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Bitcoin Chases New Lows As ETF Outflows, Strategy’s Slump Spook Traders

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Bitcoin Chases New Lows As ETF Outflows, Strategy’s Slump Spook Traders

Key takeaways:

  • Cooling oil prices and a multi-month high for the US dollar are keeping intense pressure on non yield-bearing assets.
  • Spot Bitcoin ETF outflows paired with Strategy’s slowest buying pace in 18 months signal short-term downside risks.

Bitcoin (BTC) traded down to $59,060 on Wednesday despite the sharp retreat in oil prices. Inflationary pressures eased following a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, which temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Bitcoin traders fear that the bounce back to $60,000 might not last long as the US dollar strengthened.

US dollar strength index (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source: TradingView

The US dollar jumped to its highest level against a basket of foreign currencies in 13 months, indicating growing confidence in the US economy. Typically, this metric shows a negative correlation with Bitcoin’s price, as some investors view the cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflationary pressures traditionally driven by high oil prices.

Gold (left) vs. Brent Crude oil, USD. Source: TradingView

Gold prices fell below $4,000 for the first time in 7 months as Brent crude oil plummeted below $74, nearing levels seen prior to the conflict in Iran. Investors signaled lower demand for scarce assets despite moderate anxiety about tech-sector cash flows amid increased capital expenditure by AI hyperscalers.

Bitcoin investment thesis weakened by reduced inflation perspectives and AI sector growth

Inflation will take time to cool down to the US Federal Reserve (Fed) target of 2%, leading traders to anticipate interest rates remaining higher for longer, which ultimately favors fixed-income investments. The latest US Labor Department unemployment benefit claims data fell by 4,000 from the prior week, further confirming that the economy is not slowing.

US expanded Monetary Base (M2), USD. Source: Fed St Louis

Regardless of investors’ risk assessments of the profitability of AI infrastructure investments, US government debt has been driving up liquidity over the past 3 years. Data released on Tuesday revealed that the US expanded Monetary Base (M2) increased to $23.05 trillion in May, up from $22.8 trillion the prior month.

Related: Lyn Alden tips Bitcoin outperforming gold over next ‘two to three years’

While there is no short-term correlation between the amount of money in circulation and Bitcoin’s price, investors will eventually seek gains elsewhere if higher demand for fixed income causes diminished yields. For now, the tech sector remains investors’ largest bet, weakening the case for alternative scarce assets such as Bitcoin.

Micron (MU US), the computer memory and data storage manufacturer, reported strong quarterly earnings on Wednesday. Micron’s market capitalization has grown to $1.16 trillion, following a 265% gain over 6 months. More impressively, chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung now account for 40% of the entire South Korean stock market, according to CNBC.

Strategy (MSTR US) Bitcoin reserve changes, BTC. Source: Strategy

The slowdown in Strategy’s Bitcoin acquisition pace has likely contributed to the weaker market sentiment. The company, led by Michael Saylor, reported adding 520 BTC during the week ending June 21, marking its lowest weekly intake in 18 months. Moreover, $300 million of the net proceeds from MSTR’s stock issuance during the period were used to replenish its cash position.

Bitcoin’s negative performance on Wednesday partly reflects macroeconomic conditions, with gold prices also affected. However, heavy net outflows from spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and disappointment that Strategy’s stock trades below its Bitcoin reserve acquisition cost have added significant pressure. Thus, further downside from the $59,000 level should not be ruled out.

FTX Exec’s wife Scheduled for November Trial on Campaign Finance Charges

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FTX Exec’s wife Scheduled for November Trial on Campaign Finance Charges

Michelle Bond, the wife of former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame, who is serving a 7.5-year prison sentence after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, is scheduled to stand trial in November following delays stemming from motions related to her husband’s plea deal.

On Wednesday, Judge George Daniels in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered a trial start date of Nov. 9 for Bond, who faces four charges related to campaign finance law violations. The proceedings came a week after the judge denied Bond’s motion to dismiss the indictment, based on claims that prosecutors had promised Salame she would not be charged if she pleaded guilty.

Bond’s case is one of the final criminal proceedings related to the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which filed for bankruptcy in 2022. The event led to criminal charges for Salame and other executives, including former CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison.

