Circle Market Cap Surpasses USDC Total Value
Following trading on June 23, Circle's market capitalization reached $63.9 billion, exceeding the turnover of the company's main product, the USDC stablecoin, for the first time. Circle shares rose 10% in a day, reaching $298 at one point, but closed at $263.5. The company went public on June 5, raised $1.1 billion at a valuation of $6.9 billion, and its shares (ticker CRCL) soared by 168% on the day of their debut on the NYSE, from $31 to $82.
One of the factors driving the growth in quotes was the promotion of the GENIUS Act, a bill on stablecoin regulation, in the US Congress. On June 16, the Senate approved the document, and it was sent to the House of Representatives. Experts believe that such regulations could strengthen the position of Circle, which was initially focused on working within the US legal framework.
Since the start of trading, the company's shares have risen by 750%. Circle is actively scaling its business: it has added USDC support to the World Chain and XRP Ledger networks, and has partnered with payment giant Fiser to develop stablecoin solutions. In addition, Shopify has implemented USDC payments. At the same time, analysts are warning of signs of a potential bubble in the stablecoin market after the rapid growth of Circle shares.
Tether Set to Become Largest BTC Miner by Year-End
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said on The Block podcast that the company could become a leader among Bitcoin miners by the end of 2025. According to him, the main goal is not to make a profit, but to protect its own assets. Tether holds more than 100,000 BTC and is committed to participating in network security to protect its investments.
The company is actively expanding its areas of activity: it is engaged in mining, funding crypto projects, and supporting initiatives related to digital reserves. Ardoino emphasized that mining is part of a broader strategy that Tether calls the concept of "stable energy." According to the company, it is one of the four pillars of a sustainable future, along with stable money, communications, and artificial intelligence.
Satoshi-Era Miners Cut BTC Sales by 98% in 2025
Since April, Bitcoin miners have increased their reserves by 4,000 BTC, despite a decline in income, according to a report from CryptoQuant. At the same time, owners of old wallets from the "Satoshi era" have also begun to accumulate assets. Miners' income has fallen to $34 million per day - a minimum since April 20, 2025. The reasons are a decrease in fees and a drop in the Bitcoin exchange rate. Over the past 10 days, the hash rate has dropped by 3.5%.
Nevertheless, network participants are in no hurry to sell: the outflow of coins from wallets has fallen from a February peak of 23,000 BTC to 6,000 BTC per day. Transfers to exchanges also remain low. According to CryptoQuant, this is due to the continuing operating margin of about 48%. A group of holders with balances between 100 and 1,000 BTC has also become active — their reserves have grown by 4,000 BTC since April and reached 65,000 BTC, the highest since November 2024. Early-generation miners have almost stopped selling: in 2025, they sold only 150 BTC, compared to almost 10,000 BTC the year before. Historically, such sales often coincide with the tops of market cycles.
Ripple Plans Ethereum-Style XRP Ledger Blockchain Upgrade
The Ripple team plans to expand the functionality of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) by adding more flexible programmable capabilities, the company's CTO David Schwartz said in a comment for DL News. The update, inspired by the Ethereum approach, involves the implementation of smart contracts for payment management and the launch of a new hybrid credit protocol.
According to Schwartz, the goal is not to catch up with Ethereum in terms of versatility, but to offer basic programmability capabilities without significant risks. For example, smart contracts will allow incoming funds to be automatically exchanged for assets that the user prefers.
The new credit protocol, scheduled for release in the third quarter, will combine on-chain and off-chain elements: an off-chain agent will be engaged in checking borrowers and collecting debts, and XRPL will tokenize the percentage of payments and distribute it among participants.
Trezor Warns Users of Phishing Emails Impersonating Customer Service
Hardware wallet manufacturer Trezor reported a phishing attack related to the contact form on the official website. Fraudsters sent requests to the support service on behalf of users, causing automatic responses to their email. Then, fake letters came, disguised as a continuation of communication with technical support.
Trezor noted that there was no data leakage — the attackers only used the form mechanism without gaining access to internal systems. The vulnerability has already been fixed. The company reminded that the seed phrase cannot be shared with anyone. Trezor employees never ask users to provide this data.
Ledger Launches Standalone Device to Back Up Wallet Access
Ledger has unveiled the Ledger Recovery Key, a standalone NFC-enabled smart card designed to securely access your wallet using a copy of your seed phrase. Ledger emphasized that the gadget does not store assets or manage them directly. It serves as an addition to the main wallet, works when connected, and is protected by a PIN code. It can be used to restore access, manage card parameters, and update firmware.
Despite the new product, the company noted that the main solution for backup access remains the Ledger Recover subscription service. Its launch in 2023 caused controversy in the community — users expressed concern that the seed phrase could be restored from three fragments, even though they are stored with different custodians.
