Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

On August 12, 2025, Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon pleaded guilty in New York to conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud in connection with the 2022 TerraUSD collapse. Prosecutors said Kwon misled investors by claiming the algorithmic Terra Protocol maintained TerraUSD’s $1 peg while secretly using a trading firm to prop up its price. The TerraUSD collapse wiped out $40 billion in investor funds and triggered a global crypto market downturn. Under his plea deal, Kwon faces up to 25 years in prison and will be sentenced on December 11, 2025. In 2024, he reached a $4.55 billion SEC settlement, including an $80 million civil fine and a ban on crypto trading. His guilty plea highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny of stablecoin projects and may prompt tighter rules, affecting market confidence and trading strategies.

US spot Ethereum ETF inflows hit a record $1.02 billion on August 11, surpassing Bitcoin ETF inflows of $178 million and marking the highest daily total since ETFs debuted in July 2024. BlackRock’s ETHA led with $639.8 million, followed by Fidelity’s FETH at $276.9 million, driving cumulative Ethereum ETF inflows above $10 billion. Trading volume climbed to $2.725 billion, while futures open interest neared an all-time high of $52.8 billion. On-chain data shows addresses holding over 10,000 ETH at a one-year peak, signalling whale accumulation. Key drivers include US Department of Labor guidance allowing spot Ethereum ETFs in 401(k) plans, more consistent SEC approvals and attractive staking yields. Global participation expanded as Hong Kong’s Huaxia Ethereum ETF traded nearly HKD 50 million and Canadian products added US$16.5 million in weekly inflows. For traders, these ETF inflows highlight growing institutional demand, stronger market infrastructure and sustained bullish momentum for Ethereum.

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet has increased its Bitcoin reserves to 18,113 BTC following a $61.4 million purchase of 518 BTC at an average price of $118,519, lifting its 2025 year-to-date Bitcoin Yield to 468.1%. Earlier this month, it acquired 463 BTC for $53.7 million, growing holdings from 17,132 to 17,595 BTC. With an average acquisition cost of $101,911 per coin, Metaplanet now ranks as the sixth-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, trailing MacroStrategy and Marathon Digital. Launched in late 2024, its equity-funded crypto treasury strategy—bolstered by a ¥580 billion ($3.7 billion) stock offering and ¥12.75 billion bond redemptions—underscores a disciplined, systematic accumulation model. This aggressive buying signals rising institutional adoption of Bitcoin, pointing to potential price support and enhanced market stability.

Stripe has launched Tempo, an Ethereum-compatible layer-1 blockchain designed to accelerate stablecoin transactions and lower fees. Built in partnership with Paradigm, Tempo supports Solidity smart contracts and focuses on enterprise-grade payment processing and rapid on-chain settlement. This move follows Stripe’s acquisitions of Bridge for $1.1 billion and crypto wallet provider Privy, giving it end-to-end control over the stablecoin payment ecosystem. The launch also aligns with the U.S. GENIUS Act’s federal standards, offering clearer regulatory guidance. As the largest private fintech—valued at $91 billion and having processed over $1.4 trillion in payments by 2024—Stripe aims to strengthen its crypto infrastructure and boost stablecoin adoption among businesses. Traders should watch for ecosystem partnerships and any future token issuance tied to Tempo.

Circle has launched Arc blockchain, an enterprise-grade Layer-1 network using USDC as its native gas token to enable predictable, low-cost USDC payments and stablecoin finance. The EVM-compatible Arc blockchain delivers sub-second finality via Malachite consensus and features an on-chain FX engine for real-time currency conversion, reducing cross-border costs and supporting tokenized asset settlement. Developers can port Ethereum tools and integrate stablecoins like USDC, EURC and USYC. Opt-in privacy controls ensure regulatory compliance. The network will launch a public testnet this autumn ahead of a 2026 mainnet. The launch follows Circle’s Q2 2025 results, with USDC circulation rising 90% year-on-year to over $61.3 billion and revenue up 53% to $658 million despite a net loss. CEO Jeremy Allaire calls Arc a defining moment for stablecoin finance, bridging traditional and digital capital markets through efficient delivery-versus-payment.

