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Major Partnership in Japan: SBI and Solana Join Forces
Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings has formed a strategic partnership with the Solana Foundation to build a Japan-based onchain financial market. Under the agreement, the Solana Foundation will acquire a stake in SBI’s blockchain subsidiary, SBI R3 Japan, directly aligning the interests of the two parties under the same structure.According to an announcement released by the company on Monday, SBI R3 Japan plans to change its name to SBI Solana Global. The new company will continue its growth strategy with SBI Holdings and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group as shareholders. The involvement of two major financial groups gives the initiative considerable weight in terms of both capital and institutional credibility.The company’s priorities include issuing and distributing stablecoins, particularly the group’s yen-denominated stablecoin JPYSC. It also plans to structure, tokenize and distribute assets such as corporate bonds, commercial paper, investment funds and real estate.The company will also work on cross-border payment infrastructure. This initiative stands out as an attempt to accelerate trade flows, particularly within Asia.The new venture will provide onchain financial services for institutional investors and develop payment infrastructure for artificial intelligence agents. The latter is especially notable. Building a system in which AI agents can independently make payments remains an area that only a small number of companies currently take seriously.All products will operate on the Solana blockchain.The second major move following JPYSCThe announcement came only a few weeks after SBI launched JPYSC, described as Japan’s first yen-denominated stablecoin backed by a trust bank.On the same day, the group announced that applications would open on July 16 for a 12-week product offering an annual return of 3% on JPYSC deposits through SBI VC Trade. The product indicates that SBI is attempting to position JPYSC as more than a payment instrument, turning it into an investment product capable of generating yield.SBI’s recent expansion has continued at a rapid pace. Last week, the company became the sole investor in Gauntlet’s $125 million Series C funding round. During the same week, it also single-handedly funded EDX Markets’ $76 million Series C round.The fact that both investments occurred within the same week, with SBI acting as the only investor in each deal, highlights both the group’s financial strength and its confidence in crypto infrastructure.In June, SBI also acquired Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank for approximately $289 million. The acquisition gave the group a direct presence in the retail crypto trading market.Taken together, SBI’s intentions are becoming clearer. The group does not want to remain an investor that simply provides capital to crypto companies. It aims to become a major operator controlling tokenization and stablecoin infrastructure.Bitbank covers the retail market, while Gauntlet and EDX Markets strengthen the infrastructure side. SBI Solana Global completes the picture by establishing a presence in institutional onchain finance.From the Solana Foundation’s perspective, the partnership provides a direct route into Japan, a market with a relatively mature regulatory framework, at an institutional level.Japan’s decision to move relatively early on cryptocurrency regulation also makes the partnership with an established financial group such as SBI a strategic gain for the broader Solana ecosystem.At the time of writing, Solana’s SOL token was trading at around $76.
Hyundai Tests Stablecoin Transfers With Tether and Avalanche
Hyundai Card has completed the first phase of a cross-border stablecoin remittance test carried out in cooperation with Tether and Avalanche. According to the announcement made on Thursday, the test was not conducted on paper. It involved a real money transfer between Hyundai Motor’s U.S. and Mexico units.Hyundai Motor America converted a $20,000 amount into USDT on the Avalanche network. The amount was then sent to the Mexico office and converted back into dollars there. The transaction took about seven minutes. The same transfer would take three to four hours if processed through traditional interbank channels.In traditional cross-border transfers, this delay is usually caused by the transaction passing through multiple intermediary banks. Each intermediary bank carries out its own control and settlement process, which extends the total transfer time. In a stablecoin-based transfer, the number of intermediaries decreases because the transaction takes place directly on the blockchain.Hyundai Card emphasized that the test was not a theoretical trial and was designed around a real settlement need between the company’s overseas units. The company handled the regulatory review, legal and tax checks, and the design of the remittance structure itself. Blockchain payment infrastructure company Axiym also took part in the process.Hyundai Card is one of South Korea’s leading credit card companies and operates under Hyundai Motor Group. The company’s test came at a time when Korean financial institutions are increasing their experiments with blockchain infrastructure. As a similar example, KB Card had also carried out a stablecoin-focused project with Avalanche in recent months.Second Test in EuropeHyundai will launch a second test between its European units later this month. Visa and USDC issuer Circle will also participate in this round.In the second test, real stablecoin transfers will be tested using various local currencies besides the dollar. The goal is to see how much cost advantage stablecoin-based money transfers can provide.While USDT and the Avalanche network were preferred in the first test, the involvement of Circle’s USDC and Visa’s payment infrastructure in the second phase shows that Hyundai Card wants to test different stablecoin and network combinations. This will allow the company to compare which infrastructure is more suitable at an institutional scale using its own data.Institutional stablecoin use has recently attracted growing interest in sectors such as automotive, retail and logistics. For companies, the main appeal is cost as much as speed. In the traditional banking system, commissions and foreign exchange costs can accumulate even in intra-group transfers. Hyundai Card’s two-phase test approach aims to measure these costs with concrete data.The company will decide in the coming period whether to open stablecoin-based payment infrastructure to broader use based on the results of the PoC process.
