Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Czech authorities arrested Tomáš Jiřikovský, former operator of the darknet Sheep Marketplace, over a Bitcoin donation scandal that may have funded money laundering and drug trafficking. In March, Jiřikovský donated 468 BTC (approx. $45 million) to the Ministry of Justice, triggering probes by the National Centre for the Fight Against Organised Crime and a separate abuse-of-power inquiry. A Grant Thornton audit flagged red flags as ministry officials handled the donation despite clear signs of illicit proceeds. Investigators traced the BTC through Nucleus Marketplace wallets and seized evidence. Jiřikovský built his crypto fortune from drug sales on Sheep Marketplace and an exit scam that diverted an additional 841 BTC. He served part of a nine-year sentence before parole in 2021. The case led to the resignation of Justice Minister Pavel Blažek and a no-confidence vote against the government. Traders should watch for regulatory changes and political fallout as authorities tighten anti-money laundering controls on digital assets. The scandal underscores persistent risks of illicit Bitcoin flows into state coffers and the need for stricter compliance measures.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins announced plans to expand retail private equity access by revising accredited investor rules, following a Trump administration executive order to include crypto and alternative assets in 401(k) plans, and coordinating with the Labor Department. These reforms expand retail private equity access and allow non-accredited investors to participate in private equity deals, including private crypto offerings and early-stage token sales previously reserved for institutions. The SEC will establish new safeguards to address illiquidity, limited disclosures and market risks before widening access, balancing market innovation with investor protection. The 2020 update shifted accredited criteria from net worth to financial knowledge, yet many retail investors remain excluded. If approved, these changes could reshape asset allocation, boost demand for private crypto offerings, and potentially increase market volatility.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has softened his stance on expanding the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Established under President Trump’s March executive order with $15–$20 billion in seized BTC, the reserve may grow through budget-neutral acquisitions. Treasury will reallocate existing funds and use forfeited assets to increase the Bitcoin reserve without new taxpayer costs or congressional approval. Officials including White House crypto advisor David Sacks and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are balancing fiscal discipline with making the US a global Bitcoin superpower. The announcement sent BTC prices tumbling from about $124,000 to $119,000, erasing over $50 billion in market value in minutes. Traders should brace for short-term volatility as the US Treasury’s buying plans unfold. Long term, a larger Bitcoin reserve could bolster liquidity and support market confidence. Meanwhile, Indonesia and Brazil are exploring Bitcoin reserves to hedge inflation and diversify from the US dollar.

SharpLink Gaming posted a Q2 2025 net loss of $103.4 million, driven by an $87.8 million non-cash LsETH impairment under US GAAP. The firm treated liquid staked ETH as digital intangible assets without selling any ETH. At quarter-end, SharpLink holds 728,804 ETH, valued at about $3.5 billion, ranking it the second-largest corporate ETH holder. Revenue was $0.7 million with a gross profit of $0.2 million, while operating expenses rose to $2.3 million, including $16.4 million in stock-based compensation. Following the results, SharpLink shares fell 12% on the Nasdaq. Traders are watching how this LsETH impairment may reshape crypto firms’ balance sheets and ETH market dynamics as SharpLink doubles down on ETH accumulation and staking to power its DeFi-focused treasury strategy.

Brevan Howard disclosed a $2.3 billion stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) in its Q2 13F filing, making it the largest institutional holder and surpassing Goldman Sachs’ $1.4 billion position. The macro hedge fund built its IBIT position through three separate filings totaling $2.26 billion, $32.9 million and $24.5 million, up from 21.5 million shares in Q1 to 37.5 million shares as of June 30. It also reported an $800,000 allocation in the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA). This accumulation coincided with Bitcoin’s pullback from a $124,500 high to around $117,000, which triggered over $1 billion in liquidations before a modest rebound. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF now manages over $88 billion AUM, reflecting robust institutional demand for regulated Bitcoin exposure and hinting at a potential altseason as Ethereum ETF flows gain momentum.

