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XRP’s Biggest Warning Sign Is Still Flashing Despite Easing Whale Activity

by admin June 22, 2026

written by admin

XRP whales have reduced transfers to Binance, but new analysts suggest that the asset must regain a critical indicator to strengthen recovery.

Ripple’s (XRP) selling pressure on Binance appears to be easing as large holders reduce transfers to the exchange, according to a new analysis from CryptoQuant.

Binance remains one of the largest liquidity hubs for XRP, which makes whale transfers to the exchange an important indicator of potential selling activity. Large deposits by major investors can increase short-term supply, but current data shows both Whale Flow and Whale Transactions standing at 417, which means that large holders are not actively moving significant amounts of XRP to Binance.

Recovery Still On Hold

CryptoQuant said XRP is currently trading at $1.12, below the McGinley Dynamic indicator, which lies between $1.15 and $1.16. The McGinley Dynamic is an adaptive moving average that responds more quickly to changing market conditions than traditional moving averages and is widely used to identify dynamic support and resistance levels. Prices trading below the indicator are generally considered a sign of weak momentum.

Several spikes in whale transfers to Binance were recorded in early June. During the same period, XRP fell sharply from the $1.30-$1.50 range and has yet to regain the McGinley Dynamic level. However, the decline in whale inflows in recent weeks suggests that selling pressure has moderated.

Despite the improvement in whale activity, CryptoQuant said the market outlook remains mixed. The McGinley Dynamic continues to point to a bearish short-term trend, while Whale Flow data remains neutral to positive. The firm explained that XRP needs to reclaim the McGinley Dynamic to support a stronger recovery.

If the crypto asset remains below the indicator and large inflows to Binance increase again, another decline could follow. But downside risks may remain limited as long as the Whale Transaction support zone near $1.08 continues to hold.

Bold Targets

Several market analysts remain divided on XRP’s next move. Some traders believe a break above the $1.18-$1.30 range could trigger a rally, while a move below $1.08 may invalidate the bullish setup.

Bitmine Reports 5.67M ETH Holdings, Total Assets Reach $10.7B

by admin June 22, 2026

written by admin

Bitmine owns 4.7% of the total ETH coin supply of 120.7 million

Bitmine is 94% of the way to the ‘Alchemy of 5%’ in just 11 months

Bitmine’s Series A Preferred Stock is trading on the NYSE under the symbol BMNP

Bitmine has 4,718,677 staked ETH, representing $8.2 billion at $1,733 per ETH. MAVAN (Made in America VAlidator Network) is a premier Ethereum staking destination for BMNR and institutional investors

Bitmine owns $104 million of Eightco (NASDAQ: ORBS), now one of the only publicly listed equities in the world to provide investors indirect exposure to OpenAI

Bitmine Crypto + Total Cash Holdings & Marketable Securities + “Moonshots” total $10.7 billion, including 5.67 million ETH tokens, total cash & marketable securities of $601 million, and other crypto holdings

Bitmine remains supported by a premier group of institutional investors including ARK’s Cathie Wood, MOZAYYX, Founders Fund, Bill Miller III, Pantera, Kraken, DCG, Galaxy Digital and personal investor Thomas “Tom” Lee to support Bitmine’s goal of acquiring 5% of ETH

NORWALK, Conn., June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — (NYSE: BMNR) Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc. (“Bitmine” or the “Company”) a Bitcoin and Ethereum Network company with a focus on the accumulation of crypto for long term investment, today announced Bitmine crypto + total cash & marketable securities + “moonshots” holdings totaling $10.7 billion.

As of June 21, 2026 at 3:00pm ET, the Company’s crypto holdings are comprised of 5,672,956 ETH at $1,733 per ETH (per Coinbase NASDAQ: COIN), 205 Bitcoin (BTC), $180 million stake in Beast Industries, $104 million stake in Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) (“moonshots”) and total cash & marketable securities of $601 million. Bitmine’s ETH holdings are 4.7% of the ETH supply (of 120.7 million ETH).

“The best years for crypto remain ahead, in our view. Tokenization and the rapid progress in AI are expected to drive exponential demand growth for blockchain and decentralized crypto,” stated Thomas “Tom” Lee, Chairman of Bitmine.

