Cryptocurrency
Grayscale: Federal Reserve policy may signal a Bitcoin bottom
Bitcoin’s sharp retreat from its $125,000 cycle peak could reach a definitive floor if the Federal Reserve halts its interest rate hikes. Zach Pandl, head of research at Grayscale, suggests that shifting macroeconomic conditions are now more critical to the asset's recovery than historical four-year cycle patterns.
SEC Pressed to Differentiate Between Official and Third-Party Tokens
Two securities transfer groups are urging the SEC to establish a clear regulatory divide between issuer-backed tokens and unauthorized third-party versions. They warn that unaffiliated products—which often lack a direct legal link to the underlying company—risk undermining shareholder protections, voting rights, and the integrity of corporate record-keeping.
Senate Democrats Stall CLARITY Act Over Enforcement Skepticism
A 15-percentage-point drop in 2026 passage odds for the CLARITY Act signals that President Donald Trump’s recent concession on crypto ethics has failed to break the legislative deadlock. Democratic resistance, led by Senator Angela Alsobrooks, centers on the bill's reliance on the Department of Justice to police potential conflicts of interest.
Polymarket Challenges French Ban as Global Regulatory Scrutiny Intensifies
Five days after French authorities ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction platform is fighting back. The company announced it will contest the National Gambling Authority’s decision in court, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle over the classification of event-based trading.
Bitcoin slips below $66K as geopolitical friction spurs inflation fears
Donald Trump’s warning to target Iranian infrastructure, coupled with the collapse of the Islamabad Memorandum, has sent oil prices surging above $95 per barrel. This sudden geopolitical volatility is forcing traders to recalibrate their outlook on Federal Reserve interest rates, dragging Bitcoin down to $65,700 in the process.
White House accuses Moonshot AI of illicit model distillation
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, has accused Beijing-based Moonshot AI of surreptitiously utilizing proprietary technology from Anthropic to develop its Kimi K3 model. The allegations follow the Chinese system’s recent surge to the top of the Frontend Code Arena benchmark.
SEC to Pay Coinbase $150,000 Over Lost Gensler Text Messages
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has agreed to a $150,000 settlement with Coinbase after failing to preserve nearly 11 months of text messages from former Chair Gary Gensler. The deal brings a long-standing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to a close, forcing the regulator to overhaul its internal record-retention policies.
Bitget Targets U.S. Market Entry Independent of CLARITY Act Progress
With or without the proposed CLARITY Act, Bitget is moving forward with plans to enter the United States market. CEO Gracy Chen confirmed the exchange has abandoned its previous sideline strategy, shifting focus toward securing necessary money-transmitter, derivatives, and broker-dealer licenses for a standalone American entity.
South Korea launches 9.6 billion won CBDC payment initiative
South Korea has kicked off a 9.6 billion won project to integrate deposit tokens into everyday retail payments, signaling a shift from experimental wholesale trials toward public use. The initiative leverages existing banking infrastructure to lower transaction costs for small merchants without requiring a complete hardware overhaul at point-of-sale terminals.
BscScan maintenance forces users to alternative data providers
BNB Chain users face a temporary loss of visibility into on-chain activity as BscScan, the network’s primary block explorer, undergoes scheduled maintenance. Starting July 22 at 6:00 a.m. UTC, the three-to-four-hour service window affects website and API access, though the underlying blockchain remains fully operational and continues processing transactions as usual.
DOJ Targets $25M in Crypto Linked to International Fraud Networks
The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to forfeit more than $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to five distinct international fraud operations. These cases, which targeted victims across the United States and Canada through elaborate investment and romance scams, highlight the reach of syndicates operating out of Southeast Asia.
Coinbase Scales Everything Exchange Strategy to Canada
Coinbase is moving to expand its Canadian footprint by transitioning from a dedicated crypto exchange into an integrated financial platform. The company plans to introduce tokenized stocks and advanced payment services, aiming to provide local users with a single application for diverse financial management, pending ongoing regulatory discussions.
Uphold Adds 4,000 U.S. Securities to Crypto Trading Interface
Uphold is streamlining the investment process for U.S. customers by integrating more than 4,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds directly into its crypto platform. This expansion allows users to fund equity purchases using cryptocurrency, bridging the gap between digital assets and traditional securities through a single, unified transaction flow.
Ramp Integrates Solana Stablecoins for 24/7 Corporate Payments
Ramp has integrated Solana-powered stablecoin accounts into its business platform, allowing firms to hold USDC and USDT for international settlements. This move bypasses traditional banking hours, enabling companies to execute cross-border vendor payments to over 140 countries while maintaining existing accounting and approval workflows.
Galaxy Digital Launches $5 Million Fund for Bitcoin Quantum Readiness
With roughly 6.9 million Bitcoin theoretically at risk from future quantum computing, Galaxy Digital has unveiled a $5 million initiative to fast-track the development of cryptographic defenses. The program aims to address the network's notoriously slow upgrade cycle before quantum threats move from academic theory to commercial reality.
