Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism, alleging the platform did not remove channels, chats, and bots used to plan attacks inside Russia. The July 29 filing cites Russia criminal code Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 and places Durov on an international wanted list. Authorities claim Telegram infrastructure was used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups for recruitment tied to sabotage, arson, and attacks on law enforcement and critical facilities. Russia also says 46 people aged 12–22 were arrested after being contacted via the Telegram dating bot Daivinchik (Leo) since July 2025. Telegram’s official X account posted a defiant image of Durov, while neither side provided detailed written legal responses. For crypto traders, this raises compliance and operational risk for Telegram-linked digital assets. Telegram controls The Open Network (TON), and TON’s ecosystem is expanding with TON-based product activity and a native “Gram” wallet rollout. The news may pressure sentiment around TON as traders weigh regulatory escalation versus ongoing TON/Gram-related deployments.

OpenAI announced new OpenAI price cuts for its smaller GPT-5.6 offerings, responding to corporate scrutiny over AI spending and intensifying low-cost competition from Chinese rivals. The entry-level Luna model saw an 80% reduction: input costs fell from $1 to $0.20 per million tokens, and output costs dropped from $6 to $1.20 per million tokens. The mid-tier Terra model fell 20%, with input moving from $2.50 to $2 per million tokens and output from $15 to $12 per million tokens. OpenAI kept its flagship Sol model unchanged at $5 input and $30 output per million tokens. The move follows another round of OpenAI price cuts about 11 days earlier, when GPT-4 Turbo API pricing was reduced by 20% (around July 19). Two rounds in under two weeks signals pressure to defend market share rather than pure discounting. OpenAI’s positioning is that smaller models are now capable enough to replace some tasks previously handled by the most expensive options, aiming to improve adoption despite tighter budgets and a focus on ROI from CFOs.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) say they demolished an underground Hezbollah command center in southern Lebanon after a cease-fire breach. Israel alleges the site helped orchestrate attacks and was located near a UNIFIL post and within civilian infrastructure. The action highlights a deteriorating situation during a fragile Israel–Hezbollah cease-fire, which is frequently violated by both sides. The report also suggests the IDF move could reduce the chances of a permanent peace agreement. Market-linked pricing discussed in the article indicates the odds of an Israeli withdrawal from the Litani River by July 31 are notably low, consistent with ongoing military activity. The coming 24 hours before the July 31 peace-deal announcement deadline are framed as critical for either de-escalation or further escalation. Key watch points include any additional IDF strikes, Hezbollah responses, and diplomatic efforts involving the U.S. and the UN. Any statements from Israeli and Lebanese leadership may shift expectations for the cease-fire breach trajectory and the likelihood of a durable deal.

Israel demolishes near a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lebanon near Beaufort Castle, claiming the action targets an alleged Hezbollah tunnel network. The demolitions are part of Israel’s broader campaign against Hezbollah, involving air and ground operations. Lebanese authorities dispute Israel’s claims and criticize damage to cultural heritage sites near the contested location. The incident is raising concerns that escalation in Israel–Hezbollah tensions could worsen regional instability and harm prospects for a peace deal. On crypto-adjacent market sentiment, the article notes market pricing suggests increased military activity in Lebanon may threaten the ongoing Israel–Iran ceasefire. Current market expectations imply a reduced likelihood the ceasefire stays intact through the end of August. What to watch next includes reactions from Lebanon and UNESCO, plus any new statements or developments from Israel and Hezbollah. Any reported changes to the Israel–Iran ceasefire—breaches or reaffirmations—could quickly shift risk appetite and trading expectations.

