WhiteBIT secured a major deal with Juventus as its official crypto exchange and sleeve partner until 2028. Crypto exchanges are once again partnering with major names in sports. On Monday, June 16, WhiteBIT (WBT), the top European crypto exchange by volume, signed an exclusive partnership with Juventus. Throughout the three-year partnership, the WhiteBIT logo will be visible on the jersey sleeves of the Juventus first men’s team. The deal will officially start during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and continue for the next three seasons until 2028. Juventus CEO Maurizio Scanavino stated that the partnership is natural due to the shared commitment to innovation and excellence that the two firms have. “We are strictly convinced that this collaboration will offer our fans worldwide lots of new engagement opportunities, leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance their connection with Juventus,” Maurizio Scanavino, Juventus. Meanwhile, WhiteBIT founder and CEO Volodymyr Nosov expressed hope that the partnership would make crypto more accessible to fans of the “iconic football club.” “This partnership marks a major milestone in our mission to make cryptocurrency more accessible to an increasingly wider audience. Together, we’ll create new, tech-driven ways to connect fans with their favourite team,” Volodymyr Nosov, WhiteBIT. You might also like:Crypto sponsorships with Premier League reach record high amidst gambling sponsor ban Crypto sports sponsorships are steadily increasing Following a hiatus after the FTX crash in 2022, crypto firms are steadily increasing their marketing efforts. Football, thanks to its global appeal, dominated crypto sponsorships in the 2024/25 season, securing 43% of the funds. Formula 1 and basketball followed, with 28% and 18% of the sponsorships, respectively. Examples of these partnerships include Bitpanda’s deal with Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Crypto.com’s partnership with UEFA. Notably, Crypto.com became UEFA’s first crypto partner of the Champions League, one of the most-watched football events in the world. The partnerships help crypto exchanges gain exposure to a wider audience while supporting major sports organizations. Read more:Here’s why WhiteBIT’s WBT hit a new all-time high while the crypto market crashed

Bitcoin and most altcoins rose on Monday, June 16, as fears surrounding the ongoing Israel–Iran conflict subsided and accumulation continued. Bitcoin (BTC) jumped to $107,000, its highest point since June 12, while the market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies rose to $3.34 trillion. Some of the top gainers were tokens like Jito (JTO), SPX6900 (SPX), Hyperliquid (HYPE), and Kaspa (KASPA). The crypto market’s rally coincided with the rebound of the U.S. stock market and the retreat of crude oil prices. Futures tied to the Dow Jones rose by 225 points, while those linked to the Nasdaq 100 rose by 175 points. Oil dropped by over 1%. Bitcoin and other crypto prices rose as fears of a widespread crisis in the Middle East subsided. The two countries have continued launching missile attacks, but analysts see the crisis being contained and not drawing in other countries like Russia and China. In a note to Bloomberg, a CMC Markets analyst said: “The market currently anticipates a limited conflict, though there is little indication that hostilities will end quickly. It is expected that fighting will continue unabated this week, albeit on a limited scale.” Historically, stocks and crypto prices plunge after a major “black swan event” and then bounce back as fears subside. For example, Bitcoin and most altcoins plunged in March 2020 after COVID was declared a global pandemic and then bounced back afterward. You might also like:Bitcoin is oversold after Israeli strike on Iran: analyst Similarly, crypto prices plunged after Donald Trump’s Liberation Day speech, only to bounce back afterwards. Bitcoin fell to $74,500 in April and then reached a new all-time high of $111,900 in May.  Bitcoin accumulation continues Bitcoin and other crypto prices have jumped as signs emerged that investors are still accumulating the coin. Michael Saylor’s Strategy bought 10,100 coins last week, bringing its total holdings to 592,100. Strategy has acquired 10,100 BTC for ~$1.05 billion at ~$104,080 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 19.1% YTD 2025. As of 6/15/2025, we hodl 592,100 $BTC acquired for ~$41.84 billion at ~$70,666 per bitcoin. $MSTR $STRK $STRF $STRD https://t.co/n7q77DmqCY— Michael Saylor (@saylor) June 16, 2025 The 10,100 weekly figure is notable because mining companies are only producing 3,150 coins per week. Other companies and ETFs have continued adding Bitcoin. Metaplanet has just passed the 10,000 mark in terms of Bitcoin holdings, while GameStop and Trump Media are in an accumulation mode.  Crypto prices also jumped as investors waited for the upcoming Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday. A dovish tone, especially after last week’s soft US inflation data,will be bullish for Bitcoin and most altcoins.  You might also like:Inflation is up but below expectations. Will the Fed cut rates, and what does this mean for the crypto market?

Sky Protocol token has bounced back in the past few months, as most large-cap decentralized finance coins jumped. Sky Protocol (SKY) price jumped to a high of $0.09475 on Monday, June 16, up 190% from its lowest point this year. This surge has pushed its market capitalization to over $1.95 billion. Sky token’s rally coincided with the recent surge of other large DeFi coins. Aave (AAVE) has jumped over 147% from its lowest point in April, while Jito (JTO) has soared by 50% from the same period. Sky has jumped even as third-party data shows that its network’s growth is decelerating. DeFi Llama data shows that the total value locked in its platform has dropped to 1.87 million ETH, its lowest level since June 2020. It has declined from the year-to-date high of 4 million tokens and the all-time high of nearly 6.98 million coins. You might also like:Ethereum Foundation donates $500K to Tornado Cash co-founder’s defense ahead of trial Sky Protocol’s revenue has also slowed in the past few months. It peaked at $28.37 million in December last year and fell to $17 million in May. On the positive side, Nansen data shows that smart money and whale accumulation have accelerated in the last 30 days. Smart money holdings have jumped 148% to 3.28 million, while whale holdings have surged 2,246% to 252.90 million. This buying has also pushed exchange balances down 8% to 208 million. Falling exchange balances suggest that investors are largely moving their tokens from exchanges to self-custody wallets. Formerly known as Maker, Sky is a yield-generating platform that lets users save their USDS stablecoin and access yields. Its website places the Sky Savings Rate at 4.50%. Sky price technical analysis SKY price chart | Source: TradingView The daily chart shows that SKY price bottomed at $0.03285 in February. It has formed an ascending channel, comprising higher highs and higher lows since then. The token moved above the key resistance level at $0.07980, the highest swing on February 28. It has also moved above the 50-day moving average. Similarly, the MACD and the Relative Strength Index have continued rising, with the latter nearing the overbought level. The most likely scenario is that Sky price drops and retests the key support at $0.07980. A move above the upper side of the channel would signal more gains to the psychological point at $0.10. You might also like:Cardano staking addresses spike past 1.3M — will ADA price follow?

