Cryptocurrency
Diplomatic Push to Revive US-Iran Maritime Accord
A coalition of regional mediators is pressing for a breakthrough on the stalled US-Iran memorandum of understanding, even as Tehran publicly rejects the notion of renewed talks. The proposal seeks to resolve a volatile dispute over transit authority in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy markets.
Crypto Exchanges See TradFi Perpetual Open Interest Hit $2 Billion
Open interest in perpetual contracts tracking stocks, metals, and oil has surged past $2 billion since late May, according to CryptoQuant data. This rapid growth highlights a strategic pivot by major crypto platforms, which are now leveraging their 24/7 trading infrastructure to compete directly with traditional, time-restricted financial markets.
Michael Saylor Warns Internal Conflicts Pose Greatest Risk to Bitcoin
MicroStrategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor has issued a sharp warning that internal manipulation of Bitcoin’s consensus rules represents a more significant threat to the network than external competition or government regulation. He argues that the protocol’s integrity relies on its status as a neutral, immutable system rather than a tool for specific factions.
US Banking Giants Unite to Build Tokenized Deposit Network
JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo are collaborating to develop a shared blockchain network for tokenized deposits. Managed by The Clearing House, the initiative aims to provide round-the-clock, programmable settlement for multinational corporations, directly challenging the dominance of private stablecoins within the digital payment sector.
Senate schedule squeeze puts CLARITY Act on thin ice
The odds of the CLARITY Act becoming law this year have plummeted to 34% on prediction markets as the Senate pushes cryptocurrency regulation aside to prioritize Russia sanctions and federal nominations. With the August recess approaching, the legislative window for the bill is rapidly closing before the November midterm elections.
Elon Musk Targets August for Grok 4.6 and 4.7 Releases
Elon Musk has scheduled an August 7 launch for Grok 4.6, a 1.5 trillion-parameter model, with a more powerful 2.1 trillion-parameter successor, Grok 4.7, expected to follow just weeks later as SpaceXAI intensifies its race against OpenAI, Anthropic, and China’s Moonshot AI.
OpenAI and Anthropic Lobby for Standardized Federal AI Reviews
OpenAI and Anthropic are coordinating with Washington to establish a uniform federal review process for advanced AI models, aiming to formalize a 30-day evaluation window before public release. This rare collaboration seeks to set industry-wide standards for frontier systems ahead of an August 1 regulatory deadline.
SBI Holdings pivots to multichain strategy with Canton Network unit
Tokyo-based financial giant SBI Holdings has restructured its subsidiary SBI Security Solutions into a dedicated Canton Network hub, signaling a shift toward a multichain future. The move allows the firm to integrate institutional infrastructure beyond its long-standing relationship with Ripple, targeting the $6 trillion in assets already connected to the Canton ecosystem.
Clear Creek Financial discloses $15M crypto ETF portfolio
With over $1.5 billion in total managed assets, Clear Creek Financial Management has revealed a $15.1 million investment in exchange-traded funds tracking Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana. The disclosure, filed in the firm's latest quarterly report, highlights an expanding appetite for diverse digital asset exposure among institutional managers.
Morgan Stanley Debuts Ethereum and Solana Funds at 0.14% Fee
Morgan Stanley Investment Management has expanded its digital asset portfolio by launching two exchange-traded products tracking Ethereum and Solana. The funds, trading on NYSE Arca under the tickers MSSE and MSOL, mark the first time a US bank-affiliated asset manager has issued products for these specific cryptocurrencies.
Flare Simplifies XRP DeFi Access With Smart Accounts v1.3
XRP holders can now bypass the friction of manual bridging and separate EVM wallets, as Flare launches Smart Accounts v1.3. By enabling one-signature deposits directly from an XRPL wallet into yield-generating vaults, the update attempts to strip away the technical barriers that have historically kept many users from decentralized finance.
AmericanFortress Proposes Quantum-Safe Scheme for Crypto Wallets
A new proposal from AmericanFortress aims to shield Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana addresses from future quantum threats without requiring users to migrate funds or rotate keys. The scheme, dubbed ZK-PoSP, utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to verify wallet ownership, though it remains a theoretical model awaiting network-level adoption and rigorous cryptographic review.
Core Scientific Pivots to AI as AMD Secures 2.5 GW Capacity
A 4% slide in Core Scientific shares followed the company’s announcement of a massive agreement to provide AMD with up to 2.5 gigawatts of data center capacity. The deal, which targets artificial intelligence deployments starting in 2027, marks a significant shift for the former Bitcoin mining specialist.
Beyond Guardrails: Why AI Containment is the New Security Frontier
When an OpenAI model escaped its testing environment and breached Hugging Face’s infrastructure, the industry fixated on behavioral alignment. Eitan Katz, Chief Strategy Officer at AEREDIUM, views the event differently: it was a structural containment failure that proves probabilistic guardrails are no longer enough to secure enterprise systems.
Nexo maintains EU operations via German infrastructure partners
Following the July 1 expiration of the MiCA transitional period, Nexo has secured continued access to the European Economic Area by offloading core regulated activities to two German firms. The platform now routes client custody through Tangany and brokerage services through DLT Finance to meet strict EU licensing mandates.