In an August 2024 indictment, prosecutors alleged that Bond and Salame “illegally funded” the former’s 2022 campaign for the US House of Representatives. Salame allegedly used $400,000 of FTX funds as part of a “sham” payment in violation of campaign finance laws. Bond ran as a Republican in New York’s 1st congressional district but lost in the primary to Nicholas LaLota.

2022 campaign post on X (then Twitter) Source: Michelle Bond

Salame, charged in 2022 along with Bankman-Fried and others, was sentenced to 90 months in prison in 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions. He initially attempted to vacate his plea after claiming that prosecutors misled him over charging Bond, but ultimately reported to prison in October 2024 and left the matter to his wife’s case.

Bankman-Fried, angling for a presidential pardon, loses appeal

Salame, Bankman-Fried and Ellison were the only three people tied to FTX to receive prison time. Two other executives, Nishad Singh and Gary Wang, were given time served after testifying against SBF at trial. Ellison, meanwhile, was released early in January after serving less than her two-year sentence.

Related: US lawmakers warn against presidential pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried

Aside from Bond’s expected trial, Bankman-Fried was the only one connected to the crypto exchange to have his day in court. He was found guilty on seven felony charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024.

Although Bankman-Fried filed to appeal his conviction and sentence, he also recently applied for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected SBF’s appeal earlier this month, leaving the US Supreme Court or a presidential pardon as his only likely path to freedom over the next 20 years.

Magazine: AI is banking the unbanked in Africa… faster than crypto

Kalshi seeks funding at $40 billion valuation, widening lead over rival Polymarket

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Kalshi seeks funding at $40 billion valuation, widening lead over rival Polymarket

Kalshi is seeking to raise fresh capital at a valuation of about $40 billion, nearly doubling the $22 billion valuation it targeted in its previous funding round, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter.

The prediction markets platform could close the fundraising as soon as the third quarter of this year, FT said.

If completed, the deal would widen Kalshi’s valuation lead over rival Polymarket, which was last reported to be seeking funding at $15 billion. The two platforms have emerged as the dominant names in the prediction markets sector, while many other entrants have increased the industry’s competitive landscape.

Kalshi’s previous funding round, which valued the company at $22 billion, attracted a roster of high-profile investors including Philippe Laffont’s Coatue Management, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Morgan Stanley.

Competition in the sector has intensified as firms race to capture users and expand product offerings.

Kalshi operates as a federally regulated exchange in the United States, a distinction that has helped it attract mainstream investors and institutional backing. Meanwhile, Polymarket, which uses blockchain infrastructure and cryptocurrency-based settlement, has gained popularity among crypto traders and has become widely followed during recent election cycles.

Can Traders Retain the Rally?

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Can Traders Retain the Rally?

Hyperliquid’s HYPE token is down 22% from its $75 all-time high, bringing its 2026 uptrend to a key test of support. Market participation has cooled across the derivatives markets, while the spot flows show early signs of stabilization after strong selling pressure in early June. 

The $50-$54 area now stands out as the most important support zone beneath current prices and the first major trend test since January. 

Spot selling begins to ease for HYPE

HYPE fell below $60 on Wednesday after rejecting another retest of its all-time high near $76. The decline has pushed the price toward the 50-day exponential moving average, a level that has acted as trend support throughout the rally from March.

The recent pullback resembles HYPE’s consolidation in May 2025. At that time, the token printed a new high near $40 before entering a multi-week pause that cooled momentum without producing a bearish break on the daily chart. 

HYPE price comparison, July 2026 and May 2025. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The relative strength index is following a similar setup, rolling over from overbought conditions while remaining above the levels typically associated with trend reversals.

However, onchain data paints a cautious picture. Aggregated spot cumulative volume delta (CVD), which measures net buying and selling activity in spot markets, has improved from recent lows during the correction. The recovery has reduced the earlier sell imbalance, though spot CVD remains deeply negative at nearly $95 million.

HYPE price, open interest, spot and futures CVD, funding rate. Source: Velo

The shift suggests selling pressure is easing rather than aggressive accumulation. Spot buyers have started absorbing supply near current levels, though the scale of demand remains modest compared to $110 million in selling recorded during HYPE’s decline from $76 in early June. 

