HIP-3 Faces Growing Concentration Risk as More Deployers Exit Hyperliquid
Ventuals has announced it is shutting down operations and settling all active HIP-3 markets, becoming the second major HIP-3 deployer to exit after Felix. The team cited a strategic move to join another project within the Hyperliquid ecosystem.
The data highlights a growing concentration problem within HIP-3. TradeXYZ now accounts for roughly 95% of HIP-3 trading volume and open interest, while all other deployers combined represent only a small fraction of activity.
As a result, the average payback period for auction costs among independent deployers has stretched to nearly 4 years, compared to around 5 months for TradeXYZ. The lack of sustainable economics has already contributed to multiple shutdowns.
With volume increasingly concentrated in a single venue, concerns are growing around competition, ecosystem resilience, and long-term demand for HYPE, as fewer successful deployers remain active within the HIP-3 marketplace.
👉 x.com/ventuals/status/2066517389169025294?s=20
Ventuals has announced it is shutting down operations and settling all active HIP-3 markets, becoming the second major HIP-3 deployer to exit after Felix. The team cited a strategic move to join another project within the Hyperliquid ecosystem.
Despite generating over $650M in trading volume and attracting more than 500K HYPE, Ventuals ultimately failed to build a sustainable business. According to Blockworks Research, most non-TradeXYZ deployers remain unprofitable, with several still operating at a cumulative loss.
The data highlights a growing concentration problem within HIP-3. TradeXYZ now accounts for roughly 95% of HIP-3 trading volume and open interest, while all other deployers combined represent only a small fraction of activity.
As a result, the average payback period for auction costs among independent deployers has stretched to nearly 4 years, compared to around 5 months for TradeXYZ. The lack of sustainable economics has already contributed to multiple shutdowns.
With volume increasingly concentrated in a single venue, concerns are growing around competition, ecosystem resilience, and long-term demand for HYPE, as fewer successful deployers remain active within the HIP-3 marketplace.
👉 x.com/ventuals/status/2066517389169025294?s=20
Y Combinator’s Locus Founder Turns a Text Message Into a Business
Y Combinator has unveiled Locus Founder, an AI agent that lets users text a business idea via iMessage, SMS, or Telegram and then handles the rest. The system can research markets using 40+ paid data APIs, generate branding, and even build full-stack websites.
Locus Founder also supports payments in USDC and cards. Its payment layer, Pay With Locus, uses a non-custodial wallet built for AI agents, with spending controls and auditability.
When a sale is made, funds settle directly into the agent’s Locus wallet through Checkout With Locus. In practice, that means the AI can research, build, sell, and collect payments with minimal human input.
👉 coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/16/this-ai-builds-you-a-business-runs-it-and-settles-payments-in-usdc
Y Combinator has unveiled Locus Founder, an AI agent that lets users text a business idea via iMessage, SMS, or Telegram and then handles the rest. The system can research markets using 40+ paid data APIs, generate branding, and even build full-stack websites.
Beyond setup, the agent can source products and run outbound marketing campaigns, including short-form video ads posted on Meta. The launch positions Locus as more than a chatbot — it is designed to act like an autonomous business operator.
Locus Founder also supports payments in USDC and cards. Its payment layer, Pay With Locus, uses a non-custodial wallet built for AI agents, with spending controls and auditability.
When a sale is made, funds settle directly into the agent’s Locus wallet through Checkout With Locus. In practice, that means the AI can research, build, sell, and collect payments with minimal human input.
👉 coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/16/this-ai-builds-you-a-business-runs-it-and-settles-payments-in-usdc
Polymarket Trader Turns $4M Into $9M After Spain Shock Draw
A Polymarket wallet turned roughly $4 million into $9 million profit after betting against Spain in a World Cup match that ended in a 0–0 draw with Cabo Verde.
The result created one of the most extreme outcomes of the tournament. While one trader made ~$9M in hours, another lost nearly $1M on a near-certain Spain win bet that offered minimal upside.
About $64M was traded on the match, highlighting growing liquidity on Polymarket as prediction markets continue to expand beyond major macro events into sports.
👉 coindesk.com/markets/2026/06/16/polymarket-account-scores-usd9-million-win-against-world-cup-favorite-spain
A Polymarket wallet turned roughly $4 million into $9 million profit after betting against Spain in a World Cup match that ended in a 0–0 draw with Cabo Verde.
The account, tracked by on-chain analysts as “fishalive”, placed two large bets against Spain, one on a straight non-win and another on a handicap market. Both positions paid out after the underdog held the favorite to a draw.
