hodler

3 Jun 2026, 09:12

DeFi won't win over big banks until it fixes its hacking problem, executives say

Lenders are particularly interested in blockchain's back-office applications, but security failures are blocking wider adoption.

3 Jun 2026, 08:11

Pi Network’s PI Token Plunges Toward ATL Levels Despite Gaming Progress

Although almost the entire cryptocurrency market is deep in the red on a daily, weekly, and even monthly scale, Pi Network’s native token is among the poorest performers, as its price has slipped toward the all-time low seen in February. This comes despite the project updates and the new games released, especially for Pioneers. PI Price Tanks As mentioned above, the past week or so has been particularly painful for the crypto markets, with BTC plunging to just over $65,000 hours ago, while ETH dumped to $1,800. Most other alts have been in the red, and PI is no exception. Its 22% plunge since this time last month resulted in a drop to $0.136 earlier today, which became its lowest level since February. At the time, the asset was rejected at $0.20 multiple times, which led to the all-time low of $0.1312. The following month was a lot more successful, and PI more than doubled its value by the so-called PiDay 2026 (March 14) after it was listed on Kraken. However, it turned out to be a classic sell-the-news event followed by a massive crash to under $0.18. The drop below $0.14 today came after sustained selling pressure and multiple key support levels that were lost, including $0.18 and $0.16. Pi Network (PI) Price on CoinGecko PiScan data shows that the average daily number of tokens scheduled to be released in the next month is rather moderate, at around 5.4 million. However, there are several days that will see the unlocking of more than 10 million tokens, including one for 16 million. These rather significant unlocks could intensify the immediate selling pressure and lead to further declines. Pi Token Unlock Schedule. Source: PiScan New Games After the recent update from CiDi Games, a Pi Network Ventures portfolio company, about the upcoming introduction of new games for Pioneers, both entities announced that a portion of those have already been made available. “CiDi Games gives Pioneers new ways to use Pi through gaming, while also extending the Pi ecosystem with infrastructure that can support more games and developers over time.” The new games are as follows: Coin Whack · arcade roguelike Fruit Stack · match-3 fruit puzzle Gemnova · cosmic match-3 adventure RainbowCubes · colorful elimination puzzle Separately, the Pi Network Core Team recently announced the successful deployment of protocol update version 23 and noted that the next one, version 24, should have been completed by June 2. At the time of writing, though, there’s no official confirmation. The post Pi Network’s PI Token Plunges Toward ATL Levels Despite Gaming Progress appeared first on CryptoPotato .

3 Jun 2026, 08:10

Franklin Templeton CEO: Wall Street’s Reluctance to Adopt Blockchain Stems from Revenue Threat

