Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

dWallet Labs today unveiled REFHE, a new fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) scheme that mimics real CPU operations, supporting mixed arithmetic and logical operations on encrypted 64-bit data. REFHE removes the traditional trade-off between arithmetic efficiency and logic functionality, delivering 100× smaller ciphertexts, 20× faster multiplications and 1,000× faster additions compared to the decade-old TFHE standard. This breakthrough positions REFHE as the first practical encrypted execution engine for real-world software. Building on recent threshold FHE research, dWallet Labs plans to integrate REFHE into the Ika Network’s 2PC-MPC protocol on Sui, reducing communication rounds and enhancing latency, throughput and security for zero-trust signing. CEO Omer Sadika states that REFHE aligns encrypted computation with modern software workflows, opening new privacy-preserving applications in decentralized custody, multi-chain DeFi and secure digital asset management.

Bitcoin has broken out of its bull flag, surging past $122,000 before retracing to test support near $118,000–$119,000 and filling the CME gap around $117,000. Bitcoin’s technical indicators show an RSI trendline break and a bearish daily candle, suggesting a potential false breakout, while the ascending trendline and rising 50-day SMA offer key support. On the two-week chart, a bullish engulfing pattern and RSI nearing a descending trendline indicate strong upside potential, though the Stochastic RSI on daily and shorter charts has room to reset. Traders should monitor the $117,000 gap-fill level, $119,000 support, RSI 50.00, and Stochastic thresholds to gauge the next move.

Stablecoin regulation remains fragmented across Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA), the US GENIUS Act and Hong Kong’s stablecoin framework. This stablecoin regulation divergence forces stablecoin issuers to set up parallel legal entities, audits and governance models and inflates compliance costs. Each regime imposes different issuer licensing, reserve requirements and KYC procedures. MiCA allows non-bank issuers under the European Banking Authority, while the GENIUS Act limits issuance to banks and federal entities. Hong Kong’s rules demand strict HKMA licensing and wallet-level KYC. Operational friction advantages large, capitalized issuers and risks sidelining smaller projects or driving consolidation. Growing cross-border adoption and deeper integration of stablecoins into payments and capital markets have increased pressure for regulatory convergence. Market observers and crypto traders await action from global bodies such as the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the G20 to define common reserve, disclosure and anti-money laundering (AML) standards. However, regulators may continue to use stablecoin rules for economic diplomacy, prolonging fragmentation in the medium term.

Trader Yashasedu’s market-cap model projects Ethereum price could hit $8,656 if Bitcoin price climbs to $150,000. The forecast uses historical ETH/BTC ratios of 30–35% during past bull runs. Even a conservative 22% ratio points to an Ethereum price near $5,370. Currently, Ethereum price has surged 8% in 24 hours to $4,630 as Bitcoin price nears $120,000. Spot Ether ETFs recorded a record $1 billion inflow, and total value locked on Ethereum topped $90 billion, highlighting rising institutional demand. Market veterans Tom Lee and Arthur Hayes predict Bitcoin could reach $250,000 by late 2025, further supporting the upside case. Technical indicators also lean bullish: the Fear & Greed Index stands at 73, Ether posted green days in 67% of the past month, and volatility remains moderate at 8.3%. Traders should watch Bitcoin price, ETF inflows, and TVL growth as key drivers for the next cycle.

Pantera Capital has committed $300 million to crypto treasury firms across the US, UK and Israel. These digital asset treasuries use yield strategies—staking rewards, DeFi lending, stock issuance above net asset value and convertible bonds—to grow token holdings per share, even in flat markets. The fund’s first allocation went to BitMine Immersion Technologies, which holds about 1.2 million ETH (roughly $5.3 billion) and aims to control 5% of Ethereum’s total supply. Since launching its ETH purchase program in June, BitMine shares (BMNR) have soared over 1,100%, far outpacing Ether’s 90% gain. Pantera plans to expand BitMine’s at-the-market equity program to $24.5 billion. Pantera’s wider portfolio spans BTC, ETH, SOL, BNB, TON, SUI and ENA, reflecting growing institutional demand for crypto treasury services. While Pantera argues these companies can trade at a premium by generating yield above their cost of capital, industry figures including Vitalik Buterin and Standard Chartered analysts warn that excessive leverage and market downturns could threaten stability.

