Crypto World
Sam Bankman-Fried officially asks Donald Trump for a presidential pardon
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of collapsed crypto exchange FTX, formally sought a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump while serving a 25-year prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy.
The clemency application appeared Monday in records maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney. The case is listed as pending, meaning a clemency petition has been opened and is under review. The office said details of ongoing reviews are not publicly disclosed.
The former crypto executive, known by his initials SBF, was convicted in 2023 for orchestrating the fraud and conspiracy scheme that ultimately undid FTX, once one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges.
The company collapsed in November 2022 after CoinDesk reported on balance sheet concerns tied to affiliated trading firm Alameda Research, exposing an $8 billion hole in FTX’s accounts and triggering a run on customer deposits.
Bankman-Fried confirmed his interest in clemency during a recent interview with FOX Business.
“I assume that you would want a pardon from the White House?” FOX Business correspondent Susan Li asked him by phone. “Absolutely,” Bankman-Fried responded. “It would be obviously, you know, ultimately up to the president, not up to me.”
He declined to say whether members of his family were lobbying the administration on his behalf. SBF’s parents, Stanford Law School professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, have previously reached out to individuals in Trump’s orbit to explore a possible presidential pardon for their son. It’s not clear whether any direct discussions with White House officials took place.
The pardon request follows months of public statements from Bankman-Fried that have aligned with Trump’s positions. Writing through intermediaries using prison-approved communications, he has praised the president’s decision to launch strikes against Iran, argued that Trump helped “save” the Securities and Exchange Commission by replacing former Chair Gary Gensler with Paul Atkins and highlighted lower gasoline prices during Trump’s tenure.
He also appears to be following a playbook he wrote to try and ingratiate himself with Republicans after being seen as a Democratic mega-donor during the 2020 election. This playbook included items like appearing on Tucker Carlson’s show, something he did last year.
The outreach has drawn attention because Trump has shown a willingness to pardon high-profile defendants, including several figures tied to the crypto industry. Since returning to office, Trump has pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and the co-founders of BitMEX.
Still, Trump’s support is far from assured. In a January interview with The New York Times, the president said Bankman-Fried should not count on receiving clemency, grouping him with several other high-profile defendants he did not intend to pardon.
For now, Bankman-Fried remains incarcerated while his appeal efforts and clemency petition move through separate channels.
Crypto World
La Liga club Osasuna reportedly used Kalshi to hedge relegation risk
Spanish football club Osasuna attempted to hedge the impact of its relegation from the country’s top football league by buying a €1.2 million ($1.4 million) insurance policy involving a bet on the prediction market Kalshi.
The club revealed today that it purchased “insurance” from broker Howden, which would’ve guaranteed it €6 million ($6.9 million) in the event of relegation from La Liga and helped cover any subsequent financial losses.
It said, “Documents issued by Howden and LaLiga… confirm that such policies are routinely used by clubs and sports organizations to protect against financial contingencies related to their activity.”
This comes four days after Semafor reported that an unnamed Spanish football club placed a multi-million-dollar bet using Kalshi to hedge financial losses from relegation.
Osasuna lost its final game against Getafe 0-1. However, the goal difference was just enough to save the club from relegation. As a result, it lost the Kalshi bet but maintained its top-flight status.

Read more: Polymarket exploited for $700K in private key hack
Semafor also reported that trading firm Susquehanna was on the other side of the Osasuna relegation trade, and that risk analysis firm Game Point Capital orchestrated the trade. Susquehanna reportedly made over $1 million.
The club doesn’t mention either firm in its statement and only references Howden, which also doesn’t mention Kalshi or any other trading firms in its published certificate.
Osasuna added that, “The purchase of this policy was also reported to the chairman of the club’s Control Commission and will be included in a report that the commission plans to issue in the coming days about this and other current matters. The club’s auditors were also informed.”
Spain temporarily bans prediction markets
To make matters more interesting, three days after Osasuna’s game, the Spanish government temporarily banned prediction markets like Kalshi and rival Polymarket in the country for three to four months.
Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry reportedly claimed that the pair failed to secure a gambling licence and have been operating in the country without authorisation.
This distinction as to whether or not the pair constitute gambling has been a hotly debated topic among regulators.
