News linked to this event type.
According to Semiconductor-Today, Coherent announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce to secure up to $50 million in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to expand advanced manufacturing capacity for AI photonic chips.
Odaily Odaily News Rodney "Bitcoin Rodney" Burton, a resident of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme related to HyperFund, which involved approximately $1.8 billion.According to federal prosecutors in Maryland, Burton admitted to "conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business." He participated in promoting this Ponzi-structured project between June 2020 and January 2022, profiting approximately $7.85 million.Law enforcement authorities indicated that HyperFund attracted investors with promises of high returns of "0.5% to 1% daily," but there was no actual cryptocurrency mining or sustainable source of revenue. The funds essentially came from new investors, representing a typical Ponzi scheme structure. The platform began restricting withdrawals in 2021.The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the project raised funds from investors worldwide and was used for promotion and fund transfers during its operation, constituting a large-scale跨境 wire fraud network.Burton faces a maximum of 5 years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 23. Law enforcement agencies stated that the case was jointly investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations. (U.S. Department of Justice)
According to Fortune magazine, the political battle surrounding New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores’ congressional campaign has escalated into a direct confrontation between two major camps in the AI industry: OpenAI and Anthropic have each contributed millions to tens of millions of dollars through affiliated political action committees (PACs) to support candidates with opposing stances.
stablecoin payment infrastructure company Trace Finance has completed a $32 million Series A funding round, led by CoinFund with participation from Coinbase Ventures and others. Trace Finance plans to use this round of financing to expand its business in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region and to advance more license applications. The company stated that it has processed over $10 billion in institutional cross-border transaction volume. (The Block)
CJ Hetherington, co-founder and CEO of prediction market platform Limitless Labs, stated that he does not believe the prediction market industry will see a single dominant monopoly player. He draws a parallel to the offshore perpetual contract market, where even leading platforms have never long-term held over 90% market share. Core trading volume in the derivatives market comes from market makers and high-frequency traders, who typically operate across multiple platforms to exploit spreads for arbitrage, structurally limiting market concentration.CJ Hetherington cited Binance’s perpetual contracts as an example, noting that its market share once approached 50% but was gradually diverted by other trading platforms, leading to a multi-platform coexistence pattern. He argues that prediction markets will follow a similar path rather than a "winner-takes-all" outcome.Hetherington pointed out that future industry distribution will primarily be conducted through brokers and futures commission merchants, with institutions like Robinhood, Interactive Brokers, and Charles Schwab competing in distribution. Fees and marketing will become the core of consumer-side competition. However, the U.S. regulatory framework is an "advantage rather than an obstacle" for the prediction market industry, as CFTC oversight helps reduce contract disputes, enhance transparency, and is also more suitable for institutional participation. (The Block)
a16z crypto has stated in an article that the crypto industry is entering the so-called "Show Me era," where the market and media no longer accept projects relying solely on vision and whitepapers but demand real data and verifiable product deployment. In the past decade, crypto projects often depended on a "vision is the product" logic, gaining market attention through whitepapers, token narratives, and proof-of-concept. However, as regulatory scrutiny intensifies, negative industry incidents increase, and institutional players enter the space, this model is becoming obsolete. Simultaneously, the accelerated entry of traditional financial institutions into the crypto field is significantly raising the industry bar, including BlackRock's tokenized money market funds, Fidelity's ETF initiatives, and JPMorgan Chase's advances in on-chain settlement and building its own blockchain network. This makes "real products and actual usage" the new competitive standard.a16z crypto summarizes the current industry standard as a "proof-first" mechanism, requiring projects to demonstrate clear product usage data, on-chain transaction volumes, genuine user growth, and sustained retention, rather than merely intentions to partner or conceptual roadmaps. The firm emphasizes that "partnership announcements" no longer constitute valid signals; they must be accompanied by actual integrations and verifiable data. Meanwhile, user growth, on-chain activity, revenue curves, and third-party verification have become core evaluation metrics. The article further introduces the concept of a "proof stack," where projects need to convert narrative into credible product facts through a multi-dimensional chain of evidence — real users, independent verification, on-chain data, and established partnerships.a16z crypto believes that the industry's communication logic has shifted from "what you are doing" to "what you have already accomplished." It emphasizes that while narrative and vision remain important, their weight has dropped from approximately 80% in the past to 20% now, as the industry officially enters a competitive phase centered on results.
