The pressure from short term Bitcoin investors has surged once again. In the past 24 hours, around 50,000 BTC were sent to exchanges at a loss, marking a significant movement in the market. At the same time, the total market value of short term holders dropped to $237.7 billion, its lowest point since October 2, 2024.
Losses deepen for short term investorsAccording to CryptoQuant analyst Amr Taha, as of June 26, the market value for short term Bitcoin investors fell to $237.7 billion. This measure tracks the value of BTC held by investors who bought within the last 155 days. The current data reveals that the market value for this group has slipped below their cost basis, meaning many recent buyers now find themselves at a paper loss.
The latest drop in short term investor market value stands out not as confirmation of a market bottom, but as a reflection of heightened stress in the market environment.
A similar weakness appeared during the correction of October 2024, when the subsequent reversal established a key bottom for Bitcoin. However, the latest data does not yet indicate a new low; instead, it underscores mounting selling pressure faced by short term investors.
BTC inflows to exchanges hit new highsExchange flows also point to increasing selling pressure. Roughly 50,000 BTC from short term holders was transferred to exchanges at a loss in 24 hours, the largest such move since June 4. Binance alone received approximately 9,500 BTC, the highest such level since June 3 under similar conditions.
This activity suggests that newer investors, who are more sensitive to price swings, are becoming increasingly active on the sell side amid declining prices.
IndicatorLevelComparisonBTC sent to exchanges at a loss50,000 BTCHighest since June 4BTC deposited to Binance9,500 BTCHighest since June 3Short term investor market value$237.7 billionLowest since October 2, 2024Long term holders continue accumulatingBy contrast, long term investors present a more constructive picture. On Thursday, accumulation addresses saw Bitcoin inflows hit a record 181,000 BTC, breaking the previous record of 94,700 BTC from February 2022. These are typically wallets with limited spending history, and the data suggests long term holders are absorbing the supply entering the market.
Glossary: Accumulation addresses refer to wallets that mostly hold incoming assets and rarely spend. An increase in inflows to these addresses, seen in on chain analysis, suggests a growing trend toward long term holding.
The Coinbase Premium Index has remained below zero for 40 consecutive days since May 15, indicating weak demand from professional investors.
Macro data and institutional appetite add market pressureMarket analyst Darkfost noted that institutional appetite for Bitcoin continues to soften. The persistent negativity of the Coinbase Premium Index, which tracks the price gap between Coinbase and Binance, highlights continued discounting on Coinbase—a sign that professional investors are selling more aggressively than retail holders.
Recent US macroeconomic data also reinforced a cautious market mood. Headline PCE inflation reached 4.1 percent, surpassing forecasts of 4.0 percent, while Core PCE rose to 3.4 percent against an expected 3.3 percent. GDP also came in above estimates at 2.1 percent. These figures have dampened hopes for an easing in monetary policy.
Asset manager Bitwise commented that last week’s Federal Reserve meeting only accelerated the central bank’s hawkish stance. The firm noted that policymakers have scaled back expectations for easing and raised the 2026 median federal funds rate forecast from 3.4 percent in March to 3.8 percent. Bitwise also reported continued outflows from crypto investment vehicles like spot ETFs.
Strategy has remained a focal point for the market, accumulating 174,300 BTC in 2026 alone. Bitwise data show that about 96,000 BTC of these purchases were financed by STRC preferred share issuance, with 77,500 BTC supported by MSTR common stock sales. According to CryptoQuant, STRC’s price dropped to $82.5 from its $100 nominal value—a 17.5 percent discount—during last week’s pre market session, sliding further toward $73. The company’s cash reserves have declined by 38 percent since early 2026. Following a $1.5 billion convertible bond buyback, annual dividend obligations jumped from $300 million to $1.2 billion, shortening the dividend coverage period from up to seven years to just 14 months.
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.
CoinGecko’s recent research study provides a comprehensive examination of Bitcoin’s bear market patterns, offering insightful and in-depth context for the ongoing downturn in 2025 and 2026. According to the latest research report, released on June 25, 2026, a bear market is identified as any period of at least 30 consecutive days during which Bitcoin’s daily closing price remains below its 200-day simple moving average.
According to insights from CoinGecko, this metric helps distinguish prolonged weakness from temporary fluctuations by focusing on the long-term trend.
Since 2014, the analysis identifies seven such episodes. The most extended ones stemmed from major structural disruptions.
For instance, the 2018-2019 downturn persisted for 385 days following the peak of initial coin offering enthusiasm, as retail interest faded and global regulations tightened.
Similarly, the 2022-2023 bear market lasted 381 days, sparked by the Terra-LUNA collapse and subsequent failures at major firms like Three Arrows Capital, Celsius, and FTX, which eroded institutional trust and pushed prices below $16,000.
The 2014-2015 cycle endured 321 days after the Mt. Gox exchange meltdown shattered early market confidence.
Shorter bear periods arose from more isolated events. A 2019-2020 consolidation ran for 81 days, while a 2021 correction triggered by China’s mining restrictions lasted 80 days.
The briefest, the 2020 COVID-19 crash, spanned just 52 days but delivered a sharp liquidity shock before stimulus measures aided recovery.
On average, these seven bear markets lasted about 188 days, highlighting wide variation in length depending on underlying causes.
The current 2025-2026 bear market reached 233 days as of June 24, 2026, positioning it as the fourth longest.
It followed Bitcoin’s all-time high near $124,773 in January 2025, with prices falling to a low of around $60,862 on June 7.
This represents a maximum drawdown of 51.2 percent so far—the mildest among all recorded cycles.
In contrast, the three major structural bears saw declines ranging from 76.7 percent to 83.6 percent, erasing the bulk of previous gains.
Even shorter shocks, like the COVID period, produced drawdowns exceeding 74 percent.
The relatively contained losses this time may stem from greater institutional involvement, a maturing market infrastructure, and macroeconomic factors including interest rate volatility and capital shifts toward artificial intelligence themes.
As of late June 2026, Bitcoin traded near $62,651, roughly 2.9 percent above its recent bottom, while the 200-day moving average hovered around $76,450, creating a 22 percent gap.
Historical patterns indicate that reclaiming this average after a confirmed low has taken between 65 and 166 days.
Should the June 7 bottom hold, the quickest recovery precedent points to a potential crossover as early as August 2026, though longer timelines cannot be ruled out.
CoinGecko’s research findings emphasize that bear markets differ significantly in depth and duration. Structural collapses tend to inflict the heaviest damage, while the present cycle reflects evolving market resilience.
For participants, this data underscores the importance of historical perspective and patience amid extended periods of underperformance, even as the asset demonstrates improved durability compared to past episodes. The research report from CoinGecko serves as yet another reminder that while downturns test resolve, they have consistently paved the way for subsequent recoveries in Bitcoin’s 15+ year history.
Fidelity Digital Assets has pushed back against concerns that Bitcoin’s long-term security will deteriorate as mining rewards decline, arguing in a new research report that the network’s economic incentives remain sufficient to secure the blockchain over time.
The report, authored by Fidelity research analyst Daniel Gray, reiterated the view that Bitcoin’s security depends on more than block rewards. Transaction fees, market incentives and other economic forces continue to encourage miners to secure the network and make sustained attacks prohibitively expensive, it said.
The findings challenge a longstanding criticism that each quadrennial halving weakens Bitcoin’s security by reducing the issuance of new coins. Critics argue that declining block rewards could eventually erode miners’ incentives unless transaction fees grow enough to offset the shortfall.
The issue has become one of the most closely watched long-term questions surrounding Bitcoin (BTC), whose fixed supply schedule gradually reduces new issuance until block subsidies eventually disappear. Whether transaction fees and other incentives can sustain network security remains a central debate among developers and market participants.
Since April 20, 2024, Bitcoin miners have received a subsidy of 3.125 BTC for each block they mine, down from 6.25 BTC during the previous halving cycle. However, Gray argued that lower issuance has not translated into weaker incentives for miners because Bitcoin’s rising price has more than offset the decline in block rewards.
He pointed to the growth in average daily miner revenue, which increased from roughly $26,300 during Bitcoin’s first halving cycle to more than $40.2 million today. “Despite declining issuance, miner incentives — and by extension, network security — historically strengthened alongside Bitcoin's price,” Gray wrote.
Bitcoin’s average daily miner revenue has increased substantially across halving cycles. Source: Fidelity Digital Assets
Public Bitcoin miners face mounting financial pressureWhile Fidelity argues that Bitcoin’s long-term incentive structure remains intact, many publicly traded mining companies continue to face near-term financial pressure. Some industry analysts have described the current environment as one of the most challenging on record, citing lower mining rewards, rising costs and growing competition.
In response, several miners have diversified into artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, leveraging existing power infrastructure and data center assets to meet growing demand for AI workloads rather than relying solely on Bitcoin mining.
A recent report by VanEck estimated that publicly traded miners could require up to $50 billion in additional capital to fully transition to AI infrastructure, underscoring the scale and cost of the shift.
Public miners face a large funding gap in realizing their AI ambitions. Source: Miner Weekly
“A Bitcoin mine can run with relatively simple buildings, modular infrastructure and ASIC fleets that tolerate fast curtailment,” Blocksbridge Consulting wrote in a recent Miner Weekly publication. “AI and HPC facilities require higher standards for uptime, cooling, electrical redundancy, networking and customer support.”
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.
Fidelity Digital Assets has pushed back against concerns that Bitcoin’s long-term security will deteriorate as mining rewards decline, arguing in a new research report that the network’s economic incentives remain sufficient to secure the blockchain over time.
The report, authored by Fidelity research analyst Daniel Gray, reiterated the view that Bitcoin’s security depends on more than block rewards. Transaction fees, market incentives and other economic forces continue to encourage miners to secure the network and make sustained attacks prohibitively expensive, it said.
The findings challenge a longstanding criticism that each quadrennial halving weakens Bitcoin’s security by reducing the issuance of new coins. Critics argue that declining block rewards could eventually erode miners’ incentives unless transaction fees grow enough to offset the shortfall.
The issue has become one of the most closely watched long-term questions surrounding Bitcoin (BTC), whose fixed supply schedule gradually reduces new issuance until block subsidies eventually disappear. Whether transaction fees and other incentives can sustain network security remains a central debate among developers and market participants.
Since April 20, 2024, Bitcoin miners have received a subsidy of 3.125 BTC for each block they mine, down from 6.25 BTC during the previous halving cycle. However, Gray argued that lower issuance has not translated into weaker incentives for miners because Bitcoin’s rising price has more than offset the decline in block rewards.
He pointed to the growth in average daily miner revenue, which increased from roughly $26,300 during Bitcoin’s first halving cycle to more than $40.2 million today. “Despite declining issuance, miner incentives — and by extension, network security — historically strengthened alongside Bitcoin's price,” Gray wrote.
Bitcoin’s average daily miner revenue has increased substantially across halving cycles. Source: Fidelity Digital Assets
Public Bitcoin miners face mounting financial pressureWhile Fidelity argues that Bitcoin’s long-term incentive structure remains intact, many publicly traded mining companies continue to face near-term financial pressure. Some industry analysts have described the current environment as one of the most challenging on record, citing lower mining rewards, rising costs and growing competition.
In response, several miners have diversified into artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, leveraging existing power infrastructure and data center assets to meet growing demand for AI workloads rather than relying solely on Bitcoin mining.
A recent report by VanEck estimated that publicly traded miners could require up to $50 billion in additional capital to fully transition to AI infrastructure, underscoring the scale and cost of the shift.
Public miners face a large funding gap in realizing their AI ambitions. Source: Miner Weekly
“A Bitcoin mine can run with relatively simple buildings, modular infrastructure and ASIC fleets that tolerate fast curtailment,” Blocksbridge Consulting wrote in a recent Miner Weekly publication. “AI and HPC facilities require higher standards for uptime, cooling, electrical redundancy, networking and customer support.”
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.
Participants in the digital asset sector were busy this week opining on Bitcoin, AI, stablecoins, and quantum resistance before heading off for the July 4 holiday (in the US).
Bitcoin “BTC’s negative premium on Coinbase has been widening — a sign that U.S. institutional buying remains tepid. Meanwhile, Strategy (STRC) briefly dipped below $84. No immediate blow-up risk, but the ‘what if they need to sell?’ overhang is real, and it’s keeping a lid on sentiment.
“On the technical side, BTC remains pinned under its daily 20- and 50-day moving averages, with short-term MAs bearishly stacked and diverging. The daily RSI sits near 40 — weak, but not yet oversold. Bollinger Bands are tilting slightly downward, with the middle band acting as strong resistance.
“With bulls struggling for follow-through and bears holding the momentum, BTC will likely continue grinding below resistance, probing for real demand on the downside.”
“Bitcoin dropping in price during its quadrennial bear market phase is the norm, not the exception. Layer in a risk-off move in the overbought chip sector, and it adds to the sell pressure from institutions.
“Retail sees the price going down, and many follow like sheep. The smart money looks at the charts and sees a buying opportunity. Nothing fundamental has changed with Bitcoin; it always has a year-long bear market after the bubble pops.”
– Michael Terpin
“The global tech stock selloff of the last 24 hours has coincided with another bout of de-risking out of digital assets and pushing up options prices. This indicates that investors are paying more for insurance against further potential downside price movements.
“We’ve seen this story several times over the past year alone. Fears over lofty AI valuations and concerns around AI spending have driven risk-off moves in US equities, and those risk-off moves have coincided with a selloff in BTC and crypto, which remain strongly correlated to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100.
“Seven-day at-the-money BTC implied volatility jumped from 35% to 42%, while the volatility premium for downside protection increased once more. The 25-delta put-call skew, a measure of the implied volatility of out-of-the-money calls relative to puts, has fallen from -3% last week to -10% yesterday.
“We’ve seen OTM puts trade with higher implied volatility than calls for most of this year, unsurprising given how far BTC is from its all-time high. Even brief periods of spot recovery, for example, the May rally back towards $80K, have been unable to drive a meaningful skew back towards call options, further indicating investors’ risk aversion.
“Beyond the recent tech selloff, our data has revealed an interesting trend in volatility and options markets over the first half of 2026, namely the compression in the ETH/ BTC at-the-money implied volatility ratio.
“Last year, that ratio increased to as much as 2.5, indicating that ETH seven-day options traded with an implied volatility 2.5x larger than similarly dated BTC options. In 2026, however, the ratio spent much of the year hovering between 1.3 and 1.4, driven partly by a compression in ETH volatility towards BTC volatility. One potential factor behind that compression could be the impact of institutional sellers of volatility.
“In a SEC filing covering the period ending Feb. 28, Bitmine, the largest digital asset treasury firm for ETH, announced that the ‘Company began entering into ETH-denominated option contracts, primarily through the sale of put options.’”
“Additionally, there are a number of covered-call style ETH ETFs available, including Grayscale’s ETCO, Global X’s EHCC ETF and Amplify ETFs EHY. We’ve speculated in the past that the structural selling of volatility by digital asset treasuries had been one factor contributing to the oversupply of volatility in BTC options markets, and we could now be seeing something similar in ETH options.”
– Thahbib Rahman, research analyst at Block Scholes
Quantum resilience The US Quantum Resilience Clock just became operational
“The attack will begin quietly, inside traffic that was stolen years earlier and stored in a government warehouse, a hostile intelligence archive, or a private server farm no one was supposed to know existed. The files will look useless at first: encrypted diplomatic cables, defence communications, financial records, source code, identity data, and authentication logs.
“Then, one day, the machines will catch up. What could not be read yesterday will become readable tomorrow. That is the premise behind ‘harvest now, decrypt later,’ and it is why Executive Order 14409, ‘Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks,’ matters.
“For years, post-quantum cryptography was treated as a technical issue for standards bodies and cybersecurity teams. Important, but not yet urgent.
“That changed when the United States put dates on the board. Federal high-value assets and high-impact systems must move to post-quantum key establishment by Dec. 31, 2030, and post-quantum digital signatures by Dec. 31, 2031. Federal contractors and suppliers supporting federal systems are increasingly drawn into the same operating environment, with NIST-aligned quantum-resilience expectations likely to influence procurement and compliance requirements well before the deadlines arrive.
“Washington is not moving alone. Australia is telling organizations to stop relying on traditional asymmetric cryptography by the end of 2030. Canada is targeting 2031 for high-priority federal systems and 2035 for the rest of its non-classified government systems.
“The United Kingdom wants discovery and planning finished by 2028, priority migrations completed by 2031, and full migration by 2035. The European Union is coordinating member-state transition plans. France, Germany, and Japan are moving on their own tracks. Different capitals, different bureaucracies, same conclusion: the old cryptographic perimeter is running out of time.