OKX has overhauled OKB’s tokenomics with a one-time token burn of 65.26 million OKB from past repurchases and reserves, fixing total supply at 21 million and removing mint and burn functions from the smart contract. The exchange also enables automated on-chain burns for all OKB sent to the blackhole address. Following the announcement, OKB’s price surged over 160% in 10 minutes, trading above $130. As part of the upgrade, OKX will phase out the Ethereum L1 version of OKB, requiring holders to swap tokens to the X Layer. It will decommission OKTChain in August 2025, automatically converting OKT to OKB. The X Layer upgrade introduces a zkEVM chain capable of 5,000 TPS, near-zero gas fees, enhanced DeFi and RWA support, improved bridges, ecosystem funds and liquidity incentives.

Abraxas Capital is grappling with $244.8M in crypto short losses across major digital assets. The firm’s aggressive positions include 113,819 ETH shorts valued at $483M, generating an unrealized loss of $188.7M. Shorts on BTC, SOL, HYPE and SUI add another $56M in losses. These crypto short losses underline the risks of betting against bullish trends in volatile markets. Traders may face heightened market volatility if large-scale liquidations occur. This event serves as a warning to reinforce risk management and reassess short-selling strategies. Monitoring market sentiment and ensuring transparency in leveraged positions are crucial for market stability.

In July 2025, corporate Ethereum reserves surged 128%, climbing to a record 2.7 million ETH (≈$11.6 billion) as 24 new firms added ETH to their treasuries. Major holders like Bitmine Immersion Tech (1.2 M ETH), The Ether Machine (598,800 ETH) and SharpLink Gaming (345,400 ETH) now control about 7.98% of total ETH supply. Corporate ETH stockpiles equal roughly 46.5% of assets in ETH spot ETFs, which themselves reached 5.8 M ETH after a 39.5% gain. Strong staking yields, the deflationary tokenomics post-Merge and clearer US regulation—where Ethereum is treated as a commodity—have boosted demand. Spot ETH ETFs posted $1 billion net inflows on August 11 and notched 19 consecutive days of inflows. Global crypto market cap rose 13.3% in July, pushing Ethereum’s market share to 11.8% as BTC dominance eased to 60%.

BTCS has expanded its NFT corporate treasury by acquiring multiple Pudgy Penguins NFTs. The Nasdaq-listed miner already holds roughly $300 million in Ethereum, and this strategic move diversifies its digital assets into blue-chip NFTs. Pudgy Penguins, launched in 2021 with 8,888 unique avatars and an associated PENGU token, now serve as operational assets on BTCS’s balance sheet. This addition to BTCS’s NFT corporate treasury reflects a growing enterprise blockchain trend. GameSquare Holdings recently spent $5.15 million on CryptoPunk #5577, while World Liberty Financial plans NFT allocations from its $1.5 billion fund. As NFTs evolve from collectibles into revenue-generating, community-driven assets, traders should watch for increased ETH network activity and institutional demand. This shift could drive both short-term price momentum and long-term market growth.

DeFi TVL hit a record $270 billion in July, up 30% month-on-month, driven by tokenized stock wallets rising from 1.6 k to over 90 k and a 220% market-cap surge. Meanwhile, NFT DApps saw trading volume jump 96% to $530 million and average prices double to $105. Daily active wallets reached 22 million, with 3.85 million interacting with NFT platforms—slightly outpacing DeFi. Ethereum-based Blur captured 80% of NFT volume, OpenSea led with 27,000 traders, and Layer-2 platform Zora gained traction via its ZORA token. Major brands such as Nike, Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Coca-Cola China launched NFT pilots. Despite this rebound, 2024 NFT volume and sales are still 19% and 18% lower year-on-year, and H1 2025 sales totaled $2.82 billion, down 4.6% from H2 2024 and far below 2021 peaks.

The ODIN•FUN exploit in April saw attackers inflate the SATOSHI token price via a liquidity pool exploit and drain 58.2 BTC (about $7 million) from the AMM. The ODIN•FUN exploit used a pump-and-dump on the SATOSHI token to empty platform reserves. Following the incident, ODIN•FUN paused AMM trading and engaged a leading security firm for a full smart contract audit. The team also alerted law enforcement and major exchanges, including Binance, to trace and recover stolen funds. This liquidity pool exploit underscores rising DeFi security risks. Traders should reassess exposure to high-risk AMM pools and await audit findings before resuming trades.

