Cryptocurrency
CFTC to weigh crypto policy as legislative action stalls
With the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act facing a critical Senate procedural vote on September 15, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is stepping into the regulatory vacuum. The agency plans to use its August 20 Innovation Advisory Committee meeting to explore how existing powers can address the fragmented crypto landscape.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund gains indirect Ethereum exposure via BitMine
Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global has disclosed a $81.9 million stake in BitMine Immersion Technologies, securing indirect exposure to Ethereum through the U.S.-listed firm. SEC filings confirm the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund held over 6.15 million shares as of June 30, marking a new addition to its massive equity portfolio.
MSCI Weighs Index Shakeup Targeting Non-Operating Companies
Strategy, Metaplanet, and U.K.-based Yellow Cake face potential removal from MSCI’s Global Investable Market Indexes under a proposed methodology shift. The index provider is evaluating a new screening process that targets firms failing to meet specific operating asset intensity and cash flow benchmarks.
Security study links 65,340 crypto addresses to $574.8 million in losses
Over $574.8 million in native Ethereum and BNB Chain assets have been siphoned through 65,340 high-risk addresses, according to findings presented at the 35th USENIX Security Symposium. Researchers uncovered these losses by cross-referencing 16.3 million private keys scraped from GitHub repositories against on-chain transaction data.
Figure Technology Profit Surges 192% Amid Marketplace Expansion
Figure Technology Solutions reported $4.26 billion in consumer loan marketplace volume for the second quarter, a 132% increase over the previous year. The Nasdaq-listed firm’s net income climbed to $87.4 million, fueled by a shift toward a capital-light business model and a rapidly growing network of origination partners.
Bitcoin Red Team logs 7,958 issues in AI-driven security audit
The Bitcoin Red Team has identified 7,958 potential vulnerabilities across 501 open-source projects following a 108-hour security scan powered by the Kimi K3 artificial intelligence model. While the figure highlights a massive volume of code analysis, researchers emphasize that these findings require rigorous human verification to confirm actual exploitability.
SharpLink Directs $200M of ETH Into Lido Staking
Nasdaq-listed SharpLink is deploying $200 million of its corporate Ether treasury into Lido’s liquid staking protocol. The company plans to hold the resulting wstETH tokens under the custody of Anchorage Digital, marking a significant expansion of its existing strategy to extract yield from its massive Ethereum holdings.
CFTC Scrutinizes Mention Markets Amid Manipulation Concerns
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has launched an inquiry into "mention markets," where traders wager on whether public figures will utter specific words. Regulators are questioning whether these contracts are inherently susceptible to manipulation, prompting Kalshi to suspend its sports-related word bets while maintaining other political and corporate listings.
White House to Host Crypto Executives Amid Stalled CLARITY Act
The White House is set to convene with leaders from the cryptocurrency and prediction market sectors on August 19, a move aimed at breaking the legislative deadlock surrounding the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act as market confidence in the bill’s 2026 passage hovers at a slim 21 percent.
Robert Kaplan backs Fed’s rate pause amid diverging inflation signals
Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman Robert Kaplan has endorsed the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates at 3.50%–3.75% in July. He argues that policymakers must resist rigid commitments, instead utilizing incoming economic data over the coming weeks to determine if inflation has cooled enough to warrant further inaction in September.
Rob Kaplan backs Fed’s July rate hold, eyes long-term bond risks
Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman Rob Kaplan has endorsed the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates at 3.50%–3.75%, arguing that policymakers were correct to avoid a hike in July. He urged the committee to resist premature commitments, prioritizing data-driven flexibility as they navigate a complex landscape of competing inflationary pressures.
Ether.fi Expands Into Neobanking With Tokenized Stocks and Loans
Ether.fi has launched its “Summer” update, transforming its platform into a non-custodial neobank. The app now integrates tokenized equities, commodities, and portfolio-backed loans, allowing users to bypass traditional financial intermediaries while managing crypto holdings, global payments, and decentralized lending within a single interface.
Conflux Sets August 25 Deadline for v3.1.0 Hard Fork
Conflux Network has scheduled a mandatory v3.1.0 hard fork for August 25, requiring all node operators to update their systems before the blockchain reaches epoch 155140000. The upgrade introduces seven improvement proposals, addresses existing transaction and staking flaws, and incorporates a private security fix.
Neutrl Halts NUSD Redemptions Amid Reserve Recalibration
Neutrl has suspended minting, redemptions, and all core protocol functions, citing undisclosed issues affecting its reserves. The move leaves roughly $53.7 million in NUSD circulation in limbo, as the platform moves to recalibrate its financial data while acting on advice from legal counsel to protect user interests.
UBS Boosts BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Holdings to $90 Million
UBS has significantly expanded its exposure to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, reporting a position of roughly 2.5 million shares valued at $90 million as of June 30. The filing, submitted to the SEC in August, marks a 230% increase in the dollar value of the bank's holdings since the start of 2026.
