Raw News Items
99 itemsJune 18, 2026
- CryptoSlateScore: 85
Illinois’ new crypto tax puts users under a burden stocks do not face
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a $55.9 billion state budget that includes a first-of-its-kind 0.2% tax on crypto assets. The Digital Asset Tax Act, nested deeply within the broader revenue package of Senate Bill 3019, establishes a novel privilege tax on the exchange, transfer, and custody o...
- The BlockScore: 85
CME Group to sue CFTC over approval of perpetual futures, CEO tells CNBC
CME Group CEO Duffy said perpetual futures should be classified as swaps under the Dodd-Frank Act, which would form the basis of the lawsuit.
- The BlockScore: 85
‘Bitcoin Rodney’ pleads guilty in $1.8 billion crypto fraud case
Rodney Burton pleaded guilty in federal court over his role in HyperFund, a $1.8 billion global cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
- CointelegraphScore: 85
Aztec hit by second $2.1M exploit in less than a week: SlowMist
Security researchers warn that deprecated smart contracts can remain vulnerable long after projects stop maintaining them.
- CointelegraphScore: 85
Capital B shareholders approve up to $120B in financing capacity for Bitcoin strategy
Capital B shareholders approved up to $120 billion in financing capacity, including equity and credit instruments, to support the company's Bitcoin accumulation strategy.
- The BlockScore: 85
Federal Reserve rolls out proposing rulemaking requiring stablecoin issuers to maintain customer identification program
The Fed rolled out a rule requiring stablecoin issuers to have a program in place to identify customers to combat illicit finance.
- DecryptScore: 85
Jerome Powell Supports Fed's New Stablecoin Policies—But Chair Kevin Warsh Abstains
The proposed rulemaking establishes how U.S. crypto companies will have to screen stablecoin customers after the passage of the GENIUS Act.
- CointelegraphScore: 85
CME Group sues CFTC over crypto perpetual futures
The lawsuit targets the federal regulator and Chair Michael Selig, alleging that the Commodity Futures Trading Commissioin is treating cryptocurrency “futures” as “swaps,” posing risks to derivatives markets.
- The BlockScore: 85
CME Group sues CFTC over perpetual futures in US, accusing the agency of ‘suddenly’ changing course
The CME Group is officially taking the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to court over allowing perpetual futures to trade in the U.S.
- CryptoSlateScore: 85
Global $2.75B payments deal shows stablecoins moving into the rails they were meant to bypass
Nuvei agreed to buy Payoneer for $2.75 billion in cash in a deal centered on money movement through merchant acquiring, payouts, FX, cards, risk controls, and licenses. The companies also placed stablecoins inside that payment stack. That gives the deal its crypto significance: mainstream stablecoin...
- CoinDeskScore: 85
Ex-Celsius CEO Mashinsky gets U.S. CFTC ban in final resolution with regulator
Alexander Mashinsky, the founder of failed crypto lender Celsius, had earlier been imprisoned for fraud and is now formally banned from CFTC registration.
- The BlockScore: 85
CFTC enters settlement with former Celsius CEO, imposes a permanent trading ban
The CFTC said it has settled its case against former Celsius CEO Alexander Mashinsky, who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence.
- CointelegraphScore: 85
US regulators push user ID requirements for stablecoin issuers akin to regulated banks
The proposed rules by US government agencies suggested that stablecoin issuers be subject to customer identification program requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act, the same as regulated financial firms.
- CoinDeskScore: 80
Live markets: Bitcoin and ether ETFs lost $111 million combined as rate-cut hopes died
Total market value has held flat near $2.26 trillion since Tuesday, with the recovery losing momentum after the Fed killed rate-cut hopes and spot ETFs swung back to outflows.
- DecryptScore: 80
CME to Sue CFTC Over Bitcoin Perpetual Futures Approval: CEO
Outgoing CME chief Terry Duffy says perpetual futures are actually swaps under Dodd-Frank, and that the exchange will file suit Thursday.
- DecryptScore: 80
Ireland Tightens Crypto Safeguards in New Financial Crime Action Plan
A new National Risk Assessment names crypto-asset misuse among Ireland's top threats, as a 30-point plan tightens checks on crypto funds.
