Risk Assets Retreat as Fed Signals Potential Hikes (2026-06-05)

Bitwise CIO: Risk assets such as Bitcoin retreat, while value stocks show relative resilience.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan stated in an article that despite strong US employment data, not only cryptocurrencies but almost all asset classes are currently weakening overall, with value-style sectors showing relative resilience.

Market sentiment is concerned that upcoming large tech IPOs may mark a temporary peak in the current tech stock rally. This sentiment may continue to ferment in the coming weeks, but he believes it does not signify a long-term top for the tech rally.

[Odaily]

Securitize’s merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) receives SEC approval for its S-4 registration statement

RWA tokenization platform Securitize announced that the S-4 registration statement for its merger with Cantor Equity Partners II—a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) under Cantor Fitzgerald (Nasdaq: CEPT)—has been approved by the SEC.

The CEPT shareholder meeting is scheduled for June 29. If approved, the merged company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the name “Securitize Corp.” and the ticker symbol “SECZ.”

[Foresight News]

Inside MEXC’s move to build an all-in-one trading station for digital and traditional assets

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

MEXC expands beyond futures with RealStocks, offering access to U.S. stocks and ETFs via USDT. Crypto trading is becoming less isolated from the rest of the market. Users who once came to exchanges mainly for tokens, spot pairs, and futures are now tracking equity themes, macro moves, and alternative assets in the same daily workflow.

MEXC’s April data gives one recent example. INTC futures volume rose 1,684 percent month over month, while AMD, TSM, and NVIDIA-linked futures also posted triple-digit growth. Activity also increased across QQQ, GOOGL, and SP500 futures, showing how traditional market themes are moving deeper into crypto exchange behavior.

For MEXC users, this interest has already been visible through TradFi-linked futures. The exchange says the category now covers more than 130 traditional financial assets, including U.S. equities, stock indices, ETFs, precious metals, commodities, and foreign exchange products. RealStocks extends that path from futures exposure into U.S. stock and ETF access. Eligible users can reach U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs through licensed broker and clearing infrastructure, transact in USDT and use MEXC’s existing interface.

U.S. stock access is now one of the areas where crypto exchanges and RWA platforms are testing different models. Bitget Reality, Ondo Stocks and xStocks have helped shape the tokenized equity narrative. Gate Stocks and Binance’s stock-access plans, including bStocks, point to another route where exchanges bring stock and ETF access closer to existing users.

For users comparing these options, the distinction is practical. Tokenized products may appeal to those who want on-chain portability or DeFi connectivity. Broker-based stock access may appeal to users looking for a route closer to traditional equity ownership, including dividend or distribution eligibility where applicable. RealStocks sits in that second group while keeping the trading flow close to crypto user habits.

MEXC says RealStocks was validated by more than 20,000 users during its beta phase before the official launch. The product is connected through Atomic Vaults. MEXC describes the company as a U.S. FINRA-licensed broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure provider backed by Founders Fund and ARK Invest. Through that structure, eligible users can access thousands of U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs. Trading hours follow Nasdaq market sessions, and settlement follows a T+1 structure. Where applicable, users may also receive dividends or distributions on their holdings.

For someone who already holds stablecoins, RealStocks keeps U.S. equity access closer to the exchange workflow they already know. Users can test stock and ETF access through USDT-based trading without moving into a separate brokerage environment. RealStocks makes MEXC’s “Gateway to Infinite Opportunities” initiative easier to understand in product terms.

Users already encounter crypto assets, tokenized products, TradFi-linked futures, commodities, precious metals and other market-linked instruments inside the MEXC ecosystem. RealStocks adds U.S. stock and ETF access to that mix. A trader may begin with spot crypto, then move into futures during periods of higher volatility. When U.S. technology stocks are active, the same user can follow AI semiconductor futures and use RealStocks to access listed U.S. equities or ETFs. For users, the value is straightforward: fewer separate systems when they are following several market themes at once.

Fees matter most when users test a new product for the first time. MEXC says RealStocks carries zero platform trading fees during the launch period where available. For users entering a new asset category, this can reduce concerns around onboarding, funding, currency conversion, and trading costs. The launch also includes limited-time incentives for eligible users, including activity-based rewards and support for real-time market data access.

MEXC has also used zero-fee positioning across other parts of its ecosystem. In April, the company highlighted user fee savings during its 0-Fee Fest, including activity from TradFi-linked futures products. For active users, the relevance is clear. A new asset category becomes easier to test when they are already moving between different market themes.