Maple Finance token price continued its strong rally on Monday, reaching its highest point since November. Maple Finance (SYRUP) price jumped by over 8% on June 16, up 512% from its lowest point this year. This surge has pushed its market capitalization to over $600 million, while its 24-hour volume soared 74% to $90 million. SYRUP price has jumped as the total assets under management in the ecosystem soar. Data on its website shows that its assets under management has risen to $2.23 billion, just weeks after crossing the $2 billion milestone. Separate data compiled by DeFi Llama shows that the total value locked in its platform has surged to $1.6 billion from $298 million in January, a 433% increase. This surge was driven by the High Yield Secured Lending product, which has accumulated over $424 million in assets. This fund lets users invest in a product backed by liquid tokens like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). You might also like:Ethereum Foundation donates $500K to Tornado Cash co-founder’s defense ahead of trial The Blue-Chip Secured Lending has gained over $137 million in assets, while its Bitcoin Yield solution holds $138 million. Maple’s growth could continue as demand for alternative assets increases. This growth, in turn, will lead to more fees in the network. Its monthly fees jumped to $2.7 million, up from $568,000 a month earlier. Maple Finance price has also soared as its staking volume rose. Data on its website shows that the network has already distributed over 10 million in rewards to its holders, while its staking ratio has jumped to 40.6%. The risk, however, is that Nansen data shows exchange balances have jumped 13% in the last 30 days to 248 million SYRUP, while smart money holdings have dropped 52% to 16.17 million SYRUP. Maple Finance token price analysis SYRUP price chart | Source: crypto.news The 12-hour chart shows that Maple Finance price has been in a strong surge in recent weeks, rising from $0.087 in April to $0.5340. It has moved above the 50-period and 25-period Exponential Moving Averages, a sign that bulls have prevailed. Most recently, SYRUP price moved above the key resistance at $0.4590, invalidating the double-top pattern whose neckline was at $0.3185. It then made a break-and-retest pattern by returning to $0.4590. A break-and-retest pattern is a common bullish continuation signal. Therefore, SYRUP price will likely continue rising as bulls target the next psychological point at $0.5500. A drop below the double-top point at $0.4590 will invalidate the bullish view. You might also like:Cardano staking addresses spike past 1.3M — will ADA price follow?

Metaplanet has surged past Kioxia Holdings in market cap, hitting $6.9 billion after its stock skyrocketed nearly 400% in under two months. AMetaplanet Inc., a Japanese firm known for its aggressive Bitcoin (BTC) accumulation strategy, has overtaken chipmaker Kioxia Holdings Corp. in market capitalization, hitting over ¥1 trillion ($6.9 billion) after its stock surged nearly 400% in under two months. This surge has also pushed the firm ahead of prominent Japanese companies like Screen Holdings and Tokyo Metro in terms of valuation. The latest 26% jump came Monday after Metaplanet disclosed it purchased ¥16.9 billion in Bitcoin. The acquisition was funded by a newly issued \$210 million bond to EVO Fund, as announced on June 16. These bonds, which carry no interest, are set to mature in December, though they can be redeemed before that date. Despite this, skepticism remains. As of June 12, short interest reached 23% of Metaplanet’s free float — the highest among medium-sized Tokyo-listed firms. You might also like:Japan’s Metaplanet reaches its 2025 target of 10K Bitcoin after latest 1,112 BTC purchase Metaplanet began acquiring Bitcoin in May of last year as a response to Japan’s economic struggles, particularly the weakening yen. Since then, the firm has been rapidly expanding its Bitcoin holdings. According to June 6 announcement, the firm is aiming to accumulate at least 210,000 BTC by 2027, while also boosting its annual acquisition goal for 2026 from 21,000 BTC to 100,000 BTC. According to the firm’s “2025-2027 Bitcoin Plan,” Metaplanet intends to grow its Bitcoin reserves to 30,000 BTC by the end of this year. To finance these acquisitions, the company plans to issue 555 million shares to raise the necessary capital. You might also like:Japan’s Metaplanet wants to own 210,000 BTC by 2027

Despite the recent market turbulence, investors appear to be buying the dip as crypto investment products continue to record steady inflows. Per CoinShares’ most recent digital asset funds report, crypto investment products recorded $1.9 billion in inflows over the past week, marking their ninth consecutive week of gains. Bitcoin (BTC) dominated with $1.3 billion in inflows, staging a comeback following two weeks of underperformance and despite the sharp dip it suffered in the wake of the Iran-Israel geopolitical tensions. Ethereum (ETH) followed suit, albeit with a more modest $583 million, which marked its largest record since February. Altcoins also saw renewed interest. XRP (XRP) registered $11.8 million in fresh inflows after several weeks of declines, likely driven by the recent streak of wins across the ecosystem. Similarly, Sui (SUI) pulled in approximately $3.5 million in a positive display, followed by Solana (SOL) with $1.3 million. You might also like:Bitcoin nears all-time highs, but Google search interest is near a 5-year low. Why? Regionally, the United States dominated the inflows, accounting for majority of the $1.9 billion total. Smaller but still notable inflows were also seen in Switzerland, Germany, and Canada. In contrast, Brazil and Hong Kong recorded minor outflows, signaling more cautious sentiment in those markets. Meanwhile, derivatives data shows that traders are growing increasingly bullish on near-term price action. According to Glassnode’s analytics, Bitcoin’s 25 Delta Skew, a key measure of sentiment in the options market, has flipped positive. https://twitter.com/glassnode/status/1934525675509297594?s=46 Short-dated options recorded the biggest swing, with the 1-week skew jumping from -2.6% to +10.1%, and the 1-month skew rising from -2.2% to +4.9%. The data suggests traders are positioning for an upside in the near term, anticipating that Bitcoin’s price could continue climbing. If this momentum holds, the crypto king could soon climb back to its $110,000 level. The market’s optimism aligns with the broader positive outlook for Bitcoin, fueled by growing adoption and its recent strong performance. BTC trades slightly over $106,800 at press time, a 1.6% increase in the last 24 hours as it continues to rebound from its recent pullback. Read more:Why “there’s not going to be enough Bitcoin” according to Bitwise CEO