- DecryptScore: 80
Morning Minute: Crypto Sinks After Hawkish FOMC
Bitcoin slid to $64k as rate hike odds soared after Kevin Warsh's first FOMC presser. But was it Warsh or Saylor truly driving the selloff?
- The BlockScore: 80
The DAO hack at 10: From $50 million exploit to a $130 million Ethereum security fund
Ten years ago, an attacker drained roughly 3.6 million ETH from The DAO, helping to spur the creation of the modern crypto security industry.
- CoinDeskScore: 80
U.S. agencies seek stablecoin customer-ID rules akin to banks in new GENIUS Act rule
The Federal Reserve, Treasury and other regulators have issued a proposed rule that would set identification standards, and it's now open for public comments.
- DecryptScore: 80
Europe's Crypto Firms Face Squeeze as MiCA Transition Period End Looms
As the MiCA grace period closes, only a fraction of registered firms hold full licenses, setting up the prospect of a wave of consolidation.
- DecryptScore: 75
France to Phase Out Non-Quantum Encryption as Bitcoin Security Concerns Grow
French authorities said that government cybersecurity researchers will stop certifying security products that lack quantum-resistant encryption beginning in 2027.
- CointelegraphScore: 75
Kentucky sues Kalshi, Polymarket, joining prediction market legal battle
Kentucky has sued Polymarket, Kalshi and Kalshi’s partners Coinbase, Robinhood and Webull, over offering sports event contracts in the state.
- The BlockScore: 75
Kentucky files lawsuits against prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket
The lawsuits claim prediction market platforms have been offering unlicensed sports gambling in the state while bypassing local regulations.
- CointelegraphScore: 75
Florida man pleads guilty for promoting $1.8B ‘HyperFund’ crypto fraud
Rodney “Bitcoin Rodney” Burton faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
- CoinDeskScore: 75
Malta's financial regulator explores bringing parts of DeFi under MiCA's orbit
The MFSA is seeking feedback on whether decentralization should be assessed as a spectrum rather than a binary concept.
- CointelegraphScore: 75
G7 calls for joint action on North Korean crypto theft, cybercrime
G7 leaders broadened their warning over North Korean crypto theft to include wider cybercrime as researchers link DPRK-affiliated actors to billions of dollars in stolen digital assets.
- CryptoSlateScore: 75
Bitcoin just holds $64K after Fed revives hike risk, but one level still decides whether repair is real
The Fed left interest rates unchanged on June 17, and Bitcoin still felt the policy outlook tighten beneath it. The FOMC voted to hold its target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, but 9 of the 18 submitted dot-plot projections now point to at least one rate hike before year-end, against 8 holding at the curr...
- The BlockScore: 75
Bitcoin miner HIVE inks $220 million AI GPU deal with Bell, expects $70 million annual revenue
HIVE finalized a $220 million sovereign cloud contract to deploy 2,304 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs across Canada by early 2027.
- CointelegraphScore: 75
HIVE secures $220M AI infrastructure contract with Bell and Cohere
The deal is expected to add approximately $70 million in annual recurring revenue as the company scales its AI-focused operations.
- DecryptScore: 75
Kentucky Sues Kalshi, Polymarket as Prediction Market Legal Battle Swells
Kentucky accused America’s top prediction market platforms of running illegal sports betting operations, joining a growing stack of states.
- DecryptScore: 75
HIVE Stock Spikes as Bitcoin Miner Lands $220M AI Infra Deal
The crypto miner has signed a landmark three-year GPU contract with Bell Canada and Cohere—as Canada races to build AI systems it actually owns.
- CryptoSlateScore: 75
Bitcoin ETF outflows expose split demand after Warsh’s Fed debut
US spot Bitcoin ETFs turned negative on June 17, yet fund-level flows revealed a split market, with some products still attracting fresh capital. Farside Investors recorded $82.2 million of net outflows across the US spot Bitcoin ETF group. but the split underneath that total carries more signal tha...