Brazil banned Kalshi and Polymarket in April for breaching betting regulations, South Korean police are investigating Polymarket users for alleged illegal gambling, and legal cases across the US continue to argue over its regulatory status.
Read more: Israeli soldier allegedly used military secrets to gamble on Polymarket
Some more controversial prediction market hedges involved three US congressional candidates who were fined by Kalshi and suspended for five years after they bet on their own elections.
Earlier this month, Polymarket ended its paid partnership with Congressman George Santos after he bet, using Kalshi, on whether or not he would attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech.
Kalshi referred Santos to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which has since started an investigation into whether his actions constitute insider trading.
An editor for popular YouTuber Mr Beast was also fined by Kalshi for insider trading.
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Crypto World
This ChatGPT AI XRP Price Prediction Should Not Make Sense But It Does
Sam Altman ChatGPT AI just flagged XRP price prediction for a reclaim of the $3 to $5 range with a stretch target near $7 this cycle. The strange part is XRP is trading around $1.14 right now, so this call asks for a 3x to 6x climb from a level most holders are frustrated with.
The bull case starts with a simple flip in mindset. Back in late 2024 nobody would believe XRP holders could feel let down with price above $1, yet here we are.
Crypto has lagged the relentless run in stocks, but that mirrors past cycles where people called the space dead right before sentiment turned.

Fundamentally XRP may be in its strongest spot ever, with better regulatory clarity, rising institutional interest, expanding utility, and a far more mature market structure. If capital rotates back into crypto through 2026 and risk appetite warms up, that $3 to $5 reclaim and a push toward $7 looks realistic.
The bear case is slower grind, not collapse. If adoption keeps growing slower than people expect and capital stays parked in Bitcoin and equities, XRP could sit stuck between $1 and $2 for a long stretch.
That is the trap of a coin that is fundamentally fine but starved of fresh flows. Still, from a risk to reward angle, XRP looks much closer to the give up stage than the euphoria stage. History says that is often where the biggest moves get born.
XRP Price Prediction: Frustration Above 1 Dollar Is Where The Big Trades Hide
Now the chart. XRP price is on the daily and price sits at $1.14 after a long bleed down from the $3.60 top set last July.
The structure is a clean series of lower highs and lower lows, a textbook downtrend that just printed a fresh local low near $1.05. Pattern wise this is a descending staircase, and price is trying to put in a small bounce off that low.
Key support sits right here at $1.10, with the next shelf near $1.00 and major demand back at $0.80. Resistance stacks at $1.40, then $1.60, and the heavier zone at $1.80.
RSI is reading 30.88 with its signal line at 32.19. So momentum is sitting just under the average and pressing right into oversold territory.
That tight gap of about 1.3 points shows sellers are losing steam rather than pressing hard. A curl back above 32.19 would be the first hint that the bleed is done.
Tie it together and the chart is deeply beaten down, exactly the kind of base the prediction wants. Reclaim $1.40 and the door toward $3 and beyond starts to crack open.
Here is Why ChatGPT AI Prediction For LiquidChain is Bullish
Cycles do not reward patience at resistance. They reward positioning before the move.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP are all testing the same bands they have been stuck under for weeks. The macro catalyst is always one data print away. The institutional inflows are always one quarter away. The ceiling is visible, it is not moving, and everyone sitting in large caps waiting for a breakout is waiting on a decision that belongs to someone else.
Early stage infrastructure operates in a different reality entirely. Capital that would not move Bitcoin’s price by a single percentage point can reprice a small cap project dramatically. The opportunity exists in the gap between what something is genuinely worth and what the market has assigned it so far. That gap is only available while the project remains undiscovered. Discovery closes it permanently.
Multi-chain fragmentation has been extracting value from DeFi users since the first bridge launched and nothing has fixed it. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana were built as separate systems with no shared architecture and no native interoperability. Every transaction that crosses those boundaries pays for that design decision in fees, slippage, and execution failures. Bridges did not solve the problem. They monetized it.
LiquidChain removes the problem entirely. All 3 networks collapse into a single execution layer where developers deploy once and users interact across every ecosystem without absorbing a cross-chain tax on every move.
ChatGPT AI has flagged it as a project worth watching. The presale is at $0.01454 with just over $820,000 raised.
