A bipartisan group of US senators led by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis has urged the Treasury to ensure that state authorities are given the ability to regulate stablecoin issuers as the department considers how to implement the GENIUS Act.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday, the lawmakers said it was critical that the Treasury implement a section of the law giving a pathway for certain issuers to be regulated by the states “in a manner that preserves and promotes State participation.”

The GENIUS Act allows issuers that have a stablecoin with a market value of $10 billion or less to be regulated by a state authority if that state has laws largely similar to the bill.

Currently, that would mean all stablecoins but three, Tether (USDt), USDC (USDC) and USDS (USDS), formerly Dai (DAI), could be regulated by the states, as all have a market value above $10 billion, according to CoinGecko.

In April, the Treasury sought public input for how it plans to implement the GENIUS Act at the state level, rules that President Donald Trump signed into law in July that regulate stablecoins and their issuers.

President Donald Trump signing the GENIUS Act in July 2025. Source: The White House

“Congress clearly sought to preserve the dual banking system and the crucial role of State banking agencies in supervising this market,” the senators said in their letter.

They added that the Treasury’s proposal “did not address the timeline and procedural requirements related to State certification.” They argued this created “uncertainty for States” and could be interpreted as the process being “a one-time window that effectively bars future certifications.”

The lawmakers said that state legislatures vary, and a flexible certification framework was needed to ensure that states can participate when they have rules implementing the GENIUS Act.

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“States must be able to develop and seek certification of stablecoin regulatory regimes as demand for these charters materializes and as legislative schedules permit,” the letter said. 

Republican Senators Bill Hagerty, Kevin Cramer and Pete Ricketts, along with Democratic Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Angela Alsobrooks, and Catherine Cortez Masto, also signed the letter.

Public comments on the Treasury’s proposal closed on June 2, and it will now draft a final rule for publication in the Federal Register.

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State Street has launched a government money market fund tailored for stablecoin issuers as new U.S. regulations begin to define how reserve assets can be managed under the GENIUS Act.

According to State Street, the newly introduced State Street Stablecoin Reserves Money Market Fund is structured as a registered Rule 2a-7 government money market fund and is designed to help stablecoin issuers meet reserve requirements established under the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which became law in July 2025.

The product represents one of the earliest efforts by a major traditional asset manager to create an investment vehicle specifically aligned with the federal stablecoin framework. State Street Bank and Trust Company and crypto-focused bank Anchorage Digital are serving as initial backers of the fund.

Commenting on the launch, State Street Chief Executive Officer Yie-Hsin Hung said:

“With the GENIUS Act, a clear framework has been established for how stablecoin reserves can be invested.”

Hung added that the firm’s cash management business has historically focused on principal preservation, liquidity, and income.

Stablecoin issuers gain new reserve option

For stablecoin companies, reserve quality is becoming increasingly important as regulatory standards evolve.

Anchorage Digital co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Nathan McCauley described stablecoins as core financial infrastructure and said reserve management will play a larger role as the sector expands.

According to McCauley, the fund combines State Street Investment Management’s experience in cash management with Anchorage Digital’s regulated digital asset infrastructure under the new regulatory framework.

The launch arrives as large financial institutions continue introducing products tied to tokenized cash and digital asset settlement. Earlier this year, JPMorgan unveiled a similar fund structure intended to place stablecoin reserves on-chain.

BlackRock has also entered the segment through a tokenized money market fund that provides an option for stablecoin-related liquidity management.

Recent activity suggests State Street has been steadily building its digital asset presence. As reported by crypto.news in January, the firm unveiled a platform supporting tokenized deposits, stablecoins, and crypto-backed funds for institutional clients.

At the time, the Boston-based custodian said it planned to develop and manage money market funds and exchange-traded funds alongside its asset management division and third-party managers.

The announcement followed State Street’s December 2025 partnership with Galaxy Digital to launch a tokenized fund for institutional investors.

Stablecoin market growth attracts major institutions

State Street’s latest launch comes as market participants project significant growth in stablecoin issuance over the coming years.

According to estimates cited by the company, global stablecoin issuance could grow to between $1.9 trillion and $4 trillion by 2030. The forecast has encouraged both traditional financial firms and crypto-native companies to develop infrastructure designed to support reserve management, liquidity, and settlement services.

