Binance Alpha opens the second round of COLLECT airdrop claims.

After failing to pressure the Federal Reserve, Trump has shifted his inflation fight to gasoline retailers. In a post on Truth Social, he stated that crude oil prices have fallen to $68 per barrel and continue to decline, demanding gas stations cut prices immediately, bluntly warning that "big problems await" if they do not, and even calling for gasoline prices to be pushed down to $2.5 per gallon. According to AAA data, the current average price of regular gasoline is $3.85 per gallon, down from $4.36 a month ago, but still higher than $3.19 at the same time last year. Data shows that as of May, U.S. inflation stood at 4.2%, well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Gasoline prices have risen 40.5% over the past 12 months, while fuel prices are up 58.9%, mainly due to the temporary disruption of Middle East oil supply routes caused by conflicts involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Previously, Trump had repeatedly pressured former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and board member Lisa Cook to push for interest rate cuts, but new Chair Walsh did not cut rates at his first policy meeting. Notably, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday that Trump’s earlier attempt to remove Cook was unlawful for failing to follow due process, further reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s independence and viewed as another setback to the White House’s efforts to interfere with market prices.

The Trump administration has proposed an unprecedented $1.5 trillion defense budget request, while advancing procurement system reforms that emphasize speed and efficiency, due to U.S. arms stockpiles being depleted by multiple wars. This trend is sparking a new round of competition among states for defense manufacturing investment and job opportunities. Castelion, a startup founded by three former SpaceX employees, is applying SpaceX’s business model to the hypersonic missile sector. The company has signed contracts with various military services, committing to deliver at least 500 missiles annually under a fixed-price contract model—shifting cost risks from the government to contractors, a departure from the traditional cost-plus model. To date, the firm has raised over $550 million in private capital. After a year of site selection, Castelion ultimately chose Sandoval County, New Mexico, to build a 1,000-acre manufacturing campus with a total project investment of $220 million, expected to create 300 high-paying jobs and generate $650 million in economic benefits over a decade. The state stood out for its abundant land resources, talent pools from Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, and efficient bipartisan government coordination mechanisms. The company noted that just six months after groundbreaking, 15 of the campus’s 21 buildings are already under construction.

Although Bitcoin has recently stabilized near $60,000, its rebound outlook remains dim. Glassnode data shows that Bitcoin ETFs have sold off 71,600 BTC this month, worth over $4 billion, marking the largest single-month redemption in history. Meanwhile, enterprises and digital asset custodians have only added 7,500 BTC to their holdings. Combined with daily new mining supply, the net gap reaches roughly 77,000 BTC (valued at around $4.4 billion), creating a notable "supply glut". Against this backdrop, Strategy (MSTR), the largest Bitcoin-focused digital asset firm, announced a Bitcoin monetization plan on Monday, authorizing the sale of up to $1.25 billion worth of Bitcoin, primarily to build a $2.55 billion USD reserve to cover preferred stock dividends and interest expenses. Analysts note that if capital flows do not turn positive and institutional demand fails to recover, any price rebound is likely to be short-lived. The only factor currently supporting Bitcoin is the long USD positioning in the foreign exchange market. Elsewhere, UK regulators have cut the capital buffer requirement for stablecoin issuers from 2% to 1%; the 52-week correlation between Bitcoin and the USD/JPY exchange rate has fallen to -0.90, its lowest level since late 2022, challenging the "carry trade" theory; and global oil prices are seeing their largest quarterly decline since 2020, with markets focusing on the progress of US-Iran talks.

According to Lookonchain's monitoring, BlackRock's address deposited 4,984.56 Bitcoin (valued at approximately $295 million) and 30,725 Ethereum (valued at approximately $48.58 million) into a Coinbase Prime address, totaling around $344 million.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released its "landmark" final crypto asset regulations, completing years of work to build a regulatory framework. Trading platforms, custodians, stablecoin issuers, and staking service providers must obtain FCA authorization to operate in the UK. Companies can apply for authorization between September 30, 2026, and February 28, 2027, while the mandatory regulatory regime will take effect on October 25, 2027. The rules cover capital and stress testing requirements, market integrity provisions to combat insider trading and market manipulation, and dedicated stablecoin standards. Trading platforms bear gatekeeping responsibilities, requiring them to vet tokens and publish disclosure documents in the FCA’s central database before listing. Crypto firms will be brought under the FCA’s consumer protection framework, giving retail customers access to the Financial Ombudsman Service for the first time. The regulatory scope also extends to decentralized finance (DeFi), applying to cases where an "identifiable controlling entity" exists. Following consultations, the FCA simplified some rules, including cutting the capital requirements for stablecoin issuers (the key capital ratio was reduced from 2% to 1%). David Geale, FCA Executive Director for Payments and Digital Finance, stated that the framework allows firms to avoid choosing between regulatory certainty and room for innovation. Industry groups have generally welcomed the new rules, noting they provide a clearer development path for the UK as a competitive jurisdiction.

Nasdaq-listed crypto asset management firm Solana Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kazakhstan’s Alatau City to assist in developing the city’s blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure. The partnership stems from a June roadshow held in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, during which 30 cooperation agreements were already secured, with total potential investment exceeding $6 billion. The collaboration will span four key areas: digital asset custody, blockchain infrastructure, acceleration of institutional adoption, and platform development. Solana Company will also participate in constructing the Alatau Crypto Industrial Cluster, a special economic zone pilot that allows daily cryptocurrency transactions. Notably, Kazakhstan previously partnered with the Solana Foundation to establish Central Asia’s first Solana Economic Zone in the capital, Astana. Last week, a Kazakh exchange launched the country’s first Solana ETF. Alatau City is part of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s smart city vision, proposed in May 2024, which encompasses low-altitude aircraft, robot taxis, and a hydrogen-driven economy. However, the project faces real challenges: Kazakhstan’s central bank and financial regulators have raised concerns over the constitutional amendments required to underpin the crypto economy, while independent media reports indicate local residents still grapple with shortages of gas, water, electricity, and internet access.