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Amid its recent rally, SK Hynix's market capitalization has surpassed that of Bitcoin. According to data from Infinite Market Cap, SK Hynix's market cap is $1.297 trillion, ranking it 17th among all asset classes. Bitcoin has fallen to 19th place with a market cap of $1.261 trillion, also trailing Micron, which is ranked 18th at $1.278 trillion. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics is ranked 13th with a market cap of $1.579 trillion, placing it ahead of Tesla's $1.504 trillion at 14th.

Bank of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino said the central bank will continue to pursue further interest rate hikes.

CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season Index has dropped two points from the previous day to 47. The index compares the performance of the top 100 coins, excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens, against Bitcoin over the last 90 days. An altcoin season is declared when 75% of these top coins outperform Bitcoin over that period. The opposite scenario is considered a Bitcoin season. A score closer to 100 signifies a stronger altcoin season.

Transactions of less than 0.01 BTC now account for approximately 80% of the Bitcoin network's daily transaction volume, reaching its highest level in several years, on-chain analyst Julio Moreno noted in a CryptoQuant contribution. This figure represents a significant increase from around 44% in 2023. Moreno attributed the recent surge in small-scale transactions to the growing activity of protocols like Runes, Ordinals, and BRC-20, which utilize OP_RETURN. He explained that the accumulation of micro-transactions generated by these protocols is rapidly boosting their share of the total transaction count.

Two whale addresses suspected of belonging to the same owner—starting with 0x07b3c and 0xB5b36—have sold 11,888 ETH ($20.28 million) on CoW Protocol at an average price of $1,706, according to Onchain Lens.

Bitcoin options with a notional value of $1.92 billion are set to expire at 8:00 a.m. UTC today, June 19, according to data from crypto options exchange Deribit. The put/call ratio stands at 0.78, with a max pain price—the level at which the most option holders would see their contracts expire worthless—of $65,000. At the same time, $234 million in Ethereum options will also expire. The put/call ratio for ETH is 1.04, and its max pain price is $1,725.

The spot Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) chart provides an order book analysis for the BTC/USDT spot pair. The upper section shows a volume heatmap, while the lower section displays the CVD. - The volume heatmap at the top tracks the scale of trading volume at specific price levels. The background color brightens when the price lingers in a particular range or experiences a significant move. These brighter areas can potentially act as support or resistance levels. - The CVD indicator at the bottom represents buy and sell orders categorized by trade size. As buy orders increase, the corresponding colored line rises. For example, the yellow line tracks orders between $100 and $1,000, while the brown line represents large orders between $1 million and $10 million.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index from data provider Alternative stands at 20, unchanged from yesterday, indicating continued fear in the market. The index ranges from 0, representing extreme fear, to 100, signifying extreme optimism. It is calculated based on volatility (25%), trading volume (25%), social media mentions (15%), surveys (15%), Bitcoin's market cap dominance (10%), and Google search volume (10%).

The stock price of SK Hynix, the second-largest company by market capitalization in South Korea, has surpassed the price of Ethereum (ETH) in the local currency. SK Hynix shares opened today at 2.822 million won, up 5.1%, exceeding the opening price of ETH at 2.581 million won. As of this writing, ETH is trading at 2.58 million won on South Korean exchange Upbit, down 0.04% from yesterday.

Prediction market Polymarket is forecasting a 24% chance of victory for South Korea in its second World Cup Group A match against Mexico, scheduled for 1:00 a.m. UTC on June 19. The platform gives Mexico a 48% chance of winning, with a 30% probability of a draw. Current betting volume on the match has reached $12.86 million. Meanwhile, the South Korean national team, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, has opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation, the same lineup used in its previous game against the Czech Republic.

Garrett Jin, founder of the fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange BitForex, is currently facing a $16.8 million loss on a 5x leveraged long position of 1,268 BTC, valued at $79.73 million, Onchain Lens reported. The position's average entry price is $76,117, with a liquidation price of $16,907. In contrast, Jin realized a $4.17 million profit from a previously held 2x leveraged long position in ZEC.

A bipartisan group of U.S. congressional negotiators is scheduled to meet next week to finalize key points of the Clarity Act, a bill addressing crypto market structure, Punchbowl News reported.

Global asset manager Franklin Templeton has filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch two ETFs that will reinvest dividends into Bitcoin (BTC), Unfolded reported.

Renaiss, a Real World Asset (RWA) liquidity infrastructure project on BNB Chain, has raised $1.5 million in a funding round led by YZi Labs, The Block reported. The round also saw participation from Gate Ventures, Hash Global, XIN Family, Redline Labs, and individuals associated with Mask Network. Renaiss is building an RWA infrastructure to connect physical collectibles with the blockchain. Through its proprietary RenaissOS system, the project aims to convert independent custodians and card shops into on-chain verification nodes, utilizing multi-signature technology to support the verification of the custody status of these physical assets.

