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The Block is a leading global information services brand in the digital asset space, delivering objective, impactful, and timely information through its three pillars: news, research, and data. Founded in 2018 and now majority-owned by Foresight Ventures, the platform empowers investors, technologists, and policymakers to make smart decisions by providing deep insights into the evolving landscape of digital assets and their interaction with traditional finance.
Bitcoin Policy UK CEO Criticizes Saylor’s Promotion of STRC as “Dishonest,” Questions Systemic Risks in Bitcoin Treasury Strategy
According to The Block, Susie Ward, CEO of Bitcoin Policy UK, publicly criticized Strategy founder Michael Saylor’s promotional video for STRC during an interview at last week’s BTC Conference in Prague, calling it “dishonest” for failing to accurately disclose the product’s risk profile. STRC is a perpetual preferred share offering an 11.25% dividend; Strategy raises funds through its issuance to continuously purchase bitcoin. Ward stated that although she is a staunch bitcoin supporter and also a shareholder of Strategy, she remains cautious about the company’s model of accumulating bitcoin via leverage and equity dilution—arguing that such practices tie bitcoin’s reputation to “fiat games,” with some projects resembling meme coin pump-and-dump schemes.
Latin American payments app El Dorado closes $9 million Series A round, led by Paradigm
According to The Block, Paradigm has led a $9 million Series A funding round for El Dorado, a Latin American cross-border payment application, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Verda Ventures.
Latin American cross-border payment app El Dorado completes $9 million Series A funding, led by Paradigm
: Latin American cross-border payment app El Dorado has completed a $9 million Series A funding round, led by venture capital firm Paradigm, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Verda Ventures. The company stated that its current key growth paths include "non-mainstream payment corridors" such as Brazil and Bolivia. It is already operating in 12 countries, covering markets including Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, with over 100,000 active users and 5 million processed transactions.Additionally, El Dorado has launched a cross-border payment product for enterprises, incorporating multi-signature and multi-organization architecture, and integrating stablecoin and fiat channels. It operates on a Layer 1 network supported by Tempo, primarily serving real trade scenarios such as electric vehicle imports. (The Block)
Digital Asset Completes $355 Million Funding Round Led by a16z crypto
According to Odaily, Digital Asset, the developer of the Canton network, has announced the completion of a $355 million equity funding round, led by a16z crypto. Participating investors include subsidiaries of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Apollo Funds, BNP Paribas, Citadel Securities, CME Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, HSBC, S&P Global, SBI Group, SoFi, Tradeweb, and others. The project's primary business is developing the Canton blockchain network designed for institutions. The funds will be used to accelerate partnerships with institutional players, pursue mergers and acquisitions, and participate in related projects. (The Block)
Financial infrastructure company TVL Capital completes $5 million funding round led by Framework Ventures
financial infrastructure company TVL Capital announced the completion of a $5 million funding round, led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Flow Traders and other institutions. Co-founder Lars previously served as Head of Market Research at The Block. The company's products are benchmarked against traditional exchange-traded products, aiming to build compliant, composable derivatives and diversified yield structures, primarily targeting institutional investors to meet various structured investment and yield management needs.
GSR Receives FINRA Approval to Complete Broker-Dealer Acquisition, Accelerating Expansion of Institutional Crypto Business in the U.S.
According to The Block, crypto market maker GSR has received approval from the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to formally complete its acquisition of Portland-based SEC-registered broker-dealer Equilibrium Capital Services, which has now been renamed GSR Securities. Xin Song, CEO of GSR, stated that this acquisition will strengthen its compliant broker-dealer platform in the U.S., with a focus on serving institutional clients. GSR previously disclosed plans to position its business as a “Web3 investment bank”; following the acquisition, it will further expand its tokenized financing services. Additionally, GSR has been highly active this year: in April, it launched the GSR Crypto Core3 ETF on Nasdaq; in March, it acquired token advisory firms Autonomous and Architech, and invested in Libeara—the tokenization platform under SC Ventures; last month, SC Ventures—the fintech investment arm of Standard Chartered Bank—became GSR’s first external shareholder and completed its investment.
