Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Z.AI, a Beijing-based AI company, has switched on a 1-gigawatt AI data center designed to train its GLM (General Language Model) using domestically produced semiconductors, with no Nvidia chips involved. The 1-gigawatt data center is positioned as a milestone in China’s effort to expand AI infrastructure despite US export controls that since 2025 have targeted high-end Nvidia GPUs such as the H100 and newer successors. The article notes that Alibaba has also been ramping AI compute, launching an AI data center in April 2026 with 10,000 of its Zhenwu AI chips. Z.AI’s facility is described as larger in scale and ambition. Policy support is central to the outlook. China’s government has proposed a five-year AI data-center plan with an estimated $295 billion budget, aiming for 80% domestic technology sourcing across interconnected facilities. New rules require domestic chips in state-funded projects, creating a demand floor for Chinese chipmakers and accelerating iteration and cost reductions. For markets, the key “watch metric” is not only whether Chinese chips match Nvidia’s benchmarks on paper, but whether AI models trained on domestic hardware can compete with those trained on Nvidia-based stacks—an area where prior progress (e.g., DeepSeek’s efficiency gains) suggests meaningful headroom.

Russian strikes in Dnipropetrovsk have killed 2 people and injured 17 others, including children, according to the Kyiv Post. The attacks reportedly hit four districts as part of Russia’s broader offensive in eastern Ukraine. These Russian strikes in Dnipropetrovsk come amid intensified use of drones and artillery targeting civilian infrastructure and supporting ground forces. The violence suggests a prolonged conflict and continued pressure on Ukraine’s defensive capacity, with Russia aiming at key areas such as Donetsk and Sloviansk. Crypto-market relevance: while this is a non-crypto headline, the risk backdrop matters. Market participants in the article’s framing interpreted the developments as consistent with reduced confidence in Russia achieving its 2026 territorial goals. The piece also notes pricing-implied shifts: lower odds of Russian entry into Sloviansk by the deadline and potential resource diversions that could affect prospects near Kostyantynivka. Key traders’ watchpoints are changes in front-line control and any increase in international support for Ukraine, as these can swing macro risk sentiment and liquidity. Further Russian advances or major Ukrainian counterattacks could quickly shift expectations into the end of 2026.

Kenyan President William Ruto’s official site (president.go.ke) was hacked and defaced. The attackers replaced the homepage and demanded a Bitcoin ransom of 5 BTC to restore access. Kenyan authorities said they found no evidence that sensitive government data was accessed, stolen or lost. The presidential website stayed offline while officials activated cybersecurity response protocols and restricted public access during containment and forensics. The attackers posted insulting messages and threatened to release unspecified information if the Bitcoin ransom was not paid by Saturday evening. As of reporting, there was no confirmation that the government contacted the attackers or considered paying. The report also did not identify the hacker group, provide the intrusion method, or include a ransom wallet address, limiting independent verification. Officials said the compromise was limited to the public-facing portal and that other government systems were secure and operating. The investigation involves Kenya’s ICT authority and external partners, following a prior cyberattack on Kenyan state infrastructure in November 2025.

Nigeria crypto regulation is set to tighten after President Bola Tinubu signed an executive order aimed at closing virtual-asset oversight gaps. The order does not create a new regulator. Instead, it establishes a virtual asset council to coordinate Nigeria’s financial, tax and capital-markets agencies while keeping their existing statutory powers. Key trader-relevant details: firms are expected to register based on their activity (e.g., exchanges, payment providers, investment platforms). The framework is designed to reduce unregistered operators and fraud risk. Nigeria’s tax authority (Nigerian Revenue Service) will issue further guidance, but the order does not announce new tax rates. A parallel legislative track is moving forward. Nigeria’s Senate advanced the Virtual Asset Service Providers Regulation Bill (SB 956) after a second reading, and it still needs committee review and a third reading before it can become law. Separately, since early 2026, crypto providers have had to link transactions to tax identification numbers (and sometimes national ID numbers), aligning with the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework that began Jan. 1, 2026. Why this matters now: the IMF data cited in the article estimates Nigeria accounted for roughly 60% of sub-Saharan Africa’s stablecoin inflows since 2019 and about $59B in crypto inflows from July 2023 to June 2024. Nigeria crypto regulation is therefore likely to improve compliance clarity, which can reduce regulatory uncertainty—but near-term sentiment may swing based on how quickly rules and tax reporting are implemented in practice.