Jamie Coutts, a crypto market analyst at Real Vision, has suggested that the recent decline in Bitcoin is more likely influenced by the Saylor Vortex than by the strength of the U.S. dollar. The term refers to the structure through which Strategy raises funds by issuing preferred stock and convertible notes to repeatedly purchase Bitcoin. Coutts explained that while the Dollar Index (DXY) surpassed the 100.5 level—often seen as a headwind for risk assets—the MOVE index, which measures U.S. Treasury bond volatility, declined, and the stock market continued its upward trend. He argued that Bitcoin's weakness may stem from market structural issues surrounding Strategy (STMR) rather than macroeconomic variables. Previously, The Block reported that STRC is trading below its face value, leading Strategy to halt its at-the-market (ATM) program for the preferred shares.

MicroStrategy (MSTR) has halted its at-the-market (ATM) offering program for its perpetual preferred stock, STRC, amid the stock's continued weakness, The Block reported. STRC fell to an intraday low of $82.50 before closing at $88.59. The preferred stock was designed with a par value of $100 and currently offers an annualized dividend yield of 12.9%. Meanwhile, TD Cowen maintained its buy rating on both MicroStrategy's common stock (MSTR) and its preferred shares, including STRC. The firm's report noted that MicroStrategy is evolving beyond a simple proxy for Bitcoin investment into a Bitcoin capital markets platform.

Morgan Stanley has submitted amended filings for its Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) ETFs, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart.

Custodia and Vantage Bank have proposed a token model that enables automatic conversion between bank deposits and stablecoins, Cointelegraph reported. According to a white paper, the token is treated as a bank deposit within a consortium of participating banks. When moved outside this "Hazel" network, it converts into a stablecoin backed by cash and short-term U.S. Treasurys. The two firms explained that the system has been operating on the Ethereum (ETH) network since March and is currently being tested with participating banks, with a full launch targeted for later this year. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently reported that The Clearing House, a payments network operator owned by firms including JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Citigroup, is also pursuing the launch of a deposit token network in the first half of 2027.

Bitcoin mining stocks with exposure to the AI data center business have surged after the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) approved a new framework to reform the grid connection process for large power consumers, The Block reported. Cipher Digital jumped more than 10% to a new all-time high, while Core Scientific and Riot Platforms rose over 3% and 2%, respectively. The outlet noted that Bitcoin miners, which have spent years building large-scale power infrastructure across Texas, are now expanding into AI and high-performance computing (HPC). The streamlined grid connection process could be a positive development for these companies as they grow their data center operations.

U.S. Representative Bryan Steil has introduced a bill that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from profiting from prediction markets on political outcomes. According to The Block, Steil explained that the American people have a right to know their representatives are not using inside information for unfair gain. He added that the legislation is crucial for restoring trust in elected officials, stating that lawmakers should be making policy, not wasting time predicting its results.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed higher today. - S&P 500: +1.09% - Nasdaq: +1.91% - Dow Jones: +0.14%

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has settled its lawsuit against former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky, who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence. According to The Block, the settlement, which was approved by a judge in the Southern District of New York on June 18, officially bans Mashinsky from all business activities related to the CFTC or trading under its oversight. While the regulator did not impose any new fines, the agreement adds a ban on business registration and trading.

Coinbase has announced the addition of CAP to its listing roadmap.

Bitcoin's price has remained below the estimated cost of production for miners for five consecutive months, increasing pressure on their operations, JPMorgan noted in a report cited by The Block. The bank explained that this year, BTC hashrate and mining difficulty have become more sensitive to price fluctuations. Over the past six months, the correlation between mining difficulty and the price of BTC has increased, with a significant number of miners operating near their break-even point. This makes them more likely to decide whether to run their rigs based on price changes. When the price of BTC falls below the cost of production, miners with high operating costs are forced to shut down their equipment. This leads to a decrease in hashrate and a subsequent downward adjustment in mining difficulty. According to the report, this phenomenon was observed in the second week of June, when mining difficulty fell by 10%.

Noted crypto skeptic Peter Schiff has criticized MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor following a sharp decline in the company's perpetual preferred stock (STRC). In a post on X, Schiff argued that he believes Saylor has deceived investors and could face civil liability if they incur significant losses. Schiff had previously suggested that MicroStrategy's STRC resembles a Ponzi scheme, warning that its price could plummet if market demand weakens.