Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Key crypto legislation faces uncertainty as US Congress nears its August recess. Last week, the House cleared three bills under the GOP’s “Crypto Week” push: the GENIUS Act to regulate payment stablecoins, and the CLARITY Act and Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, both now in the Senate. These measures aim to define market structure, set token classifications under SEC and CFTC oversight, and block a potential digital dollar. Senate Republicans have introduced a competing draft—the Responsible Financial Innovation Act—based on the CLARITY framework. Any final crypto legislation must pass both chambers before reaching the president’s desk. Senator Cynthia Lummis, chair of the Senate Banking Committee’s digital assets subpanel, has proposed staying in session through August to advance nominations and mark up the bills. Meanwhile, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) faces staffing gaps. The Senate has yet to vote on Brian Quintenz’s nomination for chair, delayed by committee absences. With only two commissioners in office, the agency could face four leadership vacancies by 2026. Traders should closely monitor stablecoin regulation, CBDC proposals and CFTC leadership decisions, though immediate market impact is likely limited.

US President Donald Trump has threatened higher Trump tariffs on nations that fail to open their markets. Originally due August 1, the reciprocal tariffs were postponed to allow more time for trade negotiations with the EU and Canada. So far, the US has secured tariff agreements with the UK, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, with Japan winning zero US import duties. On July 23, Trump reiterated on Truth Social that he will only lower rates if major economies open their markets and warned of even steeper duties for non-compliance. Analysts view the Trump tariffs threat as a negotiating tactic to gain leverage in deals. The announcement rattled the crypto market. Bitcoin briefly dipped below $118,000, falling 0.5% to $119,038. Ethereum dropped 2.6% to $3,552 before a partial rebound. Among top tokens, BNB remained stable, while XRP, ADA and SOL slid up to 9%. Rising trade friction and dollar strength often trigger risk-off sentiment, fueling market volatility and pressuring cryptocurrency prices. Crypto traders should monitor ongoing tariffs developments and trade negotiations for potential impact on market trends.

Hong Kong’s financial regulators—the HKMA and SFC—warned that stablecoins pose credit, liquidity and operational risks despite their price stability goals. They outlined plans for strict reserve-backing rules, transparent audits and e-payment licenses for retail-use stablecoins. Market reaction was muted, with USDT and USDC trading in narrow ranges. Subsequently, an Animoca Brands Asia executive said mounting US regulatory pressure on stablecoin issuance may accelerate China’s digital yuan (eCNY) rollout and non-sovereign stablecoin frameworks. This could reduce reliance on dollar-pegged tokens like USDT and USDC in cross-border payments. Traders should monitor Hong Kong’s upcoming consultation papers and China’s digital currency licensing reforms, as they may curb short-term speculative activity but reshape long-term liquidity and competition in the global crypto market.

Tron transaction fees surged to an average of $1.29 per month, surpassing Ethereum and matching Bitcoin, driven by higher on-chain activity in DeFi protocols, gaming dApps and stablecoin transfers. Monthly transactions remained robust at around 8.5 million, generating record revenue and accelerating the TRX burn mechanism to tighten supply. In early 2025, Tron deployed its Gas-Free upgrade, optimizing bandwidth and energy resource allocation to cut transaction fees by 70%—average weekly costs fell from 2.47 TRX to 0.72 TRX. This gas-free model lets staked TRX holders transact without direct fees and allows developers to subsidize costs, boosting network efficiency, micro-payments, token transfers and smart contract interactions. The dual trend of fee spikes and subsequent reduction underscores Tron’s growing prominence as a cost-effective alternative to high-fee blockchains like Ethereum. For traders, lower Tron transaction fees and sustained on-chain activity point to increased dApp adoption, higher user engagement and potential long-term TRX price support.