Bitcoin mining stocks rallied Monday as investors cheered major AI infrastructure contracts, highlighting a faster shift from mining to AI data centers and cloud computing. Shares of Hut 8 and IREN lifted the broader sector, with IREN, Cipher Digital, CleanSpark, Hut 8 and MARA Holdings each gaining at least 11% in early trading. Key deal numbers drove the move: Hut 8 disclosed a 15-year, $9.8 billion lease for its AI data center campus. IREN reported $2.8 billion in cloud services contracts with AI developers, and expects its AI cloud business to generate more than $4 billion in annual recurring revenue by end-2026. The rally also showed up in The Energy Mag’s TEM AI Infrastructure Growth Index (20 companies across Bitcoin mining, “neocloud” and AI infrastructure). The index rose 1.4% on Monday and is up over 12% in the past week. However, the AI pivot is bringing new scrutiny. Blocksbridge Consulting noted that insider stock sales at TeraWulf, Riot Platforms, Core Scientific and Cipher Mining have drawn investor attention, raising questions about whether executives are cashing out after the re-rating. Blocksbridge estimates the industry needs another $50 billion to fully fund its AI ambitions, with IREN’s funding gap around $21.1 billion. Bottom line for traders: today’s gains in Bitcoin mining stocks are tied to AI/cloud catalysts, but watch for volatility from insider-sale headlines and ongoing capital needs as the broader tech sector (e.g., Nasdaq) also rebounds.

Argentina’s 2026 World Cup final loss triggered sharp volatility in Chiliz fan token $ARG. The later article adds that after the tournament’s high-stakes finale, sentiment flipped quickly, turning price momentum bearish. $ARG rose as much as 12.4% during key tournament matches, with reported knockout-stage volume spikes up to 300%. The token trades on match-driven “fan emotion” rather than fundamentals. Issued on the Chiliz network via Socios.com, $ARG holders get voting and reward privileges inside the fan ecosystem, making it highly sensitive to team performance. The earlier context also matters for traders: Messi has a long-running crypto tie-in, including a promotional agreement with Socios.com in March 2022 worth over $20M+. However, the articles note that crypto fan-token promotions were less prominent in 2026 than in 2022. Trading takeaway: with $ARG, upside can be fast around fixtures, but a single major defeat—especially a final—can unwind gains just as quickly. This suggests tight timing and strict risk control for any match-based fan-token strategy.

Chainalysis data (June 4) shows crypto payments to unregulated peptide vendors jumped to $32M in Q1 2026, up 159% from $12M in Q4 2025. The inflow rise has continued for six straight quarters, with Q2 2026 pacing pointing to about $39M—an annualized run rate above $100M. Demand appears driven by culture-led health trends and social media: the MAHA movement and TikTok “looksmaxxing” content, where users share protocols that often involve GLP-1 analogs. The report also says some Chinese suppliers pivoted from selling fentanyl/amphetamine precursors to distributing peptides directly. Payment rails are changing. For larger vendors (average deposits over $1,000), stablecoins have overtaken Bitcoin as the dominant crypto payment method—highlighting a compliance risk around stablecoin settlement in illicit commerce. Safety signals worsen. Independent lab testing spend fell by ~88% per buyer even as volume grew, suggesting heavier reliance on supplier self-testing rather than third-party verification. For traders, this is unlikely to move token fundamentals directly. Still, the growing use of stablecoin rails in illicit supply chains can raise regulatory and enforcement sentiment risk, which may indirectly affect broader crypto market mood.