Alongside the new reserve fund, State Street recently introduced the State Street Galaxy Onchain Liquidity Sweep Fund, or WEEP, a tokenized liquidity vehicle built to support around-the-clock on-chain cash management.

Institutional interest in digital assets has also appeared in other parts of State Street’s portfolio. In May, regulatory filings showed the firm increased its exposure to Bitcoin-focused asset manager Strive Asset Management by approximately 770% after purchasing nearly one million shares of the company’s publicly traded stock.

The transaction was valued at roughly $17.7 million and lifted State Street’s total stake to nearly one million shares, according to the filing.

Binance has launched tokenized SpaceX shares as trading demand pushes the company’s valuation above $3 trillion and drives a surge in SpaceX-linked crypto products.

According to a June 12 announcement from Binance, the exchange has listed SPCXB, a tokenized version of SpaceX stock, on its spot market, with trading for the SPCXB/USDT pair going live at 17:00 UTC.

Binance also enabled automated trading tools for the new pair from launch and introduced a zero maker fee promotion that will remain in effect through the end of August 2026.

A few days after trading opened, deposits and withdrawals for the token became available, allowing users to move the asset on and off the platform.

The listing arrives as investor interest in SpaceX-related products continues to grow across both traditional and crypto markets. According to Binance data cited in its announcement, the exchange now controls more than 60% of the market for SpaceX perpetual futures trading.

SpaceX products dominate Binance trading activity

Activity in derivatives markets has increased even faster than spot demand. Binance data shows that its SPCXUSDT perpetual futures contract has become the second-most traded futures product on the platform, ranking behind only Bitcoin futures.

The rapid rise in trading volumes highlights strong demand from traders seeking exposure to SpaceX through crypto-native products. Binance has increasingly expanded its tokenized equity lineup as investors look for alternative ways to access high-profile technology and private-market companies.

Recent additions to the exchange’s bStocks program include tokenized versions of Circle, Nvidia, Tesla, Micron, and Sandisk. The SpaceX launch adds one of the world’s most closely watched private companies to that growing list.

Competition intensifies in tokenized equity markets

The rollout also comes shortly after rival exchanges encountered difficulties offering SpaceX-linked tokenized products.

As previously reported by crypto.news, Coinbase recently launched tokenized shares backed one-for-one by underlying stock for companies including SpaceX, Nvidia, Google, Strategy, and Bitmine.

According to Coinbase, those assets provide direct ownership rights, allow holders to receive dividends linked to the underlying shares, and can be bought, sold, redeemed, and held on-chain.

Coinbase’s launch followed problems faced by competing platforms during the highly anticipated SpaceX public listing. Binance and Bybit had earlier promoted SpaceX-related tokenized offerings, but those initiatives were later withdrawn after tokenization provider xStocks failed to deliver the underlying SPCX shares required to support the products.

Positioning its own service differently, Coinbase stated that its infrastructure was designed to support ownership rights and dividend payments through fully backed tokenized equities.

Meanwhile, enthusiasm surrounding SpaceX remained strong. According to Yahoo Finance data, SpaceX shares traded around $206.44, up roughly 5% on the session after earlier climbing as much as 17.2% to an intraday high of $225.64. The stock also touched a session low of $195.13 before giving back part of its gains.

The move briefly lifted SpaceX’s valuation above $3 trillion, extending the gains recorded since its public market debut and further increasing the value of Elon Musk’s stake in the company.

Since June 3, more than 720 million XRP (XRP) tokens have left crypto exchanges, and Upbit’s share of XRP wallet flows has climbed to its highest level since May 2024. 

The shift comes as XRP rebounded to $1.30 on Monday, with large holder activity continuing to dominate exchange flows and market indicators signal an ideal accumulation period amid lingering weakness. 

Whales dominate XRP exchange flows

Data from CryptoQuant shows that XRP’s multi-exchange daily outflow indicates repeated withdrawals of more than 1 million XRP per transaction. Between June 3 and June 14, major crypto platforms recorded roughly 722 million XRP in large daily outflows, highlighting the most sustained activity from whale-sized wallets since early February. Binance whales led the outflows, with 425 million XRP.

XRP exchange daily outflows above 1 million tokens. Source: CryptoQuant

While large withdrawals do not confirm accumulation, they reduce the amount of XRP immediately available for sale on exchange order books.

