Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
-
CFTC proposes futures-based reporting framework for event contracts
The CFTC published a proposed rule on June 25 that would shift fully collateralized event contracts from swap reporting to futures-based compliance, ending 9 years of temporary regulatory relief and signaling a comprehensive overhaul of the event contract space.
-
JDG Esports adds BerLIN, crownfisher to VALORANT roster for VCT China Stage 2
JDG Esports has reshuffled its VALORANT roster ahead of VCT China Stage 2, adding in-game leader BerLIN from FunPlus Phoenix and promoting crownfisher from its academy team, while moving coconut off the active lineup.
-
Gold steadies near $4,000 as US inflation eases rate-hike bets
Gold stabilized near $4,000 per ounce on June 25 after US inflation data met expectations, reducing September rate-hike odds from 68% to 63%. The metal has lost roughly 25-28% since January's peak of $5,589, pressured by a stronger dollar and capital rotation toward equities.
-
Netherlands beats Tunisia 2-1; World Cup prediction markets hit $93.6K
The Netherlands defeated Tunisia 2-1 in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match on June 25, generating $93.6K in prediction market volume. CHZ, Chiliz's fan engagement token, climbed 28% on World Cup momentum as crypto adoption in sports continues to expand.
-
Treasury Issues General License 60 for Venezuela Earthquake Humanitarian Aid
The US Treasury Department issued General License 60 through OFAC to enable humanitarian organizations to deliver earthquake relief to Venezuela without violating sanctions, following twin quakes that killed at least 188 people and left over 45,000 missing.
-
Iran strikes Singapore cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Singapore-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, the first Iranian assault on a cargo vessel since a US-Iran ceasefire was reached in mid-June. The strike damaged the ship's bridge and threatens to disrupt global trade flows through one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.
-
Bitcoin bounces off 2026 lows as ETF outflows weigh on price
Bitcoin recovered to $59,500 after hitting its lowest level since September 2024, but spot ETF outflows, a bearish options expiry and MicroStrategy's mounting losses suggest further downside risk amid rising rate expectations.
-
Polymarket Refunds Users After $3M Vendor Hack Drains Accounts
Hackers infiltrated Polymarket's website through a compromised third-party vendor, stealing approximately $3 million from fewer than 15 user accounts. The prediction market said it's refunding affected customers in full.
-
Bitcoin options traders hedge downside amid market uncertainty: Anchorage
Bitcoin options traders are heavily positioned for downside protection across crypto-native and ETF markets, with defensive hedges ranking in the 82nd to 84th percentile of historical levels, according to Anchorage Digital analysis.
-
SBI Holdings acquires Bitbank for $289M, creating Japan's largest crypto exchange
SBI Holdings announced Thursday it will acquire Tokyo-based crypto exchange Bitbank for roughly $289 million, pending regulatory approval. The combined firm would hold $6.8 billion in assets under custody and serve 2.92 million accounts.
-
CoinEx denies knowingly aiding Iran's crypto market despite $3.84B flow
TRM Labs reported that over $3.84 billion has flowed between CoinEx and more than 60 Iranian platforms, with the Seychelles exchange serving as the "single biggest lifeline" for Iran's crypto ecosystem. CoinEx rejected the allegations, saying it operates as a neutral global exchange with no state ties.
-
MicroStrategy STRC hits record Bitcoin correlation, eroding yield appeal
MicroStrategy's perpetual preferred stock STRC has reached its highest correlation with Bitcoin since launch, climbing to 0.70 over 90 days. The tightening link undermines STRC's original appeal as a steadier income vehicle while the stock trades well below par value.
-
Stanford AI system compresses drug discovery from months to days
Stanford researchers led by Professor James Zou deployed coordinated AI agents that generated 92 novel molecular candidates targeting COVID-19 in days, a task that typically requires weeks or months of lab work.
-
Optimism co-founder: AI agents could unlock mainstream Web3 adoption
Karl Floersch argues that autonomous AI agents managing trading and smart contracts could lower barriers for everyday users to participate in Web3, though governance and regulatory questions remain unresolved.
-
XRP hits $1.01 low as whales accumulate and exchange reserves shrink
XRP hit $1.01 on Thursday, its weakest price of 2026, but onchain metrics show whale accumulation and sustained exchange outflows that may indicate institutional buying pressure beneath the surface.
-
Kraken and Maple Launch Onchain Warehouse Facility for Institutional Crypto Loans
Kraken and Maple have launched an onchain warehouse financing facility that applies traditional credit-market lending structures to institutional digital asset loans, allowing Kraken to expand OTC lending without depleting balance-sheet capital.
-
Bithumb fined $136K by South Korea for unauthorized overseas data sharing
South Korean authorities fined cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb $136,000 after an investigation found it transferred personal information overseas without proper consent, including sharing Tether order books with unauthorized partners.
-
Generative AI economy hits $110B annual sales, Exponential View reports
Exponential View's inaugural State of the AI Economy report, published June 25, 2026, reveals the generative AI sector generated over $110 billion in sales over the past year, with an annualized run rate exceeding $175 billion based on data from over 1,000 companies.
-
Strategy STRC hits record low as effective yield soars above 14%
Strategy's preferred stock plunged to $73.65 on Thursday as Bitcoin fell below $60,000, lifting STRC's effective yield above 14% and straining the company's dividend funding model.
-
Payward sues PowerTrade over $7M misappropriation claim
Payward, the parent company of Kraken, filed a lawsuit against crypto derivatives platform PowerTrade alleging approximately $7 million in misappropriation. The action marks the second major fund-recovery lawsuit Payward has launched in recent months, with combined claims now exceeding $32 million.
-
Haiti's World Cup return shows crypto's limits in sports fan engagement
Haiti qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on November 18, 2025, ending a 52-year absence and scoring in its first match. Yet the national federation launched no official crypto project or fan tokens, highlighting the gap between emotional fan narratives and sustainable blockchain-based economies.
-
Kraken sues PowerTrade over $7.2M in misappropriated funds
Payward, Kraken's parent company, filed a lawsuit against crypto derivatives firm PowerTrade, claiming the platform's founders misappropriated $7.2 million through unauthorized retroactive trade cancellations that converted a $6 million account surplus into a $2 million deficit.
-
SBI Holdings completes $289M Bitbank acquisition, Japan's largest crypto exchange
SBI Holdings finalized its 46.7 billion yen deal to acquire full control of Bitbank, creating Japan's largest crypto exchange by assets under custody. The transaction, expected to close in October, combines roughly 2.92 million accounts and 1.1 trillion yen in assets.
-
CZ Says Prison Strengthened Business Trust, Not Damaged It
Changpeng Zhao, the pardoned founder of Binance, says his four-month prison sentence for Bank Secrecy Act violations hasn't hurt his venture-capital prospects and has instead deepened business partners' trust in him once they understand the non-fraudulent nature of his conviction.