Strike token spiked 289% on July 23 ahead of its scheduled delisting by Upbit and Bithumb on August 21. This pre-delisting rally defied typical patterns as investors rushed in on speculation. Following the peak at 29,590 won, Strike token plunged 17% to 20,820 won when delisting news weighed on the market. Upbit and Bithumb cited liquidity concerns and regulatory risks in their removal announcements. Investors should withdraw STRIKE tokens before August 21 and store them in secure wallets. Post-delisting liquidity will thin, limiting trading options. Traders must monitor order books, trading volumes and regulatory updates. In volatile crypto markets, due diligence, liquidity checks and diversification are vital to manage risk.

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has raised his Bitcoin price forecast to $250,000 and Ethereum price forecast to $10,000 by year-end. He points to record $2.1 billion weekly inflows into US ETH ETFs and a government debt-fuelled credit boom under a “wartime-style” fiscal agenda. Rising institutional demand and stablecoin liquidity are key drivers. Tether disclosed $13.7 billion in profits invested via Tether Ventures in over 120 companies across payments, Bitcoin infrastructure, AI analytics, renewable energy and privacy tech. Tether stressed these outlays come from profits, not USDT reserves. Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun’s $1.7 billion ETH withdrawal from Aave sparked a liquidity crunch, pushing ETH borrowing rates above 10%. More than 627,944 ETH are queued for unstaking at a record high. PNC Bank has partnered with Coinbase to offer crypto-as-a-service, letting US customers buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies directly through PNC’s platform. PNC will also provide banking services to Coinbase. This Bitcoin price forecast and Ethereum price forecast reflect growing institutional confidence and a maturing crypto market.

CryptoBatz NFT floor price jumped from under 0.02 ETH to a peak of 0.1069 ETH on CoinGecko after Ozzy Osbourne’s death announcement, fueling a 100,000% surge in trading volume to $281,200 on DappRadar. The average sale price rose over 400% even as the project’s bat-themed art, launched in December 2021, resolved earlier scam-related Discord issues. In the following days, the floor stabilized around 0.037 ETH (up 96.7% week-on-week), while average sales cooled 10% to 0.076 ETH between July 22 and 23. The sustained demand underscores celebrity-driven NFT trading momentum on Ethereum.

BNB surged to an all-time high of $804 on Binance, driven by institutional inflows into crypto ETFs and the US House’s approval of key regulatory bills. The rally pushed BNB’s market capitalization past Solana, ranking it fifth worldwide. Trading volume spiked, reflecting broad retail and institutional demand. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao highlighted the Altcoin Season Index rising above 50, signaling growing FOMO. Meanwhile, BNB Chain developers unveiled plans for a next-generation blockchain to boost performance tenfold. As scalability and interoperability improvements roll out, competition with Solana intensifies in DeFi. After peaking, BNB corrected to $792, still up 4% for the day. Traders should monitor ETF flows, network upgrades, and regulatory developments to navigate the evolving crypto market.

Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado, a pastor couple from Denver, were indicted on 40 felony counts for orchestrating a $3.4M INDXcoin scam. Between January 2022 and July 2023, they sold the INDXcoin token via their Kingdom Wealth Exchange platform to over 300 church members. The Justice Department says INDXcoin had no real market value. Investors lost all funds. Prosecutors allege the Regalados diverted $1.3M of investor money for personal use. They bought a Range Rover, high-end designer items and funded home renovations described as “guided by the Lord.” Court filings accuse them of using religious messaging and promises of high returns to build trust. When investors asked for withdrawals, Eli told them to “hold” his heavenly guidance. The couple faces charges including theft, securities fraud and racketeering. In a later deleted video, Eli admitted the INDXcoin scam but encouraged followers to remain invested. This case underscores the rising risk of faith-based crypto fraud. Traders should conduct strict due diligence on new tokens like INDXcoin scam to avoid similar traps.

FBI drops its probe into Kraken founder Jesse Powell following a management dispute with the Verge Center for the Arts, returning all seized devices. No charges were filed, fully clearing Powell of criminal wrongdoing and removing a legal overhang for Kraken as it eyes a 2026 IPO. Powell alleges Verge board members misled law enforcement and plans a civil defamation suit. In 2023, Kraken settled with the SEC and ended U.S. staking services amid tightening crypto regulations. Powell, now on Kraken’s board, also made headlines with a $1 million crypto donation to Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign; officials found no link to the probe. The resolution strengthens Kraken’s regulatory compliance profile and may boost trader confidence ahead of its potential market debut.