Satsuma Technology shareholders vote to liquidate Bitcoin and delist
More than 90% of shareholders have voted to dismantle Satsuma Technology’s Bitcoin treasury, effectively ending the firm’s run as a publicly traded digital asset vehicle. The decision mandates the sale of 668 BTC and a full capital distribution, reversing a strategy that raised $218 million just one year ago.
Crypto research firm Hazeflow shutters operations
Pavel Paramonov is closing his research firm, Hazeflow, citing involuntary circumstances that left him with no choice but to wind down the business. The founder announced he is stepping away from the cryptocurrency industry for at least a month, expressing a sense of disappointment with the current state of the sector.
Twenty One Scraps Strike Merger as Jack Mallers Resigns CEO Role
The ambitious three-way consolidation of Bitcoin-focused firms has collapsed, as Twenty One Capital officially abandoned its planned merger with Strike. Jack Mallers, the architect behind Strike, stepped down as CEO of Twenty One on July 21 to focus exclusively on his independent financial services platform, leaving the firm’s future strategy in flux.
Dinari joins crypto lobby to influence U.S. tokenized stock rules
As Washington lawmakers weigh how to integrate traditional assets onto blockchain networks, tokenized securities provider Dinari has joined the Blockchain Association. The move aims to bring direct experience with regulated, 1:1-backed U.S. stocks into the ongoing policy debate over the future of digital asset market structures.
Augustus Hits $1 Billion Valuation to Build Stablecoin Clearing Bank
Financial infrastructure startup Augustus has secured $180 million in a Series B funding round, pushing its valuation to $1 billion. Led by Tiger Global, the capital will fuel the firm’s ambition to integrate stablecoin rails with traditional payment networks, positioning the company to challenge legacy correspondent banking models.
Digital Chamber Sues Illinois Over Blockchain Transaction Tax
The Digital Chamber has filed a lawsuit in Sangamon County to strike down Illinois’ 0.2% digital asset tax, arguing the state is unconstitutionally targeting blockchain technology. The trade group contends that taxing transactions based on the underlying infrastructure rather than economic activity sets a dangerous precedent for emerging digital commerce.
Digital Asset Secures $10 Million From Shinhan and SC Ventures
Digital Asset has bolstered its Canton blockchain network with a $10 million injection from Shinhan Financial Group and Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures. This fresh capital pushes the firm’s total funding round to $365 million, maintaining the $2 billion equity valuation established during its initial raise last month.
Bitget Clarifies Unregulated Status in Singapore Market
Crypto exchange Bitget has formally confirmed it holds no license, registration, or authorization from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The move follows the regulator’s inclusion of the platform on its Investor Alert List, a measure designed to flag entities that could be mistaken for locally regulated digital asset service providers.
Ripple Prime earns four Hedgeweek nominations in institutional push
Ripple Prime has secured four nominations for the 2026 Hedgeweek U.S. Awards, signaling a significant shift for the blockchain company as it cements its role in institutional prime brokerage following a major acquisition.
CFTC faces resource crunch as prediction markets explode
As prediction markets see explosive growth, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission finds itself caught between expanding federal mandates and a staffing deficit. Carl Kennedy, a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman, warned lawmakers that the agency lacks the bandwidth to handle both the CLARITY Act’s requirements and the current boom in event contracts.
HTX wallet shifts spark sanctions evasion concerns
Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs reports that HTX has frequently rotated its wallet infrastructure since the UK imposed sanctions on the platform in May. This rapid turnover, spanning multiple blockchains, creates a moving target for compliance tools that rely on static address lists to monitor financial activity.
Pakistan Establishes Specialized Unit to Combat Crypto-Linked Crime
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has launched a dedicated cryptocurrency unit tasked with dismantling money laundering and terrorism financing operations. Operating under the agency's National Command and Control Centre, the team aims to bridge the gap between burgeoning digital asset adoption and the need for robust criminal oversight.
Balance Coin Collapses 99% Following $915,000 Exploitation
An algorithmic stablecoin designed to maintain a one-to-one parity with the U.S. dollar has effectively disintegrated after an exploit. Balance Coin (BLC) lost over 99% of its value on July 22, as security analysts tracked approximately $915,000 in assets drained through unauthorized token minting on the BNB Chain.
Balaji Srinivasan shifts Network School operations to Kazakhstan
After Malaysian authorities revoked the business licence for its Forest City campus, Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School has pivoted toward Central Asia. The entrepreneur signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan on July 21, seeking a new hub for global talent amid escalating regulatory pressure in Johor.
S&P and Pantera launch revenue-focused crypto benchmark
Moving away from pure market capitalization, S&P Dow Jones Indices and Pantera Capital have debuted the S&P Pantera Digital Asset Index. The benchmark prioritizes protocols demonstrating tangible economic activity, selecting 18 digital assets based on revenue generation, liquidity, and size to provide institutional investors with a more disciplined allocation framework.