BNB Chain Builds Its Fourth Chain for Artificial Intelligence Trading
BNB Chain is working on a new layer-1 blockchain designed for agent-based trading and transactions. The project aims to bring transaction pre-confirmation below 50 milliseconds and make front-running attacks harder by operating without a public mempool.The new chain will run alongside the existing BNB Chain infrastructure. According to The Block, the project is part of a technical roadmap covering the second half of 2026. It has been under development for months and is now being shared in this level of detail for the first time. The testnet is planned for the end of 2026, while the mainnet is expected to go live in the first months of 2027.The goal of the project is to offer an experience close to centralized exchanges while allowing users to retain control of their own assets when trading on a decentralized platform.The Gap With Centralized Exchanges Is Not Closing, but It Is NarrowingBNB Chain Chief Technology Officer David Z said a centralized matching engine can operate within microseconds, but no real-world trader actually feels that speed. According to him, round-trip times for co-located market makers remain in the single-digit millisecond range, while the delay is even longer for other users. A pre-confirmation time below 50 milliseconds matches the range that a typical exchange user actually experiences.Z acknowledged that centralized exchanges still lead in co-located high-frequency trading. “For co-located HFT, CEX still wins today. For everyone else, this is a CEX-like experience without custody risk,” he said.Mempool-Free ArchitectureA feature called TxStream routes transactions directly to the block leader instead of sending them to a public mempool. According to Z, this removes the window in which an attacker could see a pending transaction and build a sandwich attack around it, because ordering is locked before the transaction becomes publicly known.This design raises the question of whether the block leader itself creates a monopoly or censorship risk. Z said validators rotate every 200 milliseconds and that this period is not long enough for any validator to build a business around its position. “TxStream does not eliminate MEV. Nothing can. It makes the dominant attack types practically ineffective,” he said.A second component called PriorityLane reserves block space for oracle, liquidation and bridge transactions through an on-chain managed mechanism.BNB Chain said it is targeting more than 100,000 transactions per second and sub-second block finality through jointly optimized consensus, parallel execution and LtHash-based storage. These figures are still targets for a chain that has not yet reached testnet.The Bottleneck Is in the Execution LayerZ said the performance gap is not in consensus or storage, but in the execution layer. He noted that popular smart contracts, such as a DEX swap or a token transfer, repeat the same operations millions of times. As a solution, the team is highlighting just-in-time compilation, known as JIT, and strength reduction methods, techniques that have been used in software development for decades.Regarding the risk that the new chain could split liquidity with BSC, Z said an official native bridge will connect it to BSC, that BSC will remain the settlement hub, and that BNB will function as a unified asset across all chains. The new chain will become the fourth member of the BNB Chain family after BNB Smart Chain, opBNB and Greenfield.The roadmap comes amid a broader competitive landscape in which projects such as Solana’s Firedancer, Monad and MegaETH are also trying to overcome execution-layer bottlenecks.Quantum Security and H1 DataBNB Chain is also running quantum-resistant security tests. Instead of replacing existing cryptography, the project is following a hybrid approach that adds a post-quantum protection layer on top of it. Z said no one in the industry has a full quantum migration plan yet, and that BNB Chain is no exception. He added that the lattice-based LtHash structure used for chain state integrity is already post-quantum today.Updating the signature scheme without changing wallet addresses is a harder problem. Z described the “harvest-now-decrypt-later” scenario as an open issue for the entire industry. If the public key of any account has been exposed, that account could theoretically be at risk once a sufficiently powerful quantum computer emerges.The roadmap also included data on BNB Smart Chain’s performance in the first half of 2026. The block interval dropped to 450 milliseconds, while reference throughput nearly doubled to approximately 5,200 transactions per second.