Execution risk is real. Adoption is unproven. Established assets offer a smoother ride toward a ceiling that is already fully priced. LiquidChain is a seat at a table that has not been set yet.
Explore the LiquidChain Presale
The post This ChatGPT AI XRP Price Prediction Should Not Make Sense But It Does appeared first on Cryptonews.
Crypto World
DeFi Saver announces reward program as part of their Hyperliquid integration
DeFi Saver has officially integrated Hyperliquid, the leading perpetual futures DEX and a premier high-volume trading venue. This launch brings futures trading and DeFi lending into one unified interface, allowing users to manage their entire DeFi strategy in one place.
DeFi Saver has just integrated Hyperliquid by uniting DeFi lending and Hyperliquid perpetuals within a single, unified interface, bolstered by the signature DFS toolkit for advanced liquidation protection.
About Hyperliquid x DeFi Saver
Hyperliquid is now accessible directly via the DeFi Saver app sidebar, providing immediate access to its comprehensive trading dashboard.
The onboarding process is entirely frictionless: simply connect your wallet to begin opening positions through the integrated perpetuals dashboard, with no account creation required.
The integration includes the full suite of DeFi Saver’s signature management tools from day one:
- Advanced automation capabilities, including trailing open and trailing close strategies. These features enable automated entries and exits based on precise price movements.
The Notify feature will soon be enabled, offering automated Telegram alerts to keep users informed of critical updates regarding their position health.
Furthermore, DeFi Saver allows users to fund their perpetual accounts from any supported network using any token, eliminating the need for manual bridging or USDC-exclusive deposits.
Extra Incentives for Hyperliquid Perps on DeFi Saver
From June 8th, DeFi Saver users will be able to participate in the incentives campaign for perpetuals and leveraged borrowing. The competition will span two seasons, each season lasting for two weeks.
The initial prize pool is set at 50,000 USDC for the first two seasons, and the scoring will be based on a combination of volume and PnL.
For additional information, check this post
About DeFi Saver
DeFi Saver is a trustless, non-custodial protocol aggregator that allows for efficient DeFi position management. It integrates all the major protocols, such as Aave V3 and V4, Morpho, Euler, Compound, Spark, Sky, and others, into an all-in-one intuitive UI, while offering advanced tools catering to more experienced users. Originally launched as CDP Saver in 2019, the platform has grown significantly, staying committed to user autonomy, protocol reliability, and continuous innovation.
Twitter I DFS website I Discord I Blog
The post DeFi Saver announces reward program as part of their Hyperliquid integration appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Analyst Eyes $8 to $27 XRP Targets After Potential 2026 Bottom
On June 8, technical analyst ChartNerd shared an XRP cycle breakdown, making the case that the current bear market has been shallower and potentially shorter than previous ones.
Additionally, he said there’s a chance for a cycle bottom before the end of 2026 that could allow the Ripple token to eventually reach $27.
What the Historical Comparison Shows
Per ChartNerd’s analysis, past XRP bear markets have typically lasted between 400 and 790 days, with drawdowns of 85% to 90% from peak levels. The current correction, as of the post, has run for about 350 days and sits at a nearly 70% drop from the July 2025 all-time high of $3.65.
Both figures, the analyst said, are milder than any comparable historical cycle, and he argued that this pattern of lessening severity is itself meaningful.
“The territory for marking a historical bottom between now and EOY is fast approaching,” wrote ChartNerd. “These prices are where we need to start paying attention to the fact that although the chances of an immediate expansion might be low, a cycle bottom could genuinely be on the horizon.”
However, he didn’t rule out XRP being hit by more downside. The macro read is that additional pain in the coming months could still be needed to form the actual cycle low, which would then be followed by an accumulation phase, and then a move toward Fibonacci extension targets of $8, $13, and $27.
The on-chain technician did flag the 2014 bear market as an exception to the pattern. That cycle saw a 96% drop over roughly 210 days to mark its low, but it then took XRP more than 1,200 days to break out beyond its previous high, with a major wick low appearing in late 2017 before a January 2018 peak.
Where XRP Stands in the Broader Picture
At the time of writing, XRP was priced at roughly $1.15, a fall of about 12% from where it stood a week ago and 19% lower than where it was one month ago. During the last week, the Ripple token experienced a fall to its lowest position in 19 months at $1.05. However, after reaching that price, it rallied to $1.20 before pulling back slightly from there.
