Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

The Coldcard hack has sparked a mass “escape to safety” in Bitcoin. While attackers drained about 2,100 BTC (≈$130M) from Coldcard hardware wallets, Casa CEO Nick Neuman says on-chain data shows far larger defensive migrations: roughly 233,000 BTC (≈$15B) left long-term holder wallets around the breach. Coldcard’s firmware bug (introduced in 2021) allegedly routed key generation through a weak software RNG, making private keys guessable and collapsing effective security. Analysts cited three attack waves with losses reaching ~1,596 BTC across 5,200+ addresses (estimates differ from the ~2,100 BTC figure). Neuman argues the response is a resilience signal for self-custody: not all “moved to safety” coins came from Coldcard users. He says some originated from Ledger and Trezor owners migrating to multisig after observing the hack, meaning the ecosystem adapted faster than centralized-style breaches. Glassnode data is referenced to show long-term holder supply fell by ~233k BTC in the largest weekly drop since Dec 2024, occurring while BTC traded well below its October 2025 all-time high. Coinkite urged users who created seeds on Coldcard firmware 4.0.1–4.1.9 to treat those wallets as compromised and migrate immediately. For traders, the Coldcard hack is a reputational risk for hardware wallets, but the “Coldcard hack → coins move to safety” flow suggests strong holder behavior and potential demand support if panic fades.

Runnit.gg 2026 review says the Solana-focused crypto casino has migrated from Runnit.fun to Runnit.gg, with a broader lobby, stronger “crypto-native” UI, and new featured original game Blackjack. The platform promotes 1,000+ slots alongside Originals like Coinflip, Jackpot, Mines, Plinko, and Crash, and it highlights on-chain balances plus provably fair verification. A key trader-relevant point is the custody and compliance tension. Runnit.gg front-end messaging claims player balances remain on-chain and non-freezable, but the legal terms require registered accounts and may include KYC/AML, withdrawal reviews, source-of-funds checks, and account restriction or suspension. In other words, Runnit.gg should be treated as conditionally non-custodial rather than fully “no-KYC, no control.” Rewards are a central feature: instant rakeback (claimable every 30 minutes, non-expiring), daily/weekly/monthly bonuses, and a newer Calendar Unlocks mechanic (three unlocks per day over 14 days, 24-hour validity) with “Rakeboost” triggers. The headline offer is up to 50% rakeback, but the value depends on actual wagering cost and activity. For risk management, the article recommends using a dedicated Solana wallet (separating gambling funds from long-term holdings) due to common wallet-phishing and fake-domain risks, even with provably fair outcome checks. Overall, this is an operational/product update for Runnit.gg rather than a protocol-level crypto change, so market impact is expected to be limited.

Gold futures climbed above $4,500 per ounce on Wednesday after U.S. July CPI matched market expectations, extending a sharp recovery from July lows. December gold hit an intraday high of $4,500.90 before easing toward about $4,483, up roughly 1% on the session. The move pushed Gold futures to their highest level in around two months and helped August advance to more than 8%, with prices up about 13% from the July 20 low near $3,986.50. The CPI print showed headline inflation rising 0.1% month-on-month (vs. -0.4% in June) and annual inflation cooling to 3.4% (from 3.5%), while core CPI rose 0.2% for the month and 2.5% year-on-year. Shelter prices drove most of the monthly increase, while energy prices declined 1.5%. The dollar weakened and Treasury yields moved lower after the release, supporting precious-metals demand. Traders are now watching the $4,500 zone: a sustained daily close above $4,500 would confirm a breakout beyond the resistance area, while rejection could trigger a pullback toward levels below $4,400. Crypto-linked infrastructure also featured in the coverage: Coinbase opened 24/7 regulated gold and silver futures in June, and Tether’s physical gold holdings neared 150 tonnes, adding another source of private demand. Overall, the data is supportive for metals, but the direct effect on crypto depends on how lower yields and the weaker dollar feed into broader risk sentiment.