Binance to Carry Out Six New Listings
Binance is adding four new trading pairs to its Spot market under its tokenized stock product family, bStocks. The exchange announced that Advanced Micro Devices (AMDB), iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWYB), Intel (INTCB), and Strategy (MSTRB) bStocks will begin trading against USDT on June 23, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Türkiye time. Spot Algo Trading Bots will also be enabled for the same pairs. bStocks are tokenized securities issued by BTech Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of the Binance group. These products are offered under a prospectus approved in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and are not being offered in any other jurisdiction. There is one important detail: bStocks do not represent direct ownership of the underlying shares. They are classified as “certificates representing certain financial instruments” under paragraph 92 of Schedule 1 of the FSMR, meaning investors gain an entitlement to the underlying securities held with the issuer, but do not become shareholders of the company.For the four newly listed pairs, Binance will apply zero maker fees during a promotional period that will run until September 1 at 2:59 a.m. Türkiye time. This may create a cost advantage, especially for users relying on algorithmic and high-volume trading strategies.The conversion mechanism also stands out. Users will now be able to convert their real shares into bStocks at a 1:1 ratio with zero fees. Deposits and withdrawals for all four tokens will open on June 23, 2026, at 5:40 p.m. Türkiye time. All bStocks are managed through smart contracts on BNB Smart Chain; each token has a separate contract address, and these addresses can be verified through BscScan.Binance also highlighted several risk warnings in its announcement. bStocks investors are exposed to liquidity risk, issuer risk, custody risk, broker risk, operational and technological risks, regulatory risk, and tax risk. The exchange urges users to review the relevant prospectus, which is available only to users located in ADGM, as well as the risk disclosure statement, terms of use, and securities trading product terms before trading.The geographical restrictions are also clear. bStocks are not offered in the United States or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons. These products are not registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or any state securities law, and no public offering is being made outside ADGM. Binance also emphasized that users’ eligibility to trade may vary depending on their country or region, and that the list of restricted jurisdictions may be updated in line with applicable regulations. Users who want to trade these pairs must also complete account verification.On the Margin Side: Two New Pairs for XLMBinance also made a move on the Margin side on the same day. The exchange opened the XLM/U and XLM/USD1 pairs for Cross Margin trading on June 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Türkiye time. Binance warned that newly listed pairs generally tend to show volatility and called on users to apply strict risk management. Details on margin data, collateral ratios, and current rates are available on Binance’s Margin Data page.
MoneyGram Announces Third Blockchain Partnership: Solana
Money transfer giant MoneyGram has taken another step forward in its crypto expansion. The company has started operating as a validator on the Solana blockchain and joined the Solana Developer Platform. This means MoneyGram now runs validators on three different networks at the same time.MoneyGram Chooses SolanaGlobal payments company MoneyGram has officially become a validator on the Solana blockchain and joined the Solana Developer Platform. This marks the company’s third validator operation after Tempo and Midnight Network.MoneyGram CEO and Chairman Anthony Soohoo explained the reasoning behind the move in a statement: “Blockchain infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for global payments. We believe institutions that rely on these networks should also contribute to their security and long-term development.”Becoming a validator gives MoneyGram the ability to stake SOL, validate transaction blocks and directly contribute to the security of the network. Membership in the Developer Platform also means access to financial product development tools on Solana, alongside institutions such as Mastercard.MoneyGram’s blockchain history is not new. The company’s MGUSD stablecoin was built in collaboration with Stripe’s Bridge, Crossmint, Fireblocks, M0 and Stellar. Soohoo recalled that since 2021, the company’s partnership with Stellar has introduced stablecoin cash-in and cash-out points, the MoneyGram Ramps API and in-app stablecoin balances. With its recent partnership with Kraken, MoneyGram has also expanded its off-ramp services.“We have been building real-world payment solutions with blockchain and stablecoins for more than five years,” Soohoo said. “We never saw blockchain as an end in itself; we saw it as a tool that makes money transfers faster and simpler.”The Ripple experience is also part of this story. MoneyGram signed an agreement with Ripple in 2019 and used RippleNet’s XRP-based On-Demand Liquidity product. According to Ripple, the two companies reached billions of dollars in transaction volume during this period. Ripple also paid MoneyGram millions of dollars in fees as part of its expansion into new markets.The partnership was suspended in 2021 after the SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple. The SEC alleged that the company had conducted a $1.3 billion unregistered securities offering through its XRP sales. The case was finally closed last year. The 2023 ruling that XRP itself is not a security and that sales on public exchanges did not violate the law remained in place, but Ripple’s direct sales to institutional investors were found to have violated the law. Ripple had previously said both companies were open to working together again in the future. When Soohoo was asked about the possibility of a new partnership with Ripple, his answer was brief: “We cannot comment on potential future partnerships at this time.”At the time of writing, SOL price is around $74.34.