Grayscale has launched two new single-asset funds called Grayscale Sui Trusts. These offer accredited investors direct exposure to DeepBook (DEEP) and Walrus (WAL) tokens on the Sui blockchain. DeepBook is an on-chain order book with over $10 billion in volume. Walrus is an on-chain data layer that raised $140 million in March 2025. Both power low-latency DeFi trading and scalable storage. DEEP and WAL tokens saw initial price jumps of 12% and 7%. The trusts hold market caps of $580 million and $609 million. Daily subscriptions are now open, though Grayscale warns of adoption risks and secondary-market uncertainties. Sui’s total value locked (TVL) hit a record $2.3 billion on July 28 before stabilizing at $2.2 billion. Mysten Labs co-founder Adeniyi Abiodun says these institutional vehicles give investors new access to Sui tokens outside traditional exchanges. Analysts expect Grayscale Sui Trusts to boost token demand and liquidity. The move underlines Sui’s high-throughput architecture. It may also drive further institutional crypto adoption.

On August 12, 2025, Qubic mining pool launched a 51% attack on Monero, briefly controlling over 50% of network hash rate and forcing multiple chain reorganizations. The assault triggered a steep XMR price drop—peaking at 13% to around $252—and spurred a 4% rise in QUBIC token value via its $1.6 million-monthly profit-burn mechanism. While Qubic held the power to orphan blocks, it refrained. Some analysts question the attack’s full success amid mixed block data and possible API changes. Industry experts estimate maintaining this dominance costs $75 million daily, threatening honest miners and exposing Monero’s vulnerability to centralization. In response, developers and miners are boosting hash rate before the upcoming halving and deploying new 51% attack protections. Traders should watch for protocol updates, mining diversification efforts, and the balance between economic incentives and network security.

An FTX class-action lawsuit filed by former customers targets Fenwick & West, accusing the Silicon Valley firm of creating fraud-friendly structures and opaque shell companies that facilitated the misappropriation of $8B in customer funds to Alameda Research. The FTX lawsuit cites Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial testimony and a bankruptcy examiner’s review of over 200,000 documents revealing encrypted Signal chats and auto-deleting channels used to conceal asset movements. Now part of a multi-district litigation covering 130 FTX-linked entities, plaintiffs allege Fenwick & West also promoted FTX Token (FTT) as an unregistered security, helping raise $1.3B despite insolvency warnings. Fenwick & West denies all allegations. The case, pending in a Miami federal court, may set new legal precedents for attorney liability in the digital-asset sector.

Nasdaq-listed Safety Shot shares plunged 50% to $0.56 after the company announced a $25 million allocation of BONK as its core treasury asset. The memecoin’s price also dipped 10% to $0.000024. On August 11, Safety Shot secured an initial $25 million block of BONK tokens from the project’s founding contributors. Shares slid further to $0.59 in after-hours trading, underlining investor skepticism towards the move. The firm highlighted BONK’s technical edge on the Solana blockchain—fast transactions, low fees and a built-in token burn mechanism—contrasting it with rival meme coins like Shiba Inu (SHIB), Pepe (PEPE) and Dogecoin (DOGE). BONK’s market cap stands at $1.96 billion, with 24-hour trading volume up 18% to $536 million. Despite active trading, Safety Shot’s pivot into a volatile meme coin treasury has injected uncertainty into its near-term outlook.

Ethereum developer Federico Carrone was detained in Turkey for 24 hours after authorities linked him to a 2022 research paper on Ethereum privacy tools, including Tornado Cash. Carrone, who denies any intent to facilitate illegal activity, was released without formal charges following global support from contacts in the UAE, UK, US, Europe, Argentina and the Catholic Church. The case against the Ethereum developer remains open, and Carrone has relocated to Europe and hired a Turkish lawyer to mount his defense. He also donated $500,000 in ETH to back Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm’s U.S. legal defense, with the Ethereum Foundation pledging to match new contributions up to $500,000. His ordeal highlights rising legal risks for privacy protocol researchers in decentralized finance. Traders should monitor developments around privacy tools like Tornado Cash, as regulatory actions may influence ETH trading volumes and mixer usage.

An anonymous Ethereum whale purchased 35,237 ETH (≈$155.06 M), raising its total holdings to 328,421 ETH (≈$1.445 B) across ten wallets via FalconX, Galaxy Digital and BitGo. This follows an earlier acquisition of 59,998 ETH (≈$253.62 M), which had brought its balance to 293,184 ETH (≈$1.24 B). On‐chain data from Onchain Lens shows another 14,942 ETH (≈$64.17 M) unstaked and moved to Binance, further tightening liquid supply. Meanwhile, whale trader AguilaTrades incurred $683,000 losses on a 15× leveraged ETH short, pushing total short losses to $2.81 M. ETH price rallied above $4,500 amid these large‐scale moves. The aggressive accumulation by a major Ethereum whale, coupled with shrinking liquid supply and a failed high‐leverage short, signals bullish market sentiment ahead of upcoming scalability upgrades and continued DeFi growth.

