Plasma One Goes Live: a Stablecoin Neobank Card
Stablecoin L1 Plasma has launched Plasma One, a neobank with a Visa card spendable at 150M+ merchants across 150 countries — plus 10%+ yield on stablecoin balances and up to 4% cashback.
Internal USDT transfers are free, and cashback is paid in XPL across tiered memberships that reward holding the token. Plasma is a BTC-secured L1 for stablecoin payments.
👉 x.com/Plasma/status/2067215787945779394
Stablecoin L1 Plasma has launched Plasma One, a neobank with a Visa card spendable at 150M+ merchants across 150 countries — plus 10%+ yield on stablecoin balances and up to 4% cashback.
Early users who join within 7 days get the Core tier free for a year — over $1,000 in value.
Internal USDT transfers are free, and cashback is paid in XPL across tiered memberships that reward holding the token. Plasma is a BTC-secured L1 for stablecoin payments.
👉 x.com/Plasma/status/2067215787945779394
Aster Introduces Deflationary Buyback-and-Burn Model
Aster has upgraded its tokenomics, directing 99% of daily platform fees toward buying back ASTER from the market.
The burn program will continue until ASTER’s total supply falls from 8 billion to 3 billion tokens. In addition, every permissionless listing on Aster Spot carries a 50,000 USDT fee, which is used for additional ASTER buybacks and staking incentives.
👉 x.com/Aster_DEX/status/2067217075089867086?s=20
Aster has upgraded its tokenomics, directing 99% of daily platform fees toward buying back ASTER from the market.
To reinforce the token’s deflationary model, Aster will also burn an equal amount of ASTER from reserves, effectively creating a 1:1 buyback-and-burn mechanism. The purchased tokens will be distributed to veASTER holders through staking rewards.
The burn program will continue until ASTER’s total supply falls from 8 billion to 3 billion tokens. In addition, every permissionless listing on Aster Spot carries a 50,000 USDT fee, which is used for additional ASTER buybacks and staking incentives.
👉 x.com/Aster_DEX/status/2067217075089867086?s=20
Re Raises Strategic Investment From Coinbase Ventures
Re has secured a strategic investment from Coinbase Ventures as it pushes to bring reinsurance capital onchain. The project aims to open one of the world’s largest and most traditional financial markets to a broader pool of investors.
The protocol’s reUSD token is already live on Base, with deposits accepted in USDC. Re says its model makes reinsurance exposure more transparent and liquid while keeping the underlying underwriting and regulation intact.
The announcement comes shortly after RE completed a Binance Wallet Pre-TGE Prime Sale at a $50M FDV, further expanding awareness of the project among crypto investors.
👉 x.com/re/status/2067246822616453610?s=20
Re has secured a strategic investment from Coinbase Ventures as it pushes to bring reinsurance capital onchain. The project aims to open one of the world’s largest and most traditional financial markets to a broader pool of investors.
Reinsurance is the capital that backs insurers when large claims hit, and Re says it has already written $500 million in premiums through its licensed reinsurance entity, covering nearly one million U.S. households. The company expects to add another $400 million in new business this year and reach a $1 billion annual run rate by early 2027.
The protocol’s reUSD token is already live on Base, with deposits accepted in USDC. Re says its model makes reinsurance exposure more transparent and liquid while keeping the underlying underwriting and regulation intact.
The announcement comes shortly after RE completed a Binance Wallet Pre-TGE Prime Sale at a $50M FDV, further expanding awareness of the project among crypto investors.
👉 x.com/re/status/2067246822616453610?s=20
Bittensor Proposal Could Turn Validators Into Fund Managers
A new Bittensor proposal called Root Reborn could reshape how the decentralized AI network pays validators, turning them into something closer to fund managers. Submitted by developer unconst, the code is currently aimed at a test network rather than mainnet.
That would replace constant selling pressure with net buying, while also making validators active curators of subnet quality. An early automated review flagged two serious issues, though the author said they have already been fixed ahead of any possible mainnet rollout.