Pantera Capital’s November 2022 Bitcoin halving cycle forecast predicted BTC would reach $117,482 by August 11, 2025. Data from Coin Metrics via CNBC confirm BTC closed above $119,000 on that date, with the price near $120,000—up 660% from the $16,000 low. This outcome validates the Bitcoin halving cycle’s predictive power and highlights diminishing returns after each halving event. Institutional adoption has surged: US spot Bitcoin ETFs hold 1.49 million BTC (7.1% of supply) and public and private companies hold 1.36 million BTC. Some insiders, including Jason Williams and Pierre Rochard, argue that with 95% of Bitcoin mined, halving’s impact on circulating supply is now marginal, as demand shifts to retail investors, new ETP products and corporate reserves.

New York’s Southern District Federal Court has approved extending the Roman Storm retrial deadline, potentially postponing any new Tornado Cash money laundering and U.S. sanctions violation trial until December 18, 2025. Judge Katherine Failla excluded time beyond the standard 70-day window to grant extra preparation for the Storm retrial. Storm was convicted in August 2023 for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business tied to Tornado Cash, while the jury deadlocked on counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and to violate U.S. sanctions. He remains free on bail pending sentencing and any retrial motion. Co-founders Alexey Pertsev, convicted of money laundering in the Netherlands and appealing, and Roman Semenov, still at large, face parallel legal proceedings.

Bitcoin dominance has fallen below the key 60% market share threshold for the first time since January, slipping to around 59.2% amid Ethereum’s rally. Analysts at Bull Theory and Dan Gambardello highlight weekly-chart weakness and a break below long-term support, with projections forecasting a drop to 45% within six months—potentially triggering a “mega altseason” as traders rotate capital into altcoins. Social trading sentiment for altcoins is strong, though altseason indexes diverge: CoinMarketCap’s remains at 37/100, while Blockchain Center’s rises to 53. Bitcoin’s price stays stable near $119,350, but Ethereum leads gains—up over 8% to $4,670, closing in on its 2021 high. Other major altcoins also rally: SOL +12% to $200, ADA +9% to $0.86, LINK +13% to $24.50, and LTC +11% to $133. Traders will watch these technical indicators and price action closely to assess whether this drop in Bitcoin dominance heralds a sustained shift into altcoins or proves a brief correction.

Caldera has launched ERA Force One, a tiered community platform for $ERA token holders that mirrors U.S. Air Force ranks from Airman Basic to General. Members’ ranks are determined by their combined and staked $ERA token balances, with higher tiers unlocking premium benefits such as access to private Telegram groups and direct communication channels with the Caldera team. The platform automatically calculates holdings at registration via eraforce.one. Future governance initiatives and additional rewards are planned. This launch follows the $ERA token’s listings on major exchanges including Binance, Bybit, Coinbase, Upbit, Bitget and Bithumb. ERA Force One aims to align staking incentives with long-term community engagement, strengthening Caldera’s blockchain infrastructure ecosystem and driving growth in the $ERA token’s liquidity and adoption.

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood reaffirms a target of Bitcoin surpassing $1 million by 2030, driven by rapid institutional adoption. She highlights Bitcoin’s growing status as digital gold and a primary institutional entry point into digital assets. As more institutions recognize Bitcoin as a reliable store of value, demand and inflows from both institutional and retail investors are expected to rise. Analysts compare this shift to historical commodity adoption cycles, which may underpin long-term price stability despite Bitcoin’s inherent volatility. Traders should track institutional engagement metrics and ETF inflows for signals of future market momentum.

Ethereum derivatives open interest surged by $1.9B to $24.5B in a day and then topped $30B as ETH price jumped above $4,400. This rapid growth in open interest reflects rising leverage and speculative positions in the Ethereum derivatives market. High leverage has triggered substantial liquidations, including $119M in ETH positions over 12 hours and $140M over 24 hours, contributing to $284M in total crypto futures liquidations. On-chain metrics from Glassnode show realized ETH profit-taking rebounded to $553M per day. Traders should monitor Ethereum derivatives open interest and liquidation data closely. Elevated open interest and leverage point to increased volatility and risk of sudden price corrections, while longer-term trends hinge on sustained demand for ETH derivatives.