Wave of Attacks Hits Crypto Protocols as Three Platforms Face Pressure
The crypto sector was shaken this weekend by a series of security incidents across three separate protocols. Secret Network’s Axelar bridge fell victim to a multimillion-dollar fake minting attack, Ethereum layer 2 network Taiko completely halted block production after an exploit, and DeFi protocol Altura was forced to liquidate its stablecoin vault following intense withdrawal demand.Secret Network’s Axelar Bridge Exploited for $4.67 MillionA vulnerability in the IBC bridge contract connecting Secret Network to Axelar allowed the attacker to mint unbacked Secret-wrapped tokens. According to an analysis by Common Prefix, the attacker drained around $4.67 million through this method. The attack took place on June 10 but was not detected until June 17, when a failed cross-chain transfer revealed that an escrow account had been emptied.Opening an IBC channel does not require permission, and the attacker used that feature to their advantage. They created a single-validator Cosmos chain, opened a channel to the bridge contract, and relayed fake packets that matched token definitions on the allowlist. Because the contract could not distinguish those packets from ones arriving through the real Axelar channel, it minted unbacked tokens. The flaw traces back to the contract’s original deployment in 2023, while a March 5 update carried over the same missing controls.Axelar disabled the Secret and Secret-SNIP connections and said its own protocol was not affected. Around $672,000 of the stolen assets still remain in the attacker’s wallet. Secret Network requested that these assets be frozen, but Axelar decided not to pursue that request.Taiko Halts Block Production After AttackEthereum-based rollup Taiko confirmed that its chain state validation mechanism had been compromised and told users to withdraw funds from all bridges on the network. All proposers suspended new block production during the investigation, and the team also asked exchanges to halt deposits for the native token. Security firm Blockaid traced the issue to a flaw in Taiko bridge’s source-signal proof verification. Fake message proofs were accepted as valid on Ethereum mainnet without a corresponding real event on the source chain. This allowed the attacker to register fake bridge messages and withdraw assets from the ERC20 vault without authorization.Blockaid estimated the loss at around $1 million, while PeckShield placed the figure closer to $1.7 million. The attacker also moved 1.99 million Taiko tokens, worth about $169,702, to an exchange.Altura Liquidates Vault After “Unprecedented” Withdrawal DemandDeFi protocol Altura announced that it had begun an orderly liquidation of its yield vault after a surge in withdrawal requests over the weekend. CEO Ranveer Arora said more than $8.5 million in instant redemptions had been processed over the past 24 hours. At its peak, the vault held $39 million in stablecoins allocated across strategies such as funding rate arbitrage, market making and real-world asset positions. Arora said the protocol had no direct exposure but was affected by unfounded market narratives. This was a reference to the collapse of Main Street’s yield-bearing msUSD stablecoin, which lost more than 70% of its value. Main Street’s token plunged after proof provider Accountable terminated its service agreement with the protocol.Accountable also provides a similar verification service to Altura. Although this partnership does not create a direct link between the two protocols, it fueled contagion fears across the market.
All Eyes on June 25 for Base’s New Upgrade: B20 Token Standard Is Coming
Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network incubated by Coinbase, deployed its second major upgrade, Beryl, to the Base Sepolia testnet on Thursday. Mainnet activation is scheduled for June 25.At the center of the upgrade is B20, a native token standard designed to issue stablecoins and other assets directly within Base’s node software. Beryl will also reduce the standard withdrawal period from Base to Ethereum from seven days to five. Token Logic Moves Inside the NodeB20 fully implements the ERC-20 specification, including the ERC-2612 permit feature. This allows users to approve token spending with a signature instead of submitting a separate transaction. As a result, the standard is directly compatible with existing wallets, exchanges and indexers built for ERC-20 tokens.The key difference lies in how the tokens are executed. B20 tokens do not operate like conventional smart contracts. They function as precompiled contracts, meaning their logic is written in Rust and runs directly within the node software instead of being deployed onchain as EVM bytecode.The standard comes with an Issuer Toolkit featuring role-based access controls, minting and burning functions, optional supply caps, detailed transfer policies, and freezing and seizure mechanisms for regulatory purposes. Two variants will be available at launch: a general-purpose asset version and a stablecoin version with a fixed six-decimal precision that allows issuers to define their own currency codes.The toolkit is built on code audited by Base and Spearbit. Future upgrades are expected to allow issuers to pay gas fees with their own B20 tokens instead of ETH.Withdrawal Period Reduced to Five DaysBeryl also shortens the time required to withdraw assets from Base to Ethereum. The waiting period on the standard route used by most bridge providers will fall from seven days to five.The change builds on the Multiproofs system introduced with Azul, Base’s first independent upgrade, which went live on the mainnet in May. Multiproofs created a one-day fast-finality route when a trusted execution environment, or TEE, and a zero-knowledge proof agreed that a transaction was valid. However, the high cost of generating ZK proofs has limited the route’s practical use.Beryl instead focuses on the more commonly used slow route, which relies on a single proof. The previous seven-day waiting period was based on Base’s former fault-proof system, which included lengthy delays to give challengers enough time to dispute a withdrawal.Multiproofs narrowed the purpose of that delay to detecting and disabling a faulty prover. According to Base, this change allows the withdrawal window to continue shrinking.Scaling Improvements Behind the ScenesThe upgrade also introduces Reth V2. The new version of the Rust-based execution client, which has served as Base’s sole client since Azul, reduces disk usage across full, minimal and archive nodes.This allows Base to increase its block gas targets without overloading sequencer and RPC nodes, expanding the amount of blockspace available to developers.Base Accelerates Its Upgrade ScheduleBeryl is arriving roughly four weeks after Azul was activated on the mainnet. Base attributes this faster pace to its decision in February to move away from its shared dependency on Optimism’s OP Stack and transition to its own unified technology stack.Base’s next upgrade, Cobalt, is scheduled for September. It is expected to introduce native account abstraction, turning smart accounts into a protocol-level feature and directly integrating capabilities such as gas sponsorship and transaction batching into the network.The roadmap also includes additional B20 features and a single node binary combining the chain’s consensus and execution clients.
