The uncertainty around the CLARITY Act's passage may hinder crypto market growth, keeping investors cautious and regulatory ambiguity high.

The post Polymarket users see less than 50% chance for CLARITY Act passage by 2026 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Uber's acquisition could reshape global food delivery dynamics, enhancing operational efficiency and market reach, but faces regulatory scrutiny.

The post Uber’s $15B Delivery Hero bid would create the world’s largest food delivery platform outside China appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

OpenAI's challenges highlight the tension between rapid AI advancement and sustainable financial models, impacting future tech investments.

The post OpenAI CEO acknowledges past year shortcomings, anticipates growth appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

BitPay's EU-wide regulatory approval could accelerate stablecoin adoption, fostering a more unified and compliant crypto payments market.

The post BitPay secures Dutch MiCA license, sets sights on stablecoin expansion across EU appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The exclusion of NA teams highlights regional disparities in esports, potentially influencing investment strategies and market focus in gaming.

The post PGL Esports reveals Masters Bucharest invite list with no NA teams, raising questions about competitive gaming’s regional economics appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

T. Rowe Price Debuts New ETF With Bitcoin and Crypto Exposure

Asset manager T. Rowe Price on Thursday debuted its first crypto exchange-traded fund, giving investors exposure to Bitcoin and other digital coins. 

T. Rowe Price, which with $1.89 trillion in assets is one of the largest U.S. asset managers, said that its Active Crypto ETF is the first actively managed multi-token spot ETF on the market. 

The ETF, which trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker TKNZ, mainly gives investors exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum, weighed 40.75% and 18.42%, respectively, but includes other assets like Solana, XRP, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin, and BNB. 

T. Rowe Price applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the product last October. 

“Through the launch of the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF, investors can gain access to a thoughtfully curated, professionally managed multi-coin portfolio that helps eliminate the guesswork of building a crypto allocation on their own,” Blue Macellari, who works as head of digital assets at the firm, said in an announcement.  

The announcement added that the product was the “first of the firm’s lineup” for the digital asset space, hinting that more ETFs could soon follow. 

Writing on X Thursday, Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior research analyst, James Seyffart, said: “Launching during a bear market and I know for a fact this product was years in the making. Legacy asset managers continue to build in the crypto space despite the pullback in prices.”

Explosion in crypto and Bitcoin ETFs 

In January 2024, the SEC approved Bitcoin ETFs by BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale and other asset managers after years of denying applications. 

The funds had the most successful debut in the ETF industry’s history, and now manage billions in dollars in assets. 

Ethereum funds followed the same year and a number of altcoin products are now on the market for U.S. and European investors. 

More traditional investors and Wall Street institutions can now buy crypto via shares that trade on traditional stock exchanges. 

Investors were previously put off by some of the harder aspects of crypto management, such as keeping private keys safe and digital coin storage. 

The Bitcoin ETFs in particular have helped integrate the asset into traditional finance, making it easier to borrow against or use as collateral. 

Under President Trump’s crypto-friendly administration, regulators have become more relaxed towards regulating the digital asset space; many SEC lawsuits and investigations targeting crypto firms have been scrapped since the Republican took office. 

This post T. Rowe Price Debuts New ETF With Bitcoin and Crypto Exposure first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Fed Chair Warsh: No Bailout for Crypto Industry in Crisis

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh told the House Financial Services Committee on July 14 that the central bank will decline to rescue the cryptocurrency industry in a crisis, a message he delivered during his first semiannual monetary policy testimony as chair.

The exchange came from Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), a longtime crypto skeptic, who asked whether the Fed would backstop failing digital-asset firms the way it supported money market funds in 2008. Warsh rejected the premise. “We do not want to be in the bailout business, full stop,” he said. He added, “We want to be in a position where we’re not bailing out anybody, including crypto.”

Warsh, who took office May 15 and presided over his first FOMC meeting in June, framed the stance through his own history. 

As a Fed governor under Chairman Ben Bernanke, he helped design the 2008 rescue effort. “I still have the scars from the 2008 financial crisis,” he said. “That is not something we want to repeat.” He argued that the post-crisis bailouts bred moral hazard, and he wants to spare digital assets the same fate.

For a market that spent years seeking legitimacy alongside traditional finance, the comments draw a hard line. Warsh, described as the first crypto-native Fed chair, has treated Bitcoin as a gauge rather than a ward of the state. During his nomination hearing he called Bitcoin “not a substitute for the U.S. dollar,” and he has used its price as a thermometer for whether monetary policy sits in the right place.

Warsh chimes in on the GENIUS Act rules deadline

The warning lands days before a pivotal deadline. Rules to implement the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin law enacted in 2025, are due Saturday, and Warsh confirmed the Fed is “racing” to publish its proposals on time.

The statute pays stablecoin holders ahead of other creditors when an issuer fails and requires full reserves behind each coin. With the stablecoin market near $310 billion, Sherman pressed the point that a run on one issuer could spread across the sector.

Warsh declined to offer an absolute pledge. He told lawmakers the Fed would act to limit “extraordinary” risks over the next four years, language that leaves room for intervention in a systemic event. American Banker noted that he declined to rule out any future step-in.

At the Senate Banking Committee the following day, Warsh urged banking regulators to coordinate on GENIUS Act rulemaking to prevent regulatory arbitrage, a race that lets firms hunt for the lightest oversight. 

He paired that call with a defense of Fed independence on monetary policy and a pledge to shrink a balance sheet that sits near $6.7 trillion.

The takeaway for crypto is a market-discipline era: the Fed will set the rules of the road, yet firms that overreach will bear the cost of their own failures. For an industry that courted federal backing, Warsh’s message asks it to stand on its own.

This post Fed Chair Warsh: No Bailout for Crypto Industry in Crisis first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin VC Veterans Launch $40 Million Holding Company Targeting Small Business Acquisitions

Another day, another Bitcoin treasury. 

But this time, with a twist: Earlier this week, macroeconomist and all-round Bitcoin legend Lyn Alden announced Orange Juice — an investment firm that aims to buy, improve and get businesses on a Bitcoin standard. 

The idea is that Orange Juice will buy small and mid-sized businesses at low prices, improve their operations, and hold them indefinitely rather than reselling them. 

A portion of the businesses’ profits will get converted into Bitcoin, which serves as the company’s treasury asset. 

“Pure-play Bitcoin holding companies exist, but their cash-flowing operations tend to be small or non-existent,” Alden wrote in a blog post. 

She added: “Orange Juice instead will emphasize building a strong and diversified base of cash flows, with a portion of the retained earnings of its businesses accumulating into a Bitcoin treasury.”

Ego Death Capital partners Jeff Booth, Lyn Alden, Nico Lechuga, Andi Pitt founded the company along with Adrian Steckel and Ruben Zweiban, while Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas participated as the anchor investor, a Wednesday announcement read. 

Salinas — one of Mexico’s richest men — has long-praised Bitcoin and last month admitted he had increased his allocation in the asset from 10% to 70% of his portfolio. 

It added that the company had already raised $40 million and intends to pursue a public listing in the future.

“Over the coming decades, a significant wave of business successions will take place,” the announcement said. “Unlike traditional private equity, Orange Juice is not constrained by fund cycles or the pressure to resell, allowing it to focus on the long-term health of its businesses.”

Bitcoin treasury craze

The announcement comes at a time when Bitcoin treasuries have taken a hit: the business model — of buying and holding Bitcoin and other digital assets with spare cash — suffered last year with a plunge in crypto prices. 

Strategy, the biggest and oldest Bitcoin treasury, has seen its Nasdaq-listed stock nosedive by nearly 80% over the past year. 

Little known publicly traded companies in 2025 rushed to announce they were buying digital assets in a hope to boost their stock prices. The strategy worked but since the market downturn, a number of firms in the space have had to sell a portion of their holdings. 

There are currently over 360 digital asset treasuries, according to BitcoinTreasuires.net, made up of private and public entities holding a variety of digital assets. 

This post Bitcoin VC Veterans Launch $40 Million Holding Company Targeting Small Business Acquisitions first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Breez Partners With Turnkey to Bring Non-Custodial Bitcoin to Backend-Run Apps

Breez has partnered with Turnkey to let developers add non-custodial bitcoin to applications that run wallets from their own servers, the companies announced.

The partnership addresses a structural problem. Many mainstream apps operate from the backend, with a single service handling millions of users. Adding bitcoin under that design has meant holding user keys on company servers. 

Holding keys makes a company a custodian, a status that carries licensing requirements, legal liability, and the security burden of a large store of user funds. The alternative has been to build a separate device-based wallet, a change that breaks the architecture these apps use to reach scale.

Under the new model, each user receives a wallet whose keys are created and stored inside Turnkey’s secure enclaves. According to the companies, those keys stay out of reach of the app’s servers, Breez, and Turnkey. The company’s backend holds a credential that defines what actions it can take, while authority to move funds rests with the user.

In other words, this partnership positions some of the world’s largest consumer apps to add non-custodial bitcoin without rebuilding their backend architecture or taking custody of user funds.

Turnkey supports Spark, the network the Breez SDK is built on. Paired with Breez’s server mode, a single backend can manage wallets for millions of users without storing keys.

Registered passkeys enable bitcoin self-custody apps

The approval flow works as follows. The user holds a credential, such as a passkey registered with Turnkey at signup. The server prepares a transaction and displays the amount, the fee, and the destination. 

The user approves the transaction, and it completes. The server cannot spend funds without that approval. For the user, the app’s existing flow does not change, and there is no seed phrase to record.

Turnkey provides embedded wallet infrastructure used by a range of consumer apps and holds a SOC 2 audit. In a note to Bitcoin Magazine, Breez positioned the release as a way for exchanges, fintechs, and neobanks to offer bitcoin and stablecoin services to large user bases without taking custody of funds. 

Exchanges can automate payouts under rules their security teams define, and fintechs can add a non-custodial bitcoin service inside their existing interface.

The partnership extends a series of Breez SDK features aimed at lowering barriers to bitcoin integration. Passkey Login replaced the seed phrase, Stable Balance addressed price volatility, and a separate feature added support for sending the stablecoins USDT and USDC. The companies say the combined tools let backend-run products offer bitcoin and stablecoins to users while custody of the assets stays with those users.

This post Breez Partners With Turnkey to Bring Non-Custodial Bitcoin to Backend-Run Apps first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Cloudflare x402 Integration Opens Door for Bitcoin in AI Agent Micropayments

Cloudflare recently announced the launch of its monetization program via the Coinbase-led x402 machine payments standard. x402, which lets AI agents pay for data online with crypto, has been gaining steam among the AI-pilled, as it unlocks more capable agent interactions with the open web. 

Cloudflare, founded in 2009, has grown from a DDoS mitigation and content delivery network (CDN) provider into one of the internet’s foundational infrastructure companies.