US bank Wells Fargo increased its Bitcoin ETF holdings in Q2 2025, raising its stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) from $26M to over $160M. It also expanded its position in the Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO) from around $3M to $26M and added small GBTC and Bitcoin Mini Trust allocations. Additional disclosures include stakes in ARK Invest/21Shares, Bitwise, CoinShares/Valkyrie, Fidelity, VanEck, and spot Ethereum ETFs. Separate filings show Harvard University holds $117M of IBIT, while BlackRock’s trust now holds about 660,842 BTC, closing in on the 1.1M BTC ‘Satoshi’ benchmark. These moves coincide with Bitcoin’s new highs and a crypto-friendly regulatory climate, underscoring a bullish surge in institutional demand and market stability.

A coalition led by Gemini, Robinhood, the Crypto Council for Innovation and the Blockchain Association wrote to President Trump on August 13, urging him to block banks from imposing bank data access fees. They warned these charges would raise costs, limit consumer choice and force the shutdown of money-transfer products on major platforms. The group argued that data fees would weaken US leadership in digital assets, hamper AI and payments innovation and entrench big banks’ market power. They called on Trump to use executive authority to prevent large banks from adopting such fees, emphasizing that reliable data sharing is essential for secure crypto on-ramps. Banking groups led by the American Bankers Association counter that banning fees would disrupt free-market pricing and let fintech firms benefit from bank security systems at no cost. Previously, the Biden administration sought fee-free bank data access but faced industry pushback, and current fee rules remain in place pending new guidelines. Separately, Senator Elizabeth Warren flagged potential conflicts over Trump’s ties to a USD1 stablecoin.

Nexchain AI presale has raised over $8.6M in its Stage 25 fundraising round, selling NEX tokens at $0.10. The sale allocates 32% of the 2.15 billion supply, with a Stage 25 goal of $9.27M and a total campaign target of $90.6M. Nexchain AI is an AI-powered Layer-1 blockchain that combines hybrid PoS consensus, DAG-based parallel validation, AI anomaly detection, and post-quantum cryptography. Security features include CertiK audits and automatic node isolation. The platform enables secure cross-chain transfers via bridges and offers SDKs for developers to build AI-driven dApps. Tokenomics feature an inflationary issuance model balanced by annual burns, staking rewards, and allocations—20% public sale, 17% treasury, 15% ecosystem development. Nexchain AI presale momentum and technical robustness make it a bullish opportunity for crypto traders, especially for enterprise use cases in finance, healthcare, supply chain, IoT and decentralized AI services.

Taiwan’s publicly traded WiseLink (TW:8932) has led a $10 million convertible debt round for Nasdaq-listed Top Win International (SORA), marking the first Bitcoin treasury investment by a Taiwanese public company. WiseLink contributed $2 million via a three-year convertible bond, while U.S. investor Chad Koehn and four private backers covered the balance. Supported by Sora Ventures, Top Win will rebrand as AsiaStrategy and merge with the crypto fund. Under their “Bitcoin + cross-border finance” partnership, AsiaStrategy plans to deploy most funds to purchase Bitcoin and acquire firms with BTC holdings, allocating the rest to operations. CEO Tsai Kun Huang cited global inflation, loose monetary policy, and geopolitical risks as key drivers. This move follows precedents like Metaplanet and North American adopters such as MicroStrategy, reinforcing the trend of corporate Bitcoin treasury adoption.

BIS has proposed an AML compliance scoring system for crypto tokens, introducing risk-based AML compliance scores derived from on-chain transaction histories. Under the framework, exchanges would block token-to-fiat conversions if a token’s score falls below national thresholds. Assets with frequent transfers through suspicious wallets would receive lower scores, while low-risk tokens could gain wider acceptance among institutional investors. The proposal aims to strengthen AML compliance, enhance digital asset security and foster responsible DeFi innovation. Key challenges include ensuring scoring accuracy, avoiding false positives and securing cross-border regulatory consensus. Traders should monitor implementation timelines and threshold settings by jurisdictions, as this plan may reshape exchange compliance practices and impact token liquidity.

