Crypto

The Trump appointee overseeing the nation's housing agencies said Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae should take mortgage applicants' crypto holdings into account.

Zama raised $57 million and launched a public testnet aimed at bringing privacy and encrypted smart contracts to public blockchains.

Some investors are piling into crypto treasury firms, while PIPE investors are taking gains.

Federal Housing Finance Agency director William J. Pulte ordered the two government-sponsored enterprises to prepare to consider crypto for mortgage loan risk assessments. The US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has ordered home mortgage purchasers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to consider how to count cryptocurrencies as assets in their risk assessments for some home loans. FHFA director William J. Pulte told both of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in a letter on Wednesday to “prepare a proposal for consideration of cryptocurrency as an asset for reserves in their respective single-family mortgage loan risk assessments, without conversion of said cryptocurrency to U.S. dollars.” The order means the two GSEs could consider potential borrowers’ crypto holdings when they apply for a mortgage, which Pulte said “has not typically been considered” in mortgage risk assessments without first converting the crypto to US dollars. Read more

The move comes as the CEO shared plans to re-enter the crypto business under the Trump administration after having exiting digital asset services in 2023.

Pi Network surged 15% to $0.623, breaking a 45-day bearish trend following Chainlink integration announcement giving 60 million users DeFi access ahead of Pi2Day event. The post Pi Breaks 45-Day Slump with 15% Pop on Chainlink Integration — $1 Target Now in Play appeared first on Cryptonews.

Coinbase launched wrapped tokens for Cardano (cbADA) and Litecoin (cbLTC) on its Base layer-2 network, the exchange said in a June 25 post.  Each synthetic token is backed 1:1 by the underlying asset held in Coinbase custody, and proof-of-reserves pages list the on-chain addresses securing the collateral. The transparency pages already show 11,364 LTC and […] The post Coinbase launches Cardano and Litecoin wrapped tokens cbADA, cbLTC on Base appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin bulls appear poised to win the upcoming $20 billion options expiry, raising the chances for a rally to $110,000. Key takeaway: Bitcoin bulls aim to secure the $105K support as $20B in monthly options expire on Friday. Bitcoin (BTC) traders are closely watching the $20 billion monthly options expiry set for Friday. Although Bitcoin is down 1.5% over the past 30 days, traders who used options to hedge against downside risk were already bracing for a steeper decline. Read more

SharpLink Gaming acquired 12,207 ETH for $30.6 million, becoming the world's largest public Ethereum holder with 188,478 ETH worth approximately $457 million. The post SharpLink Gaming Doubles Down on ETH with $30.6M Buy, Becomes World’s Largest Public Holder appeared first on Cryptonews.

The EU plans to announce the elimination of a barrier that prevented dollar-backed stablecoins from flooding the bloc, per a new report.

The move comes as a debate is unfolding in the UK on whether users should be allowed to buy cryptocurrencies with credit cards. United Kingdom-based bank Barclays will begin blocking crypto transactions made through its Barclaycard credit cards starting Friday, citing risks associated with cryptocurrencies volatility. According to the bank's website, the decision was based on concerns over volatile token prices and the lack of regulatory guardrails for investors. “We’re doing this because a fall in the price of crypto assets could lead to customers finding themselves in debt they can’t afford to repay,” said Barclays, adding that: A Barclays spokesperson declined to further comment on the decision. Read more

Kalshi has raised$185 million at a valuation of $2 billion, according to a release.

Key Takeaways: IMF’s Bo Li said regulatory uncertainty around stablecoins persists, especially regarding classification and enforcement. Global financial bodies are working to align frameworks but remain in early stages. Policy inconsistencies may drive firms toward jurisdictions with less oversight. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) continues to flag regulatory uncertainty around stablecoin, according to remarks by […] The post Stablecoin Regulation Still Faces Key Unresolved Questions, Says IMF appeared first on Cryptonews.

Lending protocol zkLend stated in a June 25 post on X that it will wind down its operations and direct its remaining $200,000 treasury to a fund for users affected by a February security breach.  The team said the exploit “deeply eroded user confidence” and ZEND’s delisting from Bybit and KuCoin amplified the negative sentiment […] The post zkLend shuts down amid exploit fallout and delistings, remaining $200k redirected to users appeared first on CryptoSlate.

From robotic pets and digital currencies to virtual reality, some of the biggest innovations were once considered failures. Before they were in every home, some of the most essential gadgets of today were technological punchlines, too weird, too early, too expensive or just plain bad.  In the ’90s and early 2000s, inventors and engineers dreamed big, but consumer tech often struggled to deliver on its promise.  Whether it was a robotic pet that couldn’t love you back, a vacuum that kept slamming into furniture or a digital currency no one could figure out how to use, many of these innovations failed hard. Read more

Bitcoin price continues moving higher as a ceasefire between Iran and Israel holds and traders anticipate a round of interest rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve. Key points: Bitcoin’s relief rally rose above $108,000, but the bulls may struggle to push and sustain the price above the all-time high of $111,980. Several major altcoins have bounced off their recent lows but are not finding buyers at higher levels. Read more

Bitcoin Cash breaks key resistance amid renewed demand while Cardano tests critical support levels in sideways market conditions.

UK web company's Bitcoin strategy delivers 6,400% stock gains, sparking copycat wave as CEO claims "most successful IPO in UK history."

The deal secures 4.875% in five-year debt with a 44% conversion premium.

In a Wednesday status conference, the judge overseeing the Terraform Labs co-founder’s case reportedly said he was “mindful of the GENIUS Act.” Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, facing criminal charges in US federal court, could see a change in his indictment based on bills currently moving through the US Congress. According to reporting from Inner City Press, Kwon’s lawyers and prosecutors met for a status conference before Judge Paul Engelmayer in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday. The judge reportedly said he was “mindful of the GENIUS Act,” suggesting that it could impact Kwon’s charges on securities fraud.   The GENIUS Act, or the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, passed the US Senate on June 17, but still faces a possible vote in the House of Representatives before US President Donald Trump decides whether to sign the bill into law. The legislation, targeting regulations for payment stablecoins, could affect Kwon’s charges related to...