Benchmark: SEC NMS Reform May Be the Most Critical Crypto Regulatory Variable This Year
research firm Benchmark Equity Research has highlighted that the market structure reform proposal put forward by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 11 could be one of the most far-reaching regulatory actions for the U.S. crypto industry this year. The proposal aims to abolish Rule 611 and Rule 610(e) of Regulation NMS, two core rules that have governed the routing and execution of U.S. stock trades since 2005, which are seen as having long constrained the development of tokenized stocks and on-chain trading.Rule 611 (Order Protection Rule) requires trading venues to avoid executing trades at prices inferior to "protected quotations" on other markets, thereby enforcing the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) system. Rule 610(e) prohibits locked and crossed markets, restricting quotation overlaps and price mismatches.Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer stated that if the rules are repealed, it would remove key legal barriers hindering DeFi trading models, such as automated market makers (AMMs), allowing them to operate without relying on traditional order routing systems. The regulatory changes would directly benefit infrastructure for tokenized stocks and crypto securities trading, with Securitize identified as the most immediate beneficiary. Additionally, Coinbase and Galaxy Digital could also benefit from the expansion of trading, custody, and market-making businesses.However, Benchmark also noted that even with looser rules, critical issues such as exchange registration, clearing and settlement, and custody frameworks remain unresolved. The market is still anticipating the SEC's potential introduction of an "innovation exemption" mechanism. The SEC has opened a 60-day public comment period, and Benchmark expects a final vote could take place in early 2027. (The Block)
Kraken Launches Crypto Perpetual Contracts in the U.S.
According to The Block, Kraken has launched cryptocurrency perpetual futures trading in the U.S., with the related products available via Kraken Pro. This launch follows Kraken’s acquisition of Bitnomial—a CFTC-licensed exchange, clearinghouse, and broker—in May.
World Cup Drives Prediction Market Trading Volume to New Highs, Bernstein Says Robinhood May Benefit
Bernstein suggests Robinhood is poised for a "strong tailwind" as prediction market trading volumes hit record highs during the World Cup.Data shows that daily trading volume in prediction markets during the early stages of the FIFA World Cup surged from $2.2 billion on June 11 to $4.8 billion on June 12, setting a new all-time high, surpassing the $1.4 billion traded during the previous Super Bowl.Analysts note that prediction markets have become one of Robinhood's fastest-growing revenue lines since their launch. The firm projects Robinhood's prediction market revenue will grow from $150 million in 2025 to $586 million in 2026, representing an increase of approximately 286% year-over-year, and is expected to account for 17% of trading-related revenue and 10% of total revenue in 2026.Bernstein believes Robinhood's partnership with exchange and clearing house Rothera, which is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is a competitive advantage. Since its launch on May 28, Rothera has processed approximately 200 million contracts in 18 days, with FIFA World Cup and MLB-related contracts contributing nearly all of the trading volume. Analysts state that Robinhood's core strength lies in its distribution capability, with its massive user base, a commission of $0.01 per contract, and strategies like up to 50% fee discounts for Gold members helping to drive user engagement.Furthermore, Bernstein indicates that competition in the prediction market space is expanding, including Polymarket launching event contracts for private companies and Kalshi introducing cryptocurrency perpetual contracts. The firm estimates that the World Cup will bring over $3 billion in new betting volume to prediction markets and boost overall consumer trading volume in the industry by $5 billion to $10 billion. (The Block)
Bithumb CEO under investigation by South Korean police for bribery suspicion
the Public Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in South Korea has registered Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won as a suspect in a bribery case, which is linked to independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee. According to a former assistant's testimony, Kim Byung-kee asked Lee Jae-won in November 2024 to arrange jobs for his two sons at Bithumb. They joined the company two months later and worked for about six months. Kim Byung-kee also previously requested Bithumb to hire one of his assistants, who has been working at the company since September 2025. (The Block)
Securitize merger enters voting stage, Benchmark sets target price at $16
Odaily Benchmark maintains a Buy rating for Securitize, a tokenized infrastructure company, with a price target of $16, based on the company's projected revenue of $178 million for 2027. The SEC has approved the registration statement for the merger of Securitize and Cantor Equity Partners II. Shareholders will vote on June 29. If the merger goes through smoothly, the combined entity will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SECZ.The report states that Securitize has a differentiated advantage through its compliance license framework spanning the U.S. and Europe, including being registered in the U.S. as a broker-dealer, an alternative trading system, a transfer agent, and a fund service provider, while holding trading and settlement licenses under the EU's DLT Pilot Regime. Securitize currently manages approximately $3.4 billion in tokenized assets, and its specific market segment has already exceeded $30 billion. (The Block)
Financial infrastructure company TVL Capital completes $5 million funding round led by Framework Ventures
financial infrastructure company TVL Capital announced the completion of a $5 million funding round, led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Flow Traders and other institutions. Co-founder Lars previously served as Head of Market Research at The Block. The company's products are benchmarked against traditional exchange-traded products, aiming to build compliant, composable derivatives and diversified yield structures, primarily targeting institutional investors to meet various structured investment and yield management needs.