The derivatives activity continues to weaken. Open interest has fallen to $1.73 billion from $2.2 billion, while derivatives CVD has continued trending lower and now sits near negative $389 million, down from $400 million at the beginning of June. Currently, HYPE traders appear to be reducing exposure rather than opening new positions.

Related: Solana grabs 95% of tokenized equity as traders debate if SOL bottom is in

$50 support comes into focus

The next major test lies between $50 and $54, where the rising 50-day exponential moving average aligns with an unfilled daily fair-value gap. The zone represents the first significant support cluster below the current prices.

Holding above the region preserves HYPE’s sequence of higher highs and lows, which has remained intact since January. It also keeps the current pullback consistent with previous consolidations that developed within the broader uptrend.

HYPE/USDT, one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

A daily close below $53 would mark the first meaningful bearish shift on the daily chart this year. The 100-day EMA near $51.6 becomes the next support level, followed by the lower boundary of the fair value gap near $49. Below that, the next notable support area sits near $38.

For now, the most important signal is the gap between improving spot flows and declining participation across leveraged markets. The strength of demand around the $50-$54 support zone may offer the clearest indication of whether HYPE’s correction is nearing exhaustion or preparing for a deeper retracement.

Speaking in terms of accumulation, crypto trader Altcoin Sherpa said, 

“HYPE, I think anywhere in the 55-64 area is a pretty good place to accumulate this one. I think it goes to $100 later this year personally and is still the best altcoin…but it’s going to also depend a lot on bitcoin IMO.

Related: Bitcoin crash to $60K opens new $530M demand zone: Will bulls buy in?

Upheaval at the foundation has some of crypto’s biggest names feeling bullish

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Upheaval at the foundation has some of crypto’s biggest names feeling bullish

Yakovenko’s comments stood out because they came from one of Ethereum’s most prominent competitors. While debates between Ethereum and Solana supporters have often been contentious, Yakovenko’s reaction reflected a view shared by many currently at the top of the industry: that leaner organizations can sometimes make better decisions than larger, more bureaucratic ones.

The emergence of EthLabs is particularly significant because it arrived the day before the foundation’s layoffs and budget cuts, underscoring what supporters see as a broader trend: Ethereum’s research and development ecosystem increasingly extending beyond the foundation itself.

“I feel that the job cuts at the EF were necessary for their budget, longevity, and CROPs alignment,” said Hudson Jameson, head of ecosystems at CertiK and a former employee at the Ethereum Foundation. “As sad as the layoffs are, it was an inevitability to keep the EF lean long term.”

Jameson described EthLabs’ launch as exciting, noting that its founding team includes respected veterans of Ethereum’s research and development community. “The founding team at EthLabs are long-time, well-respected members of the Eth R&D community,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what they will accomplish.”

For years, critics and supporters alike have debated whether Ethereum relies too heavily on the Ethereum Foundation. As the ecosystem has grown into a global network of developers, infrastructure providers, layer-2 networks, institutions and companies, some leaders have argued that the foundation should become less central rather than more influential.

Bitcoin Price Craters To $59,000. The Worst Might Be Coming

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Bitcoin Price Craters To $59,000. The Worst Might Be Coming

Bitcoin price has crashed through $60,000, touching lows not seen since October 2024 and erasing months of gains in a matter of days. At press time, bitcoin price trades at $59,566 — down more than 10% in 24 hours and roughly 53% off its all-time high of $126,277 set last October.

The drop has been brutal, fast, and — for many holders — a gut punch that raises a question nobody wants to ask: how much lower can this go? No single event really broke bitcoin price. What happened instead was a convergence of bad news that hit all at once.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted net outflows of approximately $113.8 million as of June 23, marking a fourth consecutive day of withdrawals. BlackRock’s IBIT led the exits with roughly $182 million in outflows, while Fidelity’s FBTC and ARK 21Shares’ ARKB attracted about $23 million and $31 million, respectively.

The Federal Reserve made things worse. With U.S.-Iran tensions pushing crude oil prices higher and reigniting inflation fears, Fed officials began walking back any talk of rate cuts — and some floated the possibility of rate hikes. That sent a clear signal to risk asset markets: the liquidity spigot is closing.

Then came Strategy. The company, long seen as an anchor of corporate Bitcoin conviction with its “never sell” posture, sold 32 BTC between May 26–31. 