Ukraine’s crypto law, due by August 2025, will legalize digital asset ownership and impose a 10% crypto tax on existing holdings (5% income and a 5% military levy). The bill aligns with EU Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) standards, covering transparency, anti–money laundering, consumer protection and licensing. The National Bank of Ukraine will regulate digital assets without granting them legal tender status. Lawmakers are deciding which agency will oversee the sector. The framework is expected to generate millions in tax revenue and bring an estimated $1.1 billion in VASP profits into the formal economy. Ukraine holds 46,351 BTC on its balance sheet. Traders should watch how the Ukraine crypto law impacts capital flows, compliance costs and trading volumes.

Solana price prediction shows a strong V-shape recovery as SOL reclaims key support levels and breaks historical resistance on rising volume. Analysts forecast that if momentum holds, SOL could reach $220, reinforcing bullish sentiment for the token heading into the next bull cycle. Meanwhile, the ERC-based meme coin Little Pepe (LILPEPE) has raised over $16.47 million in its ninth presale stage and secured $370,000 within 24 hours of entering stage ten at $0.0019. Certified by CertiK with a 95.49% security score and listed on CoinMarketCap, LILPEPE plans post-sale listings on top centralized exchanges. A $777,000 token giveaway attracted more than 195,000 participants, highlighting strong community traction. Traders should monitor Solana price prediction indicators, including breakout levels and volume confirmation, to validate the V-shape rally. At the same time, Little Pepe’s presale milestones, anti-rug pull features, and launchpad-backed liquidity locks present high-risk, high-reward opportunities. Both developments offer actionable insights for portfolio diversification in current market conditions.

Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has joined the ERC-3643 Association to standardize compliance rules and enable regulated real-world asset (RWA) tokenization on Stellar-based networks. The integration will embed built-in compliance at the protocol level and boost cross-chain interoperability with Ethereum. Pi Network users can soon access borderless, compliant asset markets and deploy dApps via Stellar’s Protocol 23 and the Pi AI App Studio. In parallel, Pi Network committed $20 million to AI-driven robotics and launched a 200% token lock-up incentive to promote long-term holding. Analyst Victor Nita forecasts monthly token unlocks will shrink by 2028, enhancing PI scarcity and supporting future demand. On-chain metrics show PI/USD has been trading below the 4-hour 50-period EMA (~$0.3892) and under a descending trendline since mid-June. Volume surges accompany sell-offs, while rallies lack buying momentum. The RSI sits at 40.6, indicating weak market strength. Unless buyers lift PI above key resistance with higher volume, short-term bearish pressure may persist. If momentum returns, analysts project 35–50% price gains by Q3 2025.

Galaxy Digital has secured a $1.4 billion debt facility, covering 80% of the expansion costs, plus $350 million in equity, to upgrade its West Texas Helios data center into a next-generation AI and high-performance computing (HPC) hub. The full campus will deliver up to 3.5 GW of power, with the first 800 MW phase under a long-term lease to AI cloud provider CoreWeave. This phase is set to come online by early 2026 and could generate over $1 billion in average annual revenue for 15 years. The deal underscores Galaxy’s push to diversify beyond crypto mining by offering AI compute services and leveraging Texas’ low energy costs and favorable regulations. Crypto traders will monitor how the upgraded Helios data center influences Galaxy’s revenue outlook and the broader digital asset market.

Circle, the US-based stablecoin issuer behind USDC, has filed an SEC registration for a $1.3 billion secondary offering of 10 million Class A shares at $130 each. The company will sell 2 million shares to fund general corporate purposes, while existing investors plan to offload the remaining 8 million, with proceeds not benefiting Circle directly. Priced at over four times its $31 IPO price in June, Circle shares experienced sharp volatility—soaring 235% to $83 on debut and peaking at $298.99. After the secondary offering announcement, CRCL shares closed down 9% at $139.23 and slipped to $136.98 in pre-market trading. Observers say the capital raise strengthens Circle’s balance sheet and supports USDC growth, though large insider sales may weigh on the stock in the short term, creating mixed signals for traders.

