Crypto KOL Ansem posted that although the current market is still in a correction phase, this cycle has multiple conditions that can drive large-scale retail participation. Ansem noted that Solana is currently down around 75% from its all-time high, while Bitcoin is roughly 50% off its peak. However, the industry’s infrastructure and user experience have improved significantly compared to the previous cycle, including more mature mobile trading experiences, easier cross-chain functions, and lower entry barriers for new users. He added that in this cycle, more high-quality developers are building projects via a combination of tokens and equity, while institutions’ interest in Real World Assets (RWA), regulatory frameworks related to the Clarity Act, and crypto initiatives from traditional tech firms like Stripe and Robinhood is growing. Ansem believes the surge in AI stocks over the past few years, along with wealth-creation cases from meme coins in crypto, is boosting the market’s focus on short-term trading opportunities. Some meme coins have previously grown from scratch to reach hundreds of billions in market cap, while current popular meme projects remain at relatively low circulating market cap stages. He pointed out that with the development of perpetual contracts, institutional-grade trading products, and the trading ecosystem for meme coins and small-cap tokens, this cycle could attract both institutional investors and risk-seeking retail participants. Ansem said that if teams can successfully advance their mobile app rollouts, it will further draw new users who previously stayed out of crypto due to operational complexity, pushing this cycle to become one of the largest in terms of retail participation.
Relevant content
Native Markets Discontinues USDH, Will Continue to Support 1:1 Redemptions and Exchanges in the Coming Months
According to official announcements, Native Markets has announced that the USDH official website has been sunset. Over the coming months, users will still be able to redeem and exchange USDH for U.S. dollar assets at a 1:1 ratio via the redemption page provided by the Bridge. Native Markets stated that the final exit procedures for USDH and related information will continue to be made available through the USDH official website.
3 hours ago
Hackers Attack Kenya's Presidential Official Website, Demand 5 Bitcoin Ransom
Kenya's government is investigating the hacking incident targeting President William Ruto's official website. On July 18, attackers briefly altered the president's official site page and demanded a ransom of 5 BTC, threatening to leak undisclosed data if not paid. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Digital Economy stated that the government has activated its cybersecurity response mechanism and is conducting a forensic investigation in collaboration with relevant agencies. There is currently no evidence indicating unauthorized access to or leakage of sensitive data, and government digital services remain operational.
3 hours ago
Bitcoin mining firm LM Funding rebrands as PowerCompute, shifting focus to AI computing power infrastructure.
Bitcoin mining company LM Funding America (NASDAQ: LMFA) announced it will rebrand to PowerCompute Inc. and adopt a new stock ticker "PWCM" effective July 22. The company stated that the rename marks its strategic transformation, as it leverages its existing 26 megawatts (MW) of owned power infrastructure to expand into high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure businesses. Currently, the firm operates two facilities in Oklahoma and Mississippi, U.S., with 26 MW of power capacity, and plans to provide infrastructure services to AI computing clients. It will also continue holding Bitcoin assets as part of its balance sheet.
3 hours ago
U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 1983.
U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil inventories fell by approximately 5.1 million barrels last week, dropping to 311.4 million barrels, the lowest level since 1983.
3 hours ago
Morgan Stanley: As memory shortage intensifies, DRAM prices may rise by at least 25% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter.
Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore noted that following discussions with multiple data center procurement personnel last week, the current tight memory supply shows no signs of easing. DRAM and other memory products are expected to rise by at least 25% on a comparable basis from the second quarter to the third quarter, a figure higher than previous forecasts from Morgan Stanley and third-party institutions. Moore added that the memory shortage could further deteriorate in 2027 and 2028, as AI demand is consuming massive DRAM capacity, squeezing supplies for other sectors such as PCs and smartphones. Morgan Stanley further holds that the current market is not only grappling with surging memory demand driven by AI, but insufficient memory supply itself is emerging as a key bottleneck limiting AI expansion.
3 hours ago
The US military said it has forced seven commercial vessels to divert course and disabled one to restrict access to Iranian ports.
U.S. Central Command said that as of July 20, U.S. military forces have forced seven commercial vessels to alter their routes and disabled one merchant ship to prevent vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports. (Jinshi)
Grayscale Staking Payout Proposal Could Reshape Ethereum And Solana Trusts Grayscale is proposing changes that would allow staking rewards from its Ethereum and Solana products to be paid out to investors in cash, a move that could make crypto staking exposure easier to understand for traditional fund holders.
The proposed amendments apply to Grayscale’s Ethereum and Solana trust structures, with cash distributions of staking proceeds expected on a quarterly basis if the changes take effect. The target date identified in the validation materials is around August 7, 2026.
That matters because staking has always been one of the awkward pieces of regulated crypto products.
Ethereum and Solana are both proof-of-stake networks, meaning holders can earn rewards for helping secure the network. But once those assets sit inside trust or ETF-style products, the question becomes more complicated: who earns the staking rewards, how are they handled, and can investors receive them without breaking the structure of the product?
Grayscale’s proposal is an attempt to answer that question in a more investor-friendly way.
TL;DR Grayscale has proposed staking reward cash payouts for Ethereum and Solana products. The plan would distribute staking proceeds quarterly if implemented. The change could make ETH and SOL trust products more attractive, but payouts are not guaranteed. Why Staking Rewards Matter Staking is not a side feature for Ethereum or Solana. It is part of how the networks operate.
Validators lock tokens, participate in consensus, and earn rewards for helping secure the chain. For direct holders, staking can be a way to generate native yield. For institutional products, the situation is more complicated.
A trust or ETF-like vehicle may hold ETH or SOL on behalf of investors, but that does not automatically mean investors receive staking rewards. Custody rules, tax treatment, product documents, liquidity needs, and regulatory expectations all affect what a sponsor can do.
That is why Grayscale’s proposed change is important.
If staking proceeds can be distributed in cash, investors may get a cleaner way to benefit from network rewards without needing to manage validators, wallets, slashing risk, or direct staking operations themselves.
That could make the products easier to explain to advisers and institutions.
Instead of saying the fund holds a proof-of-stake asset but does not pass through staking economics, the structure could offer a more visible link between the underlying asset and its yield potential.
Ethereum And Solana Are Different Staking Stories The proposal also matters because Ethereum and Solana do not carry identical staking narratives.
Ethereum is the deeper institutional asset, with larger validator infrastructure, more established custody integrations, and a broader ETF conversation. Solana is faster-moving, more retail-heavy, and often trades as a high-beta layer-1 asset with strong ecosystem activity.
Both networks offer staking rewards, but investors may interpret those rewards differently.
For Ethereum, staking payouts could strengthen the argument that ETH is not just a price-exposure asset but also a productive network asset. That has been central to the institutional case for ETH for years.
For Solana, staking payouts could make regulated exposure more competitive by showing that SOL products can also capture network-level economics. If traditional investors are looking at Solana as a major layer-1 allocation, staking distributions may make the product structure more appealing.
Still, the details matter.
Cash payouts depend on actual rewards, expenses, timing, and product terms. They should not be treated as fixed-income payments or guaranteed dividends.
The Regulatory Angle Is The Real Test The staking debate has always had a regulatory shadow.
US regulators have spent years scrutinizing staking services, especially when they involve intermediaries pooling assets or offering yield-like products. For fund sponsors, the challenge is to capture staking rewards without creating a product structure that regulators view as problematic.
That is why formal amendments matter.
Grayscale is not simply adding staking casually. It is proposing changes through product documents and SEC-facing processes. That gives investors a clearer paper trail and gives regulators a chance to assess the structure.
If approved or allowed to proceed, the move could influence how other crypto product sponsors think about staking.
Ethereum and Solana products that pass through rewards could become more attractive than products that simply hold the asset without capturing yield. That may create pressure across the market for staking-enabled structures.
But the outcome is not automatic.
The proposal still depends on implementation, product approvals, operational execution, and whether the final terms are acceptable to regulators and investors.
Payouts Are Useful, But Not Guaranteed Investors should treat the proposal carefully.
Quarterly cash distributions sound appealing, but staking rewards vary. Network reward rates can change. Validator performance matters. Fees and expenses reduce proceeds. Tax treatment can affect what is distributed and when.
There is also slashing and operational risk, even if professional custodians and validators reduce that risk.
So the correct framing is not that Grayscale is creating a guaranteed yield product. It is that the firm is trying to pass through staking economics in a regulated wrapper.
That is still significant.
Crypto investment products are becoming more sophisticated. The first generation focused on access: can investors get exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana through familiar channels? The next generation is about whether those products can reflect more of the underlying network economics.
Grayscale’s proposal sits inside that second phase.
If it works, staking-enabled crypto products could become a larger part of institutional portfolios. If it runs into regulatory or operational friction, the market will learn where the limits are.
Either way, the proposal shows that staking is moving deeper into the regulated investment-product conversation.
This article is based on Grayscale SEC filing materials.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Solana price has stalled near $76 after repeated failures at $80, as two ecosystem exploits, weak momentum, and geopolitical stress have kept traders cautious.
Summary
Solana price remains below $80 as security incidents weigh on trader sentiment. Bearish daily momentum contrasts with positive 4-hour capital flows near $76. Losing $73 could expose SOL to $70 and the mid-$60s region. According to data from crypto.news, Solana (SOL) price traded at $76.12 at the time of writing, down 0.34% on the daily candle after moving between $75.50 and $77.40. The token has gained only about 0.3% over the past seven days, compared with a 3% rise across the global crypto market.
Security concerns have weighed on sentiment throughout July. An attacker drained roughly $20 million from BonkDAO after spending about $4.4 million to acquire enough BONK to pass a malicious governance proposal. Only seven wallets voted, and the proposal received 99.9% approval.
Another attack hit Allbridge Core on July 20. crypto.news reported that the exploiter borrowed $1.12 million in USDC through Kamino, manipulated the protocol’s USDC-USDT pool and extracted more than $1.1 million before routing the funds through privacy tools. Some estimates placed the total liquidity loss near $1.65 million, while Allbridge paused the protocol and began investigating the incident.
Phantom also reported degraded performance for token transfers and swaps on July 12. Account balances and other wallet functions remained available, but the disruption added friction for users during a week in which SOL was already struggling to draw enough demand for a break above $80.
Network activity has provided little relief. Trading on Pump.fun and other speculative venues has fallen from previous peaks, reducing the fee activity that once accompanied Solana’s memecoin boom. Stablecoin balances on the network may offer deployable capital, but holders must exchange those assets for SOL before that liquidity can support the token directly.
Solana price must reclaim $80 to confirm a bullish reversal The daily chart places the main resistance at $79.96, where SOL’s early-July recovery failed, and sellers pushed the price back toward $75. A daily close above $80 would clear the psychological barrier and reopen the route toward the July swing high around $83, followed by the $90–$98 region.
Solana daily price chart — July 20 | Source: crypto.news According to analyst Daan Crypto Trades, SOL now sits at a decisive high-time-frame area where its next reaction could set the direction for the coming weeks.
“Either the bulls push through and set a higher low here to take a stab at the range high in the $90s. Or this rejects here and dribbles back down to that mid $60s area.”
Daily momentum has weakened since the early-July rally. The moving average convergence divergence line has dropped to 0.23, below its 0.63 signal line, while the histogram has slipped to minus 0.40. Buyers still control the medium-term structure above the daily Supertrend at $69.62, but the bearish MACD crossover leaves SOL exposed to another test of support.
On the 4-hour chart, SOL remains inside a descending parallel channel that began after the July 3 peak near $83. Price has reached the upper boundary around $76–$77, making a confirmed close above the trendline necessary before traders can treat the latest advance as a breakout.
Solana price is edging for a breakout from a descending parallel channel pattern on the 4-hour chart — July 20 | Source: crypto.news Conflicting momentum readings keep that setup unresolved. Aroon Down stands at 78.57%, compared with Aroon Up at 14.29%, giving sellers the stronger recent trend reading. Chaikin Money Flow, however, sits at 0.23, which shows that net capital flow over the measured period remains positive despite the lower highs.
The one-week liquidation heatmap shows concentrated leverage above the market at $77.50–$78.20, with another dense band near $78.80. A move through those levels could force short liquidations and help SOL retest $80. Smaller liquidity pockets sit near $76.40, while downside clusters around $74.20–$75 could draw price lower if buyers lose control of $75.41.
