Crypto PAC-backed Adrian Boafo wins Maryland Democratic primary

Maryland State Delegate Adrian Boafo has won the Democratic primary for Marylands 5th Congressional District, putting him on track to compete for the seat held by retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer.  The Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ called the race Tuesday night after a crowded primary with more than 20 Democratic candidates.  Decision Desk HQ projects Adrian Boafo wins the MD US House 5 Democratic Primary#DecisionMade: 9:28 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/SoSSfa9IOG  — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 24, 2026  Boafo entered the race with support from Hoyer, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Senator Angela Alsobrooks. The district is heavily Democratic, giving the primary winner a strong path into the November general election.  Protect Progress spending draws attention  Protect Progress, a Fairshake-linked super PAC that backs Democratic candidates, spent heavily to support Boafo. According to campaign finance coverage citing Federal Election Commission filings, the group spent more than $5.5 million in the race.  “We went big and we went early,” said Geoff Vetter, a Fairshake spokesperson. “We did our part to move Adrian Boafo from fifth place to the halls of Congress. He is poised to be a leader in the largest pro-crypto Congress in history.”  ????NEW: Maryland State Delegate @AdrianBoafoMD has won the crowded Democratic primary for Marylands 5th

06-24

Circle Publishes Official USDC Spec for Machine Payments Protocol, Enabling Crosschain Agent-to-Agent Commerce

Circle published a formal $USDC method specification for the Machine Payments Protocol on Monday, standardizing how AI agents and automated services settle payments in $USDC across EVM-compatible blockchains and Solana.  The specification, posted at paymentauth.org/draft-usdc-charge-00.html, outlines how $USDC payments can be initiated through the MPP payment challenge-response flow. It introduces three capabilities: a standardized payment interface for agents transacting in $USDC across supported EVM chains and Solana, the first crosschain payment profile in MPP via Circle Gateway, and support for $USDC-backed stablecoins beginning with USDCx on Stacks. Circle announced the spec Monday afternoon via its official account.  MPP and HTTP 402  MPP, the Machine Payments Protocol, is an HTTP-native payment standard that revives the long-dormant HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code. When an agent calls an MPP-enabled endpoint, the server returns a 402 challenge. The agent signs a $USDC payment authorization using EIP-3009, an Ethereum standard for off-chain token transfer authorizations, and retries the request. Circle Gateway verifies the authorization and queues it for batched on-chain settlement. No API key is required; every request is attributable by wallet address and transaction hash.  The protocol was developed by engineers from Tempo Labs and Stripe and is formally proposed to the IETF. Circles entry adds $USDC

06-24

0x Opens Swap API to AI Agents Paying $0.01 Per Request in USDC

AI agents can now access 0x Protocols Swap API by paying $0.01 per request in $USDC from their own wallets, with no API key or account setup required. The integration, built with Alchemy AgentPay, runs on the HTTP 402 standard and extends the protocols DeFi liquidity aggregation to autonomous software agents for the first time.  The mechanism follows the x402 protocol flow: an agent sends an HTTP request to the 0x endpoint, the server returns a 402 Payment Required response, the agent signs a $USDC payment on-chain, and a proxy verifies the transaction before releasing swap data. Payment is accepted via x402 on Base and Solana, or via the Machine Payment Protocol (MPP), per the 0x thread on X Tuesday.  Why Agents Need This  Traditional API access requires an account, a credit card, a key, and a billing cycle. None of those map cleanly to an autonomous process that may need to execute a single swap query before spinning down. The pay-per-request model lets an agent call the endpoint when it needs it and pay only for what it consumes, at $0.01 per call.  0xs Swap API aggregates liquidity across major DEX venues, making it one of the more practical data sources for any

06-24

Meta to develop prediction markets app called "Arena"

Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg has directed a small team at the tech giant to develop a standalone smartphone app called Arena that would let users predict outcomes on politics, sports, entertainment and world events, the New York Times has reported.  The app would operate independently from Metas existing platforms, according to employees familiar with the project who spoke to the Times. Arena is described as experimental but seen as a top priority inside the company.  Arena brings a new wager system  Arena would not involve the use of in-app actual money when it launches. It is expected that users would instead earn and spend points in a system resembling video game rewards. However, the reports mention that Meta remains considerably open to subsequently introducing cash-based betting.  The move puts the tech giant on a collision course with Polymarket, Kalshi, and a growing roster of trading platforms that have pushed into the style of forecasting based on real-life events over the past two years. Polymarket gained mainstream attention during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, when billions of dollars in volume flowed through its crypto-based platform as traders bet on electoral outcomes.  Since then, Coinbase, Kraken and Robinhood have all explored or launched prediction market products of

06-24

CFTC fires back after Kentucky targets Polymarket, Kalshi

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued Kentucky in federal court, seeking to stop the state from enforcing gaming laws against federally regulated prediction market operators.  The case names Kentucky Governor Andrew Beshear, Attorney General Russell Coleman, Department of Revenue Commissioner Thomas B. Miller, and the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation as defendants.  The CFTC says Kentuckys actions conflict with the Commodity Exchange Act, which gives the regulator authority over futures, options, and swaps traded on federally regulated exchanges.  “Kentucky is the latest state attempting to shut down federally-regulated event contracts,” said CFTC Chair Michael Selig.  The agency asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief. Kentucky says sports-linked contracts need state oversight.  As I‘ve consistently pledged, the @CFTC is firmly committed to maintaining its exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets, and today’s lawsuit against Kentucky is yet another example of the Commission protecting its federal authority.  More below⬇️ https://t.co/u1zwCP0Mb6  — Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) June 23, 2026  State action targets platforms  Kentucky sued Kalshi, Polymarket, and partners tied to Coinbase, Robinhood, and Webull on June 17. The state said the companies offered sports event contracts without a Kentucky gaming license and without following state rules. It also argued that the products fall under the states definition of sports wagering.  The

06-24

XRP Withdrawal Activity Reaches Highest Level Since June 2024 on Binance

Binance $XRP Withdrawals Lead Deposits for Seven Consecutive Days  $XRP has shown short-term weakness, trading near $1.10 on June 23 following a failed attempt to sustain upward momentum. Against this backdrop, an analysis published by Cryptoquant indicates a notable shift in exchange behavior, with $XRP withdrawal activity on Binance reaching its highest level since June 2024.  Over a seven-day rolling period, withdrawal transactions accounted for 53.8% of total $XRP transaction activity on Binance, while deposit transactions declined to 46.1%, marking their lowest level since 2024. This resulted in a 7.7 percentage point divergence, with withdrawals consistently exceeding deposits for seven consecutive days beginning June 17.  The analyst noted:  “ $XRP Withdrawals Dominate Binance for Seven Straight Days, Hitting 53.8% — Highest Since June 2024”  The accompanying chart, which tracks $XRP price alongside Binance deposit and withdrawal transaction shares from mid-2024 through June 2026, illustrates a clear late-stage divergence. Withdrawal activity trends upward while deposit activity weakens, signaling a sustained shift in transaction composition.  $XRP Transaction Shift Highlights Rising Withdrawal Activity  The Cryptoquant metric tracks the share of deposit versus withdrawal transactions, not the value or volume of $XRP moved, reflecting transaction frequency rather than capital flows.  An elevated withdrawal share means withdrawal transactions outnumber deposits, but it does

06-24

CBOE eyes crypto perpetuals as Kalshi upends futures market

CBOE has begun evaluating a conversion of its Bitcoin and Ether futures into perpetual contracts after crypto perpetuals generated more than $8.5 billion in trading volume on Kalshi within weeks of launch.  According to a June 23 report from The Wall Street Journal, CBOE Global Markets is considering turning its continuous Bitcoin and Ether futures into perpetual futures following recent regulatory developments in the United States.  The report cited Rob Hocking, CBOEs global head of derivatives, who said the exchange is exploring the possibility after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved cryptocurrency perpetual futures for prediction market operator Kalshi.  While Hocking did not provide a timeline for any changes, the comments place one of the largest U.S. exchange operators among a growing list of firms responding to fresh competition in the perpetual futures market.  CBOE introduced its continuous Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts in December, offering products with expirations extending as far as 10 years.  According to The Wall Street Journal, the exchange is now studying whether perpetual contracts could provide an alternative structure following the CFTCs decision to permit similar products on regulated U.S. venues.  Kalshis rapid growth has drawn attention from incumbent exchanges  Trading activity has accelerated quickly since Kalshi entered the market. According

