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Prediction Market Kalshi Achieves Unicorn Status with $185 Raised at its $2B Evaluation, as BTC Bull Token Predicts a $250K Bitcoin
Prediction market platform Kalshy has officially become a unicorn, raising $185 million in a Series C round that values the company at $2 billion. The funding round was led by top crypto VC firm Paradigm, marking a major milestone for Kalshy as it continues to redefine how people bet on real-world events.
CEO Tarek Mansour took to X to announce the good news, stating that:
‘People choose to work at Kalshi not because of the money we’ve raised, but because of our ambition: build the most important financial market on the planet.’ —Tarek Mansour, X post
This milestone comes just over six months after Kalshy was valued at $785 million in December 2024, following a $50 million private equity raise, according to PitchBook.
Kalshi’s outstanding evaluation shows a growing interest in prediction markets, which links to the ongoing developments in the crypto adoption sphere.
Kalshi’s ZeroHash Web3 Integration Also Behind the Mastercard-ChainLink PartnershipZeroHash, a notable crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider, was also named after integrating with Kalshi to allow for crypto transactions and digital asset deposits.
The same ZeroHash is linked to the mammoth partnership between Mastercard and ChainLink, which would allow 3B+ customers to execute on-chain transactions to purchase cryptocoins.
This translates to seamless fiat-to-crypto transactions, which also links to the recent developments in the banking system, with the announcement of JPMD, marking the partnership between JPMorgan and Coinbase.
JPMorgan Deposit Token (JPMD) marks a milestone in the evolution of the financial system, as it allows consumers to transact directly with the blockchain, through Coinbase’s BASE, which would render the already inefficient COBOL programming language entirely obsolete.But what does this all mean?
It means that the financial system is gradually shifting towards blockchain technology, primarily for its effectiveness, but also for its growth potential and the signs are clear, as Kalshi’s case isn’t unique.
Polymarket also expects over $200M at its $1B evaluation, in a round led by billionaire Peter Thiel, which would grant it unicorn status, as well.
This shows that prediction markets are on the rise, which explains why new crypto projects like BTC Bull Token, predicting a $250K $BTC, have such a good community perception.
BTC Bull Token ($BTCBULL) Predicts a $250K Bitcoin, the Next Realistic Milestone Before its $1M Price PointBTC Bull Token ($BTCBULL) is Bitcoin’s most excited cheerleader and one of the best presales of 2025, with over $7.4M raised so far. The project rests on the idea that Bitcoin will reach a $250K price point soon and that a $1M milestone is not unrealistic either.
Based on this idea, BTC Bull Token aims to rally the Bitcoin community and attract new investors by linking its token’s chart path to that of Bitcoin. In other words, when $BTC grows, $BTCBULL grows with it.
This is possible thanks to several things, like the airdrop system, with the project offering you $BTC airdrops every time Bitcoin reaches predetermined price points ($150K and $200K).
To qualify for the airdrop, you need to keep your $BTCBULL tokens in Best Wallet, though, so make sure you create your account before everything else. Best Wallet is free to use and a great tool for beginners.An even larger $BTCBULL airdrop awaits when Bitcoin reaches $250K, offering plenty of incentives for you to join the hype train.
And speaking of incentives and predictions, $BTCBULL promises to make it big post-launch.
Based on the project’s performance and scope, our analysts predict a price point for $BTCBULL of $0.006467 by the end of 2025. It may not seem like a large number, but it would make for a growth of 150%, based on today’s presale price of $0.00258.
By 2030, and with widespread adoption and community support, $BTCBULL could reach $0.0497, provided Bitcoin lives up to the expectations as well. This translates into an ROI of 1,826% if you invest today.If you want to check the BTC Bull Token, go to the presale page, buy your $BTCBULL today, and join the 1.9B-strong staking pool to enjoy the 55% dynamic APY rate.
Will Bitcoin Live Up to the Predictions?Very few things are certain when it comes to the crypto market, but Bitcoin has a knack for exceeding even the most optimistic predictions and expectations.
So, it’s not unrealistic to expect a $250K Bitcoin by the end of 2025; unlikely, but not impossible. And when that happens, projects like BTC Bull Token ($BTCBULL) will also reap the benefits, as part of the bull crowd.
Don’t forget, this isn’t financial advice. Do your own research (DYOR) before investing and manage the trading risk wisely.
Solana CME Futures Volume Hits ATH—Institutions Piling In?
As Solana (SOL) recovers back above $145, data shows the CME Futures Volume tied to the asset has surged to a new all-time high (ATH).
Solana CME Futures Volume Just Set A New RecordIn a new post on X, the on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has talked about how the Futures Volume of Solana on the CME platform has recently looked. The Futures Volume here refers to an indicator that measures the total amount of SOL futures contracts trading that occurred during the past 24 hours.
Here is the chart shared by Glassnode that shows the trend in the metric for CME over the last couple of months:
As displayed in the above graph, the Solana Futures Volume on CME has just observed a huge spike of 1.75 million contracts. This is the highest that the metric has ever been.
As such, it would appear that trading interest around SOL has shot up on the exchange. This could be particularly significant for the cryptocurrency, given that CME is a regulated platform that’s used by large entities like institutional traders.
“This surge suggests institutional investors are positioning aggressively as price rebounds to ~$145,” notes Glassnode. As for whether these positions correspond to bullish or bearish bets, volume data isn’t enough to say one way or another, just that there is significant activity occurring.
Considering that the spike in the CME Futures Volume has come as Solana has made some recovery, however, it’s possible that this could be investors trying to ride the bullish wave.
In some other news, the analytics firm Santiment has shared in an X post how the projects in the SOL ecosystem compare against each other on the basis of the Development Activity indicator.
The Development Activity tells us, as its name already suggests, the amount of work that a cryptocurrency project’s developers are putting in on its public GitHub repositories.
The indicator gauges the work in terms of ‘events,’ where each event corresponds to some action taken by the developer on the repository, like pushing a commit, creating a pull request, or making a fork.
From the table, it’s apparent that Solana itself has topped the list, with its Development Activity standing at 100.93 over the past 30 days. Wormhole (W) and Pyth Network (PYTH) round the top three with metric values of 37.77 and 30.67, respectively.
SOL PriceSolana fell to a low of $126 on Sunday, but it seems the coin has made some notable recovery since then as its price is now back at $144.
Sen. Lummis Says Crypto Framework Must Pass Soon As House Pushes For GENIUS-CLARITY Package
As the upper chamber of the US Congress prepares its version of a market structure framework, Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis recently told CNBC that she hopes the Senate and House of Representatives can soon find a path to pass both crypto bills moving through Congress.
Senate Releases Crypto Market Structure PrinciplesDiscussing the Senate’s efforts to develop its version of a market structure bill, Senator Cynthia Lummis highlighted the need to pass crypto legislation quickly. Over the past few weeks, the Senate Banking Committee has been working on the principles for market structure legislation, having its first related hearing on Tuesday.
During the hearing, led by Senator Lummis, the Senate Banking Committee heard “loud and clear that the United States needs to pass market structure now,” explained Lummis, adding that one of their witnesses affirmed that the legislation needed to be passed by “yesterday.”
The Republican senator explained that without a framework, companies have been regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which led to the previous administration’s “regulation by enforcement” approach. This has cost crypto firms millions of dollars in lawyer fees, and didn’t offer any certainty about the future.
Lummis also detailed that they are “just putting out a framework of principles” that can be followed, while they work out the details on the legislation. Notably, the Senate Banking Committee released the market structure principles, detailing the focus of the discussion draft on the bill on Tuesday.
The document, signed by Senators Lummis, Thom Tillis, Bill Hagerty, and the Committee’s chairman, Tim Scott, outlines six core principles for the upcoming crypto bill. The list stated that legislation should clearly define the legal status of digital assets, providing predictability, enhanced legal precision, and regulatory certainty.