👉 coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/17/a-new-bittensor-proposal-would-turn-validators-into-fund-managers
A new Bittensor proposal called Root Reborn could reshape how the decentralized AI network pays validators, turning them into something closer to fund managers. Submitted by developer unconst, the code is currently aimed at a test network rather than mainnet.
Bittensor has multiple AI subnets with their own tokens, while TAO is the main asset. Today, staking yield comes from selling rewards into TAO, creating constant sell pressure. Following proposal validators would allocate capital into subnets and reinvest yield instead of selling, while users can still withdraw TAO.
That would replace constant selling pressure with net buying, while also making validators active curators of subnet quality. An early automated review flagged two serious issues, though the author said they have already been fixed ahead of any possible mainnet rollout.
👉 coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/17/a-new-bittensor-proposal-would-turn-validators-into-fund-managers
BitGo Offers MiCA Compliance Solution as EU Licensing Deadline Nears
BitGo (BTGO) unveiled a MiCA-compliance infrastructure service aimed at helping European crypto firms continue operating as the EU's regulatory transition deadline approaches at the end of June.
The announcement comes as industry estimates suggest that up to 75% of pre-MiCA registered crypto firms could lose their registration status once transitional periods expire.
Meanwhile, BitGo shares surged up to 20% after the company announced a $50M share repurchase program, allowing it to buy back roughly 8% of outstanding stock. Despite the rally, BTGO remains down around 65% from its January IPO price.
👉 coindesk.com/business/2026/06/17/bitgo-offers-europe-s-crypto-firms-a-mica-compliance-lifeline
BitGo (BTGO) unveiled a MiCA-compliance infrastructure service aimed at helping European crypto firms continue operating as the EU's regulatory transition deadline approaches at the end of June.
Through its BaFin-regulated platform, companies can integrate their wallet infrastructure into BitGo’s compliant custody and account system without building a fully licensed operating stack from scratch. Firms can also continue pursuing their own MiCA licenses while using BitGo’s services.
The announcement comes as industry estimates suggest that up to 75% of pre-MiCA registered crypto firms could lose their registration status once transitional periods expire.
Meanwhile, BitGo shares surged up to 20% after the company announced a $50M share repurchase program, allowing it to buy back roughly 8% of outstanding stock. Despite the rally, BTGO remains down around 65% from its January IPO price.
👉 coindesk.com/business/2026/06/17/bitgo-offers-europe-s-crypto-firms-a-mica-compliance-lifeline
Former U.S. Congressman Kendrick Meek Joins Lumia’s Advisory Board
Lumia has announced that former U.S. Congressman Kendrick Meek is joining its Bipartisan Public Policy Advisory Board, alongside Tim Ryan and David McIntosh, strengthening the project’s U.S. policy and regulatory strategy as tokenized real-world assets move toward broader adoption.
His appointment comes as Lumia positions itself as infrastructure for compliant, institution-ready tokenized markets. The focus includes market access, disclosures, and regulatory alignment to support real-world asset adoption in the U.S.
Meek will support policy positioning and institutional engagement as the company expands its footprint. His experience in financial access and public-sector policy is expected to help bridge traditional institutions with onchain markets.
👉 https://x.com/buildonlumia/status/2067281664208667056?s=61&t=i4Yv5fR9Xm2OPZIvwlvtxw
Lumia has announced that former U.S. Congressman Kendrick Meek is joining its Bipartisan Public Policy Advisory Board, alongside Tim Ryan and David McIntosh, strengthening the project’s U.S. policy and regulatory strategy as tokenized real-world assets move toward broader adoption.
Meek brings experience from the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served on the Ways and Means, Armed Services, and Homeland Security Committees, along with roles in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He currently serves on Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council.
His appointment comes as Lumia positions itself as infrastructure for compliant, institution-ready tokenized markets. The focus includes market access, disclosures, and regulatory alignment to support real-world asset adoption in the U.S.