Solana liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass Break below $73 would invalidate the recovery attempt Immediate support rests at $75.41, followed by the stronger daily level at $73.44. A close below the latter would weaken the higher-low structure and expose the lower edge of the 4-hour channel near $71. The Supertrend at $69.62 would then become the last major defense before Daan’s mid-$60s bearish target returns to view.
Macroeconomic conditions also threaten the setup. Renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities have pushed oil above $90 per barrel and lifted the average U.S. gasoline price back to $4, according to AP. Higher energy costs could keep inflation elevated and limit the Federal Reserve’s room to reduce interest rates.
The 10-year Treasury yield rose to about 4.56% on July 20, while the dollar index held near 100.8. Persistently high yields and a firm dollar could keep institutional portfolios defensive and restrict capital flows into volatile altcoins.
For bulls, the clean confirmation remains a daily close above $80 followed by a successful retest. Until then, SOL remains trapped between positive spot inflows on the 4-hour chart and a weakening daily momentum structure, with $73–$80 defining the next decisive range.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
rwa.xyz just launched a dedicated dashboard for tracking tokenized public equities and ETFs at app.rwa.xyz/stocks. The platform tracks 2,613 individual tokenized stocks with filtering by market share, transfer volumes, holder counts, and various chart types. The chain dominating this space isn’t Ethereum or Base. It’s Solana, processing roughly 95% of all on-chain tokenized equity volume.
The numbers behind Solana’s tokenized stock dominance Cumulative tokenized stock transaction volume on Solana exceeded $10 billion by June 2026. The first half of 2026 alone accounted for $4.9 billion, a sixfold increase from the previous half-year period.
Advertisement
According to the rwa.xyz dashboard, the total distributed value of tokenized stocks currently sits at $1.85 billion, up 14.39% in just 30 days. Monthly transfer volumes reached $8.28 billion, marking a 52.87% jump. The dashboard reports 538,740 holders of tokenized stocks with approximately 120,000 monthly active addresses.
Who’s building on top of Solana’s rails Two platforms have emerged as the heavyweights in this space. Ondo leads with over 406 tokenized assets carrying a combined valuation of $851 million. xStocks follows with 183 assets valued at $481.6 million.
Backpack Securities introduced tokenized SpaceX shares on the company’s IPO day. The listing generated $108 million in transaction volume within 24 hours.
Solana’s broader RWA ambitions Solana’s total RWA value crossed $3 billion for the first time in June 2026, a milestone that encompasses tokenized treasuries, private credit, and other traditional financial instruments brought on-chain.
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 depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko outlined the network's long-term development path. Comparing the blockchain's technological stages to the 12-year period between the beginning of the American Revolution and the signing of the U.S. Constitution, he made it clear that reaching the Nakamoto milestone will take years.
From AI infrastructure to securitySolana is currently at the stage of large-scale Model Context Protocol (MCP) deployment. It connects the blockchain with artificial intelligence, allowing AI agents to natively analyze the network and manage wallets. However, Yakovenko is looking beyond the current hype surrounding AI.
His goal is the Nakamoto standard, which means a radical increase in the Nakamoto coefficient. This metric shows how many validators would need to be controlled to block or censor a blockchain.
HOT Stories
The same amount of time will pass between full mcp and Nakamoto as between the constitution and the revolution 🇺🇸
— toly 🇺🇸 (@toly) July 20, 2026 Solana's current score stands at around 20, heavily restricted by data center concentration and geographic staking clusters.
The goal of the new architecture is to raise it to a level that would make the network physically resistant to any external pressure, effectively distributing consensus power far beyond the current top-tier validation firms.
Why does this matter?Solana has already addressed its technical problems with speed and outages through the release of the ultra-fast Firedancer client, which pushed hardware efficiency limits to over one million transactions per second in test environments, introducing vital client diversity to eliminate single points of software failure.
But high speed is useless if the network can still be censored.
You Might Also Like
In this context, Yakovenko's statement is not just another tweet, but the formalization of a new strategic plan in which Solana moves beyond its status as a "fast and cheap network for coins" and begins a direct expansion into Ethereum's territory, targeting its main advantage — long-term reliability and decentralization for institutional users, thereby positioning SOL as a sovereign, uncensorable Layer-1 asset capable of meeting strict global regulatory compliance standards.
Solana has become an unstoppable force of Internet Capital Markets.
Performance is no longer a limitation. The NFT mints and memecoin launches of yesteryear have battle-tested Solana’s infrastructure to a point where global-scale market events that wreak havoc across CEXs, (see 10/10, the $SPCX IPO, and the $PUMP ICO) are executed seamlessly onchain.
Onchain asset diversity has never been wider. Solana’s RWA explosion has brought stocks, commodities, and exotic collectibles to a worldwide onchain economy. Prediction markets are reinventing the financialization of the living world, and Conditional Markets are pricing the impact of these events.
Tokenization and blockchain rails are enabling new financial paradigms every year, and Solana remains the most fertile ground for innovative, experimental ideas that push the boundaries of what markets know to be possible.
The promise of bringing efficient, self-custodial global markets to anyone with an internet connection has finally been realized.
Solana is the Everything Exchange - but that arguably asks more questions than it answers:
Just because you can trade anything, at any time, from anywhere in the world, doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
So what’s the trade?
The Problem with Today’s Trading Shows 𝕏 is a noisy place. The watercooler of the new financial world, 𝕏 suffers from a relentless inundation of content. Bloomberg analysts and trillion-dollar asset managers share the floor with crypto’s degens and memecoin traders, while quantum researchers and chip technicians argue with a guy who read something on Substack and “heard rumours about an Anthropic deal”.
Despite their various backgrounds and credentials, one thing unites all the commentators - everyone has a thesis, an opinion, and ultimately, an asset they want you to buy.
Trading shows have become a common outlet for market participants to pitch their theses. Traders, industry experts, or people with large followings, go live, outline a trade, and the host confirms their bias with some supporting commentary about how it’s a "good take", or "makes sense".
Then nothing happens. No trades are taken, no thesis is challenged, no record is kept and no responsibility is taken for trades that go badly.
I think Solana’s traders deserve better.
What is tradingFloor? tradingFloor blends the speculative thrill of markets with the objective, skeptical eye that has made SolanaFloor one of crypto’s most-trusted news outlets and media companies.
Every week, a curated group of elite traders, analysts, and founders step onto the tradingFloor to pitch a trade. Anything is permissible, as long as it is tradable on Solana, the Everything Exchange.
After the guest pitches their trade, SolanaFloor hosts dissect and challenge the thesis. We’ll poke holes in the trade, question the catalysts, consider the threats, and compare the asset against its competitors. At the end of the show, our hosts will either accept the trade and take a position via JTX, or reject the thesis.
Guided by the theses of industry and market experts, the tradingFloor hosts will manage an onchain portfolio. Regardless of each host’s decision, every trade will be tracked on perp.so, tracking the performance of all tickers and guests mentioned on tradingFloor.
Instead of adding blind bullish optimism to every ticker called out on 𝕏, tradingFloor encourages traders to take a step back, and view every pitch from an objective point of view. Trades should be intentional, discerning, and calculated, rather than apocalyptic YOLO-plays derived from shills on the timeline.
Want to Get Involved? If you’re a value investor who’s researched an undervalued stock, an elite trader who’s spotted a high-probability setup, a bear foreseeing the end of a bubble, or any kind of market participant with a thesis, contact SolanaFloor, or tradingFloor hosts Finn and Thomas Bahamas to book an invite to the show.
Have a thesis, but feeling camera-shy? Submit your trade on perp.so, and our hosts will review it live on stream. Submissions are historically recorded with entries and exits, tracking every trades from the tradingFloor viewership.
tradingFloor Season 1 begins 11AM ET, Wednesday 22nd July.
So, what’s the trade?
Read More on SolanaFloor Is Robinhood Season Over Already?
Solana Memecoin Traders Flock to RobinHood - Will it Last?
Solana Mobile is betting that the best way to get people using crypto on their phones is to make them break a sweat first. Round 2 of the Seeker Summer campaign now features Moonwalk Fitness, a dApp that essentially lets you wager tokens on whether you’ll actually hit your step count.
Participants need to deposit 100 MF tokens by July 28 to qualify for the fitness quests, which blend health tracking with on-chain staking mechanics. The broader Seeker Summer campaign launched on July 7 and runs through August 30, spanning four rounds of quests across 16 apps on the Solana dApp Store.
How Moonwalk Fitness actually works Users deposit digital assets, including SOL, USDC, or BONK, into step-challenge pools. Complete your fitness goals, and you get your deposit back plus a share of the stakes forfeited by people who didn’t follow through.
Advertisement
On top of reclaiming deposits, successful participants earn experience points that can be redeemed for additional MF tokens.
Seeker device owners get a meaningful edge here. Solana Mobile is offering a 20% XP boost within the Moonwalk app for anyone using the Seeker smartphone.
Moonwalk Fitness raised $3.4 million in seed funding back in October 2024 from investors including Hack VC and Binance Labs.
The bigger Seeker Summer picture Round 1 featured TokenRun by GEODNET, a real-world treasure hunt experience that kicked things off on July 7. Each round introduces a different app with distinct quest mechanics, and participants earn badges that get stored in the Seed Vault Wallet. The campaign spans 16 total apps across its four rounds.
What this means for investors Tokens directly tied to the campaign, particularly MF and SKR, could see short-term demand spikes as users acquire them to participate in quests. The requirement to deposit 100 MF tokens by July 28 creates a clear demand catalyst with a specific deadline.
Moonwalk’s $3.4 million seed round from Hack VC and Binance Labs suggests institutional belief that fitness-crypto hybrids have legs. StepN proved in 2022 that move-to-earn could generate massive user acquisition, even if retention proved challenging. Moonwalk’s staking-based accountability model addresses the retention problem more directly by creating real financial consequences for dropping out.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The Solana blockchain has seen a significant increase in liquidity with the addition of $250 million in USD Coin (USDC), according to a report from @martypartymusic on social media. This influx of USDC, which is the native SPL-token version issued by Circle, represents a substantial injection of dollar-denominated capital into Solana’s decentralized finance (DeFi) and exchange ecosystems. The development aligns with Circle’s recent strategy of aggressively minting USDC on Solana, following a series of billion-dollar issuances in mid-2026. Solana is increasingly recognized as a hub for high-velocity exchanges of on-chain perpetuals and memecoins, with platforms like Jupiter and Raydium benefiting from this liquidity expansion.
Advertisement
Key Takeaways The reported $250 million increase in USDC liquidity on Solana appears consistent with Circle’s broader minting strategy on the blockchain. Market pricing suggests this liquidity surge could enhance Solana’s attractiveness as a DeFi platform, potentially increasing activity and interest in SOL. Despite the potential positive impacts, the information originates from a social media account, suggesting a need for cautious interpretation of its implications. What to Watch Market participants will be keenly observing whether this liquidity boost will translate into increased activity on Solana’s DeFi platforms. Key indicators include any shifts in Solana’s price dynamics, particularly in the context of ongoing predictions about its price movements in July. Developments such as major upgrades or announcements from Solana Labs could further influence market perception and activity. Additionally, any new issuances or strategic moves by Circle on Solana will be closely monitored for their potential impact on the ecosystem.
Get live prediction-market analysis, powered by Vera. Sign up for Vera.
Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h August 1 2026 8% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.2% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.7% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.7% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 2.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 24.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market →
Bitcoin slipped to around $63,900 on Monday before recovering to $65,000 and holding above that level, as markets reacted to fresh reports of a possible pause in the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Reuters reported that Iranian mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire to allow talks aimed at reviving the previous interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran. The report pushed WTI crude oil down to around $80 a barrel and helped Bitcoin climb to $65,000.
Bitcoin remains up over 3% over the past week despite the uncertainty. The broader crypto market held strong, with Solana and Ether down less than 0.5% over 24 hours. Hyperliquid’s $HYPE remained one of the weakest major tokens, falling 5% over the week to around $62.
Solana Recovers From $74.25 Low Solana has also staged a gradual recovery after falling as low as $74.25 last week.
$SOL began climbing steadily on Friday, July 17, and sharply spiked past $77 on Monday, although it remains sensitive to broader risk sentiment and geopolitical developments.
Bitcoin ETF Inflows Turn Positive for 2 Straight Weeks U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $75.7 million in net inflows last week, according to SoSoValue, marking their second consecutive week of positive flows.
