Crypto Breaking News

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty fell by 10.09% on Sunday, easing one of the main cost pressures facing miners as the network recalibrated to a drop in hash rate. Data shared by Galaxy Research indicates difficulty moved down from 138.96 trillion to 124.93 trillion at block 953,568. The adjustment comes as June has been challenging for the sector: Galaxy Research said Bitcoin’s price is down about 15% so far this month, a move that it believes “squeezed miner margins.” In the background, the most recent adjustment window also ran longer than usual—15.6 days rather than the typical 14—because some mining capacity was taken

Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick said he believes crypto prices have already traced the low for the current cycle, and he outlined three signals he wants to see to confirm that view. In a note to clients on Friday, Kendrick pointed to Strategy’s latest Bitcoin buying, renewed demand for US-listed Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and continued weakness in oil prices. Kendrick anchored his assessment around Bitcoin’s drawdown from its prior peak, stating that the cycle low would correspond to roughly $59,000 for BTC, about 53% below a $126,000 high. CoinMarketCap data cited in the note showed Bitcoin trading around $63,704 at its

Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick says he believes crypto prices have already marked the low of the current cycle, pointing to a trio of signals he wants to see align before he fully confirms a turnaround. In his view, Strategy’s recent Bitcoin buying, renewed demand for US Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and continued weakness in oil prices are together shaping a more constructive backdrop for risk assets like crypto. In a client note published Friday, Kendrick put a specific level on his “cycle low” framework, estimating the trough at $59,000 for Bitcoin—about 53% below the asset’s prior cycle peak near $126,000.

XRP ETFs added over $10 million weekly as Bitcoin and Ethereum funds saw continued outflows, with XRP holding above the $1.00 support level despite mixed sentiment.

Uncover the top altcoins to consider as crypto momentum grows, including why Dash, Ethereum, and ZCash stand out for payments, smart contracts, and privacy.

Blockchain security firm Quantstamp says a phishing email and a compromised laptop were key steps in the recent Humanity Protocol incident that resulted in the theft of $36 million worth of Humanity (H) tokens. The company’s investigation points to North Korea-linked threat activity, citing technical indicators such as a South Korean digital certificate and malware behavior consistent with DPRK intrusion patterns. Quantstamp reports that the attackers used a malicious attachment disguised as a token lockup schedule update supposedly connected to Bithumb, one of South Korea’s major cryptocurrency exchanges. After the file was delivered to a staff member, malware installed itself and

Ethereum developers are exploring a path to protect accounts from future quantum-computing threats without waiting for a costly network upgrade. According to Ethereum Foundation researcher Nicolas Consigny, the “Kohaku” project lead, Ethereum could begin adding post-quantum protections at an estimated cost of as little as $0.07 per action, leveraging a new on-EVM approach rather than a hard fork. Consigny shared details in an X post on Saturday and pointed to a corresponding research write-up on Ethresear.ch. The proposal adapts SPHINCS+, a post-quantum signature scheme standardized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to make onchain verification cheaper on

Ethereum researchers are exploring a way to harden user accounts against future quantum-computing threats without waiting for a disruptive network upgrade. According to Ethereum Foundation project lead Nicolas Consigny, the “SPHINCS-” proposal could start delivering post-quantum protections for as little as $0.07 in on-chain verification costs, avoiding the need for a hard fork. Consigny shared the idea in a Saturday post on X, linking to a technical paper hosted on Ethresear.ch. The work adapts SPHINCS+, a post-quantum signature scheme standardized by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to run more efficiently on Ethereum’s execution environment. Key takeaways Ethereum

Humanity Protocol’s latest security incident appears to be tied to North Korea-linked cyber activity, according to an investigation by Quantstamp. The blockchain security firm says a phishing email carrying a malicious attachment compromised an employee device and enabled the theft of $36 million worth of Humanity (H) tokens. The attack chain, as described by Quantstamp, started with a message that masqueraded as a “token lockup schedule” update reportedly from South Korean exchange Bithumb. Once delivered, the malware granted full remote access to the compromised laptop and ultimately facilitated access to sensitive cryptocurrency wallet materials tied to a project executive. Key takeaways

Bitcoin edged around the $64,000 mark as markets closed out the week, with momentum supported by a developing US–Iran diplomatic signal. Traders pointed to expectations that a peace deal would be signed on Sunday, alongside technical stability after a brief push to around $64,750 on Bitstamp. While the move looks more like consolidation than a breakout, the narrative matters: in the short term, easing geopolitical risk can improve risk appetite for liquid assets such as crypto, especially when traders believe the downside case is losing traction on key chart and derivatives metrics. Key takeaways Bitcoin held above $64,000 near Sunday’s weekly

U.S. President Donald Trump says a deal to end hostilities between the United States and Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, and that immediately afterward the Strait of Hormuz would be “OPEN TO ALL.” The announcement comes despite earlier caution from Iranian officials about the timing, underscoring how closely markets are watching the next steps in a geopolitical standoff that has already roiled energy flows. Pakistan, which has been mediating the talks, indicated that an agreement could be reached within 24 hours and that preparations are underway for electronic signing following the finalization. Analysts argue that any credible de-escalation—especially

US President Donald Trump says a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the US–Iran conflict is slated to be signed on Sunday, even though Iranian officials have previously questioned the timing. Trump also claimed that the “Hormuz Strait” would be opened to all immediately after the signing. The proposed agreement—mediated by Pakistan—would extend a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While Pakistan’s prime minister said finalization could occur within 24 hours, Iran has not confirmed Sunday as the signing date, leaving traders to weigh the prospect of de-escalation against the risk of further delays. Key takeaways Trump says the US–Iran

The Trump administration’s move to limit foreign access to Anthropic’s most capable AI models was reportedly sparked by security concerns raised through industry channels, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The episode culminated in export controls that forced Anthropic to pull its latest release from public access. As U.S. officials acted quickly on the perceived risk, decentralized AI-focused tokens also rallied over the same period, underscoring how government interventions in centralized AI can rapidly reshape expectations across the broader crypto AI sector. Key takeaways According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy contacted senior U.S. officials after researchers

The Trump administration’s decision to cut foreign access to Anthropic’s most powerful AI models was reportedly set in motion by outreach from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, after researchers found a potential way to coax the company’s “Fable 5” model into producing information that could be repurposed for cyberattacks. The episode escalated quickly into White House-level review and culminated in export controls that, according to Anthropic, followed a U.S. directive. As the dispute unfolded, U.S. regulators also demonstrated how fast access to a widely used AI system can be curtailed—an event that traders linked to a rebound in several decentralized “AI token”

Brazil lawmakers advanced a bill that would allow courts to freeze crypto assets tied to cyber fraud investigations, alongside tougher penalties for online fraud.

Bitcoin inched toward $64,000 after Trump confirmed a new US-Iran agreement is expected soon, boosting risk sentiment and easing concerns tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

Strategy’s executive chairman Michael Saylor has defended the company’s first reported Bitcoin sale since 2022, arguing that the ability to sell BTC—at least when it’s required to back certain financial obligations—is a prerequisite for the firm to keep issuing “digital credit.” The defense comes after Strategy disclosed the sale in a June 1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: the company offloaded 32 BTC, a move that contrasted with Saylor’s widely repeated “never sell your Bitcoin” message. Speaking at BTC Prague, Saylor framed the decision as part of a broader credit thesis for Bitcoin-based financial products. Key takeaways Strategy