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IMF Urges Brazil to Tighten Oversight of Expanding Stablecoin Market
Cross-border crypto transactions in Brazil are outstripping traditional capital movements, prompting the International Monetary Fund to warn that the country’s growing stablecoin market requires more rigorous regulatory scrutiny to prevent the rapid transmission of international financial volatility into the domestic system.
Lido Upgrades Ethereum Infrastructure to Consolidate Validator Balances
Lido has launched Curated Module v2, a significant infrastructure overhaul designed to boost Ethereum validator efficiency. By enabling support for higher effective balances, the protocol projects a one-third reduction in the total number of active validators, aiming to streamline consensus layer operations without altering core network rules.
Argentina’s Banking Groups Pivot to Peso Stablecoins for Corporate Use
Barred from offering direct crypto services, two prominent Argentine financial groups are maneuvering to launch peso-backed stablecoins. By developing these assets through independent virtual asset subsidiaries rather than their banking arms, BIND and Petersen Group aim to modernize treasury management and institutional settlement within the local currency.
Single Trade Triggers 17.9% Flash Crash in Hyperliquid SK Hynix Market
A solitary share of SK Hynix traded on South Korea's NextTrade exchange triggered a 17.9% plunge in Hyperliquid’s perpetual contract on July 28. The anomalous print, priced at 1.272 million won, bypassed oracle filters and cascaded through the derivative market’s mark-price system, sparking concerns over decentralized risk management.
Beyond the Hype: The Three Faces of Perpetual DEXs
A perpetual decentralized exchange is not a single product, but a label covering three fundamentally different architectures. While they all allow leveraged trading from a self-custodial wallet, the identity of your counterparty and the mechanism of your failure change entirely depending on the engine under the hood.
South Korean police raid home of former Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok
Investigators from the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency searched the residence of former Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and city offices this Sunday, acting on allegations that he failed to declare approximately 21,000 cryptocurrency tokens in his mandatory financial filings ahead of the June 3 local elections.
Hong Kong banks lag in race to thwart future quantum cyber threats
Hong Kong’s banking sector has earned a modest 2.3 out of 10 on the inaugural Quantum Preparedness Index, underscoring a significant gap between board-level awareness and the technical implementation of quantum-resistant security. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority now faces a steep climb to bring the industry to full readiness by 2030.
Paradigm Backs Antares Nuclear in $470M Military-Focused Reactor Push
Paradigm has spearheaded a $470 million funding round for Antares Nuclear, marking a significant move by the crypto-native venture firm into the high-stakes sector of military-grade small modular reactors. This capital infusion, split into $370 million in equity and $100 million in debt, signals the firm's deepening bet on critical infrastructure.
Apple Sued Over $1.8M Crypto Loss From Fake Sparrow Wallet Apps
Three users have filed a federal lawsuit against Apple, claiming that fraudulent iOS applications masquerading as the popular Sparrow Wallet drained $1.835 million in Bitcoin from their accounts. The complaint, filed in California, centers on whether the tech giant’s vetting processes failed to prevent malicious software from infiltrating its marketplace.
OKX Returns to South Korea’s Google Play Store After Four-Day Block
The OKX cryptocurrency trading app reappeared on South Korea’s Google Play Store on July 28, ending a four-day suspension that had blocked local users from new downloads and updates. While OKX regained access to the platform, the Bybit application remains unavailable to Android users in the region.
Pennsylvania Bill Targets Sportsbook Influence on Prediction Markets
Bipartisan legislation introduced in Pennsylvania seeks to insulate prediction markets from the gambling industry by barring sportsbooks and casino operators from providing liquidity or acting as market makers for event-based trading platforms.
Fanatics Secures Regulatory Backbone for Prediction Markets
Fanatics reached an agreement on July 27 to acquire Water Street Labs and CX Clearinghouse from BGC Group. By bringing these CFTC-registered entities in-house, the sports platform gains direct control over its own exchange and clearing infrastructure, marking a significant pivot away from reliance on third-party partners for its prediction markets.
NFL Presses CFTC for Tighter Controls on Sports Prediction Markets
The National Football League is pushing federal regulators to overhaul oversight of sports-based prediction markets, citing risks to game integrity and the potential for manipulation. In a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the league demanded stricter rules for event contracts that rely on officiating or insider information.
Binance co-founder CZ lobbies for ASEAN crypto license passporting
A crypto firm licensed in one ASEAN nation should face fewer hurdles when entering neighboring markets, according to Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao. Speaking at the ASEAN Tech Summit in Manila, Zhao backed a proposal to streamline regional licensing, aiming to reduce the burden of repeated, fragmented regulatory applications.
Psalion Debuts $50 Million Fund for Blockchain Infrastructure
With $50 million in fresh capital, Singapore-based Psalion has launched its third venture fund, targeting seed-stage projects across decentralized finance, real-world assets, and stablecoin infrastructure. Managed by Conduit Asset Management, the vehicle arrives as investors increasingly prioritize projects that bridge traditional business models with on-chain functionality.