Starknet launches STRK20 privacy for every ERC-20 token

Starknet launched STRK20 on Tuesday, a note-based privacy framework that lets users shield ERC-20 token balances and conduct private transfers and swaps on the Ethereum layer-2 network, with an encrypted viewing-key path for compliance.

Decentralized lending platform Morpho has secured $175 million in its latest funding round, highlighting the rise of curated lending vaults.

Cardano’s total value locked dropped close to 30% in June, sliding from $129 million to $92 million — a fall that closely tracks ADA’s own price decline of 27% over the same stretch. Yet one platform inside the ecosystem is pushing back hard against the idea that the network is finished. DexHunter, a Cardano-based DEX aggregator, took to X to argue that the blockchain is more alive than ever, citing a sharp spike in trading activity as proof that user engagement remains strong despite ADA’s price weakness. Related Reading: Security Milestone: XRP Lending Protocol Completes Military-Grade Assessment A Surge, Then A Pullback Daily DEX trading volume on Cardano shot up from roughly 6 million ADA to 25 million ADA across four days, one of the steepest volume increases in recent months. DexHunter attributed that spike to heavy trading in tokens including NIGHT, STRIKE, and SNEK, as well as stablecoins such as USDCx. Volume has since retreated to around 7.45 million ADA, down 11% in the most

David Schwartz answered a CTO emeritus jab with an XRP Ledger poem covering payments, custody, tokenization, DeFi and his 15-year role on X.

Morpho, a decentralized lending protocol operating on Ethereum, HyperEVM, and other blockchains currently holding $6.6 billion in total value locked, has raised $175 million in a funding round led by Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, and Andreessen Horowitz’s digital assets arm a16z crypto — valuing the protocol at up to $2 billion and positioning it for an eventual public debut as its founders set their sights on bringing Wall Street’s most traditional institutions into DeFi, according to Fortune’s report published June 9. Related Reading: The XRP Dream Has Changed: Why A Rally To $10 Could Happen Despite Disappointment The round also drew participation from Apollo Funds, Circle’s venture unit, and VanEck — a coalition of backers that spans crypto-native venture capital, traditional asset management, and institutional finance simultaneously. The investment was structured in cryptocurrency and priced at the token’s average monthly price, with the exact cost varying by when participants contrib

Morpho raises $175M from Paradigm, a16z Crypto and Ribbit as the DeFi platform expands its open credit network for banks and asset managers.

One of MiCA's architects said he sees no need to regulate DeFi as the European Commission gathers feedback on the framework's future.

Morpho's funding surge underscores DeFi's growing appeal to traditional finance, potentially accelerating blockchain integration in banking. The post DeFi lender Morpho nears $2B valuation after $175M raise led by Paradigm and a16z appeared first on Crypto Briefing.