Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

New York, NY, United States, July 23rd, 2026, Chainwire

Q2 Ecosystem Report highlights institutional partnerships, ecosystem growth, and infrastructure milestones ahead of Bitcoin Staking’s Q3 launch.

Stacks (STX) today published its Q2 2026 Ecosystem Report, outlining progress toward launching Bitcoin Staking and expanding the infrastructure needed to make Bitcoin a productive capital asset. Cumulative Stacks users surpassed 1.6 million during the quarter, an 8.0% increase quarter over quarter, while new wallet creation rose nearly 53%, from 72,000 in Q1 to 110,000 in Q2.

The report highlights a quarter of steady execution. Stacks built and deployed PoX-5, the on-chain mechanism powering Bitcoin Staking, first to a private testnet for institutional partners and later to public testnet, where it is now undergoing audit ahead of mainnet launch. The quarter also marked two major institutional partnerships. Fireblocks, which facilitates the transfer and storage of more than $10 trillion in digital assets globally, joined as the institutional custody infrastructure partner, while UTXO Management – the Bitcoin-native asset management subsidiary of Nakamoto Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA) – became the inaugural Bitcoin Staking launch partner. Alongside this, the Bitcoin-native finance ecosystem continued to grow, and the Endowment expanded its grant and Foundry programs to support new builders.

“Bitcoin has spent years establishing itself as an asset. The next chapter is making that asset productive, and Stacks made strong progress on that front in Q2 2026,” said Alex Miller, CEO of Stacks Labs. “Our thesis is clear: Stacks is the place where Bitcoin becomes productive capital. The quarter ahead is an important one for the broader Stacks ecosystem, and we are determined to capture a larger share of the Bitcoin sitting idle today.” 

Among the report’s highlights:

Bitcoin Staking advanced toward launch, with PoX-5 built, deployed to private and public testnet, and now in audit ahead of mainnet in Q3. Fireblocks and UTXO Management joined as institutional partners, expanding the custody and asset-management infrastructure required for institutional participation. Zest Protocol had its biggest quarter to date: the ZEST token launched via Binance Alpha on May 19, reaching a $200 million fully diluted valuation (FDV) within hours while ranking No. 1 trending on CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap. Zest remains the top DeFi protocol on Stacks, with $70M in TVL and over 800 sBTC deposited. Stacking DAO reached an all-time high of 110M STX in TVL and announced stBTC, the first Bitcoin liquid staking token on Stacks, now in audit and targeting an August launch. BitFlow surpassed $5 billion in cumulative transaction volume and $575M in swap volume, grew to 29,677 cumulative users, and delivered an estimated average 17.9% Bitcoin APY across its two primary sBTC pools over the past 30 days. Hermetica saw continued allocator demand for BTC yield, with hBTC reaching 75 BTC in TVL and its latest capped allocation filling within 24 hours, while USDh averaged 8% APY over the quarter as Hermetica advanced its STRC integration. Network and protocol development continued, with three stable mainnet node releases and ongoing security hardening through the Immunefi bug bounty program. The Stacks Endowment expanded strategic ecosystem investment through grants and the Foundry program, completing its first Validate cohort (60 participating teams, 25 advancing toward grant applications) and preparing the next program, Onboard. The report also outlines Stacks’ priorities for Q3, including the launch of Bitcoin Staking, expansion of the liquid staking ecosystem through stBTC, onboarding additional institutional participants, and continued investment in founders building Bitcoin-native financial applications.

Read the full Q2 2026 Stacks Ecosystem Report.

About Stacks

Stacks is growing Bitcoin by turning idle Bitcoin into productive capital. The network enables self-custodial Bitcoin yield and a growing ecosystem of Bitcoin-native financial applications that settle on Bitcoin. Learn more at stacks.co.

Is Crypto Funding India’s Cockroach Protest? We Traced the Money

TLDR: Strategy leads nine firms pledging $15 million to fund Bitcoin developers over three years. Consortium members direct funding independently without controlling Bitcoin’s protocol decisions. CryptoQuant estimates 6.9 million bitcoin could face risk from future quantum computing advances. Galaxy separately committed $5 million toward quantum-resistant wallet tools and security audits.  Bitcoin Security Consortium has officially launched under Strategy’s leadership, joined by BlackRock, Coinbase, and seven other major firms.

The group pledged an aggregate $15 million over three years to fund Bitcoin developers and security researchers. Strategy positioned the initiative as a response to long-term threats facing Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundation, including quantum computing risks.

Strategy Leads Coalition of Major Bitcoin Holders Strategy brought together eight additional firms to form this new funding coalition. Founding members include BlackRock, Coinbase, Anchorage Digital, ARK Invest, Block, Blockstream, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Galaxy.

Each company represents a distinct segment of the institutional Bitcoin ecosystem. Together they span custody, exchange services, infrastructure, and asset management functions.

Strategy CEO Phong Le framed the launch around shared incentives among long-term Bitcoin holders. “As long-term holders, we have every incentive to see Bitcoin remain secure for generations,” he said.

He added that funding the people doing this work is a natural way to contribute. His comments tied the consortium’s mission to protecting long-term institutional investment.

Michael Saylor amplified the announcement through a public social media post shortly after launch. “Bitcoin’s security is a shared responsibility,” he wrote.

Bitcoin’s security is a shared responsibility.

Today we are launching the Bitcoin Security Consortium, backed by $15 million in commitments to support the developers and researchers strengthening Bitcoin for the decades ahead. https://t.co/J2VbkgJRZm

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) July 23, 2026

He said the consortium is backed by $15 million in commitments supporting developers and researchers. Saylor’s post reinforced Strategy’s central role in organizing the effort.

Mike Schmidt, executive director of Brink, will coordinate the consortium’s daily operations. He serves in this role on a volunteer basis alongside his nonprofit work.

Brink already funds Bitcoin’s open-source developer community through independent grants. His involvement links the new consortium to existing developer funding infrastructure.

Nine Members Commit Funding Without Pooling Resources The $15 million pledge will not be held in a single pooled account. Instead, each member directs its own contribution independently to chosen recipients.

Companies select which developers, researchers, or organizations receive their individual funding. The consortium itself holds no role in fund allocation or distribution decisions.

Individual contribution amounts from each of the nine firms remain undisclosed. The announcement also did not specify which recipients would receive initial funding.

It remains unclear how much of the total represents newly committed money. Some contributions may reflect funding commitments made before the launch.

BlackRock’s Robert Mitchnick praised the developer community behind Bitcoin’s core software. “Bitcoin Core developers do incredibly important work,” he said.

He added that BlackRock and other members would now provide additional funding for long-term security needs. Both executives emphasized funding without attempting to direct technical outcomes.

Galaxy separately launched its own $5 million initiative for quantum-resistant tools this week. That program targets wallet migration support, signature research, and independent audits.

The consortium did not clarify whether this funding counts toward its broader total. This raises questions about how member commitments overlap across separate initiatives.

Quantum Computing Named as Consortium’s First Priority The consortium’s initial focus centers on preparing Bitcoin for future quantum computing threats. Machines capable of breaking Bitcoin’s current cryptography do not exist today.

Credible estimates place that capability years away from practical development. Developers have nonetheless begun researching potential defensive measures against this risk.

CryptoQuant research estimates roughly 6.9 million bitcoin could face exposure eventually. Addressing that vulnerability would require coordinated technical changes across the entire network.

Wallets, exchanges, miners, and individual users would all need to participate. Reaching consensus across Bitcoin’s decentralized structure could take considerable time to complete.

Proposed technical responses include BIP 360, introducing a new output type. This proposal aims to limit public key exposure during transactions.

Other approaches under discussion involve post-quantum signature schemes for future security. Developers are also examining methods to protect coins in older, exposed addresses.

Strategy and its partners stressed the consortium will not direct Bitcoin’s protocol development. It takes no position on specific proposed changes currently under community debate.