SoFi Technologies reported 388,336 cumulative crypto accounts by June 30, but its Q2 net crypto transaction revenue was only $1.183M. In the filing, SoFi listed about $134.267M gross crypto transaction revenue and $133.084M transaction costs. The gap leaves roughly 0.88% of the gross line as net crypto transaction revenue—revenue, not a true profit margin. SoFi also does not disclose a standalone crypto profit figure. The company’s accounting approach is part of the reason the gross line looks large: SoFi acts as principal, buying/selling digital assets with liquidity providers, then transferring to or from member accounts. Most proceeds flow back to cover the assets and related payments tied to member trades, leaving net revenue mainly from order-handling fees. Sequentially, SoFi improved from Q1: net crypto transaction revenue rose from $852K in Q1 to $1.183M in Q2 (about +38.8%), and the first-half total reached ~$2.0M. However, SoFi does not provide how many accounts were active or transacting, so traders cannot estimate per-active-user take rates or per-user economics. Key takeaway for market watchers: SoFi’s Q2 net crypto transaction revenue remains small relative to gross activity, limiting near-term signals on profitability and unit economics for retail crypto trading.

Ionic Digital (IOND) began trading on Nasdaq via a direct listing on July 28. The listing created a public market for existing equity tied to Celsius’s bankruptcy plan, but many holders still cannot cash out immediately. The company issued 37 million Class A shares to former approved Celsius creditors under the bankruptcy plan. These “Celsius bankruptcy shares” were made tradable on Nasdaq, yet practical liquidity depends on broker logistics and securities-law restrictions. Ionic noted that some holders needed their shares moved from Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company into a brokerage account to trade. The transfer process typically takes one to two business days. In addition, even when shares are eligible, holder-specific limits can apply for affiliates or plan recipients treated as underwriters. Nasdaq’s reference price (around $53) was only for the direct listing process; the opening price was set through the Nasdaq auction, and IOND closed its first session at $62.90 on about 1.58 million shares traded. Overall, the direct listing offers an exit route for Celsius-linked equity, but “Celsius bankruptcy shares” may face delays or restricted selling based on custody location and eligibility rules. This can reduce immediate selling pressure while still enabling gradual price discovery.

Coinbase Q2 earnings missed expectations, reflecting weaker crypto trading activity. The exchange reported $1.22B in revenue (down 14% QoQ) and a $359M net loss versus an expected $1.29B, sending shares down about 5% after hours. The core pressure came from spot trading volume, which fell more than 20% from the prior quarter as crypto prices softened and volatility hit multi-year lows. Transaction revenue was $599M, below the expected $628M. Subscription and services revenue was $555M, slightly under guidance, as USDC-related commercial agreement closures took longer than expected and lower crypto asset prices reduced staking income. Key positives remain: stablecoin revenue rose to $292M, and average USDC held across Coinbase products hit a record $20B (over 30% of USDC in circulation at quarter-end). Coinbase also said 88% of net revenue came from non-Bitcoin spot sources and that its trading market share reached a record 10.3% across spot and derivatives. For Q3, Coinbase expects transaction revenue of about $130M through July 26, subscription and services revenue of $500M–$580M, and adjusted expenses of $980M–$1.08B. For traders, the Coinbase Q2 earnings miss reinforces how sensitive exchange profitability is to BTC price action, spot liquidity, and derivatives demand.

BlackRock institutional clients reportedly rotated exposure by selling about $60M of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) while buying over $20M of the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA), data flagged by Arkham Intelligence on Jul. 30, 2026. IBIT is a major spot Bitcoin ETF with roughly $47B–$55B in assets under management. The $60M outflow is about 0.1% of fund size, suggesting repositioning rather than panic. At least $20M of that capital moved into ETHA, leaving crypto ETFs with a net negative flow of roughly $40M overall. Performance divergence is notable. Since its January 2024 launch, IBIT has returned over 35%. ETHA began trading in mid-2024 and is down about 48% from its launch price. The article also highlights that ETHA does not offer staking yield, meaning investors miss one of Ethereum’s key value drivers. Market relevance: sustained institutional buying through regulated ETF wrappers can support ETH during weak sentiment. However, one week’s $20M inflow is only a data point, not a confirmed trend. With no client-level granularity, a single large investor (e.g., a sovereign wealth fund) could explain the entire IBIT outflow.

