Assets Slip as Price Drags on Fund ValuesUS spot $XRP exchange-traded funds slipped below the $1 billion mark on July 16, with total net assets settling at $997.18 million, according to SoSoValue data. The move underlines a persistent gap between investor demand and the underlying token's performance.
The dip in assets was not driven by outflows. US spot XRP ETFs attracted $6.78 million in net inflows on July 16, their largest single-day intake of July. The Bitwise XRP ETF led with $4.41 million in net inflows, followed by Franklin's XRPZ with $2.38 million, while Canary's XRPC, 21Shares' TOXR, and Grayscale's GXRP recorded no net inflows during the session.
The latest inflows pushed cumulative net inflows across US spot XRP ETFs to $1.49 billion, while total net assets climbed to $997.18 million, representing around 1.45% of XRP's market capitalisation.
Price Weakness Overwhelms Steady BuyingThe core tension is straightforward: buyers have remained consistent, but the price has not cooperated. XRP traded around $1.08 on July 16, down roughly 2.5% over the prior 24 hours and about 10% over the past month. For context, total net assets stood at $1.18 billion in mid-May, with cumulative inflows at $1.35 billion at that point. Since then, roughly $100 million in fresh capital has arrived, yet assets have fallen by around $180 million, purely on price movement.
July has been choppy for ETF flows overall, with six days recording zero activity. Two days saw outflows: July 1 at minus $1.86 million and July 8 at minus $7.29 million. The July 16 print was the strongest positive day of the month, but it still fell well short of the peak daily flows seen earlier in the year.
Bitwise remains the largest XRP ETF by assets under management at $312.82 million, followed by Canary's XRPC with $253.20 million and Franklin's XRPZ with $252.15 million.
The broader picture remains one of structural institutional interest running ahead of price momentum. Flow persistence, with inflows holding steady even as XRP's price experiences volatility, suggests institutions are making considered allocation decisions rather than chasing short-term momentum. Whether that patience is rewarded depends on whether the token can recover enough ground for assets to reclaim the billion-dollar threshold on a sustained basis.
Sources
Crypto Times: XRP ETF Inflows Reach July High After $6.78M Addition
CoinDesk: Spot XRP ETFs Attract Biggest Inflows Since January
Ripple: XRP ETFs: The Institutional Era Has Begun
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez has directed attention to XRP, highlighting two key technical signals that may indicate a significant price movement is imminent. Martinez, a widely followed market commentator, combined observations from the monthly and hourly charts to underline growing momentum in the digital asset’s price action.
Monthly TD Sequential buy signal formsOn the monthly timeframe, Martinez identified a TD Sequential buy signal for XRP. A TD Sequential is a technical indicator designed to detect potential trend exhaustion and forecast price reversals, with signals on longer timeframes generally regarded as more robust by traders.
The appearance of a buy signal on the monthly chart often points to stronger and longer-lasting reversals. Martinez paired this observation with analysis of the shorter-term hourly price structure, suggesting that building price pressure could soon lead to a substantial move.
Martinez indicated that with these two timeframes both supporting a bullish outlook, XRP may be approaching a decisive breakout phase in the market.
Symmetrical triangle on hourly chartTurning to the hourly chart, Martinez observed that XRP has been consolidating within a symmetrical triangle pattern since late June. This formation is defined by lower highs and higher lows, compressing price action into a narrowing range. The pattern’s upper boundary descends from just below $1.30, while the lower boundary ascends from $1.03. Currently, XRP sits near $1.106, edging closer to the triangle’s apex.
Technical analysts view symmetrical triangles as neutral, with the next decisive move likely to set the tone for the trend’s direction. Martinez specifically identified $1.13 as the critical resistance level for traders to monitor.
Mini dictionary: TD Sequential, a technical indicator used in financial markets to identify potential reversal points by analyzing a series of price candles, commonly favored for its trend exhaustion signals.
TimeframeSignal/PatternKey LevelMonthlyTD Sequential buy signalNot specifiedHourlySymmetrical triangleResistance at $1.13A confirmed breakout above $1.13 would see XRP move past the triangle’s descending upper boundary. According to Martinez, such an event could open a path to a 20% increase in price, targeting $1.35. This would represent a return to levels not seen since early June, when XRP last traded near $1.30 before its most recent decline.
In a recent post, Martinez shared, “A breakout above $1.13 could open the door to a 20% rally toward $1.35,” pairing this projection with both the monthly and hourly technical signals.
Price consolidation continuesIn recent weeks, XRP’s price has fluctuated within increasingly tight bounds defined by the triangle, each move shrinking the trading range. With the price settling just beneath the $1.13 resistance and the pattern nearing completion, traders are watching closely for the next decisive shift.
As both monthly and intraday signals point to a potential breakout, market participants are monitoring whether XRP can achieve a sustained move above $1.13. If that occurs, technical outlooks suggest a rapid climb toward $1.35 could follow, contingent on continued demand and broader market conditions.
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 Colorado-based wealth manager has disclosed a new investment in the Canary XRP ETF.
It is yet another institutional firm that has gained exposure to XRP through recently launched exchange-traded funds.
According to a Form 13F-HR filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 17, Gallacher Capital Management LLC reported holding 86,744 shares of the Canary XRP ETF ($961,126 as of June 30).
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Institutional XRP ETF holdings keep growingGallacher's disclosure follows several other recent 13F filings showing fresh institutional exposure to XRP-linked investment products.
On July 16, registered financial advisor Vista Finance reported owning 129,958 shares of the Franklin XRP Trust ETF, with a market value of roughly $11.45 million at the end of the second quarter.
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A day earlier, CPR Investments, a Michigan-based registered investment adviser, disclosed a new position in the ProShares Ultra XRP ETF. According to its SEC filing, the firm held 36,619 shares valued at approximately $363,627.
T. Rowe Price launches ETF with XRP exposureIn the meantime, yet another product with XRP exposure was recently launched in the US.
Earlier this week, Wall Street giant T. Rowe Price, which oversees roughly $7 trillion in assets under management, rolled out its first actively managed cryptocurrency ETF.
Trading under the TKNZ ticker, the fund provides diversified exposure to several major digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and XRP. The ETF debuted with approximately $15 million in assets and carries a 0.75% management fee.
The entry of the financial giant into the ETF space is viewed as yet another sign of growing mainstream adoption.
XRP is still struggling to turn better regulatory sentiment into a clean market breakout.
The token has been hovering below the $1.06–$1.08 area, with traders watching whether the improved legal backdrop can finally translate into stronger demand. That is the tension in the current XRP setup. The market has more reason than before to treat regulatory clarity as a positive, but price is not yet behaving like buyers are fully convinced.
That does not make the story weak. It makes it more interesting.
A token can receive a friendlier regulatory signal and still fail to break resistance if liquidity is thin, broader market sentiment is weak, or traders decide to wait for confirmation. XRP has been through enough legal and regulatory cycles that investors know the difference between a headline and sustained demand.
For now, XRP is still in the proving stage.
TL;DR XRP is trading below key resistance around the $1.06–$1.08 region. A more favourable regulatory backdrop has not yet produced a decisive breakout. Traders are watching whether buyers can clear nearby sell pressure and turn legal relief into real demand. Regulatory Clarity Helps, But It Does Not Buy The Token XRP has always traded with a heavier regulatory overlay than most major crypto assets. For years, market sentiment around the token has been shaped not only by Ripple’s business progress or XRP’s liquidity, but by the legal uncertainty surrounding how the asset should be treated.
That is why any move toward clearer classification matters.
If traders believe XRP is moving into a more stable regulatory category, the token can attract renewed attention from exchanges, funds, and market participants that had previously kept their distance. Clarity can reduce perceived legal risk, and lower legal risk can support liquidity.
But clarity alone is not the same thing as a bid.
The market still needs buyers. It still needs volume. It still needs evidence that investors are willing to accumulate XRP at higher prices rather than simply celebrate the headline and move on.
That is where the current resistance zone becomes important. The $1.06–$1.08 range is not just a number on a chart. It is where optimism meets actual supply. If sellers are still active there, XRP has to absorb them before the regulatory story can become a price story.
Why The $1.10 Area Matters The next area traders are watching is around $1.10, where order book pressure could decide whether XRP has enough momentum to continue higher.
A visible sell wall near that region can act like a ceiling. Buyers may test it, but unless demand is strong enough to clear the supply, price can keep rotating lower from the same area. That creates frustration for bulls because the narrative may be improving while the chart remains capped.
This is common in crypto. A good headline can pull attention back to an asset, but resistance levels still matter. Traders who bought earlier may use the move to reduce exposure. Short-term participants may fade the rally. Larger holders may wait for proof before adding.
For XRP, a decisive move above nearby resistance would change the conversation. It would suggest that regulatory confidence is finally feeding into market demand. Failure to break higher would keep the token stuck in a familiar pattern: strong story, cautious price action.
The broader market backdrop also matters. If Bitcoin and Ethereum are under pressure, altcoins usually have a harder time sustaining independent rallies. XRP may need both its own catalyst and a less hostile risk environment to build a stronger move.
Ripple’s Business Story Still Sits In The Background It is also important to separate XRP’s market structure from Ripple’s business narrative.
Ripple remains one of the most recognisable names in crypto payments. Its regulatory battles have made XRP one of the most closely watched tokens in the market. But traders often blur the line between company developments, legal signals, and token demand.
A stronger regulatory position can help the XRP market, especially if it improves confidence among exchanges and institutional participants. But the token still has to show that demand is expanding.
That means watching liquidity, spot volume, exchange flows, and whether support holds after each failed breakout attempt.
The current setup is therefore not bearish by default. It is cautious. XRP is close enough to resistance that a strong move could matter, but it has not yet delivered the confirmation bulls want.
For readers, that is the cleanest way to frame the story. XRP has a better regulatory backdrop than it had during the darkest periods of uncertainty, but markets do not reward legal clarity automatically. They reward demand, and demand has to show up on the chart.
Until XRP clears the nearby resistance band with conviction, traders are likely to stay selective. The next move above $1.10 would be more than a technical level. It would be the first real sign that regulatory relief is becoming market momentum.
This article is based on information from Arkham Intelligence.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
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Serenity: Its investment portfolio has posted a nearly 50% drawdown this month, and it firmly believes that the current round of adjustment is merely leverage-driven volatility, with its growth logic remaining intact.
Serenity posted a statement noting that their portfolio suffered a 49.4% drawdown this month, with main holdings concentrated in AI bottleneck sectors including memory, photonics, robotics, and upstream semiconductors. Serenity acknowledged pressure from the short-term market crash, but maintained that the volatility stems from liquidity and leverage rather than a breakdown in the structural growth logic of these fields.
Large cryptocurrency investors have continued buying Ethereum over the past three days.
They withdrew nearly 82,000 ETH, worth more than $154 million, from major exchanges this week.
At the same time, Fundstrat Chairman Tom Lee shared a long-term bullish outlook for Ethereum. He said the cryptocurrency could ‘easily’ rise 100-fold.
Whales Withdraw Nearly 82,000 ETH From Exchanges According to blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain, several whale wallets accumulated Ethereum between July 15 and July 17.
On July 17, two newly created wallets withdrew 20,000 ETH worth about $37.72 million from Coinbase Prime. During the same period, investment firm Abraxas Capital withdrew another 8,452 ETH worth roughly $16 million from Binance and Bybit.
The activity followed a strong buying day on July 16. Three newly created wallets withdrew 30,000 ETH worth $57.66 million from Coinbase Prime. Crypto entrepreneur Arthur Hayes also bought 1,293 ETH, valued at around $2.48 million.
On July 15, Abraxas Capital withdrew another 8,153 ETH worth $15.3 million from Binance and Bybit. At the same time, the firm deposited 618 BTC worth nearly $40 million into Kraken. The move suggested a possible shift from Bitcoin into Ethereum.
Overall, the disclosed purchases totaled 81,898 ETH over three days.
Bitmine Expands Its Ethereum Treasury Holdings Institutional buying has also extended to corporate treasuries. Bitmine, chaired by Tom Lee, purchased another 6,000 ETH worth approximately $11.18 million from FalconX on July 15.
The purchase adds to Bitmine’s growing Ethereum holdings, now approaching 6 million ETH. The company is aiming to build one of the largest Ethereum treasury positions while also investing in Ethereum ecosystem projects.
Tom Lee Shares Bullish Ethereum Outlook In Bitmine’s July Chairman’s Message, titled “Ethereum Is the Cure for the Uncanny Valley of Wealth,” Lee compared Ethereum’s current stage to the early days of the internet.
He argued that many investors still underestimate crypto’s role in an AI-driven economy.
According to Lee, Ethereum could become the settlement layer for future financial systems. He believes crypto infrastructure will play a key role in supporting digital wealth and AI-powered commerce.
Lee referenced projections from Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin and research from Etherealize that suggest Ethereum could eventually reach $250,000 per ETH. That would represent a gain of roughly 100 times from current levels.
Bitmine Chairman’s Message However, Lee said he was not endorsing that exact price target. Instead, he argued that Ethereum still has “radical upside.”
He compared Ethereum’s potential growth to companies such as Amazon, Nvidia, and JPMorgan during their early expansion phases.
Lee also highlighted the connection between Bitmine’s stock performance and Ethereum’s price. He said the company’s shares have shown a reported 90% correlation with ETH.
If Ethereum reaches the higher valuations predicted by some long-term bulls, Lee believes Bitmine shareholders could also benefit significantly.
Lee ended by quoting investor Charlie Munger: “The big money is not in the buying and selling, but in the waiting.”
The quote reflects Bitmine’s long-term confidence in Ethereum’s future as the firm has accumulated 5.74 million ETH tokens over the past year.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
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The focus has now turned to the upcoming FOMC meeting at the end of the month.
Bitcoin dipped on a couple of occasions below $62,000 during the previous business week, prompted by Strategy’s largest sale to date and the renewed attacks in the Middle East. However, it recovered a lot of ground by the weekend and spent it trading sideways at around $64,000.
Monday began with another nosedive to under the aforementioned level as the market priced in the new attacks between the US and Iran from Saturday and Sunday. Nevertheless, the bulls showed strong conviction and managed to defend that level.
All eyes turned to the US CPI data for June, which went live on Tuesday. Most market experts believed there would be a significant reduction from the May multi-year record, from 4.2% to somewhere around 3.8%-3.9%. However, the actual data was even more promising, showing a drop to 3.5%.
The primary cryptocurrency reacted immediately to the seemingly slowing inflation, rocketing to $64,000 within hours and up to $65,500 on Wednesday. The latter became its highest price tag in approximately three weeks.
However, BTC’s rally came to a halt at that point. The cryptocurrency started a gradual decrease, which pushed it south to $62,400 earlier today. Although it has recovered about a grand since then, it’s still down by more than 2% weekly. Many altcoins have shown even more profound losses, with HYPE leading this adverse trend.
