Global stocks weaken as firms buy Bitcoin

Global equity markets fell sharply Tuesday as risk appetite weakened, led by steep losses in technology shares linked to artificial intelligence. South Korea’s KOSPI sank nearly 10%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 3.55%, and U.S. equity futures moved lower as traders turned cautious ahead of developments in diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran.

tech selloff weighs on global markets

The decline follows a strong rally last week in AI and semiconductor stocks, suggesting a rapid reversal in sentiment. Leveraged ETFs tied to major South Korean chipmakers, including SK Hynix and Samsung, had surged to a combined value of about 10 trillion won, prompting regulators to consider measures to curb speculative trading activity.

liquidity concerns replace rate fears

Morgan Stanley’s chief U.S. equity strategist said tightening liquidity, rather than interest rate policy, is now the main pressure on equities. He pointed to a roughly 75% decline in reserve management program assets and a 50% drop in Treasury repo balances from their peaks.

These shifts could lead to a broader market pullback in July before earnings-driven growth resumes, signaling that shrinking liquidity is becoming a dominant force in asset pricing.

bitcoin accumulation slows but continues

Corporate demand for Bitcoin continued, though at a slower pace. Data as of June 22 showed publicly listed companies excluding miners added $86.03 million in Bitcoin over the الماضية week, down 13.97% from the prior period.

Strategy purchased 520 BTC for about $34.9 million, increasing its holdings to 847,363 BTC, while Strive acquired 759 BTC worth $49.98 million, bringing its total to 19,864 BTC. In total, listed companies now hold 1,142,276 BTC valued at approximately $74.17 billion, or 5.7% of circulating supply.

Smaller additions came from Brazil’s OrangeBTC and Hong Kong-based DayDayCook, while Japan’s Metaplanet paused purchases for a ninth consecutive week. Mara Holdings increased its reserves by 1,000 BTC to 36,303 BTC.

major financing plans target bitcoin expansion

Capital B shareholders approved a large financing plan that includes up to $5.76 billion in equity issuance and $115.2 billion in credit refinancing to expand its Bitcoin treasury. At current prices, the plan could theoretically support the purchase of more than 1.87 million BTC.

Separately, BitFuFu authorized a $5 million share buyback program over two years, citing long-term capital allocation discipline and continued infrastructure expansion.

ethereum and solana treasuries expand

Activity also remained strong across other digital assets.

BitMine reported $10.7 billion in total assets despite $9.3 billion in unrealized losses. The company added 52,203 ETH worth $92 million, bringing holdings to 5,672,956 ETH and 205 BTC. Of this, 4,718,677 ETH is staked, representing about 4.7% of Ethereum’s circulating supply.

Sharplink raised $75 million through a private placement to fund operations, ETH accumulation, and share repurchases, holding 875,776 ETH as of mid-June.

Listed companies with Solana treasuries collectively hold more than 15.7 million SOL, led by Forward Industries, Upexi, and DeFi Development Corp, alongside Solana Company and SkyAI.

corporate activity highlights risks and expansion

DeFi Development Corp secured a $5 billion equity credit facility to fund additional Solana purchases, while Forward Industries reported $4.6 million in quarterly staking income. Solana Company and SkyAI were previously known as Helius Technologies and Sharps Technology.

Elsewhere, shareholder RBCH filed a lawsuit in New York against Solmate Infrastructure’s board, alleging fiduciary breaches and insider-linked transactions. The complaint claims board members acquired nearly 2.3 million Class B shares at $4.97, diluting existing holders by 20%. Solmate’s stock has dropped 78% year to date, compared with a 50% decline in SOL.

Smaller firms also remained active. Canton Strategic authorized a $50 million share buyback, while Lite Strategy led a $1 million investment in LitVM, a Layer-2 network built on Litecoin.

geopolitical developments offer cautious optimism

Sentiment could find some support from diplomatic progress. U.S. and Iranian officials have agreed on a preliminary framework and a 60-day roadmap toward a broader agreement following talks in Switzerland. A new communication channel aimed at reducing risks in the Strait of Hormuz may help stabilize energy markets and, by extension, the global economy.

crypto markets reflect tightening conditions

In digital asset markets, tightening liquidity and risk aversion have already had an impact. Bitcoin fell into the $63,000 to $64,000 range, with roughly $1.1 billion in leveraged positions liquidated. A widely followed sentiment index dropped to 23, signaling “extreme fear.”

Despite this চাপ, corporate accumulation has not stopped, suggesting that firms continue to view price declines as opportunities rather than exit signals. At the same time, the Solmate dispute highlights that governance risks are becoming a more visible factor as companies expand their exposure to digital assets.