Crypto World
Where could XRP end the year?
XRP has slid to around $1, down from its $3.66 high last year, with retail in fear even as whale wallets hit record highs. Where could it finish 2026? Credible forecasts run from below $1 to $8, and the gap comes down to one question. Here is what would push XRP to each level, and which path looks most defensible.
Summary
- XRP trades near $1.04 as of late June 2026, down from a July 2025 cycle high near $3.66, with relative strength near oversold and moving averages around $1.13 to $1.14 sitting overhead as resistance.
- The forecast range for year-end 2026 is unusually wide: bearish models point below $1, conservative models to roughly $1.40 to $1.80, Standard Chartered to $2.80, and bullish publishers toward $4.36 to $8.
- Standard Chartered’s Geoffrey Kendrick cut his year-end target from $8 to $2.80 while keeping a $28 call for 2030, capturing the split between near-term caution and long-term conviction.
- The entire range turns on one question: whether the XRP token itself, not just Ripple’s network, captures the cross-border payment and settlement volume flowing through it.
- A move to $2 or $3 needs stabilization, ETF support, and better sentiment, while $5 or higher needs a genuine shift in market structure and proven token utility.
XRP (XRP) is trading near $1.04 as of late June 2026, and for holders it has been a deeply frustrating year: the token has cleared nearly every obstacle its community spent years waiting for, yet the price has done close to nothing but fall. XRP is down from a cycle high near $3.66 reached in July 2025, having declined through the back half of last year and the first half of this one, and it now sits roughly a third below where it began 2026.
The technical picture is heavy. The relative strength index hovers near 30, at the lower boundary where downtrends sometimes exhaust themselves, and the 50-day and 200-day moving averages cluster overhead around $1.13 to $1.14, acting as the resistance XRP must reclaim to change its trend. Sentiment is weak, with retail traders fearful, even as on-chain data shows whale wallet counts at record highs, a contrarian split in which large holders appear to be accumulating while smaller holders capitulate. The question this article addresses is where that leaves XRP at the end of 2026, and the honest answer is that the credible range is enormous.
That range, from below $1 to $8, is not a sign of lazy forecasting; it reflects a real and unresolved disagreement about what XRP fundamentally is and whether its token captures value. This article works through the question methodically: where XRP stands and how it got here, the bearish case for a finish below $1, the base case in the $1.40 to $2.80 zone, the bullish case for $4 to $8, the meaning of Standard Chartered’s high-profile cut from $8 to $2.80, the enormous valuation gap that Bitwise’s own model reveals, the catalysts that could actually move the price, and three concrete scenarios for year-end.
Throughout, the goal is to show what each outcome requires rather than to pick a number, because XRP’s path depends on variables that genuinely could resolve in very different directions. The forecasts here are information, not advice, and the single most useful thing to carry through the piece is the question underneath every target: does XRP the token capture the volume that Ripple the company is winning, or does the value accrue elsewhere? Almost everything about the price follows from the answer.
Where XRP stands and how it got here
To judge where XRP might end 2026, you need the recent history, because XRP’s price has been driven as much by legal and structural events as by market cycles. The token spent years under the shadow of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit against Ripple, and that case formally concluded in 2025, establishing that XRP is not a security when sold on exchanges and removing the single largest overhang on the token.
On the back of the resolution and a friendlier regulatory climate, XRP surged to a cycle high near $3.66 in July 2025, approaching the kind of levels its long-suffering community had anticipated for years. Spot XRP exchange-traded funds launched in November 2025 and drew over $1 billion in net inflows, another long-awaited milestone. By the standards of what the community had been waiting for, 2025 delivered nearly the full checklist.
And yet the price has fallen steadily since. From the July 2025 high near $3.66, XRP declined through the rest of the year and into 2026, sliding to around $1.04 by late June against a backdrop of broad crypto weakness. The frustration in the XRP community is precisely that the token cleared every hurdle and still dropped, which has fueled a debate about whether the good news was already priced in, whether broader market conditions simply overwhelmed XRP’s catalysts, or whether something more structural is limiting how much value flows to the token.
The current setup reflects that tension: XRP is liquid and actively traded, whale wallets are accumulating at record levels in what looks like strategic positioning, but retail sentiment is fearful, and the chart is below its key moving averages. The token sits at a level that is either a coiled accumulation base before the next move higher or a waypoint in a continued decline, and which one it is depends on the catalysts and the value-accrual question explored below. The history matters because it shows XRP has already spent its biggest bullish catalysts, the legal resolution and the ETF launch, which raises the bar for what it takes to push the price meaningfully higher from here.
The bearish case: a finish below $1
The case for XRP ending 2026 below $1 is grounded in both technicals and a structural skepticism that deserves to be taken seriously. Technically, XRP trades below its key moving averages near $1.13 to $1.14, and a market that cannot reclaim those levels is, by definition, still in a downtrend. Several model-based and technical forecasting systems remain bearish on XRP, with some, such as Gov Capital and WalletInvestor, projecting outright losses over a 1-year horizon, treating recent weakness as part of a broader risk pattern rather than a dip to be bought. If macro conditions deteriorate, whether through a broad crypto downturn, a risk-off shift in markets, or disappointing follow-through on ETF flows, XRP could test and break its current support, with technical analyses pointing to downside levels in the low-$1 range and below if the bearish trend persists.
