Key Highlights

• Wise shares advanced 8% following FY26 results that exceeded the firm’s profit margin guidance
• Pre-tax income reached $660.4 million with a 26.4% margin — surpassing the 20–25% target corridor
• Net revenue expanded 19% annually to $2.50 billion
• The company unveiled a $500 million share buyback initiative for FY27
• Customer base expanded 21% to 19 million users; cross-border transaction volume surged 31% to $243.5 billion

Shares of Wise (WSE) climbed approximately 8% on Friday following the fintech firm’s release of annual financial results that exceeded profit margin projections, complemented by the announcement of a $500 million share repurchase initiative.

Wise Group plc Class A Ordinary Shares, WSE

The shares were changing hands at approximately 894p on the London Stock Exchange during morning trading, representing a gain of 64 points.

The payment platform reported net revenue reaching $2.50 billion for the fiscal year concluding March 31, 2026, marking a 19% year-over-year increase. Pre-tax income totaled $660.4 million, translating to a margin of 26.4%.

This profitability metric exceeded the company’s medium-term guidance corridor of 20–25%, capturing investor attention.

BofA analysts, maintaining a buy rating with a $16.40 price objective, noted that pre-tax profit exceeded their projection by 6.6% and consensus estimates by 1.3%.

The analysts identified a $70 million non-recurring U.S. GAAP foreign exchange adjustment linked to specific government bonds as the primary factor impacting operating income, which settled at $590.7 million.

The platform’s active user base expanded 21% to 19 million. Cross-border transaction volume increased 31% to $243.5 billion, while the cross-border take rate remained at 0.52%, declining six basis points year-over-year.

Card expenditure grew 37% to $43.6 billion. Customer balances increased 40% to $39.0 billion — indicating that more clients are maintaining funds on the platform for regular usage rather than solely for transfers.

Transaction-based revenue totaled $1.89 billion. Net interest income added $609.2 million to overall net revenue after distributing $196.9 million in interest payments to account holders.

CEO Kristo Käärmann emphasized that 75% of transactions in Q4 were processed in under 20 seconds worldwide — a metric the company prominently features in its competitive positioning.

Share Repurchase and Shareholder Returns

Wise announced plans to allocate over $500 million toward share buybacks during FY27. Approximately 40% of this amount will support its ongoing Employee Share Trust initiative to counterbalance dilution from equity-based compensation.

The firm separately deployed $470 million to repurchase 35.9 million shares throughout FY26.

BofA increased its FY27 diluted earnings per share forecast by 5.7% to 54.34 cents, citing improved gross profit margins and the buyback program as key contributors.

Fiscal Year 2027 Guidance

Looking ahead, Wise projected net revenue growth near the midpoint of its 15–20% medium-term target range, calculated on a constant currency basis.

This forecast assumes no significant changes in interest distributed to customers and no substantial movements in central bank policy rates.

Pre-tax income margin is anticipated to land near the upper boundary of the 20–25% range for FY27.

Wise finalized its transition to a Nasdaq primary listing on May 8, maintaining a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

The firm disclosed that it established new direct payment connections in Brazil and Japan during FY26 and secured fresh regulatory approvals in South Africa, the UAE, and Thailand.

New Wise Platform collaborations launched during the period include UniCredit, Raiffeisen Bank, and MBSB Bank, with Capitec coming onboard in April 2026.

US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their largest daily net outflows of June on Thursday as Bitcoin fell below $60,000.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs shed $696.3 million, surpassing the previous monthly high of $519.2 million logged on June 2, according to SoSoValue data.

The latest withdrawals pushed June’s total outflows to $3.61 billion, bringing year-to-date net outflows to $4.6 billion.

Monthly flows in US spot Bitcoin ETFs as of Friday. Source: SoSoValue 

The ETF outflows coincide with signs that other large sources of institutional Bitcoin demand are also slowing. Strategy, the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, has reduced its accumulation pace in June, prompting debate over whether the company should conserve cash during the market downturn.

ETF assets down 57% from 2025 peak

US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen total net assets fall below $73 billion for the first time since late 2024, as recent outflows and a roughly 50% drop in Bitcoin’s price from its October peak weigh on the sector.

According to SoSoValue, total net assets in US spot Bitcoin ETFs reached a record $169.5 billion in October 2025. As of Friday, that figure stood at about $72.6 billion, a decline of roughly 57%.