Netflix is returning to the US investment-grade bond market after about two years, signaling a shift in how the company finances itself. Its latest move came around July 2024 with a first-ever US investment-grade offering: $1.8 billion of 10- and 30-year senior notes. Demand was strong. Investor orders topped $19 billion, meaning the investment-grade bonds were more than 10x oversubscribed. Pricing for the 30-year tranche was about 100 bps over Treasuries. Credit quality improved ahead of issuance. Moody’s and S&P upgraded Netflix to investment grade during 2023–2024, with S&P ultimately assigning an A rating. The upgrades were attributed to stronger free cash flow, subscriber growth, and more disciplined content spending. Use of proceeds: funding repayment of maturing 2025 notes plus general corporate purposes. Why this matters: the investment-grade bond market is huge, and Netflix’s scale of oversubscription highlights how traditional fixed income can absorb large institutional inflows from pensions, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds. The article frames a “crypto angle” that some of this capital could otherwise chase yield in tokenized Treasury products, on-chain credit protocols, or even Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset. For traders, the key takeaway is that when US investment-grade bonds attract heavy demand, it can indirectly compete with crypto risk appetite for liquidity.

Bitcoin is up about +1.28% over the past week and remains above the 200-week moving average, a technical level bulls are watching closely. The article notes July is tracking to be one of Bitcoin’s strongest months in 2026, with BTC up roughly +10% for July. Despite the short-term resilience, the broader backdrop is still bearish: Bitcoin is down around -44% versus the same time last year and sentiment remains weak. The Fear & Greed Index is in “Fear” with a score of 28, reflecting cautious positioning. The core thesis is that this low-sentiment environment is where long-term opportunity tends to emerge. Multiple valuation-style indicators are cited: - The Bitcoin Investor Tool suggests price is trading near historical broad valuation zones, supporting dollar-cost averaging rather than pinpointing an exact cycle low. - The MVRV Z-Score is said to be trending in an “opportunity” area, near average cost basis and consistent with Bitcoin being undervalued versus historical norms. - A “Q3 Market Map” framework places BTC near the 200WMA, with realized price below marking a deeper value zone and the 200DMA as a confidence level. Traders takeaway: short-term momentum is modest, but the article frames current conditions as favorable for patient accumulation, especially if Bitcoin continues to hold the 200-week level.

Boeing told investors and customers that the priority at the Farnborough airshow is “737 output” rather than headline order announcements. Executives said the company is focused on building more Boeing 737s, improving quality, and delivering reliably before pushing sales momentum. Key updates: - Everett capacity: Boeing opened the new 737 “North Line” on July 10, 2026, signaling additional capacity for the MAX family. - Backlog scale: Boeing reiterated that the 737 backlog is over 4,000 aircraft, with delivery slots extending into the 2030s. - Production momentum: Boeing reported 129 737 deliveries in Q2 2026. - Regulatory rate: In May 2026, regulators approved increasing the 737 line to up to 47 aircraft per month, with leadership emphasizing a cautious, measured ramp. Orders still landed, but the narrative shifted. At Farnborough, SMBC Aviation Capital placed an order for 100 737 MAX jets (60 for the 737-10 and 40 for the 737-8). Boeing framed such deals as helpful, but not the limiting factor. What matters for the ramp (“737 output”): the article stresses rate discipline, parts flow, defect reduction, and quality gate hardening. “Approved” is permission, not guaranteed capacity—so delivery reliability depends on supplier performance, workforce stability, and regulatory coordination. For traders, the headline is that Boeing is treating delivery throughput and quality control as near-term constraints, not order publicity. That approach aims to restore confidence with airlines, lessors, and regulators through execution.

Deribit options data shows a concentrated Bitcoin bull call spread for the July 31 expiry. On July 20, open interest clustered at the $70,000 and $72,000 call strikes, with ~27,000 contracts at $70,000 and ~21,000 at $72,000. A reported block reportedly bought 20,000 $70,000 calls and sold 20,000 $72,000 calls, matching a 20,000-by-20,000 spread construction. This structure implies about $2.5B in aggregate gross notional at prevailing prices, with the spread expiring two days after the next Fed policy decision (scheduled for July 29, followed by a press conference). Bitcoin was around $64,289 at the time of reporting, leaving an ~8.9% gap to $70,000. The trade still requires price acceptance through the $69,000 area and then into the $70,000–$72,000 range. ETF flows are a key variable: Farside data cited $272M total net inflows across July 6–10 and July 13–17, but a single session saw a $424M outflow, highlighting demand volatility. Separate July touch probabilities from a prediction market showed 14.5% for touching $70,000 and 4.1% for touching $72,500, while $62,500 downside touch odds were higher (67.4%). Overall, the news frames a tactical, near-term test for BTC into late July, with Fed timing and ETF flow stability likely driving whether this options setup pays off.