This might (or might not) be the end for bitcoin price

Standard Chartered’s Geoffrey Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Assets Research, put out a client note in early June declaring that Bitcoin price’s drop to $59,000 marks the definitive cycle bottom — and reaffirmed the bank’s year-end target of $100,000. That’s roughly 70% upside from current levels. Kendrick tied his conviction to three signals he said needed to materialize: renewed ETF inflows, fresh corporate treasury purchases, and declining oil prices as geopolitical tensions ease.

On June 23, the first of those signals flickered. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $39.2 million in net inflows — the first positive day after a prolonged bleeding streak — led by ARK 21Shares’ ARKB at $31 million. 

Corporate buyers have not stopped. Strategy purchased 520 BTC for approximately $35 million this week. Strive Asset Management added 759 BTC at an average price near $65,850. These are not panic sells — these are institutional bids placed into a falling market.

On-chain, roughly half of all Bitcoin supply is now underwater. In prior cycles, that crossover has marked the floor — not the beginning of a deeper collapse.

Kalshi Sues Illinois Officials over Prediction Markets Restrictions

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Kalshi Sues Illinois Officials over Prediction Markets Restrictions

Prediction markets company Kalshi has filed a lawsuit against state officials in Illinois over legislation it says “expressly bans sports event contracts” on its platform.

In a Tuesday filing in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Kalshi alleged that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and other officials on the state’s gaming board “usurped” the authority of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over prediction markets. 

Specifically, the company alleged that legislation signed into law last week in Illinois, requiring prediction market platforms to be licensed in the state to offer sports event contracts, violated federal law. Kalshi claimed that it would be “irreparably harmed” when the law, Illinois Senate Bill 3019, takes effect on July 1.

“If Kalshi complies with the new state law by ceasing to offer its sports event contracts in Illinois, that would put Kalshi in violation of the CFTC’s uniformity requirements, harm Kalshi’s commercial interests, and require the company to implement complex and expensive technological solutions to limit access in Illinois — incurring costs that would not be recoverable when Kalshi ultimately prevails in the action,” said the complaint.

Source: PACER

The Illinois law, passed as part of a state budget package for the fiscal year 2027, included a 0.2% tax on crypto transactions and has already been heavily criticized by many in the industry. 

The legislation amended the state’s definition of an “exchange wager” to include “an agreement, contract, transaction, or swap that is offered, traded, or executed on a prediction market or exchange tied to a sporting contest or sporting event,” making prediction market companies subject to the same rules as entities offering sports betting.

Related: Mark Zuckerberg ordered Meta staff to develop moneyless prediction market: NYT

“[…] Kalshi faces similar irreparable harms if it attempts to comply with SB 3019 by offering sports events contracts in compliance with Illinois’s costly and restrictive licensing and regulatory regime,” said the company. “Nor can Kalshi avoid these harms by simply disregarding the unlawful state requirements because an enforcement action by Illinois could subject Kalshi to criminal penalties.”

Legal fights eventually headed to the Supreme Court?

Kalshi’s lawsuit was the latest in a jurisdictional fight between federal and state authorities over sports betting on prediction markets.

The CFTC, headed by Commissioner Michael Selig, has claimed exclusive authority over the companies under the Commodity Exchange Act, arguing that the platform’s event contracts are “swaps” within its jurisdiction. The agency has filed several lawsuits against state authorities over this claim, most recently in response to Kentucky’s restrictions on prediction markets.

Some experts expect that the legal battles will end up at the US Supreme Court, given the opposing claims by federal regulators and state gaming officials.

Magazine: AI is banking the unbanked in Africa… faster than crypto

Cardano wallet SecondFi hit by $2.4 million exploit, up to $20 million in user funds at risk

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Cardano wallet SecondFi hit by $2.4 million exploit, up to $20 million in user funds at risk

SecondFi, the Cardano wallet formerly known as Yoroi, says it has patched a major exploit that drained roughly 16 million ADA, worth approximately $2.4 million, from 374 user wallets across three separate attacks.

The root cause was a flaw in SecondFi’s proprietary wallet generation software. The vulnerability sits at the address level, meaning simply moving a seed phrase to another wallet offers no protection. “The security risk occurs when an affected user signs a transaction,” the team said on X.

