Executive brief
Digital assets found renewed momentum over the holiday weekend as Bitcoin jumped above $63,000, reversing losses from late June. The rally was largely driven by weak US jobs data, with only 57,000 payrolls added against expectations of 110,000. This miss reduced pressure for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike, creating a more buoyant environment for risk assets despite the thin liquidity associated with the July 4 holiday. While Wall Street remains offline, the market’s independence has been on display, though traders remain cautious of an options trap near the $66,000 level.
Institutional narratives are shifting as major players adjust their capital allocations. Strategy authorised up to $1.25b in Bitcoin sales to build a liquidity cushion, marking its first significant disposal since 2022. Simultaneously, miners like Riot Platforms are moving treasuries, with a reported 500 BTC transfer suggesting a pivot toward funding AI and data centre infrastructure. In the stablecoin sector, competition is intensifying with Robinhood offering a 7% yield on USDG, even as new entrants like Open USD face scrutiny over the formal commitment of their listed corporate partners.
A key driver for the coming week will be the market’s ability to absorb these corporate sell-offs against a backdrop of receding rate-hike risks. A significant opportunity lies in the demographic shift of $124t in wealth moving to younger, crypto-friendly generations, which could provide long-term structural support. However, immediate risk remains in the technical ceiling at $68,000, where large options positions may cap further gains if holiday liquidity remains low.
1) Top 20 news headlines
- Bitcoin jumps above $63,000, reversing end-June losses; the token reached its highest in over a month during thin July 4 trading with XRP leading majors with a 5% gain.
- US spot Bitcoin ETFs top $200m in daily inflows for first time since May; spot funds posted $221.7m in inflows on 2 July as the market recovered above $61,000.
- Strategy authorises $1.25b in Bitcoin sales for liquidity cushion; the largest corporate holder sold 32 BTC on 1 June and has board approval for further sales to fund dividends and interest.
- Ethical hackers find flaw putting $70b in crypto at risk; researchers used a $3,000 server to find a critical vulnerability in the Aptos blockchain that has since been patched.
- Crypto hacks hit record count in H1 2026; attackers carried out 207 separate hacks in six months, though total losses fell to $972m.
- Kalshi June trading volume tops $9b; prediction market activity was boosted by the expanded FIFA World Cup, leading to record monthly volumes.
- Trump reports at least $1.4b in crypto income for 2025; the president stated he did nothing illegal and was not aware of the full extent of his holdings.
- Riot Platforms transfers 500 BTC to NYDIG; the movement of roughly $30.7m in BTC signals potential treasury mobilisation as the miner pivots to AI infrastructure.
- Americans traded $571m on Polymarket despite ban; US-linked wallets led political contract trading over the past year despite being legally restricted from the platform.
- Boomer wealth transfer of $124t could reshape crypto; analysts suggest shifting just 2% of transferred assets to digital assets would generate $2.2t in fresh demand.
- Open USD partner roster under scrutiny after mix-up; several Korean firms denied official consultations after being listed as consortium members for the new stablecoin.
- Bitcoin whales bought $16.7b of BTC in two weeks; large holders absorbed selling pressure even as spot ETFs experienced a record $4b in June outflows.
- Revolut to delist USDT in August; the fintech firm cited regulatory concerns for the move, with holdings to be automatically converted after 31 August.
- South Africa proposes new crypto tax guidance; the tax authority is seeking public input until 31 August on how digital assets fit within existing income rules.
- Americans on pace to lose $250b on legal gambling in 2026; the figure excludes billions moving through prediction markets and short-horizon crypto trading.
- Vitalik Buterin unveils Lean Ethereum roadmap; the plan includes a new virtual machine to improve privacy and scalability on the network.
- UK FCA crypto framework focuses on global liquidity; new rules aim to unlock institutional trading but involve a daunting authorisation process.
- Kraken prepares CFTC-regulated perpetual futures; the launch for US traders follows the acquisition of Bitnomial to provide regulated derivatives access.
- TRON Nile testnet deploys quantum-resistant security; the upgrade aims to protect the ledger against theoretical decryption risks from quantum computing.
- Semiconductor trade fades as Bitcoin rebounds; capital may be shifting back into digital assets as AI-tied stocks lose their 2026 momentum.
2) BTC and ETH ETF flows
| Metric | BTC | ETH |
|---|---|---|
| Net inflow | $221,719,273.5 | $29,082,177.16 |
| Value traded | $2,130,152,174.6 | $669,622,368.7 |
| Net assets | $74,369,324,122.56 | $9,019,904,969.87 |
| Cumulative net inflow | $51,079,177,102.6 | $10,889,038,108.34 |
3) X trending news
- Retail risk appetite at records; 0DTE options now account for a record 48% of total retail options volume.
- US job market revisions; employment data has been revised downward in 14 of the last 17 months by a total of 710,000 jobs.
- Metaplanet adds to Bitcoin holdings; the firm purchased 2,823 BTC worth $170m, bringing its total to 43,000 BTC.
- AI CapEx to rival defense spending; spending by five major tech firms is projected to hit $1.1t by 2027, or 3.2% of US GDP.
- Trump stock trade highlighted; the president purchased up to $530,000 of Micron stock in March 2026.
- Central banks buying gold; global institutions purchased 41 tonnes of gold in May, with Poland leading at 18 tonnes.
- Michael Saylor bullish on BTC; the Strategy founder hinted at more purchases, describing Bitcoin as digital energy.
- Hong Kong chip trade records; semiconductor exports from China to Hong Kong reached a record $15b in May.