A third-party vendor compromise discovered Thursday allowed attackers to inject a malicious script into Polymarket’s frontend, affecting multiple users.

Blockchain analyst Specter said the malicious script appeared to facilitate a phishing attack that drained an estimated $2.94 million from at least 11 Polymarket user wallets.

Polymarket said on X that the compromise has been contained and that the affected dependency has been removed. It added that users would be fully refunded.

Cointelegraph has approached Polymarket for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

The attack was the 89th reported crypto security breach of the second quarter, according to DefiLlama data, extending the most-hacked quarter on record by incident count.

Source: Specter

Crypto exploit losses reach $74.9M across 29 June incidents

Crypto exploit losses climbed to $74.9 million across 29 reported incidents in June, surpassing May’s $60.5 million total but remaining far below April’s $644 million, according to DefiLlama data.

Total value hacked by monthly sum, 1-year chart. Source: DefiLlama.

The largest June incidents included the $36 million Humanity Protocol exploit, the $4.7 million Secret Network bridge exploit, two separate Aztec exploits worth $2.1 million each and a $1.7 million bridge exploit on Taiko.

Related: About 60% of World Cup bettors on Polymarket are first-time crypto users

Over the past 30 days, private key compromises accounted for 43% of reported exploit losses, making them the leading attack vector, according to DefiLlama. Fake proof exploits accounted for 10%, followed by reverse MEV honeypots at 8%, which present deceptive trading opportunities to lure and manipulate automated trading bots.

About a month before Polymarket’s latest attack, the prediction market disclosed a separate $600,000 exploit that was traced to a six-year-old private key used for internal top-up operations. Josh Stevens, Polymarket’s vice president of engineering, said the platform’s contracts and user funds remained safe and that all permissions tied to the key had since been revoked.

Total value hacked by technique over the past 30 days. Source: DefiLlama

Polymarket currently holds over $450 million in total value locked, up 301% from $112 million a year ago, according to DefiLlama.

Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?

Key Highlights

• Base postpones Beryl implementation by 24 hours to ensure B20 registry readiness
• B20 token standard introduces native support for stablecoins and real-world assets
• Registry initialization must complete before native B20 token deployment can proceed
• Withdrawal timeframe from Base to Ethereum reduced from seven days to five days
• Integration of Reth V2 promises up to 50% reduction in node storage requirements

The Ethereum layer 2 network Base has postponed its Beryl mainnet implementation by 24 hours to ensure proper B20 Activation Registry configuration. Beryl will now go live on June 26 at 18:00 UTC, providing additional time for the registry to initialize before the hard fork executes.

B20 Registry Initialization Necessitates Schedule Adjustment

Base initially targeted June 25 for Beryl’s launch, but development teams discovered a critical timing dependency. The B20 Activation Registry needs to complete its initialization sequence before developers can begin deploying native B20 tokens. This initialization process could take up to 60 minutes following activation.

The registry manages B20 feature flag availability throughout the network post-hard fork. To prevent activating Beryl before these critical functions were operational, the team rescheduled the mainnet deployment. While the timeline has shifted, the upgrade’s technical components remain unchanged.

Beryl brings B20 to Base—a protocol-native token standard designed specifically for stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. B20 tokens function through Rust precompiles embedded directly within Base node software, unlike conventional ERC-20 contracts. Despite this fundamental difference, B20 maintains full ERC-20 compatibility and incorporates ERC-2612 permit functionality.

Enhanced Token Management and Accelerated Bridge Transfers

The B20 Issuer Toolkit provides comprehensive features including role-based permissions, minting and burning controls, transfer restrictions, and configurable supply limits. Additionally, it offers freeze and seizure capabilities for token issuers navigating regulatory compliance requirements. These functionalities embed core token governance directly into the protocol rather than relying on external smart contracts.

Beryl simultaneously decreases the standard withdrawal duration from Base to Ethereum from seven days down to five days. The majority of bridge providers utilize this single-proof withdrawal mechanism for cross-network transfers. Base attributed this improvement to Multiproofs enhancements delivered through the preceding Azul upgrade.