A social media post suggests a 70–90% chance that Ripple will settle with the SEC by August 15 when both parties file a joint status report. However, that deadline is procedural and not a true settlement trigger. While Ripple has signaled its intent to withdraw its cross-appeal—and CEO Brad Garlinghouse expects the SEC to follow suit—the final settlement hinges on internal SEC steps, including an enforcement recommendation and a five-member commission vote, likely taking one to two months. If both appeals are formally withdrawn, the lawsuit could close quickly, removing a major regulatory overhang and potentially boosting XRP trading volumes. Conversely, any delay in SEC internal approval could push resolution into 2026 and extend market uncertainty. Traders should treat the 70–90% probability as optimistic but speculative, and closely monitor official court filings and SEC processes after mid-August.

Coinbase listing roadmap updates have added JITOSOL, MPLX and BNKR, triggering immediate price gains of 27% for BNKR and 18% for MPLX, while JITOSOL spiked before retracing. Each Coinbase listing tends to boost token visibility and trading volume. Earlier, experimental support for Caldera (ERA) in Coinbase’s mobile app lifted ERA by 75% before a correction. These developments illustrate the “Coinbase effect,” where new support improves liquidity, trading volume and reputation for altcoins. Other tokens such as FARTCOIN, PancakeSwap (CAKE), Subsquid (SQD), Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) and Toshi (TOSHI) have seen similar uplifts on listing announcements, while delisted assets MOBILE, RNDR, RBN and SYN experienced sharp declines. Traders should monitor Coinbase listing roadmap updates closely for short-term trading opportunities and shifts in market trends.

Dogecoin developers have proposed a core protocol upgrade that adds a native opcode, OP_CHECKZKP, for on-chain verification of Groth16 zero-knowledge proofs. This enhancement makes Dogecoin compatible with zk-rollups and supports an EVM-compatible zkVM. It boosts scalability and transaction speed while preserving Dogecoin’s simplicity. If approved, Layer-2 solutions and Ethereum-native apps could launch directly on the network. The Dogecoin price recently dipped to around $0.2591 but remains up more than 69% over the past month. Technical indicators are bullish. The RSI hovers near 60 without overbought conditions. The MACD is set to turn positive. Analysts now target $0.3 by August and $0.5 by year-end if support at $0.260 holds. Institutional interest is also rising. Bit Origin has announced a $500 million fund to build a Dogecoin treasury. Meanwhile, presale token SUBBD has raised $850,000 for its AI-powered platform. Traders should watch the $0.260 support zone for entry opportunities amid broader altcoin season trends.

WisdomTree has launched USDW, a US dollar–backed stablecoin issued by its New York–chartered Digital Trust Company. The USDW stablecoin is fully collateralized by cash and cash equivalents and undergoes regular third-party audits. Initially live on the Stellar blockchain via WisdomTree Prime, USDW offers seamless on-chain and off-chain rails and supports interoperability with established tokens like USDC. Alongside USDW, WisdomTree introduced WTGXX, a tokenized US Government Money Market Fund delivering around 5% annual yield with automated dividend payouts and reinvestment. The rollout follows the US GENIUS Act, which enforces strict compliance for dollar-pegged tokens and limits foreign issuance. WisdomTree aims to expand USDW and WTGXX across multiple blockchains and partner with custodians and DeFi platforms to boost liquidity and trust, targeting retail traders, institutional clients, corporate treasuries, and on-chain investors.