Nevertheless, there was a bright spark in that period, namely spot XRP ETFs. These funds closed last week with a net inflow of $2.62 million. That may seem like a pretty small number, but it’s notable considering that their Bitcoin counterparts bled more than $1.7 billion in that period and spot Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of $173 million.
Only HYPE ETFs saw a better run, bringing in nearly $17 million, while funds tracking Litecoin (LTC), Avalanche (AVAX), and Hedera (HBAR) saw zero action.
The post Analyst Eyes $8 to $27 XRP Targets After Potential 2026 Bottom appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
UK FCA permits crypto ETNs for UK funds but imposes strict ceiling
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority has proposed allowing authorized investment funds to allocate up to 10% of their assets to crypto exchange-traded notes, while keeping direct cryptocurrency ownership off limits.
Summary
- FCA proposes allowing authorized UK funds to invest up to 10% of assets in crypto ETNs while keeping direct crypto ownership prohibited.
- Qualified investor schemes would face no crypto ETN cap, but several retail and alternative fund structures would remain excluded.
- The proposal follows recent UK crypto ETN reforms, including retail access and tax-efficient investment options through IF ISAs.
According to the FCA’s 52nd quarterly consultation paper, the proposal would permit UCITS schemes and most non-UCITS retail funds to hold crypto ETNs, provided exposure remains within a 10% limit of total scheme assets.
The regulator has opened a five-week consultation period, with feedback due by July 13.
By setting a specific cap, the FCA said it intends to prevent authorized funds from taking crypto exposure large enough to alter their regulatory classification. The watchdog stated that higher allocations could push products into the category of restricted mass-market investments, creating additional requirements for funds marketed to retail investors.
Portfolio managers would also need to demonstrate that any crypto ETN holdings match a fund’s investment objectives and risk profile. The FCA added that crypto exposure exceeding a genuinely minimal level must be disclosed as a material part of the fund’s strategy.
Access expands through regulated products
Under the proposal, authorized funds would be allowed to invest in crypto ETNs listed on recognized UK exchanges as well as qualifying markets in the European Union and other jurisdictions that meet existing eligibility standards.
While the FCA is prepared to permit exposure through exchange-traded products, its position on direct cryptocurrency holdings remains unchanged.
The regulator said it is not currently considering allowing authorized funds to own crypto assets directly and will revisit the issue only after assessing the impact of the UK’s incoming crypto asset regulatory framework and client asset protection rules.
Not every investment vehicle would qualify under the proposed rules. Qualified investor schemes serving professional clients and sophisticated investors would face no allocation cap, while long-term asset funds and non-UCITS retail schemes structured as alternative investment funds would remain excluded from holding crypto ETNs.
Commenting on the proposal, Jon Allen, head of innovation and operations at the Investment Association, welcomed the FCA’s decision to permit crypto exposure through regulated ETNs.
“We welcome this sensible and pragmatic step from the FCA to allow funds to access crypto exposure through regulated ETNs as it supports innovation within a well-understood framework.”
Similar products are already available to investment funds in several European markets, including Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Industry participants have been pressing for clarity on the issue since last year. During consultations on retail access to crypto ETNs, fund managers, depositaries, and ETN operators raised concerns that individual investors could gain exposure while many regulated funds remained effectively unable to do so.
UK crypto ETN market continues to develop
The consultation follows several regulatory changes that have gradually reopened the UK’s crypto ETN market. The FCA lifted its long-standing retail restriction on crypto ETNs in 2025, allowing individual investors to access the products after a four-year ban.
Within days of that decision, issuers including 21Shares, Bitwise, WisdomTree, and BlackRock listed physically backed Bitcoin and Ether ETNs on the London Stock Exchange.
Additional access arrived in April when fintech firm Stratiphy launched crypto ETNs through Innovative Finance ISAs, creating a tax-efficient route for investors after rule changes restricted new purchases through standard stocks-and-shares ISAs. As crypto.news reported earlier, the platform introduced ETNs issued by 21Shares covering Bitcoin, Ether, and a combined Bitcoin-gold product.
