TradFi perps volume surges 117-fold to $387B in 18 months as crypto exchanges eat Wall Street’s lunch
Traditional finance perpetual futures volume on crypto exchanges increased 117-fold to $387 billion over 18 months. This growth reflects traders' migration toward decentralized exchanges offering round-the-clock trading of traditional assets.
Bitcoin miners sell 28,000 BTC worth $2B amid rising costs
Bitcoin miners sold 28,000 BTC valued at approximately $2 billion as operational costs increased. This selling activity reflects a broader strategic shift toward artificial intelligence and data center operations.
Tether Announces Audit by KPMG, Reports Positive Opinion from Auditor
KPMG US issued a positive audit opinion on Tether following a complete review of the company's financial reserves. This addresses long-standing questions about whether sufficient assets back the USDT stablecoin, the leading digital asset in the stablecoin sector.
Tether Clears First Full Audit From KPMG Without Publishing the Statements
Tether received an unqualified audit opinion from KPMG for its 2025 accounts under AICPA standards rather than PCAOB standards. The company has not published either the audit statements or the opinion letter from the Big Four firm.
XRP Defends $1 by a Cent Since CLARITY Act Slipped. Now CFTC Steps In
XRP has remained near $1 after the CLARITY Act was delayed to September, following a peak when the House initially passed the bill. The CFTC is now intervening in the regulatory situation surrounding the cryptocurrency token.
White House Plans Crypto, Prediction Market Summit Next Week
The White House will host a summit with cryptocurrency and prediction market executives next Wednesday. Traditional finance executives may attend, with regulators scheduled to meet many of the same participants the following day.
Tether Finally Completes Independent Audit of Reserves With KPMG
Tether completed an independent audit of its reserves with KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm. The stablecoin issuer had previously struggled for years to secure such an audit from a major accounting firm.
Crypto Trading Model GSR Cuts Its Bitcoin Allocation to 17%, Bets Big on Solana
GSR's Core3 trading model reduced Bitcoin allocation to 16.9% while increasing Solana to 43.6%, making Solana its largest weighted position. The shift was driven by short-term trading signals that favored SOL over BTC.
Ethereum L2 and Arbitrum Tech enabled Robinhood Chain Records Steady Increase in Daily Transactions
Robinhood Chain, an Ethereum Layer 2 network using Arbitrum technology, processed an average of 11.6 million daily transactions in its most recent full week. This transaction volume represents a new record for the network.
Bitwise cuts 14% of staff while still expecting growth
Bitwise cut 14 percent of its staff while maintaining growth expectations. The company joins other crypto firms like Coinbase and Robinhood that have announced layoffs this year due to market conditions and shifts toward artificial intelligence.
Crypto Long & Short: When capital can't move fast enough, markets pay the price
Capital trapped in settlement cycles causes market breakdowns when risk reprices faster than money can move to where it's needed. Stablecoins and tokenization are becoming the infrastructure that enables capital to move at speeds matching real-time risk repricing.
Bitcoin Holders Get 96% Cheaper Entry Into BlackRock’s ETF Without Selling
BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF now accepts in-kind Bitcoin conversions starting at $1 million, allowing large holders to transfer BTC without selling. This tax-deferred method eliminates typical conversion costs that previously applied to ETF entries.
Bank of Russia Approves Bitcoin Trading For Retail Investors
The Bank of Russia has approved Bitcoin trading for retail investors, allowing ordinary citizens to purchase and trade the cryptocurrency. This regulatory approval represents Russia's formal move toward integrating digital assets into its financial system.
Thailand Grants 5-Yr Capital Gains Tax Exemption for Crypto Trades on Licensed Platforms
Thailand granted a five-year capital gains tax exemption for cryptocurrency trades conducted on licensed platforms beginning January 1, 2025. The Finance Ministry introduced this temporary relief measure to support crypto activity within the country's regulated financial system.
White House committed to passing Clarity Act in September, says advisor
The White House stated commitment to passing the Clarity Act in September. The legislation would reshape digital asset regulation and affect how regulatory authority is distributed among agencies.
