Bitcoin layer-2s face a bear-market reality check

When Botanix announced last week that it would be winding down operations, the Bitcoin layer-2 project did not try to sugarcoat its message.  “It did not work,” the team wrote in a social media post announcing the shut down. “At least not in this market and not in this timeline.”  Botanix was one of a number of projects pitching Bitcoin as a new frontier for decentralized finance (DeFi), staking, zero-knowledge rollups and smart-contract applications.  Its conclusion was that “making Bitcoin programmable, productive and integrated into real financial activity isnt where real-world users sit right now.”  Current market conditions might not be the most fruitful ground for investing in utility and programmability under the hood of the worlds original cryptocurrency. Bitcoins role as a store of value is what attracts the majority of investors, who may not be drawn to other potential functions of BTC when it is not performing its most fundamental one very convincingly.  That raises an uncomfortable question: has the Bitcoin utility boom lost its shine?  The data does little to dispel the skepticism. DefiLlama shows Ethereum with around $39 billion in total value locked, while Bitcoins onchain DeFi activity sits at less than $5 billion, despite its total market cap being four to

06-18

Here is how Coinbase plan to survive the crypto downturn by ditching its reliance on trading fees

Coinbases (COIN) latest product launch event may not have changed Wall Streets near-term earnings forecasts, but it reinforced a growing belief among analysts that the crypto exchange is steadily transforming itself into a broader financial platform with revenue streams that extend beyond bitcoins price cycles.  At Tuesdays System Update event in New York, Coinbase unveiled products spanning derivatives, tokenized stocks, stablecoin payments, lending and artificial intelligence. While the announcements covered a wide range of businesses, analysts focused less on the individual products and more on what they reveal about the companys long-term strategy.  For years, Coinbases fortunes have been closely tied to crypto trading activity. When bitcoin BTC$64,706.27 rallies and retail investors return to the market, trading revenue tends to surge. During slower periods, that revenue can fall sharply. Analysts increasingly view Coinbases product expansion as an effort to reduce that dependence.  “The new features are aligned with the companys effort to become the everything exchange,” Barclays analyst Benjamin Budish wrote following the event, adding that the company is seeking to capture a larger share of customers financial activity as crypto trading volumes remain relatively subdued.  Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Ramsey El-Assal struck a similar tone. While acknowledging softer conditions across crypto markets, he said

06-18

Coinbase expands everything exchange push with tokenized stocks and AI tools

Coinbase unveiled a broad product expansion across stocks, derivatives, artificial intelligence, consumer finance and business payments as the company pushes deeper into its “everything exchange” strategy.  The company said it will introduce tokenized stocks next month for customers outside the US. The products will be backed one to one by the underlying equities and will include dividend payouts and shareholder rights, according to Coinbase.  The company said users will be able to trade US stocks around the clock, lend shares to earn yield, use them as collateral or transfer them directly to others.  Coinbase also plans to roll out options trading for crypto and stocks in the coming months, bringing more advanced strategies to the same platform where users already trade digital assets.  Advertisement  The exchange is also expanding its equities business. Users can now transfer stock portfolios from other platforms into Coinbase and trade major US stocks, indexes and ETFs through Coinbase Advanced, with zero commission fees, TradingView charting, fractional shares and rewards on trade ready $USDC balances.  Coinbase is adding more derivatives products as well. The company said it is introducing real world asset perpetual futures tied to thematic equity baskets such as AI, China, Defense and the Tech 100. Its pre IPO perpetual