A separate exchange-flow metric points to a growing concentration of XRP wallet activity on Upbit. According to crypto analyst Amr Taha, Upbit’s XRP net wallet flow dominance climbed to 31% on June 14, up from 13% a week ago, its highest level since May 2024.

Taha said XRP’s 5% rebound to $1.30 on Monday coincided with a clear rotation toward Upbit. Deposit-wallet activity became increasingly concentrated on the South Korean exchange while several major platforms lost market share. 

Another Binance metric shows whales continue to dominate XRP outflows. The Binance Whale vs. Retail Spread measures the difference between whale-sized withdrawals of 100,000 XRP or more and retail-sized withdrawals below that threshold.

The spread currently stands near 90%, indicating that large holders still account for the majority of XRP outflows on Binance. Last month, Taha noted that repeated declines toward the May 2024 range suggested a shift in Binance’s withdrawal profile from the 2024-2025 bullish period.

XRP’s Binance whale vs. retail spread (%). Source: CryptoQuant

While the indicator should not be viewed as a direct bullish or bearish signal, the analyst said that it tracks withdrawal behavior rather than exchange selling activity.

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XRP Sharpe ratio stays below zero: What does it mean? 

XRP’s Sharpe ratio remains in negative territory, a zone that has historically aligned with bearish consolidation phases for the asset.

This metric evaluates returns relative to volatility, helping assess whether investors are adequately compensated for the risk they take. XRP recorded a Sharpe ratio of -1.097 in September 2022 when the token traded near $0.33. The cycle later peaked near 2.07 in January 2025 as XRP approached $3.14.

XRP Sharpe ratio. Source: CryptoQuant

The current reading stands near -0.36, dropping from a positive ratio of 0.18 in May. According to CryptoQuant, XRP has historically produced some of its strongest gains when the Sharpe ratio was negative. The average returns during those periods exceeded 50%, while gains often moderated once the ratio entered positive territory.

However, in April, market analyst Teddy said deep negative Sharpe readings for XRP often coincide with periods of “market pain” rather than efficient trends. Those phases have historically created conditions associated with long-term accumulation zones, but further downside remains possible. 

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Defend American Jobs, the cryptocurrency company-backed political action committee (PAC) affiliated with Fairshake, reported spending millions of dollars to support a Republican candidate’s run for a US Senate seat in the party’s Tuesday primary runoff in Alabama.

As of Tuesday, filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) showed that Defend American Jobs had spent more than $4.7 million on media and ads to back Republican Barry Moore’s candidacy in a runoff for one of Alabama’s US Senate seats, adding to the $7.4 million it reported spending ahead of his May 20 primary. Moore, who also has the endorsement of US President Donald Trump, is running against Jared Hudson, another Republican vying to replace Tommy Tuberville, who announced that he would not be seeking reelection, as he is focused on becoming the state’s next governor.

Source: Federal Election Commission

The Coinbase-affiliated advocacy organization Stand With Crypto rated Hudson as “neutral” on crypto policy compared to Moore’s “strongly supports crypto,” based on public statements and Moore’s voting records while representing Alabama’s 1st Congresssional district. Hudson publicly acknowledged that “Big Crypto” did not back his candidacy, but he has supported the crypto market structure bill under consideration in the US Senate.

The Alabama runoff will be another test of the crypto industry’s influence in US elections, with Fairshake and its affiliates having already poured millions of dollars into media for candidates facing primaries in Texas and California. Following Tuesday’s vote in Alabama, the PACs will also have stakes in Maryland and New York later this month, backing Democrats Adrian Boafo and Ritchie Torres with about $5 million and $500,000 in media buys for House seats, respectively.

Related: Crypto PAC-supported candidates sweep US state primaries after media buys

The Blockchain Leadership Fund, a hybrid PAC backed by Anchorage Digital and Chainlink, announced its support for Moore in May, but FEC filings showed no related expenditures as of Tuesday. The Fellowship PAC, another PAC backed by $11 million from Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage, disclosed $350,000 in spending to support Moore’s run.

Fairshake reported holding a $193 million war chest as of January, setting the stage for significant potential influence in this year’s US House and Senate races. The PAC has publicly stated its intention to “oppose anti-crypto politicians and support pro-crypto leaders” through media and ads.

