Phantom has hired three Ventuals creators after the Hyperliquid-based project shut down its OpenAI and Anthropic perpetual futures markets.

Phantom CEO Brandon Millman said Alvin Hsia, Emily Hsia and Aris Samad, who created Ventuals, have joined the company’s trading and data teams.

U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded $4.5 billion in net outflows in June, their worst month since launching in January 2024, per SoSoValue data.

The previous record was $3.48 billion in February 2025. June’s figure beat that by 29%.

BlackRock’s IBIT, the largest fund by assets, accounted for $3.55 billion of the monthly total alone, including $212 million on June 30, the ninth consecutive day of net outflows. Total ETF assets have fallen to about $71 billion from roughly $83 billion at the start of the month.

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Two events may have set the streak in motion. SpaceX debuted June 12 and within days had absorbed billions in risk capital, with retail buying on its first trading day breaking all single-session records and the offering raising $75 billion in total.

Five days later, Kevin Warsh’s first Fed meeting as chair turned the dot plot toward hikes, took rate cuts off the table, and gave institutions a reason to reduce exposure to volatile assets.

Anthropic has said it will restore public access to Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 after U.S. authorities lifted export restrictions that had kept the company’s two most advanced AI models offline since June 12.

According to Anthropic, the decision followed “a series of productive conversations” with the U.S. government, after which the company began redeploying the models with new classifiers designed to identify and block more cybersecurity-related tasks.

The company said the latest safeguards are meant to address government concerns linked to possible misuse if the systems are bypassed through jailbreak methods.

The restrictions had forced Anthropic to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all users earlier this month, after a U.S. government export control directive instructed the company to block both models for all foreign nationals. 

In its June 13 statement, Anthropic said the order also covered foreign-national employees working inside the company, prompting it to disable the models entirely to ensure compliance.

U.S. government clears redeployment after review

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said on X on Wednesday that officials had worked with Anthropic over the past two weeks to review and approve Fable 5 while keeping the model aligned with U.S. government requirements.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also said on X that the government’s priority was to get the best AI technology deployed “as quickly and safely as possible.”

The intervention came after officials became aware of a report in which Amazon researchers found a method to bypass Fable 5’s safeguards and make the model identify software vulnerabilities. 

Anthropic, however, has argued that the reported issue was not unique to Fable 5, saying weaker models could also identify the same vulnerabilities and produce similar exploit-related output.

In its earlier response to the order, the company said authorities had presented only verbal evidence of what it described as a narrow, non-universal jailbreak. Anthropic said such a method did not remove a model’s safety protections across a wide range of tasks, unlike a universal jailbreak.

“We disagree that the finding of a narrow potential jailbreak should be cause for recalling a commercial model deployed to hundreds of millions of people. If this standard was applied across the industry, we believe it would essentially halt all new model deployments for all frontier model providers.”

The company had also warned that treating a narrow jailbreak as a reason to recall a commercial frontier model could affect the entire AI industry if applied as a general standard.

Restrictions on Anthropic have raised policy concerns outside the United States as well. On June 29, Austria urged the European Union to explore establishing Anthropic within the bloc, with State Secretary for Digitalization Alexander Proell arguing in a letter that Europe should not risk losing access to major AI advances because of decisions made elsewhere.

Anthropic expands cooperation on AI safety

Alongside the model redeployment, Anthropic said it is increasing cooperation with the U.S. government on model testing, safeguards, and misuse tracking. The company said this will include pre-release access to models and safety systems for evaluation, information sharing on jailbreaks and misuse, and dedicated resources for joint research.

Anthropic has also started drafting a framework with Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other partners through Project Glasswing, a cybersecurity collaboration announced in April, to assess the severity of AI jailbreaks. The company said the framework is being developed as a consensus effort for classifying jailbreak risks.

The access debate came as Anthropic has continued its push for stricter frontier AI oversight. In its June 11 “Policy on the AI Exponential” proposal, the company called for testing requirements, independent evaluations, cybersecurity standards, and enforcement measures for advanced AI systems, citing potential biological, cybersecurity, and operational risks.

Key Takeaways

• On June 26, XRP touched $1.009, marking its lowest level since November 2024
• Despite the price decline, XRP spot ETF inflows remained in positive territory
• Technical analysis reveals a sustained downtrend originating from July 2025
• Open Interest has found equilibrium around 400 million XRP, indicating reduced speculative fervor
• Bullish divergence patterns on daily timeframes hint at potentially weakening bearish momentum near the $1 threshold

On June 26, 2026, XRP declined to $1.009, representing the token’s lowest point since it last visited these levels in November 2024.

The decline occurred against a backdrop of continuing positive flows into XRP spot exchange-traded funds. Market participants continued accumulating through these investment vehicles despite downward price momentum.

While ETF accumulation reduces circulating supply available for trading, this dynamic has yet to catalyze upward price movement given prevailing market sentiment.

Overall market appetite for XRP has diminished considerably over recent months, accompanied by a notable contraction in speculative trading activity.

Technical Analysis Overview

The daily timeframe reveals XRP locked in a downward trajectory that originated in July 2025. The decisive break beneath the April 2025 swing low at $1.61, which occurred in February, validated the bearish market structure.

