The crypto world is buzzing after the closure of Samourai Wallet and the arrest of its co-founders, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill. The duo is charged with money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Samourai Wallet, known for its privacy-enhancing features, is now under scrutiny, raising questions about the future of privacy and self-custodial crypto tools. The FBI has warned against using unregistered crypto money-transmitting services, hinting at possible future regulation. This case could set a precedent for how privacy-focused crypto tools are treated legally, with potential impacts on the broader crypto sector.

Cardano's sustainability lead, Alexandre Maaza, suggests that decentralized identity (ID) solutions could be the next big thing to attract mainstream blockchain adopters. He believes that the blockchain sector still lacks robust use cases, but decentralized ID solutions could be the "killer" application to draw in millions of new users. These Web3 decentralized IDs are privacy-oriented, allowing users to provide only the necessary information for verification, and can be withdrawn at any time. Maaza also highlighted that a non-speculative use case is needed to bring blockchain technology to the forefront.

Former US President Donald Trump has voiced his support for domestic Bitcoin mining, stating that he wants all future Bitcoin to be mined in the US. This comes after a meeting with Riot Platforms CEO Jason Les and its head of public policy, Brian Morgenstern. The Bitcoin community has responded positively to Trump's intervention, with some believing it will push the global acceptance of Bitcoin further. However, others have expressed concerns about the potential risks of centralizing Bitcoin production. Despite this, Stronghold Digital Mining CEO Greg Beard believes that Bitcoin mining advances energy efficiency and could help stabilize the grid.

MicroStrategy is upping its Bitcoin game with a new $700 million debt offering due in 2032. This offering, which has been upsized from the previously announced $500 million, will be used to purchase more Bitcoin. The notes will be sold privately to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. As of now, MicroStrategy has acquired 214,400 BTC, valued at an estimated $14 billion. The notes will bear an interest rate of 2.25% per annum, payable semi-annually. The company plans to use the net proceeds from the sale to acquire additional Bitcoin and for general corporate purposes.

Ether (ETH) traders were hit hard as the cryptocurrency's price neared $3,500 on June 11, resulting in $90 million in ETH leveraged longs being liquidated in just 48 hours. This drop was influenced by macroeconomic factors, including a revised outlook by the U.S. Federal Reserve and data on U.S. jobless claims. As a result, Ether investors have turned bearish. The lack of a U.S. spot Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF) adds to the uncertainty, with SEC Chair Gary Gensler indicating that approval for individual Ether ETFs could take up to three months. This delay is part of the reason why investors are becoming increasingly cautious about purchasing bullish ETH derivatives.

Stock trader Keith Gill, also known as "Roaring Kitty" online, has increased his GameStop (GME) holdings by purchasing an additional 4 million shares. This brings his total GME shares to over 9 million, valued at approximately $262 million. The move has sparked speculation among the trading community that Gill may be preparing to join the GameStop board of directors. Gill's increased stake in GME, combined with a cryptic tweet and a possible website Easter egg, has fueled these rumors. In early June, GME prices surged when Gill revealed a $180 million position in the stock.

Rapper Lil Pump has shown off a new tattoo of blockchain platform Solana on Instagram, claiming he has sold his Solana (SOL) tokens. The post sparked mixed reactions from his 14 million followers, with some questioning the tattoo's authenticity and others hoping it could boost SOL's price. This comes as many celebrity-backed crypto projects experience significant downturns, with tokens released by Caitlyn Jenner, Rich the Kid, and David Adedeji Adeleke Oon all seeing declines. Despite this, celebrities continue to release tokens, with Andrew Tate recently promoting a Solana-based memecoin, Daddy Tate (DADDY).

Wall Street bigwigs are bankrolling the carbon-heavy Bitcoin mining industry, according to a new report by Greenpeace USA. The report names Trinity Capital, Stone Ridge Holdings, BlackRock, Vanguard, and MassMutual as the top financiers of Bitcoin mining companies, contributing to over 1.7 million metric tons of CO2 in 2022. Greenpeace criticizes the lack of transparency in the crypto mining industry and calls for financial companies involved in Bitcoin mining to report on the emissions associated with their investments. The report also accuses Bitcoin miners of making false claims about Bitcoin's environmental impact and suggests regulation and taxation to curb the industry's energy consumption.

Altcoins with market caps under $10 billion may present investment opportunities as they've traded down since Bitcoin's March high, according to RealVision's chief crypto analyst, Jamie Coutts. Bitcoin's recent slump of nearly 6% could be a regular mid-cycle correction, and once the market settles, opportunities may arise in mid and small caps. Bitformance data shows the top 200 equal weight index fell over 30% against the Market Cap index in the past three months, indicating weaker performance of smaller cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile, Bitcoin and Ether only saw declines of 11% and 5%, respectively. Metaverse-related tokens recorded the lowest returns within the index over the past three months.

