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Bitcoin Magazine

The Hyperinflation of 1971 at the Kindergarten

I’m pretty sure it was 1971, but it could have been 1972. In any case, it was in kindergarten, and I was five years old. Our teachers had set up a system to motivate us kids to behave well. They had hung a big board on the wall, with all of our names listed. If you were particularly well-behaved, kind, helpful, or polite, they drew a black dot next to your name. Misbehave, and they gave you a red one. It was all about following the kindergarten rules, and the absolute transparency of it motivated most of us to try our best.

At some point, an extra prize was introduced for exceptionally good behavior: a small piece of fabric. From the group’s standpoint, that was worth much more than the top ranking in a row of black dots. And it was tangible. You could prove your elite status, even out in the sandbox.

Eventually, a trading system developed between us kids. For a scrap of fabric, you could get a bucket of sifted sand. For two, you could get a piece of candy. Suddenly, we could trade labor (sifting sand) for status symbols or sweets.

Then one day, a new teacher arrived. For whatever reason, she much more generously handed out those scraps of fabric. She simply changed the rules governing their distribution. All of a sudden, everyone had them, and you had to spend four for a piece of candy instead of two. Some of the kids started to complain. Their hard-earned scraps of fabric were now worth less, and they demanded more of them.

As you’d expect, the fabric scraps were given out more and more freely. Before long, anyone could take as many as they wanted. Eventually, they were lying around all over the place. They were worthless. No one wanted them anymore. You couldn’t trade them for anything. And so, at just five years old, I experienced genuine hyperinflation.

What does this have to do with Bitcoin?

In kindergarten, the rules were simply changed. The new teacher wanted to be nice, we kids whined, and suddenly more and more fabric scraps were handed out.

The rules of Bitcoin simply cannot be changed.

It’s a completely different story with our fiat currencies. They too have rules. The problem is that no one can ensure those rules are actually followed. Here is an example: the European Central Bank is not allowed to permanently finance governments through bond purchases, yet it does so anyway, brazenly and with no one doing—or even being able to do—anything about it. And who would intervene anyway?

Here’s another example. The Maastricht Treaty’s Stability and Growth Pact stipulated that the budget deficits of EU member states could not exceed 3% of their GDP, although permissible exceptions were built in. However, between 2000 and 2010, the Stability Criteria were repeatedly violated without sanctions—not only by Greece (11 times) but also by larger countries such as Italy (seven times), France (six times), and Germany (five times). According to the Maastricht Treaty, there are clear sanctions for countries that unlawfully fail to adhere to the deficit limit. But not once has such a sanction been imposed. No attempt was ever even made.

This may have been politically expedient and justified for whatever reason, but it shows how difficult it is for us to adhere to the rules. It’s like the New Year’s resolutions that we make with the greatest of convictions, but then usually don’t stick to for very long. The result is what matters. Currencies inflate and, sooner or later, become worthless. The U.S. dollar has lost 97% of its value over the last hundred years. The British pound, which originally represented a pound of silver, has suffered the same fate. All because more and more new dollars, euros, or pounds have been created, or to put it differently, printed.

The outcome is the same: when the fabric scraps become worthless, everyone who holds them loses their wealth.

This cannot happen with Bitcoin. Its rules are fixed, and no one controls the system nor can they simply change those rules.

Discover more in Bitcoin: The Honest Money!
This excerpt is just the beginning. Dive deeper into how inflation devalues your money, your savings, and your time in Bitcoin: The Honest Money by Alex von Frankenberg, Ph.D. The paperback is available now.

Order your copy here!

This post The Hyperinflation of 1971 at the Kindergarten first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Alex v. Frankenberg.

Bitcoin Magazine

5th Worst Bitcoin Price Action Ever — I’m Buying At 99.8% Probability

The bitcoin price looks bad, but I’m buying. Price might go lower, it always can, but there is value at these levels, and I’m accumulating. I think it’s important to be honest about how I’m actually acting on the analysis I publish, rather than just presenting data from a distance. And right now, the data is saying something that has only been said a handful of times in Bitcoin’s entire history.

Let’s cut to the chase:

• The Crosby Ratio Z-score has one of the lowest readings in history.
• The RSI is at a level we’ve only encountered a handful of times in extreme market lows.
• Bitcoin has bounced off the 200-week moving average.
• The SOPR is in the bottom fifth percentile of all historical readings.
• The Mayer Multiple is also in its bottom fifth percentile.

The Crosby Ratio

The Crosby Ratio Z-score measures bitcoin’s price momentum and standardizes it for Bitcoin’s evolving volatility. It’s not a fixed threshold as it adjusts as the market matures and volatility compresses, making it applicable across every stage of Bitcoin’s history. The current reading is around -1.7. This means 99.8% of all days in Bitcoin’s history have registered a less extreme reading on this indicator.

Figure 1: The Crosby Ratio Z-Score has just dipped to one of its lowest ever values.

The list of instances where this reading has been as low: the recent drop to $60,000, the first break below $20,000 in 2022, the COVID crash in March 2020, and the 2018 bear market low. That’s it. Four occasions in over a decade of price history. Every single one of them turned out to be a significant accumulation opportunity.

The RSI

The Relative Strength Index is one of the most widely used momentum indicators across all markets. Bitcoin’s weekly RSI is currently at one of the lowest levels ever. The previous instances of readings this low were the 2015 bear market low, the 2018 bear market low, the COVID crash, and the recent drop to $60,000.

Figure 2: The Relative Strength Index is comparable to historical lows.

Two independent momentum indicators, measured completely differently, but producing the same short list of historical comparisons. That kind of confluence across methodologies isn’t something to dismiss.

The 200-Week Moving Average

The 200-Week Moving Average has served as bear market support throughout Bitcoin’s history. The only meaningful exception was the FTX collapse in late 2022, which caused a brief but sharp undershoot before a rapid recovery. Outside of that event, this level has held as a floor every single cycle.

Figure 3: Bitcoin currently sits just above its 200WMA.

View Live Chart

Bitcoin has just bounced off that level again. Directly beneath current prices sits the recent cycle low, creating the structure for a potential double bottom, one of the more reliable technical formations across any market. The 200-week moving average and the Bitcoin Realized Price converge in approximately the same zone, adding further weight to this level as meaningful structural support.

SOPR & The Mayer Multiple

The Spent Output Profit Ratio is currently in the bottom fifth percentile of all historical readings. This means the rate of realized losses across the Bitcoin network, the pace at which holders are selling at a loss, is in the deepest 5% of anything we’ve ever recorded. The selling that has driven this move has been predominantly short-term in nature; value days destroyed data confirms that long-term holders have largely not participated in this liquidation. These are short-term traders and leveraged positions being cleared out, and not the conviction holders capitulating.

Figure 4: The Spent Output Profit Ratio illustrates the severity of recent losses.

View Live Chart

The Mayer Multiple, which measures bitcoin’s price relative to its 200-day moving average, is simultaneously in its own bottom fifth percentile. When these two indicators have historically been in their lower extremes at the same time, the resulting accumulation opportunities have been exceptional. It has happened only a handful of times, and each instance has been followed by significant price appreciation.

Figure 5: The Mayer Multiple has reached levels corresponding to previous bear cycle lows.

To Sum It Up

I’ll be honest, the strength of the decline surprised me. I anticipated a pullback from the $80,000 resistance zone, but the move through $70,000 was sharper than expected. What hasn’t surprised me is the data that’s emerged as a result, because this kind of confluence across technical, on-chain, and momentum indicators has appeared before, and the market has consistently rewarded accumulation at these readings.

Could we go lower? Yes. The realized price sits not far beneath current levels and represents the next meaningful support zone if the low is revisited. I’m prepared for that scenario. But removing all emotion and looking purely at what the data is saying, five independent signals simultaneously in generational territory, this is not the moment to wait on the sidelines for a marginally better price.

Subscribe to Bitcoin Magazine Pro on YouTube for more expert market insights and analysis!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

This post 5th Worst Bitcoin Price Action Ever — I’m Buying At 99.8% Probability first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Matt Crosby.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin’s Pullback Tests Institutional Adoption Narrative as Pompliano Stays Bullish

Bitcoin’s recent price decline is testing one of the asset’s most prominent bullish narratives: that institutional adoption will stabilize volatility and support long-term growth.

Despite the downturn, ProCap Financial CEO Anthony Pompliano thinks that the broader trajectory remains intact, framing the current weakness as a natural phase in Bitcoin’s maturation into a mainstream financial asset.

Speaking on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” Pompliano said Bitcoin’s integration into traditional finance is accelerating, pointing to growing interest from major institutions such as BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. 

According to Pompliano, this shift represents the realization of a long-anticipated transition from a niche, ideologically driven asset to a widely held portfolio allocation.

“Bitcoin is maturing into a traditional finance asset,” Pompliano said, adding that institutional demand signals “what mass adoption looks like.”

Bitcoin has come under pressure in recent weeks, with prices retreating amid broader risk-off sentiment and capital rotation into equities, particularly in high-growth sectors like artificial intelligence and newly listed public companies. 

The downturn has revived concerns that Bitcoin’s adoption cycle may be nearing saturation, limiting its ability to deliver the outsized returns seen in prior cycles.

Some argue that Bitcoin’s earlier growth was driven largely by rapid user adoption and speculative inflows — dynamics that may be harder to replicate now that the asset has reached a more mature phase. 

As the CNBC host noted, the “adoption story” may have already peaked.

At the same time, some market participants, including Strategy’s Michael Saylor, have suggested capital could be rotating out of crypto into other high-momentum opportunities, including upcoming IPOs and AI-linked investments.

Pompliano: Rotation from bitcoin is natural, not structural

Speaking with CNBC, Pompliano pushed back on the idea that capital outflows signal structural weakness. Instead, he characterized the movement as typical portfolio rebalancing behavior.

“Capital chases momentum and returns,” he said, noting that Bitcoin’s liquidity makes it a convenient source of funds when investors pursue new opportunities.

The current market environment highlights a tension in Bitcoin’s evolution. While institutional adoption has broadened its investor base, it has also tied Bitcoin more closely to macroeconomic trends and cross-asset flows.

As a result, Bitcoin increasingly behaves like a risk asset during periods of market stress, declining alongside equities rather than acting as an uncorrelated hedge. This dynamic has complicated the narrative of Bitcoin as “digital gold,” particularly in the short term.

Still, Pompliano maintains that Bitcoin’s core fundamentals remain unchanged. He pointed to the network’s continued operation, decentralization, and predictable issuance schedule as evidence that the asset’s long-term value proposition is intact.

“Show me what has changed,” he said. “The network continues to do everything it is designed to do.”

Bitcoin as a ‘Savings Technology’

Pompliano reiterated his long-held view of Bitcoin as a hedge against fiat currency debasement, arguing that persistent government spending and monetary expansion underpin its long-term case.

He described Bitcoin as a “savings technology,” highlighting its historical compound annual growth rates — approximately 60% over the past decade and over 30% in the last three years — as evidence of its ability to preserve and grow capital over time.

In his view, Bitcoin’s role is less about short-term speculation and more about long-term wealth protection, akin to gold or real estate for previous generations.

This post Bitcoin’s Pullback Tests Institutional Adoption Narrative as Pompliano Stays Bullish first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Plunges Below ‘Fire Sale’ Territory as Fear Index Reads 12 — Echoing the FTX Crash

Bitcoin price dropped to levels on Thursday that placed it below the “Fire Sale!” band on the Bitcoin Rainbow Chart — a depth not reached since the catastrophic FTX exchange collapse in November 2022 — as the Fear and Greed Index registered a reading of 12 out of 100, deep in “Extreme Fear” territory.

Bitcoin price opened today near $63,500 after sliding below $62,000 last night. That puts BTC below even the most discounted valuation band on the Bitcoin Rainbow Chart — a level the model historically flags as a rare and extreme buying signal.

The Bitcoin Rainbow Chart is somewhat of a logarithmic growth curve overlaid with color-coded sentiment bands. The deepest band — labeled “Basically a Fire Sale!” — represents the lowest tier of the model’s projected fair value range. When Bitcoin trades beneath it, the asset sits outside the historical channel that has contained BTC’s long-term price behavior.

The last confirmed breach of the “Fire Sale!” floor occurred during the FTX exchange collapse in November 2022, when Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire imploded and BTC cratered under forced selling pressure across the market. That event remains one of the most severe liquidity crises in crypto history.

Per Bitcoin Magazine Pro data from March 2026, Bitcoin price had already begun testing below the “Fire Sale!” zone — described at the time as “its first drop into this area since the FTX-induced crash”. 

The renewed descent on June 4 deepens that breach, with the coin shedding ground for the second consecutive week.

Bitcoin price and market in ‘Extreme Fear’

The Fear and Greed Index, which runs on a scale of 0 to 100, registered 12 on Thursday — placing the market squarely in “Extreme Fear”. The index aggregates volatility, market momentum, social sentiment, and derivatives data into a single score. 

A reading below 25 signals extreme fear, a condition that, by the index’s own framework, has historically preceded price recovery periods.

February 2026 saw the index touch an all-time low of 5, driven by a 52% drawdown from Bitcoin price’s peak of $126,000. Thursday’s reading of 12 sits just above that nadir, as Bitcoin price continues its slide from cycle highs.