A top crypto researcher says the CLARITY Act delay in the U.S. Senate will not stop Ripple’s institutional expansion for XRP. With the bill facing another postponement, regulatory uncertainty may slow some crypto adoption, but Ripple can still build. The article highlights two regulatory routes. First, the CLARITY Act would create a wider U.S. digital-asset framework, including clearer rules for token classification and federal oversight. Second, Ripple’s national trust bank charter from the OCC offers a company-specific path. The OCC conditionally approved Ripple National Trust Bank’s application in December 2025, moving Ripple closer to operating under federal banking supervision. This could strengthen Ripple’s position with financial institutions, especially for custody, stablecoin operations, and RLUSD reserve management. The researcher also notes an important limitation: the OCC approval is conditional, and it does not replace market-wide legislative clarity. If both tracks move forward—CLARITY Act plus the OCC structure—Ripple could gain both broader legal certainty and a regulated banking infrastructure. For traders, the key takeaway is that XRP adoption and ecosystem growth (payments, institutional custody, stablecoins, tokenization, and cross-border settlement) may continue even if Congress stalls. Monitoring the CLARITY Act timeline remains important, but the near-term narrative can stay supported by Ripple’s regulatory progress.

The article is an opinion piece arguing that “information gaps” can turn a good investment bad—or even harm an entire industry or country. It uses historical examples to frame the risk. It cites Terra/Luna’s collapse as an example of how missing or unclear information can end disastrously. It also points to the 2008 banking crisis to show how systemic failures can build when market participants operate with incomplete understanding. While the piece references AI (implicitly through the framing “AI Is Eating The World”), it does not provide new data, policy decisions, or on-chain metrics. Instead, it warns traders to treat AI-era narratives and rapid tech change with caution, especially when signals are noisy or incomplete. Notable names mentioned include Vitalik Buterin (in unrelated site-content snippets) and OpenAI (also in general page content), but the core message remains: beware of information asymmetry. Crypto trading takeaway: in markets where leverage, narratives, and liquidity can amplify misunderstanding, AI-driven hype plus limited transparency can increase downside tail risk. Traders may want to tighten risk controls, demand higher-quality signals, and watch for rapid sentiment reversals—especially in volatile, high-beta assets.

Ethereum developers are debating a change to reduce ETH issuance as network fees remain extremely low. The article notes that by August 2026, Ethereum fees have fallen to sub-penny levels. For users, low fees are beneficial. But for ETH holders competing with Bitcoin’s fixed supply narrative—and for stakers and holders affected by rewards—dilution concerns are rising. Historically, Ethereum’s “fee-sharing” balance (with portions of fees burned) sometimes offset new staking issuance. With fees now collapsing, that offset appears insufficient, increasing the net impact of staking rewards on circulating supply. The debate centres on whether adjusting ETH issuance should better protect holders when fee revenue is weak. The piece also references a broader market backdrop: the claim that Ethereum is not a security has been reinforced by the SEC chair’s prior stance, and it cites figures such as Vitalik Buterin in the wider Ethereum context. Trading takeaway for crypto markets: if ETH issuance is reduced, it could tighten effective supply and improve the long-term holder narrative, especially while fee generation is weak. However, implementation timing and credibility risk may keep short-term sentiment mixed until concrete proposals and on-chain parameter changes are confirmed.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is drafting regulation for tokenised gold, a real-world asset (RWA) designed to bring physical gold on-chain while fitting into the existing UK wholesale market framework. The FCA is engaging with financial institutions on how tokenised gold should be issued, traded, and settled, including whether it can be used as collateral in wholesale markets. The FCA’s work focuses on legal and operational clarity: the legal link between the physical gold reserve and the on-chain token, reserve adequacy, custody arrangements, token-holder rights, and what happens to customers’ assets if an issuer faces financial stress. Tokenised gold is typically backed by issuers holding physical bullion, while the blockchain token represents ownership or related rights with exposure to gold price moves. London remains the dominant OTC gold trading hub (about 70% of global notional volume), but rising gold market activity and infrastructure in China are increasing competitive pressure. Separately, the UK government is pushing a wider digital and tokenisation agenda, with reforms projected to add around £33bn in annual economic output. More FCA details are expected in the coming months. For crypto traders, this is a regulatory signal that tokenised gold—an RWA collateral candidate—may become more structured for institutional rails, potentially supporting liquidity narratives around gold-linked token markets, even if it is not yet a direct catalyst for major crypto price moves.