06-18

EarnOS raises $18.5 million and launches app paying users for verified actions

EarnOS has raised $18.5 million in strategic financing as it officially rolls out its consumer rewards platform in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, according to a Wednesday statement.  Ero is a digital rewards platform that aims to make online engagement more transparent and trustworthy. Powered by zkTLS privacy technology and Veronas network, the platform allows brands to confirm authentic human activity, minimize fraudulent traffic, and compensate users for verified digital interactions.  Advertisement  The financing includes a $6 million Pre-Series A round led by 1kx, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Social Graph Ventures, alongside a $12.5 million non-dilutive strategic investment from Verona. The company said the platform launched with more than $30 million in annualized reward commitments from major consumer brands.  “This funding round is about building the Verified Internet,” Phil George, CEO of EarnOS, commented on the release. “Brands are losing over $100B a year to bots, fake engagement, and AI-generated noise. Our app, ero, inverts that model by letting brands pay only for real, verified outcomes, while people earn real money for the value they already create online.”  EarnOS positions ero as an alternative to traditional digital advertising by enabling brands to compensate users only for verified online actions

06-18

SEC nears tokenized stock exemption as Coinbase eyes U.S. launch

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has moved closer to allowing tokenized stock trading as industry participants expect a new regulatory exemption that could support upcoming offerings from crypto firms, including Coinbase.  SummarySEC is reportedly preparing an innovation exemption that could permit tokenized stock trading in the U.S.Coinbase plans to launch 1:1-backed tokenized shares as regulatory discussions advance.CoinGecko data shows tokenized stocks grew more than 3,300% between 2024 and 2026.  According to a Reuters report citing lawyers and market analysts, SEC Chair Paul Atkins is expected to introduce an innovation exemption that would allow companies to test blockchain-based financial products under a modified regulatory framework.  The proposal comes as several crypto firms prepare tokenized equity products that would let users trade shares around the clock with near-instant settlement.  As reported by crypto.news, Coinbase has already disclosed plans to launch tokenized stocks backed one-for-one by underlying shares, while Binance and other exchanges have expanded similar offerings outside the United States. Under the framework being discussed, tokenized shares could carry the same economic rights as traditional equities, including dividend payments and voting privileges.  The expected exemption follows earlier reports that the SEC had delayed efforts to permit tokenized equities after raising concerns about investor protection standards and

06-17

Trace Finance raises $32M for cross-border stablecoin settlement expansion

Stablecoin settlement infrastructure company Trace Finance has raised $32 million in a Series A funding round led by CoinFund.  Coinbase Ventures, Jump Capital and Paxos were among the investors that participated in the round, the company said Wednesday in a statement shared with Cointelegraph.  Trace Finance provides banking, foreign exchange and stablecoin settlement infrastructure for cross-border payments across Latin America. It claims to have processed more than $10 billion in transaction volume and plans to use the fresh capital to expand across LatAm, the US and Asia-Pacific markets.  The funding comes as stablecoin settlement increasingly moves into regulated financial infrastructure, with companies racing to connect blockchain-based payments to local banking systems and foreign exchange networks.  In 2022, Trace Finance raised $4.3 million in a seed round led by HOF Capital, with participation from Circle Ventures and Mantis VC, the venture capital firm co-founded by electronic music duo The Chainsmokers. HOF Capital also participated in the companys Series A round.  Stablecoin market capitalization stood at about $315 billion. Source: DeFiLlama  Stablecoin regulation drives cross-border payments push  Stablecoin policy discussions accelerated globally after US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law in July 2025.  The legislation spurred discussions around stablecoin laws in jurisdictions developing their own digital asset

06-17

Exclusive: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP Price Predictions – Key Levels to Watch

In a discussion with Coinpedia, crypto analyst Kripto Holder shared his latest assessment of Bitcoin, arguing that the market is currently going through a phase of liquidity gathering and leverage reduction rather than a clear accumulation period.  According to the analyst, the $65,000–$66,000 region should be viewed as an area where excess leverage is being flushed from the market. While Bitcoin holding above $65,000 as Open Interest declines is a constructive development, weak Spot CVD and a negative Coinbase Premium continue to point to a lack of strong spot buying activity.  “Bitcoin is currently telling me: the market is clearing, but the uptrend is not yet confirmed.”  The analyst believes Bitcoin still needs to reclaim the $67,000–$68,000 range and secure acceptance above $72,000 before a sustained bullish trend can be confirmed. Until then, he views the current price action as part of a broader market reset rather than the start of a new leg higher.  Kripto Holder also pointed to recent market activity, noting that Bitcoin wiped out billions of dollars in long liquidations during the latest correction. Following the sell-off, spot whales reportedly began accumulating around the $62,000 level, helping drive the asset back toward $67,000.  In addition, the analyst highlighted that roughly $8

