TSMC's US stock rose over 4% in pre-market trading, as it will develop AI chip packaging technology.
According to BIT (bit.com) market data, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM.N) saw its U.S. pre-market shares rise more than 4%. On the news front, TSMC announced today that it will develop AI chip packaging technology.
4 minutes ago
Polymarket to Upgrade Crypto Prediction Market Settlement Rules: Ditches Single-Price Snapshots for Time-Weighted Average Prices
Prediction platform Polymarket announced it will implement major adjustments to the settlement mechanism of its crypto price movement markets starting August 7 to safeguard market integrity. Effective at 00:00 UTC that day, affected markets will no longer settle based on a single point-in-time price snapshot, instead adopting the Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP) model. Different market durations have corresponding TWAP windows: all crypto 5-minute markets use a 30-second TWAP, 15-minute markets use a 60-second TWAP, and 4-hour markets also use a 60-second TWAP. The prior single-snapshot settlement method was vulnerable to price manipulation during low-liquidity periods; the change marks Polymarket’s proactive reinforcement of its market integrity framework following a series of regulatory concerns. To support the transition, Polymarket will allocate $1 million in liquidity rewards to all affected markets throughout August. Technically, Chainlink’s TWAP testnet data stream is already live, while mainnet data streams and Polymarket’s real-time data stream service will launch on August 4. Developers will then be able to access TWAP prices directly via Chainlink Data Streams or Polymarket’s public WebSocket.
4 minutes ago
Last week’s U.S. initial jobless claims increase came in below expectations, and the U.S. labor market remains in a phase of slowing hiring and layoffs.
The increase in U.S. initial jobless claims last week came in lower than market expectations, signaling the labor market remains stable. The U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday that for the week ending July 25, initial jobless claims across states rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted total of 197,000, against economists' forecast of 200,000. This uptick partially offset the prior week's decline, when the figure had hit its lowest level since 1969. Initial jobless claims data for July is often volatile, as automakers typically halt production for annual maintenance and equipment upgrades during this period. However, this year, General Motors kept most of its assembly plants operational, while Ford Motor canceled its traditional summer shutdown for truck factories. This may have disrupted the statistical models the government uses to filter out seasonal fluctuations. Economists noted that the U.S. labor market remains in a state of "slowing hiring and slowing layoffs".
4 minutes ago
Oracle climbs nearly 5% in pre-market trading, set to launch enterprise applications powered by Google’s Gemini model.
According to BIT (bit.com) market data, Oracle’s US stock rose nearly 5% in pre-market trading, and is now up over 3.5%. On the news front, Oracle has expanded its partnership with Google, and will launch enterprise applications powered by Google’s Gemini model.
4 minutes ago
Microsoft is considering launching an open-weight AI model to counter competition from Chinese AI developers including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI.
According to Nikkei News, Microsoft (MSFT.O) is considering making some of its self-developed AI models available with open weights. Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, said the company is evaluating this possibility amid growing popularity of Chinese AI models among U.S. users. The move signals a potential shift in Microsoft’s AI strategy: facing competition from Chinese AI developers including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI, Microsoft aims to boost its competitiveness while reducing reliance on OpenAI. The tech giant also stated it plans to maintain its multimodal strategy, enabling customers to use models from OpenAI or Anthropic based on their specific needs.
4 minutes ago
In U.S. pre-market trading, gains in the semiconductor and storage sectors have widened, with SanDisk and Western Digital surging over 8% each, and SK Hynix ADR climbing 5.3%.
According to BIT (bit.com) market data, pre-market trading in U.S. semiconductor and storage sectors has extended gains, as detailed below: ARM’s gain widened to 11% after it had earlier fallen nearly 8%; Lam Research (LRCX) jumped more than 13%. LRCX released its earnings report after yesterday’s market close, with both its financial results and forward guidance exceeding consensus expectations, projecting its next-quarter revenue to reach a peak of $8.5 billion. Nvidia (NVDA) rose 2.1%; Intel (INTC) gained 4.9%; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) climbed 5.8%; Seagate Technology (STX) advanced 7.5%; Western Digital (WDC) rose 8.3%; SanDisk (SNDK) gained 8.6%; Micron Technology (MU) climbed 6.3%; SK Hynix ADR rose 5.3%.
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Microsoft's pre-market gains widened to over 10% after the company reported $90 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an 18% year-over-year rise.
According to market data from BIT (bit.com), Microsoft’s pre-market gain in US equities has widened to over 10%, trading at $430. Following Wednesday’s US after-hours trading, Microsoft released its fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter financial results, reporting revenue of $90 billion, an 18% year-over-year increase. The growth rate of Azure and other cloud services rose to 43% from 40% in the prior quarter. CEO Satya Nadella noted that Azure’s full fiscal year revenue exceeded $100 billion, growing by 41%—the first time the business has crossed the $100 billion threshold.
3 minutes ago
A newly created address withdrew 1,250 Bitcoin from Binance, worth approximately $80.94 million.
According to Lookonchain's monitoring, a newly created address (bc1qwz) has just withdrawn 1,250 Bitcoin from Binance, valued at approximately $80.94 million.
3 minutes ago
Samsung Electronics plans to restart its aggressive shareholder return program for the first time in a decade, likely modeled after its 2017 plan, with share repurchases and cancellations leading the way.
Citrini analyst Jukan cited a report from South Korea’s Meritz Securities, stating that Samsung Electronics is expected to unveil a shareholder return plan in the coming weeks, on par with its aggressive 2017 initiative—marking the first revival of its "early execution plan" in nearly a decade. Specific measures include raising dividends, ceasing to deduct M&A expenses when calculating free cash flow, and returning 50% of free cash flow to shareholders in full. Meritz’s report notes that Samsung’s management has acknowledged the recent stock price drop has undervalued its shares, so moves directly boosting shareholder value such as share buybacks and cancellations are expected to roll out first. Samsung Electronics faced pressure in July due to overall pullbacks in its memory chip segment and structural factors including forced liquidation of leveraged ETFs; its current stock price remains significantly discounted from June’s highs. If the return plan is implemented, it will signal a structural shift in Samsung’s capital allocation strategy from conservative expansion to prioritizing shareholder returns.
3 minutes ago
UBS cuts Qualcomm's price target to $170, as the chipmaker's revenue dropped 4% year-over-year in its financial report.
UBS Group has cut Qualcomm (QCOM.O)’s price target from $190 to $170. Qualcomm reported Q3 fiscal 2026 revenue of $9.95 billion after Wednesday’s market close, down 4% year-over-year from $10.365 billion in the same period last year, and beat the market expectation of $9.66 billion. According to market data from BIT (bit.com), Qualcomm is trading down roughly 6% in pre-market action at $146.3.
3 minutes ago
JPMorgan Chase has issued a short-term bullish signal on the S&P 500, stating that the current oversold level constitutes a tactical buying opportunity.
JPMorgan’s Global Market Intelligence team released a new report, noting that the bank’s US Tactical Position Monitor has issued a “flash buy signal” for the S&P 500. The monitor tracks clients’ US equity exposure levels, and JPMorgan judges that the current position’s oversold level is sufficient to constitute a tactical buying opportunity. Historical data also supports this assessment: after similar four-week position adjustments, the S&P 500 has risen an average of around 3% in the subsequent 20 trading days, compared to an average gain of only about 1% in all other periods.
3 minutes ago
US pre-market trading sees gains in the semiconductor and storage sectors, with Sandisk and Western Digital rising over 4%, while Lam Research (LRCX) surges more than 7% following its earnings release.
According to market data from BIT (bit.com), the semiconductor and storage sectors are rising in pre-market trading for US stocks. Lam Research (LRCX) leads the gains with a 7.65% increase; the company released its earnings report after yesterday’s market close, with both performance and guidance exceeding expectations, forecasting next quarter’s revenue to reach a maximum of $8.5 billion. Other notable gainers include: NVIDIA (NVDA) up 1.77%, Intel (INTC) up 2.26%, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) up 3.55%, Seagate Technology (STX) up 3.74%, Western Digital (WDC) up 4.01%, SanDisk (SNDK) up 4.33%, Micron Technology (MU) up 2.45%, and SK Hynix ADR up 1.8%.
Crypto security risks showed little sign of easing during the first half of 2026. Instead, attacks accelerated to record levels, pushing industry losses beyond $1.1 billion in just six months.
A report by Blockaid tracked over 212 on-chain incidents. These losses alone exceed the total losses recorded throughout 2025.
Furthermore, the incident count reached 3.4 times the previous full-year level, suggesting attackers are exploiting vulnerabilities faster than projects can address them.
Source: Blockaid April alone accounted for over $600 million in losses across DeFi, translating to over 50% of these losses. The Kelp DAO ($293 million) and Drift Protocol ($285 million) incidents stood out as the biggest individual attacks.
The two incidents also demonstrated how a single breach can erase significant value within hours. Meanwhile, the $5.4 million average loss and $213,000 median loss showed that smaller attacks remained persistent across the ecosystem.
Together, these figures suggest security threats are becoming broader and more costly, increasing pressure on crypto projects to strengthen infrastructure, smart contract auditing, and incident response before losses climb even higher.
Ethereum and Solana lead security losses Those rising losses also reveal where attackers concentrated their efforts during the first half of 2026. Ethereum [ETH] recorded the largest losses at $332 million. Solana [SOL] trailed it closely behind at $326 million, making the two largest blockchain ecosystems the primary targets.
Source: X However, the attack methods differed considerably. Ethereum’s concentration of high-value protocols made smart contracts and protocol code the preferred targets. In contrast, Solana’s signer-heavy multisig ecosystem meant compromised private keys and signing infrastructure accounted for more than 98% of losses.
Meanwhile, cross-chain bridges remained the largest source of dollar exposure, with the $292 million KelpDAO exploit demonstrating how bridge infrastructure continues to attract sophisticated attacks.
These trends show that attackers are targeting the architecture specific to each blockchain rather than merely focusing on larger ecosystems.
Can crypto outpace attackers? Rather than merely trying to prevent them, crypto security has evolved into measuring recovery success based on the pace of recovering the funds.
Despite improved auditing, bug bounty programs, and real-time monitoring having reduced the time to respond to an attack and limited loss, recovery is still very inconsistent.
However, despite these efforts, recovery remains inconsistent, especially after key compromises. Looking ahead, stronger signer security, continuous monitoring, and faster incident coordination will likely determine whether future losses decline.
Until recovery improves alongside prevention, the industry’s expanding security infrastructure will remain effective at limiting damage rather than stopping attacks.
Final Summary Crypto security losses exceeded $1.1 billion in H1 2026, showing attackers continue evolving faster than industry defenses. Crypto security will depend on stronger prevention, faster recovery, and better operational defenses to reduce successful exploits.
Morgan Stanley Investment Management launched two new crypto exchange-traded products on NYSE Arca on July 28: the Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust (MSSE) and the Morgan Stanley Solana Trust (MSOL). Both carry a 0.14% expense ratio and both intend to stake a portion of their holdings, passing the full staking reward through to shareholders.
"MSIM will not retain any portion of the rewards earned by either ETP for itself," the firm said in its announcement.
The products track the CoinDesk Ether Benchmark and CoinDesk Solana Benchmark 4pm New York settlement rates, respectively. Morgan Stanley Investment Management acts as Delegated Sponsor rather than direct custodian, holding assets through third-party custodial agreements in segregated accounts. Neither trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the same structure used by the spot bitcoin and ether ETFs approved in 2024.
“Since introducing our first ETFs in 2023, we’ve built a diversified suite of ETFs and ETPs that now exceed $14 billion in assets under management,” said Ally Wallace, MSIM’s global head of ETFs. “The addition of MSSE and MSOL reflects the natural evolution of our product suite, which seeks to provide simplified access to digital assets through the ETP wrapper.”
Amy Oldenburg, MSIM’s head of digital asset strategy, framed the launch around portfolio construction rather than speculation: “Digital assets are becoming an increasingly important component of diversified investment portfolios.”
The launch follows the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), which debuted earlier this year as the first crypto ETP from a U.S. bank-affiliated asset manager and holds more than $381 million in assets as of July 16. MSSE and MSOL extend that franchise from bitcoin, where Morgan Stanley was already a year behind the first spot approvals, into Ether and Solana, where it is considerably later still.
By the time MSSE and MSOL started trading, Bitwise’s staked Solana ETF (BSOL) already held roughly $418 million and staked its full Solana balance for a 7.1% reward rate, using its own validator infrastructure rather than delegating to an outside operator. Grayscale’s Solana Trust ETF (GSOL) targets full staking too, but at a considerably higher cost: a 0.35% base fee plus a 23% cut of staking rewards. REX-Osprey’s SSK, the first U.S. fund to combine spot Solana exposure with staking, has around $90 million in assets. Morgan Stanley is not creating this category. It is undercutting it on price while adding a brand name that carries weight with wealth managers who would not put client capital into a REX-Osprey or Bitwise product.
That price positioning matters more than usual because of where Ether and Solana actually sit. Ether has fallen more than two-thirds from its August 2025 high near $4,950 and is trading close to $1,900, down roughly a third year to date and underperforming bitcoin’s own decline. Solana has fared worse in percentage terms, trading near $74, down about 74% from its January 2025 peak. A staking yield is a percentage of a shrinking number, and a fund’s expense ratio eats into that yield directly. On assets that have lost most of their dollar value over the past year, the difference between paying 0.14% and paying 0.35% plus a quarter of the reward stream is no longer a rounding error for an allocator sizing a position for the first time.
What’s notable is that the price collapse has not deterred flows into these wrappers. Solana spot ETFs have taken in more than $1.1 billion cumulatively, and by late July had strung together a run of consecutive trading sessions with net inflows even as the token itself sat near multi-quarter lows. That combination, falling spot price alongside rising ETF assets, is usually read as evidence that the buyer base has shifted: from traders chasing momentum to allocators building a structural position through a regulated wrapper, indifferent to short-term price action because the thesis is multi-year. Morgan Stanley’s entry reinforces that reading. A private bank does not launch a staking product to catch a rally; it launches one because its wealth management arm has clients asking for an allocation and needs a vehicle it is comfortable putting in front of them.