Spot HYPE ETF Approaches $900 Million in Cumulative Trading Volume in First Month
According to The Block, approximately one month after the launch of the first spot HYPE ETFs, the cumulative trading volume across three issuers—21Shares (THYP), Bitwise (BHYP), and Grayscale (HYPG)—has approached $900 million, with net inflows reaching $153 million, reflecting strong institutional allocation intent. All three products hold HYPE tokens directly and pass through staking rewards to investors. The current annualized staking reward rate is approximately 2.25%, accrued per minute, distributed daily, and automatically compounded. Currently, about 45% of the stakable supply—approximately 434 million HYPE tokens—is staked.
Benchmark: SEC NMS Reform May Be the Most Critical Crypto Regulatory Variable This Year
research firm Benchmark Equity Research has highlighted that the market structure reform proposal put forward by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 11 could be one of the most far-reaching regulatory actions for the U.S. crypto industry this year. The proposal aims to abolish Rule 611 and Rule 610(e) of Regulation NMS, two core rules that have governed the routing and execution of U.S. stock trades since 2005, which are seen as having long constrained the development of tokenized stocks and on-chain trading.Rule 611 (Order Protection Rule) requires trading venues to avoid executing trades at prices inferior to "protected quotations" on other markets, thereby enforcing the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) system. Rule 610(e) prohibits locked and crossed markets, restricting quotation overlaps and price mismatches.Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer stated that if the rules are repealed, it would remove key legal barriers hindering DeFi trading models, such as automated market makers (AMMs), allowing them to operate without relying on traditional order routing systems. The regulatory changes would directly benefit infrastructure for tokenized stocks and crypto securities trading, with Securitize identified as the most immediate beneficiary. Additionally, Coinbase and Galaxy Digital could also benefit from the expansion of trading, custody, and market-making businesses.However, Benchmark also noted that even with looser rules, critical issues such as exchange registration, clearing and settlement, and custody frameworks remain unresolved. The market is still anticipating the SEC's potential introduction of an "innovation exemption" mechanism. The SEC has opened a 60-day public comment period, and Benchmark expects a final vote could take place in early 2027. (The Block)
Trezor Exec: Putting All Bitcoin into ETFs Might Be the Worst Outcome for the Industry, Undermining the Core Principle of Self-Custody
: Danny Sanders, Chief Business Officer of hardware wallet manufacturer Trezor, stated that "putting everything into ETFs" might be the worst development path for the Bitcoin ecosystem. Since the launch of US spot Bitcoin ETFs in early 2024, cumulative inflows have exceeded $53 billion, making them a significant driver of BTC prices, but also potentially altering the structure of how users hold their assets.Sanders believes that over-reliance on ETFs will weaken Bitcoin's core principle of "self-custody," gradually shifting asset control to third-party institutions instead of users holding their private keys. Although self-custody carries risks such as lost seed phrases or unrecoverable private key leaks, he considers these more of a psychological barrier than a technical challenge, adding that "it's not difficult once you actually start doing it."Data shows that out of approximately 600 million crypto users globally, only about 10% practice self-custody, and only around 12 to 13 million users employ hardware wallets.As an early hardware wallet provider in the industry, Trezor helped popularize the BIP-39 seed phrase standard and continues to advocate for lowering the barriers to self-custody through improved user experience and educational tools, rather than relying on intermediary custody.Sanders concluded that the industry's long-term goal should be to gradually approach a Web2-level user experience, rather than simply replacing self-custody with ETFs. "That would probably be the worst possible outcome for the entire industry." (The Block)