The deeper bearish argument is structural and connects to the value-accrual question at the heart of this piece. Skeptics contend that Ripple’s commercial success, its growing roster of financial-institution partnerships and its cross-border payments business, does not necessarily translate into demand for the XRP token, because much of Ripple’s settlement activity can be conducted without participants holding XRP for any meaningful duration, and because Ripple’s own dollar stablecoin offers an alternative settlement instrument that does not require the token at all. In this reading, XRP could remain a liquid, speculative asset whose price is driven by sentiment and trading rather than by genuine, sustained utility demand, and absent a clear mechanism forcing value into the token, it could drift lower or stagnate even as Ripple thrives as a company.
The bearish case, then, is not merely a chart pattern; it is a thesis that XRP the token may be structurally disconnected from the network’s success, and that a finish below $1 is what happens if the market comes to share that view while macro conditions stay unsupportive.
The base case: $1.40 to $2.80
The base case, where a plurality of serious forecasts cluster, sees XRP recovering modestly to somewhere between roughly $1.40 and $2.80 by year-end, and it rests on a more balanced set of assumptions. Conservative, model-driven forecasters such as CoinCodex and Changelly project XRP in the $1.40 to $1.80 area, with Changelly specifically modeling a December range around $1.29 to $1.55 and an average near $1.42.
These forecasts assume XRP stabilizes, reclaims some lost ground as the broader market steadies, and benefits from continued but not explosive ETF interest, without breaking decisively above its major resistance levels. This is essentially a recovery-without-breakout scenario: XRP stops falling, grinds back toward and through its moving averages, but does not enter a new bull phase.
The upper end of the base case is anchored by the most-watched institutional forecast on XRP. Geoffrey Kendrick at Standard Chartered, after cutting his target, places XRP’s year-end 2026 level at $2.80, a number that sits deliberately between the cautious algorithmic models and the more bullish crypto-publisher calls. That $2.80 figure has become a useful benchmark precisely because it comes from a major bank instead of from automated technical models or retail-facing commentary, and it implies meaningful recovery from current levels without requiring a structural transformation in how XRP captures value.
The base case overall assumes that XRP’s concluded legal status, its live ETFs, and its institutional relationships provide enough of a foundation for a recovery toward the $1.40 to $2.80 band, supported by moderate ETF inflows and a stable-to-improving macro environment, but that the bigger moves toward $5 and beyond require catalysts that are not yet in evidence. For a token that has spent its largest bullish events already, a base-case recovery into the low-single-digits is a reasonable central expectation, and it is where the weight of credible forecasting sits.
The bullish case: $4 to $8
The bullish case for XRP reaching $4 to $8 by year-end is not fringe; it has institutional roots, but it requires conditions that go well beyond a general crypto rebound. The bullish group of forecasts starts near $4.36 and extends above $6, drawing on sources including PricePrediction.net, Telegaon, and commentary such as Dominic Basulto at The Motley Fool, who has floated $5 for XRP in 2026 with asset tokenization as a potential catalyst.
At the top of the credible bull range sits Standard Chartered’s original $8 target for 2026, which Kendrick held before cutting it and which was predicated on sustained ETF inflows and the regulatory clarity following the SEC settlement. The common thread is that these higher targets all assume XRP converts its structural advantages, concluded legal status, live ETFs, and Ripple’s institutional footprint, into real, sustained demand for the token.
What would it actually take to get there? The bullish case requires several things to align: ETF inflows would need to accelerate substantially, with some bullish models assuming flows climbing toward the multibillion-dollar range that Standard Chartered modeled as the trigger for its higher targets; the CLARITY Act or similar legislation would need to pass and codify XRP’s commodity status, unlocking institutional capital that has stayed on the sidelines; Ripple’s expanding use of XRP in cross-border settlement and its banking ambitions would need to translate into demonstrable token demand; and the broader market would likely need an altcoin-favorable phase instead of the current Bitcoin-dominated, risk-off mood.
The cleanest way to summarize it, echoing the analysts who have studied the range, is that a move toward $2 to $3 requires stabilization, ETF support, and better sentiment, while a move toward $5 or higher requires a stronger shift in market structure, institutional demand, and proven token utility. The bull case is achievable, but it is conditional on XRP answering the value-accrual question in the affirmative, which is exactly what remains unproven.
Why Standard Chartered cut from $8 to $2.80
The most instructive single event in XRP’s forecast landscape this year is Standard Chartered’s revision, because it crystallizes the shift from hope to realism. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s digital-assets research lead, had previously set an $8 year-end 2026 target for XRP, a number that implied a large rally and was anchored in expectations of sustained ETF inflows and the post-settlement regulatory clarity.
As the year progressed and XRP failed to sustain the more aggressive assumptions priced into that forecast, Kendrick cut the year-end target to $2.80. The revision fit the broader weakness seen across crypto in 2026 and reflected that the catalysts, while real, were not translating into price at the pace the original target assumed. The cut matters because it came from a credible institutional source recalibrating to reality instead of from a perma-bear or a hype account, which makes the new $2.80 figure a more grounded benchmark than the targets above it.
Crucially, Kendrick left his longer-term call untouched: he kept a $28 target for XRP by 2030 even as he slashed the near-term number. That juxtaposition, $2.80 by year-end but $28 by 2030, captures the defining feature of serious XRP analysis, which is a split between near-term caution and long-term conviction. The long-term bull case rests on XRP becoming a major institutional settlement asset as Ripple’s banking and cross-border infrastructure matures, a process measured in years instead of months.