Pakistan remittance digitization is set to expand after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered full digitization of overseas remittances to support a transition toward a cashless economy. At a high-level meeting in Islamabad, Sharif cited progress: authorities processed 92% of overseas inflows digitally in 2025, and aim to reach 100% in 2026. Pakistan’s groundwork includes the Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI, launched in 2009) and integration with the State Bank of Pakistan’s national digital payment system, Raast. The Prime Minister’s Office data also points to scaling adoption: mobile banking users rose from 95 million to 137 million, and by end-2025 around 2 million merchants were accepting QR-code payments (up 300% year-on-year). The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) is also moving to digital wallets for roughly 10 million beneficiaries, while NADRA reports its payments are 99% digitized. Sharif urged banks and financial institutions to intensify digital payment campaigns—especially for remittances—to improve financial inclusion and long-term economic growth. The push comes as geopolitical risk grows: Pakistan is exposed to disruptions in Middle East labor markets, with estimates that remittance inflows could weaken. The government is reviewing what other cashless-economy measures may help, with recommendations expected in November. Overall, Pakistan remittance digitization is framed as both an efficiency upgrade and a risk-mitigation tool for faster, more secure fund transfers amid conflict-related uncertainty.

A CoinGeek editorial argues that “BTC scarcity vs abundance” is ultimately a moral and market-use debate, not just a technical one. The author says Bitcoin’s original “scarcity” was intentional: a fixed 21 million BTC supply, paired with “abundance” engineered elsewhere (notably the ability to scale beyond today’s caps). By contrast, later restrictions—especially the 1MB block-size cap that hardened into doctrine—are framed as bottlenecks that defenders call “a feature.” The piece highlights growing controversy ahead of August 2026 around the BIP110 “election,” which the author claims has limited miner signaling support but could still drive a consensus-layer ban on many uses. A key example is Ordinals/inscriptions and related token-like activity, which the editorial says some factions label “spam” despite paying standard market-rate fees. It also references Michael Saylor’s claim that BTC has “no spam problem” because fees have fallen to very low levels (cited as around 1 satoshi per vbyte), which the author counters by calling empty blocks a “vacancy sign” for shrinking demand and landlord subsidy. The article contrasts the “BTC scarcity” narrative (holding as value absorption, minimal usage) with an “abundance” thesis: blockspace should welcome paying customers and support broader transactions and data use. The author positions BTC’s future demand as dependent on macro instability—“refugees”—rather than organic utility. Overall, the editorial suggests BIP110 and related governance fights could intensify community polarization and influence near-term sentiment around BTC network usage and fees—while the long-term battle is framed as whether Bitcoin prioritizes strict “scarcity” or broader “abundance” for demand growth.

The U.K.’s Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences warns that fraud has “grown exponentially” and that digital assets and AI are accelerating a crypto fraud epidemic. The review, chaired by Jonathan Fisher KC, says emerging threats such as AI, deepfakes, and crypto-assets enable criminals to deceive at scale and launder proceeds—often from overseas. It estimates U.K. annual fraud losses at £2.3 billion, with 80% linked to digital or internet-facilitated fraud, and predicts fraud could reach half of all crime in England and Wales. Crypto fraud also shows up in investment scams: the Financial Ombudsman Service reported that over half of U.K. investment scams involve crypto-assets, while Chainalysis estimated $17 billion was stolen via digital-asset scams and fraud in 2025. The report highlights enforcement challenges: investigators must trace transactions on public blockchains and work around obfuscation tools such as “mixers/tumblers,” complicating wallet attribution. Key recommendation: the Judicial College should ensure judges and magistrates are better prepared for AI-enabled fraud and crypto-based money laundering, potentially via expanded or mandatory bespoke training. The review includes 47 broader measures beyond training, including stronger deterrence and coordination across law enforcement and government. For traders, this signals rising scrutiny on crypto fraud and related on/off-ramps, which could affect sentiment and compliance costs rather than fundamentals in the near term.