The upgrade further incorporates Reth V2 into Base’s node architecture. According to Base, this software implementation can cut node storage demands by as much as 50 percent. It additionally accommodates higher block gas limits, creating opportunities for expanded network throughput.

Recent Network Disruption Unrelated to Upgrade Postponement

Base encountered a block production halt lasting approximately two hours on June 25, prior to Beryl’s adjusted activation schedule. Engineering teams identified the cause as a consensus failure triggered by an invalid block entering the sequencing pipeline. Production subsequently resumed, and the team confirmed the incident bore no connection to the Beryl postponement.

The network emphasized that user assets remained secure throughout the disruption, despite the temporary cessation of block creation. Base founder Jesse Pollak stated that network interruptions are incompatible with infrastructure supporting worldwide financial operations. While the outage increased operational scrutiny, it didn’t affect Beryl’s planned functionality.

Beryl succeeds Azul, which deployed to mainnet in May as Base’s inaugural independent upgrade. The network has scheduled Cobalt, its subsequent major upgrade, for September. Cobalt is expected to deliver account abstraction capabilities, smart account support, gas sponsorship, transaction batching, and expanded B20 features.

The crypto market is clinging to a crucial level of support, with bitcoin BTC$59,386.30 barely moving since midnight UTC after rebounding from its lowest level since September 2024 on Thursday.

The largest cryptocurrency was recently trading near $59,700, having fallen as low as $58,100.

Ether (ETH) failed to mirror bitcoin’s bounce, dropping a further 1% and extending its string of declines to three straight days. It recently held around $1,550.

U.S. equities also start Friday indicating weakness, Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 futures are down by 1% and 0.4%, respectively, since midnight as the tech rally of the past three months continues to unwind.

One token that bucked the bearish market sentiment was aave AAVE$85.17, which added as much as 6.8% since midnight, building on a 17% gain over the past week after CoinDesk reported that crypto exchange Kraken was looking to acquire a 15% stake in the DeFi company.

Derivatives positioning

• Market volatility continues to weigh on leveraged futures positions. Over the past 24 hours, another $1 billion in positions were liquidated, with long positions once again accounting for the majority. Notably, ETH saw more liquidations than BTC in the past 12 hours.
• Bitcoin futures open interest (OI) rose for a second consecutive day to 778,000 BTC, a sharp increase from recent lows near 730,000 BTC. The open interest surged during Thursday’s late selloff, suggesting traders added shorts into the dip in anticipation of further downside.
• The picture is different in ether futures, where open interest has remained stable near the 14 million ETH level since at least June 15. This is somewhat constructive, as it indicates traders are not aggressively shorting the price decline. A similar pattern holds for XRP.
• Solana’s open interest has pulled back from record highs but remains elevated compared with recent months, pointing to the potential for continued volatility.
• The OI-adjusted 24-hour cumulative volume delta continues to show bearish dominance across most of the top 25 cryptocurrencies, with the notable exceptions of BNB, SOL and TON. The negative reading suggests bears are more aggressive than bulls, favoring market orders over passive limit orders. This trend has persisted since Tuesday.
• Annualized 30-day implied volatility indexes are signaling rising levels of concern. Bitcoin’s BVIV index jumped to 53% early today, its highest level since June 7 and a sharp rise from the June 16 low of 39%. ETH’s index climbed to 66%.
• Wall Street’s equivalent, the VIX, has also risen to 20% from 15% recently but remains within the range seen since early April, indicating that equities are not yet in panic mode. A similar message is coming from the U.S. Treasury market’s implied volatility index, MOVE.
• On Deribit, the one-week bitcoin options skew is approaching 30%, reflecting a substantial premium for puts, or defensive positions, over calls and underscoring strong downside fears. The one- and three-month skews are conveying a similar message.
• Block flows included a large trade in the $53,000 put expiring July 10, along with demand for ether risk reversals.

