US markets closed lower, with the Dow down 0.09%, the S&P 500 down 1.44%, and the Nasdaq down 2.21%, while the VIX rose 18.84%, MSX.COM data shows. AI related shares fell broadly, led by Micron down 13.18%, onsemi down 11.01%, Arm down 10.14%, Astera Labs down 9.7%, and Marvell down 9.36%.

Samsung Electronics is expected to kick off a share repurchase program worth close to KRW 90 trillion, Yonhap News reported on June 24, citing an agreement reached between management and the company's labor union. Under the deal, Samsung will pay special performance bonuses in the form of company shares purchased by the firm. That structure requires a large-scale build-up of treasury stock to cover the portion that exceeds shares already held. KB Securities projects Samsung's operating profit at KRW 37.5 trillion this year and KRW 54.8 trillion next year. Assuming 2028 operating profit holds at next year's level amid a "super cycle," total operating profit over the next three years would come to KRW 147.1 trillion. Based on the labor agreement, Samsung plans to allocate 10.5% of operating profit as special performance bonuses for its semiconductor division, implying an estimated KRW 15.4 trillion in total bonuses over the next three years. After accounting for roughly 40% in withholding taxes, Samsung would distribute about KRW 9.3 trillion worth of shares. If Goldman Sachs' estimate of KRW 151.4 trillion in cumulative operating profit over the next three years is used, the potential size of the buyback could increase further. Market data show Samsung shares opened sharply higher on the news and were up 9.35%.

Sonic Labs said on X that it is making a series of governance and operating changes, including extending the life of the Fantom Opera network. The chain, which had been slated to shut down at the end of this month, will now continue operating until at least the end of 2026. Sonic Labs added that the associated crosschain bridge will keep receiving funding over the same period. The company said the decision was driven by community feedback. Sonic Labs also said it is retiring the broad "Contributors" designation and rolling out a new leadership structure. Matt Visser has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Sonic Labs cited his background in product management and financial restructuring, noting he co-founded Squire.Law and previously led Web3 product strategy. Kosta Kourkoumelis has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO). Sonic Labs said he brings more than 20 years of experience across financial services and digital assets and has participated in ecosystem development since the Fantom ICO stage. Earlier, Andre Cronje said he has stepped down from the Sonic Labs board and will shift his focus to technology research and development.

Nasdaq Composite futures point to another sharp leg lower, with the index on track for an almost 2% decline as a month-long tech selloff shows little sign of easing. What began as weakness centered on semiconductor names has broadened into a wider reset in how much investors are willing to pay for growth, as markets reconsider the path of interest rates. The move is no longer being treated as a one-day shock. The Nasdaq slid 4.1% on June 5—its steepest single-session fall since April 2025—and selling pressure has built since. In that session, Intel sank 11%, Oracle lost 9.5%, and Nvidia fell nearly 6%. Traders are increasingly focused on the possibility of Federal Reserve rate hikes later in 2026. Comments from new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh have been read as more hawkish, adding to the pressure on rate-sensitive sectors. Higher yields typically weigh on long-duration growth stocks because a higher risk-free rate reduces the present value of future earnings. With tech valuations often anchored to profits expected years out, the group tends to absorb the biggest hit when rate expectations move up. Risk appetite has also cooled around high-profile listings. SpaceX shares fell for a third straight day on June 23, wiping out more than $600 billion of the market value it had added since its IPO. The risk-off mood has spilled into digital assets. Bitcoin slipped below $63,000 as the broader selloff in risk assets extended into crypto, underscoring the tight linkage between tech and cryptocurrencies during periods of market stress. Tokens tied to AI and semiconductor themes appear especially exposed, after many projects were priced on an assumption that the AI buildout would keep accelerating with cheap funding. Investors are now watching two key signals: whether Fed messaging turns more firmly hawkish in the coming weeks, reinforcing expectations for rate action and potentially prolonging the drawdown in tech and crypto; and whether heavyweights such as Nvidia and SpaceX begin to stabilize or see selling intensify, a swing factor that often separates a routine correction from a deeper downturn.

Bullish: Tom Lee's Bitmine purchased an additional 35,138 ETH, valued at $58.65 million.