Brazil to Impose 24-Hr Hold on Crypto Transfers to Self-Custody Wallets in Fraud Crackdown
Brazil's Central Bank implemented a 24-hour mandatory hold on cryptocurrency transfers to self-custody wallets to combat fraud. The regulation, Resolution BCB No. 584/2026, was published on August 7, 2026, and amends previous fraud-prevention measures.
BitMEX Founder Arthur Hayes Flags Potential Bitcoin (BTC) Price Dip to $50K Before Hitting $1M Mark
Bitcoin could dip to $50,000 before eventually reaching $1 million, according to BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. Hayes presented this scenario in a recent essay outlining potential short-term weakness followed by long-term gains for the cryptocurrency.
North Korean Hackers Leverage AI to Enable Strikes on Crypto and Finance Targets
North Korean hackers are incorporating artificial intelligence into their operations to target cryptocurrency and financial institutions. The threat actor Kimsuky is experimenting with local large language models to enhance its intelligence gathering and revenue-generating cyber activities.
Blockstream Debuts Swaps, Allowing Bitcoiners to Move Between Lightning and Main Network With Ease
Blockstream introduced a trustless swap feature enabling users to move Bitcoin between the Lightning Network and the main blockchain. The feature launched following Boltz's suspension, allowing bitcoiners to exchange between the two networks without requiring a trusted intermediary.
Robinhood's Head of Product Reveals How Robinhood Chain Hit 200M Transactions in 30 Days
Robinhood Chain processed 200 million transactions within 30 days of launching its blockchain. The platform enables permissionless stock tokens that users can redeem independently of Robinhood's systems.
Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs) Near $40B Milestone as US Treasury Debt Dominates
Tokenized real-world assets have reached approximately $38 billion in on-chain value, approaching a $40 billion milestone. US Treasury debt represents the dominant category within this tokenized assets ecosystem.
Texas Governor Orders Audit of Data Centers Seeking Grid Access, Heightening Oversight of AI and Bitcoin Mining Facilities
Governor Greg Abbott instructed Texas regulators to audit all data center projects seeking ERCOT grid access. The August 3, 2026 directive aims to heighten oversight of AI and Bitcoin mining facilities connecting to the state's power network.
TD Cowen Gives Crypto Clarity Act a 25% Chance of Passing This Fall
TD Cowen estimates the Crypto Clarity Act has a 25% probability of passing this fall. The bank indicated the long-awaited crypto market structure bill remains alive despite slim passage prospects.
Vitalik Buterin's Ethereum Roadmap Prioritizes Quantum Readiness and Privacy
Ethereum's roadmap reprioritized quantum safety above EVM improvements and removed Verkle trees and state expiry from planned work. Privacy, post-quantum scaling, and native rollups, which were absent from the 2023 diagram, now receive focus in the updated priorities.
Robinhood Launches Crypto Trading in the UK
Robinhood began offering cryptocurrency trading to eligible UK customers this week. The launch represents the company's expansion into the British market, following a different strategy than competitor Coinbase.
Beijing rules out launch of yuan stablecoin, doubles down on state-controlled digital currency
Beijing has ruled out launching yuan stablecoins while reinforcing its commitment to the state-controlled digital currency. The decision centralizes financial control by limiting private sector involvement in digital currency development.
Bitcoin Policy Institute, Palantir, Anduril Named Partners in US State Department’s Freedom Tech Excellence Program
The US State Department launched the Freedom Tech Excellence Program to strengthen diplomatic efforts on digital liberty and free expression globally through private sector specialist integration. Bitcoin Policy Institute, Palantir, and Anduril are named partners in this public-private collaboration initiative.
Bybit Sues North Korea, Lazarus Group Over 2025 Crypto Heist
Bybit filed a civil lawsuit against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, and the Lazarus Group over a February 2025 cyberattack described as one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in history. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. court following the attack on the cryptocurrency exchange.