The funds attracted $197.4 million the previous week, bringing July’s net inflows to $200.2 million. However, the recovery remains modest compared with the $4.5 billion in net outflows recorded in June. Total ETF flows for 2026 remain negative at $5.2 billion.
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas compared Bitcoin ETFs with the historical trajectory of gold ETFs, arguing that both products may experience rapid adoption followed by periods of weaker performance.
He suggested Bitcoin ETFs could go through cycles of strong gains, painful drawdowns and recoveries that potentially establish higher highs over time.
Strategy Adds $225M to Cash Instead of Buying Bitcoin Michael Saylor’s Strategy sold $263.5 million in common stock last week and directed $225 million toward its cash reserves, according to a Monday filing.
The move increased Strategy’s cash reserve to $3.225 billion, enough to cover roughly 22 months of dividend payments on its high-yielding $STRC preferred stock.
Strategy continues to hold 843,775 BTC. However, the company has now gone 2 consecutive weeks without buying Bitcoin, instead directing capital raised from stock sales toward strengthening its cash position.
$PUMP Hits 2-Month High After Ansem Reveals Position Pump.fun’s $PUMP emerged as a notable exception to the weaker altcoin market, surging more than 17% to become the top-performing cryptocurrency among the top 100 top cryptocurrencies.
The token reached an intraday high of $0.00207, its strongest level since May 12, and is currently trading close to that level.
$PUMP had 82.5 billion tokens unlocked on July 12 as a result of the expiration of a vesting cliff for the allocation to team members and investors. Surprisingly, the price action has held strong and is now over 40% up since the unlock. The recent rally began Sunday when $PUMP jumped from roughly $0.0016 to $0.0019 after crypto trader Ansem disclosed a new $PUMP position and outlined a bullish view on the memecoin launchpad.
Crypto Fear and Greed Index Remains in “Fear” Despite Bitcoin’s recovery above $65,000, broader crypto market sentiment remains cautious. CoinMarketCap’s Crypto Fear and Greed Index currently sits at 35, firmly in “Fear” territory. However, sentiment has improved from a reading of 28 last week and 22 last month, while remaining unchanged from yesterday’s reading of 35.
The gradual improvement coincides with Bitcoin’s rebound and the return of positive spot Bitcoin ETF flows. However, persistent geopolitical uncertainty, elevated oil prices and pressure across global equities continue to weigh on risk appetite.
The index suggests traders remain hesitant to fully embrace the recovery, making Bitcoin’s ability to hold and decisively break above $65,000 particularly important for near-term sentiment.
Read More on SolanaFloor Houdini Brings Private Wallet Funding to Pump.fun's Terminal as Traders Debate What It Means
10 Crypto Hacks in July Already: DeFiTuna Becomes the Latest Victim With $580K Exploit
The attacker used a $1.12 million Kamino flash loan to skew Allbridge's Solana stablecoin pools, then bridged the proceeds to Ethereum, security firms said.
Cross-chain protocol Allbridge paused its Core bridge on July 20 after an attacker drained roughly $1.65 million from its Solana liquidity pools, according to blockchain security firms PeckShield and CertiK.
"Allbridge Core is experiencing a security incident, and the protocol has been paused as a precaution," the team said, warning liquidity providers: "If you have liquidity in affected pools, please withdraw now."
Allbridge Core moves native stablecoins such as USDC and USDT across chains using liquidity pools, rather than issuing wrapped tokens. The attacker took out a $1.12 million flash loan — a loan borrowed and repaid within a single transaction — from Solana lending protocol Kamino, then rapidly swapped USDC and USDT to distort the pools' internal ratios before withdrawing assets at favorable rates, on-chain analyst Onchain Lens reported.
The stolen funds were bridged to an Ethereum address and dispersed across additional wallets. Allbridge said the manipulation left its pools imbalanced, creating a temporary arbitrage window, and asked traders who profited from the distortion to return funds to compensate affected liquidity providers.
A Repeat of 2023The incident echoes a flash loan attack in 2023 that drained roughly $650,000 from Allbridge's BNB Chain pools. In its postmortem at the time, Allbridge committed to deploying a single liquidity pool per chain, an architecture intended to make same-transaction flash loan manipulation structurally impossible.
The July exploit targeted a USDC and USDT pool operating side by side on Solana — the multi-stablecoin configuration the earlier fix was meant to eliminate. Allbridge said it recovered most of the funds after the 2023 incident.
The protocol has not published a final accounting of how much of the $1.65 million remains under the attacker's control or laid out a timeline for resuming operations.
Solana’s native token, SOL, has shown signs of recovery, near $76.68 after a 1.66% increase over the past 24 hours. This rebound follows Bitcoin’s recent surge past $65,000, which has since retracted slightly to around $64,750. Despite the uptick in SOL’s price, market sentiment remains cautious, with negativity peaking earlier in the month and volume falling to its lowest level of 2026. This sentiment is influenced by SOL’s current price being approximately 74% below its all-time high of $293. The news comes amid broader market optimism due to Bitcoin’s performance, though participants remain wary of Solana’s trajectory.
Advertisement
Key Takeaways Market activity suggests some recovery in Solana’s price, consistent with a 1.66% increase alongside Bitcoin’s brief surpassing of $65,000. Despite the price recovery, sentiment toward Solana remains negative, suggesting participants’ fear due to low volumes and significant distance from its all-time high. The pricing of Solana’s market indicators suggests a potential, but cautious, upside, with expectations of a moderate increase in price following Bitcoin’s influence. What to Watch Market participants will be monitoring Solana’s ability to sustain its current price levels or possibly rise further, especially if Bitcoin continues its upward momentum. Key indicators to watch include any significant changes in volume and sentiment shifts, which could influence Solana’s market trajectory. Additionally, developments such as Solana’s technological upgrades or regulatory news affecting crypto markets could impact the likelihood of SOL reaching higher price targets, such as $90 by the end of July.
Get live prediction-market analysis, powered by Vera. Sign up for Vera.
Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h August 1 2026 8.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.2% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.7% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 2.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 22.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market →
From Ballard Backyard to BlockchainA compact, unusually shaped raccoon roaming Seattle's Ballard neighborhood has become one of the internet's most unlikely stars. Kiana Hall filmed the animal on July 14 after it emerged from beneath a parked car near the Ballard Goodwill, posted the clip online, and named it "Jimothy." Within days, the video had drawn millions of views across social media platforms.
The raccoon's distinctive look comes down to a suspected medical condition. Experts believe Jimothy has a rare condition called short spine syndrome, which gives him his unusually compact appearance. The condition shortens the spine and limits neck and body flexibility, creating the raccoon's distinctive look, though veterinarians note the diagnosis remains unofficial since the animal has not been physically examined. Despite the deformity, Jimothy appears healthy and active, with sightings reported around Ballard in recent weeks.
The cultural moment has grown well beyond social media. A mural of Jimothy appeared behind Ballard Clay, painted by artist Andrew Miller after watching the neighborhood embrace the unlikely celebrity. A Seattle councilmember plans to present a formal "Jimothy Summer" proclamation on July 26, and the University of Washington has bestowed an honorary "Dr. Jimothy" degree on the raccoon.
The $Jimothy Memecoin TradeJimothy The Raccoon ($JIMOTHY), a Solana memecoin named after the viral Seattle raccoon, jumped 186% in 24 hours, with its market cap trading near $12.6M on Pump.fun at the time of writing. Anonymous developers launched the token this week, and traders piled in within hours of its Solana debut. Pump.fun's official account reposted the token on X, pushing it in front of an even larger trading audience.
$JIMOTHY's trading volume topped $36 million in a single day, a significant number for a token of its size. However, the token is already well off its all-time high. It peaked near a $22.7M market cap before pulling back, a reminder that memecoins live and die by the attention cycle. Financial experts warn the memecoin's rally may not survive the news cycle. Standard risk warnings apply. This is not financial advice.
Sources:
BeInCrypto: Jimothy The Raccoon Solana Token Climbs 186%
KING 5: Viral raccoon Jimothy inspires mural, tattoos and Seattle proclamation
KIRO 7: Eccentric-looking Seattle raccoon named Jimothy goes viral
Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has presented a detailed roadmap for the blockchain’s future, signaling a strategic shift in focus from speed and efficiency to deeper decentralization and resilience. Yakovenko likened Solana’s current phase to the 12-year journey from the start of the American Revolution to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing that significant milestones in decentralization will require years to achieve.
Solana’s current technological phaseAt present, Solana is deploying the Model Context Protocol (MCP) at scale. MCP is designed to enable seamless integration of artificial intelligence with the blockchain, so that AI agents can directly interact with the network and manage wallets natively. This marks a move toward infrastructure that supports next-generation blockchain applications well beyond current industry trends surrounding AI.
Mini dictionary: Model Context Protocol (MCP) – A protocol enabling direct, native interaction between AI agents and the Solana blockchain for real-time analysis and wallet management.
Yakovenko, a key architect behind Solana, stated that his attention is set beyond the AI narrative. Instead, he sees the next major target as achieving the “Nakamoto standard,” a term describing dramatic improvements in the Nakamoto coefficient—a metric representing the number of independent validators necessary to block or censor the network.
The Nakamoto coefficient and decentralization goalsCurrently, Solana’s Nakamoto coefficient hovers near 20, a figure limited by validator centralization in concentrated data centers and geographic clusters. Yakovenko sees this as a critical vulnerability for the network’s sovereignty and security, as a small group of operators could, in theory, control or disrupt the network.
Plans for a new architecture are being put in place to significantly increase this number. The intention is to distribute consensus power widely, reducing reliance on a handful of top-tier validation firms and making it extremely difficult for external actors to censor or manipulate network operations.
MetricSolana (Current)TargetNakamoto Coefficient~20Significantly higher (undisclosed)Validator DistributionClustered, data center dependentDiversified, globally distributedConsensus ResistanceVulnerable to concentrated controlResistant to external pressureTechnical advancements and strategic directionSolana has already made significant strides in solving earlier challenges related to speed and network stability. The integration of the Firedancer client, developed to maximize hardware performance, has allowed Solana to achieve speeds exceeding one million transactions per second in test settings. In addition, Firedancer introduces client diversity, reducing risks tied to single points of software failure.
Mini dictionary: Firedancer – A high-performance independent validator client for Solana, designed to increase scalability, improve security, and offer software redundancy for added network stability.
Yakovenko highlighted that speed is not the sole marker of network success. “High speed is useless if the network can still be censored,” he argued, indicating that true value lies in establishing censorship resistance through broader decentralization.
Yakovenko emphasized that the long-term vision is to transform Solana from a fast, low-cost transaction platform to a sovereign, uncensorable Layer-1 blockchain fit for global institutional adoption and regulatory compliance. He stressed that achieving the Nakamoto milestone is a process that will take considerable time and continued innovation.
These developments position Solana to compete directly with Ethereum, particularly as institutions seek platforms offering both speed and robust decentralization. Increasing the Nakamoto coefficient and building resilient client infrastructure are seen as essential steps for making SOL a truly sovereign and globally compliant asset.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be the most crypto-saturated sporting event in history. Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the tournament in June 2026, joining FIFA’s existing partnership with Socios.com that dates back to before the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The global fan token market, valued at $3.8 billion in 2025, is projected to balloon to $18.6 billion by 2034. That’s a compound annual growth rate of 19.3%.
Fan tokens meet the world’s biggest stage FIFA’s partnership with Socios.com has enabled national team fan tokens to be issued on the Chiliz blockchain. Over 170 sports organizations now participate in the fan token ecosystem.
Advertisement
Kraken’s sponsorship doesn’t tie directly to fan tokens. The exchange has opted for a more conventional activation strategy: ticket giveaways and fan engagement activities.
The BBC broadcast deal and why media rights matter for crypto The BBC secured rights to broadcast 54 live matches of the 2026 World Cup, a deal announced in December 2024. That package includes the final on July 19, 2026, and a semi-final on July 15 featuring England vs. Argentina. The deal also extends into the 2030 tournament.
Free-to-air coverage on the BBC means maximum eyeball count in the UK. Every Kraken logo on screen, every Socios.com integration, every fan token mention during a broadcast reaches an audience that didn’t need a cable subscription to tune in.