Additionally, jurisdiction should be assigned among regulators, with the regulatory authority being clearly allocated in statute to prevent an “all-encompassing regulator from emerging.”
The principles also suggest that regulation should be modernized to foster innovation while protecting investors and traders, adding that federal financial regulators should welcome responsible innovation.
Journalist Eleanor Terret revealed that early feedback from the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) community members “suggests the Senate’s market structure principles were very well received.”
House To Vote For GENIUS-CLARITY Package?Senator Lummis also discussed the future of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which passed a full floor vote 68-30 last week and was received by the House of Representatives on Monday.
She shared her hope that both chambers of Congress can work together to “figure out a path forward” for the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act and the GENIUS Act, adding, “I’m not saying combine them, but they both need to pass this year.”
However, the Senate’s bipartisan efforts to get the bill to US President Donald Trump’s desk could have hit a wall in the lower chamber, as House members are reportedly pushing to package the crypto bills together.
As reported by Bitcoinist, some lawmakers consider that merging the two bills increases the odds of both clearing the House of Representatives before the early August deadline.
In a Tuesday statement to Punchbowl News, Majority Whip Tom Emmer affirmed that the House will vote on the stablecoin-centered bill if the legislation is combined with the market structure bill.
“I expect the GENIUS Act has a path in the House, so long as it’s accompanied by the CLARITY Act,” Emmer stated.
Meanwhile, journalist Emily Wilkins reported that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said that no decision has been made on whether the House should vote on its version of the stablecoin bill, the STABLE Act, or the Senate’s version, as President Trump suggested.
However, Scalise gave “some weight to Hill’s plan to do both stablecoin and market structure at once, saying it’s what the crypto industry wants.”
Crypto Reserves Go Global: Nasdaq-Listed Chinese Tech Giant Joins Trend
Aurora Mobile, a China-headquartered tech firm listed in the US, has moved to put 20% of its cash and cash equivalents into crypto assets. The Board of Directors signed off on the plan as a way to add another layer to the company’s treasury holdings. It’s a bold choice that ties part of the firm’s cash pile to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, SUI and other tokens.
Board Approves Crypto StakeAccording to an official release, Aurora Mobile will funnel one-fifth of its liquid reserves into digital assets. The company didn’t set a hard cap on individual coins, but made Bitcoin and Ethereum the anchor holdings. This move follows a wave of similar plays by other institutions looking to spread risk beyond bank deposits and bonds.
Our Board has approved a strategic move to invest up to 20% of our cash and equivalents in crypto and digital assets to preserve value and support our growth strategy, partnerships, and market expansion. $JG$CRCL $MSTR $COIN $GBTC $SBET $UPXI pic.twitter.com/xyglWriKq5
— Aurora Mobile (@aurora_mobile) June 24, 2025
Mix Of Tokens And TargetsBased on reports, the firm sees BTC and ETH as its go-to stores of value. It also picked Solana and SUI because of their fast transaction speeds and growing developer communities.
Aurora Mobile didn’t name every token it might buy, but the door is open for other assets that fit its “innovation” criteria. By blending mature chains with newer networks, the company hopes to balance stability and upside potential.
Treasury Risk And RewardInvesting cash in crypto can make financial statements more volatile. A 30% drop in Bitcoin would dent a big chunk of that 20% allocation. Yet institutions such as Strategy have shown that big gains can follow when markets turn bullish.
Weidong Luo, Aurora Mobile’s Chairman and CEO, said the plan will help “diversify our holdings with an asset class that moves differently from stocks and bonds.” It’s a measured step, he noted, toward modernizing how the company handles its reserves.
As of March 31, 2025, Aurora Mobile has repurchased a total of 295,179 ADS, reflecting our confidence in the company’s strategy and commitment to delivering shareholder value. $JG
— Aurora Mobile (@aurora_mobile) June 23, 2025
Share Buyback Signals ConfidenceAurora Mobile also announced it has repurchased 295,179 ADS to bolster its share price. The buyback highlights the leadership’s confidence in long-term growth.
Combining a new crypto strategy with an old buy-back places two messages on the table: that the firm is confident in both its core business and the prospects of digital tokens.
Institutional Trend ContinuesAcross the board, companies are adding crypto to their balance sheets. Research shows that nearly half of large corporates plan to boost digital-asset allocations over the next two to three years.
Aurora Mobile’s move may catch the eye of peers in the tech and data-services space. It sends a clear signal that digital assets are no longer fringe bets, but mainstream tools for treasury teams.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Best Meme Coins Live News Today: Latest Opportunities & Updates (June 26)
Check out our Live Update Coverage on the Best Meme Coins for June 26, 2025!
Crypto adoption, retail and institutional, is currently exploding. From Strategy and Mastercard to JPMorgan and country-wide adoption, digital assets are the next best thing for everyone.
More and more investors are looking to crypto as the opportunity of a lifetime, and if there’s one asset that justifies that belief, the opportunity among opportunities, the once-in-a-lifetime 100x play, it’s meme coins.
With a market cap of over $53B and daily top gainers that can make over 7x in under 24 hours, memecoins are where the biggest payouts are.Stay tuned for the latest scoop on the hottest meme coins among degens, alpha on the most popular shitcoins in the cryptobro circles, and FOMO trader insights for the next ten bagger. All you need to identify the highest risk, highest potential payout opportunities.
We update this page frequently throughout the day, as we get the latest insider insights on the best meme coins, so keep refreshing!
Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk investment, and you may lose your capital. Our content is informational only, and it does not constitute financial advice. We may earn affiliate commissions at no extra cost to you. Meme Coin Market Heats Up: $DEGEN Leads the Charge as Market Eyes Next Big MoversJune 26, 2025 • 12:06 UTC
The meme coin scene is firing on all cylinders today, with Degen Arena ($DEGEN) surging over 100% in the last 24 hours, making it the top gainer in the meme coin space.
The spike comes hot on the heels of the project’s Play-to-Earn game 2M+ downloads and a $50K prize pool. Its Degen Chain ecosystem and Konami partnership are fueling trader interest, with its trading volume reaching 12% of its ~1M market cap.
With $SHIB and $PEPE also seeing renewed search volume, it seems meme coins are benefiting from broader risk-on sentiment as Bitcoin pushes past $107K.
Why does this matter? As capital flows back into smaller tokens, meme coins with actual gameplay, staking utility, or burn mechanics will stand out. $DEGEN’s rise suggests that the market isn’t just chasing the next joke coin; it’s looking for meme projects that can back up the buzz.
Still, volatility is high and caps are low, so this remains in degen territory. Keep an eye out for upcoming contenders like Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), but, as always, DYOR.
Visit the Bitcoin Hyper presale page to learn more.
As Neo Pepe $NEOP Presale Hits $2M, Snorter Token $SNORT is Hot on its HeelsJune 26, 2025 • 11:58 UTC
Neo Pepe $NEOP is a new name doing the rounds today. Launched a week ago, the presale has already hit $2M, quickly recruiting support for its rebellion against centralization, or the ‘Memetrix.’
$NEOP’s high score on its recent Certik Audit is another feather in its cap, as is its unique auto-liquidity mechanism that locks in liquidity through LP token burns.
Finding rare meme coins with both a compelling narrative and strong fundamentals is no mean feat, but that’s where Snorter Bot comes in. A Telegram-based trading bot, Snorter helps degen traders sniff out the meme-coin alpha before the rest of the market catches wind.
Another trending token today, Snorter Bot’s Snorter Token ($SNORT) is close behind $NEOP, having raised $1.2M in just as short a time.
Snorter Bot will help $SNORT holders capitalize on rare meme coins faster than they ever could with manual trading. The token is available for $0.0963 on Solana and Ethereum, and has a Portal Bridge for easy switching.
Visit the Snorter Token presale page to learn more.
