Bitcoin Pepe has raised $13.9 million ahead of a highly anticipated market debut.
The crypto market is excited as Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi reveals the company could add crypto to payment options.
The Bitcoin Pepe price could explode amid broader adoption and a Bitcoin rally.
Uber made headlines in the cryptocurrency space this week after revealing that it is exploring the integration of crypto payments into its platform.
While the ride-hailing giant clarified it has no current plans to hold Bitcoin (BTC) or other cryptocurrencies on its balance sheet, the mere prospect of accepting crypto as a payment method has stirred excitement across the digital asset community.
The move, if implemented, could mark a significant step toward mainstream adoption, given Uber’s global scale and user base.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin Pepe, one of 2025’s most closely watched presales, is seeing massive buying pressure ahead of its exchange debut.
Only 11 days to go before a listing announcement is made on June 17.
Uber is planning stablecoin adoption for payments
According to Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive officer of Uber, the company is studying the possibility of adding cryptocurrencies to its payment options.
Specifically, the company wants to use stablecoins for cross-border payments. However, it will not invest in or hold crypto.
Per the Uber CEO, who shared the move at the Bloomberg Tech Summit in San Francisco, the plan is to give customers more flexibility when it comes to payment choices.
“We’re still in the study phase, I’d say, but stablecoin is one of the, for me, more interesting instantiations of crypto that has a practical benefit other than crypto as a store of value,” Khosrowshahi noted.
“Obviously, you can have your opinions on Bitcoin, but it’s a proven commodity, and you know, people have different opinions on where it’s going.”
On this point, the broader sentiment leans bullish. Bitcoin (BTC) remains above the $100,000 mark, bolstered by signs of accelerating mainstream adoption and growing regulatory clarity.
JPMorgan recently announced plans to allow its clients to buy BTC, joining a growing list of institutions including BlackRock, MicroStrategy, and even GameStop that are deepening their exposure to the asset.
While recent volatility was amplified by the high-profile spat between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Bitcoin continues to attract capital as a hedge, a store of value, and a bet on the future of decentralized finance.
Fear of missing out on BTC’s continued momentum has put other well-positioned cryptocurrencies on the investor radar—chief among them is Bitcoin Pepe.
Investors are bullish on Bitcoin Pepe
Bitcoin is a $2 trillion market ecosystem, and meme coins continue to find traction as serious projects come to the fore.
The Bitcoin Pepe project, which stands out as one of the best presales to invest in, is the first meme layer 2 on Bitcoin.
It has emerged as one of the most anticipated token launches in 2025.
With over $13.9 million raised so far, the Bitcoin Pepe presale page shows that the team will soon make a listing announcement on June 17, 2025.
Presale Announcement
We’ve been working closely with exchanges, but as these things go, they need a bit more time to finalise. Therefore, our listing announcement is now set for June 17th, with more info coming 🗓️
Good Morning, Asia. Here’s what’s making news in the markets:
Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk’s Crypto Daybook Americas.
Bitcoin
is trading above $101.5K as Asia begins its trading day, shrugging off fresh tariff uncertainties from the Trump administration.
However, the real story, according to Semir Gabeljic, director of capital formation at Pythagoras Investments, is that traders continue to be laser-focused on a bull market throughout the remainder of the year, with a high degree of confidence that BTC will reach $120,000, buoyed by persistent corporate buying and declining volatility.
“The uncertainty from unexpected tariff increases by the Trump administration is causing some volatility,” Gabeljic said in an email to CoinDesk. “However, bitcoin remains relatively strong, with lower volatility compared to other digital assets.”
Institutional bullishness remains resilient, Gabeljic highlighted, noting that traders on Polymarket are “pricing in a 69% probability that Bitcoin will hit at least $120,000 by year-end.”
FlowDesk, a Paris-based market maker, echoed this optimistic outlook despite recent subdued market conditions in a recent note on Telegram.
“The market is clearly coiling, waiting to break out of a narrow band just below all-time highs,” FlowDesk wrote in their market update note. “Significant repositioning and rotation from Bitcoin towards altcoins has occurred, though BTC’s underlying strength remains evident.”