Crypto ETNs are also available through platforms including Interactive Investor, Freetrade, and Revolut, although those services do not currently offer Innovative Finance ISA access. Investments held through IF ISAs also fall outside the protection of the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Crypto World
Tom Lee’s Bitmine (BMNR) bought the dip, acquiring 126,971 ETH as prices tanked
Bitmine (BMNR), the largest Ethereum treasury company, ramped up its purchases of ether (ETH) last week, making its largest weekly purchase in 2026 as crypto prices tanked.
The firm bought 126,971 ETH over the past week, worth roughly $214 million at current prices, Bitmine said on Monday, compared to 26,497 tokens the previous week and nearly 120,000 ETH the week before.
The purchase lifted the firm’s total holdings to 5.54 million ETH, worth some $9.3 billion at current prices, according to the report. The firm also held $247 million in cash, some bitcoin and stakes in Beast Industries and Eightco Holdings.
The acquisition marks a reversal from the company’s previous call to slow down accumulation as it nears its goal to corner 5% of ether’s outstanding supply. The company now holds 4.59% of the token’s supply and is set to reach the 5% goal later this year.
“We increased our buying as we believe this pullback in ETH prices does not reflect the strengthening of Ethereum fundamentals,” Bitmine chairman Thomas Lee said in a statement.
Bitmine has remained one of the few large digital asset treasury firms still actively adding to its crypto holdings, while most peers have halted purchases and pivoted to sell as crypto prices turned sharply lower since October. That bet is sitting on an estimated $9.6 billion of paper losses as ETH fell to its weakest price in more than a year, down some 65% from its August record.
The firm also unveiled plans to issue a preferred equity class that pays dividends to raise more funds, taking a page from bitcoin-centric Strategy’s playbook.
That model, however, has come under investor scrutiny. Investors are now debating whether Strategy will be able to comfortably pay its dividend obligations or shore up liquidity as bitcoin prices fell sharply last week. STRC, the firm’s latest preferred share class, fell to $90 Friday, some 10% below its par value, underscoring those worries.
Crypto World
Bybit Launches tokenized IPO Access with SpaceX Debut
Bybit is joining a growing list of crypto exchange platforms allowing eligible users to subscribe to tokenized shares in US initial public offerings at the offering price, beginning with a SpaceX listing through the xStocks framework.
Kraken parent Payward Services’ xStocks framework aggregates investor demand across partner platforms and works with underwriting syndicates to secure IPO allocations before tokenizing the shares.
Eligible users can register interest and submit subscription requests for tokenized IPO shares through Bybit, with allocations distributed on a pro-rata basis and unused funds refunded if demand exceeds available shares. SpaceX will be the first offering, with tokenized shares scheduled to begin trading on Bybit’s spot market on June 12.
On listing day, allocated shares are tokenized and backed 1:1 by underlying equity held in regulated broker-dealer custody, according to Bybit.
According to RWA.xyz data, xStocks is the second-largest tokenized stock platform by value, with roughly $415 million in tokenized equities and a 28% share of the market.

Source: RWA.xyz
Kraken on Friday named SpaceX as the inaugural offering for the platform’s xStocks IPO Access product, which is available in more than 110 markets but excludes users in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom due to regulatory restrictions.
A day earlier, Coinbase launched a SpaceX pre-IPO market that gives eligible users outside the US exposure to the company’s private-market valuation through perpetual futures contracts.

Source: Bybit
Related: Bybit Pay enters South Africa through MoneyBadger integration
SpaceX targets record-breaking public debut
Founded by Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX is a private aerospace company best known for its Falcon launch vehicles, Dragon spacecraft and Starlink satellite internet network.
The company filed confidentially for an initial public offering with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in April. The filing came two months after SpaceX acquired Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI, expanding the aerospace company’s presence in the AI sector.
Demand for the offering has reportedly exceeded available shares ahead of SpaceX’s planned June 12 public debut. Bloomberg reported that the company is targeting a valuation of at least $1.8 trillion and a roughly $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest IPO on record.
SpaceX’s May 20 S-1 registration statement also disclosed holdings of 18,712 Bitcoin, enough to place the company among the 10 largest corporate Bitcoin (BTC) holders, ahead of firms including Coinbase and Riot Platforms, according to BitcoinTreasuries data.

