BeInCrypto Global

Speculation about another Bitcoin sale from MicroStrategy intensified after an unconfirmed on-chain transfer showed 491 BTC leaving a company-linked wallet on July 1. Neither MicroStrategy nor its Executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, has confirmed any sale.
The rumor spread across X (Twitter) on Friday. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) traded higher after July 1, suggesting the market easily absorbed the alleged transaction.
Bitcoin Price Performance. source: TradingView Did Saylor Sell More Bitcoin?
Pseudonymous trader Light flagged the transfer, worth roughly $30 million at current prices. That equals just 0.058% of the 847,363 BTC Strategy reported in its latest SEC disclosure. The stack covers about 4% of bitcoin’s 21 million coin supply.
light is claiming that Strategy has begun to sell BTCAny on-chain sleuth to confirm this statement? pic.twitter.com/2dm2RgM3f8
— VIKTOR (@thedefivillain) July 2, 2026
The timing explains the attention. Strategy adopted a Bitcoin monetization framework plan on June 29, authorizing up to $1.25 billion in tactical sales to fund dividends and buybacks. Its raised 12% STRC preferred dividend took effect on July 1, the same day as the alleged transfer.
The company also completed its first Bitcoin sale since 2022 in late May, offloading 32 BTC to cover preferred stock dividends. Its only earlier sale came in December 2022.
Back then, it sold 704 BTC for $11.8 million to harvest tax losses, then repurchased 810 BTC within days. It had already been rebuilding its cash reserves this year while slowing new purchases.
“Michael Saylor’s Strategy may have just sold 491 BTC on July 1st. The transaction hasn’t been confirmed yet, but if true, this would be one of the first signs of Strategy reducing its Bitcoin position after years of “never sell” narratives…” analyst Crypto Rover amplified the claim in a post.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Bitcoin Shrugs Off the Sale Speculation
Bitcoin showed little stress. The coin opened at $61,492 on Friday, up 2.5% from Thursday, and traded for $62,016 as of this writing, up by 1.35% in the last 24 hours. With this, the pioneer crypto is up by over 7% from the July 1 low of $57,800.
Bitcoin Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto
The strength tracked a weak June jobs report rather than treasury headlines. It extends a fragile Bitcoin price recovery after the worst month for prices in four years.
Reactions on X (Twitter) split between traders calling the amount a rounding error and others warning repeated sales could sour sentiment.
The calm contrasts with JPMorgan’s recent warning that the new sales policy adds risk to the crypto market. Even so, a fully absorbed $30 million transfer suggests demand currently outweighs those concerns.
Confirmation now rests with Strategy’s own disclosures. The firm reported its May sale within days, so a filing this week would show whether the transfer was a sale, a custody move, or an internal shuffle.

President Donald Trump is privately weighing clemency for Sean “Diddy” Combs while Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) remains shut out. The SBF pardon application sits untouched even as Trump signed six emissions-related pardons on Friday.
Sources say a Friday White House meeting focused on Clean Air Act cases only. High-profile requests remain under private discussion.
Diddy Clemency Talks Reach the Oval Office
Sources told CBS News that Trump has been privately discussing clemency requests, including one from Combs. The music mogul is serving just over four years at Fort Dix after his 2025 conviction on two prostitution-related transportation counts.
Jurors acquitted him of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Trump told the Times in January that Combs had written him a letter seeking a pardon, though he said he was not considering it then.
However, Combs was not expected on the pardons team’s Friday list. Reports in May said Trump was weighing 250 pardons to mark America’s 250th birthday.
Friday’s signings deepen an established pattern instead. Trump pardoned Wyoming mechanic Troy Lake last year over similar emissions charges, and a June 29 executive order told the EPA to deprioritize tampering enforcement.
Trump confirmed the new pardons in a Friday post on Truth Social.
“It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car.’ … I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!”
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Where Does the SBF Pardon Stand?
The FTX founder filed a formal pardon application with the Justice Department on June 8, requesting relief after completing his 25-year sentence. The petition remains pending.
Trump has shown no movement on it. In the same January interview, he said he had no intention of pardoning Bankman-Fried. A federal appeals court then crushed his retrial bid in June, leaving the sentence intact.
The contrast with Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is instructive. Trump granted the Binance founder a full pardon on October 21, 2025. CZ had served four months for an anti-money laundering compliance failure, while Binance paid $4.3 billion to settle.
SBF’s case reads differently in Washington. Prosecutors put the FTX fraud at $8 billion, and Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ruben Gallego introduced a resolution opposing any pardon.
Even strong recoveries have not softened that stance. The FTX Recovery Trust has returned roughly $10 billion, with smaller claims recovering up to 120% of 2022 values.
Meanwhile, his market takes from prison revived pardon chatter this week without changing his legal position.
The pattern suggests a firm line in Trump’s clemency thinking. Convictions he frames as regulatory overreach win relief quickly, while large-scale customer fraud stays frozen.
Whether the July Fourth window produces additional names could show how far that distinction stretches.

XRP just recorded higher trading volume than Bitcoin on Upbit. The altcoin now trades above a recently reclaimed resistance level.
As a result, analysts are watching whether XRP holds enough momentum to challenge the next major zone. The surge in activity places the $1.15 level squarely at the center of trader attention.
XRP Trading Volume Tops Bitcoin on Upbit. Source: CoinGecko Renewed Interest in XRP?
Trading volume measures the amount of an asset exchanged over a specific period. Rising volume is often seen as a sign of increasing market participation. It typically reflects stronger investor interest across both retail and institutional trading channels.
The altcoin generated roughly 113.18 million XRP in trading volume on Upbit over the past 24 hours. As a result, the token surpassed Bitcoin and became one of the exchange’s most actively traded digital assets.
The move drew immediate attention across South Korean crypto markets.
JUST IN: XRP trades at $1.09 on South Korea's largest exchange Upbit, with 24H volume of 113,178M outpacing Bitcoin's turnover on the platform. pic.twitter.com/caYIjKv9cz
— 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸XRP (@BankXRP) July 3, 2026
The timing is notable for the token. XRP recently moved above $1.10. That area had repeatedly capped previous recovery attempts.
Moreover, holding above the zone has improved the short-term technical structure and reinforced expectations of continued buying interest.
Analysts note that the latest move built a more constructive market setup. XRP is now attempting to form a sequence of higher lows and higher highs. That pattern is commonly associated with strengthening bullish momentum across major crypto assets.
The breakout has clearly attracted attention. However, traders remain focused on whether the token can maintain support above former resistance levels. As a result, sustained demand will likely be necessary to maintain the current upward trend.
XRP Price Performance – 7D. Source: BeInCrypto Why the $1.15 Level Is Drawing Attention
The next major area under observation sits between $1.14 and $1.15. This range combines short-term selling pressure with a widely monitored long-term moving average. It now represents a potentially significant obstacle for the token.
A successful move above $1.15 could strengthen confidence among market participants. Furthermore, it would likely shift attention toward higher price levels. Conversely, failure to break through the area may lead to additional consolidation before another attempt.
Analysts also note the importance of XRP holding above $1.09 during any short-term pullback. In technical analysis, a former resistance level that becomes support often confirms a more sustainable breakout. That flip strengthens the broader bullish case.
$XRP did the one job: reclaim $1.10.Swept the downside liquidity at $1.0369, now holding $1.09 support as fresh ground.Hold above $1.09 and $1.15 is the next test…Lose it and the flush to $1.07 comes fast.Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/UWmPZZLOBW
— Alex Marzell (@MarzellCrypto) July 3, 2026
Beyond $1.15, the next notable target remains the $1.20 to $1.30 zone. That area has repeatedly rejected previous rallies. Furthermore, it remains one of the most important resistance regions on the entire XRP chart.
Supporting the bullish narrative, XRP remains above its breakout level as market activity continues to expand. The token is currently trading around $1.11 after surging 2.25% over the last 24 hours, according to BeInCrypto data.
Buyers appear to have maintained control since the move above the resistance level.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights
Is $XRP next to pump?XRP is about to break above its 12-month downtrend.A 3D close above $1.2 could trigger a relief rally. pic.twitter.com/PvgTmRXO9E
— Max Crypto (@MaxCrypto) July 3, 2026
The latest recovery also follows a period of prolonged weakness. XRP’s monthly RSI recently reached its most oversold reading on record. That extreme prompted some observers to consider the possibility of a broader trend reversal across the coming sessions.