MARA is set to buy a 64% stake in EDF’s HPC arm Exaion for $168 million, with an option to boost to 75% by 2027. The deal, expected to close in Q4 pending regulatory approval, gives MARA instant AI and high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities and green-energy cloud infrastructure via Exaion’s partnerships with Nvidia and Deloitte. This move shifts MARA from pure bitcoin mining into the $169 billion AI-driven HPC and cloud infrastructure market. H.C. Wainwright affirmed a Buy rating and $28 price target on MARA shares, citing premium compute returns, bitcoin rally and ETF inflows. Key risks include BTC volatility, network difficulty, capital dilution and data-center expansion challenges.

Monero price plunged over 8% to $254.75 after Qubic’s mining pool allegedly executed a 51% selfish mining attack, orphaning 60 blocks in 24 hours. Qubic founder Sergey Ivancheglo confirmed majority hashrate control, but Monero Consensus Status and CoinWarz report total network hashrate around 5 GH/s versus Qubic’s claimed 3.01 GH/s peak. Analysts debate whether this was a full 51% breach or a lucky reorganization. The attack diverted hash power to mine XMR and burn QUBIC tokens, triggering a “hack war” of mutual DDoS accusations that has shaken network security confidence. On the charts, Monero broke below the 50-period EMA on the 4-hour timeframe and formed a descending triangle near $252 support on the 1-hour chart. A confirmed breakdown could drive XMR toward $215.75, highlighting the market impact of selfish mining and the vulnerability of concentrated hashrate. Traders should monitor hash-rate distribution and Monero developer responses for mitigation.

After nearly five years of litigation in the SEC v. Ripple lawsuit over a $1.3 billion unregistered XRP offering, the SEC and Ripple have jointly withdrawn their appeals and agreed to cover their own fees. The final ruling classified retail XRP sales as non-securities, institutional sales as unregistered securities, and imposed a $125 million fine on Ripple. With the case closed, SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Hester Peirce have instructed staff to shift focus from litigation to developing a clear crypto regulation framework that balances innovation with investor protection. This regulatory shift aligns with lawmakers’ push to pass the CLARITY Act by September 30, aiming to codify digital assets as commodities or securities. Such clarity in crypto regulation could speed institutional cryptocurrency adoption and reduce market uncertainty.

Trump crypto earnings since 2022 total roughly $2.4 billion, representing 43.5% of his known political career income. Key revenue streams include $1.3B from Bitcoin treasury at Trump Media & Technology Group, $412.5M via World Liberty Financial token sales, $385M from the TRUMP memecoin, $243M from UAE crypto deals, $14.4M from NFT collections, and $13M from American Bitcoin mining. This crypto windfall marks a sharp turn from Trump’s 2019 scepticism. The surge has drawn ethics probe concerns. Democratic lawmakers cite potential breaches of federal ethics laws, the emoluments clause, and conflict-of-interest issues tied to his memecoin and proposed stablecoin. Under his presidency, the SEC eased crypto enforcement and tackled bank de-risking. Traders tracking Trump crypto earnings should watch for market volatility and policy shifts if investigations intensify. High-profile involvement may boost legitimacy across NFTs, memecoins, and blockchain media investments.

Binance has joined T3+, a global public-private alliance led by TRON, Tether and TRM Labs, to strengthen cooperation against blockchain crime. Since September 2024, the T3 Financial Crime Unit has frozen over $250 million in illicit assets across five continents. In the alliance’s first operation, Binance helped freeze nearly $6 million linked to a pig-butchering scam. Binance’s Global Financial Intelligence unit head, Nils Andersen-Röed, highlighted the importance of real-time intelligence sharing. Between December 2022 and May 2025, Binance protected 7.5 million users from up to $10 billion in potential fraud. The exchange plans to integrate T3+ monitoring tools into its security operations as part of a broader compliance strategy, boosting transparency and deterrence to reinforce blockchain credibility.

Remittix will launch its Beta Web3 wallet in Q3 2025 after a presale that raised over $18.7 million and sold 590 million RTX tokens. The multi-chain Web3 wallet supports 40+ cryptocurrencies and 30+ fiat currencies with real-time FX conversion, crypto-to-bank transfers to over 30 countries, low transparent fees, and gas optimization. The project is selecting 50 beta testers — including the top 30 presale investors, top 10 August purchasers, top 3 referrers, and 7 active community members — to gather early feedback. The RTX token trades at $0.0922 and is available with a 40% bonus until the presale reaches $20 million. Once this milestone is met, Remittix plans its first centralized exchange listing. This beta release marks a key step in bridging digital assets with global banking networks and offers traders a new fiat on-ramp.

