TLDR

• Kroger revealed plans to purchase Giant Eagle in a transaction valued at $1.65 billion, consisting of $1.25 billion cash and $400 million in liability assumption.
• The acquisition brings approximately $9 billion in yearly revenue, 197 grocery locations, and 11 independent pharmacy outlets.
• Shares of Kroger declined 2.12% during Wednesday’s session, adding to a year-to-date drop of 12.11%.
• Transaction completion is anticipated in 2027, contingent upon regulatory clearance.
• Analysts at Wolfe Research characterized the acquisition as evidence Kroger is operating “more offensively,” projecting approximately 6% revenue growth.

Shares of Kroger (KR) slipped 2.12% during Wednesday trading following the supermarket operator’s announcement that it would purchase family-run grocery chain Giant Eagle in a $1.65 billion transaction.

The Kroger Co., KR

The transaction structure includes $1.25 billion in cash consideration alongside $400 million in liability assumption. The Cincinnati-based retailer stated the purchase won’t push its net total debt to adjusted EBITDA multiple beyond its designated target corridor of 2.3 to 2.5 times.

Giant Eagle maintains a footprint of 197 grocery stores and 11 independent pharmacy locations throughout northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana—regions where Kroger maintains an established market position.

The regional chain generates approximately $9 billion in yearly sales—a substantial contribution to Kroger’s operations.

Greg Foran, Kroger’s Chief Executive Officer, characterized the transaction as an obvious “strategic fit,” highlighting Giant Eagle’s customer loyalty initiatives, pharmaceutical services, and proprietary brand offerings as valuable assets.

What the Numbers Look Like

Greg Badishkanian, an analyst at Wolfe Research, noted the purchase aligns with Kroger‘s leadership team’s “increased openness to do M&A” and will enable the retailer to strengthen its store concentration while expanding into neighboring territories.

Wolfe’s analysis suggests Giant Eagle’s EBIT margins fall within the 2.0–2.5% range—comparable to Albertsons—and anticipates an additional EBIT contribution between $200 million and $250 million.

With Kroger’s sales forecast to reach $151 billion by 2027, the acquisition would increase total revenue by approximately 6%, bringing it to roughly $160 billion. Badishkanian anticipates modest EPS accretion during the second complete year following transaction closure.

The 197 additional locations would expand Kroger’s total store portfolio by roughly 7% from its existing network of 2,739 stores.

When Does the Deal Close?

Kroger anticipates finalizing the Giant Eagle acquisition in 2027, pending regulatory approval and customary closing requirements.

The grocery retailer indicated the transaction will contribute positively to adjusted EPS during the second complete year post-closure—when excluding one-time transaction expenses and integration-related costs.

To reassure shareholders, the company reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining dividend distributions and continuing its $2 billion stock buyback initiative.

Wednesday’s trading volume registered approximately 1.86 million shares, significantly below Kroger’s three-month average daily volume of roughly 7.77 million.

KR shares have declined 12.11% year-to-date and dropped 20.93% over the trailing twelve-month period.

Analyst sentiment on KR reflects a Moderate Buy consensus, comprising six Buy recommendations and seven Hold ratings issued within the past three months. The mean price target stands at $69.33, suggesting potential upside of approximately 27.4% from present levels.

Tradeweb, an institutional electronic trading platform, has executed an onchain transaction involving tokenized US Treasuries, with Franklin Templeton transferring a tokenized Treasury security to Virtu Financial in exchange for tokenized cash over the Canton Network.

Tradeweb provided execution and price discovery, while the Canton Network synchronized settlement between the tokenized Treasury and tokenized cash. The companies said the trade settled in real time, but did not disclose its size.

A Tradeweb spokesperson told Cointelegraph the deal marked the industry’s first real-time purchase and sale of a tokenized US Treasury settled against USDCx, a USDC-backed stablecoin issued on Canton. Participants included Blockdaemon, Digital Asset, Societe Generale, Franklin Templeton, Tradeweb and Virtu Financial.

According to the announcement, the transaction precedes the planned launch of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) Tokenization Services later this year. DTCC said the service will allow participants to tokenize select stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and US Treasury securities while maintaining the same investor protections and ownership rights as traditional assets.

Related: Franklin Templeton launches dedicated crypto division after closing 250 Digital acquisition

The transaction is also the latest step in Franklin Templeton’s expansion into tokenized financial assets. Earlier this year, the asset manager partnered with Binance to let institutions use tokenized money market fund shares as trading collateral while the assets remained in regulated custody, and with Ondo Finance to bring tokenized ETFs onto blockchain networks.