The company, which launched publicly in 2010, had the mission to make web performance and security accessible to everyone, not just large enterprises. Today, Cloudflare powers approximately 20-23% of all websites globally, handles tens of millions of HTTP requests per second across 330+ cities in over 100 countries, touching a significant portion of global internet traffic.

As a result of their adoption and security offering to large portions of the open web, CloudFlare’s integration of x402 is a major development for the structure of the internet. Websites that are increasingly inaccessible to the massive data demands from AI can now sell that data to AI agents for crypto. CloudFlare’s implementation only mentions Stablecoins such as USDC, the Open USD standard, but the protocol supports Bitcoin on-chain and is actively exploring integration of the Lightning network.

The Web is Broken

Kevin Leffew, co-author of the x402 protocol and AI GTM at Coinbase, told Bitcoin Magazine there’s a major user experience issue in the way AI currently interacts with the open web and x402 — which is now under the control of the Linux Foundation — is trying to solve it. “Every api call requires an api key, which in turn requires a human, and adds unnecessary friction,” Leffew explained, adding, “our goal is to kill the api key”.

Popular AI agents such as OpenClaw often require API access keys to special paid web search services, to let the AI agents access the web easily, with the mobility that a human user would enjoy. Services of this sort are offered by popular browsers and search engines such as Brave.com and Perplexity. But who out there wants to be paying a subscription service on top of computer hardware and internet access, plus AI token costs to search the web? These services also require a human to sign up with a credit card for a monthly subscription, paying for access that might be blocked by the websites holding valuable data anyway via non-standard methods. A better solution is needed.

AI agents need to be able to think about money and resource costs, and need to have a computer-friendly way to make payments for novel data. An example of this use case was recently demonstrated by an X account called “Lightning Mode AI,”  which built a wrapper over ESPN FIFA data and had an AI agent pay for it in Bitcoin. The Agent was then able to quickly place bets on outcomes on markets like Polymarket, which could potentially let agent owners earn their money, during the soccer World Cup. 

This example by Lightning Mode AI used an older implementation of the idea behind x402 called L402, a protocol developed by Lightning Labs to specifically enable bitcoin payments for data on third-party websites. 

Denial of service attacks (DOS) are also potentially solved by a machine native monetary system for the internet. The fundamental vulnerability exploited by these DOS attacks revolves around the bandwidth and computing costs to answer a question or query from an internet user. The user sends a request to view a website, the site’s server must compute, resolve and serve the website data back to the user; this has material costs at scale. DOS attacks send massive amounts of requests, often from malware-infected networks of machines (DDOS), targeting the server resources of their victims. This kind of attack can, in theory, be stopped by simply asking for payment from the user before spending the resources to respond to the user’s query. But the payments must be cost-effective and fast enough for the user experience demands of the digital age. 

Protocols like x402 and L402 enable websites to paywall access to their valuable data, while teaching AI agents how to pay for access. No credit cards needed, no user data explicitly shared with payment networks, no ‘are you a bot’ captchas, no annoying account registrations you never use again, no subscription service for web search api key. Just pay for the data you consume. 

The Economics of Micro Transactions

This micro-transaction market between machines is not a new idea. It has been theorized by luminaries of the cypherpunk age like Nick Szabo and others, though it has, up until now, been found lacking. Szabo argued that the biggest problem with micro transactions was not just payment technology, but the cognitive transaction costs involved.

Every time a user makes a payment, their brain needs to calculate whether it is worth it; this also has a cost on users, which can probably be measured in calories, and sometimes deciding to pay a couple of pennies for data is not worth the effort. But AI agents change this equation, in theory.

If AI becomes a new way for users to interact with the open way, then the cognitive costs involved in calculating the merit of spending pennies and even sub-penny values for data might be effectively abstracted away.

Users can simply give their bot a budget with spending policies and let it do its best to use that money wisely. Whether AI agents can be responsible enough to safeguard user funds remains to be seen, but some experiments demonstrate that AI agents can be reasonably resilient at the job. Take Freysa AI, for example, a 2024 era AI agent that held up against 48,000 prompt engineering attempts. Users paid to try to convince the bot to release funds in a smart contract treasury to them; if the bot refused, the bot kept the user’s money, adding it to the treasury. Eventually, someone managed to fool the bot, but not after $50,000 worth of attempts had been made. With hard-coded spending limits, the risk of prompt engineering an AI into giving way its web search lunch money is probably manageable.

The scalability of privacy-preserving digital payments in decentralized, censorship-resistant ways is also effectively already solved. According to Leffew, blockchains like Solana can do payments for a thousandth of a cent and settle it in milliseconds. Bitcoin’s Lightning network can also compete at the micro-transaction scale, and other Bitcoin protocols like the e-cash variants can be as fast as any internet packet, likely beating a highly centralized blockchain system like Solana.  

Viktor Ihnatiuk, co-founder of UTEXO, told Bitcoin Magazine that they are actively working with the x402 developer community to integrate Bitcoin’s layer two protocols via RGB as a payment option. RGB integration would unlock layer two-style Bitcoin payments as well as USDT on Bitcoin settlements. The x402 standard, according to Leffew, is designed to be fundamentally neutral to the payment rails involved, even extensible to fiat rails, though likely will be dominated by cryptocurrencies and, for the foreseeable future, stablecoins. 

Why CloudFlare Should Accept Bitcoin

CloudFlare’s x402 pilot program is a great step towards this vision of a cryptographic money actively used as the native currency of the internet. Its focus on stablecoins to start is also understandable, given the powerful brand and adoption of the dollar, which keeps accounting simple. However, there are a lot of underlying risks involved in how stablecoins are used today that Bitcoin solves.

For starters, most of the stablecoin volume moves on top of Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) style blockchains, which use an account model of public addresses; these are actively reused, creating long, detailed, public histories of financial engagement for each user. This is abysmal for user privacy, and tooling to obfuscate user flows on EVM blockchains, such as VPNs for crypto payments, are not common.

As a result, AI agents and their users are actively leaking data that might expose them to targeted attacks from organized cybercrime, among other risks.

Bitcoin, on the other hand, uses a UTXO model, where best practices lead people to create a new address for every payment received, resulting in payment trails that can be more difficult to track. Furthermore, Bitcoin’s fast payment protocols like Lightning, Ark or e-cash often deliver much greater privacy benefits to users by moving value off-chain via various smart contract-related technologies.

Last but not least, stablecoins are fundamentally anchored to the U.S. dollar and its foreign policy. If CloudFlare wants to be a viable option for the multipolar world, it will want to start taking a neutral stance on money. The dollar, while still the most valued currency in the world, is starting to lose ground to rising powers in the east, while alternative, geopolitically neutral currencies like Bitcoin continue to rise. Bitcoin might help CloudFlare maintain or even grow its position as critical internet infrastructure in the multi-polar world.

This post Cloudflare x402 Integration Opens Door for Bitcoin in AI Agent Micropayments first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Japan's House of Councilors approved Cabinet Bill 57 by majority vote on July 15, completing Diet passage of legislation that will move regulated crypto activity into the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.

The legal framework is now in place, but traders may still wait until 2027 or 2028 for the new market rules and 20% tax rate to take effect.

The official upper-house record says the core crypto provisions take effect on a date set by Cabinet order within one year of promulgation. Enforcement during 2026 would start the tax rules on Jan. 1, 2027; enforcement during 2027 would move that start to Jan. 1, 2028. The Cabinet's timing will decide which calendar applies.

Implementation comes before the benefit

The reform shifts crypto transaction regulation out of the Payment Services Act and into FIEA. Crypto remains legally distinct from securities, but covered activity gains a securities-market-style compliance framework.

The Financial Services Agency's explanatory materials add disclosure and registration coverage for crypto sales, issuer-controlled token offerings and borrowing, as well as asset screening, custody, customer safeguards, and insider-trading controls.

Exchanges and intermediaries can prepare for that framework now; its duties apply after commencement. Detailed operating requirements remain to be set by Cabinet orders and FSA ordinances.

Related Reading

XRP currently dominates Japan’s cash inflows, and a new 20% tax rate is about to lock that advantage in

Japan's 55% to 20% tax cut and crypto reclassification create institutional pathways where XRP already dominates $21.7 billion in JPY on-ramp volume and SBI's remittance infrastructure.

Jan 7, 2026 · Gino Matos

Parliament has already enacted the tax side, but its crypto provisions remain dormant until the FIEA trigger is satisfied. Japan passed and promulgated the fiscal 2026 tax amendments as Law No. 12 on March 31. Once active, qualifying gains will be subject to a combined 20% rate, split between 15% national income tax and 5% local inhabitant tax.

The 20% rate applies only when investors sell eligible tokens through registered crypto businesses and the assets appear on Japan's official register.

Unused losses within the same tax-defined crypto category can be carried forward for three years, subject to conditions. Tokens, venues and transactions outside that defined channel keep their existing treatment.

Reporting arrives a year after the tax-and-loss rules. Under the Ministry of Finance framework, businesses must provide tax authorities with customer identities, Japan's My Number identifier, and transaction details by Jan. 31 after the trade year. If the 20% regime starts in 2028, reporting would cover transactions from 2029 and the first reports would be due Jan. 31, 2030.

Related Reading

Japan’s 20% crypto tax sets a new bar in Asia, pressuring Singapore and Hong Kong as retail costs fall

Japan’s sweeping crypto reclassification could redefine Asia’s regulatory power balance.

Nov 23, 2025 · Andjela Radmilac

The reform package also outlines a possible route for crypto investment products. It brings crypto investment management and advice within FIEA and anticipates certain investment trusts holding tax-qualifying, registered crypto assets. That treatment still requires a separate amendment to the Investment Trusts Act enforcement order.

The text names no spot Bitcoin ETF and grants no product approval. The FSA said in October 2025 that the formation and sale of domestic crypto ETFs were barred under the previous framework. Sponsors must still clear the applicable product and listing reviews after implementing rules define the new route.

Related Reading

Japan Bitcoin ETF plan ready to open route into household savings

SBI’s Bitcoin ETF Japan roadmap could move crypto exposure from exchanges into brokerage accounts, tax wrappers, and one of the world’s largest household savings markets.

May 19, 2026 · Gino Matos

The key dates now depend on when the law is formally enacted, when the Cabinet brings the FIEA changes into force, and when the FSA finishes the detailed rules. The 20% tax rate would then apply from the following tax year.

The post Japan passes the crypto law traders wanted but its 20% tax could still wait until 2028 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Ostium, an on-chain perpetuals trading platform, said a five-minute security incident caused losses from its public liquidity vault. Security firms estimated the exploit at up to $24 million.

Co-founder Kaledora Kiernan-Linn confirmed that the issue ran from 14:18 to 14:23 UTC on July 15 and affected the public Ostium Liquidity Provider (OLP) vault. She said the team identified it within minutes and coordinated a trading pause within the hour. The statement did not give a definitive loss total, identify the root cause, or provide a final postmortem.

Security firms said authorized data, rather than a missing signature, sat at the center of the incident. Blockaid and Cyvers said a registered PriceUpKeep forwarder submitted future-dated, authorized oracle reports that created artificial trading profits.