Hyperliquid’s native token has plunged by more than 12% since this time last Friday, followed by SOL’s 6.5% drop and ADA’s near 6% decrease. In contrast, ONDO has jumped by almost 12%, while ZEC is up by 3.7%.
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Eight weeks. That’s how long investors spent yanking money out of Bitcoin funds in what became the longest outflow streak on record. According to CoinShares, that brutal $8 billion exodus has officially ended, with Bitcoin products pulling in roughly $287 million in fresh capital last week.
The numbers behind the reversal CoinShares, which publishes weekly tracking data on digital asset fund flows across the ETP and ETF landscape, reported that broader weekly inflows hit approximately $1.03 billion. Of that total, around $790 million flowed specifically into Bitcoin products.
That’s a sharp contrast to the prior eight weeks, where outflows accumulated to roughly $8 billion. The streak began in early May and persisted through early July, making it the most prolonged period of net selling pressure in the history of digital asset investment products.
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Bitcoin wasn’t the only beneficiary of the mood shift. Ethereum products attracted approximately $84 million in inflows during the same period, suggesting the recovery extends beyond just the largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
Year-to-date flows for digital asset products sit at approximately $188 billion according to CoinShares’ data.
What drove the selling, and why it stopped The extended outflow period coincided with broader market pressure throughout much of 2026. Forced selling, portfolio rebalancing, and what CoinShares describes as capitulation dynamics all contributed to the sustained exodus from digital asset funds.
The week ending around July 10 marked the inflection point. Bitcoin fund inflows during this period ranged from $197 million to $312 million depending on the specific product category, with the headline figure landing at $287 million.
CoinShares has emphasized that the data suggests a possible turning point in investor sentiment. The firm tracks fund flows with updates published each Monday and Friday, giving market participants near-real-time visibility into how capital is moving through the ecosystem.
What this means for investors When capital flows back into multiple asset categories simultaneously rather than concentrating in a single token, it typically indicates a broader improvement in risk appetite rather than a one-off event driven by a single catalyst.
Traders should pay close attention to the next two to three weeks of CoinShares data. If inflows persist and potentially accelerate, the case for a genuine sentiment shift becomes much stronger.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Why Lee Thinks This Is Ethereum’s 1.0 To 2.0 TransitionAmazon went from $6 to $241 after AWS scaled. Nvidia went from $1 to $197 after ChatGPT arrived. JPMorgan went from $58 to $334 after becoming a truly global bank.
Each took years of sideways price action before the addressable market expanded enough to move the stock.
Lee said ETH at $1,800 sits in that same window, with Ethereum co-creator Joe Lubin seeing a path to $250,000 as the fully realized version of that thesis.
What Is Actually Building On Ethereum Right Now?Lee pointed to Robinhood Chain as the clearest proof that ETH is becoming money.
The Layer-2 network launched in July on Arbitrum, crossed $1 billion in daily volume within weeks, and uses ETH as its native gas token with all transaction fees denominated in ETH and settled on Ethereum’s base layer.
Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) has 27 million users paying fees in ETH without necessarily thinking of it as crypto.
Ethereum also carries nearly 7,000 developers on the EVM stack, more than any other chain, and leads every major continent in developer activity according to Electric Capital data.
The AI Agent Economy and Why Tom Lee Is Betting on ETH as Its Settlement LayerLee argued that AI agents will eventually generate more income than the humans who deploy them, creating a trust problem only decentralized blockchain infrastructure can solve.
He called this the “uncanny valley of wealth” and said blockchain becomes the barrier between humans and AI, with ETH as the working capital layer of that economy.
Marc Andreessen of A16Z framed it similarly, calling AI and crypto a grand unification.
Arthur Hayes Reverses His ETH Position Within Three WeeksOn-chain data tracked by Onchain Lens showed Arthur Hayes accumulating 1,939 ETH in a single day through OTC transactions with Galaxy Digital and FalconX, spending roughly $3.72 million combined.
The purchases reverse a position he exited in late June when he sold 6,000 ETH at an estimated $606,000 loss alongside exits from Worldcoin, Zcash, NEAR, and Hyperliquid.
Ethereum Technical Analysis: Where ETH Stands Right NowETH remains down 47.86% over the past 12 months with the November 2025 death cross still in place.
The 50-day SMA at $1,740 sits below the 200-day SMA at $2,194, keeping overhead supply intact.
Key levels for ETH:
$1,753 — 20-day SMA acting as near-term support $1,740 — 50-day SMA, first level to hold on any pullback $2,194 — 200-day SMA where longer-term overhead supply sits Photo via Shutterstock
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PANews July 17 news, according to CoinDesk, Robinhood is betting on the decentralized finance (DeFi) market with its self-built blockchain Robinhood Chain, aiming to bring over 10 million active users into the on-chain ecosystem. However, the network's trading activity is still mainly driven by Meme coin speculation, and the initially touted vision of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization has yet to reach scale.
Robinhood Chain's trading volume recently surged briefly. On July 12, the chain's 24-hour DEX trading volume reached about $878 million, briefly surpassing Coinbase Base and Ethereum, vaulting it to the top ranks of decentralized trading volume and drawing attention from the crypto community.
Seong Seog Lee, head of product at Robinhood Crypto, said the company's goal is not to poach users from existing crypto trading platforms, but to leverage Robinhood's enormous retail user base to bring ordinary investors who have never touched on-chain finance into tokenized assets and on-chain derivatives markets. Robinhood currently provides access to on-chain financial services through Robinhood Wallet, covering assets such as gold, silver, forex and crypto perpetual contracts, allowing users to directly access related products via the wallet. However, Robinhood Chain is still in its early stages. Data shows:
On July 13, perpetual contract trading volume on the chain was only about $5.9 million, while leading on-chain derivatives platform Hyperliquid saw $8.9 billion in volume over the same period; Robinhood Chain shows a bridged TVL of about $734 million, but actual on-chain total value locked (TVL) is about $211 million, with some assets still sitting in wallets and not entering lending or yield protocols; the market cap of RWA tokenized assets is currently only about $12.66 million.
Most of the trading heat on Robinhood Chain currently comes from Meme coins. The recently issued CASHCAT token on the chain surged over 2,100% within a week, once reaching a market cap of $156 million — 12 times the size of the entire on-chain RWA market — a phenomenon that has sparked market discussion. Previously, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev had said that Meme coins are "assets with no real utility," but after CASHCAT's explosive rise, he remarked that Robinhood Chain is "equally suitable for Meme coin development."
Analysts believe that Robinhood Chain's development path resembles the early stages of some new public chains: initially relying on speculative trading for traffic, and then needing to prove whether it can convert that into long-term users, a developer ecosystem, and real financial applications. The key going forward is whether Robinhood can use its massive retail user base to turn the short-term Meme coin frenzy into a continuously growing on-chain financial ecosystem.
Institutional investment in $XRP continues to accelerate as Brookstone Capital Management, a financial advisory firm based in Illinois, revealed a significant stake in the Volatility Shares Trust XRP ETF (XRPI) through its latest 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Brookstone’s XRP ETF positionCrypto market commentator Xaif drew attention to the disclosure, noting that Brookstone now holds 12,380 shares of XRPI valued at approximately $71 million. He characterized this activity as evidence of growing institutional participation in XRP.
Brookstone Capital Management has confirmed a $71 million position in the Volatility Shares Trust XRP ETF, holding 12,380 shares according to its recent SEC filing. This move adds to a pattern of institutional entry into regulated XRP products.
The 13F filing, a quarterly report required by the SEC, documents asset positions of professional investment managers. Unlike an ETF launch application, a 13F filing shows positions that firms already hold in their portfolios.
Several months earlier, similar filings indicated that Goldman Sachs had become the largest holder of spot XRP ETF shares among institutional investors.
Brookstone’s participation highlights their growing interest in products that offer regulated access to cryptocurrencies without necessitating direct asset custody.
Mini dictionary: 13F filing, a quarterly disclosure form that must be submitted by institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets under management, detailing their holdings in equities and certain ETFs.
The Volatility Shares Trust XRP ETF, listed on Nasdaq, launched in 2025 as an actively managed fund focused primarily on XRP futures contracts. The ETF aims for capital appreciation by allowing investors to gain regulated exposure to XRP market movements, removing the need for direct self-custody of digital assets.
The fund provides a bridge for institutions and retail investors seeking exposure to XRP in a manner compliant with U.S. financial regulations.
Multiple U.S.-listed spot XRP ETFs debuted in November 2025, each structured to allow shareholders to invest in XRP markets with reduced exposure to custody risks and regulatory uncertainty.
ETFLaunch DatePrimary AssetStatusVolatility Shares Trust XRP ETF2025XRP FuturesActiveSpot XRP ETFs (multiple)Nov 2025XRPActive, traded in U.S.Institutional adoption and inflow trendsBrookstone’s filing adds to an ongoing trend of financial institutions seeking crypto exposure through regulated investment vehicles. Spot XRP ETFs in the U.S. reported no net outflow days in their first month after launch. By early December 2025, combined assets under management for these funds had surpassed $1 billion.
Industry data shows that cumulative net inflows into spot XRP ETFs reached $1.44 billion since their launch, underlining persistent appetite from institutional investors.
XRP ETF inflows outpace other crypto fundsThe resilience of XRP ETFs stands out against the backdrop of declining flows in other major digital asset funds. In June, U.S. Bitcoin ETFs recorded outflows exceeding $4 billion, while Ethereum ETFs saw investors withdraw $528.99 million. XRP ETFs, however, attracted $59.4 million in fresh inflows during the same period. This inflow streak for XRP spot ETFs extended for eight consecutive weeks through June 26, underscoring their strong institutional demand.
While capital pulled away from Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in June, XRP ETFs added $59.4 million, continuing an eight-week streak of positive inflows. This momentum indicates a strategic pivot among institutional investors toward diversified crypto exposure.
ETFJune 2026 Net FlowBitcoin ETFs-$4 billionEthereum ETFs-$528.99 millionXRP ETFs+$59.4 millionImplications for XRP holdersBrookstone’s 13F filing is the latest signal that a wider array of investment firms, from multinational banks to smaller advisors, are adopting regulated crypto products such as XRP ETFs to diversify client portfolios. The steady inflows and absence of major outflows reflect a pattern of longer-term allocation, rather than speculative trading.
By using products like the Volatility Shares XRPI fund, investors gain efficient, regulated access to the XRP market, further legitimizing the asset within institutional finance circles.
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.
Crypto markets slipped on Thursday as two forces weighed on sentiment simultaneously: a Senate hearing on the CLARITY Act revealed the legislation may slip further than expected, while a Chinese AI model triggered a global equity selloff wiping $1.8 trillion from stock markets worldwide.
Bitcoin fell to $63,367, down 1.78% over 24 hours, Ethereum dropped to $1,830 and XRP slid to $1.08. The total crypto market cap declined to $2.18 trillion as the Fear and Greed Index held at 31.
CLARITY Act: One Yard Line, No Touchdown Yet
The House Financial Services Committee opened a field hearing in New York examining how the CLARITY Act could unlock innovation across digital assets. The session was informational only with no vote impact, but it marked one of the final formal steps before the bill can reach a Senate floor vote.
Representative Timmons struck a positive tone. “We’re on the one yard line, we just gotta score the touchdown,” he said, describing the legislation as “incredibly important in maintaining the U.S. economy as the centre of the global economy.”
The excitement was tempered by developments on Capitol Hill. Updated legislative text has still not been released following a Trump-Senate Republicans meeting focused on ethics provisions. Industry leaders are privately bracing for the rollout to slip into next week, according to reporter Eleanor Terrett.
Polymarket odds of the CLARITY Act passing crashed to a record low of 31%, even as Trump met with senators in what was described as a last-ditch push to advance the bill before the August recess.
The AI Model That Moved Global Markets
The broader selloff arrived from an unexpected direction. Chinese laboratory Moonshot AI released Kimi K3, a 2.8 trillion parameter open-source model, the largest ever built, surpassing DeepSeek’s previous record of 1.6 trillion parameters. On independent benchmarks it performed close to Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 and OpenAI’s GPT-5.6, while pricing its services at a fraction of the cost.
The implication was immediate. The AI trade has been priced on the assumption that staying competitive requires massive, growing spending on chips and data centres. When a Chinese laboratory builds something nearly as capable for far less, that assumption gets challenged and capital committed to AI infrastructure gets repriced simultaneously.
Asian markets absorbed the initial blow. Japan’s Nikkei fell 4%. Taiwan’s Taiex crashed 6.5% with TSMC down 7.3%. The global semiconductor index fell 3%, entering bear market territory after losing more than 24% from its June peak. Global chip stocks have shed over $2 trillion since June 22.
What to Watch
Two catalysts will determine crypto’s next move. The first is whether CLARITY Act text emerges before the August recess. A confirmed delay removes one of the few remaining positive catalysts in the near-term outlook. The second is whether the AI-driven equity selloff stabilises, given crypto’s current 80%-plus correlation with major equity indices.
Story Ends Here
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Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee is convinced Ethereum (ETH) has become the key decentralized component of the "second wave" of AI, as investors redirect capital away from the overheated semiconductor sector.
While chipmakers are entering a correction, Ethereum has outperformed the computer memory sector (DRAM) by 55% over the past month, triggering inflows into spot crypto ETFs such as BlackRock's ETHA, Lee said in a fresh X post.
Of course, the analyst is far from a neutral observer, as Lee outlined his AI strategy in an official letter to shareholders of BitMine Immersion Technologies, where he serves as chairman of the board.
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Ethereum is a key AI downstream story:
- AI will need guardrails
- Consumers unlikely to trust govts, big tech, or banks to protect consumershttps://t.co/N39ACKzHjV
— Thomas (Tom) Lee (not drummer) FundstratDirect.com (@fundstrat) July 17, 2026 BitMine has accumulated 5.77 million ETH on its balance sheet — 4.8% of the cryptocurrency's total global supply — becoming the largest corporate holder of Ethereum in the world and making Tom Lee a major beneficiary of his own forecast.
Why Tom Lee is betting on Ethereum over AI chipsIn his letter, the entrepreneur highlighted two pragmatic reasons why AI and blockchain will inevitably merge into a single ecosystem:
Machines need rules: Emerging autonomous AI agents, which are beginning to execute transactions and transfer funds without human involvement, require a secure and immutable settlement environment. Ethereum serves as an independent digital framework, or set of guardrails.A crisis of trust: Users are unlikely to entrust the security of their data and wallets in the AI era to governments, banks, or Big Tech corporations. A decentralized network remains the only neutral alternative for protecting consumer rights. Venture capital firm a16z has already described this technological symbiosis as the "great convergence."At the same time, Ethereum's position is being strengthened by traditional finance, according to Lee. The explosive success of Robinhood Chain, where all transaction fees are settled in ETH, is effectively turning the asset into global digital money.