New DeFi Exploit Drains $2 Million in Assets
Aztec Labs, which develops privacy-focused scaling solutions on Ethereum, announced that it is investigating a security vulnerability in a discontinued payment product that resulted in losses of approximately $2 million.Blockchain security firm PeckShield estimates that the attack drained roughly $2.165 million worth of crypto assets. The stolen funds included 1,158 ETH, 150,000 DAI and 0.47 renBTC. According to the firm, the attack was funded with 0.134 ETH originating from HitBTC. Second Attack in Four DaysThe incident marked the second exploit targeting discontinued Aztec infrastructure within four days. Last Sunday, a separate attack targeted the immutable Aztec Connect smart contract, draining approximately $2.1 million in assets.Security research firm BlockSec said the latest attack appeared to be connected to the June 14 exploit, although it targeted a separate pool through a different entry point. The firm identified a verification flaw that allowed the attacker to withdraw assets while still passing onchain validation checks.According to BlockSec’s post on X, the vulnerability differed from the flaw used in the previous attack. However, both were associated with circuit public input binding issues and displayed similar execution traces.The Aztec Foundation stressed that there is no connection between the affected product and the smart contracts linked to its current network or the AZTEC ERC-20 token. The compromised product was described as an immutable Stage 2 rollup that had been discontinued four years ago.Aztec Labs also noted that its team has no administrative authority or control mechanism over the system. This is because the rollup, which was shut down in 2022, remains entirely immutable.A Difficult Period for DeFiThe latest incident adds to one of the most severe periods of security failures recently experienced by the DeFi sector. Amid advances in AI-assisted attack techniques, more than 30 protocols have suffered combined losses exceeding $600 million. The largest of these incidents was the Kelp DAO exploit, which caused an estimated $292 million in losses.The attack occurred while the market was already struggling with a growing number of security breaches targeting smart contract platforms, cross-chain bridges and decentralized finance protocols. It has generated further frustration across the crypto community.Cross-chain bridges and rollup systems remain attractive targets for attackers because of the substantial liquidity locked within them. The arrival of another incident shortly after the previous attack has increased concerns among users that these vulnerabilities may reflect a systemic problem rather than isolated failures.Repeated security breaches can cause significantly greater damage to user confidence than a single exploit. The latest attack has therefore dealt another blow to the reputation of the broader DeFi sector.
Three Major Exchanges Crashed During SpaceX IPO, Hyperliquid Posted $1.4 Billion in Volume
Crypto exchanges entered the SpaceX IPO prepared, but by the end of the day, they had no shares left to offer. Hyperliquid, meanwhile, recorded $1.4 billion in trading volume without holding any shares at all.Three Major Exchanges Went Down at the Same TimeBybit, Binance and Bitget had prepared for one of the highest-valued IPOs in history through tokenized stock products ahead of SpaceX’s public listing. All three used the xStocks system built on Kraken’s infrastructure, a model where real shares are converted into blockchain-based tokens.On IPO day, xStocks failed to receive any share allocation, causing all three platforms to break down at the same time. Customer subscriptions were canceled and refunds began. The structural weakness of the tokenized stock model appeared right at peak demand: any product backed by real shares becomes unusable the moment those shares cannot be sourced.preStocks users had a different, but similarly jarring, experience. The platform had sold pre-IPO access to SpaceX shares, but buyers only realized after trading began that a 180-day lock-up period applied. The stock gained 19% that day. Hyperliquid’s SPCX perpetual futures contract is based on a different model. As a synthetic instrument, it does not hold real shares; instead, it is linked to the market price through funding rates. It does not require share allocation, and no lock-up period can be applied.On IPO day, SPCX perpetual futures generated $1.4 billion in trading volume on Hyperliquid. That figure accounted for 30% of all HIP-3 ecosystem trading that day. The platform’s native token, HYPE, also gained around 10% on the day.In the first half of June, HIP-3 markets linked to equities recorded a total trading volume of $18.8 billion. Over the same period, WTI and Brent crude oil perpetual futures remained at $7.66 billion combined. The product mix, previously more commodity-heavy, shifted toward equities during this period; behind that move were the late-May and early-June correction in U.S. stocks and rising volatility.$1.4 Billion in Trading VolumeOn SpaceX’s first trading day on Nasdaq, around 500 million shares changed hands. At an average price of $161, this corresponds to roughly $80 billion in equity trading volume. Hyperliquid’s $1.4 billion represented 1.7% of that total.For a single decentralized product, that is not a negligible figure; but it also does not support a claim of direct competition with traditional stock markets. ICE CEO Jeffrey Sprecher’s description of Hyperliquid this year as “bigger than Nasdaq” greatly exaggerates the reality.The main signal here is structural resilience rather than performance. While tokenized stock products became unusable on IPO day, synthetic perpetual futures that did not need to hold any shares continued operating without interruption.
