Real Finance puts $20,000 up for grabs in new $ASSET rewards campaign

  • Real Finance launches REAL Competition for the $ASSET ecosystem.
  • Users can earn points by trading, staking and holding $ASSET.
  • A $3400 raffle pool gives more community members a chance to win.

Real Finance has launched the REAL Competition, a community rewards campaign aimed at increasing participation across the $ASSET ecosystem.

The Sofia-based company said the campaign will allow users to earn points through trading, staking and holding $ASSET, with top participants eligible for up to $20,000 in USDC rewards.

The competition also includes an additional raffle prize pool, broadening the reward structure beyond the highest-ranked users.

Real Finance said the campaign is designed to recognise sustained on-chain engagement rather than simply rewarding short-term trading volume.

Points system targets wider ecosystem activity

The REAL Competition introduces a points-based model that tracks qualifying activity involving $ASSET.

Participants can earn points by trading, staking and holding the token, with all activity monitored on-chain through the competition dashboard.

The structure is designed to give users multiple ways to participate.

Active traders can build points through qualifying transactions, while long-term holders and stakers can also improve their standing through sustained participation.

Real Finance said participants will move through a 13-level rewards structure during the campaign.

This approach marks a shift from conventional trading competitions, which often focus mainly on volume.

By including staking and holding activity, the REAL Competition is intended to reward broader involvement across the $ASSET ecosystem.

Leaderboard rewards backed by raffle prizes

The campaign’s main prize structure includes fixed rewards for the top-ranked participants, with total rewards of up to $20,000 in USDC available through the competition.

Real Finance will also distribute rewards through a broader pool based on final point totals.

This means participants outside the highest leaderboard positions may still be eligible for rewards, depending on their accumulated score.

In addition, the company said it will offer a separate raffle reward pool worth $3,400.

The raffle is designed to give more community members a chance to win prizes, even if they do not finish among the top-ranked participants.

“The REAL Competition is designed to reward meaningful participation across our ecosystem,” said Ivo Georgiev, CEO of Real Finance.

Whether users are actively trading, staking for the long term, or steadily building their position in $ASSET, we want to recognize the community members helping drive the growth of the network. By combining leaderboard rewards with raffle prizes, we’re creating opportunities for a broader range of participants to benefit from the campaign.

Campaign to run over coming months

Participants can join the REAL Competition by connecting a supported wallet and completing qualifying $ASSET transactions or staking activities.

Real Finance said users will be able to track their points, leaderboard ranking and unlocked multipliers through the campaign dashboard.

The company said the competition is now live and will run through the coming months, with rewards to be distributed after the campaign concludes.

The REAL Competition is scheduled to go live at 11 AM UTC.

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Solana price forecast: SOL stuck below $72 as bears take control

  • Solana price sits at around $71 with strong resistance at $75.95.
  • Indicators and EMAs show a bearish market trend.
  • Weekly gains contrast with weak momentum and extreme fear sentiment.

Solana price continues to trade in a tight range around the low $70s, with the asset struggling to reclaim the $72 level.

At the time of writing, SOL was trading near $71.26, after a mild 24-hour decline of about 0.7%.

Despite a stronger weekly rebound of roughly 10%, the broader market pattern still shows clear resistance overhead and weakening momentum across multiple technical indicators.

Over the past 24 hours, the Solana price has remained trapped between $70.69 and $74.24, without a decisive trend forming.

Technical structure still favours sellers

Looking at the charts, Solana (SOL) remains under pressure from a layered resistance structure formed by major moving averages.

Recent price movements show that SOL has only managed to reclaim the 10-day exponential moving average (EMA), while the 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs are all positioned above the current price level.

Solana price analysis

This configuration confirms that the broader trend remains bearish, as rallies continue to encounter resistance before reaching higher momentum zones.

The most immediate technical barrier is located at $75.95, a level that must be cleared to signal a potential shift in trend direction.

If this level is broken, projections place the next resistance at $83.32.

On the downside, structural support is clearly defined at $62.40.

A breakdown below $62.40 would expose the Solana price to deeper losses, extending the current corrective phase and potentially triggering accelerated selling pressure.

Notably, the daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) is positioned at 44.38, reflecting a neutral condition and suggesting indecision in short-term price direction.

However, the weekly RSI has dropped to around 33.07, placing it near the oversold territory and signalling that while selling pressure has been persistent over a longer timeframe, we could see some bullish recovery soon.

The overall market sentiment remains weak

Sentiment conditions continue to reflect caution across the broader market.

The Fear and Greed Index is positioned near 15, a level typically associated with extreme fear.

Such an environment often coincides with defensive positioning, reduced risk appetite, and lower conviction in upward price movements.

Derivative market data also supports this cautious outlook, with the funding rates remaining negative in recent sessions, while short positioning has increased relative to long exposure.

Solana funding rate

In addition, the long-to-short ratio has remained below equilibrium levels, indicating that traders are still leaning toward downside protection rather than sustained bullish positioning.