BTC holdings for US spot Bitcoin ETFs as of market close on Tuesday. Source: Wallet Pilot

Separate data from WalletPilot shows the funds held a combined 1.24 million BTC as of Tuesday, with about 63,500 BTC leaving the products over the past 30 days.

Strategy slows Bitcoin buying in June to about 3,600 BTC amid criticism

Some analysts argue that Strategy should pause BTC purchases and rebuild its cash reserves.

Saylor’s Strategy bought roughly 3,600 Bitcoin so far in June, down from about 25,000 BTC in May and more than 50,000 BTC in April, according to company filings.

The slowdown also included a net sale of 32 BTC earlier in the month, one of the few times the company has sold Bitcoin during its accumulation period.

Related: Strategy adds $300M to USD Reserve, acquires 520 BTC

Strategy’s perpetual preferred stock, STRC, has come under pressure, trading below its intended $100 level. STRC closed at $75.69 on Thursday, down 6.37%.

Source: Julio Moreno

The move has fueled debate over Strategy’s Bitcoin-buying model. CryptoQuant analysts have raised concerns about the company’s timing and risk management.

On the other hand, Bitcoin advocate Samson Mow said STRC has a “self-repairing mechanism” that activates when it trades below its $100 benchmark. He noted that the company pauses new share issuance through its ATM program at that level, which limits new supply.

Magazine: Bitcoin slides to $58K, XRP hits $1 but onchain data promising: Market Moves

A third-party vendor compromise allowed attackers to inject malicious code into Polymarket’s frontend, leading to a phishing drain from user wallets, according to blockchain analyst Specter. The incident was discovered on Thursday and reportedly targeted at least 11 Polymarket users, with Specter estimating losses of $2.94 million.

Polymarket said on X that the issue has been contained, the affected dependency removed, and that users will be fully refunded. While Cointelegraph attempted to follow up for additional comment, no response was received before publication.

Key takeaways

• Specter attributed the Polymarket incident to malicious script injection following a vendor compromise, with an estimated $2.94 million drained from at least 11 wallets.
• Polymarket states the compromise has been contained and that the impacted dependency was removed, with full user refunds promised.
• DefiLlama data shows June exploit losses reached $74.9 million across 29 incidents—more than May’s $60.5 million, but far below April’s $644 million.
• Across the last 30 days, private key compromises accounted for 43% of reported exploit losses, making it the leading attack vector.
• DefiLlama’s breakdown points to other recurring methods, including “fake proof” exploits (10%) and reverse MEV honeypots (8%).

Polymarket: vendor compromise leads to frontend phishing

Specter said the malicious script appeared to be designed to facilitate phishing, ultimately draining funds from multiple Polymarket wallets. The key operational detail in the account is that the attacker did not need to compromise Polymarket’s core smart contracts directly; instead, the issue originated from a third-party vendor compromise that enabled code injection into the platform’s frontend.

That distinction matters for users because frontend-based attacks can succeed even when on-chain contracts remain intact. In practice, phishing scripts can trick users into approving malicious actions, entering credentials into spoofed interfaces, or signing transactions that benefit attackers.

Polymarket’s response emphasized containment and remediation: the platform said the compromise has been stopped, the problematic dependency removed, and affected users will receive full refunds. With those steps, the immediate risk of further wallet draining should decline, though users will still want to monitor their accounts and transaction history for any suspicious approvals.

Why this sits within a larger pattern of crypto incidents

The Polymarket event comes amid a sustained run of reported crypto security breaches. DefiLlama data lists the Polymarket incident as the 89th reported crypto security breach of the second quarter. That count extends what DefiLlama categorization describes as the most-hacked quarter on record by incident count.

Earlier in June, DefiLlama’s monthly totals already reflected elevated activity. June exploit losses climbed to $74.9 million across 29 reported incidents, surpassing May’s $60.5 million. However, April’s $644 million remains the standout outlier for magnitude, underscoring that while breach frequency remains high, individual months can vary dramatically based on whether large incidents occur.

June’s reported exploit losses: the biggest June incidents

DefiLlama’s aggregation highlights several of the largest June events. The most prominent was the $36 million Humanity Protocol exploit. Other notable losses included the $4.7 million Secret Network bridge exploit, two Aztec-related exploits worth $2.1 million each, and a $1.7 million bridge exploit tied to Taiko, according to the article’s cited figures and linked coverage.

Taken together, the list shows that bridge ecosystems and cross-chain integrations continue to attract high-impact attacks. While frontend phishing attacks like Polymarket’s are distinct from bridge exploits, both categories fall under the broader umbrella of “exploit losses”—the measurable outcomes when attackers successfully compromise systems or user interactions.