The near-term caution reflects that, right now, those flows have not materialized at the scale needed to drive the price, and the token remains hostage to sentiment and macro conditions. For anyone trying to forecast year-end 2026 specifically, the lesson of the Standard Chartered cut is sobering: even a committed long-term bull at a major bank concluded that the near-term path was far more modest than the $8 he once projected, and $2.80 now functions as the credible ceiling of the base case instead of the floor of the bull case.
The valuation gap that defines XRP
If one piece of analysis captures why XRP forecasts diverge so violently, it is the valuation work from the asset manager Bitwise, which ran XRP through a formal model and produced 2030 outcomes ranging from roughly $0.13 at the bottom to above $29 at the top. That is more than a 200-fold gap between the same firm’s bearish and bullish cases for the same token, and it sounds absurd until you see what drives it. The entire spread rests on a single assumption: whether XRP the token captures a meaningful chunk of the cross-border payment and settlement volume that Ripple is winning. Bitwise’s high case assumes it does, with XRP becoming the bridge asset that institutional value routes through; its low case assumes it does not, with banks sticking to existing systems and dollar stablecoins, including Ripple’s own, moving the money instead while XRP is bypassed.
This is the question underneath every XRP price target, and it is why the same catalysts can be read as wildly bullish or quietly bearish. Standard Chartered’s $28 by 2030 and the high single-digit-to-low-teens targets from other analysts all quietly lean on the assumption that the token captures the volume; the bearish models assume it does not.
The reason the question is so hard to settle is that Ripple can and does conduct much settlement activity without participants holding XRP for long, and its dollar stablecoin offers a token-free alternative, so the mechanism by which network success forces sustained demand into XRP is contested instead of obvious. For year-end 2026, the practical implication is that XRP’s price will be driven less by any single catalyst than by how the market’s collective answer to this question evolves. If confidence grows that the token captures the volume, the higher targets come into reach; if doubt deepens, the lower ones do. Everything else- the ETF flows, the legislation, the partnerships- ultimately feeds into that one judgment, which is why the credible forecast range is a chasm instead of a band.
The catalysts that could move XRP
Several concrete catalysts could push XRP toward one end of the range or the other before year-end, and watching them is more useful than fixating on a target. The 1st is the CLARITY Act and the broader regulatory picture. Passage of legislation codifying XRP’s commodity status into law, instead of leaving it resting on the concluded lawsuit, could unlock institutional capital that has stayed cautious, and XRP is widely seen as a beneficiary alongside other payment-focused tokens.
The 2nd is ETF flows. The spot XRP ETFs that launched in late 2025 are central to any serious forecast, because they remove supply from exchanges as providers accumulate, and the trajectory of their inflows, whether they reaccelerate toward the multibillion-dollar levels bulls assume or stagnate, will heavily influence the price. The 3rd is Ripple’s own business: its expanding use of XRP in cross-border corridors, its banking and custody ambitions, and the growth of its dollar stablecoin, which cuts both ways by validating Ripple while offering a token-free settlement path.
The 4th set of catalysts is macro and market structure: the Federal Reserve’s policy path, broad crypto liquidity, Bitcoin’s behavior, and whether the market rotates into altcoins or stays concentrated in Bitcoin. XRP, like most altcoins, tends to need a risk-on, altcoin-favorable environment to sustain large moves, and the current Bitcoin-dominated, fearful market has been a headwind.
The contrarian signal worth watching is the divergence between record whale accumulation and fearful retail sentiment, which historically can precede a reversal if the large holders prove right, though it can also simply reflect long-term holders averaging into a continued decline.
The honest framing is that these catalysts are real, but their effects are conditional, and none of them individually guarantees a direction; collectively, they will determine whether XRP’s year-end print lands in the bearish, base, or bullish zone. For a token that has already spent its biggest catalysts, the marginal mover from here is most likely the combination of ETF-flow momentum and the market’s evolving answer to the value-accrual question.
Three scenarios for XRP at year-end 2026
Drawing the analysis into scenarios clarifies the range. In the bull scenario, XRP finishes 2026 somewhere between $4 and as high as $8. This requires ETF inflows to accelerate meaningfully, the CLARITY Act or similar to pass and unlock institutional capital, an altcoin-favorable market phase to arrive, and growing confidence that XRP the token genuinely captures Ripple’s settlement volume. It is the path the most bullish credible forecasts describe, and it depends on the value-accrual question resolving in XRP’s favor while macro conditions turn supportive. It is achievable but conditional, and the bar is high given that XRP has already spent its legal and ETF-launch catalysts.
In the base scenario, the most heavily populated by serious forecasts, XRP recovers modestly to roughly $1.40 to $2.80. Support holds, the broader market steadies, ETF interest continues at a moderate pace, and XRP grinds back toward and possibly through its key moving averages without entering a new bull phase, with Standard Chartered’s $2.80 marking the credible upper edge. This recovery-without-breakout outcome fits the weight of model-based and institutional forecasting and is arguably the most likely central case. In the bear scenario, XRP finishes below $1. Macro conditions deteriorate, or ETF flows disappoint; the market comes to doubt that the token captures the network’s volume, support breaks, and XRP drifts lower as the structural skeptics’ thesis gains traction, validating the bearish models that project outright losses.
