Crypto news

18.06.2026
11:55

HSBC invests $100 million in the AI revolution: 200 use cases of Google Gemini in the banking ecosystem

The banking sector is undergoing a tectonic shift, and one of its giants, HSBC, is taking a decisive step towards full automation. The financial institution has entered into a strategic multi-year agreement with Google Cloud, integrating advanced artificial intelligence models, Gemini from Google DeepMind, into its global operational framework. This is not just an experiment, but a large-scale transformation program...
11:52

The crypto market at a crossroads: Analysis of the current liquidity outflow and its consequences

In recent days, the cryptocurrency market has seen a steady trend of fund withdrawals from major centralized exchanges. This process, which many traders perceive as a routine event, is actually one of the most significant indicators of a shift in sentiment among institutional investors.
Analyzing on-chain metrics data, we see that outflow volumes consistently exceed the average levels of the past three months...
11:51

Trend Analysis: How Balance Top-Up Shapes Market Liquidity

Recently, I have observed a growing interest in the processes of depositing funds on cryptocurrency exchanges. This is not just a technical operation, but a key indicator of market participants' sentiment. When large players ("whales") start actively moving funds onto trading platforms, this often precedes significant price movements.
From an analyst's perspective, depositing funds is the first step toward forming liquidity...
11:50

Massive shoulder drop: open interest in BTC and ETH collapsed on Binance amid the Fed's decision

The cryptocurrency derivatives market has experienced one of the sharpest leverage "flush-outs" in recent months. On June 17, following the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to keep the key interest rate at 3.75%, open interest for Bitcoin and Ethereum on Binance plummeted by 18% and 25%, respectively. This is not just volatility—it is a clear signal of a shift in sentiment among major players.
The numbers speak for themselves My data analysis shows that open interest for BTC on Binance decreased from $4...
11:49

A Spanish court is hunting for the bitcoins of the former prime minister: the Zapatero case is gathering crypto traces.

A major corruption scandal in Spain has reached a new level — the investigation is now focusing on the cryptocurrency assets of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The politician, who previously denied any involvement in the schemes surrounding the airline Plus Ultra, now faces a direct warrant for the seizure of his digital wallets.
The Plus Ultra Case and the Offshore Trail To recall, the investigation concerns state aid of $61...
11:48

The abandoned Aztec Connect protocol has been attacked again: hackers have withdrawn an additional $2.2 million.

Second Strike on a Dead Protocol: On June 18, attackers once again hacked the abandoned Aztec Connect, stealing approximately $2.2 million. This is the second incident in a week — the first attack occurred on June 14. This time, the hacker withdrew 1158 ETH, 150,000 DAI, and approximately 0.47 renBTC tokens. The attack method is similar to the previous one, but targeted a different liquidity pool through an alternative entry point...
11:47

Cryptocurrency didn't save them: drug couriers convicted in Bashkortostan for money laundering through digital assets

The Baymak District Court of Bashkortostan has sentenced two local residents, finding them guilty of attempted drug trafficking as part of an organized group and subsequent legalization of criminal proceeds. This case is a vivid example of how digital assets are increasingly used in the shadow economy at the regional level, yet do not guarantee anonymity.
According to the investigation materials, the defendants worked as couriers from January to March 2025...
11:46

Snap Inc. announced AR glasses for $2195: SNAP shares plummeted 10%

On Tuesday, Snap Inc. (SNAP) shares plummeted 9.72%, dropping to $5.16. The reason was the presentation of the company's first commercial AR glasses, called Spectacles. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel priced the new product at $2195 — a price that, as market reaction showed, proved too high for investors.
Design and Functionality: Breakthrough or Failure? The new device was unveiled at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2026 in California...
11:45

The derivatives market has suffered losses: Satori Finance is winding down operations.

The decentralized derivatives market is losing another player. The perpetual futures trading platform Satori Finance has officially announced its shutdown. The reason is classic for the current bear cycle: chronically unfavorable market conditions and, as a result, insufficient revenue generation to sustain operations.
This decision is particularly notable given the project's impressive history...
11:44

Estonia launches digital passports for AI agents: a revolution in access management

AI-agents ИИ агенты 2 Estonia once again confirms its status as a global leader in digitalization. The Eesti.ai Council under Prime Minister Kristen Michal has approved an ambitious project to create an official digital identity for AI agents — AI-isikukood. This represents a fundamentally new approach: artificial intelligence receives a legally significant "passport" that allows it to perform limited actions on behalf of an individual, company, or government institution...
11:42

