🤠 Yeehaw! Texas is set to launch its own stock exchange, the TXSE, with a whopping $120 million in capital raised from big guns like BlackRock and Citadel Securities. Is this a new frontier for the crypto industry? Maybe. But, it's not all cowboy hats and spurs. Experts reckon it'll be a tough ride. The NYSE and Nasdaq duopoly isn't easily disrupted, and the SEC's blessing is still needed for crypto listings. However, with Texas' pro-innovation stance, there's hope for a digital asset-friendly exchange. So, saddle up, crypto cowboys and cowgirls, it's going to be a wild ride! 🐎

🔒 After a $10M security breach, Alex Lab's XLink is beefing up its Bitcoin bridge with new partnerships. Fireblocks is bringing multiparty computation (MPC) tech to XLink's wallet and smart contract management, while Ancilia will provide real-time threat detection. The breach, traced back to a leaked private key, has accelerated these security measures. Meanwhile, the attacker has been busy, broadcasting over 9,700 transactions and dispersing stolen Stacks (STX) funds to new wallet addresses. But fear not, XLink is on the case, working to establish new security standards and ensure safe BTC utility across multiple blockchains. Stay tuned!

📣 News Flash! Corporate adoption of crypto is still in diapers, according to Marc Degen, co-founder of Trust Square. Despite the hoopla around the first spot Bitcoin ETFs, Degen says it's "amateur league against the pros." 😅 He points out that while Bitcoin ETFs have seen inflows of $60-$70 billion, JPMorgan alone has raked in a whopping $489 billion. The main culprit? A lack of trust in the crypto market. But don't lose heart, crypto enthusiasts! Degen believes corporations could be the knight in shining armor, bringing trust and further adoption to the crypto world. 🚀

🎤 Rapper Waka Flocka Flame is feeling the heat! His newly launched FLOCKA cryptocurrency is under scrutiny for alleged insider trading. A wallet nabbed 40% of the coin's supply and spread it around like confetti at a parade. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT and Bubblemaps CEO Nicolas Vaiman both raised eyebrows at the suspicious activity. Vaiman went on to criticize celebs diving into crypto like it's a VIP pool party, often showing a "clear lack of knowledge". Flame, who's been "studying crypto since 2001" (7 years before Bitcoin was born), has a history of promoting questionable crypto projects. Let's hope he's not playing with fire! 🔥

🚀 South Korea's Financial Service Commission (FSC) is tightening the leash on crypto exchanges! 29 registered exchanges, including big names like Upbit and Bithumb, have been told to regularly evaluate their listed tokens. A new law, the Virtual Asset User Protection Law, is set to swoop in by July 19, bringing with it hefty fines and jail time for violations. The exchanges must now review their 600 listed tokens every six months and conduct maintenance reviews every three months. The FSC isn't stopping there - they're also working on new guidelines for crypto transactions and even considering a new bureau focused solely on virtual assets. Buckle up, folks! 🚀

🕵️‍♂️ The infamous Remilia hacker, who swiped a cool $4.3 million in crypto, has been busy laundering the loot through Tornado Cash, says blockchain sleuths CertiK. The stolen Ether was traced back to the Remilia hack in March. Meanwhile, the NFTs linked to Milady, a project of Remilia, were sold off. But wait, there's more! A memecoin tribute to Milady NFTs, Milady Wif Hat, raised a whopping $18.7 million in a presale on the Solana network. However, the token's price has since taken a nosedive. The memecoin creators insist they're not in cahoots with the hacked Milady Maker NFTs. Quite a rollercoaster, eh? 🎢

Bitcoin's price action has taken a turn for the worse, with the cryptocurrency shedding nearly 5% last week and dipping below $65,000. However, the bulls managed a modest turnaround, bringing the market focus back to $66,000. Meanwhile, Bitcoin miners are adjusting to the post-halving reality, with mining difficulty set to drop by around 1.3% this week. As for the upcoming week, it's critical that Bitcoin maintains its support at $66,000. If broken, sellers could take a stronghold on the market and force quick liquidations out of the bulls. 🐂💸

🚀Ethereum's zkSync is gearing up for its ZK token airdrop on June 17, amidst some controversy. Critics are questioning the eligibility criteria, while zkSync is busy defending its Sybil attack prevention measures. Sybil attacks, for those not in the know, involve one entity creating multiple wallets to farm an airdrop. zkSync says it's used "explicit" Sybil detection and a unique airdrop design to reward organic users. However, some sneaky Sybil wallets may have slipped through. Meanwhile, Binance is offering its own ZK airdrop for those who missed out on the official one. The ZK token is currently trading pre-market for 36 cents. Let the games begin!

🚀 Ethereum's transaction speed is soaring, thanks to a sudden spike in a relatively unknown layer 3, Xai. On June 16, Ethereum's combined TPS hit a record 246.18, equivalent to an estimated 21.2 million transactions in a day! Over 41% of these were on Xai, a new layer 3 solution focused on gaming applications. Prior to June 10, Xai's TPS was around 1 per day, but it's been on a rocket ride since then, peaking at 101.72 TPS on June 16. Critics say TPS is an overrated metric, but hey, who doesn't love a good speed race? 🏎️💨

📣Former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan has a hot take on the U.S. debt crisis: dollar-backed stablecoins could be our knight in shining armor!💰 In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Ryan argued that these digital darlings could help Uncle Sam keep pace with China's growing international trade influence. With the $162 billion stablecoin market already a big fan of U.S. Treasurys, Ryan believes this could be the key to maintaining the dollar's global financial system dominance. But not everyone's on board - critics warn that more stablecoin use could simply reinforce the very financial system Bitcoin aims to overhaul. Stay tuned, folks! 🌐💪