Paxos has reapplied to convert its New York limited-purpose trust charter into a National Trust Bank Charter under the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). This Paxos National Trust Bank Charter application would allow the firm to custody customer assets and settle payments nationwide under federal oversight, though it would still be barred from taking deposits or issuing loans. The New York conditional approval granted in 2021 lapsed in March 2023. Paxos ceased issuing Binance’s BUSD and reached a $48.5 million settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services, paying a $26.5 million fine and committing $22 million to compliance upgrades. The move comes alongside the enactment of the GENIUS Act, the first federal stablecoin framework that bans yield-bearing tokens. Industry experts predict this regulation will drive institutions toward tokenization markets. Projects such as Uniform Labs’ Multiliquid are developing infrastructure for real-time conversion between tokenized assets and stablecoins. Anchorage Digital remains the only crypto firm to hold a similar federal charter. Other issuers, including Circle and Ripple, are pursuing national trust charters. The Paxos National Trust Bank Charter effort underscores the firm’s bid to enhance compliance and institutional appeal in the evolving stablecoin landscape.

Ethereum (ETH) surged past $4,600—its highest level since November 2021—and is now within 5% of the $4,800 all-time high. Bitcoin dominance dipped below 60% as bullish momentum intensified. A sharp short squeeze liquidated over $120 million of bearish ETH positions in the last 24 hours, driving trading volume higher. Institutional and corporate demand underpins the rally. Ethereum treasuries now hold more than $9 billion in ETH. BitMine, the largest holder with 1.15 million ETH, will expand its at-the-market equity program to $24.5 billion to fund further purchases. Meanwhile, spot Ethereum ETFs have drawn $9.4 billion in net inflows since July—$5 billion in the past month and over $1 billion in a single day—adding strong buy pressure. On-chain metrics show rising inflows and network activity, reinforcing bullish sentiment. Traders should watch support at $4,200 and resistance near $4,800 as Ethereum consolidates gains and eyes further upside.

U.S. prosecutors are urging a 10-year prison sentence for HashFlare co-founders Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turogin after they pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The two Estonian nationals admitted fabricating investor returns to operate the crypto mining service as a $400 million Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors dispute defence claims of no net losses, citing records that confirm substantial victim harm. The sentencing hearing is scheduled this Thursday in the Western District of Washington. Potapenko and Turogin were indicted in October 2022, extradited from Estonia in May 2024, and have remained free on bail since July. They also received Department of Homeland Security self-deportation notices ahead of sentencing. This case highlights growing enforcement against crypto mining fraud and warns traders of legal risks in the sector.

Venture capitalist Peter Thiel has acquired a 7.5% stake in ETHZilla (formerly 180 Life Sciences) after its strategic pivot to building an Ethereum corporate treasury. The news drove ETHZilla’s shares up 207% to $10.24 within hours. Thiel’s Founders Fund, which already holds over $5 billion in Ethereum through investments like BitMine, signals strong institutional demand for Ethereum. ETHZilla plans to hold ETH on its balance sheet and leverage DeFi protocols for additional yield. Thiel’s high-profile backing may spur further corporate Ethereum adoption and bolster the token’s market outlook.

Circle beat Q2 forecasts with $658M in revenue and $126M adjusted EBITDA, despite a $482M net loss from IPO-linked charges. USDC circulation jumped 90% year-over-year to $61B, while on-chain volume hit $5.9T and stablecoin market share rose to 28%. On the earnings call, CEO Jeremy Allaire confirmed the launch of the Arc L1 Blockchain by year-end. Arc L1 Blockchain will use USDC as its native gas token, support local stablecoins, and deliver sub-second settlement, integrated FX controls, and optional privacy features. A public testnet is slated in the coming months. Partnerships with OKX, FIS, and USYC integration further boost USDC’s enterprise utility. With clearer regulation under the GENIUS Act, Arc L1 Blockchain deepens Circle’s foothold in payments, FX, and capital markets.