On X today, Strategy’s Michael Saylor argued the sell-off reflects institutional capital rotating into AI infrastructure rather than a deterioration in Bitcoin’s fundamentals. The decline may have been compounded by concerns over Strategy selling 32 BTC to fund preferred-share dividends — its first bitcoin sale since 2022 — despite the company recently reducing debt by repurchasing $1.5 billion of convertible notes at a discount.

This post Bitcoin Price Plunges Below ‘Fire Sale’ Territory as Fear Index Reads 12 — Echoing the FTX Crash first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Schwab Strategist: Bitcoin’s $60,000 Mining Cost Could Mark the Cycle Bottom

Bitcoin is in a bear market. That much is not in dispute. 

What Jim Ferraioli, Director of Digital Currencies Research and Strategy at Charles Schwab, argued Wednesday on Bloomberg is more precise and more structural: this selloff has a measurable cost floor, and that floor is built not from sentiment or chart patterns, but from the physics of energy consumption.

The numbers frame the drawdown in context. Bitcoin peaked at $126,000 in the fall before collapsing to roughly $60,000 in February — a 50% correction that, while brutal for recent buyers, falls far short of the 75%-plus implosions that defined prior Bitcoin bear markets.

Ferraioli’s core analytical framework centers on one question: what does it cost to manufacture Bitcoin? The answer creates a natural gravitational floor that has held across multiple cycles. 

For the most efficient miners — those operating at scale with next-generation ASIC hardware and access to the cheapest wholesale energy — the cost to produce one Bitcoin sits at approximately $60,000, Ferraioli said.

That figure is not arbitrary. It represents the all-in expense of powering a facility at roughly $0.07 per kilowatt-hour with the most advanced semiconductor fleets available.

The less efficient miners — those with older ASIC hardware, higher energy costs, and thinner operational margins — carry a production cost of approximately $95,000 per BTC, according to Glassnode data cited in Schwab’s May 2026 research report. That gap between $60,000 and $95,000 defines Bitcoin’s current valuation range. 

Bitcoin’s energy floor: Why $60,000 may mark the bottom

Ferraioli argues that in deep bear markets, the cost of production for the best miners has historically served as the bottom. February’s low near $60,000 aligns almost precisely with that level, as well as BTC’s 200-week moving average.

The BTC selling pressure is not random. It is demographically specific. The investors driving forced liquidations are those who acquired Bitcoin during the past 18 months — buyers who rode the asset from sub-$80,000 up to $126,000 and then watched gains evaporate in full. 

Schwab tracks two cost-basis metrics to quantify this pressure: the average acquisition cost for U.S. spot ETF and ETP holders, which stands near $83,000, and the active investor cost basis — excluding coins rewarded to miners — which sits near $78,000. 

Both figures sit well above current spot prices, putting the majority of recent entrants into unrealized loss positions and reinforcing $83,000 as a ceiling of overhead supply rather than a floor of support.

Glassnode’s on-chain data corroborates this dynamic. Bitcoin’s latest attempted rally stalled at the aggregate ETF cost basis near $83,000, with total realized losses spiking to $1.35 billion per day and long-term holders capitulating from cycle-top positions. Hedge funds represent roughly 30% of spot ETP ownership but are operating market-neutral, executing basis trades rather than taking directional views — meaning they provide no natural bid when prices fall.

Here is where Ferraioli’s analysis turns constructive. Every major publicly traded Bitcoin miner has announced a pivot toward high-performance computing (HPC) for AI inference workloads. The economics on their face appear to favor abandoning mining: inference generates higher net revenue per megawatt-hour than Bitcoin mining during peak demand windows. 

But demand for AI inference is not uniform across 24 hours. Models run hard during business hours and sit idle overnight and on weekends.

That creates a structural opportunity that does not displace BTC mining — it layers on top of it. Schwab’s analysis models Bitcoin as the optimal baseload monetization of power during off-peak hours, with inference overlaid during peak business-hour demand. 

A data center operating this hybrid model maximizes utilization across the full 24-hour cycle rather than leaving capacity dark when inference demand falls away. For miners, this translates to more stable revenue, reduced forced BTC sales to cover operating costs, and lower structural risk across bear market cycles.

Bitcoin is backed by energy 

The underlying thesis is one of energy economics. Bitcoin has no earnings, no free cash flow, and no CEO issuing guidance. Its value, in Ferraioli’s framework, derives from the energy cost required to produce it — a cost that is transparent, verifiable, and historically durable. 

In commodity markets, price cannot sustainably trade below cost of production. Producers shut down, supply contracts, and equilibrium resets higher. 

Bitcoin follows this same logic: when spot prices fall toward $60,000, the least efficient miners shut down operations, the network’s hash rate adjusts through Bitcoin’s difficulty mechanism, and the cost to produce each new coin falls.

As of May 2026, the average mining cost across all Bitcoin miners sits near $85,604, with the Bitcoin price trading in the mid-$60,000s — meaning the network as a whole is operating at a loss, a configuration that has historically preceded recoveries, not further collapse.

This post Schwab Strategist: Bitcoin’s $60,000 Mining Cost Could Mark the Cycle Bottom first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

South Korean police opened the country's first illegal gambling probe into domestic Polymarket users on Jun. 5, targeting residents who placed bets on the Jun. 3 local election outcomes.

The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency is leading the investigation at the request of the National Police Agency, tracing cryptocurrency transaction records to identify users nationwide.

Those identified face potential fines of up to 10 million won ($6,500) under Article 246 of the Criminal Act. Polymarket's resolved 2026 Seoul mayoral election market alone showed a total volume of $52.2 million, putting activity well into the tens of billions of won across Korean election markets.

South Korea ranks 15th in Chainalysis' 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, the latest addition to a list that already includes India (#1), Brazil (#5), Indonesia (#7), and Thailand (#17).

Six of the top 20 crypto adoption markets have now moved against prediction platforms through gambling law, derivatives restrictions, ISP blocks, user enforcement, or some combination of all four.

Crypto adoption and legal permission for crypto-native financial products diverged, and prediction markets are caught in that gap.

The volume that drew attention

Combined monthly trading volume on Kalshi and Polymarket climbed from under $5 billion in September 2025 to over $10 billion in May 2026.

For context, legal US sportsbooks averaged about $14 billion in monthly wagers throughout 2025. Sports, politics, and crypto drove 91% of Kalshi's global volume and 90% of Polymarket's since July 2024.

Sports alone accounted for 80% of Kalshi volume, while politics accounted for 32% of Polymarket's, and those product concentrations are precisely where regulators draw the hardest lines.

Since the start of 2026, Kalshi flagged over 400 suspicious trades, more than double its total for all of 2025. Platforms built market integrity mechanisms faster than legal frameworks emerged to govern them.

How the classification breaks down

On Apr. 24, Brazil's Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced that the National Monetary Council's Resolution No. 5,298 blocked 27 platforms, including Polymarket, Kalshi, PredictIt, and Robinhood's forecasting feature. It also prohibited derivatives tied to sports, online gaming, political, electoral, cultural, and social outcomes.

Only contracts tied to economic benchmarks, such as exchange rates or interest rates, survived the cut. Durigan said the government wanted to prevent an unregulated betting market from embedding itself in household finances at a moment when Brazil was already working to reduce consumer debt.

Kalshi's timing was particularly poor: the platform had announced a Brazilian distribution partnership with brokerage XP International in March 2026, one month before the block took effect.

India treated the same product through a different legal pipe and arrived at the same outcome. Both houses of Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 in August 2025, received presidential assent the same month, and came into force on May 1, 2026.

Under the law, prediction markets fall into prohibited online money gaming, with the classification covering event contracts regardless of how operators frame them as derivatives or forecasting tools.

MeitY issued a blocking order against Polymarket and is preparing a similar order for Kalshi. On Apr. 25, the ministry sent a letter specifically to VPN providers, warning them against enabling access to blocked platforms.

Targeting VPN providers alongside platforms extends enforcement one layer deeper into the access stack.

Indonesia blocked Polymarket after markets on the potential early end of President Prabowo Subianto's term circulated on the platform. Thai cybercrime authorities moved earlier to classify Polymarket as illegal online gambling.

Spain ordered ISPs to block Polymarket and Kalshi on May 26, pending disciplinary proceedings by the gambling watchdog, DGOJ, expected to last 3 to 4 months.

Spain sits outside Chainalysis' top 20, but its enforcement rests on consumer-protection machinery, giving regulators a framework that applies regardless of whether the product is classified as a derivative.

The US version

The United States presents a jurisdiction fight, as federal CFTC regulation coexists with state-level gambling claims over the same contracts, and that tension remains unresolved.

Kalshi holds a designated contract market license, and Polymarket relaunched a US exchange in late 2025 after acquiring a regulated derivatives firm.

Several states argue that sports and election contracts cross into gambling territory regardless of CFTC oversight, resulting in litigation that carves up the domestic market into patches.

In April 2026, Polymarket International recorded $9 billion in trading volume, compared with $1.3 billion on Polymarket US.

The US House Oversight Committee opened a probe into Kalshi and Polymarket in May 2026 over whether government employees were trading on classified information, with Chair James Comer signaling potential legislation to bar members of Congress and administration officials from participating.

That market-integrity argument adds legislative pressure independent of the CFTC-versus-state question.

How far the collateral wedge travels

In the bull case, regulators in key financial centers accept event contracts as legitimate derivatives when used for economic, financial, or hedging purposes, and require platforms to strip out sports, politics, and elections to operate legally.

Kalshi's CFTC-regulated model serves as the template, with platforms bifurcating into a compliant financial-contract layer and a separate offshore, crypto-native layer.

The offshore layer continues to attract retail demand until payment friction, app-store enforcement, or VPN crackdowns gradually narrow access.

In the bear case, Brazil's category-wide derivatives ban and India's online money-gaming classification spread to additional top crypto-adoption markets.

Sports, politics, and elections are the products users actually want, and those are precisely the contracts regulators target. Platforms that depend on those categories for 90% of volume cannot strip them out without becoming structurally different businesses.

A market-integrity incident, such as a documented case of insider trading on a geopolitical event or election, accelerates the cascade. Kalshi flagged 400-plus suspicious trades in the first five months of 2026 alone. The raw material for a triggering event already exists.

Regulated financial contracts will serve jurisdictions willing to treat narrow categories of events as CFTC-style derivatives. Licensed gambling products will be offered on platforms that classify outcome contracts as bets and comply with local consumer protection regimes.

Geofenced crypto-native markets will continue to reach users through stablecoins, wallets, and VPNs until access, payment processing, or enforcement pressure catches up.

South Korea's probe shows the enforcement logic is moving from platform blocking to user liability, with authorities tracing crypto transaction records to identify individuals and summon them for questioning.

The post Crypto rails made prediction markets global, gambling laws may make them local again appeared first on CryptoSlate.

AI has hit an electricity problem. Running it takes staggering amounts of power; demand in the US is climbing faster than the grid can keep up, and that's handing enormous leverage to the companies that generate and deliver it.

On June 2, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas voted to overhaul how it admits large power users to the grid, wading through a backlog of data centers, crypto mines, and industrial sites all reaching for the same megawatts.

That same week, lawmakers in Albany, New York, were racing to pass a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data centers, which could make the state the first in the country to pause the buildout outright.

The companies training frontier models keep running into a wall built from copper, concrete, and regulatory patience. The beneficiary of all that demand is the unglamorous entity at the other end of the wire: the utility, the grid operator, the power producer that decides who gets electricity, when, and at what price.

Electricity became the scarcest asset for AI

For most of the past decade, every conversation about AI revolved around software, and the most important constraint people were worried about was the supply of advanced GPUs.

Now, the conversation has shifted to industrial economics, and the limiting inputs are land, generation capacity, water, high-voltage transformers, and local boards.

Goldman Sachs expects US data center power demand to climb from 31 gigawatts in 2025 to 41 in 2026 and 66 in 2027, lifting data centers' share of US peak summer demand from 4.1% to 8.5% over the same stretch.

However, the bank noted that only about 50% to 60% of the capacity scheduled over the next year or two is likely to arrive on time, due to delays and cancellations. Even when discounted, the grid is being asked to absorb in two years what it usually takes a decade to add.

The International Energy Agency projects that data center electricity use will roughly double by 2030, while demand from AI-focused facilities will triple. Its report leans hard on the bottlenecks, from tightening supply chains for gas turbines and transformers to grid connections that take years and a rush toward on-site generation that mostly remains on paper.

Power companies now have an unbelievable amount of leverage. A utility collects regardless of which company wins the race; all it needs is for the race to keep demanding more power. Regulated utilities earn returns on approved capital spending, so a wave of grid upgrades becomes a wave of rate-based revenue.

Independent power producers sell into a tighter market but at higher prices. Grid operators, holding a finite stock of connection capacity, become the gatekeepers who decide which projects are viable.

Texas shows how gatekeeping turns into rules. Under Senate Bill 6, ERCOT is now using a “pay your own way” model that loads interconnection costs onto large customers and forces them to stand down during emergencies, with a non-refundable $ 50,000-per-megawatt fee and steep deposits to weed out speculative claims.

The strain is hard to overstate, since nearly 200 large users lined up in the first months of 2026 alone, together seeking a combined 438 gigawatts, more than five times what the entire state currently draws.

New York's proposed pause approaches the same problem from the political flank, weighing AI data center growth against household bills, water use, and grid reliability. Electricity has become a rationed input, and the parties doing the rationing now have the strongest hand at the table.