Bitcoin (BTC) has been stuck in a prolonged bear market for months, trading around $64,500 (about 50% below last year’s ATH). Still, the article points to three signals that could spark a Bitcoin rebound soon. First, analyst Ali Martinez highlighted a weekly bullish divergence. He noted that when this pattern last appeared, BTC surged more than 700%. If history repeats, the piece claims upside could extend above $500,000, though it also stresses this is unlikely in the current depressed sentiment. Second, CryptoQuant data shows BTC exchange reserves have fallen to roughly 2.7 million BTC—the lowest level since late June. The implied takeaway for traders: reduced exchange supply can lower near-term selling pressure as more holders move coins to self-custody. Third, BSCN reports that wallets holding 1,000–10,000 BTC bought 66,700 BTC over the past two months, their strongest accumulation since February. That again suggests shrinking “available” supply. The market move is already underway. BTC pushed toward $65,000 earlier, briefly rejected, then found support near $64,000. A trader using the X account Crypto Catalysts argues the rally toward $100,000–$105,000 has started, with a potential path of $70k, then a correction toward $80k. However, the article warns BTC has attempted multiple comebacks that bears halted in recent months, so bullish investors are advised to keep expectations realistic.

Strategy（MSTR）said it boosted its USD Reserve by about $225M without selling any Bitcoin. From July 13–19, it sold 2,732,318 MSTR shares via its at-the-market (ATM) program for about $263.5M in net proceeds, which went into the USD Reserve now totaling $3.225B (per SEC filing). The firm uses the USD Reserve to pay dividends and cover debt. Because preferred shareholders are paid before common shareholders, this ATM funding can dilute common shareholders as more MSTR shares are issued. Strategy also confirmed it still holds its full Bitcoin stack: 843,775 BTC. Earlier, it had reduced BTC only a handful of times since 2020, including a recent sale of 3,588 BTC (~$216M) under a board-approved framework that could sell up to $1.25B in BTC to rebuild reserves. For traders, the key change is the latest liquidity comes from MSTR equity issuance, not fresh Bitcoin selling. That may reduce immediate spot BTC selling pressure, though ongoing dilution and the prior/future BTC-sale framework remain overhangs for sentiment around MSTR and broader Bitcoin flows.

A California federal judge has temporarily halted the Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, setting a key decision deadline of July 22, 2026. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín heard states’ arguments on July 17 and declined to rule immediately. The Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger is valued at about $110–$111 billion. At least twelve states, led by California, requested a temporary restraining order (TRO) to pause the deal for up to 28 days, citing antitrust risks that could reduce competition in the entertainment sector. If the TRO is granted, the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger timeline is pushed back materially, with the earliest possible closure shifting to mid-August. If the TRO is denied, the transaction likely advances, which could create near-term sentiment support for both companies’ stocks as deal certainty improves. Markets should watch the July 22 ruling as the next catalyst. The longer-term risk is escalation: after a TRO, states may pursue a preliminary injunction, potentially extending the dispute for months. In context, the ruling reflects renewed political and regulatory scrutiny of media consolidation after years of major transactions—such as Discovery’s 2022 acquisition of WarnerMedia and prior large-scale industry mergers.

Solana Mobile has launched Seeker Summer Round 2, featuring Moonwalk Fitness on the Solana dApp Store. The token-based fitness app lets users wager on whether they hit their step goals. To join the Moonwalk Fitness quests, participants must deposit 100 MF tokens by July 28. The Seeker Summer program runs from July 7 to August 30 across four rounds and 16 apps. How Moonwalk Fitness works: users deposit assets—including SOL, USDC, or BONK—into step-challenge pools. If users complete their fitness goals, they reclaim their deposit and receive a share of stakes forfeited by participants who drop out. Winners also earn experience points that can be redeemed for additional MF tokens. Solana Mobile also adds a Seeker device incentive: Seeker smartphone users get a 20% XP boost inside the Moonwalk app. Moonwalk Fitness previously raised $3.4M in seed funding (Oct 2024) from investors including Hack VC and Binance Labs. Trading angle for Seeker Summer: the 100 MF deposit requirement creates a time-bound demand catalyst. Tokens directly tied to the campaign—especially MF (and SKR, mentioned as potentially impacted)—could see short-term buying pressure around the July 28 deadline as users acquire MF to participate in the quests.