World Cup Drives Prediction Market Trading Volume to New Highs, Bernstein Says Robinhood May Benefit
Bernstein suggests Robinhood is poised for a "strong tailwind" as prediction market trading volumes hit record highs during the World Cup.Data shows that daily trading volume in prediction markets during the early stages of the FIFA World Cup surged from $2.2 billion on June 11 to $4.8 billion on June 12, setting a new all-time high, surpassing the $1.4 billion traded during the previous Super Bowl.Analysts note that prediction markets have become one of Robinhood's fastest-growing revenue lines since their launch. The firm projects Robinhood's prediction market revenue will grow from $150 million in 2025 to $586 million in 2026, representing an increase of approximately 286% year-over-year, and is expected to account for 17% of trading-related revenue and 10% of total revenue in 2026.Bernstein believes Robinhood's partnership with exchange and clearing house Rothera, which is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is a competitive advantage. Since its launch on May 28, Rothera has processed approximately 200 million contracts in 18 days, with FIFA World Cup and MLB-related contracts contributing nearly all of the trading volume. Analysts state that Robinhood's core strength lies in its distribution capability, with its massive user base, a commission of $0.01 per contract, and strategies like up to 50% fee discounts for Gold members helping to drive user engagement.Furthermore, Bernstein indicates that competition in the prediction market space is expanding, including Polymarket launching event contracts for private companies and Kalshi introducing cryptocurrency perpetual contracts. The firm estimates that the World Cup will bring over $3 billion in new betting volume to prediction markets and boost overall consumer trading volume in the industry by $5 billion to $10 billion. (The Block)
Man from Washington State, USA, sentenced to 5 years for aiding in money laundering of nearly $100 million in cryptocurrency
the U.S. Department of Justice stated in a press release that a 47-year-old resident of Newcastle, Washington, Geoffrey K. Auyeung, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.Geoffrey K. Auyeung assisted overseas scammers in transferring nearly $100 million in investment fraud proceeds through bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges. The scammers deceived victims into investing in the oil and gas industry, luring them to transfer funds into so-called escrow accounts. To facilitate this, Geoffrey K. Auyeung established at least nine entities to receive funds, which were then transferred overseas or exchanged for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and USDC via exchanges like Gemini, Coinbase, and BitStamp. Most of these cryptocurrencies were subsequently sent to Binance accounts controlled by individuals in Nigeria and Russia.Geoffrey K. Auyeung opened at least 81 bank accounts across 24 financial institutions and 19 accounts across 8 cryptocurrency exchanges, receiving a total of $97.1 million in wire transfers and deposits. Through his involvement in the scheme, he earned at least $4 million in commissions and received an additional $400,000 in commissions through accounts under his wife's name between August 2024 and December 2025. Auyeung pleaded guilty in February of this year. He will forfeit approximately $2.3 million seized from bank accounts and his home, an Audi SQ8, and has agreed to forfeit approximately $7.1 million worth of cryptocurrency. (The Block)
Chainalysis: Gray-market peptide suppliers accelerate shift to Bitcoin and stablecoins, with Q1 crypto inflows surging 159% year-on-year
According to The Block, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis’ latest report states that as the gray-market peptide industry’s scale exceeds an annualized $100 million, leading suppliers are accelerating adoption of Bitcoin and stablecoins as primary settlement instruments. In Q1 2026, cryptocurrency inflows into this industry reached $32 million—a 159% quarter-on-quarter surge. Due to widespread bans imposed by traditional banks and credit card payment channels on prescription-grade compounds and unregulated substances, numerous Chinese chemical manufacturers have turned to cryptocurrencies for transactions, with high-value orders especially favoring stablecoins to hedge against price volatility risk.
