Weekly Recap: Markets Dive as Middle East Tensions Flare
Happy weekend Defiers!
Crypto markets had another volatile week, fueled by rising geopolitical tensions as Israel attacked Iran and the latter retaliated, sparking fears of a wider conflict.
Bitcoin is on track to end the week around $105,000 after trading as low as $102,800 on Thursday. Most major altcoins are relatively unchanged over the past seven days.
DeFi tokens rallied after the SEC signaled support for the sector, with SEC chair Paul Atkins revealing that the agency is working on an ‘innovation exemption’ for DeFi.
Tether-backed blockchain Plasma had no trouble pulling in $1 billion for its ICO, showcasing the massive demand for stablecoin exposure after Circle’s successful IPO.
Meanwhile, Stripe is diving deeper into crypto with the acquisition of Privy, a developer of embedded wallets.
Plus, Coinbase users will soon be able to trade Base tokens directly through the app.
Enjoy!
DEFI ALPHA
We’ve revamped Alpha to help you fully embrace your inner degen and maximize your crypto gains!
New features include an exclusive Telegram group where our resident degens share real-time intelligence from the trenches, a biweekly Alpha call where you can chat directly with the DeFi Alpha newsletter authors, and additional content to help you stay on top of hot trends.
Previous wins:
- TRUMP at 700M (ATH 70B - 100x)
- ALCH at 4M (ATH 200M - 50x)
- ARMY on Ripple at 2M (ATH 100M - 50x)
- PNUT at 5M (ATH 2.2B - 440x)
- ZEREBRO at 600K (ATH 600M - 1000x)
What are you waiting for? Subscribe now and join the Telegram group!
Top stories this week
Crypto Markets Plunge as Middle East Tensions Trigger Global Selloff
Bitcoin dipped under $103,000 on Thursday night after Israel launched a major attack on Iran, sparking fears of a wider conflict. Leveraged liquidations topped $1.1 billion — the highest since February.
SEC Considers ‘Innovation Exemption’ for DeFi Projects
The SEC’s DeFi roundtable on June 9 featured promising comments from the new SEC Chairman, Paul Atkins, who revealed that the agency is working on “a conditional exemptive relief framework or ‘innovation exemption’ that would expeditiously allow registrants and non-registrants to bring on-chain products and services to market.”
“The right to have self-custody of one’s private property is a foundational American value that should not disappear when one logs onto the internet,” Atkins said.
Stablecoin Blockchain Plasma Fills $500 Million ICO Instantly
Tether-backed Layer 1 blockchain Plasma showcased the massive demand for exposure to the stablecoin sector this week, filling a $500 million initial coin offering (ICO) deposit vault in a matter of minutes.
The deposit cap was raised to $1 billion later in the week and filled in just 30 minutes.
Payments Giant Stripe Acquires Crypto Wallet Developer Privy
Payment processor Stripe has agreed to acquire crypto wallet developer Privy, which helps companies embed wallets into their apps for a smooth user experience.
“Money has to reside somewhere, and Privy builds the world's best programmable vaults,” said Stripe CEO Patrick Collison.
Coinbase to Integrate Base DEXs on its Main App
Coinbase announced a flurry of new features this week, including perpetual swaps, a BTC rewards credit card, and access to assets trading on Ethereum Layer 2 Base, directly through the Coinbase app.
Trending
- ETH Is Mispriced ‘Digital Oil’ That Could Hit $80,000, New Report Argues
- AURA Memecoin Mints Millionaires After Inexplicable 21,000% Rise
- Coinbase to Integrate Base DEXs on its Main App
- Keeta Bounces Back After Testnet Concerns Fade
- Spark Protocol TVL Surges Past $8.5 Billion Fueled by Airdrop Frenzy
- J.P. Morgan’s Kinexys Tests Cross-Chain Atomic Settlement of RWA Transactions