At the same time, Solana has recorded modest institutional inflows, including small allocations into Solana ETFs totalling just over $1 million.

Solana ETF flows

However, these inflows remain limited in size and have not been sufficient to offset broader bearish positioning in derivatives markets.

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Ethereum derivatives activity weakens as traders await a fresh catalyst

Key takeaways

  • While momentum indicators suggest downside pressure is easing, ETH remains trapped below multiple key moving averages. 
  • Until buyers reclaim resistance levels above $1,800, the broader technical outlook remains cautious, with support around $1,741 likely to play a crucial role in determining the next major move.

ETH Open Interest falls to a multi-week low

Ethereum (ETH) derivatives markets remain subdued following weeks of price weakness, reflecting a cautious stance among leveraged traders.

After ETH fell below the $1,800 level, futures open interest dropped sharply, reaching 13.64 million ETH on Sunday, its lowest level since early May. 

Open interest saw a modest recovery on Monday after Ethereum rebounded above $1,700, but overall participation remains significantly lower than recent highs.

Open interest represents the total value of outstanding futures contracts. Since May 28, Ethereum futures markets have witnessed a decline of roughly 2 million ETH in open interest, highlighting a strong reduction in leveraged exposure and growing risk-off sentiment.

Funding rate data paints a similar picture of caution. Over the past two weeks, Ethereum funding rates have fluctuated between positive and negative territory, signaling a lack of clear conviction from either bulls or bears.

Funding rates are periodic payments exchanged between long and short traders in perpetual futures markets. Positive rates indicate bullish positioning, while negative rates suggest stronger bearish sentiment.

The market’s tone shifted notably after the June 5 correction, which pushed funding rates into negative territory following nearly a month of positive readings.

Although ETH has recovered modestly since then, bullish traders have struggled to regain control.

Spot-market indicators offer little evidence of aggressive accumulation. Ethereum exchange reserves have declined modestly over the past two days, reversing part of the increase recorded last week. 

While falling exchange balances can sometimes indicate accumulation, the move remains too small to signal strong demand.

Ethereum price analysis: ETH trapped below key resistance

Ethereum continues to trade within a bearish short-term structure despite recent stabilization.

On the 4-hour chart, ETH remains below its 20-day EMA near $1,794, the 50-day EMA around $1,955, and the 100-day EMA near $2,108

The clustering of these moving averages above current price levels indicates that upside attempts continue to face significant resistance.

Although the broader trend remains bearish, some technical indicators suggest downside momentum may be easing.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has climbed toward the mid-50s, indicating selling pressure is weakening but not yet signaling a bullish reversal.

For Ethereum to build a stronger recovery, bulls must reclaim several important resistance zones.

Immediate resistance at $1,794 could pave the way for an extended rally towards the $1,806 and $1,909 psychological levels.

A sustained move above these levels would significantly improve Ethereum’s outlook.

ETH/USD 4H Chart

On the downside, Ethereum faces several important support areas. If the bearish trend persists, immediate support is seen at the $1,524 level, with another demand zone at $1,405. 

If selling pressure intensifies and these levels fail to hold, ETH could decline toward the next significant support area near $1,156.

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Bitcoin price stays below $64k as hawkish Fed and ETF outflows weigh on sentiment

Key takeaways

  • Bitcoin remains vulnerable as hawkish Federal Reserve guidance, rising Treasury yields, and inconsistent ETF demand continue to dampen investor sentiment.
  • With BTC trading below key moving averages and lacking strong buying momentum, the near-term bias remains bearish. 

Bitcoin (BTC) remained under pressure on Thursday, trading below the $64,000 level as investors reacted to a hawkish message from the U.S. Federal Reserve and mixed institutional demand signals.

The leading cryptocurrency continues to struggle for momentum, with risk appetite fading across financial markets after the Fed signaled a tougher policy outlook despite leaving interest rates unchanged.

Federal Reserve maintains rates but adopts hawkish tone

The U.S. Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% during its latest policy meeting, the first chaired by Kevin Warsh.

While the decision itself was widely expected, markets were focused on the Fed’s forward guidance and updated economic projections.

The central bank removed language suggesting a bias toward further monetary easing and instead signaled support for maintaining higher rates for longer. Policymakers now project the federal funds rate to end the year at 3.8%, up from the 3.4% forecast issued in March.

The revised outlook prompted traders to increase expectations for tighter monetary policy, with markets now pricing in nearly an 85% probability of a rate hike in December.

As a result, U.S. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar moved higher, reducing demand for risk-sensitive assets such as cryptocurrencies.

Institutional demand for Bitcoin remains mixed, offering little support for a sustained recovery.

According to CoinGlass data, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded a net outflow of $82.20 million on Wednesday, following:

The inconsistent flow pattern, coupled with a slight bearish bias, suggests institutional investors remain cautious amid macroeconomic uncertainty.