Israeli prosecutors on Friday indicted Eli Lavon, a 21-year-old US citizen, for allegedly spying on behalf of Iranian intelligence in exchange for roughly $1,379 in crypto. The case shows Iran’s alleged crypto recruitment playbook maturing into gig work for espionage.
Lavon is reportedly the first American indicted in Israel’s spy wave, which counts at least 60 defendants since 2023. In many cases, small payments rather than ideology appear to drive recruits.
A Job Ad, Three Phones, and $1,379
According to the indictment, Lavon answered a Telegram job advertisement in November 2025 while visiting family in the US. A handler working for Iranian intelligence began assigning tasks once he returned to Israel.
He allegedly filmed an abandoned building and a grocery store in Jerusalem. He also left dead drops, including a USB drive wrapped in a 50 shekel note.
The crypto arrived in small batches, first hundreds of dollars, then about $518 from a second handler. The output had real military value, however. Several sites filmed by alleged recruits in this wave were later struck by Iranian missiles.
Arrested on June 9, Lavon faces two counts of contact with a foreign agent and 14 counts of communicating information to the enemy.
“This indictment illustrates how foreign intelligence agencies attempt to exploit the digital sphere to identify, recruit, and operate individuals from within Israel…” Ronit Shentzer Yaakobi of the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Crypto Recruitment Moves From Spying to Sabotage
The playbook no longer stops at surveillance. HAYI, a group that surfaced online in March, has claimed 17 arson and sabotage incidents across seven European countries. Analysis suggests it may be a “fabricated front” run by Iran-linked operatives using paid, disposable recruits.
British police have detained at least 28 people over the London attacks alone. A Belgian teenager was reportedly paid to stage an Antwerp arson later claimed by HAYI. Another teen charged over a London synagogue fire told investigators he did not know what the building was.
Each element mirrors gig work. Tasks arrive through consumer apps, payment clears per job, and recruits stay ignorant of the wider operation. Researchers describe the tactic as hybrid warfare because paid intermediaries blur any link to state planners.
The economic factors set this model apart from traditional terrorism financing. When OFAC sanctioned 134 ISIS-K wallets on July 1, analysts traced roughly $1.4 million into them since 2023. Lavon’s alleged payroll was about a thousandth of that, and Tether still froze 131 sanctioned wallets within a day.
Large networks, in other words, have become visible. Courts have secured terrorism financing convictions on onchain records, and probes into Iran-linked crypto networks chased billion-dollar flows.
A $500 gig payout offers far less signal, a gap that US lawmakers have barely addressed in their debate on illicit finance loopholes.
Whether blockchain surveillance built for large transfers can adapt to micro-payments may decide how quickly such networks unravel.