SlowMist said an authorized signer supplied validly signed manipulated data used for repeated profitable trades. Those descriptions remain third-party findings pending Ostium's postmortem.

Cryptographic authentication can establish that a permitted key signed a report. Price plausibility, timestamp freshness, and settlement safety require separate controls.

The OstiumVerifier code linked from Ostium's security documentation recovers an ECDSA signer and checks whether the signer is authorized, but that verifier function does not enforce a price-plausibility test or timestamp bound.

The code does not appear to identify which implementation was active during the incident or whether separate contracts applied those checks. Any timestamp, replay, price-deviation, or multi-source safeguards would have to operate elsewhere in the execution path.

Related Reading

How tokenized stocks fail as collateral even when the stock price does not move

Edel’s exploit was small, but it hit the next frontier for tokenized equities: credit markets, where 1:1 backing is not enough if wrappers, vaults and exchange rates can be gamed.

Jul 2, 2026 · Gino Matos

Ostium's protocol documentation states that the OLP vault holds traders' collateral and pays out winning trades immediately on-chain. If artificial profits were accepted for settlement, vault liquidity funded the payouts.

Published estimates rose as tracing continued. Blockaid put the payout near $18 million, Cyvers estimated $23.7 million, and PeckShield later described roughly $24 million drained.

SlowMist's lower $11.86 million figure appears to track one 11,862,444.782 USDC vault outflow visible in its cited transaction.

Related Reading

New SummerFi DeFi exploit shows AI automation now sits above smart contract risk

Blockaid estimated about $6 million drained as Summer.fi paused Lazy Summer vaults and investigated the cause.

Jul 7, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

PeckShield said the extracted USDC was swapped into 12,080 ETH and that 10,540 ETH had reached Tornado Cash by its update. Kiernan-Linn said Ostium was working with law enforcement, SEAL 911, and third-party security specialists.

The mechanics distinguish Ostium from a similar issue with Bonzo Lend, a Hedera lender hit four days earlier. Bonzo's incident report said its verifier accepted a proof carrying no valid signature. In Ostium's case, security firms allege the reports came through an authorized signer path: authentication succeeded, but the data was allegedly unsafe.

Related Reading

How a zeroed oracle signature unlocked $9M from Hedera DeFi lender Bonzo Lend

The verifier accepted identity inputs as proof, letting 250 SAUCE support $9.05 million in principal borrowing.

Jul 13, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

Ostium still has to establish whether a signer key was compromised, an authorized operator acted maliciously, or another privileged path was abused.

Its remediation will be judged by whether signer isolation, tight timestamp bounds, independent price checks, rate limits, and circuit breakers can prevent one trusted path from turning minutes of bad data into another vault payout.

The post How prices from the future fooled a crypto oracle into paying out up to $24 million appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Satsuma Technology passed its final proxy deadline today for its proposal to sell its entire Bitcoin treasury and cancel its London Stock Exchange listing,

This leaves the upcoming July 20 general meeting as the next decision point.

Approval of both resolutions would start a process to sell all its Bitcoin, return net cash and cancel its London Stock Exchange listing. The company held 668.48 BTC as of June 30.

Both special resolutions require at least 75% of the votes cast and are interdependent, meaning that failure of either would block both the capital return and the delisting. The cutoff applied to paper, online and CREST proxy instructions; eligible shareholders may still attend and vote in person at the July 20 meeting.

The proposal came from holders representing more than 20% of Satsuma's issued capital, which the board agreed to table without a formal requisition. A four-director majority of the six-member board recommends rejection, while two directors support the resolutions.

Trading was suspended at 7:30 a.m. on July 1 because the unresolved vote prevented Satsuma's directors and auditors from assessing its future in time to publish audited accounts by June 30. The company expects to have accounts by month-end and said it expects trading to resume afterward, subject to FCA approval.

Satsuma's June 30 fact pack valued its 668.48 BTC at £29.44 million against total NAV of £33.23 million. It reported 0.80x mNAV, no debt or other material liabilities, an average acquisition cost of £84,026 per BTC and an unrealized loss of £39,984 per coin at that snapshot.

Applying CryptoSlate's £48,372.69 Bitcoin price on July 16 to the June 30 balance produces a gross value of about £32.34 million. That is not a distribution estimate, but it captures the choice: preserve a listed vehicle trading below its coins or seek their value after costs.

Related Reading

Bitcoin treasury companies said they'd never sell – the bear market changed that fast

As debt, dividends, and buybacks enter the picture, some companies are starting to treat Bitcoin less like a sacred reserve and more like liquidity.

May 7, 2026 · Gino Matos

If both votes pass and the remaining approvals are obtained, the company's indicative timetable calls for selling all Bitcoin on or around Aug. 3 and issuing one non-tradable B share for each ordinary share around Aug. 4.

Cash after the sale would be reduced by £2 million for retained working capital and transaction and termination costs, and then divided among the B shares. A court confirmation hearing is expected on Sept. 8, with cancellation on Sept. 14 and payments by Sept. 28. Each date remains conditional.

Related Reading

A US Bitcoin treasury company sold every BTC because debt and Nasdaq pressure just closed in

New SEC filing ties a full BTC liquidation to debt repayment, collateral language, Nasdaq pressure and an AI pivot.

Jul 2, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

If either vote fails, this proposal triggers neither a Bitcoin sale nor listing cancellation. Satsuma says it would continue its treasury strategy, while the trading suspension would remain subject to the publication of accounts and FCA agreement.

Related Reading

Bitcoin treasury firms race to buy more BTC, but shareholders may pay the price

Capital B and BTC AB want more Bitcoin exposure, but their funding plans test how much dilution and financial risk investors will accept.

Jun 22, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

One price, very different recoveries

Satsuma's July 3 update separated former holders of its CLN1 and CLN2 convertible-loan tranches because the proposed pro rata distribution would produce sharply different recoveries relative to their original investments. Using a $59,923 Bitcoin scenario, it illustrated these returns per £100:

The figures are illustrations, not forecasts. They deduct estimated transaction costs and £2 million of working capital, assume the original CLN holders still own their shares, and present the CLN1 warrant cases net of about £3.2 million in exercise proceeds.

As of June 29, CryptoSlate's treasury-company analysis put Metaplanet at about 0.9x mNAV, and it had halted new common issuance below 1.0x. Satsuma's vote takes the same discount pressure further: shareholders can decide whether to exchange the wrapper for the assets underneath it.

The post Bitcoin treasury troubles reach London as company votes to sell its entire BTC stack and delist appeared first on CryptoSlate.

A $1,000 Bitcoin purchase made when Bitcoin crossed $120,000 this time last year is now worth $520. That leaves investors with a 47.98% loss and requires a 92.2% rebound to be made whole before fees.

CryptoSlate's Bitcoin market data shows a price of $64,073 as of press time.

The July 2025milestone marked its first move above $120,000, reaching a record $123,165. A later all-time high of $126,198 followed on Oct. 6, 2025.

Related Reading

Bitcoin crosses $126,000: Why BTC hit a new all-time high this week

Bitcoin faces record institutional demand and macroeconomic uncertainty, key drivers converging to push it to new highs.

Oct 7, 2025 · Gino Matos

The first pressure points sit well below either record. A rebound toward the anniversary entry would cross two on-chain cost bases, at which other investors may sell as their losses shrink.

The first recovery tests come before $100,000

Glassnode's Week 27 research placed the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis, an aggregate breakeven for recent buyers, near $72,200. It put the True Market Mean, a broader cost-basis measure for active investors, near $76,600. Bitcoin had traded roughly five months below both measures.

Those aggregate benchmark figures represent cohort averages and show where more investors could move back toward breakeven; individual entry prices and sell orders vary.

At the two nearest cost bases, the anniversary buyer's loss would shrink, while other holders would gain an earlier chance to exit.

Some may continue holding after returning to profit. Others may reduce exposure after spending months underwater. The strength of demand at those points determines whether that potential supply is absorbed.

Related Reading

Bitcoin whales send 49,000 BTC to exchanges as $60K rebound shows signs of weakness

Whale-sized deposits rose as Bitcoin tried to hold $60,000, raising the risk that fresh exchange supply could cap the recovery.

Jul 3, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Glassnode's July 13 update said Bitcoin's move toward $64,000 lacked broad conviction because spot participation and on-chain activity are weak. By July 15, the firm said long-term-holder capitulation was cooling, and buyers had absorbed the June lows, but it still described the bottom as a work in progress.

The two updates point to incremental improvement; clearing the first two cost bases still requires stronger demand. At $72,200 and $76,600, the relevant question is how much potential selling emerges and whether buyers absorb it.

Related Reading

Bitcoin price rebounds to $63K as leverage returns creating short term volatility risk

BTC has recovered from last week's low, but ETF persistence, spot volume, and $61,000-$62,000 support now decide whether the move has legs.

Jul 7, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

The anniversary buyer remains far from whole

Even retaking the psychological landmark of $100,000 would leave Bitcoin well below the July 2025 price. The recovery ladder separates two questions: whether the market can regain the cost bases of more recent participants, and whether a buyer near the 2025 record can recover the full loss.

Glassnode also kept downside risk open. Its July 8 report said the lower bear-market band near the $53,000 Realized Price remained possible. Glassnode presented $53,000 as residual risk and continued to describe the bottom as unconfirmed.

Bitcoin needs to recapture the two lower cost bases before $100,000 or $123,165 become relevant. A stronger recovery therefore depends first on demand absorbing potential de-risking near $72,200 and then near $76,600.

Until both checkpoints are reclaimed through broader participation, the anniversary buyer faces holders who can exit sooner.

The post Bitcoin must climb 92% to rescue last year’s $120K buyers and the escape routes begin at $72K appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Investment manager Brookstone Capital Management reported 12,380 shares of Volatility Shares' XRP ETF with a fair value of $71,059 in its June 30 quarter-end holdings disclosure. Yet, social media is spreading a narrative of a massive $71 million position.

Brookstone's June 30 information table filed with the SEC lists the Volatility Shares XRP ETF under CUSIP 92864M780, with 12,380 shares and a reported value of 71,059. Under the SEC's current reporting rule, that means $71,059.

X posts paired the share count with a rounded “$71M position.” Others repeated the $71 million interpretation just over an hour later. Since then, the figures have continued to do the rounds.

Related Reading

Here's the real XRP ETF launch timeline as DTCC is misread again

DTCC records show plumbing prep, not XRP ETF approval - here’s how to track real S-1, listing, and launch dates.

Nov 11, 2025 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

The filing unit changed in 2023

The $71 million figure matches what the filing's 71,059 value would mean under the obsolete pre-2023 thousands convention.

The SEC's Form 13F guidance says filings submitted on or after Jan. 3, 2023, report dollar values rounded to the nearest dollar. Before the amendment, values were reported to the nearest thousand dollars.