06-24

Michael Selig draws line between crypto perps and corn futures

CFTC Chair Michael Selig has defended crypto perpetual futures while stressing they are not suitable for agricultural markets, as regulated crypto perps continue expanding across U.S. venues.  According to remarks delivered by Selig at the American Cotton Shippers Association Annual Convention on Tuesday, the CFTC recognizes that 24/7 trading and perpetual futures structures are not well suited to traditional agricultural markets that depend on physical delivery and operate during limited trading hours.  I was pleased to address the men and women from @CottonShippers who provide our country and the world with clothes, textiles, and medical supplies from American grown cotton.  Thanks to the American Cotton Shippers Association for having me today. pic.twitter.com/wxTfFUSd1U  — Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) June 23, 2026  Drawing a contrast between the agencys historic role overseeing products ranging from corn to livestock and its newer responsibilities involving digital assets, Selig said perpetual contracts tied to cryptocurrencies are not appropriate for every asset class, particularly in agriculture.  While emphasizing those differences, Seligs comments come only weeks after the CFTC approved Bitcoin perpetual futures contracts for prediction market platform Kalshi and issued a no-action position allowing similar products on Coinbase. Following those developments, crypto exchange Kraken also launched perpetual futures trading for U.S. customers through its

06-24

SPCX Perpetual Liquidations Top $76 Million as SpaceX-Linked Derivative Slides

A single-stock derivative from a private company just notched over $76 million in liquidations, ranking behind only Bitcoin and Ether in crypto derivatives wipeouts. The move puts a spotlight on how far tokenized equity products have come — and how quickly they can unravel under leverage. According to data from Coinglass cited in the original report, SPCX perpetual contract liquidations surged over the past 24 hours as the price of the SpaceX-linked instrument sank below its first-day opening level.  The SPCX perpetual briefly touched a 24-hour low of $147.17, slipping under the $150 mark where it debuted. It remains above the $135 IPO reference price, but the drop was enough to trigger a cascade of forced exits among leveraged longs. Perpetual futures — contracts without an expiry date — amplify directional bets, and the unwind shows how crowded the long side had become.  A Sudden Stress Test for Tokenized Equity Derivatives  Tokenized stocks aren‘t new, yet a liquidation print of this size for a private-company derivative is unusual. FTX first popularized stock tokens, and since then a handful of platforms have listed synthetic equities like Coinbase and Tesla. SpaceX stands apart because its shares do not trade publicly; the underlying price feeds draw

06-24

Bitcoin price confirms H&S pattern, will it crash below $60K?

Bitcoin price has confirmed a bearish head-and-shoulders breakdown, putting the $60,000 support zone under pressure as traders react to easing Middle East tensions and persistent institutional selling.  According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin ($BTC) price dropped from an intraday high near $64,500 to a low of $61,990 on June 23 before stabilizing around the $62,000 area.  Bitcoins decline coincided with a sharp drop in oil prices after reports of progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations and a 60-day waiver allowing purchases of Iranian crude pushed Brent crude to its lowest level in nearly three months.  At the same time, a selloff in artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks weighed on risk sentiment across global markets, while gold fell roughly 1.5% and silver slid more than 5% as traders unwound defensive positions.  Crypto derivatives markets amplified the selloff, with over $600 million in liquidations recorded in 24 hours, the bulk of which came from long positions.  Meanwhile, institutional demand remains weak after U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs entered one of their longest outflow streaks this year, removing a key source of demand that had previously helped cushion selling pressure in the spot market. Coinbases premium has also remained negative, suggesting U.S. investors have been selling rather than accumulating during recent

06-24
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