CoinW has launched a full-stack AI-powered trading platform under a unified account system. The AI strategy engine dynamically routes orders between AMM and CLOB to optimize execution. The platform supports on-chain settlement, MPC self-custody and real-world assets (RWA) such as bonds, stocks, gold and REITs. It integrates four modules: CoinW (global CEX with AI routing and layered risk controls), GemW (gasless on-chain asset aggregator with research tools), DeriW (rollup-based L2 supporting 80,000 TPS and zero-gas perpetuals) and PropW (institutional suite with APIs, quant tools and cross-market strategies). Chief Strategy Officer Nassar Achkar says the unified account meets increasing demand for cross-scenario liquidity and seamless user experience. CoinW plans to expand on-chain assets, refine its AI engine and enhance multi-chain interoperability. This upgrade is set to boost liquidity and adoption, offering traders a seamless, modular crypto trading gateway.

OKX announced a one-time burn of 65.2 million OKB and subsequently executed a permanent burn of 279 million OKB tokens, cutting the total supply from 300 million to a fixed cap of 21 million. The dual token burns, valued at over $26 billion, triggered a price rally that saw OKB surge 110% to an all-time high of $148.90. Trading volume spiked by more than 17,000%, and market cap climbed from $2.8 billion to $8 billion before settling at $6.3 billion. Despite a brief 9.4% pullback amid a broader altcoin flash crash, on-chain metrics—active addresses at yearly highs and a positive Price-DAA divergence—signal strong organic demand. OKX also upgraded its X Layer into a dedicated public blockchain optimized for DeFi and payments, implemented a zkEVM upgrade using Polygon CDK to boost throughput to 5,000 TPS and cut gas fees, and announced an OKT-to-OKB swap based on average closing prices from July 13 to August 12. Technical indicators are overbought (RSI 94, Stochastic RSI 95), hinting at possible short-term corrections toward support around $74. Traders should monitor OKB volume, netflows, moving averages, RSI, and network activity on the upgraded X Layer for optimal entry points.

Zhitong Sci-Tech (8932) has become Taiwan’s first listed firm to adopt a bitcoin strategy. On August 8, the board approved a US$2 million investment in three-year convertible bonds issued by SORA, integrating Zhitong into SORA’s global bitcoin reserve network. Simultaneously, Zhitong will acquire Indian NBFC Letul Investments, securing licences for cross-border fintech, crypto-asset lending, and Web3 payments. The dual bitcoin strategy and NBFC deal echo moves by Japan’s Metaplanet, whose share price surged nearly 40× after launching its bitcoin reserve. Following Zhitong’s announcement, its stock price and trading volume spiked. Crypto traders should monitor this emerging trend of Asian firms deploying bitcoin strategies to boost asset valuations, enhance NAV and EPS, and open new revenue streams.

Ethereum Exit Queue has surged to a record 808,880 ETH locked for unstaking, creating a 14-day delay. The entry queue holds 374,136 ETH with a 6-day wait. Traders attribute the rise in Ethereum Exit Queue and unstaking delays to profit-taking at near-all-time-high prices, Justin Sun’s $600 million ETH withdrawal from Aave, and the unwind of Lido’s stETH loop after a 0.3% depeg. Higher borrowing costs and deleveraging on liquid staking tokens like stETH have further fuelled exits. Meanwhile, a May SEC ruling that staking tokens are not securities has heightened expectations for ETH staking ETFs. Short-term network congestion may increase selling pressure, while potential ETF launches could support long-term staking demand. Traders should monitor the Ethereum Exit Queue, DeFi liquidity shifts, and ETF developments to gauge market liquidity and price trends.