Kraken is expanding beyond crypto with “Kraken Prop” adding the Nasdaq 100 index to its funded-account program. Kraken Prop Nasdaq 100 is now live 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no expiry, no rollover, and no forced closures around weekends. The Nasdaq 100 on Kraken Prop uses Kraken’s existing evaluation model. Traders choose a Starter, Intermediate, or Advanced tier, with funded wallet sizes ranging from $5,000 to $200,000 and entry fees starting at $20. Key rules include no consistency requirements, no time limit, and a clear 3% maximum daily loss limit. Leverage is set at 2x for the instrument, and traders keep 80–90% of profits once funded. Payouts can be withdrawn to a Kraken wallet within 24 hours. Kraken Prop Nasdaq 100 is positioned for traders already familiar with index futures behavior, but with reduced “friction” versus traditional prop firms: no session windows, no contract rollovers, and a regulated exchange venue behind the program. A service note at the end states the evaluation program is intentionally rigorous and most applicants do not pass on the first attempt. Evaluation fees are non-refundable once trading begins.

Tala Philippines announced its “Debt with Dignity” initiative to strengthen consumer protection in the Philippines’ digital lending market. The program focuses on fee transparency, borrower choice, and fair debt collection. Under the “Debt with Dignity” framework, Tala requires upfront disclosures of loan fees, interest rates, and repayment schedules before a borrower accepts a loan. It also lets borrowers choose repayment dates to better match income timing. Tala said a 2025 global study by 60 Decibels found 99% of Tala customers reported no hidden or unexpected charges. The initiative also sets collection guidelines designed to protect customer privacy and prohibit harassment during debt recovery. Tala added that the model is intended to help regulators establish clearer industry standards for digital lending platforms. Tala Philippines President and General Manager Moritz Gastl said democratized access should come alongside consumer protection. The company also noted it uses proprietary risk intelligence tools to assess borrowers who lack traditional collateral or formal credit histories. For traders, this is a compliance- and trust-focused development rather than a direct crypto market catalyst, but it can shape sentiment around fintech regulation and consumer-risk narratives in the region’s broader financial sector.

Coins.ph CEO Wei Zhou has been named to Stablecon’s 2026 Stablecoins Influential List, under the “Exchanges, On/Off Ramps, and Consumer Access” category. The selection process cited ecosystem influence, impact and reach, innovation, momentum, and peer recognition. Coins.ph said it uses stablecoins, including USDT and USDC, to support cross-border payments, digital remittances, and merchant transactions. The platform also acts as a disbursement partner for global money transfer operators (MTOs), routing settlements to local bank accounts, e-wallets, and cash-out locations. The recognition comes alongside new product and infrastructure updates for stablecoins adoption in the Philippines and beyond: - Coins.ph expanded its Convert feature by adding Bitget Token (BGB), boosting its catalog to 170+ supported assets. - It integrated with the national QRPh standard, enabling payments with BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC across an estimated 700,000 merchants. - It partnered with Clear Junction to provide virtual IBANs and access to SEPA, SEPA Instant, and Faster Payments for EUR/GBP transfers. Zhou said the company aims to make stablecoins “practically free to move,” and highlighted use cases from QRPh coffee payments to acting as a last-mile bridge for OFW families. For traders, this is a network-and-utility signal for stablecoins (USDT/USDC) rather than a direct token price catalyst.

Bitcoin is trading near $64,792, up 1.59% over the past week, as short-term momentum improves and buyers try to extend the recovery toward $64,800. However, CryptoQuant analyst CryptoOnchain says Bitcoin’s broader market structure is still fragile. CryptoOnchain’s seven-indicator momentum model shows four bullish signals, but adding the realized price (realized price signal) flips the outlook to bearish and cuts the recommended market exposure from 100% to 30%. The key structural warning is a 26.3% “holder gap” between cost bases: the average purchase price for Bitcoin holders from one to three months ago remains about 26.3% lower than for holders aged six to 12 months since January. This imbalance is interpreted as distribution risk—newer buyers are holding at lower cost bases, which resembles past distribution phases where long-term holders sell while no full market-control shift occurs. Historically, the structural model has shown better drawdown protection during selloffs (max drawdown ~40% vs ~76% for buy-and-hold) but reacts more slowly during recoveries. In 2025 it reportedly delivered +23% to +29%, while holding Bitcoin alone resulted in about -34.6%. Traders may treat this as a transitional setup: Bitcoin’s recovery needs confirmation if the holder cost-basis relationship starts to reverse (higher highs and improved realized prices across major holder groups).