What this means for investors The fan token market’s projected growth from $3.8 billion to $18.6 billion over roughly a decade represents a 19.3% CAGR. Previous World Cups have shown that token values are highly reactive to tournament outcomes. A team’s early elimination can crater its token price overnight, while a deep run can generate outsized returns.
Most tokens offer voting rights on trivial club decisions, like kit designs or training playlist selections, rather than anything resembling real governance. The value proposition leans heavily on trading demand rather than intrinsic utility.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 on July 20 to claim the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy, capping off a 104-game tournament that produced 308 goals across 48 participating nations. The Athletic published its definitive team rankings after the final whistle, placing Spain at the top and Argentina second.
The tournament by the numbers This was the first World Cup played under the expanded 48-team format. The 308 total goals across 104 matches averaged out to just under three per game. Norway emerged as one of the surprise packages, reaching the quarterfinals and earning praise in The Athletic’s rankings for punching above their weight class on the world stage.
Advertisement
Kraken plants a flag, but crypto’s bench is thin On June 9, 2026, Kraken was announced as the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 World Cup, covering North America and Europe. Kraken was essentially the only major crypto entity with a visible presence at the tournament, compared to the dozens of traditional sponsors from sportswear giants to beverage companies to automakers that blanketed every stadium, broadcast, and billboard.
Fan tokens had their moment Fan tokens tied to national teams, including $ARG and $SPAIN, experienced notable trading surges that tracked closely with on-field performance. When a team won a knockout match, its token spiked. When a team got eliminated, traders moved on. For Chiliz, which has built its entire business around the intersection of sports fandom and blockchain, the tournament was a month-long proof of concept.
What this means for investors Kraken’s sponsorship deal validates that top-tier exchanges see value in sports marketing at the highest level. For Kraken specifically, the partnership likely served as a customer acquisition play in North America and Europe, two regions where exchange competition is fierce and brand differentiation matters. For Chiliz and the broader fan token ecosystem, the World Cup data reinforces both the opportunity and the limitation: trading surges around major tournaments are reliable enough to build a business model around, but the seasonal nature of that demand caps the upside. The broader signal is that crypto hasn’t yet cracked the code on sports sponsorship at scale, with one major exchange partnership and fan token trading activity across a month-long tournament representing a start, not a breakthrough.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Chelsea is doing what Chelsea does best these days: treating its squad like a revolving door at a very expensive hotel. The club has already banked over £120 million from four player sales, with plans to move at least a dozen players out through sales or loans this summer.
The great Chelsea clearance sale Twelve players. That’s the minimum number Chelsea is reportedly looking to offload before the summer window closes. Some will leave permanently, others on loan, but the message from the club’s ownership group is clear: the squad needs trimming, and the books need balancing.
The spending side is moving too. Chelsea has reportedly laid out around €63 million on new signings since early July, suggesting the club isn’t just cashing out. It’s actively recycling capital into targeted acquisitions rather than sitting on its transfer profits.
Advertisement
This isn’t random portfolio management. It’s a calculated response to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, which effectively cap how much clubs can lose over a rolling three-year period. Chelsea’s ownership, led by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium, has spent aggressively since acquiring the club. Now comes the part where the spreadsheets have to add up.
PSR compliance isn’t optional. Clubs that breach the rules face points deductions, transfer bans, or worse. Everton and Nottingham Forest have already learned that lesson the hard way.
Where blockchain enters the pitch While the traditional transfer market dominates the headlines, Chelsea has been quietly building another revenue and engagement channel through its fan token program. The Chelsea Fan Token, known as CFCT, operates on the Chiliz blockchain through the Socios.com platform.
Holders can participate in club decisions, things like jersey design choices and matchday experience preferences. Chiliz, the native token of the Socios ecosystem, serves as the gateway currency. Fans purchase CHZ, then use it to acquire club-specific tokens like CFCT.
What this means for investors From a traditional sports finance perspective, the £120 million already secured from just four sales demonstrates Chelsea’s leverage in the transfer market.
For crypto-adjacent investors, fan tokens have historically been volatile and thinly traded compared to major crypto assets. They tend to spike around transfer announcements and matchday events, then settle back to baseline. Until clubs offer more substantive decision-making power through these tokens, their value proposition stays closer to digital memorabilia than genuine financial instruments.
Investors in CHZ should keep one eye on Chelsea’s remaining transfer activity and the other on whether Socios can translate squad turbulence into sustained platform growth, rather than the usual spike-and-fade pattern that has defined fan token markets so far.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Large institutional investors may've begun using the prolonged market downturn to aggressively accumulate Shiba Inu (SHIB). A mysterious new whale has officially appeared on the radar after withdrawing 162.43 billion SHIB, worth approximately $672,476, from the institutional custody service Coinbase Prime in a single transaction, according to Arkham.
All of the tokens landed in a completely new address with no previous transaction history or known network connections, a clear marker of the emergence of a new major holder.
Since Coinbase Prime is designed specifically for hedge funds, corporations, and professional asset managers, such a transfer to an empty wallet is unlikely to be accidental.
HOT Stories
Is smart money quietly accumulating Shiba Inu coin at the bottom?SHIB's current local rebound of 1.46% is primarily following the broader market, where Bitcoin and other major altcoins are attempting to recover from a prolonged decline.
Against this backdrop, SHIB has found strong support near $0.0000042, while the mysterious wallet's activity coincided perfectly with the moment the broader market turned green and billions of tokens disappeared from exchange accounts.
Transaction details showing a transfer of 162.433 billion SHIB tokens from Coinbase Prime Custody, Source: ArkhamFresh on-chain data from CryptoQuant shows that this whale's move is part of a broader trend of large players withdrawing tokens while using the market rebound to establish positions:
Exchange Netflow: Net inflows to exchanges fell by 1.07% over the past 24 hours.Exchange Reserve: The total amount of available tokens on trading platforms declined to 86.34 trillion SHIB. You Might Also Like
Seven-day charts clearly confirm that the available supply of SHIB on exchanges has been steadily shrinking while the broader sector attempts to reverse higher.
When a new institutional player accumulates hundreds of billions of tokens near the lows and immediately transfers them to independent cold storage, it reinforces the broader market trend and removes additional selling pressure.
If the current support zone holds, this quiet accumulation could place SHIB at the forefront of a broader market reversal.
Shiba Inu [SHIB] strengthened its long-term deflationary narrative after its burn rate climbed sharply over the past day.
Shibburn data showed that 12.47 million SHIB left circulation during the previous 24 hours, representing a 350.29% increase in daily burns.
The network also removed 481,463 SHIB during the last hour, while the seven-day burn total reached 44.23 million SHIB, reflecting a 32.63% weekly increase.
Those figures highlighted sustained efforts to reduce the token’s circulating supply despite relatively muted price action.
However, the shrinking supply alone did not immediately translate into stronger price appreciation.
Instead, the burn activity reinforced SHIB’s longer-term scarcity narrative, leaving traders focused on whether demand would strengthen enough to capitalize on the declining token supply.
Exchange outflows eased immediate selling pressure Spot flow data revealed that capital continued leaving exchanges instead of moving onto them.
SHIB recorded a negative spot netflow of approximately $175,050, indicating that more tokens exited exchanges than entered during the latest session.
Negative netflows typically indicate reduced immediate selling pressure, as investors move tokens off exchanges rather than preparing them for sale.
Even so, the relatively modest size of the outflow suggested that conviction remained measured instead of aggressive.
Market participants continued reducing available exchange liquidity without triggering a broad buying wave.
As a result, the outflow data complemented the improving burn statistics and suggested that holders preferred accumulation over distribution.
However, stronger demand would still need to emerge before SHIB could sustain a larger recovery.
Source: CoinGlass Whale activity quietly returned to the market Large investors became increasingly active across SHIB’s spot market despite the subdued price environment.
The Spot Average Order Size indicator continued flashing “Big Whale Orders,” showing that larger transactions accounted for a greater share of executed trades.
That pattern often reflected institutional or high-net-worth participation rather than retail-driven activity.
Even though the market lacked a decisive breakout, whales continued absorbing liquidity while exchange balances gradually declined.
This combination may indicate that larger participants are positioning for a longer-term move despite near-term uncertainty.
Retail participation remained relatively restrained, yet growing whale-sized orders hinted that sophisticated investors had started positioning ahead of a potential directional move instead of waiting for confirmation after a breakout.
Source: CryptoQuant SHIB held key support as MACD improved SHIB continued trading inside a descending channel after several weeks of lower highs and lower lows.
However, the price defended the $0.00000409 support area while attempting to stabilize above it, preventing another breakdown toward the channel’s lower boundary.
Immediate resistance remained near $0.00000450, while a stronger barrier stood around $0.00000500, both aligning with previous rejection zones.
The MACD reflected improving market conditions because the blue MACD line climbed above the signal line while the histogram shifted closer to the neutral level.
Although a confirmed bullish crossover had not yet appeared, selling pressure had continued fading throughout July.
If buyers maintain control above current support and the MACD completed a bullish crossover, SHIB could challenge $0.00000450 first.
A successful breakout above that level would likely expose $0.00000500. However, losing $0.00000409 could invite another decline within the descending channel.
Source: TradingView Shiba Inu combined stronger burn activity, continued exchange outflows, and increasing whale participation into a more constructive market structure.
Together, these on-chain metrics point to improving market conditions, although SHIB still needs a confirmed breakout to validate a broader trend reversal.
If buyers sustain current support and technical conditions continue improving, SHIB could attempt a move toward $0.00000450 before targeting $0.00000500.
Final Summary SHIB’s daily burn rate jumped more than 350% as exchange outflows continued to ease near-term selling pressure. Growing whale-sized orders and improving momentum indicators point to strengthening sentiment, but a breakout above resistance is still needed.
The meme coin sector has lost more than 50% of its value over the past three months, prompting one analyst to argue that the long-awaited shakeout could permanently sideline several once-popular tokens. But Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE), they say, still has a chance to outperform in the next bull market.
Leading Meme Coins Hitting The WallIn a series of posts on X on Monday, crypto analyst Kevin said many leading memecoins are running out of momentum after suffering drawdowns of more than 95% from their all-time highs.
"Major meme coins are hitting the wall, and many may never see new all-time highs again," Kevin said.
He described Shiba Inu as a token that benefited from the meme frenzy following Dogecoin’s historic rally, while calling BONK and Floki “no-fundamentals” projects that are unlikely to revisit their previous peaks.
“This correction is a reset for the crypto space,” he said. “It’s time to weed out the worthless projects and refocus on solid fundamentals.”
Kevin was less definitive on Pepe (CRYPTO: PEPE). While acknowledging the token remains difficult to evaluate, he said he expects it to survive the current downturn and potentially participate in another bull cycle.
“I think it will probably stick around and get another opportunity,” he said, adding that he has “always had a soft spot for Pepe.”
Dogecoin Still Looks DifferentDespite his bearish stance on most meme coins, Kevin made an exception for Dogecoin and also revealed he owns a small position.
Responding to another trader, Kevin said Dogecoin has “a much more constructive chart” than many newer meme coins and has proven it can survive multiple market cycles.
“I think it stays around and has another run in the future,” he said.
However, he cautioned against making Dogecoin a major portfolio allocation because it remains highly speculative and has underperformed Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) for six consecutive years.
“BTC is a better bet,” he added.
When asked whether DOGE would eventually fade into obscurity or remain among crypto’s leaders during the next bull market, Kevin said his attention is now primarily focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH).
While institutional capital continues flowing toward BTC, ETH and tokenized real-world asset projects, several analysts have argued that the next crypto cycle may reward projects with sustainable utility over purely narrative-driven tokens.
Image: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Shiba Inu (SHIB) price sits near multi-year lows, and its biggest recent headline, a physical collectible coin from Japan’s Rakuten, does nothing to change the token’s weak on-chain reality.
The data tells a blunt story. With burns too small to matter and network usage close to zero, SHIB’s recovery may depend far more on a return of meme coin hype than on anything the project itself controls.
Shibarium Usage Points to a Hollow Utility CaseShibarium, the Layer-2 network designed to give SHIB real utility, processed roughly 775 transactions per day at the time of writing. That figure sits against more than 269 million lifetime wallet addresses and over 1.5 billion cumulative transactions.
The gap between those totals and current activity is the problem. A large installed base means little when daily usage stays this thin.
