Crypto Weekly Roundup: Assange Out, VanEck Files Solana ETF, & More

Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, has regained freedom from a Belmarsh prison in the UK after nearly 12 years of legal battles and confinement. After being forced to take private jets following his release, a mysterious Bitcoin donor stepped in to take care of Assange’s transportation costs. Let’s find out more. 

Bitcoin

A mysterious Bitcoin donor has stepped in to pay the debt accrued by Julian Assange in private airline bills following his release after over a decade of legal troubles and imprisonment. 

An on-chain analysis revealed that a German Government-labelled crypto wallet sold 900 Bitcoin on June 25th, sparking concerns and keeping the market on its toes about the potential drop of $BTC below its key $60,000 mark.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump is in talks to speak at the Bitcoin 2024 convention in Nashville, signaling a significant shift in his stance on cryptocurrency as he seeks to attract votes in the upcoming election.

Defunct crypto exchange Mt. Gox will start distributing $9 billion in bitcoin ($BTC) and bitcoin cash ($BCH) repayments from the beginning of July 2024.

Ethereum

SEC Chair Gary Gensler announced that the approval process for Spot Ethereum ETFs is progressing smoothly. Following a structured regulatory approach and recent legislative clarity, the ETFs are eagerly anticipated to launch in July, sparking excitement in the market.

Billionaire crypto entrepreneur Andrew Kang has posted on X that the impact of the launch of a Spot Ethereum ETF would provide “not much” upside and that it is already “more than priced in.” 

Altcoins

VanEck has submitted an application to the SEC to launch the first spot Solana ETF in the United States, aiming to expand its cryptocurrency investment products and capitalize on Solana’s blockchain utility. 

Technology

Substrate is a toolbox that allows the creation of special types of blockchains. While not a blockchain, it gives developers the power to create unique blockchains. 

Blockspace is the storage and computational capacity required to create a block and execute blockchain operations and is better aligned with Web3. Polkadot’s design as a blockchain ecosystem sits at the heart of its blockspace offering.

Polkadot bridges facilitate communication and interoperability between two technologically diverse and economically sovereign chains, which makes the Polkadot ecosystem compatible with external blockchains such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others. 

Security

Remy St Felix, of West Palm Beach, has been convicted on charges including conspiracy, kidnapping, and other crimes of violence for leading a multi-state gang that stole hundreds of millions in cryptocurrency through home invasions.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.