Token talk

• Aave outperformed the broader altcoin market, and an honorable mention goes to solana (SOL), which has added 2% since midnight and now trades around $68.95 after tumbling to $64.05 on Thursday.
• AI tokens continue to unwind; RENDER, NEAR, FET and TAO lost between 1% and 1.5% on Friday, extending their declines.
• Hyperliquid (HYPE) also fell, dropping 2.6%. It has now lost 18.5% since touching a record high 12 days ago.
• Ethena (ENA) remains one of the worst-performing altcoins, losing another 5% on Friday. It’s now dropped 34% after touching the month’s high on June 3.
• ENA’s plight can be attributed to the ongoing bear market, as a portion of the platform’s yield-generation strategy is tied to positive funding rates, which have now flipped negative.

• Binance will halt services for EU users after MiCA setback.
• BNB token price has fallen 13.2% over the past month.
• Bitcoin miner inflows to Binance hit a four-month high.

BNB token remained under pressure on Friday as investors weighed Binance’s regulatory setback in Europe against the token’s long-term role within the Binance ecosystem.

The token traded at $566.26, down 0.3% over the previous 24 hours.

During that period, Binance coin (BNB) moved between $541.77 and $569.04, showing that buyers managed to push the price close to the day’s high despite negative headlines.

Even so, the broader trend has remained weak.

BNB has fallen 1.4% over the past seven days, 5.5% in the last two weeks, 13.2% over the past month, and 12.5% over the last year.

The latest decline in sentiment comes after Binance confirmed that it will stop providing services to customers across the European Union after failing to obtain a license required under the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations.

Regulatory setback raises fresh questions

Binance’s withdrawal from the European market represents another regulatory challenge for the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

The company informed affected users that services in the European Union will end after it failed to secure the required MiCA authorisation before the regulatory deadline.

Binance had previously sought approval through Greece before withdrawing its application and has indicated that it intends to pursue authorisation through another EU member state.

Although Binance said Europe remains an important market and expects to secure a license in the future, the interruption creates uncertainty for one of its largest regional user bases.

That uncertainty matters because the BNB token is closely tied to the Binance ecosystem.

While the token has expanded well beyond its original purpose as an exchange utility token, Binance’s trading activity still plays an important role in overall demand.

Any reduction in exchange activity could temporarily affect demand for BNB tokens, particularly from users who hold the token to receive trading fee discounts or participate in Binance products.

BNB token still has utility beyond the exchange

Despite the regulatory headwinds, the BNB token is no longer dependent solely on Binance’s centralised exchange.

The token serves as the native asset of BNB Chain, where it is used to pay transaction fees, support decentralised finance applications, participate in staking, and access Binance Launchpad token offerings.

These use cases continue to generate demand independent of spot trading on the exchange.

The BNB token also benefits from a deflationary supply model.

The token launched with a maximum supply of 200 million coins, and Binance continues to remove tokens from circulation through scheduled burns.

The token burn mechanism has so far removed 289,896.29 BNB tokens from the circulating supply, according to BNBBurn info, and remains one of the key features supporting the asset’s long-term economics.

However, utility alone may not fully offset the impact of negative regulatory developments in the short term.

Investor sentiment often reacts quickly to news involving Binance because of the close relationship between the exchange and its native token.

The wider crypto market decline adds another layer of pressure

The regulatory news arrives at a time when the broader cryptocurrency market is already facing fresh concerns.

Recent blockchain data showed that Bitcoin miners transferred more than 150,000 BTC to Binance during June, marking the highest miner inflows to the exchange in four months.

Large transfers from miners to exchanges are closely monitored because they can precede increased selling activity.

Although deposits do not automatically mean that coins have been sold, they often indicate that miners are preparing to access liquidity after periods of lower mining profitability.

If Bitcoin (BTC) experiences additional selling pressure, the effect can extend beyond the largest cryptocurrency.

And major altcoins, including the BNB token, frequently move in the same direction as Bitcoin during periods of broader market weakness.

If that happens, then the BNB token price could drop below the key support at $541.

However, if the market sentiment improves, then we could see the token recover above $588 and above.

US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds saw their steepest daily net outflows of June on Thursday, extending a broader cooling in institutional demand as Bitcoin traded below $60,000.