For exchanges, competition is expanding beyond token availability and trading fees. Users are also looking at how easily a platform lets them move between crypto assets, equity themes and other market-linked products. RealStocks strengthens MEXC’s position in this market by adding U.S. stock and ETF access to a platform where users already encounter crypto assets, tokenized products and TradFi-linked futures. It connects the company’s “Gateway to Infinite Opportunities” message to a practical trading experience built around USDT funding and the existing MEXC interface.

Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company. [crypto.news]

US Senator Alsobrooks: Clarity Act still needs to resolve ethical clauses before gaining final support

June 5th news, U.S. Senator from Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks, stated that before the Senate votes on the crypto legislation Clarity Act, consensus must first be reached on the ethics clauses for members and provisions related to illicit finance, otherwise she will not vote in favor.

Alsobrooks said her support in committee was merely to facilitate continued bipartisan negotiations, and that disagreements still exist regarding ethical requirements, anti-money laundering and illicit finance provisions pushed by Catherine Cortez Masto, and details at the Agriculture Committee level.

She also defended the compromise proposal for stablecoin yields, stating that the provision, formed after nine months of negotiation, prohibits separate interest payments based on stablecoin balances, preventing products similar to deposit accounts without bank regulatory protection, in order to seek a balance between industry innovation and bank and consumer protection.

[PANews]

Bitget’s web platform now supports U.S. stock spot trading.

Bitget has announced the official launch of its U.S. stock trading platform, U.S. Stocks 2.0, on the web interface. Users can now trade 204 rTokens on Bitget’s web platform, covering core sectors including technology, consumer goods, semiconductors, and indices. This web-based rollout completes multi-terminal coverage for Bitget’s U.S. stock products, offering more comprehensive trading support to users who prefer desktop-based market monitoring, order placement, and asset management.

rTokens—identified by the prefix “r” followed by the underlying stock ticker (e.g., rNVDA for NVIDIA)—are issued by Reality, Bitget’s licensed Real World Asset (RWA) protocol, and are directly connected to global liquidity pools such as Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) via Bitget’s partnership with regulated broker Alpaca.

Key features include:
– Underlying assets fully backed 1:1 and held in custody by licensed custodians;
– Stock dividends distributed 1:1 in tokenized form;
– Corporate actions (e.g., stock splits and reverse splits) mirrored synchronously;
– Holdings eligible as joint margin collateral across Bitget’s Unified Account and USDⓈ-margined perpetual contracts—enabling users to hold global equities while maintaining flexible capital management.

[Foresight News]

Micron Technology’s stock price fell below $900.00

According to MSX.COM data, Micron Technology’s stock price fell by 10.24%, dropping below USD 900 to USD 892.80 per share, with a total market capitalization of USD 1.01 trillion.

[Odaily]

Fed’s Hammack: Further rate hikes may be appropriate

Federal Reserve official Hammack stated that a recent interest rate hike may be appropriate as the labor market appears to be moving toward balance. Hammack noted that although she never places excessive emphasis on any single data point, today’s employment report once again confirms that the labor market appears broadly balanced.

She added that the unemployment rate remains at 4.3%, “which is essentially consistent with my definition of full employment.” “Given the uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook, maintaining stable interest rates is reasonable for now. However, if recent trends persist, action may be needed soon.”

This essentially repeats her remarks made on June 2.

[Odaily]

DGrid AI Reports $20 Million in Revenue Ahead of Token Launch

Decentralized artificial intelligence network DGrid AI generated $20 million in revenue in its first six months, giving the project a paid-user base ahead of its planned DGAI token launch. Revenue came through the Genesis premium program, which has attracted more than 13,000 paid users with an average revenue per user of $1,580. DGrid also reports 50,000 daily active users and 500,000 monthly active users across its ecosystem.

DGrid is building a decentralized smart network for AI, connecting users, developers, models, and agents through a marketplace, smart routing system, and Proof of Quality verification for AI services.

Genesis is currently DGrid’s revenue engine, with members paying for network access and receiving benefits connected to AI usage, hardware, monthly token credits, AI model services, and membership NFTs. Under DGrid’s economic model, those NFTs are linked to 25% of total DGAI emission rights over ten years. The model combines usage-led demand with token-linked participation before the token generation event.

