🚀 Julian Assange, WikiLeaks co-founder, is finally free thanks to an anonymous Bitcoiner who donated over 8 BTC (around $500,000) to help clear Assange's travel and settlement debts. Assange, who pleaded guilty to breaching the U.S. Espionage Act, was released after serving the exact amount of his sentence while fighting extradition in the UK. The Bitcoin donation, the largest to Assange's fund, means he'll land in Australia debt-free. In other news, Assange's flight to freedom was more expensive than a moon trip on a SpaceX rocket!

🚀 Telegram's Open Network (TON) is getting a $20M boost! Bitget crypto exchange and Foresight Ventures are launching a fund to support early-stage projects on TON. The goal? To tap into TON's expected growth in 2024, driven by Telegram's whopping 900 million users.

TON's been on a roll, with more active addresses than Ethereum for nearly a month. Plus, the total value locked in the TON ecosystem has skyrocketed fivefold in two months, reaching $600M.

Bitget's CEO is all smiles, "We believe in TON's potential to create a more equitable future." Stay tuned for more updates!

Hong Kong is eyeing the DeFi and metaverse pie, folks! 🥧 Recent government-backed studies reveal these technologies as a golden ticket to boost the region's global fintech standing. DeFi, the shy kid in the crypto class, has grown from a $6 billion market cap in 2021 to a whopping $80 billion in 2023! That's a growth spurt even a beanstalk would envy.

Meanwhile, the metaverse is playing hard to get. Despite high interest, local financial institutions are only moderately engaged. But hey, love is a slow dance, right?

Despite some mixed feelings, Hong Kong's fintech businesses are not backing down from metaverse-related developments. So, watch this space, because Hong Kong might just be the next big player in the DeFi and metaverse game!

🔀 After a week of net outflows, US spot Bitcoin ETFs are back in the game! On June 25, they saw a net inflow of $31 million, a U-turn from the previous $1.1 billion outflows. Leading the pack was Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund with a cool $49 million, followed by Bitwise Bitcoin ETF and VanEck Bitcoin Trust ETF. However, not all were winners as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF reported outflows. Meanwhile, spot Ether ETFs are gearing up for launch, with the green light expected as early as next week. So, buckle up crypto fans, things are about to get interesting! 💰🚀

Bitcoin's (BTC) price could be in jeopardy if it ends June below $56,500, warns trading resource Material Indicators. BTC/USD hit its lowest levels since May, and these lows are now the focus of traders. Market pressure is expected to increase, especially with the weekly, monthly, and quarterly close all happening on the same day. If bears gain control, the $56,500 level will form the floor that buyers need to defend. "Watch out for possible spoofs," advises Keith Alan, co-founder of Material Indicators, referring to artificial shifting of liquidity by large-volume traders to influence price action. 🐻💹

📉 NFT sales have taken a 45% nosedive in Q2 2024, according to CryptoSlam. After a bullish Q1 with $4.1B in sales, Q2 closed at a mere $2.24B, the lowest since Q3 2023. June was particularly brutal, with the average NFT sale value plummeting 59% compared to March. This slump aligns with a gloomy forecast for Bitcoin, with some analysts predicting a drop to $50,000. But it's not all doom and gloom! Solana-based NFTs hit an all-time sales volume of $5B in February, and Bitcoin-based NFTs are climbing the ranks, snagging the third spot in all-time sales volume. So, hold onto your digital hats, folks! 🎢

🚨Crypto Crime Alert! Remy St. Felix, a 24-year-old Florida man, was found guilty of leading a series of violent home invasions to snatch victims' cryptocurrencies. Operating like a scene from a Hollywood movie, St. Felix and his gang used physical violence and intimidation to force victims to transfer their digital assets. The FBI, hot on their trail, unraveled their sophisticated money-laundering techniques and encrypted communication. Now, St. Felix faces the music. So, folks, keep your crypto safe and remember, crime doesn't pay, but hodling does! 😎🔒💰

📣Crypto world, buckle up! SEC Chair Gary Gensler says the launch of the first spot Ether (ETH) ETFs in the US is "going smoothly". No spoilers on the launch date though, he's keeping that secret tighter than a Bitcoin wallet password.😉 It's all about full disclosure, folks! The SEC is waiting for asset managers to finish tweaking their Form S-1’s before they go live. Analysts predict the green light could come as soon as next week. Gensler also reminded us that crypto securities aren't inconsistent with securities laws, but some folks are still breaking them. So, let's keep it clean, crypto comrades!

📣 FTX creditors, it's time to vote! The crypto exchange, which went belly up in 2022, is asking creditors if they'd prefer their recovered funds in cash or crypto. This comes after some creditors scoffed at FTX's liquidation plan, which offered a 118% return but at the dollar value of assets when FTX filed for bankruptcy. Given the crypto market's 165% increase since then, many creditors are eyeing a payout in crypto. But remember, even if the vote swings towards crypto, the court isn't obliged to approve it. Voting closes on Aug. 16, so make your voice heard! 💰 vs. 🪙 - the choice is yours!