Bitget has committed to a three-year partnership with UNICEF Luxembourg to advance digital skills and blockchain literacy among young people through the Game Changers Coalition programme. In a press release sent to crypto.news, Bitget pledges to support the women-focused program with the aim of reaching up to 300,000 participants in 2025. These participants include adolescent girls, parents, mentors and teachers with blockchain skills from eight regions; Armenia, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, and South Africa. Bitget’s educational arm, Bitget Academy, will aid the humanitarian body to establish its first interactive blockchain training module that will be held in-person and virtually. The module will focus on developing video game creation skills for teachers and the younger generation. According to data from UNICEF, young women in low and middle-income countries miss out on $15 billion in economic opportunities due to a gap in internet access and digital skills compared to their male counterparts. As 90% of today’s job vacancies require digital skills, the Game Changers Coalition aims to close the gender skill gap. Bitget and UNICEF Luxembourg announce partnership to deliver digital and tech skills for girls | Source: Bitget You might also like:Exclusive: New ETH Foundation President Aya Miyaguchi on crypto’s desire to change the world Additionally, Bitget (BGB) is also planning to introduce major blockchain protocols and developers from across the web3 landscape to support the educational initiative led by UNICEF Luxembourg. These figures may be able to serve as mentors and partners in the programme. Executive Director of UNICEF Luxembourg, Sandra Visscher believes that both the UN body and Bitget are in agreement that digital skills can become a powerful driver of opportunity and inclusion, especially in elevating young people. “By collaborating with Bitget, we want to empower adolescent young people with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to shape their own futures,” said Visscher in her statement. With the help of Bitget Academy, including support from the $10 million initiative Blockchain4Her, Bitget plans to enhance digital literacy and financial independence among women from an early age. Bitget’s Blockchain4Her initiative has previously supported women through mentorship programs, funding opportunities, and educational resources. Another Bitget-led initiative, Blockchain4Youth also previously pledged $10 million in support of scholarships, workshops, and hackathons over five years. Last April, Bitget teamed up with Avalanche to boost digital asset adoption and blockchain technology across various grassroot regions in India. Read more:Bitget and Avalanche join forces to bolster web3 growth in India

21Shares has cross-listed five new exchange-traded products on Nasdaq Stockholm, bringing its total offering on the Swedish exchange to 10 ETPs. Crypto ETP issuer 21Shares has expanded its presence on Nasdaq Stockholm by cross-listing five new exchange-traded products (ETPs): Uniswap ETP (AUNI), Avalanche ETP (AVAX), Bitcoin Gold ETP (BOLD), Solana Core Staking ETP (CSOL), and 21Shares Ethereum Core ETP (ETHC). These join an existing lineup of five 21Shares products already available on Nasdaq Stockholm, including Bitcoin (ABTC), Ethereum (AETH), Solana (ASOL), XRP (AXRP), and Bitcoin Core ETP (CBTC), bringing the total to 10 offerings on the Swedish exchange. “We’re committed to broadening access to crypto through transparent and cost-effective ETPs. By offering a broader selection of single-asset and thematic crypto ETPs, we’re empowering investors to build more customised and resilient portfolios through a familiar exchange environment,” said Mandy Chiu, Head of Financial Product Development at 21Shares. You might also like:Analysts project high approval odds for pending crypto ETFs as SEC delays mount 21Shares is the most extensive and diversified provider of crypto ETPs in Europe, with listings on major exchanges including Euronext Paris, Euronext Amsterdam, the London Stock Exchange, and the SIX Swiss Exchange. All 21Shares products are fully collateralized, regulated, and structured to allow investors to gain exposure to crypto without managing custody or private keys. Fees range between 0.21% and 2.50%. Prior to the aforementioned additions to Stockholm Nasdaq, 21Shares launched the Hedera (HBAR) ETP in Europe, listing it on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris. Earlier, in May, the company also introduced the Cronos (CRO) ETP on Euronext Paris and Amsterdam. In parallel to its European expansion, 21Shares is currently awaiting regulatory approval to list several crypto exchange-traded funds in the U.S., including Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), Dogecoin (DOGE), Polkadot (DOT), and Sui (SUI). You might also like:SUI eyes breakout as Nasdaq files to list 21Shares SUI ETF