Majority control of Senate can determine passage of crypto-related bills

With Democrats having been in the minority in both the House and Senate in the current session of Congress, the party is fighting to regain control of both chambers starting in 2027. Republicans currently hold a slim majority on both sides of the Capitol, enabling them to set the agenda for policies, including crypto-related legislation like the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act. The bill passed the House in July 2025 but has faced delays in the Senate amid debates over stablecoin rewards, ethics and tokenized equities.

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Hyperliquid’s HYPE token has surged to a new all-time high near $76.70 after a combination of ETF-related buying, rising platform activity, and a wave of short liquidations pushed the asset through key resistance levels.

According to data from crypto.news, Hyperliquid (HYPE) rose nearly 10% over the past 24 hours to a new all-time high of $76.70 on June 16 before stabilizing around $75.50 at press time. The token was up roughly 46% over the past week and more than 90% over the past month as growing platform activity, ETF-related demand, and protocol buybacks continued to support the rally.

Hyperliquid price rallied as asset manager Bitwise purchased approximately 77,100 HYPE tokens worth about $5.2 million to support its newly launched Bitwise Hyperliquid ETF.

The purchase arrived as HYPE was already trading near a major breakout zone, adding fresh spot demand to a market where supply has been steadily reduced through Hyperliquid’s protocol buyback system.

For the uninitiated, Hyperliquid directs 97% of trading fees toward buying and burning HYPE, creating persistent demand for the token. As prices moved above the closely watched $70 level, traders holding leveraged bearish positions were forced to cover, triggering a rapid liquidation cascade that accelerated the rally toward a record high.

Platform activity has strengthened demand

Beyond the ETF purchase, trading activity on Hyperliquid has continued to expand at a rapid pace.

The platform’s SpaceX pre-IPO perpetual futures contract generated roughly $1.2 billion in trading volume during the past week. The contract has attracted substantial trader interest and helped boost overall activity across the exchange.

Growing volumes have translated into higher market share. According to data from CoinGlass, Hyperliquid recently captured about 8.3% of global perpetual futures open interest, with total open interest climbing above $9.6 billion. The same figures indicate annualized protocol revenue has exceeded $1 billion.

Those revenues feed directly into the buyback mechanism that continuously purchases HYPE from the market. As a result, investors have increasingly focused on platform usage metrics alongside token price action.

Recent trading activity has also helped absorb concerns surrounding a scheduled token unlock earlier this month. Roughly $700 million worth of HYPE entered circulation during the event, yet demand generated by exchange activity and protocol purchases proved sufficient to prevent prolonged selling pressure.

Technical structure points to higher resistance levels

Technical indicators have remained supportive despite the sharp advance.

On the four-hour chart, HYPE broke above the 0.618 and 0.786 Fibonacci resistance levels near $67.7 and $71.8 before reaching the 1.0 extension around $77. The next major Fibonacci target is located near $91.9, while former resistance around $71.8 and $67.7 has become an important support area.

Daily charts show HYPE testing the Murrey Math 8/8 resistance level at $75. A sustained move above that zone could expose the next resistance levels near $81.25 and $87.50, according to the indicator framework. Meanwhile, positive Chaikin Money Flow readings suggest capital continues entering the asset despite profit-taking following the breakout.

Support for the rally has also come from regulatory developments. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig recently defended the approval of perpetual futures products through regulated U.S. venues, a position that several market participants interpreted as constructive for decentralized derivatives platforms.

While Bitcoin has been trading in a relatively narrow range ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision under Chair Kevin Warsh, traders have continued allocating capital toward Hyperliquid. The move has helped HYPE separate from the performance of many larger cryptocurrencies and push into the ranks of the market’s largest digital assets by valuation.

Ripple is taking a deeper bet on Africa’s cross-border payments market by buying an equity stake in Flutterwave, according to Bloomberg. The investment positions Ripple as a shareholder in one of Africa’s best-known fintechs while also setting up closer integration between Flutterwave’s payment rails and Ripple’s stablecoin and blockchain infrastructure.

Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola said the undisclosed round values the company at $3.3 billion, as reported by Bloomberg. While the financial terms were not fully detailed, the strategic direction is clear: Flutterwave will embed Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, Ripple Payments, and the XRP Ledger to support faster and more cost-effective international transfers.