A new BeInCrypto Intelligence report, built with market data from RWA.xyz and feedback from BeInCrypto’s Expert Council, tracks roughly $60 billion in tokenized real-world assets across more than 7,000 products and 12 asset classes.
The findings show a market that is growing, but still narrow.
Just 62 assets hold 88% of total value. Five products account for roughly half the market: Figure HELOC, Circle USYC, Tether Gold, BlackRock BUIDL, and Justoken JMWH.
The activity gap is just as stark. Across 1,289 tokenized assets valued above $100,000, 910 assets worth $32.9 billion showed zero weekly transfers.
Access is also limited. The report found that 97% of the market sits outside US retail reach. Only about $1.7 billion is legally accessible to US retail investors.
Meanwhile, tokenized stocks are growing fast by product count, but the report found that 59% of stock tokens provide synthetic price exposure rather than actual ownership of the underlying shares.
These findings raise a direct question: is tokenization failing to deliver on liquidity, or is the market still in an early infrastructure phase?
BeInCrypto asked five industry executives to respond to the report’s findings.
Real State of Tokenization in 2026 Securitize: The First Phase Was Never About Public Trading
Tal Elyashiv, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SPiCE Venture Capital and Co-Founder of Securitize, said the report’s finding on tokenized equities points to a real structural issue.
“My stance on what the report shows about tokenizing shares/equity, is that this tokenization needs to be at the source. Tokenization that does not include full ownership is problematic at best, and completely wrong IMHO. This is exactly what Securitize is doing.”
Tal Elyashiv, Co-Founder of Securitize
Elyashiv also argued that low transfer activity should not be read as failure in every case. Many early tokenized products were designed for institutional issuance, compliance, and settlement, rather than public secondary trading.
“Many of the first assets tokenized were funds (VC funds, private funds). Tokenization in these cases was not done to facilitate retail/public trading, but rather to upgrade institutional issuance infrastructure, compliance, and settlement. BUIDL for example, was created for institutional TradFi and DeFi use cases (and this is what it serves)”
That view matches one of the report’s central distinctions. Some assets are Distributed and can move across public blockchain rails. Others are Represented, using blockchain mainly as a digital record of an off-chain position.
For Elyashiv, that first stage had to prove resilience before tokenized assets could move into broader distribution.
“The previous stage needed to succeed and show resilience, as well as regulatory clarity, before moving to the public trading stage. But we are entering that phase.”
Real State of Tokenization in 2026 Raiku: Activity Depends on Predictable Execution
Robin Nordnes, CEO and Founder of Raiku, said the dormancy data points to a deeper infrastructure problem.
The report found that more than half of tokenized market value showed no weekly transfer activity. Nordnes said this is not mainly about asset quality or regulation. He said institutions need predictable execution before they actively manage capital on-chain.
Robin Nordnes, CEO and Founder of Raiku
“The dormancy finding doesn’t surprise me, and I don’t think it’s primarily a regulatory story or an asset quality story,” Nordnes asserts. “What we hear consistently from institutional allocators is that they won’t actively manage capital on-chain until they can answer two questions with confidence: will my transaction execute, and when… For passive holding that’s tolerable. For active trading, collateral management or intraday rebalancing, it isn’t.”
That issue becomes more important if tokenized assets are used for active trading, collateral management, or daily fund operations. In those settings, uncertainty around settlement timing can affect spreads, liquidity buffers, and portfolio decisions.
“The transaction fee is actually the smaller part of the problem,” Nordnes explains. “The bigger cost of execution uncertainty is everything that sits around it: the wider spreads you need to run if you can’t guarantee timing, the liquidity buffers you hold because you might not execute when you need to, the positions you simply don’t take because the uncertainty makes the trade unmodelable.”
D3: The Weak Spots Show Where Growth May Come From
The report found that only one of 12 asset classes has reached production-grade maturity: US Treasury debt.
Fred Hsu, Co-Founder and CEO of D3, said that finding should not be read only as a weakness. Instead, he said it shows where tokenization may have the most room to create value.
Fred Hsu, Co-Founder and CEO of D3
“Only treasuries have reached production grade so far, and almost every other class is still concentrated or experimental. That looks like a weakness, but it is really a map of where the value is. The classes that never matured are the fragmented, illiquid markets traditional finance never priced well, because tracking ownership and moving value cost too much. The asset was always real, what was missing was a way to reach it. The infrastructure that finally reaches those markets is what decides where the next phase of growth comes from,” Hsu told BeInCrypto.
Treasuries are easier to tokenize because the asset class is liquid, familiar, and easier for institutions to assess. More complex assets, including private credit, commodities, real estate, and tokenized equities, still face legal, operational, and distribution barriers.
TransFi: Stablecoins Show Where Tokenization Already Works
Raj Kamal, Founder and CEO of TransFi, said the report’s findings should be considered alongside stablecoins, which the report excludes from its core $60 billion RWA market figure.
Kamal argued that stablecoins remain the clearest example of tokenization solving real-world problems at scale.
Raj Kamal, Founder and CEO of TransFi
“In my view, the real RWA tokenization that is solving real world problems is stablecoins. Where there is a tokenization happening of a real world asset – the US dollar. Through USDC and USDT, billions of dollars of stablecoins are making remittances, B2B flows, payroll & freelancer payments, ecommerce checkouts, corporate treasury flows and forex flows and many other payments faster, easier, more predictable and cheaper.”
That argument does not erase the liquidity gap in tokenized securities and funds. But it shows that tokenization can work when the product solves a clear workflow problem.
Kamal said the next wave of adoption may come from payments and corporate use cases, where stablecoins already have strong demand.
“And the proof points come from an ever-increasing number of large traditional institutions looking to get into stablecoin issuance, Western Union, PayPal, Banks and others. And the reality is that we are just scratching the surface of the multi-trillion dollar traditional payments that is likely to move on to stablecoins. We should be celebrating this clear game changer in global payments as proof of RWAs working,” Kamal notes.
Brickken: The Market Is Still Building the Access Layer
Edwin Mata, CEO of Brickken, said the report’s numbers reflect a market still early in institutional adoption.
He said the first phase of tokenization focused on trust, regulatory readiness, and compliant infrastructure. The next phase will depend on whether tokenized assets become easier to access and use.
Edwin Mata, CEO of Brickken
“These numbers make sense and reflect the current state of the market, tokenization is still early in institutional adoption and that’s how it was supposed to be. The first phase was always about trust: proving the tech works, meeting regulatory bars, getting compliant infrastructure in place. In essence, that groundwork isn’t wasted time but rather the foundation on which everything else will be built.”
Mata compared the path ahead to stablecoins. In his view, tokenized assets will grow when they solve practical business problems, not simply because they exist on-chain.
He said the winners will be the platforms that make tokenized assets discoverable, interoperable, and usable in real workflows.
“Tokenized markets are heading the same direction, as regulation clarifies (Clarity Act or MiCA in Europe is a good example) and infrastructure matures, the winners will ultimately be whoever builds the access layer: discovery, interoperability layers, the infrastructure that turns a tokenized asset from a static record into something businesses and institutions can actually rely and build on.”
The Takeaway: Tokenization Has Value, But Not Yet Depth
The report does not show that tokenization is dead. It shows that the market is still early in its structure.
The assets exist. Major institutions are involved. Treasuries have reached production-grade maturity. But much of the market remains concentrated, restricted, or inactive on-chain.
That makes the next phase clear. Tokenization will not scale only by minting more assets. It needs better settlement, compliance, distribution, execution, and access.
The first phase proved that real value can be represented on-chain. The next phase will determine whether those assets can become active financial markets.
Read the full BeInCrypto Intelligence report here.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has renewed her call for a meme coin ban covering the president, members of Congress, and their spouses. The push responds to new filings showing Donald Trump earned $636 million from his TRUMP token in 2025.
The New York Democrat wants Congress to make it illegal for elected officials and their spouses to issue or sponsor digital assets. Her demand lands as her son’s crypto startup faces growing scrutiny in Washington.
Trump’s Windfall Revives the Memecoin Ban Fight
Trump’s 927-page disclosure, released Tuesday by the Office of Government Ethics, reported more than $1.4 billion in crypto income for 2025. The largest single item was $636 million from CIC Digital LLC, linked to the Official Trump (TRUMP) meme coin license.
The president has since defended his crypto fortune. Meanwhile, TRUMP trades near $1.80, down more than 97% from its $73.43 peak set days after its January 2025 launch.
TRUMP Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto
First Lady Melania Trump also issued a meme coin and reported $6 million from NFTs and digital collectibles.
Criticism of the president’s token activity has grown louder. Economist Peter Schiff this week called the tokens legal bribes, arguing that buyers pay for access to the president.
In the same tone, Gillibrand shared her renewed demand in an email shared with BeInCrypto.
“This is a commonsense requirement that should get broad bipartisan support – public officials and their spouses should not be issuing memecoins… The time to act is now — and that must include ethics reforms that prohibit members of Congress, the president, and their spouses from cashing in on their office.”
Gillibrand cosponsors the End Crypto Corruption Act, introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley in May 2025. The proposal would bar presidents, lawmakers, senior officials, and their families from issuing or endorsing digital assets, including meme coins and stablecoins.
Son’s $300 Million Venture Tests Her Ethics Message
The senator faces questions of her own. Fortune reported in June that her son, Theodore Gillibrand, raised $30 million in a round led by Lux Capital.
scoop: sen. kirsten gillibrand's 22-year-old son theodore raised at a $300 million valuation to launch a perpetual futures exchange: https://t.co/qng9NBpbDC
— Ben Weiss (@bdanweiss) June 18, 2026
The 22-year-old’s startup, American Perpetuals Exchange Corp, carries a $300 million valuation. It plans to seek approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to list perpetual futures on stocks and indexes.
Gillibrand, a longtime advocate of banning stock trading by lawmakers, says her son runs an independent business without her involvement.
However, critics argue the raise complicates her anti-self-dealing message while she negotiates crypto legislation.
“Gillibrand’s son graduated from undergrad on Sunday. By the following week it’s reported that he’s received $30 million in venture capital funding to launch a derivatives exchange. His mom sat on the Senate Agriculture committee, which has jurisdiction over derivatives, until this past year,” one user stated.
Crypto firms have spent $189 million on 2026 races, roughly 37% of corporate election spending, raising the stakes of the ethics debate.
With Republicans controlling both chambers, the coming weeks may reveal whether ethics language enters market structure negotiations.