Roman Storm, the embattled co-founder of the privacy mixer Tornado Cash is still receiving industry support as the Ethereum Foundation steps in with fresh financial support for his upcoming hearing. According to a recent announcement, the Ethereum Foundation is donating $500,000 to the legal defense of Roman Storm. The cash pledge comes as the Tornado Cash co-founder prepares for his July 14 trial in New York, where he faces charges of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, money laundering, and violations of US sanctions.  Explaining the reason for its donation, the foundation stated, “Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime,” adding that it would match community donations up to $750,000 in addition to the initial pledge. You might also like:Ethereum foundation slashes core team amid ongoing reorganization Storm, who faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted, expressed gratitude to the Ethereum Foundation in a separate X post. He praised the donation as a major show of solidarity, particularly as his trial date draws near. I just want to say a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to the amazing Ethereum Foundation for their incredible $500K donation to my legal defense—and for matching up to $750K from the community! 🙌 Your support means the world to me, especially standing up for privacy and the right to… https://t.co/XwdCPqzopd— Roman Storm 🇺🇸 🌪️ (@rstormsf) June 13, 2025 The latest contribution follows a $1 million donation earlier in February to fellow Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Pertsev, who was convicted in May 2024 on similar charges and sentenced to 64 months in prison. Pertsev was recently released but remains electronically monitored on house arrest. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also previously contributed to the cause, along other industry figures like Paradigm CEO Matt Huang with donations to the ‘Free Pertsev & Storm’ legal aid campaign as a show of support in the ongoing battle.  Prosecutors allege that Storm and his co-founders knowingly allowed Tornado Cash to be used by sanctioned entities like North Korea’s Lazarus Group, thereby aiding illicit transactions on the platform. So far, efforts by their legal team to dismiss the charges have fallen short. Meanwhile, the third Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Semenov, also named in the DOJ indictment remains at large and has evaded authorities since the initial crackdown. Read more:US Treasury lifts sanctions on Tornado Cash, allowing access for Americans

Trading platform JuCoin has introduced a new feature that can turn trader losses that reach more than 500 USDT into computing power. The new JuCoin feature is called the “Contract Guardian Program is scheduled for a live launch on the platform starting from June 16 2025 at 00:00 UTC+8. Once it is activated, users that incur trading losses that reach a minimum of 500 USDT (USDT) and a maximum of 50,000 USDT will be able automatically receive computing power equal to their losses on a 1:1 ratio. This means that if a user experiences an accumulates trading loss that amounts to 1,500 USDT, then the user will automatically receive 1,500 JU computing power as a subsidized reward. ”Computing power represents the production capacity within the JU ecosystem, which can generate continuous income instead of a one-time payment,” stated the exchange in its notice. This means that overtime, the accumulated computing power will be able to continuously generate passive rewards in the form of JU tokens. The platform assesses losses on a weekly basis every Monday at 00:00 UTC+8. The system calculates a user’s net realized profit and loss throughout the previous seven-day trading week. It takes into a account all closed positions, with the exception of handling fees and funding fees. However, the exchange noted that this feature is only active during what it deems to be “loss trading cycles.” When users gain profits spanning weeks, balancing out the losses, then they will not receive computing power from previous losses. The system is designed this way to “ensure that successful transactions are fully rewarded.” You might also like:Berachain mainnet launches on Bitget Wallet with airdrop rewards How to register for JuCoin’s protection plan? In order to be eligible for the protection plan, users must complete the platform’s Know-Your-Customer verification for their JuCoin account. The exchange does not apply a minimum balance or other additional requirements. ”We intentionally keep the barrier to entry to a minimum because we believe that loss protection should be available to all serious traders,” stated the firm. Users who make reservations in advance will share the JU computing power reward pool with a total value of 100,000 USDT. The higher the reservation ranking, the larger the allocation. The reservation system adopts the principle of first come first served basis. Most recently, JuCoin released its first Tether-based fixed income product with a tiered APY system. The offering includes six different terms—7, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 days—designed to cater to varying investor preferences. Read more:JuCoin launches its first USDT fixed-income product with tiered APY

Cardano has surpassed 1.3 million staking addresses, marking a major milestone in the network’s growth. Following the rise, Cardano (ADA) is now one of the most actively staked blockchain networks, according to a June 16 update on X by Cardano trading platform TapTools. Staking addresses are wallets that have locked up ADA to earn rewards and contribute to network security. A consistent rise often indicates longer-term user engagement. JUST IN: Cardano $ADA has surpassed 1.3 million staking addresses, highlighting its status as one of the world’s most actively staked blockchain networks. pic.twitter.com/HDUnJ8mmRH— TapTools (@TapTools) June 16, 2025 This rise follows Bitstamp’s May 28 decision to allow UK customers to stake ADA on its platform, making it easier for more people to join the process. Cardano’s developers have also been working on changes behind the scenes.  To create a more adaptable and reliable system, on June 6, they unveiled plans to improve the network’s node structure. As part of the planned upgrades, the developers are looking at new reward models to support smaller stake pool operators and encourage broader participation. You might also like:Charles Hoskinson floats $100m ADA treasury reboot to stabilize Cardano ecosystem ADA is trading at $0.6483 as of press time, up 3.5% in the past 24 hours. Over the past week, it has moved between $0.6184 and $0.7263. Trading volume has risen to over $419 million in the last 24 hours, up 30.6% in the last day.  On the derivatives side, Coinglass data show that volume decreased slightly to $870.21 million, but open interest increased 3.28% to $778.49 million. This combination indicates that traders are increasing their positions while awaiting the next move in the price.  Looking at the daily chart, Cardano is starting to show signs of recovery after finding support near $0.61. It’s now trading just below its 20-day moving average, which sits around $0.675. This line has acted as a resistance level over the past few weeks. A clean break above it could open the way for a retest of the recent high near $0.73. Cardano price analysis. Credit: crypto.news The Bollinger Bands are starting to tighten slightly, which often comes before a larger price move. Currently, the price is sitting in the lower half of the band, suggesting some upward room if momentum picks up. The upper band is near $0.74, which lines up with last week’s top. With the relative strength index at 42, ADA has not yet entered overbought territory and could rise even higher if buyers return. As the RSI previously fell below 40, the recent rebound may indicate a short-term change in momentum. The price may revert to the $0.62–$0.61 range if it is rejected in the $0.675–$0.70 range. A break below that would be more bearish and could open the door to a deeper pullback. If ADA breaks out above the current resistance levels, there may be short-term upside potential, but for now, the trend is neutral. Read more:Cardano launches its first Bitcoin DeFi protocol ‘Cardinal’

