Track the evolution of major financial and economic events
European fintech platform Revolut is set to cease support for the Tether (USDT) stablecoin by August 31. On July 7, Tether invested in the Brazilian platform Mercado Bitcoin to strengthen its presence in Latin America. The USDT stablecoin faces growing restrictions in Europe due to the new MiCA regulations.
Bitcoin's price surpassed $62,000 on July 3, 2026, reaching $62,295 on Bitstamp. On July 6, Bitcoin's price faced divided trader sentiment regarding the sustainability of bullish momentum above the $63K level. Spot ETF inflows and macroeconomic conditions have supported the recent recovery in the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin ETF outflows have surpassed $11 billion from their peak as selling pressure accelerates. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart warned that selling pressure shows no sign of slowing down. Meanwhile, the Mt. Gox trustee has officially begun distributing Bitcoin to creditors through registered custodians and exchange partners. Despite this, Bitcoin ETFs recorded modest positive inflows of $21.5 million, signaling a sharp cooldown in investor demand. In contrast, Ethereum ETFs showed stronger relative performance with $26.9 million in inflows, driven entirely by the ETHA product.
Bitcoin ETFs experienced outflows totaling $8.95 billion over the past two months, with $296 million in net outflows recorded in the 24 hours leading up to July 3. On July 9, Bitcoin spot ETFs posted a fresh net outflow of $85 million, marking the end of a streak of outflows totaling $2.7 billion without a clear recovery in demand.
Ondo Finance tokenized Micron shares and BlackRock’s IVV ETF on the Ethereum blockchain using the SEC's custodial model, though these tokens remain unavailable to US investors. Meanwhile, the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) announced the August launch of new futures contracts despite JPMorgan's warnings regarding rising competition and retail adoption risks. Additionally, BlackRock’s BUIDL fund saw significant growth, with total assets under management reaching $2.87 billion, highlighting strong institutional demand for tokenized Treasuries.
On July 2, TradingView expanded its market coverage by adding real-time data for Hyperliquid and Trade[XYZ]. On July 3, the Hyperliquid crypto asset is facing a critical technical decision point at the $75 level. Hyperliquid is noted as one of the few large-cap crypto assets maintaining a long-term bullish trend. On July 4, Hyperliquid recorded $116 million in net inflows within a single 24-hour period.
Bitcoin's price climbed back above the $60,000 threshold on July 2 following a downturn in June. On July 3, Bitcoin is attempting a short-term recovery after weeks of sustained selling pressure. Buyers have defended a key support zone, but the broader trend remains fragile. A genuine recovery depends on breaking above major technical resistance levels, specifically the $72,000 mark.
Bitcoin Core developer Jon Atack warned users to pause transactions during the second week of August 2026 due to potential network reorganization risks linked to the BIP-110 activation window. The warning was posted on X on June 29, 2026. In another development, a motion to dismiss a New York lawsuit seeking ownership of 39,069 dormant Bitcoin wallets, valued at approximately $229 billion, was filed. Additionally, Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company and Cantor Equity Partners have postponed their planned SPAC merger to renegotiate the terms of the agreement.
Robinhood launched its public blockchain, Robinhood Chain, on July 1 to compete in the DeFi sector with tokenized stocks and decentralized lending products. The expansion included a 7% APY offer for the USDG stablecoin within its Earn program. Within its first week of launch, the new chain reached a significant milestone of $1 billion in decentralized exchange (DEX) volume.
The EU has initiated a review of the MiCA regime, informally called MiCA 2.0, with a consultation period ending in September. Lawyers and industry executives expect EU regulators to enforce MiCA differently, as unauthorized crypto companies must wind down operations. The UK's FCA's new crypto framework has been praised for its focus on global liquidity and institutional adoption. The authorization and compliance process for crypto firms is expected to be daunting and complex.
The total number of Bitcoin ATMs declined sharply in the first half of 2026, with the United States accounting for 96% of the global decrease. Key factors include the state of Tennessee implementing a ban on these machines and FBI data identifying Bitcoin ATMs as a final stop in an $11 billion cryptocurrency scam pipeline.
Japan's SBI Group announced it will shut down its Bitcoin mining pool on July 31 after more than five years of operation. On the same day, Yield Guild Games announced it is cutting 35 jobs and shutting down its YGG Play platform, as the company plans to pivot toward AI data services and datasets due to weak crypto gaming demand.