Millennium Management is backing Farzad Kassam to spin out and launch his own investment firm in Dubai. The planned business is expected to begin in 2027 with more than $1 billion in assets under management, capital that Kassam currently oversees at Millennium. Initially, the new macro hedge fund will manage money exclusively for Millennium founder Izzy Englander, with the option to bring in outside investors later. Kassam joined Millennium in 2019 after co-heading GBP rates trading at NatWest Markets, bringing expertise in fixed income and macro strategies. The article highlights Millennium’s “multistrategy, multi-team” model: capital is allocated across hundreds of independent trading teams, with risk controls imposed centrally. Starting with $1B+ from a single allocator is framed as reducing the early-stage hurdle of raising capital and building a track record. Key takeaway for traders: this is a hedge-fund succession/spin-out story, not a crypto-specific product, but it may marginally affect macro positioning and liquidity via new trading capacity tied to fixed-income and macro risk.

Aave founder Stani Kulechov says Aave will deprecate 50 low-adoption asset reserves and wind down deployments on six blockchains. The changes target inactive markets to reduce protocol exposure while giving users time to exit positions. The update covers about $98.1M in supply and $15.6M in debt tied to the deprecations, plus an orderly offboarding of six chain deployments (another 25 asset reserves). LlamaRisk and Aave service providers recommended removing inactive Aave V3 reserves and six complete market deployments. Key numbers include: $85.3M supplied and $11.5M debt in the removed Aave V3 reserves, and $12.8M supplied with $4.1M debt across the six departing chains. On Ethereum, the biggest items are two Bitcoin liquid-staking wrappers, FBTC and eBTC, whose deposits reportedly fell from ~ $72M six months ago to ~ $16M. Several bridge tokens (including USDC.e and USDbC) are also being cut due to migration to native versions, while MaticX is wound down after issuer Stader retires it. On the six exiting chains, each deployment reportedly brings in under $5,000 per quarter in revenue—insufficient to cover oracle and monitoring costs. A default wind-down freezes each reserve and reduces supply/borrowing caps to one. Aave also plans oracle changes in Aave V2 and V3, deprecating certain Chainlink price feeds flagged as high/very high operational risk for long-tail assets. This affects 10 deployments and assets totaling $6.76M supplied and $4.29M debt.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are set to finish July stronger than most major markets. In the last 30 days, Ethereum is up about 19.5% and Bitcoin up 7.37%, according to CoinGlass, after a difficult 2026 first half. The crypto outperformance comes as tech and broader risk assets weakened. Chip stocks fell 22%, with the Nasdaq 100 down 9% and the Russell 2000 down 3%, while the S&P 500 declined about 1%. Commodities were mixed: silver fell 2.64% and gold rose 0.38%. Price context: Bitcoin traded from near $58,000 to a monthly high around $67,000, then cooled, and is now around $64,000 (still far below its all-time high). Ethereum moved from roughly $1,500 to near $2,000 and is trading just above $1,900 after a minor weekly pullback. The article notes the latest Fed decision kept interest rates unchanged. Still, traders are cautious because history points to August risk. Since 2022, Bitcoin has posted a monthly loss every August, with declines ranging from about 6.5% to nearly 14%. Analysts in the piece are split: one expects the bear phase to last until October, while others look for further downside before a broader recovery in 2027. Overall, Bitcoin and Ethereum show relative strength in July, but the recurring August seasonality could shape positioning and volatility into the next month.