LG Electronics Partners With Arbitrum
LG Electronics is moving its digital advertising operations onto blockchain infrastructure. The South Korean consumer electronics giant has partnered with Arbitrum to develop its own private layer-2 network. The platform enables digital ads to be automatically placed, bought, sold and managed without intermediaries.According to Fortune, LG is positioning this Arbitrum-based network as a shared inventory database for advertisers and publishers. The system also tracks how consumers interact with ads. The company has completed a pilot test of the platform with an unnamed Japanese advertising agency and is considering launching the product later this year.Samuel Byungsun Park, head of blockchain research at LG Electronics, said, “We are evaluating whether this approach can create meaningful value for advertisers, publishers and users.”Arbitrum co-founder Steven Goldfeder said the technology removes the need for manual intervention in advertising transactions. Goldfeder said the platform can automate the ad sales process from end to end through software.ARB Price JumpsFollowing the partnership news, Arbitrum’s native token ARB recorded a notable increase. According to chart data, ARB is trading at $0.0843986, with a 24-hour gain of 3.61%. Its daily trading range stood between $0.079838 and $0.084876. On a weekly basis, the token is also up 3.07%; however, the 30-day picture remains negative, with a decline of 39.10%. LG Had Already Been Experimenting With BlockchainThis initiative is not LG’s first step into blockchain. The company’s IT services arm, LG CNS, launched an enterprise blockchain platform called Monachain in 2018. However, LG shut down its Art Lab NFT marketplace on smart TVs last year. The new platform, meanwhile, is being built on LG Ad Solutions, the company’s advertising unit. That division has a global smart TV user base of 216 million devices, including 49 million in the United States alone.At the same time, major companies are increasingly building their own blockchain infrastructure. Samsung’s supply chain ledger, JPMorgan’s JPM Coin deposit token and Mastercard’s stablecoin payment infrastructure are among the most prominent examples. Corporate players are also showing a growing tendency to move toward layer-2 chains instead of private permissioned networks.The fact that blockchain was overshadowed by artificial intelligence at CES 2026 may have created the impression that the technology was being left behind. Yet behind the scenes, companies are systematically building infrastructure. LG’s move shows exactly that. By connecting a massive media network with direct consumer reach to blockchain, activity in this field continues without slowing down.
Citigroup Brings Private Company Shares to Blockchain
Citigroup is launching a new platform that will allow its wealthy individual and institutional clients to buy and sell shares of privately held companies through blockchain. According to The Wall Street Journal, the system will initially be open only to foreign investors.The bank’s move comes at a time when Wall Street is increasingly focused on the long-awaited public listings of private giants such as SpaceX, Anthropic and similar companies. Many firms have been delaying their public debuts for years, increasing demand among institutional investors for access to private market shares. Traditional markets are clearly struggling to meet that demand.Citigroup has not yet disclosed which companies it may include on the platform, but said talks are ongoing with some of the sector’s leading private companies.Citigroup’s Tokenization JourneyThe move is part of the bank’s broader tokenization strategy, which has been developing for years. In 2023, Citigroup predicted that the market for tokenized securities could reach $4 trillion by 2030. That same year, the bank launched a pilot application called Token Services, designed to convert customer deposits into digital tokens on a private blockchain and make cross-border transfers nearly instantaneous.In recent months, Citigroup also joined a consortium led by JPMorgan. The consortium plans to launch a tokenized deposit network in the first half of 2027, with the goal of offering 24/7 settlement for major global clients.Private Share Tokenization Gains Momentum on Wall StreetCiti is not entering this space alone. Last year, Republic announced that it would offer investors blockchain-based tokens representing shares of companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic, with a minimum investment amount of $50.Robinhood also began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to European users around the same period. The tokens were issued on the Arbitrum network. However, OpenAI was quick to distance itself from the initiative, publicly stating that it had not authorized or approved the tokens.In July 2025, Bernstein analysts described these developments as a “stock tokenization wave” and viewed Robinhood’s moves as early signs of growing institutional momentum.Why Now?The decision by private companies to delay going public has started to become a structural issue. Companies such as SpaceX and Anthropic have reached valuations that surpass many publicly traded firms, yet access to their shares remains a privilege reserved for a select group. Tokenization has the potential to change that picture. It could make it possible to split shares into smaller units, increase liquidity and broaden the investor base.Still, there is an important point to watch. The fact that Citigroup’s platform will initially be available only to foreign investors suggests that the U.S. regulatory framework has not yet fully adapted to this model. Offering tokenized private company shares to a broad investor base could trigger serious securities regulatory issues, especially in the United States.
