Vent Finance

Felix Jauvin

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/forwardguidance">subscribe</a>.



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To no one’s surprise, the Fed held rates steady in the June FOMC meeting.&nbsp;



As is the case in this modern age of monetary policy, the actual rate decision was well-telegraphed and wasn’t what moved markets.&nbsp;



In terms of what did move markets…the FOMC statement saw minor changes to wording but, generally, there was very little for market participants to glean.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf3RnMcc7yVQr7cDQmXZW-PMJsLzvEnXoki6unSI8FLtLcMEveQYoDrx6vjRcCkfZ51fZ7STwhjyLNAW57SnBhpa6E22Ljg5tBAkIEbPYLEuDUwUKZBbGq7mHyVCTwj56vI2h6HYA?key=2A0LOa6-dzsI7z05o7-NJw" alt=""/></figure>



More notably, the updated Summary of Economic Projections was substantial compared to the last update in March.&nbsp;



Considering how much has changed since March (Liberation Day and an <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/stocks-lower-oil-iran-israel">emerging war</a> with Iran, to name a few things), it&#8217;s no surprise to see a significant change in the ways FOMC members see the economy evolving.&nbsp;



&nbsp;Based on the table below, we can surmise that:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The FOMC sees growth slowing more than what committee members expected in March.</li>



<li>The FOMC expects the unemployment rate to tick up marginally but they’re still not concerned about the labor market.</li>



<li>The committee further ratcheted up their inflation forecast for 2025 from 2.7% to 3%, noting the risk of tariffs being larger than what they expected.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfA2x8Xhd-8qzAqHOHI9Xfp8Ju4708N-Qao33T6g9auwNtIvE0pccBjD4X3AzM2r_kYJxJrGjeS0ikITd7XxRy8zMMpKEjPA8FAPeEVrbx7MbzF17We7bdTvokV2QHKqTCY0Jmy?key=2A0LOa6-dzsI7z05o7-NJw" alt=""/></figure>



Interestingly, the one thing the FOMC did not change is how many rate cuts they expect to enact this year.&nbsp;



The number remained at two by year-end. However, beneath the surface, we actually saw more FOMC members move toward no cuts for this year — just enough to move the market on the median projection:&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdzqiiQdR15C99JyuGDcbB9qVMlFsek-pq9-OPBogM4kyS6KS4zwg-shtUbDc57v56i4834ViuFK0epb_DIZyk8KaSbhp8aeqcc-ntWIf_tEmtGUsLhOgQrV3tnHKO08Hc_hF2Amg?key=2A0LOa6-dzsI7z05o7-NJw" alt=""/></figure>



Overall, the theme of the June meeting was a Fed truly committed to doing as little as possible.&nbsp;



With a five-year monetary policy framework review underway, a Fed chair’s term ending in 2026, uncertainty around tariffs, a potential oil shock from the Middle East and a US president demanding the Fed cut rates by at least 200 basis points, it appears Powell’s main goal is just to get to the end of his term in one piece.



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FOMC

June FOMC meeting takeaways

Kate Irwin

This is a segment from The Drop newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/thedrop">subscribe</a>.



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I chatted with Spekter Games founder and CEO Taehoon Kim about crypto gaming and where things go from here. The a16z-backed studio’s flagship game is called <a href="https://t.me/SpekterAgency_bot">Spekter Agency</a>, a mobile-first roguelite battler with crypto elements playable via Telegram.



But big-picture first. This slice of our chat was also edited and condensed for clarity:



Taehoon Kim: Web3 gaming, you know, is not going that well at the moment. A lot of the projects overpromised and under-delivered, and they were only able to kind of attract the point farmers, because the gameplay wasn&#8217;t very good, right? 



So we saw this scenario over and over again, where people play because they want to earn the tokens that they&#8217;re going to launch. After TGE, [it] always goes up and kind of fizzles away, and then everybody leaves because they’re not really there because of the game. They’re attached more to the reward. So it was the same movie playing over and over again. 



So what I think needs to happen next is that we need games that are excellent.



Kate Irwin: Telegram has been a huge platform. More broadly, we’re seeing a lot of companies try to do the “Superapp” and “Mini apps” dynamic. What do you make of that and its possible impact on crypto gaming and crypto app developers?



Yeah, so this is the main reason why I founded Spekter Games late last year: Because I saw such a big potential with Telegram and these chat-based super apps that enable both the free-to-play Web2 model as well as the Web3 model. Telegram especially — with the mini apps, it makes it super easy for people to invite and accept, and so the viral distribution just becomes super frictionless. Second, the easy payments using Telegram Stars.



And with Spekter Games, there’s plans for one unified token, as opposed to multiple tokens per game. Can you speak a little bit to the strategy behind that?



We don’t want any complications; our strategy is a little different. We don’t want everything to be onchain. We actually want most things to be offchain, except the reward system. And we want the rewards to also be mainly status items, like vanity items, like skins and PFPs and things that don’t impact your stats or gameplay. So our games are just like Web2 free-to-play games that aren’t token-gated. 



So if you do well in the game, and if you invite people, then you get Sparks, which are our reward points. And then you can convert the Sparks into our token, which will launch later on. We want that to be mainly all about status, like, think of it as more of like a credit card point system or airline model system.&nbsp;



Is the vision to do a global launch, or are you launching in specific regions?



More of a global launch. We picked the roguelite genre because we believe that’s the genre where anyone can play, and it doesn’t really have to have a regional, specific appeal. Also it’s a game genre that monetizes really well. 



All you have to do is move. Everything else is done automatically. You just have to make good choices with your skills to upgrade as fast as possible within your game session.



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Gaming

A16z-backed Spekter Games founder shares Telegram gaming ethos

Donovan Choy

This is a segment from the 0xResearch newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">subscribe</a>.



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Crypto centralized exchanges have been rapidly moving their businesses onchain of late.



And to get there, they’re all leveraging their biggest trump card: distribution.



Case study number one.



Bybit announced <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/solana-bybit-dex-hybrid">Byreal</a> on Sunday, a DEX on Solana that is set to launch later this year. Along with the DEX is also a yield product (Revive Vault) and a token launchpad (Reset Launch).



Byreal will route liquidity from its CEX through a hybrid RFQ (request for quote) + CLMM (concentrated liquidity market maker) model, so onchain users can trade onchain with a CEX’s liquidity depth.



My guess is Bybit users will also be able to access Byreal from the main CEX app.



Case study number two.



Coinbase <a href="https://blockworks-research.beehiiv.com/p/don-t-underestimate-avalanche">announced</a> a few days later the direct integration of Base DEXs onto its exchange business, set to roll out this week. DEXs from other chains will also be integrated eventually.



This opens up gas-less trading access to thousands of altcoins for millions of Coinbase users (though they will still pay the usual CEX trading fee).



It’s a significant tailwind for DEXs on Base, namely its largest one: Aerodrome. The AERO token — which accrues revenues from DEX trading fees — has pumped 52% in price since the announcement.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcav3WTb-NvqhVgeF9T73BsWBQnhKrZRKKnA2FSKPnah8JUCLKi6A77G7JOCtRR6hiWnTpzplEliPIa8Y0IH3sVfk_34qkqd5sjXd6G1q-Ti0fxwTa357TKab9NYI7p51AlIcgnVA?key=HOmWb9MvGqXEBEClHFvZ8Q" alt=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: <a href="https://app.blockworksresearch.com/flashnotes/aerodrome-tailwinds-coinbase-dex-integration">Blockworks Research</a></figcaption></figure>



This isn’t Coinbase’s first attempt to push onchain with its distributional advantage. cbBTC, its wrapped bitcoin product was bootstrapped using Coinbase as the main distribution rail.