Some members use Genesis for AI model access and lower usage costs, while others focus on future DGAI distribution connected to the membership NFT. The program gives DGrid cash flow and committed community activity before launch.

DGrid’s onchain activity has grown through Arena for Agent, launched on BNB Chain. The product has supported more than 10,000 agent deployments through ERC-8004 and attracted over 200,000 participants, while adding more than 5,000 daily onchain active users to BNB Chain. Arena asks two AI models to answer the same prompt anonymously, after which users choose the stronger response and earn points tied to future DGAI distribution. Their selections help train DGrid’s smart routing system, turning model evaluation into a recurring onchain activity with a low technical barrier for users.

DGrid’s product suite includes AI Gateway, Dori, and DClaw, each aimed at a different part of AI access and deployment.

DGrid’s academic work adds depth to its product plan. The network cites published research on Proof of Quality, optimistic TEE rollups, and cost-aware proofs, all of which relate to service verification, model performance, and cost control. The team includes Ph.D.-level members from institutions such as Stony Brook University. Founder and CEO Alex has more than 10 years of experience in blockchain project operations, 5 years in machine learning, and over 3 years in large language model training and fine-tuning.

DGrid enters its token launch phase with paid membership revenue, BNB Chain activity, AI products, marketplace plans, and research already in place. After six months, the project has built a user and revenue base around Genesis, expanded Arena participation, and prepared the foundations for a model marketplace powered by DGAI.

Polymarket allegedly paid influencers at least $350,000 for undisclosed promotions: report

Polymarket has paid at least $350,000 to social media influencers over a 14-month period, with many of those creators later promoting the prediction market platform on X without clearly disclosing a paid relationship, according to a POLITICO investigation based on PayPal transaction records. The payments were sent by Polymarket chief marketing officer Matthew Modabber through a personal PayPal account between January 2025 and February 2026.

The publication reported that Modabber transferred more than $2.5 million to over 800 people during that period, while records reviewed by reporters identified at least 20 influencers who later posted about Polymarket hundreds of times on social media. Among those who reportedly received payments were conservative influencer Alex LoRusso, political commentator Brian Krassenstein, former collegiate swimmer and Fox News contributor Riley Gaines, and several other online personalities with large followings across the political spectrum.

A Polymarket spokesperson told POLITICO that working with content creators forms part of the company’s normal business practices and said the platform regularly collaborates with independent organizations, partners, and creators to support its mission of providing market-based insights. The spokesperson declined to discuss the company’s disclosure policies, the use of Modabber’s personal PayPal account, or whether the payments were reported as business expenses.

Records reviewed by POLITICO showed that at least 20 creators who received money from Modabber posted about Polymarket on X after the payments began. The publication counted more than 490 posts mentioning the platform during the review period and reported that none included disclosures identifying them as paid promotions. Federal Trade Commission guidance requires influencers to disclose material connections when endorsing products or services. Speaking to POLITICO, former FTC deputy general counsel Robin Moore said the activity described in the report appeared to be the type of arrangement that generally should be disclosed.

Several creators promoted major Polymarket developments after receiving payments. Following the launch of a Department of Government Efficiency dashboard in February 2025, influencer Eric Daugherty described the release as a breaking development to his audience. Riley Gaines and media personality Elijah Schaffer also shared posts praising the feature. Later in June, after Polymarket announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, multiple paid influencers published supportive posts within hours of each other. One influencer who spoke anonymously to the publication said Polymarket occasionally supplied suggested posts and directed creators toward specific markets or announcements that it wanted promoted.

Meanwhile, Shane Ginsberg, founder of the social media marketing company Street Poller, reportedly received at least $77,000 from Modabber. POLITICO reported that Ginsberg’s network of creators produced man-on-the-street videos promoting Polymarket during the run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with some creators displaying Polymarket branding even when the platform itself was not directly mentioned.

The marketing campaign has emerged as Polymarket faces increasing legal and regulatory attention in several jurisdictions. Separately, South Korean authorities have recently opened what Chosun Biz described as the country’s first known investigation into domestic Polymarket users. The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency is examining whether participation on the platform violated South Korea’s gambling laws, with investigators reportedly considering whether user activity falls under provisions of the Criminal Act governing gambling offenses.

