U.S. Stocks Open Higher as Expected, AI Stocks Rally, Intel Up 8%, SPCX Extends Losses

**U.S. Stocks Poised to Rise in H2 Amid Near-Term Technical Volatility: Analyst** NEW YORK, June 18 (Reuters) — Scott Ruben, Director of Stock and Equity Derivatives Strategy at Castle Securities, noted Wednesday that U.S. equities could face heightened volatility over the next two weeks, driven more by technical factors than underlying fundamental shifts. Ruben pointed to key catalysts for the upcoming swings: Starting June 19, the market will see the largest single-options expiration in history, paired with end-of-quarter pension portfolio rebalancing and position adjustment trades by top institutional investor groups. He labeled this window “one of the most critical technical stretches of the year,” emphasizing fund flows will carry far more weight than macro or company-specific fundamentals during this period. For investors, Ruben frames the coming volatility as a purely technical phenomenon, advising them to buy on any market dips. Once these two weeks wrap and the quarter clos

June 18 – STRC extended its declines following today’s market open, changing hands at $85.9 as of current trading, marking a 3.44% daily loss. Overseas key opinion leaders (KOLs) have raised questions about the product, noting it was once heavily marketed as a safe, family-oriented investment that outperformed high-yield savings accounts with virtually no price volatility. Arete Capital partner McKenna added his analysis, stating the market is awaiting typical summer-end volatility and Michael Saylor’s planned Bitcoin sales. He projected Saylor will eventually sell a portion of his Bitcoin holdings to push STRC back toward its $100 face value, a move that would spark a natural buying rush for the asset. According to reports, STRC is a preferred stock issued to fund Bitcoin purchases, with a face value roughly anchored at $100 and a high dividend yield. Its dividend rate is adjustable based on market conditions, with the core objective of keeping STRC’s trading price as close to i

June 18 – Hsiao-Wei Wang, the first Chinese-American Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, announced her resignation today. In a statement, she said she has decided to prioritize her personal life and future directions, adding, “Now is the right time to step back and I am still contemplating the next steps.” In response to the news, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin praised Wang’s contributions, noting she has been a “steadfast contributor to the Ethereum ecosystem for the past decade” and expressing anticipation for her future adventures. Notably, on March 10, 2025, the Ethereum Foundation promoted Wang to its board of directors – making her the first Chinese leader with a technical background to rise to the board in the organization’s seven-year history.

On June 18, per an official announcement, Bitget launched U-based RE perpetual contracts with up to 20x leverage. The contract trading bot is also available simultaneously. For more details, please visit Bitget’s official platform.

On June 18, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has unveiled a plan that would require the federal government to take a 50% equity stake in large-scale artificial intelligence companies, according to Axios.

June 18 — With just over a week left before the U.S. Senate recesses for the July 4 holiday, pro-cryptocurrency senators and top government officials are conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations to ready the Clarity Act for a full floor vote when lawmakers return from the break. Multiple sources familiar with the talks reveal that a bipartisan group of senators from the Senate Banking Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee is set to hold a meeting this morning to resolve outstanding issues on the bill. Separately today, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with law enforcement officials as the administration pushes to build support for a key, contentious provision in the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act. This provision would clearly state that developers of certain non-custodial software are not liable for third parties’ use of their code — unless the developers have actual knowledge that the code would be used for illicit activities and intend for that misuse to occ