Shibarium network stats. Source: ShibariumscanBurns tells a similar story. Even on active burn days, a microscopic share of the 589 trillion tokens in circulation is removed. As a result, the deflation narrative carries almost no weight.
One community analyst has also questioned recent wallet growth, suggesting that contract auto-generated addresses are used to inflate holder counts.
For the signal to flip, Shibarium would need sustained, order-of-magnitude growth in daily transactions.
The Meme Sector, Not SHIB, Holds the KeyThat weak internal picture matters less once the wider sector comes into view. The GMCI Meme Index, which tracks the broad meme coin market, peaked near 160 in January 2026 before sliding to about 66 by late July.
SHIB’s chart maps almost step-for-step onto that decline. The token did not break on its own merit, and it fell as the entire category lost momentum.
GMCI Meme Index daily chart. Source: TradingviewThis reframes the question. If Shiba Inu moves as a high-beta piece of the meme complex, its next real move is likely to arrive with a sector-wide hype wave rather than a project update.
Such waves have fired before. In early 2026, a single session sent Dogecoin (DOGE) up double digits. That move pulled SHIB and other dog-themed tokens higher alongside it.
However, current conditions look muted. The Altcoin Season Index hovers near its midpoint rather than signaling a rotation into risk.
Shiba Inu Price Prediction Rests on the $0.0000055 CeilingOn the daily chart, Shiba Inu trades around $0.0000041, little changed over the past day and pinned inside a tight accumulation zone near its multi-year low. Its market cap sits close to $2.4 billion, placing it in the mid-30s among all crypto assets.
Two overhead supply zones frame the path higher. The first sits near $0.0000055 and the second near $0.0000065, both former support levels that flipped to resistance during June’s sell-off.
A move from current levels to the first zone would mark a roughly 30% gain. A push to the second implies closer to 55%. Reclaiming both would signal that a genuine trend change is underway.
SHIB daily chart. Source: TradingviewMomentum offers little conviction for now. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits near the 40 midline rather than in oversold territory, and volume has thinned through July. That combination suggests a market basing quietly, not one coiled for an immediate rebound.
The catalyst that could accelerate any move is external. Rakuten’s SHIB support in Japan may lift brand awareness, yet a broad return of meme coin demand remains the clearest trigger.
Absent that wave, Shiba Inu looks more likely to grind sideways than to stage a fundamentals-driven recovery. Whether SHIB reclaims $0.0000055 or slips back toward its lows may come down to the sector, not the project.
The cryptocurrency market broadly struggles to gain momentum on Monday, with Shiba Inu (SHIB) trading around $0.0000042, while Dogecoin (DOGE) slides toward the nearest $0.072 support.
US-Iran war rages on, weighing on risk assetsGeopolitical risk flared over the weekend and on Monday as the United States (US) and Iran escalated hostilities, fueling heightened military tensions throughout the region.
The US military reported strikes on Iranian command centers, defense infrastructure, communications facilities, and missile sites. In response, Iran targeted US military positions in Kuwait and Bahrain, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for disabling two Oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after explosions disrupted their passage.
Despite staying relatively elevated, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil prices have moderated to $81, down from a daily high of $84.
Meanwhile, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index holds at 29 on Monday, moving out of the Extreme Fear zone and indicating a measured improvement in investor sentiment. This modest rebound in risk appetite comes against the backdrop of ongoing US-Iran hostilities.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: AlternativeRetail appetite for Dogecoin derivatives has regained modest strength, as reflected in the perpetual futures Open Interest (OI), which averages 14.74 billion DOGE on Monday, up from 14.35 billion DOGE the day before. According to CoinGlass data, this uptick is part of a broader rebound, with OI at 12.01 billion DOGE on June 11.
If sustained, increased demand would align with the gradual improvement in risk-on sentiment, raising the odds of a steady price recovery.
Dogecoin Futures OI | Source: CoinGlassRetail investors in Shiba Inu appear to be making a gradual return to the market, with OI up on Monday, averaging nearly 8 trillion SHIB. The meme coin’s OI had plunged to roughly 5 trillion SHIB on June 24, underscoring the growing risk-on sentiment.
Shiba Inu Futures OI | Source: CoinGlassPrice analysis: Dogecoin eyes rebound from key supportDogecoin trades at $0.072, holding in a bearish configuration as price remains well beneath the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). The short-term tone is capped by a nearby confluence of resistance around $0.080, where the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement and the 50-day EMA converge, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) lingers below the midline near 38 on the daily chart, hinting at weak demand despite a slightly positive but flattening Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram.
DOGE/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance lies at the $0.080 cluster, followed by $0.090 where the 100-day EMA aligns with the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement. Above that, the 50% Fibonacci retracement at roughly $0.090 and the 38.2% level near $0.100. On the downside, immediate support emerges at the 100% Fibonacci retracement around $0.070. A clear break below this floor would expose the pair to a fresh leg lower in line with the prevailing bearish bias.
Shiba Inu price analysis: SHIB posts modest gainsShiba Inu edges higher, trading around $0.0000040, upholding a short-term bullish outlook. The MACD indicator maintains a positive histogram, suggesting that momentum is constructive.
Moreover, the meme coin sits above a descending trendline on the daily chart, reinforcing downside protection while raising the odds of a continued rebound.
SHIB/USDT daily chartInitial resistance emerges at the 50-day EMA at $0.0000046, followed by the 100-day EMA at $0.0000051, while the 200-day EMA at $0.0000061 could cap gains if buyers tighten their grip. On the downside, the area at $0.0000040 is a crucial support level. If broken, it could open the door to extended losses toward the psychological $0.0000035.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins FAQs Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.
Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.
Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin’s interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.
This feature brings individualized financial information straight to the wallets that users keep for themselves within the app. This is an artificial intelligence-powered financial information layer that is integrated directly into the self-custodial wallet experience. The further development of finance will not only be determined by the place in which individuals keep their assets, but also by the degree to which they are able to comprehend, administer, and engage with those assets. Today, Trust Wallet, the most popular cryptocurrency wallet with self-custody, made an announcement about Trust Wallet AI. This is an artificial intelligence-powered financial information layer that is integrated directly into the self-custodial wallet experience.
Users are able to ask inquiries about their portfolios, comprehend market movements, investigate digital assets, and initiate transactions without having to leave the wallet thanks to Trust Wallet AI, which is available to all users of Trust Wallet.
Many artificial intelligence systems are capable of providing generic financial information; however, they do not have the context of an individual’s real financial status. Without suggesting, advising, or telling users what to do with any asset, Trust Wallet AI is structured differently. It recognizes a user’s on-chain holdings across supported chains, which enables it to deliver individualized information rather than generic replies. Additionally, it does not tell users what to do with any asset.
Queries such as “How has my portfolio performed this month?” and “What is moving in the market today?” are examples of the kinds of queries that users might ask.on the other hand, “What are the risks associated with this token?” The artificial intelligence of Trust Wallet can also assist in the assembly of transactions that users define, such as swaps, buys, and sends. This makes it easier for users to deal with blockchain ecosystems that are becoming more complicated.
Bringing AI Into the Ownership Layer of Finance The difficulty that arises when artificial intelligence gets more and more incorporated into financial services is striking a balance between intelligence and control. Self-custody allows people to take direct ownership of their assets, in contrast to traditional financial platforms, which often depend on centralized processes.
These ideas are brought together by Trust Wallet AI, which combines the basis of self-custody with private financial information that is individualized to the user. In addition to assisting users in comprehending their portfolios, doing research on digital assets, and assembling transactions that the user has defined, such as swaps, buys, and sends, it guarantees that users will continue to maintain control. The Trust Wallet AI does not have access to private keys, does not carry out transactions on its own, and does not transfer assets without the user’s permission.
This signifies a change in the manner in which individuals collaborate with digital assets. The wallet is transforming from a location to store and move assets into an intelligent financial interface that assists users in better comprehending and navigating the on-chain market while allowing them to preserve control of their assets.
Within the Trust Wallet app, Trust Wallet AI is now accessible on a worldwide scale. This feature brings individualized financial information straight to the wallets that users keep for themselves within the app.
For your information, the Trust Wallet app includes a feature called Trust Wallet AI, which is an artificial intelligence component. Please note that this is not intended to serve as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice; rather, it is offered only for the purpose of providing information and convenience. The only thing that Trust Wallet AI offers is information. There is no recommendation, endorsement, or advice on the purchase, sale, or holding of any asset; there is no evaluation of whether something is acceptable for you; and there is no instruction regarding what you should do.
Everything is up to you to decide. Your message, the token you are viewing, as well as your wallet address and balance, are all shared with our AI infrastructure provider by Trust Wallet AI in order to create outputs. This information is never used to train AI models. As a result of the possibility that the outputs are incorrect, incomplete, or out of date, we should not rely on them as the entire basis for any choice. The lack of a risk signal does not always indicate that an asset or transaction is secure; risk signals such as look-alike tokens, poor liquidity, or possible honeypots are only informative flags and do not ensure the safety of the asset or transaction. Data pertaining to the market and portfolios may be obtained from other parties, which may result in potential delays or inaccuracies.
Your express review and confirmation is required for each and every transaction, and Trust Wallet AI does not have access to your private keys and is unable to transfer your assets. Available options may differ from one jurisdiction to another and are subject to change. Before you sign or confirm any transaction, it is exclusively your responsibility to independently check any information that has been supplied to you, including the identification of the token, the addresses of the contract agreements, and the specifics of the transaction.
Trust Wallet is a Web3 wallet and gateway that provides users with the ability to completely own, manage, and utilize the power of their digital assets. It is a secure wallet that allows users to do so on their own. In a single location and without any restrictions, Trust Wallet makes it simpler, more secure, and more convenient for millions of people all over the globe to experience Web3, use decentralized applications (dApps) in a secure manner, store and manage their cryptocurrency, purchase, trade, and stake cryptocurrency in order to receive rewards. This is true for both novice and expert users alike.
Injective’s INJ token launched on Robinhood at $4.76–$5.00 on July 16, giving the layer-1 blockchain a roughly $494M market cap, and that listing was only the second headline out of a Washington, D.C. summit, with an Injective SEC filing stealing the headlines.
Alongside a Robinhood listing, Injective also packed an SEC filing, a Linux Foundation membership, an AI development kit, and a MiCA whitepaper into a single press cycle. The SEC item is the one being widely misread, and the misreading matters.
Here are just some of the highlights from the Injective Summit in DC:
✅ @RobinhoodApp listing $INJ
✅ Filed SEC Transfer Agent Registration
✅ MiCA Whitepaper published in the EU
✅ Official address from the White House and Congress
✅ Major upcoming launches
Read more 🧵 pic.twitter.com/snwKokUHw7
— Injective 🥷 (@injective) July 19, 2026
Importantly, Injective did not register INJ as a security. It filed a Form TA-1, which is a transfer agent registration, a fundamentally different instrument that positions the network as regulated infrastructure for tokenized assets, not as an issuer seeking approval for its own token.
Four days later, on July 20, Injective is still feeling the positive benefits from last week’s summit, up another +4.2% today, with the INJ token trading for $5.28 and a daily trading volume of more than $88M.
DISCOVER: Best Meme Coin ICOs to Invest in 2026
What a Transfer Agent Actually Does $INJ
😬 pic.twitter.com/rdiTblxU3H
— krillin ॐ (@LSDinmycoffee) July 13, 2026
A transfer agent is the regulated recordkeeper that maintains official ownership records of securities. Think of it as the official ledger behind every stock certificate: it logs ownership changes, processes transfers, handles corporate actions like dividends and proxy votes, and distributes investor communications.
Under U.S. transfer agent rules, such entities are subject to SEC registration requirements. In the world of tokenized securities, the transfer agent’s register remains the source of legal truth. The token itself is a digital representation that enables on-chain mobility – but if the blockchain record and the official register ever disagree, the register wins.
Transfer agents also run KYC allowlists, screen investor identities, and control which wallets can hold a given tokenized asset, with the smart contract blocking transfers to non-approved addresses. That enforcement layer is exactly how securities-law constraints travel into DeFi without breaking existing regulations.
Form TA-1 is a registration form for transfer agents under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act. It says nothing about whether any specific token is a security. Filing it is what a service provider does, not what an issuer does. A securities registration (Form S-1, Form 1-A, or a Section 12 filing) is the issuer’s document. Form TA-1 is the infrastructure layer’s document.