Ordinals developers say their technology will survive BIP-110, a proposed rule change that aims to stop people from storing files on Bitcoin. The fight comes down to one question. Should Bitcoin (BTC) handle only money, or anything users pay for?
Inscriptions let people store images and text on the Bitcoin blockchain, similar to NFTs. BIP-110 would block most of that data for one year. Supporters call it spam, while critics say Bitcoin should stay open to everyone.
What Would BIP-110 Change for Bitcoin?
Every Bitcoin transaction can carry a little extra data, and inscriptions use that space to store pictures and messages forever. The proposal would shrink the allowed space to 256 bytes per piece, about one short paragraph of text.
That limit would break the storage method inscriptions use today. The rule would last for one year, then switch off automatically, and old coins would not be affected.
Its author, who writes under the pen name Dathon Ohm, credits Bitcoin Knots maintainer Luke Dashjr for the first draft.
Miners vote by adding a small flag to the blocks they mine. The plan needs 1,109 flagged blocks out of 2,016 in a two-week window. However, the public monitor counted just three flagged blocks as of June 30, under 1%.
BIP-110 miner signaling chart showing 0.73% support versus the 55% activation threshold, alt text “BIP-110 signaling status”, Source: bip110.org monitor
Support has never passed 1% since voting opened in December 2025. The best two-week stretch reached 0.79% in mid-June.
Here is the twist. The plan does not need a majority to activate. From around early August, computers running the BIP-110 software will reject blocks that do not carry the flag.
Blockstream CEO Adam Back has warned of fork risk, meaning Bitcoin could split into two competing versions. MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor called the plan a self-inflicted risk.
Dashjr, for his part, framed the stakes as existential on Thursday.
“If BIP110 fails, Bitcoin fails with it. I am not interested in any CBDC, much less an unregulated CBDC pretending to be decentralised,” he wrote.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
A CBDC is a government-issued digital currency. In his view, a Bitcoin that cannot reject spam loses what makes it different.
Ordinals Developers Say They Are Ready
On July 2, Ordinals developer lifofifoX published a fix that stores data in a new way. It cuts files into small, allowed pieces instead of using the method that BIP-110 bans. In short, inscriptions would keep working even if the rule passes.
Ordinals creator Casey Rodarmor approved the fix the same day.
“Looks good to me! Let’s wait until BIP-110 activates to merge this,” Rodarmor wrote on GitHub.
The other side has already hit back, filing a counter-update to Bitcoin Knots, the software most BIP-110 supporters run. He argues the software simply does not notice the new format, letting it slip past the size checks.
The back-and-forth echoes an earlier inscription debate that also split the community.
Money sits at the center of the fight. In October 2024, Runes, a similar data-based format, drove a 32% fee increase that paid miners.
In contrast, supporters say the volunteers who run Bitcoin’s network computers must store all that data forever and get nothing for it.
The forced voting phase is about five weeks away. Back has already dismissed the August deadline as a path to a minority altcoin, a spinoff coin few would follow.
The coming weeks will show whether the miner’s silence means opposition or indifference.

A formal complaint has asked Parliament’s standards watchdog to examine whether Reform UK leader Nigel Farage breached lobbying rules. This comes after Farage received donations from billionaire Christopher Harborne, who reportedly holds a 12% stake in Tether’s USDT stablecoin.
Labour MP Phil Brickell filed the complaint on July 2. He asked Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg to review Farage’s private meeting with Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey in September 2025.
Nigel Farage is already under investigation over an undeclared £5 million "gift" from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.Now he's been reported to the Standards Commissioner over claims he lobbied the Bank of England on crypto policy that could benefit his…
— Joe Powell MP (@josephpowell) July 2, 2026
The Rule Behind the Farage Crypto Lobbying Complaint
Official UK parliamentary guidance prohibits MPs from approaching ministers or officials on behalf of recent benefactors.
“Paid lobbying is prohibited. An MP who has received a benefit such as hospitality, a gift or payment must not for 12 months after receipt engage in … any approach to a minister, other MP or public official which would provide (or seek to provide) a financial or material benefit for the person or organisation which provided them with that … payment.”
The restriction is younger than it looks. The British Parliament doubled the ban from 6 to 12 months in March 2023, after Owen Paterson resigned in 2021. The standards committee found he lobbied for two firms paying him more than £100,000 ($133,500) a year.
Brickell, chair of Parliament’s anti-corruption group, reported Farage to Commissioner Daniel Greenberg. This is according to a report by The Guardian,
“This is not simply a debate about cryptocurrency. It is about whether an MP who has received millions from one individual should be lobbying for policies that could increase the value and profitability of that donor’s investments.”
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
How the Timeline Tests the Rule
Farage reportedly accepted a £5 million gift from Harborne before the July 2024 general election. Greenberg is already examining whether that gift should have been declared, according to the BBC.
Farage also received two £25,000 donations from Harborne in January 2025 and February 2026. Reform UK received a further £15 million from the same donor.
The January 2025 donation is central to the lobbying complaint. Around eight months later, in September 2025, Farage met Bailey privately.
During that meeting, Farage reportedly urged the Bank of England to scrap its digital pound plans.
Nine months later, the Bank dropped stablecoin holding caps in favor of a £40 billion ($53.4 billion) issuance ceiling. Industry voices had warned the £20,000 ($26,700) cap could make businesses unworkable.
Farage has since claimed credit for the softer approach, the Telegraph reported.
That meeting fell inside the 12-month restriction period following the January donation. Brickell’s complaint asks whether Farage’s approach to the Bank could have provided a financial or material benefit to Harborne, given his reported Tether stake.
Tether Market Cap Among Crypto’s Top Three. Source: Coingecko
A second Labour MP, Joe Powell, has asked Bailey for details of the meeting.
Nigel Farage is already under investigation over an undeclared £5 million "gift" from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.Now he's been reported to the Standards Commissioner over claims he lobbied the Bank of England on crypto policy that could benefit his…
— Joe Powell MP (@josephpowell) July 2, 2026
Denials and No Findings Yet
Reform UK dismissed the claims entirely. Farage and Harborne maintain the gift was unconditional, and the Bank of England called the September meeting a routine engagement.
Greenberg is separately investigating whether Farage should have declared the £5 million gift, per the BBC. He has not yet said whether the lobbying complaint will trigger a formal inquiry. No wrongdoing has been established.
If a breach were found, sanctions range from an apology to suspension. Paterson faced a recommended 30 sitting-day suspension before quitting Parliament.
Farage’s own crypto exposure is growing. He made a £2 million Bitcoin (BTC) purchase in April. Meanwhile, the UK now bans crypto political donations outright.
Greenberg opening a formal inquiry could decide how firmly Parliament polices the 12-month rule in the crypto era.

Standard Chartered secured its MiCA license on June 29, joining 37 firms added to the latest register update from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Licensed crypto providers in the EU now total 280.
The batch is the first major licensing wave since MiCA’s transitional period closed on July 1. Grandfathered firms that missed the deadline can no longer serve EU clients under national rules.
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER — Germany tops MiCA license register, ESMA CASP breakdown by country, Source: BeInCrypto]
First MiCA License Wave After the Transition Deadline
ESMA refreshes its interim register weekly. The latest update lists 280 authorized crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), 37 more than the previous file.
The timing explains the jump. MiCA’s Article 143 grandfathering clause let firms keep operating under national rules only until July 1, so this update captures the deadline scramble.
The new entrants also span both sides of finance. Crypto-native firms such as US prime broker FalconX and Sygnum Europe won CASP status, while Crédit Agricole’s CACEIS entered the register for e-money token issuers.
Germany Tops the MiCA License Register
Germany dominates the licensed field with 57 providers. France follows with 31 and the Netherlands with 26, while Malta and Cyprus each hold 20.
That ranking reflects Germany’s head start. BaFin licensed crypto custody firms years before MiCA applied, leaving the country with the deepest pool of authorized providers.
The MiCA transition period had already redrawn parts of the market before the register caught up. Most visibly, Tether’s EU delistings handed stablecoin ground to Circle.
Standard Chartered Swaps National Rules for an EU Passport
Standard Chartered announced both a MiCA authorization and an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license through Standard Chartered Luxembourg S.A.
The bank opened that entity in 2025 to bring its digital asset custody business into the EU. Until now, however, it operated under the CSSF’s national virtual asset service provider regime, confined to Luxembourg.
Full MiCA status lifts that ceiling. The bank plans a phased rollout across the EU, with passporting subject to further approvals, extending custody launches already live in Asia and the Middle East.
“We are delighted to have obtained our MiCA and EMI licences, which enables us to progressively expand services to clients across Europe. This landmark authorisation reflects our strategic choice of Luxembourg…”
Laurent Marochini, CEO of Standard Chartered Luxembourg, said in the statement.
Luxembourg has meanwhile become a favored MiCA gateway. Coinbase houses its EU license there, and Ripple secured a preliminary MiCA CASP license in the Grand Duchy.
Web3 Users Question the Banking Embrace
The approval did not draw universal praise, however. One X user, posting as Lingersj, welcomed the bank’s Web3 build-out but called its treatment of crypto-earning customers contradictory.
“A few months ago they closed my account because most of my income comes from crypto business and said I’d need 3x more assets from traditional finance to keep it. With institutions moving towards web3, when can web3 users stop being treated like a risk category by default?”
The user shared the account closure claim in a post on X. BeInCrypto could not independently verify the account details.
The contrast leaves an open question for MiCA’s next phase. Banks now hold licenses to serve crypto businesses across Europe, yet their retail risk policies may decide whether that access reaches the industry’s own participants.