- DecryptScore: 75
CFTC Hits Celsius Crypto Fraudster Alex Mashinsky With Permanent Trading Ban
The settlement ensures that convicted Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky is unable to trade in CFTC markets or register with the regulator.
- CoinDeskScore: 70
CME chief executive says company plans to sue CFTC after perpetual futures approval
Kalshi's perpetual futures product did not meet the Dodd-Frank Act's definition of a "swap" and should not have been approved, Terrence Duffy said.
- CoinDeskScore: 70
Bitcoin, ether slide after a hawkish Fed, even as Trump's signed Iran deal lifts stocks
The Fed held rates but signaled it is more worried about inflation than growth in Chair Kevin Warsh's first meeting.
- CryptoSlateScore: 70
Crypto PACs are helping Senators win US primaries faster than the Senate can move the law they want
Fairshake, the crypto industry's flagship super PAC, put more than $12 million behind Barry Moore's run for an open Alabama Senate seat, the largest single-candidate spend of its 2026 campaign, and on Tuesday, Moore won the Republican runoff with about 56% of the vote. In a state this deeply red, wh...
- CryptoSlateScore: 70
Solana’s $1B USDC mint collides with DeFi app shutdown as users face unfinished Drift recovery
As a result of the Drift exploit, crypto payments platform Pyra has stopped accepting new users, canceled existing payment cards, and says withdrawals and private key exports will remain available through a web portal until September 15, 2026, according to Pyra’s shutdown announcement. Pyra also pla...
- DecryptScore: 70
Bitcoin Steadies Near $64K as Analysts Eye Floor After Hawkish Fed
BTC slid to around $64,100 after Kevin Warsh's hawkish debut, but analysts argue a $60,000 floor and catalysts could spark a rebound.
- The BlockScore: 70
Aztec investigates $2 million exploit of deprecated payments product
The immutable stage 2 rollup was sunset in 2022, and Aztec Labs holds no admin keys or control over the system, the team said.
- The BlockScore: 70
Bitcoin slips below $64,000 as hawkish Fed overshadows signs of onchain repair
Bitcoin holds near $64,000 as BTC ETFs post an $82.2 million net outflow, and Glassnode said improving liquidity may be forming a floor.
- CoinDeskScore: 70
Algorand unveils roadmap to achieve quantum resistance by 2028
The announcement reflects a crypto's growing recognition that adopting quantum-resistant cryptography could take years, requiring changes not only to user wallets but also to core protocol infrastructure.
- CointelegraphScore: 70
Bitcoin miners need billions to fund AI ambitions, led by IREN’s $21B gap
IREN leads public Bitcoin miners with a projected $21.1 billion AI infrastructure funding gap, underscoring the capital-intensive nature of converting mining sites into data centers.
- The BlockScore: 70
JPMorgan says bitcoin mining economics have ‘worsened’ as BTC trades below production cost
JPMorgan's current estimated production cost of bitcoin is about $78,000, while bitcoin is currently trading around $62,500.
- CointelegraphScore: 70
Ethereum Foundation leadership exodus continues with director’s departure
Hsiao-Wei Wang’s departure adds to a wave of Ethereum Foundation exits, fueling debate over governance, decentralization and the network’s future.
- CointelegraphScore: 70
Ireland mulls crypto safeguards in response to financial risks
For the first time in seven years, the Irish government released an assessment related to digital assets, noting risks from money laundering, terrorism financing, sanctions violations and bribery.
- CointelegraphScore: 70
Malta proposes DeFi rulebook covering DAOs under MiCA-era framework
The Maltese regulator is seeking industry feedback on a legal framework for software-governed organizations, arguing that many DeFi projects are not fully decentralized.
- CointelegraphScore: 65
Ryan Salame’s wife to face charges over FTX-funded congressional run
A federal judge has denied a bid from Michelle Bond, the wife of former FTX executive Ryan Salame, to have campaign finance charges against her dismissed.
- CoinDeskScore: 65
Crypto market positioning is 'defensive and thin' after Fed, Marex analysts say
While the Federal Reserve held interest rates, Chair Kevin Warsh made it clear the U.S. central bank is more worried about inflation than growth.