Governments expand tokenized bond initiatives

Governments have also been expanding efforts to bring sovereign debt onto blockchain infrastructure. Several jurisdictions have launched digital bond programs to test blockchain-based issuance, settlement and market infrastructure.

Hong Kong was among the first jurisdictions to issue tokenized government bonds, launching its inaugural digital green bond in 2023. The government completed its third digital green bond issuance in November 2025, raising HK$10 billion ($1.3 billion) across four currencies, which it said was the world’s largest digital bond issuance at the time.

Last month, Hong Kong said it would build a digital asset platform through the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to support the issuance and settlement of tokenized bonds, with plans to expand the infrastructure to other digital assets and connect it with tokenization platforms across the region.

Elsewhere, the UK government appointed HSBC Orion to support its Digital Gilt Instrument pilot, which is designed to test blockchain-based issuance, settlement and secondary trading of government bonds.

Meanwhile, tokenized US Treasury products have grown into a $14.6 billion market, according to data from RWA.xyz. The sector spans 84 on-chain products and is the largest segment of the tokenized real-world asset market.

Tokenized US treasuries. Source: RWA.xyz

Magazine: Bitcoin decouples from tech stocks, Ether eyes ‘selling wave’: Market Moves

Key Takeaways

• Meta is preparing to enter the AI cloud infrastructure space, positioning itself against established enterprise providers
• Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh indicated that inflationary pressures are subsiding while maintaining commitment to the 2% objective
• Major indexes including the S&P 500 and Dow Jones advanced as the second half of 2026 began
• Nike stock declined following cautious guidance on China market performance, overshadowing positive earnings results
• Crude oil values retreated as diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran reduced supply concern

Meta Prepares to Challenge Cloud Giants With AI Infrastructure Offering

Meta emerged as a standout performer following news that the technology giant is developing a standalone AI cloud infrastructure platform.

This strategic expansion would mark a significant departure from Meta’s traditional advertising-focused revenue model, positioning the company against entrenched cloud computing leaders serving artificial intelligence enterprise clients.

Market participants have demonstrated considerable enthusiasm for firms expanding AI infrastructure capabilities throughout this year. Meta’s substantial experience operating massive-scale AI systems across its social media ecosystem is viewed as a competitive advantage in penetrating this expanding market segment.

Warsh Signals Declining Inflation Threat at Federal Reserve

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh communicated to financial markets that inflationary threats have diminished, while emphasizing the central bank’s continued focus on achieving its 2% inflation benchmark.

His remarks preceded Thursday’s employment data for June, which market observers are scrutinizing for indicators regarding the trajectory of monetary policy adjustments.

For technology-oriented and expansion-focused equities, declining inflation expectations typically represent favorable conditions. Reduced borrowing costs generally enhance the present value of projected earnings, particularly benefiting companies in rapid-growth industries.

Equity Markets Maintain Upward Trajectory as New Half-Year Begins

U.S. stocks continued their positive momentum, with both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average recording advances on July’s opening trading session.

These gains follow what proved to be one of the most robust quarterly performances for equity markets since 2020. Market participants maintained their optimistic stance on long-term profit expansion despite persistent questions surrounding interest rate policy and economic conditions.

Semiconductor equities experienced modest headwinds throughout the trading day, though robust performance across industrial, healthcare, and consumer sectors provided sufficient support to keep broader market indices in positive territory.

Nike Shares Retreat Despite Earnings Success on China Market Concerns

Nike delivered quarterly financial results exceeding analyst projections, yet the stock declined following management’s cautious assessment of persistent challenges in the Chinese market.

Market participants concentrated on the company’s forward-looking statements rather than historical performance metrics. Leadership suggested the recovery timeline may extend beyond previous market expectations.

Nike’s quarterly performance serves as an important barometer for international consumer demand patterns. The market’s reaction to the report exemplifies a consistent theme throughout this earnings cycle — forward guidance carries greater weight than retrospective achievements.

Crude Oil Values Decline Following Diplomatic Progress With Iran

Crude oil prices retreated after diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran alleviated concerns regarding potential interruptions to global supply chains.

Declining energy prices help moderate inflationary forces while reducing operational expenses for sectors including aviation, retail distribution, and manufacturing operations.

Given inflation remains a primary consideration for market participants, developments in energy markets will continue receiving significant attention alongside forthcoming economic indicators.

Bitcoin has remained under pressure after U.S. spot ETFs recorded $222.64 million in outflows, while Changpeng Zhao has reiterated his belief that the cryptocurrency can reach $1 million over the next decade.