By integrating Base’s lending markets under the hood, cbBTC holders on Coinbase could easily borrow USDC against their bitcoin collateral without leaving the Coinbase app.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">~$100m in bitcoin on <a href="https://twitter.com/base?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@base</a> from <a href="https://twitter.com/coinbase?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coinbase</a> customers borrowing USDC onchain this is the first defi mullet product and it&#39;s only been a couple months &#8211; this flywheel is going to bring billions and billions of capital onchain <a href="https://t.co/Y7AYGVRd2v">pic.twitter.com/Y7AYGVRd2v</a>&mdash; jesse.base.eth (@jessepollak) <a href="https://twitter.com/jessepollak/status/1908536280356663688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Case study number three.



Binance and its extremely complicated Alpha campaign, which has been running since May.&nbsp;



Within Alpha are dozens of “trading competitions” that reward users with “Alpha Points” to trade selected assets, which will in turn entitle you to airdrops. Yet, calling it a competition is misleading — most of these points are handed out based on trading volumes, not P&amp;L criteria.



That’s puzzling until you realize there is a double-pronged strategy at play here.



The first prong is to drive Binance Wallet adoption. Alpha points are eligible only if one trades using its keyless Binance Wallet. This has enabled Binance to absolutely dominate crypto “wallet market share,” as seen below.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf-LCBLfQ2kDhjcSvDRv-kbswnU6pegV1l00KYSVo5eshvU9oYWcyVBJueA_0wClpVv5k1O7pWN3es0IEwyzDFrxFkUt4PFvOcv5L8C-4d1aTtMV792wKyZhfbYygbP6DYvWl9r?key=HOmWb9MvGqXEBEClHFvZ8Q" alt=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: <a href="https://dune.com/lz_web3/wallet-war">Dune</a></figcaption></figure>



There are two caveats here. For one, the activity isn’t organic.



Second, these aren’t “Binance Wallet” users so much as they are simply “Binance CEX” users.



Traders still pay the Binance CEX trading fee, so the revenue capture is different from that of a MetaMask user paying a fee for using its in-app trading features. Calling it “wallet market share” is probably misleading.&nbsp;



Still, it has allowed Binance to drive adoption for its wallet and potentially funnel users onchain on a piece of infrastructure that they own, which they can monetize later.



The second prong of the strategy behind Binance Alpha is to bolster its own onchain ecosystem on BNB Chain.



<a href="https://www.binance.com/en/support/announcement/detail/c6499e95c15e408ca44ca5f6db975d4d">Powering</a> the trading of these Alpha tokens under the hood is PancakeSwap, which has exploded in volumes since Alpha kicked off in May.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeHpFvcQgLTPRYQx5JCCEqH7xZMiI_R0QR_BtYF-DJ6BQPYHNQoiCkdTTZMVAcu2sa9VbddkKq1_nA4ml1eJGpNSKq1f8g9l4bTCG5CYpIem6El1m2JvZZHV4AP2PKpkLx1NGOosQ?key=HOmWb9MvGqXEBEClHFvZ8Q" alt=""/></figure>



Source: <a href="https://app.blockworksresearch.com/analytics/bnb">Blockworks Research</a>



These different strategies convey a clear sign: the onchain economy has come a long way from just a few years ago.



DeFi is now mature and secure enough that centralized entities, which must adhere to regulatory requirements, can confidently integrate DeFi infrastructure into their own compliant technology stacks.



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0xResearch Newsletter

Centralized exchanges are embracing the DeFi mullet

David Canellis

“The scenario of bitcoin going to zero does not exist anymore. BTC is playing much the same role as gold did in the early days of banking.”



You’ve probably come across that exact post on X, shared by a scambot posing as a reply-guy — bait that leads to some fraudster posing as an analyst.



Still, it’s true. The scenario of bitcoin going to zero really does not exist anymore.&nbsp;



Obviously, I don’t need to convince you of that. But it wasn’t always this way. Bitcoin actually did go to zero on this day, 14 years ago, localized entirely on Mt. Gox, of course.



Stacked against the swathes of scandals that plagued Mt. Gox, this particular incident seems small, with only 2,000 BTC reported lost (under $30,000 at the time).



The significance was in the spectacle. Practically all bitcoin trading <a href="https://data.bitcoinity.org/markets/volume/all?c=e&amp;t=b">volume</a> occurred on Mt. Gox before mid-2011, making it the one and only venue for bitcoin price discovery.&nbsp;



Bitcoin had peaked at more than $26 in the first two weeks of June — an all-time high that would stand for close to two years. Prices were now on their way down, but at least one YouTuber noticed they were correcting a little too quickly.



“You are watching a crash in real time. We are down to 4.8 [dollars], 4.6, 4.5, 4.4. I’ve been watching this since about 17. I’ve not seen a single uptick in this market. It’s going straight down. I would be fascinated to know what news is associated with this. I’m sure we’re going to find out. Three and a half, 3.3, 3.2&#8230; and 3.1,” BitcoinChannel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1X6qQt9ONg">commentated</a> over the Mt. Gox’s price feed.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bitcoin Report Volume 8 - (FLASHCRASH)" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T1X6qQt9ONg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



“Well, I’m all broken up about my $99. The main thing I’m broken up about is I could have had 33 bitcoins [$560 then, $3.5 million now]. So we’re going to see how low this thing goes.”



Within three minutes, the price of bitcoin on the exchange had flatlined at $0.01, with not a single positive tick observed on the way down.&nbsp;



BitcoinChannel was right: there was some news about Mt. Gox. It had been hacked.



Two days earlier, a pseudonymous hacker under ~cRazIeStinGeR~ had offered for sale Mt. Gox’s entire database of user accounts for sale on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110619054549/http://pastebin.com/xhnNdvte">Pastebin</a>. The next day, then-new owner Mark Karpelès <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110621070512/http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=18858.0">warned</a> of an increase in thefts from user accounts, but appeared to blame the victims themselves.



“So far I have 10 known cases of people whose coins were stolen (someone logged in on the account using their password, traded USD for BTC, withdrew all the BTC). Considering we have now over 60000 accounts (2 months ago we had 10 times less), this seems to be a problem coming mainly from users.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="973" height="194" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png" alt="" class="wp-image-104152" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=973 973w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=768 768w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=428 428w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=470 470w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=389 389w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-19-at-14.33.24.png?w=80 80w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 973px) 100vw, 973px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The pastebin that sent bitcoin to zero</figcaption></figure>



As it turned out, ~cRazIeStinGeR~ may have told the truth. Preceding the crash, an unidentified user on the long-gone InsidePro password recovery forums, “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110622172449/http://forum.insidepro.com/search.php?search_author=georgeclooney">georgeclooney</a>,” asked for help in cracking hashed passwords from the stolen database.



A number of the hashes were weak and were quickly brute-forced, according to a <a href="https://blog.zorinaq.com/major-attack-on-the-worlds-largest-bitcoin-exchange/">timeline</a> of events pieced together by investor Marc Bevand. “Some users discovering the leak have run password brute-forcers themselves against the hash list and easily broke hundreds of them. Contrary to previous claims from the MtGox owner, this indicates that many accounts had been compromised for at least days, if not weeks, before today&#8217;s attack.”



And considering georgeclooney knew about the hashes before the database was leaked online, Bevand concluded that they were likely the same person who sent bitcoin spiraling.



At exactly 36 seconds past 5:15pm, UTC, on June 19, 2011, that person placed a number of orders to sell hundreds of thousands of bitcoins at once. Bevand reported that it took 30 minutes for Mt. Gox to process those orders and had been totally unresponsive during that time, as is reflected in BitcoinChannel’s video.