- CoinDeskScore: 65
Hive shares jumps 10% on $220m Canada sovereign AI infrastructure deal
GPU cloud contract with Bell and Cohere strengthens HIVE's shift from bitcoin mining to high performance AI computing.
- CoinDeskScore: 65
Ethereum Foundation loses another key leader as co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang resigns
Wang's departure follows the resignation of fellow co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak and marks the latest in a string of high-profile exits at the EF.
- The BlockScore: 65
Ethereum Foundation co-Exec Director and board member Hsiao-Wei Wang steps down
Several high-ranking EF leaders have left, including the Protocol cluster leads and former co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak.
- The BlockScore: 65
Sen. Gillibrand’s son is building a perps exchange that wants dual CFTC, SEC oversight: report
The American Perpetuals Exchange Corporation raised $30 million at a $300 million valuation, Fortune reported on Thursday.
- DecryptScore: 65
Algorand Plans to Be Ready for Quantum Computing Threat by End of 2027
Quantum computing threatens the blockchain ecosystem, from Bitcoin to Ethereum and beyond, and Algorand has a plan to be prepared.
- CointelegraphScore: 65
Custodia, Vantage propose token that toggles between bank deposits and stablecoins
The proposed system aims to connect traditional banking infrastructure with blockchain-based payment networks with banks retaining customer deposits.
- The BlockScore: 60
Ark Invest buys $18 million worth of Coinbase shares, offloads $29 million in Robinhood
The trades came as Coinbase's stock closed down 2.57% at $164.92 on Wednesday, while Robinhood gained 8.78%.
- CoinDeskScore: 60
Buying bitcoin below its 200-week average has historically delivered over 100% in median returns, Kraken says
Bitcoin briefly slipped below its 200-week moving average twice in the past two weeks, a rare event that Kraken says has historically marked strong entry points for buyers.
- CointelegraphScore: 60
France to stop certifying products lacking quantum-resistant encryption
France’s cybersecurity agency plans to block certification of products without quantum-resistant encryption starting in 2027, with full adoption targeted for 2030.
- CointelegraphScore: 60
Bitcoin market cap rebound to take '5-10 years' after dropping 10 places since mid-2025
Bitcoin could be absent from the world's top five assets by market cap until 2036, despite an estimate seeing the BTC bear market being nearly 70% complete.
- CryptoSlateScore: 60
Wall Street can now hedge Hyperliquid’s HYPE, but weekends carry a real risk
Options on Bitwise's HYPE ETF give Wall Street a regulated venue to price risk on a 24/7, perpetual futures exchange that trades only during US market hours. BHYP began trading on the NYSE on May 15, holding spot HYPE with in-house staking built into the fund. Options on those shares now also trade,...
- CryptoSlateScore: 60
Strategy’s STRC draws bearish options bets as it falls to new all-time low
Options traders are building bearish positions around Strategy's (formerly MicroStrategy) flagship preferred STRC stock after the security fell to a record low, adding a new layer of pressure to one of Michael Saylor’s main funding tools for buying Bitcoin. Strategy’s Variable Rate Series A Perpetua...
- The BlockScore: 60
Kraken integrates Solana DEX trading into core app, with support for additional networks planned
Kraken launches onchain DEX trading to give customers access to thousands of tokens across the Solana ecosystem.
- DecryptScore: 60
Bitcoin, Ethereum Traders Grow Even More Bearish as Prices Fall After Fed Decision
Prediction market traders don't see Bitcoin or Ethereum making their next big moves to higher price targets.
- CointelegraphScore: 60
Bitcoin’s deeply discounted versus AI-stocks, but hawkish Fed risk lingers: Bitwise
Bitwise analysts say Bitcoin trades in a historical value zone, but hawkish Federal Reserve signals and a competition for liquidity could sideline buyers.
- CointelegraphScore: 60
Wealthsimple launches Kalshi-powered prediction market app for Canadian investors
The offering follows regulatory approval earlier this year and comes as prediction markets face legal challenges from regulators, exchanges and policymakers around the world.
- The BlockScore: 55
Tether winds down aUSDT stablecoin and Alloy platform to sharpen focus
Tether said it is winding down the 'Alloy by Tether' platform and discontinuing support for aUSDT, a stablecoin over-collateralized by XAUT.