The regulatory backdrop has also shifted the calculus for issuers. The SEC has spent this month working through a broader “Regulation Crypto” agenda that includes a proposed generic listing standard for crypto ETFs, under which any asset with six months of regulated futures trading would qualify automatically rather than requiring an asset-specific rule filing. That kind of standardization is what lets an asset manager like Morgan Stanley move from bitcoin to ether to solana in the space of months rather than years, and it is likely to keep drawing new entrants into an already crowded staked-ETP field.
The open question is whether undercutting on fee is enough to take share from Bitwise and REX-Osprey, both of which have a head start and, in BSOL’s case, its own validator setup rather than a delegated one. Fee compression tends to favor incumbents with scale until a large enough distribution advantage arrives to reset the field, and Morgan Stanley’s wealth management channel is exactly that kind of advantage. The next few months of AUM data, not the launch itself, will show whether brand and price beat first-mover validator infrastructure in a market still deciding what a staking ETF is actually worth.
Licensed to Shill: Retail Barely Touches Stablecoins – Treasury & Remittance Are the Real Adoption (Jeannie Lim, Xweave)
At Xweave, Jeannie Lim says her team moved $1 million for an e-commerce client in under three minutes, cutting settlement costs 30% against a Tier 2 bank’s SWIFT rate.
SKHX's funding rate on Binance is now 2.1 times that on Hyperliquid.
According to Hyperinsight’s monitoring, the current funding rate for SKHX on Hyperliquid has risen to 0.0373% per hour, paid by long positions to short positions. On Binance, the SKHYNIXUSDT funding rate is approximately 0.3141% every four hours, about 2.1 times that of Hyperliquid over the same period. Calculated at current rates, holding a $10,000 long position would incur a 24-hour funding cost of roughly $89.6 on Hyperliquid and about $188.4 on Binance, a difference of approximately $98.8. Over the past 24 hours, the cumulative settled funding rate for SKHX on Hyperliquid stood at around 0.3925%, while the current hourly rate has risen to roughly 2.3 times the 24-hour average, accelerating cost increases for long positions.
1 seconds ago
Leveraged ETFs tracking South Korea’s semiconductor storage sector plunged, with the Southern 2x Long SK Hynix ETF falling over 17%.
The South Korean storage sector continues to face pressure. As of press time, Hong Kong-listed leveraged ETFs are broadly lower. The Nanfang 2x Long Samsung Electronics (07747) declined 7.65% to HK$54.58; the Nanfang 2x Long SK Hynix (07709) dropped 17.13% to HK$27.10.
1 seconds ago
China's A-share ChiNext Index and STAR 50 Index both fell more than 6% before midday trading.
China's ChiNext Index and STAR 50 Index both fell more than 6% before midday trading, the Shenzhen Component Index dropped nearly 3.86%, and the Shanghai Composite Index declined 1.2%.
1 seconds ago
Address linked to Bitminter founder transfers 829 BTC, some assets move after lying dormant for 8 years
According to monitoring by Emmett Gallic, addresses linked to Geir Harald Hansen, founder of early Bitcoin mining pool Bitminter, recently transferred 829 BTC, with some of these coins moving on-chain for the first time in 8 years. Publicly available information shows that Bitminter, founded by Hansen, was one of the major early Bitcoin mining pools, at its peak accounting for nearly 10% of the network’s total hash rate and having mined approximately 208,232 BTC in total.
1 seconds ago
Meme token STONKBROKER on Robinhood Chain briefly hit a $30 million market cap, surging 54.52% in the past 24 hours.
According to GMGN market data, STONKBROKER’s market capitalization briefly touched $30 million, and currently stands at $29.33 million, with a 24-hour gain of 54.52%.
1 seconds ago
South Korea’s KOSPI index plunged nearly 50% in 40 days, with Samsung and SK Hynix — which account for half of the index’s weighting — acting as a major driver of the decline.
South Korea’s stock market has recently faced intense selling pressure, with AI chip trading shifting from a crowded high-level position to concentrated liquidation. The KOSPI index hit an intraday all-time high of 9,385.59 points on June 19, before plummeting in less than a month and a half. Calculated at the current level around 5,689 points, the index has pulled back roughly 39% from its peak; measured against yesterday’s intraday low, the maximum decline is nearly 44%. In terms of market capitalization, the KOSPI’s total market cap has shrunk sharply from its mid-June high, with market estimates putting the evaporated value approaching $2 trillion (roughly 1.55 times Bitcoin’s total market cap). The core pressure driving this round of declines is concentrated in semiconductor heavyweight stocks. The KOSPI is a market-cap weighted index, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix exerting enormous influence on the benchmark. Recent calculations show Samsung Electronics accounts for nearly 30% of the KOSPI’s market cap, while SK Hynix makes up over 20%, bringing the two firms’ combined weight to more than 50%. In other words, South Korea’s main board index is highly tied to AI memory, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), and the semiconductor cycle in this market move. Previously, SK Hynix’s stock surged on the back of HBM demand, memory price hikes, and AI server orders, while Samsung Electronics also benefited from market bets on an AI memory recovery. However, as global tech stock volatility intensified, investors began reassessing risks including returns on AI capital expenditure, competition from Chinese memory players, stretched valuations, and the risk of leveraged funds exiting, triggering a sharp reversal in South Korea’s semiconductor stock chain.
In brief The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.5%–3.75% on Wednesday. Bitcoin and Ethereum both dipped slightly shortly after the 2 p.m. ET announcement. No updated rate projections were released—the Fed's next dot plot, which maps where policymakers expect rates to go, is scheduled for September. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 3.5%–3.75% on Wednesday, meeting near-universal market expectations and leaving crypto markets to digest a muted response—even as equities sold off on a combination of hawkish dissent and a geopolitical shock.
The price of Bitcoin dipped around 1% to $63,890 following the Fed's announcement while Ethereum similarly fell by about 1% , now trading for just above $1,900.
It's the fifth consecutive hold since the committee cut rates by 25 basis points in December 2025—the last move Jerome Powell made before Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick for Fed chair, took over. Since then, rates haven't moved. Neither has Warsh's communication style: he's pledged to share less "forward guidance" than his predecessors, meaning markets get fewer signals about what's coming next.
Wednesday's decision came without a Summary of Economic Projections—the quarterly dot plot that shows where each Fed member expects rates to land. That means no fresh forecast to trade on. The next one comes in September. What the committee did note: the economy is "expanding at a solid pace," but inflation remains above its 2% target, due in part to the situation in the Middle East causing energy prices to rise.
That last part matters for crypto. Nearly half of FOMC members signaled at the June meeting they'd support a rate hike before year-end. Oil has been trading above $100 a barrel in recent weeks, keeping price pressure alive. A September hike is no longer off the table—and markets know it.
The Federal Reserve adjusts interest rates when economic data—inflation, employment, growth—points toward overheating or slowdown. When rates go up, borrowing gets more expensive: mortgages, business loans, and credit card debt all cost more, slowing spending and, in theory, cooling prices. When they go down, cheaper credit tends to encourage risk-taking and investment. For assets like crypto, lower rates historically act as a tailwind—money flows toward higher-yielding bets when safe alternatives pay less. The reverse is also true: even the threat of a hike tends to pressure prices lower.
Three regional Fed bank presidents—Beth Hammack of Cleveland, Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis, and Lorie Logan of Dallas—voted against holding and in favor of an immediate 25-basis-point hike, the most hawkish bloc of dissents of Warsh's tenure as chair.
The Iran attack was also weighing on markets: Oil climbed nearly $4 to $83 before the decision was released, adding to inflation pressures that gave the hawks their argument. At least 20 people were killed in joint U.S. and Saudi Arabian retaliatory strikes on Iranian-backed forces in Iraq.
The next FOMC decision is September 16, 2026, when the committee will publish updated economic projections and a new dot plot.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
In brief The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.5%–3.75% on Wednesday. Bitcoin and Ethereum both dipped slightly shortly after the 2 p.m. ET announcement. No updated rate projections were released—the Fed's next dot plot, which maps where policymakers expect rates to go, is scheduled for September. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 3.5%–3.75% on Wednesday, meeting near-universal market expectations and leaving crypto markets to digest a muted response—even as equities sold off on a combination of hawkish dissent and a geopolitical shock.
The price of Bitcoin dipped around 1% to $63,890 following the Fed's announcement while Ethereum similarly fell by about 1% , now trading for just above $1,900.
It's the fifth consecutive hold since the committee cut rates by 25 basis points in December 2025—the last move Jerome Powell made before Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick for Fed chair, took over. Since then, rates haven't moved. Neither has Warsh's communication style: he's pledged to share less "forward guidance" than his predecessors, meaning markets get fewer signals about what's coming next.
Wednesday's decision came without a Summary of Economic Projections—the quarterly dot plot that shows where each Fed member expects rates to land. That means no fresh forecast to trade on. The next one comes in September. What the committee did note: the economy is "expanding at a solid pace," but inflation remains above its 2% target, due in part to the situation in the Middle East causing energy prices to rise.
That last part matters for crypto. Nearly half of FOMC members signaled at the June meeting they'd support a rate hike before year-end. Oil has been trading above $100 a barrel in recent weeks, keeping price pressure alive. A September hike is no longer off the table—and markets know it.
The Federal Reserve adjusts interest rates when economic data—inflation, employment, growth—points toward overheating or slowdown. When rates go up, borrowing gets more expensive: mortgages, business loans, and credit card debt all cost more, slowing spending and, in theory, cooling prices. When they go down, cheaper credit tends to encourage risk-taking and investment. For assets like crypto, lower rates historically act as a tailwind—money flows toward higher-yielding bets when safe alternatives pay less. The reverse is also true: even the threat of a hike tends to pressure prices lower.
Three regional Fed bank presidents—Beth Hammack of Cleveland, Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis, and Lorie Logan of Dallas—voted against holding and in favor of an immediate 25-basis-point hike, the most hawkish bloc of dissents of Warsh's tenure as chair.
The Iran attack was also weighing on markets: Oil climbed nearly $4 to $83 before the decision was released, adding to inflation pressures that gave the hawks their argument. At least 20 people were killed in joint U.S. and Saudi Arabian retaliatory strikes on Iranian-backed forces in Iraq.
The next FOMC decision is September 16, 2026, when the committee will publish updated economic projections and a new dot plot.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Ethereum’s [ETH] largest wallets redistributed 226,435 ETH, worth nearly $430 million, during the previous 24 hours. The move marked one of the biggest whale activity spikes recorded in recent weeks. Instead of triggering immediate panic, the market absorbed the transfers while the price remained above major support.
Large redistributions often reflect portfolio rebalancing rather than outright capitulation, although they frequently raise concerns about future supply. Market participants closely watched whether those tokens reached exchanges or simply changed ownership between large holders.
Even with heightened whale activity, Ethereum avoided an aggressive breakdown. As a result, investors shifted their attention toward the broader market structure instead of reacting solely to the transaction size.
The focus now moves to whether buyers can preserve confidence and absorb any additional supply that could emerge during the coming sessions.
Why did top ETH traders ignore whale selling? Binance’s Top Trader Long/Short Ratio continued favoring buyers despite the massive whale redistribution. At press time, long accounts represented 61.74% of positions, while shorts accounted for 38.26%, producing a 1.61 long-to-short ratio.
Those figures showed experienced traders maintained bullish exposure instead of reducing risk after the whale transfers surfaced. Their positioning suggested expectations for higher prices remained intact despite elevated uncertainty.
Retail sentiment often weakens during large on-chain movements, yet professional traders frequently focus on broader market structure before adjusting leverage. Consequently, the futures market displayed resilience rather than fear.
The divergence between whale redistribution and derivatives positioning indicated that large traders still viewed the recent activity as manageable.
Source: CoinGlass ETH funding reflects steady bullish leverage Ethereum’s perpetual futures market maintained a positive bias throughout the observed period. At press time, Funding Rates climbed to approximately 0.007808, representing a 306.96% daily increase.
Positive funding indicated that long traders willingly paid premiums to keep bullish positions open. Such behavior generally reflected confidence instead of defensive positioning.
Rising funding alone rarely guarantees additional gains because excessive optimism sometimes preceded short-term pullbacks. However, the latest increase aligned with Binance’s long-heavy positioning and reinforced the constructive derivatives outlook.
Healthy funding also suggests leveraged participants had not abandoned their directional view despite the unusually large whale redistribution. Even if volatility increased, the derivatives market still favored buyers.
Any sustained deterioration in funding would likely weaken that outlook, whereas stable positive readings could continue supporting bullish expectations.
Source: CryptoQuant Ethereum reclaims buyers’ edge near resistance At the time of analysis, ETH traded around $1,918 after revisiting the key supply zone between $1,900 and $1,945, an area that repeatedly influenced price direction.
Buyers successfully defended higher lows during the recent recovery, allowing price to challenge overhead resistance instead of revisiting the June lows. The Directional Movement Index (DMI) strengthened the bullish structure as +DI stood at 26.98, exceeding -DI at 16.15, while the ADX reached 24.42.
These readings showed buyers controlled the prevailing trend, and the underlying directional strength remained respectable. Price also approached the upper boundary of the highlighted supply region after recovering from the ascending trendline.
Source: TradingView If buyers continue defending current levels, Ethereum could challenge $2,145 next. However, rejection inside the supply zone could send the price back toward $1,830 before another recovery attempt develops.
Final Summary Whale redistribution failed to derail bullish derivatives sentiment as traders continued favoring long positions. Ethereum held key demand while buyers retained control, keeping the broader recovery structure intact.
The Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rate steady at 3.5%–3.75% on Wednesday, as anticipated by most market participants. The policy move, which offered no new signals about the path ahead, prompted a mild decline in cryptocurrency prices, with Bitcoin and Ethereum both losing ground after the announcement.
Shortly after the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision was revealed at 2 p.m. ET, the price of Bitcoin slipped approximately 1% to $63,890. Ethereum also dipped about 1%, trading just above $1,900 by late afternoon. The subdued response in digital assets contrasted with sharper declines in equity markets, which reacted to both policy tensions inside the Fed and mounting geopolitical risks.
