Gm frens. Welcome to the last news round-up for June!

Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade is set for Q3 2026; Nigeria leads Ripple’s RLUSD bet, as Pudgy Penguins rolls out a game at Target stores. GTA 6 pre-orders are confirmed amid a meme coin frenzy, and a Polymarket trader wins $9.24 million in a single day. Is ETH setting up for a recovery? Lastly, Zypto App v1.28 is live.

Let’s go!

Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade set for Q3 2026

Ethereum is preparing to roll out the Glamsterdam upgrade in Q3 of 2026 to handle increased network activity. Rather than adding new features, the upgrade focuses on improving how Ethereum processes transactions behind the scenes.

First, Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)-7732 gives the network more time to build and share blocks, increasing that window from about two seconds to nine seconds. This helps Ethereum handle larger amounts of data more efficiently.

Next, EIP-7928 allows the network to identify transaction requirements before processing them, making it easier to handle multiple transactions simultaneously. Meanwhile, updated fee rules aim to support higher network capacity without overloading the system. Together, these changes could lower costs, reduce congestion, and improve Ethereum’s long-term performance. 

Ethereum’s scalability story is increasingly being shaped by Layer-2 networks rather than the main chain itself. According to DefiLlam data, Base holds more than $4.2 billion in DeFi value, while Arbitrum secures roughly $1.3 billion.

This migration accelerated as users sought lower costs and faster execution than the main network could consistently provide. Meanwhile, transaction activity has increasingly moved toward rollups, reinforcing their role as the ecosystem’s primary execution layer.

However, the rollups reduce congestion and expand capacity, yet they also deepen reliance on Ethereum for settlement and security. As activity grows, sustaining efficiency across both layers becomes increasingly important for long-term network performance.

Nigeria leads Ripple’s RLUSD bet through Flutterwave

Ripple announced a strategic partnership with Flutterwave, one of the biggest payment companies located in Nigeria. With Ripple’s help, Flutterwave is advancing its push into blockchain-based payments through this new partnership.

That said, the investment, which was a component of Flutterwave’s Series E round, valued the company at $3.2 billion. With this partnership, Ripple would also integrate its global payment network, the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and its stablecoin, RLUSD, into Flutterwave’s infrastructure. All in all, this agreement marks a significant change in how funds could enter and exit Nigeria.

Although Flutterwave currently handles payments for millions of consumers and businesses throughout the continent, the majority of international transactions still go through conventional banking channels.

This includes multiple intermediaries, correspondent banks, currency conversions, and settlement times that take several days. By strategically investing in and integrating technology, Ripple aims to replace much of that complexity with stablecoin-based blockchain infrastructure.

Needless to say, the implications are wider for Africa and Nigeria. For context, the continent has long struggled with issues such as high remittance costs, restricted access to international banking systems, and a lack of foreign exchange. 

This milestone occurs, as the RLUSD Cost Basis Distribution Heatmap indicates that June 2026 appears to mark the start of a higher-activity phase for RLUSD. The rise in volatility and the formation of new cost-basis clusters below $1 suggest that more people were interacting with the stablecoin.

Though this may have caused brief disruptions, it prevented the peg from collapsing overall.

Pudgy Penguins rolls out trading game at Target stores

NFT project Pudgy Penguins has expanded the retail reach of its trading card game through a nationwide rollout at Target stores in the US. According to reports, the launch of Vibes Series 3 marks the game’s biggest retail expansion to date and brings the total number of circulated cards to 15 million. The new set includes additional gameplay mechanics, original artwork, and appearances by characters from the Moonbirds collection.

Pudgy Penguins developed Vibes in partnership with Orange Cap Games, with Series 3 following two earlier releases. The digital collectible project is the fourth-largest NFT collection by market capitalization, according to data tracker NFT Price Floor.

The rollout shows how Pudgy Penguins is extending its NFT-born intellectual property into mainstream consumer products as it aims to build a broader entertainment franchise beyond digital assets.

Pudgy Penguins has spent years turning its Ethereum-based NFT collection into a broader consumer brand, with ventures spanning toys, licensing and other consumer products. 