Circle reported strong Q2 2025 performance. USDC circulation rose 90% year-on-year to $61.3 billion by June 30 and reached $65.2 billion by August 10. Revenue and reserve income increased 53% to $658 million, while adjusted EBITDA climbed 52% to $126 million. Net loss widened to $482 million, driven by a $591 million non-cash IPO expense. The launch of the Circle Payments Network has onboarded over 100 institutions, enhancing cross-border payments. Circle also introduced Arc, a layer-1 blockchain that uses USDC as its native gas token. Partnerships with Binance, OKX, FIS and Fiserv further cement Circle’s market reach. Active USDC wallets holding more than $10 expanded by 68% to 5.7 million. On-chain USDC transaction volume surged to $5.9 trillion, a 5.4-fold increase from last year. As the second-largest stablecoin, USDC benefits from the US GENIUS Act, which mandates backing with cash or short-term government securities, boosting institutional confidence. Looking ahead, Circle aims to expand market share and drive real-world adoption of Arc and the Payments Network.

Crypto sentiment tracker Santiment reports that retail traders are selling Ethereum as it nears its ATH of $4,878 amid pervasive FUD on social media. Large whales are accumulating ETH, absorbing the offloaded supply and fueling the rally. On-chain data from Glassnode show short-term holders selling more actively than long-term investors, indicating possible pullbacks. Ethereum has surged 53% over the past 30 days and climbed 7.95% in the last 24 hours to about $4,622. Despite mixed forecasts—targets range from a near-term top to $10,000—the continued whale buying under low retail confidence supports a bullish outlook. Traders should monitor whale activity, retail sentiment, and on-chain metrics to gauge entry points.

Late Tuesday in US trade, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed a 50 basis point Fed rate cut in September. The announcement spurred a sharp altcoin rally across the crypto market. Investors had largely priced in a 25bp move. But the possibility of a 50bp Fed rate cut boosted risk assets. Ethereum led gains, jumping nearly 9% to above $4,600—a near five-year high. Cardano, Solana and Litecoin each gained about 8%, and XRP rose 3.5%. Bitcoin, by contrast, held near $120,000 as traders rotated capital into high-beta coins. The rally followed July US CPI data in line with estimates. Yet it was the Fed rate cut speculation that ignited speculative demand. A softer dollar and renewed bets on an accommodative Fed drove a surge in altcoin trading volumes. As Fed rate cut expectations peaked, the altcoin rally shows how rate policy fuels crypto volatility. Traders should watch evolving rate cues for near-term market shifts.

XRP is trading near $3.30, testing long-term resistance at $3.31 after a rally from the $3.00 support zone. Volume has picked up around the resistance level, echoing the late-2017 accumulation phase but at a more measured pace. Key moving averages, including the 20-day EMA at $3.07 and the 50-day EMA at $2.81, offer additional support. A daily close above $3.31 could trigger targets at $3.50 and $3.70. Failure to break resistance may prompt a pullback toward EMA levels or the $3.16 support. Traders should monitor XRP’s resistance, support levels, and volume trends for breakout confirmation and entry points.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, managed by NBIM, has significantly boosted its indirect Bitcoin exposure. In Q2 2025, the fund’s holdings climbed 192% year-on-year, rising from 2,446 BTC in mid-2024 to 7,161 BTC, worth about $844 million. This increase came through corporate treasuries, led by Grayscale’s Bitcoin Strategy adding 3,005.5 BTC and Marathon Digital contributing 216.4 BTC. Other major contributors include Block (85.1 BTC), Coinbase (57.2 BTC), Metaplanet (50.8 BTC) and GameStop (33 BTC), while Riot Platforms trimmed 76.7 BTC. The fund’s total H1 growth of 3,340 BTC underscores the rising institutional adoption of Bitcoin exposure as part of diversified asset allocations. This trend reflects growing demand among large investors to gain indirect crypto exposure without direct holdings. Traders should note that institutional strategies are increasingly influencing Bitcoin’s market dynamics as it trades near $120,000.

After peaking near $122,250, Bitcoin price corrected and is now consolidating below the $120,000 mark. It has held support around $118,600 on the hourly chart, where a bullish trend line intersects the 100-hour SMA. Immediate resistance sits at $120,250 and $120,850, with a decisive break above $120,500 potentially targeting $122,250, $124,000 and even $125,000. Conversely, failure to clear $120,500 could see Bitcoin price slide to $118,600, $117,800 or lower toward the critical $113,500 floor. Hourly technical indicators show the MACD losing bullish momentum and the RSI trading below 50. Traders should monitor the key levels at $120,000 and $118,600 for signs of the next directional move.

