Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
-
Japan's Lower House passes crypto bill, clearing path to ETFs and lower taxes
Japan's Lower House passed legislation moving crypto assets under the country's financial instruments framework, potentially enabling ETFs and cutting capital gains tax from 55% to 20% starting in 2028.
-
Saylor and Mallers clash over Strategy's mNAV and dilution at BTC Prague
Michael Saylor and Jack Mallers debated Strategy's capital structure and reporting metrics at BTC Prague, with Saylor defending equity issuance as non-dilutive and Mallers questioning the accounting treatment of out-of-the-money convertible debt.
-
SpaceX IPO prices at $1.77T; Polymarket predicts $2T+ debut
As SpaceX prices its Nasdaq IPO on June 11, blockchain-based derivatives and prediction markets have converged on a $1.8 trillion to $2.1 trillion valuation range, with Polymarket assigning a 64% probability of a $2 trillion close.
-
Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won booked on bribery suspicion over legislator's relative
South Korean police have placed Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won under investigation for allegedly hiring a lawmaker's son in exchange for favorable regulatory treatment and legislative support against a rival exchange.
-
Japan parliament passes crypto regulation bill, effective 2027
Japan's House of Representatives passed legislation shifting cryptocurrency regulation from banking rules to financial instruments oversight, lowering taxes on crypto assets while introducing stricter disclosure rules and enforcement penalties to protect retail investors and spur innovation.
-
Ripple Positions XRP Ledger for AI-Driven Payments Shift
Ripple's product leadership predicts a decade-long shift away from human-initiated payments toward autonomous machine-managed financial flows, launching AI integration tools to position XRP Ledger as the settlement layer for AI agents.
-
9z defeats PARIVISION 2-0 in PGL Astana 2026 opener
9z defeated PARIVISION 2-0 in the first round of the PGL Astana 2026 Swiss stage, advancing to 1-0 and signaling strong form in the $1.6 million tournament.
-
Bitcoin faces governance crisis as BIP-110 activation nears
Bitcoin is less than 10,000 blocks from a mandatory activation window for BIP-110, a proposal to restrict non-financial data on the network. The contentious upgrade pits developers against miners and threatens the ecosystem's consensus.
-
Oil surges on US-Iran strikes; Bitcoin falls to six-week lows
Crude oil prices jumped over 3% following US-Iran military strikes in early June 2026, while Bitcoin had dropped to six-week lows below $73,000 on May 28 as traders reassessed geopolitical risk. The divergence illustrates how macro volatility shapes asset prices across commodities and crypto.
-
DBS Bank launches tokenized gold for retail investors in 2026
Singapore's DBS Bank announced plans to offer tokenized gold to retail customers starting in the second half of 2026, with each token backed by one gram of physical gold held in a dedicated vault.
-
Fold Holdings sells 633.8 Bitcoin to repay $20M debt, shares surge 160%
Fold Holdings, a NASDAQ-listed Bitcoin fintech, sold 633.8 BTC for ~$45 million to eliminate debt and fund growth. The move drove shares up 160% intraday, signaling investor confidence in capital discipline over asset hoarding.
-
Trad.Fi and W3 compress equipment loans from months to one day with AI
Trad.Fi and W3 are working to move $650 million of equipment-finance origination onto blockchain rails over four years using AI to automate underwriting, but loan performance still hinges on collateral, servicing, and investor liquidity outside the token.
-
Bitwise Chief: TradFi Advisors Prioritize Stablecoins and Tokenization Over Bitcoin
Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan said traditional finance advisors are more interested in stablecoins and tokenization than Bitcoin, citing real-world applications reshaping capital markets and payments.
-
Canadian arrested in $13M crypto scam using social engineering
Trenton Richard David Johnston, 20, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy tied to $13.04 million in stolen digital assets after using social engineering to impersonate tech support and trick victims into surrendering wallet access.
-
Israeli airstrikes break Iran ceasefire, triggering crypto selloff
Israeli forces struck Iranian military and petrochemical sites across southern Iran and near Tehran on June 8–10, breaking a six-week ceasefire and sparking sharp declines in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins as markets priced in renewed geopolitical risk.
-
Gold rebounds from six-month low as inflation data looms
Spot gold rebounded from a six-month low of $4,022 per ounce after a brutal monthly selloff, but traders remain cautious ahead of inflation data that could reshape the precious metal's near-term direction.
-
Bitcoin holds steady as May CPI inflation peaks, altcoins slip
Bitcoin rose 1.9% to $62,600 on Thursday after May inflation data showed headline gains at the fastest pace since April 2023, though core inflation came in softer than expected. Ether and major altcoins remained down 6% to 8% for the week.
-
DOJ seeks dismissal of Halkbank criminal case after deferred prosecution deal
The US Department of Justice moved to dismiss its criminal case against Turkish state-owned Halkbank after reaching a deferred prosecution agreement filed in March 2026. The bank must pass a 90-day compliance review focused on Iran-related transactions to avoid trial on charges of laundering roughly $20 billion for Iran through front companies.
-
EU Overhauls Diplomatic Service, Cuts Delegations to 18 Hubs
EU member states are debating a major restructuring of the European External Action Service, including folding it into the Commission and cutting its global footprint from 140 delegations to roughly 18 hubs.
-
3Jane launches Ethereum credit protocol for fintech lenders
3Jane, an Ethereum-based credit protocol, opened on June 10 with a $10 million warehouse facility from LendSwift and an $8.5 million forward-flow deal with Slope, targeting $50 million total. The protocol's native token USD3 offers yields around 8.5%, but loan performance remains a critical risk.
-
Delaware, New Jersey advance crypto ATM bans amid fraud surge
Delaware and New Jersey lawmakers have advanced legislation to ban cryptocurrency ATMs entirely, following three other states that have enacted similar bans in response to rising fraud complaints and steep transaction fees that disproportionately harm older Americans.
-
US strikes Iran; Bitcoin drops 2% amid $1B crypto liquidations
The United States launched military strikes against Iranian targets on June 10, triggering a 2% Bitcoin decline to $61,000 and nearly $1 billion in crypto market liquidations within 24 hours, continuing a pattern of geopolitical volatility impacting digital assets.
-
Ukraine approves record $35 billion defense budget increase for 2026
Ukraine's parliament approved a 1.56 trillion hryvnia ($34.7 billion) defense budget increase for 2026, bringing total military and security spending to $66.3 billion—over 27% of GDP. The nation faces a $45 billion funding gap that will require international aid and alternative channels, including crypto donations.
-
US strikes Iran, Bitcoin drops 2% amid geopolitical tensions
US Central Command launched strikes against Iranian targets on June 10, prompting a 2% Bitcoin drop to around $61,000 and broader market caution. The escalation underscores crypto's short-term sensitivity to geopolitical risk, though investors remain divided on whether Bitcoin functions as a hedge or risk-off asset.