This marks the fifth consecutive meeting where the Fed has opted not to adjust rates. The central bank last shifted course in December 2025, trimming rates by 25 basis points. That was also the final policy move under then-Chair Jerome Powell before Kevin Warsh, previously a Federal Reserve Board governor and an advisor to past administrations, assumed leadership of the central bank. Warsh has emphasized a more reserved approach to communication, providing fewer cues to markets than his predecessors.
Trading volumes in both crypto and equities showed signs of uncertainty as investors digested the lack of new forward guidance from the Fed on interest rates, inflation, and growth outlooks.
Economic Projections DelayedPolicymakers did not issue a new Summary of Economic Projections at this meeting. The closely watched “dot plot,” which details each member’s expectations for future interest rates, will next be published in September. The absence of these projections left markets with little to interpret beyond the statement itself.
The committee described the US economy as “expanding at a solid pace” but flagged that inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target, driven in part by rising energy costs linked to Middle East tensions.
Higher inflation readings, paired with oil trading above $100 per barrel in recent weeks, are adding to price pressures across markets. Nearly half of the committee members have indicated potential support for a rate hike before the end of the year, making a September increase a distinct possibility.
Mini dictionary: FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee): The FOMC sets US monetary policy, including interest rates, and is composed of Federal Reserve Board members and regional bank presidents.
Interest rate decisions directly affect a range of financial assets. When the Fed raises rates, borrowing becomes more expensive, typically cooling spending and slowing inflation. Lower rates have the opposite effect by encouraging risk-taking and investment across markets, including cryptocurrencies. Historically, crypto assets tend to benefit from easier financial conditions, while the threat or reality of higher rates puts pressure on prices.
Geopolitical Tensions and Internal DisagreementThree regional bank presidents—Beth Hammack of Cleveland, Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis, and Lorie Logan of Dallas—called for an immediate 25-basis-point rate hike. This trio of dissents represents the most hawkish opposition seen during Warsh’s time as chair.
Geopolitical events also weighed on sentiment. On the day of the Fed announcement, oil prices spiked by nearly $4, reaching $83 per barrel. The move followed retaliatory US and Saudi Arabian strikes targeting Iranian-backed forces in Iraq, which, according to officials, resulted in at least 20 fatalities. The rise in energy prices added urgency to concerns about persistent inflation.
Looking AheadThe Fed will next meet on September 16, 2026. That meeting will include the release of new economic forecasts and a fresh dot plot, offering markets additional insight into policymakers’ expectations for inflation, growth, and the future path of interest rates.
The committee’s balanced approach left crypto markets searching for direction as the likelihood of another rate change later this year remains in focus.
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.
Ethereum Institutional locks in +100 ecosystem backers to accelerate institutional Ethereum adoption.
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Ethereum Institutional, the institutional-adoption group that emerged alongside Ethlabs and EthSystems as part of the Ethereum Foundation's broader spin-out wave, announced it has closed its initial ecosystem funding round, anchored by BitMine, SharpLink, and Ethereum co-founders Joe Lubin and Mihai Alisie.
1/ We’re excited to announce the close of @ethereuminsti's initial ecosystem funding round and supporter coalition, with broad participation and support from individuals and entities focused on driving institutional adoption of @ethereum.
Our ecosystem funding round is anchored… pic.twitter.com/9BHoP9GxWx
— Ethereum Institutional (@ethereuminsti) July 29, 2026 What's the Scoop?The anchors: The same trio behind Ethlabs' launch, i.e. BitMine, SharpLink, and Joe Lubin, returns here, and joined this time by fellow Ethereum co-founder Mihai Alisie.A deep bench: More than 100 participants have signed on as supporters, spanning DeFi blue chips (Aave, Compound, Morpho, Uniswap), infra and custody providers (Circle, Chainlink, Fireblocks, Ledger, MetaMask), L2s (Arbitrum, Optimism, Linea, ZKsync), and data shops (DefiLlama, Dune, Etherscan, L2BEAT), plus individual backers like OP Labs' Karl Floersch and ENS Labs' Katherine Wu.The mission: The close gives Ethereum Institutional runway to push tokenization, stablecoins, collateral, and market-infrastructure work onchain, with direct outreach planned to banks, asset managers, custodians, and sovereign institutions evaluating Ethereum.Third leg of the trio: Ethereum Institutional was already named as one of three recent EF-adjacent spin-outs, alongside Ethlabs (protocol R&D) and EthSystems (institutional privacy engineering); today's close formalizes its funding and supporter base to match its siblings.
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Ethereum price today: $1,910ETH derivatives showed traders trimming positions and moving toward neutral grounds before the Fed's decision to leave rates unchanged.The spot market also aligns with selling activity decreasing and inflows into ETH ETFs dropping to their lowest levels in July.ETH continues to seek direction within the tight short and long-term EMAs range.Ethereum (ETH) climbed above $1,900 on Wednesday following the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.50-3.75%. The decision follows a quiet derivatives and spot market for the top altcoin, with traders waiting for the decision before making a move, according to CryptoQuant analysts.
In a report on Wednesday, the analysts highlighted that long traders in ETH perpetual futures have been booking profits near $1,880, but short dominance remains weakened, indicating that traders are scaling down exposure rather than betting on a fresh price decline.
ETH's Taker Buy Sell Ratio is also around neutral levels, with its 168-hour moving average dropping to 1.00. A similar trend is evident in Bitcoin, where the metric has slipped from 1.04 last week toward 1.00, meaning the volume of long and short traders executing trades against market orders is roughly balanced.
Bitcoin & Ethereum Taker Buy Sell Ratio. Source: CryptoQuant"A neutral book into the event means the FOMC outcome could tip dominance either way and drive a sharp rise in volatility," CryptoQuant noted.
Similarly, the Net Taker Volume, which measures similar metrics but in ETH perpetual markets, eased from 28.9 million to 733K on Tuesday.
In addition, the analysts shared that ETH funding rates on the Deribit exchange have remained positive around 0.0011%, indicating a modestly long-biased market. A sustained positive funding environment could put crowded long positions at risk as a shift toward negative funding could amplify volatility and spur a long squeeze.
On the spot side, exchange inflows have slowed considerably for the top altcoin alongside Bitcoin. The report noted that inflows for both coins are around 274K ETH and 7.4K BTC, showing weak selling pressure.
"Both [are] toward the lower end of their 2026 ranges and well below the 50K+ BTC and 2M+ ETH spikes seen earlier in the year. Subdued inflows suggest holders are not rushing to sell into the meeting, consistent with traders already discounting the expected no-change decision," CryptoQuant analysts wrote.
Bitcoin & Ethereum Exchange Inflows. Source: CryptoQuantInstitutional activity also indicates neutral sentiment as inflows into US spot ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs) dropped to $9.2 million and $14.5 million over the past two days, their lowest net inflows so far in July, according to SoSoValue data.
Earlier reports hinted at a few ETH investors distributing near their on-chain cost basis to potentially de-risk ahead of the FOMC's decision.
With the FOMC leaving rates unchanged, the market has slightly tilted toward the upside as traders await the press conference of Fed Chair Kevin Warsh.
Ethereum technical analysis: ETH seeks direction in tight EMAs rangeEthereum has recorded $53 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, led by $27.2 million in long liquidations, per Coinglass data.
On the daily chart, ETH is consolidating in a neutral-to-bullish stance as it holds above the 20-day and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at roughly $1,868 and $1,846, respectively, while still capped by the 100-day EMA at about $1,935.
The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers around 57, suggesting moderate bullish momentum that could sustain the current bid as long as price remains above this nearby confluence of dynamic supports.
On the topside, immediate resistance is seen at the 100-day EMA around $1,935, followed by the horizontal barrier at $1,961, with higher hurdles then aligning at $2,172 and $2,432.
ETH/USDT daily chartOn the downside, initial support is located at the trendline region near $1,876 before the 20-day and 50-day EMAs. The next horizontal floor is at $1,810, with deeper cushions emerging near $1,702 and $1,507 if selling pressure accelerates.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, but three policymakers voted for a 25-basis-point increase. The central bank said inflation remains above target while economic activity, productivity and investment continue to show strength. Bitcoin fell toward $63,300, while Ethereum dropped below $1,900 as traders reassessed the prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates. Despite continued institutional inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, risk appetite weakened following the Fed’s hawkish message. Fed Holds Rates but Signals Inflation Fight Is Not Over The Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-3 to leave the federal funds target range at 3.50%-3.75%, a decision that matched market expectations but carried a firmer policy message than many investors anticipated.
Three officials – Beth Hammack, Neel Kashkari and Lorie Logan – dissented in favor of a 25-basis-point increase, highlighting continued concern that inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% objective.
In its policy statement, the central bank described the U.S. economy as expanding at a solid pace, supported by resilient employment, strong productivity growth and continued business investment. Officials also pointed to energy-related supply shocks as a factor keeping inflation elevated and reiterated their commitment to restoring price stability.
Rather than signaling that the tightening cycle has ended, the statement suggested policymakers remain prepared to act if inflation proves more persistent than expected.
Bitcoin Tests Long-Term Support Bitcoin traded around $63,270, extending losses after the Fed announcement as investors reduced exposure to risk assets.
Bitcoin tests its 200-period moving average on the 4-hour chart as bearish momentum keeps price below all major short-term trend indicators. On the four-hour chart, BTC has fallen below its 20-, 50- and 100-period moving averages, leaving the 200-period moving average near $63,200 as the most significant technical support. A sustained move below that level could expose the recent swing low around $62,800, while any recovery would first need to reclaim resistance between $64,200 and $64,700, where several moving averages are currently converging.
The broader cryptocurrency market also weakened, with total market capitalization falling to approximately $2.17 trillion, while the Fear & Greed Index slipped to 34, indicating that investor sentiment has shifted further into fear.
Ethereum Loses Momentum Below Key Resistance Ethereum also came under pressure, trading near $1,882 after failing to hold above short-term resistance.
The asset remains below its 20-period and 50-period moving averages, while continuing to trade above the 100-period moving average near $1,883, an area that is now acting as immediate support. The 200-period moving average around $1,794 continues to define the broader medium-term trend.
Ethereum trades near its 100-period moving average on the 4-hour chart as RSI weakens and sellers keep the price below key short-term resistance levels. Momentum indicators have also softened. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has declined to approximately 45, remaining below its signal line and pointing to weakening buying momentum without yet entering oversold territory.
A recovery above $1,900-$1,915 would improve Ethereum’s short-term technical outlook, while a break below $1,880 could increase the likelihood of another test of lower support levels.
Higher-for-Longer Outlook Keeps Crypto Markets Focused on Economic Data Although the Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, policymakers made clear that inflation remains above target and that additional tightening has not been ruled out. The combination of a split vote, resilient economic growth and persistent price pressures reinforced expectations that interest rates could remain elevated for longer.
For cryptocurrency markets, the focus now shifts to incoming inflation, employment and economic growth data, which will shape expectations ahead of the Fed’s next meeting. Higher borrowing costs typically reduce liquidity available for higher-risk assets, making macroeconomic releases a key driver of sentiment across Bitcoin, Ethereum and the broader digital asset market. Until there is clearer evidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward the Fed’s 2% target, investors are likely to remain sensitive to economic data that could alter the path of monetary policy.
This version is tighter, avoids repeating that the Fed held rates, and naturally links the hawkish message to the next catalyst for crypto markets.
The Ethereum Institutional Coalition has announced the completion of its first funding round, signaling a marked increase in institutional support for the Ethereum network. The coalition’s initiative is designed to accelerate blockchain adoption among traditional institutions, focusing on the implementation of onchain tokenization, stablecoins, and comprehensive market infrastructure by 2026.
Industry backing and core supportersKey contributors to the funding round include BitMNR, Sharplink, and Ethereum co-founders Joseph Lubin and Mihai Alisie. More than 100 organizations and individuals from the wider crypto ecosystem have joined as supporters, many with deep experience in institutional-grade digital asset solutions.
The coalition aims to leverage this extensive backing to strengthen Ethereum’s position as a preferred platform for settlement and treasury functions involving real-world asset tokens. The existence of clearer guidance for US stablecoins has created a more favorable environment for regulated onchain financial services, encouraging collaborative efforts to build robust market infrastructure.
Technical priorities and regulatory considerationsWith the infusion of new capital, asset managers, crypto exchanges, and fintech companies are expected to have additional resources to develop compliant settlement mechanisms, merchant payment solutions, and secure custody integrations on both the Ethereum blockchain and associated Layer 2 networks.
In addition, custodial platforms are expected to benefit from an institution-focused advocacy channel that supports the preparation of technical toolkits tailored to their needs. This institutional momentum is anticipated to bring further liquidity to exchanges and create new onramps for traditional finance participants entering the crypto sector.
The coalition’s formation coincides with increased regulatory attention on stablecoin standards and real-world asset token structures, essential for market participants seeking exposure to digital assets outside of direct ETF offerings.
The broad industry participation reflects heightened interest from organizations evaluating Ethereum as a fundamental layer for future settlement and tokenization strategies.
Next steps and ecosystem developmentsThe coalition’s roadmap targets 2026 as the year for full-scale institutional implementation of blockchain-based settlement layers. The organization intends to deploy its accumulated business expertise by driving new tokenization pilot projects, launching partner initiatives, and integrating compliance protocols to facilitate secure asset transfers and stablecoin adoption.
To stay ahead of emerging trends and technical shifts, market participants are turning to platforms that consolidate investment tracking, news, and portfolio management. CryptoAppsy, which requires no account creation hassle, combines crypto investments with real-time prices, detailed charts, and multi-currency portfolio management on a single screen. By enabling instant smart price alerts, filtered news by coin, and early discovery of new altcoin listings, as well as providing macroeconomic data such as Fed interest rates, the platform helps market participants make agile and well-informed decisions in this evolving institutional landscape.
With a growing coalition and a clear, regulated environment, ecosystem leaders are preparing for Ethereum’s evolution from a pioneering smart contract platform into a full-scale settlement solution for mainstream finance.
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.
The Ethereum Foundation has appointed the pseudonymous security researcher known as pcaversaccio to its board of directors, bringing the total to four members. The move, first detailed in a CoinDesk report, arrives alongside broader leadership restructuring at the nonprofit that stewards the world’s second-largest blockchain.
pcaversaccio—referred to simply as “pc” in development circles—has built a reputation as a sharp-eyed auditor and educator within the Ethereum security community. His appointment is unusual in that he operates under a pseudonym, a practice more common among developers than board members of a foundation responsible for coordinating protocol upgrades, grants, and ecosystem direction. The Ethereum Foundation did not immediately disclose whether the seat comes with a term limit or specific oversight duties.
A Security-First Appointment Bringing a security researcher directly onto the board signals that the Foundation sees protocol integrity and smart contract safety as a governance-level priority, not just a technical concern. pcaversaccio has contributed to vulnerability disclosures, open-source security tools, and educational resources used by teams across DeFi and infrastructure. His presence could help bridge gaps between core developers, application builders, and the Foundation’s operational strategy, particularly as Ethereum faces competition from networks that market themselves as more secure or auditable.
This is not the first time the Ethereum Foundation has drawn talent from the security side, but it is notable that a pseudonymous individual will now sit on the board. The decision will likely fuel discussion about transparency and accountability within the Foundation, especially among critics who already question its opaque governance model.
Ethereum Foundation’s Evolving Leadership The board expansion occurs during a period of visible leadership change at the Foundation. While the exact parameters of the restructuring remain unclear, recent months have seen staff departures and a renewed push from community members for more formalized decision-making processes. The Foundation has historically resisted the corporate-style governance that other Layer‑1 projects have adopted, preferring a looser, research-driven approach. With pcaversaccio’s addition, the board now includes voices that are closer to the grassroots security research scene—a potential counterbalance to the more academic or bureaucratic currents that often dominate nonprofit steering.
Developers tracking Ethereum’s roadmap will be watching to see whether the board starts taking a more active role in protocol decisions, or if it remains largely a coordination body. As noted in recent developer activity rankings, Ethereum continues to attract the most active monthly developers, but competition from Solana, Cosmos, and Arbitrum is closing the gap. A nimble governance structure could influence how quickly Ethereum ships upgrades under pressure.
What This Means for the Ecosystem For users and builders, the direct impact may be subtle at first. The Ethereum Foundation does not control the network, and its board does not make protocol decisions unilaterally. But its grant allocations, public messaging, and event coordination shape the direction of innovation. A board member fluent in security economics could tilt funding and attention toward auditing tools, formal verification, and safer smart contract patterns—areas where Ethereum still lags behind the aspirations of institutional participants.
Uncertainties remain. pcaversaccio’s pseudonymous status might limit the Foundation’s ability to satisfy regulatory curiosity, especially as jurisdictions like the EU tighten digital asset oversight. The Foundation itself faces ongoing questions about treasury management and whether it will embrace a more transparent operational model. None of that changes with one appointment, but it does add a distinctive and technically literate voice to the room at a time when Ethereum’s future is being shaped as much by governance as by gas limits.
The appointment also reflects a gradual shift in crypto governance, where pseudonymous contributors—long essential to code development—are stepping into leadership roles previously reserved for doxxed figures. How this experiment unfolds will be closely watched by other protocol foundations and DAOs.
AUTHOR
Kester is an experienced freelance content writer. His focus is primarily on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. One might even refer to him as a "blockchain enthusiast." He has been following advancements in the crypto and blockchain area for several years, researching and writing his insights in the media. In addition to being a skilled content writer, Mushumir is also knowledgeable in SEO and digital marketing. He aspires to succeed as a content creator in the digital realm, dealing with customers in the finance and tech industries to generate traffic through engaging taglines and content. Mushumir enjoys traveling, reading, and playing cricket when he is not writing. He now works as a news and article writer for BlockchainReporter.
Ethereum has drawn renewed scrutiny from traders and institutional investors, driven by an uptick in whale transactions, improved technical signals, and robust inflows into spot exchange-traded funds. As market participants assess the sustainability of Ethereum’s recent rebound, attention is turning to whether the cryptocurrency can sustain its upward momentum in the coming weeks.
Key support and price movementCurrently, Ethereum (ETH) trades at $1,916.03. Over the past 24 hours, the asset has recorded a 1.70% increase, with a daily trading volume of $23.13 billion. Ethereum’s total market capitalization stands at $231.23 billion, representing 10.53% of the overall cryptocurrency market.
Trading activity among larger holders has surged, with whale wallets transferring or selling approximately 226,435 ETH in a single day. The value of these transactions reached nearly $430 million, underscoring significant moves within major market players.
Crypto analyst Ali Charts pointed to $1,733 as a pivotal support area for Ethereum. He suggested that a drop below this level could undermine the asset’s recovery efforts.
Ethereum’s outlook hinges on its ability to maintain support at $1,733 and to challenge resistance in the $1,980 to $2,080 range, as investor focus intensifies on these signals.
Following a brief pullback to the $1,600 region, Ethereum rebounded and moved back above crucial technical indicators, signaling renewed buying interest among traders and investors.
ETF inflows highlight institutional demandInstitutional adoption of Ethereum continues to strengthen. The debut of the Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust (MSSE) on NYSE Arca on July 28 expanded the list of spot Ethereum ETFs to 11, increasing opportunities for traditional investors to gain exposure to the asset. MSSE registered $5.15 million in net inflows and reported $19.03 million in trading volume on its first trading day, according to data from SoSoValue.
Meanwhile, BlackRock’s ETHB remains the leading Ethereum ETF in daily inflows, attracting $5.91 million on the latest trading day. The fund has now compiled total inflows of $529 million, highlighting persistent interest from institutional clients.
Across all spot Ethereum ETFs, aggregate net assets have risen to $10.50 billion, which represents about 4.53% of the overall Ethereum market capitalization. Combined net inflows among these funds now amount to $11.21 billion, reflecting the sustained demand for Ethereum investment products.
ETFDaily InflowCumulative InflowNet AssetsBlackRock ETHB$5.91 million$529 millionNot specifiedMorgan Stanley MSSE$5.15 millionFirst dayNot specifiedAll spot ETH ETFs (total)—$11.21 billion$10.50 billionMini dictionary: Morgan Stanley is a major US-based multinational investment bank and financial services company, while NYSE Arca is a fully electronic securities exchange operated by the New York Stock Exchange, specializing in ETFs and equities trading.
Outlook and factors to watchEthereum moves into a pivotal phase as it approaches critical support near $1,733, with resistance levels at $1,980 and $2,080 serving as potential hurdles for further gains. The price trajectory is expected to be influenced by ongoing whale transactions, ETF inflows, broader market sentiment, and blockchain application demand.
Institutional appetite for Ethereum, evidenced by ETF developments, adds a significant dimension to current demand, while technical indicators have begun to point toward stronger upside momentum.
With major support and resistance levels coming into focus, Ethereum’s next decisive moves could set the tone for whether the recovery develops into a lasting trend or remains a short-term rebound.
Observers note that market volatility remains high, and outcomes may depend on how well Ethereum can hold support and attract further investment activity. The next several weeks are viewed as critical in establishing the asset’s longer-term direction.
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.
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.
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has appointed Pascal Caversaccio, also known as “pcaversaccio,” a co-founder and lead of crypto security response group SEAL 911, to its board as the organization deepens its focus on privacy and security.
On Wednesday, the EF said Caversaccio joined for an initial one-year term voluntarily. He joins President Aya Miyaguchi, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Swiss counsel Patrick Storchenegger on the four-member board.
Caversaccio is a longtime Ethereum contributor and a member of the Foundation’s Silviculture Society, an informal advisory group focused on censorship resistance, open-source development, privacy and security. He also authored The Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto in 2024 and Ethereum Privacy: The Road to Self-Sovereignty in 2025.
The board sets the Foundation’s vision and oversees whether management’s strategies and decisions remain aligned with its values. The Foundation described the body as a “security council” responsible for protecting its mission and ensuring compliance as a Swiss foundation.
The appointment comes as the Foundation gives privacy and security a larger role in its organizational strategy. In June, it described both as “non-negotiable protocol guarantees” and said its protocol team would work to translate research, including layer-1 privacy and post-quantum security, into changes that preserve Ethereum’s self-sovereignty.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has appointed Pascal Caversaccio, also known as “pcaversaccio,” a co-founder and lead of crypto security response group SEAL 911, to its board as the organization deepens its focus on privacy and security.
On Wednesday, the EF said Caversaccio joined for an initial one-year term voluntarily. He joins President Aya Miyaguchi, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Swiss counsel Patrick Storchenegger on the four-member board.
Caversaccio is a longtime Ethereum contributor and a member of the Foundation’s Silviculture Society, an informal advisory group focused on censorship resistance, open-source development, privacy and security. He also authored The Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto in 2024 and Ethereum Privacy: The Road to Self-Sovereignty in 2025.
The board sets the Foundation’s vision and oversees whether management’s strategies and decisions remain aligned with its values. The Foundation described the body as a “security council” responsible for protecting its mission and ensuring compliance as a Swiss foundation.
The appointment comes as the Foundation gives privacy and security a larger role in its organizational strategy. In June, it described both as “non-negotiable protocol guarantees” and said its protocol team would work to translate research, including layer-1 privacy and post-quantum security, into changes that preserve Ethereum’s self-sovereignty.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
The explosive growth of crypto perpetual futures is quietly redrawing Ethereum’s role in market structure. Traders chasing low latency and deep liquidity are migrating to layer-2 networks, and a growing number of builders now argue that Ethereum shouldn’t try to compete as an execution layer. Instead, it should double down on what it already does best: anchoring the security and settlement of the L2s where the real action is happening, according to the original CoinDesk report.
That position reflects a pragmatic turn. For years, Ethereum’s roadmap battled criticism over speed and cost. High-frequency perps trading never fit naturally on a chain prioritizing decentralization over throughput. Rollups and validiums flipped the script. Now, protocols like Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync handle order matching and execution, while Ethereum secures the final state. The arrangement solves the UX problem without requiring Ethereum to match the performance of Solana or Sui. The payoff for traders is sharper: sub-cent fees and confirmation times measured in milliseconds on some L2s, while still benefiting from Ethereum’s deep liquidity pools and battle-tested security.
The pivot carries real economic weight. Perps are the single largest category by volume in crypto. When that volume migrates off mainnet, Ethereum loses direct fee capture. L2 batches settle in chunks, compressing thousands of trades into a single data blob posted to mainnet. The network earns less per transaction on the immediate count but arguably strengthens its long-term moat by feeding a whole ecosystem of application-specific chains that pay for security. It’s a bet on scale over unit economics—similar to the cloud infrastructure playbook where margins are thin at the base layer but enormous in aggregate. That logic, however, isn’t yet fully priced into how analysts value Ethereum’s fee generation. Uncertainty about whether blob fees will mature into a dependable revenue stream remains a live debate among institutional desks.
Developer activity offers a useful lens on where the puck is heading. Ethereum still attracts more builders than any other chain, a trend visible in recent data showing robust activity across its L2 ecosystem as well. A look at the top blockchains by developer activity underscores that despite narratives of declining relevance, Ethereum’s tooling and mindshare keep it at the center of new trading infrastructure. Teams building perps DEXs—from Hyperliquid to Vertex—pick an L2 stack that ultimately settles to Ethereum, not because it’s the cheapest option but because it’s the most trusted settlement layer. Trust, in this context, is a hard asset: liquidations don’t fail because of a failed sequencer when the base chain is as scrutinized as Ethereum’s.
A Settlement Layer, Not a Casino Floor The strategic distinction is that Ethereum becomes a bridge for finality, not the venue for the trade itself. Market participants in high-frequency environments care about two things: price consistency and minimal reorg risk. L2s can deliver execution speed; Ethereum delivers settlement certainty. The separation of concerns is, in many ways, the logical endpoint of the modular blockchain thesis that’s been brewing for years. What’s new is that builders are no longer framing this as a temporary scaling patch. They’re describing it as the endgame.
That framing does more than reframe the technical roadmap. It alters how traders, risk managers, and exchange operators assess the safety of on-chain perps markets. When a trader enters a leveraged position on a perpetuals DEX running on an optimistic rollup, the real backstop—if the rollup’s sequencer ever misbehaves—is Ethereum’s slashing conditions and dispute mechanism. The depth of that backstop depends directly on the value securing Ethereum. The relationship is circular: higher L2 activity increases demand for ETH as a settlement asset, which strengthens the security budget, which makes L2s more attractive for larger position sizes. That feedback loop remains untested at the scale that perps volumes can reach during a volatile market regime.
Meanwhile, the institutional pipeline for tokenized assets and real-world settlement is branching into the same infrastructure. The recent crossing of $20 billion in on-chain real-world assets and live tokenized Treasury settlements with JPMorgan illustrate a parallel trend: financial plumbing is moving on-chain across multiple fronts. Perps trading on Ethereum L2s doesn’t operate in a silo; it sits on the same rails that will eventually carry bond settlements and trade finance instruments. The more institutional money that passes through these networks, the harder it becomes for regulators to treat L2s as an unregulated grey zone without upsetting a much broader set of market participants.
What the Market Is Watching Liquidity fragmentation remains a risk that L2 proponents often underplay. With multiple rollups each hosting their own perps markets, traders can get stranded in a single venue’s orderbook without easy cross-L2 bridging. Cosmos-style interchain messaging and shared sequencers are in the works, but they’re not live at scale. Until that gap closes, capital efficiency won’t match what centralized exchanges offer. The builders betting on Ethereum’s settlement-layer thesis are simultaneously betting that interoperability engineering can catch up before user patience runs out. That’s a race worth watching because it determines whether Ethereum’s L2-centric future is a genuine structural upgrade or a temporary detour.
Regulatory cloud cover adds another dimension. If securities laws were ever reinterpreted to impose KYC obligations at the settlement layer itself, the L2 model would face a reckoning. But for now, legislative attempts to rein in crypto have mostly targeted centralized intermediaries. The tension is visible in ongoing Washington negotiations where, just days before a Senate vote, major banks pushed back hard on a landmark crypto bill. The lobbying fight underscores how traditional finance still sees the on-chain settlement model as a competitive threat—one where Ethereum L2s are quietly building the rails that might one day bypass them entirely.
The perps boom, then, isn’t just a volume story. It’s a pressure test for Ethereum’s most consequential strategic bet since the Merge. If L2 networks sustain these volumes without degrading settlement guarantees, Ethereum won’t need to be the fastest chain to remain the most important one. The market isn’t fully convinced yet, but the builders closest to the infrastructure certainly are.
AUTHOR
Kester is an experienced freelance content writer. His focus is primarily on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. One might even refer to him as a "blockchain enthusiast." He has been following advancements in the crypto and blockchain area for several years, researching and writing his insights in the media. In addition to being a skilled content writer, Mushumir is also knowledgeable in SEO and digital marketing. He aspires to succeed as a content creator in the digital realm, dealing with customers in the finance and tech industries to generate traffic through engaging taglines and content. Mushumir enjoys traveling, reading, and playing cricket when he is not writing. He now works as a news and article writer for BlockchainReporter.
Major cryptocurrencies have not meaningfully reacted to the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain the Federal Funds rate, trading sideways after the announcement.
Notable Statistics:
Coinglass data shows 96,672 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $316.23 million. SoSoValue data shows net outflows of $49.8 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Tuesday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $14.5 million. In the past 24 hours, top gainers include KAITO, Audiera and Pi. Notable Developments:
Trader Notes:
Crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez highlighted that Bitcoin whales accumulated 29,075 BTC over the past week despite the recent price pullback. This signals that large holders are using the dip to increase their positions rather than sell.
Trader KillaXBT believes a 10% or larger correction in traditional equity markets could mark Bitcoin’s higher-timeframe macro bottom. While a move to $50,000 remains possible, it would depend on Bitcoin weakening alongside stocks.
He adds that bears have roughly six weeks to drive Bitcoin lower. If BTC doesn’t reach the $50,000 level within that window, they believe the opportunity to buy at that price will likely be gone.
Trader Ardi argues that $40,000 is an unrealistic base case target for Bitcoin.
However, BTC would first need to decisively break below the $48,000–$54,000 range, which has served as one of the market’s strongest support zones over the past five years.
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Leading cryptocurrencies traded flat, while stocks sold off on Wednesday as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s policy decision and renewed Middle East hostilities.
Crypto Market RangeboundBitcoin traded in a narrow $63,000–$64,000 band on heavy volume, while Ethereum hovered around $1,900 in a similarly tight range. XRP and Dogecoin also moved sideways.
Nearly $400 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, predominantly in bullish long positions, according to Coinglass data
Bitcoin’s open interest rose 1.52% over the last 24 hours. That said, retail and whale derivatives traders on Binance remained net bullish on the leading asset.
Top Gainers (24 Hours)
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.18 trillion, following a modest dip of 0.28% over the last 24 hours.
Stocks in Red After Fed’s Hawkish TiltStocks saw heavy sell-offs on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,153.18 points, or 2.19%, to close at 51,594.14. The S&P 500 declined 1.52% to settle at 7,316.1, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 1.74% to end at 24,442.94.
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, as widely anticipated, though three policymakers dissented, favoring a 25-basis-point hike. Traders now price in a 57% chance of a rate increase during the September meeting.
In other news, the U.S. military resumed its strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump vowed a severe response to an Iranian ballistic missile strike on American forces in the Middle East.
Whales Making Most of BTC’s CorrectionAli Martinez, a widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader, noted that whales were buying Bitcoin’s dip.
“While Bitcoin retraces, large holders have accumulated 29,075 BTC over the past week, a sign they’re positioning through the pullback,” the analyst added.
On-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant stated that Ethereum could be poised for an upside move, as the large-transfer spikes observed in recent months have given way to “historically low transfer volumes.”
“Lower supply is a positive signal for Ethereum, but weak demand continues to keep the price range bound. A new wave of institutional buying could be the catalyst for the next upward move,” the firm added.
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An Ethereum Underdog Outearns Solana's Gacha LeaderFake World Assets (@token_works), an Ethereum-based protocol built as a pointed commentary on the real-world assets narrative, has overtaken Solana's Collector Crypt in daily revenue. The protocol cleared roughly 3,000 ETH in cumulative volume within four days of its July 20 relaunch, scaling to over 30,000 NFT purchases in that window.
A self-funded project built by two people is generating more daily revenue than one of the most successful protocols on Solana. The milestone is notable given the cost differential between the two chains. An Ethereum-based protocol outpacing a Solana-based competitor on daily revenue is significant given that Ethereum transactions cost more, meaning users are paying a premium to participate, which points to genuine demand rather than bot-driven volume farming.
How the Loot Box Model WorksFake World Assets is an onchain, randomized NFT acquisition protocol. Depositors list NFTs together with committed ETH backing, similar to a Uniswap V2 pair. That backing sets each position's selection weight and funds a standing bid for the depositor to reacquire the NFT. Anyone can pay the pool-derived acquisition price to receive one randomly selected NFT position. Chainlink VRF supplies the randomness. Once a buyer receives their NFT, they can keep it, sell it back to the depositor for most of the backing ETH, or take a payout in $FWA tokens.
The protocol also employs a loss-to-earn mechanism, compensating users who deposit assets that get pulled by others through token emissions and fee distributions. $FWA is the reward token that ties the protocol's revenue to buy pressure.
As of writing, $FWA is trading at $0.01826 with a market cap of approximately $15.5M on $5.73M in TVL. Token emissions are set to run out around August 4, with circulating supply already at 849M of a 1B total. This is not financial advice.
For context on what FWA has overtaken: Collector Crypt had achieved a record weekly trading volume of $127 million around June 2026 and crossed $50 million in cumulative protocol revenue by mid-June. The platform had reached 40,000 daily users opening tokenized trading card packs on Solana, generating $4.07 million in protocol revenue over a single seven-day period.
Sources
Fake World Assets TVL and Revenue, DeFiLlama
Token Works' Fake World Assets surpasses Collector Crypt in revenue, Crypto Briefing
Fake World Assets Protocol Overview, fwa.fun
29 July 2026 | 18:43 The Ethereum Foundation has added security researcher pcaversaccio, known across the ecosystem as "pc," to its board for an initial one-year voluntary term. He joins President Aya Miyaguchi, co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Swiss counsel Patrick Storchenegger.
Key Takeaways His SEAL 911 work gives the board direct experience of active hacks and exploits. The appointment follows a restructuring that cut 54 positions and reorganized the EF around five domains. The board sets values and oversees management; it does not decide protocol upgrades. The Ethereum Foundation has added security researcher pcaversaccio, known across the ecosystem as “pc,” to its board for an initial one-year voluntary term. He joins President Aya Miyaguchi, co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Swiss counsel Patrick Storchenegger.
The appointment lands just over a month after the largest internal reorganization in the Foundation’s history, which makes the choice of person worth reading closely. A smaller EF has put someone from the incident-response side of Ethereum inside the group that oversees its direction.
He Was Already Advising the Foundation Pc sits on the Silviculture Society, an unpaid advisory group that gives confidential guidance to EF leadership on censorship resistance, open-source development, privacy and security. He also contributed feedback to the EF Mandate, the document published in March defining the Foundation’s mission and decision-making principles.
Moving him from that channel onto the board formalizes a relationship that was already shaping how the organization describes its purpose.
What He Brings From Outside Governance Pc co-founded and helps lead SEAL 911, a free emergency response service connecting projects and users facing live security incidents with vetted researchers. Security Alliance reports more than 3,300 cases handled, over 125 emergency response rooms coordinated and more than $180 million in assets recovered.
That is a specific kind of experience: compromised keys, exploited contracts, stolen funds, and the coordination problem of responding while an attack is still running.
The clearest value he adds is calibration. Boards weighing privacy or censorship-resistance trade-offs usually do so in the abstract, months before any consequence lands on a user. Someone who has coordinated live incident response has watched which theoretical safeguards hold when a protocol is under attack and which collapse on contact. That is a different class of input from what a foundation board normally receives.
His writing covers the same ground from the other direction. The Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto argues that privacy, security and censorship resistance belong at Ethereum’s foundation rather than arriving as features bolted on after commercial adoption. Ethereum Privacy: The Road to Self-Sovereignty sets out a direction for stronger transaction privacy, encrypted mempools and resistance to blockchain surveillance.
Both are personal frameworks rather than adopted roadmaps, and together they indicate the perspective arriving at the board table: Ethereum should serve institutions and ordinary users while keeping the properties that stop any company, government or intermediary from controlling it.
The Foundation He Is Joining Is Smaller On June 23, the Foundation completed a months-long restructuring that removed 54 employees, roughly 20% of its workforce. The remaining work was organized into five domains covering the protocol, access, users, community and institutions, each with a narrower remit than before.
The financial reset ran deeper. As Coindoo examined in its analysis of Ethereum’s leaner Foundation model, the 2026 budget fell by roughly 40% as the EF moved toward endowment-style spending designed to preserve resources for decades.
The Foundation drew no explicit connection between the two events, though the protocol cluster’s mandate reads like a description of pc’s own writing: censorship resistance, open-source development, privacy and security as non-negotiable guarantees. The EF was explicit that the group exists for something other than making Ethereum more marketable or turning it into a financial rail run by intermediaries.
One of the five domains is dedicated to institutions, so this is a matter of sequencing rather than opposition. Commercial growth sits inside the structure; the appointment signals where the limits are drawn.
What a Board Seat Actually Controls The Foundation describes its board as a security council: it protects the organization’s values, sets long-term vision and checks that management decisions align with both. It can appoint or remove executive directors.
Its reach stops there. Ethereum’s upgrades are decided through client teams and the wider developer process, none of which the board directs. Daily strategy and operations belong to management.
The voluntary, one-year terms sit alongside that limited scope. Pc joins an oversight body instead of running an operational cluster, and the EF gets a defined review point, though it has said nothing about renewal.
So the appointment changes no budget line and no roadmap item on its own. Its effect shows up later, in how a smaller Foundation allocates what it has left: which security and privacy work gets funded, whether the institutional domain preserves permissionless access, and how firmly the board holds management to the Mandate when those pull against each other.
Why This Appointment, Now After a 20% workforce reduction and a 40% budget cut, an organizational chart only goes so far. What a Foundation in that position needs is a board willing to push back when efficiency, adoption or institutional pressure starts eroding the values it says it exists to protect.
Pcaversaccio arrives from the place those values get tested hardest: live attacks, real assets, users losing money in real time. Whether that changes anything depends on decisions the EF has yet to make.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Statements about the appointment’s likely effects are analytical conclusions rather than Foundation policy. Methodology: The analysis uses the Ethereum Foundation’s own announcements on its board, restructuring and mandate, Security Alliance’s published SEAL 911 figures, pcaversaccio’s public writing and Coindoo’s earlier coverage of the Foundation’s budget reset. 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.
Ethereum Institutional has announced the completion of its inaugural ecosystem funding round, securing support from more than 100 organizations and prominent industry figures to accelerate institutional adoption of Ethereum.
The fundraising effort is backed by BitMine, SharpLink, Ethereum co-founders Joe Lubin and Mihai Alisie, as well as a wider network of crypto-focused institutions and ecosystem participants. The organization did not reveal the size of the round.
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The initiative aims to convert years of institutional engagement into greater adoption of Ethereum-based financial infrastructure, with a focus on tokenized assets, stablecoins, collateral systems and onchain market infrastructure.
Its supporter coalition includes major names across the Ethereum ecosystem such as 21Shares, Anchorage Digital, Arbitrum, Circle, Consensys, Fireblocks, Galaxy, Ledger, MetaMask, Robinhood, Securitize, Uniswap Labs and zkSync, alongside dozens of other projects and contributors.
Ethereum Institutional said it will now expand outreach to traditional financial institutions, including banks, asset managers, custodians, market infrastructure providers and sovereign entities evaluating blockchain adoption.
The organization also plans to increase investment in institutional education, market intelligence, ecosystem promotion and collaborative initiatives involving layer 2 networks, application developers and infrastructure providers.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The Key Technical LevelsIn a livestream podcast on July 28, pseudonymous analyst DonAlt said Bitcoin needs to move decisively away from the $60,000 region and reclaim $65,000 to improve its technical outlook.
While Bitcoin has managed to hold the zone, he said repeated tests weaken support and increase the risk of a breakdown.
Ethereum Looks Ready To RunEthereum stood out as the most attractive major crypto asset in DonAlt’s analysis as it is displaying relative strength against Bitcoin for the first time in an extended period.
A sustained move above $2,000 would improve Ethereum’s short-term structure, while a breakout above $2,500 could potentially open the door to a rapid return toward its previous all-time high.
DonAlt acknowledged his historical bias toward Ethereum but noted that the improving ETH-BTC chart and widespread investor skepticism create a favorable setup.
He argued that once Ethereum begins gaining momentum, sidelined investors may rush to regain exposure, accelerating the move.
Meanwhile, Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) continues to underperform, with DonAlt identifying the $35 to $40 region as a potential buying zone if the broader market breaks down.
Image: Shutterstock
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In brief Ethereum fell 1.53% to $1,890 on Wednesday, pulling back from a session high of $1,926 as traders froze ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate decision. Spot ETH ETFs attracted $14.53 million in inflows today, capping three straight weeks of net positive flows totaling $71.17 million in the seven days ending July 28. The "death cross" remains in place, but charts point to growing trend strength. The whole crypto market is in a holding pattern, eagerly awaiting the Federal Reserve’s next move.
Bitcoin is hovering near $64,000 while the Fear & Greed Index sits at 29—deep in "fear" territory. All eyes are on the Federal Reserve, which is expected to hold rates at 3.50–3.75%, but could rattle risk assets with a hawkish tone from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. Equity markets are similarly cautious.
Ethereum, the second largest digital asset by market cap, opened Wednesday at $1,919.80, tagged a session high of $1,926.10, and has since slipped to $1,890.60—down 1.53% on the day. The move is a modest setback after a sharp recovery from 2026 lows reached earlier this month.
That bounce has been quietly supported by institutional flows: According to SosoValue, ETH has registered three consecutive weeks of net inflows, the strongest run since April.
The death cross—where the 50-day EMA (exponential moving average of the last 50 days) trades below the 200-day—is still firmly in place, keeping the structural bias bearish. EMAs show where average price has been over different time periods; when the shorter-term average crosses below the longer one, it's a classic signal that the medium-term trend remains down. Until that flips, the burden of proof is on bulls.
What has changed is the Average Directional Index, or ADX, which now reads 23.2 with buying pressure (DI+) outpacing selling pressure (DI–). ADX measures trend strength regardless of direction; readings above 20 suggest something real may be forming. Right now, bulls are technically "winning" the internal tug-of-war—just not convincingly enough to confirm a real trend yet.
The Relative Strength Index, or RSI, sits at 54.7—neutral territory showing a small buying interest. RSI measures whether an asset is overbought or oversold on a scale of 0 to 100; readings between 40 and 60 give no strong directional signal. The Squeeze Momentum Indicator has just released after a period of compression, with momentum reading 0.71 positive—a slight lean toward the upside, but one that needs a catalyst to follow through.
The Fibonacci retracement for ETH's recent leg—measured from the $1,846 low to the $1,980 top—puts the golden zone (the highest probability of market cooldown) between $1,897 and $1,913. Price is sitting just below it, making this the critical near-term pivot: resistance on the way up, and the threshold bulls need to reclaim to keep the recovery thesis credible.
On Myriad, the prediction market operated by Decrypt's parent company Dastan, traders remain broadly biased toward a dump to $1,500 before any rally to $3,000.
Sentiment peaked at 83% in favor of the dump in mid-June when ETH was near $1,682, according to Decrypt. The recovery since then has trimmed those odds—but with ETH sitting 58% below $3,000 and just 21% above $1,500, the math still leans bearish.
Why the bullish case could work
A Fed hold paired with a softer-than-expected tone from Warsh could be the macro unlock. ETF inflows are real and sustained. If ETH closes above $1,913 today or in the next session, it reclaims the golden zone and puts $1,944 in play—the 23.6% Fibonacci extension.
Beyond that, $1,980 marks the top of the current Fib leg and the next serious ceiling.
Why the bearish case is more likely
A hawkish Fed or any rate-hike signal sends ETH straight back to test the $1,874–$1,846 support band. The death cross isn't flipping soon—the 200-day EMA is sitting near $2,174, still well above current price. ADX at 23.2 hasn't yet crossed the 25 threshold needed to confirm a genuine trend, but with the Fed as the wild card, direction is a coin flip.
Most of the chart's story still points south until ETH clears $1,980 convincingly.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
In brief Ethereum fell 1.53% to $1,890 on Wednesday, pulling back from a session high of $1,926 as traders froze ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate decision. Spot ETH ETFs attracted $14.53 million in inflows today, capping three straight weeks of net positive flows totaling $71.17 million in the seven days ending July 28. The "death cross" remains in place, but charts point to growing trend strength. The whole crypto market is in a holding pattern, eagerly awaiting the Federal Reserve’s next move.
Bitcoin is hovering near $64,000 while the Fear & Greed Index sits at 29—deep in "fear" territory. All eyes are on the Federal Reserve, which is expected to hold rates at 3.50–3.75%, but could rattle risk assets with a hawkish tone from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. Equity markets are similarly cautious.
Ethereum, the second largest digital asset by market cap, opened Wednesday at $1,919.80, tagged a session high of $1,926.10, and has since slipped to $1,890.60—down 1.53% on the day. The move is a modest setback after a sharp recovery from 2026 lows reached earlier this month.
That bounce has been quietly supported by institutional flows: According to SosoValue, ETH has registered three consecutive weeks of net inflows, the strongest run since April.
The death cross—where the 50-day EMA (exponential moving average of the last 50 days) trades below the 200-day—is still firmly in place, keeping the structural bias bearish. EMAs show where average price has been over different time periods; when the shorter-term average crosses below the longer one, it's a classic signal that the medium-term trend remains down. Until that flips, the burden of proof is on bulls.
What has changed is the Average Directional Index, or ADX, which now reads 23.2 with buying pressure (DI+) outpacing selling pressure (DI–). ADX measures trend strength regardless of direction; readings above 20 suggest something real may be forming. Right now, bulls are technically "winning" the internal tug-of-war—just not convincingly enough to confirm a real trend yet.
The Relative Strength Index, or RSI, sits at 54.7—neutral territory showing a small buying interest. RSI measures whether an asset is overbought or oversold on a scale of 0 to 100; readings between 40 and 60 give no strong directional signal. The Squeeze Momentum Indicator has just released after a period of compression, with momentum reading 0.71 positive—a slight lean toward the upside, but one that needs a catalyst to follow through.
The Fibonacci retracement for ETH's recent leg—measured from the $1,846 low to the $1,980 top—puts the golden zone (the highest probability of market cooldown) between $1,897 and $1,913. Price is sitting just below it, making this the critical near-term pivot: resistance on the way up, and the threshold bulls need to reclaim to keep the recovery thesis credible.
On Myriad, the prediction market operated by Decrypt's parent company Dastan, traders remain broadly biased toward a dump to $1,500 before any rally to $3,000.
Sentiment peaked at 83% in favor of the dump in mid-June when ETH was near $1,682, according to Decrypt. The recovery since then has trimmed those odds—but with ETH sitting 58% below $3,000 and just 21% above $1,500, the math still leans bearish.
Why the bullish case could work
A Fed hold paired with a softer-than-expected tone from Warsh could be the macro unlock. ETF inflows are real and sustained. If ETH closes above $1,913 today or in the next session, it reclaims the golden zone and puts $1,944 in play—the 23.6% Fibonacci extension.
Beyond that, $1,980 marks the top of the current Fib leg and the next serious ceiling.
Why the bearish case is more likely
A hawkish Fed or any rate-hike signal sends ETH straight back to test the $1,874–$1,846 support band. The death cross isn't flipping soon—the 200-day EMA is sitting near $2,174, still well above current price. ADX at 23.2 hasn't yet crossed the 25 threshold needed to confirm a genuine trend, but with the Fed as the wild card, direction is a coin flip.
Most of the chart's story still points south until ETH clears $1,980 convincingly.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Ethereum just posted 18.7 million transactions in a single week, the highest figure the network has ever recorded. At the same time, the median cost of a transaction fell to $0.008, an all-time low. For context, that’s less than a penny per transaction on the world’s largest smart contract platform.
What’s driving the surge The record-setting week didn’t come out of nowhere. Ethereum’s daily transaction peaks approached 2.9 million back in January 2026, and the network processed over 200 million transactions in Q1 2026 alone.
The fee collapse traces back to network upgrades activated in 2025. The Pectra and Fusaka upgrades were specifically designed to improve layer-1 scalability and reduce transaction costs.
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Stablecoin usage and staking participation have been identified as key drivers of the activity boom.
Token Terminal flagged the milestone figures, and Blockworks had previously reported comparable weekly highs of roughly 18.66 million transactions earlier in 2026. Multiple analytics platforms have confirmed the trend of elevated transaction volumes compared to previous years.
The price paradox Despite all this record-breaking activity, ETH has been trading below $2,400 as of April 2026.
Much of the economic activity happening on Ethereum isn’t directly benefiting ETH’s price. A significant portion of transactions are migrating to layer-2 solutions, which settle on Ethereum but don’t generate the same fee revenue for the base layer.
Stablecoins are among the most-used assets on the network, but their growth doesn’t automatically translate into demand for ETH itself. Users can transact heavily in USDC or USDT without ever needing to hold meaningful amounts of the native token.
The ultra-low fees compound this problem. When median transaction costs are less than a penny, the network burns very little ETH through its fee mechanism. Ethereum’s EIP-1559 burn mechanism, which was supposed to make ETH deflationary during periods of high usage, becomes far less potent when each transaction costs $0.008.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
For years, Ethereum has been synonymous with decentralized finance. It pioneered onchain financial tools like lending protocols and tokenized assets, which today underpin much of the crypto economy. But one of crypto's fastest-growing sectors, perpetual futures, or "perps", has largely flourished elsewhere.
Ask traders where onchain perpetuals live today, and the answer is more likely to be Hyperliquid or Solana than Ethereum. That is because perpetuals demand something Ethereum's base layer was never designed to optimize for: extremely fast, low-cost, high-frequency trading.
"Perps require frequent transactions, fast execution, and deep liquidity," said AJ Warner, chief strategy officer at Offchain Labs, the main developer firm behind the layer-2 Arbitrum. "That makes them a natural use case for the Arbitrum platform."
The distinction has become increasingly important as decentralized perpetual exchanges mature from crypto-native products into markets attracting institutional attention.
Why Ethereum L1 fell behindPerpetuals are one of the most demanding applications in crypto. Their exchanges require thousands of rapid-fire updates, liquidations, funding payments, and order executions, all without interruption.
"Perps onchain are really hard," said Brian Smith of the Jito Foundation. "It's not just the average performance that matters, it's the 99.99% success rate. If your perps platform goes down, that's existential risk."
Ethereum's security-first architecture made it an ideal settlement layer, but historically, its block times and gas costs made it an expensive place to run latency-sensitive trading applications.
When decentralized perps exchange GMX launched on Arbitrum in 2021,, it helped establish a template that many others would follow. "Ethereum mainnet fees were prohibitively expensive, which naturally attracted perps builders to Arbitrum," Warner said. Offchain Labs then leaned into that momentum, actively prioritizing perpetuals as a strategic category.
"By prioritizing the vertical, we were able to attract a concentration of builders and capital to the ecosystem." Today, much of Ethereum's perpetual trading activity lives not on the Ethereum mainnet, but on layer-2 networks like Arbitrum and, increasingly, Base.
Ethereum's layer-2 ecosystem has become something of a compromise: preserving Ethereum's security while dramatically improving trading performance. Networks like Arbitrum and Base have reduced block times while also becoming an increasingly attractive trading destination because of their growing user base and liquidity.
Chris Boulous of Dromos Labs, the main developer firm behind Aerodrome, a decentralized exchange that lives on the Base network, argued that technical performance is only part of the story.
"Trading is effectively a network-effects business," he said. "You have to build where the liquidity and users currently exist." That dynamic has become self-reinforcing: protocols launch where traders already are, liquidity providers follow the traders, and then new applications build around existing liquidity. It's one reason Boulous sees Aerodrome as complementary to perpetual exchanges rather than competitive with them.
"You can kind of think of perps as a customer of spot exchanges," Boulous said. Spot exchanges provide pricing, liquidity and hedging opportunities that perpetual markets depend on. "Spot and perps are two sides of the same liquidity coin."
Why Solana and Hyperliquid surgedStill, Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem isn't the only place where developers can build high-performance trading infrastructure. Hyperliquid built an application-specific chain optimized almost entirely for perpetual trading. Solana, meanwhile, combined low fees with a large base of retail traders already actively trading memecoins and other speculative assets.
According to Smith of Jito, that user base matters as much as the technology. "The most important ingredient for any exchange platform, but especially perps, is retail organic flow," he said. "Solana is the king of retail trading activity."
Smith also argues Ethereum faces an additional challenge: fragmentation. "You need to be able to trade everything in a single spot," he said. "What Ethereum is suffering from is a level of fragmentation."
Ethereum's scaling strategy largely relied on layer-2 networks like Arbitrum and Base to handle high-volume activity. While that approach dramatically reduced costs and improved performance, it also dispersed users and liquidity across multiple ecosystems. Traders often need to bridge assets between networks, making the experience less seamless than on single-chain ecosystems such as Solana. Earlier this year, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged that the original layer-2 roadmap vision "no longer makes sense" as layer 2s have decentralized more slowly than expected and Ethereum's base layer has itself become more scalable.
Not everyone sees that fragmentation as a fatal flaw, however. Some Ethereum proponents argue the focus on execution misses the network's longer-term role in the onchain financial stack. Matthieu Saint Olive, a staff product manager at MetaMask, argues the framing itself misses what's happening. "I'd push back gently on the premise that it's a competition in the first place," he told CoinDesk.
Purpose-built trading chains may ultimately win on execution speed, but they still require somewhere to source collateral, liquidity, stablecoins, and settlement. "Ethereum's role is the settlement and collateral base where the deepest liquidity, the widest range of assets, the stablecoins, and the most mature DeFi primitives live."
Several leading perpetual trading platforms either operate directly on Ethereum layer 2s or remain closely connected to Ethereum's ecosystem for collateral, settlement, and developer tooling. "L2s are how Ethereum scales into use cases like active trading without giving up the thing that makes the base layer valuable," Saint Olive said.
The institutional questionAs institutions begin paying closer attention to onchain derivatives, the conversation is shifting from whether decentralized perpetuals can work to whether they can compete with traditional infrastructure. "It comes down to execution, custody, and predictability, not ideology," Saint Olive said.
Institutions, Warner of Offchain Labs argued, still need deeper liquidity, more efficient capital usage, and better execution before deploying significant trading volume onchain. "Capital is still fragmented across venues," Warner said. "Institutions will want better access to credit, cross-margining, and the ability to trade across venues without leaving large amounts of capital idle."
For Boulous, the next milestone is straightforward: "You have to be able to do things onchain that you can't do, or can't do as cheaply, in traditional markets."
While much of today's decentralized perpetual volume still revolves around crypto assets, market participants increasingly see the infrastructure supporting perps as the foundation for broader capital markets. Saint Olive believes perpetuals are already demonstrating what programmable markets can become.
"Perps are the leading indicator, the first place you can watch traditional financial activity genuinely migrate onchain," Saint Olive said.
That may also explain why Ethereum's role in the market is evolving rather than diminishing.
Solana and purpose-built chains like Hyperliquid have established themselves as the venues where traders execute high-speed transactions. Ethereum, meanwhile, is increasingly positioning itself as the settlement and collateral layer that underpins those markets through its layer-2 ecosystem and broader DeFi infrastructure.
Whether that division of labor persists will depend on how quickly Ethereum can solve some of the challenges its critics point to: fragmented liquidity across layer 2s, better interoperability between networks, and a smoother user experience. If it can, proponents argue Ethereum doesn't necessarily need to become the fastest place to trade perpetuals. It simply needs to remain the deepest and most trusted place to settle them.
Read more: Perpetual futures could become crypto's next ETF moment
Wall Street’s push into regulated crypto investment continues to gain momentum as Morgan Stanley expands beyond Bitcoin [BTC] into Ethereum [ETH] and Solana [SOL].
The launch of the Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust under the ticker MSSE and the Morgan Stanley Solana Trust under the ticker MSOL broadens institutional access through exchange-traded products listed on NYSE Arca.
Both products charge a competitive 0.14% sponsor fee, strengthening their appeal against existing crypto ETPs. Meanwhile, this comes after the firm launched its Bitcoin ETP in April this year.
Source: Solana on X Backed by the firm’s nearly $2 trillion in total assets managed, these new offerings provide even greater regulated exposure to SOL and ETH.
Importantly, they do so without requiring direct custody of the underlying asset, instead providing compliant exposure to the markets through traditional investment vehicles. In doing so, they further enable institutional adoption of digital assets.
Network fundamentals support demand Growing institutional access also reflects confidence in the underlying networks rather than new investment products alone.
Ethereum continues to strengthen that case, with staked ETH rising from 38.5 million in Q1 to a record 40.2 million in Q2 2026, representing 33% of total supply worth approximately $63 billion.
Source: Bitwise Meanwhile, 67.9% of Solana’s circulating supply remains staked despite network staking yields declining from 9.1% to 6.3% over five quarters. That resilience suggests long-term holders continue prioritizing network participation over short-term rewards.
Source: Bitwise As more tokens remain locked in staking, liquid supply tightens while institutional conviction strengthens. Together, these fundamentals reinforce the long-term investment case supporting regulated Ethereum and Solana products.
Will inflows keep growing? Those network fundamentals now face their next institutional test. Morgan Stanley’s latest ETPs must attract fresh capital rather than simply redirect existing allocations from competing issuers.
However, while the firm’s earlier Bitcoin product accumulated roughly $389 million in assets, sustained inflows across Ethereum and Solana products will provide the stronger measure of demand.
Source: Morgan Stanley.com All in all, if assets under management continue expanding over successive quarters, institutional adoption will deepen. Otherwise, competition may increase without materially enlarging the overall crypto investment market.
Following the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, declines in the three major U.S. stock indexes narrowed: the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.09%, the S&P 500 edged down 0.15%, while the Nasdaq Composite turned positive. The crypto market rallied, with Bitcoin surging over 0.7% in a short period and Ethereum jumping more than 1.15%. Spot gold climbed $20 to a peak of $4,064 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) dropped nearly 27 points to 101.1.
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AI teacher dreams dashed: US school district pulls plug on robot teacher program after developer’s sex robot ties spark controversy
The Central School District of Salamanca in western New York State, USA, has announced the suspension of its planned pilot program to introduce the AI humanoid robot teacher "Sally" for the new semester. Developed by Realbotix, the robot is priced at approximately $60,000 per unit and was intended to serve as a classroom teaching assistant to interact with students. The project had previously sparked parental concerns over student data privacy, and further controversy arose after parents noted that Realbotix also manufactures sex robots for intimate companionship. Additionally, the local teachers' union has opposed the plan. The school district stated that the program is currently on hold, and it will continue to collaborate with the New York State Education Department to improve student data privacy agreements and maintain communication with the community. District Superintendent Mark Beehler emphasized that robots cannot replace teachers, saying "Teaching is always a human-to-human process" and that replacing teachers with robots is not in the best interest of students.
11 minutes ago
Hyperliquid’s daily revenue exceeded $2.07 million, and it has burned a total of 4.61% of its total HYPE token supply.
According to data from Onchain Lens, Hyperliquid generated approximately $2.07 million in protocol fees over the past 24 hours and burned 21,080 HYPE tokens, equivalent to around $1.16 million at current prices. To date, Hyperliquid has cumulatively burned 46.1 million HYPE tokens, valued at roughly $2.54 billion, accounting for 4.61% of HYPE’s maximum total supply of 1 billion tokens.
11 minutes ago
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady.
The Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, marking the fifth consecutive meeting where it held rates steady.
11 minutes ago
FOMC Statement: The interest rate decision was approved by a 9-3 vote.
Federal Reserve FOMC Statement: Committee members approved the interest rate decision by a 9-3 vote, compared to the 12-0 vote at the previous meeting. The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady at 3.50%-3.75%, marking the fifth consecutive meeting where rates were left unchanged. (Jinshi)
11 minutes ago
Three Federal Reserve officials – Harker, Kashkari, and Logan – cast dissenting votes against interest rate hikes.
Federal Reserve FOMC Statement: Three Fed members voted in favor of a rate hike, with Hammack, Fed’s Kashkari and Fed’s Logan registering dissents. The statement reaffirmed that inflation remains high, in part due to the impact of shocks.
11 minutes ago
Fed's Official Announcement: Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady in a 9-3 vote, marking the first time since 2016 that three unanimous dissenting votes were recorded.
Nick Timiraos, known as the "Fed’s mouthpiece", stated that the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9 to 3 to keep interest rates unchanged. Three regional Federal Reserve presidents dissented, advocating a 25 basis point rate hike. This marks the first time since 2016 that the Fed has recorded three dissenting votes all supporting a rate hike in a single monetary policy decision, reflecting growing hawkish divisions within the central bank.
TLDR Ethereum miner transfers to Binance have fallen near their lowest level in the past year. Lower miner deposits suggest reduced selling pressure on the Ethereum market. Ethereum price traded near $1,929 and remained below the key $2,000 resistance level. ETH has formed higher lows since recovering from its June low near $1,550. The MACD and RSI show mild bullish momentum without overbought conditions. According to CryptoQuant data, Ethereum miner transfers to Binance have fallen close to their lowest level in the past year. The decline followed a brief rise in June, after which transfer volumes returned near baseline levels by late July.
The drop suggests that miners are sending less ETH to exchanges for possible sale. Lower exchange inflows can reduce immediate supply pressure, although the market still needs stronger demand to support a clear price move.
Miner Transfers to Binance Remain Low Binance remains a key market reference because it handles large spot and futures trading volumes. Low miner deposits on the exchange show that miners are not adding much selling pressure at current levels.
Source: CryptoQuant
Miners often create steady market supply when they move coins to exchanges. With fewer transfers now taking place, buyers face less new ETH entering the market. This setup can support price stability during periods of weak demand.
Ethereum Price Holds Below $2,000 Ethereum price traded near $1,929 on the daily chart after rising about 0.17%. ETH has recovered from its June low near $1,550 and has formed a steady pattern of higher lows.
However, the asset still trades below the $2,000 level. That area remains the main resistance zone. A confirmed move above it could open the way toward $2,050 and $2,100.
The MACD line stands near 40.99, while the signal line sits at 39.77. The histogram remains positive at 1.22, showing that buyers still hold a small momentum advantage.
Source: TradingView
The narrow gap between the MACD lines shows that buying strength has slowed near resistance. The RSI stands near 58.91, which keeps ETH above the neutral 50 level without entering overbought conditions.
Institutional Demand Could Drive the Next Move The current supply setup supports Ethereum price because miner selling pressure remains low. Even so, weak demand has kept ETH within a narrow range and limited a stronger breakout.
A new wave of institutional buying could provide the demand needed for an upside move. Until that happens, traders may continue watching the $2,000 resistance level and the $1,880 to $1,900 support zone.
Institutional inflows could also improve spot market liquidity and strengthen buying activity. Sustained demand would help ETH hold above resistance and build a firmer recovery structure over coming sessions.
A break below support could expose ETH to a pullback toward $1,800. Holding that zone would keep the current recovery pattern active while the market waits for stronger institutional participation.
The next Ontology MainNet upgrade, to v3.1.2, is scheduled for block height 20,800,000. The release focuses on security optimisations and brings four widely adopted Ethereum Improvement Proposals to the Ontology EVM: PUSH0, BASEFEE, MCOPY, and transient storage. For builders, the practical result is smaller contracts, cheaper temporary state, and less friction when porting existing Ethereum code across. For node operators, it means one job: upgrade to v3.1.2 before block height 20,800,000 is reached.
Why opcode parity matters The Ethereum opcode set is not static. It has expanded steadily through successive network upgrades: BASEFEE arrived with London in August 2021, PUSH0 with Shanghai in April 2023, and both MCOPY and transient storage with Cancun-Deneb in March 2024 (Ethereum upgrade history).
Compiler defaults moved with them. Solidity now targets a recent EVM version by default, which means a team compiling a contract today with no special flags produces bytecode that assumes these instructions exist. An EVM chain that has not adopted them forces developers into a workaround: pin an older target EVM version, accept larger and more expensive bytecode, and maintain a separate build configuration for that chain alone.
That is a small tax, but it is paid on every deployment, and it accumulates. v3.1.2 removes it for the four instructions below.
What the Ontology MainNet upgrade includes PUSH0 (EIP-3855) PUSH0 places the value zero directly onto the stack. Before it existed, contracts pushed zero using PUSH1 0x00, which occupies two bytes of bytecode and costs 3 gas at runtime. PUSH0 occupies one byte and costs 2 gas.
The saving per instruction is small; the aggregate is not. The EIP notes that roughly 11.5 percent of all PUSH instructions executed on Ethereum MainNet push the value zero. Every one of those is a byte of contract size and a unit of gas, on a chain where deployment is charged per byte of code.
BASEFEE (EIP-3198) BASEFEE lets a contract read the current block’s base fee directly on-chain, at a cost of 2 gas. Previously a contract that needed to reason about network fee conditions had to be handed that value by an off-chain source, which introduces a trust assumption and a point of failure.
Reading it from the chain itself removes both. It is a prerequisite for gas-aware contract logic: dynamic bounties that scale with network conditions, fee-sensitive automation, and layer-2 constructions that need to verify fee data without relying on an oracle.
MCOPY (EIP-5656) MCOPY copies a region of memory in a single instruction, including where the source and destination regions overlap. Before it, copying memory meant a loop of loads and stores.
The efficiency gain is substantial. Copying 256 bytes cost at least 96 gas using the conventional approach; MCOPY does it for 27 gas. That matters most for the operations that move data around constantly: ABI encoding and decoding, string and byte-array handling, and cryptographic routines.
Transient storage, TSTORE and TLOAD (EIP-1153) Transient storage introduces a state area that behaves like storage but is discarded when the transaction ends. TSTORE writes to it and TLOAD reads from it, each at 100 gas.
The canonical use case is reentrancy protection. A reentrancy guard needs a flag that survives across calls within one transaction and is meaningless afterwards, which is exactly what transient storage provides. Implementing that with persistent storage means writing a value to disk-backed state and then clearing it again, with the gas refund mechanics that go with it. Transient storage makes the same pattern cheap and simple, and the same applies to any temporary state a transaction needs to carry: locks, accumulators, and intermediate values passed between calls.
What this changes for builders Contracts that already compile for Ethereum are closer to running unmodified on Ontology. Common libraries and tooling that assume these instructions no longer need chain-specific handling, and the bytecode a modern compiler emits is smaller than the bytecode it was previously forced to emit.
One practical note: v3.1.2 adds these four instructions specifically, not the complete opcode set of any single Ethereum upgrade. Set your target EVM version explicitly in your build configuration rather than relying on the compiler default, and test deployments against the upgraded network before committing to production.
Node operators: what you need to do Every Ontology MainNet upgrade depends on the node network moving with it. All Ontology node operators, including consensus nodes, candidate nodes, and sync nodes, should complete the upgrade to v3.1.2 as soon as possible, and before block height 20,800,000 is reached.
The release is available on GitHub: ontology v3.1.2.
Timely upgrades across the node network keep MainNet operating stably through the transition and ensure compatibility with the improvements above. Nodes that have not upgraded by the time the block height is reached will fall out of consensus with the rest of the network.
The infrastructure underneath Ontology’s strategy is built on verified human data: identity people own, data given with consent, and a record that holds up to scrutiny. That strategy asks people to contribute data and asks projects to verify it, which means it depends on a network where transactions are fast, inexpensive, and predictable enough that contributing is not a cost decision.
That is what a release like v3.1.2 is for. It is not the headline; it is the reason the headline is possible. Keeping the Ontology EVM current with the standards the rest of the ecosystem builds against is how the trust layer stays usable at scale.
The wider strategy is set out in full here: Verified Human Data: Ontology’s AI-Era Vision at Eight.
Resources Release binaries and notes: github.com/ontio/ontology/releases/tag/v3.1.2 EIP-3855, PUSH0: eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-3855 EIP-3198, BASEFEE: eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-3198 EIP-5656, MCOPY: eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-5656 EIP-1153, transient storage: eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-1153 Ethereum upgrade history: ethereum.org/en/history Thank you to all node operators and community members for your continued support of the Ontology ecosystem.
Ethereum Crosses 200 Million Non-Empty WalletsBlockchain analytics platform Santiment reports that $ETH has surpassed 200 million non-empty wallets for the first time, marking a significant adoption milestone for the network. The figure has been climbing steadily across multiple market cycles. The network boasts nearly 195 million non-empty wallets, roughly 230% more than Bitcoin's 59 million, extending a lead that has steadily widened throughout multiple market cycles. The crossing of the 200 million threshold, reported in the two weeks to July 29, represents the latest step in that trend.
Non-empty addresses measure wallets holding some amount of ETH, tracking participation rather than short-term speculative activity. Santiment views rising wallet counts as a sign of stronger network participation and long-term adoption, even when price sentiment turns negative. Santiment noted that user adoption has moved in the opposite direction from crowd sentiment, a pattern that has appeared before during periods of peak fear.
XRP Ledger and Chainlink Also Log Fresh RecordsThe milestone rally extends beyond Ethereum. The XRP Ledger has officially crossed the 8 million activated accounts milestone for the first time in history. This count is more rigorous than earlier reports: XRP wallet counts had exceeded 8 million before, but those totals included every wallet ever created, including ones that no longer exist. The new count only includes accounts that are live and funded today. The ledger crossed 7 million activated accounts last September and needed about ten months to add the eighth million, right through one of the roughest markets XRP has ever traded in.
Santiment also notes that $USDC on Ethereum has crossed 8 million non-empty wallets, reflecting the stablecoin's deepening footprint on the network. Meanwhile, Chainlink $LINK has exceeded 900,000 holding addresses, a fresh high for the oracle protocol that underscores growing demand for its decentralised data infrastructure.
Taken together, the figures point to continued structural growth in on-chain participation across several major networks, even as broader market sentiment has remained cautious. Santiment says rising wallet counts indicate stronger network participation and long-term adoption, a view consistent with the divergence between on-chain growth and price performance seen across the sector in 2026.
Sources:
Santiment: Ethereum Still Being Adopted at Rapid Pace Despite Negative Press
The Crypto Basic: XRP Finally Crosses the 8M Activated Accounts Milestone After 13 Years
247 Wall St: XRP Ledger Crosses 8 Million Activated Accounts
The crypto market may be drifting sideways, but a quieter signal suggests participants are not walking away. According to a Santiment update on July 28, Ethereum recently crossed 200 million non-empty wallets for the first time, XRP Ledger and USDC on Ethereum both moved past 8 million holders, and Chainlink surpassed 900,000. The on-chain intelligence platform noted the trend across a period of weak price action, framing it as evidence that adoption keeps building beneath flat markets.
Non-empty wallets measure how many addresses hold a positive balance. They are not unique users—one person can control many wallets—but rising counts still map to more addresses holding value, interacting with decentralized applications, or maintaining a stake in the network. When that number climbs while token prices fail to break out, it can signal that market participants are accumulating or simply refusing to sell, rather than leaving the ecosystem.
Ethereum Leads, Stablecoin Growth Stands Out Ethereum’s jump past 200 million non-empty wallets is the most visible headline, but the movement in USDC on Ethereum and XRP Ledger adds texture. USDC’s expansion fits a stablecoin cycle where Circle has been expanding banking, custody, payments, and minting rails alongside major institutions. As a settlement asset, USDC remains one of the most used in crypto, and rising holder counts suggest it is circulating into more hands, not just sitting in exchange reserves.
XRP Ledger crossing 8 million non-empty wallets and Chainlink surpassing 900,000 show a similar pattern: user growth attached to platforms that are expanding their feature sets. Data from blockchain developer activity rankings continues to place Ethereum among the most active networks, reinforcing the idea that the networks seeing the most wallet additions are also those with significant technical development underway. The alignment of user growth and sustained building activity makes these trends harder to dismiss as noise.
Why the Signal Matters When Prices Don’t Move Market observers often look to on-chain metrics when price action decouples from fundamentals. Sustained wallet growth while markets are flat is not a timing tool. It does not predict the next leg up. But it does suggest that the base of participants is widening, not shrinking. That structural shift can matter later if liquidity returns or sentiment flips. For traders, it shifts the question from “is anyone still here?” to “who has been quietly positioning while the crowd was distracted.”
At the same time, holder counts offer no detail about distribution. Fresh wallets could belong to existing participants rotating funds, or a handful of institutions deploying capital. A rise in non-empty wallets does not automatically mean new retail adoption. Caution is warranted before drawing firm conclusions about user demographics from this single metric.
The broader adoption picture is also reflected in related market segments. Recent moves in real-world asset tokenization pushed total on-chain RWA value past $20 billion, demonstrating that institutional engagement with blockchain infrastructure is deepening across multiple fronts. When combined with wallet growth data, a consistent narrative emerges: more capital, more contracts, and more addresses, even when headline prices are idle.
What Comes Next For the networks highlighted in Santiment’s update, the immediate challenge is converting wallet growth into sustained network activity and fee generation. Rising holder counts without rising transaction volumes or active dapp usage can indicate passive holding rather than genuine utility. Still, the direction of travel matters. In a market where price charts offer little clarity, on-chain adoption patterns provide one of the few remaining anchors for gauging ecosystem health.
The coming weeks will show whether this accumulation trend continues or stalls if macro conditions shift. In the meantime, the data confirms that the quiet periods of the cycle are not necessarily empty ones.
AUTHOR
Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.
Ethereum, XRP, USDC, and Chainlink have recorded a surge in the number of non-empty wallets, signaling robust network participation and adoption despite the broader crypto market’s sideways price action. Data from Santiment Intelligence revealed that several leading blockchain networks are seeing consistent growth in address activity as total wallet counts break new records.
Key blockchain networks exceed major wallet milestonesOver the past two weeks, Ethereum surpassed 200 million non-empty wallets for the first time in its history. During the same timeframe, the XRP Ledger and USDC on Ethereum each crossed the 8 million mark for funded addresses, while Chainlink exceeded 900,000 active wallets holding LINK tokens.
Analysts view rising non-empty wallet counts as a straightforward metric demonstrating sustained user engagement and broader adoption. Non-empty wallets often reflect users and institutions that continue to store assets, interact with decentralized applications, or participate in various blockchain ecosystems instead of retreating during periods with minimal price movement.
Ethereum’s expanding base of active wallets underlines its dominant role as a leading smart contract and decentralized finance platform. The network remains a backbone for applications in NFTs, tokenized real-world assets, stablecoins, and enterprise blockchain deployments across the industry.
USDC, XRP, and Chainlink holders rise amid new use casesUSDC’s rapid holder growth is attributed to its expanding real-world utility beyond speculative purpose. As Circle broadens its global banking partnerships and payment infrastructure, USDC has emerged as a widely adopted stablecoin for cross-border transactions, settlements, and within DeFi protocols. The trend indicates a shift as more users hold the token for routine activities.
XRP Ledger continues to expand, mirrored by the steady rise in non-empty wallets. The increased adoption coincides with ongoing developments in cross-border payments, tokenization projects, and enterprise blockchain integrations. Hong Kong recently launched its first licensed retail XRP trading platform, granting retail investors regulated access to XRP and advancing the city’s goal to become a prominent digital asset hub in Asia.
In addition to payments, the XRP ecosystem is diversifying with tokenized shares of major companies, AI-powered payment systems utilizing XRP and RLUSD, fresh partnerships with Mastercard, and new developer grants intended to spur further ecosystem expansion.
Chainlink’s growing adoption also reflects the expanding need for reliable decentralized oracles within blockchain environments. As more projects integrate Chainlink’s services to facilitate tokenization, cross-chain operations, and institutional blockchain use, the utility demand for LINK tokens has increased steadily.
Santiment Intelligence highlighted that rising holder counts across Ethereum, the XRP Ledger, USDC, and Chainlink indicate broader adoption, an expanding user base, and the formation of a strong foundation for future market growth cycles despite flat prices.
Tools for tracking and responding to crypto adoptionAs technical indicators highlight continued expansion in non-empty wallets—often used to monitor network health and growth—investors and market participants are placing greater emphasis on platforms that provide real-time data and investment management. CryptoAppsy, which requires no account creation hassle, combines your crypto investments with real-time prices, detailed charts, and multi-currency portfolio management on a single screen. With this all-in-one financial assistant, users can instantly seize opportunities by setting up smart price alerts, filter news specific to selected coins, discover newly listed altcoins as they launch, and monitor critical macroeconomic events such as Fed interest rates to stay ahead of the market.
Altogether, while market prices may remain stable, the consistent increase in non-empty wallets for top blockchain networks illustrates continued growth in user activity and adoption across the crypto sector.
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.
In This Article Morgan Stanley Crypto News: What do MSSE and MSOL Actually Offer?How This Fits Morgan Stanley's Broader Crypto Build-OutWhat It Means for SOL and ETH Morgan Stanley Investment Management has launched two new exchange-traded products tracking Ether and Solana, both with staking rewards passed directly to investors, a first in the crypto ETP space.
This extends a crypto push that began with its Bitcoin fund in April 2026. The move makes Morgan Stanley one of the first major US commercial banks to bring yield-bearing crypto exposure into regulated, exchange-listed wrappers.
These ETPs went live just as SOL and ETH are trading up +1% and +1.6% in the past 24 hours, respectively. ETH is sitting at $1,910, just above support at $1,900, while SOL is at $73.80, holding onto its support level at $70.
BREAKING: Morgan Stanley launches a Solana ETP, $MSOL, on NYSE Arca.
Their first crypto ETP pulled $381M in months. SOL now sits inside a $14B product suite, staked, with every reward passed to investors. pic.twitter.com/WQjmEKnxpE
— Solana (@solana) July 28, 2026
Morgan Stanley Crypto News: What do MSSE and MSOL Actually Offer? The Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust (NYSE Arca: MSSE) and Morgan Stanley Solana Trust (NYSE Arca: MSOL) each carry a 0.14% expense ratio.
Both funds intend to stake a portion of their holdings, with all staking rewards flowing through to investors. Morgan Stanley said it will not retain any portion of the staking rewards earned by either fund, a notable commitment at a time when fee and yield structures vary widely across competing products.
Staking, in plain terms, means locking up a share of your ETH or SOL to help validate transactions on the Ethereum and Solana proof-of-stake networks and earn protocol-level rewards in return. Those rewards, rather than being pocketed by the fund manager, are passed to shareholders.
For investors tracking Ethereum’s near-term price trajectory, institutional demand of this scale adds a structural demand signal on top of existing spot ETF flows.
BREAKING: Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) launches Ethereum Staking ETP.
MSIM, which manages ~$2 trillion in total AUM, has launched the Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust (MSSE).
0.14% expense ratio, with an expected 95% of staking rewards passed to investors. pic.twitter.com/1flhuyMtV1
— Ethereum Institutional (@ethereuminsti) July 28, 2026
How This Fits Morgan Stanley’s Broader Crypto Build-Out The Ether and Solana ETPs follow the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (NYSE Arca: MSBT), which launched in April 2026 and had accumulated more than $381M in assets under management as of July 16, according to the company.
That Bitcoin fund carried the same 0.14% expense ratio, positioning the entire suite as a low-cost alternative to incumbents like Grayscale. Earlier in July, Morgan Stanley also rolled out spot cryptocurrency trading on its E*TRADE platform via a partnership with crypto infrastructure provider Zero Hash.
This gives eligible retail clients direct access to Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana. The ETP launches and the trading platform together suggest a coordinated strategy rather than a one-off product decision.
Trade SOL and ETH on ByBit and Join 99Bitcoin’s Exclusive $1000 USDT Airdrop Campaign
What It Means for SOL and ETH $SOL – D1
Very disappointing development for SOL too.
At must hold/bounce or kekusmaximusRIPus.
Likely better to wait for a reclaim of D1 100 MA to chase gap to D1 200 EMA. Personally have a running position that I'll cut if unable to reclaim 74/76 area. https://t.co/jyN8mrpUSL pic.twitter.com/MhugXpaoeV
— Pierre (@pierre_crypt0) July 28, 2026
For Solana, an institutional product that systematically stakes holdings removes supply from active circulation, creating a slow but consistent demand floor. Traders watching for a SOL break above the $80 level will now have an additional institutional catalyst to factor into their analysis.
The competitive pressure on fees is equally significant. At 0.14%, Morgan Stanley’s products undercut many existing crypto ETPs, and the firm’s network of roughly 19,000 financial advisers gives it a distribution advantage that most crypto-native asset managers cannot match, according to background research on the filings.
The central question going forward is whether AUM growth in MSSE and MSOL tracks or outpaces the Bitcoin Trust’s $381 million ramp – and whether sustained inflows translate into ETH and SOL outperforming other large-cap crypto assets over the next several quarters.
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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.
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OpenAI CEO expresses support for the AI security bill.
Market news: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke to reporters after meeting with US Republican Senator Ted Cruz. The two sides discussed new artificial intelligence models, with Altman expressing support for an AI safety bill, though he did not disclose specific details.
7 minutes ago
US media reports: Republicans begin considering raising the debt ceiling again as midterm elections approach.
According to Politico, U.S. Republicans raised the debt ceiling by $5 trillion last year. Now, they are already considering how to avoid falling back into a "fiscal cliff" during Trump’s term. Independent forecasting agencies project that the U.S. will reach "X Date"—the final deadline to avert a U.S. debt default—between next summer and early 2028, a period that coincides with the intensification of the presidential primary season. Two sources familiar with the matter said that to avoid high-stakes negotiations with Democrats, White House officials have privately proposed raising the U.S. debt ceiling of $41.1 trillion via a partisan spending bill that many Republicans hope to pass ahead of the November midterm elections. If Republicans lose control of either chamber of Congress in the upcoming midterms, this move could save Trump significant trouble, as Democrats will in any case demand concessions in bipartisan negotiations to prevent an unprecedented national debt default—with the total national debt currently nearing $39.7 trillion.
7 minutes ago
The token Shandi has fallen below the 1,000 yuan mark, logging a cumulative drop of over 50% in the past month.
According to market data from BIT (bit.com), the crypto asset Shan Di fell below the $1,000 threshold during intraday trading, posting an 8.4% intraday decline and a cumulative drop of over 50% in the past month.
7 minutes ago
Bank of America: Seven Ongoing Risks Plague AI and Semiconductor Sector Stocks
Bank of America’s report flags seven persistent risks for stocks in the AI and semiconductor sectors, detailed below: 1. Hardware trading has turned into a "tourist trade" — even medical tour groups are discussing SNDK. Late buyers of MU may still face a washout, while sharp daily volatility is forcing committed bulls to exit positions. 2. Good news no longer moves markets. TSM, ASML, and INTC have declined even after reporting strong earnings, with intraday rebounds consistently met by selling pressure. Capital expenditure cuts by large-scale players will harm AI suppliers, while hikes will pressure free cash flow; financing activities are also stoking funding concerns. Ordinary upside surprises may no longer be enough to drive gains. 3. Investors are bearish on AI labs but still bullish on their infrastructure. Spending by OpenAI and Anthropic is already embedded in suppliers’ backlogs and financial data. Open-source weighted models may eventually boost compute demand, but the transition process is unlikely to be smooth. 4. Token deflation is a double-edged sword. Cheaper tokens can accelerate adoption but will also compress lab profits and intensify hardware and power optimization efforts. More compute power does not automatically translate to higher profits for every supplier. 5. Memory sector estimates may need to be revised downward. Lower valuation multiples alone may not suffice; stocks that appear cheap based on unrevised projections may not actually be undervalued. 6. Credit has entered the stock market debate. Financing for the entire ecosystem has become a "trillion-dollar game of chicken". 7. The sector’s ongoing correction may stem from position and factor adjustments rather than a single fundamental breakdown. Investors will later apply narratives around open-source models, ROI, financing, and optimization to price movements.
7 minutes ago
Coinbase to list GRVT, with deposits set to open once the project team unlocks transfers.
Coinbase announced it will list Grvt (GRVT). Users can now generate GRVT deposit addresses on Coinbase’s official website, mobile app, and Coinbase Exchange in supported regions, though deposit functionality will be activated only after the project team unlocks token transfers.