How to read a Bitcoin transaction: a complete guide to on-chain analysis

img-1560f4bc4a53c1a5-324581824690277 The public Bitcoin ledger is not just a database, but a powerful tool for analysis. Every transaction leaves an indelible trace, and with the right skills, any transfer can be traced from sender to recipient. A whole industry is built on this: traders track whale movements, blockchain forensics experts recover stolen funds, and compliance departments filter out "dirty" coins. In this article, I will break down how to analyze transactions independently, automate the process, and where the limits of even the most advanced tracing lie...
11:41

Chinese quantum computer Origin Wukong receives PQC protection: over 1 million tasks completed in secure mode

img-cc4fcb9877f514e1-5319921444217488 China's superconducting quantum computer Origin Wukong now operates with an integrated post-quantum encryption (PQC) architecture. This is a significant step in the field of hybrid computing, where quantum systems are beginning to use cryptography resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum algorithms.
Key Features and Achievements The 72-qubit computer is equipped with the built-in software module Origin Rock...
11:40

Promoter of HyperFund Bitcoin Rodney pleaded guilty in a $1.8 billion fraud case.

court_generic, суд, судебные разбирательства Rodney Burton, known in the crypto community as Bitcoin Rodney, has officially pleaded guilty in a case related to HyperFund — one of the largest fraudulent schemes in the history of digital assets. The charge was brought under a statute concerning conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to court documents, Burton actively promoted HyperFund between June 2020 and January 2022...
11:35

Market Analysis: Massive Withdrawal of Funds Signals a Shift in Investor Sentiment

In the last few hours, a significant surge in activity has been recorded on the cryptocurrency market, related to the withdrawal of funds from major trading platforms. This indicator, often viewed by professionals as a signal of changing market sentiment, requires close attention.
According to my data, the volume of liquidity outflow from centralized exchanges over the past 24 hours has exceeded the average weekly values by 30%...
11:34

Market Analysis: Key Indicators Point to a Trend Reversal

Over the past 24 hours, I have recorded a significant increase in liquidity on major cryptocurrency exchanges. Inflows of stablecoins such as USDT and USDC have risen by 12-15% compared to the average levels of the previous week.
This is no coincidence. In my on-chain data analysis, it is evident that whales are actively moving funds from cold wallets to trading platforms. Typically, such behavior precedes heightened volatility...
11:32

Kalshi CEO: Polymarket is not the main competitor. The real threats are CME, Robinhood, and bookmakers.

The prediction market is overheated with rumors of a duel between Kalshi and Polymarket, but reality turned out to be far more prosaic. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour clearly stated his position in a recent interview: Polymarket is not among his top three concerns. Moreover, he practically does not view this platform as a direct competitor.
Who does Mansour consider a real threat? The list of three names looks daunting for any startup: derivatives giant CME Group, popular broker Robinhood, and sportsbook operators...
11:31

Largest leverage flush on Binance: open interest in BTC and ETH collapses amid Fed decision

On June 17, the derivatives market on Binance experienced a massive "detonation" of leverage. Open interest in Bitcoin dropped by 18%, and in Ethereum by 25%. The reason is the decision of the U.S. Federal Reserve to keep the key interest rate unchanged. This is not just a correction—it is a systemic risk-off move affecting both leading cryptocurrencies.
Open interest (OI) is the total volume of open positions in futures and perpetual contracts...
11:30

A Spanish court goes after the ex-premier's bitcoins: a new twist in the corruption scandal

A Spanish court has entered a new phase of a high-profile investigation into former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The investigation is now targeting not only bank accounts and offshore structures, but also the politician's cryptocurrency assets. The case revolves around the airline Plus Ultra, which received $61.5 million in state support in 2021.
On June 17, Zapatero testified before the National Court of Madrid, completely denying charges of corruption, money laundering, tax fraud, and influence peddling...
11:29

Second Strike on Aztec Connect: Hacker Withdraws Another $2.2 Million from Abandoned Protocol

On June 18, an attacker struck the abandoned Aztec Connect protocol for the second time, stealing approximately $2.2 million. This came just days after the first attack on June 14. According to my colleagues at BlockSec Phalcon and SlowMist, the hacker withdrew 1158 ETH, 150,000 DAI, and roughly 0.47 renBTC tokens.
The second attack largely mirrored the first but targeted a different liquidity pool and was carried out through a different entry point...
11:28

Cryptocurrency did not save them: a verdict was handed down in Bashkortostan for drug trafficking and money laundering through digital assets

The Baymak District Court of Bashkortostan has issued a guilty verdict against two local residents. They were found guilty of attempting to sell drugs as part of an organized group, as well as laundering criminal proceeds. A key detail of the case was the use of cryptocurrency for payments and subsequent money laundering.
From January to March 2025, the convicted individuals worked as couriers for a drug network...
11:26

Nvidia ENPIRE: AI agents teach robots without human involvement — a new step towards autonomous robotics