On June 10, Bitmine closed its offering (the “offering”) registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of 3,500,000 shares of 9.50% Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), at a public offering price of $80.00 per share.

The Company received net proceeds from the offering of approximately $273.8 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the Company’s estimated offering expenses. The Series A Preferred Stock is trading on the NYSE under the symbol BMNP. The dividends for BMNP are scheduled to be paid weekly, subject to the terms of the applicable Certificate of Designations.

On June 11, 2026, Bitmine was named to the Fortune 100 Crypto List (link here). Fortune published this definitive ranking of the most influential companies in blockchain and draws on rigorous data analysis by Inca Digital and a survey of leading crypto experts, according Fortune Magazine.

On May 11, 2026, Bitmine released the latest Chairman’s Message (link here) for May 2026.

“Over the past week, we acquired 52,203 ETH. We continue to maintain a steady pace of accumulation throughout 2026. We believe we are in the early stages of crypto spring. Bitmine is expected to reach the ‘alchemy of 5%’ sometime in 2026,” stated Mr. Lee.

Bitmine recently launched MAVAN (the Made in American VAlidator Network), the institutional grade staking platform. While MAVAN was originally developed to support Bitmine’s own Ethereum treasury, MAVAN intends to expand to serve institutional investors, custodians, and ecosystem partners seeking best-in-class staking infrastructure. A portion of Bitmine’s ETH is already staked on the MAVAN platform.

As of June 21, 2026, Bitmine total staked ETH stands at 4,718,677 ($8.2 billion at $1,733 per ETH). “Bitmine has staked more ETH than other entities in the world. At scale (when Bitmine’s ETH is fully staked by MAVAN and its staking partners), the projected ETH staking reward is $268 million on an annualized basis (using 2.73% 7-day BMNR yield),” stated Lee.

“Annualized staking revenues are now projected at $223 million. And this 4.7 million ETH is over 83% of the 5.67 million ETH held by Bitmine. Bitmine’s own staking operations generated a 7-day yield of 2.73% (annualized),” continued Lee.

Bitmine’s crypto holdings reign as the #1 Ethereum treasury and #2 global treasury, behind Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ: MSTR), which reportedly owns 846,842 BTC valued at $54 billion. Bitmine remains the largest ETH treasury in the world.

Bitmine is one of the most widely traded stocks in the US. According to data from Fundstrat, the stock has traded average daily dollar volume of $717 million (4-day average, as of June 18, 2026), ranking #219 in the US, behind Entegris Inc (rank #218) and ahead of Target Corp (rank #220) among 5,704 US-listed stocks (statista.com and Fundstrat research).

Bitmine management believes the GENIUS Act and Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) Project Crypto are as transformational to financial services in 2025 as US action on August 15, 1971 ending Bretton Woods and the USD on the gold standard 54 years ago. This 1971 event was the catalyst for the modernization of Wall Street, creating the iconic Wall Street titans and financial and payment rails of today. These proved to be better investments than gold.

The Company also announced that the Board of Directors has declared the following seven weekly cash dividends on the outstanding shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, which are expected be paid on the respective payment dates below, to holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock as of the close of business on the respective record dates provided in the following table:

The Chairman’s message can be found here:

https://www.Bitminetech.io/chairmans-message

The Fiscal Full Year 2025 Earnings presentation and corporate presentation can be found here: https://Bitminetech.io/investor-relations/

To stay informed, please sign up at: https://Bitminetech.io/contact-us/

About Bitmine

Bitmine (NYSE: BMNR) is a Bitcoin miner with operations in the US. The company is deploying its excess capital to be the leading Ethereum Treasury company in the world, implementing an innovative digital asset strategy for institutional investors and public market participants. Guided by its philosophy of “the alchemy of 5%,” the Company is committed to ETH as its primary treasury reserve asset, leveraging native protocol-level activities including staking and decentralized finance mechanisms. The Company launched MAVAN (Made-in America VAlidator Network), a dedicated staking infrastructure for Bitmine assets, in 2026.