HYPE, the native token of Hyperliquid, hit a new all-time high of $44.69 on June 16 and appears poised for further gains after breaking out of multiple bullish technical setups. According to data from crypto.news, this latest high surpassed its previous record of $43.96 set just last week. Hyperliquid’s (HYPE) market capitalization rose to over $14.8 million, while daily trading volume climbed 25% compared to the previous day, reflecting continued interest and momentum among traders. The rally has been supported by significant growth in Hyperliquid’s Layer-1 ecosystem. Data from DeFi Llama shows that the total value locked on Hyperliquid has surged to $2.53 billion, marking an increase of over 80% in the past 30 days. Hyperliquid’s total stablecoin supply on its Layer-1 chain has also increased to $3.73 billion, up from $2 billion in January 2025.  This growth underscores increased transactional activity and liquidity across its ecosystem, with stablecoins often serving as the backbone for decentralized trading and lending applications. You might also like:Japan’s Metaplanet reaches its 2025 target of 10K Bitcoin after latest 1,112 BTC purchase Hyperliquid’s perpetual exchange has also continued to assert dominance within the derivatives space. Over the past 30 days, it has processed over $246.8 billion in trading volume, nearly triple the combined volume of the other top-ten decentralized perpetual platforms. The exchange’s competitive edge is largely attributed to its high leverage offerings, allowing users to access up to 40x leverage, a feature that has attracted aggressive short-term traders. Further on-chain data shows whales have been increasingly accumulating HYPE tokens over the past few weeks. Hype price analysis From a technical standpoint, HYPE has confirmed multiple bullish breakout patterns on the 1-day USDT chart. On June 9, the token broke out of a bullish pennant formation, a continuation pattern that typically signals the resumption of an uptrend. HYPE 1-day price chart — June 16 | Source: crypto.news Following this, HYPE also rallied above a bull flag pattern that had developed over the past week, further validating bullish sentiment. Moreover, the token has breached a critical resistance zone at $35.13, which had previously marked the upper boundary of a long-term cup-and-handle pattern that began forming in December 2024. The breakout above this level represents a significant technical milestone, often viewed as a signal for sustained upward movement. Momentum indicators also support the bullish case with both the MACD and RSI lines trending higher on the 4-hour chart, suggesting strengthening upward momentum and increased buying pressure. HYPE MACD and RSI chart — June 16 | Source: crypto.news However, there are some risks. Notably, whales and long-term holders could be looking to lock in some gains, which is typical when an asset hits an all-time high.  For instance, Onchain Lens reported that a whale who held a long position in HYPE is currently sitting on profits of over $13.7 million. Meanwhile, Coinglass data shows that Hyperliquid whales are tilting slightly bearish, with 51.09% of total positions and over 50.8% of margin currently allocated to shorts. This positioning may be indicative of short-term caution, as whales often hedge or reduce long exposure at key resistance levels to manage downside risk. While not necessarily a sign of a broader bearish reversal, it could contribute to short-term volatility. Therefore, if bullish momentum persists, the token could next target the psychological resistance level of $50, up 12.8% from the current price level. On the contrary, if whale activity intensifies on the sell side or if broader market sentiment weakens, a drop below the $35 support level would invalidate the current bullish outlook and potentially signal the start of a deeper correction. Read more:Brazil ends crypto tax break, imposes 17.5% levy on gains

Swedish health tech giant H100 Group has secured an initial $15.82 million convertible loan from Adam Back to accelerate its BTC accumulation strategy, with plans for additional tranches. On June 16, Swedish-listed H100 Group announced that it had signed a new investment agreement with Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, securing an initial convertible loan guarantee of 150 million SEK (approximately $15.82 million). The funds raised from this convertible loan will be used to purchase Bitcoin (BTC) as part of H100 Group’s long-term Bitcoin asset allocation strategy.This comes on the heels of an earlier capital raise announced in late May, when H100 Group secured 21 million SEK (approximately $2.2 million) through 0% interest convertible loans. The funding round was also led by Adam Back, who invested $1.4 million, with additional contributions totaling $800,000 from investment firms including Morten Klein, Alundo Invest AS, Race Venture Scandinavia AB, and Crafoord Capital Partners. H100’s latest raise reflects a broader trend among European firms turning to structured financing to fund Bitcoin accumulation. Earlier this month, The Blockchain Group, listed on Euronext Growth Paris, received shareholder approval to raise over €10 billion for Bitcoin purchases via a mix of bonds and equity issuances. You might also like:Swedish health tech firm H100 secures $2.2m via convertible loans to buy Bitcoin Several other European firms are also pursuing aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategies. Notably, the U.K.-listed technology and digital services provider, The Smarter Web Company, recently invested approximately £2 million (around $2.7 million) in Bitcoin, adding 24.54 BTC to its crypto treasury and bringing its total holdings to 83.24 BTC. In April, U.K.-listed Abraxas Capital also made headlines with an acquisition of nearly 3,000 BTC, representing an investment of roughly $250 million. Meanwhile, analysts remain divided on the rise of corporate Bitcoin treasuries. While some see it as a forward-thinking financial strategy, others caution against the significant risks involved. Journalist Sean Williams recently criticized many of these firms as unprofitable entities relying on Bitcoin as a speculative lifeline, describing the trend as a “dumpster fire in the making.” You might also like:The Blockchain Group gets shareholder backing to raise over €10B for Bitcoin expansion

