JOON HYOUNG LEE

Benchmark Keeps Buy Rating on Coinbase, Maintains $270 Price Target

Benchmark, a US investment bank, maintained its $270 price target on cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. The Block reported on June 17 that Benchmark wrote in a client note that Coinbase is rapidly evolving from a crypto brokerage into an infrastructur

US May Retail Sales Rise 0.9%, Beating Forecasts

US retail sales rose 0.9% in May from a month earlier, exceeding market expectations. The Commerce Department said June 17 that retail sales increased 0.9% in May from April. That was 0.4 percentage point above economists’ forecast for a 0.5% gain. F

UK Fintech Revolut Secures UAE Central Bank License, Advances Market Entry

UK fintech company Revolut is stepping up its expansion into the United Arab Emirates. Bloomberg reported on June 17 that Revolut recently obtained stored value facility, or SVF, and retail payment services licenses from the UAE central bank. Before

Bitcoin Long-Term Holder Share Hits Record, Signaling Bear Market May Be Near End

Bitcoin’s long-term holder share has reached a record high. The Block reported on June 17 that Vetle Lunde, head of research at crypto research firm K33, wrote in a June 16 report that continued accumulation by long-term holders is making the market

Trump Says Iran Ceasefire MOU Isn’t Final, Threatens Renewed Strikes

President Donald Trump said a memorandum of understanding intended to end the war with Iran is not a final agreement. Walter Bloomberg and other outlets reported on June 17 that Trump said the US would resume bombing if he does not like the terms of

a16z-Linked Address Withdraws Another $6.4 Million of Hyperliquid, 2026 Buys Estimated at $340 Million

An address linked to Andreessen Horowitz, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm known as a16z, withdrew additional Hyperliquid tokens worth $6.4 million. Odaily reported on June 17 that the a16z-linked address withdrew 88,350 Hyperliquid tokens fro

Iran Says It Will Respond if Israel Continues Strikes on Lebanon

Iran said it will respond if Israel continues its strikes on Lebanon. BlockBeats reported on June 17 that Iranian officials had said Tehran would act if Israel did not halt its attacks on Lebanon. Earlier, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which

StraitsX Enables Samsung Pay Support for Stablecoin Card Payments

Singapore-based stablecoin issuer StraitsX has added Samsung Pay support to its card-issuing infrastructure. In a post on its official X account on June 17, StraitsX said issuers can now offer Samsung Wallet card provisioning alongside Apple Pay and

Bitcoin Falls Below $65,000; Kimchi Premium at -0.76%

Bitcoin fell below $65,000. CoinMarketCap data showed Bitcoin trading at $64,985.8 as of 5:41 p.m. on June 17 in Seoul, down 2.32% from 24 hours earlier. The cryptocurrency was still up 6.04% from a week earlier. The kimchi premium turned negative. C

Binance Says CZ Has Had No Operating Role Since 2023, Serves as Aster Adviser

Binance said founder Changpeng Zhao has not been involved in the exchange’s operations since 2023. BlockBeats reported on June 17 that Binance Co-Chief Executive Officer He Yi wrote on X that Zhao has not participated in the company’s operations sinc

Wintermute Says Bitcoin Hasn’t Bottomed; ETF, Stablecoin Inflows Are Key

Crypto market maker Wintermute said Bitcoin has yet to bottom. BlockBeats reported on June 17 that Wintermute said in a recent weekly report that risk appetite has recovered amid developments including a US-Iran ceasefire. The firm said Bitcoin has e

BitGo Offers MiCA Compliance Infrastructure in Europe for Unlicensed Wallet Firms

BitGo, the U.S. cryptocurrency custodian, is rolling out infrastructure aimed at helping European crypto firms operate under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets, or MiCA, framework. CoinDesk reported on June 17 that BitGo Europe said it wou

Strategy’s Strife Preferred Falls to Record Low of $91.79

Strategy’s perpetual preferred stock, Strife, fell to a record low, according to Cointelegraph. Strife traded at $91.79 on June 16, down about 3.6% from the previous day. That left it more than 8% below its $100 par value. The decline has been linked

US Congress Agrees to Advance Housing Bill With CBDC Ban Through 2030

The U.S. House and Senate have agreed to move forward with a housing bill that includes a provision barring the issuance of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. Cointelegraph and other outlets reported on June 16 that House and Senate leaders ha

Bitget Introduces Weekend Trading for 20 Tokenized Stocks, Including Apple and Nvidia