For additional details, follow on X:

https://x.com/bitmnr

https://x.com/fundstrat

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “expects,” “projects,” “projected,” “intends,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” and similar expressions. This document specifically contains forward-looking statements regarding: (i) the Company’s goals regarding ETH acquisition, including the ‘Alchemy of 5%’ initiative and the expectation that Bitmine will reach this goal sometime in 2026; (ii) the Company’s beliefs and expectations regarding the cryptocurrency market, including the view that the best years for crypto remain ahead and that tokenization and the rapid progress in AI are expected to drive exponential demand growth for blockchain and decentralized crypto; (iii) the Company’s belief that it is in the early stages of “crypto spring”; (iv) the dividend payment schedule for the Series A Preferred Stock, including the expectation that weekly cash dividends in the amount of $0.1847 per share will be paid on the dates set forth herein to holders of record as of the respective record dates; (v) the Company’s digital asset accumulation strategy and staking operations, including projected annualized ETH staking rewards of approximately $268 million (when Bitmine’s ETH is fully staked by MAVAN and its staking partners) and current projected annualized staking revenues of approximately $223 million; (vi) MAVAN’s intended expansion to serve institutional investors, custodians, and ecosystem partners seeking best-in-class staking infrastructure; (vii) management’s belief that the GENIUS Act and SEC Project Crypto are as transformational to financial services as US action on August 15, 1971 ending Bretton Woods and the USD gold standard; and (viii) continued growth and advancement of the Company’s Ethereum treasury strategy. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including: Bitmine’s ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; Bitmine’s ability to finance its current business, Ethereum treasury operations, and proposed future business; the competitive environment of Bitmine’s business; market conditions affecting the trading price of the Company’s common stock and Series A Preferred Stock; regulatory developments affecting digital assets, including the ultimate enactment and implementation of pending legislation and SEC initiatives; the volatility and unpredictability of digital asset prices; the performance, reliability, and security of the Company’s staking operations; risks related to AI systems and their impact on cryptocurrency markets; and the future value of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Actual future performance outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond Bitmine’s control, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Bitmine’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 21, 2025, as well as all other SEC filings, as amended or updated from time to time. Copies of Bitmine’s filings with the SEC are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Bitmine undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

June 22, 2026 0 comments

Press Release

Tria Launches In-App Travel Booking With Up To 6% Cashback Through Partnership With Bookit

by admin June 22, 2026

written by admin

Savannah, United States, June 22nd, 2026, Chainwire

Tria, the self-custodial neofinance platform serving more than 500,000 users, today announced the launch of Tria Travel, a fully integrated travel booking platform embedded within the Tria app. Built in partnership with Bookit, the new offering enables users to book flights, hotels, cruises, and experiences while earning up to 6% cashback.

The launch marks Tria’s expansion into one of the largest global consumer spending categories and introduces a materially different rewards structure compared to traditional travel credit cards.

Most travel rewards programs offer between 2% and 5% back, often through points systems with variable redemption values and restrictions. Tria Travel replaces that model with automatic cashback on eligible bookings—without points, blackout dates, or rotating categories.

“Travel is a multi-trillion-dollar category, yet consumer rewards have remained largely static,” said Vijit Katta, CEO and Co-Founder of Tria. “By embedding global travel inventory directly into our app and leveraging crypto-native economics, we’re able to offer cashback rates that traditional financial institutions structurally cannot match.”

Integrated Travel, Native Economics

Tria Travel integrates Bookit’s global inventory directly into the Tria interface, allowing users to search, compare, and confirm bookings without leaving the app. The experience mirrors leading travel platforms while delivering enhanced rewards and streamlined payments.

Key features include:

Up to 6% total cashback on eligible travel bookings
Access to global flight, hotel, cruise, and experience inventory
Automatic cashback instead of loyalty points
Seamless payment with crypto assets, with conversion handled in-app
A self-custodial architecture that preserves user control of funds

The product builds on Tria’s existing ecosystem, which includes a crypto-backed card offering up to 6% cashback, yield products, asset swaps, and perpetual futures trading. Since launch, the platform has surpassed 500,000 users and distributed millions of dollars in cashback.

“Travel and commerce continues to evolve as financial technology becomes more integrated into everyday spending,” said Lin Dai, CEO of Bookit. “Through this partnership, Tria users gain access to Bookit’s global travel and experiential network within a seamless digital experience. We’re excited to power next-gen travel and rewards for fintech innovators like Tria.”