Odaily A new governance proposal called "Root Reborn" for the decentralized AI network Bittensor is drawing attention. Submitted by developer "unconst," the proposal is currently in the code review stage and has not yet been implemented on the mainnet.According to reports, the plan aims to restructure the TAO staking reward distribution mechanism, transforming validators from passive reward distribution nodes into capital allocators similar to "fund managers." Under the current mechanism, the system sells rewards owed to root-level stakers and automatically exchanges subnet tokens for TAO to pay out yields. This process is believed to create continuous selling pressure on various subnet token prices. The "Root Reborn" proposal suggests that validators could autonomously choose which subnets to support and reinvest the rewards that would otherwise be sold into these subnet assets, forming a compoundable asset portfolio. Stakers would still receive rewards and could exit at any time in TAO.The design of the proposal aims to convert persistent selling pressure into structural buying power, while also giving validators a more proactive screening role in capital allocation, thereby strengthening high-quality subnets and weakening low-quality projects.However, the proposal is still in the GitHub review phase. Early automated reviews have identified risks including large-scale data processing bottlenecks and potential impacts on staker settlements when subnets are shut down. The developer has stated that related issues have been fixed and that optimization will continue before mainnet deployment.According to market data, TAO has fallen approximately 28% over the past 12 months, while Bitcoin has dropped about 38% during the same period. The current annualized staking yield is approximately 17%. (CoinDesk)
: Kalshi, a U.S. compliant prediction market platform, has entered into a strategic partnership with financial compliance service provider StarCompliance. The collaboration aims to offer real-time trading monitoring services for employee Kalshi accounts at various financial institutions, directly addressing a core compliance pain point in the industry.As the popularity of prediction markets rises, financial institutions are increasingly concerned that employees might leverage internal non-public information to trade for profit on platforms like Kalshi, posing regulatory risks of insider trading. With this partnership, StarCompliance's compliance system will connect to employees' Kalshi accounts under institutional management, automatically identifying and flagging abnormal or suspicious trading activities. This will help financial institutions conduct internal risk control and regulatory compliance self-assessments.According to StarCompliance, the current system only offers real-time transaction monitoring. In the future, they plan to add a pre-trade approval module and expand service coverage to blockchain-based prediction market platforms such as Polymarket. This will comprehensively cover mainstream event trading channels and enhance institutions' full-scenario employee trading control systems. (.barrons)
Bitcoin continues to face pressure amid macroeconomic uncertainty and institutional wait-and-see sentiment, hovering around $64,500, down approximately 2% on the day. The market is awaiting the outcome of the Fed FOMC meeting, which will be chaired by Kevin Warsh for the first time, with widespread expectations that interest rates will remain unchanged in the 3.50%–3.75% range.Analysts point out that the focus of this meeting has shifted from "whether to cut rates" to "policy path and inflation signals." Current US inflation is believed to remain near three-year highs, with energy prices and geopolitical developments keeping the market cautious about the future policy direction.Pressure is also emerging simultaneously on the chain and institutional levels. Structural concerns surrounding Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) continue to escalate, with its preferred stock STRC falling to $91.79 on June 16, over 8% below its $100 par value, seen as a sign of weakening corporate Bitcoin buying power.Although spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of approximately $10.1 million on June 16, with BlackRock's IBIT contributing the majority, the capital scale remains significantly lower than in previous periods, indicating limited buying momentum.Market research firms Bitfinex and QCP note that the recent Bitcoin rebound appears more like a "technical recovery driven by exhausted selling pressure" rather than being fueled by new demand. In the derivatives market, rising implied volatility in options and a skew towards put protection suggest traders are pricing in tail risks.In terms of price structure, Bitcoin is considered to be oscillating in the short term within the $60,000 to $68,000 range. If the Fed signals a hawkish stance or institutional buying weakens further, a pullback to the $62,000–$63,000 range is possible.Overall, the current market presents a combination of "macro wait-and-see, marginal institutional weakening, and heightened derivatives defense." The short-term direction still depends on FOMC policy signals and the potential return of ETF and corporate capital flows. (The Block)
: AI-powered financial compliance infrastructure Flagright announced the completion of a $12.5 million Series A funding round, led by Infinity Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Sella Direct Ventures, and existing investor Frontline. The proceeds will be used to drive its expansion in the "explainable AI compliance" scenario, accelerate its market presence in the United States, and strengthen its position as an enterprise-grade standard in the field of financial crime compliance. Flagright stated that financial crime compliance is entering a phase of platform transformation. Banks, payment firms, lending institutions, and brokerages are facing higher transaction volumes, stricter regulations, and more sophisticated financial crime methods, while traditional compliance systems can no longer meet current demands. (PRNewswire)
Benchmark has maintained a "Buy" rating for Coinbase with a $270 price target, implying approximately 59.5% upside from its Tuesday closing price of $169.27. The firm noted that Coinbase's latest "System Update" indicates it is accelerating its transformation from a crypto trading platform into an "everything exchange" that bridges traditional finance and the on-chain economy.Analyst Mark Palmer stated that this product update covers tokenized stocks, stock and crypto options, pre-IPO perpetual contracts, prediction markets, AI-driven investment tools, agent payment infrastructure, and retail financial products, signaling the continuous expansion of its business boundaries.Key progress highlighted by Benchmark also includes: the U.S. CFTC's approval for it to operate as a regulated Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), global derivatives capabilities obtained through the acquisition of Deribit, and integrating crypto perpetuals and options into a compliant framework, thereby achieving cross-market liquidity consolidation.Furthermore, the company's strategic moves in the Base ecosystem, prediction markets, and AI agent payments are also seen as key signals of its evolution from "spot crypto trading" to a comprehensive on-chain financial infrastructure. (The Block)
According to Bloomberg, crypto-friendly digital bank Revolut has announced that it has obtained the relevant license approval from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, marking the beginning of its expansion into the Middle East region.