Spot Ether ETFs recorded over $3 billion in net inflows during early August, marking the second-strongest month since launch. Weekly inflows topped $2.9 billion with a daily peak of $1 billion on Monday. The seven Spot Ether ETF products now hold a record $29.22 billion in assets under management. ETH prices rallied to a yearly high of $4,765 before settling above $4,600, up nearly 20% on the week. Since launch, Spot Ether ETFs have amassed $12.73 billion in cumulative net inflows and posted five consecutive months of inflows. On Thursday, BlackRock’s ETH ETF led with $519.68 million of inflows, followed by Grayscale’s trust and Fidelity’s fund. Market strategists at Fundstrat project ETH could reach $12,000–$15,000 by year-end, citing strong macro demand. Rising Spot Ether ETF inflows and the ETH price rally underscore growing institutional interest in regulated Ethereum exposure.

Bitcoin Cash price is trading in a tight $580–$640 range after peaking at $607 on July 27 and dipping to $517 before buyers stepped in. On August 11, BCH price briefly broke above $632 but pulled back near the $630 resistance. Technical indicators remain mixed: the weekly moving averages are flat, confirming a sideways trend, while the 21-day SMA stays above the 50-day SMA, signaling underlying bullish momentum. BCH price is currently in overbought territory after testing the $640 zone. Key resistance levels lie at $600, $630 and $650, with support zones at $580, $500 and $450. A successful breakout above $630 could propel Bitcoin Cash toward its April 2025 high of $701. Failure to breach this barrier may keep BCH range-bound between $580 and $630. Traders should watch whether BCH price can hold above the 21-day SMA to resume its uptrend or risk further downside if it falls below key moving averages.

Estonian banker Rain Lõhmus has permanently lost the private key to a cold wallet holding 250,000 ETH—purchased for $75,000 during Ethereum’s 2014 presale. On-chain data from Arkham Intelligence shows no significant transfers since acquisition, leaving roughly $1.2B in ETH at current prices (~$4,700/ETH) irrecoverable. Lõhmus admits he often forgets passwords and cannot retrieve the lost private key. This incident highlights the critical importance of rigorous private key security and self-custody best practices. Traders should back up seed phrases across multiple secure locations, use hardware wallets, and routinely test recovery procedures. As Ethereum continues to underpin DeFi and NFTs, this case serves as a stark reminder that lost private key access can render substantial crypto holdings inaccessible permanently.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is in Phase 6 of its presale at $0.035 per token, raising over $14.3 million from more than 15,200 holders. Built on Ethereum Layer-2 scaling, the protocol delivers near-instant, low-cost transactions for its decentralized DeFi lending platform, allowing users to lock ETH as collateral to mint a fully backed stablecoin. A recent CertiK audit (Token Scan 95, Skynet 78) bolsters confidence ahead of Phase 7’s 15% price increase to $0.04. With only 17% of the presale sold, early investors could see over 130% paper gains, while a $4 price target by 2027 sets the potential for multi-million-dollar returns. The roadmap includes a beta launch with live lending, staking, and liquidation mechanics; mainnet launch and exchange listings on Binance, KuCoin, and Kraken; and a buy-and-distribute tokenomics model that repurchases tokens for staking rewards.

Ethereum climbed over 15% in three days, surpassing $4,000 as the U.S. executive order allows 401(k) plans to include cryptocurrencies. This move opens mainstream retirement capital to Ethereum and commanding institutional interest. Meanwhile, Fundamental Global filed a $5 billion SEC shelf registration to fund large-scale ETH purchases. The dual catalysts have fueled bullish momentum, with experts forecasting an upcoming altcoin season. Among potential gainers, Best Wallet Token (BEST) has raised over $14.5 million in its presale at $0.025455 per token. BEST powers a self-custodial, multi-chain wallet platform with integrated presale access, governance rights and staking yields up to 92% APY. Analysts predict BEST could reach $0.62 by 2026. Traders should monitor Ethereum’s support levels for entry points and evaluate BEST presale opportunities, while performing due diligence and managing market volatility.