Google DeepMind leadership shakeup as CEO Sundar Pichai announces Demis Hassabis stepping down as head of Google DeepMind. Hassabis moves into a newly created Alphabet role as Chair and Chief Scientist. Koray Kavukcuoglu, a long-time DeepMind researcher, becomes Senior Vice President of Google DeepMind and will directly report to Pichai. In a wider Google DeepMind leadership shakeup, longtime engineering figures Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat also depart. The pair are launching a new startup, Discovery Loop, aimed at machine learning for scientific breakthroughs. Hassabis is not leaving the business: he continues leading Isomorphic Labs, DeepMind’s drug-discovery spinout, while maintaining influence through the Alphabet-level scientific title. Kavukcuoglu is expected to oversee the Gemini model and the frontier research teams pushing toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). Gemini is reported to have over 950 million monthly users, elevating the product and research leader’s impact on distribution and rollout. Market reaction: Alphabet shares fell roughly 4% after the announcements, suggesting investors took the leadership moves and the senior departures seriously. Pichai framed the reorganization around “increasing progress in artificial intelligence” and the “growing feasibility” of AGI, aligning frontier AI teams more closely with top-level corporate decision-making.

Ukrainian drone teams reportedly outperformed a U.S. armored brigade during the U.S. Army’s semi-annual Combined Resolve exercise in Germany, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The drill targets readiness and interoperability for large-scale ground combat and uses drones and other unmanned systems. The reported outcome highlighted how small Ukrainian drone units effectively located American troops and vehicles and simulated strikes in a contested battlefield scenario. The development is framed within the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, where Ukrainian forces are applying battlefield lessons into NATO-style training to improve combat effectiveness. For markets, the key implication is narrative risk reassessment. If Ukrainian drones keep improving, traders may view Ukraine’s chances of recapturing Crimea as stronger, which could also shift expectations about Russian operational priorities—potentially reducing the perceived likelihood of Russian strikes on Kyiv. What to watch: any official confirmation and added details from the U.S. Army and Ukrainian defense officials. Further reporting on Ukrainian unmanned-systems progress or changes in Russian focus could quickly alter sentiment. Ukrainian drones are therefore the headline driver for renewed discussion around battlefield effectiveness, with potential knock-on effects to broader risk perception tied to the conflict.

The IEA oil supply crisis 2026 is deepening after conflict effectively choked the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway previously carried about 20 mb/d of oil, but flows fell to just 2.7 mb/d at the March–May peak—an 85%+ drop. In its May and July assessments, the IEA projected global supply declines of 3.9 mb/d and then slightly lower at 3.7 mb/d. Total 2026 supply is now expected around 102.2–102.6 mb/d, assuming gradual reopening from June. A US–Iran interim ceasefire briefly improved tanker flows (+4.1 mb/d in June to 98.8 mb/d), but renewed hostilities in early July clouded the outlook again. The IEA called the market a “red zone” of tightness. Inventory draws were severe: global stocks fell 129 million barrels in March and another 117 million in April. Cumulative Gulf producer supply losses have exceeded 1 billion barrels, the IEA’s largest disruption on record. Looking ahead, the IEA models a potential supply increase of 7.5–8 mb/d entering 2027 only if Strait of Hormuz transit normalizes and regional de-escalation holds. Traders will watch tanker-traffic recovery pace and US–Iran diplomatic engagement as the key variable behind any easing in the IEA oil supply crisis 2026.

Kalshi says it is adding a Solana-based DoubleZero low-latency market data feed to its prediction market order book. The goal is to meet institutional demand for “Wall Street-style” speed when pricing, hedging, and generating trading signals. DoubleZero Foundation describes DoubleZeroEdge as a transport layer that sends live exchange and onchain data over dedicated fiber, publishing it and distributing it simultaneously to connected traders. This replaces the slower, more traditional internet-based approach common in crypto. The Kalshi Solana DoubleZero data feed is positioned to give market makers and trading firms a machine-readable, onchain view of Kalshi’s order book for faster reaction to macro and news-driven events. The foundation notes that prediction markets can move significantly within milliseconds after data releases. Kalshi—one of the two largest prediction markets alongside Polymarket—plans to roll out the feed on its most actively traded contracts. That includes crypto perpetual futures and other derivatives, which let traders speculate on asset price movements without an expiration date. Overall, the “Kalshi Solana DoubleZero data feed” initiative aims to deliver a complete information picture over a single low-latency connection, aligning crypto infrastructure more closely with established TradFi exchange distribution models used by venues like NYSE, Nasdaq, and CME.