BitcoinWorld Franklin Templeton CEO: Wall Street’s Reluctance to Adopt Blockchain Stems from Revenue Threat Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has offered a candid explanation for why Wall Street has been slow to embrace public blockchain technology: it directly threatens the fee-based revenue models of large financial institutions. Blockchain’s Efficiency Threatens Intermediary Fees Speaking about the industry’s cautious approach, Johnson noted that traditional banks and custodians generate significant income from acting as intermediaries in financial transactions. Smart contracts, however, have the potential to process payments instantly and automatically, eliminating the need for many of these middlemen. “If smart contracts can settle payments instantly, the transaction fee income that large banks have historically relied on could disappear,” Johnson said, according to reports from the event. This fundamental shift in the economics of financial services creates a powerful incentive for incumbents to delay or resist adoption, even if the technology offers superior efficiency. Franklin Templeton’s Tokenized Fund: A Real-World Example Johnson pointed to Franklin Templeton’s own tokenized money market fund, Benji, as a practical demonstration of blockchain’s cost advantages. The fund operates on the Stellar blockchain. She provided a direct cost comparison: processing 50,000 transactions on the legacy financial system costs approximately $1.30. On the Stellar network, the same volume costs just $1.13. While the per-transaction savings may appear small, they scale dramatically across millions of daily transactions, representing a significant reduction in operational costs for asset managers and potentially lower fees for end investors. Why Retail Investors May Still Prefer Regulated Entities Johnson also acknowledged that the complete disintermediation of finance is unlikely in the near term. She suggested that the current roles of banks and custodians could persist, particularly because retail investors still prefer the security and familiarity of regulated entities. Trust, she implied, remains a critical factor that pure decentralized systems have not yet fully addressed for the average investor. However, she concluded that the cost-saving effects of blockchain are too compelling to ignore. The technology, she argued, demonstrates clear potential to replace or fundamentally reshape traditional financial infrastructure over time. Conclusion Johnson’s remarks provide a rare, direct acknowledgment from a top Wall Street executive that the primary barrier to blockchain adoption is not technological immaturity, but economic self-preservation. As firms like Franklin Templeton continue to experiment with and deploy tokenized assets, the pressure on traditional intermediaries to adapt—or risk obsolescence—will only increase. The message for investors is clear: the infrastructure of finance is changing, even if the pace is slowed by those who profit from the current system. FAQs Q1: What is Franklin Templeton’s Benji fund? A: Benji is a tokenized money market fund offered by Franklin Templeton that operates on the Stellar blockchain. It allows for more efficient transaction processing compared to traditional fund infrastructure. Q2: How much cheaper is blockchain for transactions? A: According to CEO Jenny Johnson, processing 50,000 transactions on the legacy system costs about $1.30, while the same volume on Stellar costs $1.13—a roughly 13% reduction in direct costs. Q3: Will blockchain replace banks completely? A: Johnson suggests that banks and custodians may continue to play a role, especially for retail investors who prefer regulated entities. However, the cost efficiencies of blockchain are likely to force significant changes in how financial services are delivered. This post Franklin Templeton CEO: Wall Street’s Reluctance to Adopt Blockchain Stems from Revenue Threat first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

3 Jun 2026, 08:07

Major costs drop as blockchain shakes up traditional finance! What does this mean for investors?

🪙 Transaction costs for $XLM on Stellar dropped to $1.13, outpacing legacy systems. 💥 Franklin Templeton showcases Benji’s blockchain cost savings to investors. 💼 In partnership with MoonPay, institutions can now directly swap stablecoins for tokenized funds on chain. Continue Reading: Major costs drop as blockchain shakes up traditional finance! What does this mean for investors? The post Major costs drop as blockchain shakes up traditional finance! What does this mean for investors? appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .

3 Jun 2026, 08:00

Cardano Analytics Platform TapTools Shuts Down After Executive Exodus

The company said it could no longer sustainably maintain the platform due to leadership losses, technical staffing challenges, and high operating costs. Despite the planned shutdown, the company is still open to acquisition offers or external funding that could allow operations to continue. TapTools Begins Wind-Down TapTools, a very well known analytics platform in the Cardano ecosystem, announced that it will begin winding down operations after a series of executive departures left the company unable to continue operating sustainably. This is yet another setback for the Cardano ecosystem, which recently saw several high-profile projects either close their doors or face major challenges. In a statement that was shared on X, TapTools revealed that it will begin shutting down over the next two weeks. The company pointed to severe leadership instability as a primary reason for the decision. According to the platform, both of its co-founders, along with its chief operating officer and chief technology officer, already departed earlier this year. Although the company tried to adapt by promoting its backend developer to the role of CTO and shifting its focus toward more sustainable product development, those efforts were ultimately not enough when that individual also left the organization. The company explained that the technical expertise required to responsibly maintain and operate the platform could not be quickly replaced. As a result, continuing operations became more and more difficult. TapTools’ challenges were not limited to staffing concerns. The financial realities of operating a large-scale analytics platform also played a big role in the decision. The firm noted that infrastructure, development, and support expenses were very high, particularly for a platform serving a broad user base in the Cardano ecosystem. TapTools was founded in 2022, and quickly established itself as one of the most widely used analytics platforms on Cardano. The service provided users with real-time token pricing, decentralized finance metrics, market insights, and tools for discovering new projects across the network. The announcement comes shortly after another major Cardano-based project, NFT marketplace JPG.Store, ceased operations in May. It also follows the recent cancellation of the Cardano Summit 2026 after the community rejected a treasury funding proposal intended to support the event. Despite the planned shutdown, TapTools indicated that it is still open to acquisition offers or external funding that could potentially keep the platform alive. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson commented on the situation by acknowledging some responsibility and suggested that even more protocol closures could occur during the current market downturn. ADA price action over the past 24 hours (Source: CoinCodex) Cardano (ADA) experienced a mostly bearish trading session over the past 24 hours, and declined by 4.01% to trade at approximately $0.2153. Although the token recorded several short-lived recovery attempts throughout the session, each rebound was met with selling pressure.