the U.S. Department of Justice has seized approximately $9 million in funds linked to a scam network, with the seized assets being the stablecoin Tether (USDT). Law enforcement officials stated that the case is related to long-term romance and investment scams commonly known as "pig butchering." The criminal organization gradually gained victims' trust by establishing fake romantic or social relationships, luring them into depositing funds on fraudulent crypto investment platforms before disappearing with the money.Investigations revealed that the network has affected over 70 victims within the United States, with illegally transferred funds totaling millions of dollars. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that this asset freeze and enforcement action aims to cut off the flow of scam funds and strengthen the ability to track and combat cross-border crypto scams. (Bloomberg)
According to Odaily, the Hebei High Court has released a typical case of combating illegal fundraising, in which a man packaged investment projects under the guise of the "Metaverse" concept to promote virtual commodity investment products under the "Newmateworks" platform, associated with the "Yishang United Community," to the public. He induced individuals to invest and directly introduced 19 investors who poured a total of 15.3936 million RMB into the platform. Of this amount, 1.1014 million RMB has been returned, while 14.2922 million RMB remains outstanding. The court found that the case used emerging technology concepts like the "Metaverse" as a cover for fraudulent marketing, violating national financial management laws. The amount involved was substantial, and the actions constituted the crime of illegally absorbing public deposits. The defendant, Chen, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison and fined.
According to The Block, Australia’s High Court unanimously ruled that Block Earner’s previously launched fixed-income digital asset product, Earner, qualifies as a regulated financial product, requiring providers to hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). The court upheld the appeal filed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and overturned the lower court’s earlier ruling, which had been more favorable to Block Earner.
According to The Block, U.S. Senate and House leaders jointly released an updated version of the “Pathway to 21st Century Housing Act,” confirming a bipartisan agreement between both chambers. The bill’s core focus is housing affordability reform, including expanding housing supply and curbing market monopolization by corporate landlords. Notably, an attached provision explicitly prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or any “substantially similar” digital asset before December 31, 2030—a clause spearheaded by Republican members of the House. The Trump administration maintains a consistent stance: Treasury Secretary Bessent has previously stated unequivocally that a CBDC is “not under consideration.” The bill will first undergo a procedural vote in the Senate and is expected to be submitted to the House for consideration after Congress resumes on June 23, following its recess; it will then proceed to the President for signature.
According to CoinDesk, as the final deadline for the European MiCA regulatory transition period—this month’s end—approaches, BitGo, a crypto custodian regulated by Germany’s BaFin, announced that its Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform offers European crypto firms a more streamlined path to MiCA compliance—without needing to build a standalone compliance and operational infrastructure from scratch. Enterprises need only integrate their existing wallets into BitGo’s wallet infrastructure and complete MiCA-compliant KYC procedures; customer assets can then be held in compliant, segregated custody accounts. Meanwhile, enterprises may continue applying in parallel for their own CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) license. On pricing, BitGo CEO Mike Belshe stated fees are relatively low, with a minimum monthly fee of several thousand dollars, and two billing options: transaction-volume-based or flat-rate pricing. According to legal firm Hogan Lovells, as of May 2026, only 194 CASPs will have been authorized across Europe. It is estimated that roughly 75% of crypto firms pre-registered under MiCA will lose their registration status after the transition period ends.
According to The Block, industry groups including the American Gaming Association (AGA) and the National Indian Gaming Association jointly sent a letter to the U.S. Senate urging explicit prohibition in the crypto market structure legislation—the “Clarity Act”—of prediction market contracts tied to sporting events and casino-style games. The letter states that such platforms circumvent state and tribal laws by branding themselves as “federally regulated financial products,” thereby weakening consumer protections and posing risks to young users. It further emphasizes that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is not the appropriate regulator for sports betting. The Clarity Act has already passed the Senate Banking Committee and will next proceed to a full Senate vote.
World Liberty Financial, a crypto project backed by the Trump family, is expected to receive approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to operate as a national trust bank in the near future. Two former OCC employees who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the application is almost certain to be approved.World Liberty Financial established a U.S. trust company in January of this year and submitted an application to the OCC. Obtaining a federal trust bank charter would allow the project to issue and redeem its USD1 stablecoin, manage reserves, provide digital asset custody, and offer conversion and settlement services under a single federal regulatory body, without relying on third-party intermediaries. Currently, the project's intermediary institution is BitGo. (The Block)
: According to official sources, Base is about to launch the Beryl hard fork upgrade, introducing the B20 native token standard, which shortens the final confirmation period for single-proof withdrawals from 7 days to 5 days, and upgrades Reth V2, reducing disk usage by 50% and increasing throughput by 33%.Beryl will be activated on the Sepolia testnet at 2:00 AM UTC+8 on June 19, and on the mainnet at 2:00 AM UTC+8 on June 26.B20 is Base’s native token standard, an ERC-20 compatible token implemented via Rust precompile, designed specifically for stablecoins, RWAs, and long-tail token issuers. It includes a built-in compliance toolkit, featuring transfer strategies, freezing and seizing, role-based access control, memos, and supply caps.