The agency made the technical change explicit in EDGAR Release 22.4.1, which said the XML value field would change from thousands to the nearest dollar on Jan. 3, 2023.

That leaves two readings of the same entry:

• Current convention: 71,059 means $71,059.
• Superseded convention: 71,059 would mean $71,059,000.

The obsolete reading is exactly 1,000 times the filing's actual value. The X posts rounded that stale-unit result to $71 million.

Dividing $71,059 by 12,380 gives about $5.74 of reported fair value per share. Applying the old unit would imply about $5,740 per share for the same holding. That per-share check shows why the $71 million reading does not seem possible.

Brookstone's March 31 information table reported 11,144 shares under the same CUSIP, valued at $84,469. According to CryptoSlate's analysis of its SEC filings, Brookstone filed the prior-quarter report on April 16, 2026, and the June 30 report on July 15, 2026.

Brookstone reported 11.1% more XRPI shares at the end of June than at the end of March, while the reported fair value fell 15.9%. The two snapshots show that the security appeared in both Q1 and Q2 disclosures, so Brookstone had already disclosed the same security in its first-quarter filing.

The dates matter, too. The July 15 filing disclosed a June 30 position; it did not report any new purchases on July 15 or July 16.

The security itself is another potential source of overstatement. Volatility Shares' official fund page identifies the product as XRPI, lists CUSIP 92864M780, and states that the fund uses instruments, including XRP futures. It also states directly that the fund does not invest in XRP itself. CryptoSlate covered XRPI's launch as a 1x XRP futures ETF in May 2025.

Brookstone's 13F therefore reports XRPI shares over which the adviser exercised investment discretion. It does not establish that Brookstone bought those shares for its own balance sheet, nor does it report direct ownership or custody of XRP tokens.

Related Reading

Volatility Shares debuts first 1x XRP futures ETF for US investors

In addition to the unleveraged XRP ETF, the issuer also offers a 2x leverage XRP futures ETF.

May 22, 2025 · Gino Matos

A four-step check for crypto 13F claims

As Q2 institutional filings generate new crypto narratives, the same sequence can separate a genuine change in exposure from a recycled or misread disclosure:

1. Confirm the reporting unit. Current Form 13F values are rounded to the nearest dollar, not the nearest thousand.
2. Check the value against the share count. Divide the reported value by the reported shares. If changing the assumed unit changes the implied figure by 1,000 times, inspect the filing rule before repeating the claim.
3. Compare the prior quarter. Match the CUSIP as well as the security name to determine whether the same holding appeared in an earlier disclosure.
4. Identify what the filer owned. Fund shares, futures-linked exposure and direct token ownership are different claims.

In Brookstone's case, an obsolete unit turned a five-figure fund disclosure into a false eight-figure narrative. The current SEC rule, the share count, the prior-quarter table, and the nature of XRPI all point back to the same figure: $71,059.

The post SEC filing shows viral $71 million XRP ETF claims are out by 1,000x appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Every bull run mints a hundred "Ethereum killers" and a thousand DeFi protocols promising 40,000% APY. Every bear market buries most of them. So the real question in 2026 isn't "what's the hottest new farm?" — it's "which platforms actually survived the exploits, the depegs, the regulatory squeeze, and the liquidity flight, and are still here holding real money?"

The answer is surprisingly short. A handful of protocols now anchor the entire ecosystem, and DefiLlama tracks DeFi TVL in the hundreds of billions across thousands of protocols — but the top ten capture the overwhelming majority of that capital. Below are the five that best combine size, staying power, and a business model that still works when the incentives dry up.

Why did most DeFi platforms die — and these didn't?

Before the list, it's worth understanding the filter. Surviving in DeFi means clearing four hurdles that killed everyone else. First, security: DeFi hacks have drained billions, and one bad oracle design or unaudited contract ends a protocol overnight. Second, sticky TVL: plenty of projects juiced their numbers with token emissions, then watched liquidity evaporate the moment rewards fell. Third, real revenue: a protocol that doesn't earn fees is just a subsidy program with a countdown timer. Fourth, regulatory endurance: with MiCA now shaping how Europeans access crypto, protocols that couldn't adapt got squeezed out of major markets.

The five below cleared all four. Here's who they are.

1. Lido — the liquid staking giant that refuses to shrink

Lido is the closest thing DeFi has to infrastructure. As a liquid staking protocol, it lets you stake ETH (and assets on several other chains) while handing you a liquid token — stETH — that you can then deploy across the rest of DeFi. Stake, stay liquid, keep earning. It's the killer feature that solved one of crypto's oldest problems: locked capital.

That utility has kept Lido perennially at or near the top of the TVL rankings, with the protocol still commanding well into the double-digit billions in 2026. The trade-off is concentration risk — Lido controls a large slice of all staked ETH, which raises legitimate governance and decentralization concerns. But its audits are battle-tested (with a public bug bounty running into the millions), and its 10% fee on staking rewards gives it one of the most durable revenue streams in the space. Lido didn't survive by hype. It survived by being useful every single day.

2. Aave — the lending blue-chip that keeps compounding

If Lido is DeFi's savings account, Aave is its bank. It pioneered the modern lending market: deposit assets to earn interest, or post collateral to borrow against it, all through smart contracts with no middleman. Aave also invented "flash loans" — uncollateralized loans that must be borrowed and repaid inside a single transaction — which became an industry-standard primitive.

In 2026, Aave remains the undisputed leader of DeFi lending, holding well over ten billion in TVL and consistently ranking as the single largest lending protocol, capturing a dominant share of the entire category. Crucially, it earns real money: borrow interest, liquidation fees, and flash-loan fees all feed the treasury, and since 2025 Aave has been buying back its own token with that revenue. Deep liquidity, wide multi-chain support (Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Avalanche and more), and the ongoing V4 upgrade keep it firmly in the "too important to fail" category.

3. Uniswap — the DEX that outlasted every "Uniswap killer"

Countless projects launched to dethrone Uniswap. None did. What began as a simple automated market maker is now a multi-chain trading powerhouse that routinely processes more volume than many centralized exchanges. Its V3 concentrated-liquidity model gave liquidity providers dramatically better capital efficiency, and UniswapX brought intent-based, MEV-protected, cross-chain swaps.

Uniswap's TVL — in the low-single-digit billions — looks modest next to the lending and staking giants, but that misreads how a DEX works. The right yardstick is volume and fees, and on that measure Uniswap sits at the very top of the DEX stack with meaningful annualized revenue. It launched V4 only after nine separate audits and a multi-million-dollar bug bounty. When people say "just swap it on-chain," they almost always mean Uniswap. That default-choice status is exactly why it's still here.

💡 Trading beyond DeFi? If you also want regulated access to stocks, ETFs, and crypto in one place, XTB is a solid multi-asset broker to have alongside your on-chain wallet. And if you're choosing where to on-ramp, compare the MiCA-regulated exchanges here to stay compliant in the EU.

4. Morpho — the efficiency layer that became a lending powerhouse

Morpho is the newest name on this list, and its survival story is different: it out-engineered the incumbents. It started as an optimization layer sitting on top of Aave and Compound to squeeze better rates out of them, then evolved into Morpho Blue — a minimal, flexible base layer where anyone can spin up an isolated lending market with its own risk parameters.

That architecture has propelled Morpho into the multi-billion-dollar TVL tier and made it one of the top lending venues in all of DeFi. It functions less like a fee-hungry treasury and more like neutral lending "rails," with curator-managed markets (run by risk specialists like Gauntlet) tuning parameters per market. It's audited, formally verified, contest-tested, and runs a live bug bounty. Morpho proves that in 2026 you can still break into the top tier — but only by being genuinely better infrastructure, not by paying people to show up.

5. Sky (formerly MakerDAO) — the original stablecoin machine

The protocol once known as MakerDAO — now rebranded as Sky — is the grandfather of decentralized stablecoins, and it's arguably the best pure business on this entire list. It issues a crypto-backed stablecoin against overcollateralized deposits, and its Sky Savings Rate gives holders a native yield that ripples across the ecosystem (its lending arm, Spark, tracks that rate directly).

Sky sits above six billion in TVL, but the headline number undersells it: its annualized revenue is far higher than most names here, making it a genuine cash machine rather than an incentive-fueled mirage. It runs one of the largest public bug-bounty programs in DeFi. More than a decade after its launch, Sky is still doing the same fundamental thing — turning volatile collateral into a stable, yield-bearing dollar — and still doing it profitably. That's what survival looks like.

Which DeFi platform is right for you in 2026?

There's a clear logic to these five. Want yield on ETH without locking it up? Lido. Want to lend, borrow, or leverage? Aave for depth and safety, Morpho for efficiency and higher rates. Want to trade or provide liquidity? Uniswap. Want a stablecoin backbone with real savings yield? Sky. Between them they cover staking, lending, trading, and stablecoins — the four load-bearing pillars of the entire on-chain economy.

A word of caution, though: TVL rankings move daily, and even blue-chips carry smart-contract, oracle, liquidation, and governance risk. Always verify live figures on DefiLlama before deploying capital, size your positions for the possibility of an exploit, and never chase a headline APY you can't explain. DeFi in 2026 is more mature than ever — but "mature" is not the same as "risk-free."

Trump Backs a Transatlantic Stablecoin Deal — Why Now?

The biggest crypto story of the last 24 hours isn't a price candle — it's a political one. President Trump has strengthened support for a new UK-US stablecoin framework as the Senate races to advance the CLARITY Act despite growing opposition from banking groups over its stablecoin provisions.

The framework itself came out of a body called the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future. Created in September 2025, the taskforce described stablecoins as "an important vehicle for innovation in digital money," and both governments agree that properly regulated stablecoins can improve cross-border payments, financial market infrastructure, and competition while giving businesses more consistent regulatory treatment across both jurisdictions.

The technical bar the two sides set is the important part. Regulated stablecoins should be backed one-to-one with clearly defined, high-quality liquid reserve assets under each country's legal framework. And crucially for anyone holding these tokens: during insolvency or restructuring, stablecoin holders should have legally protected claims over reserve assets ahead of other creditors, subject to domestic insolvency laws.

Trump's motive isn't subtle. He has repeatedly linked crypto legislation to his goal of making the United States the "crypto capital of the world" and has continued pushing the Senate to pass the CLARITY Act before the August recess. 

What Is the CLARITY Act — and Why Is It Stuck?

If you've lost track of this bill, you're not alone — it's been grinding through Washington for over a year. The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is a federal market-structure bill that would divide digital-asset oversight between the SEC and CFTC, set intermediary rules, address self-custody and BSA coverage, and add anti-CBDC provisions. It cleared the House with bipartisan support back in July 2025.

Since then it's been trapped in the Senate over one issue above all others. The bill has been bogged down over a highly contentious provision regarding stablecoins and whether digital asset firms can offer yield to customers.

Why Are US Banks Revolting Against It?