Top 15 Bitcoin treasury companies. Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NET
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Crypto World
Bitcoin price prediction: Is Strategy’s 1,550 BTC buy a bullish signal after the crash?
- Strategy bought 1,550 BTC after a rare 32 BTC sale.
- Bitcoin is stabilising near $63K after a sharp 20% monthly drop.
- Analysts split on whether the $60K support will hold or break lower.
Bitcoin has been moving through a volatile stretch marked by sharp liquidations, uneven recovery attempts, and conflicting signals from both technical indicators and institutional activity.
The latest development is Strategy’s decision to purchase 1,550 BTC worth about $101.3 million shortly after a controversial small sale of 32 BTC.
Strategy’s return to accumulation after a rare Bitcoin sale
According to an SEC filing dated June 8, Strategy’s latest purchase of 1,550 BTC was at an average price of $65,332 per coin.
Notably, this followed a short-term sale of 32 BTC, which generated about $2.5 million and was linked to funding corporate obligations, including preferred-share dividend payments.
The sale drew attention because it marked a rare departure from the company’s long-standing accumulation narrative.
Now with the disclosed purchase, Strategy appears to have quickly resumed buying, increasing its total holdings to roughly 845,000 BTC.
The contrast between the small sale and the much larger purchase has become central to market interpretation.
The Michael Saylor’s company remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, and its return to buying after the rare sale has been interpreted by traders as an attempt to reinforce confidence at a time when Bitcoin is still recovering from a sharp drawdown.
Bitcoin stabilises after liquidation-driven crash, but trend remains uncertain
Bitcoin is currently trading around $63,800 after a turbulent week that saw it fall to around $59,300 after failing to hold above $62,00.
Over the past seven days, Bitcoin has declined about 10.9%, while the 30-day drop stands near 20.8%.
At the same time, the market has shown signs of stabilisation after a heavy deleveraging phase.
Open interest in Bitcoin futures has dropped significantly, falling from about 901,000 BTC to roughly 716,000 BTC.
This decline reflects widespread liquidation of leveraged positions rather than sustained new short positioning.
During the same period, Bitcoin briefly rebounded after triggering more than $500 million in short liquidations in a single move.
However, analysts, including Xanrox, have pointed out that the price structure still shows breakdowns from both ascending and descending channels, a technical setup often associated with continued downside risk rather than immediate recovery.

Despite this, Bitcoin has held near the $60,000 region, which is also close to its long-term 200-week moving average.
Historically, this level has acted as a key zone during major market resets, making it a closely watched area for both bulls and bears.
Analysts remain divided on whether the crash has ended
Market interpretation remains split between two major views.
One side argues that the recent move represents a late-stage capitulation event.
This perspective is supported by the sharp drop in leverage, falling volatility, and liquidation-driven selling rather than sustained spot demand weakness.
On the other hand, analysts like Xanrox have warned that the breakdown in trend structure suggests the correction may not be complete.
According to this view, Bitcoin could still revisit lower levels if the $60,000 support zone fails to hold consistently.
Potential downside targets in case of a further decline include $54,000 and $52,000, with more extended bearish projections reaching toward the $48,000 area if macro pressure intensifies and ETF outflows continue.
Crypto World
Yuga Labs Developers Rescue 68 NFTs From Flooring Exploit
Yuga Labs-affiliated developers rescued 68 non-fungible tokens from Flooring Protocol after an exploit put NFTs from collections including Bored Apes and CryptoPunks at risk.
Yuga Labs CEO Michael Figge said Monday that the recovered NFTs are now in the company’s custody and will be returned once a solution is finalized.
Yuga’s pseudonymous vice president of blockchain, 0xQuit, said the recovery covered more than $500,000 worth of NFTs.

Source: Michael Figge
Despite the NFT market’s cooldown, some collections still retain high floor prices. CryptoPunks had a floor price of around 32.7 ETH ($54,612), while Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs sat around 9.16 ETH, according to CoinGecko.
Flooring Protocol was already winding down
The incident affected a protocol that had already been winding down parts of its consumer-facing NFT business.
Floor Protocol said in September 2025 that its Web3 consumer services were entering sunset mode and advised FPv2 token holders to redeem their NFTs and exit fractional positions before Oct. 15, 2025.