Crypto traders are watching XRP as its long-term setup tightens in a pattern compared to an “Amazon-style” multi-year breakout. After topping near $3.65 in the prior cycle and later sliding to around $1.10, analysts say the consolidation phase has not broken the bullish market structure. Technically, XRP is forming higher lows under descending resistance inside a tightening symmetrical triangle, with momentum building toward a decisive move. The next signal centers on the 40-day RSI. It is hovering around 42.7, just below the pivotal 44 level that previously flipped from macro support to resistance. EGRAG CRYPTO argues that a confirmed reclaim of 44 would signal technical repair and renewed bullish momentum: RSI should move above 44, push toward 47, retest 44 as support, and then continue higher. Sustained strength above 47 would strengthen the transition from bottoming to broader expansion, while moves above 50 and 52.85 would further validate the bullish case. Overall, the article frames XRP’s range as a continuation of the larger cycle rather than structural weakness. If resistance is reclaimed and RSI confirms the shift, traders may see XRP re-test—and potentially surpass—its prior cycle highs.

On-chain data is showing a mismatch in the current Bitcoin cycle. CryptoQuant’s 30-day spot demand metric (linked to buyer activity) has rebounded to about -80,000 BTC in early July, but then slid back toward -170,000 BTC within weeks. At the same time, analysts warn that the recent price strength is being driven mainly by derivatives mechanics—short covering—rather than fresh spot buying, making the rally “structurally fragile”. Even as Bitcoin spot demand weakens, miner stress is not breaking down in the usual way. CryptoQuant contributor thechessONCHAIN tracks the Puell Multiple (miner revenue versus its 365-day average). This cycle’s Puell Multiple low reached 0.53 in June, the highest cycle-bottom on record, and the current reading is around 0.84. The article argues each cycle’s miner-income floor has been rising, largely because Bitcoin’s drawdowns in newer cycles have been less severe than earlier ones. Other whale behavior also adds complexity: long-idle “old whale” wallets booked about $297.3 million in realized losses on July 14, suggesting broader distribution risk even if miners look relatively supported. Macro context remains a background risk. U.S. margin debt hit $1.42 trillion, which could accelerate risk-off moves if traditional markets unwind. But liquidations often reset faster than spot-flow signals, so traders may see continued two-sided signals: weak Bitcoin spot demand versus a Puell Multiple that says miner pressure is easing—yet not necessarily a full bottom.

Solana price is stalling just below $80, trading around $76.12 after repeated failures near $80. Weak daily momentum is clashing with positive 4-hour inflows, leaving SOL trapped in a tight range as traders stay cautious. Security incidents are a key driver. In July, an attacker drained about $20M from BonkDAO, spending roughly $4.4M to buy enough BONK to pass a malicious governance proposal (nearly 99.9% approval with only seven wallets voting). On July 20, Allbridge Core was hit again: the exploiter borrowed about $1.12M in USDC via Kamino, manipulated the USDC–USDT pool, extracted over $1.1M, and routed funds through privacy tools. Estimates put total liquidity loss near $1.65M; Allbridge paused the protocol and began investigations. Market structure remains mixed. A daily close above $80 would confirm a bullish reversal toward $83, then the $90–$98 area. Support sits around $75.41, then $73.44; losing $73 could reopen the path toward the low-$70s and eventually the mid-$60s, where analysts expect another reaction zone. Beyond crypto-specific risks, macro stress adds pressure: renewed U.S.-Iran tensions lifted oil above $90 and kept inflation/interest-rate expectations tight, with the 10-year yield around 4.56% and a firm dollar. For traders, the setup is simple: watch SOL’s daily reaction at $80 and risk levels at $73–$75, as exploit-driven sentiment can quickly flip either direction.

