Gambling lobbying, banking license for World Liberty, and stocks on Coinbase: top crypto news on June 17
The market started the day in a sideways trend. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $65,858, with a daily low of $65,315 and a high of $66,928. Ethereum (ETH) is also showing sideways movement at $1,793. Among the top 10 by market cap, Hyperliquid shows the best performance over the past 24 hours (+7.25%) and the past week (+31.58%). The worst performer in 24 hours is BNB (-0.78%), and over seven days, it's Tron (-1.27%).
US Gambling Industry vs. Prediction Markets
American gaming associations have sent a letter to the Senate demanding that sports and casino-like prediction markets be excluded from a new crypto regulation bill. In their view, these platforms have triggered the "largest expansion of the gambling industry" in US history. The letter's authors claim that operators of such markets disguise bets as regulated financial products. They also believe that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) lacks both the expertise and infrastructure to oversee sports betting. The key regulatory tool remains the Clarity Act, which has already passed the Senate Banking Committee and awaits a full chamber vote. Against this backdrop, several states have filed lawsuits against the platforms Kalshi and Polymarket.
Trump's World Liberty Financial Nears Federal Banking License
The crypto project World Liberty Financial, linked to the family of former US President Donald Trump, is in the final stages of obtaining a national trust bank license. The head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Jonathan Gould, is expected to announce a decision on the application soon. Former agency employees describe approval as "virtually guaranteed." The license would allow World Liberty to independently issue and redeem the USD1 stablecoin, manage reserves, and store digital assets under a single federal regulator—without intermediaries. This decision is likely to intensify political debates over conflicts of interest: Trump and his family hold a significant stake in the project, and 75% of revenue from WLFI token sales goes to a structure controlled by the president.
Coinbase Allows Transfer of Stock Portfolios
Coinbase users can now transfer existing stock portfolios from other brokerage firms to the platform. The transfer is carried out through the ACATS system without the need to sell assets. This is another step toward transforming the crypto exchange into a full-fledged financial service. Earlier this year, Coinbase launched stock and ETF trading, covering around 6,000 securities. Users are offered commission-free trading, fractional shares, and up to 3.5% rewards on USDC balances.
Expert opinion from Cryptalist: Coinbase's move is a logical response to the growing convergence of traditional and digital finance. Meanwhile, the situation surrounding World Liberty Financial clearly demonstrates how political influence can accelerate regulatory processes. Prediction markets, in turn, are becoming a new battleground between innovation and established gambling monopolies. Investors should closely monitor the development of these three trends—they will shape the crypto industry landscape for the coming quarters.