🎈 Ether's (ETH) supply has been on a steady rise, thanks to the Dencun upgrade in March. This upgrade introduced nine Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), including EIP-4844, which seems to be the inflation culprit. EIP-4844 introduced "blobs", a mechanism that temporarily stores transaction data separately, reducing fees on Ethereum layer 2 networks. Despite the recent inflation, the total ETH supply has decreased significantly since The Merge, with over $1.1 billion worth of ETH burned. So, while ETH's supply has been bloating, it's still on a diet! 💪

🎸Metallica's official X account appears to have hit a sour note, getting hacked to promote a Solana token, METAL. The token was announced on June 26, with claims of a partnership with Ticketmaster. But wait, there's more! The posts also claimed a collaboration with fintech firm MoonPay. Both Ticketmaster and MoonPay are yet to strum any chords about this. The band's website is also silent on the token. Looks like someone's playing a solo here. Stay tuned for more updates on this headbanging story! 🤘

🚀 Brazilian neobank Nubank, backed by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, is partnering with payments platform Lightspark to bring the Bitcoin Lightning Network to its 100 million customers. This integration is a "significant milestone" for the Lightning Network, promising to boost network usage. Lightspark, co-launched by former PayPal president David Marcus, will also integrate the Universal Money Address standard, offering users an email-like address for money transfers. Nubank's crypto services, including trading of 14 cryptocurrencies and access to USD Coin, were launched in May 2022. Stay tuned for more electrifying updates! ⚡

🎉 Nebraskan Rep. Mike Flood has been instrumental in pushing cryptocurrency legislation through Congress, securing bipartisan support for the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) and a proposal to repeal SEC rule SAB-121. FIT21 allows crypto projects to certify their tokens as commodities, moving them from SEC to Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulation. Flood's experience in the Nebraska Legislature and passion for digital assets have driven his focus on the crypto industry. He believes that states should play a significant role in regulating digital assets, fostering innovation, and meeting consumer demand.

🚀 Memecoins have blasted off, leading the crypto industry with a jaw-dropping 1,834% return in H1 2024. Real-world asset tokenization is not far behind, with a 214% return. AI blockchain projects and DePINs have also made a splash with 72% and 59% returns respectively. Bitcoin and Ether are still the cool kids, with 50% and 45% returns. Layer-1 platforms are also in the green with a 43% return. Gaming and DeFi are trailing but still in the game with 19% and 3% returns. Layer-2, however, is feeling the blues with a 41% loss. Meanwhile, Solana is the new hotspot for memecoin launches, earning the title of the "MacOS of blockchain". Real-world asset tokenization is the talk of the town, with potential to bring a whopping $874 trillion onchain. Buckle up folks, it's a wild ride!

In a twist of political strategy, US politicians are using cryptocurrency to divert attention from less favorable news. Republican Matt Gaetz, under investigation for misconduct, introduced a bill for IRS to accept Bitcoin for tax payments. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, facing legal challenges, announced his campaign would accept crypto donations and plans to boost US Bitcoin mining if reelected. Even President Biden, criticized for his stance on crypto, reportedly attended a roundtable on digital assets. In this election year, it seems crypto is the new political football. 🏈

🚨 Former Hydrogen Technology CEO, Michael Kane, has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for crypto price manipulation. His ex-colleague, Shane Hampton, will also be doing the tango behind bars for 35 months. This marks the first time a federal jury has classified a cryptocurrency as a security. The SEC had previously sued Kane and his company, alleging they manipulated the volume and price of Hydro (HYDRO) tokens. The verdict? A whopping $2.8 million in penalties. The takeaway? The SEC isn't afraid to flex its muscles when it comes to crypto market integrity. 💪🏾

🎵 K-pop stars, get ready to blockchain your way to better pay! Ava Labs, the brains behind the Avalanche blockchain, is set to jazz up intellectual property management for South Korean K-pop artists. With the K-pop industry set to hit a high note at $20 billion by 2031, the need for artist protection is louder than ever. Enter blockchain, the tech superstar that promises transparency and efficiency, ensuring artists don't get played by recording companies. Plus, it's not just about the money, money, money - blockchain can also help artists protect their creations from copyright violations and AI content scrapers. Rock on, blockchain! 🎵

📉 Bitcoin (BTC) took a nosedive to a six-week low, but don't fret! Buyers swooped in like superheroes, pushing the price back above $62,000. The $60,000 zone acted as a safety net, catching our falling star. Analyst Jelle predicts a run back to $63,500 before the week is out. If that happens, we might see a green week after a red Monday. The last time Bitcoin's daily RSI was this low, BTC was trading at $26,000. Could this be a summer shakeout? Meanwhile, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" author Robert Kiyosaki sees the dip as a chance to buy more. So, hold on to your hats, folks! The rollercoaster ride isn't over yet. 🎢

🚀 Ethereum layer-2 Blast network is set to rain tokens on its early adopters on June 26! A whopping 17% of the total supply will be airdropped, with 7% going to users who bridged Ether or US Dollar Blast to the network. Another 7% will reward those who've been busy building DApps on Blast. The Blur Foundation gets 3% for future airdrops. Top 1,000 wallets will vest their airdrop for six months, so no quick sell-offs here! Since its launch in November, Blast's total value locked has rocketed to over $2.9 billion. Let's see how this token shower shakes things up! 💦💰

📉 Tether (USDT) supply growth has taken a nosedive this June, growing less than 1.5% compared to the 5% growth in April and May. This suggests a liquidity drought in the crypto markets, with Bitcoin and Ethereum feeling the squeeze. USDT trading volumes have also taken a tumble, from a high of $767.22 billion in March to a mere $53.55 billion on June 24. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has been on a diet, shedding over $540 million last week. As traditional financial markets start to "price out" global growth expectations, the crypto market might need to buckle up for some turbulence. But hey, who doesn't love a rollercoaster ride, right? 🎢