Bitcoin-Based Platform Is Shutting Down: Four-Year Effort Comes to an End
Botanix Labs is shutting down its Layer 2 network, developed for a Bitcoin-based decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. After nearly four years of work, the project is winding down operations, citing insufficient demand. Users have been urged to withdraw their assets by July 9.“Honest answer: It didn’t work”Botanix announced the shutdown decision on X. The project’s core idea was to build an application layer on Bitcoin without relying on native token incentives or inflation. However, organic transaction demand was not enough to cover infrastructure costs. The team’s official statement was unusually direct: “The honest answer we arrived at after living inside this every day is: it didn’t work in this market, at this time.” From a technical perspective, it would be difficult to call Botanix a failure. Its Spiderchain infrastructure maintained 100% uptime during one year of mainnet operations and did not suffer a single security breach. The network processed 25 million transactions across 200,000 wallets and transferred tens of millions of dollars worth of assets. The project also launched Dynafed, a mechanism that transformed a static multisig set into a rotating decentralized system. It secured integrations with names such as Chainlink, Morpho and OKX Wallet. The problem was not technical. The problem was how users viewed Bitcoin.Few people used Bitcoin for DeFiThe team shared five key lessons from the shutdown process. The first was clear: for the vast majority of users, Bitcoin remains primarily a store of value. Using Bitcoin for high-frequency transactions or participating in DeFi protocols is not part of the broader user base’s habits.The team also emphasized that demand for Bitcoin-based DeFi is largely being met through wrapped Bitcoin on Ethereum-based networks. In other words, people who want Bitcoin-linked DeFi are already accessing it through other routes.The statement also noted that token launches have generally underperformed expectations. At a time when decentralization has taken a back seat, users have been moving toward centralized exchanges, platforms such as Robinhood and Hyperliquid, and traditional financial institutions. According to Botanix, convenience and institutional access are taking priority over decentralization.The Bitcoin L2 question remains unansweredBotanix’s shutdown adds more weight to an ongoing debate in the sector: can Bitcoin Layer 2 projects outside the Lightning Network become self-sustaining without token incentives? There is still no clear answer to that question. But Botanix has at least provided an answer based on its own experience.July 9 is the deadlineBotanix reminded users that they must withdraw their bitcoin and other assets by July 9 at the latest. After that date, any remaining funds on the network will be collected by the federation.
Binance Futures Lists Eight New Contracts
Binance Futures gradually added eight new USDS-margined perpetual futures contracts to its listings starting June 8, 2026. The contracts went live one by one within hours; the first one, BXUSDT, opened today at 12:00 p.m. Turkish time, followed by the others at five-minute intervals.The listed contracts are BXUSDT, HPEUSDT, AMATUSDT, CRWDUSDT, CRDOUSDT, AAOIUSDT, IWMUSDT and AXTIUSDT. All contracts are settled in USDT.What Assets Do They Track?Each contract is linked to a different stock or fund traded in traditional financial markets:BXUSDT: Blackstone Inc. (NYSE: BX)HPEUSDT: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE)AMATUSDT: Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT)CRWDUSDT: CrowdStrike Holdings (Nasdaq: CRWD)CRDOUSDT: Credo Technology Group (Nasdaq: CRDO)AAOIUSDT: Applied Optoelectronics (Nasdaq: AAOI)IWMUSDT: iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE Arca: IWM)AXTIUSDT: AXT Inc. (Nasdaq: AXTI) The list covers a fairly broad range of assets, from large-scale private equity and cybersecurity to semiconductor equipment and small-cap equity exposure.Contract TermsBinance set uniform parameters for all eight contracts. The minimum order size is 0.01 units of the relevant asset, while the minimum notional value is 5 USDT. The tick size is 0.01. The funding rate is calculated every eight hours, with the cap limited between +2.00 percent and -2.00 percent. The funding interest rate is zero. Maximum leverage is set at 20x.Trading is available 24/7, and Multi-Assets Mode is also supported.TradFi Contracts Continue to ExpandWith this move, Binance continues to expand its product lineup that offers access to TradFi assets through crypto infrastructure. The exchange has listed similar contracts before, but this time the selection leans heavily toward technology names. Companies such as CrowdStrike and Applied Materials have frequently been on the radar of both institutional and retail investors in recent periods.TradFi, short for Traditional Finance, refers to the conventional banking and exchange-based financial system where instruments such as stocks, bonds and ETFs are traded. In the crypto industry, the term is used to distinguish traditional financial markets from decentralized finance and digital asset markets.The inclusion of the IWM contract is also notable. This ETF tracks the Russell 2000 Index and is considered one of the key indicators of small-cap company performance in the United States. Giving crypto investors leveraged access to this index opens a new door for cross-market position diversification.Key Points to WatchLeveraged trading can lead to significant losses, especially during periods of high volatility. Leverage of up to 20x can magnify potential gains, but it also increases risks by the same degree. Since Binance has based these contracts on stock and ETF price movements, investors need to pay attention not only to the crypto market, but also to the performance of the relevant companies and the broader macroeconomic backdrop.The exchange continues to expand its product range. As institutional interest in crypto derivatives grows, demand for TradFi-based contracts is also increasing in parallel.