FlowDesk also noted cautious market behavior, as indicated by a modest decline in BTC funding rates on major exchanges like Binance, which suggests a reduction in leverage. However, on-chain borrowing activity has seen renewed vigor, potentially signaling anticipation of an imminent market breakout.
Further bolstering the bullish BTC narrative is the continued accumulation by corporate treasuries.
Listed companies now hold approximately 809,100 BTC, worth nearly $85 billion, nearly doubling the amount held a year ago, driven by favorable regulatory shifts and accounting changes that allow for the recognition of bitcoin gains.
“The expectation of a continued strong bitcoin remains,” said Gabeljic.
News Roundup
$TRUMP Token Drops 9% as Musk-Trump Feud, Family Crypto Clash Spook Investors
The presidential-themed $TRUMP memecoin fell 9.3% on Thursday, significantly underperforming the broader crypto market as tracked by the CoinDesk 20, an index covering the largest digital assets, which declined 5%.
The token’s sharp downturn followed a heated public exchange between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, sparked by disagreements over Trump’s proposed “Big, Beautiful Bill” and its impact on national debt, CoinDesk previously reported.
The argument escalated quickly, with Musk threatening to ground SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Trump countering by suggesting the government might sever contracts with Musk-led enterprises.
Trump’s sons publicly distanced themselves from the memecoin project, highlighting their involvement in a separate Ethereum-based DeFi initiative, World Liberty Financial. The internal branding clash added another layer of uncertainty, amplifying investor concerns and weighing heavily on the token’s price.
CRCL Soars on First Day of Trading
Circle (CRCL) shares soared 167% on their first day of trading, closing at $83 after pricing its IPO at $31, briefly hitting an intraday peak of $104. The surge recalls Coinbase’s volatile 2021 IPO, which similarly started strong but rapidly lost momentum, raising caution among investors about long-term stability.
The jump in Circle’s stock price came amid a modest uptick in stablecoin market activity. Trading volume for Circle’s USDC rose 22% over the past 24 hours, while market leader Tether’s USDT saw volume increase by 13%. Despite the bullish debut, the coming weeks will test Circle’s staying power as investors assess whether enthusiasm around stablecoin infrastructure translates into sustained stock performance.
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Philippines Firm Linked to $200M ‘Pig Butchering’ Crypto Scams
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Philippines-based tech firm Funnull Technology Inc. and its administrator, Liu Lizhi, for facilitating “pig butchering” crypto scams responsible for over $200 million in losses from U.S. victims, CoinDesk previously reported.
OFAC accused Funnull Technology of providing digital infrastructure, such as IP addresses and domains, used by cybercriminals to host hundreds of thousands of scam websites designed to deceive victims into fraudulent crypto investments.
“Pig butchering” refers to elaborate crypto scams that groom victims over time, often beginning through unsolicited messages and fake romantic overtures, before convincing them to invest significant sums. With these sanctions, OFAC prohibits any U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with Funnull or Liu, aiming to disrupt the networks enabling these extensive cyber scams and to safeguard investors in the digital asset ecosystem.
Market Movements:
BTC: Bitcoin dropped nearly 4% to test the $100K support level before rebounding above $101.5K, as high-volume selling and major exchange outflows signaled growing market stress amid weakening retail activity.
ETH: Ethereum dropped 4% after repeatedly failing to surpass the critical $2,640 resistance level, despite increased institutional buying and notable whale accumulation of over $285 million in ETH.
Gold: Gold edged higher to $3,363.58 in early Asian trading amid weak U.S. economic data and signs of easing U.S.-China tensions, as the Gold-Silver Ratio surged past 100—a rare signal historically linked to outsized silver returns.
Nikkei 225: Asia-Pacific markets opened higher, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 up 0.14%, after a positive 90-minute call between U.S. President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping set the stage for resumed trade negotiations.
S&P 500: U.S. stock futures flatlined as a public feud between President Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk added uncertainty to market sentiment.
The NVIDIA GTC Paris showcases AI-driven artworks, redefining creative expression through machine learning. Artists and designers explore new frontiers in art and fashion using cutting-edge AI technology.