Fidelity filed a pre-effective amendment on Aug. 11 seeking SEC approval for its spot Ethereum ETF, the Fidelity Ethereum ETF (FETH), to stake the ETH it holds. Once the registration becomes effective, FETH could stake up to 100% of its Ethereum under “normal conditions,” and distribute staking rewards as quarterly cash to investors. The amendment also updates the fund objective: FETH would target the Fidelity Ethereum Reference Rate (net of fees) plus an increment tied to staking rewards. Fidelity expects staking rewards to be treated as taxable income, but distributions are not guaranteed and could be suspended or ended if liabilities exceed rewards. Operationally, the Fidelity Ethereum ETF plans to custody staked ETH through providers (including Anchorage Digital, BitGo, and Fidelity Digital Assets) and then route it to validator node operators (e.g., Blockdaemon, Figment, Galaxy Digital Trading Cayman). Key risks include slashing if validators misbehave and liquidity constraints during unstaking, which may extend redemption timelines. For traders, this is a meaningful step because adding an ongoing yield mechanism could attract more flows to ETH products. However, the SEC approval timing and the outlined staking risks keep near-term impact uncertain. Fidelity is not first—Grayscale already pays staking rewards, and the SEC has acknowledged BlackRock’s proposal for staking in ETHA.

Bitcoin developers are debating BIP-360 and BIP-361, a post-quantum migration plan aimed at mitigating a long-horizon quantum signature threat. The latest reporting frames BIP-361 as potentially making roughly one-third of Bitcoin—about 6.7M BTC—permanently unspendable if holders do not migrate by a defined deadline. BIP-360 proposes a new quantum-resistant address/output type (starting with “bc1r”), enabling gradual migration to post-quantum signatures such as NIST-aligned schemes. BIP-361 would then enforce a “legacy signature sunset” after an activation sequence, likely including a freeze phase for legacy spending paths. Why traders should care: the risk is not about breaking SHA-256 mining. It targets coins where public-key material is already exposed on-chain (early 2009–2010 address formats and address reuse). The article also notes attackers could attempt quiet, incremental draining to reduce detection. Key figures and governance: a Google-commissioned study estimates ~6.7M BTC in quantum-vulnerable addresses as of 1 Mar 2026, including ~1.7M BTC in the oldest exposed format, widely associated with early holdings. BIP-361 cannot activate unless BIP-360 is first enabled; miner signaling is written as no earlier than Jan 1, 2027 with 90% support. A multi-phase approach is discussed, with recovery routes (Phase C) still uncertain. Market takeaway: this is precautionary infrastructure rather than an immediate “break.” However, BIP-361 revives the long-duration narrative around legacy coins, governance, and potential immutability. Expect headline-driven volatility around testnet/implementation progress and miner support signals, with clearer direction only as activation mechanics solidify.

FlightAware voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against Kalshi one day after filing in US District Court (Southern District of New York). The case claimed Kalshi used FlightAware’s “data and name” to run flight-cancellation prediction markets. Court filings say the case was dismissed against Kalshi. The timing came after a judge required Kalshi to show cause over a potential temporary restraining order tied to FlightAware’s trademark and flight data. In response, Kalshi updated event contracts: at least one replaced “FlightAware” with “Primary Source Agency” as the verifier of flight-cancellation outcomes, and added language denying endorsement or affiliation. “Primary Source Agency” links to FlightAware’s website. However, the broader fight is not over. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), led by Chair Michael Selig, invoked “emergency authority” to block New York officials from obtaining a temporary restraining order that could have restricted Kalshi event contracts nationwide. The CFTC argued it has “exclusive jurisdiction” over prediction markets, while New York continues to pursue a separate case alleging Kalshi operated an unlicensed gambling platform. For crypto traders, this is a mixed signal for prediction markets-linked sentiment and liquidity. FlightAware’s quick withdrawal may reduce near-term headline/legal overhang, but the ongoing CFTC vs. state conflict remains a key volatility driver for related platforms and derivatives positioning, even if it is unlikely to move major crypto prices directly.