‘The private sector has read the intelligence, too. Google has set its own internal target to migrate systems to post-quantum cryptography by 2029. That is not a symbolic date. At Google’s scale, a cryptographic migration is not a software patch; it is a global logistics operation.
“Ethereum is also preparing for the same threat from a different battlefield. Its quantum-resistance roadmap points toward full post-quantum protection by 2029, including changes to the signatures and cryptographic foundations that secure accounts, consensus, and the network itself.
“One is a hyperscale technology company. The other is a decentralized financial and computing ecosystem. Both are moving before the decade is out. But while a centralized giant can mandate a patch from the top down, a decentralized network faces a massive logistical bottleneck: upgrading immutable infrastructure without fracturing the network.
“The challenge extends beyond replacing one algorithm with another. Cryptographic standards will continue to evolve. New vulnerabilities will emerge. Regulatory requirements will diverge across jurisdictions.
“The organizations best positioned for this transition will not simply deploy post-quantum cryptography. They will build the ability to adapt as cryptography itself changes.
“That is the signal everyone else should be watching. The United States remains the world’s largest economy by nominal GDP and the anchor market for global technology procurement. When Washington sets a deadline, federal vendors hear it first. Then cloud providers hear it. Then banks, defence contractors, telecom networks, energy companies, software platforms, insurers, and capital markets hear it. The deadline does not stop at the federal firewall. It moves through the supply chain.
“The organizations that survive this transition will not be the ones that wait for quantum computers to arrive. They will be the ones who already know where their cryptography lives, which systems depend on it, which vendors can migrate, which certificates need replacement, which devices cannot be upgraded, and which contracts need to change.
“The hard part is not the math. The hard part is the inventory and the agility to act on it. Somewhere inside every enterprise is a forgotten protocol, an old appliance, a buried dependency, or a long-lived certificate that still assumes the future will look like the past. Executive Order 14409 is a warning that it will not.”
– Yoon Auh, founder of BOLTS Technologies
Bank of England’s stablecoin stance “The Bank of England’s decision to remove individual ownership caps and lower reserve requirements is a welcome step forward, but the £40B issuance limit suggests policymakers are still focused on the wrong risk.
“The framework assumes stablecoins primarily compete with domestic bank deposits, when much of the demand is driven by cross-border payments. Migrant workers in the UK send more than £9B abroad each year, often losing 6-8% of every transfer to correspondent banking fees and delays.
“A £40B cap on sterling stablecoins may sound generous, but it effectively keeps the infrastructure at pilot scale while dollar stablecoins issued elsewhere are already supporting real remittance flows.
“We operate under US state licensing through Anzens, where regulators focus on reserve quality, redemption rights and consumer protections rather than imposing artificial limits on growth. The UK now stands alone among major jurisdictions in capping stablecoin issuance in its own currency. That distinction will matter when payment networks and infrastructure providers decide where to invest and build.”
– Shantnoo Saxsena, founder and CEO of Encryptus
“The Bank of England’s reversal is less a change of heart than a recognition of reality: cap what people can hold, and sterling stablecoin activity just moves offshore into dollar coins. The US moved first with the GENIUS Act, the EU with MiCA, both ahead of the UK, and Britain couldn’t afford to regulate itself out of its own market.
“What matters is how they softened it. They scrapped individual holding limits but kept 24-hour redemption, reserve-quality rules, and licensed intermediaries, swapping a cap on users for a cap on issuance (albeit a high one). That’s the right instinct: regulate the rails, not the customer. Manage systemic risk through reserves and redemption, not by throttling adoption.
“So yes, a turning point in intent. But with rules final only by the end of 2026 and launches in 2027, the UK is course-correcting from behind, not leading.”
– Bernardo Brites, CEO of Trace
AI IPOs
“Everyone is focused on whether OpenAI or Anthropic reaches the public markets first, but that assumes the future of AI will be decided by model providers. Whether that’s the right assumption is up for debate.
“If you look at how enterprise technology markets typically evolve, the companies that create the most value are not always the ones building the underlying technology. They’re often the ones that make that technology usable, accessible, and embedded in everyday workflows. Most businesses don’t buy AI because they want access to a model. They buy AI because they want to solve a problem.
“An IPO could be an important milestone for OpenAI or Anthropic, but it may also mark the point where the industry starts asking a different question. Not who has the smartest model, but who is actually capturing the value created by AI. Those may not end up being the same companies.”
– Bindesh Vijayan, co-founder and CTO of Myndlab
“Oracle is the first big name to write ‘AI’ into a federal filing as the reason 21,000 people lost their jobs. Read the filing again, though. They spent $1.8 billion on severance and $55 billion building data centers.
“AI didn’t fire those people. A capex bill did, and AI was the cleanest line to write next to the number. When a company needs cash for GPUs, the payroll is the lever, and ‘automation’ is the word that makes the lever look like progress instead of a cut.
“Some of those jobs are genuinely gone. People trained the systems that replaced them, and that part is real. But here’s what I keep coming back to. Once ‘AI did it’ becomes the accepted reason, every board gets permission to cut first and explain later, and nobody asks who could actually still do the work.
“The story flattens 21,000 people into one word. Talent doesn’t disappear when the headcount does. It scatters, and right now there’s no good way to see where it went.
“We watch this from the hiring side every day across the Bondex ecosystem, and the job descriptions are already moving. Roughly one in four roles posted across our network now asks for AI or machine learning skills, up from about one in five at the end of last year.
“The work isn’t vanishing. It’s being rewritten, and the people who can prove they do the new version are about to be the most contested talent on the market. The problem is that proof is exactly what the hiring system can’t deliver. A resume can claim anything, and now AI can generate that claim in 10 seconds.
“That’s the gap we’re building Bondex to close. When the layoff reason is a single word in a filing, the people behind that number need somewhere their actual work is verified and visible, so a recruiter or an AI agent can find them on proof instead of a polished PDF. AI is going to keep reshaping who gets hired. The least it can do is help the right people get found.”
Every four years, Bitcoin cuts its mining rewards in half. Fidelity Digital Assets has spent the last two years building a detailed case for why concerns about network security are overblown.
The firm’s June 2026 report, titled “Bitcoin’s Programmed Security: Part Two,” is a follow-up to its March 2024 analysis and digs into the economic mechanics that keep Bitcoin resilient even as miners earn fewer coins per block. The core argument: the combination of rising hash rates, automatic difficulty adjustments, and growing transaction fee revenue creates a self-reinforcing security model that doesn’t collapse when subsidies decline.
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The numbers behind the argument Since the 2016 halving, Bitcoin’s hash rate has surged by over 8,000%. Since 2020, it has climbed 394%. Both of those stretches included halvings that cut miner rewards in half.
The most recent halving occurred in April 2024, dropping block rewards from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC. The next one, expected around 2028, will reduce rewards further to 1.5625 BTC.
Why the doomsday math doesn’t add up Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment mechanism recalibrates every 2,016 blocks (roughly two weeks), automatically adjusting how hard it is to mine a block. If miners drop off the network, difficulty falls, making it cheaper for remaining miners to operate. If miners flood in, difficulty rises.
Fidelity notes that while temporary hash rate dips have occurred after halvings, none have resulted in significant security breaches. The report also finds that even in projected low-subsidy environments beyond 2040, the cost of mounting a 51% attack on the network remains disproportionate to any potential gains from doing so.
Transaction fees as the long-term bridge During the April 2024 halving, transaction fees in a single block reached approximately 12 times the block subsidy. That spike was partly driven by the Runes protocol launch, which created unusual demand for block space.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Michael Saylor, the billionaire founder of Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR), has lost billions of dollars for himself and his investors as the stock has continued its strong downward trend.
After peaking at $543 in November 2024, it has dropped to $82 today, with its market capitalization falling from $128 billion to $28 billion today. According to Forbes, his net worth has dropped from over $7 billion to $3 billion.
Saylor has weathered major challenges before, including in 2022, when Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) plunged below $16,000 as the Federal Reserve aggressively raised interest rates and FTX collapsed.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy is Facing Unprecedented ChallengesThe current challenge, however, is severe. Bitcoin continues its strong downward trend, moving from a record high of $126,300 to $60,000 today, and is at risk of further downside as ETF outflows rise.
Technical analysis suggests that BTC will drop to $50k soon, leading to more unrealized losses since his average buying price was $64,000.
The company has also gained some major liabilities. Its total debt has jumped to over $8 billion. It has also launched several preferred stocks that have all moved below their par level. STRC dropped from $100 to $72.50, while the others like STRD, STRK, and STRF have all plunged.
The ongoing price action is a sign that investors anticipate that Strategy will be forced to sell its Bitcoin to cover its obligations. Earlier this month, the company sold 32 Bitcoins for the first time in years. It will sell these coins at a loss since the current Bitcoin price is lower than its buying value.
Also, as Peter Schiff warned, selling BTC will put pressure on the coin as we saw earlier this month, when it dropped below $60,000 after Strategy sold 32 coins.
History shows that Bitcoin has bounced back from bear markets several times. For example, it rebounded to a new record high last year after plunging following President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement. It also jumped from $15,800 in December 2022 to a record high of $126,200 late last year.
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The FBI is urging victims of the OneCoin cryptocurrency fraud to apply for government compensation before the June 30, 2026, deadline, with more than $40 million in forfeited assets still available.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched the remission claims process on April 13, making funds accessible to eligible investors. Victims can file petitions online, by mail, or by email through onecoinremission.com, the only authorized claims portal.
The $4 Billion Fraud Built on False PromisesOneCoin launched in 2014 out of Sofia, Bulgaria, with its founders marketing it as the next major cryptocurrency. Co-founders Ruja Ignatova and Karl Sebastian Greenwood pitched it as a ground-floor rival to Bitcoin (BTC), drawing in investors across dozens of countries.
Unlike genuine cryptocurrencies, OneCoin had no real blockchain, and its tokens were effectively worthless.
Ignatova and Greenwood drove growth through a multi-level marketing network. Existing investors earned commissions by recruiting new buyers, who then recruited more. As a result, victims worldwide collectively lost more than $4 billion.
Thai authorities arrested Greenwood in July 2018, and U.S. officials extradited him shortly after. He received a 20-year prison sentence in September 2023, with a court order to forfeit $300 million. Ignatova, however, has evaded capture since 2017 and remains on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
Furthermore, identity change reports suggest she may have altered her appearance, complicating the manhunt.
FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. described the scale of the harm.
“Misled by falsified statements and empty promises, many unknowingly depleted their savings for a fraudulent investment scheme in an emerging financial ecosystem that would never pay out.”
DOJ Warns of New Fraud Targeting VictimsThe program covers individuals who purchased OneCoin between Q4 2014 and Q4 2019 and suffered a net financial loss. However, filing a petition does not guarantee compensation.
BeInCrypto covered the DOJ remission program launch in April, when the petition window first opened. Filing is entirely free. The DOJ warned that any third party charging a fee is running a secondary scam. The US State Department offers a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Ignatova.
With June 30 now days away, eligible victims face a narrow filing window. The DOJ’s wider crypto fraud crackdown signals continued enforcement focus, and broader warnings about crypto fraud infrastructure show why this remission fund remains a direct recovery path for OneCoin investors.
PANews June 28 news, according to Cointelegraph, Fidelity research analyst Daniel Gray refuted concerns that declining Bitcoin mining rewards would lead to long-term security deterioration, and in his latest research report pointed out that the Bitcoin network’s economic incentive mechanism is sufficient to ensure the blockchain’s long-term security. In the report, Daniel Gray reiterated the view that Bitcoin’s security does not solely depend on block rewards. The report noted that transaction fees, market incentives and other economic factors continuously incentivize miners to maintain network security, making the cost of a sustained attack prohibitively high.
The city of San Antonio, Texas, has approved a new regulation requiring all cryptocurrency kiosks across the city to prominently display warning signs against scams. This move follows 660 reported fraud cases between January 2024 and April 2026, involving losses totaling around $39 million according to police records.
How do the crypto scams typically unfold?The San Antonio Police Department has observed a recurring pattern in these fraud cases. Scammers initiate contact by posing as law enforcement officials, court clerks, government employees, or representatives from local utility companies. They fabricate urgent situations—such as an arrest warrant, unpaid fine, or overdue bill—to pressure victims into transferring money immediately.
Victims are frequently instructed to deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM, with scammers claiming this payment will resolve the supposed emergency. To ensure compliance, the fraudsters keep victims on the phone throughout the transaction, effectively isolating them from family, store employees, or emergency assistance.
According to the San Antonio Police Department, no legitimate government agency or utility provider will ever ask citizens to make payments via a Bitcoin ATM.
Mandatory bilingual alerts at 193 locationsCity officials identified 193 crypto kiosk locations in San Antonio, a figure that surpasses the count found in Dallas, Fort Worth, or Austin. Under the new rule, operators must clearly display warning signs in both English and Spanish on every machine.
These notices must use color-coded backgrounds and 18-point text, positioned so they are easily readable to users at the kiosk. The banners will outline common cryptocurrency fraud schemes and urge anyone feeling pressured to send funds to immediately dial 911.
Glossary: A crypto kiosk is a physical device, similar in appearance to a traditional bank ATM, where users can buy or sell crypto assets with cash. Unlike regular ATMs, these devices process blockchain-based transactions.
Enforcement of the new rules and distribution of these warnings will be overseen by the San Antonio Police Department. Businesses failing to comply could face daily fines ranging from $100 to $500 per violation. The regulation comes into effect on July 1.
TitleDataNumber of reports660Total losses$39 millionCrypto kiosk locations193Start dateJuly 1Wider crackdown discussed across TexasSan Antonio’s recent action is part of a broader conversation taking shape statewide in Texas. Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith met with policymakers this week, advocating for an outright ban on these machines across the state. In May, Sheriff Smith called for this measure after a scam conducted from a Georgia prison deprived an elderly woman of $13,000.
State Senator Bryan Hughes’s office joined the discussion, alongside House Representatives Cole Hefner and Daniel Alders, as well as officials from the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. Attendees noted that Indiana, Tennessee, and Minnesota already have state-level bans on crypto ATMs.
Laura Bravo, an analyst with the United States Secret Service, highlighted that crypto transfers move faster than traditional financial transactions, and once funds reach an overseas exchange, recovery is exceedingly difficult.
Bravo further noted that crypto ATMs eliminate the human interaction a bank teller might provide, leaving victims more vulnerable. This lack of oversight allows scammers to exert greater control, making it easier for victims to carry out instructions without questioning suspicious requests.
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.
PANews June 28 news, according to CryptoBriefing, based on the "2026 Outlook Report" released by Fidelity Digital Assets, as of the end of 2025, the number of publicly listed companies holding at least 1,000 BTC increased from 22 at the end of 2024 to 49, collectively controlling close to 5% of the total Bitcoin supply. As of early June 2026, the number of publicly listed companies holding Bitcoin on their balance sheets grew further, with approximately 170 to 199 listed companies holding about 1.265 million BTC, accounting for roughly 6% of the total Bitcoin supply.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missile and drone strikes targeting US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain on June 3, 2026, marking a dramatic escalation in the simmering conflict between Washington and Tehran. The attacks reportedly targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain.
Bitcoin’s response was immediate and brutal. The price dropped below $73,000, and more than $1 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated as traders scrambled to de-risk.
What happened on the ground The IRGC framed the strikes as direct retaliation for prior US attacks on Iranian soil. Those earlier US operations reportedly targeted communications infrastructure on Qeshm Island and military sites near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes daily.
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Both Kuwait and Bahrain activated their air defense systems in response to the incoming threats. Air raid warnings were issued across the affected areas as missile interceptions were attempted.
US Central Command acknowledged the missile threats and reported interceptions, though the actual extent of damage from Iran’s strikes remained largely unverified by American assessments.
There were also unverified claims that the conflict extended to Jordan, which, if confirmed, would represent an even broader regional destabilization. Jordan hosts several facilities used by US forces, and any confirmed strikes there would dramatically widen the scope of this confrontation.
The crypto connection runs deeper than price action Just one day before the IRGC’s attacks, on June 2, 2026, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Nobitex, Iran’s largest digital asset exchange. The Treasury cited Nobitex’s connections to the IRGC and its alleged role in sanctions evasion and illicit financial activity.
What this means for crypto investors The more than $1 billion in liquidations tells a specific story about market structure. A large number of traders were positioned long with leverage, betting on continued upside. The IRGC strikes created a sudden repricing of risk that cascaded through order books, triggering stop losses and forced selling in a self-reinforcing cycle.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Analysis: Weak demand from U.S. institutions may keep Bitcoin under pressure and range-bound in the short term.