Which scenario unfolds depends primarily on ETF-flow momentum, regulatory progress, the macro backdrop, and above all the market’s evolving judgment on whether XRP the token captures the volume Ripple is winning. All 3 are live, and the wide gap between them is the most honest description of where XRP stands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where could XRP end 2026?
The credible range is unusually wide, from below $1 to $8. Bearish models and some technical systems point below $1 if support breaks and the market doubts the token captures value. The base case, where most serious forecasts cluster, sees a modest recovery to roughly $1.40 to $2.80, with Standard Chartered’s $2.80 as the credible upper edge. The bullish case of $4 to $8 requires accelerating ETF inflows, regulatory progress, an altcoin-favorable market, and growing confidence that XRP captures Ripple’s settlement volume. The outcome depends on those catalysts and, above all, on the market’s evolving answer to whether the token, not just the network, captures value.
Why has XRP fallen to $1?
XRP is down from a July 2025 cycle high near $3.66, sliding through the back half of last year and the first half of 2026 amid broad crypto weakness. Part of the frustration is that XRP cleared its biggest catalysts: the SEC lawsuit concluded in 2025, and spot ETFs launched that November, yet the price still fell, which suggests the good news may have been priced in or overwhelmed by market conditions. The deeper question is structural: skeptics argue Ripple’s commercial success does not necessarily force sustained demand into the XRP token, especially with Ripple’s own dollar stablecoin offering a token-free settlement path. That value-accrual doubt, plus a Bitcoin-dominated risk-off market, has weighed on the price.
Why did Standard Chartered cut its XRP target?
Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s digital-assets research lead, had set an $8 year-end 2026 target for XRP based on expectations of sustained ETF inflows and post-settlement regulatory clarity. As 2026 progressed and XRP failed to sustain the aggressive assumptions behind that number, he cut the year-end target to $2.80, fitting the broader crypto weakness this year. Notably, he kept his $28 target for 2030 unchanged, which captures the split in serious XRP analysis between near-term caution and long-term conviction. The cut matters because it came from a credible institutional bull recalibrating to reality, which makes $2.80 a grounded benchmark and the effective ceiling of the base case instead of the floor of the bull case.
Can XRP reach $5 or more in 2026?
It is possible but conditional on several things aligning. The bullish forecasts of $4.36 to $8 assume ETF inflows accelerate substantially, the CLARITY Act or similar passes and unlocks institutional capital, the market rotates into an altcoin-favorable phase, and XRP demonstrably converts Ripple’s settlement footprint into sustained token demand. As analysts who have studied the range put it, a move to $2 to $3 needs stabilization, ETF support, and better sentiment, while $5 or higher needs a stronger shift in market structure, institutional demand, and proven token utility. The bar is high because XRP has already spent its biggest catalysts, so reaching the bull range requires new, larger drivers instead of a simple market rebound.
What is the value-accrual question for XRP?
It is the single question underneath every XRP price target: whether the XRP token itself, not just Ripple’s network, captures the cross-border payment and settlement volume flowing through it. Bitwise’s formal model shows why it matters so much, producing 2030 outcomes from about $0.13 to above $29, a more than 200-fold gap driven entirely by this assumption. The high case assumes XRP becomes the bridge asset institutional value routes through; the low case assumes banks and dollar stablecoins, including Ripple’s own, move the money while XRP is bypassed. Because Ripple can conduct much settlement without participants holding XRP for long, the mechanism forcing demand into the token is contested, which is why forecasts diverge so violently.
Are whales accumulating XRP?
On-chain data shows XRP whale wallet counts at record highs even as retail sentiment sits in fear, a contrarian divergence in which large holders appear to be accumulating while smaller holders capitulate. Bulls read this as strategic positioning ahead of a potential reversal, on the logic that large, informed holders are buying weakness. The cautionary reading is that record whale accumulation can also reflect long-term holders averaging into a continued decline that does not reverse on schedule, so it is a supportive signal instead of a guarantee. It is one of the more constructive data points in XRP’s current setup, but like every catalyst here, its payoff depends on the broader market and the value-accrual question resolving
This article is information, not financial or investment advice. XRP price levels, indicator readings, and analyst forecasts reflect data available as of June 28, 2026, are point-in-time, and can change rapidly. Cryptocurrency is highly volatile, and you can lose money. Price predictions are inherently uncertain, and the scenarios described are not guarantees. Do your own research and consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decision.
Key Points
- Shares of Velo3D advanced 7.1% Monday following the company’s inclusion in both the Russell 3000 and Russell Microcap indexes
- The metal 3D printing firm officially entered both benchmarks on June 29 during the 2026 annual reconstitution process
- Approximately $12.2 trillion in investment assets track Russell US indexes based on May 2026 data
- The company’s market capitalization reached around $496 million, with shares posting gains exceeding 126% year-over-year
- The additive manufacturing specialist will maintain Russell 3000 membership through December 2026’s next reconstitution
Shares of metal additive manufacturing specialist Velo3D (VELO) rallied 7.1% Monday following the company’s addition to both the Russell 3000 Index and Russell Microcap Index, which became effective June 29.
The inclusion occurred during the initial 2026 reconstitution of Russell indexes, an annual process that evaluates and ranks the top 4,000 U.S. companies by total market capitalization based on April 30 data.
For smaller publicly traded companies, Russell index inclusion carries significant weight. As of late May 2026, approximately $12.2 trillion in investment capital was benchmarked to Russell US indexes.
