President Donald Trump is considering whether to launch a military strike against Iran as he demands the country’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “surrender” in Tehran’s conflict with Israel, current and former administration officials told NBC News on Tuesday. A strike by the United States is one option among a range that Trump is weighing after…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images Federal Reserve officials get to voice their outlook this week on the future path of interest rates along with the impact that tariffs and Middle East turmoil will have on the economy. While any immediate movement on interest rates seems improbable, the policy meeting, which…
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he gave Iran an “ultimatum” as he considers whether to order a U.S. strike against the country, amid its ongoing conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem began preparing for large-scale evacuations of Americans who want to leave Israel. “I may do it, I may not do…
Dado Ruvic | Reuters Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex, was hacked for more than $90 million Wednesday, according to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. The funds were drained from platform wallets into addresses bearing anti-government messages explicitly referencing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, pointing to a politically motivated cyberattack, Elliptic said. Blockchain research firm…
In a post on June 17, prominent crypto strategist Astronomer (@astronomer_zero) outlined his high-conviction roadmap for Bitcoin’s next major breakout, emphasizing that timing—not just price—is the most critical factor for those still on the sidelines. Despite projecting a continuation of the broader uptrend that began at $18,000 in 2023, Astronomer warned that jumping in prematurely…
Stablecoins dominate the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA), but Standard Chartered (STAN) said it sees signs of a broader shift underway. With just $23 billion currently in non-stablecoin RWAs, around 10% the size of the stablecoin market, the investment bank anticipates significant growth as regulatory clarity improves and the focus shifts to assets that benefit…
Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s weekly wrap-up of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, CoinDesk’s Tech & Protocols reporter. In this issue: Polyhedra Blames Liquidity Attacks for Sudden 80% Price Drop in ZKJ, Promises Buyback UK Startup Optalysys Debuts Server for Blockchains Kraken-Backed Ink Foundation to Airdrop INK Token, Starting…
Berlin, Germany, June 18th, 2025, Chainwire BitVault, a DeFi protocol aiming to redefine Bitcoin’s role in stablecoin infrastructure, has announced the close of a $2 million pre-seed round. Strategic investors include GSR, Gemini, Auros, and Keyrock, among others—joining BitVault in building what it calls the “next era of BTC-backed money”: an institutionally-aligned alternative to fiat-pegged…
Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Commodity Strategist Mike McGlone has pointed out a growing gap between gold and crude oil, signaling increasing worries about a possible global economic slowdown. To this end, gold has jumped nearly 46% over the past year as investors seek safe assets amid rising geopolitical tensions and ongoing economic uncertainty. Gold and oil…
As Bitcoin (BTC) recovers from Tuesday’s sharp sell-off, a trading expert has outlined a path that could push the flagship cryptocurrency to a new all-time high. Based on historical price patterns, Bitcoin could rise to $145,000 by September 2025, according to a June 18 post on TradingView by TradingShot Bitcoin price analysis chart. Source: TradingView…