Solana SOL price gained momentum as REX-Osprey’s Solana staking ETF reached $100 million in AUM within 12 trading days of its July launch, attracting institutional investors seeking on-chain staking rewards. Meanwhile, DeFi Development Corp increased its treasury to 999,999 SOL by acquiring 141,383 SOL between July 14 and 20, with an additional $5 million earmarked for future purchases. These treasury accumulation and staking ETF inflows propelled SOL above $200, marking a 25% weekly gain. Technical analysis highlights resistance at $209 and support at $185, with a breakout above $209 targeting $240, while a drop below the 20-day EMA near $172 would invalidate this bullish scenario. On the four-hour chart, short-term pullback under the 20-EMA may find support at $185 for a rebound, whereas a break below the 50-SMA could extend corrections toward $170. Overall, strong ETF inflows and treasury buys point to a bullish outlook for SOL price.

Dogecoin’s weekly MACD has crossed above its signal line again, echoing patterns that fueled 273% and 343% rallies in late 2023 and 2024. Combined with a double-bottom reversal and fair value gap support at $0.20–$0.22, this setup bolsters a bullish outlook. Analysts Cas Abbé, Mikybull Crypto and CipherX target an initial breakout to $0.48–$0.50, where key liquidity lives. On-chain data and market momentum even point to a potential move beyond $1.10 by end-2025. Traders should monitor MACD momentum, support at $0.22, and resistance near $0.50 to assess rally strength.

Polymarket is weighing issuing its own stablecoin to capture reserve yield and simplify compliance after Congress passed the GENIUS Act. Polymarket may also pursue a revenue-share deal with Circle on USDC holdings. Meanwhile, Solana memecoin PENGU has overtaken BONK as the leading Solana memecoin, spurred by rising transfers ahead of Binance Futures’ planned PENGUUSDC perpetual contracts offering up to 75× leverage. BNB hit a record above $800 after Nano Labs boosted its BNB reserves to $90 million, supported by growing staking demand and high leverage in Bitcoin futures. Additionally, 21Shares filed an S-1 for an ONDO token ETF, reflecting robust interest in real-world-asset products. These developments underscore bullish sentiment as traders eye stability from new stablecoin plans and momentum from memecoin and BNB rallies.

PENGU rallied nearly 50%, climbing from $0.032 to $0.047 after the US SEC’s review of Canary Capital’s first memecoin-and-NFT ETF proposal and a new listing on Gemini. The token now ranks 43rd by market cap after surpassing Bonk and Polygon’s MATIC, and has more than doubled its weekly volume to over $1 billion on Binance, Bitget and OKX. High-profile partnerships with NASCAR and Lufthansa have bolstered interest alongside aggressive whale accumulation of 200 million PENGU. Technical indicators show a strong breakout channel toward $0.05, while a daily RSI of 85 and $55 million moved to exchanges signal possible short-term consolidation.

Since their January 2024 launch, Ethereum ETFs have consistently outperformed Bitcoin ETFs, delivering average NAV premiums of 2.1% versus 0.8%. Analysts cite Ethereum’s staking yield of around 4% APY, lower management fees (0.29% vs. 0.35%) and tighter bid-ask spreads as key drivers. Inflows into Ethereum ETFs have accelerated, with spot ETF purchases and corporate treasury acquisitions totaling approximately 2.83 million ETH—32 times net new issuance. This surge fueled a 150% rebound from April lows and a 50% gain in the past month. With ETH ETF assets under 12% of Bitcoin ETF volumes despite a market cap ratio of 19%, Bitwise forecasts $20 billion in ETF and asset manager purchases next year, or around 5.33 million ETH against 800,000 ETH issuance. This persistent supply–demand imbalance is likely to maintain upward pressure on ETH prices, offering traders both capital appreciation and passive income opportunities.

ARK Invest supported BitMine with a $182 million block trade to fund Ethereum purchases. BitMine will allocate $177 million net proceeds to buy ETH under its at-the-market program. In late June, BitMine also raised $250 million in a private placement led by MOZAYYX and backed by Founders Fund, Pantera, Kraken, Galaxy Digital and FalconX. These funds have boosted BitMine’s Ethereum holdings to around 300,000 ETH—making it the second-largest public ETH holder. BitMine aims to stake up to 5% of total ETH supply (≈6 million ETH) through capital markets and staking yields. Meanwhile, NASDAQ-listed Bit Origin allocated $500 million to acquire 40.5 million DOGE at $0.24 each, signaling institutional entry into meme tokens. Both moves reflect a broader institutional shift beyond Bitcoin. Traders should monitor impacts on ETH staking yields, DOGE liquidity and sector rotation. This diversification may heighten short-term volatility while reinforcing long-term confidence in the Ethereum ecosystem and broader crypto adoption.