EXCLUSIVE: Join 99Bitcoin’s $1000 USDT Airdrop on ByBit
What the Injective SEC Filing is Actually Positioning For $INJ vs $ONDO
Everyone talks about ONDO when it comes to RWAs
But don't overlook Injective
➢ RWA-focused infrastructure
➢ Supports tokenized U.S. Treasuries
➢ Growing DeFi ecosystem
At Ondo current market cap, $INJ will be at $15.41 (3.25×)
Study Injective pic.twitter.com/36YxuQzFwa
— IKAY (@Great_Ikay) June 26, 2026
By filing Form TA-1, Injective signals its intent to be the on-chain bookkeeper for tokenized stocks, bonds, and real-world assets (RWAs), replacing the traditional back-office database with an on-chain record that meets U.S. regulatory requirements.
According to Crypto Briefing’s reporting on the Summit, if the registration is approved, it would allow the network to facilitate on-chain ownership records within the Exchange Act’s regulated market infrastructure.
That is a materially different value proposition than a standard DeFi protocol. It is a bid to become the compliance layer that tokenized securities actually need to exist at scale.
Ondo Finance, which launched 24/7 tokenized stock minting, operates in the same RWA space; the race to build regulated on-chain infrastructure for traditional securities is already underway, and Injective’s filing is an explicit entry into that competition.
The Summit itself drew attendees from Circle, Galaxy, and Robinhood – firms that move institutional capital at scale. That guest list signals Injective’s regulatory courtship is being taken seriously beyond the retail trading audience that INJ’s Robinhood listing directly targets.
EXPLORE: Best Crypto Presales With Asymmetric Upside in the Current Market
#Altcoin News Today
Why you can trust 99Bitcoins
10+ Years
Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin’s team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin’s Early days.
90hr+
Weekly Research
100k+
Monthly readers
50+
Expert contributors
2000+
Crypto Projects Reviewed
Follow 99Bitcoins on your Google News Feed
Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now!
Subscribe now
Alex Ioannou
On-Chain Journalist
Alex is a seasoned cryptocurrency trader and market analyst with over seven years of active experience in the digital asset space. Since entering the markets in 2017, Alex has specialized in identifying emerging "meta" trends and high-volatility narratives. Notably, Alex... Read More
Free Bitcoin Crash Course Enjoyed by over 100,000 students. One email a day, 7 days in a row. Short and educational, guaranteed!
@Coinbase has kicked off the official migration of @Injective's $INJ token, moving the asset from its legacy Ethereum-based ERC-20 format to native chain support on the Injective mainnet. The transition, which runs from July 20 to July 22, 2026, marks the first time Coinbase will offer direct access to the sovereign Injective ecosystem.
What the Migration Means for INJ HoldersFor Coinbase users, the process is largely hands-off. Crypto Briefing reports that the exchange will automatically convert ERC-20 $INJ tokens to the native format at a 1:1 ratio with no fees charged. During the migration window, all $INJ deposits and withdrawals on Coinbase are temporarily suspended. Once complete, Coinbase will exclusively support the native version of the token, meaning settlement will route directly on Injective's chain rather than through Ethereum.
Coinbase itself confirmed the schedule on its status page, noting that users should refrain from depositing or transferring $INJ during the migration period.
Self-custody holders face a different calculus. Those holding $INJ in personal wallets and who miss the window may need to use a manual migration tool provided by Injective, and tokens remaining on the deprecated ERC-20 contract risk becoming inaccessible.
The Technology Behind the ShiftThe migration is made possible by Injective's MultiVM Token Standard (MTS), which allows unified token balances across different execution environments, including EVM and WASM, without requiring users to bridge assets between them. Injective detailed the standard in November 2025 as part of a broader architectural push supporting multiple virtual machines.
Coinbase is not the first major exchange to make this move. Kraken completed its own ERC-20 to native $INJ conversion in 2025, while Binance.US enabled native $INJ deposits and withdrawals earlier this year. The Coinbase integration is nonetheless significant given its scale as the largest US-regulated crypto exchange, and it adds another direct liquidity rail into Injective's ecosystem at a time when the chain has been expanding rapidly, including the launch of US-regulated INJ futures on Bitnomial in April 2026 and the integration of native USDC via Circle's CCTP in May 2026.
Sources:
Crypto Briefing: Injective enables native INJ deposits on Coinbase with MultiVM technology
Coinbase Status: INJ migration notice, July 14, 2026
CryptoRank: Coinbase to Support Injective (INJ) Migration Ahead of EVM Mainnet Launch
Balanced markets don't happen by accident. On every major GMX market, there are traders who consistently take the underweight side of the Open Interest. They provide the balancing flow that keeps the pools tight.
By doing so, they earn the positive price impact and funding that come with trading toward balance. It's an important service: leading to tighter pricing and more predictable execution for everyone on the platform.
Today we're launching the Balancer Program to provide additional rewards to the traders who do this — the active balancers — directly.
A dedicated referral code that pays a higher direct reward than the standard referral program, straight to your own wallet. Designed specifically for balancers: added value, in recognition of the role you play.
If you consistently trade to balance the pools — taking the underweighted side of the Long/Short balance and earning positive price impact and funding — this program is for you. Eligibility is based on consistent, meaningful balancing activity, reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Please reach out through @GMXPartners on Telegram.
We’ll confirm you qualify and help you get set up, and your rewards will start flowing directly to your wallet.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
On-chain detective ZachXBT published a post stating that cross-chain bridge project TeleSwap was allegedly hit by an attack of more than $735,000 on July 15, 2026. As of now, five days after the incident, the project team has not publicly disclosed any information regarding the event. ZachXBT noted that shortly after suspicious funds flowed out, TeleSwap’s Bitcoin hot wallet ceased processing transactions. Approximately two hours ago, the attacker transferred the stolen funds to Tornado Cash. According to his disclosure, the addresses linked to the stolen funds include: bc1pz95zv3qhpmt52yezs84a5zrddrk5jsxm8a60rln5kzlk06e87a3q8pf79l0x2448cbaee50a67030692b7519a954e5550dc27180xfc5048fbba2f74ed482ffcd7663601f818c5bb470xf8706a51f8df01a71f408e50c901dd14916a12c7. TeleSwap’s Bitcoin hot wallet address is: bc1q5wnpn4k99wc587maaaa6eqnx27g4r6mduxg2s5. To date, TeleSwap has not issued an official statement on the incident, and the cause of the attack and the status of fund recovery remain unconfirmed.
Relevant content
Native Markets Discontinues USDH, Will Continue to Support 1:1 Redemptions and Exchanges in the Coming Months
According to official announcements, Native Markets has announced that the USDH official website has been sunset. Over the coming months, users will still be able to redeem and exchange USDH for U.S. dollar assets at a 1:1 ratio via the redemption page provided by the Bridge. Native Markets stated that the final exit procedures for USDH and related information will continue to be made available through the USDH official website.
1 hours ago
Hackers Attack Kenya's Presidential Official Website, Demand 5 Bitcoin Ransom
Kenya's government is investigating the hacking incident targeting President William Ruto's official website. On July 18, attackers briefly altered the president's official site page and demanded a ransom of 5 BTC, threatening to leak undisclosed data if not paid. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Digital Economy stated that the government has activated its cybersecurity response mechanism and is conducting a forensic investigation in collaboration with relevant agencies. There is currently no evidence indicating unauthorized access to or leakage of sensitive data, and government digital services remain operational.
1 hours ago
Bitcoin mining firm LM Funding rebrands as PowerCompute, shifting focus to AI computing power infrastructure.
Bitcoin mining company LM Funding America (NASDAQ: LMFA) announced it will rebrand to PowerCompute Inc. and adopt a new stock ticker "PWCM" effective July 22. The company stated that the rename marks its strategic transformation, as it leverages its existing 26 megawatts (MW) of owned power infrastructure to expand into high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure businesses. Currently, the firm operates two facilities in Oklahoma and Mississippi, U.S., with 26 MW of power capacity, and plans to provide infrastructure services to AI computing clients. It will also continue holding Bitcoin assets as part of its balance sheet.
1 hours ago
U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 1983.
U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil inventories fell by approximately 5.1 million barrels last week, dropping to 311.4 million barrels, the lowest level since 1983.
1 hours ago
Morgan Stanley: As memory shortage intensifies, DRAM prices may rise by at least 25% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter.
Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore noted that following discussions with multiple data center procurement personnel last week, the current tight memory supply shows no signs of easing. DRAM and other memory products are expected to rise by at least 25% on a comparable basis from the second quarter to the third quarter, a figure higher than previous forecasts from Morgan Stanley and third-party institutions. Moore added that the memory shortage could further deteriorate in 2027 and 2028, as AI demand is consuming massive DRAM capacity, squeezing supplies for other sectors such as PCs and smartphones. Morgan Stanley further holds that the current market is not only grappling with surging memory demand driven by AI, but insufficient memory supply itself is emerging as a key bottleneck limiting AI expansion.
1 hours ago
The US military said it has forced seven commercial vessels to divert course and disabled one to restrict access to Iranian ports.
U.S. Central Command said that as of July 20, U.S. military forces have forced seven commercial vessels to alter their routes and disabled one merchant ship to prevent vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports. (Jinshi)
KuCoin is facilitating the migration of WELL tokens from Moonbeam to Base, giving holders on the exchange one less thing to worry about as Moonbeam prepares to shut down entirely on July 31, 2026.
The move means KuCoin users holding WELL on the Moonbeam network won’t need to manually bridge their tokens. The exchange will handle the swap internally, converting Moonbeam-based WELL to Base-native WELL through a token swap process.
Why the migration matters Moonbeam, the Polkadot-connected smart contract platform, is winding down operations entirely. The network has announced a full shutdown scheduled for July 31, 2026, which includes a one-to-one migration of its native GLMR token to Base.
Advertisement
Moonwell operates as a cross-chain lending and borrowing protocol across several EVM-compatible networks, including Base, Moonbeam, Optimism, and Moonriver. With Moonbeam going dark, the protocol has been actively encouraging token holders to transfer their WELL to supported chains using built-in tools available through the Moonwell app, no external bridges required.
WELL has been upgraded to xERC20 standards specifically to enable this kind of multichain functionality.
KuCoin, which has listed WELL since June 2022 and offers a WELL/USDT trading pair, has been issuing alerts to users about withdrawing Moonbeam-based assets ahead of the shutdown.
What this means for investors WELL has been trading in a tight range between $0.0033 and $0.0037, with modest volumes that suggest most participants are watching from the sidelines.
For KuCoin users specifically, the automatic swap removes the biggest friction point. Instead of navigating bridge interfaces and managing gas tokens on multiple networks, holders can sit tight and let the exchange handle the conversion.
The July 31 deadline creates a natural forcing function. Anyone still holding WELL or other assets on Moonbeam needs to act before the network goes offline. For exchange users on KuCoin, that action is being handled for them. For self-custody holders, the clock is ticking, and Moonwell’s in-app migration tools are the path of least resistance.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Aptos Labs CEO Avery Ching said that digital asset regulations being discussed in the US Congress could pave the way for a significant transformation in the financial sector. According to Ching, the enactment of the CLARITY Act, in particular, could act as a major catalyst, accelerating the entry of financial institutions and large companies into the digital asset market.
Appearing on the YouTube channel “3PROTV,” Ching stated that comprehensive cryptocurrency regulations in the US would not only reduce legal uncertainties in the sector but also allow institutional investors to enter the market more securely. Ching emphasized that current regulatory efforts are critical to the long-term growth of the digital asset ecosystem.
Aptos CEO Ching stated that the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act, currently on the US agenda, will be two fundamental legal building blocks shaping the future of the sector. According to Ching, these two bills will form the most important legal framework supporting the development of the digital asset market and contribute to the widespread adoption of blockchain-based financial applications.
Ching stated that the biggest trends that will transform financial markets in the next five years will be the digitalization of assets and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies, adding that a period is approaching where US Treasury bonds, money market funds, stocks, and other traditional financial products can be traded more efficiently as digital assets through blockchain infrastructure. This transformation is expected to reduce transaction costs, speed up clearing processes, and increase global investor access.
On the other hand, the Aptos ecosystem continues to grow with new collaborations. The Aptos (APT) blockchain network developed by the company has been selected as one of the core blockchain partners for the next-generation stablecoin project OpenUSD (OUSD). This partnership aims to strengthen OpenUSD’s technical infrastructure and expand the enterprise use cases of the Aptos network.