- CoinDeskScore: 55
The great rotation: Investors desert the Magnificent 7, crypto for AI bottlenecks
Capital is flowing out of the largest tech companies and bitcoin as investors pile into semiconductors, memory stocks and space-related opportunities.
- The BlockScore: 55
New Texas power grid allocation framework could lift bitcoin miners turned data center operators
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas says data centers account for nearly 90% of the 438 GW of large-load demand in the state.
- CoinDeskScore: 50
Strategy's STRC preferred stock hits a record low below par
The slide has paused the above-par share sales Strategy uses to fund bitcoin purchases, and it is the same stock whose dividends forced the company's first BTC sale this month.
- CoinDeskScore: 50
The bond market is flashing a clear signal on interest rates. Bitcoin bulls should take note
The bond market is sending a signal that complicates prospects of a near-term bitcoin bull run.
- CointelegraphScore: 50
Grayscale applies traditional finance models to AAVE, sees $175 value
Grayscale and CoinShares are applying traditional valuation techniques to crypto assets as institutions explore revenue-generating DeFi protocols.
- CoinDeskScore: 50
Aster popped over 10% on radical 'buyback and burn' upgrade. But gains were short-lived
ASTER sees two-way volatility as bullish protocol-specific news meets hawkish Fed.
- CoinDeskScore: 50
Alchemy's AI-driven identity and payment service gains access to Visa network
The AgentCard integration with Visa Intelligent Commerce allows AI agents built on models from any provider, including OpenAI or Anthropic, to effect commercial transactions.
- CointelegraphScore: 50
What happens when ChatGPT becomes the front door to crypto
ChatGPT could become crypto’s new onboarding gateway, making Bitcoin and wallets easier to use while creating new trust risks.
- The BlockScore: 50
Bitcoin miners Bitdeer, CleanSpark and more report mixed May output as AI buildouts impact hashrate growth, treasury models
Bitdeer, BitFuFu, Canaan and CleanSpark posted May bitcoin production updates, with combined output of 1,859 BTC and diverging strategies.
- DecryptScore: 50
Why Bitcoin Titan Strategy's STRC Is Falling to New Lows
Strategy’s flagship preferred stock is facing pressure, but analysts say that's not yet an existential threat for the Bitcoin treasury giant.
- The BlockScore: 50
Rep. Steil introduces bill to block lawmakers from placing prediction markets bets on public policy issues
Rep. Bryan Steil introduced legislation aimed at preventing lawmakers and their families from profiting from bets on political outcomes.
- DecryptScore: 50
Ethereum Foundation Exodus Continues as Co-Director Hsiao-Wei Wang Departs
Another key figure at the Ethereum Foundation is stepping away from her post, continuing a recent leadership exodus.
- The BlockScore: 50
CryptoQuant says bitcoin microtransactions now make up 80% of daily transactions
Bitcoin transactions below 0.01 BTC now make up about 80% of all daily transactions, up from about 44% in 2023, CryptoQuant said.
- CointelegraphScore: 40
Tether winds down gold-backed derivative stablecoin aUSDT
Tether is focusing on stronger user demand, deeper liquidity, and broader long-term market opportunity for its leading products.
- CoinDeskScore: 40
XRP slips 4% below $1.20 after breakout rally stalls near key resistance
Heavy selling pushed XRP back through a closely watched support level, though buyers stepped in above $1.17 to prevent a deeper pullback.
- CointelegraphScore: 40
Dorsey’s Block says new AI tool handles 15% of code work
Builderbot is the “missing layer between AI coding tools and how engineering actually works at scale,” said Brad Axen, head of AI capabilities at Block.
- The BlockScore: 40
Stablecoin compliance startup Range raises $8.3 million from fintech and crypto VCs
"Stablecoins and fiat are converging, and finance teams need one platform to run both safely and at scale," Range CEO Andres Monteoliva said.
- The BlockScore: 40
Alchemy unveils Visa-powered virtual payment card for AI agents
AgentCard will default to Visa-issued tokens, but will support crypto and agent-native payment protocols when available.