New York Judge Pauses Ownership Lawsuit Over 39,000 Dormant Bitcoin Wallets, Hearing Set for July 14
New York Supreme Court Judge Kathy J. King has signed an order to pause proceedings in a lawsuit seeking ownership claims over 39,069 dormant bitcoin wallets, and has scheduled a hearing for July 14 regarding a key amicus curiae brief.The plaintiffs in the case are an anonymous individual referred to as "Noah Doe" and two shell companies, who are seeking to claim ownership of these wallets under the New York State Abandoned Property Law. Attorney Ian R. Cohen submitted an amicus curiae brief opposing the plaintiffs' claims. He argues that the Abandoned Property Law is intended for tangible items, whereas blockchain addresses are always visible to the world; if the original owner was unable to withdraw assets due to a security breach, this constitutes a passive loss of access rather than a voluntary abandonment. (The Block)
Immunefi: DeFi Attack Losses Down 74% from 2022 Peak, AI Accelerates Security Arms Race
Web3 security company Immunefi's latest "2026 Ecosystem Vulnerability Audit Report" shows that losses from DeFi protocol hacks have fallen 74% from a peak of $2.62 billion in 2022 to approximately $680.3 million in 2025.The report notes that the median loss per individual attack has also significantly decreased, from $6 million in 2022 to $1.5 million in 2025, reflecting an overall improvement in security standards. Meanwhile, the share of bridge exploits in total DeFi losses has dropped sharply from 73% in 2022 to 3% in 2025, and the proportion of flash loan attacks has fallen from 54% to less than 1%.The proportion of risks at the infrastructure level (such as private key leaks and database attacks) also decreased from 30.7% in 2022 to 10.3% in 2025. Immunefi stated that this reflects continuous optimization in oracle design, reentrancy attack protection, and access control standards, making the DeFi ecosystem "generally becoming safer."However, the report also notes that losses slightly rebounded to $680.3 million in 2025, primarily due to increased complexity in multi-chain systems and a few high-severity incidents. At the same time, the number of independent security incidents continues to rise, indicating the attack surface is still expanding. (The Block)
Trezor Safe 7’s Chip Has a Hardware Vulnerability, Team Says User Funds Are Safe
Ledger's Donjon security research team successfully bypassed the firmware verification system of the TROPIC01 chip inside the Trezor Safe 7 using laser attacks in a laboratory setting. Chip manufacturer Tropic Square subsequently discovered another attack path affecting the chip's MAC-and-Destroy security mechanism. This vulnerability currently impacts all TROPIC01 chips in production within the field. Trezor stated that the TROPIC01 chip is one of three independent security layers within the Trezor Safe 7, and user funds, wallet backups, and private keys are not stored on it.The chip's hardware encryption storage mechanism completely withstood Ledger's extraction attempts during initial testing. Tropic Square has delayed the release of technical details regarding the vulnerability until the launch of a reinforced silicon version of the TROPIC01 chip later in 2026, with full details expected to be disclosed in the spring of 2027.A firmware mitigation is currently available by disabling the chip's MAINTENANCE mode. Trezor CEO Matej Zak stated that PINs, wallet backups, and user fund keys have never been stored on a single chip. (The Block)
Radiant Capital Announces Shutdown, Unable to Recover from $50 Million Hack
According to The Block, the DeFi lending protocol Radiant Capital has announced it will officially cease operations. The protocol suffered a hack in October 2024, losing approximately $51 million; the attacker gained unauthorized access by deploying backdoor contracts on Arbitrum and BNB Chain. Earlier in 2024, the protocol had also been hit by a flash loan attack, resulting in a loss of roughly 1,900 ETH (approximately $4.5 million). After 18 months of recovery efforts, Radiant Capital stated that it has neither recovered a significant portion of the stolen funds nor secured new financing, declaring that “the DAO has no viable path forward.” The protocol will now enter a “maintenance mode”: its frontend and smart contracts remain accessible, allowing users to withdraw funds, repay loans, and manage positions. Any funds recovered in the future will be returned to affected users.
