely transformed. It immediately started offering checking and savings accounts to customers. As of March 31, 2022, the business had $1.2 billion in total deposits. Exactly four years later, that figure had ballooned to $40.2 billion.

Of SoFi's $42.9 billion in total liabilities, 94% are represented by these deposits (up from 17% four years before). This supported SoFi's Q1 2026 net interest margin of 5.94%. Net interest income also jumped 781% from $252 million in 2021 to over $2.2 billion in 2025.

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Deposits are considered extremely sticky, as they establish a bank's direct relationship with where customers park their money. SoFi's savings account pays a standard annual percentage yield of 3.1%, well above the national average, which also attracts capital.

The fact that SoFi's deposit base is expanding so quickly is a sign of heightened demand from individuals for a tech-enabled platform with a superior user experience. This bodes well for the company's long-term success. Management expects adjusted earnings per share to increase at a compound annual rate of 40% (at the midpoint) over the next three years.

Without a national bank charter that drastically lowered its funding costs and opened up the capital floodgates, these profit gains would not be possible. An expanding earnings stream is just what this fintech stock's investors want to see.

https://gemwallet.com/learn/beginners-guide-to-hyperliquid-trading-platform/

Hyperliquid, a decentralized perpetual futures platform, experienced significant activity as $116 million in net inflows into bridged assets occurred within 24 hours. This surge reflects a notable increase in DeFi liquidity and user engagement on the platform, aligning with recent trends in real-world asset activity. Hyperliquid’s native token, HYPE, has been near $65, marking a significant growth trajectory with returns exceeding 1,800% since its launch in November 2024. The platform’s expansion, including partnerships like the upcoming launch with VALR for cross-asset perpetual contracts, has further solidified its competitive position in the market.

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Key Takeaways Market activity suggests strong interest in Hyperliquid, consistent with pricing supportive of YES outcomes for reaching higher price targets. The recent net inflows may indicate increasing confidence in Hyperliquid’s growth potential and market positioning. Current market pricing implies a mixed outlook on Hyperliquid reaching specific price targets by the end of 2026. What to Watch Watch for further developments regarding Hyperliquid’s partnerships and volume, as these could impact price predictions. The upcoming launch with VALR and any new institutional engagements could significantly influence confidence in Hyperliquid’s price trajectory. Observers should also watch for any regulatory developments or shifts in market sentiment that could alter the current pricing landscape.

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What Price Will Hyperliquid Hit Before 2027

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31 37.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.4% — — View market → January 1 2027 3.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 64.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 8.2% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.5% — — View market → Predictfun Fdv Above One Day After Launch

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h One day after launch 95.2% — — View market → One day after launch 86.5% — — View market → One day after launch 79.5% — — View market → One day after launch 77.5% — — View market → One day after launch 75.5% — — View market → January 1 2028 63.5% — — View market → January 1 2028 54% — — View market → January 1 2028 45.5% — — View market → January 1 2028 46.5% — — View market → January 1 2028 15.6% — — View market → January 1 2028 14.4% — — View market →

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a post stating that Ethereum researchers recently held a meeting in Berlin, continuing discussions with client teams initiated in Svalbard in April, to update the blockchain’s long-term protocol roadmap. Vitalik noted that "Lean Ethereum" is not a single upgrade, but a series of protocol evolutions to be rolled out gradually over the next 3 to 4 years—its impact is comparable to The Merge as Ethereum’s second major iteration, while the current phase may mark its third major evolution. He outlined core upcoming changes for Ethereum: replacing direct execution verification with recursive STARK proofs, integrating post-quantum cryptography, adjusting the consensus mechanism to a decoupled design of available chain and finality, and implementing multi-dimensional gas models alongside state structure restructuring. At the state level, Ethereum may form a "two-tier state structure" around 2030, consisting of ~2TB of traditional dynamic state and ~100TB of new scalable state to support scaling needs across different application scenarios. Vitalik emphasized that privacy capabilities will no longer be an add-on feature, but a core goal of protocol design. The system will also rely more on formal verification to boost security, and push the EVM toward higher-level abstractions, with the underlying layer potentially transitioning gradually to RISC-V or leanISA architectures. Key parameters including gas limits, blob sizes, and block times will be adjusted multiple times over the next few years, as Ethereum continues scaling via client optimizations and protocol upgrades. Vitalik concluded that Ethereum is entering a phase of continuous restructuring and scaling, aiming to complete underlying system upgrades without disrupting the existing application ecosystem.