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The Fundstrat co-founder also pointed to BlackRock's Ethereum-based BUIDL fund, which has already surpassed $2.6 billion, and to JPMorgan moving its products onto Ethereum's public rails while developing its own tokenized MONY fund there.
Lee considers the current pessimism among retail investors a mistake, describing the mass sell-offs as "rage quitting at the bottom." According to the analyst, Ethereum's current position is comparable to Amazon's early years, when temporary stagnation on the chart concealed the potential for future multi-fold growth.
Ethereum is under pressure again as traders reassess how much of the ETF optimism has already been priced into the market.
The move is not simply about ETH losing momentum on a chart. Ethereum has been trading at the intersection of several stories at once: spot ETF expectations, regulatory timing, network fundamentals, institutional demand, and broader risk appetite. When one of those pillars weakens, price can struggle even if the long-term thesis remains intact.
This time, the pressure appears to be tied to a cooler policy backdrop and a market that is less willing to chase risk while legislative uncertainty hangs over digital assets.
That does not mean the Ethereum ETF story is over. It does mean traders may be less willing to pay up for the narrative until there is clearer follow-through.
TL;DR Ethereum has weakened as ETF optimism meets a less supportive policy and market backdrop. Traders are watching whether ETH can hold key support while futures and spot flows reset. The long-term institutional case remains alive, but short-term price action is being driven by caution. ETF Optimism Has Limits Ethereum’s ETF story is powerful because it changes the access model.
A spot ETF can bring ETH exposure to investors who do not want to manage wallets, private keys, exchanges, or direct custody. It can also make Ethereum easier to include in model portfolios, adviser platforms, and institutional allocation frameworks.
That is why ETF headlines can move the market.
But ETF optimism does not move in a straight line. Traders often buy the expectation before the product is fully live, then reassess once timing, fees, demand, and market conditions become clearer. If the broader backdrop weakens, even a strong ETF narrative can struggle to support price.
That is what Ethereum appears to be facing now. The market is not rejecting the institutional story, but it is asking whether near-term demand will be strong enough to justify the previous excitement.
The answer is still uncertain.
ETF products can create durable demand over time, but first-day or first-week trading does not always tell the whole story. Bitcoin’s ETF experience showed that flows, rotations, and issuer competition can take time to settle. Ethereum may face a similar adjustment period.
Policy Uncertainty Still Weighs On ETH Ethereum is also more exposed to regulatory interpretation than Bitcoin.
Bitcoin’s role as a commodity-like macro asset is relatively easier for institutions to understand. Ethereum is more complex. It is a settlement layer, a smart-contract platform, a staking network, a DeFi base layer, and an asset that sits inside multiple regulatory debates at once.
That complexity can be a strength, but it also gives policymakers more to examine.
If Washington remains divided on market-structure rules, staking treatment, DeFi oversight, or the classification of digital assets, ETH traders may hesitate. The market can believe in Ethereum’s long-term role while still discounting the asset in the short term because the rulebook is unfinished.
That is why the policy backdrop matters for price.
A clean regulatory environment would make Ethereum easier for institutions to underwrite. A messy one does not stop the network from operating, but it can slow allocation decisions, product design, and the confidence of more conservative investors.
What Traders Are Watching Now For ETH price action, the next phase comes down to support, positioning, and whether buyers return with conviction.
If futures open interest cools while spot selling slows, that can be healthy. It suggests leverage is being cleared without destroying the broader structure. If price keeps falling alongside rising bearish positioning, the market may be bracing for a deeper move.
Exchange flows also matter. Outflows can suggest investors are moving ETH into custody or long-term storage. Inflows can point to potential selling pressure. Neither signal is perfect on its own, but combined with price and derivatives data, it can help explain the tone.
The key for Ethereum is whether the market can separate short-term disappointment from the longer-term access story.
A weaker session does not erase Ethereum’s role in DeFi, stablecoins, tokenization, and smart-contract infrastructure. It does, however, remind traders that narratives need fresh demand to keep working.
If ETF flows improve and policy risk cools, ETH could recover its footing. If risk appetite stays weak, traders may keep fading rallies until stronger evidence appears.
For now, Ethereum sits in a familiar position: the long-term case remains broad, but the short-term market wants proof.
That proof will not come from headlines alone. It will come from flows, support levels, derivatives positioning, and whether institutions treat ETH as a serious allocation after the initial ETF excitement fades.
Until then, caution is likely to remain part of the trade.
This article is based on information from Arkham Intelligence.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee has identified Ethereum as a fundamental component of what he calls the “second wave” of artificial intelligence (AI), as capital shifts away from the highly valued semiconductor sector. Lee, a prominent Wall Street strategist and current chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, shared his views in a recent shareholder letter and a public post.
Ethereum’s role in AI and blockchain integrationLee emphasized two core reasons why the integration of AI and blockchain technology appears inevitable. First, he noted that the emergence of autonomous AI agents, which now perform transactions and move funds independently of human input, necessitates a robust and tamper-proof settlement layer. He suggested Ethereum fulfills this role, acting as the neutral digital framework required to manage machine-to-machine interactions securely.
Second, Lee cited a growing crisis of trust in established institutions such as governments, banks, and major technology companies. He argued that in the era of autonomous AI, individuals are unlikely to entrust sensitive data or digital assets to centralized organizations. Instead, he presented Ethereum’s decentralized nature as the only viable alternative for safeguarding consumer interests. Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has previously described the confluence of AI and blockchain as the “great convergence.”
Mini dictionary: BitMine Immersion Technologies is a technology company specializing in cryptocurrency mining using immersion cooling to enhance efficiency and scalability in blockchain operations.
BitMine’s strategic Ethereum accumulationBitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Lee, has accumulated 5.77 million ETH, representing 4.8% of Ethereum’s total global supply. This makes BitMine the world’s largest corporate holder of Ethereum, further aligning the company’s financial interests with Lee’s bullish predictions for the network.
Lee disclosed that Ethereum has outperformed the computer memory (DRAM) sector by 55% over the past month. This impressive rally has increased inflows to spot crypto ETFs, including BlackRock’s ETHA, as some investors reduce their exposure to chipmakers catching a sector-wide correction.
Asset1-Month PerformanceCorporate HoldingsEthereum (ETH)+55% vs DRAM sectorBitMine: 5.77M ETH (4.8% global supply)DRAM SectorCorrection phaseNot applicableTraditional finance boosts Ethereum adoptionAccording to Lee, Ethereum’s ecosystem is also being reinforced by new initiatives in legacy finance. He pointed to Robinhood Chain, a blockchain network where all transaction fees are denominated in ETH, promoting Ethereum’s function as a global medium of exchange. Lee also highlighted BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, an Ethereum-based fund that has surpassed $2.6 billion in assets. Additionally, investment bank JPMorgan has transitioned some of its products onto Ethereum’s public chain while working on its own tokenized money market product, MONY fund.
Lee considers this accelerated adoption by financial institutions a validation of Ethereum’s expanding role within both the AI and finance industries.
Investor sentiment and future outlookDespite these developments, Lee observed considerable pessimism among retail market participants. He referenced significant sell-offs by smaller investors, dismissing such exits as “rage quitting at the bottom.” Lee drew parallels between Ethereum’s current trajectory and Amazon’s early years in public markets, a period marked by prolonged stagnation that preceded sustained growth. He suggested that current market weakness may be obscuring Ethereum’s underlying potential.
Lee highlighted that “machines need rules” and a secure infrastructure for transactions, which is why Ethereum’s independent digital framework is positioned to become the guardrail for the growing autonomous AI economy.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Ethereum’s [ETH] attempted rebound faced rejection at $1,944 three days ago. The pullback pushed ETH to $1,819 before it recovered slightly.
At press time, Ethereum traded near $1,823 after falling 3.6% over 24 hours. The decline attracted substantial whale activity, although sellers retained control of the market.
Are whales buying the ETH dip? CryptoQuant’s Spot Average Order Size recorded large whale orders for seven consecutive days.
However, the metric captured both buying and selling activity. Therefore, it confirmed whale participation without establishing a clear direction.
Lookonchain also reported that two newly created wallets withdrew 20,000 ETH from Coinbase Prime. The withdrawal was worth $37.72 million and occurred in two batches of 10,000 ETH.
Source: CryptoQuant According to the tracker, the associated whale had accumulated aggressively during the previous three days.
On the 16th of July, the whale purchased 30,000 ETH, worth $57.6 million. Its three-day accumulation reached 89,396 ETH, valued at approximately $164.88 million.
Buying during a decline suggested that the whale expected stronger prices. However, one entity’s activity could not confirm broader confidence.
Source: CoinGlass CoinGlass data showed that Ethereum’s Spot Netflow remained negative for two consecutive days.
At press time, Spot Netflow stood at -$23.6 million, compared with -$49 million the previous day. Therefore, net outflows continued but slowed considerably.
Negative Spot Netflow indicated that more ETH left exchanges than entered them. This trend aligned with the reported whale withdrawals. Even so, Exchange Outflows alone could not establish that every withdrawal represented accumulation.
Can whales defend $1.8K? Whales absorbed some selling pressure, but Ethereum’s broader structure remained weak.
The Balance of Power fell from 0.93 to -0.61, shifting into negative territory. That reading indicated that sellers controlled short-term price action despite the whale demand.
Source: TradingView Continued weakness could push Ethereum [ETH] below $1,800 and toward $1,774. However, sustained buying could help Ethereum defend $1,800 and reclaim $1,928. A recovery above $1,928 could reopen the path toward $2,000.
Final Summary A whale accumulated 89,396 ETH, worth $164.88 million, over three days. Ethereum remained vulnerable below $1,944 despite whale demand and continued Exchange Outflows.
Ethereum outsourced scaling to L2s. Now native proof verification and fast finality can bring them back into the fold.
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One of the critiques of Ethereum's rollup era is that Layer 2s were supposed to be extensions of Ethereum, but they've drifted into being de facto chains that just buy data availability from the L1.
It's a fair critique, even if there's room for nuance.
Yet over the past 18 months, two research arcs have been maturing that could dissolve this argument entirely. The first arc is native rollups, i.e. packaging L2 blocks as proof-carrying transactions that Ethereum verifies directly.
How Native Rollups Scale Ethereum | Uma Roy & Justin Drake on Bankless
The Final Piece of Ethereum
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This concept has bounced around the Ethereum community in recent years (originally known as "enshrined rollups"), and then the EIP-8079 draft formalized an initial approach in November 2025. To understand why it matters, consider how things work now.
Today, every rollup deploys and maintains its own verifier contracts on L1, i.e. bespoke stacks of code that prove the L2's blocks are valid. These verifiers are complex, gas-heavy, and risky to upgrade. For example, Taiko's stack alone spans six contracts.
In contrast, L2BEAT's Head of Research Luca Donno has estimated that major rollups could shed in the ballpark of ~39% of their onchain verifier code under a native approach:
Specifically native rollups would delete that extra load by making Ethereum the verifier, and L2s built this way would inherit L1 security and every future EVM upgrade automatically, with no migration scrambles required. And this architecture is no longer just theory, either.
Earlier this year, the ethrex client team released a full demo of an L2 settling to L1 via re-execution and with working deposits and withdrawals. And per L2BEAT's new dedicated Native Rollups tracker page, ecosystem-wide development milestones are slated through 2027, including a devnet targeted for this December.
All that said, the second key arc here is fast finality. Right now, Ethereum blocks arrive every ~12 seconds, though finality, i.e. the point where a block becomes practically irreversible, takes roughly 15 minutes. That lag caps how "final" any L2 settling to Ethereum can feel.
Ensuring that we have an expressive proof verification interface, native to the Ethereum protocol, should be one of our highest design goals.
Paired with fast finality, it will be a powerful force in the world. https://t.co/kYTpTAwcIm
— punk5736 (@punk5736) July 16, 2026 The fix has long been on the roadmap in the form of single slot finality research, and breakthroughs are nearing.
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For instance, researcher Francesco D'Amato, one of the minds behind Ethereum's SSF and PeerDAS work, just announced his move from the Ethereum Foundation to Ethlabs with a stated mission of making Ethereum "finalize much faster, as soon as possible."
This vision is also not a distant dream. D'Amato's fast confirmation rule, already running on Glamsterdam's devnets, was replayed against a full year of mainnet data and produced zero false confirmations while delivering 1-slot confirmation more than 95% of the time.
Goal is fast *finality* asap, but in the meantime fast confirmation (https://t.co/vFVtjqULOa) is already here and gives a *very strong* confirmation in seconds, 98% faster than finality! Now on Glamsterdam devnets https://t.co/o3cez3gQ6s pic.twitter.com/5LYQgBSWcI
— Francesco (@fradamt) July 16, 2026 In other words, near-instant strong assurances are demonstrably achievable without sacrificing safety.
Now, of course, native rollups and fast finality are great in their own rights, but combined they're transformative. Native verification makes L2 blocks something Ethereum personally checks, and fast finality will make these checks land in seconds rather than minutes.
In this paradigm, an L2's state could finalize with full L1 security almost immediately, i.e. not like a separate chain posting data to Ethereum but more like Ethereum simply having more blockspace.
Ethereum researcher Barnabé Monnot recently pushed this framing even further, noting that the L1 itself will likely eventually verify its own blocks via proofs, effectively becoming "a rollup of itself." If this pans out, the L1-vs-L2 distinction will blur into a matter of how composable everyone's state is, and more composability on Ethereum should accrue more value to Ethereum.
Riffing on this, many analogies collapse when you consider that L1 is likely to eventually turn into a rollup/L2 of itself.
So it's not the fundamental nature of a rollup to not be "value accretive" to ETH or Ethereum.
And the right lens to think about it is state, and one's… https://t.co/OBXRkXvXIH
— Barnabé Monnot | barnabé.eth (@barnabemonnot) July 15, 2026 To be sure, it will take time for these advances to actualize and synergize. EIP-8079 is still just a draft, and so on. The earliest this full meld could come together is likely late 2027. And there's also the sovereignty angle to consider. Today's major L2s differentiate partly through their custom stacks, so some may simply decline tighter integration.
Overall, then, the big open question is how much tighter technical coupling will translate into how much economic flowback for Ethereum. For his part, Monnot summed up the optimistic case well:
"The more external domains/sequencers have the ability to compose with L1 state, e.g., leveraging its liquidity, the more value accrues to it, vs 'islands of state' bootstrapping their own economies without Ethereum's added value."So Ethereum may have spent years outsourcing its scaling, yes, but now it's definitively building the machinery to bring its offspring back into the fold, faster and more unified than ever before. Keep these arcs and their potential on your radar accordingly.
Ethereum processed 18,658,277 transactions in the past week, marking its third-highest weekly transaction total in the network’s history, according to data from blockchain staking services provider Everstake, which cited research by Blockworks Research.