Attack vectors over the last month: key compromise still leads

DefiLlama data summarized in the piece indicates that the primary driver of reported exploit losses over the past 30 days was private key compromise, responsible for 43% of losses. Fake proof exploits accounted for 10%, while reverse MEV honeypots made up 8% of losses, based on DefiLlama’s breakdown.

The vector mix is useful because it shifts how defensive priorities are framed. Private key compromise suggests either user-side weakness (including wallet security practices) or operational weaknesses involving signing keys—issues that often persist across unrelated protocols. Meanwhile, fake proof and reverse MEV honeypots reflect more sophisticated adversarial tactics at the application and execution layers, targeting how systems validate claims or how trading bots execute orders.

The article also notes that roughly a month before Polymarket’s latest attack, the prediction market disclosed a separate $600,000 exploit traced to a six-year-old private key used for internal top-up operations. Polymarket leadership said at the time that user funds and contracts were safe and that permissions tied to the key had been revoked, emphasizing that the platform has dealt with operational key risks before.

Polymarket’s scale and what users should monitor next

DefiLlama data cited in the article places Polymarket’s total value locked at over $450 million, up 301% from $112 million a year earlier. As platforms grow, they often become more attractive targets—not only for contract-level attacks but also for the broader supply-chain and integration risks that can surface through third-party dependencies.

Going forward, readers should watch for two signals: confirmation from Polymarket and security analysts that the injected frontend dependency is fully removed and no similar vendor-based pathways remain, and whether wallet-level incidents prompt changes in how users interact with the platform (for example, renewed scrutiny of approvals and transaction prompts). With refunds promised, the immediate impact may be contained, but the recurrence of earlier key-related disclosures underscores that operational security remains a critical focus for both users and the platforms they rely on.

Key Takeaways

• Samsung Electronics shares plummeted 7.8% to ₩330,500 Friday amid a broad technology sector selloff across Korean exchanges
• Investor sentiment deteriorated after Apple revealed price hikes for MacBook and iPad products, casting doubt on AI hardware demand
• Amplified losses occurred through leveraged single-stock ETFs focused on Samsung and SK Hynix
• The KOSPI index tumbled over 8%, activating its fifth circuit breaker halt in 2026
• Reports emerged of Samsung preparing a ₩1,000 trillion ($646 billion) decade-long investment strategy covering chips, AI infrastructure, and more

Samsung Electronics shares collapsed 7.8% to close at ₩330,500 Friday, compounding a devastating week that witnessed a single-day decline exceeding 12% just two days earlier on June 23.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SMSD.L

The Monday session’s plunge activated the KOSPI’s fourth trading halt of 2026. Friday’s action brought a fifth suspension, with the Korea Exchange implementing a 20-minute freeze beginning around 12:10 p.m. Seoul time as the main index crashed through the 8% decline threshold.

The catalyst for Friday’s turmoil originated from Apple, which revealed significant price increases spanning its MacBook and iPad product portfolios, citing elevated memory and component expenses. The announcement shattered confidence among investors banking on a prolonged AI-fueled hardware expansion cycle.

Chip manufacturers worldwide absorbed heavy losses. SK Hynix, Samsung’s primary domestic competitor, suffered a parallel decline exceeding 8%, while leveraged ETFs tracking both semiconductor leaders plunged beyond 15%.

Leveraged Products Intensified Selling Pressure

Single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds concentrated on Samsung and SK Hynix have emerged as a mounting worry for South Korean financial authorities. Friday’s session validated those concerns as these instruments amplified market movements far beyond what underlying business fundamentals would typically justify.

The outcome generated a self-reinforcing cycle of liquidation that punished Samsung more severely than headline developments alone warranted.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index similarly declined in response, demonstrating the velocity at which the selloff propagated throughout the region.

Following a substantial rally during the previous twelve months, Friday’s decline partially reflects profit-taking behavior after an impressive advance. Market reversals can accelerate dramatically when investor psychology shifts.

Massive $646 Billion Capital Plan Sparks Investor Anxiety

The timing proved particularly unfortunate. Domestic media outlets disclosed this week that Samsung intends to unveil a ₩1,000 trillion ($646 billion) investment blueprint spanning the next ten years — potentially representing the largest corporate capital commitment in South Korean corporate history.