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial. Layer-2 chains were supposed to be the next evolution of blockchain scalability, and in some ways, they delivered. They made transactions faster and cheaper, helped projects scale rapidly, and gave Ethereum (ETH) room to breathe amid a surge in network activity. But as the dust settles, one uncomfortable truth has become hard to ignore: L2s don’t retain the value they generate. Instead, they leak it back to the parent chain, back to the liquidity hubs, and back to governance structures that were never really theirs to begin with. You might also like:Math meets humanity where web3 needs it most | Opinion This might not have been a problem in 2021, when projects raced to achieve speed and scale above all else. But we’re in a different cycle now, and the number of projects competing for users has increased exponentially. Projects now have to think long-term. They’re optimizing for sustainability, sovereignty, and alignment. And increasingly, they’re turning to app-specific “appchain” layer 1s—not as a novelty, but as a necessity. L2s: Fast, cheap—and economically hollow Let’s call it like it is: L2s are downstream environments. They inherit security, settle transactions, and rely on Ethereum (or another L1) to finalize everything that matters. That dependency has economic consequences. Every time a transaction is processed on an L2, it eventually gets rolled up and settled on the L1. The result? Fees flow back to Ethereum. Data availability fees flow back to Ethereum. MEV value—also upstream. It’s a one-way transfer of value, from the L2’s economy back to the L1 that secures it. If you’re building a project on an L2, you’re not compounding value in your own ecosystem—you’re subsidizing someone else’s.  While these charges may seem trivial—after all, they’re just a tiny percent of the network’s revenue—they add up quickly, endlessly sapping away liquidity. For any project trying to scale, these persistent overheads can seriously limit growth and long-term sustainability. While these fees may appear minor—just a small fraction of overall revenue—they accumulate fast, quietly draining liquidity from the ecosystem. Over time, costs from the data availability and restaking layers become substantial. For any project approaching scale, these persistent overheads can seriously limit growth and long-term sustainability. And it doesn’t stop with fees. Liquidity and governance are also rooted in the parent chain. Most DeFi protocols still rely on liquidity pools and bridges based on the Ethereum mainnet. Token holders often stake or vote using systems built upstream. Even when L2s have their own tokens, they’re often structurally tied to Ethereum’s economic and political dynamics. Put differently: L2s give you speed, but they take away your independence and slowly drain your token economy of resources. Appchain L1s: Keeping the value you create Appchains, in contrast, are built to retain the value they generate. When you launch your own sovereign chain, you’re not settling elsewhere. You’re not leaking fees or depending on another network’s validator set. The economic activity you generate—transaction fees, staking rewards, MEV, governance power—it all stays local. That creates a fundamentally different growth model. Instead of value flowing out of your ecosystem, it compounds internally. Your token captures more utility. Your community has a direct stake in your chain’s success. Your infrastructure becomes an engine for growth, not a cost center feeding another chain’s economy. You also get full-stack control, no longer bound by a parent chain’s limitations. Want to set custom validator incentives? Go for it. Want to experiment with gasless transactions or dynamic tokenomics? Do it. L1s let you build infrastructure that matches your application’s needs, not the other way around. But what about fragmentation? For years, the biggest knock against appchains was that they’d create isolated ecosystems. That criticism used to hold weight, but not anymore. Thanks to interoperability solutions like LayerZero, Avalanche Warp Messaging, and IBC, we now have reliable ways to move data and assets across chains. Appchains can plug into broader ecosystems while still keeping their sovereignty. They can be both connected and independent—no longer forced to choose between integration and control. The fragmentation argument is outdated. In practice, appchains are becoming a natural extension of the multichain world, and the tooling around them is improving fast. The market is catching on More and more projects are choosing to go the appchain route, and the trend will continue to gain steam. Builders want autonomy, they want economic sustainability, and they want the freedom to design their infrastructure around their users, not around Ethereum’s bottlenecks. That’s not to say L2s are going away. For many early-stage projects, they’re a decent starting point. But they’re not built for scale. They’re not designed to retain value. And they’re definitely not built for projects that want sovereignty over their infrastructure and their economy. If you’re trying to build something enduring—something that’s not just fast and cheap, but aligned, sovereign, and sustainable—you shouldn’t be settling for a Layer 2. You should be thinking like an ecosystem manager. You should be owning your stack. You should commit to building a chain that meets your own custom needs, without siphoning resources.  Spinning up an L2 may seem like the simplest go-to-market strategy, offloading responsibilities so you can get to market faster, but investing in L1 infrastructure is acrucialstep to long-term success. Before long, every project will be racing to build its own appchain.  Read more:The super app awakens: Telegram’s quest for crypto supremacy | Opinion Steven Gates Steven Gatesis the Founder of Hypha, a comprehensive platform for launching blockchains that makes it easy to configure a validator license sale.

A user lost $6.5 million in crypto after unknowingly purchasing a compromised cold wallet through TikTok China. In a recent post on X, blockchain security firm SlowMist reported that a user lost $6.5 million worth of crypto after purchasing a compromised cold crypto wallet through Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. The wallet, though seemingly factory sealed, had its private key compromised at creation. Just hours after the user transferred funds into it, the assets were drained. “Avoid “Factory sealed” or “Discounted cold wallets” — 99% are tampered,” the firm warned. The incident mirrors the Trezor Model T incident investigated by Kaspersky in 2023, where a perfectly sealed but counterfeit wallet contained altered firmware and pre-generated seed phrases, allowing attackers to silently drain funds weeks after the user unknowingly activated the compromised device. That device was also bought from an unofficial online seller, who marketed it as brand new and factory sealed. You might also like:TikTok’s uncertain future reveals web2’s weaknesses | Opinion User @hella, who identified themselves as a close friend of the victim, said that although SlowMist was contacted and began tracing the transaction flow, recovery is unlikely. “When buying a cold wallet, you must choose a reliable channel. Most of the ones on the internet are fake,” @hella wrote. He also explained that once the funds were stolen, they were funneled through a laundering network suspected to be linked to Huiwang. Huiwang (aka Huione Group) is a Cambodian conglomerate linked to the massive crypto-powered, Telegram-based black market and money laundering network known as Haowang Guarantee. Despite reports of a recent shutdown and the removal of its official channels, the network has recently resurfaced under a new domain and remains fully operational. According to Chainalysis, its transaction volumes have even increased after Huione Group’s designation as a primary money laundering concern by FinCEN. You might also like:Reddit co-founder joins bid to buy TikTok and bring it on-chain