Ethereum use rises despite low market volatilityThis milestone occurred during a period of limited price movement in the broader cryptocurrency market, underscoring consistent growth in on-chain activity regardless of short-term volatility. Everstake observed that, historically, such high transaction volumes have typically aligned with strong market speculation. However, the recent surge was not accompanied by a significant price rally, indicating independent traction in network usage.
Everstake shared the update in a recent post on X, stating that while market cycles are inevitable, infrastructure development persists across all conditions. The company emphasized, “Ethereum’s progress shouldn’t be measured by price action alone. Network adoption and infrastructure development continue to advance regardless of short-term market sentiment.”
Blockworks Research, a blockchain analytics platform known for tracking on-chain data across major crypto networks, provided the transaction figures referenced in the analysis.
Mini dictionary: Everstake is an international blockchain infrastructure provider that operates staking nodes on multiple proof-of-stake networks, allowing users to earn rewards by participating in network validation.
Institutional and real-world adoption fuel network activityThe sustained uptick in transactions reflects broader trends in Ethereum’s development, as the platform increasingly supports real-world applications and not just speculative trading. Active sectors on Ethereum include decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoin transfers, tokenized assets, NFT infrastructure, and Layer-2 rollups, all contributing to consistent blockchain activity regardless of market sentiment.
According to data from DefiLlama, Ethereum continues to lead all smart contract platforms by total value locked (TVL), a metric indicating the sum of assets deposited in DeFi protocols. This dominance positions Ethereum as the primary smart contract blockchain for both retail and institutional usage. Traditional financial institutions have expanded their use of Ethereum-based infrastructure, seeking new avenues for asset tokenization and settlement processes.
Use CaseImpact on TransactionsDeFi protocolsGenerates ongoing transaction volume with lending, swaps, and stakingStablecoin transfersDrives frequent payments and settlementsNFT infrastructureAdds transactions for minting, trading, and transfersLayer-2 rollupsAbsorbs high volume, helps to scale mainnet trafficLong-term development priorities highlightedEverstake stated that ongoing infrastructure growth happens independently of shifts in investor sentiment. The company summarized this insight by noting, “Markets move in cycles but infrastructure compounds continuously,” reflecting an industry-wide focus on network fundamentals over day-to-day price swings.
Network adoption and infrastructure development continue to advance regardless of short-term market sentiment, according to Everstake, with transaction growth serving as a core indicator of ecosystem health beyond token price fluctuations.
For both developers and institutional participants, the rise in transaction counts signals robust demand for block space, decentralized applications, and payment settlement. However, market analysts commonly advise considering additional factors such as active wallet addresses, total fee income, validator activity, and Layer-2 adoption when evaluating the network’s long-term performance.
Implications for ETH investors amid rising institutional interestSustained on-chain activity may shape how investors view Ethereum’s long-term prospects. The consistent growth in transactions supports the perception that ETH’s user base, developer engagement, and institutional participation are expanding, despite changes in broader crypto market conditions.
The debut of spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States earlier this year has further increased institutional attention to the network. Although the recent surge in network use is not directly linked to ETF inflows, analysts suggest that continued growth in core activity could strengthen ETH’s investment case as critical digital asset infrastructure evolves.
The current transaction milestone suggests Ethereum’s usage extends well beyond retail speculation, with ongoing activity in DeFi, tokenization, and enterprise applications driving network demand.
Market observers are expected to track whether these transaction levels hold steady in coming weeks, viewing them as potential indicators of Ethereum’s underlying strength as both a technological platform and a digital asset investment.
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.
Twelve Years of Coin Mixing, Now Replaced@Dashpay has activated Orchard-based shielded pools on its Evolution chain, marking what the project describes as the biggest privacy upgrade in its history. The new system hides the sender, receiver, and transaction amount on every transfer, with one-second confirmations and wallet sync completing in roughly 20 seconds.
The move ends more than a decade of reliance on PrivateSend, Dash's CoinJoin-based coin-mixing mechanism. Orchard marks a technical shift from the project's long-standing CoinJoin system, adding zero-knowledge cryptography originating from the Zcash ecosystem. Orchard replaces mixing-based privacy with modern zero-knowledge cryptography. It is Zcash's most advanced privacy system to date, removing the need for a trusted setup, modernizing shielded pools, and making private transactions far more practical across real-world use cases.
Dash CTO Samuel Westrich said the open source code integrated more smoothly than the team anticipated. In Zcash, transaction validity is proven using zero-knowledge proofs, which allow the network to verify transactions without revealing the sender, receiver, or transaction amount. That same guarantee now extends to Dash's Evolution chain.
What Comes Next for Dash Dash announced the integration of the Orchard shielded pool into its Evolution chain, the second blockchain the project introduced in 2024, bringing expanded shielded transaction capabilities to standard transfers, with privacy-preserving token support planned shortly after launch. Shielded stablecoins and other assets are next on the roadmap.
Launched in 2014, Dash is one of the longest-running networks with built-in privacy at the protocol level. The Evolution chain expands Dash's architecture to support applications, tokens, and now zero-knowledge privacy primitives, without breaking compatibility with the broader network.
Despite the scale of the technical milestone, $DASH moved roughly 1% on the day of the announcement, suggesting markets had largely priced in the upgrade ahead of activation.
Sources:
Metaverse Post: Dash Advances Privacy Roadmap With Orchard Integration
Blockster: Dash Brings Zcash's Orchard Privacy to Its Evolution Chain
Zcash: What Are zk-SNARKs?
Dogecoin (DOGE) extends its decline on Friday, trading near its yearly low at $0.069 as bearish sentiment continues to weigh on the meme coin. Weakening derivatives metrics and a deteriorating technical outlook suggest a deeper correction if DOGE slips below $0.069.
Weakening derivatives metrics Coinglass's long-to-short ratio for DOGE read 0.75 on Friday, nearing its lowest level in over a month. The ratio being below one, indicates bearish sentiment, as traders are betting the asset's price will fall.
DOGE long-to-short ratio chart. Source: CoinglassIn addition, DOGE funding rates flipped negative, reading -0.0004% on Friday, further supporting the bearish sentiment.
Dogecoin funding rates chart. Source: CoinglassSoSoValue data show that DOGE’s spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) have remained largely silent over the past two weeks, indicating a lack of meaningful institutional demand for the token. This muted demand fails to provide a cushion against a decline in DOGE prices.
Total DOGE spot ETF net inflow daily chart. Source: SoSoValueDogecoin Price Forecast: How low can DOGE go?Dogecoin trades at $0.071 on Friday, keeping a clear bearish near‑term bias as price holds well below the 50‑day, 100‑day and 200‑day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at $0.081, $0.088 and $0.104, respectively. The cluster of overhead EMAs suggests rallies are likely to be capped. At the same time, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 35 remains weak but shy of oversold territory, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator stays marginally positive around the zero line, hinting at only modest downside momentum rather than an impulsive sell‑off.
On the topside, initial resistance is seen at the horizontal barrier at $0.079, followed by the 50‑day EMA at $0.081. Above that, a dense supply zone emerges around $0.088, defined by horizontal resistance at $0.088, the downtrend resistance line break price at $0.089.
On the downside, the yearly low at $0.069 provides immediate support; a close below it suggests deeper losses toward the key psychological level of $0.065.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
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In a recent tweet, vocal Dogecoin member Mishaboar shared a reminder with the Dogecoin community. He reminded the community that no entity, fund, or enterprise owns or officially represents Dogecoin. He added that anyone implying or stating authority over Dogecoin might be pushing a misleading claim.
In his words, Doge is permissionless and decentralized, letting anyone use it, build with it, or do whatever with it. "Legitimacy is earned, not claimed," Mishaboar said, asking his X followers to "judge any company, fund, or entity by its track record, its openness and transparency, the real value of its work and products. And pay attention to the way they communicate to the most vulnerable of their followers."
Ah yes, the reminder.
No entity, fund, or enterprise owns or officially represents Dogecoin.
Anyone implying or stating authority over Dogecoin is misleading you.
Doge is permissionless and decentralized: anyone can use it, build with it, or do whatever with it.
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— Mishaboar (@mishaboar) July 17, 2026 While Dogecoin has no CEO, no official owner, nor central authority, it does, however, have a foundation. The Dogecoin Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established by members of the Dogecoin team in 2014 to provide support for the Dogecoin cryptocurrency through development and advocacy, and for the defense of the Dogecoin trademark to prevent abuse and fraud.
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In a recent milestone, House of Doge, which aims to bring innovation and new partnerships to Dogecoin as the official partner to the Dogecoin Foundation, has achieved the status of being a publicly traded company, marking the start of its next phase of growth across payments, treasury, tokenization, and professional sports.
Dogecoin newsIn a positive development for Dogecoin, T. Rowe Price has brought what it calls the industry's first actively managed multi-token spot crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) to the market.
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The T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF (TKNZ) began trading on Thursday, giving investors exposure to a portfolio of crypto assets including Dogecoin.
At the time of writing, Dogecoin was down 2.05% in the last 24 hours to $0.071 as a selloff in Asian semiconductor shares dragged every major cryptocurrency lower. The broader crypto market is currently consolidating as on-chain metrics have yet to confirm a reversal, and the Fear and Greed Index at 25 remains in extreme fear territory.
Dogecoin is approaching significant multi-year support zones against both Bitcoin and the US dollar, prompting close attention from traders seeking signs of a new market cycle. Analysts are watching for a reversal pattern to emerge, but so far, technical confirmation remains elusive.
Dogecoin retests historical support against BitcoinDogecoin is once again testing a crucial support level against Bitcoin, revisiting a structure that mirrors its performance prior to the 2021 rally. The DOGE/BTC trading pair, after a prolonged downtrend, has returned to the zone near 0.0000011 BTC—a level that previously served as the launchpad for Dogecoin’s strongest bull run three years ago.
The first extended drawdown spanned from Dogecoin’s 2014 high through late 2020. The current downtrend has persisted since the peak in May 2021, suggesting historic cyclical patterns may be resurfacing.
For Dogecoin to initiate a new upward cycle, it must first stabilize above current support and then overcome a series of descending resistance levels. A successful move above this resistance could indicate renewed capital inflows into DOGE while Bitcoin holds steady or consolidates.
Efforts by buyers to push DOGE/BTC higher could mark the start of a relative bottom formation, but this scenario will require a sustained trend reversal before confirmation.
If Dogecoin’s Bitcoin pair breaks below this support zone and continues to register new lows, bullish comparisons to past market cycles would lose validity, keeping the current trend unconfirmed for now.
Mini dictionary: DOGE/BTC is a cryptocurrency trading pair representing the value of Dogecoin in terms of Bitcoin. Analyzing the performance of DOGE against BTC offers insights into Dogecoin’s relative strength compared to the leading cryptocurrency.
Date/PeriodDOGE/BTC LevelTrend Outcome2014 – late 2020Downtrend to 0.0000011 BTCCycle bottom, then major rallyMay 2021 – presentDowntrend, current test at 0.0000011 BTCPotential repeat, reversal unconfirmedCritical US dollar support and near-term outlookAgainst the US dollar, Dogecoin trades near a long-standing support level at $0.055 after a series of weak performances in recent weeks. The $0.055 area has repeatedly offered a base since 2022, with buyers stepping in whenever the price approached this threshold.
A pattern is emerging in which a brief sweep below $0.055, quickly followed by a recovery, could trigger the next significant rebound. Such a move would likely flush out residual selling pressure and allow stronger hands to accumulate DOGE at a discount.
However, Dogecoin still remains locked into a clear sequence of lower highs and lower lows. A reversal would require buyers to push the price back above $0.075, with further confirmation as DOGE returns to the $0.085–$0.10 range. Until that happens, technical momentum favors ongoing caution.
A close below $0.055 would mark a more serious breakdown, turning support into resistance and invalidating hopes of a rapid recovery.
Traders and investors continue to monitor the outcome at these key price levels to determine whether Dogecoin is preparing for a new cycle or risking further declines.
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.
Dogecoin price has fallen 3.17% to $0.071 on July 17 as its exchange-traded funds completed one month without recording fresh inflows.
Summary
Dogecoin price fell 3.17% to $0.071 as its ETFs completed one month without fresh inflows. T. Rowe Price allocated 1.28% of its new active crypto ETF to DOGE. A break below $0.0711 could expose Dogecoin to declines toward $0.070 and $0.068. SoSoValue data shows that U.S. Dogecoin ETFs attracted no new capital between June 17 and July 17, despite the meme coin gaining additional exposure through T. Rowe Price’s newly launched active crypto fund. The products also posted $871,000 in net outflows during July.
The weak ETF figures have accompanied a steep decline in DOGE, which has lost about 54% since reaching $0.156 in January. Dogecoin’s latest drop has brought the token back to a support area that buyers have repeatedly defended since late June.
During the same period, the meme coin sector has suffered a $1.2 billion sell-off, according to the original market report. The decline indicates that T. Rowe Price’s entry has yet to revive demand for DOGE among retail or institutional investors.
T. Rowe Price exposure has failed to revive DOGE demand T. Rowe Price launched its first actively managed cryptocurrency ETF on July 16, adding Dogecoin alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum and several other digital assets. The asset manager oversees about $1.8 trillion and supplied $15 million in seed capital to the fund.
According to the fund allocation, Dogecoin received a 1.28% weighting. The position consists of roughly 2.6 million DOGE worth about $192,000, making it a limited part of the ETF’s portfolio.
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas described T. Rowe Price as a legacy stock picker. In his assessment, the firm’s decision to hold Dogecoin alongside larger cryptocurrencies gives the meme coin a degree of Wall Street recognition.
T Rowe Active Crypto ETF $TKNZ is live today, first multi-token active spot ETF, also notable given T Rowe Price's legacy as stock picker (they've been around since bf WWII). Fee 75bps. Opens with $15m in assets. Here's the holdings to start which show underweight bitcoin and… pic.twitter.com/R83fiXMPYy
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 16, 2026 Even with the new allocation, SoSoValue data indicates that existing Dogecoin ETFs have failed to attract fresh money for a full month. The T. Rowe Price product is set to become the fourth ETF offering exposure to the largest meme coin by market capitalization, according to the original report.
Dogecoin price remains exposed below $0.0755 The daily DOGE chart shows a descending triangle, with a series of lower highs pressing the price toward horizontal support near $0.071. The structure would remain bearish unless DOGE breaks above the falling trendline and the nearby $0.0755 resistance level.
Dogecoin price has formed a descending triangle pattern on the daily chart — July 17 | Source: crypto.news Momentum readings on the same chart favor sellers. TradingView places Aroon Down at 71.43% and Aroon Up at 7.14%, while the Average Directional Index stands at 32.81. An ADX reading above 25 indicates that the current trend retains strength.
