Cryptocurrency
Bitget Targets U.S. Market Entry Independent of CLARITY Act Progress
With or without the proposed CLARITY Act, Bitget is moving forward with plans to enter the United States market. CEO Gracy Chen confirmed the exchange has abandoned its previous sideline strategy, shifting focus toward securing necessary money-transmitter, derivatives, and broker-dealer licenses for a standalone American entity.
South Korea launches 9.6 billion won CBDC payment initiative
South Korea has kicked off a 9.6 billion won project to integrate deposit tokens into everyday retail payments, signaling a shift from experimental wholesale trials toward public use. The initiative leverages existing banking infrastructure to lower transaction costs for small merchants without requiring a complete hardware overhaul at point-of-sale terminals.
BscScan maintenance forces users to alternative data providers
BNB Chain users face a temporary loss of visibility into on-chain activity as BscScan, the network’s primary block explorer, undergoes scheduled maintenance. Starting July 22 at 6:00 a.m. UTC, the three-to-four-hour service window affects website and API access, though the underlying blockchain remains fully operational and continues processing transactions as usual.
DOJ Targets $25M in Crypto Linked to International Fraud Networks
The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to forfeit more than $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to five distinct international fraud operations. These cases, which targeted victims across the United States and Canada through elaborate investment and romance scams, highlight the reach of syndicates operating out of Southeast Asia.
Coinbase Scales Everything Exchange Strategy to Canada
Coinbase is moving to expand its Canadian footprint by transitioning from a dedicated crypto exchange into an integrated financial platform. The company plans to introduce tokenized stocks and advanced payment services, aiming to provide local users with a single application for diverse financial management, pending ongoing regulatory discussions.
Uphold Adds 4,000 U.S. Securities to Crypto Trading Interface
Uphold is streamlining the investment process for U.S. customers by integrating more than 4,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds directly into its crypto platform. This expansion allows users to fund equity purchases using cryptocurrency, bridging the gap between digital assets and traditional securities through a single, unified transaction flow.
Ramp Integrates Solana Stablecoins for 24/7 Corporate Payments
Ramp has integrated Solana-powered stablecoin accounts into its business platform, allowing firms to hold USDC and USDT for international settlements. This move bypasses traditional banking hours, enabling companies to execute cross-border vendor payments to over 140 countries while maintaining existing accounting and approval workflows.
Galaxy Digital Launches $5 Million Fund for Bitcoin Quantum Readiness
With roughly 6.9 million Bitcoin theoretically at risk from future quantum computing, Galaxy Digital has unveiled a $5 million initiative to fast-track the development of cryptographic defenses. The program aims to address the network's notoriously slow upgrade cycle before quantum threats move from academic theory to commercial reality.
Satsuma Technology shareholders vote to liquidate Bitcoin and delist
More than 90% of shareholders have voted to dismantle Satsuma Technology’s Bitcoin treasury, effectively ending the firm’s run as a publicly traded digital asset vehicle. The decision mandates the sale of 668 BTC and a full capital distribution, reversing a strategy that raised $218 million just one year ago.
Crypto research firm Hazeflow shutters operations
Pavel Paramonov is closing his research firm, Hazeflow, citing involuntary circumstances that left him with no choice but to wind down the business. The founder announced he is stepping away from the cryptocurrency industry for at least a month, expressing a sense of disappointment with the current state of the sector.
Twenty One Scraps Strike Merger as Jack Mallers Resigns CEO Role
The ambitious three-way consolidation of Bitcoin-focused firms has collapsed, as Twenty One Capital officially abandoned its planned merger with Strike. Jack Mallers, the architect behind Strike, stepped down as CEO of Twenty One on July 21 to focus exclusively on his independent financial services platform, leaving the firm’s future strategy in flux.
Dinari joins crypto lobby to influence U.S. tokenized stock rules
As Washington lawmakers weigh how to integrate traditional assets onto blockchain networks, tokenized securities provider Dinari has joined the Blockchain Association. The move aims to bring direct experience with regulated, 1:1-backed U.S. stocks into the ongoing policy debate over the future of digital asset market structures.
Augustus Hits $1 Billion Valuation to Build Stablecoin Clearing Bank
Financial infrastructure startup Augustus has secured $180 million in a Series B funding round, pushing its valuation to $1 billion. Led by Tiger Global, the capital will fuel the firm’s ambition to integrate stablecoin rails with traditional payment networks, positioning the company to challenge legacy correspondent banking models.
Digital Chamber Sues Illinois Over Blockchain Transaction Tax
The Digital Chamber has filed a lawsuit in Sangamon County to strike down Illinois’ 0.2% digital asset tax, arguing the state is unconstitutionally targeting blockchain technology. The trade group contends that taxing transactions based on the underlying infrastructure rather than economic activity sets a dangerous precedent for emerging digital commerce.
Digital Asset Secures $10 Million From Shinhan and SC Ventures
Digital Asset has bolstered its Canton blockchain network with a $10 million injection from Shinhan Financial Group and Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures. This fresh capital pushes the firm’s total funding round to $365 million, maintaining the $2 billion equity valuation established during its initial raise last month.