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The U.S. CLARITY Act has made further progress, while the county sheriffs' organization has shifted to a neutral stance.

The Major County Sheriffs Association (MCSA) has shifted its stance on the CLARITY Act from opposition to neutrality. In a letter to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the organization noted that some of its concerns about Section 604 of the bill have been addressed. Previously, the MCSA had warned that the provision could undermine, to some extent, law enforcement capabilities targeting illegal financial activities related to crypto assets. Section 604 is tied to the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, with its core focus on limiting liability for developers of decentralized protocols. Supporters argue that developers should not be held liable as intermediaries for user actions, while law enforcement agencies had earlier raised fears that the provision could create regulatory and enforcement "loopholes" that would hinder investigations into cases like money laundering, ransomware, drug trafficking, and terrorist financing. Despite the neutral stance, the MCSA still calls for including local law enforcement agencies in relevant research and coordination mechanisms in future revisions to boost digital asset crime investigation capabilities. Analysts say this change removes a key obstacle to the CLARITY Act’s progress, boosting its feasibility of advancing to a Senate vote. However, opposition from the banking sector to stablecoin yield products and DeFi regulation remains a major uncertainty.

16 minutes ago

Perspective: The next phase of tokenization will be "customized investment portfolios", rather than just improving settlement efficiency.

Thomas Sy, head of multi-asset solutions at New York Life Investment Management (NYLIM), stated that the next core application of tokenization will be "personalized portfolio construction" rather than just improving settlement efficiency or extending trading hours. NYLIM manages approximately $807 billion in total assets, with about $110 billion overseen by Sy’s team. He noted that blockchain technology will enable asset management firms to customize complex portfolio strategies for different investors at scale—a capability the traditional financial system currently struggles to deliver. Sy added that the future of asset management will center on "high customization," and blockchain is the only technological path capable of achieving this at scale. He emphasized that tokenization is not limited to putting ETFs, bonds or private credit on the blockchain; the key is to restructure the very way portfolios are built. He also pointed out that current portfolios often mix ETFs, bonds and private assets, but personalized strategies are difficult to scale due to operational complexity. Tokenization is expected to "embed customization logic into the assets themselves," reducing operational costs and boosting efficiency. Additionally, Sy said stablecoins have become a key entry point for traditional finance to access on-chain markets. Currently, the stablecoin market capitalization exceeds $300 billion, and they are being used for cross-border payments and fund management. He believes this trend will gradually drive institutional demand for on-chain yield-generating assets. On decentralized finance (DeFi), NYLIM is still researching related applications, but Sy stressed that institutional participation requires more mature infrastructure, including improved tokenized collateral, clearing mechanisms and prime brokerage systems.

16 minutes ago

US national debt has hit $39 trillion, sparking long-term concerns, with analysts warning the risk of an unsustainable fiscal path is rising.

The size of U.S. national debt has risen to around $39 trillion, with public debt equivalent to the total U.S. GDP. Annual interest payments have reached roughly $1 trillion, exceeding the defense budget. The U.S. Treasury system traces its origins to the debt consolidation reform promoted by Alexander Hamilton in 1790, when the federal government assumed the war debts of individual states and promised full repayment, thereby establishing the U.S. credit system and laying the foundation for the global status of the U.S. dollar and U.S. Treasuries. Today, U.S. Treasuries are regarded as one of the core assets of the global financial system, underpinning the reserve currency status of the U.S. dollar and widely held by central banks and financial institutions worldwide. However, as the debt scale continues to expand, market concerns about its long-term sustainability have intensified. According to calculations from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Budget Model (PWBM), when the debt-to-GDP ratio exceeds around 210%, the fiscal system may face unsustainability risks. Currently, the U.S. ratio stands at roughly 100%, and the U.S. Congressional Budget Office projects it could rise to 175% by 2056. Analysts note that in scenarios of rising healthcare spending and persistent fiscal deficits, this risk threshold could be reached earlier, and the long-term stability of the debt structure is facing more stringent market and policy tests.

16 minutes ago

Iran’s new supreme leader remains unaccounted for, as Tehran continues to hold mourning events for Khamenei.