Meek will support policy positioning and institutional engagement as the company expands its footprint. His experience in financial access and public-sector policy is expected to help bridge traditional institutions with onchain markets.
👉 https://x.com/buildonlumia/status/2067281664208667056?s=61&t=i4Yv5fR9Xm2OPZIvwlvtxw
Trace Finance Raises $32M Series A Led by CoinFund
Trace Finance, a stablecoin payments infrastructure platform, has raised $32M in a Series A led by CoinFund — bringing a roster of crypto and fintech heavyweights onboard.
👉 x.com/coinfund/status/2067275409746780434
Trace Finance, a stablecoin payments infrastructure platform, has raised $32M in a Series A led by CoinFund — bringing a roster of crypto and fintech heavyweights onboard.
Backers include Coinbase Ventures, Paxos, Jump Capital, Chainlink Labs and Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko.
👉 x.com/coinfund/status/2067275409746780434
Vercel has launched Eve, Its Agent Framework
Vercel has launched Eve, an open-source framework for building and running AI agents — pitched as 'the Next.js for agents.'
It pushes Vercel beyond web hosting into agent infrastructure, giving developers a standard toolkit for autonomous AI systems.
👉 vercel.com/blog/introducing-eve
Vercel has launched Eve, an open-source framework for building and running AI agents — pitched as 'the Next.js for agents.'
Eve ships production-ready: durable execution, sandboxed compute, human-in-the-loop approvals, subagents and Evals.
It pushes Vercel beyond web hosting into agent infrastructure, giving developers a standard toolkit for autonomous AI systems.
👉 vercel.com/blog/introducing-eve
EarnOS Raises $6M for ero, Its Anti-AI-Slop App
EarnOS has raised $6M in a pre-Series A led by 1kx to scale ero, an app that pays users for verified human engagement — and helps brands cut the AI bots draining their ad budgets.
👉 theblock.co/post/405114
EarnOS has raised $6M in a pre-Series A led by 1kx to scale ero, an app that pays users for verified human engagement — and helps brands cut the AI bots draining their ad budgets.
ero uses zkTLS to prove a real person completed a real action without exposing their data. A separate $12.5M strategic deal brings total launch funding to $18.5M.
👉 theblock.co/post/405114
re (RE) Holds Its TGE Today Across Multiple Exchanges
re is an onchain reinsurance protocol that channels stablecoin capital into fully collateralized reinsurance contracts through licensed insurers, with ~$265M in TVL.
👉 x.com/binance/status/2067546136119038026
re is an onchain reinsurance protocol that channels stablecoin capital into fully collateralized reinsurance contracts through licensed insurers, with ~$265M in TVL.
Trading goes live at 14:00 UTC, pair RE/USDT, on Binance, Bitget, KuCoin, BingX, BitMart and MEXC.
👉 x.com/binance/status/2067546136119038026
PayPal Winds Down Its Venture Capital Arm
PayPal is winding down PayPal Ventures, its 10-year-old corporate VC arm, as the fintech restructures under new leadership. PayPal has hired Jefferies to explore selling positions on the secondary market.
It is part of a broader shakeup after previous CEO stepped down, with PayPal refocusing on AI and its core business.
👉 fortune.com/2026/06/16/paypal-ventures-wind-down-corporate-restructuring-enrique-lores
PayPal is winding down PayPal Ventures, its 10-year-old corporate VC arm, as the fintech restructures under new leadership. PayPal has hired Jefferies to explore selling positions on the secondary market.
The unit backed 80+ companies across $850M in funds, including Plaid and crypto custodian Anchorage, but its team has shrunk from 10+ to just two.
It is part of a broader shakeup after previous CEO stepped down, with PayPal refocusing on AI and its core business.
👉 fortune.com/2026/06/16/paypal-ventures-wind-down-corporate-restructuring-enrique-lores
OpenAI has launched LifeSciBench for Science AI
OpenAI has introduced LifeSciBench, an expert-written, expert-reviewed benchmark that tests whether AI can support real life-science research — not just answer biology questions.