On the 4-hour chart, the MACD line is below its signal line and shows a negative histogram, both pointing to continued selling pressure. The Relative Strength Index is also at 42.89, below its moving average of 46.75, suggesting that buyers have not regained short-term momentum.
Dogecoin price 4-hour chart — July 17 | Source: crypto.news A confirmed 4-hour close below the $0.0711 range floor could expose $0.070, followed by $0.068 and $0.065, based on the support levels visible on TradingView. Conversely, a rebound above $0.0755 would break the current range and place the July high near $0.079 back in view.
CoinGlass’ 24-hour liquidation heatmap places notable leveraged positions around $0.073 and $0.075 above the market. Below the current price, concentrated liquidity near $0.0705 and $0.070 could attract DOGE if the $0.0711 support fails.
Dogecoin liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Dogecoin is holding key levels, but the energy around the trade has clearly cooled.
The meme-token market often moves in bursts. Retail attention returns quickly, volumes expand, social activity picks up, and tokens like DOGE can move sharply before the broader market has time to process the change. But those bursts do not always last. When trading volume fades and risk appetite weakens, Dogecoin often shifts from breakout mode into consolidation.
That appears to be the current setup. DOGE is not collapsing, but it is also not showing the kind of aggressive demand that usually drives meme-token rallies.
For traders, that makes the next support and resistance levels important. The market is trying to work out whether Dogecoin is quietly building a base or simply losing momentum.
TL;DR Dogecoin is consolidating as retail meme-token demand cools. The current setup is chart-led, with traders watching whether key support holds. DOGE needs stronger volume and renewed retail interest to turn consolidation into another upside push. https://x.com/doge_trader/status/2075677386528481330
Meme Tokens Need Attention As Much As Liquidity Dogecoin is different from many other large-cap crypto assets because its market structure is so closely tied to attention.
Bitcoin can trade on macro flows. Ethereum can trade on ETFs, DeFi, staking, and network activity. Solana can trade on ecosystem usage. Dogecoin can react to all of those market forces too, but its strongest rallies usually involve something simpler: retail traders paying attention again.
That attention can come from social media, market-wide risk appetite, celebrity-linked narratives, or a rotation into meme coins when traders are hunting for higher-beta upside. When those conditions are strong, DOGE can move quickly.
When they fade, Dogecoin often consolidates.
That does not make the token irrelevant. DOGE remains one of the most liquid and recognisable meme assets in crypto. It has survived multiple cycles and still attracts attention whenever meme-token activity returns. But its price action depends heavily on whether traders are willing to take risk.
Right now, the market looks more cautious.
The Chart Needs Volume Confirmation The X chart gives traders a level-based view of Dogecoin’s current setup. That is useful, but chart levels need confirmation.
Support can hold for a while simply because sellers pause. A more convincing setup comes when buyers return with volume, price starts making higher lows, and DOGE begins to outperform rather than merely follow the broader market.
Without that, consolidation can become drift.
That is the danger for Dogecoin in quieter conditions. The token may hold a range, but if trading volume keeps falling, the market has less reason to expect a strong move. Short-term traders may become impatient, and capital may rotate into assets with clearer catalysts.
The opposite is also true. If DOGE holds support while retail demand returns, the token can move quickly because meme-coin markets are often momentum-driven. Once traders see volume return, they tend to pile into the move rather than wait for perfect confirmation.
That makes the current period a waiting game.
Dogecoin Still Reflects Retail Risk Appetite Dogecoin remains useful as a sentiment gauge.
When DOGE and other meme tokens are moving strongly, it usually tells the market that retail traders are comfortable chasing risk. When DOGE cools, it often signals a more cautious environment, especially if Bitcoin and Ethereum are also under pressure.
That does not mean Dogecoin leads every market move. It means the token often shows how speculative appetite is behaving at the edge of the market.
For now, that appetite looks softer. Traders are still watching the chart, but the urgency has faded. The next move likely depends on whether DOGE can defend support long enough for broader risk sentiment to improve.
If Bitcoin stabilises and altcoin liquidity returns, Dogecoin may get another chance to move. If the wider market stays heavy, DOGE could remain trapped in a range or slip toward lower support.
The important point is not to overstate the current consolidation. Dogecoin has not lost its place in crypto’s retail imagination, but it needs participation to matter on the chart. Recognition alone does not produce a rally.
For now, DOGE is holding rather than leading. That is still worth watching, because in meme-token markets, quiet periods can turn quickly. But until volume returns, the setup remains cautious.
This article is based on information from the referenced X chart post.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Charles Hoskinson said the last stage of the Voltaire era is full decentralization of node and reference blueprint development. (CoinDesk)Summary
Cardano developer Input Output will begin handing control of key blockchain components, including its Haskell node, Plutus platform and Daedalus wallet, to external specialist teams starting in August as part of a multi-year decentralization push.Independent companies such as Se7en Labs and Teragone will assume responsibility for parts of the core infrastructure, while at least three Cardano implementations in Haskell, Rust and Go will be maintained under community oversight and formal specifications.The shift comes as Cardano grapples with weak network activity and a steep drop in its ADA token price, with founder Charles Hoskinson framing the restructuring and broader ecosystem setbacks as necessary “growing pains” on the path to full decentralization.Cardano developer Input Output is handing control of core blockchain infrastructure to outside teams, reducing the network’s dependence on the company that built it, Input Output announced Friday.
Input Output said the handover is the next phase of Cardano’s decentralization. It covers Cardano’s Haskell node, Plutus smart-contract platform, Daedalus wallet, Hydra scaling technology and developer relations.
Specialist companies include Se7en Labs, a development agency specializing in Solana blockchain infrastructure, and Teragone, a specialist software development and cryptographic research team that leads the development of Mithril, a stake-based signature protocol for the Cardano blockchain. Both will take responsibility for some of the components. The handover will begin in August and continue into 2027.
Cardano has already moved protocol decisions and governance to its community. Input Output said the next step is to spread responsibility for developing and maintaining the software.
“The last stage of the Voltaire era is full decentralization of node and reference blueprint development,” Input Output CEO and Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said in the statement.
The plan calls for independent teams to maintain at least three Cardano implementations written in Haskell, Rust and Go. Member organizations including Intersect and Pragma will oversee formal specifications, with development subject to community review and voting.
Input Output will focus more of its work on research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures.
The announcement comes as Cardano faces weak network activity, with just $70 million in TVL compared to rival chains like Tron and Solana that boast more than $4 billion respectively. There has also been a sharp decline in the value of its native token. ADA was trading at about 16 cents Friday, almost 95% below its September 2021 record of $3.10.
Hoskinson recently acknowledged the problems facing the network and said further setbacks would be part of its development. The Cardano founder said he had warned earlier this year that the deteriorating market conditions would see many projects shuttering.
“Even Cardano has to go through growing pains that are very uncomfortable,” he said in a video. “Bones have to be broken. Growth spurts have to happen. Exits and entrances. Failures have to occur to build confidence in the system.”
Hoskinson said Cardano needs more specialized teams to set targets and direct resources. He also acknowledged that the network has stopped expanding.
Moving core development to several companies could reduce Cardano’s reliance on Input Output, the statement on Friday said. It will also test whether independent teams can maintain the software without slowing development or creating coordination problems.
“I’m extremely proud that we have arrived at the final stage with IO Labs spinning out the Haskell node to community curation and control,” Hoskinson said. “Our partners are ready and the ecosystem now has many diverse options.”
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Engineering Follows Protocol and Governance Into DecentralizationInput Output Group (@IOGroup) is spinning out development of Cardano's Haskell node to community curation and control, closing a handover process that began in 2024 and is expected to conclude in 2027. The move completes a sequence in which protocol design and on-chain governance were already distributed across the ecosystem, leaving engineering as the final piece.
CoinDesk reported that independent companies such as Se7en Labs and Teragone will assume responsibility for parts of the core infrastructure, while at least three Cardano implementations written in Haskell, Rust, and Go will be maintained under community oversight and formal specifications. Intersect and Pragma will supervise those formal specs, subject to community review and vote. Input Output will refocus its efforts on research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures.
Founder Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) framed the restructuring as the final stage of the Voltaire era. "The last stage of the Voltaire era is full decentralization of node and reference blueprint development," he said. He described the ecosystem's current metrics, including $ADA trading near 16 cents and total value locked at $70 million, as growing pains rather than structural failures.
Van Rossem Hard Fork: The First Community-Ratified UpgradeThe announcement arrives alongside a significant governance milestone. The van Rossem hard fork, which advances Cardano to Protocol Version 11, was ratified on July 13 through the network's Voltaire on-chain governance framework. According to Intersect, DReps approved the action with 77.63% support against a 60% threshold, while SPOs cleared their 51% bar at 52.7%, and six of seven Constitutional Committee members voted in favour. Enactment is scheduled for July 18, 2026 at 21:45 UTC.
This is the first Cardano hard fork that was not orchestrated top-down by founding entities. Instead, it was initiated, debated, and ratified entirely through decentralized governance. Protocol Version 11 brings enhanced Plutus smart contract performance, reduced execution costs, new cryptographic primitives to support zero-knowledge proof verification, and enforced VRF key uniqueness. The upgrade also lays technical groundwork for Leios, a later scaling initiative targeting a significant increase in transaction throughput.
The broader picture reflects a deliberate contraction of Input Output's footprint. IO has reduced its treasury funding request by nearly 50% from the prior year, with the stated aim of asking for progressively less as specialist partners absorb more of the work.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Cardano Hands Core Software Over to Outside Developers
Intersect MBO: Cardano Upgrade, van Rossem Hard Fork
Input Output: Cardano Node's Evolution Towards Diversity and Modular Design
Cardano is trading near support as ADA investors look for a stronger reason to step back into the market.
The project still has one of the most committed communities in crypto, and its development roadmap remains a central part of the long-term argument. But price action has been quieter, and traders are watching whether support can hold while the broader market deals with weaker risk appetite.
That is the current tension for ADA. Cardano has not disappeared from the conversation, but it needs a fresh catalyst strong enough to move beyond patient community support and bring wider market interest back.
Until that happens, ADA may remain stuck in a consolidation pattern.
TL;DR Cardano is testing support as ADA traders wait for a stronger catalyst. Development progress remains important, but price action needs clearer demand. The next move depends on whether buyers defend the range or let broader market weakness take control. Cardano Still Trades On Patience Cardano has always been a slower-moving story than many rival crypto ecosystems.
Supporters see that as a strength. They argue that the project’s research-driven approach, formal methods, governance focus, and long development timelines create a more durable foundation. Critics see the same traits differently. They argue that Cardano moves too slowly and struggles to turn roadmap progress into market excitement.
Both views shape how ADA trades.
When the market is bullish, Cardano can benefit from renewed attention because traders remember the size of its community and the scale of its previous cycles. When the market is cautious, ADA often needs clearer evidence of growth to attract fresh capital.
That is why the current support test matters. It is not only about whether ADA can hold a technical level. It is about whether the market still has enough confidence to accumulate while waiting for the next major development.
Development Progress Needs Market Translation Cardano development progress and the Ouroboros roadmap remain part of the current story. That is important because Cardano’s value proposition has always been tied closely to its technical roadmap.
But development progress and market demand are not the same thing.
A blockchain can continue improving while its token trades sideways. Developers can ship upgrades while traders focus elsewhere. The market often needs a bridge between technical progress and visible usage, whether that comes through DeFi activity, stablecoin growth, real-world applications, governance participation, or stronger developer traction.
For ADA, that bridge is the key.
If Cardano can show that roadmap progress is leading to more users, more liquidity, and more application activity, the token has a better chance of attracting renewed attention. If updates remain mostly internal to the existing community, the market may treat them as positive but not urgent.
That does not mean development is unimportant. It means traders need to see how it changes demand.
ADA Needs A Cleaner Narrative Cardano’s challenge is partly narrative.
Bitcoin has the macro and ETF story. Ethereum has smart contracts, DeFi, staking, and institutional access. Solana has speed, apps, and retail activity. XRP has regulation and payments. Dogecoin has meme liquidity. Chainlink has infrastructure.
Cardano’s story is more diffuse. It includes governance, research, staking, decentralisation, development discipline, and long-term ecosystem building. Those are serious themes, but they can be harder to turn into a simple market catalyst.
That makes support zones more important. If ADA holds while the story is quiet, it gives bulls time for the next catalyst to arrive. If support fails, the market may force the narrative to reset at lower levels.
The next few sessions will show whether traders are willing to defend ADA or whether capital keeps rotating toward assets with clearer near-term momentum.
A strong bounce would not solve everything, but it would show that buyers remain active. Continued weakness would raise the pressure on Cardano to deliver a more visible reason for wider market participation.
For now, ADA looks like a token waiting for confirmation. The community remains committed, the roadmap remains active, and the long-term debate is still alive. But the market wants a stronger signal.
That signal could come from development milestones, ecosystem growth, governance progress, or a broader altcoin recovery. Until then, Cardano’s support test is exactly that: a test of patience, confidence, and whether the next catalyst is close enough to matter.
This article is based on information from the Cardano Foundation.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Input Output, the developer of the Cardano blockchain, announced that it will begin handing over control of the network’s core software components to independent and professional teams starting in August.
As part of a multi-year decentralization plan, the management of Cardano’s critical infrastructure components, including the Haskell node software, the Plutus smart contract platform, and the Daedalus wallet, will be gradually transferred to teams outside of Input Output.
The new structure plans for independent companies like Se7en Labs and Teragone to be responsible for specific parts of the core infrastructure. The goal is to actively support at least three different applications developed in Haskell, Rust, and Go programming languages for the Cardano network.
It was stated that these applications will be subject to community oversight, and that software development processes will be managed through formal technical specifications. These steps aim to reduce the network’s dependence on a single developer or organization.
The restructuring decision comes at a time when user and transaction activity on the Cardano network is weak and the ADA price has experienced a sharp decline. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson describes both the restructuring and the disruptions in the ecosystem as necessary “growing pains” in the transition to full decentralization.
*This is not investment advice.
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In brief Input Output will transfer control of Cardano's Haskell node, Plutus platform, Daedalus wallet, and Hydra scaling tool to outside specialist companies starting in August, with the full transition running through 2027. The handover comes one day before the Van Rossem hard fork activates on July 18 at 21:44 UTC, taking Cardano to Protocol Version 11 and cutting smart contract execution costs. ADA ticked up about 2% to roughly $0.165 on Friday, but remains nearly 95% below its 2021 all-time high. Cardano's founding developer is letting go. Input Output announced Friday it will hand control of core blockchain infrastructure to outside specialist firms, beginning in August—the Haskell node, Plutus smart-contract platform, Daedalus wallet, and Hydra scaling technology are all going to external hands.