Its physical toys were stocked in more than 2,000 Walmart stores in 2023. The project’s licensing model also allows NFT holders to receive 5% of net revenue from physical products featuring their individual penguins.

The franchise has also expanded into gaming. In 2025, Pudgy Penguins launched two games, Pengu Clash and Pudgy Party. The company claimed that the latter’s downloads exceeded 1 million. However,  the project said that it would halt further development of the game and focus its resources on a browser-based game called Pudgy World.

GTA 6 pre-orders confirmed amid meme coin frenzy

Rockstar Games officially confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders will begin on June 25 across all major platforms and global digital storefronts. The announcement reignited massive hype around what is already considered one of the most anticipated game launches in history. 

GTA 6 has dominated gaming conversations for years. Moreover, the long wait between the original announcement and the release has intensified retail attention. Crypto markets reacted within minutes. GTA 6 and Rockstar-themed meme coins surged sharply across multiple decentralized exchanges, especially on Solana, Ethereum, and BNB Chain.

Several previously dead tokens reached multi-week highs as social media amplified a buying frenzy across crypto communities worldwide. The reaction follows a familiar pattern. Whenever major entertainment events approach, themed meme coins typically experience parabolic moves driven by retail FOMO. As a result, traders chase quick gains tied to the underlying brand’s cultural relevance. 

Despite the explosive moves, Rockstar Games has not released any official tokens. Every meme coin riding the GTA 6 hype is a community-driven project with no formal connection to Rockstar, Take-Two Interactive, or the franchise itself.

Also, regulatory uncertainty around unauthorized branding can trigger sudden token removals from major exchanges. The lack of official endorsement does not stop the rally. Crypto markets historically reward narrative-driven speculation, especially around culturally significant brands.

For now, the GTA 6 pre-order announcement on June 25 remains the next major catalyst. Until then, meme coin volatility tied to the franchise will likely remain elevated. Investors should remember that the only confirmed news comes directly from Rockstar Games.

Polymarket trader wins $9.24 million in one day 

Prediction market traders are winning and losing millions on the 2026 World Cup, with one Polymarket bettor banking $9.24 million in a single day after correctly calling four match outcomes. The scale has made individual trades a spectacle. On-chain trackers now follow the biggest wallets in near real time.

The tournament has turned platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi into high-stakes betting arenas. Traders are wagering seven-figure sums on single matches, and the results are producing both record payouts and steep losses. The outright winner market on Polymarket alone has drawn more than $2.5 billion in volume.

A standout winner won all four of their bets. According to Lookonchain, the trader staked $7.03 million on Iran, not beating New Zealand. Iran drew 2-2, and that single bet returned $7.34 million. 

Another trader, fishalive, turned roughly $427,000 into $4.7 million after Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde at 9% odds. A third account, gardenshed, booked $764,000 in four days. It won 7 of 8 bets for an 87.5% win rate.

Losses were just as visible. One trader put about $1.2 million on Argentina not to beat Algeria, hoping to secure a $3.43 million payout. Argentina won 3-0 via a Lionel Messi hat-trick, and the trader lost. Another user lost $391,536 on the same outcome, while a separate Kalshi bettor put $373,407 on Algeria not to win, and that wager paid out $416,184. 

Is ETH setting up for a recovery? 

A major Ethereum whale intensified its accumulation activity after purchasing 7,000 ETH worth $11.8 million. The latest acquisition lifted the wallet’s total purchases to 17,800 ETH valued at approximately $29.76 million over the previous ten days at the time of writing.

Such sustained buying activity highlighted growing conviction from large holders despite Ethereum’s recent price struggles. Notably, the whale accumulated ETH at an average price of $1,672, a level close to the asset’s current market value. This positioning suggested that large investors continued to view current prices as attractive.

Beyond whale activity, exchange flow data revealed a notable shift in Ethereum’s circulating supply. During the latest trading session, Ethereum recorded $95.92 million in inflows against $109.27 million in outflows. This imbalance produced a net outflow of roughly $13.35 million.