It is a push to measure AI's usefulness in scientific work, where being right matters more than sounding right.
👉 openai.com/index/introducing-life-sci-bench
OpenAI has introduced LifeSciBench, an expert-written, expert-reviewed benchmark that tests whether AI can support real life-science research — not just answer biology questions.
Built with 173 scientists, it spans 750 expert-authored tasks across seven biological research workflows, each grounded in Ph.D.-level judgment.
It is a push to measure AI's usefulness in scientific work, where being right matters more than sounding right.
👉 openai.com/index/introducing-life-sci-bench
Moody's Brings Its Credit Ratings Onchain to Solana
Moody's Ratings has expanded its Token Integration Engine with Alphaledger, putting its credit ratings onchain on Solana.
👉 moodys.com/web/en/us/media-relations/press-releases/moodys-ratings-expands-token-integration-engine.html
Moody's Ratings has expanded its Token Integration Engine with Alphaledger, putting its credit ratings onchain on Solana.
It is the first time Moody's ratings are integrated and machine-readable on a major public, permissionless blockchain. Alphaledger handles the onchain integration, letting protocols consume Moody's credit directly.
👉 moodys.com/web/en/us/media-relations/press-releases/moodys-ratings-expands-token-integration-engine.html
XION Becomes Verona, an Intelligence Layer for AI
XION has rebranded to Verona, shifting from web3 infrastructure to a verification and intelligence layer for AI agents — giving them portable, private, cryptographically verified real-world data.
The rebrand lands with the launch of ero, its consumer app, and an $18.5M raise for flagship EarnOS, plus $30M in brand spend.
👉 x.com/verona_dev/status/2067254700232343753
XION has rebranded to Verona, shifting from web3 infrastructure to a verification and intelligence layer for AI agents — giving them portable, private, cryptographically verified real-world data.
Verona already powers 69M+ verified interactions across 3M+ users and 115+ brands, including Uber, Amazon, Nike and BMW.
The rebrand lands with the launch of ero, its consumer app, and an $18.5M raise for flagship EarnOS, plus $30M in brand spend.
👉 x.com/verona_dev/status/2067254700232343753
Alchemy Launches Visa-Powered Payment Cards for AI Agents
Alchemy has introduced AgentCard, a Visa-powered virtual payment card designed to help AI agents operate autonomously in the real world.
The solution combines a Visa payment token, crypto wallet, email address, and phone number through a single API, enabling AI agents to make payments and interact with merchants independently.
The launch follows a growing trend of AI-focused payment infrastructure, with Mastercard unveiling Agent Pay for Machines and MetaMask introducing Agent Wallet earlier this month.
👉 theblock.co/post/405224/alchemy-unveils-visa-powered-virtual-payment-card-for-ai-agents
Alchemy has introduced AgentCard, a Visa-powered virtual payment card designed to help AI agents operate autonomously in the real world.
The solution combines a Visa payment token, crypto wallet, email address, and phone number through a single API, enabling AI agents to make payments and interact with merchants independently.
AgentCard supports tokenized card payments, crypto transactions, and emerging AI-native payment protocols, including Coinbase’s x402 and Stripe’s Machine Payments Protocol (MPP). The platform also includes built-in spending controls such as transaction limits, merchant restrictions, and budget management.
The launch follows a growing trend of AI-focused payment infrastructure, with Mastercard unveiling Agent Pay for Machines and MetaMask introducing Agent Wallet earlier this month.
👉 theblock.co/post/405224/alchemy-unveils-visa-powered-virtual-payment-card-for-ai-agents
Avalanche Expands Ecosystem With Payments Collective Launch
Avalanche has launched the Avalanche Payments Collective, bringing together major players across stablecoins, settlement, custody, FX, card issuance, treasury infrastructure, and global payouts.
Founding participants include Franklin Templeton, VanEck, Anchorage Digital, Paxos, Agora, Ethena, Rain, Axiym, Tassat, and others.