21Shares has filed an S-1 registration with the U.S. SEC to launch a new ONDO ETF that tracks the ONDO token issued by Ondo Finance’s real-world asset (RWA) platform. Founded in 2021 by former Goldman Sachs professionals Nathan Allman and Pinku Suran, Ondo Finance tokenizes U.S. Treasuries and money market funds via its DeFi protocol, offering regulated, liquid access to real-world assets through standard brokerage accounts. The ETF structure leverages 21Shares’ ETP expertise to address custody, valuation and compliance challenges. The proposal is linked to the World Liberty Financial DeFi project associated with former President Trump, which holds approximately $500,000 in ONDO as part of its multi-asset reserve. Approval of the S-1 would mark the first U.S. RWA token ETF, potentially validating blockchain-based asset tokenization, boosting liquidity, fractional ownership and transparency. Traders should monitor the SEC review timeline and potential listing decisions, as approval could spur market interest in tokenized asset ETFs.

Block, led by Jack Dorsey, has rolled out native Bitcoin payments for merchants on its ecosystem. This new feature allows businesses using Square’s payment platform and Cash App integration to accept Bitcoin payments directly on the Bitcoin network, cutting out intermediaries and reducing transaction fees. By supporting on-chain Bitcoin payments, Block accelerates settlement times, minimizes chargeback risks and boosts merchant adoption of crypto payments. Despite the benefits, merchants still face challenges from Bitcoin’s price volatility and varying regulations across jurisdictions. Many may rely on instant fiat-conversion services to mitigate risk. Block’s broader strategy also includes the Cash App Bitcoin trading feature and the TBD developer platform, underscoring Jack Dorsey’s vision for a decentralized financial ecosystem. For traders, this rollout signals stronger institutional backing for Bitcoin payments and could drive higher on-chain activity, increase trading volumes and improve market sentiment as more businesses and consumers embrace direct crypto commerce.

Solana TVL climbed to a six-month high of $14.18 billion as DeFi adoption accelerated. SOL price jumped from $195.50 to above $200, lifting market cap past $107 billion. Weekly DEX volume on Solana topped $22 billion, led by Raydium (RAY) and Orca (ORCA). On-chain analytics show user activity surges and developer contributions hit a two-month peak. Staking remains robust, with 355 million SOL (65% of supply) locked. NFT, gaming and DeFi apps continue deploying to leverage Solana’s high throughput and low fees. Analysts caution that part of the TVL gain stems from rising token prices, urging traders to watch genuine deposit growth. Market sentiment is bullish: the Fear & Greed Index sits at 71, and CoinCodex forecasts SOL at $210 by August 2025.

Senate lawmakers have proposed two key bills—the Responsible Financial Innovation (RFI) Act and the CLARITY Act—to clarify crypto regulation and token classification. The RFI Act, led by Senators Scott, Lummis, Hagerty and Moreno, designates most digital tokens as commodities under CFTC oversight while preserving the SEC’s authority over securities. It sets limits on applying securities laws, invites public feedback on stablecoin rules, proposes custody frameworks, DeFi exemptions, anti-fraud measures, and safe harbors for transparent, decentralized projects. The CLARITY Act, sponsored by Senators Lummis and Gillibrand, would grant the CFTC sole authority over digital commodities such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), define “digital commodity,” and require platforms handling them to register with the CFTC. Both bills aim to close regulatory gaps, reduce uncertainty, foster innovation and investor protection. Senate hearings are underway, with a final vote expected by September 30. Crypto traders should watch for evolving crypto regulation on stablecoins, custody and DeFi as clearer regulation could boost market confidence and institutional participation.