Global cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has introduced weekend trading for spot stock tokens. Bitget added the feature on June 12 for its tokenized stock product, rToken, according to BlockBeats and other media reports. The initial rollout covers 20 st

Ethena to Invest $250 Million in Securitize Fund on Solana

Ethena Labs, the issuer of the stablecoin USDe, plans to invest $250 million in a real-world asset fund managed by Securitize. The Block reported on June 12 that Ethena Labs announced a $250 million investment in STAC, Securitize’s tokenized AAA CLO

SpaceX Lists on Nasdaq at $135 a Share in Record $75 Billion IPO

$75 Billion Offering Sets Record for Largest IPO Elon Musk-led space company SpaceX listed on the Nasdaq on June 12, shattering records for both IPO proceeds and market value. SpaceX sold about 550 million existing Class A common shares at $135 apiec

Trump Says Iran’s Leaked Deal Terms Are False, Tells Tehran to ‘Come to Its Senses’

President Donald Trump said Iran’s claims about the terms of a ceasefire deal were false. In a post on Truth Social on June 12, Trump wrote that the terms Iran leaked to the “fake news” media had nothing to do with the conditions agreed to in writing

Polish President Vetoes Crypto Bill for Third Time, Delaying MiCA Adoption

Poland's adoption of the European Union's crypto regulatory framework has been delayed again. Cointelegraph reported on June 12 that Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a cryptocurrency regulation bill for a third time on June 11. The bill would i

Sam Bankman-Fried Loses Appeal; 25-Year Prison Sentence Upheld

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, lost his appeal and will remain under a 25-year prison sentence. Reuters reported on June 12 that a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York upheld both his conviction and

Iran Flatly Denies Report of Possible Geneva MOU With US

Iran has denied reports that it could sign a memorandum of understanding with the US on ending the war in Geneva as early as this weekend. Walter Bloomberg reported on June 12 that an Iranian source called claims of a June 14 signing in Geneva "compl

Israel Opposes US Sanctions Relief for Iran, Clouding Ceasefire Deal

Israel is opposing any US move to lift sanctions on Iran, according to media reports. CNN reported on June 12, citing sources, that Israel is pressing Washington to block the release of frozen Iranian assets as part of a ceasefire agreement. Israeli

Reuters: SK Hynix Weighs Nasdaq Listing in US

SK Hynix is weighing a listing on the Nasdaq in the US, Reuters reported. Reuters, citing multiple sources, reported on June 12 that SK Hynix is considering Nasdaq for a US listing. The news agency said the company is pursuing a listing as early as A

Trump Meme Coin Jumps 25% Ahead of President’s 80th Birthday

Official Trump (TRUMP) jumped nearly 25% in a day. CoinMarketCap data on June 12 showed the token trading around $2.10, up about 24% from a day earlier. That was also about 26% higher than a week ago. The rally is being linked to U.S. President Donal

Bitget Secures Argentina License in Latin America Expansion Push

Global cryptocurrency exchange Bitget said it has secured a license for its Argentina business. Bitget said on June 12 it completed registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider, or PSAV, with Argentina’s National Securities Commission, known as t

CNN Says US-Iran MOU Signing Is Likely in Geneva, to Be Called 'Islamabad Declaration'

A signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding to end the war between the US and Iran will most likely be held in Switzerland, CNN reported. CNN, citing multiple sources, reported on June 12 that Geneva is the leading candidate to host the sign

Saylor Says He Hasn’t Sold a Single Satoshi, Strategy Still Buying Bitcoin

Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor said he has not personally sold any Bitcoin. “I haven’t sold a single satoshi,” Saylor wrote on X on June 12. He added that Strategy is still buying Bitcoin. The remarks appeared to address Strategy’s recent sale of 3

Metaplanet to Acquire Japanese Brokerage, Plans July Close

Metaplanet, Japan’s largest corporate Bitcoin treasury company, is set to acquire a domestic brokerage. The company said on June 12 on its official X account that it signed an agreement to acquire a 100% stake in Siiibo Securities. Chief Executive Of

Draft US-Iran MOU Includes Reopening of Hormuz Strait as Final Talks Focus on Nuclear, Economy

A draft memorandum of understanding for US-Iran negotiations to end hostilities includes provisions such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports. Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported on June 12, citing BlockBeats, that the d

BBVA Partners With OpenAI, Rolls Out ChatGPT Across Banking Operations

Spanish lender BBVA is partnering with OpenAI to drive an artificial intelligence overhaul across its banking operations. ODaily reported on June 12 that BBVA had signed a strategic partnership with OpenAI and would adopt ChatGPT Enterprise. The bank