Samsung Electronics and several major Korean financial companies deny formal ties to Open USD, the dollar-pegged stablecoin that launched this week with a claimed alliance of more than 140 corporate partners.
The pushback, first reported by Chosun Biz on July 3, tests the credibility of one of the largest partner rosters ever assembled in the stablecoin sector.
Alleged Open USD stablecoin partner list Korean Partners Say They Never Signed On
Open Standard announced Open USD (OUSD) on June 30, promising members fee-free minting and a share of reserve income. Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, BlackRock, and Coinbase headline the roster.
The list also names 13 Korean entities, including Samsung Electronics, Dunamu, Shinhan Financial Group, K Bank, and seven card issuers. Within days, at least four of them distanced themselves.
“There were no official consultations, and we do not even know what role we would play (in the consortium),” local media Chosun Biz reported, citing a Samsung Electronics official.
Meanwhile, Shinhan, Dunamu, and KBank said Open Standard had simply floated the idea of joining. They replied that they would review it, yet their names appeared as members.
An official at another listed firm described a similar experience to the outlet.
“We learned that we were included as members of the OUSD consortium through domestic news… We are perplexed to be included as members.”
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Open USD Faces Credibility Test Before Launch
The case echoes a costly precedent. Facebook’s Libra consortium debuted in 2019 with 28 founding members, including Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe. All three quit within four months, and the renamed Diem sold its assets in 2022.
How Libra Was Killed.I never shared this publicly before, but since @pmarca opened the floodgates on @joerogan’s pod, it feels appropriate to shed more light on this.As a reminder, Libra (then Diem) was an advanced, high-performance, payments-centric blockchain paired with a…
— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) November 30, 2024
The stakes are high because the debut dragged Circle stock down 17% on launch day. Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) control over 80% of a market worth some $311 billion, per DefiLlama data.
OUSD’s revenue sharing could also pressure USDC yields in decentralized finance (DeFi).
Some commitments look firm, however. Stripe Technology President Will Gaybrick confirmed OUSD will become the default stablecoin for businesses on its platform.
That pledge follows Stripe’s $1.1 billion purchase of Bridge, the stablecoin firm founded by Open Standard chief Zach Abrams.
Circle, for its part, continues to deepen its bank distribution, with Standard Chartered expanding institutional USDC access in Dubai.
Regarding the OUSD consortium logos, I also spoke to a few companies from the list as a number of them are clients of ours (OpenAssets) and they said they never signed or agreed to anything. Either the media deeply twisted something or the participant list is misleading. https://t.co/xhQa28snBJ
— Gabor Gurbacs (@gaborgurbacs) July 3, 2026
For the Korean firms, caution has context. The debate over stablecoins backed by the South Korean won remains unresolved at home, and listed companies already face tightening domestic crypto rules.
Open Standard has yet to address the Korean accounts or define what partnership means publicly. They have also not immediately responded to BeInCrypto’s request for comment.

Roughly 70% of all closed markets on Polymarket recorded under $10,000 in reported trading volume between 2021 and the end of May 2026, a CNBC analysis found.
The findings land as prediction markets post surging volume, driven by the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That gap shows how a small group of marquee contracts, rather than the broader platform, captures most of the money.
Most Polymarket Closed Markets Traded Under $10,000
CNBC pulled closed-market data from Polymarket’s Gamma API, which counts notional volume on both sides of each trade. The distribution came out heavily skewed.
Fewer than 10% of closed markets drew between $100,000 and $1 million in reported volume. More than 45,000 markets, close to 5% of the total, showed no reported volume at all.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Volume of Polymarket’s Closed Contracts. Source: CNBC
Bots dominate the thin end. Joshua Della Vedova, a business professor at the University of San Diego, found that more than 80% of the volume in sub-$10,000 markets came from bots.
He defined bots as wallets that make more than 50 trades a day or more than 1,000 in total. By his estimate, they earned roughly $1.2 million in markets under $10,000, but about $50.5 million in the $1 million to $10 million range.
That tier made up 38% of total bot profit. Markets above $10 million added a further $35.1 million.
“They are making money across all markets,” Della Vedova said. “(Bots) make money per transaction, and therefore they prefer to trade in these larger markets, but they will trade across the whole spectrum.”
The report added that Kalshi also recorded a significant number of shallow markets, based on an analysis of the on-chain data from Dune. However, unlike Polymarket’s Gamma API, Kalshi’s notional volume figures on Dune account for only one side of each trade.
World Cup Bets Fuel Prediction Market Growth
The thin-market picture contrasts with headline growth. Weekly World Cup volume across major venues climbed from $65 million in the week of June 1 to $5.4 billion by June 29, according to CryptoRank data.
⚽️ World Cup Prediction Markets Volume Exploded in JuneThe volume on major venues raised from $65M on June 1st to $5.4B by June 29th, peaking at $5.6B on Jun 22.@Kalshi led the surge, which shows how sports events can rapidly drive demand for prediction trading. pic.twitter.com/m8F3gwIOfu
— CryptoRank.io (@CryptoRank_io) July 2, 2026
Volume peaked at $5.6 billion in the week of June 22. Kalshi led the climb, showing how major sports events can quickly drive demand for prediction trading.
That growth sits alongside the thin tail. The money concentrates in a small set of high-profile contracts, while tens of thousands of markets see almost no activity.
BeInCrypto has reached out to both Polymarket and Kalshi for comment.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