Strategic Expansion Beyond Traditional Neobanking

Unlike traditional neobanks that rely primarily on interchange revenue to fund rewards programs, Tria leverages crypto-native infrastructure and digital asset economics to support enhanced cashback levels. The addition of travel represents a strategic move into high-frequency, high-value consumer spend while reinforcing Tria’s positioning as a comprehensive financial super app.

For users, the proposition is straightforward: book standard travel inventory, receive elevated cashback automatically, and manage payments and assets within a single platform.

Tria Travel is available now within the Tria app.

About Tria

Tria is a self-custodial neofinance platform designed to make crypto practical for everyday use. The platform combines asset ownership with modern financial functionality, including a crypto-backed card with up to 6% cashback, yield products, seamless swaps, and perpetual futures trading—all without requiring users to manage chains, bridges, or gas fees.

About Bookit

Bookit is a global travel and commerce platform providing access to flights, hotels, cruises, and experiences worldwide. Its infrastructure powers travel booking capabilities for partners serving consumers at scale.

Contact

Jon Phillips
PhillComm Global
Tria@PhillComm.Global

June 22, 2026 0 comments

Press Release

MEXC Lists Arcium (ARX) With 70,000 USDT In Airdrop+ Rewards

by admin June 22, 2026

written by admin

Victoria, Seychelles, June 22nd, 2026, Chainwire

MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, will list Arcium (ARX) in the Innovation Zone, opening trading for ARX/USDT and ARX/USDC pairs on June 22, 2026, at 12:00 and 12:20 (UTC). To celebrate the listing, MEXC has launched an Airdrop+ event, offering users the opportunity to share 70,000 USDT in rewards.

Arcium is building an encrypted computing infrastructure network that enables trustless, scalable computation over fully encrypted data, for applications across blockchain, AI, enterprise, and government sectors. ARX is the token that powers the Arcium network’s economic model, with a fixed supply of 1,000,000,000. ARX serves two core functions: staking, where operators collateralize ARX to provide compute resources, and governance, where ARX holders participate in network decision-making with incentives for long-term token locking.

The Arcium (ARX) Airdrop+ event runs from June 22 to July 6, 2026 (UTC). New users can share 48,000 USDT through deposit and trading activities, plus an additional 10,000 USDT futures bonus through futures trading. All users can share 5,000 USDT from spot trading and 7,000 USDT by inviting new users.

The listing of Arcium (ARX) reflects MEXC’s commitment to providing users with early access to emerging projects. According to CoinGecko data, MEXC ranks first among major global exchanges in the number of new spot token listings. Since January 2025, MEXC has listed more than 1,000 new spot tokens, averaging around 100 new tokens per month. Beyond digital assets, MEXC’s one-stop trading platform also extends to traditional asset classes, including gold, silver, and more than 7,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs, fostering a diversified, multi-asset ecosystem for users. With industry-leading liquidity and a 0-fee trading model, MEXC empowers users to capture infinite opportunities across global markets.

About MEXC

MEXC is the world’s fastest-growing cryptocurrency exchange, trusted by more than 40 million users across 170+ markets. Built on a user-first philosophy, MEXC offers industry-leading 0-fee trading and access to over 3,000 digital assets. As the Gateway to Infinite Opportunities, MEXC provides a single platform where users can easily trade cryptocurrencies alongside tokenized assets, including stocks, ETFs, commodities, and precious metals.

MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

For media inquiries, please contact MEXC PR team: media@mexc.com

Risk Disclaimer:

This content does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, project fundamentals, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

Contact

Lucia Hu
lucia.hu@mexc.com

June 22, 2026 0 comments

Crypto Regulations

Bitcoin developers look to remove old fee signal that leaks wallet clues

by admin June 22, 2026

written by admin

For years, users looking to speed up their transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain relied on a handy optional feature that essentially says, “I might want to replace this transaction with a higher fee.”

But what started as a helpful tool has become redundant and a small privacy issue, prompting some developers to discuss possible ways to do away with it.

Let’s first take a look at the so-called replace-by-fee (RBF) signaling, then discuss the developers’ proposals.