Wall Street Pepe Leaps 67%, Dominates Frog Meme Coins; Can SUBBD Repeat the Success?June 26, 2025 • 09:51 UTC
Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE), which marched through its presale with a $70M+ raise and is about to drop a pack of exclusive creator collab NFTs, made a 67% leap today, now sitting confidently in the green on the monthly chart.
After $WEPE surged 445% in early June, some traders took profits, causing a 56% drop, yet a cold plunge doesn’t scare a toad. True HODLers know to buy the dip, so $WEPE is now the #1 frog on the block by 24-hour gains.
Technical indicators are strongly froggish as Awesome Oscillator shows positive momentum and the trading price is above exponential moving averages.
Meanwhile, a presale project with a ‘power to the people’ spirit akin to $WEPE’s, SUBBD, is approaching the $700K funding milestone. Could the project’s 250M combined followers and AI tools help it democratize content creation? $WEPE proved frogs can fly – $SUBBD’s about to make OF cry.
Visit the SUBBD Token presale page to learn more.
Trader Predicts New Bitcoin All-Time High After Consolidation; This Sets Meme Coins like Bitcoin Hyper Up for SuccessJune 26, 2025 • 09:42 UTC
Crypto analyst Dave the Wave claims that a new Bitcoin ATH is close if the crypto king can break through the $105.3K level.
And guess what happened on Tuesday? That’s right, Bitcoin pushed past $105K and is now trading at $107.5K. The 24-hour trading volume is also up by 13% ($51.34B), and the current trend looks downright dreamy. Very bullish, put simply.
Dave also mentioned a multi-year upward technical channel and the one-year moving average are supporting Bitcoin’s hunt for a new ATH.
All of this is saying one thing—a rally is likely coming. And the likeliest winners (apart from Bitcoin) are meme coins. Bitcoin-centric memecoins like Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) are where the real gains will be seen.
$HYPER introduces the first-ever Bitcoin Layer-2 with Solana Virtual Machine integration. The presale has raised $1.6M, and 1 $HYPER is $0.012025.
Visit the Bitcoin Hyper presale page to learn more.
Whale Splashes Out $20K on BTC Bull Token Meme Coin as Bitcoin Rebounds to $107KJune 26, 2025 • 07:57 UTC
A cool $20K purchase marks one whale’s entry into the BTC Bull Token ($BTCBULL)’s pool. The move came even as Bitcoin reclaimed $107K after another big pro-crypto move by US President Donald Trump.
Bitcoin, currently up 2% in the past 24 hours, retook some ground on the back of the news that Donald Trump had ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to consider crypto-based federal housing loans. If successful, the move could mark one of the final stages of crypto’s adoption growth; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack hold over $7T in combined assets.
With Bitcoin back on the rise, the $20K whale purchase of $BTCBULL makes sense. BTC Bull Token bets big on Bitcoin bull run, offering investors a way to earn $BTCBULL and $BTC airdrops and profit from Bitcoin’s rise.
Visit the BTC Bull Token presale page to learn more.
Dogecoin Games with $DOGE Payouts Might Turn DOGE into a Spend & Earn Medium: Meme Coins to Soar Next?June 26, 2025 • 07:57 UTC
DogeOS, the new app-layer built on the Dogecoin, is teaming up with mobile publisher PlaysOut to bring 15 casual, Doge-themed mini-games to the blockchain in August 2025. The mini-games will be available in PlaysOut’s app, and will make it possible for players to earn real $DOGE payouts, as well as NFT items dubbed ‘Doginals.’
DogeOS recently completed a $6.9M raise with the help of Polychain Capital for the purposes of building a consumer-app platform on top of Dogecoin’s blockchain. Devs can build dApps with the help of DogeOS, an EVM-compatible layer that connects them through the MyDoge wallet. We expect Solidity compatibility to attract more game studios to the ecosystem and fuel its growth.
If successful, the PlaysOut collaboration will likely bring increased adoption to the MyDoge wallet, and further cement Dogecoin’s position as one of the best meme coins. Pending more Elon tweets and NASCAR wraps, the coin could see a significant rally closer to the date.
Nasdaq-Listed Tech Firm Approves 20% Crypto Allocation as Part of Treasury Strategy
Aurora Mobile, a Nasdaq-listed technology firm based in China, has unveiled a new corporate strategy that includes investing a portion of its treasury into cryptocurrency assets.
On Tuesday, the company announced that its board of directors had approved the allocation of up to 20% of its total cash and cash equivalents toward digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Sui, and others.
Treasury Optimization and Strategic IntentThe company emphasized that the crypto investment plan is structured to preserve asset value while exploring additional opportunities for strategic partnerships, market expansion, and ecosystem growth.
Aurora Mobile clarified that the new investment direction will not interfere with its day-to-day operations or long-term growth strategies. The firm also assured shareholders that sufficient liquidity will be maintained for ongoing operational requirements, and that the digital asset investments are a part of a balanced portfolio approach.
According to Aurora’s official press release, this initiative is aimed at enhancing asset diversification by including exposure to cryptocurrencies, which historically exhibit low correlation with traditional markets.
Company Chairman and CEO Weidong Luo noted that the move also reflects Aurora’s intent to keep pace with technological advancements in the financial sector.
Luo stated that this step signifies a commitment to “modernizing our treasury management practices,” positioning the firm at the convergence of emerging finance and digital infrastructure trends.
Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile specializes in customer engagement and marketing technologies powered by cloud computing and AI. Despite being primarily focused on enterprise software solutions within China, Aurora is increasingly adopting global financial tools as part of its dual-engine growth strategy, which includes market expansion and AI-driven innovation.
Implications for the Broader Crypto and Tech EcosystemAurora joins a growing number of publicly traded firms exploring digital assets as part of their corporate treasury strategies. While companies like Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), Gamestop, Metaplanet, and Tesla made headlines with sizable Bitcoin allocations, Aurora’s approach appears more diversified, indicating a broader interest in the overall crypto market.
This strategy could serve as a signal to other mid-cap tech firms in Asia looking to explore asset diversification through blockchain-based instruments.
The timing of Aurora’s move follows the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision to roll back controversial accounting guidance (SAB 121), which previously discouraged banks and publicly listed firms from holding crypto assets.
That regulatory shift may have contributed to a more favorable environment for corporate entities to allocate funds into digital assets.
With China maintaining a ban on retail crypto trading while showing openness toward blockchain development and central bank digital currency (CBDC) trials, Aurora’s decision could reflect a measured form of engagement that aligns with domestic policy frameworks while targeting global financial exposure.
Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView
Bitcoin Exchange Flows Drop To 10-Year Low – Consolidation Or Supply Shock?
Bitcoin is once again at a pivotal moment, trading near $106,000 after a turbulent week marked by sharp moves and high uncertainty. The leading cryptocurrency briefly lost the $100K mark following geopolitical tensions but rebounded strongly, gaining over 5% in less than 48 hours. This swift recovery highlights the extreme volatility dominating the market, with no clear trend direction established yet. Investors remain cautious, watching for signals that could define the next major move.
According to data from CryptoQuant, the average volume of Bitcoin flows—calculated by combining exchange inflows and outflows—has dropped to its lowest levels in 10 years. The drying up of liquidity suggests a broader market consolidation phase, where both buyers and sellers are waiting for clearer macro or technical signals.
While reduced exchange activity often points to investor indecision, it can also indicate that a supply squeeze is building in the background, especially if large holders are moving coins into cold storage. As Bitcoin holds just above key support, the combination of low liquidity and rising tension could spark the next explosive move in either direction.
Bitcoin Faces Pivotal Moment Amid Divided Market OutlookBitcoin is once again under the spotlight as it navigates one of its most critical technical and macroeconomic junctures of the year. After plunging below the $100,000 level during the weekend following the US military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, BTC has since rebounded, reclaiming key support levels above $105,000 after a ceasefire was announced. This rapid recovery underscores the extreme volatility gripping the crypto market, but also highlights the uncertainty surrounding Bitcoin’s next move.