BitMEX has settled all 35 listed derivatives on July 30, closing remaining positions and canceling open orders as the exchange moves toward its September shutdown. The settlement log shows 33 contracts closing at 12:00:05 UTC, with EURUSD and USDCHF settling later at 12:32:25 and 12:33:25 UTC. BitMEX said the delistings stem from insufficient trading interest and its planned wind-down. It framed the process as an “early settlement,” not a margin liquidation. Before settlement, contracts traded normally until 04:00 UTC, when BitMEX fixed the final funding rate (F0) using the prior eight hours of pricing inputs. It then stopped calculating new funding and set the next funding rate to zero, while trading continued until 12:00 UTC. Post-settlement mechanics: affected contracts expired, trading ended, and open orders were canceled. BitMEX exchanged funding based on F0, applied each contract’s lifetime profit or loss to users’ Bitcoin or Tether balances, and removed contracts from the Positions section. No settlement fee was charged. Broader shutdown timeline: new registrations already stopped with the July 23 closure notice. From 04:00 UTC on Aug. 26, trading becomes reduce-only, and BitMEX may force-close positions before exchange services end at 04:00 UTC on Sept. 23. Any remaining positions at closure will be force-closed, though users retain access to balances and withdrawals. BitMEX also warned that KYC-verified users leaving assets after closure may face a monthly account fee equal to the greater of $50 equivalent or 1% per year. For traders, BitMEX wipes out 35 derivatives—signal risk of liquidity shifts, funding/position repricing, and accelerated forced-close dynamics as the reduce-only regime approaches.

Morgan Stanley’s spot crypto ETFs are outpacing larger rivals. On day two, the firm’s Ethereum ETF MSSE pulled in $14.03M while the broader US Ethereum ETF market saw net outflows. MSSE’s result also exceeded BlackRock’s dominant Ethereum ETF (ETHA). Total US Ethereum ETF net inflows since launch now stand at $11.19B. For Solana, Morgan Stanley’s Solana ETF MSOL captured all US Solana ETF inflows on the session, bringing in $19.03M on just its second trading day. With this, MSOL and MSSE together manage about $20M in assets. The article notes SoSoValue data showing eight other Solana funds with combined net assets around $842M. These second-day figures are viewed as a stronger demand signal than launch-day volume because net inflows reflect new capital entering via share creation. Both funds debuted actively on Tuesday with about $38M combined trading volume. The competitive edge highlighted is distribution reach and pricing: Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said Morgan Stanley’s advisor network helps it reach investors that many crypto-native issuers can’t. Both MSSE and MSOL charge a low 0.14% expense ratio and are designed to stake part of holdings, distributing staking rewards to shareholders.

Bitcoin briefly topped $65,000 after US Q2 GDP growth missed forecasts (1.5% vs 2.1%). Traders initially saw a “Fed easing” tailwind from weaker growth, but the macro read turned less dovish. Strong consumer spending and sticky inflation reduced expectations for near-term rate cuts, and Treasury yields stayed high. Key data cited: core PCE price inflation rose 3.4% annualized (above the Fed’s 2% target), while the GDP slowdown looked more tied to trade effects than domestic demand. The Fed held its policy rate at 3.50%–3.75%, with three officials voting for a rate hike. For Bitcoin, the article highlights weaker institutional incentives. Glassnode data show the 3-month Bitcoin futures basis has been below the 2-year Treasury yield since February, meaning Treasuries offer competitive carry without Bitcoin volatility. Market participation also appears thin: spot volume fell to the lowest since 2019 and US BTC ETF flows turned to modest net outflows after mid-July. Technically/positioning: Bitcoin is still largely trapped in the heavy cost-basis zone of $62,000–$68,000. The next major test is near $69,000 (short-term holder cost basis). A clean break above $68,000–$69,000 would need stronger spot volumes and renewed ETF inflows; failure likely keeps Bitcoin in consolidation.

A crypto explainer argues that Smart accounts are shifting control from raw keys to programmable policies, with Safe as the main example under ERC-4337. The article contrasts EOAs (externally owned accounts = private keys) with Smart accounts (contract-based accounts that can enforce rules, batch actions, and support policy-based recovery). Key market-relevant points for traders: - Adoption and scale: Safe smart accounts processed ~130M transactions in Q2 2026, and held about $27.24B in self-custodied assets (including ~$6.48B stablecoins). Safe governance also showed staking of ~54.8M SAFE across 539 stakers. - Daily UX changes: ERC-4337 enables user operations, batching, and gas sponsorship via paymasters (potentially paying gas in stablecoins on L2s), reducing friction for frequent swaps, mints, and L2 bridging. - Security trade-offs: Smart accounts reduce single-key loss risk, but expand contract/policy attack surfaces. The article cites the Lumi Finance exploit on Arbitrum where attackers drained about $270,000 by abusing smart-account validation flows. What to watch next: standardized timelock-based recovery proposals for ERC-4337, paymaster fee economics, module marketplace governance (audits/revocation), and cross-chain policy consistency. The core message: Smart accounts can improve safety and usability, but traders should also expect new failure modes (contract bugs, module misconfigurations, paymaster interruption, UX fragmentation) that can affect on-chain activity and short-term sentiment.