SoSoValue data shows the ETFs collectively lost $696.3 million in net flows—above the prior monthly high of $519.2 million recorded on June 2—taking June’s total net outflows to $3.61 billion. Year-to-date, net outflows now stand at $4.6 billion.

Key takeaways

• Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $696.3 million in net outflows on Thursday, the largest single day of June, as Bitcoin slipped under $60,000.
• June outflows total $3.61 billion, pushing US spot ETF year-to-date net outflows to $4.6 billion, according to SoSoValue.
• Total US spot ETF assets fell below $73 billion for the first time since late 2024, down about 57% from an October 2025 peak.
• Strategy reduced its June Bitcoin buying rate to roughly 3,600 BTC so far, down sharply from May and April, with at least one small net sale reported earlier in the month.

Spot ETF outflows accelerate as Bitcoin weakens

The latest withdrawal wave underscores how quickly flows can react when price momentum turns. With Bitcoin trading below $60,000, US spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled back decisively—registering $696.3 million in net outflows on Thursday and deepening the month’s losses.

SoSoValue’s breakdown also highlights the escalation within June itself: Thursday’s figure exceeded the previous monthly high of $519.2 million set on June 2. That matters because it suggests investors’ redemption behavior is not limited to isolated days—it is broadening across the month as market conditions deteriorate.

SoSoValue further reports that June’s net outflows are now $3.61 billion, while year-to-date net outflows have reached $4.6 billion. In practice, that means ETF investors have been net sellers of exposure rather than net accumulators, even though spot ETFs were designed to provide a straightforward route into Bitcoin’s price.

ETF balance sheets shrink toward late-2024 levels

Beyond daily flows, the impact is visible in ETF balance sheets. According to SoSoValue, total net assets in US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs dropped below $73 billion for the first time since late 2024.

SoSoValue indicates that the sector’s total net assets reached a record $169.5 billion in October 2025. As of Friday, that number had fallen to roughly $72.6 billion—an approximately 57% decline.

Separate data from WalletPilot adds another layer: the funds held a combined 1.24 million BTC as of Tuesday, and about 63,500 BTC left the products over the past 30 days. Taken together, these figures point to sustained net reductions in ETF-held Bitcoin rather than a brief drawdown.

Strategy’s June buying slows amid public pressure

ETF outflows are not the only sign of institutional appetite softening. Strategy—the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder—has reportedly reduced the pace of its purchases during June, fueling renewed debate over its approach.

Based on Strategy filings, the company bought roughly 3,600 Bitcoin in June so far. That is down from about 25,000 BTC in May and more than 50,000 BTC in April. The change is significant: it suggests Strategy is not maintaining the same monthly accumulation pace that preceded the market downturn.

The slowdown also included a notable exception earlier in the month: a net sale of 32 BTC, described as one of the few times Strategy has sold Bitcoin during its accumulation period.

Additionally, Strategy’s perpetual preferred stock (STRC) has faced pressure. The stock traded below its intended $100 level, closing at $75.69 on Thursday, down 6.37%. That has amplified scrutiny of Strategy’s capital management and timing, with CryptoQuant analysts raising concerns about the company’s risk management and purchase cadence.

Debate over timing: preserve cash vs. “self-repair” claims

The company’s reduced buying rate has split commentary in the market. Some analysts argue Strategy should pause additional Bitcoin purchases and focus on rebuilding cash reserves during a weaker period for crypto prices.

Others push back on the notion that the plan has broken down. Bitcoin advocate Samson Mow argued that STRC includes a “self-repairing mechanism” that activates when it trades below its $100 benchmark. He also noted that Strategy pauses new share issuance through its ATM program at that level, which he said helps limit additional supply.

Whether those mechanisms are sufficient to offset the near-term pressures remains a key question for observers—especially as ETF flows continue to signal demand softness.

Investors should watch whether ETF outflows stabilize in the coming sessions and whether Strategy’s purchase pace returns closer to earlier months’ levels. If redemptions persist while corporate buying remains muted, the market may struggle to reclaim the momentum that typically draws in spot ETF inflows.