According to CNN, mourning events for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are ongoing in Tehran and multiple Iranian cities, drawing an estimated millions of participants, and will run through July 9. Meanwhile, the international community is uncertain about his successor. Reports indicate his son Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a public appearance, sparking concerns over the power transition and actual governance. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also warned of security threats targeting the country in the coming days. On the regional front, abnormal shipping activity has been observed in the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple vessels turning back while attempting to transit, and the situation remains uncertain. Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held a phone call and agreed to meet in the U.S. soon, with outside attention focused on further coordination between the two countries amid tensions with Iran.

16 minutes ago

Bitcoin broke through $63,000 this morning, erasing all losses from the end of June, with XRP leading gains among major cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin rose above $63,000 earlier today for the first time in two weeks, up roughly 3.6% from last week and nearly erasing losses from late June. The rally unfolded during thin trading volume for the U.S. Independence Day holiday, with low liquidity widely seen as amplifying short-term volatility. Among major cryptocurrencies, XRP gained 5.3% to reach $1.18, notching a nearly 10% weekly rise and lifting its market cap to around $73 billion, overtaking USDC to become the fifth-largest crypto asset. On-chain data shows XRP holders’ average losses have hit an extreme historical level, leading some traders to view this as a sentiment reversal signal. Ether (ETH) climbed 3.2% to approximately $1,793, with a weekly gain of ~11.5%; Dogecoin (DOGE) rose 2.6%; Solana (SOL) added around 13.2% week-over-week, extending the broader rebound trend. Analysts attribute the rally to Federal Reserve officials signaling easing inflation pressure, weaker non-farm payroll data, and short covering, with Bitcoin bouncing rapidly from below $60,000 to above $63,000. The market’s future trajectory will hinge on upcoming U.S. inflation data and the return of institutional liquidity after the holiday.

16 minutes ago

BTSE has launched cryptocurrency trading platform BTSE Indonesia in Indonesia.

Blockchain trading and payments firm BTSE Group recently launched cryptocurrency trading platform BTSE Indonesia in Jakarta via a joint venture with PT Aset Kripto Internasional, and completed the rebranding of local licensed platform NVX. It is understood that BTSE will provide trading infrastructure and liquidity support, while the local Indonesian team will handle marketing, business partnerships, sales, and user growth. BTSE Indonesia stated that it has received approval from Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) to operate as a regulated digital financial asset trading platform. The license is also expected to support its future expansion into cryptocurrency futures and other businesses in compliance with local regulatory requirements. Official data shows that Indonesia’s cryptocurrency trading volume from January to November 2024 reached 556.5 trillion Indonesian rupiah (equivalent to approximately $31.2 billion), with registered cryptocurrency users hitting 22.11 million as of November 2024.

16 minutes ago

BNB Chain just made deploying an autonomous AI agent about as complicated as ordering a coffee. The network launched BNB Agent Studio on July 1, bringing a one-prompt deployment tool to its Smart Chain mainnet that handles the entire backend stack automatically.

The pitch is straightforward: tell the platform what you want your agent to do, and it handles everything from wallet creation to identity registration to payment infrastructure. The whole process takes roughly 15 minutes, according to BNB Chain, using developer tools like Claude Code or Cursor.

What’s actually under the hood AWS Bedrock AgentCore powers the automated infrastructure setup, which is notable because it means BNB Chain is leaning on Amazon’s enterprise-grade AI tooling rather than building everything from scratch.

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Each agent deployed through the studio comes equipped with several built-in capabilities. There’s automatic wallet provisioning so agents can hold and transact with crypto. ERC-8004 handles on-chain identity, giving each agent a verifiable, transferable identity that functions as a digital asset. And x402 payment capabilities allow agents to process crypto payments autonomously.

The combination means these agents can self-fund their operations, maintain functionality during infrastructure disruptions, and have their ownership transferred like any other digital asset.

Building on the Agent SDK foundation BNB Agent Studio builds on the previously released BNB Agent SDK, which established modular standards for agent identity, payments, memory, and commerce on the chain.

BNB Chain is targeting specific use cases with this launch, particularly automated market trading and financial management.

The team has committed to releasing updates every two weeks, which signals they view this as an iterative product rather than a finished one.

What this means for investors and the BNB ecosystem The platform launched on July 1, and there are no publicly available adoption metrics, TVL figures, or transaction volume data to evaluate yet. The x402 payment standard and ERC-8004 identity framework are also relatively untested in production environments.

Investors should watch for two signals in the coming weeks: the number of agents deployed through the Studio, and whether any of those agents generate meaningful on-chain activity. The bi-weekly update cadence also means the feature set could evolve quickly, so what launches today may look very different by Q3.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.