Bitfire Group stated in its latest market commentary that Bitcoin’s negative premium on Coinbase has continued to widen, signaling persistent weakness in U.S. institutional buying. Meanwhile, Strategy’s income preferred stock (ticker: STRC) briefly dipped below $84. Though there is no immediate liquidation risk, market concerns over whether the firm will need to sell Bitcoin continue to weigh on sentiment. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin remains trading below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, with short-term MAs in a bearish alignment. The daily RSI stands at around 40—weak but not yet in oversold territory. The overall Bollinger Bands are sloping downward, with the middle band acting as strong resistance. Bitfire Group believes that with a lack of sustained bullish momentum and bears still holding the upper hand, Bitcoin will likely continue fluctuating below resistance levels in the short term, further testing actual buying demand on the downside. Key resistance levels are at $64,650, $66,900, and $69,800, while the main support level is at $63,500.
5 minutes ago
Chinese crypto figure Ma Ji sold 34 Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs recently to cover his positions, netting 326 ETH from the sale and incurring a loss of 399 ETH.
According to Lookonchain monitoring, renowned NFT collector Machi Big Brother recently allegedly sold Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs to fund his long ETH position on Hyperliquid. Data shows that over the past month, Machi has sold a total of 34 BAYC NFTs, raising 326 ETH (approximately $514,000), but incurring a total loss of 399 ETH (about $631,000). Bored Ape #6057 was his most loss-making transaction: the NFT was purchased four years ago for 76.84 ETH, and recently sold for only 7.65 ETH, representing a roughly 90% loss. Meanwhile, Machi’s long ETH position on Hyperliquid has been liquidated multiple times recently. Lookonchain noted that he was liquidated again approximately 3 hours ago, leaving his account balance at around $81,000.
5 minutes ago
Thailand has issued an arrest warrant for Chinese businessman Wang Yicheng, accusing him of money laundering through illegal cryptocurrency mining.
Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has issued an arrest warrant for Chinese businessman Wang Yicheng, accusing him of belonging to a criminal organization that allegedly uses illegal cryptocurrency mining to launder proceeds from fraud and online gambling. Wang, a former leader of the Thai-China Trade Association, is identified as a core figure in the involved Chinese investor group. Reuters’ 2023 investigative report, which centered on Wang, revealed that a U.S. blockchain analytics firm found fraud-related cryptocurrency wallets had sent millions of dollars to accounts under Wang’s name, while he actively cultivated ties with top Thai political and law enforcement officials at the time. A DSI spokesperson stated Wang was charged last November with theft and violations of the Computer Crime Act, adding that he is believed to have fled Thailand, and authorities are tracking his whereabouts in cooperation with international partners. Separately, Thai authorities have also issued arrest warrants for four unnamed Chinese nationals and four unnamed Myanmar nationals.
5 minutes ago
US-Iran conflict escalates for three consecutive days: Iran targets US military base in Kuwait with missiles and drones, Trump warns "Iran will cease to exist"
According to CNN, the situation has reversed sharply after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal took effect, with military clashes breaking out for three consecutive days between the two sides, multiple Gulf countries drawn into the conflict, and the Strait of Hormuz facing renewed severe threats to navigation. In the latest development, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles and drones in retaliation for earlier U.S. airstrikes. Kuwaiti military confirmed its air defense systems are intercepting incoming targets, while Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued an alert urging residents to head to the nearest safe locations immediately. For the U.S. military, U.S. Central Command announced multiple rounds of strikes on Iran's missile and drone storage facilities, military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense positions and mine-laying capabilities, citing Iran's "continuous attacks on merchant ships". Trump immediately issued the sternest warning on social media, saying that if Iran does not stop the attacks, the U.S. military will be forced to "complete the tasks already initiated by military means", and that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist". Iran responded firmly, with the IRGC stating that the U.S. airstrikes violated the ceasefire deal and "will lead to a complete halt of all diplomatic processes". Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched a drone attack in southern Lebanon just one day after a framework agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon, further complicating the regional situation. The preliminary agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran this month aimed at restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is facing the risk of complete collapse amid the continuous clashes, and market concerns over oil prices, safe-haven assets and global energy supplies are rising sharply.
5 minutes ago
Whale "sat0shi777" is trapped in both long and short positions simultaneously, with total unrealized losses exceeding $3 million on a combined position worth $102 million.
According to EmberCN’s monitoring, on-chain whale address "sat0shi777" recently executed a rare operation of being trapped in both long and short positions simultaneously. On June 24, the whale opened a long position of 468 BTC at an average price of $62,729, with a position size of approximately $29.38 million. Shortly after, Bitcoin fell below $60,000, and the long position currently has an unrealized loss of around $1.86 million. Yesterday morning, amid a downtrend, the whale added to a short position of 47,500 ETH at an average price of $1,536, with a position size of roughly $72.94 million. However, ETH did not continue to decline afterward, and the short position currently shows an unrealized loss of about $1.23 million. The combined market value of the two positions is approximately $102.32 million, with a total unrealized loss of over $3.09 million, leaving the whale in the red on both long and short sides.
5 minutes ago
A new crypto address has increased its holdings by 1,350 BTC, valued at approximately $81.87 million.
According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, a newly created wallet address bc1q4m has withdrawn 1,350 BTC from Binance, worth approximately $81.87 million at current prices.
PANews June 28 news, according to Coinglass data, the current Coinbase Pro Bitcoin wallet balance stands at 852,522 BTC, ranking first among CEXs; with an inflow of 480.03 BTC over the past 7 days and an outflow of 3,090.04 BTC over the past 30 days. Binance's Bitcoin wallet balance is 647,935.27 BTC, with an inflow of 3,778.74 BTC over the past 7 days and an inflow of 13,825.87 BTC over the past 30 days. Bybit's Bitcoin wallet balance is 417,237.84 BTC, with an inflow of 1,532.75 BTC over the past 7 days and an inflow of 6,235.82 BTC over the past 30 days. OKX's Bitcoin wallet balance is 91,204.24 BTC, with an outflow of 11,173.43 BTC over the past 7 days and an outflow of 11,161.42 BTC over the past 30 days.
Analysis: Weak demand from U.S. institutions may keep Bitcoin under pressure and range-bound in the short term.
Bitfire Group stated in its latest market commentary that Bitcoin’s negative premium on Coinbase has continued to widen, signaling persistent weakness in U.S. institutional buying. Meanwhile, Strategy’s income preferred stock (ticker: STRC) briefly dipped below $84. Though there is no immediate liquidation risk, market concerns over whether the firm will need to sell Bitcoin continue to weigh on sentiment. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin remains trading below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, with short-term MAs in a bearish alignment. The daily RSI stands at around 40—weak but not yet in oversold territory. The overall Bollinger Bands are sloping downward, with the middle band acting as strong resistance. Bitfire Group believes that with a lack of sustained bullish momentum and bears still holding the upper hand, Bitcoin will likely continue fluctuating below resistance levels in the short term, further testing actual buying demand on the downside. Key resistance levels are at $64,650, $66,900, and $69,800, while the main support level is at $63,500.
5 minutes ago
Chinese crypto figure Ma Ji sold 34 Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs recently to cover his positions, netting 326 ETH from the sale and incurring a loss of 399 ETH.
According to Lookonchain monitoring, renowned NFT collector Machi Big Brother recently allegedly sold Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs to fund his long ETH position on Hyperliquid. Data shows that over the past month, Machi has sold a total of 34 BAYC NFTs, raising 326 ETH (approximately $514,000), but incurring a total loss of 399 ETH (about $631,000). Bored Ape #6057 was his most loss-making transaction: the NFT was purchased four years ago for 76.84 ETH, and recently sold for only 7.65 ETH, representing a roughly 90% loss. Meanwhile, Machi’s long ETH position on Hyperliquid has been liquidated multiple times recently. Lookonchain noted that he was liquidated again approximately 3 hours ago, leaving his account balance at around $81,000.
5 minutes ago
Thailand has issued an arrest warrant for Chinese businessman Wang Yicheng, accusing him of money laundering through illegal cryptocurrency mining.
Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has issued an arrest warrant for Chinese businessman Wang Yicheng, accusing him of belonging to a criminal organization that allegedly uses illegal cryptocurrency mining to launder proceeds from fraud and online gambling. Wang, a former leader of the Thai-China Trade Association, is identified as a core figure in the involved Chinese investor group. Reuters’ 2023 investigative report, which centered on Wang, revealed that a U.S. blockchain analytics firm found fraud-related cryptocurrency wallets had sent millions of dollars to accounts under Wang’s name, while he actively cultivated ties with top Thai political and law enforcement officials at the time. A DSI spokesperson stated Wang was charged last November with theft and violations of the Computer Crime Act, adding that he is believed to have fled Thailand, and authorities are tracking his whereabouts in cooperation with international partners. Separately, Thai authorities have also issued arrest warrants for four unnamed Chinese nationals and four unnamed Myanmar nationals.
5 minutes ago
US-Iran conflict escalates for three consecutive days: Iran targets US military base in Kuwait with missiles and drones, Trump warns "Iran will cease to exist"
According to CNN, the situation has reversed sharply after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal took effect, with military clashes breaking out for three consecutive days between the two sides, multiple Gulf countries drawn into the conflict, and the Strait of Hormuz facing renewed severe threats to navigation. In the latest development, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles and drones in retaliation for earlier U.S. airstrikes. Kuwaiti military confirmed its air defense systems are intercepting incoming targets, while Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued an alert urging residents to head to the nearest safe locations immediately. For the U.S. military, U.S. Central Command announced multiple rounds of strikes on Iran's missile and drone storage facilities, military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense positions and mine-laying capabilities, citing Iran's "continuous attacks on merchant ships". Trump immediately issued the sternest warning on social media, saying that if Iran does not stop the attacks, the U.S. military will be forced to "complete the tasks already initiated by military means", and that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist". Iran responded firmly, with the IRGC stating that the U.S. airstrikes violated the ceasefire deal and "will lead to a complete halt of all diplomatic processes". Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched a drone attack in southern Lebanon just one day after a framework agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon, further complicating the regional situation. The preliminary agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran this month aimed at restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is facing the risk of complete collapse amid the continuous clashes, and market concerns over oil prices, safe-haven assets and global energy supplies are rising sharply.
5 minutes ago
A new crypto address has increased its holdings by 1,350 BTC, valued at approximately $81.87 million.
According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, a newly created wallet address bc1q4m has withdrawn 1,350 BTC from Binance, worth approximately $81.87 million at current prices.
5 minutes ago
Crypto stocks have fallen far more sharply than large-cap tech stocks: Coinbase and Circle have declined 69% and 72% respectively from their peaks, with Bitcoin briefly falling below $60,000, exacerbating bearish sentiment.
Amid a broad sell-off in tech stocks, crypto-related equities have seen particularly steep declines, with their divergence from the broader market continuing to widen. Coinbase (COIN) and Circle (CRCL) have fallen 69% and 72% respectively from their all-time highs, far outpacing the 48% to 57% pullbacks of major tech stocks including Oracle, Salesforce, Netflix, and Palantir. By comparison, the S&P 500 index has dropped just 3.5% from its recent peak. Fundamentally, Coinbase’s first-quarter results missed Wall Street estimates by a wide margin: revenue fell 21% quarter-over-quarter, posting a loss of $1.49 per share, while analysts had previously projected earnings of $0.27 per share. Bitcoin fell below $60,000 this week, down more than 54% from its October peak. Ethereum also dropped to around $1,500, roughly 69% lower than its record high last year, as market sentiment continues to deteriorate. In its mid-year outlook report, 21Shares cut its 2026 crypto market forecast, noting that digital asset price performance is significantly lagging behind the sector’s fundamentals. The firm pointed out that institutional adoption continues to deepen, with stablecoins, asset tokenization, and prediction markets all maintaining strong growth momentum, but Bitcoin’s four-year market cycle remains the dominant driver of price movements. The report also acknowledged a prior misjudgment: “Bitcoin’s cycle is evolving, but it has not broken,” retracting its earlier claim that the four-year cycle was obsolete. Analysts argue that the sharp pullback in crypto equities reflects a combination of three pressures: overall weakness in the digital asset market, uncertainty surrounding structural legislation for the U.S. crypto market, and the potential impact of AI technology on existing business models.
Ripple ETFs Lead Weekly Crypto InflowsThe suite of spot $XRP ETFs managed under the @Ripple umbrella recorded $22.99 million in net inflows over the past week, outpacing virtually every other crypto ETF product currently on the market. The figure is the latest in a run of strong weekly numbers that have steadily built the products' collective footprint in the digital asset space.
The ETFs now hold approximately 1.44% of $XRP's circulating supply, a share that has grown consistently month on month since the products launched in late 2025. Seven U.S. spot XRP ETFs now hold roughly 773 million XRP in custody, less than six months after the first products began trading. @bgarlinghouse and the Ripple team have presided over what is shaping up to be one of the more successful ETF launches in the crypto industry's history.
A Broader Story of Sustained Institutional Demand XRP spot ETFs have pulled in $1.41 billion in cumulative net inflows since their November 2025 launch, with monthly figures climbing steadily through the first half of 2026. That pace of accumulation has drawn attention from some of the largest names in asset management. Bitwise Asset Management, Franklin Templeton, and Grayscale Investments have led the buying as institutional demand has strengthened.
Ripple noted that the first month of U.S. spot XRP ETF trading did not produce a single net outflow day, and cumulative inflows crossed $1 billion by December 16, 2025. That early persistence suggests the demand has been less about a short burst of momentum and more about investors adding XRP as a distinct allocation alongside bitcoin and ether.
XRP ETFs recorded a 2026 weekly high of $60.5 million in net inflows during the week ending May 15, even as Bitcoin and Ethereum saw outflows of over $1 billion and $255 million respectively, suggesting institutional interest in $XRP is growing despite an uncertain broader crypto market.
The growing supply share held by these products also signals a structural shift in how $XRP is being accessed. Unlike futures-based products, spot ETFs require the fund to purchase and hold the underlying asset directly , meaning each dollar of inflow translates into real demand for the token in the open market.
Sources
Yahoo Finance: XRP ETF Inflows Just Hit a 2026 High
CoinDesk: Spot XRP ETFs Attract Biggest Inflows Since January
Ripple Insights: XRP ETFs, The Institutional Era Has Begun
XRP ETF Inflows Continued in JuneData shows that spot XRP ETFs added $46.5 million in assets this month, bringing the cumulative net inflow to $1.43 billion. These funds have had only one month of outflows since their launch in November last year.
Bitwise’s XRP ETF holds $293 million in assets, while the ETFs from Franklin, Canary, and 21Shares manage $235 million, $234 million, and $112 million, respectively.
The ongoing XRP ETF inflows are a sharp contrast to those tracking Bitcoin and Ethereum. Spot Bitcoin ETFs had over $4.06 billion in outflows this month, bringing the net outflows since January to $5.6 billion.
Similarly, Ethereum ETFs have shed over $471 million in outflows this month, lower than the $540 million they lost last month.
XRP ETF inflows rose in the same week in which Ripple announced that RLUSD, its stablecoin, will now be available in Japan following the approval by the main financial regulator. This approval will likely help it become an alternative to USDC and USDT.
Recent data, however, shows that RLUSD has lost momentum as the supply has dropped to $1.57 billion from the year-to-date high of $1.8 billion. RLUSD has become one of the most important use cases for the XRP Ledger network.
Another major news came from Europe, where Ripple secured a preliminary Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license in Luxembourg. This is a major milestone as it paves the way for the full rollout of Ripple Payments across the Euro area and MiCA compliance.
XRP Price is Hanging on a Thread Above $1The weekly chart shows that the Ripple price has slumped in the past few months, mirroring the performance of most cryptocurrencies. It dropped from a high of $3.6690 in July to the current $1.06.
The token has slumped below the Major S&R pivot point of the Murrey Math Lines tool. It has remained below the 50-week and 100-week Exponential Moving Averages (EMA).
XRP has settled along the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement level. Therefore, there is a risk that the token may drop further in the near term, potentially to the Strong, Pivot, Reverse level of the Murrey Math Lines at $0.7813. This view will be confirmed if it drops below the supply of $1.
Image: Shutterstock
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The verbal duels between iconic figures of the crypto industry often reveal the structural cracks of a market undergoing institutional transformation. During a particularly noteworthy media appearance on CNBC this Friday, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse criticized Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin accumulation strategy through his company Strategy, stating that this approach seriously harms the entire crypto ecosystem. This statement comes amidst an uncertain macroeconomic climate, where the leading crypto shows clear signs of weakness below the $60,000 mark, weakening financial architectures based on corporate over-indebtedness.