Replace by fee (RBF) signaling

Imagine sending a paper check through the mail, but the postal system is stretched and congested. To ensure your payment doesn’t get stuck, the check has a small checkbox that says, “I reserve the right to cancel this check and write a new one with a higher rush fee if it gets delayed.” (The higher fee, of course, is an incentive for the postal system to prioritize your transaction.)

Such a feature is called Replace-by-Fee (RBF) in the Bitcoin ecosystem. For years, when you sent bitcoin, your wallet let you flip a switch, signaling to the network that you might want to “fee-bump” to speed up your transaction later.

June 22, 2026 0 comments

DeFi Innovations

Tom Lee Says ‘Zero Chance’ of Ethereum Funding Crisis as Insider Warns of $30M Gap

by admin June 21, 2026

written by admin

The chairman of BitMine, the largest corporate holder of Ether, brushed off a former Ethereum Foundation contributor’s warning that core development could run short of money within nine months.

Tom Lee, chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, the largest corporate holder of Ether, dismissed a warning from a former Ethereum Foundation contributor that the network’s core development faces a funding crisis, saying there is “zero chance” of a shortfall.

“In my opinion, zero chance of this ‘crisis’ happening for $ETH,” Lee wrote on X, adding “zero” and the line “Funding secured.”

Lee was responding to Trent Van Epps, who coordinated core protocol development and the Protocol Guild funding effort at the Ethereum Foundation from 2021 until April 2026. In an article published Thursday, Van Epps warned that Ethereum’s core development could slide into a “slow-burning funding crisis” within three to nine months. He estimated that sustaining the network’s more than 10 client teams, researchers and coordination groups costs roughly $30 million a year, and said the main sources covering that bill are tightening at once with no replacement in place.

The concerns Van Epps raised also echo turmoil inside the Foundation. On the same day Van Epps published, Hsiao-Wei Wang stepped down as co-executive director and board member, leaving Bastian Aue as effectively the sole executive director. Her exit followed at least eight senior researcher and contributor departures in 2026, including Van Epps’ own, and the February resignation of co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak. The Foundation has said its treasury plan keeps it solvent for the medium term.

Largest ETH Corporate Treasury

BitMine holds about 5.4 million ETH, or roughly 4.5% of the circulating supply, the largest corporate Ethereum position tracked by CoinGecko. The company has staked about 85% of that stash through its own validator network and projects annualized staking rewards of more than $230 million, giving Lee a direct financial stake in the network whose health he was defending.

The exchange distills the central tension in Ethereum’s funding model. The Ethereum Foundation, the nonprofit that has bankrolled protocol work for a decade, is deliberately shrinking its role under a philosophy it calls “Subtraction.”

Van Epps argues the institutions meant to replace it have not been built or scaled. Lee’s bet is that corporate validators like BitMine are already filling the gap. Which view holds will shape who pays to maintain Ethereum, the second-largest blockchain by market value, as it readies its biggest upgrade since the 2022 Merge.

Client Incentive Program Ends

Van Epps pointed to two converging pressures. The Client Incentive Program, a four-year effort that paid client teams through staking rewards, expired in April 2026 with no successor announced. At the same time, the Foundation has begun executing a treasury plan, announced in June 2025, that charts a path from spending 15% of its treasury a year toward a 5% endowment-style baseline by 2030.

He framed the gap as a symptom of deeper structural problems rather than a one-off episode. Without steady funding, Van Epps wrote, Ethereum risks losing “people with critical context built up over years,” falling behind on challenges such as quantum computing and scaling, and ultimately denting the mainnet’s reputation for reliability.

Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade, its largest since the Merge, is in final testing. It introduces enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists and is expected to raise the network’s gas limit, work that demands experienced engineers to ship and audit safely.

‘Funding Secured’

Lee’s “Funding secured” jab echoed Elon Musk’s 2018 post about taking Tesla private, and doubled as a nod to his own thesis: that profit-seeking corporate stakers, not the Foundation, will underwrite Ethereum’s future. He has called the wave of Foundation departures “short-term noise” and argued the network is maintained by dozens of independent client teams beyond the EF payroll.

Lee has put that thesis to work. BitMine bought 126,971 ETH in June and has built much of its position through open-market and over-the-counter purchases. The Foundation has itself sold treasury ETH over the counter to fund operations. Lee, a co-founder and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, has set a long-term price target of $250,000 for ETH.