The article reports a BIP-110 monitoring stream focused on “mandatory signaling”. On August 8, 2026, Bitcoin block 961632 started BIP-110 mandatory signaling. Blocks that did not signal on version bit 4 were expected to be rejected by BIP-110-enforcing nodes, creating a fork between signaling and non-signaling chains. Using a fork-observer setup with 50+ nodes (Bitcoin Core nodes, public Electrum servers, mempool-space and block-dn backends, plus btcd and floresta nodes), the livestream tracked which chain mining pools were building on. Key moments included: 19:33 UTC last shared block 961631; 19:36 UTC non-signaling block 961632; 20:12 UTC BIP-110 miners unexpectedly found a signaling block 961632, forking the chain; 20:19 F2Pool mined 961633 on the non-signaling chain; 20:30 an Ocean miner mined 961634 on the non-signaling chain. By August 11, the non-signaling chain was leading by over 400 blocks, and the signaling chain had not found another block. The network rejected the BIP-110 fork. The author also notes operational risk: high traffic from browser tabs holding Server-Sent Events (SSE) connections caused temporary 500 Internal Server Error responses, later improved. Although traders may see headlines around BIP-110, the outcome is primarily a technical consensus enforcement result rather than a new asset narrative.

A commentary asks how Cambridge—often seen as the world’s most famous verification institution—could fail to verify academic claims. The author argues credential-chains became “credulous by design,” with expensive checking replaced by cheap labels and delayed investigations. The piece contrasts this with Bittensor verification. Bittensor is described as an open, incentive-driven network with competing subnets. Miners submit measurable work (e.g., AI inference, model training). Staked validators score outputs, and the protocol compares validators’ scores to stake-weighted consensus—so deviating from honest consensus reduces rewards. Verification is continuous and on-chain, with payments tied to value added rather than CV-like metadata. Key figures and references include Elliot Veynor (publisher/carrying the commentary), Jacob Steeves (co-founder describing Bittensor as an “incentive computer”), and an example of how Cambridge-style verification can take years and still be prompted by external reporting. For traders, the core takeaway is a market narrative shift: Bittensor verification is framed as faster, harder to game than credential review, though not “unhackable.” The author claims exploit response can be days rather than years, which could matter for sentiment around Bittensor-linked subnets and token exposure.

Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded back above the $64,000 area after US CPI came in near expectations. July headline CPI rose 3.4% y/y and 0.1% m/m, while core CPI increased 0.2% m/m and eased to 2.5% y/y. Because the release was “in-line,” traders largely saw limited immediate change to the Fed’s near-term policy path. BTC moved from around $63,400 to about $64,100 following the data, reducing the risk of an inflation-driven selloff. Still, inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% goal, and energy-supply uncertainty keeps upside capped. Fed rate expectations stayed close to the prior range. Polymarket priced a 67% probability of no rate change at the September meeting (34% for a 25bp hike). Markets also imply roughly a 55% chance of at least one hike in 2026, keeping attention on upcoming catalysts rather than forcing a major hawkish/dovish repricing. For traders, the focus may shift toward ETF flows, liquidity, and derivatives positioning. Options markets continued to price costlier downside protection, signaling caution even with the bounce. Next key trigger: July PPI on Aug. 13, which could quickly re-shift inflation expectations and BTC short-term momentum.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund (Government Pension Fund Global, managed by NBIM) reported a record 1.75 trillion kroner, about $184.3B, for the first half of 2026. The Norway wealth fund posted a 9.4% investment return over the six months, beating the prior first-half record of 1.5 trillion kroner (set in 2023). A key new disclosure is that the Norway wealth fund holds a SpaceX stake: about 7.3 million Class A shares as of June 30, worth roughly $1.22B (0.05% of SpaceX). The fund had been discussing a potential investment before SpaceX’s June U.S. listing, but this is the first time NBIM reported owning SpaceX stock. NBIM said results were driven by strong equity performance, particularly in Asian technology and semiconductor names. The fund’s portfolio value rose from 19.998 trillion kroner at end-March to 22.683 trillion kroner by June 30, with net inflows of 89B kroner after expenses. Currency movements cut value earlier in the year, but rebounds in tech helped. For crypto traders, the connection is indirect: the SpaceX balance sheet reportedly includes 18,712 BTC (valued near $1.2B around its IPO). Given NBIM’s small 0.05% ownership, any Bitcoin exposure via the Norway wealth fund’s SpaceX holding is economically minor. NBIM also flagged concentration risk: its 10 largest holdings now represent about 20% of the portfolio, with equities making up more than two-thirds of total assets and technology companies dominating the biggest positions.

