US Supreme Court affirms Federal Reserve’s independent status, but ruling may lay groundwork for future legal challenges
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling confirms that Federal Reserve governors retain personnel protections requiring removal only for just cause, barring the president from dismissing them at will, thereby preserving the independence of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. However, the Supreme Court also ruled that the president may remove commissioners of other independent regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), without cause, overturning long-standing legal precedents applicable to independent agencies, leaving the Federal Reserve as almost the only federal agency still entitled to special personnel protections. Kathryn Judge, a professor at Columbia Law School, noted that while the Federal Reserve’s independence has been preserved, its legal foundation has weakened significantly over the past decades, and it will need to continuously explain to the public the rationale for its special status. Former Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles has previously pointed out that retaining special personnel protections only for the Federal Reserve creates a legal inconsistency, and the institution may still face new judicial challenges in the future. He argued that given the court’s finding that most independent regulatory agency officials fall under the executive branch and are removable by the president, the question of why the Federal Reserve is an exception remains a legal issue that requires further clarification.
1 seconds ago
StarkWare unveils Starknet quantum-resistant roadmap
StarkWare has unveiled a quantum-resistant roadmap for Starknet, divided into three phases to counter future quantum computing attack risks. The first phase involves replacing part of the existing Pedersen hash (a security mathematical mechanism) with quantum-resistant versions, and adding quantum-resistant signatures. The second phase focuses on migration tools that enable upgrades to existing smart contracts without requiring developers to manually rebuild their applications. The third phase covers dependencies that Starknet cannot resolve independently, and is primarily contingent on Ethereum’s quantum upgrade roadmap.
1 seconds ago
CME Group will launch standard and micro contracts covering more than 50 leading US stocks.
CME Group announced the launch of products including standard and micro contracts for more than 50 leading U.S. stocks. The new offerings will consist of 55 large-scale contracts and 22 micro futures contracts, with tradable underlying assets covering Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, and SpaceX.
1 seconds ago
TD Cowen cuts MicroStrategy’s price target to $260, but characterizes its new capital framework as “constructive”.
Wall Street investment bank TD Cowen has cut its price target for Bitcoin-focused firm Strategy (STRC) from $400 to $260, a roughly 35% reduction, while retaining its "Buy" rating. The firm described the digital credit capital framework unveiled by the company on Monday as a "gradual positive" for credit visibility and capital flexibility.
Analysts clarified that the target cut stems primarily from adjustments to Bitcoin price forecasts, not the framework itself. TD Cowen lowered its end-2026 Bitcoin price projection from ~$140,000 to ~$100,000, and its end-2027 forecast from $190,000 to ~$135,000.
The $260 price target still implies over 200% upside from Strategy’s Monday closing price of $92.68, a gap analysts admit "may appear unrealistic."
Regarding the new framework, Strategy has rebuilt its U.S. dollar reserves to $2.55 billion. The company issued over 12 million common shares in the past week and did not purchase any Bitcoin. TD Cowen said this move helps restore investor confidence in the company’s ability to weather long-term Bitcoin downturns. Current reserves cover more than 17 months of minimum preferred stock dividend and interest obligations; adding the authorized Bitcoin monetization capacity brings that coverage to roughly 26 months.
The firm also approved up to $1 billion in preferred stock repurchases and $1 billion in common stock repurchases. TD Cowen noted this marks a shift for Strategy from one-way share issuance to active capital structure optimization. The Bitcoin monetization plan is capped at $1.25 billion, with proceeds earmarked to replenish U.S. dollar reserves.
Additionally, STRC’s preferred stock dividend rate was raised from 11.5% to 12% to stabilize its trading price near its $100 par value. The security recently traded at a 26% discount to par due to Bitcoin’s price decline.
1 seconds ago
SYN surged more than 67% in the past 24 hours, jumping 14-fold over the last 30 days.
According to HTX market data, SYN has rallied more than 67% in the past 24 hours, currently priced at $0.68, with its market capitalization climbing to $152 million, surging 14-fold over the past 30 days. BlockBeats reported yesterday that Arthur Hayes took to social media to express bullishness on the Hyperliquid ecosystem, specifically highlighting Hypercall—SYN’s options DEX project—and stating it has the potential to challenge legacy options trading platform Deribit. On-chain data ahead of his post revealed that Arthur Hayes’ address acquired 6.16 million SYN tokens via FlowDesk, for a transaction value of roughly $2.2 million.
1 seconds ago
Iran refuses to recognize the 1968 Hormuz Strait Navigation Agreement, demanding a renegotiation of navigation rules.
According to The New York Times, Iranian negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Garibabadi this week reaffirmed Iran’s permanent control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting the internationally recognized shipping lane arrangement established in 1968—a stance that has sparked new tensions in the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
The 1968 lane agreement, negotiated by then-officials from Iran and Oman and approved by the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO), was primarily designed to address collision risks for supertankers navigating the 24-mile-wide waterway. It also carries legal significance given the overlapping territorial waters of Iran and Oman and the absence of neutral international waters in the central part of the strait.
Garibabadi noted that the agreement predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution, stating, “We have now informed Oman that these shipping lanes must be changed,” and added that the two sides have decided to launch expert and technical-level negotiations on adjusting the lanes.
Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, analyzed that Iran, as a regional military power at that time, did not need to use its geographic location as leverage, but now officials believe traditional shipping lanes allowing warships to pass through the strait pose a threat to Iran’s security. Jennifer Parker, an expert at the University of Western Australia’s Defence and Security Institute, said Iran is framing its position with more legal arguments to maximize its leverage at the negotiating table.
Notably, Iran has previously laid mines in the strait, effectively blocking the 1968-established lanes; the U.S. and Oman have recently attempted to establish an alternative route in Omani waters south of the strait with U.S. military escort, but Garibabadi reiterated on Monday that Iran will refuse to recognize any such parallel lanes.
1 seconds ago