The ongoing wave of crypto kidnapping-for-ransom in France has recently claimed another victim. But this time, the attackers walked away empty-handed. A 26-year-old TikTok influencer was the latest target in the troubling trend of crypto-linked kidnappings in France. According to local outlet Europe 1, the victim was abducted late Friday night while returning home in Juvisy-sur-Orge, a residential commune in the southern suburbs of Paris. He was forced into a stolen vehicle by four men, and then reportedly beaten and tortured. The attackers demanded the influencer to provide €50,000 in cryptocurrency to secure his release, banking on his social media presence and 40,000 followers as proof of wealth.  A 26 year old TikTok influencer was kidnapped by 4 men in… you guessed it… France but was released after they realized he didn’t have as much money as he said he did online.Fake PnL screenshots are never worth it pic.twitter.com/PMDmGbTYxG— Beau (@beausecurity) June 15, 2025 However, their quest turned out unprofitable when they realized that the influencer had little to no money in his account. With no ransom worth collecting, they let him go.  French authorities have handed the case over to the Organized and Specialized Crime Division, as it marks the latest in the rising trend of crypto-related kidnappings in the region. Just weeks ago, police rescued the father of a wealthy crypto investor and popular streamer who had been abducted and mutilated by captors demanding €7 million in crypto. You might also like:France brings charges against 25 in crypto kidnapping conspiracy Another such case involved the attempted kidnapping of the 34-year-old daughter of the CEO of the Paris-based crypto exchange Paymium, who was eventually rescued by her partner and bystanders. While the attackers fled in this case, investigators tied the incident to the same kidnapping network. Authorities say multiple arrests have been made in connection to the ongoing trend, and more efforts are underway to find others involved in the extortion scheme. Among those detained is a 24-year-old French-Moroccan national named Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, who was recently arrested in Morocco and is suspected of masterminding several of the recent kidnappings. Read more:Two crypto investors charged with kidnapping and torturing a man for his Bitcoin password

Memecoins PENGU, BONK, and POPCAT are all setting up for a potential leg higher, having recently pulled back to key support zones and now showing early signs of momentum shift. Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) price recently bounced from a confluence support zone, formed by the rising trendline and a horizontal support range around $0.0088–$0.0090. Momentum indicators are showing early signs of a potential reversal, with a bullish divergence on the RSI and flattening MACD histogram with the signal lines nearing a potential bullish crossover. However, PENGU price remains below the 20-day EMA and 50-day SMA, and the broader downtrend from May is still intact as the price hasn’t yet made a higher high above the last significant swing high. A confirmed break and close above the $0.012–$0.013 resistance zone, marked by the recent swing high and 50-day SMA, would be needed to shift the bias fully bullish. Source: TradingView You might also like:Pudgy Penguins partners with Lufthansa Miles program to expand PENGU utility Bonk (BONK) price has formed a falling wedge pattern on the daily chart. The memecoin‘s price has recently bounced off the lower trendline of the wedge, establishing support in the $0.00001370–$0.00001410 zone. The upper trendline resistance currently intersects around the $0.00001650–$0.00001680 range, aligning with the 20-day EMA — creating a zone of confluence that strengthens its significance as a potential breakout level. Technically, there’s a slight bullish divergence on the RSI — while BONK price made a lower low during the most recent pullback, the RSI formed a higher low, suggesting weakening bearish momentum. Additionally, the MACD histogram is contracting toward the zero line, supporting the case for a possible upside move. The next major resistance lies around $0.00001860, aligning with the 50-day SMA and a previous support-turned-resistance level. The next level to watch is $0.00002100, a key horizontal resistance from late May as well as a swing high in late April. The final target, near $0.00002580, represents the full measured move of the wedge and coincides with a major swing high from the beginning of the wedge’s upper trendline. Source: TradingView You might also like:Pump.fun’s reported token launch sends Solana memecoins tumbling Similarly, POPCAT (POPCAT) price has formed a falling wedge pattern and has recently bounced from the lower boundary of the wedge, establishing support near the $0.29–$0.31 zone. The upper wedge resistance currently projects toward the $0.37–$0.38 range, aligning closely with the 20-day EMA, which marks a potential breakout level. Technically, there’s bullish divergence forming on the RSI. The MACD histogram is also gradually contracting toward the zero line, hinting at a possible bullish crossover in the near term. Looking ahead, the immediate major target is around $0.42, which aligns with the 50-day SMA and the previous swing high. A further breakout above this zone could see price targeting the $0.50 level, followed by a full measured move projection toward the $0.60–$0.65 area — aligning with the first swing high within the wedge. Source: TradingView You might also like:Solana forecast 2026: Time to buy memecoins again?

Matthew Sigel, VanEck’s head of digital assets research, is urging companies with Bitcoin treasuries to adopt stricter capital management practices as their stocks approach net asset value. In a X post on June 16, Sigel warned that continued share issuance near net asset value could harm shareholders rather than benefit them. NAV refers to the net value of a company’s entire Bitcoin (BTC) holdings is divided by the total number of outstanding.  It helps investors understand how much Bitcoin backs each share. A company may issue shares and use the money received to purchase more Bitcoin if a stock trades above NAV, increasing the value of each share. But once the stock trades at or near NAV, new share issuance stops being accretive and can instead dilute shareholders’ stake in the company’s Bitcoin. No public BTC treasury company has traded below its Bitcoin NAV for a sustained period.But at least one is now approaching parity.As some of these companies raise capital through large at-the-market (ATM) programs to buy BTC, a risk is emerging: If the stock trades at or near…— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) June 16, 2025 Sigel noted that no public Bitcoin treasury company has traded below NAV for an extended period, but some are now approaching that level. He highlighted several steps for companies to protect value if this gap closes further. You might also like:How we went from Bitcoin whitepaper to “paper” Bitcoin These include pausing at-the-market stock issuances when a company’s stock trades below 0.95 times NAV for ten or more consecutive trading days, prioritizing buybacks when Bitcoin rises but the stock price does not, and launching a strategic review if the discount persists.  He also argued that executive compensation should focus on growing NAV per share, rather than the size of the Bitcoin position or share count. “Once you are trading at NAV, shareholder dilution is no longer strategic. It is extractive,” he warned. The warning comes at a time of rapid adoption of Bitcoin treasury strategies. A June 2025 report by Standard Chartered found that 61 public companies now hold 673,897 BTC or 3.2% of Bitcoin’s total supply. Among those, 58 companies are trading above their NAV, a figure referred to as mNAV, showing continued investor interest in the strategy. mNAV is a metric that measures a company’s market value divided by its Bitcoin NAV. An mNAV greater than 1.0 indicates are paying a premium to access equity-based Bitcoin exposure. An mNAV below 1.0, on the other hand, indicates that the company’s shares are trading below its Bitcoin holdings. Strategy is still the largest corporate Bitcoin holder with over 582,000 Bitcoin. In June, its mNAV stands at 1.91. The business recently added 74,000 Bitcoin in just two months and issued $250 million in preferred stock to finance further purchases. The two companies with the lowest sentiment are Semler Scientific and Trump Media & Technology Group, whose equity premiums to NAV are -10% and -16%, respectively. You might also like:Michael Saylor to advise Pakistan on national Bitcoin strategy