In brief Brad Garlinghouse openly criticizes Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin strategy, which he considers detrimental to the entire crypto market. The plunge of Strategy’s shares and latent losses on its Bitcoin reserves fuel doubts about the viability of its financial model. The Ripple CEO opposes a vision based on the real utility of blockchain networks to a strategy relying on debt to accumulate Bitcoin. Despite his criticisms of Strategy, Brad Garlinghouse continues to consider Bitcoin a solid asset and a true digital gold. The stock market collapse of Strategy’s bond model Brad Garlinghouse’s criticisms focus on the tangible technical problems facing the refinancing structure established by Michael Saylor today. The Ripple CEO described “an overwhelming indictment” of the current situation of the company’s perpetual convertible preferred shares, listed under the ticker STRC. This security, which should trade at its face value of $100 while distributing an annual dividend of 11.5%, experienced an unprecedented collapse, trading around $74, nearly 26% below its original issue price.
This loss of anchor reflects a major trust crisis among institutional investors about the sustainability of the debt accumulated to continuously buy Bitcoin. At the same time, the company’s common stock (MSTR) closed its weekly trading session at about $82, marking its worst performance and lowest level since February 2024.
Accounting figures from market reports show the immediate blockage of this credit purchase mechanism, placing the company in front of critical indicators :
An average acquisition price of Bitcoin by Strategy set by regulations around $75,656 per unit ; A Bitcoin price struggling around $59,000, plunging the company’s portfolio into a massive latent loss exceeding 14 billion dollars ; The obligation to liquidate part of its assets by selling 32 Bitcoins at the end of May to meet dividend payment deadlines for the STRC. This strategic reversal contradicts Michael Saylor’s historic statements, who had promised never to sell any fraction of his treasury reserves.
The doctrinal clash between financial engineering and real utility of networks Beyond the pure collapse of accounting results, Brad Garlinghouse’s criticism reveals a deep philosophical debate about what should guide the long-term valuation of the blockchain sector. The Ripple CEO strongly denounced the illusion of creating value through debt by stating: “financial engineering does not create long-term value.” According to him, the frantic accumulation of volatile assets through excessive financial leverage exposes the entire market to a systemic risk of forced liquidation.
Garlinghouse insisted that “the long-term value of any crypto will come from its utility,” thus contrasting Ripple’s cross-border payment technological infrastructure with Michael Saylor’s mere cash speculation. In response to these attacks and market pressure, Michael Saylor gave a laconic response on social media, stating that “volatility tests every capital structure.”
This confrontation highlights the drastic reduction of Strategy’s business model maneuvering room. Recent analyses published by CryptoQuant show that the company’s dividend coverage window has shrunk from over seven years to about 14 months only, due to price declines. In the face of this fragility, Ripple’s XRP token paradoxically showed some resilience, trading above the $1.05 threshold, supported by the release of its annual impact report highlighting the expansion of its institutional services.
Outlook : Between technological resilience of Bitcoin and institutional restructuring Despite the harshness of his indictment against financial leverage abuses, Brad Garlinghouse remains fundamentally optimistic about Bitcoin’s intrinsic value. He continues to firmly define the leading crypto as a modern and superior form of “digital gold.”
The CEO illustrated this technological superiority over traditional physical assets by the historical example of transferring $300 billion worth of gold by the German central bank, a complex logistical operation that required two years of effort and astronomical financial costs, while an equivalent transaction on the Bitcoin network executes in a few minutes transparently. This essential distinction between the strength of the underlying asset and the excesses of investment vehicles exploiting it invites institutional players to separate the protocol’s solidity from risks of specific corporate credit.
The current situation forces investors to reflect more deeply on the maturity of the crypto ecosystem. While Strategy’s aggressive refinancing model shows clear signs of exhaustion amid a prolonged bear market, the overall resilience of the network shows that the blockchain infrastructure is ready to absorb these macroeconomic shocks.
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Luc Jose A.
Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
Ripple’s XRP may be preparing for a bounce with a strong crypto analyst signaling two signs of a bullish shift. This optimism comes as lawmakers in Washington push to get the CLARITY Act off the ground before Congress heads into its August recess.
XRP Chart Shows Bullish Signs Crypto analyst Ali Martinez shared a post on X that suggests that XRP’s daily chart is showing “two bullish signals” that could signal that the rally is coming to an end. The first signal, according to Martinez, is the Tom DeMark Sequential indicator. It has “printed a buy signal via a ‘9’ candlestick.” The pattern “historically anticipates a one-to-four daily candlestick relief rebound,” he added.
The XRP price action of the past three trading sessions has also formed a “Morning Star Doji” candlestick pattern. For context, it is a pattern widely recognized by technical traders as a reversal chart pattern that can appear closer to the bottom of the market, Martinez said.
XRP: TWO BULLISH SIGNALS
XRP is flashing two bullish reversal signals on the daily chart, pointing to a potential shift in momentum.
1. The Tom DeMark Sequential indicator has printed a buy signal via a "9" candlestick. This pattern historically anticipates a one-to-four daily… pic.twitter.com/q0qBDVCGXT
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) June 27, 2026
The confirmation would rely on the participation of buyers, he wrote. The analyst added, “If buying volume accelerates here, $XRP could rise toward $1.30.”
The Crypto Market Structure Bill Now Faces July 20 Deadline The positive technical analysis for XRP comes as the digital asset sector remains hinged on the updates around CLARITY Act. There are ongoing negotiations even as Congress adjourns Washington for the July 4 recess, said journalist Eleanor Terrett. She added there is “a renewed sense of urgency among Senate Republicans to get this bill across the finish line.”
However, “there is quite a lot left to do” on the CLARITY Act, Terrett emphasized. She noted that unresolved provisions include ethics and differences between the drafts from the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees. In addition, sticking points include state preemption rules, language on conflicts of interest in the exchanges and others.
She also noted that “key Democratic votes are expected to hinge on whether the bill includes an ethics framework that they view as strong enough to address President Trump’s crypto businesses.” Hence, the odds for the crypto bill passing has dropped to 50%, per Galaxy Digital.
The challenge of Senate floor vote scheduling still exists for the CLARITY Act. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has acknowledged “time is running out to solve some of these outstanding issues.” Also, the annual defense authorization bill is expected to take priority upon the return of lawmakers July 13, Terrett said.
Assuming there is enough progress in the negotiations during the congressional recess and any other legislative priorities that could delay consideration don’t come into play. That’s the earliest realistic time to get a vote on the CLARITY Act underway, Terrett said, “the week of July 20th onwards.”
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XRP is about to close June as the worst trading month in well over a year but there are first signs of hope ahead.
June has been brutal for essentially the entire cryptocurrency market, and Ripple’s cross-border token is no exception. The asset lost its position in terms of market cap to USDC as it dipped to $1.01 (on most exchanges) during last week’s crash.
Now, though, a popular analyst outlined the first glimmer of hope for XRP, which could lead to a quick short-term rebound.
2 Bullish Signs The first is the well-known Tom DeMark (TD) Sequential indicator, a popular metric used to determine the underlying asset’s trend exhaustion in either direction. It has finally flashed a buy signal after XRP’s recent crash that drove it to a multi-year low. According to Martinez, this pattern, which has a relatively high success rate when it comes to the cross-border token, could mean a “one-to-four daily candlestick relief rebound.”
Separately, the analyst outlined the formation of a Morning Star Doji candlestick pattern during the past three daily sessions. He added that this classic indicator is used to identify local price bottoms.
Martinez predicted that if buying volume accelerates in tandem with the aforementioned signals, Ripple’s asset could rise to the first major obstacle at $1.30. Recall that it challenged that level last week during the short-lived market-wide revival, but it was rejected there, and the subsequent collapse pushed it south to $1.01.
In another separate post, though, Martinez highlighted the next significant support levels for XRP if the market structure breaks down again. If the asset decisively loses the support at $1.06, the next in line are at $0.80, $0.62, and $0.51 based on the UTXO Realized Price Distribution (URPD).
Painful June As with most cryptocurrencies, XRP would require a miracle to turn the tide around in June. The month so far has been nothing short of a massacre, as Ripple’s token has shed more than 20% of its value. This makes it its worst single-month performance since February 2025, when it tumbled by over 29%.
You may also like: Ripple (XRP) Boosts Global Blockchain Adoption With Over $70M in Donations XRP’s Slide to Sub-$1.00 Could Set Up ‘Risk-Reward’ Zone: Analyst XRP Selling Pressure Intensifies as Profit-to-Loss Ratio Reaches Multi-Year Low On the plus side, July has been historically a positive month for the asset, especially in the past six editions, all of which have been in the green. In fact, all except July 2021 brought double-digit gains, including massive surges in 2020 and 2023. Almost all of those followed a painful June.
TLDR: XRP long liquidations surged 832% over the past week, reaching nearly $3.0 million in forced exits. Open Interest dropped from $1.18B to $1.04B, reflecting an 11.1% monthly decline in leveraged exposure. Binance XRP reserves fell just 0.35% weekly, showing spot holders remained calm amid futures turmoil. A Tom DeMark “9” buy signal and Morning Star Doji pattern suggest XRP could rebound toward $1.30. XRP derivatives markets recorded a sharp deleveraging episode over the past week, with long liquidations surging 832% versus the prior month.
Open Interest fell from roughly $1.18 billion to approximately $1.04 billion. Funding rates turned deeply negative, registering a -463% shift against the quarterly baseline.
The data points to a forced exit of leveraged long positions rather than an orderly rollover, resetting the market’s overall risk structure.
Cascading Liquidations Clear Speculative Excess From XRP Futures Long liquidations reached nearly $3.0 million over the seven-day period, far outpacing short liquidations. This imbalance confirms that upside-positioned traders bore the brunt of the selloff. The scale of exits reflects a systematic purge rather than isolated margin calls across the derivatives market.
Open Interest declining by 11.1% on a monthly basis reinforces this interpretation. When OI falls alongside deeply negative funding rates, it typically means leveraged longs are being closed, not transferred. The market is shedding speculative weight accumulated during the prior uptrend.
Source: CryptoQuant
Despite the futures turmoil, spot-side behavior told a different story. Binance XRP reserves remained relatively stable, down just 0.35% on the week.
That restraint among holders suggests limited appetite to deposit tokens for immediate sale, even as price weakened noticeably.
The divergence between panicked futures positioning and composed spot holders is notable. Historically, this kind of split often marks a transitional phase rather than an outright bearish continuation. Whether that transition resolves bullishly depends on how sellers respond next.
Technical Signals and Utility Developments Add Context to XRP’s Next Move On the technical side, analyst Ali Charts flagged two reversal patterns forming on the daily chart. The Tom DeMark Sequential printed a “9” buy signal, which historically anticipates a one-to-four candle relief rebound.
Additionally, the past three sessions completed a Morning Star Doji formation, a pattern traditionally associated with localized price bottoms.
Ali Charts noted that if buying volume accelerates, XRP could move toward the $1.30 level from current prices near $1.05.
XRP: TWO BULLISH SIGNALS
XRP is flashing two bullish reversal signals on the daily chart, pointing to a potential shift in momentum.
1. The Tom DeMark Sequential indicator has printed a buy signal via a "9" candlestick. This pattern historically anticipates a one-to-four daily… pic.twitter.com/q0qBDVCGXT
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) June 27, 2026
These signals do not guarantee a sustained trend change, but they do indicate potential short-term momentum shifts worth watching.
On the fundamental side, Ripple’s launch of RLUSD in Japan through SBI VC Trust adds a longer-range utility layer to the XRP ecosystem.
Stablecoin infrastructure tied to regulated partners in a major market could support broader adoption over time.
The immediate focus, however, remains on Open Interest recovery. A rebound in OI alongside normalizing funding rates would confirm that fresh demand is entering the market.
Until that happens, the question is whether short-sellers press their advantage or negative funding triggers a short-covering rally.
Despite uncertainty in the cryptocurrency market, XRP managed a modest gain as of June 27, 2026. Over the past 24 hours, XRP rose 1.26% to $1.06. The digital asset posted a daily trading volume of $2.05 billion, while its market capitalization registered at $66.22 billion.
Analysts focus on bottom formationCrypto analyst EGRAG CRYPTO, in an Elliott Wave analysis update shared on June 27, argued that the key question for XRP investors is not how high the price could climb, but whether the market cycle has found its bottom. Known for its connections to the Ripple ecosystem and its role in cross-border payments, XRP remains in the spotlight among digital assets.
According to EGRAG CRYPTO, the main issue for XRP at this stage is not new highs, but whether a bottom has been formed in the market cycle.
In the analyst’s first scenario, XRP could be nearing the final phase of its corrective move, which may pave the way for a stronger uptrend ahead. The alternate scenario underlines the possibility of another downward leg before a broad recovery takes shape.
Glossary: The Elliott Wave theory is a technical analysis approach that suggests market movements occur in waves driven by investor sentiment. Analysts use this method to identify possible turning points and cycle stages.
While both approaches are seen as technically valid, the ongoing search for market direction continues to fuel caution in short-term trades.
Technical signals highlight persistent pressureBollinger Bands indicate that XRP is trading near the lower band. The lower band stands at $1.03185, the middle at $1.13330, and the upper at $1.23476. The fact that price remains below the mid-band suggests sellers retain the upper hand in the short term.
IndicatorLevelCommentXRP price$1.06Trading near lower bandBollinger mid band$1.13330Recovery may strengthen if exceededBollinger lower band$1.03185Nearby support areaBollinger upper band$1.23476Upside target areaThe broad distance between the bands highlights continued volatility, signaling the potential for sharper moves in either direction.
MACD data hints at easing selling pressurePresently, the MACD indicator continues to support a bearish bias. The MACD line stands at minus 0.04957, while the signal line is at minus 0.04535. The histogram remains negative at minus 0.00422.
While the MACD remains negative, the narrowing histogram suggests that selling pressure may be slowing compared to previous periods.
Nevertheless, the contraction in the histogram could indicate that downward momentum is weakening. For a clearer positive outlook, the emergence of sustained buying power and a bullish cross in the MACD would be required.
In the coming trading sessions, whether XRP can reclaim the middle Bollinger band will be closely watched. If this level is breached, the probability of a recovery could increase. However, if the support area fails, a deeper pullback may ensue before a renewed uptrend can begin.
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.
Coinglass historical data reportedly shows July has often been a positive month for XRP. XRP enters the period after a difficult first half, including a 27.1% Q1 drawdown and a 22.4% Q2 drawdown. Seasonality is historical context, not a reliable prediction on its own. Seasonality After Q1/Q2 Weakness: Why This Story Matters XRP Prepares for July Bounce-Back as Price History Points to Positive Third Quarter Seasonality has become one of the stronger weekend crypto stories because it sits at the intersection of price action, market structure, and the kind of narrative that traders tend to follow closely when the broader news cycle slows down.
The key point is not simply that historical seasonality data points to positive July averages for XRP. It is that the development gives the market a fresh way to judge whether the current crypto environment is being driven by genuine network adoption, regulatory progress, liquidity shifts, or short-term speculation.
The Main Details According to UToday, historical seasonality data points to positive July averages for XRP. The report also notes that xRP suffered a 27.1% Q1 drawdown and 22.4% Q2 drawdown.
That distinction matters because crypto markets often move first on headlines and only later separate durable developments from short-lived momentum. In this case, the verified boundaries are especially important: Do not imply past performance guarantees future returns.
Market Context For traders, the story arrives at a moment when crypto assets are still trying to define a clearer direction. Bitcoin remains the anchor for broader sentiment, but altcoin narratives are increasingly being judged on their own fundamentals, including usage, liquidity, compliance, treasury activity, and developer progress.
That makes this development relevant beyond a single token or company. If the underlying trend proves durable, it could help shape how investors evaluate XRP, Coinglass, Seasonality, Technical Analysis over the coming weeks. If it fades, however, it may become another example of a strong weekend narrative that struggled to translate into sustained market follow-through.
What To Watch Next The next important question is whether the market receives further confirmation from primary sources, dashboards, official announcements, or on-chain data. Follow-up disclosures, exchange data, governance updates, or wallet activity could all help clarify whether this is an isolated headline or the start of a broader theme.
Readers should also watch whether liquidity responds. In crypto, even fundamentally meaningful developments can fail to move prices if traders remain defensive, leverage is being unwound, or capital is rotating into other sectors. That is why this story should be read alongside broader market structure rather than in isolation.
This report is based on information from Coinglass.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
The XRP derivatives market has witnessed a dramatic wave of forced leverage unwinding in the past week. Long position liquidations have soared by 832 percent compared to the previous month, reaching nearly $3.0 million. At the same time, overall open interest has dropped from $1.18 billion to $1.04 billion. This shift suggests that the market is not merely rotating positions but is seeing leveraged longs forcibly closed out on a large scale.