This massive pool of passive investment capital typically flows into newly added stocks, as fund managers who track these indexes must purchase shares to maintain accurate index representation.
Prior to Monday’s announcement, VELO had already demonstrated impressive momentum. Over the preceding 12-month period, the stock had appreciated more than 126%, bringing its market capitalization to approximately $496 million entering June.
CEO Arun Jeldi expressed enthusiasm about the development. “Being added to the Russell 3000 and Russell Microcap indexes is an important milestone for Velo3D,” he stated.
“We have made meaningful strides in transforming the company, advancing our technology leadership, and creating value for shareholders. Inclusion in these widely followed indexes broadens our exposure to the investment community.”
Companies included in the Russell 3000 are automatically categorized into either the large-capitalization Russell 1000 or small-capitalization Russell 2000, along with corresponding growth and value style indexes.
Based on Velo3D’s present market capitalization, the firm qualifies for inclusion in both the Russell 2000 and Russell Microcap categories — representing the smaller end of the market spectrum while still delivering significant institutional investor visibility.
Velo3D’s Business Model
Velo3D specializes in metal 3D printing solutions designed primarily for aerospace and defense industry supply chains. The company’s product portfolio encompasses Flow print preparation software, the Sapphire printer series, and the Assure quality assurance platform.
Notable clients include SpaceX and Honeywell — relationships that underscore the company’s credibility within defense and aerospace manufacturing sectors.
Duration of Index Membership and Future Outlook
Velo3D’s Russell 3000 membership remains guaranteed through December 2026’s semi-annual reconstitution event. During that review, the company could potentially migrate between the Russell 1000 and Russell 2000 based on market capitalization fluctuations.
FTSE Russell oversees these benchmark indexes, which rank among the most extensively utilized standards for U.S. equity portfolio managers.
Monday’s 7.1% stock appreciation follows a familiar trend observed when smaller companies gain entry to major indexes — an initial buying surge fueled by passive fund inflows and heightened institutional interest.
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Crypto influencer Ansem has airdropped about $7 million worth of the $ANSEM memecoin to Solana users, and said he will keep distributing tokens as the price rises in a push to grow the holder base to 1 million wallets. Ansem, who posts under the handle @blknoiz06 and counts close to 1 million… Read the full story at The Defiant
US President Donald Trump has about 10 days to decide whether or not to sign bipartisan housing legislation containing a ban on a central bank digital currency (CBDC) into law after saying he planned to prioritize a controversial voting bill.
According to reports, House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to Trump’s desk on Monday, kicking off a 10-day timeline for the president to decide whether to ignore, sign or veto the bill under the US Constitution, excluding Sundays. The bill, passed by the House of Representatives last week, included language barring the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a CBDC “or any digital asset that is substantially similar” until the end of 2030.
Donald Trump signing executive orders on Monday. Source: The White House
Trump reportedly called the legislation a “yawn” and sarcastically referred to the situation as a “big deal.” He canceled the signing ceremony for the bill on Wednesday, saying that Republicans in Congress should focus on passing the SAVE America Act. The legislation would require voters to provide proof of US citizenship in person to register, potentially disenfranchising millions of people.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act received significant bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans, with members of both parties lauding progress ahead of Trump’s potential signature. Sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Democrat-led legislation included a CBDC ban in an attempt to garner support from Republicans and the White House.
Related: Senate leaders push for July passage of CLARITY Act
“We should be celebrating a bipartisan housing law,” said Warren on Monday. “Instead, we have a call to action. Mr. President: sign the damn bill.”
Senators on state work periods, chamber set to consider market structure
The US Senate broke on Friday for state work periods, with lawmakers expected to return by July 13. The chamber’s calendar gives lawmakers about four weeks to address the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act before another state work period in August.
Trump said in March that he would “not sign other bills” until the SAVE America Act was passed, but also made a social media post signaling that he supported CLARITY. Should the president veto the bill, Congress could override his action with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Magazine: SBF will never get a pardon, Trump peace deal boosts Bitcoin: Hodlers Digest June 14-21
Bitcoin (BTC) trades at an important inflection point as retail investors are selling, big institutions are in a hold despite the discounted valuation and the market is paused at $60,300—awaiting the next significant move. The situation reveals two very different investor groups making opposite bets.
Retail investors sell, TradFi watches
The general mood is fearful, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index sitting at 36 out of 100, indicating fear but not total panic. This number masks a sharp divide. In June alone, investors pulled $4.4 billion from US spot Bitcoin ETFs—the worst month this year. At the same time, Strategy continues to buy BTC, although the pace and size of its purchases have slowed. While ETF flows and Bitcoin treasury accumulation are not in a buying phase, a majority of corporate BTC treasuries have not reduced their existing positions.
Spot Bitcoin ETF net flows. Source: SoSoValue.com
Leverage unwinds, but slowly
The aggregate open interest in Bitcoin futures contracts across all exchanges is $19.92 billion. Two weeks ago, it was $20.1 billion. This unwinding—when traders close positions to reduce risk—is happening in an orderly way, not in a panic.
The borrowing costs for holding long positions have dropped from 0.25% to 0.12%, suggesting that the worst of the forced selling is over. However, longs are still paying to hold their positions, meaning traders believe in a recovery but aren’t willing to bet their full account on it.