The firms taking over include Se7en Labs, a development agency with a Solana infrastructure background, and Teragone, a cryptographic research team that already leads development of Mithril, Cardano's stake-based signature protocol. At least three independent node implementations in Haskell, Rust, and Go will run in parallel, overseen by community bodies Intersect and Pragma. The transition runs through 2027.
The new motto of the blockchain is “Built by many, owned by all.”
Founder Charles Hoskinson called it the final push of the Voltaire era, the governance and decentralization phase Cardano has been building toward since 2024. "Our partners are ready, and the ecosystem now has many diverse options," he said in the IOGroup announcement.
Cardano's protocol and governance are already decentralized. Now its engineering is too.
“The last stage of the Voltaire era is full decentralization of node and reference blueprint development. Since 2024, IOG and its partners have carefully managed a process that will conclude… pic.twitter.com/zCCgu6ahco
— Input Output Group (@IOGroup) July 17, 2026
Tomorrow—July 18 at 21:44 UTC—the Van Rossem hard fork goes live on mainnet. Ratified on July 13 with 77.63% approval from delegated community representatives, the upgrade takes Cardano to Protocol Version 11 and introduces new Plutus built-in functions designed to cut smart contract execution costs.
Cardano, which trades as ADA, is up about 2% on the day, trading near $0.165, at $6 billion market capitalization. Open interest in ADA futures sits around $193 million, with a long-to-short ratio of 2.84, meaning most traders are still betting on a spike.
For Input Output, the handover closes a chapter. The company will shift focus to research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures, leaving the community to prove whether a decentralized engineering model can move faster than the one it's replacing.
Should you buy the dip?Based purely on the charts, probably not on impulse. ADA hasn't come close to matching its 2024 highs near $1.20, and the charts aren't encouraging: The coin has been grinding lower since August 2025, with the 50-week exponential moving average below the 200-week.
The Relative Strength Index, or RSI, is sitting at 34. RSI measures momentum on a scale from 0 to 100, where above 70 is overbought and below 30 is oversold. The ADX, or Average Directional Index, measures trend direction and it’s pointing at a strong bearish long-term trend. Buying here is a leap of faith, not a conviction trade.
That said, ADA has surprised traders before. If Van Rossem delivers on its cost-reduction promise, Leios arrives on schedule, and decentralized engineering turns out to be more productive than the status quo, those holding at 16 cents could be looking at serious upside.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
In brief Input Output will transfer control of Cardano's Haskell node, Plutus platform, Daedalus wallet, and Hydra scaling tool to outside specialist companies starting in August, with the full transition running through 2027. The handover comes one day before the Van Rossem hard fork activates on July 18 at 21:44 UTC, taking Cardano to Protocol Version 11 and cutting smart contract execution costs. ADA ticked up about 2% to roughly $0.165 on Friday, but remains nearly 95% below its 2021 all-time high. Cardano's founding developer is letting go. Input Output announced Friday it will hand control of core blockchain infrastructure to outside specialist firms, beginning in August—the Haskell node, Plutus smart-contract platform, Daedalus wallet, and Hydra scaling technology are all going to external hands.
The firms taking over include Se7en Labs, a development agency with a Solana infrastructure background, and Teragone, a cryptographic research team that already leads development of Mithril, Cardano's stake-based signature protocol. At least three independent node implementations in Haskell, Rust, and Go will run in parallel, overseen by community bodies Intersect and Pragma. The transition runs through 2027.
The new motto of the blockchain is “Built by many, owned by all.”
Founder Charles Hoskinson called it the final push of the Voltaire era, the governance and decentralization phase Cardano has been building toward since 2024. "Our partners are ready, and the ecosystem now has many diverse options," he said in the IOGroup announcement.
Cardano's protocol and governance are already decentralized. Now its engineering is too.
“The last stage of the Voltaire era is full decentralization of node and reference blueprint development. Since 2024, IOG and its partners have carefully managed a process that will conclude… pic.twitter.com/zCCgu6ahco
— Input Output Group (@IOGroup) July 17, 2026
Tomorrow—July 18 at 21:44 UTC—the Van Rossem hard fork goes live on mainnet. Ratified on July 13 with 77.63% approval from delegated community representatives, the upgrade takes Cardano to Protocol Version 11 and introduces new Plutus built-in functions designed to cut smart contract execution costs.
Cardano, which trades as ADA, is up about 2% on the day, trading near $0.165, at $6 billion market capitalization. Open interest in ADA futures sits around $193 million, with a long-to-short ratio of 2.84, meaning most traders are still betting on a spike.
For Input Output, the handover closes a chapter. The company will shift focus to research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures, leaving the community to prove whether a decentralized engineering model can move faster than the one it's replacing.
Should you buy the dip?Based purely on the charts, probably not on impulse. ADA hasn't come close to matching its 2024 highs near $1.20, and the charts aren't encouraging: The coin has been grinding lower since August 2025, with the 50-week exponential moving average below the 200-week.
The Relative Strength Index, or RSI, is sitting at 34. RSI measures momentum on a scale from 0 to 100, where above 70 is overbought and below 30 is oversold. The ADX, or Average Directional Index, measures trend direction and it’s pointing at a strong bearish long-term trend. Buying here is a leap of faith, not a conviction trade.
That said, ADA has surprised traders before. If Van Rossem delivers on its cost-reduction promise, Leios arrives on schedule, and decentralized engineering turns out to be more productive than the status quo, those holding at 16 cents could be looking at serious upside.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.
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Tether continues to grow rapidly, registering more than 30 million new USDT wallets per quarter. This rapid growth is fueled by emerging countries that use Tether to protect themselves from currency inflation. Fintech companies have taken an awestruck look at the world of digital assets. Recently, the CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, announced some remarkable figures about the user base of the firm. Currently, USDT is seeing more than 30 million new wallets getting added every quarter. In the third quarter of 2024, there were 36.25 million wallets that got onboarded by Tether.
USDT userbase grows at 30M+ wallets per quarter.
Money is the ultimate social network.
— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) July 16, 2026 The user base of Tether reached nearly 500 million wallets globally by November 2025. Projections predict that in early 2026, the user base would cross 530 million wallets. Moreover, more than 100 million users are holding USDT on centralized exchanges. The exchange data implies that the reach of Tether goes well beyond the blockchain tracker tools.
As far as the supply is concerned, there is evidence of a remarkable achievement from financial attestations. According to Tether, 174.4 billion USDT tokens were in circulation. There was a complete portfolio of United States Treasuries backing the entire supply.
The Essential Lifeline for Emerging Economies Indeed, the expansion is an intriguing story that revolves around grassroots adoption. The rapid expansion is driven by true economic need in developing countries. Residents in emerging economies are suffering from high local currency inflation on a regular basis. In this regard, a digital token pegged to the US dollar is a true lifeline for these people. Individuals use USDT for international transfers, their savings, and everyday transactions. Digital assets are used due to the lack of affordable banking infrastructure.
Such explosive growth leaves traditional payment processors lagging. As an illustration, PayPal needed about two decades to achieve 400 million active user accounts worldwide. The competing stablecoin, Circle, shows great potential by working with institutional customers and having strict regulatory compliance. But Tether develops a completely different competitive advantage based on organic consumer adoption.
Analysts see this increase in volume as an essential metric for the whole industry. USDT is used as the main quote currency on the largest exchanges around the world. The increase in supply of stablecoins usually means that there is fresh money flowing into the cryptocurrency space. And it comes both via minting operations performed by institutions and via organic consumer demand.
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Venice AI updates its token economics: introduces a buyback mechanism and raises the supply cap for DIEM.
Venice AI has issued an announcement updating its token economics, with two primary changes: First, a new programmed burn mechanism: For every $100 worth of API credits purchased, $5 will be allocated to buy VVV on the open market and permanently burn the tokens. Second, DIEM’s supply target has been raised for the first time, from 38,000 to 40,000 (an increase of 2,000 units). The adjustment will be rolled out in phases, with the full target expected to be achieved by September 14.
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Trump Media Company prices exclusive early access to Trump’s posts at $100,000 per month.
According to the Financial Times, Trump Media & Technology Group is pitching a $100,000 monthly service to clients that delivers fast access to former President Donald Trump’s posts. Earlier reports noted that Trump Media would sell premium, faster access to posts on its Truth Social platform; the new service allows traders and investors to pay for real-time pushes of Truth Social content. This data feed service will launch next month for institutional clients, including high-frequency algorithmic trading firms.
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Cardano will hand over control of its core software to an external team starting in August.
Cardano developer Input Output will transfer control of key blockchain components—including Haskell nodes, the Plutus platform, and the Daedalus wallet—to external professional teams starting in August, as part of its multi-year decentralization initiative. Independent firms such as Se7en Labs and Teragone will oversee portions of the core infrastructure. At least three Cardano implementations will be maintained in Haskell, Rust, and Go, under community oversight and formal specification management. Cardano is currently grappling with weak network activity and a sharp drop in the ADA token’s price. Founder Charles Hoskinson framed the restructuring and ecosystem-related setbacks as necessary "growing pains" on the path to full decentralization.
2 hours ago
France blocks prediction market Polymarket.
French gambling regulator ANJ announced on July 17 that Polymarket’s website will be blocked in France, following its November 2024 ban on financial transactions with the platform. The ANJ stated that the site’s ongoing operation—with real-time updated odds for various events—qualifies as advertising. Even after banning French accounts from conducting trades on Polymarket, accesses to the platform from French internet addresses have continued to rise, reaching 578,751 visits in June.
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Meta is in talks with Anthropic over a computing power leasing agreement, with the potential deal valued at up to $10 billion.
According to The New York Times, Meta Platforms is in talks with Anthropic over a computing power leasing agreement, with the potential deal size reaching up to $10 billion for a two-year term. The negotiations remain in the early stages. Additionally, market data from BIT (bit.com) shows Meta's share decline has narrowed to 3%.
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Serenity: Its investment portfolio has posted a nearly 50% drawdown this month, and it firmly believes that the current round of adjustment is merely leverage-driven volatility, with its growth logic remaining intact.
Serenity posted a statement noting that their portfolio suffered a 49.4% drawdown this month, with main holdings concentrated in AI bottleneck sectors including memory, photonics, robotics, and upstream semiconductors. Serenity acknowledged pressure from the short-term market crash, but maintained that the volatility stems from liquidity and leverage rather than a breakdown in the structural growth logic of these fields.
Stable, the Layer-1 blockchain developed in close alignment with Tether and backed by entities like Bitfinex, has rolled out StablePay, its flagship consumer application designed to transform how people and businesses handle stablecoin transactions. This move marks a significant step forward in creating practical, everyday infrastructure for digital dollars, particularly USDT, on a network purpose-built for payments rather than general-purpose computing.
StableChain stands out as a high-performance network optimized specifically for stablecoins. It leverages USDT (via variants like USDT0 and gUSDT) as the core asset for gas fees and settlements, delivering sub-second finality, predictable low costs, and full EVM compatibility.
Unlike traditional blockchains plagued by volatile fees and complex bridging, StableChain eliminates much of that friction, allowing users to operate primarily in a single stable asset.
This design supports high throughput—aiming for over 10,000 transactions per second—making it suitable for everything from peer-to-peer transfers to institutional flows.
StablePay serves as the primary wallet and payment tool built directly on this chain.
It functions as a non-custodial application that prioritizes simplicity and reliability for real-world use.
Users can sign up easily with email, phone, or social accounts without managing seed phrases, and the interface supports instant sending and receiving of USDT.
Key highlights include zero-fee transfers between StablePay users, predictable USDT-denominated costs for external moves, and features like Stable Names for easy addressing instead of long wallet strings.
The app is available on iOS and Android, with built-in support for yield opportunities on idle balances through integrated vaults.
By focusing on a “payment-first” philosophy, StablePay addresses longstanding pain points in crypto payments: unpredictable fees, slow settlements, and cumbersome experiences.
Transactions between users clear in seconds, enabling scenarios like splitting bills, sending remittances abroad, or making casual purchases with the reliability of cash but the borderless reach of blockchain.
For businesses and power users, it offers tools for tracking, requests, and potential enterprise integrations.
Security remains paramount, with non-custodial key management and options for strong authentication like biometrics.
The launch builds on Stable’s rapid progress. After a successful mainnet debut in late 2025 with substantial pre-deposits and ecosystem partners (including PayPal Ventures, Anchorage Digital, and others), the network quickly saw strong adoption in contracts, addresses, and activity.
StablePay’s rollout in 2026, including public testing and full availability, aligns with the project’s 2026 roadmap emphasizing retail usability, guaranteed blockspace for institutions, and broader stablecoin support.
Early waitlist participants gained priority access, reflecting high global interest demonstrated at events like Korean Blockchain Week.
This development positions Stable as a dedicated rail for the growing stablecoin economy, where USDT already dominates in circulation and volume.
By making stablecoins function more like everyday money—fast, cheap, and intuitive—StablePay could accelerate adoption among consumers, merchants, and fintechs seeking efficient alternatives to legacy systems.
As the ecosystem expands with more partners and features, it aims to bridge traditional finance with on-chain efficiency. StablePay represents more than a new wallet; it embodies a vision for stablecoin-native infrastructure that prioritizes usability and predictability, potentially setting a new standard for digital payments worldwide.
A US airstrike on July 15 severely damaged a large warehouse at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base near Rask, Iran, with video footage confirming significant structural damage to the facility’s roof. The strike is part of a broader US military campaign that has now hit over 140 Iranian military sites since July 14, and the ripple effects are landing squarely on crypto portfolios.
Bitcoin has slid toward the $62K to $63K range as the escalation pushes investors into classic risk-off mode.
What’s happening on the ground Rask sits roughly 130 kilometers from Iran’s southern coastline, deep in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.
US officials have described the broader campaign as “shaping operations,” which is military-speak for softening up an adversary’s infrastructure ahead of potentially larger action.
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The IRGC hasn’t been sitting idle either. Iranian forces launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US-affiliated facilities in Jordan and Bahrain.
The crypto sanctions front The US Treasury has been systematically targeting Iranian crypto infrastructure suspected of financing IRGC operations.
Back in June 2026, sanctions landed on Iranian platforms including Nobitex and Bitpin for their alleged connections to the IRGC. Nobitex has historically been one of the largest crypto exchanges operating within Iran, handling significant volume for a country where traditional banking channels have been largely cut off from the global system.
Then there’s Tether’s move. The stablecoin issuer froze $344 million in USDT tied to IRGC-linked wallets.
What this means for crypto investors Bitcoin’s decline toward $62K to $63K represents meaningful downside pressure. The move reflects broader uncertainty about how far this military campaign extends and whether retaliatory strikes could disrupt energy markets, which would cascade through every asset class including digital ones.
There are reports of increased interest in gold-backed tokens, which tracks with the general flight-to-safety pattern.
