JOON HYOUNG LEE

CZ Says He Wants to Clear Up Misconceptions, Stresses US Expansion Plans

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, emphasized his intention to expand the company’s business in the US. In an interview with CoinDesk published on June 24, Zhao said he believed there were many misconceptions about both Binance and himself.

Gold Falls Below $4,000 an Ounce for First Time Since November

Gold fell below $4,000 an ounce for the first time since November. BlockBeats and other outlets reported on June 24 that spot gold slipped beneath the $4,000-an-ounce mark. It was the first time in seven months that spot gold had traded below $4,000

Standard Chartered Sees Aave Surging to $3,500 by 2030 on DeFi Recovery

Standard Chartered said decentralized lending protocol Aave could climb to $3,500 by 2030. Jeff Kendrick, the bank's head of digital-asset research, wrote in a June 24 report that Aave could reach that level by the end of 2030, CoinDesk reported. Aav

21Shares Sees Bitcoin Rebounding to $100,000 by Year-End in Echo of Past Halving Cycles

Global asset manager 21Shares said Bitcoin could climb to $100,000 by the end of this year. The firm said in its "Crypto Market Outlook for the First Half of 2026," released June 24 and cited by The Block, that Bitcoin could recover to the $100,000 l

Iran Says Nuclear Site Inspections Would Be Discussed Only After Final Deal

Iran's Foreign Ministry said inspections of its nuclear facilities would be discussed only after a final agreement is reached. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X on June 24 that there is "no schedule" for access to the attacked faci

Binance Fails to Win Greece License, Vows to Continue EU Operations

Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance is seeking ways to continue operating in the European Union after failing to secure a license in Greece. Walter Bloomberg reported on June 24 that Binance said it would continue its EU business. Binance recently

SBI Launches Yen Stablecoin JPYSC, With Trust Bank Managing Reserves

SBI Holdings has launched a yen-denominated stablecoin. The Japanese financial group said June 24 that it issued JPYSC, a yen stablecoin, BlockBeats reported. Reserve assets will be managed by an SBI-affiliated trust bank, while distribution and circ

Micron Slides More Than 13% Ahead of Earnings as AI Chip Rally Faces Test

Shares of US memory-chip maker Micron Technology fell sharply ahead of its earnings report. Blockbeats and other outlets reported on June 24 that Micron shares dropped more than 13% on June 23. The selloff came ahead of the company’s fiscal third-qua

Zenith Joins Japan Tokenized JGB Group, Expands Work With Major Banks

Zenith, a Canton Network-based Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible project, is expanding collaboration with major Japanese banks on the tokenization of Japanese government bonds, or JGBs. The company said June 24 that it had joined the Tokenized JGB

Dunamu Joins Bid for Korean Police Seized Crypto Custody Project Alongside BDACS, DSRV

Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has submitted a proposal for a National Police Agency project to store and manage seized virtual assets. According to industry officials on June 24, Dunamu recently filed a

Pakistan Says US-Iran Technical Talks to Resume Next Week

The US and Iran will resume technical talks next week as part of follow-up negotiations on their ceasefire memorandum of understanding, or MOU. Pakistan's government said June 24 that the talks are set to restart next week, according to BlockBeats an

Analysis: Long-Term Bitcoin Holders Slow Selling, Easing Downside Pressure

Long-term Bitcoin holders have recently slowed their selling, data show. CoinDesk reported on June 23, citing CryptoQuant data, that the 90-day moving average of Bitcoin transferred by investors who have held the token for more than five years fell t

CEA Industries, BNB Treasury Company, Partners With YZi Labs and Revamps Board

CEA Industries, which is building a strategic BNB reserve, is strengthening cooperation with YZi Labs. Odaily reported on June 24 that CEA Industries signed a partnership agreement with YZi Labs the same day. YZi Labs is the venture capital arm of gl

[Exclusive] South Korean Lawmakers Visit US, Plan Meetings With White House and Coinbase

Rep. Min Byoung-dug and Rep. Park Min-kyu, who had been members of the Democratic Party's digital-asset task force, are visiting the US on legislative business and plan to meet with the White House and Coinbase. Industry officials said on June 23 tha

South Korea Ruling Party Says It Will Speed Up Digital Asset Framework Law in Second Half

Ahn Do-geol, who previously served as secretary of the Democratic Party’s digital asset task force, said the party will step up efforts in the second half of this year to enact a framework law for digital assets. Industry participants are also increa

