26 June 2026: What’s New in DeFi?
1) Cboe has launched Cboe Predicts, its new prediction markets suite, starting with binary option contracts linked to the Mini-S&P 500 Index.
The product gives traders a simplified yes-or-no structure for expressing views on the S&P 500, while keeping the contracts within the established U.S.-listed options regulatory framework.
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2) Charles Schwab is reportedly working with Cboe Global Markets to launch S&P 500-linked binary options contracts in the coming months, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The contracts would allow customers to take yes-or-no positions on where the S&P 500 closes, paying a fixed cash settlement if the outcome is correct and nothing if it is not.
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3) Meta is reportedly building an experimental prediction markets-style app internally called Arena, which would operate separately from Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, according to The New York Times.
The app is expected to use a points-based system rather than real-money wagering at launch, though Meta has not ruled out eventually adding real-money betting.
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4) Congress has sent the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to President Trump for final approval after the House passed the bill by a wide margin.
While the legislation is primarily focused on improving housing affordability and expanding supply, it also includes a provision preventing the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC or substantially similar digital asset until the end of 2030.
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5) President Donald Trump has also signed an executive order aimed at strengthening U.S. preparedness for the quantum computing era.
The order sets a clear federal migration timeline for post-quantum cryptography, requiring high-value government assets to transition by the end of 2030 and high-impact systems by the end of 2031.
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6) The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has sued Kentucky in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, after the state sued Kalshi, Polymarket and others last week for allegedly operating unlicensed sports betting and gambling platforms.
The CFTC said Kentucky’s efforts to shut down federally regulated designated contract markets interfere with the federal framework for national swaps markets, arguing that the agency has exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets.
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7) CME is preparing to sue the CFTC over its approval of perpetual futures in the US — a sharp escalation in the fight over how crypto-style derivatives should be regulated.
CEO Terrence Duffy argues perps should be treated as swaps under Dodd-Frank, not futures, and warned that high-leverage perpetual contracts could expose retail users to products they do not fully understand.
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8) Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the largest public Ethereum treasury company, said its holdings reached 5.67M ETH, equal to 4.7% of the total ETH supply, bringing it 94% of the way toward its “Alchemy of 5%” target.
The company reported $10.7B in crypto, cash, marketable securities and “moonshot” holdings, including $601M in cash and marketable securities, a $104M stake in Eightco Holdings, and its core ETH treasury.
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9) Japan’s National Business Pension Fund is reportedly preparing to allocate around 1% of its assets to cryptocurrencies during fiscal year 2026, according to a report by Nikkei.
The fund, which serves roughly 1,200 small and medium-sized companies, is expected to invest through a passive fund holding multiple cryptocurrencies managed by a major hedge fund.
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10) South Korea’s internet-only Toss Bank has signed an MoU with the Solana Foundation to test blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
The partnership will begin with a proof-of-concept for stablecoin-powered overseas remittances on Solana, before expanding into tests with international partners and further checks around AML and KYC processes.
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11) Ethereum Layer 2 network Taiko halted block production on June 22 after confirming an exploit affecting its chain state verification and bridge message-proof validation, stating so in a post on X.
The team urged users to withdraw funds from all bridges deployed on Taiko and asked centralised exchanges to suspend deposits of its native token while the incident is investigated.
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12) Tether is shutting down Alloy by Tether and ending support for aUSDT, its gold-backed synthetic dollar product, according to its statement on Wednesday.
New minting and positions are now closed, while existing users have three months to return aUSDT and reclaim their XAUT collateral.
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13) Strategy’s STRC preferred stock closed at $89, marking what appears to be its weakest daily close since launch.
The product is designed to behave like high-yield digital credit, using variable dividends to anchor the price near $100.
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14) Satori Finance is winding down, adding to the growing list of crypto protocols unable to convert activity into sustainable economics.
The multi-chain DEX, backed by Polychain, Coinbase Ventures and Jump Crypto, cited prolonged unfavourable market conditions and insufficient revenue to keep operations running. Users have until 16 July to withdraw funds before the platform shuts down.
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The Latest Listings - GLWUSDT
Corning Incorporated is a publicly listed US materials-science and manufacturing company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker GLW.
The company is best known for its long-standing expertise in specialty glass, ceramics, optical fibre and advanced materials, with technologies used across consumer electronics, telecommunications, data centres, life sciences, automotive and industrial applications.
Corning is a long-established industrial technology qcompany with a history of innovation in glass and materials engineering.
Its products are often “behind the scenes” but strategically important:
- the glass on smartphones and displays
- the optical fibre used in broadband and data-centre networks
- laboratory products used in life sciences
- ceramics used in emissions-control systems.
The company operates across several major end markets.
In Optical Communications, Corning produces optical fibre, cables and connectivity solutions used in telecom networks and high-speed data infrastructure.
In Display Technologies, it supplies precision glass used in televisions, monitors and other screens.
In Specialty Materials, Corning is known for products such as advanced cover glass used in mobile devices and other durable glass applications.
It also has businesses in Life Sciences and Environmental Technologies, giving the company a diversified industrial footprint rather than reliance on a single product category.
What makes Corning particularly interesting today is its exposure to the infrastructure side of the AI and data-centre buildout.
As artificial-intelligence workloads expand, data centres require faster, denser and more efficient connectivity.
Optical fibre and photonics are increasingly important because they can help move large volumes of data with lower latency and less heat than traditional copper-based systems.
Corning’s optical communications capabilities therefore position it as a potential beneficiary of rising investment in AI infrastructure, cloud computing and high-speed networking.
Corning has also been actively communicating a more ambitious growth plan to investors.
Its “Springboard” strategy is designed to increase sales, improve margins and capture demand from secular growth markets.
Management has also discussed longer-term annualised sales targets, including a path toward significantly higher revenue by the end of the decade, supported by growth in optical communications, AI-related infrastructure, display, specialty materials and other markets.
Bybit listed the GLWUSDT Perpetual Contract. Trading is now open with up to 20x leverage.
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This article is provided for general information and reflects the author’s views only. It does not constitute investment advice, nor an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments or digital assets. Your ability to access or use any products or services mentioned may be subject to the laws and regulatory requirements of your jurisdiction.