06-17

Coinbase shares squeezed below 3 moving averages: critical zone $155–161

Coinbase sharesare trading around 159.78 dollars, in a delicate technical phase. The daily picture is bearish, with the price below all the main moving averages. The company has announced the launch of Coinbase for Agents, an AI agent tool. The catalyst is relevant, but it has not yet changed the structure of the chart.  COIN — daily chart with candles, EMA20/EMA50 and volumes.Key pointsCOIN is trading at $159.78, below EMA20 ($172.10), EMA50 ($182.67) and EMA200 ($217.41): bearish trend confirmed on all time horizons.Daily RSI at 40.3: clear weakness but without oversold, the downside potential remains open.Daily MACD with histogram at -1.85and increasing divergence: no bullish crossover on the horizon.Daily pivot point at $160.23: reclaiming it is the first technical step towards stabilization.Hourly timeframe neutral but fragile; the 15-minute chart already shows the first signs of the rebound giving way.  Daily structure: sellers still in full control  The daily picture leaves no room for doubt. Coinbase shares remain under the full control of sellers. The stock is pressed below the EMA20 at 172.10, the EMA50 at 182.67 and the EMA200 at 217.41. The bearish alignment of the three averages indicates the absence of nearby dynamic supports. The medium-term trend is negative and does not

06-17

Crypto PAC-backed Barry Moore wins Alabama GOP Senate runoff

Barry Moore won Alabamas Republican Senate runoff after more than $12 million in pro-crypto PAC support helped carry his campaign into the November general election.  The race now becomes one of its clearest Senate bets this year.  The result gives Fairshake-linked groups another win in the 2026 primary season. Moore defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in the race to replace Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is running for Alabama governor.  Crypto PAC spending pays off in Alabama  Unofficial results from the Alabama Secretary of State showed Moore with 55.80% of the vote, compared with 44.20% for Hudson. All 67 counties had reported results as of late Tuesday.  Moore will face Democrat Everett Wess in November. Alabama remains a strongly Republican state, which gives Moore a favorable path after winning the GOP nomination.  Defend American Jobs, a Republican super PAC tied to Fairshake, spent heavily to support Moore. The group reported $7.4 million in media spending before the May 20 primary and another $4.7 million before the runoff.  Federal Election Commission records list Defend American Jobs as an active independent expenditure-only super PAC. The committee cannot coordinate directly with campaigns, but it can spend on media and ads.  Fairshake spokesman Geoff Vetter said “our biggest spend of the cycle”

06-17

Top 3 Altcoins to Buy Now XLM, AERO, HYPE Before Its Too Late!

Bitcoin may still be under pressure, but one crypto analyst says the market could be getting closer to a bottom. Referencing Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong‘s recent comments, the analyst explained that Bitcoin’s $60,000 level may mark the cycle low.  More than 50% of Bitcoin holders are currently in loss, a signal that also appeared near the bottoms of the 2018 and 2022 bear markets.  While he expects weakness could continue for a few more months, he sees the current period as an accumulation phase. Here are Top 3 Altcoins to Buy:  $XLMs Big 2027 Opportunity  Among the altcoins on his watchlist, Stellar ($XLM) is one of the most overlooked projects.His bullish outlook centers on the planned tokenization initiative involving the Depository Trust s L2 that generates $6.9 million in monthly fees, distributes 100% of it to voters, and was built with zero VC money is about to merge with its sister protocol and launch on Ethereum mainnet to directly challenge Uniswap?According to him, Aerodromes model stands out because it distributes trading fees back to token holders while continuing to expand its liquidity network.As of now $AERO is trading at $0.4936 and is up by 8.86% in the last 24 hours.  Hyperliquid Remains a Market Favorite  The

06-17
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