The current danger zone is $58,800, Bitcoin’s low for the day. If the price breaks below this level, the next $500 million worth of traders holding long positions could be forced to close their trades, sending Bitcoin toward $56,000. That move may extend the selling pressure into next week.
Bitcoin open interest, funding rate. Source: Hyblock
The market is waiting, not acting
When fresh capital flows into Bitcoin, volume spikes and the action shows up in the data. Right now, it doesn’t, as trading volume is down, and open interest changes are small. This suggests the market is in an indecisive phase where retail traders may be done selling, but nobody is confident enough to buy in size yet. That’s not surprising.
Related: Bitcoin balances $60K tightrope as US stocks rebound on fresh Iran peace deal hopes
MicroStrategy, which has accumulated Bitcoin for corporate reserves, did buy 3,600 Bitcoin in June for $236 million, betting on a recovery. But overall, institutions are holding rather than aggressively buying. This pause could break in either direction: lower (if one more wave of sellers emerges) or higher (if confidence returns).
For Bitcoin to move meaningfully higher, it needs to reclaim $62,000. The risk is real: a macro news event at any point in the week, like the June employment report or the resumption of military action in Iran, could weigh on investor sentiment and tip BTC back under the $60,000 handle.
Quick Overview
- Comcast stock gained momentum following the announcement of a two-company restructuring plan
- Alphabet made its historic debut in the Dow Jones Industrial Average
- Tech sector staged a strong recovery following last week’s downturn
- Investors prepare for Nike’s critical earnings announcement
- Crude oil prices advanced amid US-Iran diplomatic developments
Monday delivered a compelling slate of market developments as investors digested corporate restructuring announcements, index changes, and sector rotations. Let’s examine the five most significant market narratives from the trading session.
Comcast Announces Major Corporate Restructuring
Comcast revealed its intention to restructure into two distinct, standalone entities, separating its technology operations from its media holdings.
Market participants welcomed the news enthusiastically. The rationale is clear: dividing a sprawling conglomerate into specialized businesses allows each segment to be assessed independently based on its individual fundamentals.
Such corporate separations typically streamline decision-making, enhance operational efficiency, and frequently generate renewed investor enthusiasm. The development has prompted market observers to speculate whether other diversified corporations might pursue comparable strategies.
Alphabet Achieves Dow Jones Entry
Alphabet has officially secured its position within the Dow Jones Industrial Average, cementing its place among America’s most prominent publicly traded companies.
This inclusion underscores the undeniable importance of technology in today’s economic landscape. Alphabet’s addition brings substantial representation of artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and digital marketing to the venerable index.
While the Dow membership carries primarily symbolic significance, it enhances visibility among institutional capital and index-tracking investment vehicles. Even as AI competition intensifies, Alphabet maintains its status as among the world’s most lucrative enterprises.
Technology Sector Rebounds From Recent Weakness
Following an extended period of declining valuations, technology equities mounted an impressive comeback during Monday’s session.
The Nasdaq outperformed broader markets as capital flowed back into chip manufacturers, artificial intelligence players, and enterprise software providers. Most market analysts interpreted the previous week’s decline as a healthy consolidation rather than a fundamental trend reversal.
Artificial intelligence investment continues fueling expenditures throughout cloud infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, and business software sectors. Market sentiment regarding technology’s sustained expansion trajectory remains fundamentally optimistic.
Nike Financial Results Draw Market Attention
Investor attention is increasingly focused on Nike’s forthcoming quarterly earnings disclosure.
As a bellwether consumer brand with worldwide reach, Nike provides valuable insight into international consumption patterns. Analysts will scrutinize performance metrics from North American markets and China, where purchasing activity has demonstrated volatility.
The athletic apparel giant has been navigating an operational transformation aimed at enhancing margins and refining its merchandise strategy. Positive results could energize the broader retail sector, while disappointing numbers might intensify anxiety regarding consumer expenditure trajectories.
Crude Oil Advances on Geopolitical Developments
Oil prices posted gains Monday as diplomatic exchanges between Washington and Tehran captured energy market participants’ focus.
Middle Eastern political dynamics routinely generate swift reactions in petroleum markets, and commodity traders monitored developments attentively. Elevated crude prices benefit exploration and production companies while simultaneously pressuring airlines, industrial manufacturers, and consumer-facing enterprises.
Given that inflation remains a priority concern for monetary authorities and central banking institutions, every fluctuation in petroleum pricing carries implications for overall market stability.
Filmmakers are already using artificial intelligence (AI) to cut animation production costs by up to 90%. New labor data from California confirms the industry is not waiting for the technology to mature.
Los Angeles County’s motion picture and sound recording sector shed 6,700 jobs year-over-year through May 2026. In total, those losses represent more than 90% of all employment declines recorded across the region’s information industry.
AI Reshapes What It Costs to Make a Film
Animators and directors on active productions report using AI to overhaul production workflows. The tools do not merely speed up existing tasks. They replace entire staffing layers, from storyboarding and character rigging through post-production cleanup.
Opinions divide sharply on the change. Some creators argue that AI will lower production barriers and expand storytelling possibilities. In contrast, others maintain it will eliminate the skilled workforce that built Hollywood’s animation industry over several decades.
Meanwhile, investment signals suggest studios are not waiting for the debate to resolve. Amazon Web Services recently backed a Hollywood production startup that deploys AI to reduce costs and compress production timelines.
That move signals studios’ view of AI efficiency as a structural necessity, not a temporary trend.