Sharp unwind in the derivatives marketThe liquidation rate for long positions has remained significantly higher than for shorts, clearly indicating that selling pressure has hit bullish investors the hardest. The monthly 11.1 percent drop in open interest further underscores this trend. Meanwhile, funding rates have flipped negative by a staggering 463 percent compared to the quarterly baseline, reflecting a sharp drop in risk appetite across the market.
IndicatorPreviousCurrentOpen interest$1.18 billion$1.04 billionLong position liquidationsBase: Previous month832% increase, nearly $3.0 millionBinance XRP reservesWeekly start0.35% decreaseThe data points to a broad market clean-up of risk, with leveraged bullish trades forced to close out across XRP futures.
By contrast, the spot market has remained relatively stable. XRP reserves on Binance declined just 0.35 percent week over week. This suggests that as prices weakened, spot investors were not rushing to move their assets onto the exchange, and immediate sell-side pressure has remained limited.
The growing divide between the sharp unwinding in futures and the calmer environment on spot markets highlights a possible transition phase. Whether this sets the stage for a durable recovery will depend on how sellers act in the coming sessions.
Technical signals and the RLUSD factorOn the technical front, analyst Ali Charts has highlighted two possible reversal signals on the daily chart. The Tom DeMark Sequential indicator has flagged a “9” buy signal, while the Morning Star Doji candlestick pattern has appeared in the past three trading days. According to analysts, these patterns can set the stage for a short-term rebound in some cases.
Glossary: The Tom DeMark Sequential is a technical indicator that measures exhaustion and potential trend reversals in price action. The Morning Star Doji is a candlestick formation that can indicate a potential short-term bottom after a decline.
Ali Charts notes that if buy volume picks up, $XRP could target the $1.30 region from its current level near $1.05.
Nonetheless, these signals alone do not guarantee that a lasting trend change is underway. For the market to regain bullish momentum in the short term, open interest must recover and funding rates need to normalize.
On the fundamentals side, Ripple’s launch of RLUSD via Japan’s SBI VC Trust has attracted notice. Ripple, best known for its cross-border payments and digital asset infrastructure, is building its stablecoin platform in compliance with regulations and reputable partners. Analysts believe this new ecosystem could eventually expand the use cases for XRP over time.
Short-term focus in the market is now on whether new demand will return. If open interest begins to recover and funding turns positive, the market could find a steadier footing after the most recent selloff. If not, persistent negative funding and a dominance of short positions may fuel further volatility.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has settled a renewed debate over XRP (XRP) origins, confirming that a precursor payment network concept predated Bitcoin (BTC) by five years, but that XRP itself did not.
Schwartz responded on X after a social post claimed XRP predated Bitcoin by decades. The post called XRP the oldest digital asset, a label Schwartz addressed directly, drawing a sharp line between an early concept and the coin Ripple manages today.
What Ryan Fugger Designed in 2004Ryan Fugger conceptualized a decentralized payment and settlement network around 2004. That placed his concept roughly five years before Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin white paper.
Schwartz confirmed the timeline on X but flagged a crucial omission. Fugger’s design included no decentralized assets. His system, later known as RipplePay, functioned as a trust-based credit network.
Users routed value through pre-existing trust relationships rather than a shared cryptographic ledger. There was no native token and no open asset that could be traded independently.
Schwartz addressed the distinction on X.
Ryan Fugger conceptualized a decentralized payment/settlement network (but without decentralized assets) around 2004, well before bitcoin.
— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) June 26, 2026 However, that separation matters. Bitcoin introduced open bearer assets secured by proof of work. The XRP Ledger brought its own model for decentralized value transfer, but it arrived after Bitcoin, not before.
XRP Launched Three Years After BitcoinThe XRP Ledger went live in 2012, three years after Bitcoin’s genesis block was mined in January 2009. Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and Schwartz built the protocol together before Ripple assumed stewardship.
That timeline directly dismantles the 1988 claim. Fugger’s concept may predate Bitcoin, but a concept is not a coin. The XRP Ledger and the XRP token both trace their launch to 2012.
The distinction carries weight beyond historical accuracy. Ripple’s CEO has also criticized Bitcoin’s corporate strategy, reflecting broader tensions between the two communities.
The debate reflects a pattern seen across the crypto industry. Origin stories often conflate an idea with its execution. Earlier this year, the Bitcoin CIA creation claim drew broad pushback through a similar dynamic.
XRP Holds Near $1 as Ripple Expands Into EuropeThe token recently tested the $1 psychological level amid a sharp slide from earlier highs. Some investors still treat the coin as a long-term inflation hedge, though analysts have found the math difficult to support at current prices.
XRP Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto MarketsSchwartz has stayed active in the community beyond the origins question. He recently discussed investing versus gambling in a post that generated its own round of debate among holders.
How far back XRP’s roots run may be less relevant than where Ripple is heading. The company recently obtained European MiCA approval via a Luxembourg license, broadening its regulatory footprint across the continent.
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
XRP retested the $1 level after it fell to a low of $1.00 on Friday as investors weighed May's personal consumption expenditures price index reading, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, released on Thursday.
The Federal Reserve's primary price gauge rose at its highest level since 2023, reinforcing the central bank's recent tough talk on inflation.
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XRP had earlier dropped for three straight days as selling progressed during the week. The price tested a major volume block at $1.06, where over 830 million XRP changed hands, but bulls could not hold this crucial support.
Three potential scenariosWith the $1 level tested, three scenarios might be likely. XRP price rebounded from the $1 level on Friday, with the recovery continuing into Saturday.
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XRP currently trades at $1.07, up 2.95% in the last 24 hours. One potential scenario is that the current rebound continues, with the $1.06 level, where 830 million XRP were transacted, seeing buyer support.
Another scenario is a potential consolidation of XRP's price as the market awaits potential catalysts. The third scenario is one in which the price fails to hold above current levels and the $1 level is breached.
XRP: KEY SUPPORT LEVELS$XRP is testing a major volume block at $1.06. On-chain data from the UTXO Realized Price Distribution (URPD) shows that over 830 million XRP changed hands at this exact price, making it a key support line to watch.
If the market drops below this level,… pic.twitter.com/BlRSZzg1BB
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) June 26, 2026 In this scenario, transaction history outlines the next major support targets where significant volume previously accumulated. According to Ali, three support levels come into focus amid a $1 breach: the $0.80 level, where 923 million XRP were transacted; the $0.62 level, where 1.16 billion XRP were transacted; and the $0.51 level, where 1.06 billion XRP changed hands.
XRP, RLUSD newsThe XRP Ledger now has more RLUSD on-chain than Ethereum, with this latest milestone achieved during the week. According to the Ripple Stablecoin tracker website, the total circulating supply of RLUSD on the XRP Ledger was $810 million, while that of Ethereum is currently $760 million.
The Japan Financial Services Agency approved RLUSD as a new type of electronic payment instrument under the country's Payment Services Act. The Ripple USD stablecoin will be available to both institutions and retail customers through SBI VC Trade.
Ethereum has shown signs of recovery from recent lows, sparking a debate among analysts about whether this move signals a sustained upward trend or merely a temporary bounce ahead of another downturn. The split comes as the crypto market remains sensitive to technical signals and broader sentiment shifts.
Ethereum price recovers, cautious sentiment remainsAt the time of reporting, ETH is trading at $1,580.68, registering a 1.95% gain over the past 24 hours. Its daily trading volume stands at $19.35 billion, while the market capitalization has reached $190.76 billion—accounting for 9.17% of the total cryptocurrency market. As the largest blockchain for smart contracts and decentralized apps, Ethereum continues to be a central player in the digital asset ecosystem.
More Crypto Online, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighted that Ethereum established a new low on Friday, suggesting a possible end to the third wave of its correction. The analyst argued that the current rebound could represent a fourth wave often seen before a fresh downturn. While some short-term improvement is evident, several experts remain skeptical about a major bullish reversal at this stage.
More Crypto Online emphasized that the recent rebound does not necessarily mark the end of Ethereum’s primary downward trend and currently appears to be a corrective move rather than a definitive turnaround.
According to this scenario, the first key resistance zone lies between $1,605 and $1,668. If buyers manage to push ETH above this range, the next targets are $1,823 and then $2,224. Nonetheless, many analysts view the current price movement as a technical correction rather than the onset of a strong rally.
Buyers step in on short-term structureOn the other hand, analysts using the Smart Money Concepts framework are painting a more constructive picture in the short term. They note that Ethereum dipped briefly below previous lows before bouncing sharply from the $1,670 to $1,690 demand zone. This price action is considered a “liquidity sweep” where selling pressure is absorbed and buyers regain control.
Glossary: The Smart Money Concepts approach is a technical analysis method that focuses on liquidity zones, supply-demand areas, and market structure, aiming to track activity from major market players.
Following the recent bounce, Ethereum has established a pattern of higher lows. Analysts suggest that if ETH can break through the $1,735 to $1,755 resistance zone, it would strengthen the bullish outlook. Short-term targets then become $1,750 and $1,800, with the primary target area seen between $1,830 and $1,850.
Support zone could be decisive for directionThe same analysis indicates that a previous long trade captured a move from $1,700 to $1,778—roughly an 780-point swing. However, the price has since pulled back and is now revisiting the $1,680 to $1,690 demand zone. Market watchers are closely monitoring whether this area will attract renewed buying interest in the near term.
If demand persists in this region, Ethereum could regain upward momentum, targeting the $1,830 to $1,850 band. Conversely, failure to surpass nearby resistance or a breakdown below key support could leave the recent rally as only a temporary reaction.
Ethereum’s price direction is significant not just for its own valuation, but for overall market sentiment. As the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, its performance has an outsized impact on the decentralized finance ecosystem, altcoins, and broader risk appetite across crypto markets.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
A prominent Ethereum MEV bot reportedly lost between $7.5 million and $15 million in a counter-MEV exploit. The attacker allegedly used fake token contracts to bait approvals and drain assets. The incident highlights approval hygiene risks for automated on-chain trading systems. Security Alert: The MEV bot JaredfromSubway.eth was exploited.
— BlockSec (@BlockSecTeam) June 26, 2026
Approval Hygiene And Automated On-Chain Agents: Why This Story Matters Top Ethereum MEV Bot JaredfromSubway.eth Drained of Up to $15M in Counter-MEV Honeypot Exploit has become one of the stronger weekend crypto stories because it sits at the intersection of price action, market structure, and the kind of narrative that traders tend to follow closely when the broader news cycle slows down.
The key point is not simply that jaredfromSubway.eth suffered losses estimated between $7.5 million and $15 million. It is that the development gives the market a fresh way to judge whether the current crypto environment is being driven by genuine network adoption, regulatory progress, liquidity shifts, or short-term speculation.
The Main Details According to the official source material, JaredfromSubway.eth suffered losses estimated between $7.5 million and $15 million. The report also notes that the exploit used fake token contracts and approval mechanics against the bot.
That distinction matters because crypto markets often move first on headlines and only later separate durable developments from short-lived momentum. In this case, the verified boundaries are especially important: Do not provide a step-by-step exploit replication guide.
Market Context For traders, the story arrives at a moment when crypto assets are still trying to define a clearer direction. Bitcoin remains the anchor for broader sentiment, but altcoin narratives are increasingly being judged on their own fundamentals, including usage, liquidity, compliance, treasury activity, and developer progress.
That makes this development relevant beyond a single token or company. If the underlying trend proves durable, it could help shape how investors evaluate Ethereum, MEV, Security, Exploit, BlockSec over the coming weeks. If it fades, however, it may become another example of a strong weekend narrative that struggled to translate into sustained market follow-through.
What To Watch Next The next important question is whether the market receives further confirmation from primary sources, dashboards, official announcements, or on-chain data. Follow-up disclosures, exchange data, governance updates, or wallet activity could all help clarify whether this is an isolated headline or the start of a broader theme.
Readers should also watch whether liquidity responds. In crypto, even fundamentally meaningful developments can fail to move prices if traders remain defensive, leverage is being unwound, or capital is rotating into other sectors. That is why this story should be read alongside broader market structure rather than in isolation.
This report is based on information from BlockSec.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
BitMine and BMNP Stocks Have Been in a Steep Sell-OffThe recently launched BitMine Immersion 9.5% Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock (BMNP) has dropped in the last 12 consecutive days. It ended the week at $81, down from record high of $92.97.
Investors have dumped these securities amid concerns that the parent companies may be forced to further dilute existing shareholders or sell portions of their cryptocurrency holdings to fund dividend payments.
BitMine is in a better position than Strategy. For one, it has already bought 5.6 million ETH coins and has about 400k coins to buy. If the trend continues, it will complete its acquisition in the next few months.
BitMine is also making money from its Ethereum holdings through staking program, which is earning about 3% in annual return.
Ethereum Price is at Risk of Further DownsideLee’s justification for Ethereum holdings is also facing challenges as its fundamentals deteriorate. Recent data shows that its network fees have plunged to just $90 million this year from the $523 million it made last year.
Its total value locked in the decentralized finance industry has plunged by over 60% from its peak last year, while the amount of tokenized assets has fallen by over 5% in the last 30 days. Demand for ETH ETFs has also waned, with outflows rising to over $1 billion this year.
Technicals also suggest that ETH price may drop further in the near term. It has remained below the 50-day moving average and formed an inverted cup-and-handle pattern. These technicals suggest that it may drop to as low as $1,000 in the near term, affecting BitMine’s holdings.
Image: Shutterstock
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Analysis: Weak demand from U.S. institutions may keep Bitcoin under pressure and range-bound in the short term.
Bitfire Group stated in its latest market commentary that Bitcoin’s negative premium on Coinbase has continued to widen, signaling persistent weakness in U.S. institutional buying. Meanwhile, Strategy’s income preferred stock (ticker: STRC) briefly dipped below $84. Though there is no immediate liquidation risk, market concerns over whether the firm will need to sell Bitcoin continue to weigh on sentiment. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin remains trading below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, with short-term MAs in a bearish alignment. The daily RSI stands at around 40—weak but not yet in oversold territory. The overall Bollinger Bands are sloping downward, with the middle band acting as strong resistance. Bitfire Group believes that with a lack of sustained bullish momentum and bears still holding the upper hand, Bitcoin will likely continue fluctuating below resistance levels in the short term, further testing actual buying demand on the downside. Key resistance levels are at $64,650, $66,900, and $69,800, while the main support level is at $63,500.
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According to CNN, the situation has reversed sharply after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal took effect, with military clashes breaking out for three consecutive days between the two sides, multiple Gulf countries drawn into the conflict, and the Strait of Hormuz facing renewed severe threats to navigation. In the latest development, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles and drones in retaliation for earlier U.S. airstrikes. Kuwaiti military confirmed its air defense systems are intercepting incoming targets, while Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued an alert urging residents to head to the nearest safe locations immediately. For the U.S. military, U.S. Central Command announced multiple rounds of strikes on Iran's missile and drone storage facilities, military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense positions and mine-laying capabilities, citing Iran's "continuous attacks on merchant ships". Trump immediately issued the sternest warning on social media, saying that if Iran does not stop the attacks, the U.S. military will be forced to "complete the tasks already initiated by military means", and that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist". Iran responded firmly, with the IRGC stating that the U.S. airstrikes violated the ceasefire deal and "will lead to a complete halt of all diplomatic processes". Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched a drone attack in southern Lebanon just one day after a framework agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon, further complicating the regional situation. The preliminary agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran this month aimed at restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is facing the risk of complete collapse amid the continuous clashes, and market concerns over oil prices, safe-haven assets and global energy supplies are rising sharply.
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According to EmberCN’s monitoring, on-chain whale address "sat0shi777" recently executed a rare operation of being trapped in both long and short positions simultaneously. On June 24, the whale opened a long position of 468 BTC at an average price of $62,729, with a position size of approximately $29.38 million. Shortly after, Bitcoin fell below $60,000, and the long position currently has an unrealized loss of around $1.86 million. Yesterday morning, amid a downtrend, the whale added to a short position of 47,500 ETH at an average price of $1,536, with a position size of roughly $72.94 million. However, ETH did not continue to decline afterward, and the short position currently shows an unrealized loss of about $1.23 million. The combined market value of the two positions is approximately $102.32 million, with a total unrealized loss of over $3.09 million, leaving the whale in the red on both long and short sides.
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Analysis: Weak demand from U.S. institutions may keep Bitcoin under pressure and range-bound in the short term.