The ‘Subtraction’ Bet

Much of Van Epps’ article traced the Foundation’s Subtraction policy, which dates to at least 2019 and holds that the EF should resist accumulating value and influence so that the broader ecosystem can grow instead. The Foundation’s March 2026 Mandate restated the goal as reducing its relative influence over time so Ethereum can “outgrow and outlast” it.

That aim has support at the top. Van Epps cited a recent post by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who wrote that the EF was designed to complete a limited scope of work, finished in 2022, and “was not designed to be an eternal steward.” Van Epps’ point is that the policy succeeded in signaling the EF would not be the sole center of power, but left unresolved who funds the shared work once the Foundation pulls back.

The warning did little to move the market. ETH was little changed over the 24 hours after Van Epps’ post, tracking a roughly flat Bitcoin, according to data from CoinGecko. The token is down about 20% over the past 30 days, a slide that gives the funding question added weight.

June 21, 2026 0 comments

Blockchain Startups

Ethereum’s biggest ‘sandwich’ bot drained of $7.5 million in ironic exploit

by admin June 21, 2026

written by admin

The setup was built over several weeks, where the attacker deployed dozens of fake token contracts and fake liquidity pools – a term for a pile of tokens locked on a decentralized exchange – that looked like profitable trades. Some mimicked familiar assets such as wrapped ether (WETH), and dollar-pegged stablecoins USDC and USDT.

That bait did what it was supposed to do. Jaredfromsubway.eth’s bot saw what looked like MEV opportunities and generated approvals for attacker-controlled helper contracts to spend tokens on its behalf. Those approvals were used immediately as part of the trade in earlier tests, but later, the attacker created routes where the approvals stayed open.

This left the attacker with standing permission to pull funds. And they used those open approvals to transfer WETH, USDC and USDT out of Jaredfromsubway.eth’s contracts, draining more than $7.5 million.

Some of the stolen funds were later sent to Tornado Cash, onchain data reveiwed by CoinDesk showed.

The irony was hard to miss, meanwhile.

Jaredfromsubway.eth has long been one of the most visible symbols of toxic MEV on Ethereum. Sandwich attacks cost Ethereum traders about $60 million a year, with 60,000 to 90,000 attacks per month between November 2024 and October 2025.

June 21, 2026 0 comments

NFT Marketplace

AI ‘Amplification Spiral’ May Be Causing Delusions Among Users, Study Suggests

by admin June 21, 2026

written by admin

In brief

Researchers proposed an “amplification spiral” framework to explain how AI chatbots may reinforce delusional beliefs.
The model centers on linguistic alignment, hyper-personalized responses, and chatbot sycophancy.
The authors stress that no causal link between AI use and psychosis has been established.

Researchers have proposed a new framework to explain reports of AI psychosis, arguing that certain chatbot behaviors may reinforce delusions in vulnerable users.

Published in Nature, the study out of King’s College London and Germany’s Protestant University of Applied Sciences proposes an “amplification spiral” framework that links common chatbot behaviors to the reinforcement of user delusions.

“AI-associated delusions represent an emerging phenomenon requiring mechanistic understanding,” the researchers wrote. “This framework aims to guide systematic inquiry into how human cognitive vulnerabilities interact with AI design features in psychopathology development.”

The study focused on three specific behaviors, including linguistic alignment, in which AI mirrors a user’s language and communication style; hyperpersonalized generation, where responses are tailored to an individual’s history, emotions, and beliefs; and sycophancy, a tendency to validate or agree with users rather than challenge them.

<![CDATA[<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="width:0px;overflow:hidden;line-height:0" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>]]>

The authors argue that these traits can combine into a feedback loop in which chatbots not only reflect a user’s thinking but help elaborate and reinforce it over time.

“The tendency of AI chatbots to agree with user opinions has been likened to social media echo chambers and, in its most extreme form, to an ‘echo chamber of one,’ where the positive corrective influence of real-life social interactions is absent,” the paper said.

The researchers noted that technology has long featured in delusions, from the radio and television, to satellites and the internet. Researchers argue, however, that AI represents a shift because chatbots can engage users in prolonged, personalized conversations.