Bitget Clarifies Unregulated Status in Singapore Market
Crypto exchange Bitget has formally confirmed it holds no license, registration, or authorization from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The move follows the regulator’s inclusion of the platform on its Investor Alert List, a measure designed to flag entities that could be mistaken for locally regulated digital asset service providers.
Ripple Prime earns four Hedgeweek nominations in institutional push
Ripple Prime has secured four nominations for the 2026 Hedgeweek U.S. Awards, signaling a significant shift for the blockchain company as it cements its role in institutional prime brokerage following a major acquisition.
CFTC faces resource crunch as prediction markets explode
As prediction markets see explosive growth, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission finds itself caught between expanding federal mandates and a staffing deficit. Carl Kennedy, a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman, warned lawmakers that the agency lacks the bandwidth to handle both the CLARITY Act’s requirements and the current boom in event contracts.
HTX wallet shifts spark sanctions evasion concerns
Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs reports that HTX has frequently rotated its wallet infrastructure since the UK imposed sanctions on the platform in May. This rapid turnover, spanning multiple blockchains, creates a moving target for compliance tools that rely on static address lists to monitor financial activity.
Pakistan Establishes Specialized Unit to Combat Crypto-Linked Crime
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has launched a dedicated cryptocurrency unit tasked with dismantling money laundering and terrorism financing operations. Operating under the agency's National Command and Control Centre, the team aims to bridge the gap between burgeoning digital asset adoption and the need for robust criminal oversight.
Balance Coin Collapses 99% Following $915,000 Exploitation
An algorithmic stablecoin designed to maintain a one-to-one parity with the U.S. dollar has effectively disintegrated after an exploit. Balance Coin (BLC) lost over 99% of its value on July 22, as security analysts tracked approximately $915,000 in assets drained through unauthorized token minting on the BNB Chain.
Balaji Srinivasan shifts Network School operations to Kazakhstan
After Malaysian authorities revoked the business licence for its Forest City campus, Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School has pivoted toward Central Asia. The entrepreneur signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan on July 21, seeking a new hub for global talent amid escalating regulatory pressure in Johor.
S&P and Pantera launch revenue-focused crypto benchmark
Moving away from pure market capitalization, S&P Dow Jones Indices and Pantera Capital have debuted the S&P Pantera Digital Asset Index. The benchmark prioritizes protocols demonstrating tangible economic activity, selecting 18 digital assets based on revenue generation, liquidity, and size to provide institutional investors with a more disciplined allocation framework.
Movement Labs Files for Bankruptcy Following MOVE Token Turmoil
Movement Labs has initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Delaware, reporting up to $10 million in liabilities against a maximum of $500,000 in assets. The collapse follows a year of intense scrutiny surrounding the MOVE token launch, which sparked regulatory investigations, leadership purges, and massive trading disruptions on major exchanges.
Crypto-linked stocks rally as Bitcoin surges ahead of Fed meeting
Bitcoin’s climb beyond $66,000 ignited a sharp rally in crypto-related equities on Tuesday, pushing CRCL, BMNR, and MSTR higher as investors recalibrate positions ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy gathering. The market movement signals renewed confidence in digital asset exposure despite looming macroeconomic uncertainty.
White House pushes for crypto bill with sweeping ethics concessions
The White House has agreed to the most extensive federal ethics restrictions in history to secure Democratic support for the CLARITY Act. By addressing concerns over President Donald Trump’s personal crypto interests, the administration hopes to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold before the upcoming August recess.
MEXC Integrates Yuma Validator to Streamline Bittensor Staking
Forty million users on the MEXC exchange can now stake Bittensor’s native TAO token without navigating the complexities of external wallets. Through a partnership with the Yuma validator group, the exchange has integrated native staking infrastructure directly into its platform, aiming to lower participation barriers for the decentralized AI network.
Telegram to Launch Fee-Free Crypto Wallet for Billion-User Base
Pavel Durov has unveiled plans to integrate a non-custodial Gram wallet directly into Telegram, promising fee-free cryptocurrency transfers for the messaging app’s one billion monthly users. The move marks the most ambitious self-custody rollout to date, effectively embedding decentralized finance tools into the daily experience of a massive global audience.
BIS study: Stablecoins bypass national capital controls
Dollar-backed stablecoins are rendering traditional capital controls largely ineffective across 130 economies. Unlike foreign-currency bank deposits, which remain tethered to domestic regulatory oversight, digital tokens move through peer-to-peer markets and self-hosted wallets, allowing households and businesses to bypass government restrictions on currency access during periods of financial instability.
Senate nears bipartisan deal on CLARITY Act after ethics breakthrough
With the August recess looming, Senate negotiators have reached a breakthrough on ethics provisions and customer safeguards for the CLARITY Act. Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed cautious optimism that a bipartisan deal could finally secure the necessary votes to bring the digital asset legislation to the floor.