Iran is a major oil producer, and any disruption to production or shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz would spike crude prices.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
BNB Chain just crossed a threshold that puts it firmly in the conversation alongside Ethereum for real-world asset tokenization. The network’s total RWA value has hit $5.2 billion, according to data from RWA.xyz, marking a new all-time high and a 32.26% jump over the past 30 days alone.
That makes BNB Chain the second-largest blockchain for tokenized real-world assets, trailing only Ethereum at $15.5 billion. Not bad for a network that sat at $3 billion just four months ago.
A growth curve that keeps steepening The trajectory here is worth paying attention to. BNB Chain’s RWA value sat at $3 billion in March 2026, climbed to $4 billion by May, and has now vaulted past $5 billion in mid-July.
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The network currently hosts 665 tokenized assets, giving it a 14.91% share of the overall RWA market across blockchains.
The ecosystem powering the growth BNB Chain has assembled a roster of tokenization platforms that includes Avalon Finance, OpenEden, Brickken, Bitbond, Securitize partnered with VanEck, and Ondo Finance. Those projects span treasuries, credit products, real estate, commodities, and equities.
Ondo Finance launched its tokenized equities offering on BNB Chain in late 2025, giving users on-chain exposure to traditional stock market instruments and adding liquidity and DeFi composability to the network, allowing tokenized equities to interact with lending protocols, yield strategies, and other DeFi primitives.
BNB Chain has also been building out stablecoin infrastructure to serve as the settlement and liquidity layer for tokenized assets.
What this means for investors BNB Chain has nearly doubled its RWA value in four months. BNB Chain added roughly $2.2 billion in RWA value over the past four months, while Ethereum’s $15.5 billion in RWA value still leads by a significant margin.
Tokenized RWAs introduce dependencies on off-chain custodians, legal frameworks, and traditional financial infrastructure. A regulatory shift in key jurisdictions could affect how these assets function across any blockchain. Rapid TVL growth can also sometimes be driven by a small number of large depositors. With platforms spanning treasuries, credit, real estate, commodities, and equities, however, BNB Chain’s growth appears distributed across multiple verticals and participants.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Benji Reaches $1.5 Billion on BNB Chain@FTDA_US Franklin Templeton's proprietary Benji investment platform has accumulated approximately $1.5 billion on @BNBChain, positioning the network as the leading blockchain ecosystem for the firm's tokenized products.
The Benji platform is Franklin Templeton's proprietary tokenization platform designed to facilitate trading, management, and administration of token-based investments. It was used to launch the world's first U.S.-registered mutual fund onchain in 2021 and now underpins several tokenized products that the firm says serve retail and institutional clients.
Franklin Templeton's broader BENJI tokenized treasury fund has surpassed $2.5 billion in assets under management overall, with growth exceeding 100% year-to-date in 2026. The $1.5 billion milestone on BNB Chain alone signals how dominant the network has become within that footprint.
Why BNB Chain?BNB Chain has positioned itself as a hub for real-world asset tokenization, including money market funds, equities, and credit products, offering scalability, low fees, and real-time settlement. The move amplifies Benji's institutional-grade tokenization expertise by leveraging BNB Chain's technological strengths, including its scalable, low-cost infrastructure and high transaction throughput, to create a new class of on-chain financial assets.
A key differentiator of the Benji platform is its Intraday Yield feature, which enables yield to be calculated and distributed with second-by-second precision, meaning investors no longer need to hold an asset for a full day to accrue interest. Yield is computed pro rata based on exact holding duration, making tokenized securities more liquid and composable in DeFi workflows.
Tokenization is increasingly becoming concrete in traditional finance, with institutions embracing blockchain to accelerate settlement, boost accessibility, and inject transparency into previously opaque markets. Franklin Templeton's growing position on BNB Chain reflects that broader shift, with the asset manager overseeing $1.74 trillion in total firm assets as of April 30, 2026.
Sources:
Franklin Templeton BENJI Fund Surpasses $2.5B AUM – Crypto Briefing
Franklin Templeton Brings Benji to BNB Chain – The Block
Franklin Templeton Expands Benji Tokenization Platform to BNB Chain – Blockworks
Key Highlights Shares of Saab advanced 5% to SEK 542.5 following exceptional second-quarter performance that exceeded analyst projections. Contract bookings surged to SEK 68.4 billion, more than doubling year-over-year figures, primarily due to a massive SEK 47 billion submarine agreement with Poland. Top-line growth reached 29% with revenues hitting SEK 25.45 billion, accompanied by organic sales expansion of 29.8%. Operating profit increased 41% to SEK 2.79 billion, driving the EBIT margin higher to 11.0% compared to 10.0% previously. Morgan Stanley characterized the results as “very strong across all metrics” and indicated the company’s earnings revision trajectory remains positive. Shares of the Swedish defense manufacturer climbed 5.0% to SEK 542.5 during Friday’s trading session, significantly outpacing the OMX Stockholm All Share Cap GI, which declined 0.3% over the same period.
Saab AB (publ), SAABY
The rally followed the company’s release of robust second-quarter financial results, demonstrating substantial improvements in profitability, sales performance, and contract bookings compared to the corresponding period last year.
Net profit reached SEK 2.17 billion versus SEK 1.54 billion in the year-ago quarter. On a per-share basis, earnings improved to SEK 3.96 from SEK 2.83.
Sales figures showed a 29% year-over-year increase to SEK 25.45 billion, climbing from SEK 19.79 billion in the second quarter of the previous year. The company reported organic revenue expansion of 29.8%.
Operating income jumped 41% to SEK 2.79 billion, resulting in an improved EBIT margin of 11.0% versus 10.0% in the comparable prior-year quarter. EBITDA reached SEK 3.77 billion, with the corresponding margin rising to 14.8% from 14.3%.
The most impressive metric from the quarter proved to be order intake. New contract bookings exceeded SEK 68.4 billion, representing more than double the SEK 28.4 billion recorded in the same quarter of 2023.
This dramatic increase stemmed primarily from a SEK 47 billion submarine manufacturing agreement with Poland — representing one of the most substantial individual contracts in the company’s corporate history.
Wall Street Analyst Highlights Robust Performance [[LINK_START_2]]Morgan Stanley[[LINK_END_2]] described the quarterly performance as “very strong across all metrics,” emphasizing the historic order intake levels and profitability figures that surpassed market expectations as primary highlights.
The investment bank also highlighted that several recently disclosed agreements — including a Gripen fighter aircraft contract from Ukraine and a frigate program with Germany — are anticipated to be formally recorded in the upcoming third quarter, providing enhanced visibility into future revenue streams.
Morgan Stanley indicated these developments support its assessment that the company’s earnings upgrade momentum has additional upside potential.
Chief Executive Officer Micael Johansson emphasized that customer demand for the company’s defense systems continues at elevated levels, with procurement activities focused on both near-term operational requirements and strategic long-term capability development.
He highlighted ongoing manufacturing capacity expansion initiatives and sustained research and development investments as critical factors enabling accelerated delivery growth.
Newly Formed Naval Division Gains Traction Saab has recently created a standalone Naval business division, which management believes strategically positions the organization to capitalize on increasing maritime defense procurement activity throughout European markets and globally.
This organizational change represents the company’s strategic initiative to diversify its revenue streams beyond its established air defense and ground systems portfolios.
The Polish submarine agreement marks the inaugural major contract success connected to this enhanced naval strategic focus, and leadership indicates the opportunity pipeline for comparable maritime programs remains robust.
Manufacturing scale-ups throughout the organization are successfully translating heightened defense spending commitments into improved-margin product deliveries, a trend that directly contributed to the margin expansion demonstrated in the second quarter.
The company’s quarterly earnings per share of SEK 3.96 represented a substantial improvement from SEK 2.83 achieved in the identical period one year prior.
Stellar [XLM] has been among the top chains when it comes to tokenization. However, it trails behind Securitize, Ondo Finance [ONDO], and Centrifuge [CFG], among others. They occupy the top three positions in terms of tokenized market cap.
Despite being among the trendy tokens, the price of XLM crypto is down about 2.60% in the past 24 hours, trading at around $0.1830. Interestingly, its chain activity remains sizeable.
XLM’s tokenization influence on its chain activity The tokenization narrative is making XLM crypto one of the trendiest chains. The good news is that its fault tolerance and institutional trust have been improved. This is because MoneyGram, Figure, and Range became XLM’s tier 1 validators.
On top of that, Stellar has partnered with DTCC to tokenize more than $114 trillion in securities by 2027. Moreover, Tradable would make a transfer of $1 billion in private credit through Stellar.
Both moves bridge traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi), enhancing blockchain infrastructure in financial markets.
As such, it is expected to grow the market cap of tokenized securities on XLM even further. At press time, this cap had already exceeded $2.90 billion.
Source: rwa.xyz The tokenized stablecoin market cap on Stellar was above $689 million at press time. This showed a big chunk of capital was moving through the chain. This resulted in high network activity.
In fact, the number of transactions on XLM was averaging 5.5 million per day. In total, more than 37.9 million transactions were processed this week, reinforcing the chain’s usage for tokenization.
Source: Token Terminal XLM price prediction – Should traders buy? Despite the high network usage and a roadmap to tokenize $114 trillion in securities, the price of XLM is still lagging.
The altcoin has been consolidating in a symmetrical triangle pattern since late May. However, it’s nearing a breakout as it trades at the apex of the pattern. The breakout is anticipated because contraction is usually followed by expansion.
The lag is as a result of capital outflow, as the Money Flow Index (MFI) is declining but above the neutral level. Moreover, the MACD shows bears are in control, though their strength is minimal.
Source: XLM/USDT on TradingView A breakout and hold above the pattern would suggest prices are likely to go up. On the other hand, a breakdown would extend the bearish market structure that has been in place since last August.
Final Summary XLM crypto partners with DTCC to tokenize $114 trillion, as tokenization on the chain continues to grow and fuel network activity. XLM price action is trading inside a massive triangle pattern where a breakout on either side would determine the altcoin’s next trajectory.
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), the non-profit organization backing the Stellar blockchain network, has announced exclusive integrations. In this respect, the Stellar network is adding MoneyGram, Range, and Figure Markets as Tier 1 validator platforms. As Stellar disclosed in its official press release, the development is set to fortify its decentralization, operational security, and resilience. Additionally, the move also expands the diversity of entities focused on validating transfers.
Stellar Network Expands Tier 1 Validator Network to Bolster Decentralization The integration of MoneyGram, Range, and Figure Markets into the Stellar network reflects the growing institutional focus on blockchain infrastructure developed for compliant financial services. These validators are anticipated to become completely integrated into the quorum configuration of Stellar by mid-August. Particularly, Tier 1 validators are crucial to maintaining the Stellar network. These platforms run diverse geographically disseminated validator nodes responsible for taking part in the Stellar Consensus Protocol. They enable the blockchain to effectively reach a consensus on its ledger’s state.
Unlike proof-of-stake or proof-of-work systems, the consensus model of Stellar permits validators to autonomously determine which members they trust, arranging quorum sets to collectively protect the network. Specifically, Tier 1 operators emerge as publicly detectable entities that maintain peak uptime levels while also contributing to the broader network reliability instead of earning straightforward financial rewards.
As SDF revealed, broadening the Tier 1 validator group notably enhances the fault tolerance of the blockchain. The move also assists in guaranteeing uninterrupted ecosystem activities even if diverse validator activities undergo outages simultaneously. It also enhances geographic, infrastructure, and industrial diversity, making the procedure of consensus more robust against operational hazards. While reflecting on this, Stellar Development Foundation’s Chief Growth Officer, Jose Fernandez da Ponte, mentioned that the protocol-level support for compliant financial controls, such as freezing, revoking, and approving assets, makes the ecosystem specifically adequate for institutional-level finance.
Advancing Compliant Finance with Stringent Tier 1 Validator Benchmarks According to the Stellar network, to be eligible as a Tier 1 validator, a company must run 3 geographically disseminated complete validators. Additionally, that organization needs to accomplish SEP-20 and SEP-1 self-verification benchmarks, actively collaborate with other Tier 1 platforms, and maintain a minimum of 99.9% uptime. Overall, the inclusion of the above-mentioned institutional participants highlights Stellar’s consistent focus on the development of enterprise-scale, transparent, and secure blockchain infrastructure for compliant finance.
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Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.
Sovereign debt just showed up onchain. BitGo announced custody and off-exchange settlement services for USDM1, a USD-denominated bond issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands and structured as the first natively issued onchain sovereign bond in history.
This is not a tokenized version of an existing bond. USDM1 was born onchain, designed from the ground up to live on Stellar, Ethereum, and Solana simultaneously.
What USDM1 actually is USDM1 is fully collateralized, structured under New York law, and backed 1:1 by short-duration U.S. Treasuries held in a bankruptcy-remote structure. Every USDM1 token has a real Treasury bill sitting behind it in a legally isolated account. If the issuer goes under, the collateral does not go with it.
The bond accrues value daily and comes with enforceable par redemption, meaning holders can redeem at face value under defined conditions. That feature alone separates it from most yield-bearing stablecoins, which offer similar economic exposure without the legal enforcement mechanisms.
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USDM1 has potential compatibility with Level 1 High-Quality Liquid Asset treatment, subject to regulatory determinations. That is the same classification U.S. government bonds currently hold under Basel III liquidity rules. If regulators eventually agree, institutions could use USDM1 to satisfy liquidity buffer requirements.
What BitGo brings to the table BitGo’s role here is custody and settlement infrastructure. Institutional clients can hold USDM1 in segregated, regulated cold storage with offline key management.
BitGo enables T+0 off-exchange settlement around the clock. Traditional sovereign bond markets typically settle on a T+1 or T+2 basis. T+0 means settlement happens the same session, without requiring assets to move onto an exchange first. It reduces counterparty exposure during the settlement window and opens the door to using USDM1 in margin trading and treasury workflows.
BitGo also confirmed the arrangement includes industry-standard legal documentation, which matters for institutional prime brokers and custodians that have strict requirements around documentation before they will accept an asset as eligible collateral.
The Marshall Islands and a genuinely unusual use case The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a small Pacific island nation spread across more than 1,200 islands. The RMI embedded USDM1 directly into its 20-year nationwide Universal Basic Income program. The bond is actively being used to distribute government payments to citizens across islands that, in some cases, have limited access to conventional banking.
That dual function—yield-bearing institutional asset and government disbursement rail—is genuinely novel. It demonstrates that a sovereign government can issue debt natively on public blockchains, use that debt to fund domestic programs, and simultaneously offer it to institutional investors through regulated custody channels.
What this means for institutional crypto and sovereign finance Rather than tokenizing an instrument that already exists in traditional markets, the RMI issued the bond directly onchain from day one. A natively onchain sovereign bond does not require a bridge between legacy settlement systems and blockchain rails. The asset starts onchain, settles onchain, and accrues yield onchain.