The result created one of the most extreme outcomes of the tournament. While one trader made ~$9M in hours, another lost nearly $1M on a near-certain Spain win bet that offered minimal upside.
About $64M was traded on the match, highlighting growing liquidity on Polymarket as prediction markets continue to expand beyond major macro events into sports.
👉 coindesk.com/markets/2026/06/16/polymarket-account-scores-usd9-million-win-against-world-cup-favorite-spain
Threads Hits 500M Active Users as Meta Rolls Out New Personalization Tools
Threads has surpassed 500 million monthly active users, Meta announced, marking nearly three years since launch as a competitor to X.
Threads is also expanding its Communities feature with a new Discovery Hub, improved navigation, and custom icons to make topic-based groups easier to find and recognize.
Additionally, Meta is scaling Live Chats across all communities, enabling real-time discussions during major cultural and sporting events, further strengthening its push into live, real-time engagement.
👉 techcrunch.com/2026/06/16/threads-adds-new-personalization-features-as-it-reaches-500m-monthly-users
Threads has surpassed 500 million monthly active users, Meta announced, marking nearly three years since launch as a competitor to X.
The platform is introducing a new “Your Algo” feature, allowing users to privately adjust what appears in their feed by increasing or reducing specific topics for 1, 3, or 7 days. The feature builds on the earlier “Dear Algo” tool but removes the need for public posts.
Threads is also expanding its Communities feature with a new Discovery Hub, improved navigation, and custom icons to make topic-based groups easier to find and recognize.
Additionally, Meta is scaling Live Chats across all communities, enabling real-time discussions during major cultural and sporting events, further strengthening its push into live, real-time engagement.
👉 techcrunch.com/2026/06/16/threads-adds-new-personalization-features-as-it-reaches-500m-monthly-users
Argentina: the most crypto-pilled nation on earth
No country has gone deeper. A president who legalized Bitcoin contracts in his first month and cleared banks to offer crypto by 2026. 22.8% of the population in crypto, $93.9B in yearly volume, and 61.8% of it in stablecoins — the peso's quiet replacement.
It's also an exporter: Decentraland, OpenZeppelin, Rootstock, POAP — all built by Argentines and used worldwide. At home, Ripio, Lemon, Belo and Muun run the local market.
Even the national team is crypto-backed — Bybit, Nexo, LBank, BTCC all behind La Albiceleste.
And the dark side: the LIBRA scandal — a Milei-promoted token that hit $4.5B and collapsed 96% in hours, now under investigation.
One country, every layer of crypto. Mapped
No country has gone deeper. A president who legalized Bitcoin contracts in his first month and cleared banks to offer crypto by 2026. 22.8% of the population in crypto, $93.9B in yearly volume, and 61.8% of it in stablecoins — the peso's quiet replacement.
It's also an exporter: Decentraland, OpenZeppelin, Rootstock, POAP — all built by Argentines and used worldwide. At home, Ripio, Lemon, Belo and Muun run the local market.
Even the national team is crypto-backed — Bybit, Nexo, LBank, BTCC all behind La Albiceleste.
And the dark side: the LIBRA scandal — a Milei-promoted token that hit $4.5B and collapsed 96% in hours, now under investigation.
One country, every layer of crypto. Mapped
Axiom Launches Polymarket-Powered Prediction Markets
Solana trading terminal Axiom has rolled out prediction markets directly in-app, powered by Polymarket — letting traders bet on events without leaving the platform.
It's Axiom's first big step beyond trading, plugging into crypto's fastest-growing arena. Markets settle in pUSD, Polymarket's native collateral token, with live odds from its CLOB v2 order book.
👉 x.com/AxiomExchange/status/2065465775767331086?s=20
Solana trading terminal Axiom has rolled out prediction markets directly in-app, powered by Polymarket — letting traders bet on events without leaving the platform.
To celebrate this, Axiom gives its users 20 pUSD for free as part of the promotion. To withdraw, users have to deposit at least $17 and place a trade.
It's Axiom's first big step beyond trading, plugging into crypto's fastest-growing arena. Markets settle in pUSD, Polymarket's native collateral token, with live odds from its CLOB v2 order book.
👉 x.com/AxiomExchange/status/2065465775767331086?s=20
Binance Wallet to Host re (RE) Pre-TGE Prime Sale today
re Protocol opens its Pre-TGE Prime Sale on Binance Wallet today at $0.05 per RE — a $500,000 raise for 10M tokens (1% of supply), implying a $50M FDV.
re Protocol routes stablecoin capital into fully collateralized reinsurance contracts through licensed insurers — an RWA-insurance project with ≈$265M TVL.