Members plan to publish ongoing material tracking security progress for public reference. This transparency effort aims to serve investors, media, and the broader public.

Robinhood CEO’s official Twitter account posts suspicious messages, suspected of being hacked.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev’s X account was reportedly hacked, leading to an abnormal post published in the early morning that announced the launch of Robinhood Chain’s so-called "official" mascot token Vladhood (VLAD), along with the token’s contract address. The token’s contract page was later flagged as "SCAM" in the Robinhood Chain block explorer, alerting users to potential fraud risks. The post has since been removed.

1 seconds ago

AMD saw a short-term drop of more than 5%, while Helios has entered full-scale production and is nearing shipment.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), AMD (AMD.O) shares have fallen to an intraday low, currently down 4.72%, after earlier rising 0.66%. AMD CEO Lisa Su just announced the launch of the Helios AI server full rack, noting that Helios has entered full-scale production and will begin shipping soon; the MI450 AI accelerator will become the industry's highest-performance AI accelerator.

1 seconds ago

SpaceX has released the live stream page for its 13th Starship flight, with today’s launch probability currently reported at 64%.

According to PolyBeats' monitoring, SpaceX has just released the official live stream page for its 13th Starship flight test, which lists the live stream start time as 6:14 AM (UTC+8) on the 24th. On prediction market Polymarket, the "yes" probability for the question "Will SpaceX launch Starship today (local time 23rd)?" is currently at 64%, while the probability of a launch this month stands at 91%. Starship Flight 13 previously aborted automatically roughly 1 second before clearing the launch pad on the morning of July 17. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in its latest operational plan released today, continues to list SpaceX’s 13th Starship flight test as a scheduled task for the day. Flight 13 is now targeted for launch as early as 17:45 local time in Texas, or 06:45 Beijing time on July 24, with a 90-minute launch window extending to 08:15 Beijing time. Real-time data from Next Spaceflight shows all 19 launch preparation conditions—including rocket testing, stacking, airspace notices, and maritime warnings—have been completed, with no new technical faults or delay announcements reported to date. --------------------------------- Be among the first to glimpse the future. Follow @PolyBeats_Bot See tomorrow, today. Follow @PolyBeatsEN

1 seconds ago

Citrini’s view: Bullish on AMD, bearish on NVIDIA. Coding AI is eroding NVIDIA’s competitive moat from the software side, marking the end of its CUDA moat.

Citrini analyst Jukan, citing recent core views from DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, pointed out that AI-driven code generation and high-level programming languages like TileLang are rapidly lowering entry barriers to the CUDA ecosystem. While DeepSeek uses NVIDIA GPUs to train its V3 model, it has significantly reduced its reliance on NVIDIA’s software ecosystem via its self-developed compiler and TileLang environment. Earlier, Liang projected that porting TileLang and DeepSeek’s compiler to Huawei chips would largely resolve China’s chip ecosystem issues in about a year, with production capacity being the only remaining bottleneck. Liang quantified the China-U.S. chip gap: hardware efficiency is roughly four times lower, and there is a roughly two-year time lag. He also revealed that DeepSeek is working closely with Huawei, expecting to obtain around 16,000 Huawei AI chips, and the Huawei 950 SuperNode can replace the workloads of NVIDIA’s GB200/GB300. Analyst Jukan characterized this as "the end of CUDA’s moat" and holds a highly bearish outlook on NVIDIA. Jukan added that this line of reasoning is precisely one reason for being bullish on AMD: advances in coding AI will also naturally accelerate the development of the ROCm ecosystem, helping narrow its gap with CUDA. When AMD recently invested in Anthropic, it announced it would actively use Claude Code for chip design and software engineering. Overall, advances in AI programming tools are systematically eroding NVIDIA’s competitive barriers from the software side. China’s chip ecosystem issues will be rapidly resolved thanks to code generation capabilities, while AMD will benefit from ROCm’s accelerated growth. The CUDA moat NVIDIA relies on to retain developer loyalty is facing a two-pronged attack, and catching up in hardware efficiency and production capacity is only a matter of time.

1 seconds ago

AMD: AI Accelerator Market to Reach $1.4 Trillion by 2030

AMD CEO Lisa Su stated that the AI accelerator market is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2030. AI accelerators are specialized hardware designed for AI computing tasks such as matrix operations in deep learning, capable of processing massive parallel workloads with far higher efficiency and energy efficiency than traditional CPUs. Mainstream types include NVIDIA GPUs and custom ASICs from vendors like Broadcom, which serve as the core computing backbone driving large model training and inference.

1 seconds ago

Data: Approximately 75% of BMEX tokens have never been claimed or put into circulation, with only 8% allocated at the time of listing.

On-chain visualization analytics platform Bubblemaps noted that after BitMEX announced it would officially cease operations in September, its platform token BMEX plummeted by roughly 95% today. However, per the token economics model released in 2021, 92% of BMEX tokens are locked in vesting contracts, with only 8% allocated at launch — 5% via airdrop and 3% for product and liquidity purposes. On-chain data shows the only token withdrawal occurred on November 2, 2022, when the product and liquidity address received 63.75 million BMEX. Meanwhile, approximately 75% of tokens originally earmarked for employee incentives, ecosystem growth, and long-term reserves have never been withdrawn and have never entered circulation. Bubblemaps added that this is not necessarily a violation, but per the publicly disclosed allocation plan, these large portions of tokens have indeed never been actually distributed. BlockBeats previously reported that notably, the platform’s current handling of BMEX tokens is very limited, with no additional compensation or special arrangements. The only action explicitly mentioned in BitMEX’s official shutdown announcement today is that the platform has immediately unstaked all staked BMEX tokens and returned them directly to holders’ accounts. Per BitMEX’s earlier announcement, BMEX is a pure platform utility token, not equity, debt, or an asset with promised returns. The official disclaimer states that BMEX is only used for features such as trading fee discounts and staking rewards on the BitMEX platform, does not constitute an investment, and the platform assumes no refund or exchange liability.

1 seconds ago

Michael Saylor’s Strategy has joined eight financial firms in pledging $15 million over three years to protect Bitcoin, starting with preparations for potential quantum-computing threats.

Summary

Strategy and eight financial firms pledged $15 million to strengthen Bitcoin’s long-term security. BlackRock, Coinbase, ARK Invest and others will independently fund developers and researchers. Quantum readiness will be the consortium’s first focus despite uncertain threat timelines. Strategy announced the Bitcoin Security Consortium in a press release, naming Anchorage Digital, ARK Invest, BlackRock, Block, Blockstream, Coinbase, Fidelity Digital Assets and Galaxy Digital as its other founding members.

Today we're announcing the Bitcoin Security Consortium @BTCconsortium: a group of leading financial institutions and Bitcoin companies supporting the long-term security of the Bitcoin network.

Members have pledged $15 million toward this work over the next three years. pic.twitter.com/0Wh4G7xEqJ

— Strategy (@Strategy) July 23, 2026 Drawn from several parts of the institutional Bitcoin market, the coalition includes exchange-traded fund issuers, custodians and infrastructure companies. BlackRock, Fidelity and ARK Invest issue spot Bitcoin ETFs, while Anchorage Digital and Coinbase provide custody services. Block, Blockstream and Galaxy Digital operate businesses tied to Bitcoin infrastructure and financial products.

Rather than combining the $15 million under a central fund, each founding member will choose which developers, researchers and organizations receive its share, according to Strategy. The model allows the companies to finance different projects while coordinating their security work through the consortium.

Brink Executive Director Mike Schmidt will coordinate the consortium’s daily operations in a volunteer capacity, Strategy stated. Addressing concerns about his independence, Schmidt wrote on X that he will receive no compensation and will continue running Brink separately from the founding firms.

“I continue to run Brink, independent of any Consortium member. I’ve committed to a year in this role, maybe I’d do two, but ultimately I see it as a seat that should rotate to other participants over time. My commitment is to Bitcoin, and that doesn’t change.”