India’s central bank wants lawmakers to wall off the banking sector from crypto. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told a parliamentary panel that digital assets should not serve as payment instruments.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance heard the testimony for its study on virtual digital assets. Lawmakers plan to table the report during the monsoon session.
Central Bank Pitches Crypto Containment in India
Committee members said the RBI argued for a containment strategy, not a conventional rulebook. The central bank believes formal regulation could legitimize speculative assets. It warned that clear rules might give retail investors a false perception of safety.
Officials repeated long-standing concerns about illicit finance. They cited risks tied to drug trafficking and terror funding. Similar central bank warnings have appeared in other emerging markets this year.
The stance revives a fight the RBI lost in 2020, when the Supreme Court struck down its banking ban. This time, the central bank wants Parliament to write the separation into law.
No Payments and No Direct Bank Exposure
The RBI advised lawmakers to prohibit crypto for payments and settlements. The bank wants tight limits on direct banking-sector exposure to digital assets. The advice mirrors the caution found in several global regulatory frameworks, although most jurisdictions now prefer licensing over isolation. Washington set its own boundary in June, when senators passed a US CBDC ban lasting through 2030.
Committee members pushed back during the hearing. They questioned how India can ignore capital flight while Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the UAE regulate the sector. India ranked first in the 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, ahead of the US and Pakistan.
2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index. Source: Chainalysis
However, the officials offered a blunt reply.
“Not having a policy is also a policy,” RBI officials said, according to a committee member quoted by Business Standard.
Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) earlier signaled it could regulate tokens classified as securities. The RBI declined to answer that question and promised a written response.
Tokenized Bonds Stay on a Separate Track
The proposal draws a line between cryptocurrencies and tokenized government securities. Growing tokenized bond markets would keep room to develop on a regulated infrastructure. The restriction targets speculation, not blockchain technology itself.
Still, India’s crypto investors face a 30% tax and a 1% levy on every trade. Industry voices keep lobbying for a softer line, including a domestic Bitcoin mining push as an alternative to gold imports.
The panel meets the Department of Economic Affairs on July 15 before it finalizes recommendations. The coming weeks should reveal whether Parliament backs isolation or an EU-style framework such as MiCA.

XRP trading returns have hit historic pain levels never seen before in the token’s 12-year history. However, one analyst just flagged a fresh technical buy signal. Meanwhile, others warn that the broader trend structure remains firmly bearish.
The setup places XRP at a critical crossroad where bullish and bearish forecasts openly clash across the market.
Why XRP Trading Returns Sit at Historic Pain Levels
Historic pain levels describe periods when the average investor holds an asset far below their purchase price. XRP is currently experiencing precisely that situation, with both short-term and long-term holders realizing losses simultaneously.
The numbers tell the story. Santiment data shows the 30-day MVRV ratio at -45% and the 365-day MVRV at -47%. This dual negative reading represents the lowest combined level in XRP’s entire 12-year history, signaling an unprecedented pain threshold across its holder base.
“That doesn’t mean price can’t dip a bit more if crypto markets keep struggling. But from a risk-reward view, buying or adding $XRP here comes with much less risk than average because so much downside has already been absorbed by other traders,” Santiment noted on X.
✍️ TL;DR: XRP Ledger average returns historically low, implying relief rally is probable 📊 Metrics Used: 30-Day & 365-Day MVRV🔗 Link to chart: https://t.co/z3mjkJzILe📉 XRP’s average trading returns are sitting at historic pain levels. Its 30-day MVRV is -45% and its… pic.twitter.com/Q5vmHrJ0Sc
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) July 2, 2026
Not everyone reads the extreme as a bottom. Some observers note that XRP now shows patterns similar to those in the March phase, while breaking below the 20-week EMA after each cycle peak has historically been a bearish signal for XRP. Furthermore, the token still trades well below that level, currently around $1.35.
That structural weakness colors any short-term bounce. A relief rally from the $1.00 low remains possible, according to crypto analyst ChartNerd. However, the broader trend structure remains bearish for now. As a result, traders should treat any bounce with clear caution.
Take a look at this..After every cycle peak, $XRP losing it's 20 WEMA has historically been a bearish signal. We're still below it at $1.35 today, so a rally there wouldn't mark a trend shift.Relief is possible from this $1.00 low but the overall trend remains down for now 📉 pic.twitter.com/JY0dnJSlI2
— 🇬🇧 ChartNerd 📊 (@ChartNerdTA) July 2, 2026
What the Buy Signal Really Means for the XRP Price
The bullish counterpoint comes from technical indicators. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez flagged that the SuperTrend indicator turned bullish on XRP for the first time since mid-June. Furthermore, the previous SuperTrend buy signal preceded a 14% rally.
The indicator carries a strong recent record. It correctly flagged the 19% and 16% declines in XRP before they materialized. As a result, traders are now watching whether the same level of accuracy holds for the current upward reversal signal in the coming sessions.
“Historically, the best setups often appear when the crowd is feeling maximum pain (both on-chain and sentiment-wise), not maximum confidence,” Santiment noted.
XRP: BUY SIGNALThe SuperTrend indicator has just flashed a buy signal on $XRP for the first time since mid-June.The last buy signal preceded a 14% rally.It has also done an excellent job identifying trend reversals, catching the last two major declines of 19% and 16%. pic.twitter.com/tftPM7EaLC
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) July 2, 2026
The current XRP price supports a possible bounce. BeInCrypto Markets data shows XRP trading around $1.09, up 3.11% in the last 24 hours. Furthermore, the token has a market capitalization exceeding $67 billion and a daily trading volume of $1.86 billion.
However, the bullish case requires strong technical confirmation. XRP must convincingly reclaim the $1.10 level. Moreover, a decisive reclaim of the 20-week EMA at $1.35 would be necessary to fully validate any trend reversal, according to bearish observers watching the broader macro structure.
“Ripple (XRP) is… raising concerns about a potential breach of the critical support level around the $1 mark. The market is currently facing mounting selling pressure as investor sentiment turns increasingly cautious… XRP could face the risk of a deeper decline—potentially dropping below the $0.90 threshold—if the negative trend persists. This situation has the community closely monitoring the coin’s next key support levels,” one analyst said.
XRP Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto Markets
The bottom line remains split. Bulls point to historic pain, technical buy signals, and steady spot ETF inflows. However, bears warn that the trend remains negative until XRP reclaims key structural levels. Traders are now watching the coming sessions to see which camp gains the upper hand.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

The FIFA World Cup trophy now contains gold worth roughly $713,000, according to London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) calculations. Spot gold trades above $4,100 per ounce, more than double its price during the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The figure makes football’s top prize the most valuable trophy in world sport by metal content alone. Its cultural worth climbs far higher.
World Cup Trophy Gold Value More Than Doubles Since 2022
Gold traded near $1,600 per ounce when Argentina lifted the trophy in December 2022. Data now shows the metal above $4,100 after a rebound from an eight-month low. Weak US jobs data drove the latest leg higher, as traders scaled back expectations for further Fed rate hikes.
Consequently, the melt value of the trophy’s 4.93 kilograms of pure gold has surged more than 150%. The same metal totaled about $277,000 during the last tournament.
The climb has not followed a straight line, however. Gold briefly broke below $4,000 in June before Bitcoin (BTC), and gold rallied together on renewed haven demand this week.
Gold Spot. Source: TradingView Why the World Cup Trophy Outshines Other Prizes
FIFA introduced the current 14.5-inch trophy in 1974, when its raw materials cost about $25,000. The 18-karat sculpture holds nearly 11 pounds of gold, and no other major prize comes close. Winners receive a gold-plated replica, while the original remains with FIFA.
Sterling silver, the metal in most rival trophies, rose even faster. Silver trades near $62 per ounce, up roughly 160% from about $24 during the Qatar finals. Still, FIFA estimates the original trophy’s total worth above $20 million once heritage and prestige enter the equation.
American sports show the same pattern on a smaller scale. The Borg-Warner Trophy of the Indianapolis 500 contains about 69 kilograms of silver, worth nearly $156,000 at melt value. The Vince Lombardi Trophy carries roughly $7,230 in silver, and the Europa League prize sits near $22,600.
What the Gold Rally Signals for Markets
Safe-haven demand continues to support the metal as investors weigh Federal Reserve policy and sliding oil prices. At the same time, gold held above $4,000 this week while crude extended its losses.
Crypto markets feel the same forces. Bitcoin recently reclaimed the $60,000 level after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation risks had eased. Similarly, trackers show smart money rotating into commodities while the crypto winter drags on.
Meanwhile, commentators such as Robert Kiyosaki argue the gold safe-haven case remains intact.
The 2026 tournament crowns its champion later this month. Whether gold holds above $4,100 by the final may reveal as much about markets as about football.

Spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew $221.72 million in net inflows on July 2, breaking a 10-day run of redemptions.
The turnaround lifted total net assets across the funds to $74.37 billion, reversing a stretch that reflected the deepest institutional pullback since the products launched.
A Reversal After a Record Month of Outflows
The inflow came after a bruising phase for the funds. Over the prior 10 trading sessions, spot Bitcoin ETFs bled more than $2.7 billion as capital fled the products.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Bitcoin ETF Inflow on July 2. Source: SoSoValue
That streak capped the worst month on record. Bitcoin ETFs lost $4.5 billion in June, their largest monthly outflow since launching in January 2024. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) drove roughly 79% of that total, shedding $3.55 billion alone.
Meanwhile, major crypto funds moved with Bitcoin on the day. Ethereum (ETH) ETFs led the group with $29.08 million in inflows on July 2, building on $14.89 million a day earlier that had ended a nine-day losing streak.
The gains spread across other products. Hyperliquid (HYPE) ETFs added $2.24 million and Solana (SOL) ETFs drew $2.2 million, while XRP (XRP) ETFs pulled $6.55 million after two straight days of outflows.
BTC Price Recovery Takes Hold as Rate-Hike Odds Ease
The inflow arrived during a broader price recovery. Bitcoin reclaimed $60,000 on July 1 after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said “inflation risks have come down”
The rally extended on July 2. A weak jobs report showing 57,000 new positions, about half what economists expected, drove BTC to an intraday peak above $62,000.
The data reshaped rate expectations. CME FedWatch showed the probability of a July hike falling to 17.6%, down from 28.9% a day earlier, as traders priced out tightening.
Fed Rate Hike Odds. Source: CME FedWatch
Whether Thursday’s inflow marks a durable turn or a single-session bounce remains to be seen.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that tokenized assets will remain peripheral unless markets resolve who legally owns them and where settlement is final.
New BeInCrypto research shows why, mapping a $60 billion market fractured across regulatory regimes and largely closed to US retail investors.
Why Legal Clarity Matters For Tokenization’s Future, According to IMF
Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director of the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, highlighted that tokenization is more than a technology upgrade. He noted that it changes the structure of the financial system itself.
Legal clarity is central to that argument. Adrian said clear rules on ownership, settlement, and jurisdiction will decide whether tokenization moves to the center of finance or stays at its edge.
“Market participants must know whether tokenized records constitute definitive ownership, whether settlement finality is legally recognized, and which jurisdiction’s law applies. Without clarity, tokenization will remain fragmented and peripheral,” Adrian said.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Ownership and Access Split the Market
BeInCrypto’s Real State of Tokenization in 2026 report puts hard numbers behind that concern. It tracked roughly $60 billion in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) as of May 31, excluding stablecoins and repurchase agreements.
The market splits into several parallel markets rather than one. Regulatory regime, geography, and investor status divide them. About 97% of that value is either inaccessible to US retail investors or carries no retail-grade regulation.
Only $1.7 billion is open to retail buyers, while accredited US investors can access roughly $8.3 billion, including Regulation D products.
The $60B Tokenized Assets Market by Regulatory Access Tier. Source: BeInCrypto Real State of Tokenization in 2026
Ownership type is also part of the divide. Tokens fall into direct ownership, fund shares, or synthetic exposure. Synthetic structures give price exposure without any claim on the asset.
The distinction is clearest in equities. 59% of all stock tokens by count provide synthetic price exposure rather than actual share ownership, according to the report. Holders track a price but own no shares
Regulatory ambiguity compounds the problem. About 39% of the market lacks an identifiable regulatory framework, a gap the report flags as a due diligence risk for allocators.
Adrian frames the problem in principle. The report shows it in the data. Both point to the same unfinished work on ownership rights and settlement. The open question is whether that infrastructure arrives soon enough.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

Economist Peter Schiff says President Donald Trump’s meme coins serve as a legal channel for bribery. He argues that buyers of the tokens pay for access to the president.
The claim lands days after a federal disclosure showed over $1 billion in crypto income for Trump in 2025. Meanwhile, both tokens sit just above record lows set in June.
Why Schiff Says Trump Meme Coins Work as Bribes
In the latest episode of The Peter Schiff Show, the economist pointed to the decline in valuations of the TRUMP and MELANIA meme coin. CoinGecko data shows TRUMP traded at $1.71 today, nearly 98% below its January 2025 peak of $73.43.
Meanwhile, MELANIA trades near $0.078, more than 99% under its $13.05 high. The sharp decline has left many investors facing significant losses.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
“Everybody’s profiting.” -President TrumpExcept the people who bought his coins.Trump family crypto earnings: $1.4 billion$TRUMP meme coin: -98%$MELANIA meme coin: -99%Perhaps the most blatant example of corruption in the history of American politics. pic.twitter.com/SlNdRmWFvg
— Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) July 1, 2026
The Wall Street Journal, citing Nansen data, reported that about two-thirds of holders of Trump’s meme coin are currently in the red. The trend extends beyond meme coins, with around 85% of investors who purchased World Liberty’s WLFI token on the secondary market also sitting on unrealized losses.
However, Schiff said many buyers were not buying the tokens as investments. He argued that those who put serious money into TRUMP were purchasing the president’s attention rather than an asset.
He cited events he said Trump held at the White House for the largest TRUMP holders.
“He’s actually had events at the White House where the top owners of Trump coin are allowed to attend. But it’s really a way to bribe the president. You don’t have to give him money directly, just buy his token, because who else would buy the token? It’s a lousy investment,” he said.
Trump’s 927-page filing shows CIC Digital earned about $636 million in meme coin royalties last year. The disclosure also lists roughly $515 million from World Liberty Financial token sales.
“Everybody named Trump is making money, but the people who bought those tokens lost everything on those tokens,” the economist added.
The family’s wider crypto empire has already drawn scrutiny from senators. In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Jake Auchincloss warned the coins gave foreign buyers a way to “curry influence with the administration.”
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