NVIDIA’s GTC Paris is set to transform the intersection of art and technology by showcasing a curated gallery of AI-driven artworks. The event, scheduled from June 10-12, 2025, at VivaTech, highlights how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the creative landscape, according to NVIDIA’s blog.
AI as a Creative Partner
French artist Paul Mouginot, known as aurèce vettier, is among the seven exhibitors utilizing AI to create speculative artworks. Mouginot emphasizes AI’s role as a “poetic counterpart” in creation, transforming personal data into introspective art forms. His works, such as ‘le travail des rêves‘ and ‘the light that is not seen,’ use generative AI models trained on personal imagery to produce dreamlike oil paintings.
Preserving Memory with AI
Linda Dounia Rebeiz, a Senegalese artist, explores AI as a tool for memory preservation. Her project ‘Once Upon a Garden‘ documents extinct flora from West Africa, highlighting the disparities in digital archiving between regions. This AI-generated archive challenges the erasure of cultures in technological narratives.
Entangled Realities
Artists Sofia Crespo and Feileacan McCormick of Entangled Others Studio delve into the present’s mutability with their project ‘Self-Contained.’ Utilizing NVIDIA’s technology, they encode visual data into captivating narratives, exploring the organic information’s expression in DNA form.
Fashion Meets AI
The exhibition also features innovative installations from fashion institutions like the Institut Français de la Mode and the Fashion Innovation Agency. These installations demonstrate AI’s potential in fashion design, offering a glimpse into the future of fashion campaigns and conceptual exploration.
The GTC Paris exhibition not only showcases the artistic potential of AI but also sparks a broader cultural dialogue about its role in creative industries. It underscores AI’s capacity to redefine artistic boundaries, making it an essential tool for modern artists and designers.
Stablecoin issuer Circle made a strong entry into the public market on June 5, with its shares climbing 167% on its first trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Under the CRCL ticker, Circle’s shares opened at $31, surging 235% in the first hours of negotiation before closing at $82 at the end of the day. The company’s performance hints at a growing market appetite for stablecoin businesses.
The oversubscribed round had some significant tailwinds. On May 28, the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, revealed it was eyeing a 10% stake in the IPO. Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment was reportedly interested in buying $150 million worth of shares of the offering.
The demand led Circle to boost its offer to a marketed range of $1.05 billion, with 34 million shares available to investors.
In a now-deleted X post, Arca Chief Investment Officer Jeff Dorman trashed the Circle IPO on June 5, criticizing the company for only granting Arca a $135,000 allocation in the initial public offering.
According to Dorman, Arca is one of Circle’s earliest backers. “Most of us stick together and help each other,” the letter read, adding that:
“I cannot believe our efforts to help you grow for years culminated in you giving us a joke, throwaway allocation. You are the first and only crypto company that has ever treated Arca this way.”
“Most of Arca’s management team left Wall Street eight years ago to start a crypto-native company specifically to get away from TradFi clowns like you,” Dorman continued. “Ironically, you’ve come full Circle.”
Explore the art of crafting prompts for VEO 3 to elevate video content. Learn key strategies, from scene setting to mood lighting, for engaging and dynamic video creation.
As the digital content landscape continues to evolve, creators are seeking innovative ways to enhance their video projects. A crucial tool in this endeavor is VEO 3, an AI-driven platform designed to optimize video content through precise prompting. According to Leonardo.ai, mastering the art of prompting can significantly elevate the quality and impact of video content.
Understanding the Essentials of Prompting
Crafting a compelling prompt in VEO 3 necessitates a clear understanding of the video’s core elements. The process begins by categorizing the prompt into key components such as scene description, visual style, and camera movement. These elements form the backbone of a well-structured video prompt, ensuring that all necessary details are captured effectively.
For instance, the scene description should encapsulate the overall narrative, including the characters involved and the atmosphere. Visual style choices, whether cinematic or animated, set the tone and aesthetic of the video. Additionally, camera movement directives, like slow pans or static shots, guide the viewer’s focus and enhance the storytelling aspect.