In total, the hacker had traded more than $1.5 million BTC out of a total daily volume of $1.8 million. They then appeared to attempt to buy bitcoin back on the way up for more profits, as did other users, driving bitcoin’s price back up to a few dollars.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="979" height="574" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png" alt="" class="wp-image-104151" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=979 979w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=768 768w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=428 428w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=445 445w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=374 374w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/feed-chart.png?w=80 80w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 979px) 100vw, 979px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The price of bitcoin on Mt. Gox during the crash (<a href="https://blog.bitmex.com/the-june-2011-bitcoin-flash-crash/">source: BitMEX</a>).</figcaption></figure>



One user in particular, “Kevin,” <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=20207.0;all">claimed</a> to have bought 259,684 BTC for $3,000 ($0.016 on average) but was only able to withdraw 643 BTC before Karpelès took Mt. Gox offline to sort through the mess.



In the end, Mt. Gox was saved due to its $1,000 withdrawal limits for both US dollars and bitcoins (the latter of which was unknown to the public until this event). These limits contained most of the damage to the platform&#8217;s internal, offchain order books.&nbsp;



Karpelès opted to roll back the trading engine to before the compromised accounts began their coordinated dumps, a move which faced controversy at the time. It’s believed up to around 900 accounts may have been affected, and the platform would stay closed until August.



It could be that the hacker knew about the withdrawal limits, and chose to crash the price of bitcoin, perhaps as part of a plot to siphon up to 100,000 BTC, if they were priced at $0.01 apiece, thereby skirting the $1,000 cap.&nbsp;



“Or perhaps, as it is sometimes the case, the attacker&#8217;s purpose was simply to cause mayhem for fun (think a script kiddie doing random things). Not all attackers are like the well-prepared robbers in Ocean&#8217;s 11, with a precise plan of action. This is probably the simplest explanation,” Bevand wrote.



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</ul>

Bitcoin

When ‘George Clooney’ crashed bitcoin to below $0.01

Katherine Ross

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subscribe</a>.



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Crossover’s officially expanding to the United States.&nbsp;



I spoke to CEO Brandon Mulvihill about the move, institutional interest, and the rise of over-the-counter (OTC) trading.&nbsp;



It’s probably already pretty obvious that this change is happening because of the shifting environment in the United States. Mulvihill told me it’s the perfect time for the team to enter the US markets — because it’s obviously a more favorable regulatory environment, but also because it looks like institutional interest is really picking up.&nbsp;



“Almost the day after the election, the US institutions were calling us immediately,” he told me. Mulvihill and his other cofounders started their careers in TradFi, so they’re pretty familiar with both crypto and the more, well, traditional side of finance.&nbsp;



And, with CrossX — its electronic communications network — Crossover does stand out as over-the-counter (OTC) trading picks up in crypto.&nbsp;



“One of the big drivers we see internationally is that people are getting out of — especially the crypto-native market makers and…quant hedge fund — they&#8217;re moving away from the on-exchange world into OTC trading, which should not be surprising, because if we look at the foreign exchange market, the same thing happened,” he said. Crossover is also the “largest OTC destination cleared by Hidden Road.”



He noted that even banks, which Mulvihill expects to be one of the “slowest financial institutions to the market” are already making headway, with the JPMorgan <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-17/jpmorgan-to-pilot-deposit-token-jpmd-on-coinbase-linked-public-blockchain?srnd=phx-crypto">announcement</a> about JPMD and stablecoin progress by the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/banking/crypto-stablecoin-big-banks-a841059e?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhSMoPcmOmAKC-LFtF9vIAkvrsxT32tv3mKrYUR72SV9gSZBrgax_8_krstsXk%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6851c701&amp;gaa_sig=IHNDW_Km5xkDw3GBlDQ_9AXzhaafufpXBIoNHObggT2BXLuH_1mGRRUUdjMMz65KqL944JKxPRcn80kwkinL9w%3D%3D">likes of Bank of America</a>.



“They are all aggressively, from what we see, building out or finally finalizing battle plans,” he said, reiterating that he still thinks there’ll be a “little bit of time before [banks] come in.”



Add to that the regulatory changes on the horizon. Mulvihill told me that the Crossover team has offered comments on the market structure bill, which is still working its way through DC. He told me he’s heard that it could come between August to the end of the year, though he was cautious to actually predict a timeline.&nbsp;



But the bill itself “changes the game,” he said, calling it “the most positive thing that, I think, has happened in crypto since the ETFs were launched.”



“As a result, what we&#8217;re going to see are mainstream, blue-chip financial institutions coming in waves. I think we&#8217;re going to see M&amp;A explode. I think we&#8217;re going to see investment explode. I think you&#8217;re going to see a real explosion of new customers into the space as a result of this bill.”



And this just reiterates the market potential for Crossover.



“We just fundamentally don&#8217;t believe that the institutional market can grow orders of magnitude in its current market structure form,” Mulvihill noted. Instead, it’ll evolve from here. Just like crypto has pushed TradFi to evolve, which is perhaps why Crossover is striking while the iron is heating up and moving into the US.&nbsp;



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Empire Newsletter

Why Crossover is expanding into the US

Polemos, a leading Web3 gaming infrastructure platform dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional gaming and the decentralized future, today announced a new strategic partnership with The Sandbox. This collaboration signifies a major leap forward in expanding the reach and utility of Web3 gaming within the vibrant Asian market, with a focus on immersive metaverse experiences.



The alliance between Polemos and The Sandbox is set to unlock opportunities for gamers and creators across the region. By combining Polemos&#8217; robust platform for NFT utility and decentralized gaming ecosystems with The Sandbox&#8217;s deep expertise in metaverse development and its extensive network in the Asian gaming and creative industries, the partnership aims to accelerate the mainstream adoption of Web3 technologies. Currently, Polemos is preparing for its highly anticipated Token Generation Event (TGE), slated for June 23rd, 2025, hosted by Kommunitas.



The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is a decentralized virtual world that has become a cornerstone of the open metaverse, enabling players to create, own, and monetize their gaming experiences. The Sandbox, specifically, focuses on cultivating this innovative ecosystem within the dynamic Asian market, fostering local talent, and onboarding prominent regional IPs and brands into the metaverse. This focus aligns with Polemos&#8217; mission to onboard users into Web3 with seamless, intuitive tools and experiences.



&#8220;We are incredibly excited to partner with The Sandbox (SEA), a true pioneer in shaping the metaverse landscape, especially within such a crucial and rapidly evolving market,&#8221; said Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos. &#8220;This represents a big step in our journey to expand Web3 gaming. The Sandbox commitment to fostering a vibrant creator economy and their deep understanding of regional nuances will be instrumental in expanding our reach and delivering truly engaging experiences to a broader audience. As we approach our TGE, this collaboration underscores the significant traction and potential of the Polemos ecosystem.&#8221;



Polemos provides a comprehensive suite of tools that simplify engagement with blockchain games including the ability to seamlessly trade, buy, sell, and even rent NFTs and other assets. Furthermore, Polemos&#8217; unique scholarship program empowers aspiring gamers, offering them the tools and support needed to grow, play, and earn more effectively within the Web3 gaming paradigm. These features will offer tangible benefits and expanded opportunities for participants within The Sandbox metaverse.



&#8220;Our mission at The Sandbox is to empower creators and users to build and own their digital experiences within the metaverse,&#8221; said Cris D. Tran &#8211; Regional General Manager Web3 (SEA) &#8211; The Sandbox. &#8220;Partnering with Polemos, a platform that shares our vision for accessibility and utility in Web3 gaming, allows us to further enhance the value proposition for our community. Their expertise in asset management, frictionless onboarding, and player empowerment will unlock new dimensions of creativity and earning potential for users in The Sandbox, especially across Asia.&#8221;



This strategic alliance underscores Polemos&#8217; commitment to accelerating Web3 adoption globally, with a particular emphasis on high-growth regions like Asia. The upcoming $PLMS Token Generation Event on June 23rd, 2025, will further empower the Polemos ecosystem, providing a foundational utility token that drives participation, governance, and economic activity within the platform and its burgeoning partnerships.