Binance just hinted at the possible delisting of 4 altcoins on July 3. The exchange added AEUR, PYR, SCRT and VANRY to its Monitoring Tag list. As a result, PYR and SCRT plunged 11% each within hours across global exchanges.
The move reshapes short-term risk for anyone still holding the four flagged altcoins.
Binance Adds 4 Altcoins to Monitoring Tag
The Monitoring Tag is Binance’s formal warning that a token carries elevated risk and may face delisting if performance does not improve. Furthermore, the tag signals that a project no longer fully satisfies the exchange’s strict listing criteria. That raises the distinct possibility of removal.
The four flagged tokens span very different verticals. Anchored Coins AEUR (AEUR) is a euro-pegged stablecoin. Vulcan Forged PYR (PYR) powers gaming and metaverse ecosystems. Moreover, Secret (SCRT) is a privacy-focused Layer 1, while Vanar Chain (VANRY) targets AI infrastructure.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Binance will extend the Monitoring Tag to include AEUR, PYR, SCRT & VANRY on 2026-07-03👉https://t.co/0o205eadRP pic.twitter.com/CUtqYopNER
— Binance (@binance) July 3, 2026
The mechanics of the tag are strict. Traders can still buy and sell these tokens on Binance. However, users must complete a risk acknowledgment quiz every 90 days. Furthermore, they must accept updated Terms of Use to keep trading access across both Spot and Margin platforms.
Binance conducts ongoing project reviews across multiple criteria. These include team commitment, liquidity, development progress, community engagement, and regulatory compliance. As a result, failure to show meaningful improvement across these variables could accelerate delisting timelines significantly across the coming months.
“Tokens with the Monitoring Tag exhibit notably higher volatility and risks compared to other listed tokens. These tokens are closely monitored, with regular reviews conducted. Keep in mind that tokens with the Monitoring Tag are at risk of no longer meeting our listing criteria and being delisted from the platform,” Binance said in an official announcement.
How the Delisting Hint Sparked a Real Bloodbath
The market reaction was immediate and brutal. PYR plunged 11% in the last 24 hours, reflecting heavy selling pressure on the gaming and metaverse project. Furthermore, SCRT also dropped 11% as the privacy-focused network faced an investor exodus amid delisting fears.
The other two tokens behaved differently. VANRY proved more resilient, actually recording a modest 1% gain across the period. Moreover, AEUR showed virtually no disruption, trading steadily around $1.12 as the euro-pegged stablecoin absorbed the news.
SCRT, PYR, VANRY & AEUR Price Performance. Source: CoinGecko
The broader precedent adds urgency. On June 18, Binance added ACT, BLUR, PIVX, and QKC to the same list. Furthermore, ALCX, ARDR, NFP, and POND were tagged on June 26 and later fully delisted for July 10, 2026. As a result, Monitoring Tag additions now function as reliable delisting early warning signals.
The teams behind PYR, VANRY, and SCRT face clear pressure. They will likely need to demonstrate accelerated progress across development, liquidity, and community metrics. Moreover, they must reassure both holders and Binance itself before the next formal project review closes without meaningful improvement across the key criteria.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has teased an unnamed “super-mega top global artist” for the FIFA World Cup halftime show on July 19. Prediction markets already treat Justin Bieber as the clear favorite for the secret slot.
Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will headline the first halftime show in World Cup history at MetLife Stadium. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin curates the Global Citizen production.
The stage matches the stakes. MetLife Stadium holds 80,663 fans, and FIFA expects up to five billion TV viewers. Attendance has already passed the 1994 record, with more than 5.3 million stadium visitors so far.
Bieber Dominates FIFA World Cup Halftime Show Odds
Infantino dropped the tease, promising one more act for the FIFA lineup. Traders reacted immediately.
On Kalshi, Bieber contracts last traded at 82 cents, an implied probability of 82%. Polymarket prices him at 70%, with more than $213,000 wagered across the event.
Coldplay ranks as the clear second favorite at both venues. Martin curates the lineup, so traders expect extra songs from his band. Meanwhile, traders treat confirmed headliner Shakira as a near lock after she opened the tournament and co-wrote its official song, Dai Dai.
Halftime show singer odds. Source: Kalshi market
Among the wildcards, Bad Bunny stands out as the strongest dark horse, ahead of Drake and The Weeknd. Peso Pluma and Camila Cabello also draw steady interest, while Kalshi lists everyone from AC/DC to Zach Bryan. Consequently, the frenzy keeps producing new prediction market platforms.
Taylor Swift remains a long shot on Polymarket despite her global reach. Instead, bettors have poured millions into wedding markets tied to her engagement with Travis Kelce.
Billions Flow Into World Cup Prediction Markets
The mystery-artist market is a sideshow within a record wave of trading. Kalshi and Polymarket handled $5.4 billion in World Cup volume during the tournament’s first week alone Forbes reported.
Kalshi’s $2.9 billion that week topped both March Madness and the Champions League. Moreover, its total World Cup volume has since climbed to $14.6 billion.
Traditional bookmakers expected a surge as well. Research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming projected $4.4 billion in US online sportsbook wagers for the tournament, up from $1.8 billion in 2022.
Who Will Win the $50 Million FIFA Prize Money?
On the pitch, France holds a commanding 34% implied probability to lift the trophy on Kalshi. Defending champion Argentina follows near 21%, well ahead of Spain and England. The champion collects $50 million in FIFA prize money along with the title.
Both venues had backed France early when the knockout rounds opened. However, upsets in a single-elimination bracket can reprice the entire board within minutes.
The tournament keeps generating trades far beyond football, from an unlikely Tinder rally in Match Group stock to Kalshi’s World Cup partnership with ADI Predictstreet. Whether the mystery act justifies Infantino’s superlatives will become clear in East Rutherford on July 19.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says MicroStrategy’s run as the most dominant buyer of Bitcoin (BTC) is likely finished, with the treasury giant now positioned to sell rather than only accumulate the asset.
Strategy’s (MSTR) preferred stock has collapsed in recent weeks, and a new capital plan now lets the company sell Bitcoin for three primary purposes, including covering its dividend obligations.
How MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Machine Stalled
For years, Strategy operated as a one-way source of Bitcoin demand, according to Hougan. The firm grew its treasury through ATM equity and preferred stock offerings, often buying thousands of BTC each week.
However, the company’s approach shifted this year, signaling a willingness to sell part of its Bitcoin holdings. BeInCrypto reported that Strategy then sold 32 BTC for roughly $2.5 million between May 26 and May 31. This marked its first sale since December 2022.
The decline in Strategy’s STRC preferred stock also put pressure on one of its primary Bitcoin financing mechanisms. Market data showed STRC fell to a record low of 71.2 last Friday. The dip came amid Bitcoin’s drop below $60,000.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
“Bitcoin dipped below $60,000 last week, hitting its lowest level since 2024. There were many reasons for the pullback, but by far the biggest was STRC, the perpetual preferred equity instrument issued by Strategy (MSTR),” Hougan said.
Shortly afterward, on June 29, 2026, Strategy unveiled its Digital Credit Capital Framework. The plan allows it to periodically sell BTC to raise up to $1.25 billion for its US dollar reserve, meet dividend and interest obligations when more favorable than issuing new shares, and fund share or debt repurchases.
Hougan reads the change as a structural turning point.
“Going forward, Strategy could buy or sell bitcoin depending on market conditions. Importantly, I don’t think it will be a large seller. There’s no mechanism that will force Strategy to sell more than a few billion dollars of bitcoin a year. And if bitcoin’s price rallies, I think it’s likely it will be a net buyer. I just expect it to be a less important figure in Bitcoin in the next cycle than it was in the last,” he added.
If not Strategy, who will become the biggest buyer of Bitcoin? Hougan expects institutional investors to fill the gap.
He pointed to global banks, asset managers, pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, and financial advisors, noting that they collectively manage the world’s largest pool of capital.
“There are indications this is already happening: Morgan Stanley recently launched proprietary bitcoin ETFs, Wells Fargo is putting bitcoin into model portfolios, and so on… Multiple sovereign wealth funds and sovereign banks either already hold bitcoin or have announced study programs. And while bitcoin ETFs have seen outflows in 2026, they’ve attracted more than $50 billion since their 2024 launch,” he explained.
Hougan also struck an optimistic tone, saying he believes the market is close to finding a bottom and is positioned to enter a fresh bull run this fall.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights