Author: John Smith

Bitcoin is facing a mixed market setup as exchange reserves fall to rare lows while short-term price indicators and holder profitability remain weak. Summary Bitcoin exchange reserves fell to 2.66 million BTC, matching levels last seen in August 2019. Long-term holder SOPR near 0.87 shows some investors are moving Bitcoin at a loss now. Bearish MACD and RSI readings keep short-term Bitcoin momentum weak near the $73,000 price area. Bitcoin exchange reserves have fallen to 2,666,753 BTC, according to CryptoQuant data shared by thechessONCHAIN. The last comparable reading came on August 31, 2019, when Bitcoin traded near $9,430. Bitcoin now…

Bitdeer names ex-Corsair finance chief Michael Potter as CFO, effective Tuesday, replacing Jianchun Liu. Summary Michael Potter takes over as Bitdeer CFO effective Tuesday, with outgoing CFO Jianchun Liu staying through June 30. Potter led Corsair Gaming’s 2020 IPO and held earlier CFO roles at Canadian Solar, Lattice Semiconductor, and STATS ChipPAC. The appointment lands as Bitdeer scales AI cloud revenue and converts mining sites for high-performance computing workloads. Bitdeer names ex-Corsair finance chief Michael Potter as CFO, effective Tuesday, replacing Jianchun Liu. Liu will remain through June 30. The Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin miner disclosed the change in a Form 6-K…

Aztec Labs has acquired ZKPassport but will keep the privacy-focused passport-scanning app fully open source. Summary Aztec Labs acquired ZKPassport but will keep the iOS app and Noir circuits open source. The privacy app proves identity attributes from government IDs without revealing personal data. ZKPassport already ran sanctions checks on Aztec’s December 2025 token sale, validating the tech in production. Aztec Labs has acquired ZKPassport but will keep the privacy-focused passport-scanning app fully open source. The deal preserves the iOS NFC scanner and Noir circuits. The Ethereum layer-2 privacy network confirmed the acquisition on Wednesday. ZKPassport, built on Aztec’s Noir…

BIS tokenization work has cleared its atomic settlement prototype phase and will graduate to real-value cross-border payment trials. Summary Project Agora demonstrated tokenised cross-border settlement across seven central banks and more than 40 financial institutions. The Bank of Canada joined Wednesday, with real-value transactions set as the next testing milestone. The prototype preserves correspondent banking, sanctions screening, and SWIFT compatibility rather than replacing them. BIS tokenization work has cleared its atomic settlement prototype phase and will graduate to real-value cross-border payment trials. The Bank for International Settlements confirmed the move Wednesday. Project Agora, a public-private collaboration with seven central banks…

HTX denies UK sanctions allegations after the Foreign Office accused affiliate Huobi Global S.A. of funnelling $1.5 billion to Russia. Summary HTX says UK sanctions apply only to Huobi Global S.A. and do not affect its operating exchange. The Foreign Office accuses the affiliate of funnelling $1.5 billion to Russia through A7 and Garantex. Global Ledger separately traced more than $7.6 billion in Russia-linked flows through the exchange since 2021. HTX denies UK sanctions allegations after the Foreign Office accused affiliate Huobi Global S.A. of funnelling $1.5 billion to Russia. New data flags $7.6 billion in linked flows. The UK…

The CFTC has moved a proposed rule on prediction-markets event contracts into White House review as federal and state officials fight over who should police the fast-growing sector. Summary The CFTC’s proposed prediction-market rule is under White House review before it can be released for public comment. The rule could create the first comprehensive federal framework for event contracts and affect platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket. Trump backed CFTC control over prediction markets, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker defended state action against insider trading. Bloomberg first reported that the proposal is now before the White House Office of Management…

HYPE ETFs have topped $100 million in cumulative net inflows within their first 10 trading sessions, giving Hyperliquid another institutional demand channel as interest in altcoin funds expands. Summary HYPE ETFs crossed $100 million in cumulative net inflows within their first 10 trading sessions. The inflows are led by 21Shares’ THYP and Bitwise’s BHYP, two U.S. spot products tied to Hyperliquid’s native HYPE token. HYPE has gained nearly 50% this month, while Lookonchain reported that a trader made a $2.51 million profit over 46 days. According to Farside Investors data, the funds added about $20 million in net inflows on…

Fold Holdings has started issuing its Fold Bitcoin Credit Card to selected waitlist members, adding a consumer credit product to its growing Bitcoin rewards and workplace payments business. Summary Fold has started issuing its Bitcoin Credit Card to select waitlist members, offering 1.5% back in Bitcoin and up to 4% through rewards and partner offers. The card runs on Visa and Stripe Issuing, with physical and virtual cards available through the Fold App for Apple Pay and Google Pay. The launch comes after Fold missed Q1 2026 earnings expectations and follows its Bitcoin bonus program for workplace compensation. According to…

FTSE Russell’s governance committee has approved a fast-entry overhaul that will allow mega IPOs to be added more quickly to its top benchmarks, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. Summary FTSE Russell governance committee backs fast-entry and minimum standard changes after market consultation IPOs whose investable market cap exceeds a Russell Top 500 threshold now qualify for immediate fast-entry assessment The move is designed to make flagship indices more responsive to large new listings and more reflective of the investable market Bloomberg ETF senior analyst Eric Balchunas said on X that the FTSE Russell Governance Committee has signed off…

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 is 257 pages of statutory text divided into six titles, each tackling a different piece of U.S. digital asset regulation. Most coverage describes the bill in vague terms like “establishes clear rules for crypto.” The actual legislation is more specific and more consequential than that.  Summary The CLARITY Act would move qualifying crypto tokens from SEC oversight to CFTC regulation through a 20% blockchain control threshold for “mature” networks. A secondary market provision in the bill would classify exchange-traded crypto tokens as commodities instead of securities, extending the legal framework established in…