Stablecoin liquidity is a network effect. The article argues that when teams issue custom stablecoins, they often fragment stablecoin liquidity across more venues and chains, leaving each market thinner. The result is worse depth, wider spreads, and more slippage—so traders route orders back to the majors. Key stats and market structure: total stablecoin cap is about $308.2B, with USDT at ~59.6% dominance. USDT is available on roughly 130 networks, which can create “many shallow pools” and multiple wrapped variants rather than one consistently deep market. Separately, trading can diverge from supply: in Q2 2026, USDC reportedly reached ~12.5% of crypto trading volume even as its supply fell to around $73.5B. The core mechanism is convertibility plus where trades actually settle. Liquidity depends on redemption parity (near-1:1 redemption to the reference asset) and credible enforcement on exchanges/AMMs/order books. Incentives alone are treated as “rental liquidity”: liquidity farming may seed pools temporarily, but it typically leaves once rewards end. Decision framework for traders and issuers: prefer USDT/USDC rails when possible. Issue a custom stablecoin only if there’s a hard, captive-use-case requirement and a credible long-term redemption and market-making plan. Cross-chain expansion can help reach users, but it also increases bridge and wrapper risks and can further fragment stablecoin liquidity. New rails angle: Visa’s stablecoin platform is framed as potentially relevant over time, with initial support for Open USD (OUSD), but real merchant flow is expected to roll out gradually.

IBM says it demonstrated “trusted quantum advantage” using 70 logical qubits and a new error-correction method, with results computed in about 15 minutes. The work, done with researchers at the University of Chicago, executed 2,415 logical two-qubit operations and 468 logical T gates, while reducing logical error rates to around one-tenth of the physical error rate. IBM also claims improved verification, using a structured method to detect errors during computation rather than relying on random circuit sampling. For Bitcoin, this is not an immediate security break. The article notes that breaking Bitcoin’s elliptic-curve signatures would likely require thousands of logical qubits on a fault-tolerant quantum computer—far above the 70 logical qubits IBM demonstrated. Overall, the announcement is an incremental technical milestone toward “Q-Day,” but it does not materially change Bitcoin’s near-term threat landscape. The quantum advantage era is advancing, yet the practical timing for crypto risk remains distant.

A new multi-institution study asks whether frontier AI agents can independently conduct open-ended AI research. Researchers from Princeton University, the UK AI Security Institute, Stanford University, the University of Toronto, and other organizations tested whether “AI agents” could produce a paper worthy of acceptance at a top machine learning conference. They restricted the setup to avoid memorized or publicly available answers by using the central questions from two unpublished NeurIPS 2026 papers. Each agent was given six days, thousands of dollars in API credits, GPU resources, internet access, and a virtual machine, then submitted a conference-quality draft. Result: the AI agents completed much of the engineering work—literature review, debugging, running experiments, managing compute, and producing full academic papers. But reviewers rejected both submissions, concluding the systems failed to generate original scientific contributions. The authors identified five recurring failure modes that prevented AI agents from producing publishable research. They also argue the evaluation better measures scientific reasoning than benchmarks based on predefined tasks. They caution that the study covers only two research projects and that the original researchers assessed the outputs. For traders: this is a tech-sector signal on AI automation limits rather than a direct crypto catalyst—yet it may shape sentiment around AI tooling, lab spending, and near-term AI-related risk appetite.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged the Senate to pass the Clarity Act immediately, arguing Democrats are delaying a vote for political reasons and warning the U.S. could lose global leadership in crypto without regulatory clarity. In an X post, Bessent said the House passed the Clarity Act more than a year ago and that bipartisan Senate committee staff have spent “thousands of hours” negotiating revisions. He claimed Republicans now have a floor-ready bill and framed failure to move the legislation as an industry “pushed out” scenario. Bessent rejected criticism that the bill lacks consumer protection or safeguards against illicit finance. He pointed to Titles II and III as expanding compliance obligations for digital-asset intermediaries toward standards used by traditional financial institutions. He also defended the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act provision, saying decentralized software developers would not be subject to Bank Secrecy Act registration requirements. He added that the Fraternal Order of Police, which previously opposed the measure, now supports it. The Clarity Act would create a federal market structure, generally allocating oversight between the SEC and CFTC, with most crypto assets under CFTC jurisdiction. The bill is also tied to contentious “ethics provisions” that would restrict federal officials from issuing or sponsoring digital assets while in office. Bessent closed by quoting Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Separately, Senate leadership signaled limited calendar runway, with potential passage before the August recess in question if negotiations on ethics language continue.