Holograph, a blockchain tokenization platform, suffered a major hack on June 14, resulting in a 79.4% drop in the value of its native token, HLG. A hacker exploited a vulnerability in the protocol's operator contract, minting 1 billion HLG tokens worth $14.4 million. The company has since patched the exploit and is working with crypto exchange partners to freeze the hacker's accounts. The HLG tokens have since recovered slightly, but the hacker had already begun converting the minted HLG into Tether (USDT). Holograph is now conducting an investigation and has contacted law enforcement.

Ether (ETH) sees a surge in long-term holder accumulation, despite a 2% price drop over 24 hours. A record-breaking 298,000 Ether tokens, worth roughly $1.34 billion, were acquired by accumulation addresses on June 12. This is only 6% lower than the record set on Sept. 11, 2023. Meanwhile, Ether's price has declined by 8.49% over the past week, currently trading at $3,472. In other news, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hints at possible approval for spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETF) trading by the end of September.

Swiss online bank FlowBank, known for its crypto trading services, has been forced into bankruptcy by Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The regulator found the bank "seriously breached" operational standards, including the minimum capital requirement. FlowBank, launched in 2020, was part-owned by CoinShares and provided banking services to Binance. It held $760 million in total assets and over 22,000 client accounts. FINMA aims to help customers with up to $111,710 in funds recoup their money "as quickly as possible". The bank's license withdrawal, ordered by FINMA, is still pending legal effect due to an appeal.

Solana Labs has launched Bond, a blockchain-based customer engagement platform that aims to help brands foster long-term loyalty. The platform, which leverages the Solana (SOL) blockchain, will provide collectible "digital twins" and limited-edition digital products to accompany real-world items, promoting repeat engagement and boosting customer value. Bond also enables product authenticity verification and tracking, even if items are resold or gifted. Solana Labs believes the platform will attract a new generation of customers, including the Solana blockchain community.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has rolled out a detailed set of standards and guidelines under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. This package offers regulatory guidance for asset-referenced tokens (ARTs) and e-money tokens (EMTs) across Europe, covering six areas including stress testing and recovery plans. The EBA has set out guidelines for token issuers, including the need for sufficient financial resources to cover potential risks. The authority has also outlined procedures for issuers to adjust their own funds to 3% of the average reserve of significant assets. Compliance with these new standards is required by July 1, 2026.

Bitoro, a decentralized perpetual futures trading network, has launched its trading protocol on the Injective network, a blockchain focusing on Web3 financial solutions. This move is part of Bitoro's plan to expand its decentralized trading solutions. The protocol is also available on other networks such as Avalanche, Arbitrum, Optimism, Mantle, and Base. Bitoro's CEO, Brian Purcell, highlighted the benefits of leveraging Injective's robust infrastructure, including instant, low-cost trading and advanced features like institutional gateways and on-chain perpetuals. Injective Labs CEO Eric Chen also praised the partnership, noting that Bitoro would benefit from its onchain order book.

24 crypto firms have formed the Taiwan Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Association to develop self-regulatory standards for the country's digital asset industry. The association, chaired by BitoPro founder Titan Cheng, aims to promote fair regulations and combat fraud in collaboration with the government and law enforcement agencies. The move follows Taiwan's Justice Ministry's proposal to amend Anti-Money Laundering regulations for virtual asset service providers, with noncompliance potentially leading to two years in prison or fines up to $1.5 million.

Venture capital firm Paradigm has successfully closed an $850 million fund, one of the largest in crypto history, to invest in early-stage blockchain and crypto projects. The firm, which has previously invested in notable crypto companies like Coinbase and Uniswap, has been discussing this fund for months following a rebound in crypto markets. This is Paradigm's largest raise since its $2.5 billion fund in November 2021. The news comes as VC investments in crypto and blockchain startups surge, with $2.49 billion invested across 603 deals in Q1 2024 alone.

Curve Finance founder, Michael Egorov, has reportedly repaid 93% of a $10 million bad debt following a soft liquidation of the protocol. The liquidation was triggered by a hacking attempt, which saw the CRV token price drop by over 28%. Egorov, who faced $140 million in liquidations, plans to repay the remaining debt soon. He has also proposed burning 10% of outstanding CRV tokens, worth $37 million, to stabilize the token's price. This isn't the first time Egorov's actions have impacted the protocol during crises. In 2023, Curve suffered a $62 million exploit due to Egorov's borrowings, which he eventually repaid.

President Joe Biden is set to shake up the leadership at key financial regulators, including the SEC, FDIC, Treasury Department, and Financial Stability Oversight Council. Among his nominations is Christy Goldsmith Romero, a pro-crypto voice at the CFTC, to replace FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg. Biden also plans to nominate CFTC Commissioner Kristin Johnson as Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the Treasury Department. Caroline Crenshaw, known for her anti-crypto stance, is expected to remain a commissioner at the SEC. All nominations are subject to Senate approval.

P2P.org, a renowned institutional staking firm, has teamed up with OKX exchange to launch crypto staking services for institutional clients. The move, part of P2P's staking-as-a-business (SaaB) model, will provide businesses with institutional-grade staking services across various assets, including Polkadot, Kusama, Celestia, and Cardano. The partnership aims to eliminate common barriers such as the steep learning curve, time investment, and the significant cost of running a node, that often deter institutions from participating in the crypto staking market.