At current levels—roughly 5% below its all-time high—Bitcoin appears stable on the surface but is facing a major test of strength. While some analysts anticipate a breakout toward new record highs, others warn that the lack of momentum could signal a deeper retrace below the psychological $100K mark. Price structure remains intact for now, but the absence of a clear trend direction is keeping investors on edge.
Top analyst Axel Adler provided key data that adds to the complexity. According to his outlook, the average volume of Bitcoin flows on centralized exchanges—combining both inflows and outflows—has dropped to just 40,000 BTC per day. This is the lowest level seen in a decade.
A significant portion of Bitcoin has moved off exchanges, indicating strong long-term holding behavior but also signaling a potential liquidity shortage. If demand returns while supply remains constrained, Bitcoin could experience sharp upward price pressure. Until then, the market continues to hover in a state of cautious anticipation.
BTC Price Analysis: Testing Resistance Around $109K LevelBitcoin is showing renewed strength on the 3-day timeframe, trading at $107,029 after rebounding sharply from last week’s lows around $98,000. The chart highlights two key horizontal levels—$103,600 acting as solid support, and $109,300 as strong resistance. This range has become the core consolidation zone for BTC since early May, with multiple rejections and failed breakdowns showing the market’s indecision.
Price is now pressing toward the upper boundary of this range after a successful reclaim of the 50-day moving average (blue), which sits near $94,891. Notably, the 100-day (green) and 200-day (red) moving averages remain well below current prices, indicating that the long-term trend is still bullish despite recent volatility.
Volume remains relatively stable, but lacks the explosive conviction typically seen during breakout rallies. For Bitcoin to push decisively into new highs, bulls must flip the $109,300 resistance into support. A clear breakout above this level could initiate a new leg higher toward uncharted territory.
Until then, BTC appears to be locked in a controlled consolidation, with $103,600 offering a reliable support base. As long as this level holds, the structure favors the bulls, but a rejection at resistance could invite another round of uncertainty.
Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView
Dogecoin Insider Issues Warning To Community – What To Know
One of the most trusted voices in the Dogecoin community is sounding the alarm again. This time, it’s a message aimed at newcomers who might not realize how easy it is to lose everything in their crypto wallets.
Mishaboar, a longtime Dogecoin supporter and educator, posted a simple but serious reminder about how cold crypto wallets and seed phrases function.
Your Coins Are Not In Your WalletMishaboar’s post cuts straight to the point. Too many people, especially newer holders, still believe that their coins live inside their wallets, whether it’s a hardware device or an app. But the truth is that the coins are always on the blockchain. What the wallet holds is access, and that access comes from the seed phrase. If users lose that phrase or their wallets are reset without saving it, there’s no magic button to get the cryptocurrencies back.
He explained it this way: if you “reset your device and generate a new seed phrase,” the old one and the wallet it controlled are effectively erased from that device. The coins still exist on the blockchain, but unless there’s the original phrase written down somewhere safe, the user is going to be locked out forever.
Mishaboar recommended the known adage of keeping multiple backups of the seed phrase in safe, offline places. It’s important to store these backups offline, not on a digital device or in an email, but somewhere physical. Because once the seed phrase is gone, there’s nothing anyone, not even the wallet provider, can do to help. Interestingly, the whole warning was warranted by a few posts on Reddit about people who lost all their coins when they reset their cold wallet and generated a new seed phrase.
Dogecoin Price Rallies Off Support After Weekend Sell-OffDogecoin’s price has been going through its own kind of drama over the past week. Daily prices from June 18 to June 25, Dogecoin traded between $0.145 and $0.170. It hit a weekly low of $0.1513 around June 22 before rebounding and closed June 24 at $0.1657. A swing took place over the weekend that pushed Dogecoin’s price from about $0.157 to $0.143, before snapping back to roughly $0.153 amidst a trading volume over five times the average.
Following that rebound, Dogecoin soared roughly 6.6% on June 24 above a descending trendline and rose from about $0.1508 to an intraday high of $0.1673. At the time of writing, Dogecoin is trading at $0.1667, up by 1.6% in the past 24 hours. However, Dogecoin is still down a few percent over the full week. Data from CoinGecko places the 7-day change at a negative 2.9%.
Dogecoin Flashes Possible Trend Reversal With Key Bullish Cross Approaching
While Dogecoin’s price has witnessed a notable downward trend to levels not seen in months, bullish predictions from analysts are swelling within the crypto community. DOGE’s recent crash may have flattened upward momentum, but the phase could be laying the foundation for something big.
Is An Uptrend For Dogecoin On The Horizon?Dogecoin has seen one of the highest declines this cycle, falling from a yearly high of $0.48 to the $0.15 support level. However, all of this could be history as the largest dog-themed meme coin hints at a major rally in the short term.
After delving into Dogecoin’s price action, Trader Tardigrade, a seasoned technical expert and investor, revealed that DOGE might be poised for a bullish comeback as a key cross approach. The emergence of this crucial cross shows that the meme coin is slowly building momentum beneath the recent pullback for a sharp rebound.
Trader Tardigrade has identified the bullish cross on the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator on the Dogecoin daily time frame chart. Such a technical development is often seen as a precursor to a shift in trend.
This cross is a sign of strength with chart patterns supporting upward momentum following a period of consolidation and pullback. If verified, this technical crossover might serve as a launching pad for DOGE’s subsequent upward run and pave the way for a more extensive rally. “When the Bullish Cross occurs, DOGE will return to an uptrend,” the expert stated.
In the weekly time frame, Trader Tardigrade has hinted at a significant rally for DOGE as a massive macro Cup and Handle pattern develops. A cup and handle formation is a technical structure that signals a shift from a bearish to a bullish trend or the continuation of an upward trend.
Looking at the weekly chart, the key pattern seems to have been forming since the last bull market cycle in 2021. Despite prior price spikes and pullbacks, Dogecoin has stayed within the macro cup and handle pattern during this period.
Since cup and handle patterns are known for their upside capabilities, Trader Tardigrade believes that a sharp rally to unprecedented price levels is unfolding. Once the meme coin breaks out of the key setup, it could propel its price to $2.85 by 2026, marking a new all-time high.
A Previous Spike Set To ReturnDespite bearish pressure, DOGE continues to display a flair for a rebound and a robust rally of 260%, as predicted by Mind Trader, a crypto analyst. While the meme coin displays signs of a bounce, the weekly chart shows it has formed a possible double-bottom support.
Mind Trader’s prediction is based on a past move that led to a 260% price increase for DOGE. According to the expert, this notable surge hinges on a break above the week 21 Simple Moving Average (SMA).
Presently, Mind Trader expects a break above the weekly 21 SMA, currently at $0.20, to reignite positive momentum. With the trend potentially leading to past results, Dogecoin could be preparing for another 260% surge in the upcoming weeks.
Bitcoin Weekly Drawdown Shrinks To 4.7% – Calm Before The Next Breakout?
Bitcoin is showing renewed strength above the $106,000 mark following a turbulent period driven by escalating Middle East tensions. Over the weekend, uncertainty spiked as geopolitical risks surged, but the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel has brought a degree of relief to global markets, crypto included. BTC has since reclaimed key levels, with bulls regaining short-term control.
According to data from CryptoQuant, the current market structure reflects a healthy and maturing bull cycle. Since the rally began in November 2022, Bitcoin has only experienced two major drawdowns exceeding 30%—one in August 2024 and another in April 2025. In both cases, prices quickly recovered and went on to set new all-time highs, signaling resilience and strong demand beneath the surface.