Cantor Fitzgerald predicts that Bitcoin could reach its cyclical floor within the coming months. The shareholder vote on the merger between Cantor Equity Partners and Bitcoin Standard Treasury has been postponed to July 10, with the proposed merger valued at approximately $4 billion and backed by Blockstream CEO Adam Back. Bernstein analysts maintained their year-end Bitcoin price target of $150K despite a 54% market drawdown, describing the current drawdown as milder compared to previous crypto bear cycles.
On July 2, Tether froze USDT stablecoins in 131 wallets on the TRON network due to links with ISIS-K. On July 7, former Tether CIO Richard Heathcote is seeking buyers for part of his 1.26% stake in the firm.
Bitcoin faces further downside risk after its worst June performance since 2022. It closed June above the realized price but below the 200-week moving average. Analysts warn that current technical signals suggest the bear market bottom is still ahead. Meanwhile, Metaplanet added 2,823 Bitcoin to its treasury, increasing its total holdings to 43,000 BTC, while its revenue from Bitcoin income business fell by 41% in the second quarter.
Bitcoin and major altcoins experienced a sharp pullback in futures long exposure on July 2. Coinglass data indicated a sudden shift in trader positioning, potentially leading to higher near-term volatility. On July 3, Bitcoin deposits to exchanges rose to nearly 49,000 BTC, a rare extreme seen only four other times this year. On July 4, researchers at Schwab and Hashdex noted that the AI boom has diverted capital flows away from digital assets. Bitcoin continues to follow a familiar recovery pattern typical of the post-halving period.
On July 1, K Wave Media sold its entire Bitcoin treasury to repay a debt of $6 million. On July 3, the U.S. public firm liquidated its entire portfolio of 88 Bitcoin units. The liquidation aims to provide necessary liquidity to repay the outstanding debt. On July 5, K Wave Media confirmed the liquidation of all its Bitcoin holdings to settle the $6 million debt.
Bitcoin's price dropped below the $58,000 threshold on July 1 due to increasing institutional distribution pressure. Institutional distribution has outpaced spot buying, raising the risk of further downside price action. As of July 5, Bitcoin is trading at $62,787 with MACD momentum at zero. A failure to break above $63,934 within the next 48-72 hours is likely to trigger a downward move.
Venice AI raised $65 million in a Series A round led by Dragonfly, reaching a $1 billion valuation. Meanwhile, AI startup Prime Intellect secured $130 million to expand its services in helping enterprises train custom AI models, officially achieving unicorn status. Additionally, financial data startup Databento raised $97 million, supported by a high-profile client base that includes Nvidia, OpenAI, and major hedge funds.
Crypto enters Q3 with thinner liquidity and less leverage after an $8.35 billion liquidation. On July 1, Bitcoin and Ether open interest fell sharply following the liquidation. On July 2, centralized crypto lending loan books decreased by 6% in Q1 2026 to $23.3 billion, marking the first contraction since Q3 2024. Tether maintains a dominant 68% share of the centralized finance loan market. On July 6, HTX Research released its Q3 2026 outlook report titled 'Liquidity Defines Crypto', focusing on global liquidity repricing and regulatory developments.
Bitcoin fell 20% in June 2026, marking its worst month since 2022. In the same month, Bitcoin ETF outflows reached a record $4.5 billion.
On June 30, nearly 1,700 UK users alleged that Binance offered risky crypto products without regulatory approval. On July 1, these investors filed a lawsuit against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao in the London High Court over claims of unauthorized crypto derivatives sales. On July 7, Binance launched a new product called BTC Yield using a covered call strategy to enhance returns for holders.
On June 30, Ripple launched the XRPL Lending Protocol to provide institutional on-chain credit on the XRP Ledger. On July 2, Ripple highlighted 8 key developments for its RLUSD stablecoin spanning payments, infrastructure, and global access. The stablecoin is gaining support from Mastercard and has received regulatory approvals in Japan.
On June 30, Strategy raised its dividend to 12% and authorized $2 billion in share buybacks. The new capital framework formally permits selling bitcoin at scale to fund company obligations for the first time. On July 6, MicroStrategy sold 3,588 bitcoin for $216 million to cover dividend payments on its preferred stock. The company's total bitcoin reserve stood at 843,775 BTC as of July 5, 2026, while it reported a Q2 digital asset loss of $8.3 billion.
