Maryland state delegate Adrian Boafo won the Democratic primary for the state’s 5th Congressional District on June 23, a result seen as a win for the crypto industry’s political push. Protect Progress, the Democratic arm of the Fairshake crypto super PAC network, spent about $5.5 million backing Boafo. Total outside spending on his behalf was roughly $11 million when including pro-Israel group support.

Bitcoin could extend its decline and drop to as low as $55,000 before finding a bottom, analysts at 10x Research said. The firm points to a stronger U.S. dollar and expectations of a more hawkish Federal Reserve as key headwinds. It added that several indicators suggest a potential low could form between late August and October.

SpaceX has been public for only two weeks, but short interest has climbed to 13% from 8%, representing roughly 83 million shares sold short. The stock is down about 30% from its post-debut peak. Borrow costs remain low at around 1% while utilization has risen to 39%, suggesting active short positioning alongside ample stock available to lend. The shift underscores widening investor disagreement over the company’s $2 trillion valuation and the pace of profit delivery.

U.S. stocks opened higher early Wednesday as chipmakers rebounded sharply, with Micron Technology up about 4%, SanDisk nearly 3%, and the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) up 3% after falling 13%–14% in the prior session. The bounce came ahead of Micron’s earnings announcement and lifted both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500. Oil prices slid, with Brent down 3% to $74 a barrel and WTI down 3% to $71, though the move in crude was not cited as the driver of the chip rebound.

Optimism will operate Ink’s production infrastructure under a multi-year agreement, allowing the Ink Foundation to focus on growing the ecosystem and developing new financial products. Optimism said the setup is among the first cases of a major Layer 2 handing infrastructure operations to a managed provider.

DeFi protocols have lost roughly $45 billion in total value locked across all chains since January, as exploits and price declines weighed on the sector. CryptoRank data show DeFi TVL has fallen every month this year, sliding from about $115 billion to around $70 billion as of late June. The pullback has been broad-based, with only a small number of major chains posting gains.

DeFi total value locked (TVL) has fallen by more than 39% so far in 2026. The decline underscores a sharp contraction in capital parked across decentralized finance protocols.

Chainlink’s Project Pangea partnership brings together more than 50 banks managing over $10 trillion in assets, but LINK’s price reaction has been muted. The setup remains range-bound, with the article outlining three potential scenarios from current levels. Traders are also watching for the next catalyst tied to how the partnership translates into activity and fees.