The persistent outflow trend indicated that more ETH left exchanges than entered them. Since exchange-held assets typically represent a readily available supply for sale, the decline suggested reduced immediate sell-side pressure.

Liquidation data revealed several high-interest zones that could influence Ethereum’s next move. The Global Liquidation Heatmap showed a notable concentration of liquidity around the $1,720 to $1,730 region.

Since large liquidation clusters often attract price action, this zone emerged as a key area to monitor in the short term. Below the current price, another significant liquidity pocket appeared between $1,665 and $1,675.

This cluster provided an important downside reference if Ethereum lost support near $1,700. Elsewhere, additional liquidity concentrations extended toward $1,750 and above $1,800, indicating areas where leveraged positions had accumulated.

As traders continue to target liquidity-rich zones, Ethereum’s price action could remain drawn toward these levels before establishing a clearer directional move.

Zypto App v.128 is live 

Zypto App v1.28 expands the availability of its reloadable crypto card range to more countries and U.S. states, while introducing a refreshed, more configurable app experience for active, everyday crypto users.

The broader availability is designed to enable more users to fund their card balances with crypto and spend instantly at millions of merchants worldwide. Zypto positions these reloadable cards as a bridge between on-chain value and everyday payments, allowing users to top up from supported cryptocurrencies while maintaining self-custody inside the app until they choose to load.

Beyond geography, v1.28 also brings an upgrade in the in-app experience for reloadable cards, with a focus on smoother funding and clearer visibility into balances and usage. Zypto highlights performance and reliability improvements under the hood, aiming to make topping up, tracking spend, and managing cards feel closer to a modern neobank app than a legacy crypto interface.

These optimizations arrive as competition intensifies around crypto-linked cards, especially in markets where users expect near-instant funding and transparent fee structures. By tightening the card flow and reducing friction at the app layer, Zypto is betting that a refined user experience will matter as much as headline perks or rewards.

The v1.28 release also refreshes the Zypto app’s front door, introducing configurable homepage shortcuts that let users pin their most-used features. In practice, that means quicker access to actions such as sending or receiving crypto, swapping assets, managing cards, topping up mobile phones, or exploring DeFi integrations with a single tap.

This customization aligns with Zypto’s broader ‘super-app’ vision, where wallet, payments, swaps, and cards coexist in a single interface rather than being split across multiple apps or browser tabs. For power users who manage dozens of tokens across more than 20 blockchains and 24,000+ supported assets and local currencies, shaving seconds off frequent workflows can add up quickly.

Underneath the interface changes, users benefit from a wide range of security and reliability improvements that align with Zypto’s ongoing emphasis on self-custody and non-custodial controls. That combination—ownership of keys plus a consumer-grade experience—remains central to Zypto’s aim to serve as a single, mobile-first hub for on-chain finance.

Find out more here.

Closing remark

Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade, targeted for Q3 2026, centers on EIP-7732 and EIP-7928 to give the network more time to build blocks, process transactions in parallel, and upgrade fee rules so Ethereum can handle more data at lower cost.

Ripple’s strategic investment in Flutterwave will embed RLUSD and the XRP Ledger into its infrastructure to streamline cross-border payments and remittances, potentially lowering costs and friction for users across Africa.

Over several years, Pudgy Penguins has repositioned its NFT collection as a consumer brand through mass-market toy deals, licensing arrangements with NFT holders, and a growing slate of physical and digital products.

The speculative rally regarding GTA 6 meme coins reflects how gaming narratives consistently fuel meme coin volatility cycles. Traders quickly piled into tokens with names referencing the game, its characters, and the fictional Vice City setting.

World Cup betting markets on Polymarket have become high-stakes arenas where huge wagers are generating multi-million-dollar windfalls as well as outsized losses. Fresh accumulation from a major Ethereum whale has coincided with renewed discussion about whether large holders see current conditions as an attractive entry point.

Zypto App is sharpening its narrative beyond just another DeFi wallet. The direction of v1.28 suggests that future releases will likely continue to push toward a fully connected financial experience where holding, swapping, and spending crypto all happen without leaving the Zypto environment.

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