The multi-chain deployment across Stellar, Ethereum, and Solana is a deliberate choice. Stellar has deep roots in cross-border payment corridors. Ethereum remains the dominant layer for institutional DeFi and tokenized assets. Solana offers throughput and low transaction costs that make it viable for high-frequency settlement operations.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Chainlink is holding near a key support area while the market continues to judge whether its cross-chain infrastructure story can turn into durable demand for LINK.
The token has been trading around levels that matter to short-term traders, but the larger Chainlink conversation is not only about price. It is about whether CCIP, data feeds, and institutional integrations can keep moving from announcements into real usage.
That distinction matters. Chainlink has one of the clearest infrastructure narratives in crypto, especially around oracles, tokenization, and cross-chain communication. But infrastructure narratives take time to prove themselves. The market wants adoption, volume, and recurring demand — not just another list of integrations.
For LINK holders, the current support test is therefore about more than the chart.
TL;DR Chainlink is holding near a key support zone as traders watch LINK’s next move. CCIP adoption remains central to the longer-term Chainlink story. The market wants evidence that integrations are translating into sustained usage and demand. Chainlink’s Story Is Bigger Than One Price Level Chainlink is not a typical altcoin story.
The project sits underneath a large part of the crypto infrastructure stack through oracle services, data feeds, automation, proof-of-reserve tools, and cross-chain messaging. That makes it important even when LINK price action is quiet.
The problem for traders is that infrastructure value does not always translate cleanly into token momentum. A new integration can be useful. A major institution can test Chainlink tools. CCIP can expand across ecosystems. But the market still has to decide how much of that activity should be reflected in LINK’s price.
That is why support levels matter in the short term, but they do not tell the whole story.
If LINK holds support while adoption keeps growing, bulls can argue that the market is gradually pricing in Chainlink’s role as cross-chain infrastructure. If support fails despite continued announcements, traders may question whether the token is capturing enough of the network’s relevance.
The current setup sits between those two readings.
CCIP Is The Part Traders Keep Coming Back To Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol has become one of the most important parts of its market narrative.
CCIP is designed to help move data and value across blockchains in a more secure and standardised way. That matters because crypto remains fragmented. Liquidity, assets, applications, and users are spread across many networks, and institutions are unlikely to tolerate messy bridging risk at scale.
If CCIP becomes a widely used standard, Chainlink’s position in the market strengthens.
CCIP activity and integrations are the key areas to watch in the current Chainlink setup. That is the right area to watch. The market does not need another vague infrastructure claim. It needs evidence that real projects, institutions, or networks are using Chainlink tools in ways that create recurring demand.
That evidence can come through transaction volume, value transferred, integrations moving into production, and institutional use cases that go beyond pilot programmes.
Until then, CCIP remains a strong narrative with a live adoption test.
LINK Needs Usage To Beat The Altcoin Cycle Like other major altcoins, LINK still trades inside the broader crypto liquidity cycle.
When risk appetite is strong, infrastructure tokens can rally as investors look for high-quality altcoin exposure. When the market weakens, even strong projects can fall if capital rotates back to Bitcoin, stablecoins, or cash.
That is why Chainlink’s support area matters now. It shows whether buyers are willing to defend LINK during a less forgiving market.
The stronger case for LINK is that Chainlink has a clearer utility story than many altcoins. Its tools are used across DeFi, data, and cross-chain environments. It is also one of the few crypto projects that regularly appears in conversations about institutional infrastructure.
The weaker case is that token demand remains hard to model. Traders may believe Chainlink is important while still questioning whether LINK captures enough of that importance during quieter market periods.
That tension is not new, but it is becoming more important as the market matures.
If CCIP usage continues expanding and LINK holds support, the token could regain attention as an infrastructure play rather than a short-term altcoin trade. If usage data remains unclear and support breaks, traders may wait for a better entry or stronger confirmation.
For now, Chainlink’s story remains intact, but the market wants more proof. The next phase depends on whether adoption becomes visible enough to support the price narrative.
This article is based on information from Chainlink.
This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.
Andrew McCormick, Chainlink Labs’ Head of Institutional and Market Development, isn’t being subtle about how he sees the CLARITY Act. During a livestream on June 26, he called it “the biggest imaginable unlock for institutions to allocate at scale.”
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, formally known as H.R. 3633, has been slowly grinding through the legislative machinery since it passed the House last year. It hit a notable milestone in May 2026 when the Senate Banking Committee advanced a substitute version with a 15-9 vote.
Why 90-year-old laws are the real problem McCormick identified three primary blockers preventing wider adoption of tokenized assets. First, regulatory clarity, which is exactly what the CLARITY Act aims to provide. Second, trust and confidence, meaning institutions need to believe the infrastructure won’t collapse under them. Third, education, because a surprising number of decision-makers at major financial firms still don’t fully understand how tokenization works or why it matters.
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The CLARITY Act tackles the first blocker head-on by drawing clear jurisdictional lines. Digital commodities would fall primarily under CFTC oversight, while the SEC would retain limited jurisdiction over specific primary-market transactions. Right now, the ambiguity over which agency has authority over what has kept compliance departments at major banks in a permanent state of paralysis.
What this means for tokenized real-world assets McCormick specifically highlighted tokenized equities as a category that could see significant activity once regulatory clarity arrives. Multiple major financial institutions have been running pilot programs and proof-of-concept projects in this space, but actual scaled deployment has been limited precisely because of the legal fog.
Chainlink executives have framed the CLARITY Act as a once-in-a-decade legislative opportunity.
The broader legislative picture The CLARITY Act doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The GENIUS Act, focused on stablecoins, represents another piece of the puzzle. Together, these bills signal that Congress is moving toward a comprehensive approach rather than piecemeal rulemaking.
McCormick was appointed to his role at Chainlink Labs on June 4, 2026, making his public advocacy for the CLARITY Act one of his early priorities in the position.
What investors should be watching If the CLARITY Act becomes law, the immediate beneficiaries would be firms providing the infrastructure that makes institutional onchain finance possible. Oracle networks and cross-chain services, which are Chainlink’s core business, would see increased demand as more traditional financial activity moves onchain.
There’s also a competitive dimension. Jurisdictions like the EU, with its MiCA framework already in effect, Singapore, and the UAE have been actively courting the same institutional capital that the CLARITY Act is designed to attract.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Chainlink (LINK), a decentralized oracle network focused on providing secure data feeds to blockchains, is drawing renewed attention as it deepens its integration in the evolving tokenized asset sector. With financial institutions seeking greater exposure to blockchain-based finance, Chainlink has emphasized its expanding role in accelerating tokenization trends.
Spotlight on tokenization initiativesChainlink recently highlighted its position as a central force in the “multi-trillion-dollar tokenization megatrend,” naming ecosystem participants such as Ondo, Robinhood, Maple, Centrifuge, OpenEden, and Securitize who are collaborating on tokenized finance solutions. This initiative underscores the network’s focus on supporting tokenized stocks, funds, and other real-world assets, underscoring Chainlink’s growing influence among institutions exploring blockchain finance.
Chainlink described itself as “the center of the multi-trillion-dollar tokenization megatrend” as it showcased partners participating in the project, including both DeFi-native companies and regulated financial firms.
The protocol’s infrastructure connects various blockchains and traditional systems, enabling interoperability that is essential for the evolving tokenization landscape. As institutions aim to bridge legacy assets to blockchain networks, Chainlink’s suite of oracle services and cross-chain tools continue to see increased adoption.
Mini dictionary: Tokenization is the process of converting real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, or property into digital tokens that can be traded and managed on blockchains. It enables increased liquidity, faster settlements, and wider access to financial instruments.
Price action finds support amid technical signalsLINK is trading at $8.16, reflecting a decline of 2.16% over the past 24 hours. The price remains below the immediate resistance at $8.58, which coincides with the upper Bollinger Band and acts as a ceiling for further gains in the near term. However, LINK has recovered above the middle Bollinger Band, suggesting a moderation in recent selling pressure.
Technical data from TradingView points to a stable On-Balance Volume (OBV) near 895 million, indicating buyers are maintaining positions rather than exiting, despite the recent price drop. Analysts note that a close above $8.58 could reinforce a bullish trend, potentially targeting higher resistance levels. Conversely, a close below $7.98 could put the next key support at $7.48 in focus.
Price LevelTypeSignificance$8.58ResistanceUpper Bollinger Band$8.16Current priceSpot rate$7.98SupportPotential breakdown point$7.48SupportNext lower supportDerivatives market signals rising interestCoinGlass data shows LINK’s open interest has grown to roughly $450 million—one of its highest recent readings. This surge in open interest comes as LINK’s price consolidates, often interpreted by traders as an influx of new capital readying the token for a significant move. While increased open interest is not a definitive indicator of future direction, it often points to heightened market engagement.
Rising open interest alongside stable prices suggests traders are positioning for potential volatility, indicating that LINK may soon break above or below its established range.
Investors continue to watch whether Chainlink’s strategic position in tokenized finance, supported by growing institutional adoption, can help the asset gain momentum above key resistance levels. Recent developments position the protocol as a key enabler for the broader adoption of blockchain technology by established financial entities.
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.
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Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network just made its clearest play yet for mainstream adoption. Base launched the Base Account on July 16, 2025, a new smart wallet infrastructure layer that automatically creates a self-custodial account the moment someone signs up for the Base app.
The feature is called “Sign in with Base,” and it works across apps and chains.
What Base Account actually does When a user signs up for the Base app, a self-custodial smart account is automatically generated. The feature set includes cross-app compatibility, meaning one account works across multiple applications built on Base and other chains. There’s also Base Pay, which enables one-tap USDC payments. Sponsored gas fees are baked in as well, meaning users don’t need to hold ETH to transact. Transaction batching is another inclusion, allowing multiple operations to be bundled into a single action.
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The Sub Accounts feature, which hit mainnet in Q2 2025 after a successful testnet rollout, laid the groundwork for this broader account infrastructure. Sub Accounts let applications create isolated account contexts within a user’s main wallet, useful for separating funds across different dApps without managing multiple wallets.
The 2026 roadmap: Beryl and Cobalt First up is Beryl, targeted for June 25, 2026. This upgrade introduces B20, a new native token standard designed to facilitate further abstraction improvements.
Then comes Cobalt in September 2026. Cobalt will establish native account abstraction at the protocol level, meaning gas sponsorship and transaction batching won’t be features bolted on top of the network — they’ll be built into the foundation. Every account on Base would essentially be a smart account with built-in capabilities that currently require third-party infrastructure.
The AI angle Base has been increasingly explicit about building “agent-native infrastructure,” and the smart account improvements feed directly into that strategy. Traditional externally owned accounts, controlled by private keys, require a single signer and lack programmable logic. Smart accounts with features like transaction batching and gas sponsorship are better suited for autonomous agents that need to execute complex multi-step operations. The combination of Base Account’s current features and the Cobalt upgrade’s native account abstraction creates an environment where AI agents could operate with the same ease as human users.
What this means for investors The introduction of these features has not yet triggered significant market price changes or expert commentary directly linked to the smart accounts announcement.
For the broader Ethereum ecosystem, Base’s roadmap creates competitive dynamics against other Layer 2 networks including Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync. Base has a specific advantage in Coinbase’s existing verified user base. “Sign in with Base” could become a path from centralized exchange user to on-chain participant.
Investors watching Base should track three things over the next twelve months: daily active smart accounts post-launch, developer adoption of Sub Accounts and Base Pay integrations, and whether the Beryl timeline holds.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Binance will open spot trading for Aerodrome Finance’s AERO token at 19:00 UTC+8 on July 17, pairing the asset with USDT, USDC, and the Turkish lira. The exchange is applying its Seed Tag to AERO from the outset, the original report from WuBlockchain confirmed, marking the world’s largest crypto venue’s first direct listing of a Base-native decentralized exchange token.
The listing comes while deposits will only open an hour after trading begins, and withdrawals are scheduled for 19:00 UTC+8 on July 18. That sequencing tends to create a period where early price action relies on existing off-exchange supply, often triggering volatility before the full market can rebalance. For AERO, that could mean a sharp initial move before selling pressure from depositors kicks in.
Why Aerodrome Matters for Base Aerodrome is the central liquidity engine on Base, the Layer 2 network incubated by Coinbase. The protocol uses AERO to reward liquidity providers and to operate its vote-lock governance model, giving users a direct stake in directing emissions. In practice, it functions as a DeFi hub where trading, incentives, and protocol control are tightly bundled, making it critical infrastructure for Base’s on-chain economy.
Binance’s decision to list a token so closely tied to a single L2 says more about Base’s institutional profile than about Aerodrome alone. Base has quietly accumulated over $1 billion in total value locked, and Aerodrome captures the bulk of that decentralized trading volume. Giving AERO a direct USDT, USDC, and fiat on-ramp could funnel retail and even some institutional flow into the ecosystem, something that previously required bridging and swapping via other assets. It’s a liquidity upgrade, not just a token listing.
The Seed Tag Warning Binance applies its Seed Tag to tokens considered high-risk, often because of low liquidity, short track records, or early-stage project volatility. Traders are required to pass periodic quizzes to maintain access to these assets, and the exchange reserves the right to delist without the usual notice period. In AERO’s case, the tag arrives simultaneously with the listing, a signal that while the token is welcome on the platform, Binance is not endorsing it as a stable holding.
What this means for market structure is a split between speculative access and formal hedging. Institutional desks that operate on Binance may treat a Seed Tag token as uninvestable until it matures into a regular listing, limiting order book depth from larger players. Meanwhile, retail traders in Turkey—where the TRY pair opens direct lira access—could face the double edge of high volatility and a fiat on-ramp that doesn’t require stablecoins. That combination has sometimes accelerated local flows in past emerging-market pair launches.
Liquidity, Risk, and What Comes Next Exchange listings remain a powerful short-term catalyst in crypto, but the post-listing trajectory depends heavily on whether new capital enters the protocol. AERO’s price will be tested against the reality that liquidity providers can sell rewards, and governance stakers may unlock large positions. If the listing brings sustained volume to Aerodrome’s pools, the protocol and the token could reinforce each other. If not, the Seed Tag may quickly become a secondary concern next to price action.
The broader picture includes a DeFi environment where real-world asset tokenization on-chain has crossed $20 billion, as recent on-chain data suggests, and where specific tokens have surged on institutional staking narratives after exchange support—a pattern visible in the SUI price run earlier this year. AERO sits inside that same macro current, but with a much sharper risk profile given its single-chain dependency and the Seed Tag’s cautionary framing.
What remains uncertain is whether Binance will eventually remove the tag if Aerodrome proves resilient, and whether other major exchanges follow with their own AERO pairs. For now, the listing gives the Base DeFi scene its most direct bridge to centralized exchange liquidity, but leaves traders to decide how much weight to give the warning label hanging over the trade.
AUTHOR
Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.