The initiative reportedly encompasses semiconductor manufacturing facilities, AI data infrastructure, battery production, and display technology. Approximately ₩300 trillion targets chip fabrication plants in the nation’s southwestern region, while more than ₩350 trillion focuses on AI data centre development.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung plans to convene a national economic presentation on June 29, where Samsung Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun and SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung will both outline their respective investment strategies.

Rather than embracing the announcement enthusiastically, certain investors interpreted the enormous spending obligation as problematic. Committing hundreds of trillions of won toward infrastructure development during uncertain chip demand conditions represents considerable risk exposure.

SK Hynix independently disclosed intentions to secure up to $29.4 billion through a Nasdaq listing of American Depositary Receipts, channeling proceeds toward expanded fabrication plants, advanced packaging operations, and manufacturing equipment.

Both declarations arrive as South Korea endeavors to maintain competitive positioning in the worldwide AI and semiconductor landscape amid escalating competition from the United States and China.

SK Hynix shares traded down 8.36% at press time, while Samsung recovered slightly to ₩339,500 after trimming earlier losses.

Sharplink (SBET) received 5,000 ether (ETH) worth about $7.85 million on Thursday, its first ether inflow in eight months, according to Arkham data showing the coins arriving from crypto brokerage FalconX.

The inflow is small against the company’s existing pile and lands at an awkward moment. Sharplink held 876,285 ether as of June 21, worth roughly $1.3 billion, making it the second-largest public ether treasury company behind Tom Lee’s Bitmine Immersion (BMNR), which held about 5.67 million ether in mid-June.

Onchain analyst EmberCN put Sharplink’s average purchase price at about $3,609 per coin, which implies an unrealized loss of around $1.79 billion with ether trading near $1,555.

Its last inflow came in October 2025, when it added 19,270 ether for $78.3 million, also now deep underwater.

The ether arrived as the token fell 5% over 24 hours in a broad crypto selloff, dropping below $1,560 as bitcoin slipped under $59,000. Tether’s USDT briefly overtook ether by market value during the rout, at about $186 billion to ether’s $185 billion.

South Korea has expanded cryptocurrency disclosure requirements for its public debt relief program by including virtual asset holdings in applicant asset reviews and linking debt forgiveness more closely to repayment capacity.

According to local media, the Financial Services Commission said after a June 25 review meeting with the Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) that it would revise the New Start Fund, a debt restructuring program for small business owners and self employed borrowers, to strengthen property assessments, debt adjustment standards, and post approval monitoring.

Authorities will now examine investment assets such as cryptocurrencies and unlisted shares that were previously difficult to verify through financial statements and government administrative records. The commission said the changes aim to distribute public support more efficiently and prevent unnecessary spending.

Applicants identified as users of South Korea’s five major won based cryptocurrency exchanges have been required to submit virtual asset balance certificates since January after the government reached agreements with the exchanges. KAMCO uses the documents during property assessments to determine eligibility for debt relief.

Officials also began requiring applicants to disclose holdings of unlisted shares in May. Shares in privately held companies operated directly by the applicant remain excluded from property reviews because authorities considered the need to preserve business income.

Debt relief tied to repayment capacity

The Financial Services Commission said debt forgiveness under the New Start Fund will depend more closely on each applicant’s repayment ability.

Current rules allow principal reductions of 60% to 80% for unsecured debt that has remained delinquent for more than 90 days, with low-income and vulnerable borrowers eligible for reductions of up to 90%. The commission said the existing minimum reduction left limited room to distinguish borrowers with stronger repayment capacity.

Borrowers whose repayment capacity exceeds 100% will now face a minimum principal reduction of 30% instead of 60%. Authorities will lower debt relief by between 5 and 30 percentage points, depending on repayment ability.

Amendments to South Korea’s Credit Information Act, which take effect on Aug. 13, will allow government debt restructuring agencies to obtain property information in bulk. The Financial Services Commission said authorities will receive cryptocurrency and unlisted share data regularly from relevant institutions to verify applicants’ asset declarations after debt restructuring approvals.

South Korea has introduced several digital asset policy measures this month beyond the New Start Fund revisions. 

The Financial Services Commission recently proposed expanding its regulatory sandbox to cover digital asset laws, while the government has also approved a licensing framework for cross-border virtual asset transfers that will take effect in December. 

Authorities have introduced these measures as digital asset activity continues to grow across South Korea’s financial sector. As previously reported by crypto.news, cryptocurrency-based overseas remittances increased 380% over the past three years as banks and fintech firms have continued to develop blockchain-based payment infrastructure.