Related: OpenSea postpones SEA token launch, citing ‘challenging’ conditions
Former CEO FreeLunchCapital said the protocol faced liquidity issues and organizational changes that left parts of the NFT division unmanaged.
FreeLunchCapital said they had continued providing liquidity and kept some of their own NFT assets on the platform to help users exit positions, adding that those assets became a primary target during the exploit.
FreeLunchCapital said they are in talks with the parent group behind the management team to regain control of the protocol.
NFT market remains far below peak levels
Despite falling sharply from its peak, the NFT market still represents billions of dollars in value. CoinGecko data showed overall NFT market capitalization climbed to around $2 billion in late April and early May before falling back toward $1.4 billion by Monday.

90-day NFT market capitalization chart. Source: CoinGecko
NFT Price Floor data showed CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club remained the two largest NFT collections by market capitalization.
CryptoPunks had a market capitalization of about 339,400 ETH (about $560 million), while BAYC stood at around 90,590 ETH ($150 million).
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Crypto World
Raytheon’s $100M Defense Facility Upgrade Powers RTX (RTX) Stock Momentum
Key Highlights
- Raytheon commits $100M to Portsmouth, Rhode Island site expansion, creating 150 specialized defense technology positions
- Investment focuses on Patriot GEM-T missile component manufacturing and LTAMDS radar system testing capabilities
- RTX stock started trading Monday at $181.26; Jefferies elevated rating to Buy with $220 target price
- Q1 results showed EPS of $1.78, surpassing analyst projections of $1.52, alongside $22.08 billion in revenue
- Company increased quarterly dividend from $0.68 to $0.73 per share
RTX (RTX) subsidiary Raytheon revealed plans Monday to channel $100 million into its Portsmouth, Rhode Island operations. The initiative aims to accelerate missile-defense component manufacturing and enhance testing infrastructure for an advanced radar platform.
RTX stock launched Monday’s session at $181.26, establishing a market valuation of $244.10 billion. The shares trade beneath their 52-week peak of $214.50 while maintaining substantial distance above the yearly floor of $135.43.
The substantial capital injection targets two strategic priorities. The facility will scale up manufacturing of Patriot GEM-T interceptor missile components while simultaneously enhancing test infrastructure for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS).
LTAMDS represents cutting-edge radar technology engineered to identify and monitor sophisticated threats, including hypersonic weaponry. Raytheon has secured agreements to deliver these systems to the U.S. Army and Polish military forces.
The program recently achieved its ninth successful flight demonstration. That evaluation utilized multiple radar configurations to monitor and facilitate the engagement of a simulated aerial target.
The GEM-T interceptor serves as a fundamental element of the Patriot air and missile defense architecture. Its mission profile encompasses neutralizing aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic threats.
The Portsmouth upgrade will generate 150 advanced technology positions. RTX maintains a workforce exceeding 850 employees throughout Rhode Island, where the company has established operations spanning over sixty years.
Wall Street Upgrades and Naval Contracts
The facility expansion represents just one positive development for RTX. Jefferies recently elevated its position on the stock from Hold to Buy, simultaneously raising its valuation target from $210 to $220. The investment firm highlighted enhanced profit margins, robust defense sector performance, and expanding commercial aerospace aftermarket revenues.
Morgan Stanley preserved its Overweight stance while adjusting its target downward from $235 to $220. Deutsche Bank sustained its Buy recommendation with a $240 objective. Analyst consensus averages “Moderate Buy” with a collective price target of $211.38.
RTX additionally secured a $515 million U.S. Navy agreement for SPY-6 radar technology, strengthening its defense electronics portfolio.
Impressive Q1 Performance and Shareholder Returns
RTX delivered first-quarter earnings of $1.78 per share, exceeding Wall Street’s $1.52 projection by $0.26. Quarterly revenue reached $22.08 billion, topping anticipated $21.38 billion and representing 8.7% year-over-year expansion.
Management projected fiscal 2026 EPS between $6.60 and $6.80. The analyst community collectively forecasts $6.91 for the full fiscal year.
RTX enhanced its quarterly distribution to $0.73 from the previous $0.68 per share. Shareholders of record on May 22 received the elevated dividend on June 11.
This Rhode Island development follows a $53 million expansion Raytheon initiated last year at its Andover, Massachusetts radar manufacturing complex.
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