MoneyGram Launches Its Own Stablecoin on the Stellar Network
Global money transfer company MoneyGram has launched MGUSD, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. The new digital dollar runs on the Stellar blockchain and targets the company’s more than 60 million active customers and nearly 500,000 physical service locations worldwide.MGUSD launches first in the U.S.According to the company’s announcement on Tuesday, MGUSD was initially rolled out for users in the United States. MoneyGram plans to expand the product globally in the coming period. The stablecoin will function as a digital dollar balance inside the MoneyGram app. MGUSD's concept image. Source: BusinessWire Through this structure, users will be able to hold digital assets denominated in U.S. dollars, transfer them and convert them into cash through MoneyGram’s physical locations when needed. In doing so, the company has connected digital asset infrastructure directly to its existing money transfer network.Bridge, M0 and Fireblocks support the infrastructureThree key partners are involved in MGUSD’s technical and regulatory infrastructure. The stablecoin will be issued by Bridge, which operates under Stripe. M0 will provide the smart contract infrastructure managing MGUSD’s minting and burning processes.Fireblocks, meanwhile, will handle custody and wallet distribution. MoneyGram will hold MGUSD in Fireblocks wallets and then transfer the funds to customer wallets embedded in the MoneyGram app.MoneyGram Chairman and CEO Anthony Soohoo said MGUSD was developed especially for customers sending money across borders. According to Soohoo, the stablecoin was designed for users sending funds to their families and for large populations with limited access to financial services.Stellar partnership enters a new phaseMoneyGram’s decision to choose the Stellar blockchain is not the result of a new partnership. The company has been working with the Stellar Development Foundation for nearly five years on stablecoin-powered money transfer solutions. During this period, MoneyGram offered money movement and cash-out services through Circle’s USDC stablecoin.With MGUSD, MoneyGram has moved beyond using a third-party stablecoin and launched its own digital dollar. Stellar Development Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon also described the launch as a new milestone showing what a purpose-built blockchain infrastructure can deliver when combined with a trusted payments network.Stablecoin race acceleratesMoneyGram’s move comes in parallel with the growing stablecoin competition in the payments sector. PayPal had previously entered this field with PYUSD. Western Union has also announced plans to launch a stablecoin called USDPT on Solana.SoFi is following a similar strategy with SoFiUSD, while payment giants such as Visa are also integrating stablecoin infrastructure into cross-border settlement processes. The appeal of this area for traditional payment companies is clear. Stablecoins offer a transfer infrastructure that operates 24/7, is faster and may potentially be less costly.MoneyGram’s strongest advantage in this race is its broad physical service network. Fully digital stablecoin products often require a bank account, a crypto wallet or access to an online platform. MoneyGram, however, could make it easier for users to move between digital dollars and cash through its hundreds of thousands of physical locations.This model may create a notable advantage, especially in regions where access to banking services is limited. The company is positioning stablecoins not only as a product for the crypto market, but also as a new building block for its global money transfer network.The company had accelerated its stablecoin preparationsMoneyGram has gradually strengthened its preparations in this field in recent months. In December, the company partnered with Fireblocks for stablecoin settlements. Last month, it was named one of the anchor remittance validators on Tempo, the blockchain backed by Stripe and Paradigm. In May, it also expanded crypto-to-cash withdrawal services for Kraken users.
Binance Opens 7,000 U.S. Stocks to Crypto Users
Binance has launched a new product that allows users outside the United States to invest directly in more than 7,000 stocks and ETFs using crypto assets. On Monday, the exchange began offering non-U.S. customers access to more than 7,000 U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds. The platform offers zero commissions and fractional share purchases starting from a minimum of $5. According to Binance’s official announcement, users will be able to fund their positions with USDC, USDT, BNB and several other digital assets. Stock purchases will be executed by brokerage firm Nest Trading, while custody, dividend payments and corporate actions will be handled by New York-based Alpaca.Co-CEO Richard Teng told Fortune that U.S. equities account for more than half of the global market, yet access to these markets remains costly and complex for investors in many countries. Binance is positioning this product as a direct response to that gap.bStocks: Stocks Are Coming On-ChainOn the same day, Binance also announced a new feature called bStocks. The tool is not live yet, but it will allow users to convert their stock holdings into tokenized assets on BNB Chain.The exchange said bStocks would provide near-instant settlement, compared with traditional stock settlement cycles that can take up to one day. In addition, the tokens created through the feature will be usable in DeFi applications such as lending and liquidity provision. Binance said the feature will become available in the coming weeks.Tokenized Stocks Continue to GrowThe move comes in the middle of rapid growth in the tokenized equities market. According to market data, daily trading volume in tokenized stocks and ETFs hit a record $3.57 billion on May 19, with Binance and Hyperliquid standing out in that volume.A similar momentum is visible across the broader sector. Kraken and Robinhood launched their own tokenized stock products over the past year. What sets Binance’s version apart is that users will be able to initiate the tokenization process themselves.Still, Binance’s path in this area has not been entirely smooth. In 2021, the exchange had to shut down its previous tokenized stock program after regulatory pressure from Germany, Hong Kong and several other markets. Its return came in February, when Binance was reported to have listed ten tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through a partnership with Ondo Finance.Meanwhile, the stock trading launch directly aligns with the “super app” vision outlined by CEO Richard Teng in a wide-ranging interview with The Block in April. In that interview, Teng spoke about Binance’s goal of moving beyond crypto trading and becoming a global financial platform.