📣Former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan says dollar-pegged stablecoins could be the U.S.'s secret weapon against a looming debt crisis and China's growing economic influence.💪 Ryan argues that stablecoins could increase demand for U.S. debt and provide "cheap, reliable financing for fiscal spending" on blockchain. The $162 billion stablecoin market could also help the dollar maintain its global financial clout. But not everyone's on board - critics argue stablecoins could reinforce the very financial system Bitcoin aims to overhaul.🔄

🚀Ripple Labs is in a tug-of-war with the SEC over penalties. Ripple, citing a previous SEC settlement, is pushing for a $10 million penalty, a far cry from the SEC's proposed $876.3 million. The SEC, not amused, argues that Ripple's comparison isn't "apples-to-apples". They claim that Ripple's penalty, based on the same ratio applied in the previous case, should be $102.6 million. The SEC's total proposed penalties for Ripple are nearly $2 billion. This legal battle, ongoing since 2020, is turning into the Godzilla vs. Kong of the crypto world. Stay tuned for more action!

🤖 A sneaky bot named "arsc" has been making a killing on Solana, netting around $30 million in the past two months through MEV sandwich attacks. This crafty bot has been buying tokens at a discount and selling them in the same block, all while staying under the radar. It's got three wallets, one of which is believed to be a cold storage, holding over $19 million. Another wallet is more active in DeFi, converting SOL into USDC. The third wallet is the bot's main bank, used for the sandwich attacks. The bot seems to prefer a low profile, but with a combined $29.8 million in its wallets, it's hard to stay unnoticed! 😎

🔍 Despite Bitcoin mining's renewable energy usage hitting an all-time high of over 55%, Tesla remains reluctant to accept Bitcoin payments. Elon Musk previously stated Tesla would resume BTC transactions once 50% of the energy used by miners was clean. However, concerns over the transparency and verifiability of miners' energy disclosures may be holding Tesla back. Critics argue that the data on Bitcoin mining energy usage is not solid enough, with wild claims about renewable energy use and a lack of specific data. Will Musk and Tesla honor their promise and reinstate Bitcoin payments? Stay tuned! 😎

📣 Billionaire Mark Cuban warns that SEC head Gary Gensler's crypto stance could cost President Biden the election! Speaking at Coinbase's State of Crypto Summit, Cuban didn't mince words. He's previously called for the CFTC to take over crypto regulation, warning that crypto voters will be heard. Meanwhile, Biden is reportedly considering accepting crypto donations for his campaign. On the other side, ex-President Trump has pledged to "end Biden's war on crypto" and ensure Bitcoin's future is made in America. The crypto vote is heating up! 🗳️🔥

🚀Crypto startups have raised a whopping $101.35 billion since May 2014, according to DefiLlama. From a humble $17.14 million in 2014 to a staggering $280.25 million in May 2024, the crypto industry has seen some serious cash flow. The peak? October 2021, with a cool $7 billion raised. And who's footing the bill? Mostly Uncle Sam, with nearly half of all funding coming from the US. UK and Singapore trail behind with 7.7% and 5.7% respectively. High-profile deals include Together.AI and Wormhole raking in $225 million each. Now that's what we call 'making it rain'! 💸

🐻 Bears may be growling as Bitcoin dips below $70,000, but savvy investors are seeing a buffet of buying opportunities. Meanwhile, Ether is bouncing back like a trampoline enthusiast, thanks to the anticipated launch of spot Ether ETFs. Altcoins are feeling the pressure, but could benefit from a Bitcoin comeback. In the boxing ring of the crypto market, it's a constant match between bulls and bears. But remember, every dip could be a diving board for a high-flying comeback! 🚀

EU's new parliament is set to continue its supportive stance towards the crypto industry, despite the complex political landscape. The European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the parliament, offers stability for the crypto industry with its pragmatic and technology-neutral approach. The decline of center-left parties, previously eager to restrain crypto, also eases pressure on the industry. Despite the rise of far-right parties, Europe remains a promising global actor within the crypto industry due to its unified crypto regulation. However, the need for balanced regulation and investment in education about blockchain and crypto technologies is emphasized. 🇪🇺🚀

📣 Ethereum's Pectra upgrade in 2025 is causing a stir! A report by Liquid Collective and Obol warns of potential risks, like bugs in dominant clients causing network instability and slashing penalties. 😱 The report also emphasizes the need for diversity in operators and cloud providers to avoid single points of failure. Meanwhile, the Pectra upgrade aims to consolidate staking providers into fewer validators, easing pressure on Ethereum's communication layer. So, folks, keep your eyes peeled and your nodes diverse! 🌐💪

🔍Curve Finance's CEO, Michael Egorov, clears the air on the recent UwU Lend hack, stating it wasn't a Curve exploit but a separate project's. The hacker, in a slick move, deposited stolen CRVs into LlamaLend and vanished, leaving a debt trail. Egorov urges UwU to re-verify contracts and rope in security auditors to recover losses.

Also, Egorov debunks the rumor about burning 10% of CRV tokens, blaming it on a fake account and gullible journalists. He confirms the full repayment of $10M bad debt caused by soft liquidations from the UwU exploit.

To manage future liquidation risks, Egorov suggests borrow caps for non-major cryptos and the creation of open-source liquidation bots. He also emphasizes community education about liquidations.