Gnosis: Full compensation for user losses from the Gnosis Pay Delay Module vulnerability incident
According to The Block, Martin Koppelmann, co-founder and CEO of Gnosis, stated that Gnosis Pay was compromised due to a vulnerability in the Zodiac Delay Module. Attackers were able to initiate transactions from Safe wallets equipped with this module. Gnosis will cover all user losses. Gnosis is currently requesting bridge validators to pause related operations to contain the impact.
Sui Mainnet Suffers Third Outage, Upgrade Vulnerability Identified as Root Cause
According to The Block, the Sui Foundation released an incident report on May 31, disclosing three consecutive outages on its mainnet from May 29 to 30—each traced back to two independent bugs introduced in the v1.72 upgrade. The first two outages were caused by a gas fee calculation error stemming from the newly launched “address balance” feature: funds were deducted even when transactions were canceled, resulting in negative account balances and subsequent validator node crashes. The third outage was triggered by a latent vulnerability in the random number generator during node restarts, preventing the network’s epoch from closing normally. The Sui Foundation stated that all known issues have now been resolved; user funds remained unaffected throughout the incidents, and no settled transactions were rolled back. The Foundation plans to further enhance its fault-tolerance mechanisms to ensure future similar bugs impact only individual transactions—not the entire network.
Bitcoin Policy UK CEO Criticizes Saylor’s Promotion of STRC as “Dishonest,” Questions Systemic Risks in Bitcoin Treasury Strategy
According to The Block, Susie Ward, CEO of Bitcoin Policy UK, publicly criticized Strategy founder Michael Saylor’s promotional video for STRC during an interview at last week’s BTC Conference in Prague, calling it “dishonest” for failing to accurately disclose the product’s risk profile. STRC is a perpetual preferred share offering an 11.25% dividend; Strategy raises funds through its issuance to continuously purchase bitcoin. Ward stated that although she is a staunch bitcoin supporter and also a shareholder of Strategy, she remains cautious about the company’s model of accumulating bitcoin via leverage and equity dilution—arguing that such practices tie bitcoin’s reputation to “fiat games,” with some projects resembling meme coin pump-and-dump schemes.
Spot HYPE ETF Approaches $900 Million in Cumulative Trading Volume in First Month
According to The Block, approximately one month after the launch of the first spot HYPE ETFs, the cumulative trading volume across three issuers—21Shares (THYP), Bitwise (BHYP), and Grayscale (HYPG)—has approached $900 million, with net inflows reaching $153 million, reflecting strong institutional allocation intent. All three products hold HYPE tokens directly and pass through staking rewards to investors. The current annualized staking reward rate is approximately 2.25%, accrued per minute, distributed daily, and automatically compounded. Currently, about 45% of the stakable supply—approximately 434 million HYPE tokens—is staked.
Trezor Exec: Putting All Bitcoin into ETFs Might Be the Worst Outcome for the Industry, Undermining the Core Principle of Self-Custody
: Danny Sanders, Chief Business Officer of hardware wallet manufacturer Trezor, stated that "putting everything into ETFs" might be the worst development path for the Bitcoin ecosystem. Since the launch of US spot Bitcoin ETFs in early 2024, cumulative inflows have exceeded $53 billion, making them a significant driver of BTC prices, but also potentially altering the structure of how users hold their assets.Sanders believes that over-reliance on ETFs will weaken Bitcoin's core principle of "self-custody," gradually shifting asset control to third-party institutions instead of users holding their private keys. Although self-custody carries risks such as lost seed phrases or unrecoverable private key leaks, he considers these more of a psychological barrier than a technical challenge, adding that "it's not difficult once you actually start doing it."Data shows that out of approximately 600 million crypto users globally, only about 10% practice self-custody, and only around 12 to 13 million users employ hardware wallets.As an early hardware wallet provider in the industry, Trezor helped popularize the BIP-39 seed phrase standard and continues to advocate for lowering the barriers to self-custody through improved user experience and educational tools, rather than relying on intermediary custody.Sanders concluded that the industry's long-term goal should be to gradually approach a Web2-level user experience, rather than simply replacing self-custody with ETFs. "That would probably be the worst possible outcome for the entire industry." (The Block)
Kraken Launches Crypto Perpetual Contracts in the U.S.
