Cryptocurrency
ADI Chain and Tangem Launch Hardware Wallet in UAE Virgin Megastores
Shoppers at Virgin Megastores across the UAE can now purchase a co-branded Tangem hardware wallet, marking a shift toward bringing offline cryptocurrency self-custody into mainstream retail environments. The partnership allows users to manage Bitcoin, Ethereum, and ADI Chain ecosystem tokens through a contactless card designed for secure, physical transaction authorization.
Grayscale to Launch Quarterly Cash Payouts for ETH and SOL ETFs
Investors in Grayscale’s Ethereum and Solana exchange-traded funds will soon see regular cash distributions derived from staking rewards. Under proposed trust amendments filed on July 17, the asset manager intends to convert earned rewards into cash and pay shareholders at least once per quarter, starting around August 7, 2026.
Tether faces critical compliance deadline for USDT under GENIUS Act
One year after the GENIUS Act became law, Tether remains the largest stablecoin issuer without a clear path to regulatory compliance in the United States. While the legislation provides a transition period until 2028, experts warn that foreign issuers face immediate obligations that could jeopardize USDT's future on American exchanges.
South Korea Eyes Legal Framework to Seize Private Crypto Wallets
South Korean tax authorities are pushing for a legislative overhaul of the Criminal Procedure Act to bypass the limitations of current seizure laws. The proposal seeks to grant investigators the power to forcibly transfer digital assets from self-custodied wallets, citing the risk of suspects moving funds during active investigations.
Circle President Heath Tarbert offloads $30.8M in company stock
Since June 2025, Circle President Heath Tarbert has liquidated approximately $30.8 million in CRCL shares across 10 separate transactions. While these sales coincide with a significant decline in the company’s market valuation, Tarbert retains a stake of over 500,000 shares, signaling his continued involvement with the firm.
South Korea Charts Path for Won-Backed Stablecoins and Forex Reform
South Korea is shifting its financial landscape by integrating won-backed stablecoins into the mainstream economy while dismantling long-standing barriers to international currency exchange. A new roadmap from the Financial Services Commission and Bank of Korea seeks to modernize cross-border capital flows and establish a unified digital asset infrastructure.
Standard Chartered-backed Anchorpoint nears HKDAP stablecoin launch
A coalition led by Standard Chartered and Anchorpoint is preparing to release the HKDAP stablecoin before the end of July. Following regulatory approval from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in April, the project is moving from technical trials to public issuance to compete in the growing digital asset market.
Hyperliquid Shifts to Permissionless Prediction Markets
Hyperliquid is moving to decentralize its outcome markets by allowing permissionless deployments, a shift designed to handle a scale of tradeable events that current validator-managed systems cannot accommodate. The protocol plans to test this framework on its testnet before moving to a broader mainnet release in the coming months.
AZ-COM Maruwa Pivots to Stablecoins for Contractor Settlements
Japan’s logistics landscape faces a shift as AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings prepares to utilize the JPYC stablecoin to settle invoices for 2,300 business partners. By bypassing traditional banking channels for transportation fees and contractor compensation, the firm aims to eliminate transfer costs while increasing the velocity of its routine payments.
South Korea cracks down on crypto manipulation under new oversight law
South Korean financial authorities have identified more than 40 instances of illicit crypto trading since the Virtual Asset User Protection Act took effect two years ago. With 25 suspects already named and over 30 cases referred to investigators, the Financial Services Commission is now shifting toward AI-driven surveillance to police the sector.
Cardano Shifts to Protocol Version 11 via Van Rossem Hard Fork
The Cardano mainnet has officially transitioned to Protocol Version 11 following the successful activation of the van Rossem hard fork on July 18. This deployment serves as a significant technical milestone, marking the first time the network has ratified a major upgrade entirely through its new onchain governance framework.
Allbridge Core Suspended Following $1.65 Million Solana Exploit
A sophisticated flash loan attack has forced the immediate suspension of the Allbridge Core cross-chain protocol. Security firm PeckShield estimates the exploit drained approximately $1.65 million from the platform, prompting developers to urge liquidity providers to withdraw their assets while the team investigates the movement of funds from Solana to Ethereum.
AZ-COM Maruwa to integrate JPYC stablecoin for logistics payments
By committing ¥1 billion to the JPYC issuer, Japanese logistics giant AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings is preparing to shift payment flows for 2,300 partner carriers and independent drivers onto a stablecoin platform, marking the first large-scale corporate implementation of the yen-backed asset in the country.
Zcash Schedules Ironwood Hard Fork to Seal Vulnerable Orchard Pool
Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox confirmed the network will execute its Ironwood hard fork on July 28, a move designed to mitigate lingering uncertainty regarding a critical flaw in the Orchard shielded pool. The upgrade effectively seals the legacy pool to prevent any potential excess supply from entering circulation.
Circle President Heath Tarbert Defends USDC Amid Stock Slide
Circle President Heath Tarbert is doubling down on the firm’s long-term infrastructure strategy as shares of the stablecoin issuer languish near $60. With the stock trading significantly below its post-IPO peak of $260, Tarbert insists that the company’s entrenched network effects provide a durable moat against emerging competitors.