Bitfinex Change Log v1.136 (12 Aug 2026) details platform performance and interface tweaks for the Bitfinex trading platform. The Bitfinex change log adds a hotkeys modifier key setting and introduces “learn more” links for margin lending and margin trading on the features page. It also updates customizable banners and refreshes the zero-fee trading hero image. Security-related UX changes include a captcha update that opens in the user’s selected language. The Bitfinex change log also removes outdated community links (Portuguese/Turkish Telegram and X) and hides affiliate links for EEA customers. On the bug-fix side, the update targets translation gaps (including an “increase position” error), prevents pair switching from allowing leverage above the maximum permitted level, and resolves several interface issues such as mobile settings button width, legacy account redirects, and multiple-request behavior from direct crypto withdrawal links. Additional fixes cover tooltip/label rendering (BTC view mode, balances pie chart percentage, masked balance alignment), fees page scrolling spacing, and a securities favicon. For traders, these changes are mostly operational: better navigation and reduced UI friction for margin products, plus fixes that should lower the risk of confusing leverage or withdrawal behavior.

Pi Network’s native token, PI, rose about 4% in the past 24 hours to near $0.09, but follow-through stalled after repeated rejections around $0.09. PI briefly tapped roughly $0.096, slipped back below $0.09, then recovered toward $0.094 before failing again. It was stopped near ~$0.092 and dropped to around $0.084, with a bounce back to about $0.086. On-chain/event attention is focused on protocol version 26. Community chatter and X users claim mainnet node operators may already have progressed through v19→v26, while Pi Network previously reminded operators that version 26 should be deployed by Aug 11 to avoid disconnection. Version 26 is described as the second-to-last upgrade step, with version 27 expected to be last. Technically, traders cite a tightening triangle pattern and argue that a clean breakout above $0.10 could open upside toward $0.15. However, bearish risk remains because PI has struggled to sustain pumps and the broader bear-market backdrop may cap momentum. For traders, the near-term trigger is whether PI can hold the lower support zone and break $0.10; failure could bring another pullback.

Bitcoin (BTC) remains trapped in a broad consolidation, with price struggling to break above a descending resistance trendline. On the daily chart, BTC is below the trendline near $66K, a key hurdle that sellers have controlled for months. A daily breakout above this level could improve BTC’s structure and open a path toward the $74K resistance area. On the downside, the $60K region is the next major support. If BTC sustains a breakdown below $60K, the market could shift toward a further selloff, with the $54K area identified as the next demand zone. Intraday, the 4-hour chart shows a tightening range: ascending support converging with descending resistance. BTC trades around $64K, close to the upper boundary, where the $66K–$67K resistance cluster is critical. A clean breakout over $66K–$67K—ideally with sustained movement beyond the descending 4-hour trendline—could strengthen the short-term bullish case and push prices toward that $66K–$67K zone and potentially higher. Momentum is improving but not decisive. The 4-hour RSI has rebounded toward the middle of its range, suggesting improving momentum, yet traders are still waiting for a decisive range break. Funding-rate data adds a caution signal. Funding has normalized from earlier deeply negative levels and is now slightly positive (~0.006%) while BTC trades near $64K. That implies long leverage has returned, but not at extreme crowded levels. If BTC fails to clear $65K–$67K while funding stays positive, liquidation-driven pullback risk rises. Conversely, a breakout with only moderately positive funding would be healthier for follow-through.

Crypto-backed loans let holders unlock cash without selling their BTC, ETH, or SOL. In the model described by Figure, borrowers pledge their crypto as collateral and receive a cash advance—up to about 75% of the collateral value—while keeping ownership of the coins. The article says Figure uses a fixed-rate structure, so payments do not move with market rates. It also emphasizes that regulation and licensing matter: Figure Lending LLC is positioned as a licensed lender (NMLS #1717824), contrasting it with unregulated offshore “crypto lenders.” Because crypto prices can drop fast, liquidation risk is central. Figure mentions optional Liquidation Protection (available in select states) that defers liquidation tied to price declines for the loan term, aiming to prevent forced selling during temporary dips. Still, the article warns that margin-call risk means these crypto-backed loans are not for everyone. Traders’ takeaway: crypto-backed loans can add liquidity for long-term holders while potentially reducing immediate spot selling pressure. However, liquidation events can still create sell-side cascades if collateral values fall and protections don’t apply (or if payments are missed).