Polymarket is evaluating a native stablecoin to capture yield from its USDC reserves held in prediction pools. The proposed Polymarket stablecoin would simplify on-platform swaps between USDC, USDT and the new token without off-ramp infrastructure. Following its $112 million acquisition of QCEX, a CFTC-licensed exchange and clearinghouse, Polymarket gains a clear regulatory path for US operations. During last year’s US election cycle, Polymarket processed over $8 billion in bets and drew 16 million visits in May. The platform is also updating its reward and oracle-resolution mechanisms under the 2028 Election Holding Rewards programme. With DOJ and CFTC investigations dropped, the Polymarket stablecoin could boost platform revenue and deepen user engagement. Traders should monitor regulatory developments and technical roadmaps, as Polymarket has yet to make a final decision on the stablecoin launch. The move follows increased demand for new stablecoin issuance after recent US regulations and reflects competition from established issuers like Tether and Circle.

Poseidon has closed a $15M seed round led by a16z Crypto to build a decentralized AI data layer on Story Protocol. The funding will help Poseidon unlock, structure, and license long-tail real-world datasets for robotics, autonomous vehicles, wearables and AI agents. The platform crowdsources data via mobile SDKs and apps, verifies inputs, adds metadata, and records IP provenance on-chain. Smart contracts enforce licensing and royalty splits with real-time USDC payments. Early users include a leading robotics firm and an audio model team gathering dialect-rich speech samples. Poseidon will launch contributor modules, SDKs and licensing tools by summer’s end, aiming to make data the key moat in AI.

Since its July 13 Solana-based $500 million ICO, Pump.fun’s PUMP token surged to an all-time high of $0.006888 before reversing sharply. In the latest wave of whale selling, two private-sale wallets moved over $160 million worth of PUMP to centralized exchanges: one offloaded $89.5 million of its 25 billion-token holding (retaining $29.6 million) and the other dumped its entire 12.5 billion-token stake (≈$71 million). The PUMP token now trades around $0.0038—9.2% below its $0.004 presale price and over 80% down from its peak—hitting a low of $0.00364. On-chain buybacks have plunged from $19 million on launch day to $125,000, while BitMEX data shows 59% of presale tokens have been moved or sold. Technical indicators warn of further downside toward the $0.003639 support level. This mass offloading and high unlock schedule have cooled the memecoin market cap from $87 billion to $82 billion, underscoring bearish PUMP tokenomics absent new buyback programs or roadmap catalysts.

On July 22, Binance’s altcoin futures volume surged past $100 billion, the highest daily turnover since February 3, 2025, with altcoins accounting for 71% of total futures trading as Bitcoin futures remained steady after Bitcoin hit new highs. In the following days, Solana rallied 24% to $204—a five-month peak—while its open interest jumped by $1.5 billion over three days. Ethereum is now testing the $4,000 level, and meme-coin trading volume rose 14% in 24 hours. CoinMarketCap’s altcoin index stands at 49/100 against Bitcoin, fueling bullish sentiment toward high-beta tokens. Memecoins like PENGU, DOGE and WIF are pumping, and early presales such as SNORT and TOKEN6900 are attracting traders seeking the next 10× returns. Traders should monitor altcoin futures volume, open interest and memecoin dynamics for actionable opportunities.

Justin Sun, founder of Tron, will join Blue Origin’s NS-34 suborbital flight after winning the first crewed New Shepard seat with a $28 million bid in 2021. His auction proceeds were donated to Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, funding 19 nonprofit space science projects. Sun will select five additional Tron community members, choosing from holders of TRX, BTT, JST, SUN and WIN tokens. The 34th New Shepard mission is expected to launch within weeks, offering minutes of weightlessness. The Blue Origin NS-34 mission also highlights the crossover between blockchain and space tourism. Justin Sun has ramped up crypto investments, allocating $100 million to Trump token (TRUMP) and $75 million to the World Liberty Financial DeFi project. SRM Entertainment rebranded as Tron Inc., pledging 365 million TRX and appointing Sun as advisor.