About Polemos: Polemos is a leading Web3 gaming infrastructure platform, enabling seamless player onboarding, asset management, and engagement across blockchain games. Through strategic partnerships and innovative technologies, Polemos bridges Web2 and Web3 gaming, creating a frictionless experience for players. The platform focuses on creating awareness by educating mainstream Web2 players about the opportunities and value within Web3 games and blockchain technology, simplifying access by breaking down blockchain complexities, and enhancing engagement by building innovative tools and features that enrich gameplay, deepen player interactions, and empower gaming communities.



About The Sandbox: A subsidiary of Animoca Brands, The Sandbox is a leading decentralized virtual world that empowers players, creators, and artists to create, own, and monetize their experiences using NFTs and its utility token $SAND. The Sandbox specifically focuses on fostering the growth of the open metaverse across the Asian continent, collaborating with regional brands, intellectual properties, and creators to build a vibrant and diverse digital landscape.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Website: <a href="https://forge.polemos.io/">forge.polemos.io</a></li>



<li>X: <a href="https://x.com/Polemos_io">Polemos_io</a></li>
</ul>



This content is sponsored and does not serve as an endorsement by Blockworks. The veracity of this content has not been verified and should not serve as financial advice. We encourage readers to conduct their own research before making financial decisions.



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Polemos forges strategic partnership with The Sandbox leading up to $PLMS TGE

Byron Gilliam

This is a segment from The Breakdown newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/brand/the-breakdown">subscribe</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“The bad cars tend to drive out the good.”



— George Akerlof
</blockquote>



In his 1970 paper “The Market for Lemons,” economist George Akerlof explained what happens when sellers have more information than buyers.



In the market for used cars, for example, the odds you’ll get a lemon are disproportionately high due to an “asymmetry in available information.”



Because buyers can’t tell good cars from bad ones, they end up trading at the same price — a price that’s too low for a good car and too high for a bad one.



Owners of bad cars, knowing what they have, are therefore incentivized to sell (usually to buyers who can only guess what they’re buying.)&nbsp;



This floods the market with lemons.



“Gresham’s law has made a modified reappearance,” Akerlof warned. “For most cars traded will be the ‘lemons,’ and good cars might not trade at all.”



The result is lower quality for buyers and a market that slowly eats itself.



“It is quite possible,” Akerlof wrote, “to have the bad driving out the not-so-bad driving out the medium driving out the not-so-good driving out the good in such a sequence of events that no market exists at all.”



This may be where crypto is heading, too: “ Liquid token investors are concerned that tokens are becoming a lemon market,” Felipe Montealegre told the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGtLIf_UW9U">Empire podcast</a> this morning.



That might seem surprising, given that blockchains are inherently transparent, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for crypto projects to disclose.



One argument against regulating tokens has always been that there’s nothing to regulate; regulation is primarily about disclosure and in crypto, everything you’d need to know about a fully decentralized project is theoretically disclosed onchain.



But few projects are fully decentralized.



For all the rest, highly price-relevant details like lock-ups, market-making deals and OTC transactions remain opaque.&nbsp;



Even the most basic things like how much revenue a project earns or how many tokens exist are often difficult to determine.



The primary sellers of any given token — typically the token’s creators — know all these things, of course. That asymmetric informational advantage may be turning crypto into a market for lemons.&nbsp;



But perhaps not for long!



This morning, Blockworks launched a “<a href="https://blockworks.co/news/token-transparency-framework">Token Transparency Framework</a>” that will encourage token projects to eliminate the informational advantage crypto sellers have over buyers simply by telling buyers everything they need to know.



This is the premise of all securities regulation.



US regulators like to say that their goal is to protect investors, but their job is simply to inform them.



It may be the most important job in markets.



Before the SEC was created in 1934, investors had so little information about companies and the equities they issued that most didn’t bother with the stock market. They bought bonds instead, knowing at least that companies were legally bound to pay them back.



Those who did try their luck in the stock market spent most of their time attempting to second guess what a company’s insiders might do next — because the insiders were the only ones that knew anything.



The introduction of securities regulation and insider trading laws was an attempt to correct this by creating at least a perception of fairness that would encourage broader participation in stock markets.&nbsp;



Forward-thinking companies and exchanges welcomed their regulators, knowing that if people didn’t think the investing game was fair, few people would play it.



(Just visit any schoolyard playground to see how long an unfair game will last.)



But investing is more than a game, of course, so the stakes were much higher.



“If capitalism is to be maintained,” NYSE President Emil Schram told <a href="https://time.com/archive/6804272/wall-street-every-man-a-capitalist/">Time Magazine</a> in 1941, “the Stock Exchange has to be accepted by the public, a place where we can raise the capital we need. We have to get people out of the idea that the exchange is just a big gambling den.”



It seems to have worked: An estimated <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1711/stock-market.aspx">62% of US adults</a> now own equities, vs. <a href="https://www.sechistorical.org/collection/papers/1940/1940_1001_DistributionOwnership_1.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">less than 3%</a> in the 1930s.&nbsp;



With luck, Blockworks’ transparency framework could do something similar for crypto.



<a href="https://x.com/smyyguy">Dan Smith</a> describes the framework he helped create as a “crypto-native S1,” referencing the exhaustive IPO filing in which the SEC compels companies to divulge every possible thing a prospective investor could possibly want to know.



And that is pretty much the SEC’s entire job.



Regulators don’t pass judgement on whether a stock offering is good or bad, only that a company is sharing enough information to allow investors to make that determination for themselves.&nbsp;



Blockworks’ transparency framework is an important step in the same direction.



To prevent crypto from becoming a market for lemons, buyers just need to know what sellers do.



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The Breakdown Newsletter

Crypto doesn’t have to be a market for lemons

Jeff Albus

This is a segment from the Lightspeed newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subscribe</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



This isn&#8217;t a promo piece. This is a totally normal weekly markets update that just so happens to include news of a <a href="https://blockworks.co/token-transparency">sweeping transparency initiative</a> that may reshape token due diligence forever, thanks to your friendly neighborhood content goblins at Blockworks.



Just so we&#8217;re all clear.



The week began with SOL in a minor rotation. We&#8217;re still off local highs, but prices <a href="https://blockworks.co/price/sol">remain</a> steady within the $140-$150 range. Bitcoin similarly <a href="https://blockworks.co/price/btc">hodls</a> around $104k, reasonably unfazed by <a href="https://www.investors.com/news/strait-of-hormuz-oil-prices-iran-israel-conflict-stock-market/">geopolitical noise</a> out of the Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;



Though, if we&#8217;re reading tea leaves, crypto will likely remain range-bound until there&#8217;s clearer direction from the Fed or a decisive break in macro volatility.



Kamino v2 is now three weeks old. According to <a href="https://app.blockworksresearch.com/research/kamino-v2-a-new-growth-lever">a recent report</a> from Blockworks Research, it has pulled $230 million in new deposits, $90 million in fresh loans and turned looping PT-tokens into an institutional-grade yield strategy.



Jupiter volumes are cooling from memecoin fever highs but still <a href="https://app.blockworksresearch.com/research/kamino-v2-a-new-growth-lever">dominate</a> Solana&#8217;s DEX flow. Margin markets are consolidating. Drift now commands ~$923 million in deposits and ~$230 million in borrows, with growing integration between perps and lending. MarginFi, sidelined by earlier exits, is stirring again.



Maple and Apollo markets are open for business, offering exposure to real-world private credit through syrupUSDC and sACRED. Multiply strategies remain <a href="https://app.blockworksresearch.com/research/kamino-v2-a-new-growth-lever">dominant</a>, with SOL utilization north of 80% across major markets.