South Korea launches sanctions probe against Upbit operator Dunamu
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service has formally opened sanctions proceedings against Dunamu, the operator of the Upbit crypto exchange, following a major wallet breach last November. The investigation probes whether the firm met its obligations under the Virtual Asset User Protection Act after the loss of 44.5 billion won in assets.
How a Decade-Old Prediction Defined the Modern Payments Landscape
When Jason Oxman, then-CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association, suggested in 2014 that traditional payment giants would eventually embrace Bitcoin startups, the industry was still debating the basics of digital currency. Today, his vision of a technology-agnostic payments ecosystem has become the standard operating model for global finance.
Evaluating the Legitimacy of DeFi Platform Spreadefi
As the decentralized finance sector faces a wave of skepticism, users are increasingly scrutinizing new platforms for signs of fraud. Spreadefi, a project centered on liquidity pools and cross-chain infrastructure, has become a focus of this due diligence as investors weigh its operational transparency against the inherent risks of crypto markets.
US trade tariffs target Brazil over Pix payment system
The United States is set to impose a 25% tariff on a broad range of Brazilian imports, citing the nation’s state-backed Pix instant-payment system as an unfair trade practice. The decision marks a significant escalation in a year-long dispute over digital trade and electronic payment policies.
Uniswap Governance Targets Robinhood Chain and v4 for UNI Burns
Uniswap governance is set to vote on two proposals that could significantly accelerate the protocol’s UNI burn rate. By extending fee collection to Uniswap v4 and the recently launched Robinhood Chain, the protocol aims to channel increased trading activity directly into its existing token destruction mechanism.
Bitcoin Ordinals advocate launches DOG Mode to challenge relay limits
Bitcoin Ordinals advocate Leonidas has released DOG Mode, an alternative open-source Bitcoin client designed to bypass existing relay restrictions. By removing default limits on transaction size, the software challenges the influence of Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots over how data moves across the peer-to-peer network without altering consensus rules.
US Regulators Miss GENIUS Act Deadline as Stablecoin Framework Stalls
U.S. financial regulators allowed the July 18, 2026, deadline for the GENIUS Act to pass without finalizing the stablecoin rules mandated by the law. Signed into effect by President Donald Trump just one year prior, the legislation now faces a compressed implementation timeline as major compliance requirements remain in the proposal stage.
BNB Chain Secures Majority of Franklin Templeton’s Tokenized Assets
A 1,226% surge in assets over the past month has propelled BNB Chain to the top of Franklin Templeton’s network distribution, now hosting $1.5 billion of the firm's Benji platform. This shift marks a significant departure from the firm’s long-standing reliance on Stellar for its blockchain-based financial products.
Michael Saylor challenges BIP 110 over Bitcoin neutrality concerns
Bitcoin’s neutrality faces a contentious test as Michael Saylor intensifies his opposition to BIP 110. The proposed soft fork, which aims to limit data-heavy transactions on the network, has sparked a debate over whether consensus-level changes should dictate the types of information allowed within block space.
Coinbase Executive Admits Missteps in Engaging Crypto-Native Base Users
Jordan Fish, the Coinbase product executive widely known as Cobie, has acknowledged that the company grew distant from its core user base. Following a series of strategic errors that eroded community trust, Fish is now spearheading a shift in direction for the Base App to reconnect with crypto-native participants.
FTX to Distribute $900 Million to Creditors as SBF Clemency Bid Falters
Nearly four years after the exchange’s collapse, FTX is set to initiate its fifth creditor distribution on July 31. The $900 million payout brings total recoveries to approximately $10 billion, marking a significant milestone in the bankruptcy process even as legal battles surrounding the firm’s executives continue to unfold.
Robinhood pivots to long-term finance as Tenev defends market speculation
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is positioning his brokerage as a pillar of the American financial system, even as critics label the platform’s high-frequency trading culture as gambling. The company is now pivoting toward long-term wealth management, anchored by a new government partnership to manage investment accounts for children.
France Orders ISP Block on Polymarket Amid Gambling Crackdown
France’s National Gambling Authority, the ANJ, has directed internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, escalating a regulatory standoff. The move follows failed attempts to restrict local users via geoblocking and reflects growing European concern over the platform’s classification as an unauthorized gambling service.
SWIFT’s New Ledger Signals a Shift in Digital Money
After 53 years of functioning strictly as a messaging network, SWIFT has begun coordinating the actual movement of value. By launching a blockchain-based shared ledger for tokenized deposits, the organization has drawn a hard line against stablecoins, signaling that the global banking system intends to retain control over digital money.
OkoBot Malware Targets Crypto Wallets via Sophisticated ClickFix Ploy
Disguised as legitimate developer tools like Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, the OkoBot malware has spent the past year harvesting recovery phrases across five countries. Kaspersky researchers identified the operation, which leverages a modular architecture and deceptive social engineering tactics to bypass standard user caution and compromise digital assets.