Following this breakdown, XRP consolidated within a defined range for multiple months. Late May witnessed an aggressive selling wave that shattered this consolidation pattern and accelerated the downside move.

A temporary recovery pushed prices toward $1.30 before momentum faded, leaving XRP hovering around $1.05.

Futures market data indicates Open Interest has stabilized at approximately 400 million XRP. The corresponding Open Interest Turnover Ratio has maintained levels near 0.71.

According to analyst Arab Chain, market participants should monitor these indicators for sudden increases. Rapid expansion in either Open Interest or turnover ratio typically precedes elevated volatility periods.

Examining the 4-hour chart, XRP rallied to $1.2935 during mid-June. This advance reached the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement zone around $1.2985 before encountering renewed selling pressure.

Should the bearish trajectory persist, potential downside objectives emerge at $0.975 and $0.854. Market probabilities favored a breach below $1 during July.

Potential Support Dynamics

An alternative technical interpretation presents a more constructive outlook. XRP has consistently rebounded from the $0.90-$1.00 zone, establishing this region as durable support through multiple challenges.

The $1.13 level has transitioned from support into resistance. A successful reclaim of this threshold would indicate emerging bullish momentum.

A bullish divergence pattern on daily charts has persisted for approximately one week. Such formations typically suggest diminishing selling intensity rather than imminent capitulation.

On social platforms, trader Celal Kucuker stated XRP should maintain current support levels and projected a potential climb to $10 within the next twelve months, acknowledging significant volatility along that path.

Technical analyst ChartNerd identified a repeating accumulation structure observed during previous bear cycles, highlighting historical drawdowns ranging from 85% to 96% spanning 14 to 37 months, contrasting with the current 72% retracement over 11 months.

The immediate focus centers on the $1.00 threshold. Maintaining this level preserves the possibility of retesting $1.13 resistance, while a breakdown would expose the $0.87-$0.90 support zone.

Taiwanese lawmakers on Tuesday passed a law to establish a regulatory framework for crypto, which includes licensing and rules for stablecoins.

The country’s financial watchdog, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), said that the Legislative Yuan passed the law requiring all virtual asset service providers, or VASPs, to get approval from the regulator to operate.

The law also says stablecoins issued in the country must get approval from the central bank and the FSC, and issuers must maintain sufficient reserves with a trustee and undergo regular audits.

The law is the first to regulate crypto and stablecoins in Taiwan, bringing it in line with other nations in the region, such as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, that have long passed laws to regulate the sector in a bid to attract the industry.

The FSC said the bill further strengthens the protection of traders’ rights and that issuing stablecoins will help Taiwan integrate with the international market and secure a place in the global crypto market.

Source: Cointelegraph

Taiwan’s rules outline seven types of VASPs, including exchanges, trading platforms, custodians and lenders, which will all be subject to rules for internal control and audits, cybersecurity systems, crypto listing and delisting rules, customer asset segregation and financial reporting.

The rules outlaw crypto-based fraud and price manipulation, with violators facing between three and 10 years in prison and fines ranging from about 10 million New Taiwan dollars ($300,000) to 200 million New Taiwan dollars ($6.3 million).

Those caught operating a VASP or issuing a stablecoin without a license face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to 100 million New Taiwan dollars ($3.1 million), Taiwan’s national news agency, CNA, reported on Tuesday. 

Related: US ban on stablecoin yield could see others fill the void: Ledger exec

The implementation date of the bill is still to be determined, and the law will take effect only after it is published by the government’s executive branch.

The FSC said VASPs that complete anti-money laundering registration before the bill is implemented, and institutions that provide related services under the agency, should apply for a license within 12 months after the bill is implemented.

CNA reported that lawmakers also passed a resolution asking the FSC to propose a plan within a year outlining how the crypto industry can provide derivative crypto commodity services, with the aim of providing diversified investments and improving the sector’s health.

Asia Express: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers

Anthropic is restoring access to its two most advanced AI models after the U.S. government lifted the export controls that forced it to pull them last month.

The controls on Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 were removed on June 30, the company said. Fable 5 returns globally on July 1 across Anthropic’s platforms, while Mythos 5, which shares the same underlying model but carries fewer safety restrictions, is being restored to a set of U.S. organizations after government approval on June 26.

The freeze dated to June 12, when the government applied export controls, rules that limit which foreign nationals can access a technology, to both models.

Because the order took effect immediately and Anthropic could not verify users’ nationality in real time, it suspended access for everyone rather than risk breaching the rule.

The trigger was a cybersecurity finding after Amazon researchers reported a way to bypass Fable 5’s safeguards, a technique known as a jailbreak, prompting the model to identify software vulnerabilities and, in one case, produce code showing how one could be exploited.

For years, Bitcoin has been viewed primarily as a store of value—a digital asset designed to preserve wealth rather than actively generate it. While decentralized finance (DeFi) has transformed blockchains like Ethereum by enabling lending, borrowing, staking, and yield generation, Bitcoin has largely remained on the sidelines.