Bitcoin miners saw this fight first, and now everyone pays

The Bitcoin market is familiar with this bottleneck because it was the miners who first lived it. Mining built a business on cheap, interruptible power, using flexible load that switches off when the grid strains and soaks up surplus when prices crater.

That's why Texas wrote its new demand-response programs around it, and why miners spent years chasing wasted watts into windy plateaus and hydro spillways where energy often sat stranded and was cheap. Some analysts go further and argue the grid should welcome that flexibility as a service, given how fast miners can curtail.

That's almost the exact opposite of what AI wants and needs. Hyperscalers want steady, always-on power and long-term certainty, backed by jobs and national-competitiveness arguments that carry real political weight. When BlackRock warned this January that AI data centers could consume as much as 24% of US electricity by 2030, it effectively declared the cheap-power truce over.

A CryptoSlate analysis comparing energy footprints across streaming, AI, and crypto reached a similar verdict, with miners now facing a tight squeeze as AI firms bid up the price of firm supply.

The power company is now arbitrating that fight, and profiting from it whichever way it breaks.

Should utilities build out generation and transmission to serve AI hyperscaler demand, ratepayers can end up absorbing part of the cost unless regulators ring-fence those expenses or compel large loads to cover their own share.

The federal forecast already leans that way, with the EIA expecting US power use to set fresh records in 2026 and 2027. Residential prices have already increased 5% in 2026, with the sharpest increases landing along the East Coast.

AI promised abstraction, intelligence rendered as weightless, infinitely copyable software. Its expansion has made electricity the scarce commodity that determines who gets to scale, who gets priced out, and who collects a check, no matter which company captures most of the market. The companies will keep chasing the headlines, while the power company keeps a steady hand on the meter.

The post AI’s power race is shifting leverage from chipmakers like NVIDIA to the grid appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The CLARITY Act, the crypto industry’s biggest bill in Congress, is losing momentum just weeks after clearing a key Senate committee, raising the risk that Washington’s first major digital asset rulebook slips deeper into an election year.

Galaxy Digital lowered its estimate that the CLARITY Act will become law in 2026 to 60% from 75%, citing a shrinking Senate calendar and little visible progress on unresolved fights over ethics and illicit finance.

Notably, JPMorgan analysts issued a similar warning this week, saying the legislative window has narrowed as lawmakers move closer to the midterm elections.

The downgrade marks a reversal for a bill that recently appeared to have its clearest path yet. The CLARITY Act cleared the Senate Banking Committee on May 14 in a 15-9 vote.

The CLARITY Act is the crypto industry’s central legislative priority because it would create the first comprehensive federal framework for digital assets in the US.

Supporters say it would clarify when cryptocurrencies fall under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), replacing years of enforcement-driven policy with clearer rules for issuers, exchanges, and investors.

But the legislation still needs to pass the full Senate, be reconciled with House legislation, and receive the president’s signature.

That sequence is becoming harder to fit into a crowded summer schedule.

Senate calendar turns against the bill

In a recent note to clients, Galaxy explained that its revised estimate is based mainly on timing rather than a collapse in support for the bill.

Alex Thorn, the firm’s head of research, pointed out that the Senate is running out of usable days before the August recess, which is scheduled to begin at the end of July.

According to him, the bill faces several procedural steps before it can become law. This includes the fact that it must secure 60 votes in the Senate, go through floor debate and amendments, be aligned with a separate Senate Agriculture Committee text, and then move through the House.

This means the Senate Majority Leader John Thune would likely need to schedule floor time in July for that process to fit before lawmakers leave Washington.

However, the available window has narrowed over the past two weeks as the Senate lost time to a fight over the administration’s anti-weaponization fund, which consumed floor space during work on an ICE and Border Patrol funding package.

The chamber also failed to advance reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in a 47-52 procedural vote, setting up another scramble before the surveillance authority lapses June 12.

That creates a practical problem for a bill that still needs bipartisan support. Senate leaders have little reason to spend a week of scarce floor time on legislation unless they believe the votes are ready.

The open issues remain substantial. Democrats led by Sen. Ruben Gallego have pushed for ethics provisions tied to conflicts of interest. Illicit finance hawks want stronger safeguards around money laundering and sanctions risks. The Senate Banking and Agriculture committees also still need to merge their approaches.

JPMorgan analysts led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou said the midterm calendar could delay progress on crypto market structure reform this year.

Meanwhile, the timing could also affect the final deal, because a compromise reached before the elections may look different from one negotiated afterward, when political incentives and control of Congress could shift.

Banks keep pressure on stablecoin yield

The calendar problem is colliding with the banks' sustained fight over stablecoins, the digital tokens designed to track the dollar and move across blockchain networks.

For banks, the most sensitive question is whether crypto firms can offer yield on stablecoin balances.

Banking groups have warned that interest-like payments on digital dollars could pull money away from checking and savings accounts while avoiding the rules that apply to regulated banks.

CryptoSlate previously reported that the bill was intended to prohibit passive yield, meaning payments made simply for holding stablecoins. However, the legislation would still allow rewards tied to activity, such as payments, transactions, loyalty programs, and trading incentives.

The distinction could determine whether stablecoins remain payment and settlement tools or become substitutes for bank deposits.

Crypto firms have pushed for flexibility, arguing that activity-based rewards are part of payments innovation and consumer adoption.

The industry says overly strict limits would protect banks from competition and reduce the appeal of digital dollar products that can settle faster than traditional payment systems.

Banks counter that stablecoin issuers and crypto platforms should not be allowed to offer bank-like products without bank-like obligations.

In fact, an American Bankers Association (ABA)-sponsored survey recently stated that “consumers strongly support protecting local lending and the financial system from the risks associated with allowing interest-like rewards on stablecoins.”

That argument has gained political force as stablecoins grow into a larger part of digital finance and as major exchanges seek new ways to turn customer balances into payment activity, trading incentives, and yield-linked products.

Essentially, this dispute remains one of the major obstacles to advancing the legislation as bankers and crypto executives lobby for their own advantage.

What's next for CLARITY Act?

Galaxy Digital stated that the bill’s path could improve if Senate leadership commits to floor time in early to mid-July, if lawmakers bridge the ethics and illicit finance disputes, and if the Banking and Agriculture committees produce a combined package ready for debate.

Those signals would show that the bill has both the votes and the calendar space needed to move.

Without them, the path likely shifts to September, when campaign politics and a crowded fall agenda could reshape the bill or push it into another Congress.

For now, the CLARITY Act remains alive but weakened. Its chances have fallen because the Senate has less time, the banks are still fighting over digital dollars, and the crypto industry has only a few weeks to prove the bill can clear Washington before election politics take over.

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Bitcoin traders have spent the past week bracing for the wrong kind of surprise, watching rate-cut bets evaporate as a run of firm labor data pushed the odds of a Federal Reserve hike by year-end toward 85% and dragged the 10-year Treasury yield up near 4.5%.

Understandably, it dominates the screens, given how much of the past two years of price action has hinged on the cost of money.

But now, a separate arm of the US government is preparing to tighten financial conditions through a channel that comes with no press conference and needs no policy vote.

The US Treasury intends to rebuild its cash balance toward roughly $900 billion by the end of June, and refilling that account means drawing cash out of the same financial system that risk assets lean on for fuel.

This is done through the Treasury General Account, or TGA, which works like the federal government's checking account at the Fed. As the balance climbs, money flows out of private hands and into an account that sits idle until the government spends it back out.

According to Treasury's own quarterly refunding documents, the department is assuming a $900 billion balance at the end of June, with the figure set to peak near $1 trillion, give or take $50 billion, by late July.

Getting there means raising roughly $109 billion in net new borrowing from private investors across the second quarter. For Bitcoin, which trades on the availability of cash as much as on its price, that carries serious consequences.

Some crypto desks already follow a version of this calculation through “net liquidity,” which CryptoSlate reported on when Bitcoin shed its $2 trillion liquidity safety net at the end of last year.

Where the cash comes from decides everything for Bitcoin

The effect this will have on Bitcoin comes down to a single variable, which is the source of the cash that fills the account. The same $900 billion target produces very different outcomes depending on who hands over the money, because the Treasury raises it by auctioning bills, and the buyers of those bills have their own relationship to liquidity.

The gentlest route is through the Fed's overnight reverse repo facility. As money-market funds buy fresh bills with cash they'd otherwise park at the Fed, they shift idle balances from one government-adjacent account into another, and the wider system barely registers the move. The complication is that this cushion has largely been spent already.

The reverse repo facility, which held more than $2.5 trillion at its 2022 peak, has drained to under $100 billion, with daily balances dipping close to zero on plenty of sessions this year, so the buffer that absorbed the last several rounds of issuance has thinned to the point where it can do very little absorbing this time around.

That leaves bank reserves as the more probable source. But, reserves had slipped toward $2.8 trillion late last year, their lowest in more than four years, until the Fed stepped in. In December, it stopped shrinking its balance sheet and started buying Treasury bills at a pace of up to $40 billion a month to keep reserves ample, a hidden liquidity signal that lifted balances back above $3 trillion by late May. That's left a cushion of a few hundred billion dollars above the roughly $2.7 trillion “ample” level Fed officials treat as a floor.

The biggest problem now is what a refill does to that cushion. The Treasury is issuing new bills right as the quarter is about to end, and quarterly tax payments due June 15 could cut a pretty large slice of it. Bitcoin has long been sensitive to funding, but it seems to have increased in the second quarter of the year when Treasury yields spiked to one-year highs in the spring.

A third pathway is much subtler and works through opportunity cost. Short-dated bills now yield close to 4%, a safe and liquid return that competes directly with speculative bets. So, as government paper pays that well, some of the capital that might have chased Bitcoin can comfortably settle into T-bills instead.

Bullish for the thesis, bearish for the trade

This is also quite a bad time for the Bitcoin market.

The selling has been relentless, with BTC sliding below $70,000 on June 2 for the first time since April and changing hands near $63,650 by June 4, after briefly breaking under $62,000 intraday and settling roughly 50% beneath its October record of $126,198. Spot ETFs posted a record 11-session outflow streak worth about $3.45 billion and the largest weekly exodus since the funds launched in 2024.

Risk-loving dollars seem to be rotating toward an AI-led equities rally, and the marginal institutional buyer of the past 18 months has become the marginal seller. Having a cash drain on top of those redemptions, a hawkish rate repricing, and a firmer dollar pulls away the liquidity cushion that BTC tends to lean on when it wants to break higher.

There's also a chance that the TGA buildup doesn't make any noise at all. If the bill demand stays strong, and the remaining reverse repo balances and the Fed's ongoing bill purchases hold reserves at a comfortable level, the refill could move through markets with little friction.

Weak economic data could still pull rate-cut expectations forward faster than the Treasury withdraws cash, even though the recent run of firm labor prints has been pushing them the other way, and Bitcoin has shown before that it can front-run a liquidity turn once the setup lines up in its favor.

Many believe that Bitcoin's long-term value actually relies on this style of government borrowing, the endless deficits, and the swelling debt load that everyone expects will end in currency debasement.

That kind of thinking was all but confirmed when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Senate that the government held no authority to bail out Bitcoin. But, the Treasury bill issuance that feeds this case over a span of years can absolutely starve the trade over a span of weeks by soaking up all the spare cash that risk assets like Bitcoin run on.

Debt can be bullish for Bitcoin in general, but bearish for its next trade. For now, the market is busy repricing how hawkish the Fed might get, when the better question is whether the system holds enough loose cash to swallow Treasury's refill before the assets that live on liquidity start to feel the squeeze.

The post A needed $900B Treasury cash rebuild could quietly drain the liquidity Bitcoin needs appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Hyperliquid’s rapid growth has drawn a warning from Britain’s financial regulator, adding a consumer-protection concern to a platform increasingly watched by Wall Street and traditional market operators.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) placed Hyperliquid and the Hyper Foundation on its warning list, saying the firm may be providing or promoting financial services in the UK without authorization.

In a May 21 notice, the financial regulator stated:

 “You should avoid dealing with this firm and beware of scams.”

The regulator listed the Hyper Foundation website, the Hyperliquid trading app, and the project’s social media channels under its unauthorized firm details.

It also warned that users would not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they wanted to complain and would not be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if they lost money.

The notice comes as Hyperliquid expands beyond crypto-native trading into markets that increasingly overlap with traditional finance.

Hyperliquid is a decentralized, non-custodial derivatives exchange that allows users to trade perpetual futures, contracts that offer leveraged exposure without expiration dates.

Over the past year, the platform has become a major part of offshore crypto trading because it allows traders to keep positions open indefinitely while speculating on price movements.

In the UK, crypto derivatives have faced tighter limits since the FCA banned their sale to retail consumers in 2021. The country also expanded financial promotion rules to crypto assets in 2023, requiring firms marketing to UK users to meet stricter standards.

Considering this, Kyle Samani, chairman of Solana treasury company Forward Industries, described the FCA action as the “first of many,” signaling that some investors expect Hyperliquid’s growth to attract more regulatory attention as the platform moves closer to markets watched by traditional finance.

Traditional exchanges bring the fight to Washington

The UK warning came as Hyperliquid was already facing scrutiny from some of the largest operators in US derivatives markets.