The review arrives as psychologists and AI researchers examine the effects of chatbots on vulnerable users. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that 15% of psychologists reported patients developing distorted thinking or delusions related to chatbot use. At the same time, more than a third said they had observed patients becoming dependent on AI companions. The findings followed a separate study from researchers at the City University of New York and King’s College London showing that several leading AI models could reinforce delusions, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts.

Questions about AI’s influence on belief formation have also surfaced outside clinical settings. In May, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins said extended conversations with Anthropic’s Claude chatbot left him questioning whether advanced AI systems could be conscious, drawing criticism from researchers who argued the exchanges reflected the persuasive capabilities of large language models rather than evidence of sentience.

The paper also comes as AI developers face growing legal scrutiny over the role chatbots may play in real-world harm. In recent months, OpenAI, Google, and xAI have been hit with lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit against Google over claims that Gemini fueled a Florida man’s delusions before his suicide. That’s in addition to lawsuits against OpenAI tied to a mass shooting in British Columbia and a college student’s accidental overdose.

The researchers emphasize that no study has shown chatbots directly cause psychosis, and the amplification spiral remains a hypothesis intended to guide future research.

“Diagnostic uncertainty is pervasive as most reported cases include no structured psychiatric assessment or longitudinal follow-up, making it frequently unclear whether cases represent de novo psychotic episodes, exacerbations of undiagnosed pre-existing conditions, or delusion-like beliefs below diagnostic threshold,” the study said. “Psychiatric histories are often self-reported or derived from media accounts and should be interpreted accordingly.”

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June 21, 2026 0 comments

Bitcoin & Altcoins

Bitcoin Faces Key $64,100 Resistance As Analyst Watches Fib

by admin June 21, 2026

written by admin

TL;DR

Zip said Bitcoin’s nearest H4 resistance sits around $64,100.
The level is tied to a 1:1 correction and the 38.2% Fibonacci measurement.
A separate TradingView idea shows BTC retesting a major buyer zone after losing momentum.

Bitcoin Nears A Local Decision Area

Bitcoin (BTC) – local resistance is close.

The nearest local (H4) resistance sits around 64100.

It comes from a 1:1 correction and the first key Fib measurement at 38.2%, so this is a level I’ll be watching very closely.

If price gets there, the reaction in this area should… pic.twitter.com/zfGEseLfTR

TradingView chart referenced in this analysis

— Zip (@zip_ck) June 20, 2026

Bitcoin’s short-term recovery attempt is approaching a level that one analyst says could decide whether the bounce has more room to run. In a June 20 X post, Zip said BTC’s nearest local resistance on the H4 chart sits around $64,100, with the zone coming from both a 1:1 correction and the first key Fibonacci measurement at 38.2%.

That type of level matters because it gives traders a clean reaction point. If BTC reaches the area and rejects sharply, it would suggest that the bounce is still being capped by sellers. If price accepts above it, however, the setup could shift toward a stronger recovery structure, especially if volume and follow-through improve.

TradingView Setup Shows Buyers Still Under Pressure

A separate TradingView idea from LegionQ8 also framed Bitcoin as being in a fragile position. The analyst described BTCUSDT as having broken below a previous consolidation area before finding a local bottom and forming a broader ascending recovery channel. The problem, according to the chart summary, is that buyers then lost momentum near the upper boundary, leading to a fresh breakdown.

That leaves the market watching whether BTC can hold around a major buyer zone near $61,800. In plain terms, the market has not yet proven that the recovery has fully regained control. It has bounced, but the next test is whether that bounce can absorb resistance rather than fold at the first major technical barrier.

Why $64,100 Matters

The $64,100 zone is therefore less about one magic price and more about market behavior. A clean rejection would reinforce the idea that sellers still own the local structure. A reclaim would give bulls a better argument that the recent buyer-zone reaction is starting to develop into something stronger.

For now, the setup remains tactical rather than decisive. Bitcoin has nearby resistance above and major demand beneath, leaving short-term traders watching reaction rather than prediction.

This report is based on information from Zip on X and TradingView LegionQ8.

This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.