More importantly, all other corrections during this cycle have remained within a typical 10–20% range, functioning as short-term “shake-outs” rather than signs of weakness. At present, Bitcoin’s weekly SMA drawdown sits around -7%, while the overall drawdown is only -4.7%, suggesting the market is in a stable consolidation phase between $100,000 and $106,000. With volatility easing and buyers stepping in, BTC appears well-positioned for its next decisive move.
Bitcoin Consolidates As Market Maturity Reinforces Bullish OutlookBitcoin’s price action remains in focus after a sharp drop to $98,000 triggered market-wide concern. However, BTC quickly rebounded, climbing above the $105,000 level and stabilizing in a narrow consolidation range. While speculation around a potential double top continues to circulate, on-chain metrics suggest no structural breakdown. Market sentiment has leaned slightly bearish, but the underlying trend remains intact.
Top analyst Axel Adler highlighted a critical pattern: since the bull market began in November 2022, Bitcoin has only faced two significant corrections exceeding 30%—in August 2024 and April 2025. Both times, the asset swiftly recovered and moved on to set new highs. Outside of these episodes, price pullbacks have remained within the typical 10–20% range, functioning as healthy shake-outs rather than breakdowns. This consistency reflects a maturing market with stronger hands and more disciplined demand.
As of now, the weekly SMA drawdown sits around -7%, and the current drawdown is a modest -4.7%, reinforcing the idea of calm consolidation within the $100K to $106K range. The pattern of deep correction followed by accumulation and then a renewed push higher has defined this cycle. If this structure holds, Bitcoin could be gearing up for another leg toward new all-time highs. Confidence continues to grow that BTC’s path remains upward, driven by macro adoption, decreasing exchange liquidity, and the strengthening belief in Bitcoin as a long-term store of value.
BTC Approaches Key Resistance After Sharp RecoveryBitcoin is currently trading at $106,622 on the 12-hour chart after rebounding strongly from the recent low of $98,000. The recovery, sparked by geopolitical de-escalation in the Middle East, pushed BTC above the critical $103,600 support level and into a renewed bullish structure. Price has now crossed above the 50 and 100-period moving averages ($105,410 and $105,309), a short-term positive signal suggesting growing momentum.
Volume also surged during the bounce, confirming strong buyer interest near the $100K mark. BTC now faces a decisive resistance zone around $109,300—the previous local top and a level where sellers have historically stepped in. If bulls manage to push through this zone with volume, it would likely trigger a breakout toward new highs.
However, rejection at this level could send Bitcoin back to retest the $103,600 support. The current consolidation range between $103K and $109K has served as a high-activity zone since early May, and a breakout in either direction would provide clearer market direction.
Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView
Ichimoku Clouds Indicate XRP Price Is Ready To Break Descending Triangle
A recent technical analysis leveraging the Ichimoku Cloud indicator suggests that the XRP price is gearing up to break out from a long-standing Descending Triangle chart pattern. While prices previously dipped below the $2 mark, analysts remain optimistic on XRP’s outlook, forecasting new upside targets and a sustained rally as bullish signals begin to align.
XRP Price Edges Toward Major Breakout ZoneXRP’s weekly chart, presented by X (formerly Twitter) crypto analyst Dark Defender, is signaling the potential start of a major bullish move as the cryptocurrency approaches the apex of a Descending Triangle formation. After months of consolidation, the price is now testing the upper boundary of this pattern, with momentum building from both price structure and technical indicators.
A key technical factor outlined by Dark Defender is XRP’s current interaction with the Ichimoku Cloud indicator. Recently, the XRP price has begun to break into the lower region of the green cloud—a move that historically precedes bullish trend shifts when confirmed with other technical signals.
The chart also shows XRP maintaining a rounded cup formation that began after the previous corrective structure labeled A-B-C. This cup formation reinforces the cryptocurrency’s bullish case and suggests accumulation over the last several months. As this cup pattern nears completion, XRP is also forming what appears to be the second wave in an impulsive five-wave Elliott sequence.
If the altcoin’s price breaks convincingly above resistance levels at $2.19, $2.22, and $2.33, Dark Defender predicts that the next leg higher could begin immediately, targeting the 161.8% Fibonacci Extension at $3.61. This would mark a significant shift in market structure, confirming the potential end of XRP’s long-standing consolidation and the resumption of bullish momentum.
Interestingly, Dark Defender notes that June and July are expected to be a “hot” period for XRP. The analyst closely watches these months for signs of a breakout confirmation, mainly as XRP trades just above the long-term support zone between $2.07 and $1.88. These levels have held strong through recent dips and also align with the 26.3% Fibonacci Retracement level of the previous cycle.
Path To $5.85 Opens UpIf XRP rallies to $3.61, Dark Defender forecasts that the next phase of the Elliott Wave count suggests that XRP could surge even higher, potentially reaching the 261.8% Fibonacci Extension level near $5.85. This price zone has now emerged as a significant upside target in the current projection, representing the top of a potential Wave 3-4-5 structure.
The analyst’s chart shows Wave 3 of the five-wave impulse structure stretching toward the initial $3.61 target. Once this wave completes, a short-term correction is expected in Wave 4, likely forming a healthy pullback before the final leg higher. The anticipated Wave 5 is projected to be a parabolic move, potentially driving the XRP price to a new ATH around $5.85.
XRP Ledger Upgrade Goes Live—Rippled 2.5.0 Changes It Forever
The XRP Ledger just took a major step forward. On June 25, Ripple officially released version 2.5.0 of rippled, the reference implementation of the protocol—and with it, a series of proposed amendments that could reshape the very architecture of how decentralized finance operates on the network. Chief among them: the long-anticipated rollout of permissioned domains and batch transaction processing, amendments that some insiders believe may be transformative—or even divisive.
According to the official release notes, the upgrade opens voting on seven amendments, each targeting a critical area of ledger functionality. Most headline-grabbing is XLS-81 (PermissionedDEX), which introduces credential-gated domains within the XRPL’s decentralized exchange. These permissioned domains would restrict participation to KYC-verified actors, enforcing compliance rules directly on-chain.
In parallel, XLS-75 (PermissionDelegation) enables more flexible account management, XLS-56 (Batch) allows atomic execution of grouped transactions, and XLS-85 (TokenEscrow) extends escrow capabilities to IOUs and multi-purpose tokens. Smaller but crucial patches—like PayChanCancelAfter and EnforceNFTokenTrustlineV2—address edge-case vulnerabilities. Notably, AMMv1_3 introduces invariant checks for XRPL’s evolving automated market maker (AMM) functionality, marking a tightening of protocol-level controls for on-chain liquidity operations.
Still, it is the PermissionedDEX functionality that has triggered the loudest reaction among analysts, raising complex questions about liquidity, compliance, and the future role of XRP in bridging segregated financial environments.
Rippled 2.5.0 Redefines The XRP Ledger EcosystemRenowned XRP commentator WrathofKahneman framed the significance starkly: “This latest release of RippleD, 2.5.0 includes amendments that may change the XRPL ecosystem forever, especially permissioned domains. They may be the best way to bring big money on chain, but they also segregate liquidity.”
That concern—liquidity fragmentation—has become central to the debate. In a prior thread dated June 17, Wrath explained that XLS-80, the technical foundation for permissioned domains, would allow the creation of decentralized exchange environments restricted to credentialed participants. This structure introduces the possibility that, for example, a regulated entity like Bank of America could trade XRP/RLUSD pairs in a domain inaccessible to retail participants, fragmenting the DEX into parallel liquidity silos.
While this may increase compliance and institutional appeal, it complicates the DEX’s market efficiency. “You might trade XRP/RLUSD while BofA is trading it alongside using orders you aren’t credentialed to participate in,” Wrath noted. The fragmentation resembles Ethereum’s KYC-gated DeFi pools, though XRPL’s approach embeds permissions directly at the protocol level.