Key takeaways

• Ripple’s equity investment in Flutterwave makes it a shareholder rather than a commercial partner.
• Flutterwave plans to integrate RLUSD, Ripple Payments, and the XRP Ledger for cross-border transactions.
• Both companies are aligning around stablecoin-based payments, reflecting broader growth in Africa’s remittance market.
• Prior Ripple moves—such as custody partnerships—suggest a sustained strategy to serve institutional and enterprise needs in the region.

Equity stake plus payments integration

The deal combines two different layers of involvement. On one hand, Ripple is investing in Flutterwave, giving it direct exposure to the fintech’s growth across Africa. On the other, Flutterwave is set to integrate Ripple’s stablecoin and payments tooling to improve the performance of cross-border transfers.

Flutterwave operates in 35 African countries, and the company has been expanding its digital asset services. As part of this broader expansion, Flutterwave has been building stablecoin payment capabilities—an approach consistent with the market demand for lower-cost international transfers.

In the latest step, Flutterwave will incorporate RLUSD alongside Ripple Payments and the XRP Ledger. The stated goal is to make cross-border payments both quicker and cheaper. For users and businesses, the practical impact is the promise of more efficient settlement for remittances and international transactions, particularly where traditional rails can be slow or expensive.

Ripple’s move also adds a governance-and-incentives angle. Equity exposure can change how companies think about long-term scaling, especially in markets where partnerships and integrations often require substantial engineering and operational investment.

Why Africa is becoming a stablecoin battleground

Ripple’s stake in Flutterwave comes as stablecoins gain traction in Africa’s payments landscape, driven largely by remittance demand and persistent pressure to cut transaction fees. Chainalysis reported in September 2025 that crypto adoption in sub-Saharan Africa rose 52% over a 12-month period, with more than $205 billion in onchain transactions recorded. At the time, the region ranked as the world’s third-fastest-growing crypto market.

That growth matters for payment networks because stablecoins are often easier to integrate into commercial flows than highly volatile crypto assets. By using dollar-denominated tokens, providers can reduce the friction of pricing and settlement, while also potentially lowering transfer costs.

The competitive field is already crowded. Circle, for example, has partnered with African fintech Sasai to expand USDC-based payment services across the region, with an emphasis on remittances. Ripple’s Flutterwave integration shows that this ecosystem building is not limited to a single issuer or blockchain—different networks are converging on similar customer needs.

Cost comparisons help explain the urgency. The World Bank estimates that sending a typical $200 remittance to sub-Saharan Africa costs recipients between $13 and $17 in fees. In contrast, the World Bank estimates that transfers using USDt (USDT) on Tron can cost as little as $0.50, while USDC on Ethereum can cost around $2.

These figures don’t guarantee outcomes for every corridor or user—fees depend on rails, liquidity, compliance, and provider pricing—but they underscore why stablecoin-enabled transfers are appealing in markets where fee compression has been a longstanding problem.

Ripple’s Africa strategy: from custody to payments rails

This investment appears to fit a larger pattern in Ripple’s Africa push. Last October, Ripple partnered with South Africa’s Absa Bank to provide digital asset custody solutions to institutional clients. That earlier effort targeted a different segment of the market—institutions needing custody—rather than day-to-day cross-border transfers.

By moving from custody to direct payments integration, Ripple is effectively broadening its route to adoption. Institutional custody can be a prerequisite for some enterprises, but consumer- and SME-focused payment experiences are what ultimately drive transaction volume. Flutterwave’s footprint across 35 African countries gives Ripple a path to scale stablecoin-based rails through an established payments distribution network.

For Flutterwave, the approach also looks like a way to upgrade infrastructure rather than only add new features. Integrating RLUSD, Ripple Payments, and the XRP Ledger suggests a more foundational change to how cross-border transfers are executed, with potential implications for speed, settlement efficiency, and operational cost.

What to watch next

The immediate question for market participants is how quickly Flutterwave will roll out the RLUSD and Ripple Payments integrations and what performance improvements users and merchants experience in practice. Beyond the technical integration, the key watch item is whether stablecoin-enabled transfers continue gaining share in African remittance corridors as competitors expand similar services and pricing pressure intensifies.