Last month, executives from CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange raised concerns with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over Hyperliquid’s expanding perpetual futures marketplace.

They warned that the platform could pose risks to traditional commodities markets, particularly oil. Their concerns center on whether a decentralized trading venue with limited identity checks could allow traders to manipulate prices, coordinate around market-sensitive information, or evade sanctions.

Furthermore, CME and ICE warned that activity on Hyperliquid could affect global oil benchmarks if state-backed entities or sanctioned actors used the platform to gain exposure outside traditional oversight.

This pushback shows how Hyperliquid’s growth has widened the debate over decentralized finance.

For years, most DeFi platforms competed mainly for crypto liquidity. Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 markets have moved that model closer to traditional finance by allowing synthetic exposure to stocks, commodities, and private companies.

Notably, Hyperliquid said real-world asset open interest on the platform reached a record $3 billion, with HIP-3 setting a new open-interest record each month since its launch in October 2025.

The platform runs continuously, giving traders access to leveraged markets at any hour, including when traditional exchanges are closed.

That structure has helped attract traders seeking to react immediately to earnings, geopolitical developments, policy announcements, and macroeconomic data that can move oil, equities, and private-market sentiment outside standard trading hours.

For CME and ICE, the same structure raises market-integrity concerns. Both exchanges operate under regulatory frameworks that include approved contracts, clearing requirements, surveillance systems, margin rules, and customer-protection standards.

Hyperliquid offers a different model built around public blockchain records, open access, and fewer conventional gatekeepers.

The dispute also carries a commercial edge. If liquidity in commodities, stock indexes, and other traditional assets shifts toward on-chain venues, incumbent exchanges could face pressure from platforms offering lower costs, faster product launches, and round-the-clock trading.

CFTC opens a regulated path for perpetual futures

Despite these concerns from the traditional financial giants, the US regulatory backdrop has been shifting as officials begin creating approved channels for perpetual futures, the product category at the center of Hyperliquid’s growth.

Last month, the CFTC approved Kalshi’s Bitcoin perpetual futures contract for listing on a registered derivatives venue.

The agency also issued policy guidance on perpetual derivatives and 24-hour trading, while staff provided interpretive guidance and no-action relief tied to Coinbase’s access to certain Deribit perpetual products through an affiliate.

The actions show that US regulators are willing to bring perpetual futures into regulated markets when they are offered through approved venues and subject to existing oversight.

That shift is important for Hyperliquid because perpetual futures remain central to its exchange activity and to the wider offshore crypto derivatives market.

It also changes the competitive landscape. Regulated firms such as Kalshi and Coinbase now have clearer routes to serve US customers through recognized market infrastructure.

Hyperliquid remains outside that framework and blocks US residents from direct access.

Still, the Hyperliquid Policy Center welcomed the CFTC’s actions, saying they marked a long-overdue acknowledgment that perpetual derivatives can support price discovery and risk management.

The group said years of regulatory uncertainty had pushed the market offshore and weakened US competitiveness in global derivatives.

The organization also pushed back against claims that Hyperliquid’s structure makes misconduct easier. It said the platform publishes a complete on-chain record of every transaction in real time, creating a transparent environment for surveillance, detection, and investigation by regulators and law enforcement.

“Hyperliquid offers enhanced market transparency,” the group said, adding that continuous trading improves price discovery because markets move whether legacy exchanges are open or closed.

The response reflects the main argument from Hyperliquid’s supporters: onchain markets can offer a more open and efficient structure, with public records replacing parts of the reporting and surveillance systems used by traditional exchanges.

Former Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren has pointed to a broader move toward lower-cost, 24-hour trading of financial assets.

He said liquidity is moving toward decentralized exchanges and away from more expensive centralized venues, echoing Hyperliquid’s appeal to professional traders seeking speed, access, and lower friction.

According to him:

“Hyperliquid has an active market for many commodities, stocks, pre-ipo stocks, as well as crypto. The gold, silver, and oil markets have been active on weekends given the administration's tendency to make announcements over the weekend. 24-7 exchanges means 24-7 trading.”

Hyperliquid faces difficult paths from here

Market observers noted that the regulatory pressure leaves Hyperliquid with a harder question of how much of its current model can survive if the platform wants deeper access to regulated markets.

Derek Edwards, managing partner of venture capital firm Collab Currency, said Hyperliquid is a “killer product,” but faces several constraints if it wants to reach US users and institutions more directly.

He outlined five possible paths for the firm, which include remaining offshore, building a regulated US wrapper, decentralizing further under market-structure legislation, centralizing into a more conventional corporate exchange, or lobbying for a bespoke regulatory framework.

However, none of these paths offers an easy route.

According to Edwards, remaining offshore would allow Hyperliquid to preserve its current product and continue serving global crypto traders. It would also leave US institutional demand to regulated firms that can offer perpetual futures through approved venues.

Meanwhile, a regulated US wrapper could give Hyperliquid a way into the world’s largest capital market, but that structure would likely require separate customer funds, narrower product listings, and a compliance framework distinct from the global platform.

However, US futures rules would make it difficult to mix domestic customer collateral with offshore protocol margin, while approved products would probably focus on deeper, more liquid contracts rather than Hyperliquid’s broader range of markets.

Edwards noted that this approach could also complicate HYPE’s economics. If revenue from a regulated corporate venue flowed into token buybacks, burns, or assistance-fund mechanics, regulators could examine whether token holders were participating in the profits of an operating business.

That would bring additional securities-law questions around the token.

Meanwhile, a deeper decentralization push could help Hyperliquid address some token-classification issues under proposed market-structure legislation such as the CLARITY Act.

That path would likely require broader validator participation, more decentralized listings, reduced emergency discretion, and slower governance-led upgrades.

Those changes would carry a strategic cost. Much of Hyperliquid’s growth has come from fast product decisions, tight execution, and the ability to launch markets quickly. More decentralized governance could strengthen the regulatory argument while reducing the speed at which the platform gains market share.

However, a more centralized structure would give regulators a clearer corporate counterparty, but it could weaken the network thesis around HYPE as a token tied to protocol activity.

Lastly, lobbying for a tailored framework may offer another route as the CFTC becomes more open to perpetual futures and 24-hour trading, though that process could take time and still leave unresolved questions around token classification and derivatives rules.

The post Hyperliquid’s UK warning reveals the regulatory test behind its Wall Street push appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The cryptocurrency market in June 2026 is experiencing a structural shift. Speculative hype is clearing out, making way for institutional capital, real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, and decentralized artificial intelligence infrastructure.

With major regulatory frameworks like the CLARITY Act shaping asset definitions and central banks adjusting interest rates, smart capital is moving into protocols that generate protocol revenue and real-world utility. For investors looking to build a balanced portfolio this month, identifying leading assets within specific sectors is crucial.

Below is an analysis of the top 5 altcoins to buy in June 2026, categorized by market sector, focusing on project fundamentals and technical growth targets.

1. Solana (SOL) – The High-Performance Layer-1 Leader

Project Ecosystem Overview

Solana continues to solidify its position as the premier Layer-1 blockchain for retail liquidity, decentralized finance (DeFi), and high-throughput consumer applications. Moving past the initial memecoin cycles, Solana's monolithic infrastructure has proven highly efficient for executing rapid transactions without relying on fragmented Layer-2 networks.

The network's execution speeds and low transaction fees have attracted major traditional fintech integrations. Platforms like PayPal and Visa utilize Solana's infrastructure for stablecoin settlements, securing its status as a major alternative to Ethereum’s settlement dominance.

Growth Catalysts and Target for 2026

• Institutional Traction: Continuous spot ETF developments and corporate stablecoin deployments.
• Firedancer Mainnet Optimization: The full implementation of the Firedancer validator client provides unprecedented network reliability and throughput capabilities.
• Growth Target: Market analysts project SOL to break past long-term resistance walls, targeting a mid-to-long-term valuation of $180 to $220 as institutional capital flows accelerate.

2. Bittensor (TAO) – The Decentralized AI Compute Infrastructure

Project Ecosystem Overview

The convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology is a defining market narrative in 2026. Bittensor sits at the absolute forefront of this sector. TAO operates as a decentralized, open-source network that incentivizes machine learning models to collaborate and train across a global distributed node architecture.

Following its successful network upgrades, including the expansion of subnet capacities from 128 to 256, Bittensor has proven that distributed networks can train large-scale language models effectively. This makes it an essential infrastructure asset for developers seeking permissionless access to raw computing power and AI intelligence.

Growth Catalysts and Target for 2026

• Supply Scarcity: The long-term macroeconomic effects of its late 2025 halving event are constricting daily token issuance.
• Corporate Staking: Major institutional custody platforms like BitGo have established enterprise-grade staking infrastructure for TAO.
• Growth Target: As tech platforms transition away from centralized cloud monopolies, TAO aims to reclaim psychological resistance zones, targeting $450 to $500 by late 2026.

3. Ondo Finance (ONDO) – The Institutional RWA Pioneer

Project Ecosystem Overview

Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization has grown from a proof-of-concept into a multi-billion dollar sector. Ondo Finance is a market leader in this category, bridging the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and on-chain liquidity. Ondo specializes in bringing institutional-grade financial products, such as US Treasuries and corporate bonds, onto public blockchains like Ethereum and Solana.

By embedding strict automated compliance directly into its smart contracts, Ondo allows global institutional investors to access yield-bearing tokenized products safely. Its structural integration with clearing giants and Tier-1 liquidity providers places it far ahead of competing asset tokenization protocols.

Growth Catalysts and Target for 2026

• Macroeconomic Shift: Declining interest rates push on-chain investors toward stable, institutional yield products.
• Banking Rails Integration: Broadening cross-chain deployments across major public and institutional private ledgers.
• Growth Target: Backed by structural inflows into tokenized securities, ONDO targets a price target expansion toward $2.50 to $3.10 as total value locked (TVL) hits new milestones.

4. Near Protocol (NEAR) – The Foundational Layer for AI Agents

Project Ecosystem Overview

Near Protocol has evolved significantly from a standard smart contract platform into a core foundational layer for cross-chain "user intents" and autonomous AI agents. In 2026, decentralized applications rely heavily on AI agents executing transactions autonomously on behalf of users. Near provides the cryptographic framework necessary for these agents to interact across multiple chains securely.

Through its advanced chain abstraction technology, Near eliminates the friction of managing multiple wallets, gas fees, and network bridges. This enables seamless interactions where software can transact instantly behind a unified interface.

Growth Catalysts and Target for 2026

• AI Agent Web Integration: Infrastructure partnerships with web infrastructure providers to automate micro-payments for data and API processing.
• Mass Consumer Adoption: Positioned as the primary abstract layer for Web3 consumer applications.
• Growth Target: Driven by the narrative of autonomous on-chain commerce, NEAR's valuation targets a structural move toward $8.50 to $11.00.

5. Base (Ecosystem Tracking Token / Base Infrastructure)

Project Ecosystem Overview

While Base does not feature a native network token, it dominates the Ethereum Layer-2 ecosystem, capturing over 60% of total L2 network revenues according to on-chain analytics. Developed by Coinbase, Base serves as the primary gateway for retail capital entering Web3.

The ecosystem's primary value capture mechanisms flow directly back to the wider Ethereum L2 infrastructure layer and decentralized protocols built natively on the network (such as high-performance automated market makers and decentralized derivatives exchanges like Hyperliquid). It serves as an essential index for measuring the health of retail on-chain activity.

Growth Catalysts and Target for 2026

• Smart Wallet Proliferation: Coinbase’s native smart wallets allow millions of mainstream users to interact with applications smoothly using passkeys.
• DeFi Capital Concentration: Base remains the most profitable execution environment for decentralized applications on Ethereum.
• Growth Target: For investors tracking this ecosystem, native building blocks within the L2 layer present clear asymmetric upside, with core ecosystem application tokens targeting a 3x to 5x growth multiple over the summer trading cycle.

Altcoin Market Allocation Comparison

To help visualize how to diversify into these sectors, investors can analyze how these top projects balance different market opportunities:

Summary: Building a Strategic Crypto Portfolio for June 2026

Success in the current crypto market requires a clear shift away from speculative assets toward platforms that generate verifiable economic value. Allocating capital across dominant Layer-1 chains like Solana, decentralized AI frameworks like Bittensor, and institutional infrastructure like Ondo Finance provides balanced exposure to the most resilient narratives of this market cycle.

Regulatory scrutiny over centralized financial platforms has reached an all-time high. Major exchanges continue to tighten identity verification rules, increase account freezes, and suffer massive personal data leaks. As a result, maintaining on-chain privacy is a primary objective for many digital asset holders.

Fortunately, decentralized architecture enables users to acquire and trade digital assets without handing over sensitive personal documents. If you want to bypass Know Your Customer (KYC) onboarding completely, the market offers three distinct, practical operational paths.

Here is exactly how to buy Bitcoin without KYC, execute advanced derivatives trading via non-custodial platforms, and securely store your funds in private storage.

1. Decentralized Perpetual Exchanges (Perp DEXs)

For active traders seeking leverage, advanced order types, and deep liquidity without an identity check, decentralized perpetual platforms are the optimal solution. Unlike traditional centralized entities, these protocols operate entirely via smart contracts. You do not register with an email or upload an ID; you simply connect a non-custodial Web3 wallet.