Bitfire Group stated in its latest market commentary that Bitcoin’s negative premium on Coinbase has continued to widen, signaling persistent weakness in U.S. institutional buying. Meanwhile, Strategy’s income preferred stock (ticker: STRC) briefly dipped below $84. Though there is no immediate liquidation risk, market concerns over whether the firm will need to sell Bitcoin continue to weigh on sentiment. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin remains trading below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, with short-term MAs in a bearish alignment. The daily RSI stands at around 40—weak but not yet in oversold territory. The overall Bollinger Bands are sloping downward, with the middle band acting as strong resistance. Bitfire Group believes that with a lack of sustained bullish momentum and bears still holding the upper hand, Bitcoin will likely continue fluctuating below resistance levels in the short term, further testing actual buying demand on the downside. Key resistance levels are at $64,650, $66,900, and $69,800, while the main support level is at $63,500.
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Chinese crypto figure Ma Ji sold 34 Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs recently to cover his positions, netting 326 ETH from the sale and incurring a loss of 399 ETH.
According to Lookonchain monitoring, renowned NFT collector Machi Big Brother recently allegedly sold Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs to fund his long ETH position on Hyperliquid. Data shows that over the past month, Machi has sold a total of 34 BAYC NFTs, raising 326 ETH (approximately $514,000), but incurring a total loss of 399 ETH (about $631,000). Bored Ape #6057 was his most loss-making transaction: the NFT was purchased four years ago for 76.84 ETH, and recently sold for only 7.65 ETH, representing a roughly 90% loss. Meanwhile, Machi’s long ETH position on Hyperliquid has been liquidated multiple times recently. Lookonchain noted that he was liquidated again approximately 3 hours ago, leaving his account balance at around $81,000.
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Thailand has issued an arrest warrant for Chinese businessman Wang Yicheng, accusing him of money laundering through illegal cryptocurrency mining.
Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has issued an arrest warrant for Chinese businessman Wang Yicheng, accusing him of belonging to a criminal organization that allegedly uses illegal cryptocurrency mining to launder proceeds from fraud and online gambling. Wang, a former leader of the Thai-China Trade Association, is identified as a core figure in the involved Chinese investor group. Reuters’ 2023 investigative report, which centered on Wang, revealed that a U.S. blockchain analytics firm found fraud-related cryptocurrency wallets had sent millions of dollars to accounts under Wang’s name, while he actively cultivated ties with top Thai political and law enforcement officials at the time. A DSI spokesperson stated Wang was charged last November with theft and violations of the Computer Crime Act, adding that he is believed to have fled Thailand, and authorities are tracking his whereabouts in cooperation with international partners. Separately, Thai authorities have also issued arrest warrants for four unnamed Chinese nationals and four unnamed Myanmar nationals.
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US-Iran conflict escalates for three consecutive days: Iran targets US military base in Kuwait with missiles and drones, Trump warns "Iran will cease to exist"
According to CNN, the situation has reversed sharply after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal took effect, with military clashes breaking out for three consecutive days between the two sides, multiple Gulf countries drawn into the conflict, and the Strait of Hormuz facing renewed severe threats to navigation. In the latest development, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles and drones in retaliation for earlier U.S. airstrikes. Kuwaiti military confirmed its air defense systems are intercepting incoming targets, while Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued an alert urging residents to head to the nearest safe locations immediately. For the U.S. military, U.S. Central Command announced multiple rounds of strikes on Iran's missile and drone storage facilities, military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense positions and mine-laying capabilities, citing Iran's "continuous attacks on merchant ships". Trump immediately issued the sternest warning on social media, saying that if Iran does not stop the attacks, the U.S. military will be forced to "complete the tasks already initiated by military means", and that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist". Iran responded firmly, with the IRGC stating that the U.S. airstrikes violated the ceasefire deal and "will lead to a complete halt of all diplomatic processes". Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched a drone attack in southern Lebanon just one day after a framework agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon, further complicating the regional situation. The preliminary agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran this month aimed at restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is facing the risk of complete collapse amid the continuous clashes, and market concerns over oil prices, safe-haven assets and global energy supplies are rising sharply.
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Whale "sat0shi777" is trapped in both long and short positions simultaneously, with total unrealized losses exceeding $3 million on a combined position worth $102 million.
According to EmberCN’s monitoring, on-chain whale address "sat0shi777" recently executed a rare operation of being trapped in both long and short positions simultaneously. On June 24, the whale opened a long position of 468 BTC at an average price of $62,729, with a position size of approximately $29.38 million. Shortly after, Bitcoin fell below $60,000, and the long position currently has an unrealized loss of around $1.86 million. Yesterday morning, amid a downtrend, the whale added to a short position of 47,500 ETH at an average price of $1,536, with a position size of roughly $72.94 million. However, ETH did not continue to decline afterward, and the short position currently shows an unrealized loss of about $1.23 million. The combined market value of the two positions is approximately $102.32 million, with a total unrealized loss of over $3.09 million, leaving the whale in the red on both long and short sides.
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A new crypto address has increased its holdings by 1,350 BTC, valued at approximately $81.87 million.
According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, a newly created wallet address bc1q4m has withdrawn 1,350 BTC from Binance, worth approximately $81.87 million at current prices.
SecondFi completed a final balance snapshot on June 26, 2026, after a Cardano wallet exploit. The snapshot covers 374 compromised wallets affected between June 21 and June 23. The snapshot is a refund-preparation step, not confirmation that users have already been paid. We have completed the final balance snapshot for affected wallets.
— SecondFi (@secondfiapp) June 26, 2026
Security Remediation And User Refund Preparation: Why This Story Matters SecondFi Completes Refund Snapshot for Wallets Impacted by Recent Cardano Exploit has become one of the stronger weekend crypto stories because it sits at the intersection of price action, market structure, and the kind of narrative that traders tend to follow closely when the broader news cycle slows down.
The key point is not simply that secondFi took a final balance snapshot on June 26, 2026. It is that the development gives the market a fresh way to judge whether the current crypto environment is being driven by genuine network adoption, regulatory progress, liquidity shifts, or short-term speculation.
The Main Details According to on-chain data, SecondFi took a final balance snapshot on June 26, 2026. The report also notes that the exploit affected 374 wallets between June 21 and June 23.
That distinction matters because crypto markets often move first on headlines and only later separate durable developments from short-lived momentum. In this case, the verified boundaries are especially important: Do not imply refunds have already landed.
Market Context For traders, the story arrives at a moment when crypto assets are still trying to define a clearer direction. Bitcoin remains the anchor for broader sentiment, but altcoin narratives are increasingly being judged on their own fundamentals, including usage, liquidity, compliance, treasury activity, and developer progress.
That makes this development relevant beyond a single token or company. If the underlying trend proves durable, it could help shape how investors evaluate Cardano, ADA, SecondFi, Yoroi, Security over the coming weeks. If it fades, however, it may become another example of a strong weekend narrative that struggled to translate into sustained market follow-through.
What To Watch Next The next important question is whether the market receives further confirmation from primary sources, dashboards, official announcements, or on-chain data. Follow-up disclosures, exchange data, governance updates, or wallet activity could all help clarify whether this is an isolated headline or the start of a broader theme.
Readers should also watch whether liquidity responds. In crypto, even fundamentally meaningful developments can fail to move prices if traders remain defensive, leverage is being unwound, or capital is rotating into other sectors. That is why this story should be read alongside broader market structure rather than in isolation.
This report is based on information shared by SecondFi on X.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
EMURGO, a co-founding entity of the Cardano blockchain, said on Saturday it had found a way to return assets to users of its SecondFi wallet, days after an exploit drained about $2.4 million worth of ADA.
In a statement posted to X, EMURGO CEO Phillip Pon said the company had completed its forensic investigation, validated wallet balances, and identified what he called "a clear recovery solution." He put the timeline at roughly two weeks, with one week to build the recovery mechanism and a second to test it before any returns begin.
Pon told affected users not to move funds or take steps outside SecondFi's official guidance, saying the recovery is being built around the current state of the compromised wallets. He added that no step requiring user participation had started, and that SecondFi would never ask for private keys, seed phrases, or wallet access.
The Saturday post is the first time the company has attached a concrete timeline to the recovery. It has not yet published a full technical postmortem, given per-user recovery amounts, or detailed how users will claim funds.
$2.4 million from 374 addresses taken SecondFi, the wallet EMURGO rebranded from Yoroi in April, has described four wallet-draining events between June 21 and 23. Three were carried out by external attackers, who took about 16 million ADA, roughly $2.4 million at the time, from 374 addresses.
In the fourth event, SecondFi said it moved about 129 million ADA to an independent third-party custodian as an emergency measure to keep the funds away from the attackers. It said an external accounting firm has been engaged to verify those holdings, and that affected users can file claims through its support site.
The company said it identified two attacker wallets, one of which drained 171 wallets and the other 203, and that about 4 million ADA tied to the theft sits in a flagged collection address under monitoring. It said it has notified law enforcement.
A competing forensic account SecondFi has blamed an address-level flaw in its wallet-generation software that exposed users' private keys. It has warned that restoring an affected recovery phrase in another wallet does not remove the risk, because the exposure is triggered when a compromised address signs a transaction.
A more specific account has come from Tibane Labs, which published a forensic report on the incident on Saturday. Tibane Labs is developing its own wallet, and its findings track public claims made earlier on X by Mark Karpelès, the former Mt. Gox chief executive who is part of that team, meaning its analysis comes from a competing party.
Tibane said the breach was not due to nonce reuse, the failure mode that broke the PlayStation 3 in 2010, but an Ed25519 signing error. According to the report, the wallet's signer dropped the per-key secret that the standard mixes into each signature, so the value meant to be secret was computed from the public transaction data alone. That left it derivable by anyone and made a single signature enough to reconstruct the private key, with no second transaction or statistical attack required.
Tibane said the vulnerable signer was an experimental, unaudited SDK called trantor, published to npm by an independent developer, that replaced EMURGO's previously shipped and audited build on June 8. The first compromised signature appears onchain that same day, according to the report.
Tibane said the underlying cryptographic library was sound and that the fault lay in how the wallet wired the key into it, leaving the secret nonce material unset. It said it decompiled the signed Android build, matched it to the trantor code, and recovered victim private keys from historical signatures to confirm the mechanism. The Block could not independently verify those findings.
EMURGO has not published a technical postmortem and has not publicly addressed Tibane's attribution to a third-party SDK. Separately, security researcher Taylor Monahan said this week that SecondFi "rolled their own crypto" and that the software was closed source and unaudited.
A founding entity under scrutiny Yoroi served as Cardano's main lightweight wallet for years before the SecondFi rebrand, and EMURGO is one of the network's three founding organizations. Tibane framed the episode less as a coding error than a governance failure, arguing that a founding entity shipped unaudited code to production in place of an audited build, without an independent review or a test that would have caught the flaw.
The exploit comes with ADA (ADA) trading near multi-year lows. It also follows a separate nonce-related failure earlier this year: The Block reported that the $280 million Drift Protocol exploit turned on the misuse of Solana "durable nonces," though that breach was traced to social engineering rather than flawed wallet code.
By Tibane's measure, only signatures made from June 8 onward are exposed, and transactions signed before that date used the audited implementation.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.
Although Chainlink has remained affected by the prolonged volatility witnessed across the broader crypto market, the network has continued to see major ecosystem expansion and rising adoption.
Just after the market experienced one of its most volatile periods this year, Chainlink has seen its network bounce back, showing impressive strength as data from Santiment reveals a massive influx of new users.
Chainlink tops 6,182 new walletsThe source disclosed Chainlink registering a notable 3,142 newly created LINK wallets on June 25, followed by another 3,040 new wallets on June 26.
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As such, Chainlink added a total of 6,182 new wallets in two consecutive days following a sharp increase in user activity across the network.
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With such a steady surge in daily network activity, the growth marks the two highest network growth days of the year for Chainlink, which is quite surprising because the recent market downturn extended over the same period.
The sharp surge in Chainlink's user activity suggests that fresh participants are making their way into the ecosystem, signalling growing adoption.
LINK headed for recovery?It is important to note that the surge in Chainlink's network activity arrived at a time when LINK was facing severe downside pressure near multi-month lows.
While this coincides with a period of its most significant network growth in 2025, the divergence has made the trend more notable for market participants, stirring speculation about what may be LINK's next price move.
While it has been previously observed that periods of rapid addition of new wallets during weak price moves have sometimes pointed to early accumulation and rising interest from new users, analysts are optimistic that this trend could drive the next price rally for LINK.
27 June 2026 | 12:35 Chainlink is sitting near its 2026 lows, and its on-chain data is doing something that doesn't usually happen at the bottom of a selloff.
Key Takeaways LINK trades at $7.335, near 2026 lows, down 7.5% on the week. Chainlink posted its two strongest wallet-growth days of 2026 back-to-back. Exchange supply is declining, structurally reducing available LINK. The price structure stays firmly bearish despite the on-chain signals. LINK trades at $7.335, down 7.5% on the week but up 1.5% on the day, and underneath that weak price, the network just posted its two busiest wallet-creation days of the entire year. That divergence between price and activity is the story worth examining.
The Network-Growth Signal Chainlink recorded its two strongest network-growth days of 2026 back-to-back: 3,142 new LINK wallets on June 25 and 3,040 on June 26. Per Santiment, those two days spike dramatically above everything else this year, where the baseline had been running at a few hundred new wallets a day at most. Back-to-back records at price lows specifically point to fresh capital entering rather than existing traders recycling positions.
Record wallet growth on June 25–26 shows fresh capital entering The driver Santiment identifies is Chainlink’s expanding role in on-chain finance: Project Pangea, tokenized-asset settlement, 24/5 equity data streams, and its position as oracle infrastructure. Notably, the same tokenized-stocks narrative lifting Solana is pulling attention toward LINK as the oracle layer those systems depend on, as we covered in our recent analysis of Solana’s decoupling. The interest is concentrated and new, which is what makes it stand out against the price.
A Quiet Network, Which Makes It More Notable Context matters here, and it cuts in an interesting direction. CryptoQuant’s data shows LINK’s broader network activity collapsed alongside price from mid-2025: active addresses peaked around 400K-430K in August-September 2025 when LINK traded near $25-27, then compressed to a baseline of roughly 50K-100K as price fell into the $7-10 range. The current reading of about 7K active addresses shows the network is still quiet overall.
Low usage confirms this is accumulation, not active trading. That quietness is exactly what makes the wallet-growth spike significant. New wallets are being created on a network that isn’t yet generating transaction-volume spikes, which is the signature of fresh entrants positioning rather than a surge in active usage. It’s accumulation-shaped, not activity-shaped.
Coins Are Leaving Exchanges The exchange flow data adds a supply angle. The netflow chart shows a large positive spike in June, the biggest inflow event since April, meaning a significant amount of LINK moved onto exchanges, followed now by a current reading of -70.2K as coins flow back off.
Net-negative flows suggest tokens are moving to self-custody. That inflow-then-outflow pattern is consistent with a distribution event that may be completing, with the remaining direction being withdrawal into self-custody. Zooming out, the dominant pattern from mid-2025 to now is net-negative, more LINK leaving exchanges than arriving, which is structurally supply-reducing even as price has fallen.
The Price Structure Is Still Bearish None of the on-chain signals change the fact that the chart is weak, and that’s worth stating plainly. LINK fell from around $8.60 at the start of June to a low near $7.04 on June 24-25, roughly 18% in three weeks, with the current $7.335 a partial recovery off that low. Support sits at $7.00-$7.18, the wick lows of the past two days; resistance is $7.60-$7.80, where the market stalled between June 19-22 before breaking down.
Deep downtrend; price is still well below major moving averages. All three moving averages are declining steeply above price, the 50-day at $8.72, the 100-day at $8.93, the 200-day at $9.94, leaving LINK more than 15% below even its nearest average, which confirms a deep downtrend. RSI at 33.61 is just above oversold with the signal line at 39.17 still overhead, no bullish crossover yet, though it’s approaching the zone where prior recoveries began.
On the longer-term chart, a Fibonacci retracement from the February high to the June low puts price just above the 1.0 extension at $7.18, meaning LINK has retraced the entire measured move and is testing its deepest Fibonacci support, with first resistance at the 0.786 level near $7.97.
Testing critical support at the $7.18 Fibonacci floor. What makes this setup unusual is that the price and on-chain signals genuinely disagree, and that disagreement is the whole point. Santiment frames the combination of fresh wallets, shrinking exchange supply, and price at the lows as quiet accumulation ahead of a possible price reaction. That’s a coherent read, but it describes positioning, not timing: accumulation can persist for weeks while price goes nowhere, and new wallets don’t obligate a bounce.