👉 binance.com/en/events/primesale-re
re Protocol opens its Pre-TGE Prime Sale on Binance Wallet today at $0.05 per RE — a $500,000 raise for 10M tokens (1% of supply), implying a $50M FDV.
Open to Binance Alpha holders during the June 17, 12:00–14:00 UTC window (max 3 BNB each); RE airdrops to Alpha accounts on June 18.
re Protocol routes stablecoin capital into fully collateralized reinsurance contracts through licensed insurers — an RWA-insurance project with ≈$265M TVL.
👉 binance.com/en/events/primesale-re
MANTRA to Be Acquired by Its $20M Backer Inveniam
RWA Layer-1 MANTRA has agreed to be acquired by Inveniam Capital Partners — the strategic investor that put $20M into the project last year — in a deal set to close in Q3 2026.
The merger pairs MANTRA's regulated RWA chain with Inveniam's AI-ready private-market data infrastructure. Its brand, team, chain and mantraUSD continue under Inveniam; terms were undisclosed.
👉 theblock.co/post/404964/mantra-to-be-acquired-by-inveniam-backer-that-invested-20-million-last-year
RWA Layer-1 MANTRA has agreed to be acquired by Inveniam Capital Partners — the strategic investor that put $20M into the project last year — in a deal set to close in Q3 2026.
It is a turnaround for MANTRA, whose OM token collapsed in 2025 and forced a restructuring and layoffs.
The merger pairs MANTRA's regulated RWA chain with Inveniam's AI-ready private-market data infrastructure. Its brand, team, chain and mantraUSD continue under Inveniam; terms were undisclosed.
👉 theblock.co/post/404964/mantra-to-be-acquired-by-inveniam-backer-that-invested-20-million-last-year
Zama and Morpho Launch a Confidential Yield Vault
Zama, Morpho and Steakhouse have gone live with the first 'confidential DeFi yield' vault on Ethereum — using Zama's fully homomorphic encryption to keep depositor balances and positions private while earning onchain yield.
Zama supplies the FHE encryption layer, Morpho the lending infrastructure, and Steakhouse Financial curates the vault's strategy and risk.
👉 theblock.co/post/404992
Zama, Morpho and Steakhouse have gone live with the first 'confidential DeFi yield' vault on Ethereum — using Zama's fully homomorphic encryption to keep depositor balances and positions private while earning onchain yield.
It is a milestone for confidential DeFi: users earn lending yield without exposing their holdings onchain.
Zama supplies the FHE encryption layer, Morpho the lending infrastructure, and Steakhouse Financial curates the vault's strategy and risk.
👉 theblock.co/post/404992
Satori Finance Shuts Down Despite Its $10M Raise
Satori Finance, the perpetuals DEX that raised $10M in 2022, is winding down — saying a prolonged weak market left too little revenue to keep operating.
It is the latest perp DEX to fold as on-chain trading concentrates into a handful of dominant venues, squeezing smaller players out.
👉 x.com/SatoriFinance/status/2066909927973740797
Satori Finance, the perpetuals DEX that raised $10M in 2022, is winding down — saying a prolonged weak market left too little revenue to keep operating.
Users have one month to close positions and withdraw funds before the platform goes offline.
It is the latest perp DEX to fold as on-chain trading concentrates into a handful of dominant venues, squeezing smaller players out.
👉 x.com/SatoriFinance/status/2066909927973740797
Ethereum's Glamsterdam Update Enters Final Testing
Glamsterdam, Ethereum's biggest planned upgrade of 2026, has entered its final development phase — core devs are running full devnet tests of a fork bundling every planned EIP before code freeze and public testnets.
Key changes: EIP-7732 (ePBS) moves block-building on-chain to curb MEV; EIP-7928 adds block-level access lists for parallel execution; EIP-7904 reprices gas — cheaper compute, pricier state.
👉 coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/16/ethereum-s-biggest-protocol-overhaul-in-years-moves-into-its-final-development-stage
Glamsterdam, Ethereum's biggest planned upgrade of 2026, has entered its final development phase — core devs are running full devnet tests of a fork bundling every planned EIP before code freeze and public testnets.
The gas limit jumps 60M → 200M and L1 fees could fall up to 78%, with mainnet now targeted for Q3 2026.
Key changes: EIP-7732 (ePBS) moves block-building on-chain to curb MEV; EIP-7928 adds block-level access lists for parallel execution; EIP-7904 reprices gas — cheaper compute, pricier state.
👉 coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/16/ethereum-s-biggest-protocol-overhaul-in-years-moves-into-its-final-development-stage
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