According to Avalanche, the initial participants support payment flows across 150+ countries, 96 currencies, and around 22 billion payout endpoints. The ecosystem already includes use cases in settlement, stablecoin issuance, cross-border payments, business payments, and payroll.
👉 avax.network/about/blog/avalanche-payments-collective
Avalanche has launched the Avalanche Payments Collective, bringing together major players across stablecoins, settlement, custody, FX, card issuance, treasury infrastructure, and global payouts.
Founding participants include Franklin Templeton, VanEck, Anchorage Digital, Paxos, Agora, Ethena, Rain, Axiym, Tassat, and others.
The collective reflects a broader shift in payments, where moving money globally requires more than fast transactions. It also needs liquidity, compliance, treasury tools, custody, foreign exchange, and local payment rails working together.
According to Avalanche, the initial participants support payment flows across 150+ countries, 96 currencies, and around 22 billion payout endpoints. The ecosystem already includes use cases in settlement, stablecoin issuance, cross-border payments, business payments, and payroll.
👉 avax.network/about/blog/avalanche-payments-collective
Kraken Expands Into Onchain Solana Trading as IPO Momentum Builds
Kraken is launching onchain DEX trading directly inside its main mobile app, giving users access to thousands of Solana-based tokens. The exchange plans to extend support to additional networks over time.
The move reflects Kraken’s strategy, keeping a simple centralized interface while leveraging decentralized infrastructure behind the scenes. It also fits a broader industry trend, as exchanges like OKX, Bybit, Binance, and Coinbase have already introduced similar DEX access through wallets or in-app integrations.
Moreover, Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said the company is “about 80% ready” to go public, though timing will depend on market conditions. After delaying earlier plans, Kraken is waiting for improved sentiment and stronger trading activity before moving ahead with its IPO.
👉 blog.kraken.com/product/onchain-trading/now-built-into-the-kraken-app
Kraken is launching onchain DEX trading directly inside its main mobile app, giving users access to thousands of Solana-based tokens. The exchange plans to extend support to additional networks over time.
The feature is powered by Privy wallet infrastructure and leading Solana DEX protocols. DEX assets will appear alongside existing holdings and can be traded using Kraken’s standard buy and sell interface with USD or USDC.
The move reflects Kraken’s strategy, keeping a simple centralized interface while leveraging decentralized infrastructure behind the scenes. It also fits a broader industry trend, as exchanges like OKX, Bybit, Binance, and Coinbase have already introduced similar DEX access through wallets or in-app integrations.
Moreover, Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said the company is “about 80% ready” to go public, though timing will depend on market conditions. After delaying earlier plans, Kraken is waiting for improved sentiment and stronger trading activity before moving ahead with its IPO.
👉 blog.kraken.com/product/onchain-trading/now-built-into-the-kraken-app
Suspected a16z Wallets Accumulate 4.03M HYPE Flow Into Hyperliquid
According to EmberCN, 12 wallets suspected to be linked to a16z transferred $24M USDC to Hyperliquid in the past 20 hours and are actively accumulating HYPE via TWAP orders.
The position is currently showing an estimated $29M unrealized profit, with the wallets now considered one of the largest HYPE holders and a key driver of recent price momentum.
The latest inflows suggest continued accumulation despite HYPE trading near recent highs.
👉 x.com/EmberCN/status/2067551324263342471?s=20
According to EmberCN, 12 wallets suspected to be linked to a16z transferred $24M USDC to Hyperliquid in the past 20 hours and are actively accumulating HYPE via TWAP orders.
Since March, the group has reportedly moved over $259M USDC into Hyperliquid through 100+ wallets to buy and stake around 4.035M HYPE at an average cost near $64 per token.
The position is currently showing an estimated $29M unrealized profit, with the wallets now considered one of the largest HYPE holders and a key driver of recent price momentum.
The latest inflows suggest continued accumulation despite HYPE trading near recent highs.