Key Highlights

• Shares of AMD advanced 2.5% Thursday, reaching an intraday peak of $550.88 before closing at $532.57
• UBS increased its price objective to $670; Gartner identified AMD as “the company to beat” in the enterprise AI server CPU market
• First quarter revenue reached $10.25 billion, representing a 37.8% year-over-year increase and surpassing analyst projections
• The company’s forward P/E ratio stands at 71x compared to Nvidia’s 23x — presenting valuation considerations
• The forthcoming MI450 processor, manufactured using TSMC’s 2nm technology, aims to compete with Nvidia’s Vera Rubin architecture

Shares of Advanced Micro Devices climbed 2.5% during Thursday’s session, peaking at $550.88 before finishing at $532.57. This represented a gain from the previous day’s close of $519.74. Trading activity registered approximately 26.7 million shares, falling about 29% short of the typical daily volume of 37.7 million.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD

The upward movement occurred on below-average volume, indicating the rally wasn’t driven by widespread market momentum. However, the catalyst behind the move was unmistakable: a series of favorable analyst assessments.

Reports indicate UBS elevated its price objective for AMD to $670. Additionally, technology research leader Gartner designated AMD as “the company to beat” in the enterprise AI server CPU sector — a designation that resonated throughout investment circles.

The broader analyst community maintains a favorable outlook on AMD. Among those monitored by MarketBeat, 28 analysts recommend Buy, 12 suggest Hold, two rate it Strong Buy, and just one recommends Sell.

The consensus price target currently rests at $440.41, although several recent revisions have elevated forecasts considerably. Mizuho increased its target to $615 while TD Cowen adjusted upward to $600, both maintaining constructive ratings.

The company’s first quarter performance, announced on May 5th, reinforced the positive sentiment. Revenue totaled $10.25 billion, exceeding the $9.90 billion projection and marking a 37.8% increase compared to the prior year period. Earnings per share reached $1.37, topping the consensus estimate of $1.29.

Valuation Questions Persist Among Investors

Notwithstanding solid operational performance, AMD’s valuation multiple has emerged as a recurring topic among market watchers. The stock currently carries a trailing P/E ratio near 171x and a forward P/E of 71x. Nvidia, in contrast, trades at a forward P/E of approximately 23x.

Several market observers have highlighted that AMD’s elevated valuation multiples provide limited margin for disappointment. Should growth projections fall short of expectations, even marginally, the stock could experience downward pressure. One analysis noted that even Micron’s robust quarterly results failed to provide uplift to AMD shares, suggesting a more discriminating market climate.

Chief Executive Lisa Su divested 125,000 shares on June 10th at an average execution price of $460.69, generating proceeds of approximately $57.6 million. The divestiture was conducted through a previously established 10b5-1 trading arrangement. Executive Vice President Mark Papermaster similarly sold 6,000 shares on June 15th at $536.33. Both transactions were pre-scheduled rather than opportunistic.

The MI450 Represents the Next Major Milestone

AMD’s upcoming significant product launch centers on the MI450 processor, which is being produced utilizing TSMC’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer manufacturing process. This represents a generational advantage over Nvidia’s 3nm Vera Rubin architecture.

The MI450 is projected to feature 432 GB of HBM4 memory capacity, substantially exceeding Vera Rubin’s 288 GB configuration. Industry analysts also anticipate AMD will deliver superior total cost of ownership economics, a consideration that carries weight in hyperscale data center procurement decisions.

AMD’s current market capitalization hovers around $868 billion, representing a small fraction of Nvidia’s $4.9 trillion valuation. This disparity forms a central component of the bullish investment thesis — significant expansion potential remains.

The company’s data center business segment now contributes 56% of total revenue. Nvidia’s comparable segment represents 92% of its revenue mix, highlighting both how much ground AMD must cover and the substantial growth opportunity that lies ahead.

Institutional investors hold 71.34% of outstanding shares. Wall Street projects full-year earnings per share of $6.15 for the current fiscal period.