According to an interview Zhao gave to Block, the Binance founder argued that Bitcoin ownership remains extremely limited worldwide, with fewer than 1% of people currently holding the asset.

He said the low level of adoption leaves substantial room for future demand as more retail and institutional investors enter the market over multiple cycles.

Low ownership remains central to Zhao’s bullish outlook

Building on that argument, Zhao said Bitcoin could climb to around $600,000 during the next major market cycle, representing roughly a fivefold increase from current levels. He added that another cycle would only need to double that valuation for Bitcoin to reach the $1 million milestone, describing the scenario as achievable if adoption continues to expand.

Although Zhao acknowledged he could not predict exactly when those milestones would be reached, he maintained that long-term price appreciation would depend more on rising ownership than on short-term market speculation. He also noted that institutional participation, alongside continued retail adoption, could support Bitcoin’s value over time as ownership becomes more widespread.

Zhao’s comments come as long-term Bitcoin price forecasts remain a recurring topic across the digital asset industry, with several market participants continuing to argue that growing global acceptance could support higher valuations over the coming years.

Institutional demand pauses as technical resistance holds

While Zhao focused on Bitcoin’s long-term adoption story, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced a setback on June 30 after recording $222.64 million in net outflows. Data from SoSoValue showed BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for the largest withdrawal, posting $212.45 million in net outflows during the session.

Even with the daily withdrawals, cumulative net inflows across U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs stood at $51.15 billion, while total net assets remained at $70.95 billion. Daily trading volume reached $2.53 billion, indicating that investors continued to trade actively despite the temporary pullback in fund flows.

The ETF withdrawals also coincided with Bitcoin struggling to reclaim key technical levels. On the 4-hour chart, the cryptocurrency traded near $60,100, just above the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement around $60,065, while remaining below the Supertrend resistance near $60,900. A descending trendline connecting lower highs since mid-June continued to cap rallies, leaving sellers in control unless buyers reclaim nearby resistance.

If buyers manage to break above the Supertrend and the descending trendline, Bitcoin could target the 38.2% Fibonacci level near $61,444, followed by $62,559 at the 50% retracement. A sustained move beyond those barriers would expose the 61.8% Fibonacci level around $63,673, with the 78.6% retracement near $65,261 becoming the next major upside objective.

On the downside, losing the $60,065 Fibonacci support could increase selling pressure toward the recent swing low around $57,835. A break below that level would invalidate the current rebound attempt and leave Bitcoin vulnerable to a deeper decline if buyers fail to step in.

Momentum indicators, however, hinted at improving conditions. The MACD histogram has turned positive and the MACD lines have started curling higher, suggesting bearish momentum is fading even though a confirmed bullish trend reversal has yet to develop.

For now, Bitcoin’s short-term direction may depend on whether institutional demand returns after the latest ETF outflows.

A recovery above nearby resistance could strengthen the case for a move toward the mid-$63,000 region, while another rejection may keep attention on support near $57,800. Zhao’s $1 million forecast, meanwhile, continues to rest on a much longer timeline driven by rising global Bitcoin ownership rather than short-term fund flows.

Bitcoin BTC$60,192.70 rose 0.3% to $58,700 on Wednesday, showing a sliver of strength after spiking down to $57,700, the lowest point since September 2024, shortly after midnight UTC.

Ether (ETH) is at $1,580, having also experienced a slight relief bounce since 01:00 UTC.

U.S. equity index futures are lower since midnight UTC, with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures in the red by 0.2%-0.4%

Risk assets like crypto and tech stocks have been struggling in recent weeks as concerns of impending inflation have lifted the U.S. dollar and made traders cautious.

The altcoin market has been the hardest hit because it lacks the liquidity and demand to deal with precipitous moves to the downside and liquidation cascades.