This protocol-native compliance could give it a strategic edge. Ethereum-based solutions like Aave Arc rely on off-chain verification layers and segregated contract deployments. XLS-80, in contrast, enforces credential logic within the ledger itself. As Wrath wrote: “XLS-80 would embed compliance directly into the protocol. In contrast, Ethereum handles compliance off-chain.”
Still, the liquidity segmentation raises inevitable arbitrage questions. X user blk4432 observed: “I think they would arbitrage XRP between public and private. I think greed wouldn’t allow entities to leave money on the table because ‘walled garden.’” Wrath replied in agreement, adding: “Anyone credentialed for one domain is also already credentialed on the main. If they can get away with it and remain compliant, I’m sure they will.”
This opens the door for a new class of profit-seeking credentialed market makers, potentially including Ripple itself. Wrath theorized that Ripple could initially hold the credentials required to span all domains, allowing it to operate as a regulated liquidity bridge—facilitating trades across siloed order books and collecting spreads. “Ripple can compliantly route liquidity and arbitrage between the siloed books. That would position them as a regulated market maker,” he wrote.
The implications for XRP are significant. If permissioned domains gain adoption among institutions, the token may see increased demand as a bridging asset—used to facilitate arbitrage across fragmented liquidity environments. However, that demand will be contingent on whether the market makers navigating those silos hold the necessary credentials and can do so profitably.
Beyond trading, the permissioned framework could reshape other components. Future extensions could see credentialed access applied to liquidity pools in the AMM, unlocking compliant on-chain yield strategies for regulated entities—an area that’s largely out of reach for institutions on public chains today.
At press time, XRP traded at $2.1889.
Bitcoin Bearish Bets Mount: Funding Rates On Binance Slides Into Negative Territory
As Bitcoin gradually recovers from its recent breakdown below the $100,000 mark, it appears to have triggered a fresh wave of bearish activity from investors. Its market dynamics are about to transition as key metrics such as the Funding Rates on the Binance platform have taken a negative turn.
Binance Traders Betting Against BitcoinIn a dramatic bounce, Bitcoin has reclaimed the $105,000 price mark and is slowly approaching $106,000. While BTC has recovered, the impressive run has been met with negative sentiment, particularly from investors on Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange.
Darkfost, a verified author for CryptoQuant, reported that funding rates on the Binance exchange have declined sharply, signaling a shift in trader sentiment. Data from the expert reveals that the rates dropped to the -0.0033 level just as BTC swiftly bounced back since this past weekend.
This scenario implies that traders are progressively placing bets on further decline, indicating that bearish pressure is building on Binance. Negative funding rates may signal pessimism, but historically, they have also preceded short squeezes. As the price of Bitcoin navigates increased volatility and shifting momentum, this is a crucial period to observe.
According to the on-chain expert, negative financing rates suggest that most open positions are currently short as investors question whether the recent upward move is sustainable. Although this may initially appear to be negative, markets often move against the crowd, particularly when there is an overcrowded short side.
Furthermore, Darkfost has drawn attention to past scenarios, particularly in September last year. During the period, the market constantly shifted in the opposite direction whenever Binance’s funding rates fell into negative territory, whether in the short or medium term.
However, the sole exception was when new tariff policies were announced, momentarily altering market dynamics. If shorts persistently increase on the Binance platform, Darkfost is confident that these positions could eventually bolster the rally that started earlier this week.
Thus far, the expert has offered one key takeaway, stating that it is crucial to understand that the natural tendency of traders leans toward longing the market, which makes this current signal more remarkable.
BTC To Surge To A New All-Time HighAfter rallying earlier this week, BTC is currently facing significant resistance at the $106,500 threshold. However, this resistance level could give way soon, as Michael Van De Poppe, a market expert, has predicted a major rally to new all-time highs.
According to the expert, Bitcoin is stalling at levels below $106,500 until the next significant surge to new highs occurs. Van De Poppe believes that the anticipated move is only a matter of time, and BTC is likely to reach a new peak in July. Therefore, the expert suggests “buying the dip now is the best strategy.”
Market Expert Says Ripple Vs. SEC Lawsuit Is In Final Chapter, Here’s Why
Market expert Abraham has declared that the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit is in its final chapter, with the long-running legal battle coming to a close. The expert also explained how this would lead to a “regulatory breakout” for XRP, with the altcoin coming out favored.
Ripple Vs. SEC Lawsuit Approaching A Final ResolutionIn an X post, Abraham affirmed that market participants are witnessing the last chapter of the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit. He remarked that XRP is about to emerge not just free but favored. The expert then alluded to how both parties have jointly paused their appeals, which confirms that they are ready to settle and reach a final resolution.
Both parties recently filed a status report before the appeals court, in which they asked for an extension of the pause on the case while they get an indicative ruling from Judge Analisa Torres. Abraham noted the joint motion, which has been filed in the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit, for this indicative ruling.
He explained that both parties seek Judge Torres to dissolve the injunction against Ripple and lower the civil penalty against the crypto firm to $50 million. The expert remarked that this isn’t just a “slap on the wrist” but a public signal that Ripple won. Abraham added that institutions are watching.
As to what happens next, the expert is confident that Judge Torres will issue her final ruling in the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit, likely validating that XRP is not a security. When this happens, Abraham predicts that every institution sitting on the sidelines gets the green light. This is what he described as the “regulatory breakout” moment. Basically, this would clear the “legal cloud” over XRP for good.
XRP ETFs On The HorizonWith the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit in its final chapter, Abraham is confident that the XRP ETFs could get approval anytime soon. He noted that these funds have just entered their public comment phase. Meanwhile, their approval odds in 2025 are over 90% based on current legal momentum, clarity, and market demand. Based on this, the expert declared that the “ETF floodgate is about to burst.”
He then proceeded to highlight the factors that will be the setup for the next XRP bull cycle, including the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit. The end of the lawsuit will bring about regulatory clarity and also open the path for approval for the XRP ETFs. These ETFs will lead to institutional access. Meanwhile, Abraham predicts that XRP’s global use case will explode in the process, with utility demand being greater than retail speculation.
At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.17, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Ethereum Builds Critical Pattern On Daily Chart, Volatility Ahead
The Ethereum 1-day chart is shaping an intriguing technical formation that could define its next move. This setup reflects growing uncertainty in the market but also sets the stage for high-impact volatility.
Ethereum Approaches Decision Point: Breakout Or Breakdown?Ethereum is currently forming a megaphone pattern, a broadening formation characterized by widening price swings and increasing volatility. This structure typically reflects market indecision, as both bulls and bears battle for control, leading to expanding highs and lows.
Sharoon Gill noted on X that the widening price action is a key signal that volatility is building, and a significant move could be on the horizon. Sharoon Gill points to two crucial levels to watch closely: a breakout above $2,400 would confirm bullish momentum and pave the way for further gains, while a drop below $2,240 may indicate a bearish breakdown and trigger a downward move.
Evrenos Albarson shared a sharp take on Ethereum’s positioning, pointing out that the 4-hour chart looks decent, and for ETH to maintain any bullish momentum, it must reclaim the $2,550 level, a threshold that would signal strength and consolidation to the upside.
However, if ETH fails to push above $2,550, the market could face a sudden drop to $1,800 as Evrenos Albarson targets a support zone from the consolidation phases.
According to Bit Amberly, Ethereum is showing early signs of a rebound as it bounces off the lower boundary of a broadening wedge. This pattern, often associated with potential reversals, suggests that ETH may be gearing up for a bullish push and provide key support holds.
If ETH holds above the $2,400 area, it will open the door for a climb toward $2,500, with further upside targets at $2,680 and $2,850 levels, which align with previous reaction zones and technical extensions.
Ethereum Clears Channel, But Can It Sustain Above Resistance?Ethereum has broken out of a descending channel on the 2-hour chart, a move that signals a shift in short-term bullish momentum. This breakout marks the end of the recent downtrend.
