🚨BTC Dips $103K Amid Israel Strikes

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Welcome back, folks. 

In today’s newsletter, Bitcoin among other digital assets like Ethereum, Solana face turbulence amid escalating geopolitical unrest after Israel’s airstrikes in Iran. In a significant regulatory shift, the US SEC withdrew two major crypto-related rules, fostering a more favourable environment for the crypto industry.

Meanwhile, Tether unveils a new Bitcoin Mining OS, Trump’s dual-asset ETF for Bitcoin and Ethereum gains momentum, and Walmart & Amazon gear up to launch their crypto payments solutions.

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On June 13, the Middle East geopolitical tensions escalated as Israel launched military airstrikes across Iran’s nuclear and military installations under the name “Operation Rising Lion”, driving panic among investors as both the prices of traditional and digital assets tumbled amid the rising Israel-Iran conflicts.

The Rising Lion mission inflicted ripples across global markets. While gold and oil prices experienced short-term surges, this caused major downturns in risk-sensitive asset prices like crypto and traditional equities. The market reaction was intense, resulting in over $1.2 billion crypto liquidation and wiping out more than 246,000 traders within a few hours.

Bitcoin Prices Plummet

Tensions in the Middle East had been looming for months. After the June 13 long-anticipated missile strikes, Bitcoin dipped sharply by 2.8% from $107,000 to $103,000 within 24 hours, before slightly recovering to $104,000 as the Asian markets opened. Popular altcoins like Ethereum (ETH) hit a steeper fall to $2500, nearly a 10% decline.

Uncertainty Prevails?

According to CoinGlass data, nearly $427,000 million was liquidated in long positions within 24 hours. However, on-chain data reveals that despite the uncertainties, crypto whales and institutional investors continue to hold major Bitcoin accumulations, anticipating long-term price recovery.

Amid Israel’s surprise missile attacks, both traditional and digital financial markets have experienced major disruptions. Traditional asset prices like gold and oil have surged significantly. As the geopolitical conflicts continue to escalate, the instability could spread across all major asset classes. Volatile assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum could experience intense market turbulence, and crypto traders must brace themselves for heightened market fluctuations and price swings.

Related: Bitcoin price fractal points to bull trap that could send BTC below $100K. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) withdrew several rules outlined during the Biden era (March 2022 – Nov 2023), including 2 crypto-related rules related to crypto custody and exchanges.

Rule 1 – Redefining Crypto “Exchange”

On June 12, in a major regulatory development, the SEC announced that it is revoking 14 rule proposals. Among these, Rule 3b-16 expands the definition of “exchange” to include DeFi (decentralized finance) protocols.

Earlier, the proposal broadly classified DeFi platforms as securities exchanges and compelled investors and crypto firms to execute the same regulations as proposed for traditional securities. The new rule redefines certain regulations and amends the definition of “exchange” to include “systems that offer the use of non-firm trading interest and communication protocols to bring together buyers and sellers of securities.”

Rule 2 - Crypto Custody Rule Rescinded

In the second rule, the SEC scrapped crypto custody requirements outlined in March 2023.

SEC’s “Safeguarding Advisory Client Assets rule” for Custody Rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 mandated investment firms to hold client assets, including digital assets like crypto, with a “qualified custodian” like centralized banks or other brokers-dealers.

Many established crypto exchanges failed to establish themselves as “qualified custodians,” and this restricted crypto dealings and drove offshore activities.

SEC new Chair Paul Atkins envisions pro-crypto reverse regulations and fostering greater inclusivity in the digital and traditional financial markets. The move aims to ignite an encouraging and relaxed regulatory environment for DeFi platforms and assets.

Additionally, the SEC has rescinded cybersecurity risk management and reporting rules for crypto fund managers and digital asset custodians. Another rule that reported large security-based swaps for entities with crypto derivatives was also revoked.

Related: US SEC chair says agency plans to create new rules for crypto tokens. 

Tether to launch its open-source Bitcoin Mining Software 

Stablecoin issuer Tether will launch its new Bitcoin Mining Operating System (MOS) by Q4 this year, enabling smaller and new miners to run operations without involving expensive third-party service providers. Tether CEO Paulo Ardoino shared on X that “The Mining OS is extremely scalable, resilient and modular, built with a peer-to-peer IoT architecture at its core.” The OS can be integrated with existing infrastructure and external power devices. The launch is a part of Tether’s broader innovation to enhance decentralization in the Bitcoin space. Read More: Cointribune.  

Trump’s Truth Social Filed for the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF 

On June 16, President Donald Trump’s Truth Social, a social media platform run by Trump Media & Technology Group, filed the S-1 form with the US SEC to list Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF. The fund is known as “Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF (B.T.)” and is sponsored by Yorkville America Digital, LLC. The dual-asset ETF is a part of Trump’s vision of a broader pro-crypto plan and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange Arca (NYSE Arca). It will be the first dual-spot (Bitcoin and Ethereum) ETF that will offer investors access to a single product and a regulated environment. Read More: The Block. 

Walmart & Amazon in Crypto Payments

Retail giants Walmart and Amazon plan to launch their proprietary corporate stablecoins to foster seamless payments, convenience for customers, and reduced credit card fees. This will mobilize digital payments in global financial transactions and facilitate the use of cost-effective payment solutions. Read More: Investopedia.

Top 5 On-chain Analysis Tools in 2025 

On-chain analysis tools offer technical and data-driven insights and help traders track market trends and transaction volumes, scrutinize whale movements, and make informed decisions regarding crypto investments.

Best tools to look for in 2025:

• Glassnode

• Santiment

• Messari

• CryptoQuant

• Dune

Cryptocurrency prices on 18 June 2025 according to CoinMarketCap.

• JPMorgan files a new trademark JPMD for crypto services.

• Trump pockets more than $57.4 million from WLFI sales.

• XRP aims to seize 14% of SWIFT’s cross-border payments by 2030.

• Hong Kong’s MemeStrategy Buys 2440 SOL tokens for investments.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is educational and not intended for any investment or financial advice.