Derivatives positioning

• A total of $395 million worth of crypto futures bets have been liquidated in 24 hours, with bullish plays accounting for most of the tally. That’s hardly surprising given BTC’s dip to lows under $58,000 early in the day.
• The real story is crude futures listed on crypto exchanges. They have seen liquidations worth $15 million, the fifth-largest tally among all tokens. The figure shows just how popular TradFi trading has become on crypto exchanges.
• BTC’s futures open interest (OI) jumped to 768K BTC from 740K BTC a day ago. While the influx of money is encouraging, it’s unclear whether the bias is for bullish or bearish bets. For instance, the annualized funding rates hover near 5%, hinting at a bullish bias, while the 24-hour cumulative volume delta is negative, suggesting bears are being more aggressive and trading with market orders rather than passive limit orders.
• Gold perpetual futures OI hit a record high of 222K XAU tokens. This comes as the metal’s spot price shows a bearish death cross, signaled by the 50-day simple moving average crossing below the 200-day SMA. Prominent gold ETFs are displaying a similar bearish pattern.
• Bitcoin and ether’s 30-day implied volatility indexes are steady after June’s double-digit gains. Bitcoin’s index, BVIV, is now hemmed between the 200-day average as resistance and the 50-day as support. A break above the 200-day MA might mean new turbulence and a deeper price slide.
• On Deribit, bitcoin and ether puts remain pricier than calls across all time frames as traders seek downside protection.
• Key flows at over-the-counter desk Paradigm featured demand for the September expiry bitcoin put at the $50K strike price. This is a bet that prices could slide below $50K by the end of the third quarter. Meanwhile, someone lifted a SOL call option at the $86 strike. The token is currently trading around $75.

Token talk

• While the broader altcoin market is struggling, Solana-based DeFi token jupiter (JUP) has posted a trend reversal, rising by 11% since midnight UTC with a 55% increase in daily trading volume.
• The increase comes alongside a jump in total value locked (TVL), with the protocol, a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator. TVL has risen to more than 20 million SOL from 13.9 million in May.
• Stellar lumens (XLM) extended gains, rising from $0.168 on Sunday to $0.196, an increase of 17%.
• The strong performance of a select few altcoins kept CoinMarketCap’s “Altcoin Season” index sticky at around 48/100 after ending June little changed despite weakness across the sector.
• AI tokens have been the recipient of that weakness. Bittensor (TAO) lost 2.5% on Wednesday and is now down by over 30% since June 15.

Key Takeaways

• OPEN shares climbed more than 9% Wednesday, reaching approximately $5.05
• Russell 3000 Index welcomed Opendoor, with inclusion taking effect June 26
• Leadership compensation structure emphasizes performance metrics, attracting investor focus
• Eric Jackson from EMJ Capital projects $82 per share by 2028 and $500 by 2033
• Options traders showed strong conviction: 99,802 call contracts at double normal volume, Put/Call Ratio at 0.14

Opendoor Technologies (OPEN) shares surged over 9% during Wednesday’s session, reaching the $5.05 level, fueled by a combination of benchmark index entry, optimistic Wall Street commentary, and aggressive derivatives positioning in the proptech name.

Opendoor Technologies Inc., OPEN

The rally followed confirmation that Opendoor secured a spot in the Russell 3000 Index, officially taking effect at market close on June 26. Such benchmark additions typically trigger institutional buying from passive funds replicating the index composition.

Market participants have also taken note of CEO Kaz Nejatian’s compensation framework, which emphasizes performance-driven incentives. This structure demonstrates executive alignment with shareholder value creation over the long haul rather than guaranteed base compensation.

The most vocal optimist remains Eric Jackson from EMJ Capital, who has characterized Opendoor as experiencing “real estate’s Tesla moment.” Jackson projects the stock could reach $82 per share by 2028, with an ambitious long-range forecast of $500 by 2033.

Jackson’s investment case centers on Opendoor’s vertical integration strategy, asset class ownership, and possibilities around real estate tokenization. While extremely aggressive, the thesis has captured market attention.

Chart Analysis and Key Price Levels

Examining the technical picture, OPEN currently trades 12.7% above its 20-day simple moving average of $4.51 and 5.8% above its 50-day average at $4.81. This positioning indicates near-term momentum favors buyers.

The extended timeframe presents a more complicated scenario. Shares remain 14.6% beneath the 200-day moving average of $5.96, indicating the long-term trend hasn’t completely reversed course.

The MACD indicator sits above its signal line with positive histogram readings, suggesting strengthening momentum. However, the death cross formation from March — when the 50-day average dropped below the 200-day — remains a technical headwind signaling unresolved long-term weakness.

Critical resistance appears at $5.50, a psychological level where previous rallies have encountered selling pressure. Downside support emerges at $4.50, coinciding with the 20-day moving average zone.

Derivatives Activity Signals Bullish Positioning

The options arena delivered perhaps the most compelling signal Wednesday. Total call volume reached 99,802 contracts in OPEN, approximately double normal activity levels.

The most heavily traded positions included the July 2nd weekly $5 calls and $5.50 calls, combining for nearly 32,200 contracts. Implied volatility expanded more than 3 points to 85.43%.

The Put/Call Ratio registered just 0.14 — an extremely low reading indicating traders are predominantly positioned for continued upside movement in coming sessions.

Opendoor is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on August 6.