Currently, Crypto Avi mentioned that ETH is trying to break through the major resistance zone at $2,446 on the chart. If ETH manages to break above the resistance zone, the next upside target will be $2,700, a level that aligns with short-term technical projections.
Whales_Crypto_Trading reported that Ethereum has successfully breached the ascending channel formation on the 8-hour chart, showing an acceleration in bullish momentum, pushing ETH beyond a technical boundary that had contained price action.
If the momentum continues to build, Whales_Crypto_Trading suggests that ETH could surge toward the next target at $3,050, a level that represents an important resistance zone.
Turkey Tightens Grip On Crypto To Foil Money Launderers
Turkey’s Ministry of Treasury and Finance rolled out new rules this week to stop money laundering through crypto trades. Users now have to put in a transfer note of at least 20 characters explaining why they’re moving funds.
At the same time, platforms must collect clear proof of where the money came from. These steps come as crypto use in Turkey has surged, driven by high inflation and a shaky currency.
New Transfer Rules Take EffectAccording to the Treasury and Finance Ministry, every crypto transfer needs a note that’s at least 20 characters long. Users must say what the transfer is for. Crypto Asset Service Providers, or CASPs, will ask for documents and details to show where funds originated. The aim is to make it harder for bad actors to hide illicit gains in thousands of transactions each day.
Withdrawal Delays To Curb Crime?Based on reports from officials, first-time withdrawals will face a 72-hour waiting period. After that, any withdrawal that doesn’t meet the FATF “travel rule” will be delayed by at least 48 hours. The goal is simple. Give investigators a window to check if funds come from illegal betting or online fraud before they disappear.
Turkey Sets Limits On Stablecoin MovesAuthorities will cap stablecoin transfers at $3,000 per day and $50,000 per month. Platforms that fully follow travel-rule checks can double their users’ limits to $6,000 daily and $100,000 monthly. This tiered system pushes exchanges toward higher compliance without shutting out small traders who move modest sums.
Users active in market making, liquidity provision, or cross-market arbitrage can skip some of the tighter checks if they show proof of clean funds. They must work through licensed platforms and provide clear documents. This exemption acknowledges that professional traders add volume and keep prices stable.
Penalties For Platforms That Don’t ComplyTreasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek warned that any CASP ignoring the new rules could face heavy fines, license denial, or outright cancellation. Platforms will need stronger KYC teams and new software systems to tag transfers with notes and verify sources. Smaller outfits could struggle with the added cost.
A Balancing Act For Crypto’s FutureCrypto adoption in Turkey ranks among the highest in the world. Officials don’t want to slow growth. They argue these steps guard honest users while making it much harder for criminals to exploit the market.
As the rules kick in, domestic exchanges will race to update their systems. Traders may grumble about extra paperwork and waiting times. Still, many believe the extra checks will give institutions and big-time investors more confidence to join in.
Featured image from Chainalysis, chart from TradingView
Cardano Just Rewrote Its Scaling Playbook—Here’s What’s Coming
A June 24 blog post by Input Output Research (IOR) and the Intersect Research Working Group marks the clearest pivot yet in Cardano’s scaling strategy. Rather than elevating Hydra as a lone panacea, the six-minute read recaps a recent IOR research session and positions Hydra as simply one branch of a broader, interoperable layer-2 ecosystem.
“Hydra aims to deliver scalable off-chain transaction execution while preserving the security guarantees and settlement finality of layer 1,” writes Director of Research Partnerships at IOG Fergie Miller. In the post, he separates the protocol into Hydra Heads, “state channel protocols for small, fixed participant groups,” and Hydra Tails, “rollup-inspired models operated by a central party, targeting broader scalability for applications with higher throughput needs.”
A third thread—Hydra Inter-Head—pursues virtual channels that stitch multiple heads together, while new State-Channel Optimization Tools and Auditing Tools seek, respectively, to minimize routing latency and expose aggregate metrics without revealing individual transactions. The latter, Coretti-Drayton notes, is “designed to balance privacy with accountability.”
Cardano’s Layer-2 SolutionsAfter Hydra’s status update, the blog introduces four independent projects now vying to expand Cardano’s throughput and design space:
Midgard (Anastasia Labs) — an Optimism-like optimistic roll-up adapted to Cardano’s extended-UTXO ledger, with deterministic fraud proofs and minimal multisig governance. Midgard is already open-sourced, and an MVP is slated for mainnet before year-end, according to co-founder Philip DiSarro.
zkFold (zkFold SA) — a zero-knowledge roll-up that “compresses hundreds of transactions into a single layer-1 submission,” offering near-instant finality and lower bandwidth. Lead researcher Vladimir Sinyakov targets a public testnet this year and full smart-contract support thereafter.
Eryx ZK Bridge — Carolina Lang’s cooperative is engineering “a built-in ZK bridge on Cardano” to enable isomorphic chain communication, leveraging expertise from Zcash and StarkNet to keep proofs auditable and modular.
Gummiworm (Sundae Labs) — Pi Lanningham’s horizontally scalable, Hydra-inspired roll-up “decouples transaction execution from custody,” letting liquidity remain composable across multiple heads while preserving atomic swaps.
The New Scaling PlaybookThe blog’s round-table synopsis highlights three recurring themes. First is interoperability: DiSarro and Sinyakov argue that Cardano must avoid Ethereum-style fragmentation by standardising interfaces so users can traverse roll-ups seamlessly.
Second is capital efficiency: Lanningham warns that locked liquidity inside isolated protocols “remains a key barrier to adoption,” proposing bonding mechanisms and cross-protocol composability to keep funds fluid.
Third is security: Coretti-Drayton insists on “rigorously defined properties and mathematically provable guarantees,” while Lang calls for a stronger zero-knowledge community to audit increasingly complex cryptographic circuits.
Looking three to five years out, each participant stakes out a distinct priority. Coretti-Drayton doubles down on formal proofs for Hydra. DiSarro sees roll-up throughput alleviating strain on layer-1 fee revenues. Sinyakov plans to harness blob-style data-availability layers for bandwidth. Lang believes Cardano’s specification culture makes it “uniquely compatible with ZK-based applications,” and Lanningham bets on collaborative, open-source development to outpace closed alternatives.
The post closes with a sober assessment: “Cardano’s scaling future will not be defined by a single protocol but by a constellation of interoperable, specialized layer 2 solutions—each contributing distinct performance, privacy, and usability enhancements.” In other words, Hydra is evolving, but it is no longer expected to carry the network alone. Cardano’s new playbook is modular, pluralistic, and—if the blog’s call for shared standards holds—strictly cooperative.
At press time, ADA traded at $0.58, up 15% since Sunday’s low.
Warning From Central Banks: Stablecoins Fall Short As Effective Monetary Tools
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has issued a stark warning regarding the alleged risks associated with stablecoins, urging nations to expedite the tokenization of their currencies.
Stablecoins Under ScrutinyThe BIS, often referred to as the central bank for central banks, highlighted concerns such as stablecoins’ potential to undermine monetary sovereignty, transparency issues, and the risk of capital flight from developing economies.
This announcement comes shortly after the US Senate passed the country’s stablecoin bill (GENIUS Act), aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for US-dollar-pegged stablecoins, a move that could significantly boost their popularity if approved by the House.
In an early release of its annual report, the BIS stated, “Stablecoins as a form of sound money fall short, and without regulation pose a risk to financial stability and monetary sovereignty.”
Hyun Song Shin, the BIS’s Economic Adviser, elaborated on the limitations of stablecoins, noting that they lack the traditional settlement functions provided by central banks.
He drew parallels to the private banknotes that circulated during the 19th-century Free Banking era in the United States, emphasizing that stablecoins can trade at varying exchange rates based on the issuer, which undermines the reliability of central bank-issued currency.
Shin also warned of the potential for “fire sales” of the assets backing stablecoins in the event of a collapse, referencing the failures of TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA in 2022.