AI Job Cuts Extend Across the US Economy
The broader US labor market shows the same direction. AI-driven layoffs mounted across industries in early 2026 as companies rebuilt around smaller, automated teams. Goldman Sachs estimated that AI trimmed US payrolls by roughly 16,000 jobs per month over the past year.
However, entertainment’s concentration of losses runs disproportionately high by any measure.
The 6,700 motion picture jobs lost in LA County reflect a year-over-year comparison, not a single-month snapshot. Data from California’s EDD report shows the pressure on studios and production houses has been persistent and consistent throughout the period.
Los Angeles Absorbs the Deepest Cut
Research adds another layer to that worker risk. Workers who resist AI tools face layoff odds triple those of peers who integrate them. The pattern holds across sectors.
Animators face a difficult choice. They must adopt the technology displacing their role, or risk losing it for not adapting.
Similarly, the disruption extends beyond film. AI already reshaped hiring in the gambling sector this year. Tech workers seeking crypto roles as an automation hedge signal anxiety spreading across knowledge-worker industries.
Filmmakers now say the 90% cost reduction is achievable today, not a future projection. How many more production roles disappear before the industry finds a new equilibrium remains the open question.
The post AI Cuts Animation Costs by 90% as Hollywood Braces for Mass Layoffs appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Ethena’s governance token ENA has climbed after BlackRock integrated the project’s synthetic dollar USDe into its Aladdin investment platform, extending institutional access to a system used to oversee more than $20 trillion in assets.
Summary
- BlackRock has integrated Ethena’s USDe into its Aladdin platform, expanding institutional access to the synthetic dollar.
- ENA rose as much as 12% following the announcement, outperforming the broader crypto market despite Bitcoin trading below $60,000.
- StablecoinX founder Ted Chen said the integration opens USDe to institutions managing more than $20 trillion through Aladdin.
According to a June 29 X announcement from Ethena, the integration enables financial institutions using BlackRock’s Aladdin platform to access USDe through their existing investment and risk management workflows.
The company said the collaboration gives institutions connected to Aladdin a new route to allocate capital to the synthetic dollar while managing positions within the same platform.
BlackRock has expanded its relationship with Ethena
Alongside the USDe integration, Ethena confirmed that BlackRock’s tokenized money market fund BUIDL will become the primary reserve asset for its white-label product. The companies already work together through USDtb, Ethena’s stablecoin backed mainly by BUIDL, making the latest announcement an expansion of an existing relationship rather than a new partnership.
Ethena also said it will provide a liquidity facility for BlackRock’s tokenized products. The company did not disclose financial terms or a launch timeline but described the arrangement as another step in connecting tokenized assets with institutional infrastructure.
The announcement follows several deals involving Ethena’s stablecoin business this month. Earlier, the company selected Centrifuge as its tokenization partner and entered an agreement with global asset manager Janus Henderson. As part of that collaboration, Janus Henderson committed to invest in ENA, Ethena’s governance token.
Another recent milestone came after StablecoinX completed its merger with TLGY Acquisition Corp., allowing the Ethena-focused infrastructure company to begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker USDE.
The company said its public warrants started trading under the symbol USDEW on June 26 following the completion of the business combination a day earlier. The listing provides public-market investors with direct exposure to StablecoinX’s Ethena-focused strategy even as demand for USDe remains below last year’s peak.
ENA has outperformed the broader crypto market
As per data from crypto.news, Ethena (ENA) price rose 12% to $0.083 shortly after the BlackRock announcement before easing to around $0.081, leaving the token about 7% higher on the day. The gain came while the wider cryptocurrency market remained under pressure, with Bitcoin trading below $60,000.
Part of the positive reaction may be linked to Ethena’s fee-switch mechanism. Under the project’s design, a share of protocol revenue is allocated toward buying back ENA, meaning increased activity around USDe could benefit the governance token over time.
Commenting on the announcement, StablecoinX founder Ted Chen said the Aladdin integration significantly increases USDe’s institutional reach because insurers, pension funds and major asset managers already rely on the platform. He noted that organizations including Deutsche Bank and Citi use Aladdin to oversee portfolios.
“That’s over $20 trillion in assets that these managers have on the Aladdin platform. Now, all of these managers will have the ability to not only allocate to USDe, but also seamlessly integrate it into their existing portfolio management and risk analytics processes.”
Ukraine has placed more than $8.3 million in seized crypto under state management, the first time the country has moved confiscated digital assets into a government-controlled wallet.
The National Agency for Finding, Tracing, and Management of Assets, known as ARMA, received the funds from wallets tied to an alleged member of an international hacking group.
Seized Crypto from an International Hacking Case
The holding is Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin, valued at over 372 million Ukrainian hryvnias at the time of the transfer, according to prosecutors.
Investigators say the group attacked people and companies across Europe and the United States. The case reflects a rise in stablecoin-driven crypto crime.
The attackers stole confidential data, demanded ransom payments, and laundered the money in Ukraine through real estate and cars.
Authorities estimate the network caused more than $100 million in damage. The pattern mirrors other crypto laundering networks that ended in multiple arrests.
Four suspects, including the alleged organizer, remain in custody. Total seizures in the case topped $11.1 million, covering homes, apartments, vehicles, and cash.
What State Custody Means for the Funds
Until now, crypto seized in Ukrainian cases sat frozen, with no agency actively holding or moving it. The transfer gives ARMA direct control of the wallet.