On August 13, Ethereum (ETH) briefly surged past both the $4,500 and $4,600 key resistance levels on OKX, peaking at $4,622.31 for a 3.36% gain. The break above $4,600, building on earlier strength above $4,500, signals renewed bullish momentum. Trading volume remained robust, underscoring strong market interest. Traders now eye the next resistance zone at $4,700–$4,800, with key support anchored at $4,600. Short-term traders may look for pullback entry opportunities, while long-term holders will monitor sustained support above $4,600 to confirm trend continuation.

Musk’s AI firm xAI has officially filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the App Store bias toward OpenAI’s ChatGPT and limiting visibility of rival apps like Grok and the X app. In an August 12 post, Musk highlighted that ChatGPT leads the US Top Free Apps chart, while Grok sits sixth and neither Grok nor the X app appears in Apple’s ’Must Have’ section. He argues that this App Store bias violates competition rules, significantly impacting download volumes and market opportunity for emerging AI apps. xAI seeks a court order to force Apple to treat all AI apps fairly and overhaul its ranking policies. The dispute follows OpenAI’s GPT-5 launch and Apple’s integration of ChatGPT into iOS, iPadOS and macOS, a move Musk previously warned posed security risks. Traders should monitor this high-profile clash—antitrust outcomes and App Store policy changes could affect tech sector valuations, app monetization models and the broader AI ecosystem.

Ex-Binance executive Ryan Horn has joined Hilbert Group as an advisor to launch Syntetika, an onchain platform for tokenized assets and funds. The platform uses Galactica’s zero-knowledge system for user verification without disclosing personal data. Syntetika will offer regulated access to algorithmic trading strategies through tokenized assets, with 24/7 settlement and enhanced liquidity. The move reflects a broader tokenization trend as US and European firms like Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon and eToro roll out tokenized products, and platforms such as Robinhood and Coinbase expand tokenized stock trading. Horn’s expertise in regulatory compliance and product development will help position Syntetika at the forefront of digital asset innovation. Traders should watch the platform launch for new liquidity opportunities in tokenized assets.

Ethereum ETFs saw record inflows of over $1 billion in a single day, surpassing the prior $726.6 million high. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust led the surge with $640 million, while ProShares and VanEck products also posted strong gains. Nine Ethereum ETFs now manage more than $10 billion in assets, highlighting growing institutional investment and market confidence. The rush into these funds triggered a sharp price rally in ETH. Initially, the price climbed to around $3,300 and later surged to approximately $4,500, just 8% below its 2021 all-time high. Continued Ethereum ETF inflows and the prospect of US approval for spot ETFs could sustain bullish momentum in both the short and long term.

Remittix presale has raised $18.9 million, selling 591 million RTX tokens at $0.0922 with a 40% bonus. The Remittix presale nears its $20 million milestone, which will trigger its first CEX listing and boost liquidity. A $250,000 giveaway rewards early adopters. Remittix will launch a mobile-first beta wallet in Q3 2025. It supports 40 cryptocurrencies and 30 fiat currencies with real-time crypto-to-fiat conversion. Security is reinforced by a CertiK audit. Focused on cross-border payments in over 30 countries, Remittix offers a business API for freelancers and remitters. As Bitcoin rallies to new highs, traders seeking altcoins with real-world utility may find RTX attractive compared to XRP. XRP trades around $3.20 with a $190 billion market cap and daily volumes near $7.6 billion.

Crypto firm Paxos filed an application with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter to convert its New York state license into a federal charter. The move brings its stablecoins—Pax Dollar (USDP), PayPal USD (PYUSD) and earlier USDG—under uniform federal oversight. Following similar filings by Circle’s USDC and Ripple’s RLUSD, CEO Charles Cascarilla said OCC supervision would enhance compliance, transparency and consumer protection. A federal charter aligns with the new GENIUS Act, simplifying rules, attracting institutional partners and potentially setting a regulatory precedent. Traders will watch the OCC decision as it could influence stablecoin market stability and institutional adoption.

Ethereum’s 180-day moving average of new smart contracts hit a record high after the 2025 Pectra upgrade, which boosted throughput to 100,000 TPS and cut gas fees by 90%. This surge reflects growing developer activity across DeFi, NFTs and enterprise applications. On-chain data shows aggressive whale accumulation. Large holders increased net ETH by 36.6% in the past week and 457.7% over 30 days. Spot exchange inflows totalled $21.6 million, signaling possible profit-taking and selling pressure. Derivatives markets remain balanced, with longs at 50.4% and shorts at 49.6%, indicating trader caution. Traders should monitor smart contract deployments, whale netflows and daily exchange inflows to gauge Ethereum momentum and potential price rally.