Crypto Briefs

Bitcoin markets are entering a period of heightened macro sensitivity ahead of PCE inflation and employment data releases. Traders are positioning for increased volatility as crypto assets respond to broader economic indicators that influence Federal Reserve policy expectations.

THORChain trading resumed following a network halt triggered by a $10.7 million exploit. The resumption marks a critical recovery phase for the decentralized liquidity protocol, though market participants face a confidence test as the network reestablishes normal operations and addresses security concerns raised by the incident.

Lido has finished shutting down its Simple Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) module, a component that allowed node operators to run validators with redundancy. The wind-down marks a shift in Lido's infrastructure strategy, likely consolidating validator operations under alternative DVT frameworks or approaches.

NEAR Protocol released nearcore 2.14.0 release candidate, which includes protocol and database upgrades. The update represents a significant technical milestone for the blockchain network's infrastructure and node operators.

Uniswap has grown its tokenized stock trading total value locked (TVL) by $83 million over the past 30 days, leading the DeFi sector in this category. The growth underscores decentralized exchange momentum in fractional equity trading, which operates continuously without traditional market hours or intermediaries.

Uniswap has proposed extending protocol fees to Arc, a layer-2 scaling solution. The proposal would enable fee collection on Arc transactions, expanding Uniswap's revenue model across additional blockchain networks. This represents part of Uniswap's broader strategy to distribute governance and monetization across multiple chains.

Injective announced a partnership with Microsoft to host an onchain commerce event ahead of the Token2049 conference. The collaboration aims to accelerate AI-blockchain integration and explore applications in digital commerce and financial systems.

Kalshi has filed to offer perpetual futures contracts linked to US equities, entering a competitive space alongside Coinbase's similar efforts to bring crypto-native derivatives trading to stock markets. The move would enable continuous market access and leveraged exposure to individual equities through blockchain-based instruments.

Prediction market platform Kalshi is seeking a valuation near $40 billion, nearly double the $22 billion valuation from its previous funding round last month, according to Financial Times reporting. The fundraising push comes as federal and state regulators clash over jurisdiction and authority to oversee prediction markets.

Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs alleged that cryptocurrency exchange CoinEx facilitated over $3.84 billion in flows with sanctioned Iranian crypto entities, according to CoinDesk. CoinEx has denied the claims. The report raises compliance concerns for the exchange amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of financial flows to Iran.

Bitcoin and Ether recovered from weekly lows alongside a broader U.S. equity relief rally, but bearish derivatives positioning and negative cumulative volume delta (CVD) suggest the rebound lacks conviction. Analysts cited persistent headwinds in on-chain metrics as evidence the upside move may prove short-lived.

On-chain data shows 10.83 million bitcoin—nearly 55% of circulating supply—are now held at a loss, marking a record high. Long-term holders control 14.8 million BTC, also a record, indicating sustained accumulation despite recent price weakness.

Bitcoin is trading significantly below the $72,000 max pain level one day before a $10 billion quarterly options expiration, contradicting the popular theory that price gravitates toward the strike level that maximizes losses for options traders. The disconnect suggests max pain may be an unreliable predictor of short-term price action around major derivatives settlements.

Bitcoin fell to $59,537, breaking below the $60,000 support level and trading nearly $18,000 below its late-May peak of $77,623. Glassnode on-chain data attributes the decline to demand failure and spot-market selling, with ETF investors withdrawing capital for six consecutive weeks, creating tension between valuation signals and buyer hesitation.

Aave V4 protocol has gone live on Arc, supporting USDC, EURC, cirBTC, and WETH trading pairs. The expansion adds support for Euro-denominated and Bitcoin-backed assets alongside existing dollar-pegged stablecoin liquidity on the new deployment.

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have accumulated 6% of total bitcoin's market capitalization, reflecting growing institutional adoption. The concentration of BTC holdings in ETF vehicles reduces circulating supply available for trading and may amplify price volatility while concentrating market influence among major fund holders.

NEAR Protocol's Intents reached $169 million in total value locked following a 77% monthly increase, according to Crypto Briefing. The growth reflects rising cross-chain activity demand but has prompted concern among observers about heightened risk exposure across multiple blockchain networks.

Lido DAO is voting on a contingent market-making mandate involving 7.5 million LDO tokens. The proposal aims to improve liquidity for the LDO token under specified conditions. Details on voting parameters and implementation timeline were not fully specified in the available source material.

MemeCore token fell 76% while its associated MIM stablecoin broke its dollar peg, trading down to $0.50. The collapse follows long-standing criticism from analysts questioning how the project maintained a multi-billion-dollar valuation when insiders allegedly controlled approximately 90% of the token supply.

Ethereum gained 60% during Q3, its best quarterly performance on record, while attracting $10 billion in ETF inflows. The surge reflects growing institutional confidence and contributions from DeFi growth, with analysts suggesting potential market stabilization ahead.

SBI Holdings agreed to acquire Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank for $289 million, making it a subsidiary. The deal could expand SBI's footprint in Japan's crypto market and reshape regional financial dynamics.

Ripple has secured partnerships with JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, and SBI, yet XRP token price has remained largely unmoved by these developments. The disconnect between institutional adoption of Ripple's technology and XRP's market performance continues to widen, with SBI's RLUSD stablecoin launch also failing to catalyze significant price movement.

Rakuten Wallet is launching Shiba Inu (SHIB) replica coins and a campaign offering token rewards to Japanese retail users. SHIB was trading near $0.0000044 following recent price declines. The move represents expansion of SHIB access in Japan's retail crypto market through a major fintech platform.

The Senate's final draft of the CLARITY Act proposed requiring senior federal officials to divest equity stakes of $15,000 or more in businesses that issue or sponsor digital assets, addressing potential conflicts of interest in crypto regulation. The rule reportedly faced obstacles related to application to family businesses, with Trump's position on the measure tied to those implementation details.

An Aave governance proposal seeks to integrate Anchorage-custodied bitcoin into the protocol's V4 lending model, expanding collateral options for the decentralized lending platform. The proposal represents a step toward institutional custody adoption within Aave's ecosystem, allowing users to leverage institutionally-held bitcoin as loan collateral.

The XRP Ledger released version 3.4.0 of xrpld, its core software, introducing a new lending amendment to the protocol. The update expands the ledger's functionality for decentralized lending applications built on XRPL.

Indonesia's Financial Services Authority has issued Financial Services Authority Regulation No. 6 of 2026, imposing mandatory certification requirements for social media influencers who promote cryptocurrencies and digital financial assets. The regulation adds new compliance obligations for online financial promotions in the country.

Bitcoin derivatives markets are showing elevated stress indicators as traders position for a U.S. core PCE inflation reading on June 25, 2026. A weaker-than-expected print could trigger a sharp snapback in crypto prices, suggesting market participants are hedged for significant volatility around the economic data release.

President Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony for a housing bill that would have enacted a temporary ban on a Federal Reserve-issued central bank digital currency through 2030. The decision signals Trump's shifting stance on CBDC policy despite his previous anti-CBDC positioning during his second term.

Aave has rallied against Bitcoin's recent weakness, according to Bitcoinist, with traders favoring DeFi tokens tied to institutional lending and real-world asset narratives. The outperformance reflects growing market interest in decentralized finance platforms positioned for institutional adoption.