Author: John Smith

Ripple has introduced tools that let AI agents use XRP and RLUSD for payments at a time when USDC continues to dominate activity on the fast-growing x402 machine-payment network. Summary Ripple launched the XRPL AI Starter Kit, enabling AI agents to use XRP and RLUSD for automated payments through the x402 protocol. USDC remains the dominant asset in x402 payments, with more than 120 million cumulative transactions and over $41 million in settled volume. Ripple is expanding RLUSD adoption through Mastercard’s stablecoin settlement network and MXNB-powered cross-border payment infrastructure. According to Ripple, the company this week released the XRPL AI…

Coinbase has launched 24/7 trading for U.S.-regulated gold and silver futures through Coinbase Derivatives Exchange. Summary Coinbase launched 24/7 trading for U.S.-regulated gold and silver futures. Eligible traders can access one-ounce gold and 50-ounce silver contracts. The launch supports Coinbase’s “Everything Exchange” strategy beyond digital assets. The new products let eligible U.S. traders access precious metals nearly every day, including weekends and holidays. The launch expands Coinbase beyond digital assets and adds traditional commodities to its always-on trading infrastructure. Coinbase opens round-the-clock metals trading Eligible traders can now buy and sell regulated gold and silver futures through participating brokers. The…

U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs ended June 12 with $4.95 million in daily net outflows. Summary U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $4.95M in daily net outflows on June 12. BlackRock’s ETHA led daily outflows with $4.53M and 2,720 ETH leaving the fund. Most Ethereum ETFs recorded zero daily flow changes, while all listed prices declined. Total trading value reached $483.85 million, while net assets stood at $9.16 billion. The funds accounted for 4.56% of Ethereum’s market capitalization after the latest update.  Ethereum ETF losses deepen as ETHA and FETH lead daily outflows  Tracking the trend of each Ethereum ETF, the recent…

Standard Chartered has kept its $100,000 Bitcoin target and $4,000 Ethereum target after the selloff. Summary Standard Chartered kept its $100K Bitcoin target after BTC rebounded from the $59K zone. Geoffrey Kendrick linked the selloff to forced selling, weak ETF flows, and liquidity stress. Kendrick kept the $4K Ethereum target and expects ETH to outperform Bitcoin. Standard Chartered digital-assets research head Geoffrey Kendrick said the drop likely set the cycle bottom in his latest note. Bitcoin fell toward $59,000 before rebounding near $63,500, while Ethereum traded near $1,665. Bitcoin’s price target stays at $100,000 Kendrick described the $59,000 Bitcoin move…

Anthropic has suspended access to its newly launched Fable 5 and Mythos 5 artificial intelligence models after receiving a U.S. government export control directive tied to national security concerns. Summary Anthropic suspended Fable 5 and Mythos 5 after receiving a U.S. export control directive. The company said officials cited national security concerns linked to a potential jailbreak method. The move comes days after the launch of the new AI models and amid a major infrastructure expansion push. According to a statement published by Anthropic on Friday, the company received the directive at 5:21 p.m. ET, instructing it to block access…

Grayscale Investments has filed an amended registration statement for its proposed spot NEAR ETF. Summary Grayscale amended its spot NEAR ETF filing and added SEC Registration No. 333-292834. BitGo replaced Coinbase Custody as primary custodian, while Coinbase remains an additional custodian. The filing updated NEAR data, including 1.3 billion circulating tokens and a $1.5 billion market cap. The update introduces custody changes and revised disclosures tied to the NEAR Protocol ecosystem. The filing arrives as investor interest in artificial intelligence-linked crypto assets increases following SpaceX’s public market debut. Grayscale revises NEAR ETF registration According to the amended S-1 filing submitted…

Coinbase has unveiled the next stage of its expansion strategy, with plans to combine trading, lending, payments, derivatives, and AI-powered services into a single financial platform. Summary Coinbase will unveil the next phase of its “Everything Exchange” strategy on June 16. New products span AI trading agents, prediction markets, stocks, lending, and DeFi services. Bernstein sees Coinbase benefiting from up to $10 billion in World Cup-related prediction market activity. According to a company blog post published by Coinbase executive Max Branzburg, the crypto exchange is building what it describes as a unified account where users can access multiple financial products…

Canaan has achieved a record fleet efficiency of 17.9 J/TH in North America even as roughly 36% of its installed mining capacity remained inactive at the end of May. Summary Canaan’s North American mining fleet reached a record efficiency of 17.9 J/TH in May, improving 11% year-over-year. Despite the efficiency gains, only 6.47 EH/s of its 10.05 EH/s installed capacity was operational at month-end. The update comes after Canaan reported an $88.7 million Q1 net loss and guided for weaker-than-expected Q2 revenue. According to a June operational update from Canaan, the Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin miner and ASIC manufacturer improved the efficiency…

A Seychelles court judgment tied to delisted CHP tokens has placed KuCoin under renewed legal scrutiny. Summary A Seychelles court ordered KuCoin to compensate a Swiss investor over 21 million delisted CHP tokens. The investor claims KuCoin has not paid the judgment or participated in related court proceedings. The ruling rejected KuCoin’s claim that unwithdrawn delisted tokens became abandoned property. A Swiss investor claims the exchange has not paid a court-ordered award exceeding $2 million. The dispute centers on 21 million CHP tokens and a ruling issued by the Seychelles Supreme Court in December 2025. Court ruling centers on delisted…

Blockworks has acquired Messari after securing a $192 million valuation earlier this year, deepening its push into crypto data infrastructure as competition intensifies to build the industry’s information layer. Summary Blockworks has acquired Messari following its recent $192 million valuation. The deal combines crypto asset disclosures, market data, research, and API services under one platform. Blockworks says AI and institutional adoption are increasing demand for crypto information infrastructure. According to an announcement from Blockworks, the deal combines two of the largest crypto information businesses and represents the company’s first major acquisition since completing a Series A extension financing round that…