A problem that persists, though, is that when it comes to Solana&#8217;s most sophisticated DeFi strategies, so much of this activity remains difficult to track and trust. Underlying mechanics tend to be scattered across contracts, governance threads and backwater Discord channels.



Which brings us, in a very convincing segue, to Blockworks&#8217; new Token Transparency Framework.



Launching this week, the framework <a href="https://x.com/Blockworks_/status/1935321626788380714">introduces</a> an open-source standard for token project disclosures. It establishes 18 weighted criteria across four categories, including project purpose, revenue sources, equity-token relationship, token allocation and vesting schedules, related-party transactions, market-making agreements and more.



Each project is <a href="https://blockworks.co/token-transparency">scored out of 40</a> based on the completeness and materiality of its disclosures, with Blockworks acting as the first audit layer atop these self-reported filings.



Early adopters <a href="https://x.com/Blockworks_/status/1935321703154074041">include</a> Jito, Jupiter, Raydium, Morpho, Aerodrome and Stride, all of which have completed filings and received <a href="https://impressive-horses-5641a8b530.media.strapiapp.com/Jupiter_Token_Transparency_Framework_Q2_2025_6351fa32d7.pdf">published transparency scores</a>.&nbsp;



Transparency is a baseline for trust. As capital rotates between lending markets and perps platforms, protocols are leaning into increasingly complex primitives, from principal token loops and private credit vaults to structured auto-compounding strategies.



With macro still mostly in wait-and-see mode, eyes are back on core infrastructure: lending dynamics, staking derivatives and real volume durability. Expect protocols with clear risk frameworks and transparent capital flows to lead the next rotation.



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<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/forwardguidance">Forward Guidance</a>: The intersection of crypto, macro and policy.</li>



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<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a>: All things Solana.</li>



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<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/supplyshock">Supply Shock</a>: Bitcoin, bitcoin, bitcoin.</li>
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Blockworks Research

Macro volatility keeps Solana range-bound

Casey Wagner

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday left interest rates unchanged for a fourth consecutive time. Federal Open Market Committee members still expect to issue two rate cuts this year, unchanged from their projections in March.&nbsp;



“No one holds these rate paths with a great deal of conviction,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said during Wednesday afternoon’s press conference, cautioning the public to not read too closely into the so-called “<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcprojtabl20250618.pdf">dot plot</a>.”&nbsp;



“We do this once a quarter. It&#8217;s a hard thing to do,” he added.&nbsp;



Central bankers now expect the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed’s preferred inflationary gauge, to hit 3%, versus 2.7% in March.&nbsp;



Committee members anticipate unemployment to end the year at 4.5% versus 4.4% in March. Median expectations for gross domestic product dipped to 1.4% from 1.7% in March.&nbsp;



In terms of when those two interest rate cuts might come, Powell said it is “very, very hard to say when that will happen,” but he insisted that it will eventually happen.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“As long as the economy is solid, though, as long as we&#8217;re seeing the kind of labor market that we have and reasonably decent growth and inflation moving down, we feel like the right thing to do is to be where we are,” he added.&nbsp;



When asked whether he planned to stay on as a Fed Governor after his term as Chair ends in May 2026, Powell said he isn’t “thinking about that.”&nbsp;



“I’m thinking about this,” he said.&nbsp;



The comment comes after President Donald Trump earlier in the day expressed frustration with Powell and his decision to leave rates untouched so far this year.&nbsp;



“Europe had 10 cuts, and we had none,” Trump told reporters. “And I guess he’s a political guy, I don’t know. He’s a political guy who’s not a smart person, but he’s costing the country a fortune.”



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<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/forwardguidance">Forward Guidance</a>: The intersection of crypto, macro and policy.</li>



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Federal Reserve

Fed leaves rates unchanged, increases inflation projections

Ben Strack

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/forwardguidance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subscribe</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



As you’ve probably heard a thousand times: Tokenization is in its early stages.&nbsp;



But a new tidbit seems to confirm that the utility of onchain assets will continue to evolve.&nbsp;



As it stands now, stablecoins are “really the only [RWA]” that have gained substantial product-market fit, Ondo Finance CEO Nathan Allman recently told me. (My fuller Q&amp;A with Allman will hit<a href="http://blockworks.co/"> Blockworks.co</a> a bit later).&nbsp;



<a href="https://blockworks.co/news/circle-shares-nyse-day-one">Circle had its IPO</a> earlier this month and the Senate<a href="https://blockworks.co/news/genius-stablecoin-act-passes-senate-vote"> passed the GENIUS Act</a> last night, both of which brought stablecoins further into the public eye.



While the promise of more widespread access to<a href="https://blockworks.co/news/tokenized-rwa-segments-will-boom-next"> tokenized stocks, bonds</a> and other assets has not yet been fully realized, another tokenized RWA with growing traction is money market funds.&nbsp;



BlackRock got into that game with Securitize via the USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) launch in March 2024. Its assets under management stand at roughly $2.9 billion.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1213" height="492" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=1024&amp;h=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-104119" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=1213 1213w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=1024 1024w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=768 768w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=428 428w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=470 470w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=389 389w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-3.png?w=80 80w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1213px) 100vw, 1213px" /></figure>



Now, certain institutional clients using Crypto.com and Deribit can post BUIDL as collateral. The thought is enabling capital allocation flexibility while getting the relative price stability of tokenized Treasurys.



And the yield.



As Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo put it in a statement: “The fund is evolving from a yield-bearing token into a core component of crypto market infrastructure.&#8221;



Tokenized money market funds are not here to replace the ~$240 billion stablecoin market, industry watchers have noted.



Standard Chartered’s Waqar Chaudry<a href="https://blockworks.co/news/tokenized-yield-funds-complement-stablecoins"> told me in March</a> that the two are “definitely complementary,” adding: “Many might prefer tokenized funds for collateral management.”



But while BlackRock’s Robbie Mitchnick sees tokenized yield funds as the predominant cash savings vehicle, he believes stablecoins “will retain their dominance” for payments and transactions. Deribit’s nearly $1.2 trillion in trading volume was one reason<a href="https://blockworks.co/news/coinbase-deribit-deal-focus-derivatives"> </a>Coinbase <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/coinbase-deribit-deal-focus-derivatives">agreed to buy</a> the company last month. 



We’ll see if and how today’s development contributes to accelerated tokenized yield fund adoption. And, of course, we’ll get back to you.



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<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/forwardguidance">Forward Guidance</a>: The intersection of crypto, macro and policy.</li>



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BlackRock

BUIDL as collateral? Another step in the tokenization story

This is a segment from The Drop newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/thedrop" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subscribe</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Crypto “L3” chain B3 has acquired PC builder Andromeda Insights and is releasing the <a href="https://shop.b3.fun/products/b3pc-crypto-gaming-pc-military-grade-encryption-self-destruct-button-secure-hardware-wallet">B3PC</a>, a blue-lit prebuilt for gamers that’s got some crypto integrations plus a dedicated “Destroy” button.



B3 <a href="https://x.com/b3dotfun/status/1934997553864421439">says</a> it acquired Andromeda because the PC startup is already financially successful, reportedly making “millions” in annual revenue and seeing 1,000% annual growth without a marketing budget.&nbsp;



Released imagery of one example of the customizable PC shows seven preinstalled case fans, two T-Force RAM sticks, an RTX 5090 GPU and a unique case design.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfahANf5oO-FvdAbOSL8Rs4fuAI46D-6hxJHRfg0wLzzE72bP9AtfbIKKpEMwKMhtolHjeud-Oy1zXXu44sT3jqmg0_RP9Toa-SnCz50xU0QU9dXH9oiBRg8Hfzt6UqHjFWQ2s0ug?key=jQOFNMLzsMMe36c8MN0SWg" alt=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: Side view of the B3PC.</figcaption></figure>



Each B3PC will also come with an integrated Trezor Safe 5 crypto hardware wallet and an attached NFT that signifies the desktop PC onchain.