Device binding is the cryptographic link that makes a verifiable digital credential usable only with the rightful holder’s private key. It ties the credential to secure hardware inside the device (secure element / hardware-backed keystore) and enables proof of possession. When a credential is issued, the issuer embeds a public key in the credential. The matching private key is generated and kept non-exportable inside the device. At presentation, the wallet signs a fresh challenge (in-person or online). The verifier checks the signature against the credential’s public key, so a copied credential file alone cannot be used to impersonate the holder. Device binding defeats two major threats. First, cloning: attackers who steal the credential data still cannot produce valid signatures without the bound private key. Second, replay: each presentation is signed over session-specific verifier data (e.g., ISO/IEC 18013-5 mDL session data and OpenID4VP verifier-generated nonces), so captured signatures cannot be reused later. Under NIST SP 800-63B, device binding supports stronger authenticator binding and helps credentials reach higher assurance levels (including AAL3 requirements tied to FIPS 140 hardware modules and non-exportable keys). If you lose your phone, security remains intact: the lost credential is revoked and reissued on a new device with a newly generated bound key. The article also describes SpruceID’s role in implementing device binding in mobile driver’s license and public-sector credential systems.

Hyperscale Data (NYSE American: GPUS) says it sold about 100 Bitcoin (BTC) and set up a Bitcoin-backed credit facility to finance its Michigan AI data center. The facility is expected to carry a variable rate of roughly 4.5%–5%, with BTC sale proceeds funding construction and long-lead equipment. After the transaction, Hyperscale still holds about 1,006 BTC and ranks as the 44th-largest publicly tracked corporate Bitcoin holder. Instead of liquidating more, the company uses remaining Bitcoin (BTC) as collateral, which reduces immediate sell pressure but introduces sensitivity to BTC price moves through borrowing capacity and margin requirements. On the AI side, a 10-year master services agreement initially targets ~20 MW of compute capacity, plus two optional five-year extensions. Hyperscale estimates revenue could exceed $1.2B if all options are exercised, and total contract value could top $3B with an additional 32 MW expansion. Trading takeaway: this is another “BTC-to-AI” liquidity use case for capital-intensive infrastructure. However, the ~100 BTC sale is likely small versus daily BTC flows, so near-term impact on BTC price is expected to be limited.

