The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

June 16: Crypto analytics firm LookOnChain reports stablecoin issuer Circle minted an additional $1 billion in USDC on the Solana blockchain today, continuing its recent trend of large-scale USDC expansion. Data shows Circle has issued a total of 3.5 billion USDC on Solana over the past week, equivalent to roughly $3.5 billion.

June 16 – U.S. Vice President JD Vance told CNBC in a Monday interview that while the U.S. and Iran have reached a preliminary deal on a ceasefire and a verification framework, numerous technical details remain to be ironed out, with the U.S. holding an upper hand in upcoming negotiations. Last Sunday’s accord extends the ceasefire deadline by 60 days and establishes a basic framework for further discussions on Iran’s nuclear program. A senior U.S. official revealed that former President Donald Trump, Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), with a formal signing ceremony scheduled this Friday in Geneva, Switzerland. The full terms of the agreement are expected to be released within 24 to 48 hours. Vance noted the deal centers on two core goals: restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz and securing a long-term commitment from Iran to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. He added that Iranian For

June 16 – Binance announced it will officially delist five spot trading pairs starting at 03:00 UTC on June 19, 2026. The pairs being removed are ADX/BTC, AEVO/USDC, DOT/BNB, KAVA/BTC, and WBTC/ETH. The crypto exchange said the delisting follows a routine review of its spot trading offerings, with insufficient liquidity and low trading volume cited as the primary reasons. Native tokens tied to these pairs will still trade normally on other active Binance trading pairs, and the delisting will not affect users’ ability to hold or withdraw the associated assets. Binance also noted that spot trading robot services for the affected pairs will be terminated at the same time. The company strongly advises users to manually update or cancel their relevant trading robot settings before the deadline to avoid potential losses.

June 16 — Iran’s oil export revenues have not suffered the sharp decline widely forecast amid months of post-U.S. military strikes conflict and Strait of Hormuz tensions that have rattled global energy markets; instead, revenues actually grew at various points through the period, according to new industry-backed data. A report citing oil and gas industry figures notes that for most of the conflict, Iran’s daily oil export earnings even outpaced pre-war levels, debunking outside claims that Tehran’s economy was “rapidly being squeezed” by pressure. The U.S. government had previously assessed that sanctions and military pressure would swiftly drain Iran’s financial resources, crippling its ability to sustain both military operations and energy infrastructure. But real-world developments tell a different story: despite sanctions and geopolitical friction, Iran maintained consistent crude oil exports via its existing export network, preserving the resilience of its energy revenue chain t

June 16: In an exclusive report from The Korea Economic Daily, SK Hynix is planning to roll out a massive shareholder return program worth up to 100 trillion Korean won (KRW) in the fourth quarter of this year. The initiative will include two key components: stock buybacks and cash dividends. Market observers view this move as a bold strategic bet by SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won, aimed at bolstering the company’s standing and valuation in global capital markets. According to sources from investment banks and the semiconductor industry, the planned stock buyback will account for slightly more than 2% of SK Hynix’s total outstanding shares. The repurchases are set to launch immediately following the completion of the company’s American Depositary Receipt (ADR) listing, which is targeted for mid-next month. This large-scale shareholder return program is designed to ease investor worries that the ADR listing could dilute the value of existing shareholders’ stakes. It is also intended t

June 16 — French Bitcoin treasury firm Capital B is developing a digital credit product for the European market, with a structural framework drawing from Strategy’s STRC and Strive offerings. During the BTC Prague conference, company director Alexandre Laizet revealed the Bitcoin balance sheet-based tool is tailored to Europe’s high-tax, strict regulatory landscape, designed to bring new income-generating structured products to the region. Laizet explained the offering aims to pair Bitcoin treasury assets to deliver double-digit returns while keeping volatility contained in a narrow range, boosting capital efficiency via debt and revenue mechanism design. He highlighted Bitcoin’s long-term upward price trajectory as the underlying asset, which lets the treasury sustain consistent long-term profit distributions, citing Strategy’s recent dividend payout—funded by selling a small portion of BTC before adding more holdings—as an example of this fund recycling model. While Laizet noted i