NOW: Joe Consorti and Tom Luongo live at Camp Nakamoto

MICROSOFT WARNS OF NEW MALWARE STEALING BITCOIN SEED PHRASES AND HIJACKING WALLET ADDRESSES Microsoft has identified a new strain of malware, dubbed “CryptoBandits,” that has been infecting Windows PCs since February and specifically targeting Bitcoin and other crypto wallets. The attack begins with an infected USB stick. When a user clicks a malicious shortcut file, a worm installs itself on the computer and quietly goes to work. The malware continuously monitors the Windows clipboard, looking for Bitcoin seed phrases, private keys, and wallet addresses. If it detects a seed phrase or private key, it sends the information to attackers through the Tor network while also capturing screenshots of the victim’s screen. Even more dangerous, the malware can silently replace a copied Bitcoin address with an attacker-controlled address before a transaction is sent. The victim believes they are sending funds to the intended recipient, but the Bitcoin is redirected to the attacker instead. The worm also spreads itself automatically. When a clean USB drive is connected, it infects the drive by disguising malicious shortcut files as ordinary documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, and other files, allowing the malware to jump from computer to computer. The incident is another reminder that self-custody comes with responsibility. Hardware wallets protect private keys, but users should never enter seed phrases on internet-connected computers and should always verify recipient addresses on the hardware wallet screen before sending Bitcoin. Microsoft recommends disabling USB AutoRun, blocking shortcut file execution from removable drives, and restricting Windows script hosts to reduce exposure.

NEW: France bans non-quantum-resistant encryption certificates from 2027 and mandates full quantum encryption by 2030.

What can stop the STRC bleed?

ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI: "I think Bitcoin starts a rally late in the fourth quarter of 2026 into early 2027."

🚨 ILLINOIS ENACTS MOST AGGRESSIVE BITCOIN TAX IN THE 🇺🇸 US Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed Illinois’ new Digital Asset Tax Act into law. Starting January 1, 2027, Illinois will impose a 0.20% tax on the gross value of digital assets exchanged, transferred, or stored for customers. In practice: • Buy Bitcoin? Pay the tax. • Transfer Bitcoin? Pay the tax. • Store BTC with a custodian? Pay the tax. Move $1 million through a bank wire, ACH transfer, brokerage account, or traditional custodian and Illinois takes nothing. Move that same $1 million as a digital asset and the state takes $2,000. The tax applies regardless of whether there is any profit, income, or capital gain. It is levied simply because a digital asset is being exchanged, transferred, or stored. Critics argue this creates a first-of-its-kind regime that singles out blockchain-based activity while leaving analogous banking, brokerage, custody, and payment services untouched. The law targets the service layer of the digital asset economy. While trading for one’s own account is excluded, businesses facilitating exchange, transfer, or custody for customers must collect and remit the tax, with customers ultimately liable if it is not collected. The Crypto Council for Innovation warned that Illinois is becoming a national outlier by adopting a transaction-based tax on digital assets that has no comparable equivalent for stocks, bonds, derivatives, bank deposits, or traditional financial transactions anywhere else in the country. Industry groups say the law is a powerful incentive for entrepreneurs, startups, and investment to leave Illinois for more competitive jurisdictions. Perhaps most surprising is the timing. Illinois only recently adopted the Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act (DACPA), a framework many viewed as a constructive approach to blockchain innovation. This new tax represents a sharp reversal. The question now is whether other states follow Illinois’ lead, or whether this becomes a case study in how to drive an emerging industry elsewhere.

Kevin Warsh failed his first day at school.

NEW: 🇲🇽 Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas allocates 70% of his portfolio to Bitcoin, because of its superior risk-reward profile compared to real estate.

ROBERT KIYOSAKI: "Taking fake money (cash) and saving real money. I do not like being a loser. I do not want you to be a loser. Take care."

Kevin Warsh is set to chair his first Federal Reserve interest rate meeting tomorrow. Trump appointed Warsh with the expectation that he would cut rates, but that looks increasingly unlikely after inflation surged to its highest level in more than three years.

Bitcoin's surge "appears more like stabilization and base-building than a confirmed reversal," per Glassnode.