3 Jun 2026, 07:02

Ripple (XRP) Has Links With Banks Preparing to Launch With SWIFT

A major shift in global payments infrastructure is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and some crypto market observers believe the development could have implications that extend beyond traditional banking. As SWIFT prepares to roll out a new framework for account-to-account cross-border payments with more than 25 banks, attention is turning to the growing overlap between established financial institutions and blockchain-based payment networks. Crypto analyst ChartNerd recently highlighted this connection, arguing that Ripple’s relationships with many of the banks involved could position it close to one of the most significant payment modernization efforts currently underway. Probably nothing.. 25 banks are going live with SWIFT in June 2026 to define account-account cross-border transactions. Ripple has connections to more than 30 of the existing 50 bank members in the coalition, alongside direct SWIFT connectivity via Thunes, FIDES & RT $XRP https://t.co/NsrffmgqPZ pic.twitter.com/OKa3EHLcd0 — ChartNerd (@ChartNerdTA) June 1, 2026 SWIFT’s Cross-Border Payment Initiative The screenshot shared by ChartNerd comes from SWIFT’s discussion of a new international payments framework focused on improving retail cross-border transactions. According to the text shown in the image, payments sent across major corridors, including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Germany, India, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, will offer greater cost certainty, full-value delivery, end-to-end traceability, and faster processing speeds. The announcement also states that instant settlement will be available where possible and that more than 25 banks are expected to go live by the end of June. Additional payment routes are anticipated to become active later in the year as the network expands. For supporters of blockchain-based payments, the importance of this rollout lies not only in the banking institutions involved but also in the infrastructure being built around interoperability and modern payment standards. Why Ripple’s Connections Are Drawing Attention ChartNerd’s central argument is that Ripple already maintains relationships with a substantial portion of the banks participating in the broader coalition supporting these payment initiatives. While the analyst did not claim that SWIFT is directly adopting XRP , he suggested that Ripple’s existing connections place the company in a potentially advantageous position as global payment networks evolve. Industry observers have increasingly noted that the conversation around SWIFT and blockchain technology has shifted in recent years. Earlier narratives often framed traditional financial networks and digital asset solutions as competitors. However, many current developments focus on interoperability, allowing banks to access multiple settlement and liquidity options through integrated infrastructure. Partners such as Thunes have become particularly relevant in this discussion because they connect traditional financial institutions with alternative payment rails, including digital asset and stablecoin-enabled networks. Through such connections, institutions can potentially access technologies that improve settlement efficiency without requiring a complete overhaul of existing systems. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 A Growing Focus on Interoperability The broader message behind ChartNerd’s post is that the future of cross-border payments may involve cooperation between established banking networks and blockchain-based solutions rather than direct competition. As SWIFT advances its modernization efforts and expands new payment capabilities, Ripple’s existing banking relationships and connectivity partnerships continue to attract attention from market participants watching the evolution of global payments. For XRP supporters, the upcoming June 2026 rollout represents another example of how digital asset infrastructure could become increasingly integrated into the financial ecosystem, even when the headlines focus primarily on traditional banking institutions. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Ripple (XRP) Has Links With Banks Preparing to Launch With SWIFT appeared first on Times Tabloid .