That narrative is rapidly changing.

Bitcoin Finance, commonly known as BTCFi, is emerging as one of the fastest-growing sectors in decentralized finance. By unlocking Bitcoin’s liquidity and allowing BTC holders to participate in financial applications without selling their assets, BTCFi has the potential to become the next multi-billion-dollar market.

What Is BTCFi?

BTCFi refers to the ecosystem of decentralized financial services built around Bitcoin. Rather than simply holding BTC in a wallet, users can now:

• Earn yield on idle Bitcoin
• Borrow stablecoins using BTC as collateral
• Provide liquidity to decentralized exchanges
• Participate in decentralized lending markets
• Trade Bitcoin-based assets
• Access structured financial products
• Use Bitcoin in cross-chain DeFi ecosystems

The goal is simple: transform Bitcoin from passive capital into productive capital.

Why the Timing Is Right

Several major developments have aligned to make BTCFi more viable than ever.

Bitcoin Holds Massive Untapped Liquidity

Bitcoin remains the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, representing hundreds of billions of dollars in value. Yet only a small fraction of this capital is actively used in DeFi.

Even modest participation from long-term Bitcoin holders could inject enormous liquidity into decentralized financial markets.

Institutional Interest Is Growing

The approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), increasing corporate treasury adoption, and rising institutional investment have strengthened Bitcoin’s position as a mainstream financial asset.

As institutions seek additional yield opportunities, BTCFi offers ways to generate returns while maintaining Bitcoin exposure.

Better Infrastructure Is Finally Here

Early attempts to bring DeFi to Bitcoin struggled due to limited programmability.

Today, new technologies are changing the landscape:

• Bitcoin Layer-2 networks
• Sidechains
• Cross-chain bridges
• Smart contract platforms secured by Bitcoin
• Native Bitcoin lending protocols

These innovations make sophisticated financial applications possible without compromising Bitcoin’s core security model.

The Rise of Bitcoin Layer-2 Networks

Scaling solutions are becoming the backbone of BTCFi.

Modern Layer-2 ecosystems enable:

• Faster transactions
• Lower transaction fees
• Smart contract execution
• Better user experiences
• Expanded developer ecosystems

These improvements create the foundation necessary for a thriving Bitcoin financial ecosystem.

New Yield Opportunities

One of BTCFi’s biggest attractions is allowing Bitcoin holders to earn passive income.

Instead of letting BTC sit idle in cold storage, users can:

• Supply liquidity
• Lend assets
• Participate in decentralized money markets
• Stake wrapped or tokenized Bitcoin in supported ecosystems
• Earn protocol incentives

This represents a significant shift from Bitcoin’s traditional “buy and hold” strategy.

Expanding Use Cases

BTCFi is moving beyond basic lending.

Emerging applications include:

• Decentralized exchanges
• Stablecoin collateralization
• Prediction markets
• Tokenized real-world assets
• On-chain derivatives
• Cross-chain liquidity protocols
• Automated yield strategies
• AI-powered financial management

As these applications mature, Bitcoin becomes increasingly integrated into the broader decentralized economy.

Why Developers Are Paying Attention

Developers are increasingly building products around Bitcoin because of its unmatched security, liquidity, and global recognition.

Innovative startups are creating:

• Native Bitcoin lending markets
• Bitcoin-backed stablecoins
• Cross-chain liquidity hubs
• Decentralized trading infrastructure
• Institutional-grade custody solutions
• Advanced financial automation tools

A growing developer ecosystem typically leads to stronger network effects and increased adoption.

Challenges Still Remain

Despite its promise, BTCFi is still in its early stages.

Some of the biggest challenges include:

• Cross-chain security risks
• Smart contract vulnerabilities
• Limited user education
• Liquidity fragmentation
• Regulatory uncertainty
• User experience complexity

Addressing these issues will be essential for sustainable long-term growth.

Why BTCFi Could Become a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry

Several factors support BTCFi’s long-term growth potential:

• Bitcoin possesses the largest liquidity base in crypto.
• Infrastructure has matured significantly over the past few years.
• Institutional demand for Bitcoin-based financial products continues to increase.
• Developers are launching innovative protocols at a rapid pace.
• More users are seeking passive income opportunities without selling their BTC.
• Cross-chain technology continues to improve accessibility and capital efficiency.

If only a small percentage of Bitcoin’s total market value becomes actively utilized within decentralized finance, the BTCFi ecosystem could expand into one of the largest sectors in the blockchain industry.

Looking Ahead

BTCFi represents the next phase in Bitcoin’s evolution.

Instead of serving solely as digital gold, Bitcoin is increasingly becoming a productive financial asset capable of powering lending markets, liquidity pools, payments, and decentralized financial infrastructure.

While the sector remains young, its momentum is accelerating. Continued innovation in Layer-2 solutions, interoperability, security, and institutional adoption could transform BTCFi from a promising niche into a foundational pillar of decentralized finance.

For investors, developers, and long-term Bitcoin holders alike, BTCFi is more than just another trend—it is a growing movement aimed at unlocking the full economic potential of the world’s most valuable digital asset.

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