Tx says its XRP bridge was drained on Aug. 9 after its deposit-detection software credited transactions as XRP deposits even though no XRP arrived. The flaw allowed an attacker to mint bridged XRP on the Tx Chain (against unbacked balances) and then swap it through the XRP bridge for real XRP. Key figures: XRPL monitoring found the bridge released about 199,916 XRP via 94 payments over 97 minutes. Each payment was authorized by 17 of 28 relayers, which incorrectly treated the attacker’s self-directed transactions as deposits. XRP Ledger analysis also dismissed a prior claim that the theft relied on “rippling” and said native XRP cannot be rippled; the root cause was the relayer misclassification. After the exploit, Tx halted the XRP bridge, fixed the affected code, traced the stolen funds, and filed a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. A CoreNest Capital/Sologenic/Coreum principal said the attacker converted the stolen XRP to Ethereum, moved funds onto Ethereum via THORChain, and sent them to Tornado Cash to increase trace difficulty. Market note: the article reports XRP price barely moved despite the incident, with XRP hovering around the $1 level.

Crypto Prices Today shows a split market in 2026: only TRON (up ~18% YTD) and Hyperliquid (up ~119% YTD) are in the green among the top 10 non-stablecoins. Bitcoin is stuck near $63,000 (about -27.5% YTD) and XRP is the weakest performer at roughly -45% since January. Near-term price action appears muted after July inflation (CPI) landed in line with forecasts. Bitcoin briefly tested support around $63,200 amid a flush of leveraged longs, but the reaction was contained because options priced limited movement (~1.3%). With the macro backdrop effectively unchanged, traders are now waiting for September. The outperformance is token-specific. Zcash is highlighted as a privacy-driven narrative trade, supported by structural demand (a large share of supply in shielded addresses and frequent private-layer transactions). Hyperliquid’s rally is tied to supply mechanics: a continuous buyback funded by fees plus regulated product inflows, including net inflows into HYPE spot ETFs in the week ending Aug 7. For risk management, XRP stands out as “most leveraged”: rising XRP futures open interest alongside accumulation by whale addresses sets up a two-sided technical scenario around $1.00-$1.06. Catalysts to watch are the September CLARITY Act vote and the September FOMC decision, alongside the eCash hard fork and potential Solana upgrade/spot product approvals. Overall, Crypto Prices Today points to rotation and narrative-driven trades rather than a broad Bitcoin-led breakout.

Bitcoin (BTC) has slid since a roughly $65,400 local top, but short-term signals now point to a potential bounce. The article highlights that BTC recently retested and “retested” a bear-market trendline after breaking above it late last week. On the daily chart, analysts expect a rally if BTC can clear nearby resistance. A descending trendline is currently capping price action, but a decisive break would open the path back toward $66,600 horizontal resistance. Momentum gauges are also improving: Stochastic RSI is about to rise above 20, often interpreted as early upside momentum. The broader daily picture remains constructive if BTC holds above a bull-market trendline, suggesting a slow grind consistent with a potential bear-market bottom. A key caution is RSI behaviour inside a wedge pattern; the article notes that RSI previously stalled about halfway through a prior rally before regaining strength—watching for a similar pattern now. On the weekly view, any near-term red candle is attributed to confirmation of the breakout. MACD is described as still bullish: the MACD line sits above the signal line, and the histogram’s green bars are growing from an all-time low area. If the rally accelerates, MACD histogram bars could expand. The next upside reference target repeatedly cited is around $73,000. The piece also includes a standard informational disclaimer and no direct investment advice.