Top No-KYC Perpetual Platforms

• Hyperliquid: Operating on its own specialized Layer 1 network, Hyperliquid delivers a highly performant user interface, minimal trading fees, and deep liquidity for perpetual contracts without checking user identities.
• Lighter: Focusing on efficient order execution, Lighter provides low-latency trading infrastructure that completely bypasses user-identity documentation checks.

Trading Mechanics

Because native $Bitcoin lives on its own proof-of-work blockchain, perp DEXs typically settle transactions using collateralized stablecoins like USDC or USDT, or synthetic variants like Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC). To use these platforms, you deposit stablecoins from your Web3 wallet, trade the underlying price action of Bitcoin with up to 20x or 50x leverage, and settle your profits directly back into your non-custodial wallet.

2. Decentralized Instant Swap Services

If your goal is spot acquisition rather than derivatives trading, non-custodial instant swap protocols allow you to execute cross-chain transactions without setting up an account.

Platforms like GhostSwap and SwapRocket aggregate deep order book liquidity from dozens of decentralized and institutional partners. They enable users to drop one digital asset into a smart contract and receive another asset directly in an external wallet.

• User Wallet (Sends USDT/ETH)
• Instant Swap Smart Contract
• Private Bitcoin Wallet (Receives Native BTC)

This model is ideal if you already own a liquid digital asset (such as $Ethereum or a stablecoin) and want to swap it for native Bitcoin without an intermediary holding custody of your funds during the execution window.

3. Pure Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Escrow Platforms

To move fiat currency (cash, bank transfers, or localized payment networks) directly into Bitcoin without a central exchange tracking your personal information, Peer-to-Peer networks are the foundational standard.

Platforms like Hodl Hodl and Bisq provide decentralized, non-custodial frameworks where buyers and sellers match directly.

The Security Model: Multi-Signature Escrow

To guarantee security without relying on a centralized intermediary, these platforms utilize automated multi-signature (multi-sig) smart contracts.

1.Lock the Asset: Initiation

The Bitcoin seller deposits the agreed BTC amount into a secure, programmatically locked 2-of-3 multi-signature escrow account on the blockchain.

2.Execute Fiat Payment: Peer-to-Peer.

The buyer sends the fiat funds directly to the seller using the mutually agreed payment protocol (e.g., SEPA transfer, cash in person, or revolut).

3.Release the Escrow: Settlement.

Once the seller verifies receipt of the fiat funds in their private account, they sign the transaction to release the locked Bitcoin from the multi-sig contract directly to the buyer's destination address.

If a dispute arises, an independent arbitrator reviews proof of payment and signs the third key to release the funds to the rightful owner.

Step-by-Step: How to Send Cryptos to a Private Wallet

Buying Bitcoin anonymously is only half the battle. If you leave your digital assets on a centralized platform or do not practice strict operational security with your private keys, your privacy footprint remains vulnerable.

To maximize your structural anonymity, follow this exact process to route your newly acquired Bitcoin to cold storage:

Step 1: Generate Clean Address ──> Step 2: Set Optimal Network Fees ──> Step 3: Verify & Cast Transaction

1. Generate a Fresh Private Address

Open an open-source, non-custodial private wallet application (such as Electrum or a hardware wallet interface like Trezor or Ledger). Generate a brand-new Bitcoin receiving address. Avoid reusing older public keys, as blockchain analytics firms can easily cluster transactions together to map out your entire financial net worth.

2. Initiate the Withdrawal or Swap

Input your fresh public address into your selected Perp DEX, instant swap layout, or P2P platform. Carefully double-check every alphanumeric character. Because blockchain transactions are entirely immutable, sending funds to an incorrect address results in permanent capital loss.

3. Broadcast the Transaction

Confirm the transaction and pay the necessary network mining fee. Once the transaction is broadcast to the global network, monitor its progress using a decentralized, privacy-focused block explorer (such as Mempool.space via a Tor browser connection) until it reaches a minimum of three to six block confirmations.

Critical Privacy Note: Always route your online traffic through a virtual private network (VPN) or the Tor network when executing transactions. Even if a platform does not require identity documents, it can still log your public IP address and geolocate your physical position.

Bitcoin has done it again: From an all-time high of around $120,000, it has dropped to about $60,000 within a few months – a decrease of around 50%. Those who invested at the peak are now staring at a halved portfolio. However, those who invested with a clear plan and the right investment strategy are already familiar with this scenario from previous cycles and know: Right now is when the foundation for future returns is being laid.

Key Insights

• Bitcoin fell from about $120,000 to around $60,000 in 2025/2026 – a decline of about 50%, which is historically not unusual in the crypto space (comparable to 2017/18 and 2021/22).
• Dollar cost averaging (DCA) is a proven strategy where you regularly invest a fixed amount – regardless of the current price. This smooths out your entry price and helps you avoid the trap of market timing.
• Large investment funds and pension funds operate on the same principle: they invest regularly over decades instead of reacting to short-term market fluctuations.
• During crash phases, you as an investor have three options: continue DCA consistently, partially shift into stablecoins, or pause your savings plan and wait for recovery signals.
• The perfect entry point is less important than having a clear plan with defined risk, time horizon, and discipline – our savings plan and crypto savings plan comparison can help you find the right provider.

From Bitcoin's All-Time High to Crash – What DCA Has to Do with It

In early 2025, Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of around $126,000 – approximately $120,000. What followed is familiar to experienced customers of the crypto market: profit-taking, panic selling, and a price drop of around 50%. The price fell to values between $60,000 and $70,000.

Such crashes are not anomalies. In previous cycles – such as 2017/18 or 2021/22 – losses ranged from 40% to over 80%. Nevertheless, Bitcoin recovered each time and reached new highs.

The problem: Many beginners enter at the top, driven by FOMO and media hype, and sell in panic at the first major decline. DCA – dollar cost averaging – is the method that cushions this behavior. Instead of waiting for the supposedly perfect moment, you invest a fixed amount regularly in cryptos like $Bitcoin or $Ethereum.

In this article, we will show you how DCA works in crypto, how to strategically use crash phases, and how to invest step by step with a crypto savings plan – for example, through Bitpanda.

What is Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) in the Crypto Space?

Dollar-Cost-Averaging (DCA) means that you regularly buy a fixed amount of an asset – for example, €100 in Bitcoin every month. DCA allows for regular investments in cryptocurrencies without having to worry about the current price.

The cost averaging effect works like this:

• When prices are low, you automatically buy more units (e.g., more Satoshis). Investors buy more units at low prices and fewer at high prices.
• When prices are high, you buy fewer units – this creates an averaged entry price over time.
• DCA can lower the average cost per unit because you don’t buy everything at a single (possibly unfavorable) moment.
• DCA eliminates the stress of timing the purchase – you don’t need to understand technical chart analysis or market forecasts.

This method comes from traditional investing: ETF savings plans, mutual funds, and retirement plans operate on the same principle. DCA is simple for beginners and does not require extensive knowledge of cryptocurrency markets. It does not guarantee profits, but it limits psychological errors such as panic selling and impulsive trading.

Why DCA Makes Sense in Volatile Cryptocurrency Markets

The crypto market is notorious for its volatility. Daily movements of ±10% are not uncommon, and cycles where prices like Bitcoin drop from $120,000 to $60,000 are part of everyday life. DCA is particularly advantageous in volatile markets like cryptocurrencies because it allows you to take advantage of these fluctuations.

Market timing is extremely difficult in these markets. Even professional traders and analysts regularly miss the mark when it comes to identifying tops or bottoms. DCA reduces the risk of investing just before a market downturn because you spread your capital over many points in time.

DCA aims to reduce the effects of market volatility. Instead of letting market fluctuations control you, you automatically buy in bull and bear markets. This way, you benefit on average from the long-term trend of the asset.

Pension funds and retirement savings plans set the example: They regularly invest large sums in broadly diversified assets over decades without trying to perfectly time short-term fluctuations. DCA works particularly well for long-term crypto investors with a time horizon of 5 to 10+ years who believe in the fundamental value of Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Strategies for Crash Phases: DCA, Stablecoins & Waiting

Bitcoin halves from $120,000 to $60,000. Many altcoins fall 70–90%. The monetary value in the portfolio shrinks. Emotions run high. Right now, the plan separates from the panic. Here are three options you have as an investor in such phases:

Option 1 – Continue Investing via DCA: Many long-term investors simply let their existing crypto savings plan continue. DCA allows for the purchase of more units at low prices – and that is the core of the strategy. Those who consistently invest during the crash significantly lower their average entry price. An example of DCA is a monthly investment of €100 – regardless of whether Bitcoin is at $120,000 or $60,000.

Option 2 – Partially Shift to Stablecoins: Some investors park a portion of their position in stablecoins (e.g., USDT, USDC, EURS). This secures liquidity and allows for larger special purchases when signs of recovery or further downward exaggerations appear.

Option 3 – Pause the Savings Plan and Monitor the Market: Some investors temporarily stop their DCA and analyze the situation: macro data like interest policy, on-chain data like hash rate or wallet activity, regulatory developments. Only when there are signals like rising trading volumes or breaking through important resistance levels do they become active again.

None of these options are “always right.” The right choice depends on your risk tolerance, liquidity, and time horizon. What matters is a pre-defined plan rather than spontaneous panic decisions.

Applying DCA Specifically: Examples and Avoiding Typical Mistakes

Imagine you invest €200 a month in Bitcoin over 24 months. Month 1 starts at the all-time high of $120,000. In the following months, the price falls to $60,000, partially recovers, and continues to fluctuate. DCA can lower the average purchase price of an asset – your averaged entry price will end up significantly below the top, perhaps at $80,000–90,000.

Here’s how to implement DCA correctly:

• Choose a fixed interval: monthly is standard, weekly smooths out more but incurs more fees.
• Determine an amount you can afford – e.g., €50, €100, or €500 per month. Never use money that you need in the short term for rent or emergencies.
• Focus on established coins with high market capitalization: Bitcoin and Ethereum have the longest history and the broadest acceptance.

Typical mistakes to avoid:

• Starting DCA and stopping after the first significant loss
• Constantly adjusting amounts up and down based on news
• Going completely “all-in” shortly after a hype or due to a QR code in an advertisement
• Buying too many speculative altcoins instead of focusing on quality assets

DCA is particularly suitable for established crypto assets. High-risk altcoins are often more cyclical and less predictable – DCA does not protect against permanent losses in those cases.

How to Start with DCA through Bitpanda (Step-by-Step Guide)

Bitpanda is a user-friendly platform that is particularly suitable for starting with DCA. DCA is suitable for beginners and long-term investors – and Bitpanda makes the process as easy as possible. Bitpanda is the only regulated crypto exchange under BaFin, which offers a high level of security.

Step 1 – Registration via Our Link: Click here, open a free account, and confirm your email address. The registration takes only a few minutes.

Step 2 – Identity Verification (KYC): Crypto exchanges must verify users with an ID. As a regulated provider, Bitpanda requires verification via ID or passport, possibly also via video identification – comparable to opening an account at a bank.

Step 3 – Deposit Euro Balance: Transfer euros to your Bitpanda account via SEPA or other payment methods. A SEPA deposit typically takes 1–2 banking days. Other deposits like credit cards are also possible depending on the region.

Step 4 – Set Up Crypto Savings Plan (Auto-Invest): In the app or on the website, you can create a savings plan for Bitcoin or other crypto assets. Choose your amount (e.g., €50 monthly), the interval, and the payment source. Many crypto exchanges offer automated savings plans for DCA – Bitpanda's Auto-Invest function is among the most convenient.

Step 5 – Regularly Check Your Portfolio, But Don’t Trade Daily: Review your plan at intervals of 3–6 months. Adjust the strategy as needed, but avoid frantic reactions to every price fluctuation. DCA requires long-term discipline and consistent purchases.

Our savings plan comparison provides additional information on how Bitpanda compares to other providers.

How to Find the Right Savings Plan Provider (Including Our Savings Plan Comparison)

A comparison of crypto savings plans is crucial because the differences in fees, coin selection, minimum amounts, and regulatory status are significant. Transaction costs can diminish returns with frequent purchases – that’s why it’s worth taking a close look at the fee structure.

Here’s an overview of the fees of important providers:

SMS-TAN procedures are considered less secure than app-based 2FA – ensure that your provider offers modern authentication. Bitvavo uses 2-Factor Authentication for added security. Kraken was founded in 2011 and has high security standards. Bison has a multi-layer security concept and is ISO certified.

A good DCA provider should meet the following criteria:

• Transparent fee structure without hidden costs
• Real cryptocurrencies (not just certificates or stock-like products)
• Regulated custody and licensing
• Easy setup for recurring purchases

Our crypto savings plan and exchange comparison presents these points clearly. Bitpanda offers a particularly straightforward way to get started: a wide selection of crypto assets, a convenient savings plan function, staking options, and the Bitpanda Card. Getting started through our referral link takes just a few minutes.

Still, keep in mind: The choice should always fit your own needs – risk profile, desired coins, additional features like rewards or payouts. The Trade Republic card or other financial products can also be sensibly used depending on your goals. Investors in the Netherlands may have different provider options than users in Germany.

Psychology & Long-Term Thinking: What We Can Learn from Investment and Pension Funds

Successful investing has less to do with “secret knowledge” than with discipline, patience, and a clear system. Large companies, pension funds, and retirement funds regularly invest large sums into broadly diversified portfolios over the years – monthly or quarterly. They do not try to time short-term fluctuations.