This is where the fight gets real. Banks don't hate crypto abstractly here — they're worried about their own deposit base. Banking groups have argued that several provisions remain too unclear and could encourage consumers and businesses to move money from traditional bank accounts into stablecoins. They've warned that sustained deposit outflows could place additional pressure on community and regional banks that depend heavily on customer deposits for lending, and have called on lawmakers to tighten the bill's wording before it moves forward. 

The numbers behind that fear are eye-watering. Standard Chartered analysts previously estimated that a yield provision, if enacted, could redirect up to $1 trillion in deposits away from traditional banks toward stablecoin products by 2028. That's the entire ballgame for why the American Bankers Association has fought this line by line.

Interestingly, even parts of the crypto industry aren't fully on board with the current draft. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support for the CLARITY Act shortly before a Senate Banking Committee review, calling the draft "materially worse than the current status quo" — a reminder that "bad crypto law" worries both sides for very different reasons. 

How Does This Tie Into Europe and MiCA?

For EU readers, the transatlantic angle matters. Europe already has its rulebook — MiCA — live and enforced, with fully-backed reserve and redemption requirements that look a lot like what the US and UK just agreed to in principle. The direction of travel globally is now clearly toward one-to-one backed, legally ring-fenced stablecoins. If you're choosing where to hold or trade them, using a MiCA-regulated exchange is the safest bet as these frameworks harden.

Want a MiCA-compliant home for your crypto? We've compared the leading MiCA-regulated exchanges on fees, supported stablecoins and security. [ See the full comparison → ]

Bitcoin Price Analysis: Cooling Inflation Meets Political Tailwinds

While the regulatory drama plays out, the market got its own jolt from macro data. $Bitcoin hit a three-week high above $65K after US inflation data showed the Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% in June — the largest monthly drop since April 2020, with annual inflation slowing to 3.5%, below analyst forecasts. Core inflation, stripping out food and energy, eased to 2.6% from 2.9%.

That reset rate-hike expectations almost instantly. Odds of a Fed rate hike this month fell from 43% to just 13% right after the data came out. Not everyone is convinced it lasts, though. The inflation drop was largely driven by lower oil prices in June amid a US-Iran ceasefire — but with fighting resumed, Brent crude has climbed back toward $80, which could show up in July's CPI data.

As of writing, momentum has cooled slightly. Bitcoin is still around 3% higher over 24 hours but slipped about 0.5% since midnight, with Ether up 4.7% in 24 hours before a similar pullback. The levels to watch: traders are eyeing $64,800 resistance closely, with some warning of a possible lower high, while a sell wall sits at $65,000. A clean break above there opens the door toward the June high near $67,250. Sentiment is still fragile, though — the Crypto Fear and Greed Index rose to 25 but remains in "extreme fear" territory.

Upcoming Events to Watch

• CLARITY Act Senate action — Trump wants it passed before the August recess; watch for a floor vote and any last-minute yield-provision compromise.
• US PPI & PCE data — Producer prices are due imminently, with PCE near month-end; both feed the Fed's next read on inflation.
• July FOMC meeting (July 28–29) — the rate decision that all the CPI positioning is really about.
• Oil / Strait of Hormuz — the wildcard that could reignite inflation and drag on risk assets.

Japan has taken one of its most significant steps toward integrating cryptocurrencies into the traditional financial system.

The Japanese parliament has passed an amendment formally designating cryptocurrencies as “financial assets.” Until now, crypto assets in Japan were primarily regulated under the country’s Payment Services Act. The new classification brings them closer to financial products such as stocks, bonds and investment funds.

The decision could eventually lead to lower taxes, stronger investor protections and the introduction of regulated cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds in Japan.

However, the reform does not mean that Japanese Bitcoin ETFs are already trading or that every crypto investor will immediately benefit from a 20% tax rate. Further regulatory and tax implementation measures will still be required.

What changes under Japan’s new crypto law?

By bringing crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, Japan is shifting its regulatory focus from payments toward investment and market oversight.

Crypto exchanges and other financial institutions could face rules similar to those applied to traditional securities companies. These may include stricter disclosure obligations, enhanced consumer protections and controls against insider trading and market manipulation.

Earlier proposals from Japan’s Financial Services Agency suggested applying the new framework to more than 100 cryptocurrencies available through approved Japanese exchanges, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The legislation could therefore make Japan’s crypto market more regulated, but also more accessible to traditional financial institutions.

Will Japan reduce crypto taxes to 20%?

Japan currently treats many cryptocurrency profits as miscellaneous income. Depending on an investor’s total income, the combined tax rate can reach approximately 55%.

This has long been criticized by Japanese crypto companies and investors. Traditional stock gains, by comparison, are generally taxed separately at around 20%.

The new financial-asset classification establishes the legal foundation for Japan to move eligible crypto gains toward a similar separate taxation system. Reports indicate that lawmakers are targeting an effective rate of approximately 20%, although the tax reduction is expected to require separate implementation and may not take effect until 2028.

Reducing the rate from as much as 55% to around 20% could encourage Japanese investors to keep their trading activity inside regulated domestic platforms rather than moving funds abroad.

It could also make Bitcoin and Ethereum more attractive as long-term investment assets.

Does the law approve Bitcoin ETFs?

The law does not appear to provide immediate approval for a Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF.

Instead, classifying cryptocurrencies as financial products removes one of the most important legal barriers preventing crypto assets from being included in conventional investment products.

Japan’s regulators could now develop rules allowing investment trusts and exchange-traded funds to hold Bitcoin, Ethereum or other approved crypto assets.

Previous reports said the reform was designed partly to open the door to products such as crypto ETFs. The timing will depend on detailed regulations, product applications and approval from Japanese financial authorities.

Therefore, the most accurate interpretation is that Japan has created a potential pathway for Bitcoin ETFs—not that such funds have already been approved.

Could Japanese Bitcoin ETFs move the crypto market?

Japan is one of the world’s largest economies and has a substantial household savings market.

Japanese investors held more than 5 trillion yen in crypto assets in mid-2025, equivalent to roughly $33 billion at the time. The amount had increased by approximately 25% within one month, demonstrating growing domestic interest in digital assets.

A regulated Bitcoin ETF could give pension funds, asset managers, banks and cautious retail investors a more familiar way to gain crypto exposure.

The immediate market impact would depend on the size of the products and the amount of capital they attract. Japan’s decision alone does not guarantee large Bitcoin purchases.

Nevertheless, the combination of lower taxation and regulated ETFs could gradually unlock a new source of demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Why Japan’s decision matters globally

Japan was among the first major countries to establish a formal licensing system for cryptocurrency exchanges following several high-profile industry failures.

The new legislation represents the next stage of that approach. Instead of treating crypto mainly as a speculative payment technology, Japan is recognizing it as part of the broader investment market.

The shift also reflects a wider international trend. Governments are increasingly moving from debating whether crypto should exist toward deciding how it should be regulated, taxed and integrated into financial markets.

Japan’s decision could place additional pressure on other Asian economies to create competitive tax and investment frameworks.

What happens next?

Investors should now watch for three major developments:

First, Japan must publish detailed regulations explaining which crypto assets and companies will fall under the new financial framework.

Second, lawmakers must finalize the proposed tax changes, including the eligibility requirements and implementation date for the approximately 20% rate.

Third, Japanese asset managers may begin preparing applications for Bitcoin or Ethereum investment products once regulators establish an ETF framework.

The law is therefore an important milestone, but it is the beginning of Japan’s next crypto phase rather than the final step.

Japan crypto outlook

Recognizing cryptocurrencies as financial assets could fundamentally reshape Japan’s digital-asset market.

Lower taxes may encourage more domestic participation, while regulated ETFs could provide access to investors who currently avoid cryptocurrency exchanges. Stronger market rules could also improve institutional confidence.

For Bitcoin, the long-term impact may be more important than the immediate price reaction.

Japan has not simply announced support for crypto. It has started building the legal infrastructure required to place digital assets alongside traditional investments—and that could eventually bring a new wave of capital into the market.

Bitcoin has finally punched through the $65,000 wall that capped every rally for the past month. After grinding sideways for weeks, BTC exploded off its early-July lows and reclaimed the level that bulls have been staring at since mid-June. The move is fast, it's clean, and it's got a real macro story behind it — which is exactly why traders are suddenly paying attention again.

Let's break down what happened, why it happened, and where the charts say we're going next.

Why did Bitcoin break above $65,000?

The short answer: inflation cooled and the Fed rate-hike fear evaporated. Bitcoin pushed toward $65,000 as a sharper-than-expected slowdown in US inflation weakened the case for another near-term Federal Reserve rate move. June CPI came in soft, and that single data point flipped market psychology from defensive to risk-on almost overnight.

But this isn't a one-catalyst story. Several things stacked up at the same time:

• Relief bounce. The stream of bad news that dragged BTC under $58,000 on July 1 — including chatter around Michael Saylor trimming part of his stack — has dried up. When the bad news stops, price tends to snap back.
• Regulatory tailwinds. There's growing buzz around a fresh version of the Crypto Clarity Act, plus Circle securing approval to set up a national trust bank. Regulatory clarity is rocket fuel for institutional confidence.
• ETF inflows. Weekly Bitcoin ETF inflows have been running north of $1.3 billion, a strong signal that big money is accumulating, not fleeing.
• Seasonality. July has historically been a reliably green month for Bitcoin. The calendar was quietly on the bulls' side the whole time.

From a low near $58,000 at the start of the month to above $65,000 now, that's a move of roughly 15% in two weeks. Not bad for a coin everyone had written off as "boring" ten days ago.

Bitcoin price analysis: what the chart says

On the 2-hour chart, the structure is textbook. BTC spent the back half of June and early July carving out a base, put in a clear higher low around the $58,000 zone (the level marked as major support), and has now driven straight into the $65,000 resistance that rejected price back in late June.

The key levels to watch:

• $65,000 — the line in the sand. This capped the June rally and is the level BTC is now testing. A clean 2-hour or daily close above $65,000 turns old resistance into new support and opens the door higher.
• $67,300 — the next real obstacle. This was the lower high printed on June 15. To convince anyone that a real trend change is underway, bulls need to take this out. Until they do, this remains "just a bounce" for the skeptics.
• $58,000 — the floor. As long as BTC holds above this, the broader structure stays constructive.

Momentum backs the move: RSI on the lower timeframe has surged toward 67 and is pointing up, showing real buying pressure rather than a limp drift higher. It's not yet screaming "overbought," which leaves room for continuation.

Prediction: If Bitcoin holds $65,000 as support on a retest, the path of least resistance points to $67,300 first, then a run at $70,000, which analysts have flagged as the natural upside target if the $58,000 base holds. The bullish scenario needs that June high taken out to confirm. The bearish scenario is simple: rejection at $65,000, a slip back below, and a re-test of $62,000–$58,000. Watch the reaction at the line — that's where this gets decided.

One honest caveat: some analysts warn the inflation-relief pop may already be fading, and geopolitical risk in the Middle East hasn't gone anywhere. This is a real breakout attempt, not a guaranteed one.

