Author: James Wilson

South Korea has expanded cryptocurrency disclosure requirements for its public debt relief program by including virtual asset holdings in applicant asset reviews and linking debt forgiveness more closely to repayment capacity. Summary South Korea will include crypto holdings in New Start Fund asset reviews. Applicants using major won-based exchanges must submit virtual asset balance certificates. Debt relief will be reduced for borrowers with stronger repayment capacity. According to local media, the Financial Services Commission said after a June 25 review meeting with the Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) that it would revise the New Start Fund, a debt restructuring program…

Binance will stop providing services to clients in the European Union from next week after failing to secure a Markets in Crypto-Assets licence before the deadline, according to a Financial Times report.  Summary Binance may stop EU services next week after missing the bloc’s full MiCA licensing deadline. The exchange says assets remain safe while affected users receive country-specific service and withdrawal notices. Rivals with MiCA approval may gain users as Binance shifts its licensing plan toward France. The July 1 cutoff marks the end of the bloc’s transition period for crypto asset service providers. The report said Binance customers…

On-chain investigator ZachXBT has warned that centralized exchange AscendEX may be delaying user withdrawals due to possible liquidity stress.  Summary ZachXBT says AscendEX users reported withdrawals delayed for days or weeks without clear processing updates. Known hot wallets appear short of large assets, raising fresh concerns about exchange liquidity. The alert follows wider scrutiny of centralized exchanges over withdrawal delays and reserve transparency. The alert followed several user reports claiming that withdrawals had been pending for days or weeks. AscendEX, formerly known as BitMax, has not issued a public response to the latest claims at the time of writing. ZachXBT…

Strategy’s options market has remained below historical crisis levels even as defensive Bitcoin positioning has climbed into the top fifth of historical readings, according to new research from Anchorage Digital. Summary Anchorage Digital says Strategy’s options market is not signaling a severe crisis despite elevated downside hedging. Bitcoin and IBIT options show strong demand for protection, with put skew near historical highs. Legal scrutiny, insider share sales, and stock weakness have increased pressure on Strategy, but options traders are not pricing forced deleveraging. According to a June 25 report by Anchorage Digital head of research David Lawant, traders across Bitcoin…

Multicoin Capital has projected that Hyperliquid’s HYPE token could reach $319 by 2028 despite identifying several structural and market risks that could threaten its long-term outlook. Summary Multicoin Capital has forecast a $319 HYPE price by 2028, citing Hyperliquid’s earnings growth and expanding market share. The firm pointed to HIP-3, token buybacks, and rising perpetual futures activity as key drivers behind its bullish outlook. Despite the optimistic target, Multicoin warned that regulation, competition, governance risks, and a bearish double-top pattern could pressure HYPE. According to a new report from Multicoin Capital, the investment firm expects Hyperliquid (HYPE) to appreciate roughly…

Aave founder Stani Kulechov has rejected reports suggesting Aave would sell AAVE tokens to Kraken at a roughly 70% discount, while confirming that discussions around long-term strategic partnerships have taken place. Summary Stani Kulechov rejected claims that Aave would sell AAVE tokens to Kraken at a roughly 70% discount. Kulechov said all Aave Protocol revenue flows to the Aave DAO and revealed plans for an automated AAVE buyback mechanism. Grayscale maintained AAVE appears undervalued, with a model-based fair value of up to $175 if tokenized assets expand in DeFi. Earlier, a report claimed that Kraken is in advanced talks to…

21Shares has cut several of its 2026 crypto forecasts, saying institutional adoption has continued to grow even as weaker prices and slower enterprise adoption have delayed parts of the industry’s recovery. Summary 21Shares cut several 2026 crypto forecasts despite continued growth in institutional adoption and market infrastructure. The firm expects prediction markets to exceed $100 billion in annual trading volume while industry consolidation accelerates. 21Shares said ETF holdings remain near record highs, suggesting institutions continue accumulating despite market weakness. According to 21Shares’ midyear outlook, the digital asset industry has continued to build stronger infrastructure despite a difficult market environment. The…

Ripple has stepped up its public campaign for the CLARITY Act as the legislation faces a narrower path through Congress following a Senate recess and competing legislative priorities in Washington. Summary Ripple launched a mobile “CLARITY” truck campaign near the U.S. Capitol to support the crypto market structure bill. The CLARITY Act faces a tighter timeline after the Senate recessed until July 13 and legislative priorities shifted. The DOJ said the bill would not weaken federal authority to investigate or prosecute crypto-related crimes. According to Ripple, the company has deployed a mobile advertising truck around the U.S. Capitol carrying messages…

Kraken has expanded its institutional lending business through a new Maple-backed financing facility built around a bankruptcy-remote SPV. Summary Kraken and Maple launched a USDC-funded SPV facility for institutional crypto-backed loans. Maple will provide senior financing while Kraken retains exposure and services the loans. Tokenized credit has grown past $6.2 billion, with Bernstein seeing a $4 trillion market. According to a joint June 24 announcement, crypto exchange Kraken and on-chain asset manager Maple have launched an institutional warehouse financing facility for crypto-backed loans, bringing a lending structure commonly used in traditional credit markets into digital asset finance. The companies said…

Michael Saylor has faced renewed legal pressure after a shareholder rights firm opened an investigation into Strategy, adding to mounting scrutiny that has accompanied the company’s sharp stock decline and Bitcoin’s latest selloff. Summary Rosen Law Firm has launched an investigation into Strategy over potential securities claims and is preparing a possible shareholder class action. Strategy shares have fallen below $100 and dropped about 23% over the past week as Bitcoin’s selloff intensified market pressure. Peter Schiff and CryptoQuant have raised separate concerns over Strategy’s Bitcoin strategy, liquidity position, and capital allocation. According to Rosen Law Firm, the investigation is…