According to The Block, Kraken has launched cryptocurrency perpetual futures trading in the U.S., with the related products available via Kraken Pro. This launch follows Kraken’s acquisition of Bitnomial—a CFTC-licensed exchange, clearinghouse, and broker—in May.
Latin American cross-border payment app El Dorado completes $9 million Series A funding, led by Paradigm
: Latin American cross-border payment app El Dorado has completed a $9 million Series A funding round, led by venture capital firm Paradigm, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Verda Ventures. The company stated that its current key growth paths include "non-mainstream payment corridors" such as Brazil and Bolivia. It is already operating in 12 countries, covering markets including Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, with over 100,000 active users and 5 million processed transactions.Additionally, El Dorado has launched a cross-border payment product for enterprises, incorporating multi-signature and multi-organization architecture, and integrating stablecoin and fiat channels. It operates on a Layer 1 network supported by Tempo, primarily serving real trade scenarios such as electric vehicle imports. (The Block)
World Cup Drives Prediction Market Trading Volume to New Highs, Bernstein Says Robinhood May Benefit
Bernstein suggests Robinhood is poised for a "strong tailwind" as prediction market trading volumes hit record highs during the World Cup.Data shows that daily trading volume in prediction markets during the early stages of the FIFA World Cup surged from $2.2 billion on June 11 to $4.8 billion on June 12, setting a new all-time high, surpassing the $1.4 billion traded during the previous Super Bowl.Analysts note that prediction markets have become one of Robinhood's fastest-growing revenue lines since their launch. The firm projects Robinhood's prediction market revenue will grow from $150 million in 2025 to $586 million in 2026, representing an increase of approximately 286% year-over-year, and is expected to account for 17% of trading-related revenue and 10% of total revenue in 2026.Bernstein believes Robinhood's partnership with exchange and clearing house Rothera, which is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is a competitive advantage. Since its launch on May 28, Rothera has processed approximately 200 million contracts in 18 days, with FIFA World Cup and MLB-related contracts contributing nearly all of the trading volume. Analysts state that Robinhood's core strength lies in its distribution capability, with its massive user base, a commission of $0.01 per contract, and strategies like up to 50% fee discounts for Gold members helping to drive user engagement.Furthermore, Bernstein indicates that competition in the prediction market space is expanding, including Polymarket launching event contracts for private companies and Kalshi introducing cryptocurrency perpetual contracts. The firm estimates that the World Cup will bring over $3 billion in new betting volume to prediction markets and boost overall consumer trading volume in the industry by $5 billion to $10 billion. (The Block)
Related news
Bitcoin Policy UK CEO Criticizes Saylor’s Promotion of STRC as “Dishonest,” Questions Systemic Risks in Bitcoin Treasury Strategy
According to The Block, Susie Ward, CEO of Bitcoin Policy UK, publicly criticized Strategy founder Michael Saylor’s promotional video for STRC during an interview at last week’s BTC Conference in Prague, calling it “dishonest” for failing to accurately disclose the product’s risk profile. STRC is a perpetual preferred share offering an 11.25% dividend; Strategy raises funds through its issuance to continuously purchase bitcoin. Ward stated that although she is a staunch bitcoin supporter and also a shareholder of Strategy, she remains cautious about the company’s model of accumulating bitcoin via leverage and equity dilution—arguing that such practices tie bitcoin’s reputation to “fiat games,” with some projects resembling meme coin pump-and-dump schemes.