How are ETH, XRP, SOL and DOGE reacting?

Altcoins are riding Bitcoin's coattails — and in several cases outperforming it on the day:

• Ethereum ($ETH): trading around $1,875, up roughly 5–6% on the day. ETH is leading the majors, helped by news that Morgan Stanley pushed forward updated S-1 filings for spot ETH and SOL ETFs. Staking demand keeps grinding higher in the background.
• $XRP: around $1.10, up close to 4%. Social sentiment on XRP has turned notably bullish — though it's worth noting that historically, loud XRP optimism has sometimes preceded pullbacks, so keep expectations measured.
• Solana ($SOL): near $77–78, up around 3–3.7%. SOL is a direct beneficiary of the Morgan Stanley ETF filing story and remains one of the higher-beta plays when risk appetite returns.
• Dogecoin ($DOGE): around $0.074, up roughly 3%. Classic DOGE behavior — it wakes up when Bitcoin runs and the mood turns risk-on.

The broad tape is green: total crypto market cap climbed back toward $2.3 trillion, up nearly 3% on the day, with Bitcoin dominance holding around 56%. When BTC leads and alts follow without dominance collapsing, it usually signals a healthy, BTC-led leg rather than a frothy alt blow-off.

Trading the majors and want regulated access? If you're in Europe, make sure your exchange is MiCA-compliant. Compare the top MiCA-regulated exchanges here to trade $BTC, $ETH, $XRP, $SOL and $DOGE with proper regulatory coverage.

Bottom line

Bitcoin breaking $65,000 is the most convincing move BTC has made in weeks, and it's backed by a genuine macro shift: cooling inflation, fading Fed-hike fears, strong ETF inflows and improving regulatory optics. The technicals agree, with a clean higher-low base and momentum turning up.

The catch is confirmation. Bulls must hold $65,000 and then clear the $67,300 June high to prove this is a trend change and not just the best relief bounce of the summer. Reclaim those levels and $70,000 is squarely in play. Lose $65,000 and we're right back to chopping between $62,000 and $58,000.

Bitcoin Price Breaks $64,000 After Cooling CPI Inflation

The trigger was a single data point: US Consumer Price Index inflation came in at 3.5%, well below the 3.8% markets expected. Cooler inflation is exactly what risk-on traders had been waiting for, and Bitcoin responded instantly, punching through $64,000. Ethereum followed, climbing toward $1,900 as the broader crypto market caught the bid.

$135M in Short Liquidations Fuel the Crypto Market Surge

Rallies this sharp are rarely just spot buying. As Bitcoin ripped higher, traders betting on lower prices got caught on the wrong side — and in a 60-minute window, $135 million in short positions were liquidated. Each forced liquidation buys back the asset to close the position, adding fuel to the move that triggered it. That short squeeze cascade is why the candle went vertical rather than grinding up slowly.

Why Cooling CPI Inflation Boosts Rate Cut Odds

This is the real story beneath the price action. Inflation cooling to 3.5% strengthens the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates sooner. Lower rates are broadly bullish for crypto: cheaper money pushes investors out of safe yield and into higher-risk assets like Bitcoin, and rate cuts typically weaken the dollar, historically a tailwind for crypto. Markets are now repricing the odds of a cut, and that repricing is showing up directly on the charts.

Bitcoin Price and Ethereum Price Outlook

The immediate direction hinges on whether the move holds above key levels — $64,000 for $Bitcoin and the approach to $1,900 for $Ethereum. Holding confirms the breakout; failing could signal the rally was driven more by liquidations than conviction. The bigger swing factor is the Fed: if more data confirms the cooling trend, rate cut expectations firm up. If the next print runs hot, today's optimism could reverse just as fast.

Project Eleven says a new post-quantum cryptographic proof could help Bitcoin users recover wallets after Q-Day by verifying ownership.

Mira Murati's Inkling won't dethrone the best Chinese open-weights models, but it gives Western developers something they haven't yet had.

The Visa Stablecoin Platform will let financial institutions integrate stablecoin payments and treasury operations into Visa's existing network.

The post-CPI rally gave XRP a nudge. The coin barely moved. Now the chart is filling in the picture.

The wallet holding nearly 5,908 BTC since 2017 transferred its entire balance to a new address.

XRP's whale-to-retail gap on Binance returns to a level last seen in early May, while the trend remains significantly high on other exchanges.

Exactly 16 years ago today, Satoshi Nakamoto outlined the exact code-upgrade mechanism developers are deploying right now to survive the quantum threat.

Payments giant MoneyGram has joined the Stellar network as a Tier 1 validator.

Learn what not to do to protect your crypto wallet as Kaspersky warns of OkoBot, a dangerous new malware hijacking official apps to drain funds.

With nearly $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options set to expire, market participants will be watching closely.

Quick Overview

• NetApp purchases DataPelago to enhance enterprise AI infrastructure
• Zero-copy processing technology enables faster AI data activation
• Nucleus platform processes data directly at storage level
• Transaction aims to reduce costs and improve processing speeds
• Move aligns with NetApp’s intelligent data infrastructure vision

Shares of NetApp, Inc. (NTAP) declined 2.11% to $158.68 following the company’s announcement of its DataPelago acquisition. This strategic purchase enhances NetApp’s enterprise data capabilities with innovative technology that speeds up AI and analytics operations. The move reinforces the company’s vision of processing corporate data directly where it’s stored.

NetApp, Inc., NTAP

DataPelago purchase bolsters NetApp’s AI infrastructure offerings

NetApp completed its acquisition of California-headquartered DataPelago to enhance its intelligent data infrastructure capabilities. This strategic transaction introduces technology that eliminates data processing roadblocks commonly faced in AI and analytics operations. The deal enables NetApp to activate corporate data without generating redundant copies.

DataPelago created Nucleus, a comprehensive data processing engine designed for enterprise systems. This platform leverages both CPUs and GPUs to handle information directly at the storage location. Organizations can now minimize unnecessary data transfers before deploying AI solutions.

The unified platform enables zero-copy data activation throughout enterprise systems. Companies can prepare, manage, and analyze information without moving it to separate AI infrastructure. NetApp anticipates the merger will boost operational efficiency and streamline enterprise AI implementations.

Nucleus platform promises accelerated enterprise data operations

The Nucleus system integrates accelerated computing capabilities directly within the storage infrastructure rather than relying on external processing clusters. This methodology enables companies to handle data closer to its source location. The framework minimizes latency issues resulting from continuous data migrations.

NetApp reports the technology could slash infrastructure expenses by up to 80%. The system also achieves processing velocities up to ten times faster than traditional approaches. This design maximizes the utilization of existing GPU assets across intensive computational tasks.

Companies across diverse sectors currently deploy this technology for extensive data operations. The system supports both analytics and AI initiatives while enhancing infrastructure capabilities. Businesses can execute sophisticated processing operations with reduced infrastructure demands.

Deal advances NetApp’s comprehensive enterprise AI vision

This purchase represents another step in NetApp’s ongoing expansion within enterprise AI and intelligent data infrastructure markets. The organization recently strengthened collaborations with Cisco, Google Cloud, Red Hat, and SK Telecom. This latest deal introduces additional functionality to its expanding enterprise suite.

Post-acquisition, DataPelago will function as a completely owned NetApp subsidiary. The integration merges storage infrastructure with advanced data processing capabilities. The combined solution targets improved enterprise data oversight across hybrid computing environments.

The transaction highlights growing market demand for infrastructure supporting production-grade AI implementations. While organizations invest heavily in AI hardware, data preparation continues presenting significant operational hurdles. NetApp positions its enhanced platform to help enterprises accelerate data processing while boosting operational performance.

The post NetApp (NTAP) Stock Dips as Company Buys DataPelago for AI Enhancement appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Constellation commits capital to Blue Energy’s small modular reactor initiative
• Blue Energy pursues innovative prefabrication approach for nuclear facilities
• Deal enables deployment of GE Vernova’s BWRX-300 reactor technology
• Texas nuclear facility planned with site work beginning in 2026
• CEG stock declined 3.34% following strategic investment announcement

Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG) stock dropped 3.34% to $249.49 even as the company revealed a significant investment in Blue Energy. This capital injection aims to accelerate small modular reactor deployment through an innovative approach combining advanced financing with streamlined construction techniques. The move strengthens Constellation Technology Ventures’ position in next-generation nuclear power development nationwide.

Constellation Energy Corporation, CEG

Strategic equity stake fuels nuclear innovation

Constellation Technology Ventures has committed equity funding to Blue Energy in support of the developer’s ambitious nuclear generation plans. This marks the venture division’s inaugural investment in a domestic small modular reactor developer. The commitment reinforces Constellation’s mission to broaden access to dependable carbon-free electricity generation.

Blue Energy’s strategy centers on applying shipyard-style manufacturing techniques to nuclear facility construction for enhanced efficiency. The company seeks to merge established reactor designs with innovative project financing structures to minimize construction risks. This methodology promises accelerated timelines and enhanced budget certainty for nuclear projects.

The collaboration specifically advances Blue Energy’s efforts to implement the GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor platform. Constellation manages America’s most extensive nuclear generation portfolio and contributes decades of operational knowledge. This relationship provides Blue Energy with critical industry insights and commercial deployment capabilities.

Milestone achievements position Blue Energy for growth

Blue Energy addresses longstanding financial and construction obstacles that have hindered nuclear project advancement for decades. The developer employs large-scale robotic prefabrication techniques borrowed from offshore energy and LNG infrastructure sectors. These methods are designed to enhance project delivery and attract investment capital.

Blue Energy successfully raised $380 million earlier this year while forging a strategic alliance with GE Vernova. The partners aim to create a multi-gigawatt gas-to-nuclear conversion project integrating gas turbines with BWRX-300 reactors. This initiative facilitates the shift toward sustainable nuclear power generation.

The company achieved a crucial regulatory advancement with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval in recent months. This authorization advances its staged gas-to-nuclear conversion approach and implementation timeline. Blue Energy anticipates commencing preliminary site activities in Texas throughout 2026 ahead of pursuing final investment authorization in 2027.

Rising electricity needs drive nuclear technology adoption

Electricity consumption keeps climbing due to manufacturing expansion, transportation electrification, and proliferating data center development. Power providers increasingly examine advanced nuclear solutions to deliver consistent, emissions-free electricity. Small modular reactors attract attention for offering flexible capacity additions with repeatable manufacturing processes.

Constellation has persistently broadened its clean energy portfolio through strategic investments complementing its current nuclear assets. The organization generates more zero-carbon electricity than any competing American energy company through its reactor fleet. Beyond maintaining existing facilities, the company actively investigates technologies that can bolster future generation capabilities.

The Blue Energy commitment demonstrates mounting industry focus on achievable deployment frameworks rather than experimental reactor designs. The alliance merges utility operational expertise, validated reactor platforms, and novel construction approaches within a unified development framework. Both organizations aim to expedite commercial nuclear rollout while enhancing financing accessibility for upcoming small modular reactor initiatives.