One part of this build that B3 really wants you to know about are its two privacy-forward options for wiping its built-in SSD. You can purge it digitally (and reuse it) with the Secure Erase feature regardless of whether the PC has power. It looks like that’s what the “Delete” button is for.



Or, if you’re looking for a more severe option, you can “Self-Destruct” your machine’s memory by pressing and holding the “Destroy” button for 10 seconds. This scary red button has a protective cover, though, to prevent your cats or kids from purging your PC by accident.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcKbiUbU9-1bC5B_AI-rX8yGz76ExqPLZmEP2HrVHg5d0ztGQzVqGjemxGW-rd0bVN3EGKWx3mD-ucRxkzKOweK1L-GRlmDlKjeUZSHQW8tPCzTmyOrsWsjdgFbUXjebGG9yRwllg?key=jQOFNMLzsMMe36c8MN0SWg" alt=""/></figure>



The Self-Destruct mode essentially sends a high voltage to burn the PC’s NAND flash memory, according to B3’s website.



Besides that, there are some other features that may appeal to the privacy-conscious, as well as fans of “rugged” tech.&nbsp;



The B3PCs use AES encryption (alternatively, you can enable encryption on any existing Windows 11 PC by using Bitlocker).



When it comes to external temps, these PCs have been tested to handle environments anywhere from -55°C to 125°C (-67°F to 257°F). They also come with power surge protection to prevent short-circuits or electrostatic damage.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdU-Yedqzo73JqfbHBOhpG8UxVQqEi6SnQycx1FdipybjFwakefQzH7CAxgzvaypa2u9VbtT4finpiX8PxJTesKNHG2fzikMp2VFOX7H25gL-8VZS_yWJvgEuRJX1ZakXtJqhG65A?key=jQOFNMLzsMMe36c8MN0SWg" alt=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: B3PC’s scary red button.</figcaption></figure>



Preorder deposits are now open for $200 worth of fiat or any cryptocurrency, but the PCs aren’t expected to ship until early next year. If you pay in B3’s token, you’ll get a discount, though it’s unclear how much will be shaved off.&nbsp;



The exact cost of a B3PC will vary based on what’s added, but Andromeda typically charges anywhere from $1,400 to just under $5,000 per prebuilt (for reference, it’s easy to spend upwards of $2,000 on a decked-out gaming rig when building one yourself — and prebuilts tend to cost a bit more by default).



B3 — which was developed by ex-Coinbase staff — is solely focused on gaming. But the browser-based, vertical-format hypercasual games it offers right now through <a href="https://basement.fun/">Bsmnt</a> don’t require a PC at all, and definitely not one that costs thousands of dollars. Apparently, the PCs will come with some B3 games preloaded, which I’m not sure everyone will want (gamers generally dislike bloatware, and a lot of PC gamers dislike mobile-style games).



Gaming-related activity doesn’t seem to be happening at all on Base itself right now. The category currently makes up less than 0.1% of all transactions on the Ethereum L2, according to Blockworks Research data.



B3, however, is seeing some transactions. <a href="https://explorer.b3.fun/">Over 7.1 million</a> wallet addresses have interacted with the chain, which builds on the Base stack. B3 has seen over 119 million total transactions since it launched last year.



The B3 team hinted that the B3PC is its first hardware product, with more to come in the future.



The gaming PC market is expected to keep growing, but not spike massively, in coming years. Grandview Research estimates it was around $61.8 billion last year, and may grow to $129.9 billion by 2030.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdNGJQSS3rLf1Nz1Ia8OW3ADqKs8S86XyBOkN-U7MyrpsqjEu3zTvQAyIOzYZeL2iD1WidWQxRz9x_LtvNueEWvZivuE-Y053I1hSUZCOlbtnI0ZvXke8r3UCDHB5N4Y4vpFsaB7A?key=jQOFNMLzsMMe36c8MN0SWg" alt=""/></figure>



Mobile gaming, by contrast, is already double the size of the PC market for a variety of reasons, including easier accessibility and lower cost. It was believed to be a <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/mobile-games-market">$139 billion</a> market in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.2% in the next five years.



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B3 acquires PC startup, unveils desktop with ‘Destroy’ button

Macauley Peterson

This is a segment from the 0xResearch newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">subscribe</a>.



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On June 12, a massive outage originating in Google Cloud disrupted over 70 services globally, affecting platforms like OpenAI (ChatGPT suffered its longest outage to date), Cloudflare, Spotify, Discord, Snapchat, UPS, DoorDash and more. We often don’t appreciate how much critical infrastructure we’re now routing through opaque, centralized systems. And it’s not just a Web2 story. It’s also a DeFi one.



Before the likes of OpenAI were scrambling to reboot, another less publicized outage rippled through crypto: TRM Labs, a widely used blockchain compliance provider, went down on June 10 for nearly 12 hours after a Salesforce-related failure. If you were using TRM directly to screen transactions, your policy layer went offline.



If, on the other hand, you were using Predicate, you simply switched providers and kept running.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is Predicate?</h2>



Predicate is building a programmable policy enforcement layer for DeFi. Think of it as an operating system for pre-transaction compliance. Its latest <a href="https://predicate.io/blog/risk-management-framework-for-institutional-liquidity-on-uniswap-v4">white paper</a>, co-published with <a href="https://blockworks.co/tag/paxos">Paxos</a> and <a href="https://blockworks.co/tag/uniswap">Uniswap</a>, outlines how hooks in <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/uniswap-v4-goes-live">Uniswap v4</a> can now enforce asset-specific rules before swaps or liquidity deposits occur. That’s things like jurisdictional geofencing, market conduct constraints or investor accreditations, according to Predicate CEO Nikhil Raghuveera.



“You might have a pool that enforces different rules for different users that could be based on their IP [or] on accreditation or some other kind of entity status,” Raghuveera told Blockworks. “It could be literally anything.” That includes onchain or offchain data.



In the case of Paxos, whose USDL stablecoin is yield-bearing and rebasing, the situation is especially nuanced. US regulators may treat such an instrument as a money market fund, so Paxos International, which issues USDL from Abu Dhabi, must geofence US access. Using Predicate, the Paxos liquidity pool on Uniswap enforces a custom policy enforced via frontend IP gating or onchain attestations. A second hook wraps USDL into a non-rebasing token behind the scenes so it can interact with Uniswap’s accounting model. Thus, Paxos meets its regulatory constraints without compromising composability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Part of the modular movement</h2>



When recalling the outage headaches, a highlight is Predicate’s fallback architecture. Compliance “verdicts” (e.g., “This wallet passes TRM’s screen”) are signed by off-chain operators and checked onchain via Uniswap hooks. If one provider like TRM fails, another — say, Elliptic or Crystal — can step in without changing the smart contracts.



This modularity mirrors trends in decentralized AI, where teams like <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/daily/issue/post_ffe9ae74-0750-4e9c-9475-0b45e2612965">Venice AI</a> use decentralized networks such as <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/daily/issue/post_9690fc34-cf42-4cb2-94fe-a7589dc910bc">Akash</a> to route around centralized GPU bottlenecks.



“Policy is critical infrastructure because policies determine whether a transaction can go through or not,” said Raghuveera. “You need a holistic set of different pieces in case something goes down.”



We’ve spent years making smart contracts composable. Predicate reminds us that policy must be composable too: resilient to upstream failures, upgradable without liquidity migration and adaptable to jurisdictional nuance.



Institutional DeFi won’t scale on a “one-size-fits-all KYC.” But programmable, source-agnostic compliance enforcement might just work…and still keep the cypherpunks happy.



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Predicate, Paxos, and the policy layer

This is a segment from the Supply Shock newsletter. To read full editions, <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/supplyshock" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subscribe</a>.



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I subscribe to the multiverse theory.