Cardano (ADA) is trading near $0.16 after the van Rossem hard fork activated on July 18, taking the network to Protocol Version 11. Despite protocol upgrades to Plutus and changes to the smart-contract cost model, the market has not seen a sustained ADA rally. On the technical side, ADA remains in a broader bearish structure and is still below the middle Bollinger Band around $0.1688. The upper band sits near $0.1887, with the next major resistance zone at $0.19. To strengthen the short-term setup, traders want a daily move back above $0.17 and ultimately a break toward $0.19. If momentum weakens further, support could slip toward $0.15 and the lower Bollinger Band near $0.1489. Derivatives are mixed. Funding rates have turned slightly positive (about 0.0061%), which can support longs, but the ADA long-to-short ratio remains around 0.90, meaning shorts still outnumber longs and traders remain cautious. Liquidity has clustered near $0.16 and $0.17, making these levels crucial for the next directional move. Broader context matters: ADA has stayed flat over the past month after a sharp drop from prior 2025 highs, so the hard fork is acting more as a technical catalyst than an immediate demand driver.

Bitcoin price analysis suggests BTC is struggling to hold above $64,000 as “higher-for-longer” Fed guidance tightens liquidity and investors rotate toward traditional yields. The article notes steady Fed benchmark rates at 3.5%–3.75% and warns that rising energy costs and geopolitical risk could keep risk sentiment fragile. On regulation, EU MiCA’s July 1, 2026 grandfathering deadline has closed, meaning firms serving EU clients need MiCA authorization or face enforcement. ESMA has also launched a supervisory focus on crypto-asset service providers’ digital operational resilience, pushing custody and governance standards higher. On-chain, Real-World Assets (RWA) are moving toward standardization, with about $19.4B issued on-chain, though total RWA value is down ~20% over six months. Despite broader volatility, spot Bitcoin ETF inflows showed resilience with net-positive days in mid-July, indicating institutional support remains present but “fragile.” Bitcoin price analysis outlook: Bulls need a sustained daily close above $64,000 plus consistent ETF inflows. Bears could see a retest of $60,000 if inflation persists or miner selling rises due to higher energy costs. The market is described as staying in “Fear,” so traders may prioritize risk management until clearer macro direction emerges.

An analyst, “Doctor Profit,” warns that waiting for the traditional Bitcoin four-year cycle bottom in September or October could be costly. He expects Bitcoin may not drop below $50,000 and highlights a key liquidity zone around $54,000, with roughly 15% downside from current levels. His stance: start accumulating now, but “step by step, not all in,” because the next major rally may not begin immediately. Doctor Profit argues the market could front-run the Bitcoin four-year cycle bottom using supportive institutional and regulatory catalysts. He cites tokenized-stock rollout plans involving major financial players (including BlackRock, NYSE, S&P, Nasdaq, and DTCC), expected to move forward in October after earlier platform testing. He also points to rumors that the CLARITY Act could pass in August; however, prediction-market odds have reportedly weakened. On the demand side, US spot Bitcoin ETFs continue recovering after eight straight weeks of heavy outflows. Data compiled by SoSoValue shows ETF net inflows of more than $200 million so far in July, extending gains from mid-month. Last week alone saw about $76 million in net inflows. Overall, the article mixes near-term caution (liquidity zone, non-immediate rally) with improving ETF flows and potential tokenization/regulatory momentum.

Cardano Van Rossem hard fork activated on July 18, upgrading the mainnet to protocol version 11. The Cardano Van Rossem hard fork adds Plutus improvements that unify built-in functions and tighten ledger validation rules, aiming to reduce smart-contract execution costs. A key change is how it passed: the proposal was proposed, debated and ratified end-to-end through Cardano on-chain governance (Voltaire-era voting), not by Input Output. On-chain data show the move from version 10 (epoch 643) to version 11 (epoch 644) after ratification on July 13. Approval required sign-off from three bodies. Delegated representatives voted 78.97% in favor (60% threshold). The constitutional committee unanimously agreed (7/7). Pool operators approved with a narrow 53.02% margin, underlining reduced founder influence. Before activation, about 93% of block production had already adopted v11, above the 85% compatible node requirement. For traders, everyday ADA transfers and wallet usage are unchanged and there’s no immediate fee cut. Near-term impact is mostly indirect: developers will adapt contracts over time to capture lower execution costs. Longer term, Van Rossem lays groundwork for Ouroboros Leios, expected in late 2026, targeting a major transactions-per-second boost without weakening security.