Today nine institutions including BlackRock, Fidelity, Coinbase, and Strategy announced the Bitcoin Security Consortium (@BTCconsortium), pledging $15M toward Bitcoin security work over the next three years. I've agreed to help coordinate the group's work as a volunteer.

I said…

— Mike Schmidt (@bitschmidty) July 23, 2026 Wall Street funding targets Bitcoin security research Under its initial plan, the consortium will support developers and researchers already working on Bitcoin security, with quantum readiness serving as its first focus, according to Strategy. Schmidt added that the group could finance other security projects if the initial program proves effective.

Protocol decisions will remain outside the consortium’s control. In his X post, Schmidt stated that the group will not adopt collective positions on Bitcoin upgrades, leaving members to direct their funding independently while developers use the network’s existing review process.

Galaxy Digital had committed separate funds to the field before joining the consortium. As crypto.news reported earlier this week, the company opened applications for a $5 million Bitcoin Quantum Readiness Initiative supporting quantum-resistant signatures, wallet migration tools and independent security audits.

According to Galaxy, introducing post-quantum protections would require years of cooperation among Bitcoin Core developers, exchanges, wallet providers, infrastructure companies and users. Its grant program also invites other institutions to contribute money and research to the effort.

Galaxy’s initiative and the consortium pledge have placed $20 million behind the two disclosed programs. The commitments remain separate, however, as Strategy’s consortium allows every member to control its own grants.

Bitcoin’s quantum exposure carries a market cost Future quantum computers could threaten Bitcoin if they become capable of breaking the elliptic curve cryptography that protects its wallets, according to the companies and researchers behind the programs. Galaxy noted that current machines cannot perform such an attack and most experts do not expect an immediate danger.

Despite the uncertain timeline, Galaxy argued that preparations must start early because deploying new protections across Bitcoin could take years. The company has prioritized alternative signature algorithms, tools that help users transfer funds into safer wallets and audits that test proposed defenses.

CryptoQuant research cited by Galaxy estimated that around 6.9 million BTC could become exposed if a sufficiently powerful quantum computer broke Bitcoin’s existing cryptography. Using market prices from its announcement, Galaxy valued those potentially vulnerable holdings at about $461 billion.

Citi has reached a similar estimate, according to an earlier crypto.news report. The bank calculated that between 6.5 million and 6.9 million BTC may already have public keys visible on-chain, creating a pool of coins that researchers consider more vulnerable to a future quantum attack.

Lost wallets pose another problem because their owners cannot transfer the coins to addresses protected by updated cryptography. Quantus warned in a previously reported assessment that quantum development may be advancing faster than earlier estimates, which could leave dormant and inaccessible holdings without a practical migration route.

Concern over the issue has also entered Bitcoin valuation models. As crypto.news reported in early June, Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards estimated that Bitcoin was trading at a 28% “quantum discount” compared with his projected valuation path toward $120,000.

Bitcoin traded near $62,099 following a sharp selloff when Edwards presented the model. He attributed the discount to investor concern over what he described as slow progress among Bitcoin Core developers on post-quantum signature planning.

Prediction-market traders remain less worried about the immediate timeline. Polymarket data placed the probability of quantum computing breaking Bitcoin by December 2027 at 14%.

With Strategy coordinating institutional participation and Galaxy already accepting grant applications, the funding gives researchers additional resources before quantum computers pose a proven threat. The consortium’s first test will be whether independently directed grants produce usable security tools without influencing Bitcoin’s protocol governance.

Altcoins

23 July 2026 | 19:48 BitMEX is seeing traders rapidly reduce their exposure after the exchange announced that it will shut down, with its native token and Bitcoin derivatives market both recording steep declines.

Key Takeaways The token reached its lowest level since November 2022. Bitcoin open interest on BitMEX has dropped to $113 million. Open interest has contracted by roughly 96% from its 2024 peak. At the time of writing, BMEX had fallen approximately 92% over the previous 24 hours, according to the BMEX/USDT chart on TradingView. The decline pushed the token to its lowest level since November 2022, when BMEX began trading.

BMEX/USDT daily technical chart showing recent sharp downward price action. The token’s collapse was accompanied by another sign of users leaving the platform. Bitcoin open interest on BitMEX fell to approximately $113 million, according to data shared by Alphractal.

Detailed recent view of Bitcoin open interest and price action on BitMEX. Open Interest Has Fallen From $3 Billion to $113 Million Alphractal’s longer-term chart shows that Bitcoin open interest on BitMEX stood near $3 billion at its 2024 peak. Two years later, only around $113 million remains, representing a decline of roughly 96%.

Macro chart tracking Bitcoin open interest against price on BitMEX through July 2026. The latest reading is also the lowest level visible on the multiyear chart. The sharpest recent move occurred immediately after the exchange confirmed its planned closure, although BitMEX’s derivatives market had already been shrinking before the announcement.

Open interest measures the total value of active derivative contracts that have not been closed or settled. Falling open interest can result from traders voluntarily closing positions, being liquidated or transferring their activity to another venue.

It should not be interpreted as $2.9 billion in customer losses. Instead, the decline shows how much less active Bitcoin derivatives exposure is now held on BitMEX compared with the exchange’s 2024 peak.

The Closure Accelerated the Exit BitMEX announced on July 23 that it will cease exchange operations on September 23 at 04:00 UTC. The platform will become reduce-only on August 26, after which users will no longer be able to open new positions and BitMEX may begin closing those that remain.

Our guide to the BitMEX shutdown deadlines explains when normal trading ends, what happens to open positions and why users should withdraw remaining balances before the final closure.

The timetable gives derivatives traders little reason to establish new exposure on the exchange. Positions intended to remain open beyond August face the risk of being closed during the wind-down, while comparable contracts remain available on other platforms.

BMEX Is Losing the Platform That Gave It Utility BMEX was designed around the BitMEX ecosystem, with its value tied to exchange-specific benefits such as fee discounts, rewards and other user incentives.

Once the exchange closes, much of that practical role disappears with it. The token is no longer being valued against the growth of an operating trading platform, but against an ecosystem entering its final wind-down. That helps explain why BMEX fell 92% in a single day and reached its lowest level since trading began in November 2022.

The shutdown accelerated the exit, but the longer-term chart shows that BitMEX’s role in Bitcoin derivatives had already weakened substantially before the closure was announced.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

Author

Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.

One of crypto’s pioneering derivatives platforms is closing its doors after more than a decade.

BitMEX, the exchange that invented perpetual futures contracts, has notified users it will end all operations by September 23rd after an 11-year run in the industry.

“With immediate effect, we have stopped all new account registrations. Following a strategic review of the business and the broader crypto industry, the board of HDR Global Trading Limited, owner and operator of BitMEX, has decided to close the exchange. This comes with a heavy heart for all of us at the company and has not been taken lightly…

The BitMEX platform has always remained grounded to the true ethos of Bitcoin – neutrality, transparency, and decentralisation, which is evident through our peer-to-peer operations and a top priority focus on user fund safety. While this news is a difficult one to share, we are proud of everything that has been built at the company since its launch as a pioneer of crypto derivatives.”

The shutdown signals further consolidation among crypto derivatives providers, and users are advised to take necessary steps ahead of the final closure date.

No exact reasons beyond the announcement are provided in the initial notice.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Bitcoin’s latest rally has carried the asset back into an area where sellers have previously regained control. The coming sessions should reveal whether this recovery has enough strength to continue or if another rejection is waiting around the corner.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart On the daily timeframe, BTC has extended its recovery into the $65.5K-$66.7K supply zone after successfully reclaiming the descending trendline that had capped the price action for weeks. While this breakout represents a notable improvement in market structure, the broader trend remains constrained beneath the declining 100-day moving average, with the 200-day moving average positioned even higher.

The current resistance zone also coincides with a previous distribution area, increasing the likelihood of seller activity around current levels. A decisive daily close above $66.7K would strengthen the bullish case and expose the next resistance around $72K-$74K.

On the downside, the former breakout area near $63K-$64K now serves as the first demand zone. As long as BTC holds above this region, buyers remain in short-term control. Losing this support would shift attention back toward the broader demand zone around $58K-$59.5K, where the latest impulsive rally originated.

BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart The 4-hour chart highlights a clear shift in momentum after Bitcoin broke above the descending trendline and rallied directly into the overhead supply zone around $65.5K-$66.7K. The market is now consolidating beneath resistance after rejecting the upper boundary of the range.

This pause appears consistent with profit-taking rather than a confirmed trend reversal, especially since the previous resistance trendline has already been reclaimed. If buyers manage to absorb the current supply, a breakout above $66.7K could trigger another impulsive leg higher.

However, failure to sustain current levels would likely result in a pullback toward the $63K-$64K demand zone, which aligns with the recently broken trendline and could serve as the next area for buyers to defend before another attempt higher.

Sentiment Analysis The one-year Binance liquidation heatmap shows a notable concentration of short-side liquidity around the $88K region, standing out as one of the largest untouched liquidity pools above the current market price.

From a market structure perspective, this aligns with the broader idea that Bitcoin may eventually be drawn toward that liquidity. However, until price sweeps the $90K cluster and successfully establishes acceptance above it, it is difficult to argue that the higher-timeframe trend has fully transitioned into a bullish market.

As a result, the current recovery should still be viewed with caution. Although the technical structure has improved over the short term, every bullish leg can still be interpreted as corrective within the broader bearish context until the major overhead liquidity is cleared and price stabilizes above that region.

Tags:

COINTELEGRAPH: Bitcoin will get 'lift' from Hyperliquid, Robinhood in next crypto bull market: Bitwise exec

BMEX Price Falls 90% As BitMEX Shutdown Hands Market to Binance, Hyperliquid and Rivals

While the cryptocurrency market has experienced very sharp declines since October 2025, expectations for a new bull market are increasing among investors.

While there are differing predictions regarding the bottom and the start of a new bull market, a current assessment comes from Bitwise Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Matt Hougan.

In a recent blog post, Bitwise’s CIO stated that positive signals regarding Bitcoin and the formation of a bottom in the market are beginning to emerge.

Hougan, while acknowledging that Bitcoin’s rise since early July, the renewed inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, and the recovery in investor sentiment are positive signs of a bottoming out, said it is still too early to say that “the bear market is completely over” for the current situation.

At this point, Bitwise’s CIO stated that the bad period in the crypto market is about to end, claiming that the new bull market will be based on the convergence of crypto and traditional finance.

Along with the bottoming out signals, Hougan argued that the next crypto bull market could be driven by Hyperliquid-style projects and large financial companies like Robinhood.

At this point, Bitwise’s CIO stated that the next cryptocurrency bull market will likely be driven by trends such as stablecoins, tokenization, 24-hour trading, instant payments, and institutional DeFi.

The first group consists of crypto protocols that generate real revenue, such as Hyperliquid (HYPE), operating in decentralized derivatives markets, while the second group comprises publicly traded financial companies like Robinhood (HOOD) that aim to integrate traditional finance with crypto infrastructure.

According to Hougan, these two structures are among the best examples of how to benefit most from the combination of traditional finance and blockchain technology.

Bitwise’s CIO said of the hype, “I think even if the price doubles, it will still have reasonable valuation.”

He also predicted that more crypto projects could adopt similar token economies in the coming period, citing altcoins such as Uniswap (UNI), Aave (AAVE), and Morpho (MORPHO) as examples.

Bitwise’s CIO concluded by arguing that while previous bull markets were largely fueled by expectation and speculation, the new cycle will be built on real use cases, revenue-generating applications, and structural transformation within the financial sector.

*This is not investment advice.

Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!

Amazon just posted a job listing that has the crypto world doing a collective double-take. The company is looking for a “Bitcoin and Crypto Ecosystem Lead,” a senior role designed to drive digital asset strategy across one of the most influential corporations on the planet.

The position’s mandate covers three main pillars: leading blockchain integration strategy, establishing strategic partnerships in the crypto ecosystem, and encouraging the adoption of digital assets across Amazon’s platforms.

The role could touch everything from payments infrastructure to supply chain management to AWS’s existing blockchain services. Amazon already employs people in blockchain-adjacent roles, including a Senior Blockchain Architect and a Global Practice Lead for Blockchain. Those positions have largely been housed within AWS, where Amazon has built out blockchain-as-a-service products for enterprise clients.

Advertisement

This new role appears to sit a level above that work, with a broader focus on the crypto ecosystem itself rather than just the underlying infrastructure.

The job was posted around September 14–15, 2025, and comes with a compensation package in the range of $370K to $514K per year, with the total package reported at approximately $500,000 annually.

Amazon’s market capitalization hovers around $2 trillion to $2.5 trillion, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world. The hiring move comes at a time when major corporations are increasingly dipping their toes into blockchain technology. Amazon’s approach appears more operational than speculative, focused on integrating crypto into its existing business rather than treating it as a treasury asset.

The regulatory landscape for crypto in the US remains complex, with ongoing debates about how digital assets should be classified, taxed, and supervised. The creation of a dedicated leadership role suggests Amazon wants someone who can engage with regulators and policymakers as part of their mandate. Amazon operates in dozens of countries, each with its own approach to crypto regulation.

As of mid-2026, mainstream outlets including CoinDesk have not confirmed whether the role has been filled, indicating a cautious approach from major media to the announcement.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Tesla's losses widened to 12% in early trading, weighed down by negative free cash flow.

According to BIT (bit.com) market data, Tesla’s early-session losses widened to 12%, trading at $329.015 per share, with a total market capitalization of $1.24 trillion. This morning, Tesla released its second-quarter (Q2) financial results: revenue reached $28.24 billion, exceeding market expectations and rising 26% year-over-year, marking its first year-over-year revenue growth rate above 20% in three years. However, Q2 operating profit was only $398 million, far below the market consensus of $1.39 billion; adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $0.33, down 18% year-over-year and also missing forecasts significantly. Notably, Tesla’s Q2 free cash flow stood at -$1.09 billion, its first quarterly negative figure since Q1 2024.

7 minutes ago

Uniswap v4 Launches Permissioned Pools

Uniswap has rolled out Permissioned Pools, a new hook standard for Uniswap v4 that enables permissioned asset trading via automated market makers, with compliance enforced directly on-chain. The permissioned asset pools are built in collaboration with on-chain asset management teams, and its first batch of partners includes Superstate, Securitize, and Dowgo.

7 minutes ago

Abraxas Capital deposits 2,211 $BTC to Kraken and 30,825 $ETH to Binance

Abraxas Capital deposited 2,211 $BTC ($143.88M) into #Kraken and 30,825 $ETH ($59.19M) into #Binance over the past 8 hours.

7 minutes ago

The US stock market's optical communication sector rose across the board, with Lumentum and AAOI gaining more than 7%.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), the U.S. optical communication sector rallied across the board. Pure Photonics ETF FOTO and Corning advanced over 3%, Coherent and Ciena gained more than 4%, while Lumentum and AAOI jumped over 7%.

7 minutes ago

LayerZero announced a partnership with Keeta, and will support cross-public-chain transfers of tokenized commercial bank deposits.

LayerZero announced a partnership with Keeta to support the transfer of tokenized commercial bank deposits across public blockchains including Keeta Network, Ethereum, Solana, and Base, providing institutional cross-chain settlement infrastructure. The two parties will combine LayerZero’s omnichain interoperability protocol with Keeta’s compliance infrastructure to enable institutions to conduct fund management and payment operations. The newly launched Keeta Stablecoins are backed by commercial bank deposits held by U.S.-licensed fintech platform Bivo. Unlike traditional stablecoins, they are pegged to actual commercial bank deposits and allow issuing institutions to retain control over contracts via LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard. Keeta Stablecoins will launch later this month, initially supporting the U.S. dollar, with plans to expand to additional fiat currencies including the euro, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, British pound, Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, UAE dirham, and Hong Kong dollar.

7 minutes ago

$BTC ETFs +$709.47M, $ETH ETFs +$160.63M in 7-day inflows

July 23 Update: #Bitcoin ETFs: 1D NetFlow: +1,064 $BTC(+$69.28M)?? 7D NetFlow: +10,891 $BTC(+$709.47M)?? #Ethereum ETFs: 1D NetFlow: +37,753 $ETH(+$71.88M)?? 7D NetFlow: +84,364 $ETH(+$160.63M)??

7 minutes ago

Nine of the largest names in institutional Bitcoin launched the Bitcoin Security Consortium on Thursday, a group backed by $15 million in member pledges over three years to fund work on the network’s long-term security, including preparation for a future era of quantum computing.

Founding members are Anchorage Digital, ARK Invest, BlackRock, Block, Blockstream, Coinbase, Fidelity Digital Assets, Galaxy, and Strategy, a lineup that spans holders, custodians, exchanges, infrastructure and payments providers, and asset managers. 

The consortium’s day-to-day work falls to Mike Schmidt, executive director of the developer non-profit Brink, who serves in a volunteer role.

Schmidt tweeted about the role, saying, “I said yes because supporting Bitcoin’s developers and helping people understand their work are the two things I’ve spent my time in Bitcoin on, through Brink and Optech. This group wants to do both: fund the people already securing Bitcoin, and bring accurate information about that work to audiences it doesn’t currently reach.”

Each member directs its own funding to the developers, researchers, and organizations it chooses; the $15 million figure is an aggregate of independent pledges rather than a pooled fund. The group also plans to serve as a reference point on Bitcoin’s security for investors, the public, and the media, and to publish material it will update as the field develops.

Funding advocates The consortium drew clear limits around its role. It says it does not develop or direct Bitcoin’s protocol, takes no position on specific protocol changes, and does not speak for Bitcoin or its developers.

It casts itself on the model of industry groups that fund the open-source software they rely on without controlling the work. 

“Bitcoin’s development is, and will remain, the work of a global, decentralized community of contributors,” the group said.

“As long-term holders, we have every incentive to see Bitcoin remain secure for generations,” said Phong Le, Chief Executive Officer of Strategy. “Funding the people who do this work, and helping inform the conversation around it, is a natural way for us to contribute.” 

Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s Global Head of Digital Assets, said Bitcoin Core developers “do incredibly important work,” and that the members would make “significant additional funding available to support Bitcoin’s long-term security needs.”

Brink, the non-profit coordinating the effort, has funded open-source Bitcoin work since 2020, including more than $1 million to developers in a single year and the first third-party security audit of Bitcoin Core. Schmidt co-founded the group with developer John Newbery.

Much of the consortium’s stated focus lands on the quantum question. Large-scale quantum computers able to break BTC’s cryptography do not exist today, and credible estimates place such capability years out. 

The group frames post-quantum protection as a long-term priority the technical community already works on, and positions itself as a grounded source as that work moves.

That framing matches a wider institutional turn toward the issue. Coinbase has formed a quantum computing advisory board, Galaxy launched its own quantum readiness initiative with developer grants days before, and BlackRock has listed quantum computing as a risk in its spot BTC ETF filings. 

Developers, for their part, have proposed migration plans built on schemes such as BIP-360 that would move coins to quantum-resistant addresses, and the Bitcoin Policy Institute has warned the timeline is compressing.

Views on urgency diverge, a split the consortium’s members embody. Adam Back, founder of member firm Blockstream, has called the quantum threat decades away, while other voices place a capable machine within the next several years. 

The stakes are large either way, since Coinbase research has estimated that between 20% and 50% of BTC’s supply, much of it in older wallet formats, could face exposure to a long-range quantum attack. 

The consortium sidesteps the timeline debate and stakes its role on funding and information rather than a forecast. Its own summary holds that the risk is real, yet the network is preparing.

Micah Zimmerman

Micah first discovered Bitcoin in 2018 but remained a skeptic on the sidelines for too long. Since 2021, he has covered crypto and business and now works as a news reporter for Bitcoin Magazine, based in North Carolina.

THE BLOCK: Strategy, BlackRock form Bitcoin Security Consortium to prepare for quantum computing threat

Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.

Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA.

"History might not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme," one popular analyst stated.

The primary cryptocurrency has staged a minor resurgence over the past week, with its valuation briefly rising to nearly $67,000 and now hovering around $65,000.

However, some analysts warn that this is unlikely to mark the start of a new bull run, envisioning a major collapse in the near future.

Same as 2022? BTC, which plunged below $58,000 at the end of June, has rebounded by double digits in the following several weeks. And while bulls eagerly await the end of the bear market, the analyst who uses the X moniker BATMAN shut down that optimism.

They believe the cryptocurrency’s recent price increase mirrors the one from the autumn of 2022, which was followed by a massive crash to roughly $16,000.

“Side by side, this level looks concerning. It mirrors a similar bullish pump from 2022 that led to nothing afterward. History might not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme,” they stated.

Of course, one should keep in mind that the drop below $20K at that time was driven largely by the meltdown of the once-prominent crypto exchange FTX: something that sent shockwaves through the entire digital asset sector.

For their part, X user Kabuki believes that the latest price setup represents a classic bull trap. They think BTC could dump to as low as $47,000 by August before starting a major uptrend move that could take it to over $200,000 by the start of next year.

Monitoring These Vital Levels X user Ted also gave his two cents, noting the decline from the local high of almost $67K to the current $65K. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of the lower target, arguing that BTC could surge to $67,500-$68,000 if it stays above.

You may also like: Bitcoin Could Rally to $173K if This Pattern Plays Out: Analyst China Pumps Billions in Tech ETFs: What Does It Mean for Bitcoin Miners? Bitcoin’s Next Big Move Hinges on Break Above This Key Level: Bitfinex Meanwhile, Bitfinex’s analysts pointed to a key reaction zone between $67,900 and $68,300, where the short-term holder realized price and the second-quarter opening level have lined up. They believe a decisive breakout above or below that range could determine the asset’s direction in the near future.

It is important to note that the renewed institutional interest gives hope that Bitcoin hasn’t completely lost its momentum and might soon post fresh gains. According to SoSoValue, the inflows into spot BTC ETFs have surpassed outflows in the past seven consecutive days, something unseen since April.

Spot BTC ETFs, Source: SoSoValue The development shows that pension funds, hedge funds, and other conservative investors have increased their exposure to the asset, prompting BlackRock, Fidelity, and many other financial giants that have launched such products to purchase Bitcoin, thereby backing their shares. The situation was much different toward the end of June, when spot BTC ETFs saw a weekly outflow of around $1.8 billion.

Tags:

https://starsevendesign.com/project-blackrock.html

BlackRock clients have reportedly purchased $38 million worth of Bitcoin, highlighting sustained institutional interest in the digital asset through BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). This purchase, although smaller compared to recent larger inflows, suggests ongoing demand for Bitcoin exposure via regulated financial products. BlackRock’s IBIT has been a significant player in the market since its launch, with previous reports indicating substantial asset flows both into and out of the fund. This move comes amidst Bitcoin at approximately $65,001, with BlackRock continuing to expand its digital asset offerings since 2024.

Advertisement

Key Takeaways The purchase of $38 million in Bitcoin by BlackRock clients suggests ongoing institutional interest. Market behavior appears consistent with scenarios where Bitcoin could experience upward price movements. Current market pricing for Bitcoin reaching $82,500 in July remains speculative with low probability. What to Watch Market participants will be observing whether continued inflows into BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust could further influence Bitcoin’s price trajectory. Key indicators include potential announcements of large Bitcoin purchases by institutions like MicroStrategy, or significant Bitcoin ETF inflows exceeding $500 million. Additionally, any regulatory announcements from the SEC regarding Bitcoin ETFs could impact market sentiment and pricing. As the month progresses, the possibility of Bitcoin reaching higher price targets will remain a topic of interest.

Get live prediction-market analysis, powered by Vera. Sign up for Vera.

Term Structure

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h August 1 2026 0.2% — — View market → August 1 2026 44.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 15.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 5.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.4% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 5.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.6% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market →

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

TL;DR

U.S. spot XRP ETFs now hold a record 1.47% of total supply worth $1.04 billion, with institutions front-running the CLARITY Act's Senate deadline ahead of the Aug. 7 recessGrayscale's Zach Pandl says Bitcoin has outgrown its four-year halving cycle, pointing instead to the Fed's July 28–29 meeting as the market's next real catalystAFX Trade, Verus Bridge and B² Network lost a combined $35.56 million in three separate DeFi exploits, with Verus hit twice in three months by the same unresolved bugU.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs logged a seven-day, $1 billion inflow streak as Kazakhstan launches state-backed mining and Circle brings USDC to 20 million Kakao and Toss users in KoreaXRP leaves exchanges for ETF vaults ahead of decisive Senate voteU.S. spot ETFs have removed a record 1.47% of XRP's total supply from market circulation. According to the latest SoSoValue data as of July 23, 2026, the funds now hold 977.41 million tokens worth a combined $1.04 billion.

Institutional accumulation is accelerating as the deadline for the CLARITY Act approaches in the U.S. Senate. Lawmakers have about two weeks left to reach a consensus on digital asset oversight rules before Congress leaves for its traditional August recess, which begins on Aug. 7.

HOT Stories

Expectations of long-awaited regulatory clarity are prompting funds to methodically purchase the underlying asset on the spot market and isolate it in custodial wallets, completely removing those coins from exchange circulation.

The price context only underscores the confidence of major players. XRP is currently trapped inside a descending channel near $1.1338, hovering around local support at $1.1158 with a neutral RSI reading of 54.82.

Total inflows in US Spot XRP ETFs since the start of Q3 2026, Source: SoSoValueThe gap between the total amount historically invested in the ETFs, $1.49 billion, and their current net asset value of $1.04 billion clearly shows that the funds are sitting on unrealized losses. Nevertheless, institutional holders are not cutting their losses and continue to maintain positions primarily through Bitwise, which has recorded $501 million in net inflows, and Franklin Templeton, with $416 million.

Although daily activity within the ETFs remains moderate at around $10.9 million in trading volume, the removal of nearly 1.5% of the XRP supply is reducing the depth of exchange order books. If the Senate manages to pass the CLARITY Act before the Aug. 7 recess, a surge in buyers will encounter an obvious shortage of liquidity on the spot market.

Why Grayscale no longer believes in Bitcoin halving cyclesThe leading cryptocurrency has outgrown the training wheels of the halving cycle and now lives by the adult rules of Wall Street, according to Grayscale Research head Zach Pandl, who has urged investors to erase Bitcoin's "four-year cycle" charts from their boards.

In his view, crypto has finally transformed into a mature macroeconomic asset that listens to the Federal Reserve rather than the miners' calendar.

At this point in the cycle, crypto skeptics would usually expect a deep plunge. The traditional theory predicted that Bitcoin would fall below $25,000 by autumn following last year's record high of $126,000. Instead, the coin is currently holding firmly near $65,800, down a relatively modest 48% from its peak by crypto-winter standards.

Bitcoin macro correlation chart (2012–2026), Source: GrayscalePandl therefore believes that, provided the U.S. economy remains resilient, the market bottom may already be behind us.

The foundation of this shift can be seen in macroeconomic charts from Bloomberg and Coin Metrics. Since 2014, Bitcoin's price bottoms have closely coincided not with supply reduction dates, but with declines in the ISM Manufacturing Index and peaks in U.S. two-year Treasury real yields.

The main event of the week is now the Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for July 28–29. Interest rates are currently being held at 3.50%–3.75%. If the regulator officially confirms a pause and rules out further increases, Bitcoin will receive a clear path toward growth, further cementing its status as the leading barometer of global liquidity.

'Black Thursday' for DeFi: Three crypto protocols hacked for $35.56 millionIt was a truly stormy morning for the decentralized finance market, as three projects were targeted by hackers one after another. AFX Trade, Verus Bridge and B² Network found themselves at the center of the exploits, with total losses reaching $35.56 million.

The hackers ruthlessly targeted the industry's main weak points: cross-chain bridge vulnerabilities and compromised administrative keys. 

The largest blow hit the AFX Trade protocol on Arbitrum, where attackers drained $24.15 million in USDC stablecoins from its custodial bridge. The project team responded immediately by suspending operations, bringing cybersecurity heavyweights SlowMist and Zellic into the investigation and offering the hacker a deal. 

The attacker will be allowed to keep 30% of the stolen amount as a legitimate bounty if the remaining 70% is returned.

On-chain message from AFX Trade to the hacker, Source: ArbiscanMeanwhile, the Verus–Ethereum cross-chain bridge has fallen into the same trap again, turning its exploits into an ongoing series. The hacker used an old repeated-import vulnerability, withdrew 3,816 ETH worth around $7.55 million and is already laundering the funds through the Tornado Cash mixer.

The irony is that the project was already exploited through a similar method in May. In July, the team triumphantly returned the recovered funds to the liquidity pools, only to suffer another identical exploit by July 23 after failing to fix the critical bug in the code.

This appears related to the previous Verus Ethereum Bridge incident in May 2026: same bridge contract, same entry path, and same bug class.

However, this is a new tx with a different attacker and loot wallet.https://t.co/FWGcnHJbzP

— Blockaid (@blockaid_) July 23, 2026 The L2 project B² Network on BNB Chain suffered the smallest loss of the three, although it was still substantial. Its staking contract was targeted, allowing attackers to steal $3.86 million before developers closed the vulnerability.

To the team's credit, it quickly contained the problem and immediately promised to fully compensate affected users from its own reserve funds.

While B² Network prepares the repayments and AFX waits for the hacker's response, the day has once again demonstrated that bridges remain the weakest link in crypto. Hackers have again proved that taking millions out of code is easier than attracting those millions in the first place, while users have once more been reminded who usually pays to close such holes.

Crypto market outlook: Bitcoin ETF inflow streak reaches $1 billion amid sovereign reserve formation and expansion in AsiaInstitutional capital is stabilizing the market, as a seven-day inflow streak into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs has brought in $1 billion, offsetting recent selling pressure.

While Bitcoin remains in a range just below the key technical barrier at $65,500, the long-term trend is shifting toward the nationalization of mining and the deeper integration of stablecoins into Asian payment ecosystems.

Key checkpoints:

ETF momentum accelerates: After a prolonged period of outflows, U.S. spot Bitcoin funds have recorded a seven-day green streak, bringing around $1 billion into the market, while BlackRock and Fidelity remained the traditional leaders.Bitcoin tests a technical reversal: The leading cryptocurrency is being squeezed into a narrowing range, trading at $65,495 after encountering a long-term descending trend line. The nearest support has formed at $63,800, while a break above the $67,433 point-of-control level is required to trigger an aggressive bullish scenario.BIP-110 faces rejection from miners: The controversial proposal to temporarily restrict the Ordinals and Runes protocols by imposing an 83-byte limit on the OP_RETURN field is losing its chances of success. Despite developers' attempts to clear blocks of spam, only 1.1% of miners have expressed support for the update, effectively eliminating the risk of a hard fork.State-backed mining takes root: Kazakhstan has officially introduced fixed electricity tariffs for licensed miners for 10 years in exchange for transferring part of the mined BTC to the central bank's national reserve. The country has joined El Salvador and Bhutan in pursuing a strategy of sovereign cryptocurrency accumulation.USDC enters Korean super apps: Stablecoin issuer Circle has signed agreements with technology giants Kakao Group and Toss to deploy blockchain-based settlements. The integration will provide more than 20 million active users in South Korea with legal access to digital assets.End of an era for a legendary derivatives exchange: BitMEX, which helped pioneer leveraged cryptocurrency trading in 2014, will completely cease operations on Sept. 23, 2026. The phased closure of positions will begin on Aug. 26. You Might Also Like

Bitcoin price hovered near $65,000 after consolidation, while traders assessed prospects for recovery this week. The BTC price increased by 5% in seven days, which enhanced momentum ahead of the Federal Reserve decision. 

After its recent surge, Ethereum price was close to $1,920, whereas XRP price was trading at $1.13. The next focus is on the July 28-29 FOMC meeting led by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh. Policymakers will decide rates and provide guidance on the policy outlook for markets.

FOMC Meeting July 28–29: Markets Watch the Fed Rate Decision The Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting is approaching, with CME FedWatch showing less than one week remaining.

The FOMC will meet on July 28 and July 29 to review interest rates and economic conditions. It is planned to issue a policy statement at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, July 29. The press conference will start at 2.30 p.m.

CME FedWatch tracks market expectations using prices from 30-Day Federal Funds futures.

Source: Fedwatch The tool has been used to estimate potential rate changes prior to every meeting by traders. The decision will be monitored by the investors to give broader market indications.

Bitcoin ETFs Record Seven Straight Days of Inflows Since July 14 Bitcoin ETFs recorded seven consecutive trading days of inflows, marking their longest positive streak in nine months. Santiment recorded an entry of $981.2 million into the products since July 14, with Bitcoin briefly reaching $66,300.

The steady demand follows heavy withdrawals during May and June, suggesting confidence may be returning among institutional investors.

The same inflow streak happened again in November 2025 as Bitcoin was nearing its $126,000 record high. 

Santiment data The existing momentum is not a sure way of another similar rise, although a trend of increasing ETFs might help push it to $70,000.  Such activity could indicate rising FOMO and increase the risk of a short-term market top. Investors will keep a check on the consistency of the inflows next week.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Key Levels To Watch The BTC price traded at $65,693, holding above the key $65,000 support on the four-hour chart. Bitcoin price remains below the $66,000 resistance after retreating from a recent peak near $66,700. 

The RSI has a value of 53, indicating neutral momentum that has cooled off following the stronger values.

Meanwhile, the CMF reading of 0.25 suggests capital inflows remain positive. This is an indication of ongoing purchase intentions despite the recent consolidation.

A confirmed break above $66,000 could open targets at $66,700 and $67,000 as per Detailed Bitcoin price analysis. Additional momentum can take the rally to $68,000.

Source: BTC/USDT 4-hour chart: TradingView However, losing $65,000 could expose the $64,000 support zone. Bitcoin price can also stay within the range till the buyers manage to close decisively above resistance.

Swiss cantonal bank BancaStato has introduced cryptocurrency trading services for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Litecoin directly within its web and mobile banking applications. The development makes BancaStato one of the first Swiss financial institutions to offer regulated digital asset trading to its retail clients through existing banking platforms.

Full integration with Avaloq and Sygnum infrastructureThe rollout was made possible by integrating Sygnum’s business-to-business crypto infrastructure with BancaStato’s Avaloq core banking system. Clients can access digital assets, place trades, and oversee their portfolios from the same digital interfaces they use for everyday banking.

BancaStato, founded in 1915 and serving the Canton of Ticino, has aimed to position itself at the forefront of digital innovation among Swiss regional lenders. The bank’s move introduces a regulated channel for clients to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies alongside traditional financial products under a unified account.

Users can submit market orders in both crypto denominations and US dollar terms, with asset custody managed through Sygnum’s regulated platform.

Mini dictionary: Sygnum, a Swiss digital asset bank, provides regulated infrastructure for cryptocurrency custody and trading. Its API-based systems enable traditional financial institutions to offer direct digital asset services to their customers.

BancaStato offers cryptocurrency trading directly through its familiar banking channels, removing the need for separate trading platforms and simplifying access to digital assets for its account holders.

Operational benefits and regulatory safeguardsThrough this integration with Sygnum, BancaStato can provide institutional-grade custody, incorporating hardware security, software protections, governance procedures, and regular audits. Digital assets held by clients remain off the bank’s balance sheet and are segregated in compliance with Swiss financial regulations.

BancaStato is the first Avaloq software-as-a-service client to enable Sygnum-powered crypto trading directly via API. This approach reduces complexity by eliminating the need for a separate order management system while allowing the bank to adapt trading functionalities without major changes to core infrastructure.

The platform gives account holders the ability to manage both conventional and digital investments within a single online banking relationship, enhancing portfolio management and oversight capabilities.

BankLaunch DateCrypto Trading IntegrationTrading ChannelsBancaStatoJune 2026Yes (Sygnum & Avaloq)Online & Mobile BankingPostFinanceApril 2023Yes (Sygnum)Digital Banking PlatformsSygnum’s infrastructure is now used by over 25 Swiss and European banking institutions, extending digital asset access to nearly one-third of Switzerland’s population through its network of affiliated lenders.

Industry impact and regulatory evolutionBancaStato now joins a list of Swiss financial institutions, including PostFinance and Zuger Kantonalbank, that provide crypto trading and custody through Sygnum’s infrastructure. The integration expands regulated access to digital assets, addressing increasing demand among Swiss bank customers for innovative investment products.

On June 30, 2026, Sygnum Europe obtained official registration as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation through supervision from the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority. This approval is expected to further bolster the bank’s capability to offer compliant digital asset services across the EU, enhancing security and regulatory clarity for clients outside Switzerland.

With this move, BancaStato broadens its digital portfolio while maintaining its regulatory frameworks, enabling customers across Ticino and Switzerland to access cryptocurrency markets without leaving the protected environment of traditional banking applications.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Bitcoin traded near the $65,700 mark on Thursday as AI-led inflation concerns capped gains despite strong ETF demand. The cryptocurrency was trading at the $65,770 mark.

In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin fell 0.2% and Ethereum was up 0.4% to trade at $1,924 mark. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin and Cardano gained up to 2%.

Also Read | Will a Rs 42,500 monthly SIP with a 10% annual step-up help you retire early?

Crypto Tracker

TOP COINS (₹)

54,928 (0.35%)

184,732 (0.14%)

96 (0.02%)

96 (0.02%)

6,311,629 (-0.46%)

Akshat Siddhant, Lead quant analyst, Mudrex said Bitcoin is consolidating around the $65,700 level as investors balance strong institutional demand against persistent macroeconomic headwinds. Heavy AI-related spending by major technology companies on data centres, power infrastructure, and advanced chips is adding to inflation concerns, keeping bond yields elevated and limiting upside for risk assets.

Geopolitical risks have also intensified after Iran's exports were blocked. Despite this, institutional interest remains resilient, with US spot Bitcoin ETFs recording a sixth consecutive day of net inflows, adding $203 million on Tuesday and taking the total to nearly $930 million, Siddhant further said.

The global crypto market capitalisation edged down 0.07% to $2.24 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap. Traders have begun to book profits as Bitcoin continues to face significant upward pressure while holding above $65,600, said CoinDCX Research Team.

In the past week, Bitcoin and Ethereum were up 1.5% and 0.2% respectively. Among the major altcoins, XRP, Solana, Tron, and Cardano gained up to 6% whereas BNB, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin fell up to 12%.

Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus said Bitcoin traded near $65,800 on Thursday, down about 1% over 24 hours, as the market consolidated after its recent advance. Immediate support lies around $65,500, followed by $65,000.

Exchange inflows have fallen to a fraction of their early-June peak, indicating that immediate selling pressure has eased. However, recent accumulation has concentrated among wallets holding 1,000-10,000 Bitcoin, while broader wallet participation remains limited, said Subburaj.

Market perspective
Nischal Shetty, founder, WazirX
Bitcoin is trading around $65,790, with the daily technical outlook remaining neutral as buyers and sellers stay evenly matched. Moving averages lean bullish, while mixed oscillator signals suggest traders are awaiting a decisive breakout.

Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange
In crypto, Bitcoin’s four-hour structure remains bullish above the $64,150–$64,950 support zone. A confirmed breakout above $67,200 could open the path toward $68,000, while a loss of $64,150 may expose $62,500–$63,000. Ethereum continues to show stronger relative momentum above $1,880.

Also Read |Tanla Platforms shares jump nearly 14% post Q1 earnings, revenue surges 17.8% YoY

Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Pi42
Bitcoin is trading at around $65,700 today after a modest pullback, as higher oil prices, expectations of elevated interest rates, and broader macroeconomic uncertainty weighed on investor sentiment. Despite the near-term pressure, the market continues to demonstrate resilience, with institutional participation and ETF flows providing a supportive backdrop.

CoinSwitch Markets Desk
Bitcoin’s rebound is approaching a key resistance zone near $70K, where profit-taking and selling from long-term holders could slow further gains. Bitcoin is currently trading around $66K, but demand remains uneven, leaving the market vulnerable to another pullback. At the same time, options traders have built nearly $2.5 billion in positions targeting $72K by the end of July, pointing to expectations of increased volatility around the upcoming Fed meeting.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.

Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA.

Key Highlights Table of Contents

Key HighlightsCryptocurrency Trading Embedded Within BancaStato’s Banking InfrastructureDigital Asset Services Extended Through Sygnum’s Banking InfrastructureIndustry Context for BancaStato’s Digital Asset IntegrationGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks BancaStato introduces Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Litecoin trading within its banking application.

Regulated cryptocurrency services powered by Sygnum’s API-based infrastructure.

Digital asset trading accessible through current web and mobile banking interfaces.

Seamless Avaloq SaaS platform integration eliminates standalone trading requirements.

Service launch broadens Swiss banking access to regulated cryptocurrency products.

A Swiss cantonal financial institution, BancaStato, has introduced regulated digital currency trading capabilities within its banking applications by leveraging Sygnum’s cryptocurrency infrastructure alongside Avaloq’s banking technology. This new functionality enables account holders to purchase, store, and liquidate Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Litecoin directly through the bank’s current web and mobile interfaces. The implementation strengthens BancaStato’s digital investment portfolio while maintaining cryptocurrency services within its supervised banking framework.

Cryptocurrency Trading Embedded Within BancaStato’s Banking Infrastructure The integration was achieved by connecting Sygnum’s business-to-business application programming interface with BancaStato’s Avaloq core banking system. Account holders gain access to digital currency trading using the identical applications they currently utilize for traditional banking and investment activities. By incorporating digital assets directly into established services, the financial institution eliminated the necessity for a standalone trading interface.

Upon release, BancaStato provides trading capabilities for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Litecoin. Account holders can place market orders denominated in either cryptocurrency units or corresponding U.S. dollar amounts. The bank maintains portfolio oversight within its established digital banking interface.

Sygnum processes all cryptocurrency transactions via its regulated infrastructure while delivering institutional-quality custody solutions. The custody architecture incorporates hardware security, software safeguards, governance protocols, and independent auditing. Furthermore, client digital assets are maintained separately from the institution’s balance sheet in accordance with regulatory mandates.

Digital Asset Services Extended Through Sygnum’s Banking Infrastructure This deployment positions BancaStato among over 25 financial institutions utilizing Sygnum’s business-to-business banking infrastructure. The implementation designates the bank as the inaugural institution on Avaloq’s software-as-a-service platform to activate Sygnum-facilitated crypto trading via direct API connectivity. This methodology diminishes operational intricacy by eliminating separate order management system requirements.

The streamlined architecture enables BancaStato to modify trading capabilities while preserving its existing banking infrastructure. The framework facilitates risk oversight without introducing supplementary operational tiers. Account holders administer conventional investments alongside digital assets through a unified banking relationship instead of disparate platforms.

Established in 1915, BancaStato provides financial services throughout the Canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland. The institution continues broadening its investment product range while preserving its regulated banking framework. The cryptocurrency integration incorporates digital assets without altering the customer interface across its digital channels.

Industry Context for BancaStato’s Digital Asset Integration Sygnum maintains its expansion of regulated digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions throughout Switzerland and broader Europe. Its collaborative network currently delivers digital asset access to over one-third of Switzerland’s population via affiliated banking institutions. Prior integrations encompass entities including PostFinance, Zuger Kantonalbank, Bordier & Cie, and SocGen FORGE.

The infrastructure has experienced consistent growth in recent years as conventional banks enhanced digital asset product offerings. Earlier implementations revealed significant demand from banking clientele utilizing integrated cryptocurrency services in conjunction with traditional financial instruments. PostFinance subsequently broadened its Sygnum-enabled service portfolio by introducing Ethereum staking capabilities through its established banking platforms.

The BancaStato deployment represents another significant achievement for Sygnum’s European activities. On June 30, 2026, Sygnum Europe obtained Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation via Liechtenstein’s Financial Market Authority. This regulatory approval enhances supervised digital asset services for banking institutions across the European Union while facilitating future growth through proven banking infrastructure.

Oliver Dale

Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]

Yemen’s Houthis attacked Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and intercepted multiple commercial vessels amid escalating US-Iran war. Oil prices have climbed further due to disruptions in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, causing Bitcoin and XRP to pare gains.

Yemen’s Iran-Aligned Houthis Disrupt Oil Supply in Red Sea Yemen’s armed forces hit two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, IRNA News Agency reported on July 23. The attacks also intercepted multiple commercial vessels, according to a formal statement by spokesperson Yahya Saree.

Saudi authorities confirmed a Saudi-owned commercial vessel was targeted in the Red Sea, causing a fire on the ship. All crew members are safe. Authorities claim such attacks constitute a violation of international laws and norms.

Houthi leaders in Yemen have declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, effective immediately. US stock futures, Bitcoin and XRP are dropping amid risks of further supply disruptions.  

The attacks coincided with Saudi Arabia signing a nuclear deal with the US. The 30-year agreement aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy.

Saudi Arabia and United States Sign Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. pic.twitter.com/FSJWIqmXwS

— وزارة الطاقة (@MoEnergy_Saudi) July 22, 2026

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed another round of strikes against Iran for the 12th consecutive night. President Trump threatened to bomb bridges or power plants every time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz

U.S forces struck Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense systems. The strikes further degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels.

Bitcoin and XRP Slips amid Rising Oil Prices, US Treasury Yields Two-chokepoint risk for global oil supply caused oil prices to spike above $88 per barrel today. Oil prices are now up more than 31% since July-start, with no signs of an end to the US-Iran war.

Meanwhile, the US dollar index (DXY) slipped below 101.71 amid inflation concerns from surging energy costs. The 10Y Treasury Yield is approaching 4.70% and a fresh 52-week high, triggering selloffs in Bitcoin price. This puts the 10Y Treasury Yield up over 70 basis points since the US-Iran war began, with markets continuing to brace for an energy shock.

30-Year Treasury Yield closing in on its highest level since the run-up to the Global Financial Crisis 🚨 🚨 pic.twitter.com/8EeHCTctVb

— Barchart (@Barchart) July 22, 2026

Bitcoin fell more than 1% amid Yemen’s attacks in the Red Sea. The price is currently trading near $65,600, with a 24-hour low and high of $65,514 and $66,401, respectively.

Furthermore, trading volume has decreased by 9% in the last 24 hours, indicating a drop in interest among traders. Investors await US economic events and the Fed rate decision for cues on market direction.

Meanwhile, XRP price hit resistance near $1.16 again and fell to $1.13. Trading volume has dropped 32% as traders weigh rising Middle East tensions. XRP futures open interest also dropped more than 1% to $2.51 billion in the past 4 hours.

Navigating these volatile macro environments requires a dedicated suite of the best crypto research tools to analyze blockchain transaction volume and market sentiment.