Spot HYPE ETF Approaches $900 Million in Cumulative Trading Volume in First Month
According to The Block, approximately one month after the launch of the first spot HYPE ETFs, the cumulative trading volume across three issuers—21Shares (THYP), Bitwise (BHYP), and Grayscale (HYPG)—has approached $900 million, with net inflows reaching $153 million, reflecting strong institutional allocation intent. All three products hold HYPE tokens directly and pass through staking rewards to investors. The current annualized staking reward rate is approximately 2.25%, accrued per minute, distributed daily, and automatically compounded. Currently, about 45% of the stakable supply—approximately 434 million HYPE tokens—is staked.
Benchmark: SEC NMS Reform May Be the Most Critical Crypto Regulatory Variable This Year
research firm Benchmark Equity Research has highlighted that the market structure reform proposal put forward by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 11 could be one of the most far-reaching regulatory actions for the U.S. crypto industry this year. The proposal aims to abolish Rule 611 and Rule 610(e) of Regulation NMS, two core rules that have governed the routing and execution of U.S. stock trades since 2005, which are seen as having long constrained the development of tokenized stocks and on-chain trading.Rule 611 (Order Protection Rule) requires trading venues to avoid executing trades at prices inferior to "protected quotations" on other markets, thereby enforcing the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) system. Rule 610(e) prohibits locked and crossed markets, restricting quotation overlaps and price mismatches.Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer stated that if the rules are repealed, it would remove key legal barriers hindering DeFi trading models, such as automated market makers (AMMs), allowing them to operate without relying on traditional order routing systems. The regulatory changes would directly benefit infrastructure for tokenized stocks and crypto securities trading, with Securitize identified as the most immediate beneficiary. Additionally, Coinbase and Galaxy Digital could also benefit from the expansion of trading, custody, and market-making businesses.However, Benchmark also noted that even with looser rules, critical issues such as exchange registration, clearing and settlement, and custody frameworks remain unresolved. The market is still anticipating the SEC's potential introduction of an "innovation exemption" mechanism. The SEC has opened a 60-day public comment period, and Benchmark expects a final vote could take place in early 2027. (The Block)
Trezor Exec: Putting All Bitcoin into ETFs Might Be the Worst Outcome for the Industry, Undermining the Core Principle of Self-Custody
: Danny Sanders, Chief Business Officer of hardware wallet manufacturer Trezor, stated that "putting everything into ETFs" might be the worst development path for the Bitcoin ecosystem. Since the launch of US spot Bitcoin ETFs in early 2024, cumulative inflows have exceeded $53 billion, making them a significant driver of BTC prices, but also potentially altering the structure of how users hold their assets.Sanders believes that over-reliance on ETFs will weaken Bitcoin's core principle of "self-custody," gradually shifting asset control to third-party institutions instead of users holding their private keys. Although self-custody carries risks such as lost seed phrases or unrecoverable private key leaks, he considers these more of a psychological barrier than a technical challenge, adding that "it's not difficult once you actually start doing it."Data shows that out of approximately 600 million crypto users globally, only about 10% practice self-custody, and only around 12 to 13 million users employ hardware wallets.As an early hardware wallet provider in the industry, Trezor helped popularize the BIP-39 seed phrase standard and continues to advocate for lowering the barriers to self-custody through improved user experience and educational tools, rather than relying on intermediary custody.Sanders concluded that the industry's long-term goal should be to gradually approach a Web2-level user experience, rather than simply replacing self-custody with ETFs. "That would probably be the worst possible outcome for the entire industry." (The Block)
Kraken Launches Crypto Perpetual Contracts in the U.S.
According to The Block, Kraken has launched cryptocurrency perpetual futures trading in the U.S., with the related products available via Kraken Pro. This launch follows Kraken’s acquisition of Bitnomial—a CFTC-licensed exchange, clearinghouse, and broker—in May.
Latin American payments app El Dorado closes $9 million Series A round, led by Paradigm
According to The Block, Paradigm has led a $9 million Series A funding round for El Dorado, a Latin American cross-border payment application, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Verda Ventures.