Bithumb has gone live with the TOWNS/KRW spot trading pair since August 8 at 06:00 UTC, providing direct KRW access to the Towns Protocol token. The new listing on one of South Korea’s leading exchanges opens deposits and withdrawals, simplifies fiat on-ramps, and is expected to boost liquidity. Increased KRW liquidity can narrow spreads and enhance price discovery. Past exchange listings often trigger short-term price momentum, making TOWNS a token to watch. Traders should research the Towns Protocol fundamentals, monitor TOWNS volatility, and apply risk management strategies such as stop-loss orders. Following official updates from Bithumb and Towns Protocol will help market participants optimize trading strategies around this significant listing.

Thumzup Media Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed social media marketing firm, has closed a $50 million public offering priced at $10 per share to fund its Thumzup crypto investments and mining infrastructure. The capital raise will underwrite direct acquisitions of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) and support the purchase and deployment of crypto mining hardware. This strategic diversification into digital assets and crypto mining aims to generate steady revenue from validated transactions while capturing long-term market growth. A portion of proceeds will also bolster working capital and general corporate needs. The Thumzup crypto investments highlight growing institutional interest in digital assets and suggest rising demand for mining equipment. Traders should monitor potential impacts on Bitcoin and Ethereum prices, market volatility, energy costs, and evolving regulatory frameworks. Thumzup’s approach may set a template for mid-cap companies seeking exposure to high-growth digital markets.

Tokyo-listed Metaplanet and London-based The Smarter Web Company have acquired a combined 813 BTC, spending nearly $100 million to expand their Bitcoin treasuries. Metaplanet bought 518 BTC for $61.4 million at an average price of $118,519 per coin, raising its holdings to 18,113 BTC (≈$2.15 billion) and securing the sixth-largest corporate Bitcoin treasury. Smarter Web purchased 295 BTC for £26.3 million ($35.2 million) at $119,412 apiece, bringing its total to 2,395 BTC (≈$285 million) and ranking 23rd. Both purchases were funded via equity raises and Bitcoin-denominated bond offerings. These moves push total corporate Bitcoin holdings to over 791,662 BTC (about 4% of circulating supply), reflecting strong institutional demand. Analysts warn that concentrated large-scale Bitcoin treasury allocations may centralize risk and could prompt regulatory scrutiny. Traders should monitor institutional flows for potential short-term price support and long-term market impacts.

An unidentified crypto whale amassed 312,052 ETH (approx. $1.34 billion) across ten wallets over eight days, outstripping recent US spot Ethereum ETF inflows by $300 million. This strong accumulation coincided with record $1 billion ETF investments and could propel ETH toward its all-time high near $4,890, over 12% above current levels. Traders now await key US CPI and PPI reports ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September 17 policy decision — markets assign an 82% probability of unchanged rates. Ethereum’s Z-score at −0.06 indicates price movements within normal volatility. However, higher-than-expected inflation may curb risk appetite and stall gains, warns XBTO CIO Javier Rodriguez-Alarcón. While short-term holders are booking profits, continued corporate treasury purchases and ongoing whale flows remain critical catalysts for ETH’s near-term trajectory.

BitMine Immersion Technology and SharpLink Gaming have accelerated an institutional Ethereum treasury race. In mid-July, BitMine filed an at-the-market equity offering to raise $24.5 billion for ETH acquisitions, boosting its holdings to 12 million ETH (≈$5 billion). On the same day, SharpLink completed a $389 million share sale, allocating most proceeds to ETH purchases. Together, they control over 12.6 million ETH, making them the largest corporate ETH holders. This aggressive ETH accumulation has fueled a 21% weekly price rally, lifting ETH to $4,408, just 9% below its record high. Standard Chartered projects specialized treasury firms could hold up to 10% of Ethereum’s total supply, versus 1% in late July. The expanding Ethereum treasury race underscores growing institutional crypto adoption and may sustain bullish momentum, though traders should monitor treasury inflows and liquidation risks amid market volatility.

Metaplanet Inc. has boosted its Bitcoin reserves by acquiring 518 BTC for $61.4 million on August 12, 2025, at an average price of $118,519 per coin. The purchase raises its treasury holdings to 18,113 BTC, valued at roughly $1.85 billion. Led by CEO Simon Gerovich, the move forms part of Metaplanet’s long-term asset accumulation strategy. This corporate Bitcoin purchase underlines growing institutional confidence in digital assets as an inflation hedge and diversification tool. Traders should watch for potential price support and shifts in market liquidity as peer firms follow suit with similar treasury management policies. The acquisition may also strengthen Bitcoin’s market dynamics and investor sentiment in the near term.