So rather than guess at direction, the more useful thing is a clear benchmark to watch. For anyone tracking the RWA and tokenized-asset narrative, the question that resolves this is simple: do these new wallets become active during the next price move, or do they just sit? If the wallet growth converts into rising active addresses and transaction volume, the accumulation thesis gains real weight. If the wallets stay dormant while activity flatlines, the spike was positioning that never matured. Layer two external conditions on top, whether the broader market stabilizes and whether the tokenized-stocks narrative keeps building specifically for LINK, and you have the full checklist. The data has set up a genuine tension; what converts it one way or the other is measurable, and now worth watching for.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a professional before making investment decisions.
Author
Alexander Zdravkov is a market analyst and crypto journalist with interests in economics, broader financial markets and digital assets. His journey into crypto began more than four years ago, driven by a fascination with the rapid evolution of blockchain technology and the transformative potential of decentralized finance. He began analyzing market cycles and identifying emerging trends before they reach the mainstream. He holds a degree in International Relations - a background that helped shape his broader perspective on global economics, geopolitics, and the interconnected nature of modern financial markets. Whether covering the latest developments in the crypto sector or exploring broader macroeconomic themes, Alexander focuses on giving readers context rather than simply repeating headlines. During his career, he has authored more than 5,000 articles covering cryptocurrencies, traditional finance, and global market developments. His work spans everything from Bitcoin and altcoins to macroeconomic trends influencing risk assets worldwide.
27 June 2026 | 12:35 Chainlink is sitting near its 2026 lows, and its on-chain data is doing something that doesn't usually happen at the bottom of a selloff.
Key Takeaways LINK trades at $7.335, near 2026 lows, down 7.5% on the week. Chainlink posted its two strongest wallet-growth days of 2026 back-to-back. Exchange supply is declining, structurally reducing available LINK. The price structure stays firmly bearish despite the on-chain signals. LINK trades at $7.335, down 7.5% on the week but up 1.5% on the day, and underneath that weak price, the network just posted its two busiest wallet-creation days of the entire year. That divergence between price and activity is the story worth examining.
The Network-Growth Signal Chainlink recorded its two strongest network-growth days of 2026 back-to-back: 3,142 new LINK wallets on June 25 and 3,040 on June 26. Per Santiment, those two days spike dramatically above everything else this year, where the baseline had been running at a few hundred new wallets a day at most. Back-to-back records at price lows specifically point to fresh capital entering rather than existing traders recycling positions.
Record wallet growth on June 25–26 shows fresh capital entering The driver Santiment identifies is Chainlink’s expanding role in on-chain finance: Project Pangea, tokenized-asset settlement, 24/5 equity data streams, and its position as oracle infrastructure. Notably, the same tokenized-stocks narrative lifting Solana is pulling attention toward LINK as the oracle layer those systems depend on, as we covered in our recent analysis of Solana’s decoupling. The interest is concentrated and new, which is what makes it stand out against the price.
A Quiet Network, Which Makes It More Notable Context matters here, and it cuts in an interesting direction. CryptoQuant’s data shows LINK’s broader network activity collapsed alongside price from mid-2025: active addresses peaked around 400K-430K in August-September 2025 when LINK traded near $25-27, then compressed to a baseline of roughly 50K-100K as price fell into the $7-10 range. The current reading of about 7K active addresses shows the network is still quiet overall.
Low usage confirms this is accumulation, not active trading. That quietness is exactly what makes the wallet-growth spike significant. New wallets are being created on a network that isn’t yet generating transaction-volume spikes, which is the signature of fresh entrants positioning rather than a surge in active usage. It’s accumulation-shaped, not activity-shaped.
Coins Are Leaving Exchanges The exchange flow data adds a supply angle. The netflow chart shows a large positive spike in June, the biggest inflow event since April, meaning a significant amount of LINK moved onto exchanges, followed now by a current reading of -70.2K as coins flow back off.
Net-negative flows suggest tokens are moving to self-custody. That inflow-then-outflow pattern is consistent with a distribution event that may be completing, with the remaining direction being withdrawal into self-custody. Zooming out, the dominant pattern from mid-2025 to now is net-negative, more LINK leaving exchanges than arriving, which is structurally supply-reducing even as price has fallen.
The Price Structure Is Still Bearish None of the on-chain signals change the fact that the chart is weak, and that’s worth stating plainly. LINK fell from around $8.60 at the start of June to a low near $7.04 on June 24-25, roughly 18% in three weeks, with the current $7.335 a partial recovery off that low. Support sits at $7.00-$7.18, the wick lows of the past two days; resistance is $7.60-$7.80, where the market stalled between June 19-22 before breaking down.
Deep downtrend; price is still well below major moving averages. All three moving averages are declining steeply above price, the 50-day at $8.72, the 100-day at $8.93, the 200-day at $9.94, leaving LINK more than 15% below even its nearest average, which confirms a deep downtrend. RSI at 33.61 is just above oversold with the signal line at 39.17 still overhead, no bullish crossover yet, though it’s approaching the zone where prior recoveries began.
On the longer-term chart, a Fibonacci retracement from the February high to the June low puts price just above the 1.0 extension at $7.18, meaning LINK has retraced the entire measured move and is testing its deepest Fibonacci support, with first resistance at the 0.786 level near $7.97.
Testing critical support at the $7.18 Fibonacci floor. What makes this setup unusual is that the price and on-chain signals genuinely disagree, and that disagreement is the whole point. Santiment frames the combination of fresh wallets, shrinking exchange supply, and price at the lows as quiet accumulation ahead of a possible price reaction. That’s a coherent read, but it describes positioning, not timing: accumulation can persist for weeks while price goes nowhere, and new wallets don’t obligate a bounce.
So rather than guess at direction, the more useful thing is a clear benchmark to watch. For anyone tracking the RWA and tokenized-asset narrative, the question that resolves this is simple: do these new wallets become active during the next price move, or do they just sit? If the wallet growth converts into rising active addresses and transaction volume, the accumulation thesis gains real weight. If the wallets stay dormant while activity flatlines, the spike was positioning that never matured. Layer two external conditions on top, whether the broader market stabilizes and whether the tokenized-stocks narrative keeps building specifically for LINK, and you have the full checklist. The data has set up a genuine tension; what converts it one way or the other is measurable, and now worth watching for.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a professional before making investment decisions.
Author
Alexander Zdravkov is a market analyst and crypto journalist with interests in economics, broader financial markets and digital assets. His journey into crypto began more than four years ago, driven by a fascination with the rapid evolution of blockchain technology and the transformative potential of decentralized finance. He began analyzing market cycles and identifying emerging trends before they reach the mainstream. He holds a degree in International Relations - a background that helped shape his broader perspective on global economics, geopolitics, and the interconnected nature of modern financial markets. Whether covering the latest developments in the crypto sector or exploring broader macroeconomic themes, Alexander focuses on giving readers context rather than simply repeating headlines. During his career, he has authored more than 5,000 articles covering cryptocurrencies, traditional finance, and global market developments. His work spans everything from Bitcoin and altcoins to macroeconomic trends influencing risk assets worldwide.
User activity on the Chainlink network saw a pronounced surge despite significant turbulence in the broader cryptocurrency market. According to data from Santiment, Chainlink registered 3,142 new LINK wallets on June 25 and 3,040 on June 26, bringing the two-day total to 6,182 new accounts.
Network growth reaches annual peakThis increase stands out as the largest two-day network expansion for Chainlink so far this year. The unusual uptick arrives at a time when the general crypto market has been experiencing muted sentiment. Chainlink is widely recognized for its oracle framework, bridging off-chain data with smart contracts on the blockchain.
The creation of 3,142 new LINK wallets on June 25 and 3,040 on June 26 highlights a marked expansion of Chainlink’s user base in a short period.
A steady climb in daily network activity shows that new participants continue to join the Chainlink ecosystem. This development is drawing even more attention from market participants, given that it occurs while the token price faces ongoing pressure.
Network activity diverges from price performanceThe recent spike in newly created wallets coincided with LINK trading near multi-month lows. This disconnect between on-chain growth and market price has led to heightened speculation about the asset’s potential next move.
Historically, surges in new wallet numbers during periods of price weakness are sometimes interpreted as early signs of accumulation. For this reason, some analysts believe the latest resurgence in network activity could set the stage for a shift in LINK’s price dynamics.
The sharp rise in new wallet creation at a time of price pressure has prompted investors to watch potential movements in LINK with increased caution.
Recent data from the Chainlink network demonstrates that user growth continues, defying the downward trend in price action. Going forward, both the sustainability of this heightened network activity and its potential impact on LINK’s market price will be closely monitored by observers.
The latest numbers reinforce Chainlink’s central role as a leading oracle solution, highlighting that the project’s active user base is expanding even amid market headwinds. Such trends are especially significant as they point to organic demand and participation, rather than solely speculative interest.
If the current momentum in wallet additions persists, Chainlink may see a foundation for future price recovery, though this remains subject to broader market forces and investor sentiment.
In the near future, analysts will focus on whether the Chainlink network can maintain this pace of onboarding new users, and whether increased on-chain engagement will eventually be reflected in the token’s trading trajectory.
The spike in wallet creation appears to demonstrate rising engagement and confidence in Chainlink’s ecosystem, even as price remains under pressure. Overall, these figures may signal robust community support and could influence expectations for the project in upcoming quarters.
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.
Key Highlights Network expansion accelerates with 6,182 fresh wallet addresses created within a 48-hour period, marking 2026’s strongest growth LINK currently hovers around $7.20, representing a 44% decline from the $13 peak reached earlier Support at $7.20 faces its third test, with diminishing selling intensity suggesting potential exhaustion Spot ETF activity returned to positive flows following a brief $490K withdrawal on June 22 June saw 593,088 LINK tokens added to the reserve, valued above $4.6 million, constraining available supply The Chainlink (LINK) token is currently positioned near the $7.20 mark following an extended correction from its latest peak near $13. This represents approximately a 44% drawdown from recent highs, with the asset now resting at a price level that has previously provided meaningful support on several occasions throughout the year.
[[IMG_2]]Chainlink (LINK) Price This marks the third instance where price action has tested the $7.20 threshold. During previous attempts to breach this level, sellers encountered significant pushback. Technical indicators now show declining momentum, with four-hour chart patterns displaying consolidation alongside weakening MACD histogram bars — characteristics that typically suggest diminishing bearish pressure.
Liquidation data from Binance’s perpetual futures market reveals that over one million LINK tokens in leveraged long positions were forcibly closed on June 25. Following the bounce from $7.20 support, this figure plummeted to approximately 120,000 LINK — representing a dramatic decrease in liquidation-driven selling.
On-Chain Activity Reaches Yearly Peak Blockchain analytics from Santiment indicate that Chainlink’s network welcomed 3,142 new wallet addresses on June 25, followed by 3,040 additional wallets on June 26. Combined, these 6,182 new addresses represent the most substantial consecutive daily wallet growth the network has experienced in 2026.
✍️ TL;DR: Chainlink network growth erupts with two highest on-chain days of the year
📊 Metrics used: Network Growth
🔗 Link to chart: https://t.co/V88ThZQNSi
📈 BREAKING: Chainlink just posted its two strongest network growth days of 2026, with 3,142 new LINK wallets on June… pic.twitter.com/H0FVqxDvwB
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) June 26, 2026
Significant wallet creation during price weakness often signals fresh capital deployment into the ecosystem. This pattern typically indicates new market participants accumulating positions at discounted levels, rather than existing investors merely redistributing their holdings across different addresses.
The token trades beneath the high-volume node concentrated between $9.00 and $9.20, an area where substantial trading activity has historically clustered. The Relative Strength Index hovers around 35, reflecting subdued momentum while simultaneously suggesting the asset may be nearing oversold territory.
ETF Activity and Reserve Expansion Support Bullish Outlook Spot ETF products tracking Chainlink experienced their inaugural daily withdrawal of $490,000 on June 22. This was quickly followed by $138,000 in new capital the subsequent trading session, restoring the overall flow pattern to net positive.
[[IMG_3]]Source: SoSoValue Among alternative cryptocurrency Spot ETF offerings, LINK has demonstrated relatively strong performance. Only the Avalanche (AVAX) ETF has maintained a completely outflow-free record since inception.
The Chainlink Reserve continues its expansion trajectory. Throughout June, the reserve absorbed 593,088 LINK tokens valued at more than $4.6 million. The cumulative reserve balance now reaches 4,504,167 LINK, effectively reducing circulating supply and introducing a measure of scarcity to market dynamics.
Critical Price Zones Under Observation Market observers identify the $8.40–$8.50 range as the primary resistance barrier for any near-term price recovery. Successfully clearing this zone could establish momentum toward $9.00, which would deliver gains exceeding 15% from present valuation.
Should the $7.20 support level fail to hold, the subsequent downside target sits near $7.00. Maintaining ground above $7.20 remains the essential prerequisite for constructive price action moving forward.
Chainlink reportedly recorded its two highest daily network growth days of 2026. The metric tracks new address creation and can suggest renewed baseline interest. The reading comes despite LINK’s broader price correction. Address Growth During Drawdown: Why This Story Matters Chainlink Marks Two Highest Network Growth Days of 2026 Amid Broad Price Correction has become one of the stronger weekend crypto stories because it sits at the intersection of price action, market structure, and the kind of narrative that traders tend to follow closely when the broader news cycle slows down.
The key point is not simply that chainlink recorded its two highest daily network growth days of 2026. It is that the development gives the market a fresh way to judge whether the current crypto environment is being driven by genuine network adoption, regulatory progress, liquidity shifts, or short-term speculation.
The Main Details According to on-chain data, Chainlink recorded its two highest daily network growth days of 2026. The report also notes that network growth measures new address creation.
That distinction matters because crypto markets often move first on headlines and only later separate durable developments from short-lived momentum. In this case, the verified boundaries are especially important: Do not guarantee an immediate rally.
Market Context For traders, the story arrives at a moment when crypto assets are still trying to define a clearer direction. Bitcoin remains the anchor for broader sentiment, but altcoin narratives are increasingly being judged on their own fundamentals, including usage, liquidity, compliance, treasury activity, and developer progress.
That makes this development relevant beyond a single token or company. If the underlying trend proves durable, it could help shape how investors evaluate Chainlink, LINK, Santiment, On-chain, Accumulation over the coming weeks. If it fades, however, it may become another example of a strong weekend narrative that struggled to translate into sustained market follow-through.
What To Watch Next The next important question is whether the market receives further confirmation from primary sources, dashboards, official announcements, or on-chain data. Follow-up disclosures, exchange data, governance updates, or wallet activity could all help clarify whether this is an isolated headline or the start of a broader theme.
Readers should also watch whether liquidity responds. In crypto, even fundamentally meaningful developments can fail to move prices if traders remain defensive, leverage is being unwound, or capital is rotating into other sectors. That is why this story should be read alongside broader market structure rather than in isolation.
This report is based on information from Santiment.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Suspicions are mounting that the $292 million stolen from the KelpDAO bridge in April and the funds lost to a private key theft at Humanity Protocol in June are connected, as new on-chain data highlights possible links between the two breaches. Blockchain analyst Specter revealed that assets from both attacks have been combined in shared wallets, forming a pattern indicative of a single laundering operation.
Funds converge on the Bitcoin networkAccording to data released by Specter, the perpetrator of the Humanity Protocol hack transferred 15,403 ETH, amounting to roughly $23.6 million, into a relatively new Ethereum address. These funds were then bridged to the Bitcoin network, where they pooled with proceeds previously traced to the KelpDAO hack, suggesting a coordinated movement of assets.
Gathering funds from different attacks into common Bitcoin wallets and then funneling them through mixers and over-the-counter transactions is a method frequently seen in operations tied to the Lazarus Group.
Researchers believe this approach mirrors tactics used in previous North Korea-linked Lazarus Group operations. Analysis by ZachXBT and Specter indicates that the asset flows from the two separate incidents ultimately converged at a single financial outflow point.
Glossary: An RPC node is the technical infrastructure enabling blockchain applications to communicate with the network. A DDoS attack aims to overwhelm a service with simultaneous requests, rendering it inaccessible.
Bridge mechanism targeted in KelpDAO attackChainalysis investigations found that, in the April 18 KelpDAO attack, cybercriminals compromised internal RPC nodes operated by LayerZero Labs while launching a simultaneous DDoS attack on external nodes. This allowed them to deceive the Ethereum bridge contract, releasing 116,500 rsETH into circulation on the destination chain without a corresponding burn event on the source chain.
The attack was attributed to the Lazarus Group. The Arbitrum Security Council managed to freeze over 30,000 ETH linked to the hacker downstream. An emergency shutdown mechanism enabled by KelpDAO also prevented an additional $95 million from being withdrawn from the platform.
Phishing at the core of the Humanity Protocol incidentThough the Humanity Protocol breach relied on a different technique, post-incident analysis once again pointed to actors linked to North Korea. According to Quantstamp’s incident report dated June 11, the attacker deceived company executive Chong Yee Wai with a malicious email masquerading as a South Korea-based crypto exchange, Bithumb.