US Bitcoin ETFs sees fifth consecutive week of outflows.

BLACKROCK’S BITCOIN INCOME ETF SET TO BEGIN TRADING JUNE 19 The SEC has declared the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF ($BITA) effective. The fund will hold spot Bitcoin exposure through IBIT and generate monthly income by selling covered call options on up to 35% of its portfolio. The strategy targets yield in the 8-12% range during volatile markets, but investors give up some upside during major Bitcoin rallies. The move could make Bitcoin more attractive to pensions, income-focused investors, and institutions seeking cash flow rather than pure price appreciation. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs is reportedly preparing a competing Bitcoin income ETF expected to launch July 1.

"You can never have enough Bitcoin. But you can have enough to be financially independent." @Trey Sellers joins to discuss: 🔸 How much BTC you need to retire 🔸 Why a 4-year stacking sprint beats endless DCA 🔸 FIRE blind spots most Bitcoiners miss 📺: Fountain: https://fountain.fm/episode/Qqz0kPDsHT1mvvebVgE3

Bitcoin is down 50%, but the infighting inside the community is at all-time highs. So we decided to have a little fun with it. Using Saylor’s four Bitcoin ideologies as a framework, we break down the tribes, the feuds, and the endless timeline warfare that’s erupted during this bear market. Enjoy. 📺:

@PlebLab has announced that Hackalajara 2.0 and Startup Day Guadalajara will take place August 20th–21st, 2026, bringing Bitcoin founders, lightning developers, investors, operators, students, and local builders together for two focused days of building, demos, startup programming, and community in Guadalajara.

Bitcoin News

Hackalajara 2.0 Returns as PlebLab Brings Startup Day to Guadalajara

Bitcoin likes the promise of Peace in the Middle East.

🇨🇳 CHINA MOVES CLOSER TO LAUNCHING SWIFT ALTERNATIVE BACKED BY FIVE CENTRAL BANKS China is advancing mBridge, a blockchain-based cross-border payment network backed by the central banks of China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The platform is designed to settle international transactions in seconds using central bank digital currencies, bypassing traditional correspondent banking rails and reducing reliance on the US dollar as the intermediary currency. Originally launched under the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in 2021, ownership of the project was transferred to participating central banks in 2024, with Beijing now taking a leading role in its development. Supporters say mBridge can dramatically lower settlement costs, speed up international payments, and expand access for smaller businesses that struggle with the complexity and expense of existing cross-border payment systems. If widely adopted, mBridge could strengthen the international use of the digital yuan, deepen trade ties between participating nations, and accelerate the emergence of a multipolar global payments system competing directly with SWIFT.

BTC Prague is becoming one of the world's most beloved Bitcoin events. But Saylor is the one who stole the show. We break down his viral remarks, the backlash, and what it all means in our latest newsletter. Sign up below to get it delivered to your inbox tomorrow morning 👇

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🇵🇱 POLISH PRESIDENT VETOES CRYPTO BILL FOR THE THIRD TIME Polish President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed legislation regulating Bitcoin and crypto assets for a third time, arguing the bill failed to address his previous objections and imposed excessive burdens on the industry. The legislation was designed to implement the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework and establish a domestic licensing regime for crypto companies under Poland’s financial regulator. Nawrocki and his allies have repeatedly argued that Poland’s version of MiCA goes beyond what is necessary and could push Bitcoin and crypto businesses to relocate to more crypto-friendly EU jurisdictions with simpler regulatory regimes. The dispute has become one of the biggest crypto policy battles in Europe. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government says the law is needed to protect consumers, combat money laundering, and bring Poland into compliance with EU rules, while opponents warn it would stifle innovation and drive investment abroad. The veto leaves Poland in a unique position ahead of the EU’s July 1 deadline. MiCA remains directly applicable across the European Union, but without national implementing legislation Poland lacks a fully operational licensing framework, creating uncertainty for domestic crypto firms and potentially encouraging businesses to seek authorization elsewhere in the EU. The bill had already been vetoed twice before, making this the third rejection in less than a year and extending the standoff between Poland’s president and government over the future of Bitcoin and crypto regulation.