June 21, 2026 0 comments

Web3 Development

Bitcoin Rotations Into Altcoin Market is Collapsing: Is Altseason Postponed?

by admin June 20, 2026

written by admin

Cryptocurrency traders are no longer using Bitcoin (BTC) profits to buy altcoins as they did in previous bull cycles, raising doubts about whether a broad “altseason” can return.

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin-to-altcoin rotation trend has collapsed to its weakest level since 2021.
Altcoin capital is increasingly getting concentrated in fewer projects, delaying the altseason.

Bitcoin-to-altcoin rotation trend has “basically disappeared”

The old altseason trade is no longer working the way it did in previous bull cycles, according to Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant.

In a Saturday post, Ju said the Bitcoin-to-altcoin rotation trend has “basically disappeared,” citing CryptoQuant data showing BTC-pair altcoin trading volume has collapsed to its weakest levels since 2021.

Aggregated altcoin trading volume for BTC-priced pairs. Source: CryptoQuant

The metric excludes major altcoins such as Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), BNB (BNB) and Solana (SOL), focusing instead on mid- and lower-cap altcoins traded against Bitcoin on centralized exchanges.

In simple terms, it shows whether traders are using BTC to buy smaller altcoins.

That flow surged in 2017 and 2021, helping fuel record altseasons. But Young Ju’s chart shows BTC-pair altcoin volume remains near post-2021 lows, suggesting Bitcoin is no longer the main liquidity source for altcoin speculation.

“The era of alts pumping just because BTC pumps may be over,” Young Ju said.

Altcoin capital is now concentrated in fewer tokens

The wider altcoin market has become more concentrated, excluding stablecoins.

As of Saturday, the non-BTC, non-stablecoin crypto market was worth roughly $600 billion. The top 10 non-stablecoin altcoins accounted for about $483 billion of that total, or roughly 80.5%.

TOTAL crypto market excluding Bitcoin and all stablecoins. Source: TradingView

The number of large market-cap altcoins has also fallen sharply since the last bull cycle.

In 2021, roughly 106 altcoins had above $1 billion in market valuation, according to CoinMarketCap’s historical snapshot. That number fell to around 50 in June 2026.

This echoes Young Ju’s argument that capital is no longer spreading across the altcoin market the way it did in 2021. The market has not disappeared, but it is being comprised of fewer large altcoins.

In a separate thread, Young Ju said that “narrative-only altcoins” are losing relevance as the market matures.

Source: X/Ki Young Ju

Young Ju said hype alone is no longer enough. The stronger areas, he added, are tied to real businesses, revenue-generating DeFi, stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and AI agents.

That suggests the next altcoin cycle may be less about rotating into the whole market and more about finding tokens that can find applications and users across the aforementioned fields.

BTC dominance rebound may have “postponed” altseason

Bitcoin’s crypto market dominance (BTC.D) is also showing early signs of a rebound, which could delay a broader altcoin rally.

The BTC.D metric has bounced from its 100-week exponential moving average (100-week EMA, purple) and the lower trend line of an ascending channel, both aligning at the 58.75% level.

BTC.D weekly performance chart. Source: TradingView

It could rally toward the channel’s upper trend line near 60% if momentum persists.

A move toward 60% would mean Bitcoin is gaining market share against the rest of crypto. In market terms, that suggests capital may continue rotating from altcoins back into BTC, limiting the chances of a near-term altseason.

Analyst Rekt Capital shared a similar view, pointing to a bullish divergence on Bitcoin dominance, which suggests that the “altseason is postponed.”

BTC.D weekly performance chart. Source: TradingView/Rekt Capital

A bullish divergence forms when the metric makes lower lows while its RSI makes higher lows. It often signals weakening downside momentum and a potential rebound.

Related: Altcoin selling tops $266B as capital rotates out of crypto: Is altseason extinct?

Nevertheless, Rekt Capital said Bitcoin dominance’s upside may be limited because the metric has already lost its macro uptrend. He said the current bounce may act as a post-breakdown relief rally before further downside.

Bitcoin’s dominance may drop toward its 200-week EMA at 57% if Rekt Capital’s bearish scenario plays out.

June 20, 2026 0 comments

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Bitcoin-to-altcoin rotation trend has “basically disappeared”

Altcoin capital is now concentrated in fewer tokens

BTC dominance rebound may have “postponed” altseason