Garantex, designated by US Treasury’s OFAC in 2022 after processing over $100 million in illicit transactions and handling at least $96 billion from 2019 to March 2025, pre-emptively launched successor platforms Grinex and Meer in December 2024. Weeks before a coordinated US, German and Finnish seizure of Garantex’s infrastructure in March 2025, the exchange migrated user assets into the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5, sidestepping asset freezes. After the crackdown, Meer’s listing of A7A5 saw trading volumes surge. A TRM Labs report warns that opaque fiat-pegged tokens and contingency planning enable sanctions evasion. Crypto traders should monitor governance transparency of non-public stablecoins like A7A5 and watch for successor exchanges to manage compliance risks and potential market disruptions.

Citigroup is evaluating stablecoin custody and Bitcoin ETF services in response to the GENIUS Act’s full-reserve backing requirement. Head of Global Partnerships Biswarup Chatterjee says stablecoin custody is a top priority, ensuring U.S. Treasuries or cash support. The bank plans to offer digital asset custody for Bitcoin ETFs, challenging Coinbase’s market dominance, and expand its blockchain-based Tokenized USD Payments corridor between New York, London and Hong Kong. Citi will enable instant on-chain stablecoin transfers and conversions for rapid settlement, aiming to accelerate cross-border payments. These moves deepen Citigroup’s institutional crypto services amid clearer U.S. regulations, though the bank must maintain robust AML and FX controls and strengthen operational security.

Nakamoto, founded by Trump adviser David Bailey, has merged with healthcare firm KindlyMD to form a Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin treasury vehicle under the ticker NAKA. David Bailey becomes CEO and chairman, with former KindlyMD CEO Tim Pickett as chief medical officer. The combined firm aims to accumulate 1 million BTC, entering the top Bitcoin treasury holders. Following a three-digit share rally since May 12, NAKA shares jumped 13.4% on the merger news. With only 21 BTC on its balance sheet, the company will deploy $540 million from a recent PIPE financing to purchase about 4,544 BTC and plans to close a $200 million convertible note offering. The new board includes Eric Weiss, Mark Yusco, Greg Xethalis and Perianna Boring. This move mirrors institutional Bitcoin accumulation trends led by MicroStrategy, BlackRock and Fidelity, signaling a bullish outlook for Bitcoin adoption.

Circle share offering at $130 per share was priced on the NYSE under the ticker CRCL. The deal covers 10 million shares with a 30-day option for 1.5 million more, raising $1.3 billion in gross proceeds from this capital raise. Circle will use funds to strengthen its balance sheet, support USDC expansion, and fund general corporate purposes. This Circle share offering underscores market confidence in USDC’s growth but brings dilution risk for existing shareholders. Traders should monitor CRCL share performance, volume and potential volatility as the offering closes on May 15, 2024.

Crypto Price Analysis: Over the past fortnight, major altcoins have accelerated their rallies. Initial momentum saw Ethereum climb 6% toward the $4,000 resistance on strong buy volumes; its rally then accelerated into a 19% weekly gain, trading within 4% of its $4,868 all-time high. If ETH flips $4,900–$5,000 into support, bulls could target $6,000, $7,000 and even $9,000–$10,000 in a price discovery phase. Ripple initially surged 12% from $3 to $3.4 amid a bullish MACD cross but later underperformed, dropping 6% off the $3.2 resistance and consolidating just above $3 as traders await fresh momentum. Cardano broke above $0.77 after an 8% gain and then powered 20% to peak at $1, eyeing $1.30 and $1.50 as the next hurdles. Solana reversed at $155 for a 3% rise toward $185 before extending gains to 13%, yet faced two rejections at $200; key support sits at $186 with overhead resistance at $200 and $227. Hyperliquid bounced from $35 to hold $40, later rebounding 20% to $48.5 near its $50 all-time high; a break above $50 could spark a run toward $54, $60 and $66. This Crypto Price Analysis highlights growing bullish momentum among major altcoins, pointing to a potential continuation of the summer rally.