👉 x.com/EmberCN/status/2067551324263342471?s=20
Early Access Radar: 15 Waitlists to Join Now
No matter what the market's doing — green, red, sideways — new projects keep launching every week. And the best window to get involved is the earliest one: before the token, before the crowd, while the door's still open.
So we rounded up 15 fresh projects with open waitlists into one Early Access Radar — AI trading, perp DEXs, prediction markets, crypto cards. A few minutes each, all in one place, so you don't have to go hunting.
Full details 👉 cryptodiffer.com/feed/other/early-access-radar-15-waitlists-to-join-now
No matter what the market's doing — green, red, sideways — new projects keep launching every week. And the best window to get involved is the earliest one: before the token, before the crowd, while the door's still open.
So we rounded up 15 fresh projects with open waitlists into one Early Access Radar — AI trading, perp DEXs, prediction markets, crypto cards. A few minutes each, all in one place, so you don't have to go hunting.
Full details 👉 cryptodiffer.com/feed/other/early-access-radar-15-waitlists-to-join-now
Cryptomarket Check-In. Major Events & Headlines
Institutional conviction showed up in multiple forms this week, from a $60B tech M&A and a $7.4B AI funding round to traditional finance moving its core infrastructure directly onchain across credit ratings, settlement, and RWA distribution.
🔎 Recent Updates & Developments
– SpaceX acquired Cursor’s maker Anysphere in a $60B merger for AI infrastructure
– DeepSeek closed a $7.4B round at $50B valuation, backed by Tencent and JD
– Ethereum’s Glamsterdam entered final testing with 60M→200M gas limit and 78% fee reduction
– Trace Finance raised $32M Series A led by CoinFund, with Coinbase Ventures and Paxos
– Moody’s brought its credit ratings onchain to Solana, a first for a major permissionless blockchain
– Re secured a strategic investment from Coinbase Ventures, having written $500M in reinsurance premiums
– Plume brought PIMCO-backed fixed-income vaults to Bybit users onchain
Institutional conviction showed up in multiple forms this week, from a $60B tech M&A and a $7.4B AI funding round to traditional finance moving its core infrastructure directly onchain across credit ratings, settlement, and RWA distribution.
🔎 Recent Updates & Developments
– SpaceX acquired Cursor’s maker Anysphere in a $60B merger for AI infrastructure
– DeepSeek closed a $7.4B round at $50B valuation, backed by Tencent and JD
– Ethereum’s Glamsterdam entered final testing with 60M→200M gas limit and 78% fee reduction
– Trace Finance raised $32M Series A led by CoinFund, with Coinbase Ventures and Paxos
– Moody’s brought its credit ratings onchain to Solana, a first for a major permissionless blockchain
– Re secured a strategic investment from Coinbase Ventures, having written $500M in reinsurance premiums
– Plume brought PIMCO-backed fixed-income vaults to Bybit users onchain
APEC Raises $30M to Launch U.S. Regulated Equity Perps
APEC — a CFTC-regulated exchange for perpetual futures on equities and stock indices — has raised $30M at a $300M valuation. It was founded by Theodore Gillibrand, 22, son of pro-crypto Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
It rides the post-CFTC-approval wave of perp launches — even as the regulator faces a CME lawsuit over those very products.
👉 fortune.com/2026/06/18/theodore-gillibrand-senator-kirstin-gillibrand-apec-american-perpetuals-exchange-corporation-lux-capital
APEC — a CFTC-regulated exchange for perpetual futures on equities and stock indices — has raised $30M at a $300M valuation. It was founded by Theodore Gillibrand, 22, son of pro-crypto Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
The round was led by Lux Capital, putting a politically charged twist on the race to bring regulated perps to US markets.
It rides the post-CFTC-approval wave of perp launches — even as the regulator faces a CME lawsuit over those very products.
👉 fortune.com/2026/06/18/theodore-gillibrand-senator-kirstin-gillibrand-apec-american-perpetuals-exchange-corporation-lux-capital