Blackfort CEO Stefan Huber says Web3 security should start with restored user asset control. He argues that third-party custodians and intermediaries increase custodian risk, while impersonation and phishing remain the biggest practical threats to most users. Blackfort’s approach is client-side, non-custodial self-custody by design—users keep private keys on their own device. Technically, Blackfort is described as an EVM-compatible Layer-1 using Proof of Staked Authority and a delegation model that lets everyday holders help secure the network without running complex infrastructure. Product progress highlighted in the interview includes the launch of an official Chrome wallet extension, aiming to bring full self-custody into the browser where most Web3 interactions happen. Blackfort also continues building “Blackfort Pay” for everyday spending. Huber also addressed operating in a slow-moving environment shaped by regulation. He says the company maintains multiple development tracks so delays in any one area do not stall the roadmap. For new users, the core advice is to learn self-custody early, be skeptical of unsolicited contacts, and verify announcements only through official channels—explicitly warning that Blackfort will not message users first and will not request seed phrases. Overall, the interview focuses on Web3 security via self-custody UX (browser access) and anti-impersonation messaging rather than on short-term market catalysts.

A sponsored press release says more Web3 communities are moving from digital-only credentials (NFTs, POAPs, and SBTs) to custom challenge coins as a physical way to recognize participation and achievements. The focus is on bridging “phygital” experiences—connecting offline events with on-chain identity—rather than replacing digital collectibles. The article highlights events such as ETHGlobal Lisbon and Canada Crypto Week, where custom challenge coins can be used to honour developers, speakers, and community contributors. It also notes that some DAOs are adopting coins to mark governance milestones, open-source contributions, and member achievements. GSJJ, a promotional product manufacturer, is positioned as the supplier. It claims capabilities including 3D die-cast relief, precision laser engraving, and custom metallic finishes, plus global fulfillment and “no minimum order quantities (NO MOQ).” The release further suggests future upgrades using embedded Near Field Communication (NFC) chips and laser-etched wallet identifiers to link physical coins to digital privileges. Named figure: Karen Linda, CMO of GSJJ, is quoted saying physical recognition helps strengthen connections at in-person events and can act as a modern “Proof of Work.”

Blockstream explains how its Jade hardware wallet protects a user PIN without a traditional Secure element chip. The core idea is a “Virtual Secure Element” split across two locations: Jade device-side logic and a blind-oracle server run by Blockstream (or by users themselves). In this design, the recovery phrase remains encrypted on Jade. When a user unlocks, Jade never transmits the PIN. Instead, Jade sends a scrambled derivative of the PIN (combined with a device-unique key) to the oracle. The oracle checks the derivative against stored records and returns only its half of the cryptographic arrangement. Wrong PIN attempts are rate-limited and enforced on the server. On the third incorrect PIN, both sides delete their shares, permanently making the encrypted wallet blob undecryptable. Jade also supports a duress PIN that wipes the wallet keychain and shuts down, reducing the usefulness of coercion. Blockstream argues the model blocks common attacker paths: stealing the device and extracting flash yields only encrypted data without oracle share; malicious companion software cannot access the PIN because it’s entered on-device; even network interception can’t enable replay since sessions use fresh encrypted transport and anti-replay counters. Trade-offs are acknowledged. Oracle reachability is required for PIN-based unlocking, but recovery-phrase restore (SeedQR scan or manual entry) bypasses the oracle entirely. Both the Jade firmware and the blind-oracle code are published for verification.

Anchorpoint, backed by Standard Chartered, has started a phased rollout of its HKD At Par (HKDAP) stablecoin for institutional distributors and professional investors in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong dollar–backed HKDAP stablecoin is aimed at cross-border payments, fiat conversion, and settlement of tokenized real-world assets. In the first phase, authorized distributors will provide HKDAP-to-fiat conversion services for institutions, corporate users, and professional investors. HashKey Exchange joined as a distribution partner and completed the first HKDAP minting and redemption transaction. Anchorpoint said the rollout moves HKDAP from testing into controlled distribution after receiving an HKMA issuer license in April. Before the live release, Anchorpoint tested the end-to-end process on Ethereum Mainnet with OSL Group in May, including fiat funding via Standard Chartered infrastructure, reserve handling, on-chain token transfers, and full redemption—covering the complete HKDAP stablecoin lifecycle under regulatory controls. HKDAP is issued under Hong Kong’s Stablecoins Ordinance (effective Aug. 1, 2025), which requires HKMA authorization, eligible reserve assets, redemption, governance, risk management, and AML controls. The launch is part of Hong Kong’s broader move toward regulated tokenized finance, with the HKMA also establishing work on tokenized bonds.