Quantstamp found that the breach shared hallmarks of North Korean-origin intrusions, noting the malware installed granted remote desktop access to the attacker.
Subsequently, the attacker copied MetaMask wallet keys from Chong’s Windows device. These keys were then used to mint and sell unauthorized $H tokens on Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain. Following the incident, the token price plummeted nearly 89%. Quantstamp reported that known attacker addresses amassed more than $21 million worth of ETH from the exploit.
Legal proceedings complicate recovery effortsLegal challenges have added new complexity to the ongoing investigation. There are reportedly more than $877 million in outstanding judgments in US courts against North Korea. In May, plaintiffs filed a preliminary injunction seeking the seizure of approximately 30,766 ETH—worth about $71 million—frozen by Arbitrum DAO, based on a court order dated April 30.
Plaintiffs contend that, because the assets are linked to North Korea, they should be subject to confiscation. Meanwhile, Arbitrum has initiated a governance process to transfer the frozen KelpDAO funds to a recovery initiative backed by Aave Labs, KelpDAO, LayerZero, EtherFi, and Compound. The court has since approved the Arbitrum vote, paving the way to move the KelpDAO funds to Aave.
Even with this latest on-chain confirmation, it remains unclear whether losses and potential recovery claims stemming from the Humanity Protocol incident will face similar legal proceedings.
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.
Large LINK holders reportedly moved millions of dollars worth of tokens to Binance wallets. The transfers came before public disclosure of Project Pangea at the Point Zero Forum in Zurich. The article frames the activity strictly as on-chain monitoring, not an accusation of insider trading. Whales moved millions of LINK to Binance ahead of Pangea news.
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) June 26, 2026
Timing Of Exchange Deposits Before Institutional News: Why This Story Matters Chainlink Whales Shift Millions in LINK to Binance Prior to TradFi Pangea Disclosure has become one of the stronger weekend crypto stories because it sits at the intersection of price action, market structure, and the kind of narrative that traders tend to follow closely when the broader news cycle slows down.
The key point is not simply that large LINK transfers moved to Binance deposit wallets. It is that the development gives the market a fresh way to judge whether the current crypto environment is being driven by genuine network adoption, regulatory progress, liquidity shifts, or short-term speculation.
The Main Details According to on-chain data, large LINK transfers moved to Binance deposit wallets. The report also notes that the transfers occurred before public Project Pangea disclosures.
That distinction matters because crypto markets often move first on headlines and only later separate durable developments from short-lived momentum. In this case, the verified boundaries are especially important: Do not accuse whales of illegal insider activity.
Market Context For traders, the story arrives at a moment when crypto assets are still trying to define a clearer direction. Bitcoin remains the anchor for broader sentiment, but altcoin narratives are increasingly being judged on their own fundamentals, including usage, liquidity, compliance, treasury activity, and developer progress.
That makes this development relevant beyond a single token or company. If the underlying trend proves durable, it could help shape how investors evaluate Chainlink, LINK, Whales, Binance, Lookonchain over the coming weeks. If it fades, however, it may become another example of a strong weekend narrative that struggled to translate into sustained market follow-through.
What To Watch Next The next important question is whether the market receives further confirmation from primary sources, dashboards, official announcements, or on-chain data. Follow-up disclosures, exchange data, governance updates, or wallet activity could all help clarify whether this is an isolated headline or the start of a broader theme.
Readers should also watch whether liquidity responds. In crypto, even fundamentally meaningful developments can fail to move prices if traders remain defensive, leverage is being unwound, or capital is rotating into other sectors. That is why this story should be read alongside broader market structure rather than in isolation.
This report is based on information shared by Lookonchain on X.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Chainlink is restructuring its Build program, ending project token rewards and replacing them with LINK-based commercial agreements designed to funnel value directly back into the $LINK token.
Token Rewards Come to an EndChainlink is overhauling its Build program in a move that shifts the economic model firmly toward its native token, $LINK. The network is restructuring Build by moving away from early and mid-stage project token rewards toward commercial agreements paid in LINK.
Since its inception, the Build program has provided technical guidance, strategic support, ecosystem integration, and visibility to over 80 projects, distributing nearly $20 million in project tokens as part of the Chainlink Rewards initiative to eligible LINK stakers. That arrangement is now being wound down. Chainlink has determined that continuing to offer project token rewards no longer aligns with its long-term objectives amid the current market climate and evolving project funding models.
The latest Chainlink Rewards season marks the end of Build-related token awards, signaling a definitive pivot in program policy. Eligible participants must claim their final rewards by July 7, 2026, after which the application process will be permanently closed.
Revenue Flows Back Into $LINKUnder the new model, payments under commercial agreements will be collected in LINK or highly liquid assets that can be quickly converted into LINK. These proceeds will then be programmatically directed to fund network growth initiatives such as Chainlink Reserve.
Engineering and product resources formerly dedicated to the Rewards system will be redeployed to higher-priority economic initiatives within the network. For previously participating projects, the existing reward mechanisms in Build are being phased out, and new commercial terms will be negotiated individually.
Looking ahead, Chainlink Labs announced that its future growth programs will concentrate primarily on projects with strong strategic alignment, rather than casting a wide net across early-stage projects. The shift creates a more direct feedback loop between ecosystem activity and $LINK demand, replacing a model built on distributing third-party tokens with one that consolidates value around the network's own asset.
Sources:
Blockonomi: Chainlink Build Program Shifts Rewards from Project Tokens to LINK Payments
Chainlink Blog: Introducing Chainlink Rewards Season 1
Chainlink: Economics Overview
Author
Jon Wang
Jon studied Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and has been researching cryptocurrency full-time since 2019. He started his career managing channels and creating content for Coin Bureau, before transitioning to investment research for venture capital funds, specializing in early-stage crypto investments. Jon has served on the committee for the Blockchain Society at the University of Cambridge and has studied nearly all areas of the blockchain industry, from early stage investments and altcoins, through to the macroeconomic factors influencing the sector.
US spot Chainlink ($LINK) ETFs have recorded their first week of net outflows since the products launched, snapping a streak that lasted more than 200 consecutive trading days. The figure, roughly $220,000 in negative weekly flows, is modest in absolute terms, but the symbolic significance is hard to dismiss.
A Historic Streak Comes to an End Grayscale launched the first US spot Chainlink ETF, GLNK, on NYSE Arca on December 2, 2025. The ETF attracted $37 million in first-day inflows, and LINK rebounded more than 7% as investors responded to renewed institutional attention. From that point forward, the LINK spot ETF complex went on an almost unbroken run of positive flows.
Analyst data shows the outflow ended 203 days without a negative daily reading. The turning point came on June 22, when data shared by Arca showed the LINK spot ETF complex posting a daily net outflow of approximately $490,920. That reduced cumulative net inflows from about $123.82 million to $123.33 million, while total net assets fell to roughly $100.88 million, compared with more than $107 million one week earlier.
Institutional interest appears to be wavering, as evidenced by the first net capital outflow from LINK spot ETFs after a record-breaking streak of entries that lasted over half a year. LINK ETFs had been among the best-performing altcoin ETFs, though only Avalanche (AVAX) spot ETFs are yet to see outflows since their own debut.
Blip or Broader Shift? There are early signs the outflow may be temporary. According to SoSoValue data, Chainlink spot ETFs recorded net inflows of approximately $137,710 on the Tuesday following the outflow session. Although the inflow remains relatively small, it could signal improving investor sentiment if the trend continues over the coming days.
The broader price picture for $LINK remains under pressure. The asset has logged a year-to-date loss of nearly 45%, with price testing levels not seen with this much downside pressure in quite some time. LINK is currently trading below all its major moving averages, including the critical 200-day SMA near the $10.15 mark.
On the fundamental side, @Chainlink continues to expand its real-world footprint. The protocol announced the formation of a new working group involving multinational organizations across Europe and South Korea, collectively representing more than $10 trillion in assets under management, focused on modernizing foreign exchange infrastructure and evaluating a shift from traditional T+2 settlement to real-time T+0 settlement. Whether that kind of adoption news is enough to restore positive ETF flow momentum remains the key question heading into July.
Sources:
Brave New Coin: Chainlink Price Analysis, LINK Spot ETF Ends 203-Day Inflow Streak
Invezz: Can LINK Price Reclaim $8 as Chainlink Targets Real-Time FX Settlement?
FXStreet: Chainlink Price Forecast, FX Partnership Fails to Lift Sentiment
Chainlink recorded its two strongest network growth days of 2026 as fresh user participation accelerated despite subdued price action.
According to Santiment, the network added 3,142 new wallets on the 25th of June, followed by 3,040 new wallets on the 26th of June, marking the highest daily expansion this year.
The surge reflected growing adoption instead of recycled trading activity, as new addresses historically pointed to fresh capital entering the ecosystem.
Interest also remained supported by Chainlink’s expanding institutional use cases, including tokenized real-world assets and data infrastructure. However, Chainlink continued trading near local lows despite the remarkable on-chain activity.
The divergence suggested market participants had not fully priced in the increase in network usage, leaving room for price to respond if broader market conditions continued improving.
Source: Santiment/X Why have top traders stayed confidently long? Professional traders continued favoring bullish exposure even as LINK traded close to its recent lows.
Binance’s Top Trader Long/Short Ratio showed 68.75% of accounts remained long, while only 31.25% held short positions, producing a 2.20 long-to-short ratio. Those figures indicated experienced participants had maintained confidence despite the recent weakness.
Rather than reducing exposure during the decline, many traders appeared willing to position for a recovery from current levels.
Their positioning aligned with the improving on-chain fundamentals, even though price had not yet reflected stronger adoption. Still, bullish positioning alone does not guarantee a rally.
Buyers still required additional demand before LINK could reclaim higher resistance levels and confirm that sentiment had translated into sustained market strength.
Source: CoinGlas Double-bottom keeps recovery hopes alive for Chainlink Chainlink [LINK] defended its major demand zone near $7.23 after buyers repeatedly absorbed selling pressure around that level.
The repeated defense created a developing double-bottom structure, which often signals exhaustion among sellers before a trend reversal emerges.
Buyers also kept the price above the demand zone despite several rejection attempts, showing that demand remained active at lower prices.
If that structure continues holding, the first upside objective would likely remain near $8.33, where previous resistance had limited earlier advances.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stood at 33.82, remaining below the neutral 50 level despite recovering from oversold territory. A successful move beyond that barrier would then place $9.00 into focus.
However, losing the current demand zone would invalidate the bullish setup and could expose LINK to another round of downside pressure.
Source: TradingView Final Summary Record wallet growth suggested adoption strengthened even while LINK traded near recent lows. Double-bottom support and bullish trader positioning could guide LINK toward higher resistance levels.
Circle Stock is Facing Major Risks as USDC Supply DipsCRCL, which operates USD Coin (CRYPTO: USDC) and EURC, is confronting several major risks as the crypto winter continues.
A key risk is that the supply of USDC has continued to drop this month, which will hurt its revenue growth. CoinMarketCap data shows that the market capitalization of USDC has dropped to $73.7 billion from the year-to-date high of $80 billion. Similarly, EURC’s valuation has dropped to $426 million from the year-to-date high of $467 million.
At the same time, US bond yields have continued falling recently as crude oil prices fall after the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent and the West Texas Intermediate have fallen to $72.6 and $69, respectively. As a result, the two-year yield has dropped to 4.09% from the year-to-date high of 4.235%.
A combination of falling stablecoin supply and US bond yields is that its revenue growth will deteriorate in the near term. That’s because Circle’s business model involves investing its stablecoin reserves in short-term government bonds. Its revenue does well when these reserves and short-term bond yields are in an uptrend.
Analysts expect that Circle’s business will remain under pressure in the near term. The expectation is that its annual revenue will jump by 11% this year to $3.07 billion. Its annual revenue jumped by over 60% last year as its USDC assets jumped.
Circle Internet Group Stock Has Formed a Double-Top PatternCRCL is also facing some technical risks, which may drive it lower in the near term. It formed a double-top pattern at $135.70, its highest point in March and May this year. It has now dropped below the neckline of $84, its lowest point on April 9.
The stock has slumped below the 50-day moving average, while the two lines of the MACD indicator have continued falling. Therefore, the stock will likely continue falling, initially to the all-time low of $49. This view is in line with the recent CRCL stock downgrade by Mizuho, who lowered their target to $85.
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Avalanche’s C-Chain onboarded 707,000 new addresses during Q2 2026. That’s six times the number added in Q1, a pace that suggests something beyond routine growth is happening on the layer-1 network.
The numbers behind the surge The 707,000 figure represents net new C-Chain addresses, the primary execution layer where most user activity on Avalanche takes place. Monthly new address data tracked by The Block has become one of the more reliable proxies for gauging real user adoption on the network, and the Q2 numbers represent a clear inflection point.
Avalanche’s DeFi ecosystem has been pulling in capital at a remarkable clip. Total value locked across the network has nearly doubled since April 2025, reaching approximately $2.1 billion.
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The subnet architecture has also been expanding. By the end of 2025, the network had 75 active subnets, a 158% year-over-year increase. Each subnet can be tailored for specific applications, whether that’s gaming, enterprise logistics, or DeFi protocols, without clogging the main road.
On the infrastructure side, Avalanche raised its C-Chain gas target to support throughput of 4 million transactions per second.
What changed to unlock this growth The Etna upgrade, which went live in December 2024, significantly reduced the cost of deploying new subnets. Following Etna, the Avalanche9000 and Granite initiatives further refined the network’s performance characteristics.
VanEck launched a spot AVAX ETF in January 2026, giving traditional finance a regulated on-ramp to the token. A spot ETF signals that at least some regulatory bodies have reached a level of comfort with AVAX’s classification as a digital commodity. Pilot programs targeting institutional participation in Avalanche’s DeFi ecosystem have also contributed to the TVL growth.
What this means for investors For AVAX holders, more active users means more transaction fees, and more transaction fees means more demand for the token that pays those fees. AVAX is also used for staking and subnet validation, so network expansion creates additional demand channels beyond simple transaction activity.
Avalanche is carving out a distinctive position with its subnet model at a time when other layer-1s are competing primarily on raw throughput or EVM compatibility. The 75 active subnets represent a real differentiator, particularly for enterprise use cases where organizations want their own execution environment without sacrificing interoperability with the broader ecosystem.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Three Altcoin ETFs Stuck at ZeroSpot ETFs tied to @Polkadot ($DOT), @Hedera ($HBAR), and @avax ($AVAX) have recorded zero dollars in flows this week, extending what is now a multi-week streak of complete inactivity. The products are live, the wrappers exist, but institutional capital simply is not arriving.
The pattern points to a broader dynamic playing out across the altcoin ETF market. Data from mid-June 2026 showed U.S. spot altcoin ETF inflows concentrated on Hyperliquid, XRP, and Solana, while HBAR's ETF segment returned to flat, joining other altcoins with no incremental demand. This suggests investors are making high-conviction bets on select assets rather than seeking broad altcoin exposure.
Selective Capital, Not a Rising TideThe divergence is stark. On one side, XRP and Hyperliquid are capturing strong institutional inflows and price momentum. On the other, Polkadot, Avalanche, and Hedera are effectively frozen in terms of new capital interest. This is not a traditional altcoin season.
Beneath the macro weakness, a sharper trend is emerging: institutional investors are no longer treating altcoins as a single basket. Instead, they are selectively allocating capital into specific narratives, leaving others behind.
The lack of flows is notable given that these products have only recently come to market. Hedera already has a live product in Canary Capital's HBR ETF, which launched on October 28, 2025, and pulled in $93 million in inflows, holding 549 million HBAR. That early momentum has since faded. This stagnation indicates that institutional investors are not currently treating these assets as priority exposure targets, and that ETF listings alone are not enough to generate demand without a strong narrative or active accumulation strategy behind them.
Broader market structure is not helping. The macro environment plays a major role in suppressing altcoin flows, with Bitcoin dominance remaining close to 60% and the Altcoin Season Index sitting at just 24. Historically, this combination signals a market where capital is concentrated in Bitcoin rather than rotating into smaller assets.
With multiple altcoin ETF products now on the shelf and institutional interest concentrated in a handful of names, the question for $DOT, $HBAR, and $AVAX is whether a narrative catalyst or a broader rotation can eventually unlock the flows their products were designed to capture.
Sources
HokaNews: XRP and HYPE Crush Altcoin ETF Flows While DOT, LTC, AVAX Freeze
Yellow.com: 10 New Crypto ETF Filings Set To Reshape Wall Street In 2026
SoSoValue: HBAR Spot ETF Dashboard