Additionally, concerns have arisen regarding the control of stablecoins, particularly given that Tether commands more than half of the market but withdrew from the European Union following the introduction of new licensing requirements for stablecoin operators.
BIS Advocates For Tokenized Unified LedgeAndrea Maechler, Deputy General Manager of the BIS, pointed out that issues surrounding transparency and asset quality remain critical. “You will always have the question about the quality of the asset backing. Is the money really there? Where is it?” she asked.
To address these challenges, the BIS advocates for central banks to pursue a tokenized “unified ledger” that incorporates central bank reserves, commercial bank deposits, and government bonds.
This approach aims to ensure that central bank money remains the primary means of global payment while integrating currencies and bonds into a single “programmable platform.”
Tokenization is expected to create a digitalized central banking system that facilitates instantaneous and cost-effective payment and securities transactions by eliminating time-consuming checks, while also enhancing functionality.
The proposed system aims to accomplish, according to the bank, “greater transparency, resilience, and interoperability,” potentially shielding it from some of the more volatile aspects of cryptocurrencies.
However, significant hurdles remain, including the question of who will establish the governing rules for the platform and the desire of individual countries to maintain control over their monetary systems.
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.co
Mastercard & Chainlink Let 3B+ Spend Crypto — Is Best Wallet Token the Big Winner?
Mastercard announced a major partnership with Chainlink. The landmark deal enables over 3B cardholders to purchase cryptocurrencies directly on-chain.
The partnership, officially announced on June 24, 2025, allows users to use Mastercard credit or debit cards to buy tokens on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap, with crypto deposited straight into their wallets – no centralized exchange or off-chain intermediary required.
The logic behind the move was obvious, says Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink.
“There’s no doubt about it – people want to be able to easily connect to the digital assets ecosystem, and vice versa.” – Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink
Seamless Fiat-to-Crypto IntegrationThe initiative is being rolled out via Swapper Finance. This decentralized platform uses Chainlink’s oracle infrastructure to facilitate secure and verifiable communication between off-chain financial systems and on-chain smart contracts.
The integration is sophisticated but correspondingly powerful:
- Shift4 handles card processing and authorization
- ZeroHash manages compliance, fiat-to-crypto conversion, and custody
- Chainlink’s decentralized oracles securely deliver transaction metadata to Swapper smart contracts
- XSwap, the protocol’s liquidity engine, executes the token swap on decentralized exchanges like Uniswap
The end result is that the user receives crypto in their wallet swiftly, with no separate app or centralized exchange needed.
Since there are 3B Mastercard users, that’s a huge expansion of potential crypto users. Mastercard + Chainlink = DeFi + TradFiThis collaboration marks one of the most significant advancements in bridging traditional finance (TradFi) with decentralized finance (DeFi), offering a number of solutions to classic crypto pain points:
- Frictionless onboarding: No more multi-step process of registering on an exchange, undergoing KYC, transferring funds, and setting up wallets. Users can simply swipe their Mastercard in-app and receive crypto directly in a DeFi wallet.
- Scale and accessibility: Mastercard’s reach (3B+ users) gives the initiative unprecedented scale.
- Security and transparency: Users across the blockchain economy trust Chainlink’s security infrastructure.
When DeFi was originally conceived, the idea was that the two worlds – DeFi and TradFi – would occupy separate worlds; one controlled and regulated, the other private and freewheeling.
But in recent years, the two realms have come together to produce something rather more powerful, something emphasized by Mastercard’s EVP of Blockchain & Digital Assets, Raj Dhamodharan.
In coming together with Chainlink, we’re unlocking a secure and innovative way to revolutionize on-chain commerce and drive the broader adoption of crypto assets. – Mastercard’s EVP of Blockchain & Digital Assets, Raj Dhamodharan
There’s another step forward in the evolution – personal, non-custodial web3 wallets that make crypto possible for everyone. That’s where Best Wallet comes in.
Best Wallet Token ($BEST) – The Big Winner from the Mastercard + Crypto MarriageBest Wallet token ($BEST) powers the Best Wallet ecosystem, one of the leading web3 non-custodial wallets. With Best Wallet, users can participate smoothly and seamlessly in the web3 world, without compromising their control of their crypto.
$BEST provides investors with:
- Lower transaction costs
- Higher staking rewards
- Community governance
- Early access to the best crypto presales
That last one is worth noting. Like the Mastercard/Chainlink interface, Best Wallet offers native access to select presales.
Research specific projects, read tokenomics and whitepapers, and purchase tokens – all without leaving the app.What is Best Wallet token? It’s the first-ever crypto presale wallet. And with integration at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it’s no wonder that $BEST could be set to reach $0.62 by the end of 2026. That’s up 2,400% from its current $0.025235.
Learn how to buy Best Wallet tokens and visit the presale page today.
Markets Respond to Mastercard, $LINKChainlink’s native token LINK jumped following the announcement before settling down slightly, reflecting investor optimism about its expanding role in the crypto economy.
Best Wallet Token has raised over $13M in its ongoing presale, indicating strong support for a utility-focused crypto wallet token.
Do your own research before investing; this isn’t financial advice.
Coinbase And Secret Service Team Up In $225 Million Crypto Sting
Cryptocurrency firms and law enforcement teamed up this month in what could be the biggest crypto haul in US Secret Service history. On June 18, the Department of Justice moved to seize over $225 million in tokens linked to pig-butchering scams.
This effort relied on blockchain tracing and quick action by exchanges and a stablecoin issuer to lock down funds that flowed through multiple platforms.
Coinbase Joins Secret Service EffortAccording to Coinbase, its investigators worked alongside the US Secret Service during a focused sprint in early 2024. From February 26 to February 29, they tracked millions in suspect transfers and flagged transactions tied to illicit wallets.
Based on reports, more than 130 Coinbase customers were hit by scams, collectively losing about $2.3 million. Agents then used subpoenaed records to tie those on-chain flows back to victim accounts.
Coinbase also noted that some of the seized funds wound up in roughly 140 accounts at OKX, many held by people detained in scam compounds in Southeast Asia.
Coinbase helped drive a major law enforcement win: the U.S. Secret Service has seized $225M in stolen crypto tied to pig butchering scams—and is returning funds to victims. If you think you were affected, you may be eligible for restitution. Learn more: https://t.co/0VirllyzM7
— Coinbase Support (@CoinbaseSupport) June 24, 2025
Tether Freezes And Burns USDTAccording to Tether, 39 wallet addresses were frozen after the DOJ presented evidence of theft. Those wallets held about $225 million in USDT. Tether then performed a burn, sending tokens to an inaccessible address so they could never be spent again.
At the same time, an equal amount of fresh USDT was minted and sent to a wallet under Secret Service control. Observers could watch that swap on-chain, showing how stablecoins can be pulled out of circulation when needed to cut off illicit actors.
Record Seizure Marks New HighAccording to information from the DOJ, this move represents the largest crypto seizure ever attributed to the Secret Service. It comes after a surge in pig-butchering scams—long-con frauds where operators befriend victims online and convince them to invest in fake schemes.
Law enforcement described this case as a landmark in fighting crypto crime, stressing that on-chain data was critical in pinpointing stolen funds scattered across different exchanges.
Global Actions And Next StepsBeyond the US, similar actions have popped up around the globe. In May, the Australian Federal Police seized nearly 25 Bitcoin—worth about $2.6 million—from suspects tied to a 2013 hack of a French exchange.
And in February, German authorities blasted 34 million euros ($38 million) in crypto linked to a massive Bybit breach. Analysts say these joint efforts send a clear message: crypto doesn’t equal anonymity.
Investors ought to stay alert about unsolicited investment offers. Security teams on exchanges will keep sharpening blockchain analysis tools to catch illicit flow faster.
Featured image from AP/Julia Nikhinson, File, chart from TradingView