- CryptoSlateScore: 40
DeFi’s next institutional wave may come from users who never see “behind the scenes” – CEO of Katana
For years, DeFi's growth strategy was to pull users on-chain, and the next institutional wave is testing where users may never know they're touching DeFi at all. Matt Fisher, CEO of Katana, shared with CryptoSlate how the front end owns the user. If a credit card, a fintech app, or an exchange route...
- DecryptScore: 40
Everyday Savers Bet Big on Bitcoin Giant Strategy's STRC—Now It's Falling
Everyday investors that own Strategy’s STRC have been drawn to double-digit yields, but the preferred stock’s volatility has shaken some.
- The BlockScore: 40
Hyperliquid poised to become more than an exchange and drive HYPE higher, Hyperion CEO says
Hyperion CEO argued investors are still underestimating the decentralized exchange's transformation into a broader blockchain ecosystem.
- DecryptScore: 40
Perplexity's AI Agent Now Has a Brain That Learns From Its Own Mistakes
Brain is a self-improving memory layer that tracks what Computer did, what worked, and what failed—then uses it overnight to make the next task faster and cheaper.
- DecryptScore: 40
China’s Z.AI Releases GLM-5.2: A Model That Rivals Claude Opus—Using Zero Nvidia Chips
Z.ai's GLM-5.2 sits within 1% of Claude Opus 4.8 on long-horizon coding benchmarks, runs entirely on Huawei silicon, and undercuts Western frontier models by up to 82% per token.
- CointelegraphScore: 40
Bitcoin decouples from tech stocks: Is $60K BTC’s next stop?
Bitcoin’s slump accelerated as capital rotated further into the AI sector, raising the odds of a BTC price drop below $60,000.
- CoinDeskScore: 30
Next bull run will be slower, less volatile as investors' crypto appetite evolves, Bitwise CIO says
Long-time bitcoin bull Matt Hougan told CoinDesk that during this bear market and with ‘doubts swirling’, investors have found ‘it easier to reach for something more tangible:’ stablecoins and tokenization.
- CoinDeskScore: 30
Bitcoin's nemesis, the Dollar Index, is on the verge of a major breakout
Your day-ahead look for June 18, 2026
- CoinDeskScore: 30
CoinDesk 20 performance update: Stellar (XLM) jumps 10% while index declines
Internet Computer (ICP) fell 4.1% and Sui (SUI) dropped 4%, leading the index lower from Wednesday.
- CointelegraphScore: 30
Ledn adds Tether Gold as loan collateral, expanding Bitcoin-backed lending model
Ledn’s addition of Tether Gold lending comes as tokenized commodities expand, with the sector accounting for nearly 17% of the $43 billion RWA market.
- The BlockScore: 30
Tether’s XAUT gold token added to Ledn lending platform
"When XAUT-backed loans go live, you will be able to borrow against your gold the way you already borrow against Bitcoin," Ledn said.
- The BlockScore: 30
Jefferies expects IREN’s AI cloud business to outpace data center leasing, sees 30% upside
Jefferies estimates that only about 10% of IREN's roughly 6 gigawatt global power portfolio is being utilized.
- The BlockScore: 30
Strategy’s preferred stock STRC continues to trade under $90 as trading volume jumps
Strategy's preferred STRC stock closed again under $90 for the second consecutive day at $88.59, having drifted as low as $82.50.
- CoinDeskScore: 25
Crypto for Advisors: Trading the bitcoin cycle
Bitcoin’s 4-year cycle makes DCA costly. Learn why a cycle-smart strategy is essential for advisors to better manage volatility and maximize client returns.
- CointelegraphScore: 20
Bitcoin to $145K by October? Why this 'crazy accurate' 4chan prediction is sketchy
A viral 4chan Bitcoin prediction appears to have nailed past BTC prices, but edited targets and impossible supply claims weaken its $145,000 call.
- DecryptScore: 20
Midjourney Pivots From AI Images to Medical Imaging, Aiming to Build a Better MRI Alternative
Image generation company Midjourney is developing a full-body imaging system that combines ultrasound tech with AI smarts.