The post Constellation Energy (CEG) Stock Takes Strategic Stake in Blue Energy’s SMR Initiative appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Defense Department awards Eos Energy contract for Golden Dome initiative energy storage.
• EOSE stock declines 8.40% following announcement of significant defense partnership.
• Company to install Z3 battery technology at strategic defense facility.
• Partnership underscores growing need for domestically manufactured energy storage solutions.
• Pennsylvania manufacturing facility expansion positioned to meet rising defense and commercial demand.

Shares of Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. (EOSE) dropped 8.40% to close at $4.0023 even as the company announced a significant partnership with U.S. defense authorities. The collaboration involves providing long-duration energy storage solutions for vital national security infrastructure. Furthermore, this agreement reinforces Eos’ position as a supplier of domestically produced energy technology for essential government applications.

Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc., EOSE

Defense Department selects Eos for Golden Dome energy storage initiative

Eos revealed a collaborative agreement with the Department of War to advance the Golden Dome for America program. The company was awarded a contract to deliver mission-critical long-duration energy storage capabilities for national security infrastructure. This partnership establishes Eos as a key participant in a significant federal defense initiative centered on dependable power systems.

President Donald Trump announced the award at Senator Dave McCormick’s Defense and National Security Summit held in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He noted that Eos obtained a multi-million-dollar contract to manufacture energy storage solutions supporting the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Consequently, this announcement elevated the company’s profile in the defense sector considerably.

The first deployment phase involves installing Eos’ Z3 zinc-based long-duration energy storage technology at a strategic military facility. This initial installation will validate the system’s ability to provide dependable backup power for defense activities and operational preparedness. Additionally, the program framework permits future scaling as national security power infrastructure needs expand.

Domestically produced battery systems address infrastructure requirements

Eos explained that its Z3 platform utilizes non-combustible aqueous zinc chemistry specifically engineered for extended-duration energy storage applications. The company further disclosed that the system comprises approximately 91% domestically sourced components and depends on a primarily U.S.-centered supply network. The technology satisfies Section 842 NDAA and FEOC compliance standards for secure component sourcing.

Chief Executive Officer Joe Mastrangelo stated the contract validates the company’s sustained commitment to American innovation, domestic production, and supply chain development. He emphasized that Eos has proven its capability to produce sophisticated energy storage systems at commercial scale. Chief Administration Officer Michelle Buczkowski noted the company dedicated the previous year to fulfilling compliance protocols and technical specifications demanded by defense applications.

Dependable electrical power has emerged as increasingly vital for military installations and other critical infrastructure throughout the nation. Long-duration energy storage delivers backup electricity during power disruptions while enabling continuous operations for mission-essential activities. Therefore, choosing a commercially available domestic solution demonstrates expanding governmental focus on resilient energy infrastructure.

Production facility expansion enables increased output capacity

Senator Dave McCormick stated that American innovation should power the Golden Dome initiative and enhance military energy infrastructure. He further emphasized the project would generate manufacturing employment opportunities in Pennsylvania while advancing domestic industrial capabilities. The collaboration integrates national defense priorities with local economic advancement.

Eos is actively expanding production operations through its Thorn Hill manufacturing complex located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company verified that its second battery production line has commenced commercial operations. Furthermore, the facility enhances the Z3 platform’s automated production capabilities while accommodating future output expansion.

The company targets increasing annual production capacity in Allegheny County to 8 gigawatt-hours. Eos also anticipates the expansion will reinforce domestic supply networks and advance American energy sovereignty. Moreover, the company projects creating 1,000 employment positions as manufacturing capacity grows in response to future defense and commercial requirements.

The post Eos Energy Enterprises (EOSE) Stock Drops 8.4% After Landing Major Defense Energy Storage Contract appeared first on Blockonomi.

Quick Summary

• TSMC delivered record AI-fueled earnings, yet investors sold off shares in a profit-taking move
• UnitedHealth exceeded forecasts and upgraded annual guidance, boosting the healthcare sector
• Netflix set to announce quarterly results tonight with attention on advertising revenue and subscriber metrics
• Crude oil maintained elevated levels near monthly peaks, stoking inflation worries and Fed policy concerns
• ASML delivered impressive figures, though semiconductor equities struggled to gain momentum amid sky-high expectations

TSMC Posts Record Results Amid AI Boom, Yet Stock Slides

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing unveiled impressive quarterly figures once again. The chipmaker achieved all-time high revenue and earnings, powered by robust AI chip demand from major clients such as Nvidia, Apple, AMD, and Broadcom.

However, the stock retreated following the earnings release. Market participants seemed to lock in gains after shares had climbed substantially heading into the announcement.

This response mirrors a broader pattern emerging this earnings season. Numerous technology companies are trading at premium valuations that demand flawless execution, leaving little room for upside even when results exceed expectations. Forward-looking commentary has become increasingly critical for stock performance.

UnitedHealth Exceeds Expectations and Lifts Sector

UnitedHealth emerged as a standout performer today following better-than-expected earnings and an upward revision to its annual forecast.

The company saw strength across both its insurance operations and care delivery segments. This performance helped dispel worries about escalating medical expenses that had pressured healthcare equities in recent months.

The positive update triggered a broad advance in healthcare names. As some capital rotates away from expensive technology stocks, the healthcare sector has gained traction thanks to predictable cash generation and consistent profit expansion. UnitedHealth’s quarterly report validated this investment thesis.

All Eyes on Netflix’s After-Hours Earnings Release

Netflix plans to unveil its quarterly performance after today’s trading session concludes. Market participants are focused on subscriber additions, ad-tier momentum, and forward guidance for upcoming quarters.

The advertising-based membership option has emerged as a crucial growth engine for the streaming platform. Netflix has also ventured into live content and sports broadcasting, diversifying its revenue base beyond conventional subscription fees.

Mirroring trends among other technology leaders this reporting period, management’s forward outlook may prove more influential than the actual earnings beat itself.

Energy Markets Hold Firm at Elevated Levels

Crude oil prices held steady near recent monthly highs. Ongoing geopolitical instability in Middle Eastern regions supported prices, creating additional uncertainty for broader financial markets.

Elevated energy costs could complicate the Federal Reserve’s efforts to achieve its inflation objectives. Rising fuel expenses also increase operational burdens for companies spanning transportation, industrial production, and numerous other sectors.

Investors will monitor energy markets closely in coming weeks. Persistent price strength could alter rate cut expectations and create headwinds for corporate profitability as the year progresses.

ASML’s Strong Quarter Validates AI Infrastructure Spending Thesis

ASML delivered robust quarterly results driven by continued demand for its cutting-edge lithography systems. Management maintained an optimistic stance on AI-driven capital expenditure, highlighting ongoing expansion in global chip manufacturing capabilities.

Yet semiconductor stocks failed to mount a significant rally despite the encouraging update. Market participants appear to be demanding exceptional performance, requiring companies to not merely surpass estimates but repeatedly exceed aggressive growth projections.

ASML’s quarterly report does validate an important narrative: capital investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure remains robust, sustaining demand throughout the semiconductor ecosystem.

The post Market Movers Today: TSMC, UnitedHealth (UNH), Netflix (NFLX), Oil Prices, and ASML Take Center Stage appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Shares of Lululemon declined 1.7% in early trading following a Sell rating from Truist Securities
• The firm reduced its price objective to $94 from $115, pointing to unclear turnaround prospects
• Comparable sales in the Americas have now declined for five consecutive quarters through Q1
• Wall Street sentiment has shifted dramatically, with only one Buy rating versus 30 Holds and three Sells
• New CEO Heidi O’Neill will assume leadership in September amid challenging conditions

Shares of Lululemon experienced a 1.7% decline in Wednesday’s pre-market session following Truist Securities’ decision to downgrade the athletic apparel retailer to Sell from Hold while simultaneously reducing its price objective to $94 from $115.

Lululemon Athletica Inc., LULU

The shares were already hovering near the bottom of their 52-week trading range, significantly below the 52-week peak of $233.75.

Truist’s rationale centered on the absence of clear visibility regarding a credible recovery path and increasing pressure on the brand’s positioning, representing one of the most pessimistic formal assessments of LULU in recent memory.

This downgrade arrives on the heels of a disappointing first-quarter earnings announcement in early June. While the company posted revenue of $2.47 billion and earnings per share of $1.69—both marginally exceeding analyst expectations—the underlying fundamentals painted a more concerning picture.

Comparable sales in the Americas market declined for the fifth quarter in a row. Gross profit margins experienced compression. Company leadership subsequently lowered full-year revenue projections to a range of $11.0–$11.15 billion and reduced earnings per share guidance by over a dollar.

That earnings release sparked a succession of negative analyst revisions, with Truist’s action representing the most recent development in this ongoing pattern.

Analyst Sentiment Deteriorates Sharply

LULU currently holds just a single Buy recommendation from Wall Street analysts, compared to 30 Hold ratings and three Sell ratings. Morgan Stanley had previously reinstated coverage on July 6 with an Underweight stance and a $93 price objective, positioning Truist’s $94 target among the most pessimistic on the Street.

The analyst community’s perspective has undergone a marked transformation following the first-quarter results, and the current downgrade trend appears unlikely to reverse in the immediate term.

Incoming CEO Confronts Steep Challenges

Heidi O’Neill, the incoming chief executive, is scheduled to assume her role in September. Truist characterized the challenge confronting her as extraordinarily formidable, given the existing brand headwinds and absence of obvious catalysts for meaningful improvement.

No details have emerged regarding potential strategic initiatives O’Neill might implement, leaving Wall Street analysts adopting a cautious, observational stance.

Broader market conditions compounded the pressure on Wednesday. The Nasdaq retreated 1.0% while the S&P 500 slipped 0.4%, creating headwinds for growth-oriented and consumer discretionary stocks throughout the session.

While a Producer Price Index reading for June that came in below expectations provided some macroeconomic encouragement, it proved insufficient to counteract the company-specific challenges weighing on LULU.

Shares are now positioned near the lower boundary of their 52-week range as market participants await evidence of operational improvement.

Truist’s $94 price objective represents a substantial discount to current market prices, and with the stock having already experienced significant losses from its peak, the downgrade intensified selling pressure during an already challenging trading day.

Morgan Stanley’s $93 target continues to represent the most bearish view on Wall Street, with Truist’s revised forecast now closely aligned.

The post Lululemon (LULU) Stock Slides as Wall Street Turns Increasingly Pessimistic appeared first on Blockonomi.

The 10-year-old cryptocurrency exchange, with a reported user base of tens of millions, announced a strategic $400 million investment from Citadel Securities.

The statement from the company stated that its valuation after the funding round was $20 billion.

The company’s co-founder and CEO, Kris Marszalek, expressed his gratitude for working with Citadel Securities, hoping to continue to work with the entity on future projects to drive the crypto industry into a new era of institutional adoption.