So, drifting in an endless sea of cosmic baubles beyond the borders of our universe, is a world where Ross Ulbricht has more bitcoin than any other person on Earth.



Unfortunately, the following happened in our shared reality.



It was around this time in 2014 that the US government, through the Marshals Service, was preparing its first ever bitcoin auction: almost 30,000 BTC seized from the Silk Road master wallet.



The coins would’ve technically been worth around $18 million back then, the equivalent of nearly 20% of the average daily BTC trading volume, per <a href="https://data.bitcoinity.org/markets/volume/all?c=e&amp;t=b">Bitcoinity</a> data. Currently, they’d fetch $3.3 billion.



Ross was arrested eight months earlier and had been held at MDC Brooklyn as he awaited trial, which wouldn’t start for another half a year.



On this day, 11 years ago, the US Marshals goofed: The agency <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2014/06/18/bitcoin-auction">accidentally reply-alled</a> to an emailed question from a prospective buyer, revealing the names and/or email addresses of all 40 bidders on the auction list.



US Marshal auctions are meant to be anonymous, so it was clearly a SNAFU.&nbsp;



CoinDesk <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140621151239/https://www.coindesk.com/list-possible-silk-road-bitcoin-bidders-allegedly-leaked-us-marshals">identified</a> 17 individuals as a result of the incident — all executives from in and outside crypto — including Barry Silbert, Fred Ehrsam and Michael Moro. A USMS spokesperson quickly apologized.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXemZjGVOrcpshaofyezXvl9tIvz-CkLTKlna2foRtQK2NgOxe-k6rEGx97M80XaAllR0mt6XOKgsQlrQXFW4vS9NEpN8vlimLXmf_LKiKapOR5UYmVEr52-NxxZlzVB2nuYrM1_2g?key=6zkWL3W4GGEb-b_k0QyAmQ" alt=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A copy of the email with names and emails redacted (<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2014/06/18/bitcoin-auction">source</a>).</figcaption></figure>



In the end, someone who wasn’t identified ended up <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/venture-capitalist-tim-draper-wins-bitcoin-auction/?_php=true&amp;_type=blogs&amp;_r=0">winning</a> the whole stash of coins: legendary VC Tim Draper, who paid about $19 million. Draper said he would use the coins as liquidity to back an institutional-grade Bitcoin exchange and financial services platform, Vaurum, which was later <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2014/11/12/tim-draper-backed-bitcoin-exchange-vaurum-rebrands-as-mirror">rebranded</a> to Mirror.



Mirror never made it out of its invite-only phase. After a series of pivots, the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161006203229/https://mirror.co/#section_welcomehttps://web.archive.org/web/20161006203229/https://mirror.co/#section_welcome">platform</a> quietly went <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181119010251/https://mirror.co/">defunct</a> in late 2018.



As for the rest of Ulbricht’s coins, authorities seized 144,336  BTC personally belonging to Ross shortly after his arrest.&nbsp;



Ross initially fought to block the sale of those coins but was unsuccessful, with the government <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/10/25/fbi-says-its-seized-20-million-in-bitcoins-from-ross-ulbricht-alleged-owner-of-silk-road/">making</a> only $48 million at auction. Their current value would be in excess of $15 billion.



A combined 120,045 BTC was later seized from two individuals who had hacked Silk Road’s operational wallets on separate occasions.



In that alternate universe, where Ross still controls all of Silk Road’s bitcoin as they were in 2013, and his personal stash, his total balance would be 294,045 BTC ($30.7 billion) — about half Strategy’s current BTC treasury.



If pooled into one address, it would be the largest bitcoin balance on the entire <a href="https://bitinfocharts.com/top-100-richest-bitcoin-addresses.html">network</a>. Of course, Ross could’ve done anything with those coins between then and now, in that other universe.



At least in this one, Ross still got his freedom.



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History

How Ross Ulbricht could’ve been the richest Bitcoiner on Earth

Dan Smith

Today, the crypto market operates without a single, standardized disclosure framework.&nbsp;



Because of this, the market is left without key information about token supply and vesting schedules, insider incentives, and basic financial data in a fast-moving environment. This information gap fuels mistrust and, ultimately, results in the misallocation of investor capital.&nbsp;



In an effort to close that gap, Blockworks is proud to release the <a href="http://blockworks.co/token-transparency">Token Transparency Framework</a>. Blockworks led this effort with our partners <a href="https://twitter.com/TheiaResearch">Felipe Montealegre</a> of Theia, <a href="https://twitter.com/0xLouisT">Louis Thomazeau</a> of L1D, and <a href="https://x.com/cosmo_jiang">Cosmo Jiang</a> of Pantera.



This framework provides token projects with the ability to communicate a basic set of information to the market.&nbsp;



Designed as a one-time filing, the Token Transparency Framework focuses on 18 criteria, including:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Supply schedules</li>



<li>Market maker and exchange listing agreements</li>



<li>Related party transactions</li>



<li>Revenue streams</li>



<li>The relationships between equity and token</li>



<li>Foundation token allocations</li>



<li>Offchain entity structures</li>



<li>Financial disclosures</li>
</ul>



More available information means the industry can accelerate toward optimized best practices. Beyond the token issuers themselves, key players in the market directly benefit from this effort:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Professional investors access streamlined due diligence processes.</li>



<li>Market makers gain a simplified method to evaluate counterparty risk.</li>



<li>Centralized exchanges can accelerate listing velocity via structured data and disclosure.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Retail participants receive otherwise obfuscated information.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



The Token Transparency Framework represents an opportunity to improve capital allocation in the industry by helping projects signal credibility, allow investors to better underwrite risk with standardized disclosure of information, and prevent bad actors from profiting off ambiguity.&nbsp;



Blockworks views a grassroots disclosure framework as complementary to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce&#8217;s Safe Harbor 2.0 and SEC Chair Paul Atkins&#8217; views on DeFi. Effective self-regulation better positions the industry for future success.



To this end, the Blockworks team <a href="https://www.sec.gov/file/ctf-memo-jito-labs-blockworks-061325">met with the SEC</a> on June 13 to discuss the framework and solicit feedback.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Initial Cohort</h2>



The framework is now live with an initial cohort of project submissions, including Jito, Aerodrome, Raydium, Stride, Jupiter and Morpho. Completed submissions are publicly available on the Blockworks website, and we encourage other token projects to reach out and apply.&nbsp;



I have immense respect for all teams that participated in the initial round of disclosures. There is no precedent for transparency; these are the first movers that set a new bar.&nbsp;



The transparency scores of the initial cohort all exceed 35, showcasing high visibility into each project’s operations. This will serve as a credible signal in a field of noise that will show the market these players are long-term oriented.&nbsp;



We were excited to see this push previously inaccessible information to the market, especially in responses related to the relationship between token and equity, any advisory billings to the foundation, and market maker agreements.



To put the scores of the initial cohort into perspective, we independently scored four recently launched projects that we believe have taken advantage of the lack of disclosure in this industry. The transparency scores of the problem group range from 8 to 13 — a stark contrast to the initial cohort. Yet, each of these tokens was still listed on a centralized exchange.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1156" height="648" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png" alt="" class="wp-image-104070" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=1156 1156w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=1024 1024w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=768 768w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=428 428w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=466 466w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=389 389w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD_4nXevWdudhbMvjnnbiJRb_QXwF0VWqicHS71v7sZqES6FTpiHkN738UI2JZWJtYqEzyr1bFNfuYF74WzWxxjf8yEv0aGPOAb_UEyY39M2Lb5hrBLSHWqC1FYiPMtsaybky1tQ5mn37g.png?w=80 80w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1156px) 100vw, 1156px" /></figure>



Note, these scores are just for comparative purposes, as we did not reach out to these teams for additional information outside of what is already publicly available.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Framework Details</h2>



The framework’s criteria are divided into four categories:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Project and Team</li>



<li>Token Supply and Allocation</li>



<li>Transactions &amp; Market Structure</li>



<li>Financial Disclosure</li>
</ul>



Investors gain visibility into the operations of businesses and limit the risk of manipulation and abuse through transparent disclosure of these criteria. Negative events across the market in recent months prove the need for a standardized transparency standard.