Ethena Taps FalconX for Institutional Stablecoin Lending
Ethena has appointed FalconX as an institutional lending partner, integrating an overcollateralized credit facility into the backing of its USDe synthetic dollar. The arrangement utilizes a bankruptcy-remote vehicle in the Cayman Islands, allowing Ethena to deploy capital while maintaining a first-priority security interest over the underlying loan receivables.
Ethereum pivots to traditional hashes for post-quantum security
The Ethereum Foundation is abandoning the Poseidon hash function for its layer 1 roadmap, opting instead for established standards like SHA-2 and BLAKE2s. Researcher Justin Drake confirmed the shift, marking the end of an eight-year, eight-figure research cycle aimed at optimizing cryptographic security for a post-quantum future.
Tether Clears First Full Financial Audit with KPMG
Tether has secured an unqualified opinion from KPMG U.S. following a comprehensive audit of its 2025 financial statements. The review confirmed a reserve surplus of $6.814 billion at year-end, marking a significant transition from the company’s previous reliance on periodic reserve attestations to a full-scale annual financial examination.
CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee to Tackle Crypto and AI Policy
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has scheduled a three-hour inaugural meeting for August 20 to address the shifting landscape of digital assets, artificial intelligence, and prediction markets. This session marks the first formal gathering of the agency's Innovation Advisory Committee as it navigates the intersection of emerging technology and financial regulation.
Saturn Integrates Ondo Tokenized Stocks Into STRC Products
Saturn has struck a strategic partnership with Ondo to incorporate tokenized securities into its structured products, marking a move to integrate institutional-grade assets into its sUSDat offering. Alongside the product expansion, Ondo has completed an undisclosed strategic investment in Saturn to deepen the collaboration between the two firms.
Morph Launches Non-Custodial Stablecoin Payment Gateway
Morph has debuted a non-custodial payment platform for USDC and USDT, allowing businesses to accept stablecoin transactions directly into their own wallets. By bypassing third-party custodians, the service aims to streamline settlement for freelancers and organizations while maintaining user control over private assets.
MUFG Pilots On-Chain Repo Transactions for Japanese Government Bonds
Four Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group entities are launching a proof of concept to test Japanese government bond repo transactions on the Canton Network. The project aims to replace traditional market infrastructure with automated, 24-hour on-chain settlement, marking a significant step in Japan's broader push toward blockchain-based financial systems.
Trezor Customer Data Exposed in ShipMonk Logistics Breach
A security breach at shipping provider ShipMonk has compromised the personal data of 13,689 Trezor customers. While hardware wallets and Trezor’s internal systems remain secure, the incident has exposed names, phone numbers, and home addresses, heightening the risk of targeted phishing attacks against users across multiple countries.
Robinhood Ventures Fund II Prices IPO at $200 Million
Robinhood Ventures Fund II has priced its initial public offering at $25 per share, raising $200 million as the firm expands its retail-focused private market access. The new fund, which debuts on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RVII, provides public-market investors a conduit into private-company portfolios.
Ethereum Slides Below $1,900 as CPI Momentum Fades
Ethereum dropped 2.4% to $1,872, erasing gains from the latest U.S. inflation report as traders unwound positions. The decline leaves the asset testing critical support levels, with technical indicators and a cooling fee economy complicating the path toward a recovery above the $1,900 psychological threshold.
MUFG Pilots Blockchain Settlement for Japanese Government Bond Repos
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is launching a proof-of-concept to modernize Japanese government bond repo settlements using the Canton Network. By synchronizing traditional book-entry records with blockchain ledgers, the project seeks to shift institutional trading toward real-time intraday cycles while maintaining compliance with Japan’s existing securities infrastructure.
Monaco seeks to tighten crypto oversight with new licensing bill
Monaco’s government has introduced Bill No. 1131, a legislative proposal designed to overhaul the Principality’s digital asset regulation. By aligning local requirements with European Union standards and Financial Action Task Force guidelines, the bill aims to replace the existing 2022 framework with a rigorous, centralized licensing system for service providers.
Binance bStocks Overtakes xStocks in Tokenized Equities Race
Binance has captured the second-largest share of the tokenized stock market, with its bStocks product reaching $610.6 million in value just two months after its debut. This rapid ascent displaces xStocks in the sector rankings, which have seen total market volume balloon to $2.7 billion over the past year.
OranjeBTC Readies DIGY11 Fund for Brazilian Exchange Debut
Brazilian treasury firm OranjeBTC is preparing to launch the Digital Yield ETF, or DIGY11, on the B3 stock exchange this September. Instead of tracking Bitcoin directly, the fund will focus on preferred shares from U.S.-based companies that hold significant Bitcoin reserves, aiming to provide local investors with monthly income.
Metaplanet Debuts BitBonds With 200 Million Yen Private Placement
Tokyo-based Metaplanet has inaugurated its BitBonds program, securing 200 million yen through four private debt placements. The unsecured senior bonds, distributed via the company’s internal securities arm, mark a shift toward recurring fixed-income funding as the firm continues to navigate its significant Bitcoin treasury strategy.