Bitcoin experienced a significant drop below $72,000, leading to concerns among investors due to liquidation activity in derivatives markets. The sell-off is attributed to various factors, including macroeconomic events and doubts about Bitcoin's inflation-hedge narrative.

CME Group is actively considering launching its own coin and transitioning all crypto products to 24/7 trading, aiming to create efficiencies for clients without introducing additional risk. The company's tokenized cash initiative with Google is set to roll out later this year.

Y Combinator startups can now opt for seed checks in stablecoins running on networks like Base, Solana, and Ethereum. This move aims to support founders in emerging markets and aligns with YC's push for blockchain-related startups.

A ransom note demanding a large Bitcoin payment for the release of Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's mother, has been discovered. Authorities are treating the case as a suspected abduction, with the note including a deadline and an implied threat against Guthrie.

Newly released files from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein invited Bitcoiner Adam Back and his co-founder Austin Hill to his island after investing in their company Blockstream in 2014. Back clarified that Blockstream has no financial ties to Epstein.

Vitalik Buterin stated that Ethereum needs to reduce reliance on layer-2 scaling networks due to slow progress and concerns about meeting Ethereum's standards for security and decentralization. He emphasized the need for L2s to offer more than just scaling benefits.

Bitcoin plummeted to a nine-month low due to macroeconomic and geopolitical events, with a 7.4% drop in 24 hours. The total crypto market capitalization decreased by 6.7%, resulting in $1.68 billion in liquidated positions.

Elon Musk recently discussed Bitcoin as a currency grounded in energy, emphasizing its tie to real-world energy expenditure and the difficulty of producing and harnessing energy. He highlighted Bitcoin's proof-of-work system, which requires substantial computational power and electricity to secure the network, and suggested that advancements in AI and robotics could make money obsolete.

Ripple has been granted approval by Singapore's Monetary Authority to expand payment activities through its subsidiary Ripple Markets APAC. This allows the company to offer regulated payment services using XRP and RLUSD stablecoin in Singapore. The move aims to enhance infrastructure for efficient cross-border transactions.

Vanguard is now allowing trading in crypto-focused ETFs and mutual funds, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana, after years of keeping digital assets off its platform. This change gives over 50 million brokerage customers access to regulated crypto products in the U.S. fund industry.