Pressure has also increased in the United States. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering after alleging he used confidential company information to profit from prediction market contracts on Polymarket tied to Google’s annual search rankings. Prosecutors said the activity generated roughly $1.2 million in profit. At the same time, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a parallel civil complaint and reiterated that insider trading laws apply to prediction markets.

Questions around Polymarket’s market operations have also drawn criticism from traders. Last week, a disputed market asking whether Strategy would sell Bitcoin before May 31 concluded with a “No” outcome after a final UMA review, despite a regulatory filing showing that Strategy had sold 32 Bitcoin during the final week of May. The resolution sparked complaints from several traders and prompted renewed debate over how prediction markets should handle disputed outcomes and post-trade rule clarifications.

[POLITICO]

Advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader: Iran-U.S. negotiations are deadlocked due to frozen assets; denies a meeting between the Supreme Leader and Trump

According to CNN, a senior Iranian official stated on Friday that a potential peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran hinges on whether the Trump administration agrees to unfreeze $24.00 billion in Iranian assets, and warned that if the U.S. resumes military action, it will “embark on a dark path.”

When asked about a possible meeting between Trump and Mojtaba, he said: “That won’t happen—currently, we are in the first phase of negotiations, and Trump has brought negotiations to a standstill.”

[Odaily]

Matrixport links whale to add 5.84 million USDC margin to avoid ETH longs being liquidated

PANews, June 5th news, according to Lookonchain, a whale account suspected of being associated with Matrixport holds 120,000 ETH long contracts, currently with a floating loss of approximately $78,000,000.

To reduce liquidation risk, the account added 5,840,000 USDC as margin, lowering the liquidation price of multiple positions to approximately $1,414.51, $1,366.11, $1,360.73, and $1,309.53.

[Lookonchain]

Bitwise CIO: Risk assets like Bitcoin fall back, value stocks are relatively resilient, and the market is concerned that IPOs of tech giants have peaked.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan wrote that despite strong US employment data, not only cryptocurrencies but almost all asset classes are weakening overall, while value-style sectors are performing relatively strongly.

He pointed out that there is market sentiment concern that several upcoming large tech IPOs may mark a temporary peak in the current tech stock rally. This sentiment may continue to ferment in the coming weeks, but he believes it does not mean the tech rally has topped out in the long term.

[PANews]

US stocks continued their decline, with the Nasdaq falling 3.00%

According to MSX.COM data, the U.S. stock market continues its downward trend, with the Nasdaq falling 3.00%.

Tesla (TSLA.O) is down more than 5% intraday.

[Odaily]

Morgan Stanley lets clients lend bitcoin and other assets for in-kind spot crypto ETF conversions

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management will enable its high-net-worth clients to lend their crypto assets to Galaxy Digital in return for shares in spot crypto exchange-traded products, including the recently launched Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), according to an announcement on Friday.

Letting clients convert cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ether, and solana, into traditional investment vehicles without cashing out could cut in-kind crypto-to-ETP onboarding times by up to 75%, the announcement said. As part of the arrangement, Galaxy is also reducing its minimum lending transaction for Morgan Stanley‑referred clients to $5 million, from $25 million.

“Morgan Stanley has been investing in the DeFi space for some time, and we are proud to support a referral capability with Galaxy to provide Wealth Management clients with an institutionalized pathway that helps integrate digital assets into their portfolio,” Morgan Stanley Head of Investment Solutions Products Alison Nest said. “This referral arrangement represents a significant step forward in bridging traditional finance and decentralized finance, providing more investors with streamlined opportunities to diversify.”

The move comes as Morgan Stanley ramps up its crypto activity, largely driven by crypto bill Amy Oldenburg, a Morgan Stanley vet who was tapped to lead the firm’s first digital asset strategy role earlier this year.

In addition to launching a bitcoin ETF, the firm has begun piloting spot crypto trading through an E-Trade tie-up and rolled out the Stablecoin Reserves Portfolio (MSNXX) money market fund. The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, launched on April 8, completed its first month without recording a single day of net redemptions, an unmatched streak.

Galaxy saw $505 million in adjusted gross profit in 2025 from its trading, lending, asset management, and staking services unit. Adding to its financial services offerings, Galaxy rolled out an institutional over-the-counter prediction-market trading desk earlier this week.

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© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

[The Block]

The Nasdaq 100 index widened its decline to 2.50%

On June 5, according to Bybit data, the NASDAQ-100 Index decline has widened to 2.5%.

[PANews]