Individual investors can approach a Bitcoin or crypto savings plan similarly on a smaller scale: regular amounts, long investment horizon, clear strategy, no frantic trading or selling.

DCA promotes disciplined investing without emotional decisions. Emotional control is achieved through the automation of DCA – you don’t have to check the price every day and ponder over buying or selling. DCA minimizes emotional decisions while investing and reduces the impact of market volatility on your well-being.

In crash phases – such as the drop from $120,000 to $60,000 – the DCA investor knows: They are buying at a lower price now. The focus is on the long-term trend, not the daily price. This psychological influence is enormous and makes the difference between panic selling and calmly moving forward.

Long-term thinking also means viewing crypto only as part of the overall portfolio. Timeframes of 5 to 10+ years are realistic – just like with traditional investments in funds or stocks.

Risks & Limits of Dollar Cost Averaging in Crypto

DCA is a helpful toolset, but it is not a miracle solution. Crypto remains a risky asset class with the potential for total losses in individual projects. A realistic understanding of the limits is essential.

1. Risk of Persistently Low Prices: Some coins may never reach their previous all-time highs again. DCA does not protect against structurally poor investments—especially in speculative altcoins with low volume. The use of DCA should focus on assets with strong fundamentals.
2. Short-Term Losses Possible: DCA smooths out volatility but does not prevent price losses. Particularly with short time horizons of less than 3–5 years, the results can vary significantly. DCA can lead to lower returns in bull markets because you did not invest the entire amount at the low point.
3. Fee Accumulation: Many small trades create numerous individual transactions. The costs can add up, especially with providers that have high spreads or trading fees.
4. Evaluate Individual Factors: Financial situation, emergency funds, debts, investment goals, and risk tolerance should be thoroughly assessed before entering crypto. Crypto investments are not a substitute for a solid financial foundation. Be aware of tax implications (many individual purchases = many cost bases) and seek professional advice for larger amounts. Events such as regulatory changes or geopolitical developments can have additional impacts on the market.

DCA reduces the effects of market volatility—but it does not eliminate risk. Only invest money that you can afford to set aside for the long term.

FAQ

Is Dollar Cost Averaging in Crypto still worthwhile in 2026, after Bitcoin has fallen so much?

The principle of DCA is timeless because it does not depend on whether Bitcoin is currently at $20,000, $60,000, or $120,000. It’s about investing in installments over a longer period. Especially after significant pullbacks—like the drop from $120,000 to $60,000—DCA can be attractive for newcomers because the entry prices are significantly lower compared to the all-time high. DCA reduces the risk of investing just before a market downturn and provides a solid experience even for investors without deep market knowledge.

Should I stop my crypto savings plan during a crash?

That depends on your situation. Many long-term investors consciously keep their savings plan running to benefit from lower prices. Others pause for risk reasons—such as job insecurity or liquidity needs. The necessity of a predefined strategy is crucial here: Set conditions before the crash under which you will continue or pause (e.g., “I will maintain the savings plan until a price drop of X%”). This way, you avoid spontaneous panic decisions.

Which cryptocurrencies are best suited for DCA?

DCA is typically used for established, liquid cryptocurrencies—primarily Bitcoin and Ethereum, as they have the longest history and the highest market capitalization. Highly speculative altcoins with low volume can still pose a high risk for permanent losses or project failures, even with DCA. The advantages of DCA are most pronounced with assets in which you believe in the fundamental value over the long term.

Does it make sense to combine DCA with a portion in stablecoins?

Some investors park a portion of their regular deposits in stablecoins to make larger special purchases during significant downturns—such as an additional 20–30% price drop. This hybrid strategy is a sensible addition but makes implementation more complex. You should clearly define when and how the stablecoins will be converted back into crypto to avoid decision paralysis. A clear set of rules will help you with this.

How much should my monthly amount be for DCA in crypto?

The amount must always fit your individual situation. Crypto investments should not be funded with money that is needed in the short term for rent, emergencies, or debt repayment. Start with small amounts—e.g., $25–100 per month—and only increase after gaining experience and comfort over several months. Through Bitpanda, you can already set up a savings plan with low amounts and gradually build your portfolio.

The cryptocurrency market has suffered one of its most brutal corrections of the year, shedding more than 20% of its total valuation over the past seven days. Bitcoin ($BTC) plummeted below the critical $70,000 threshold to hit a low of $60,800, dragging the entire digital asset landscape down with it.

Ethereum ($ETH) collapsed to $1,560, while major altcoins faced aggressive selling pressure; Solana ($SOL) dropped to $62 and Ripple ($XRP) hovered at $1.08. This massive deleveraging event was not isolated to digital assets. Instead, it was triggered by a systemic macro-economic shock where everything that could go wrong for global financial markets went wrong simultaneously, wiping out a staggering $2.5 trillion in a single trading session.

Why are Markets Down?

The primary trigger for the market-wide liquidation began with the release of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May employment report. The US economy added 172,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, obliterating Wall Street expectations of roughly 88,000.

While a robust labor market is typically a sign of economic health, it presents a major problem under current conditions. With inflation stubbornly stuck at 3.8% and crude oil trading at $90 per barrel, an overheating job market signals to the Federal Reserve that the economy is not cooling down. Consequently, the probability of an interest rate hike this year surged from 40% to 57% in a single day. Higher interest rates reduce the present value of risk assets, sending shockwaves through both tech equities and cryptocurrencies.

The AI Trade Cracks and Drags Down Tech

For months, the crypto market has enjoyed a strong correlation with high-growth artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks. That correlation turned toxic when the AI tech narrative experienced its first major structural crack:

• Broadcom's Miss: Despite reporting a 48% increase in revenue and a 143% surge in AI chip sales, Broadcom stock crashed 12.6% because management failed to raise its forward-looking AI revenue targets.
• The Semiconductor Rout: A research report from SemiAnalysis revealed that Nvidia’s next-generation architecture will require roughly half the memory capacity previously priced in by the market. This sparked a global semiconductor sell-off, causing South Korea’s SK Hynix to drop 10%, Samsung to fall 6%, and South Korea's entire stock market to plunge 5.5%.
• Anthropic's Warning: Adding to the panic, AI safety firm Anthropic published a report warning that AI systems are nearing self-improvement capabilities without human intervention, calling for a global development pause.

This combination of decelerating corporate guidance and structural uncertainty forced institutional investors to question bloated tech valuations, causing a domino effect of liquidations that spilled directly into highly liquid crypto markets.

The Hidden Trillion-Dollar Liquidity Drain

Underneath the surface, a major liquidity crunch is actively starving the markets. Giant technology companies are preparing for massive public listings. SpaceX is targeting a $1.75 trillion public valuation next week, while both Anthropic and OpenAI have initialized filing processes.

Together, these upcoming listings represent between $4 trillion and $5 trillion in expected market value. Because cash reserves among institutional fund managers are at their lowest levels since early 2024, institutional players are forced to aggressively sell down their existing holdings—including highly liquid mega-cap cryptocurrencies—simply to raise the capital required to participate in these new listings.

Fed Leadership Uncertainty Sparks De-Risking

Compounding the panic is the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in 11 days. This marks the very first policy meeting for the newly appointed Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Warsh, who took office under the Trump administration with market expectations of an aggressive rate-cutting agenda.

However, Chair Warsh is now walking straight into a macroeconomic trap of high inflation, surging energy prices, and a red-hot labor market. Because market participants have no historical precedent for how this new leadership will react to these conflicting metrics, institutional investors chose the safest option: aggressively de-risking portfolios and stepping to the sidelines.

Crypto Trading Strategy: How to Navigate a Market Crash

When systemic liquidations hit the digital asset space, emotional trading usually leads to severe capital destruction. Professional traders rely on strict risk-mitigation systems to preserve capital during a macro-driven market drawdown.

1. Capital Preservation via Stablecoins

During high-velocity crashes, velocity outweighs valuation. Converting portions of a portfolio into asset-backed stablecoins (such as USDC or USDT) removes directional market risk. This strategy halts portfolio drawdowns and builds dry powder, ensuring liquid capital is available to deploy once the market finds a structural bottom.

2. Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) Into Blue Chips

Attempting to catch the exact bottom of a crash is statistically unprofitable. A disciplined Dollar-Cost Averaging strategy breaks down your target investment allocation into fixed smaller amounts deployed at regular intervals (e.g., weekly or monthly). Focusing DCA allocations strictly on highly liquid blue-chip assets like $Bitcoin and $Ethereum minimizes the risk of holding illiquid altcoins that may fail to recover.

--> Check out our savings plan comparison tool to help you choose the best provider

3. Monitoring Derivative Liquidations and Funding Rates

Before entering new spot positions, traders should observe the derivatives market via platforms like Coinglass. A true market bottom is often preceded by a cascade of long liquidations and a shift in funding rates from positive to negative. When funding rates turn deeply negative, it indicates an oversold market where short sellers are paying a premium to hold their positions, often laying the groundwork for a short squeeze.

The cryptocurrency market faced severe downward pressure this past week, triggering sharp liquidations across several major alternative coins. While large-cap assets like Bitcoin struggled to maintain key support levels, multiple high-profile altcoins bore the brunt of the market sell-off, posting double-digit losses exceeding $25$.

Data from CoinMarketCap highlights a widespread correction driven by macro-economic factors, shifting regulatory environments, and liquidity drains from risk-on assets. Below is a detailed breakdown of the top five worst-performing altcoins over the last seven days.

1. Cardano (ADA)

$Cardano led the weekly losses among major layer-1 networks. The $ADA price plummeted by 32.19%, dropping its market capitalization to approximately $5.76 billion.

Despite continuous developer activity on the network, ADA struggled with a lack of short-term bullish catalysts. Heavy liquidations in futures markets exacerbated the spot price decline, pushing Cardano into heavily oversold territory on the daily relative strength index (RSI).

2. Aptos (APT)

$Aptos, another prominent layer-1 blockchain built for scalability, witnessed a 29.32% price reduction over the week. Trading at $0.6638 at the time of data collection, the asset's market cap contracted sharply to $544 million.

The steep drop is primarily attributed to a broader risk-off sentiment hitting newer smart-contract platforms, alongside scheduled token unlocks that increased circulating supply and diluted existing buy pressure.

3. Zcash (ZEC)

Privacy-centric cryptocurrency $Zcash experienced a volatile seven days. Despite booking a brief 19.34% recovery within a 24-hour window, its overall weekly performance stood at a negative 27.42%, trading at $374.80.

The sharp weekly decline reflects ongoing regulatory scrutiny surrounding privacy coins in various global jurisdictions, causing exchanges to de-risk and retail traders to reallocate capital into more transparent public ledgers.

4. Algorand (ALGO)

$Algorand fell by 27.06% over the past week, with its price sliding to $0.09321. The institutional-grade blockchain network saw its market cap shrink to $831 million.

ALGO’s downtrend mirrors the broader systemic outflow from decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems. The asset failed to sustain key psychological support levels, triggering automated stop-loss orders that accelerated the downward momentum.

5. Sei (SEI)

Rounding out the top five is $Sei, a sector-specific layer-1 blockchain optimized for trading. SEI registered a 26.12% loss over the seven-day period, pushing its price down to $0.04799 with a market cap of $340 million.

As a relatively new market entrant, SEI remains highly susceptible to aggressive speculative cycles. When broader market liquidity dries up, high-beta altcoins like SEI typically suffer deeper corrections as capital flows back into safer stables or fiat.

Arthur Hayes warned that Hyperliquid's core value driver—using trading fees to burn tokens—exposes the protocol to market share losses.

Anthropic's new flagship aced our math problem and shipped a spotless game—then drained our entire token quota in a single prompt. We ran it through six tests, and here's how it did.

Frontier AI models have evolved into bug-finding tools, uncovering vulnerabilities across the tech world—and now in crypto too.

Researchers say prompt injection attacks could manipulate AI coding agents to access sensitive credentials stored in software development pipelines.

Bitcoin surged in the wake of President Trump's reelection, pushing to new highs deep into 2025. Now it's down more than 50% from that peak.

This follows as the focus shifts to real-world utility for Dogecoin.

With XRP pushing into extreme oversold zones, trader Bob Loukas reveals why a 50% crash is still on the table after a local bounce.

The last time Cardano had a death cross on its weekly chart was in December 2022.

Michael Saylor hints at new Bitcoin buys as Strategy faces a massive $12B paper loss, making the market discuss how they will fund the next wave.

Ripple Chief Technology Officer Emeritus David Schwartz has addressed growing speculation within the community regarding the eventual depletion of the company’s massive XRP escrow accounts.

TLDR:

• Michael Saylor posted Strategy’s Bitcoin tracker, signaling a possible new BTC purchase soon.
• Similar posts by Saylor have often preceded official disclosures of additional Bitcoin buys.
• Strategy holds over 840,000 BTC and continues treating Bitcoin as a core treasury asset.
• Investors see potential accumulation as a positive signal amid recent weakness in market sentiment.

Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor signaled a potential new Bitcoin purchase after posting the company’s holdings chart on X. On June 7, Saylor shared the tracker and wrote, “A good time to add more dots.”

The post attracted market attention because Saylor has frequently shared similar updates before announcing new Bitcoin acquisitions. Strategy has subsequently disclosed additional purchases following several of those earlier posts.