A 2025 reform law overhauled how ARMA manages seized property, adding independent audits and tighter oversight. The change was a condition of hundreds of millions of euros in European Union support.
The step stops short of confiscation, which requires a court conviction. For now, the agency holds the assets rather than owning them.
USDT sits near its dollar peg, trading close to $1. That gives ARMA a relatively stable asset to manage, hold, or eventually sell.
A stablecoin avoids the price swings tied to bitcoin, making the holding easier to value. But USDT is centrally controlled, and Tether can freeze tokens at law enforcement requests.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
What to do with seized crypto has split governments. The United States ordered forfeited Bitcoin into a strategic reserve it pledged not to sell. It treats confiscated coins as a long-term asset.
Germany took the opposite path, and critics still debate its seizure of Bitcoin sales after prices later climbed.
Ukraine has not said whether it will sell the USDT or hold it. That choice may shape how it treats future seizures, and whether seized tokens become state revenue.
The post Ukraine Moves $8.3 Million in Seized Crypto Under State Management appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
MoneySimpler promotes passive income strategies for ETH, USDT, and USDC holders through AI-driven digital asset utilization tools.
Summary
- MoneySimpler offers AI-driven automated strategies for ETH, USDT, and USDC holders to generate passive income.
- MoneySimpler uses 24/7 AI quantitative trading to analyze markets and automate digital asset management.
- MoneySimpler enables simple, automated crypto strategies for ETH, USDT, USDC, and BTC with real-time tracking.
For those who hold ETH, USDT, or USDC, they might have wondered: besides waiting for prices to rise, can these digital assets create more value?
In recent years, more and more digital asset investors have begun exploring new avenues for passive income. From staking and DeFi to AI-automated trading, the focus is no longer just on asset prices but on how to more effectively utilize funds to ensure that the digital assets they hold continue to generate value.
MoneySimpler provides daily passive income for ETH, USDT, and USDC holders through an intelligent and automated asset management model.
How can automated strategies help improve returns on assets?
The digital asset market operates 24/7, and more and more investors want to reduce the time costs of frequent market monitoring and manual trading while simultaneously increasing asset returns.
MoneySimpler uses an AI-powered quantitative trading system to continuously analyze the market and automatically execute corresponding processes based on preset strategies, helping users to use quantitative trading more conveniently and improve their returns.
The main features of the platform include:
- Automated operation 24/7, no need for frequent market monitoring
- Intelligent quantitative strategies continuously analyze market changes
- Supports mainstream digital assets such as ETH, USDT, USDC, and BTC
- Allows users to view account status, profit records, and asset information at any time
- Simple operation process, no complex trading experience required
How to get started with MoneySimpler?
MoneySimpler is dedicated to simplifying the AI-driven quantitative trading process. Users can quickly start AI-automated trading without programming, building a trading system, or constantly monitoring the market.
Step 1: Register an Account
Upon completing account registration, new users will receive a $10 sign-up bonus and a $50 trial fund to experience the platform’s AI-powered automated trading features.
Step 2: Choose a Trading Plan
Select a suitable trading plan based on needs and complete asset allocation using cryptocurrency. (Minimum investment starts from $100)
Examples of popular contracts
Basis Arbitrage Strategy: Invest $100, 2-day period, daily return $4, total return at maturity $100 + $8
Digital Asset Trend Tracking 2.05: Invest $600, 5-day period, daily return $7.5, total return at maturity $600 + $37.5
Digital Asset Trend Tracking 2.1: Invest $1,100, 10-day period, daily return $14.3, total return at maturity $1100 + $143
Trend Tracking 2.1: Invest $5,000, 20-day period, daily return $70.5, total return at maturity $5,000 + $1,410
Inter-Exchange Arbitrage 3.5: Invest $12,000, 30-day period, daily return $153, total return at maturity $10,000 + $4,590
Cryptocurrency Statistical Arbitrage Strategy 2.45: Invest $100,000, 40-day period, daily return $1,950, total return at maturity $100,000 + $78,000
For more strategy details, please visit the MoneySimpler website.
Step 3: Activate AI-Automated Trading.
After selecting the corresponding trading contract, daily profits will be automatically settled into an account. The AI system will automatically run the corresponding strategy and execute trades based on market changes.
A secure and transparent smart quantitative trading platform
For digital asset users, a platform’s security, transparency, and compliance are often just as important as profit opportunities.
MoneySimpler continuously improves its platform security system and adheres to international digital asset management standards to provide users with more reliable intelligent quantitative services.
The platform’s security and compliance system includes:
- Compliant with the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the EU MiCA (Mini-Assets Framework) standards for crypto assets;
- Quarterly earnings audits by PwC;
- Lloyd’s of London provides insurance coverage for the platform’s funds;
- Cloudflare and McAfee provide enterprise-grade cybersecurity and real-time security protection.
With a robust compliance, security, and risk control system, MoneySimpler is committed to providing global ETH, USDT, and USDC holders with a safer, more transparent, and intelligent quantitative asset management experience.
Summarize
The development of the digital asset market is driving investors to shift from “long-term holding” to “enhancing asset profitability.”
For users holding ETH, USDT, or USDC, MoneySimpler offers a smarter, automated asset management approach, allowing idle digital assets to generate more value.
Register an account now on the Money Simpler official platform, claim new user rewards, experience AI-powered quantitative trading, and start the daily passive income journey.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
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