Brazil is taxing cryptocurrency profits at a flat rate, having scrapped the monthly exemption previously granted to small-scale investors. Starting June 12, a 17.5% capital gains tax applies to all crypto transactions, regardless of the value or volume, as part of Provisional Measure 1303, introduced by the federal government to increase revenue from financial market activities. Under the new regulations, taxation applies to crypto assets held in self-custody wallets and digital assets stored overseas. Brazilian investors must now declare all gains quarterly, with the ability to offset losses from the previous five quarters. However, this offset window will be reduced from 2026 onward. Previously, Brazilians could sell up to 35,000 reais (approximately $6,300) worth of crypto per month without paying income tax. Larger transactions activated a tiered tax structure starting at 15% and topping out at 22.5% for those moving over 30 million reais annually. You might also like:RedotPay taps Circle for crypto-to-fiat transfers, launches in Brazil The flat 17.5% rate now standardizes this burden, reducing the effective rate for high-net-worth investors while increasing it for smaller traders. This tax overhaul arrives at a time when Brazil, already Latin America’s largest crypto market and ranked among the world’s top 10 in terms of adoption, is actively pursuing broader crypto integration, from regulated salary payments to a proposed sovereign Bitcoin reserve. In March, lawmakers introduced Bill PL 957/2025 to permit employees to receive part of their salaries in cryptocurrency. At least 50% of wages must still be paid in reals, but expatriates and foreign remote workers may receive full payment in digital assets under Central Bank oversight. Employers opting for crypto-based payrolls would be required to issue detailed statements and provide educational material on virtual asset use, risks, fraud prevention, and conversion procedures. Separately, Brazil is advancing Bill PL 4501/2024, which would authorize the allocation of up to 5% of the country’s $370 billion treasury into a Bitcoin strategic reserve.  The proposal, currently under review in the Chamber of Deputies, seeks to diversify national reserves and position Bitcoin as a sovereign hedge. If passed, Brazil would become the first G20 nation to formalize Bitcoin into law as a reserve asset through legislative channels rather than executive action. Read more:Brazilian firm Méliuz seeks $26m raise to buy more Bitcoin

Bybit CEO Ben Zhou declared that the exchange’s first incubated on-chain liquidity network, Byreal, is set to make its debut at the end of June 2025. In a recent post, Zhou announced to his followers that the exchange is gearing up to release its first on-chain liquidity DEX which will be built on the Solana (SOL) ecosystem. According to the official announcement, the on-chain DEX is set to go live by the end of this month. “Announcing Byreal — our first on-chain DEX incubated by BB, will be LIVE by end of the month. Starting from scratch and now born on Solana,” said Zhou in his post. Announcing Byreal — our first onchain DEX incubated by Bybit, will be LIVE by end of the month. Starting from scratch and now born on Solana. what's special: 1/ CEX + DEX synergy Byreal isn’t “just another DEX.” It’s combining CEX-grade liquidity with DeFi-native transparency.… https://t.co/JU60e4zHQ4— Ben Zhou (@benbybit) June 15, 2025 Zhou highlighted several elements of the new liquidity network that he believes sets it apart from other DEXs on-chain. The first is how it is able to bridge the gap between CEX and DEX by deploying centralized liquidity mechanism on the protocol while boasting what it calls “DeFi-native transparency.” “This is what real hybrid finance looks like. Future Cex + Dex project launch coming soon,” said Zhou. Zhou seems to be hinting at an upcoming product or feature from the exchange —possibly integrated with Byreal— that will further integrate centralized and decentralized trading. Based on the main post, traders can look forward to Byreal’s beta testing phase which is set to take place within the month. You might also like:CZ suggests building a ‘dark pool’ for DEX perpetual futures after James Wynn’s major loss Another point that the Bybit CEO emphasized is how the platform facilitates unified liquidity alongside processing speed. He explained that the protocol’s liquidity mechanism is built upon a hybrid of RFQ and CLMM. Request for Quote or RFQ is a liquidity mechanism that is usually used in OTC or pro-grade trading. RFQ allows market makers to quote prices dynamically, leading to more efficient execution for larger orders. Meanwhile, Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker or CLMM is a mechanism that was made popular through protocols like Uniswap version 3. CLMM lets liquidity providers concentrate capital within specific price ranges, making liquidity deeper in areas that need it most. By combining the two mechanisms, Byreal may able to route trades based on optimal pricing with dynamic quote pricing. Zhou also stated that the protocol offers its users “low-slippage, MEV-protected swaps at serious speed.” Earlier this year, Bybit became the victim of one of the largest crypto heists in history, when a group of hackers stole $1.4 billion in Ethereum (ETH) from the exchange’s reserves. At the end of May, on-chain data showed that it least half of the stolen funds have become untraceable. You might also like:Nearly half of stolen $1.4b from Bybit now untraceable