Experts believe that if a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto assets is implemented in the US, the interest of banks, investment firms, and large institutional investors in the digital asset sector could significantly increase. This is expected to both accelerate the adoption of blockchain-based financial applications and support the inflow of new capital into the sector.
*This is not investment advice.
Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!
With over four years of experience in covering and tracking the financial markets, Sneha Agrawal is a dedicated Crypto Journalist and Editor with passion for researching and writing the crypto pieces. She is currently leading the Block of Fame, here at CoinGape. She likes to keep track of political, legal and financial happenings all around the world - without which she deems her day incomplete. Apart from her Journalistic endeavours, she is a solo traveler, museum goer, and a keen reader of books.
Analysts at Bernstein have raised their price target on Robinhood Markets, based on their investment thesis that the online brokerage’s next phase of growth will be driven by tokenized equities and prediction markets rather than traditional crypto trading.
In a Monday research note, Bernstein raised its price target on Robinhood (HOOD) stock to $160 from $130 per share and maintained its Outperform rating. HOOD stock was last seen trading around $101.
The analysts said prediction markets are poised to become Robinhood’s fastest-growing business, forecasting segment revenue to reach $1.7 billion by 2028, representing a 64% compound annual growth rate.
Beyond prediction markets, Bernstein identified tokenized equities as a major long-term opportunity, pointing to Robinhood’s investment in blockchain infrastructure. The firm highlighted Robinhood Chain, the company’s Arbitrum-based layer-2 network, as its proprietary infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets, enabling the platform to build on-chain financial products without relying on third-party blockchains.
Bernstein said that tokenization is emerging as a foundational layer for capital markets, projecting that the value of onchain real-world assets will grow to between $2 trillion and $4 trillion by 2030 from roughly $35 billion today. The analysts expect tokenized equities to account for an increasing share of that growth as adoption expands beyond Treasury securities and private credit.
Robinhood is competing across key “battleground” asset classes, including prediction markets, perpetual futures and tokenized RWAs. Source: Bernstein
Wall Street expands tokenization infrastructureThe Bernstein report comes as financial institutions continue to expand infrastructure for tokenized securities.
On Monday, brokerage infrastructure provider Alpaca and financial technology company Broadridge Financial Solutions announced they had integrated Broadridge’s shareholder governance tools into Alpaca’s Instant Tokenization Network. The integration adds capabilities such as proxy voting, investor communications and regulatory disclosures for tokenized securities, aiming to give token holders governance rights comparable to those of traditional shareholders.
The announcement follows last week’s partnership between tokenization platform Securitize and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald to develop infrastructure for blockchain-based initial public offerings and follow-on equity offerings within existing US securities regulations.
The institutional push comes as tokenized stocks continue to gain traction. The asset class has grown to nearly $2 billion in market value this year, according to RWA.xyz.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Tether has secured recognition for its Tether Gold (XAUT) token as an Accepted Spot Commodity within the Abu Dhabi Global Market, clearing the way for authorized firms in the financial center to offer services tied to the gold-backed digital asset under ADGM’s regulatory framework, according to a Monday statement.
XAUT is a tokenized gold product issued by Tether that gives holders ownership of one fine troy ounce of physical gold per token, with the bullion stored in secure vaults, mainly in Switzerland.
Advertisement
The token has a market value of nearly $2.5 billion and is issued on both the Ethereum (ERC-20) and Tron (TRC-20) blockchains, allowing investors to buy, transfer and trade gold digitally while retaining rights to allocated London Good Delivery bars.
According to the company, the approval follows close collaboration with ADGM to demonstrate its compliance standards and operational transparency.
The recognition provides a formal regulatory framework for XAUT in the financial center and further strengthens Tether’s footprint in the UAE as the country continues developing its digital asset ecosystem. Tether Gold is backed on a one-to-one basis by physical gold, with each token representing one troy fine ounce of gold from a London Good Delivery bar.
Tether said the latest approval expands on ADGM’s previous recognition of USDT and highlights the increasing adoption of tokenized real-world assets among institutional investors.
The company said it will continue working with regulators and industry partners across the Middle East to support regulated digital asset markets.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Cross-chain bridge protocol Allbridge has suspended its Core protocol following a flash loan attack, with the attacker stealing approximately $1.65 million in assets from Solana stablecoin liquidity pools. According to analysis from blockchain security firms PeckShield and CertiK, the attacker borrowed $1.12 million in flash loan funds via Solana lending protocol Kamino, then manipulated the price mechanism in Allbridge’s pools through multiple stablecoin swaps to convert assets at a discounted rate before bridging the funds to an Ethereum address. During the attack, the attacker used thousands of dollars in USDT to obtain around $2.24 million in USDC, then bridged the funds to Ethereum and further dispersed them. It remains unclear whether any of the stolen funds can still be recovered. Allbridge said its team suspended the Core protocol for security reasons and is asking affected liquidity providers to withdraw their funds immediately. The attack caused liquidity pool imbalances, allowing some traders to profit from arbitrage opportunities. Allbridge is calling on these users to return their gains, noting the funds will be used to compensate affected LPs. The team added that user funds face no further risk at present, and will release a detailed incident analysis after completing its investigation, while planning to relaunch the Core protocol with liquidity pools removed. This is Allbridge’s second similar flash loan attack. In April 2023, the protocol’s BNB Chain liquidity pool lost approximately $573,000 due to a similar vulnerability; the project later stated it had recovered most of the funds and adjusted its liquidity calculation mechanism.
Relevant content
Native Markets Discontinues USDH, Will Continue to Support 1:1 Redemptions and Exchanges in the Coming Months
According to official announcements, Native Markets has announced that the USDH official website has been sunset. Over the coming months, users will still be able to redeem and exchange USDH for U.S. dollar assets at a 1:1 ratio via the redemption page provided by the Bridge. Native Markets stated that the final exit procedures for USDH and related information will continue to be made available through the USDH official website.
12 minutes ago
Hackers Attack Kenya's Presidential Official Website, Demand 5 Bitcoin Ransom
Kenya's government is investigating the hacking incident targeting President William Ruto's official website. On July 18, attackers briefly altered the president's official site page and demanded a ransom of 5 BTC, threatening to leak undisclosed data if not paid. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Digital Economy stated that the government has activated its cybersecurity response mechanism and is conducting a forensic investigation in collaboration with relevant agencies. There is currently no evidence indicating unauthorized access to or leakage of sensitive data, and government digital services remain operational.
12 minutes ago
Bitcoin mining firm LM Funding rebrands as PowerCompute, shifting focus to AI computing power infrastructure.
Bitcoin mining company LM Funding America (NASDAQ: LMFA) announced it will rebrand to PowerCompute Inc. and adopt a new stock ticker "PWCM" effective July 22. The company stated that the rename marks its strategic transformation, as it leverages its existing 26 megawatts (MW) of owned power infrastructure to expand into high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure businesses. Currently, the firm operates two facilities in Oklahoma and Mississippi, U.S., with 26 MW of power capacity, and plans to provide infrastructure services to AI computing clients. It will also continue holding Bitcoin assets as part of its balance sheet.
12 minutes ago
U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 1983.
U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil inventories fell by approximately 5.1 million barrels last week, dropping to 311.4 million barrels, the lowest level since 1983.
12 minutes ago
Morgan Stanley: As memory shortage intensifies, DRAM prices may rise by at least 25% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter.
Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore noted that following discussions with multiple data center procurement personnel last week, the current tight memory supply shows no signs of easing. DRAM and other memory products are expected to rise by at least 25% on a comparable basis from the second quarter to the third quarter, a figure higher than previous forecasts from Morgan Stanley and third-party institutions. Moore added that the memory shortage could further deteriorate in 2027 and 2028, as AI demand is consuming massive DRAM capacity, squeezing supplies for other sectors such as PCs and smartphones. Morgan Stanley further holds that the current market is not only grappling with surging memory demand driven by AI, but insufficient memory supply itself is emerging as a key bottleneck limiting AI expansion.
12 minutes ago
The US military said it has forced seven commercial vessels to divert course and disabled one to restrict access to Iranian ports.
U.S. Central Command said that as of July 20, U.S. military forces have forced seven commercial vessels to alter their routes and disabled one merchant ship to prevent vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports. (Jinshi)
Statistics Canada’s latest inflation report reveals that Canadians paid 32% more for tomatoes in June compared to the previous year. This rise in prices comes as grocery price inflation continues to outpace overall inflation in the country. While the cost of food purchased from stores increased by 3.9% in June, the overall headline inflation cooled to 2.8% due to a significant drop in gasoline prices. This marks the 17th consecutive month that grocery price inflation has surpassed headline inflation, highlighting persistent pricing pressures in the food sector.
Advertisement
Key Takeaways The significant increase in tomato prices appears to reflect ongoing supply constraints, including adverse weather conditions in Mexico and U.S. tariffs on Mexican agriculture. Market pricing suggests participants are considering the impact of these inflationary pressures on Core CPI for July, with odds for a 0.2% MoM increase currently at 15%. Observers note a broad-based cooling in price pressures, as indicated by the largest monthly decline in the June CPI since December 2024. What to Watch Market participants will be closely monitoring any updates from key economic forecasters such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan regarding their outlook on inflation and Core CPI figures for July. Developments in global supply chains and any new trade policies that could affect agricultural imports may also impact future pricing. Additionally, statements from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on inflation trends could further influence market expectations.
Get live prediction-market analysis, powered by Vera. Sign up for Vera.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Key Highlights ARK Investment disposed of 23,573 AMD shares valued at $11.7 million on July 17 The firm acquired 147,805 SpaceX shares for a total of $19.4 million Advanced Micro Devices stock plummeted more than 11% last week amid chip sector downturn ARK Innovation ETF has declined 3.43% in 2026, trailing the S&P 500’s 8.94% advance UBS analysts upgraded AMD’s price target to $700, pointing to robust AI accelerator momentum Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management offloaded its position in Advanced Micro Devices on July 17, simultaneously increasing exposure to SpaceX and other holdings. These transactions reflect a strategic reallocation within ARK’s investment portfolio.
The firm divested 23,573 shares of AMD with an estimated value of $11.7 million, calculated using the July 17 closing price of $495.76. This transaction continues a significant pattern — throughout July, ARK has liquidated 137,421 AMD shares worth approximately $68.1 million at present market valuations.
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD
Despite the continuous reduction, AMD maintains its position as the eighth-largest holding in ARK Innovation ETF. As of July 16, the semiconductor company represents 4.04% of the fund’s total assets.
The chip manufacturer’s stock experienced a sharp decline exceeding 11% during the previous week. The broader semiconductor selloff initiated with Micron Technology facing pressure following news that Chinese competitor ChangXin Memory Technologies plans a Shanghai IPO potentially raising as much as $9.8 billion.
While AMD doesn’t operate in the memory chip segment, investors engaged in profit-taking across the entire semiconductor industry after an impressive rally this year. Despite the recent pullback, AMD shares remain up an impressive 131.5% year to date.
SpaceX Becomes Major ARK Acquisition On the acquisition front, ARK snapped up 147,805 SpaceX shares valued at $19.4 million distributed across multiple ETFs. The investment firm also added CoreWeave to its portfolio, purchasing 115,827 shares worth approximately $8.4 million.
Additionally, ARK accumulated positions in Kratos Defense and Security Solutions and AeroVironment, demonstrating a sustained focus on defense and aerospace sector investments.
ARK Innovation ETF Underperforms Broad Market in 2026 ARK Innovation ETF has posted a decline of 3.43% year to date in 2026, significantly underperforming the S&P 500’s 8.94% gain during the identical timeframe. Looking at a five-year horizon, the fund has recorded an annualized return of negative 8.23%, contrasting sharply with the S&P 500’s 11.50% annualized performance.
According to data from ETF research provider VettaFi, the fund experienced approximately $1.26 billion in net capital outflows during the 12-month period ending July 16.
Wood has publicly stated her conviction that technological innovation is creating deflationary pressures in the economy, especially through artificial intelligence adoption. She contends this trend will result in declining inflation, reduced interest rates, and enhanced economic expansion — market conditions she believes are advantageous for innovation-focused equities.
AMD has a significant catalyst approaching on its calendar. CEO Lisa Su is scheduled to introduce the MI450X accelerator and MI500 GPU series at the company’s Advancing AI 2026 conference on July 22 and 23.