Canada crypto ownership has jumped to 25% in 2026, according to new research from the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). The OSC surveyed 2,360 Canadian adults from Dec 2025 to Jan 2026 and found 59% were aware of crypto assets, while one in four reported owning them—up from 10% in 2023. Despite rising adoption, Canada crypto ownership is outpacing investor understanding. Only about 50% of crypto owners said they checked whether their trading platform was registered before using it. Many also misunderstood key consumer protections, including whether crypto holdings have insurance-like coverage and which transactions can be reversed or recovered—an issue because blockchain transfers sent to fraudulent addresses may be difficult or impossible to undo. The findings arrive as Ottawa considers tighter controls. Canada’s federal government is preparing a nationwide ban on crypto ATMs, citing fraud risks and the difficulty of recovering funds sent via these machines. A separate March bill would restrict cryptocurrency donations to political groups, aiming to strengthen election-financing rules and reduce hidden funding and foreign interference risks. For traders, Canada crypto ownership growth signals broader demand, but the policy direction favors reducing certain high-risk on-ramps and disclosure gaps—potentially affecting liquidity, retail flows, and exchange/platform usage patterns in the near term.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Senate leaders to hold an immediate vote on the CLARITY Act before the August recess, warning Democrats may be delaying due to opposition concerns. The House already passed the CLARITY Act in July 2025 (294–134), but Senate progress depends on resolving two central sticking points: (1) ethics enforcement tied to lawmakers’ crypto interests, including whether the Department of Justice should have sole authority; and (2) the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), which clarifies when non-custodial blockchain software developers must register as money transmitters. Bessent said Majority Leader John Thune would test lawmakers’ positions in the coming days and framed the debate as a choice between U.S. leadership in digital-asset regulation and other countries moving ahead. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats and likely need at least seven Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold. On the enforcement debate, Bessent argued BRCA does not weaken anti–money laundering powers. Law enforcement backing has improved after revisions: the National Fraternal Order of Police reversed its earlier opposition, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association also supported the revised bill. Market pricing remains cautious. Prediction markets placed the CLARITY Act’s 2026 passage probability around 26–30% as the recess approaches, down from 82% earlier in February. Traders are not treating Bessent’s “vote NOW” push as a sign of guaranteed approval. The next decisive steps are whether the White House accepts the negotiated ethics package and whether Thune schedules a procedural vote before recess.

XRP price rose 1.68% to about $1.0917 on July 30, after an intraday push toward $1.0950. The rebound followed fresh demand signals: XRP exchange-traded funds posted $584,000 in net inflows on July 29 (first positive day after a 4-day pause), supporting the token as it re-tested the $1.10 area. Technically, XRP price remains capped by daily resistance near $1.0975 (Bollinger 20-day midline). Momentum is mixed: the daily RSI is just below its signal line, and the 4-hour chart is still dominated by sellers around the 0.618 Fibonacci level at ~$1.0908. The Supertrend indicator remains bearish, and Chaikin Money Flow is negative (-0.15), suggesting underlying capital still lags the price rally. On the infrastructure/real-world adoption front, Aviva Investors plans to offer a tokenized share class of its USD Liquidity Fund on the XRP Ledger for eligible investors with crypto wallets. This development comes after the XRPL fixCleanup3_2_0 amendment was implemented on July 29. For traders, the key decision zone is $1.10: CoinGlass liquidation heatmaps show dense leverage near $1.098–$1.10 and another pool near $1.065. A sustained close above $1.10 could open targets around $1.1189–$1.1395, while rejection may pull XRP price back toward $1.0708 and potentially $1.065, with deeper downside risk back near $1.045.

BlockDAG (BDAG) is drawing attention with a $0.00000019 price and a 22% Live Swap discount versus CoinMarketCap. Within hours, BlockDAG is scheduled to launch claims for Batches 1–6 and enable staking, adding new utility as the broader market shows uncertainty. Meanwhile, Hyperliquid (HYPE) is hovering near the $60 area and trading below its 50-day average (~$62.70). The article cites weakened buying interest and signals that large holders are distributing (including a transfer of ~395,000 HYPE to an exchange). If HYPE loses the ~$60.41 support, it could test lower levels near ~$54.19. Cardano (ADA) is holding around $0.16 after a small dip, supported by a $0.14–$0.17 range. Technical commentary suggests the asset is oversold, but recovery is not confirmed. Upside requires reclaiming a key resistance around $0.23; if $0.14 breaks, downside risk is toward ~$0.10. For traders, the focus is on how BlockDAG’s claims/staking rollout (BDAG) may attract incremental demand, while HYPE and ADA remain vulnerable to further bearish follow-through if support levels fail. Short-term volatility could rise around the BlockDAG feature launch window, even as broader sentiment stays cautious.