The signal arrived days after reports emerged that Strategy sold 32 Bitcoins on June 1. The sale surprised market participants and coincided with a broader digital-asset market correction. Investors focused on the fact that Strategy had sold even a small portion of its holdings.

Some market participants now view Saylor’s latest message as a sign that additional purchases could follow. They expect further accumulation by Strategy to support sentiment after recent market weakness.

Strategy remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin. The company currently holds more than 840,000 Bitcoin and continues to treat the asset as a central treasury reserve.

Strategy Continues Accumulating Despite Market Volatility

Strategy’s holdings chart shows continued accumulation through periods of price volatility. The company added roughly 171,000 Bitcoin during the year, representing a 25% increase in holdings.

Source: Bitcoin Treasury

The chart indicates that Bitcoin’s market value experienced fluctuations during early 2026. However, Strategy’s total holdings continued rising throughout the same period. The pattern suggests that the company maintained purchases regardless of short-term price movements.

The company’s reported holdings reached 843,706 Bitcoin. The average acquisition cost stood near $75,702 per Bitcoin, while the total cost basis approached $63.8 billion.

The chart also showed a market net asset value ratio of approximately 0.66. That level indicates the company’s market valuation traded below the value of its Bitcoin holdings.

Market participants have cited concerns including execution risk, leveraged exposure, and continued capital raises. Those factors may contribute to investor caution despite ongoing accumulation.

Bitcoin Treasury Model Remains Central to Corporate Strategy

Strategy has built its corporate identity around Bitcoin accumulation. The company continues raising capital through debt and equity markets to fund additional purchases.

That approach increases the amount of Bitcoin held per share over time. It also strengthens Strategy’s role as a publicly traded vehicle for Bitcoin exposure.

Each purchase removes additional Bitcoin from the available market supply. The accumulation strategy has therefore attracted attention from both investors and market observers.

The model remains dependent on continued access to capital markets. Extended weakness in Bitcoin prices could create additional challenges for financing future acquisitions.

Even so, Saylor has consistently maintained support for Bitcoin as a core corporate asset. His latest post reinforced that position and renewed expectations of further purchases.

The development comes as retail participation appears to weaken while institutional accumulation continues. If Strategy proceeds with another acquisition, it would extend a buying pattern that has defined the company’s Bitcoin strategy for years.

The post Michael Saylor’s “Add More” Post Sparks Talk of New Bitcoin Acquisition appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Bitcoin spot trading volume has declined 81% from its October 2025 peak across major exchanges.
• Total CEX spot trading volume fell to $4.3 trillion in March, the lowest since October 2024.
• Binance captured 32% of spot market share as liquidity increasingly shifted to larger exchanges.
• Ethereum faces concerns over prolonged consolidation unless a fresh market narrative emerges.

Bitcoin spot trading activity has fallen sharply across centralized exchanges, reaching its lowest levels in years. Data cited by market commentator Su Hu shows Bitcoin’s spot trading volume dropped 81% from its October 2025 peak.

Binance recorded monthly spot trading volume of $198.6 billion in October 2025. That figure has since declined to approximately $36.4 billion. Across all centralized exchanges, total spot trading volume fell to $4.3 trillion in March 2026.

The March figure represented a 48% decline from the October 2025 peak. It also marked the lowest level since October 2024. Spot trading activity weakened further in April, reaching a 25-month low and continuing its downward trend.

The decline followed the November 10 market crash, when liquidations reportedly exceeded $19 billion. Since that event, spot trading volumes have decreased each month across major exchanges.

Liquidity Concentrates on Major Exchanges as Smaller Platforms Lose Activity

Trading activity has become increasingly concentrated among the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. According to the data, roughly 90% of market liquidity is now held by leading platforms.

Binance accounted for 32% of global spot market share in March 2026. During parts of 2025, the exchange controlled as much as 41% of the market. Smaller exchanges have seen declining participation as liquidity shifted toward larger venues.

The concentration of trading activity has coincided with lower overall market participation. The data suggests that market activity is increasingly centered on major exchanges and larger participants.

Observers note that spot markets typically reflect activity from everyday cryptocurrency traders. Reduced spot volume therefore indicates lower engagement from participants who commonly trade based on market narratives and short-term opportunities.

The decline in activity follows a period of choppy price movements after the 2025 market peak. Trading conditions have remained uneven, contributing to weaker participation across spot markets.

Market Participants Assess Opportunities Beyond Cryptocurrency Trading

The decline in spot activity has occurred alongside growing attention toward other asset classes. Market participants have increasingly focused on stocks, gold, and commodities during recent months.

According to the commentary, these markets currently offer clearer narratives and more consistent trends. By comparison, cryptocurrency markets have faced lower enthusiasm and reduced speculative participation.

Despite lower activity, the analysis does not characterize reduced retail participation as inherently negative. Lower-volume environments can coincide with periods when stronger market participants gradually absorb available supply.

Su Hu argued that ordinary investors face challenges obtaining the information available to larger market participants.

He advised maintaining reasonable allocations to alternative cryptocurrencies while considering other assets that provide greater confidence.

The commentary also addressed Ethereum’s market position. It stated that Ethereum’s primary challenge is not only price weakness but the possibility of an extended period of low-level consolidation.

According to the analysis, Ethereum may require a new narrative capable of attracting capital, developers, and broader market consensus.

The post Bitcoin Spot Volume Falls 81% as Retail Activity Retreats Across CEXs appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Analysts warn Bitcoin’s recent rally fits a corrective B-Wave structure, not a true bull market reversal. 
• A confirmed C-Wave decline could bring final capitulation, fading optimism, and lower lows for Bitcoin.
• Trader Daan Crypto notes bulls are defending prior lows, with a summer consolidation range still possible.
• The $60,000 level is now the critical threshold separating continued recovery from a deeper BTC correction. 

Bitcoin’s recent price recovery is drawing scrutiny from market analysts who believe the rally fits the profile of a corrective B-Wave structure. If this reading holds, traders may be navigating the final phase of the current bear market cycle.

The broader question now is whether the next leg lower is already beginning, or if bulls can reclaim key levels before momentum shifts decisively.

Bitcoin B-Wave Rally Mirrors Classic Bear Market Patterns

Bear markets rarely move in straight lines, and Bitcoin’s recent run higher appears to follow a familiar script. The B-Wave phase is well-documented in Elliott Wave theory as a corrective recovery within a larger downtrend.

It tends to produce strong price action, improved sentiment, and bullish media coverage that pulls in fresh participants.

Analyst More Crypto Online flagged this pattern on social media, warning that the rally may have already run its course.

According to the analyst, B-Waves often convince traders that a new bull market has started. The structure, however, lacks the impulsive characteristics of a genuine trend reversal.

This distinction matters because corrective rallies and true bull markets require very different trading approaches. Misreading the structure has historically led to poorly timed entries near cycle peaks.

Traders who bought into optimism during B-Wave highs in previous cycles often faced the steepest drawdowns in the phase that followed.

C-Wave Decline Could Bring Final Capitulation

If the B-Wave reading proves accurate, Bitcoin may now be entering the C-Wave, the final and often most psychologically damaging leg of a bear market.

This phase is typically marked by fading optimism, consecutive failed bounces, and growing apathy among retail participants. Sentiment gradually shifts from “buy the dip” to frustration.

More Crypto Online outlined specific warning signs traders should monitor closely. These include a failure to reclaim key resistance levels, rallies that lack five-wave impulsive structure, and bearish momentum building after each bounce. Together, these signals suggest distribution rather than accumulation.

Historically, C-Waves accelerate as weak hands exit and hope gives way to exhaustion. Volume tends to dry up, and price often makes lower lows with little media attention. That quiet, overlooked decline is often when the cycle bottom forms.

$60K Support Remains Critical for Short-Term Outlook

Not all analysts share an immediately bearish view. Trader Daan Crypto raised a different scenario, noting that bulls stepped in to defend a key prior low.

With Bitcoin on track to close the week above the 200-week moving average, a large consolidation range could be forming through the summer months.

Daan described $60,000 as the level that must hold to keep this scenario intact. A sustained break below that zone would shift the technical picture meaningfully. Conversely, holding current levels keeps both the bullish and bearish interpretations open.

Both perspectives reflect a market still searching for direction after a prolonged period of uncertainty. Whether Bitcoin is coiling for another leg lower or building a base, the $60,000 region remains the clearest line between continued recovery and deeper correction.

The post Is Bitcoin’s Rally a Bear Trap? Elliott Wave Analysts Flag C-Wave Risk appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Major indices suffered steep losses last week—the S&P 500 declined 2.6% while the Nasdaq plunged 4.7% on rate hike expectations
• Wednesday brings May’s CPI report, with analysts forecasting headline inflation at 4.2% annually
• SpaceX prepares for its Friday public debut at $135 per share, targeting a $1.78 trillion market cap
• Major tech earnings from Oracle and Adobe will provide insight into AI infrastructure trends
• Bitcoin closed near $60,000, representing a decline of over 50% from peak levels

Wall Street faces a consequential week ahead packed with critical inflation metrics, a monumental initial public offering, and significant corporate earnings releases. Investor sentiment remains subdued following Friday’s sharp market decline.

Equity Markets Stumbled Through Last Week

Friday’s trading session saw the S&P 500 surrender 2.6%, snapping a nine-week rally. The tech-heavy Nasdaq experienced its steepest weekly drop in recent memory at 4.7%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.6%.

The downturn followed an unexpectedly robust employment report. May’s job creation totaled 172,000 positions, significantly exceeding the 88,000 consensus forecast. This development led traders to increase bets on at least one monetary policy tightening move before December.

Bitcoin experienced similar pressure. The cryptocurrency settled around the $60,000 threshold, representing a decline exceeding 50% from previous all-time peaks. Concerns about tighter monetary policy impacted digital assets alongside traditional equities.

Meanwhile, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment gauge plummeted to a record low of 44.8 in May. Households expressed growing anxiety that ongoing conflict with Iran could elevate prices while simultaneously dampening economic activity.

Consumer Price Data Takes Center Stage

Wednesday’s release of May’s Consumer Price Index represents the week’s most consequential economic indicator.

April’s headline CPI registered a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Current forecasts anticipate acceleration to 4.2% for May. Escalating tensions with Iran have effectively disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway handling approximately 20% of global petroleum shipments. Gasoline prices had already surged more than 28% on an annual basis through April.

Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy components, is projected at 2.9% for May, advancing from April’s 2.8% reading. This pattern indicates energy-driven inflation is beginning to permeate broader economic sectors.

Thursday brings the Producer Price Index report. April’s PPI jumped 6% year-over-year, signaling that elevated input costs continue progressing through supply chains.

James Egelhof, chief US economist at BNP Paribas, noted that the confluence of robust economic expansion, tightening employment conditions, and persistent inflation pressures suggests the Federal Reserve may need to recalibrate its approach. Traders are closely monitoring for any indication of impending policy tightening.

SpaceX Market Debut and Oracle Results Draw Attention

Friday is poised to deliver what could become the largest initial public offering on record. SpaceX intends to commence trading on the Nasdaq at $135 per share, implying a company valuation approaching $1.78 trillion.

Internal company forecasts estimate its total addressable market at approximately $28.5 trillion, with over 90% attributed to its artificial intelligence division, which specializes in orbital data center infrastructure. LPL Financial analysts have cautioned that substantial dependence on unproven AI technologies could create volatility for early shareholders.

Recent Nasdaq regulatory modifications mean SpaceX could secure inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index just weeks after listing. Such inclusion would trigger automatic purchasing by passive index fund managers.

Wednesday features Oracle’s fiscal fourth quarter financial results. Shares have appreciated 12% year-to-date. Market observers anticipate sustained cloud revenue expansion driven by artificial intelligence adoption. Oracle ranks among the heaviest corporate debt issuers in its sector, with the five leading hyperscale providers expected to issue $175 billion in bonds throughout 2026.

Adobe follows with its quarterly report on Thursday.

The post Critical Week Ahead: Inflation Report, SpaceX Debut, and Federal Reserve Rate Concerns Loom appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Snowflake shares skyrocketed over 98% during May, primarily driven by its impressive fiscal Q1 2027 earnings announcement on May 28.
• The company reported $1.39 billion in revenue, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.32 billion, while earnings per share of $0.39 exceeded the $0.32 forecast.
• Following the company’s annual user conference, Needham analysts increased their price objective from $300 to $330 while maintaining their Buy recommendation.
• Major institutional holders such as Vanguard, Jennison Associates, and TD Asset Management expanded their SNOW holdings during the quarter.
• Company insiders, including directors Frank Slootman and Mark Garrett, sold approximately $68 million worth of shares in recent transactions.

Shares of Snowflake began Friday’s trading session at $238.12, below the 52-week peak of $284.99 yet significantly higher than the yearly low of $118.30. The remarkable 98% monthly gain reflects investor enthusiasm following robust quarterly results and a cascade of bullish analyst revisions.

Snowflake Inc., SNOW

The fiscal Q1 2027 performance served as the primary catalyst for the rally. The company delivered $1.39 billion in revenue, exceeding Wall Street’s $1.32 billion projection. Earnings per share reached $0.39, topping consensus estimates by seven cents at $0.32. Revenue expanded 33.5% compared to the same period last year.