Should ETF outflows continue or accelerate in the coming sessions, Bitcoin could face additional downside pressure.

Bitcoin price outlook: Relief bounce shows signs of weakness

Recent price action indicates that Bitcoin’s rebound from oversold conditions may have been driven more by seller exhaustion than by renewed buying demand.

Bitcoin continues to trade within a bearish short-term structure and remains below several key moving averages.

BTC is currently trading below the 50-day EMA at $70,042, the 100-day EMA at $72,839, and the 200-day EMA at $78,174.

The failure to reclaim these levels reinforces the broader downtrend and highlights persistent overhead selling pressure.

Additionally, the previously broken uptrend support near $73,833 has now turned into a major resistance zone.

Technical indicators continue to favor caution. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 4-hour chart remains below 50, indicating ongoing bearish momentum without yet reaching deeply oversold conditions.

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram remains slightly positive, suggesting that recent rebounds may be corrective moves within a broader bearish trend rather than the beginning of a sustained recovery.

BTC/USD 4H Chart

If Bitcoin attempts a rebound, traders will likely focus on several major resistance zones. The first major resistance at $64,004 could pave the way for higher hurdles at $70,042 – 50-day EMA

A move above these levels would be required to significantly improve the technical outlook.

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Aztec Network loses over $4 million in three days to two subsequent hacks

  • Legacy Aztec Network contracts were drained of over $4M in three days.
  • Attacks exploited flaws in zero-knowledge proof verification logic.
  • The core Aztec network and AZTEC token were not affected by the exploits.

Aztec’s legacy infrastructure has come under a coordinated wave of attacks, leading to losses that crossed $4 million within just three days.

The exploits targeted deprecated smart contracts that had already been shut down years earlier but still held on-chain liquidity.

Despite being labelled as inactive and immutable, the contracts remained accessible to attackers who exploited weaknesses in zero-knowledge proof verification logic.

While the attacks did not affect the current Aztec network or its AZTEC token, they exposed long-standing risks tied to retired DeFi systems that continue to exist on Ethereum without active maintenance or upgrade paths.

First breach: Aztec Connect drained of $2.1 million

The first incident occurred on June 14, when attackers exploited the Aztec Connect protocol, a deprecated privacy-focused bridge that had been officially shut down after its retirement phase.

The contract was already considered inactive, yet it still contained residual funds.

The attacker managed to drain approximately $2.1 million in digital assets, including around 909 ETH, 270,000 DAI, and 167 wstETH, alongside other smaller holdings.

The exploit was linked to flaws in the way rollup proof verification was handled, allowing invalid or manipulated proofs to be accepted as legitimate.

What made the situation more critical was the nature of the contract itself.

Aztec Connect was described as immutable, meaning it could not be paused or patched once deployed.

Even though users had previously been encouraged to withdraw funds before shutdown, the remaining balance became an easy target for exploitation years later.

Security teams reviewing the incident pointed to a breakdown in the relationship between zero-knowledge proof validation and on-chain settlement logic.

In simple terms, the system accepted proofs that did not correctly match the underlying transaction state, allowing the attacker to trigger unauthorised withdrawals.

Second attack: Private Rollup Bridge exploited for $2.15 million

Just three days later, a second exploit hit another legacy system known as the Private Rollup Bridge.

This contract was also part of Aztec’s older infrastructure and had been deprecated following the transition away from earlier rollup designs.

In this case, attackers drained roughly 1,158 ETH, valued at close to $2.15 million at the time of the incident.

The method used was different in execution but similar in technical root cause.

Instead of directly manipulating withdrawals through basic proof mismatch, the attacker leveraged a vulnerable “escape hatch” mechanism embedded in the bridge design.

By submitting a specially crafted zero-knowledge proof, the attacker was able to trigger the contract’s exit logic.

The system incorrectly validated the proof and released funds without proper verification of the underlying state transitions.

This allowed the attacker to extract liquidity in a single coordinated sequence.

Like the earlier exploit, this breach did not involve private key compromise or reentrancy vulnerabilities.

Instead, it highlighted deeper issues in how proof validation was structured in legacy rollup systems, particularly when contracts remain permanently active on-chain after being officially sunset.

Response from Aztec and security firms

Following both incidents, Aztec Labs and the Aztec Foundation confirmed that the affected systems were deprecated products with no connection to the current Aztec network or AZTEC token ecosystem.

They emphasised that neither contract could be upgraded, paused, or controlled, as both were designed to be immutable at deployment.

Security firm CertiK Alert also flagged the Private Rollup Bridge exploit, identifying the attacker’s address and confirming the movement of funds tied to a specific Ethereum transaction.

Their analysis aligned with other reviews, suggesting that the vulnerability stemmed from flaws in zero-knowledge proof verification rather than conventional smart contract bugs.

Aztec representatives also clarified that the Private Rollup Bridge and Aztec Connect incidents were separate events, even though they occurred within a short timeframe and shared similar technical weaknesses.

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