Incorporating Key Visual and Audio Elements
Beyond the basic structure, other crucial factors include the main subject, background setting, and lighting. The main subject should be clearly defined to maintain focus, while the background setting provides context and enriches the visual story. Lighting and mood further influence the emotional tone, with options ranging from soft, natural light to dramatic, harsh lighting.
Audio cues, though optional, can add an immersive layer to the video. Whether it’s ambient sounds like rain or specific music tracks, these elements can significantly enhance the viewer’s experience. Similarly, a well-thought-out color palette can influence the visual and emotional impact, with choices like bold and bright or muted earth tones.
Practical Application and Examples
Once the essential elements are outlined, creators can write their prompts or utilize AI tools like Chat GPT for assistance. An example prompt might involve a cinematic scene set at night, featuring a glamorous woman in a pool with a calm alligator, surrounded by classical decor and accompanied by ambient music. Such detailed prompts guide VEO 3 in generating high-quality video content that aligns with the creator’s vision.
Leonardo.ai emphasizes the importance of using natural language and detailed prompts to achieve the best results. By avoiding slang and providing clear, descriptive instructions, creators can harness the full potential of VEO 3.
For further insights and examples, interested readers can explore the [Leonardo.ai](https://leonardo.ai/news/mastering-prompts-for-veo-3/) guide, which offers a comprehensive toolkit for leveraging VEO 3 in video production.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco on June 5, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company is actively studying stablecoins as a potential payment method. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi emphasized the practical benefits of using stablecoins, particularly for international transactions. “We’re still in the study phase,” he said, noting that global firms […]
1,700 wallets lost more than $100,000; only 311 gained over $1 million.
UK banned the site in 2024; a lawsuit was filed against it in January 2025.
Pump.fun plans to raise $1 billion through the upcoming PUMP token launch.
Pump.fun, the Solana-based meme coin launchpad, is facing scrutiny as new data reveals that more than half of participating wallets have suffered losses.
According to a Dune Analytics report cited by BeInCrypto, at least 60% of wallet addresses that interacted with Pump.fun over the past six months ended up posting losses.
The findings come just ahead of Pump.fun’s highly anticipated $1 billion PUMP token launch.
While the event has fueled significant buzz, it has also coincided with fresh selling pressure on Solana (SOL), the ecosystem’s base chain.
Millions lost, few gain as profit disparity widens
Of the 4.257 million wallets that traded more than 10 tokens on Pump.fun, 2.4 million (56.6%) registered cumulative losses between $0 and $1,000.
Nearly 1,700 addresses lost more than $100,000, and 46 wallets suffered losses in excess of $1 million.
By comparison, only about 5,000 addresses made over $100,000 in gains, and a mere 311 wallets reported profits above $1 million.
A breakdown of May 2025 profit-and-loss data shared by crypto analyst Miles Deutscher on X revealed that over 51% of wallets lost more than $500.
Just five wallets (0.0015%) earned between $50,000 and $100,000, underscoring the sharp imbalance in wealth generation across the platform.
Most profitable wallets gained only modestly, with 916,500 wallets earning between $0 and $1,000, further challenging claims of accessible wealth creation.
Trading bots, scams, and retail risk dominate platform activity
Pump.fun was initially positioned as an easy-to-use platform where anyone could launch a meme token on Solana for less than $2.
However, recent data casts doubt on its fairness and transparency.
Solidus Labs research cited in the same report found that 98% of tokens launched on Pump.fun showed signs of fraudulent activity or lacked real liquidity. Just 1.4% of tokens had active, verifiable markets.
With so few functioning tokens, analysts question whether Pump.fun is advancing DeFi adoption or simply enabling low-cost scams under the guise of community-driven decentralisation.
Pump.fun’s past regulatory issues have also resurfaced. The site was banned in the UK in 2024, and it is currently facing a lawsuit filed in January 2025.
The legal case, still ongoing, has amplified caution among both institutional and retail investors, particularly as the platform prepares for its high-profile token launch.