SharpLink, a Nasdaq-listed Ethereum treasury company trading as SBET, reported 509 ETH in staking rewards for the week ended June 22, 2026. Total ETH holdings now stand at 876,285, valued at more than $3 billion at current prices, making SharpLink the world's second-largest corporate holder of Ethereum behind BitMine. The company launched its Ethereum-focused treasury strategy on June 2, 2025. Since then, it has generated cumulative staking rewards of 22,102 ETH, rising from roughly 1,388 ETH in early staking income to more than 22,100 ETH in under 12 months. SharpLink said its average acquisition cost is $3,609 per ETH, a key reference point for investors assessing whether SBET trades at a premium or discount to the value of its underlying crypto holdings. In July 2025, the company held about 198,478 ETH; less than a year later, that figure has more than quadrupled to 876,285. Staking alone did not drive the expansion. SharpLink has financed additional ETH purchases through at-the-market equity issuance, effectively selling shares into the market to fund ongoing accumulation. SharpLink's leadership includes Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin and former BlackRock executive Joseph Chalom. The firm recognizes staking revenue under U.S. GAAP, allowing the yield to be reflected in financial statements in a way institutional investors and analysts can model. In May 2026, SharpLink also announced the Galaxy Sharplink Onchain Yield Fund, a partnership aimed at improving yield optimization beyond standard staking. For investors, SharpLink's weekly staking updates provide frequent visibility into treasury growth. SBET offers leveraged, yield-generating Ethereum exposure through a conventional equity vehicle, appealing to investors who want ETH exposure without holding the token directly. This structure can be particularly useful for pension funds, retirement accounts, and institutions limited to listed equities. Risks remain. Funding purchases via at-the-market share sales dilutes existing shareholders. If Ethereum falls below the $3,609 average cost basis, the treasury would be underwater. While staking income offers some cushion, 509 ETH per week on a base of 876,285 ETH implies an annualized yield of roughly 3%, which would not offset a significant price drawdown.

Congress has moved to block any near-term push for a "digital dollar." The US House passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a wide-ranging package that includes language prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or any "substantially similar" digital asset until December 31, 2030. The Senate approved the legislation on June 22, 2026, by an 85–55 vote. Under Title XI, Section 1101 of H.R. 6644, the Fed would be barred from directly or indirectly issuing a retail CBDC for roughly the next four years. The measure does not halt an active federal retail CBDC rollout; the Fed's work has largely consisted of research efforts and a Boston Fed pilot, with no product near launch. The bill also creates an explicit carveout for private, permissionless, dollar-denominated digital assets—including stablecoins—as long as they preserve privacy comparable to physical cash. The House had signaled strong momentum earlier: an amended version passed 396–13 in May 2026. The Senate voted 89–10 on a similar version in March. The provision follows a broader legislative and policy arc. In 2024, the House passed the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act, an earlier privacy-driven attempt to block a digital dollar that ultimately did not clear Congress. In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order opposing CBDC development, citing financial privacy risks and concerns about government overreach. The new congressional restriction would effectively hardwire that stance into statute. Sen. Tim Scott (R‑SC) and Rep. French Hill (R‑AR) were among the key sponsors behind the anti-CBDC language. Internationally, more than 100 countries have explored or are developing CBDCs. China's digital yuan has operated in pilot form for years, and the European Central Bank continues work on a digital euro. If enacted as written, the US would formally stay on the sidelines of the CBDC effort until at least 2031. For investors, the exemption for private, privacy-preserving dollar tokens is a clear positive for stablecoin issuers, offering firms such as Circle and Tether more certainty around their operating lane. The key risk is timing: the restriction sunsets on December 31, 2030, leaving open the possibility of a policy shift once the deadline arrives.

ChainThink reported that U.S. equities finished lower on Tuesday, June 24, based on market data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.09%, the S&P 500 fell 1.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.2%. AI-linked shares led the decline. In storage, Seagate (STX) lost 5.07%, Western Digital (WDC) fell 8.45%, SanDisk (SNDK) slid 13.64%, and Micron (MU) dropped 13.18%. Optical-module names also weakened: Coherent (COHR) fell 10.4%, Lumentum (LITE) declined 7.38%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) sank 13.89%, Nokia (NOK) fell 5.06%, and Marvell (MRVL) slid 9.36%. Among major U.S. large-cap tech names, Oracle (ORCL) fell 5.66%, NVIDIA (NVDA) dropped 4.13%, and Tesla (TSLA) declined 5.79%. Crypto-related stocks moved lower as well: SBET fell 6.5%, BMNR dropped 4.6%, CRCL declined 5.34%, MicroStrategy (MSTR) fell 5.13%, and Coinbase (COIN) slipped 4.04%.

Congress has advanced an anti-CBDC housing bill to President Trump's desk, clearing the way for final approval.