The BIS (Bank for International Settlements) said Project Agorá has completed a live pilot using tokenized money for cross-border payments. The trial settled real funds on a shared ledger, moving about $1m (CHF 800k) across six currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, KRW) via 28 major lenders, including JPMorgan, Citi, UBS, Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered. Project Agorá tokenized central bank reserves and commercial bank deposits to settle corporate, interbank and FX payments. It processed 30 transactions with an average settlement time of ~80 seconds and ran alongside existing bank payment infrastructure (not fully integrated). A key design feature was shared recording of ownership and payment status to improve traceability and reduce settlement risk. For FX, the platform aimed to execute both currency legs together to cut “one side pays, the other doesn’t” risk. Traders should note this is not a new token catalyst. However, it reinforces the market narrative that tokenized money and tokenized settlement are moving into mainstream financial infrastructure—potentially supportive for sentiment in the near term, with longer-term implications for settlement rails.

Kraken has announced that xU3O8 is available for trading, with funding and trading live as of July 30, 2026. The listing gives traders exposure to a tokenised real-world asset: uranium ore concentrate (“yellowcake”). xU3O8 is issued using decentralized ledger infrastructure and Tezos smart contract technology. The token is structured to represent beneficial ownership interest in physical uranium stored in a regulated facility operated by Cameco. Archax (an FCA-registered digital asset exchange) acts as trustee for investors. For traders, Kraken notes that xU3O8 trading via the Kraken App and Instant Buy will only begin once liquidity conditions are met—when enough buyers and sellers enter the market for efficient order matching. Kraken also warns that geographic restrictions may apply and that deposits must use networks supported by Kraken; using other networks may result in lost tokens. Keywords for traders: xU3O8, Kraken listing, Tezos-based token, tokenised commodity exposure, liquidity gating.

South Korea confirms its crypto gains tax will start on January 1, 2027, after three previous delays. Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol told the National Assembly the timetable remains, and the government may refine details after implementation. Under the Income Tax Act, crypto profits are treated as “other income,” with a 2.5 million won annual deduction. Gains above that threshold face a 20% national tax rate, which can rise to 22% including local taxes. For traders, the key operational change is compliance. Taxable profit is generally disposal proceeds minus eligible acquisition costs. Investors may need transaction records from both domestic and overseas exchanges, creating reconciliation friction for users trading across multiple platforms and accounts. A major debate is the lack of loss carryforward for crypto investors. Critics say this could weaken domestic trading demand and encourage capital to move abroad. Some lawmakers want capital-gains treatment, but Koo said changing the classification likely requires broader capital-market tax review and possible legislation. Crypto gains tax is therefore less about specific tokens and more about recurring tax cost, reporting burden, and potential liquidity effects.

Rolls-Royce shares jumped more than 5% after the company raised its Rolls-Royce profit forecast following a strong first-half result. On July 30, 2026, the stock rose 5.45% to 1,455.20 pence, briefly nearing 1,465 pence. Financial highlights: underlying operating profit reached £2.5 billion in the first half, up 46% year-on-year. Free cash flow increased to £2.0 billion. Rolls-Royce profit forecast: the company now expects full-year underlying operating profit of £4.7 billion to £4.9 billion. This is well above its prior guidance (£4.0 billion to £4.2 billion) and above analyst expectations of roughly £4.2 billion. Operational drivers: profitability improved across civil aerospace, defence and power systems. In civil aerospace, the operating margin edged up from 24.9% to 25.3%, supported by stronger aftermarket performance, operational improvements, and better airline contract terms. Rolls-Royce also said it has effectively eliminated aircraft-on-ground issues, reducing customer disruption and improving engine servicing performance. In power systems, demand is supported by data centers seeking backup and primary power solutions, creating additional aftermarket maintenance and servicing opportunities. Defence benefited from the UK’s long-term military investment plans. Key watchpoint for investors: whether the upgraded Rolls-Royce profit forecast can be delivered while maintaining improved margins in the second half of the year.