UBS recently upgraded its AMD price objective to $700 from $670, maintaining a buy recommendation. The investment bank increased its 2027 revenue projection for AMD to $83.4 billion and elevated its earnings forecast to $14.63 per share.
AMD is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings report in August.
Key Highlights Monday saw the national average gasoline price reach $4.0030 per gallon, marking the first breach of the $4 barrier since June Fuel costs have surged over 30% following late February military strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iranian targets A temporary peace agreement in June temporarily reduced prices below $4, though hostilities reignited in early July On Monday, Brent crude jumped 3.2% to reach $90.95 per barrel while U.S. crude increased 2.8% to $84.04 Current U.S. fuel reserves are approximately 1.5 million barrels beneath the five-year average, intensifying upward price pressure American motorists are once again confronting $4-per-gallon fuel costs, primarily driven by escalating military tensions between the United States and Iran.
According to data from the American Automobile Association, Monday’s national average for regular unleaded gasoline climbed to $4.0030. This represents a significant increase from $3.14 per gallon recorded during the same period last year.
The initial breach of the $4 threshold occurred in late March when Iran began blocking commercial traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. This critical maritime passage facilitates the transport of approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply.
A temporary respite came in June when Washington and Tehran reached a memorandum of understanding aimed at de-escalation. However, this fragile agreement disintegrated in early July, with military operations resuming shortly thereafter.
Following the breakdown of peace talks, crude oil prices spiked approximately 16% over the past week. The correlation between retail gasoline and crude oil prices remains strong, as crude represents the primary input cost for refined fuel products.
Crude Markets Respond to Conflict Escalation Monday trading saw Brent crude, the global pricing benchmark, advance 3.2% to settle at $90.95 per barrel. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. standard, gained 2.8% to close at $84.04 per barrel.
The Strait of Hormuz continues to be the epicenter of market anxiety. Any impediment to shipping through this narrow channel creates immediate ripple effects across worldwide energy markets.
🇺🇸NOW: PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESSES ESCALATING IRAN CONFLICT
"We are now doing a FAR bigger job, we were on a little job stopping them from having a certain capability"
"But now, we're just ENDING it"
"Ending any chance where they can have a nuclear missile.
"If you look at it,… pic.twitter.com/QE4lEMEwz5
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) July 20, 2026
Additional upward pressure on energy costs stems from intensified Ukrainian military operations targeting Russian petroleum processing facilities, which have substantially diminished Russia’s refining capabilities.
Supply Shortages Compound Price Increases Last week’s figures show U.S. gasoline inventories at 210.5 million barrels, falling roughly 1.5 million barrels short of the five-year seasonal average. These diminished reserves leave the market more vulnerable to supply disruptions.
Regional variations in fuel pricing persist due to differing state taxation policies, local supply dynamics, and transportation expenses. Several states have maintained prices above $4 for extended periods.
The $4-per-gallon threshold represents a critical psychological and economic benchmark for American households. Elevated fuel costs create cascading effects throughout the economy, increasing transportation expenses for consumer goods and groceries.
Rising pump prices have emerged as a significant political challenge for President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. With November midterm elections approaching, Republicans must defend narrow legislative majorities while addressing voter concerns over inflation.
During the June ceasefire period, Trump publicly voiced dissatisfaction that retail gas prices weren’t declining proportionally to crude oil reductions.
It’s important to note that the $4 figure represents a nationwide average. Consumers in traditionally high-cost regions such as California have been confronting prices significantly above this level for several months.
Without prospects for renewed diplomatic engagement, industry analysts anticipate sustained elevated prices at filling stations. Monday’s sharp escalation in Middle East hostilities propelled crude prices upward, immediately translating into higher costs for American drivers.
Strait of Hormuz Tanker Attack Sends European Gas Prices Soaring to Highest Point in MonthsKey TakeawaysVessel Incident Sparks Immediate Market ResponseRising Insurance Premiums Compound Market PressureGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Key Takeaways Natural gas benchmarks in Europe jumped more than 3.4% on Monday, reaching peaks not seen since late March An attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz sparked a fire, triggering market concerns Approximately 20% of worldwide LNG shipments travel through this strategic waterway Crude oil markets advanced 2.2%, pushing oil-indexed gas contracts upward War-risk insurance costs surged dramatically, directly impacting European wholesale gas valuations A vessel fire in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has propelled European natural gas valuations significantly higher, sparking renewed anxiety over the security of global LNG supply chains.
The front-month Dutch gas futures contract, serving as Europe’s primary benchmark, advanced 3.45% during Monday’s trading session. Britain’s wholesale gas contract climbed 3.52% in parallel. Both indices touched their strongest points since March 23.
Dutch TTF Natural Gas Calendar (TTF=F) Vessel Incident Sparks Immediate Market Response The upward price movement followed news that a commercial tanker was engulfed in flames after being struck in the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow waterway represents one of the planet’s most critical corridors for energy transportation.
Roughly 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas shipments transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The majority of these deliveries originate from prominent Gulf region producers. Any potential disruption to this passage immediately heightens concerns across European energy trading floors.
European nations have grown increasingly dependent on seaborne LNG deliveries in recent times. This shift occurred as Russian pipeline gas volumes plummeted dramatically in the aftermath of the Ukraine conflict. The region now relies substantially on imported LNG to maintain residential heating and industrial operations.
Crude oil prices similarly advanced during the session, gaining 2.2%. This upward movement elevated oil-linked gas contracts in tandem, compounding the overall price momentum.
Rising Insurance Premiums Compound Market Pressure Market participants indicated that LNG shipments continue to navigate through the strait, though under enhanced security protocols. The risk environment has fundamentally shifted, despite cargo movements remaining intact for now.
War-risk insurance premiums have escalated substantially. Insurance providers are incorporating the elevated risk associated with active security threats in the region. These additional expenses translate directly into higher European wholesale gas prices.
The timing presents challenges for European energy companies. They are entering a phase when supply interruptions could produce disproportionate effects on continental pricing structures.
Energy markets are now monitoring intensely whether conditions in the Strait of Hormuz deteriorate further. Any prolonged interruption to LNG transit through the waterway could elevate prices substantially beyond current levels.
The Dutch front-month futures contract serves as the principal pricing benchmark for European gas commerce. Monday’s rally represented a multi-month peak and demonstrated how rapidly geopolitical developments can transform energy market dynamics.
At present, LNG deliveries remain operational, but the market has already incorporated risk premiums. Energy traders and utility companies will maintain close surveillance of developments in coming days.
Monday’s market movement underscored how vulnerable European energy systems remain to Middle Eastern events, especially along strategic shipping passages such as the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Highlights Technology stocks are recovering Monday following last week’s downturn sparked by concerns over low-cost Chinese AI alternatives Alibaba’s stock climbed as much as 5% following the company’s introduction of its Qwen 3.8 Max AI platform, positioning it as a top contender behind Anthropic’s Fable 5 Semiconductor stocks like Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and Micron experienced gains during early morning trading AMC Entertainment shares skyrocketed 12% following stronger-than-anticipated Q2 financial results Domino’s Pizza stock increased 7.3% after Q2 revenue figures exceeded analyst projections The artificial intelligence sector is experiencing a recovery Monday following a challenging previous week. Market participants had fled the sector amid anxieties regarding budget-friendly Chinese language model alternatives potentially eroding market share.
Semiconductor and AI-associated equities are experiencing upward momentum during pre-opening trading hours. Sandisk surged 4.2%, Marvell increased 2%, and Lumentum gained 3.3%.
Sandisk Corporation, SNDK
Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and Micron all showed positive movement ahead of market opening. Market participants seemed to be capitalizing on reduced valuations following previous week’s downward trends.
Alibaba Unveils Qwen 3.8 Max Platform Alibaba shares increased between 3.6% and 5% Monday following the company’s unveiling of its premier Qwen 3.8 Max artificial intelligence platform. The Chinese technology giant positioned the platform as a runner-up exclusively to Anthropic’s Fable 5.
This announcement followed Moonshot’s recent launch of its Kimi K3 platform, intensifying rivalry within the AI development sector. Alibaba announced immediate developer availability for Qwen 3.8 Max via its Qoder infrastructure.
Goldman Sachs provided analysis on the announcement. The investment bank characterized it as evidence of intensifying competition among premium AI development platforms, anticipating additional large language models to launch in upcoming months.
AMC and Domino’s Exceed Forecasts AMC Entertainment emerged as among the session’s strongest performers, soaring 12%. The cinema operator delivered Q2 financial performance and revenue figures that surpassed analyst projections.
The company additionally disclosed that 4.3 million patrons attended its American theaters from Thursday through Sunday for screenings of The Odyssey. This strong attendance data contributed to the bullish momentum surrounding the equity.
Domino’s Pizza advanced 7.3% following its Q2 revenue results exceeding Street estimates. The pizza chain’s performance provided additional confirmation of resilient consumer expenditure patterns.
Additional Notable Movers Fervo Energy appreciated approximately 5% after Jefferies elevated the geothermal energy company to Buy from Hold. The investment firm suggested a recent 40% decline from IPO peak levels created an appealing buying opportunity, establishing a revised target of $34.
Yeti Holdings advanced roughly 2% following Goldman Sachs’ upgrade to Buy from Neutral. Goldman referenced a more sustainable expansion trajectory and established a $63 target, suggesting approximately 23% potential gains.
Index futures displayed mixed signals overall as market participants simultaneously assessed intensifying Middle Eastern geopolitical risks ahead of a significant week featuring earnings announcements from leading technology corporations.
Bernstein SocGen Group, a global equity and institutional brokerage firm, has raised its price target on Robinhood (HOOD) stock from $130 to $160. The firm believes Robinhood’s expansion into tokenized stocks and blockchain products could unlock billions in new revenue.
Bernstein Sees Robinhood Leading the Next Trading BoomAccording to Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani, Robinhood is in a strong position to benefit from a $70 billion market that includes prediction markets, perpetual futures, tokenized stocks, and blockchain products.
“We expect Robinhood to expand into prediction markets, perpetual futures, and tokenized equities, which are key drivers behind our revised price target.”
Bernstein says Robinhood’s biggest strength is its 27 million funded accounts and 14 million monthly active users. This helps the company launch new products quickly without spending a lot to bring in new customers.
Robinhood (HOOD) is now trading near $100, so Bernstein’s new $160 price target suggests the stock could rise by more than 60%. The firm also expects these new businesses to grow from 3% of Robinhood’s revenue in 2025 to 18% in 2027 and 23% in 2028.
Prediction Markets Could Soon Earn More Than CryptoBernstein says the biggest reason for its higher price target is the fast growth of prediction markets. The firm expects revenue from prediction markets to grow 64% every year between 2026 and 2028, reaching nearly $1.7 billion.
It also believes that by the second quarter of 2026, prediction markets could earn more money than Robinhood’s crypto business. Bernstein expects about $150 million in prediction market revenue during the quarter, while crypto revenue could fall because trading activity has slowed.
Robinhood’s Rothera Exchange, launched in May, is already growing quickly. Bernstein says it has processed more than 3.5 billion contracts, with FIFA World Cup markets making up about 93% of the activity.
Rothera now handles around 16% of Robinhood’s prediction market volume, while the rest still goes through its partner Kalshi.
Robinhood’s Crypto Business Slows While Blockchain ExpandsOn the flip side, Bernstein has lowered its 2026 crypto revenue forecast by 49% because crypto trading activity has slowed this year.
As a result, the firm cut its 2026 revenue estimate to $5.3 billion, while its earnings per share (EPS) forecast dropped from $2.65 to $2.05. Still, Bernstein says this slowdown is only temporary.
At the same time, Robinhood is growing its blockchain business. Its Robinhood Chain, built on Arbitrum, has already crossed $400 million in total value locked (TVL). The network is also on track to process nearly $200 billion in yearly decentralized exchange volume, while generating about $50 million in yearly chain fees.
Because of these new businesses, Bernstein now expects Robinhood’s 2028 EPS to reach $4.56, about 39% higher than Wall Street estimates, supporting its new $160 price target.
Story Ends Here
Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.
Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.
Sponsored and Advertisements:Sponsored content and affiliate links may appear on our site. Advertisements are marked clearly, and our editorial content remains entirely independent from our ad partners.