Before attackers could reach a further 129 million ADA, SecondFi said it triggered emergency rescue measures, routing the funds to an independent third-party custodian. An external accounting firm has been engaged to verify those holdings and affected users can submit claims to SecondFi.

Blockchain security firm SlowMist estimates total losses could exceed $20 million when accounting for the full range of compromised wallets and tokens, a figure that remains unconfirmed pending an independent audit.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson acknowledged the incident but noted the dollar amount was modest relative to other crypto hacks, though he stressed that offered little consolation to those affected. “It hurts them whenever they lose anything,” he said. “This is the unfortunate reality of crypto.”

ADA is currently trading around $0.15, its lowest level since 2020.

Binance withdraws Greek MiCA bid but vows to remain in the EU

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Binance withdraws Greek MiCA bid but vows to remain in the EU

Binance has withdrawn its application for a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license in Greece and will seek authorization in another European Union country, the crypto exchange said Wednesday via several X posts.

While Binance did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment, Gillian Lynch, head of Europe ‌and the United Kingdom, told Reuters that “Binance is not leaving Europe.” Her comment follows her firm’s bid to secure a licence in Greece to offer crypto services in the EU went sour.

Last week, Binance said its European regulatory MiCA application was compliant despite reports of Greek rejection. “Our understanding is that the HCMC (Hellenic Capital Market Commission) completed its review of the application and considered it compliant with MiCA requirements, and that the application was also reviewed at ESMA level,” a Binance spokesman told CoinDesk via email on June 16.

The decision comes days before a June 30 deadline. Under MiCA rules, crypto firms must obtain a license from at least one EU member state by July 1 to serve clients across the 27-nation trading bloc. Unlicensed firms must wind down their EU activities.

Crypto-Backed Candidates Notch Wins in Three US State Primaries

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Crypto-Backed Candidates Notch Wins in Three US State Primaries

Several Democrats and one Republican who were supported by more than $8 million worth of ads funded by cryptocurrency-aligned political action committees (PACs) won their respective US primaries on Tuesday, setting up their candidacies for the November election.

Party primaries for US House of Representatives and Senate candidates in Utah, Maryland and New York resulted in wins for many aligned with crypto industry interests. PACs like Fairshake and its affiliates, largely backed by crypto companies Coinbase and Ripple Labs, spent a combined $8 million on media to support the candidates it considered likely in favor of digital asset policies for the next session of Congress.

In New York, Democrat Ritchie Torres won a primary for the state’s 15th congressional district with 71.9% of the vote, while in Utah, Republican Blake Moore won in the 2nd district with 57.5% of the vote. Fairshake affiliate Protect Progress reported $5.5 million in expenditures to support Adrian Boafo, who won the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 5th district with 32% against other candidates who opposed “spending from crypto billionaires.” 

“We went big and we went early,” said Fairshake spokesperson Geoff Vetter. “We did our part to move Adrian Boafo from fifth place to the halls of Congress.”

Source: The New York Times

Fairshake, which reported having “$150 million cash on hand” in June after its spending in several US state primaries, may have already influenced voters in key elections in its attempts to send candidates to Congress it considers to be “pro-crypto.” Other PACs aligned with crypto interests that have reported spending on 2026 candidates included Fellowship, backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, and the Blockchain Leadership Fund, a hybrid PAC backed by Anchorage and Chainlink Labs.

Related: Trump cancels signing of housing bill with CBDC ban

Not every pro-crypto candidate emerged a winner on Tuesday. Alex Bores, a Democrat running in New York’s 12th District, lost to Micah Lasher. He criticized Bores in a June debate, saying that he potentially benefitted from Ripple Labs co-founder Chris Larsen spending $3.5 million to support his campaign.

Next primaries in Colorado and Arizona, but no reports of spending yet

Many expect Fairshake and other crypto-aligned PACs to turn their attention to candidates in Colorado and Arizona next. The two states are scheduled to hold primaries on June 30 and July 21, respectively, but Fairshake affiliates had not disclosed significant spending in any of the races as of Wednesday.

In 2024, the PAC and its affiliates poured more than $10 million into media to support Ruben Gallego’s Senate race in Arizona and $2.1 million for Democratic Representative Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s 8th district. Gallego won his race, while Caraveo lost in the November 2024 election to Republican Gabe Evans.

Magazine: AI is banking the unbanked in Africa… faster than crypto

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