Each criterion is weighted 0–3 by materiality. Then, it is calculated and aggregated into a &#8220;transparency score&#8221; that reflects the project’s transparency.



Importantly, this score is not a quality assessment on the team or project. Rather, it is a measure of the project or team’s overall transparency.&nbsp;



The responses, scores, and the framework itself will all be open source and publicly available to access.



Blockworks calls on the community to provide feedback on the criteria, for projects to complete the framework, for exchanges to use the framework as a resource in the listings process, and for investors to leverage the framework for due diligence.&nbsp;



We view this as a working document subject to future improvements and iteration. For a deeper conversation, reach out at <a href="mailto:research@blockworks.co">research@blockworks.co</a>.



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Blockworks

A new framework for token market transparency

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The charters establishing the First and Second Banks of the United States both included a clever clause that limited the ability of those proto-central banks to print money: Every bill issued had to be hand-signed by either the president or cashier of the bank.&nbsp;



This wasn’t an attempt to impose restrictive monetary policy, however — it was more about a Jeffersonian fear of big banks and institutions too far removed from local control.



But the effect was the same: Both the First and Second banks issued less money than their presidents wanted them to, simply because they couldn’t sign bills fast enough.



“We could at once give to the Southern &amp; Western sections of the country two or three millions of sound &amp; useful circulating medium,” Nicolas Biddle, president of the Second Bank of the United States, lamented in 1827. “But to make two millions of five dollar notes, it would be necessary to sign my name 400,000 times, which…is wholly impracticable.”



Biddle found a workaround when he began issuing “bank drafts” — interbank checks which allowed one branch to draw on another&#8217;s reserves (necessary because bank notes issued in one region weren’t always accepted at full value in other regions).



The drafts proved effective — they allowed the bank to provide credit in regions short of currency without Biddle, the third president of the Second Bank of the United States, having to sign thousands of new bank notes.



But those drafts also helped make Biddle the last president of the Second Bank of the United States.



Biddle’s bank drafts were perceived as an abuse of power that allowed the Second Bank to operate far more like a modern central bank the Jeffersonians in Congress were willing to abide — part of what made the bank a “monster,” in President Andrew Jackson’s term.



The Second Bank of the United States closed in 1836 because Congress declined to renew its charter.



Another experiment in restricting the supply of money came in 1863 when the National Currency Act required all nationally chartered banks to back the banknotes they issued with Treasury bonds.



Thereafter, to put $1 of currency into circulation, banks were required to buy $0.90 of federal debt — the result being that, unlike today, banks couldn’t issue notes based simply on local lending demand.



Instead, they could only issue slightly more in currency than they took in from customers as deposits — typically in gold, silver or federally issued &#8220;greenbacks.&#8221;



In 1879, the US government tied its own monetary hands even further by declaring that US dollars would be convertible into a fixed amount of gold — effectively limiting the money supply to the amount of gold the government could credibly promise to redeem.



That may sound appealing in this age of runaway deficit spending.



But the gold standard wasn’t pleasant for the people who lived through it; the monetary discipline it imposed came at a grave cost when the growing US economy demanded more money than the system could supply.



This left the country prone to debilitating bouts of deflation.



William Jennings Bryan declared the gold standard a “crown of thorns” in 1896; in 1924, John Maynard Keynes called the gold standard a “barbarous relic”; and economic historians say the link to gold is largely to blame for the Great Depression.



In 1934, Franklin Roosevelt ended the convertibility of dollars into gold for US citizens and in 1971 Richard Nixon ended it for central banks.



They didn&#8217;t have to — to stay on the gold standard, the US could have raised interest rates, raised taxes and cut spending instead.&nbsp;



But that was unthinkable in 1934 and politically unfeasible in 1971, so we&#8217;ve had a fully fiat monetary system ever since — with dollars backed only by the &#8220;full faith and credit&#8221; of the US government.



It’s worked out better than most predicted — perhaps unsurprising in retrospect since allowing the supply of dollars to expand with the US economy has proven more sensible than constricting it based on how much gold can be dug up in South Africa.



As good as fiat has been for the US, though, we may now be approaching another 1971 moment.&nbsp;



It won’t be as abrupt: If the US hadn’t voluntarily abandoned the gold standard, the gold would have simply left the country and that would have been the end of it.&nbsp;



Today, the process is more of a slow burn — a gradual erosion of faith in the government’s credit.&nbsp;



To forestall it, the US may have to make some of the hard decisions it chose to avoid making in 1971 — to raise interest rates, raise taxes or lower spending.



But even in today’s fully fiat system, the question of who ultimately stands behind the dollar still matters.



Dollar bills are signed by the Secretary of the Treasury, not the chair of the Federal Reserve — because even though it says “Federal Reserve Note” in big letters at the top of each bill, they are liabilities of the government, not the Fed.



But with a “big, beautiful bill” set to add trillions to US debt, the Fed appears to be the last line of defense.&nbsp;



At this week’s FOMC meeting, the market will be looking for clues as to how willing the Fed is to sign off on the government’s runaway spending.



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Will the Fed sign off on runaway spending? 

As expected, the Senate passed the <a href="https://blockworks.co/tag/genius-act">GENIUS Act</a> with bipartisan support Tuesday evening. It’s the first stablecoin-focused bill to pass a chamber of Congress.&nbsp;



The bill passed in a 68-30 vote. 



The GENIUS Act “ensures American consumers and businesses can participate in the digital economy with confidence and security,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who co-sponsored the legislation, said ahead of Tuesday’s vote.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1582/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22genius+act%22%7D">bill</a> requires stablecoin issuers to maintain fully-backed reserves of US dollars or “similarly liquid” government-issued assets, such as bonds. Issuers with more than $50 billion in issued tokens must complete annual audits.&nbsp;



The law also affords more authority to state regulators, which will be required to maintain regulatory frameworks that are “substantially similar” to those at the federal level. Issuers who exceed $10 billion in issuance must be overseen by federal regulators or apply for an exemption.&nbsp;



Not all members of the minority party are satisfied. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a longtime <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/on-senate-floor-warren-urges-colleagues-to-use-their-leverage-and-vote-no-on-genius-act-until-critical-issues-addressed">critic</a> of seemingly pro-crypto policy, called the legislation “flawed.”&nbsp;



“A bill that meaningfully strengthens oversight of the stablecoin market is worth enacting,” she said on the Senate floor last month. “A bill that turbocharges the stablecoin market, while facilitating the President’s corruption and undermining national security, financial stability, and consumer protection is worse than no bill at all.”



Other Democrats resigned that while the bill is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction.&nbsp;



“We weren’t able to include certainly everything we would have wanted, but it was a good bipartisan effort,” Democrat Angela Alsobrooks told reporters on Monday. “This is an unregulated area that will now be regulated.”



The bill received more than 100 proposed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1582/amendments">amendments</a> from Republicans and Democrats alike.&nbsp;



The next step for Congress will be to pass a market structure bill, Lummis added, saying that draft legislation will be released in the coming weeks.



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<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/thebreakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire">Empire</a>: Crypto news and analysis to start your day.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/forwardguidance">Forward Guidance</a>: The intersection of crypto, macro and policy.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha directly in your inbox.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed">Lightspeed</a>: All things Solana.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/thedrop">The Drop</a>: Apps, games, memes and more.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/supplyshock">Supply Shock</a>: Bitcoin, bitcoin, bitcoin.</li>
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