“The size of the opportunity in front of us is staggering, as crypto increasingly becomes the rails for finance. Having built the right regulatory and tech infrastructure over the last decade, Crypto.com is now perfectly positioned to capture this new wave of growth across all asset classes,” he added.

Meanwhile, Citadel Securities’ President, Jim Esposito, noted that Crypto.com had developed a “foundation to support the continued institutionalization of the digital asset market.”

He believes the convergence of traditional financial organizations and cryptocurrency infrastructure is presenting an “exciting evolution” that has the potential to “further improve market efficiency.”

The funding is expected to enhance the crypto exchange’s expansion into all asset classes, including tokenized securities and derivatives. The company hopes to bridge the gap between cryptocurrencies and traditional markets to create a more efficient 24/7 financial ecosystem.

Crypto.com’s native token reacted with an immediate surge that drove it higher by almost 25%. It traded at around $0.056 before it rocketed to $0.07, where it was immediately halted and now sits above $0.06.

Nevertheless, CRO remains down by over 93% since its all-time high at $0.89, marked nearly five years ago.

The post CRO Surges as Crypto.com Secures $400M in Citadel Securities-Led Funding appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Crypto trader Axel Bitblaze has laid out a fresh market thesis built on a video from analyst Taiki Maeda, arguing that assets like Hyperliquid (HYPE), Lighter (LIT), and Zcash (ZEC) are already trading like winners of the next cycle while most investors are waiting for a fourth-quarter bottom.

He says that markets tend to move before the crowd agrees a bottom has formed, so the better window to position could be mid-to-late Q3 and not whenever things look safe.

The Case for HYPE, LIT, and ZEC

On July 15, Maeda shared a video on his X account in which he said that crypto was bottoming and that he would be longing HYPE, LIT, and ZEC.

His take was expanded on by Bitblaze in a July 16 post, who noted that Hyperliquid has bought back about 3.4% of the circulating HYPE supply this year, allowing the token to perform well even as sector mainstays such as Bitcoin (BTC) struggled.

“If BTC volatility causes another $HYPE dip without changing its fundamentals… that could be an accumulation opportunity,” wrote the analyst.

Lighter’s LIT token was presented as a higher-risk alternative, with Bitblaze crediting its reported partnership with Robinhood for giving the decentralized perpetual exchange access to a much wider audience. He also noted that buybacks have removed more than 6% of LIT’s circulating supply, helping to push it to an all-time high on the second-to-last day of 2025, when many altcoins were losing ground.

Meanwhile, ZEC carries the most caution. In his market update video, Maeda said he sold the privacy coin after the discovery of a vulnerability in its Orchard shielded pool that could have allowed bad actors to create unlimited amounts of fake ZEC, triggering a 60% collapse. He did, however, buy most of the ZEC back after reassessing the project’s outlook, with the Ironwood upgrade set for July 28 expected to introduce stronger quantum resistance and use formal verification to reduce the risk of hidden bugs.

That update, according to Bitblaze, could help push up the asset’s price. Recall that last week, Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox said that they were close to producing a mathematical proof that Ironwood’s new shielded pools have no undetectable counterfeiting bugs, taking ZEC’s price past $500.

The token is trading at about 0.8% of Bitcoin’s market cap, and per Maeda’s model, it could go anywhere between $650 and $700 if that ratio climbs back to 1%.

Traders Urged Not to Wait for Bitcoin

Bitblaze said that crypto has been in a bear market since the euphoria experienced in mid-2025 when ETH was closing in on $5,000. Now, people are waiting for the bottom, which, according to him, has been penciled in for Q4 2026.

But he believes the market has a tendency to “front-run what everyone expects,” meaning it is better for traders to start positioning themselves between August and September “before the recovery becomes obvious.”

“Don’t wait for Bitcoin and the entire market to look perfect,” the analyst advised. “The next winner usually starts separating from the market before everyone accepts that the bottom is forming.”

The post Forget Bitcoin Bottom: Analyst Says These Altcoins Could Move First appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ethereum has had a notable recovery from its June lows, reclaiming an important resistance zone while testing a major descending trendline on the higher timeframe. Although the latest rally has strengthened short-term sentiment, ETH is still approaching a cluster of technical barriers that could determine whether the recovery extends above $2K or transitions into another corrective phase.

Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily timeframe, ETH has been trading within a broad descending channel that has defined price action for several months. The recent rebound from the $1.5K demand zone allowed the asset to reclaim the $1.8K support region.

The price is also on the verge of breaking above the channel’s upper boundary, which is closely followed by the descending 100-day moving average near the $2K area. This confluence has already attracted selling pressure, suggesting that sellers remain active around this technical barrier.

The next major resistance sits between $2K and $2.2K, where the 200-day moving average also converges from above. A confirmed breakout above the channel and a sustained move beyond $2.2K would represent a meaningful structural shift and could open the door toward higher recovery targets.

On the downside, the recently reclaimed $1.8K zone now acts as the first key support. Losing this level would once again expose the broader demand region around $1.5K, which previously triggered the latest bullish reversal.

ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart

The lower timeframe shows a much stronger bullish structure. ETH advanced inside a well-defined ascending channel after forming a clear double bottom near $1.5k and has been consistently printing higher highs and higher lows throughout the recovery.

The recent rally pushed the price above the $1.8K resistance zone before reaching the channel’s upper boundary around $1.95K. However, sellers defended this area, leading to a modest rejection from local highs.

As long as ETH holds above the $1.8K breakout zone, the current pullback appears more consistent with profit-taking than a confirmed trend reversal. Maintaining this support could allow buyers to attempt another move toward the major daily resistance cluster between $2K and $2.2K.

Conversely, a decisive breakdown below $1.8K would weaken the short-term structure and could trigger a deeper retracement toward the intermediate support around $1.72K, or even the order block located around $1.62K to $1.64K, where buyers previously stepped in.

On-Chain Analysis

The Exchange Reserve chart continues to paint a constructive longer-term picture. Ethereum reserves held across centralized exchanges have declined steadily, reaching approximately 15.3 million ETH, which is arguably the lowest reading over the past few years.

A persistent decline in exchange balances generally indicates that investors are withdrawing coins into self-custody or long-term storage rather than preparing to sell them immediately. This reduces the amount of readily available supply on exchanges and can provide a supportive backdrop if demand continues to recover.

While the falling exchange reserve does not guarantee immediate upside, the continued reduction in available supply complements the improving technical structure. If ETH successfully clears the overhead resistance between $2K and $2.2K while exchange balances remain on their current downtrend, the broader recovery could gain additional strength. Conversely, failure to overcome the higher-timeframe resistance may still result in a short-term correction despite the favorable on-chain backdrop.

The post Ethereum Price Analysis: Is $2K Next for ETH After Reclaiming Key Support? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The US CPI data for June brought a much-needed relief rally in the cryptocurrency markets, pushing the largest of the bunch to a new three-week peak at $65,500.

However, after gaining about $4,000 in just a day, the asset was rejected and driven south by $1,500. According to popular crypto analysts, this was not an isolated or accidental rejection, as history might map out the path forward.

Why Was BTC Stopped?

Crypto Rover noted that BTC has faced the same scenario after every relief rally during this bear cycle. It surges to the Short-Term Holder Realized Price, and then the bears step up and halt its progress. He believes this is because it’s the average cost basis of recent buyers.

“As soon as they get back to break-even, many sell to exit their positions.”

This pattern first played out in November last year, after the notorious October crash, which wiped out over $19 billion in leveraged positions. BTC was stopped at $115,000 at the time, before similar occurrences took place during January’s rally to $95,000, and the mid-May surge to $83,000.

Merlijn The Trader shared a similar opinion, claiming he envisioned this bull-trap rally to $65,500. He believes another leg down is in the making and predicted a “flush toward the $58.5K-$60K order block.”

He outlined the significance of the $63,000 support. If held, BTC could still see some upward momentum, especially if it reclaims the aforementioned $65,500 resistance. However, a breakdown below $63,000 is likely to result in another sub-$60,000 dip.

On The Flip Side…

Another popular analyst, Jelle, outlined a rather contrasting scenario. He indicated that BTC’s recent move represented a “big win for the bulls,” as the asset has “reclaimed the previous range lows.” He warned that bitcoin tends to move slowly during the summer and investors should be cautious about becoming too bullish during such not-ideal market conditions.

Nevertheless, Jelle added that this is a “good start” for bitcoin, but a more profound move north would require breaking many key levels before “things really change for the better.”

Big win for the bulls, $BTC has reclaimed the previous range lows!

Good start, but still loads of levels to break before things really change for the better.

It’s still summer; tends to be slow – and I’ll treat the market accordingly. DCA, nothing more. pic.twitter.com/XrpNvb3uoE

— Jelle (@CryptoJelleNL) July 16, 2026

The post The $65.5K Rejection: What Top Analysts Are Saying About Bitcoin’s Next Move appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ethereum’s native token rode the sub-CPI crypto rally like very few did, pumping toward a six-week peak of roughly $1,950. This means that it had recovered nearly 30% in value since its multi-year peak at $1,510 was reached weeks ago.

However, its run was halted at that level, and the asset now stands below $1,900. According to popular analyst Crypto Rover, this minor rejection might be just the beginning.

Another Major Leg Down?

While observing ETH’s more macro picture, the market commentator outlined a rather interesting pattern that the asset tends to follow – a very precise 1,369-day repeating occurrence that drives it up and down.

Rover speculated that “Ethereum may be heading for its biggest crash yet,” as this historical pattern maps out two “devastating sell-offs” incurred at approximately this time of each cycle. They both began after similar rallies like the 30% surge in the past couple of weeks, but the subsequent rejections pushed the altcoin south to new local lows.

If the analyst’s scenario plays out again, ETH could dump again to and even below $1,500, which would mark a new multi-year low. The other side of the coin of this pattern shows a spectacular long-term run would be in the making following this capitulation. Rover’s analysis outlined some massive targets of somewhere around five-digit territory at $10,000.

ETHEREUM MAY BE HEADING FOR ITS BIGGEST CRASH YET.

This chart shows the exact same 1,369-day pattern repeating for a third time.

The previous two cycles ended with devastating selloffs.

If this fractal holds…

The worst may still be ahead. pic.twitter.com/jMYhpiUgZ5

— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) July 16, 2026

Maybe Bottom Is In, Though

Fellow analyst Michaël van de Poppe also weighed in on ETH’s impressive move above $1,900, calling it “phenomenal.” However, he doesn’t see such a doomsday scenario as Rover. Instead, he said he doubts there will be “a lot more new lows coming in on the markets,” as the on-chain data he reviews points in the opposite direction.

“There’s a lot more upside going to come on this one, and I think it’s simply in a ‘buy-the-dip’ regime,” he added.

His focus was more on ETH’s short-term performance, and the chart he listed envisions targets of around $2,500-$2,700 by the start of Q4.

The post ‘The Worst Is Still Ahead’ for ETH: Analyst Predicts Another Ethereum Crash appeared first on CryptoPotato.