Chief Executive Officer Sridhar Ramaswamy characterized the quarter as representing an “AI inflection point,” highlighting 34% growth in product revenue. The platform attracted 616 net new customers, representing a 38% annual increase that pushed total customer count to 13,912. Organizations spending more than $1 million per year reached 779, marking a 29% year-over-year expansion.

Wall Street Analysts Boost Forecasts

The better-than-expected results triggered multiple upward price target revisions across Wall Street. Following Snowflake’s Summit 26 annual conference, Needham analysts elevated their price objective from $300 to $330, emphasizing robust uptake of AI-powered offerings including Cortex Code (CoCo) and Snowflake Intelligence. Stifel jumped from $205 to $300. Truist established a $300 forecast. Jefferies maintained its Buy rating with a $300 target.

Barclays took a more measured approach, increasing its price objective modestly from $272 to $285 while keeping an equal weight stance. According to MarketBeat tracking, the Street consensus reflects a “Moderate Buy” recommendation with an average price target of $290.87.

Snowflake Intelligence usage more than doubled sequentially. Cortex Code has been deployed across over 7,100 customer accounts. Company leadership indicated these products are experiencing the most rapid adoption rates in Snowflake’s corporate history.

The firm also announced a substantial $6 billion multi-year commitment with Amazon Web Services, complementing more than $7 billion in cumulative AWS Marketplace transactions. Additionally, Snowflake deepened its collaboration with Anthropic, embedding Claude AI models within its Cortex AI infrastructure.

Institutional Buyers Increase Stakes While Executives Reduce Holdings

Institutional investment activity showed widespread accumulation. TD Asset Management increased its holdings by 6.1% during the fourth quarter, finishing with 145,863 shares valued at approximately $32 million. Jennison Associates expanded its position 27.7%, accumulating over 11.6 million shares worth $2.5 billion. Vanguard purchased an additional 1.45 million shares, elevating its total holdings beyond 30 million. Norges Bank initiated a fresh position valued at roughly $974 million. Institutional investors collectively control 65.10% of outstanding shares.

Insider transactions painted a contrasting picture. On May 29, Director Mark Garrett divested 100,000 shares at $250.00 each, reducing his holdings by 91.9%. Director Frank Slootman sold 162,924 shares at $263.70 on June 1, decreasing his position 81.07%. Slootman’s transaction occurred under a previously established Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement. Combined insider dispositions over the recent quarter totaled $346.8 million.

Analysts have identified several potential headwinds, including margin compression from lower-margin AI offerings, elevated valuation metrics—SNOW commands a forward Price/Sales ratio of 12.97x compared to the industry average of 3.96x—and intensifying competitive dynamics. Zacks Investment Research currently assigns SNOW a Hold rating.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2027, management projected product revenue between $1.415 billion and $1.420 billion, suggesting 30% annual growth.

The post Snowflake (SNOW) Stock Soars 98% in May: What’s Fueling This Explosive Rally? appeared first on Blockonomi.

Ethereum’s controversial history during the time of extreme distress continues, as the asset was among the poorest performers on Friday (and overall since the correction began), dumping to a 14-month low at $1,500.

After the recent FUD spread on X that ConsenSys’ Joseph Lubin might be selling, here’s a portion of good news for Ethereum, including technical tools and who’s buying.

The Technical Setup

The largest altcoin by market cap traded at over $2,400 by mid-May when the entire market seemed in a lot more favorable state, with assets charting multi-month highs. However, the subsequent rejection drove it south hard, which culminated, as mentioned, on Friday.

After this $900 decline, representing a near-40% drop, some technical indicators suggest a bigger rebound is in the making. The first is the TD Sequential, a metric used to determine the underlying asset’s exhaustion in either direction, which has finally flashed a buy signal on a daily chart, according to Ali Martinez.

The second is actually against BTC. ETH has been dipping hard against the market leader, and it dropped to 0.026 during the market-wide crash on Friday. Michaël van de Poppe believes accumulation here could be a “wise strategy,” especially since “yields are likely peaking in the short-term and CLARITY Act vote is around the corner.”

There we go, 0.026 has been reached.

This is the area where I think accumulating $ETH is a wise strategy, especially since:

– Yields are likely peaking in the short-term.
– Clarity Act vote is around the corner.

The latter one is a ‘Sell the rumor, buy the news’ type of event,… https://t.co/wuOprXjwK1

— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) June 7, 2026

Who Is Buying?

In addition to the technical tools, on-chain data has revealed that different sorts of investors have started to reaccumulate. The first is an Ethereum OG whale who sold at prices above $2,000 but has returned to the buying scene by purchasing $56 million worth of the asset at under $1,570 per token. The second came from a wallet linked to Chun Wang, which accumulated over $28.5 million worth of ETH, according to data from Lookonchain.

The last one outlined by the analytics company is rather intriguing, as it’s not a typical investor per se. Instead, it’s the anonymous hacker behind the Pando Rings attack, who spent 10 million DAI to purchase 6,234 ETH at $1,602 earlier.

Even the hacker is buying the $ETH dip.

The Pando Rings hacker spent 10M $DAI to buy 6,243 $ETH at $1,602 just 6 hours ago.https://t.co/jFwsxtU0s6 pic.twitter.com/Cqph1Z7aLc

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) June 6, 2026

The post The Good News for Ethereum (ETH) After Collapse to $1.5K: Details appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The Friday market massacre didn’t leave any digital asset behind, including Ripple’s cross-border token, which plunged to $1.05 for the first time in about 19 months.

The asset has rebounded swiftly, though, and neared $1.20 earlier today, where it faced some selling pressure. Although it has slipped to $1.13 as of press time, it’s still 5% up daily and has reclaimed a few key support levels.

Maybe More Pain Ahead Though?

Despite today’s impressive rebound from the local lows, popular analyst EGRAG CRYPTO noted that the broader market structure remains unfavorable for the bulls in the short term. They explained that XRP may still be in the final stages of a deeper correction before it has the chance to commence its actual rally.

The analyst pointed to a recurring pattern observed across previous cycles that revolves around the interaction between the 50 EMA and the 100 EMA on higher timeframes. Historically, when XRP decisively loses the former on the monthly chart, it tends to trigger a chain reaction. Momentum fades, price breaks down, emotional capitulation, and ultimately a final liquidity sweep toward the 100 EMA.

According to EGRAG, the sequence appears to be in play now as the current trajectory still appears tilted to the downside, with the market searching for what could become its actual macro bottom. If history repeats, Ripple’s cross-border token could face additional pressure before completing this cycle’s “capitulation phase.”

And, Then The Rally

EGRAG believes this is the painful part necessary to occur before XRP heads toward a more profound rally. Rather than attempting to pinpoint the exact bottom, which has proven in the past century to be a notoriously difficult task, the analyst emphasized that it wouldn’t matter if investors enter at $1.10, $0.92, or even lower levels like $0.70 once the token explodes.

Their macro targets began with a more modest $7 or even $8, before even higher ones at $13 or “even Mid-Double digits?”

“Trying to catch the perfect bottom is one of the fastest ways to miss the entire macro move.

That’s why I focus on:
Position building
Liquidity management
Probability zones
Macro structure
And Not ego.”

The post XRP Rebounds From Multi-Year Lows as Analyst Convinced Face-Melting Rally Is Still In Play appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The spot exchange-traded funds tracking the world’s largest cryptocurrency are typically a solid sign of how the underlying asset’s price performs, unlike some of the altcoins.

As such, it’s perhaps no surprise that, in the past week, in which BTC plummeted to a 19-month low, they experienced massive net outflows. The worst on record.

Bitcoin ETFs Bled Out Heavily

Data from SoSoValue paints a clear and painful picture. The Bitcoin ETFs have been deep in the red for four consecutive weeks, all into the billions. What’s even worse is that the net withdrawals have progressively accelerated. They peaked in the last trading week, with $1.72 billion taken out of the financial vehicles. As the article’s title suggests, this was the worst trading week in their 2.5-year history.

The cumulative total net inflows have plunged hard in this four-week period, going from $59.34 billion to $53.94 billion. The current negative streak is even worse than that after the early October crash, when over-leveraged traders were wiped out for over $19 billion in a single day, and the entire market sentiment plummeted into obscurity.

If we break down the past week (or even a few weeks) into daily performance, the violent picture crystallizes even further. Aside from June 4, when the net inflows were dominant with a very modest $3.05 million, the other four days were deep in the red, with June 2 seeing the most withdrawals at $519 million.

From May 15 to June 5, only the aforementioned $3.05 million in net inflows were in the green; the rest were withdrawals.

BTC Price Sees New Lows

At the same time as investors were withdrawing funds from the ETFs en masse, the underlying asset’s price went on a violent downhill slump. It began the week (and the month) at around $73,000 before the bears quickly regained control of the market and initiated several consecutive leg downs that culminated on Friday.

After several successful attempts from the bulls to maintain the $60,000 support, including during the early February crash, this level finally gave in two days ago. Bitcoin dropped to $59,100 for the first time since right before the US presidential elections in late 2024.

The ETF exodus is among the main culprits behind this substantial decline, but the crash wasn’t a crypto-only event, as essentially all financial markets crumbled on Friday after the seemingly positive US jobs report.

The post Bitcoin ETFs Recorded Their Worst Week Since Inception Amid BTC’s Massive Price Slide appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bear market comments and speculations have returned to the cryptocurrency space as bitcoin erased over $400 billion from its market cap in weeks, going down from over $82,000 to a Friday bottom of $59,000 on Friday – its lowest position in 19 months.

Although it managed to rebound above $60,000 quickly, analysts are now split on whether that support will hold this time as it did back in February. So, we decided to ask ChatGPT’s latest version about its take on the matter.

$60K’s Significance

BTC hasn’t been this low since before the US presidential elections nearly two years ago. Consequently, ChatGPT claimed that it’s “arguably bitcoin’s most important support level right now,” as it serves as a major psychological threshold.

“Markets often remember such levels, especially after they have already served as a turning point once before,” it said.

However, it outlined a problem with the current situation: such support lines generally weaken each time they are tested, which is probably why it gave in on Friday, even for a short period of time. The more often buyers are forced to defend a certain price zone, the greater the probability that it eventually gives way.

Nevertheless, ChatGPT believes a breakdown below this level is now “possible but not inevitable.” It put reasonable odds at roughly 40% that BTC loses the $60,000 line in the coming weeks and 60% that it holds and forms at least a medium-term bottom.

What Happens to BTC if It Does Break Down?

ChatGPT said the first likely level to hit would be $55,000 if the $60,000 floor gives in. If panic accelerates and traditional markets remain under pressure, then BTC could revisit another psychologically important mark at $50,000.

That would be a 40% correction from the May high at $82,000, which would be a painful move but still within the range of historically bull-market retracements. A more extreme scenario would involve bitcoin dumping into the $45,000-$48,000 range, but Peter Schiff recently warned that the asset could slump toward $20,000 if the $50,000 line is lost.

In contrast, OpenAI’s platform outlined a more bullish path forward if $60,000 holds. Should the bulls successfully defend it once again, the market could “quickly shift from fear to relief” and BTC “may attempt to reclaim $70,000 before targeting the $75,000-$80,000 region.”

“Historically, some of bitcoin’s strongest rallies have emerged precisely when sentiment became overwhelmingly bearish, and investors started preparing for much lower prices,” it concluded.

The post We Asked the New ChatGPT: Will BTC Inevitably Lose the $60K Support? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s price recovery from the Friday calamity to under $60,000 has continued in the past 24 hours, with the asset climbing toward $63,000.

Most larger-cap altcoins have followed suit, posting notable gains on a daily scale. ETH has risen toward $1,650, while XRP has jumped past $1.10 and $1.15.

BTC to Challenge $63K?

We have written multiple times in the past few days about the large extent of the market-wide crash that took place during the last business week, especially on Friday. Bitcoin entered it at roughly $73,000 before its painful breakdown began. It kept losing value daily, first dropping below $70,000 before it dumped to $65,000 by the middle of the week.

Although it tried to rebound to $67,000, this attempt became a dead-cat bounce. The following days were even more brutal, especially Friday. At the time, the bears did something they couldn’t do even during the early February crash and drove BTC to under $60,000 for the first time since late 2024.

The silver lining for bitcoin is that the calamity affected Wall Street and gold, and worsened after the positive US jobs report in the US. After that multi-year low, the cryptocurrency finally rebounded and jumped past $60,000 almost immediately. It tapped $61,000 yesterday and has risen to almost $63,000 as of now.

Its market capitalization has climbed past $1.250 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts stands above 56%.

XRP, Alts Rebound

The daily scale is quite positive for the altcoins, which were crushed during the market-wide decline. ETH had dumped to $1,500, but it’s close to $1,650 now after a 4% daily gain. BNB has neared $600, while XRP has rebounded above two important support levels at $1.10 and $1.15. The asset dipped to $1.05 on Friday.

SOL, TRX, DOGE, RAIN, and XLMR have posted gains of up to 4%, while ZEC continues its post-FUD recovery with an 8% surge to $400. LINK, CC, SUI, SHIB, TAO, UNI, and WLD are also well in the green. Double-digit price increases come from lower-cap alts, such as LAB, H, BEAT, SIREN, and M.

The total crypto market cap has recovered roughly $150 billion since the low on Friday and is up to $2.240 trillion on CG.

The post Ripple’s XRP Reclaims Key Support, Bitcoin (BTC) Eyes $63K: Weekend Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.