Mirae Asset Urges South Korea to Scrap Finance-Crypto Split, Ease Tokenized Securities Rules

Mirae Asset Securities said South Korea should scrap regulations separating finance and virtual assets if it wants blockchain technology to drive innovation in the financial industry. Lee Yong-jae, head of the Digital Asset Industry Division at Mirae

Solana Policy Institute Says US Senate May Take Up CLARITY Act in Earnest Late Next Month

The Solana Policy Institute, a think tank focused on the Solana blockchain, said deliberations on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, or CLARITY Act, could gather momentum next month. Miller Whitehouse-Levine, the institute’s chief executive office

Ahn Do-geol Urges South Korea to Fast-Track Digital Asset Law

Ahn Do-geol, a lawmaker from South Korea’s Democratic Party, called for a swift push to institutionalize digital assets, saying the country needs to accelerate passage of the Framework Act on Digital Assets, which remains pending in the National Asse

Upbit Operator Dunamu Set to Gain Direct Access to Residency, Tax Records in South Korea

South Korea is moving to give Dunamu, operator of the country’s largest crypto exchange Upbit, access to administrative records including resident registration documents and tax payment certificates. The move would make Upbit the first domestic crypt

Kraken Launches Solana-Based DEX Trading on App to Expand On-Chain Access

Kraken, the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, is launching a Solana-based decentralized exchange service on its app. The Block reported on June 18 that Kraken would roll out the service on its mobile app that day, allowing users to trade tokens in the So

Wealthsimple Partners With Kalshi to Launch Prediction Market Service in Canada

Wealthsimple is entering Canada’s prediction market. The Canadian online financial services platform said June 18 that it will launch a new prediction market service in Canada through a partnership with Kalshi, according to BlockBeats and other repor

Algorand Unveils Quantum-Resistance Roadmap, Targets Network by End-2027

Algorand plans to build a quantum-resistant blockchain as early as the end of next year. CoinDesk reported June 18 that the Algorand Foundation unveiled a roadmap to make the network quantum-resistant. The plan calls for phased upgrades starting this

Fed Seeks Comment on Requiring Stablecoin Issuers to Verify Customers

The Federal Reserve Board is considering requiring certain payment stablecoin issuers to verify their customers. In a notice posted on its website on June 18, the Fed said it is seeking public comment on a proposal that would mandate customer identif

HIVE Shares Jump 10% After $220 Million Canada AI Infrastructure Deal

U.S. Bitcoin miner HIVE Digital Technologies has won an artificial intelligence infrastructure contract in Canada. CoinDesk reported on June 18 that HIVE signed a $220 million graphics processing unit cloud deal with AI company Cohere and Bell Canada

Aztec Probes $2 Million Hack After $2.1 Million Aztec Connect Exploit

Aztec, an Ethereum layer-2 project, is investigating a hack worth about $2 million. The Block reported on June 18 that Aztec Labs had opened a probe into a roughly $2 million breach tied to an Aztec payment product. Blockchain security firm PeckShiel

Citi Delays Fed Rate-Cut Call to October, Sees Odds of 2025 Hike Rising

Citigroup has pushed back its forecast for the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate cut by one month. Reuters reported on June 18 that Citi now expects the Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points each in October and December, followed by another cut in

US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to 226,000, Slightly Above Forecast

U.S. initial jobless claims edged above market expectations last week. The Labor Department said on June 18 that initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 226,000 last week. That was 1,000 above economists’ forecast of 225,000 and 4,000 below

Malta Weighs Applying MiCA Rules to DeFi

Malta’s financial regulator is considering whether to bring decentralized finance, or DeFi, under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, known as MiCA. CoinDesk reported on June 18 that the Malta Financial Services Authority said in

Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% for Fourth Straight Meeting

The Bank of England held its benchmark interest rate steady. The central bank said after a Monetary Policy Committee meeting on June 18 that it kept the rate at 3.75% for a fourth straight meeting. The decision appears to reflect softer-than-expected

Ethereum Q1 Network Use Hits Record as Active Users Jump 53%

Ethereum's network usage hit a record in the first quarter. Cointelegraph reported on June 18 that the blockchain's monthly average active users reached 13.2 million in the first quarter. That was up 53.5% from the previous quarter and marked an all-