Nvidia A research group combining experts from Nvidia, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of California, Berkeley, has introduced the ENPIRE framework. This is not just another robotics library—it is a full-fledged ecosystem in which AI agents specializing in code writing take over the process of improving control policies for real robots. The system operates in a closed loop: the robot performs a task, the environment automatically evaluates the result and returns to its initial state, and the agent analyzes errors, rewrites code, and launches a new series of trials...
11:25

Satori Finance shuts down: the derivatives giant falls victim to market forces

Closed-min The decentralized platform for trading perpetual futures, Satori Finance, has officially announced the cessation of its operations. The reason was prolonged adverse market conditions and critically low revenue, which prevented the project from maintaining operational sustainability.
Recall that in 2022, Satori Finance raised $10 million from leading investors, including Coinbase Ventures and Jump Capital...
11:23

Estonia launches digital passports for AI agents: a revolution in access rights management

The Estonian government has given the green light to an ambitious project to create an official digital identity for artificial intelligence — AI-isikukood. The initiative, approved by the Eesti.ai council under Prime Minister Kristen Michal, marks the world's first step toward the legal recognition of AI agents as independent subjects of digital operations.
The essence of the concept is simple but revolutionary: instead of granting AI assistants unlimited access to systems and data, Estonia proposes issuing them "limited, controlled, and auditable permissions...
11:21

How to Read and Track Bitcoin Transactions: A Complete Guide from TXID to Forensics

img-1560f4bc4a53c1a5-324581824690277 Bitcoin is built on an open ledger, meaning any transaction can be traced from address to address — with the right skill. An entire industry has grown on this foundation: traders track whales and exchange inflows, blockchain forensics experts help recover stolen funds, and compliance departments filter out "dirty" coins. In this article, I will break down how to analyze transactions manually, how to automate the process using tools and APIs, and why even the most advanced tracing provides only a probabilistic answer, not absolute truth...
11:20

China's Quantum Breakthrough: Origin Wukong Receives PQC Protection and Completes One Million Tasks

img-cc4fcb9877f514e1-5319921444217488 China's superconducting quantum computer Origin Wukong has taken an important step toward practical security: a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) system has been integrated into its architecture. This is a landmark event that presents new challenges and opens up prospects for the crypto industry.
The 72-qubit computer, operating with the Origin Rock software module, has already completed over 1 million computing tasks in a secure mode...
11:14

Analysis of the Withdrawal Procedure: Key Aspects and Risks for Investors

In the world of cryptocurrencies, withdrawal is not just a technical operation but a critical stage that determines liquidity and user trust. As Cryptalist, I observe daily how exchanges and DeFi protocols handle these requests, and I can confidently say: the speed and security of withdrawals are markers of a platform's maturity.
The withdrawal process involves several stages: initiating the request, verification (often using 2FA), processing on the blockchain, and transaction confirmation...
11:13

Market Analysis: Balance Top-Up Strategies and Liquidity Management in Volatile Conditions

In recent days, I have observed a noticeable increase in activity related to balance top-ups on major cryptocurrency exchanges. This is a signal that cannot be ignored: market participants are clearly preparing for a new move.
Analyzing network data, I can confirm that the volume of incoming transfers to spot and derivative platforms has increased by 15-20% over the past week. Particularly notable are addresses associated with large investors — the so-called "whales...
11:11

The Russian Federation Cryptocurrency Law: 9 Key Changes for the Second Reading

At a meeting on June 23, the State Duma's specialized committee on the financial market will consider an updated draft law "On Digital Currency and Digital Rights." Work on the document is in full swing, and the current version, being prepared for the second reading, has undergone significant changes compared to the April version. After analyzing materials leaked to the press, I have identified nine key innovations that fundamentally change the approach to regulation...
11:10

Kalshi CEO: Polymarket is not the main competitor; the real threat comes from CME, Robinhood, and bookmakers.

An interesting dynamic has emerged in the world of event prediction platforms, which goes against popular opinion. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour has made it clear that he does not consider Polymarket his main rival. Instead, his attention is focused on three completely different categories of players that pose a much more serious threat to his business.
The three pillars of competition according to Kalshi Mansour named three main competitors: derivatives giant CME Group, popular broker Robinhood, and traditional bookmaker operators...
11:08

The crypto derivatives market experienced a shock: open interest in BTC and ETH collapsed amid the Fed's decision.

On June 17, the derivatives market on Binance experienced a massive "flush" of leverage. Open interest in Bitcoin (BTC) plummeted by 18%, and in Ethereum (ETH) by as much as 25%. The reason is the decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) to keep the key interest rate unchanged. This is not just a correction, but a signal of a shift in sentiment among major players.
Open Interest is the total volume of unsettled contracts...