Solana hit by selloff ahead of $1B token sale
As the PUMP token prepares to go live, market participants are already reacting.
The launch aims to raise $1 billion through a community-distributed token model. However, the growing anticipation is triggering rotation away from Solana’s native token.
Traders are reallocating capital to speculate on the PUMP launch, causing downward pressure on SOL in recent weeks.
Deutscher noted in a separate post that this capital shift reflects how investors previously used SOL as a proxy for Pump.fun’s fee generation.
Now, with a direct token offering in place, SOL is no longer necessary as an intermediary asset.
This shift could weaken Solana’s near-term liquidity profile and complicate the network’s broader decentralised finance strategy.
Despite being a breakout player during the early 2025 meme coin rally, Pump.fun’s trajectory is now marked by significant risk.
The narrative of financial democratisation is undercut by hard data, which shows that 312,191 wallets — or 95.6% — either broke even or lost money.
Whether the PUMP token can reverse sentiment remains unclear, especially with regulatory and reputational clouds looming overhead.
Crypto asset manager 3iQ has debuted one of its hedge fund products as an actively managed certificate (AMC) with the Swiss regulated partner Criptonite Asset Management, the companies said on Thursday.
AMCs are regulated investment vehicles that allow qualified investors to invest in actively managed products. The new structured product is due to trade on Swiss Exchange SIX.
The 3iQ Criptonite Multi-Factor AMC is a hedge fund that uses a long/short strategy, taking advantage of market uptrends and downtrends with dynamic positioning, according to a press release.
“Talented managers have migrated to digital assets demonstrating their ability to generate the alpha that they previously achieved in traditional markets,” Criptonite CEO Florian Rais said in a statement.
The ongoing loop of tariff uncertainty from US President Donald Trump is the most significant risk for those betting big on Bitcoin over the next two months, a crypto analyst warns.
“The biggest threat to bulls right now is that nothing changes over the next two months, and we just stay trapped in this cycle of endless tariff ultimatums,” Swyftx lead analyst Pav Hundal told Cointelegraph.
US policymakers waiting for “hard data”
Hundal said there is a risk that US policymakers delay monetary easing until they get “hard data” on the impact of Trump’s tariffs, which would risk a “growth slowdown.”
On May 7, the Federal Reserve rate-setting committee held rates steady in the 4.25% to 4.50% range due to the rising risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation.
Hundal said if the uncertainty remains, it will cast a shadow over risk-on markets.
“If bears have their ‘I told you so’ moment, you could see Bitcoin drop back below $100,000,” Hundal said.
Bitcoin is up 47.66% over the past 12 months. Source: CoinMarketCap
When Trump initially raised the issue of tariffs in early February, Bitcoin (BTC) dropped below $100,000 and remained volatile due to decisions around trade policy, pauses and announcements. It remained under that level for over three months until May 8.
The US Court of International Trade blocked Trump from imposing his tariffs on May 28, arguing that he overstepped his authority. However, Trump recently doubled tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to 50%.
Hundal said the uncertainty may have jeopardized reaching the inflation target this year. “Six months ago, a 2% inflation target looked possible; today, it is under longer-term threat from tariffs,” he said. “The US is at a macro crossroads.”
“The Fed is walking a tightrope right now.”
End of tariffs could see new Bitcoin high
Hundal said the best-case scenario is an end to the “tariff sabre rattling” as that will create a “glide path” for Bitcoin to reach $120,000 in June.
Earlier, Bitfinex analysts told Cointelegraph that Bitcoin may surge to new all-time highs above $115,000 in July if institutional buying continues and US job data is “weaker-than-expected.”
The analysts said a “softer-than-expected” report could reinforce the “disinflation narrative” and encourage the Federal Reserve to consider reducing interest rates sooner, which would be bullish for Bitcoin.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
China is turbocharging its de-dollarization push, leveraging its SCO presidency to expand national currency use, supercharge financial cooperation, and champion a bold Eurasian economic realignment. China to Use SCO Presidency to Expand National Currencies and Reduce Dollar Use China is escalating efforts to diminish reliance on the U.S. dollar by prioritizing the use of national […]