EDGE faced renewed supply pressure as a $2.27 million KuCoin deposit collided with the persistent net outflows and the recovering price structure.
According to a prominent market analyst on X, the tokens initially originated from a bridge contract before moving through the three intermediary wallets toward the exchange.
However, the transfer heavily contrasted with the DEX’s aggressive buyback-and-burn activity during the second quarter.
Notably, around $47 million worth of EDGE was reportedly bought back and burned throughout Q2.
Those burns limited the circulating supply, as the KuCoin deposit, on the other hand, placed a sizable token batch closer to potential distribution.
However, the deposit alone did not confirm a selling activity, but rather its exchange destination increased the possibility of additional market supply.
Three-day outflow streak offsets deposit concerns The broader Spot flows outlook provided a contrasting indicator as EDGE recorded three consecutive days of negative exchange netflows. The streak implied that the aggregate outflows exceeded inflows despite the separate $2.27 million KuCoin deposit.
At the time of writing, the Spot netflow had reached -$419.36K, extending the sequence of withdrawals from exchanges into a third session.
These persistent negative readings decreased the immediate exchange-side availability and partially countered supply risks around the large KuCoin deposit.
Ultimately, this divergence made sustained outflows particularly significant for the price recovery since they could limit accessible selling supply.
Source: CoinGlass Short liquidations strengthen EDGE’s recovery The derivatives activity added another layer of support as short liquidations heavily exceeded the long liquidations on the 8th of September.
According to CoinGlass, the total short liquidations reached $44.04K, compared with only $9.85K across the long positions. Specifically, Binance accounted for around $39.92K of those short liquidations, as Bybit and OKX recorded $1.04K and $3.09K, respectively.
On the other hand, the long liquidations remained elevated on Binance and OKX, reaching $1.09K and $8.77K, respectively.
The liquidation imbalance highlighted greater pressure on the bearish positions as EDGE maintained its broader recovery structure.
Importantly, the short liquidations complemented the persistent Spot net outflows, implying sellers faced resistance across different various market segments.
Source: CoinGlass Could EDGE revisit its Fibonacci golden zone? At the time of analysis, edgeX [EDGE] market price sat around $0.5841 after defending the $0.5632 zone, keeping its recovery structure above that major level.
Notably, the RSI cooled to 69.53 after surging above the overbought threshold and briefly extending beyond the 80 level.
This implied that buyers retained considerable strength, although the pullback showed that the earlier intensity had started fading.
The Fibonacci levels placed the 0.5 retracement at the $0.5245 price level while the 0.618 level was at the $0.4828 price level.
This $0.4828–$0.5245 golden zone could provide stronger support in case EDGE extends its current price retracement.
Importantly, a retreat into this region could possibly attract fresh buying interest and establish a foundation for another EDGE price reversal.
Therefore, losing the $0.5632 support level would not automatically invalidate the recovery but rather open a deeper retracement toward a technically significant zone capable of supporting the next upside attempt.
Source: TradingView Final Summary Three consecutive EDGE outflow days are countering fresh supply from the $2.27 million KuCoin deposit. A golden zone retest could provide support for another EDGE reversal toward the $0.7014 resistance.
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.
Centralized crypto exchanges collectively handled $811 billion in spot trading volume during August, a 15% jump from July’s $705 billion. That July figure had been the lowest in two years, making the August rebound feel less like a victory lap and more like a patient getting discharged from the hospital.
Coinbase posted the most impressive individual recovery, with spot volume surging 36% month-over-month. KuCoin followed with a 23% gain, while Binance, still the dominant player with roughly 28% market share, grew 21% to reach $227 billion in spot volume.
A broad-based recovery with a Bitcoin tailwind The rebound wasn’t confined to a handful of platforms. Most major exchanges reported double-digit percentage increases, suggesting the uptick was driven by market-wide momentum rather than exchange-specific catalysts.
Bitcoin’s price rally of more than 30% during August likely served as the primary accelerant.
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At the peak of activity in mid-August, daily spot volumes were running at approximately $37 billion. That’s a dramatic contrast to the sluggish periods earlier in the year when trading desks were essentially watching paint dry.
The recovery also coincided with increased activity across futures markets and perpetual decentralized exchanges.
The structural challenge CEXes can’t ignore Despite August’s healthy rebound, overall volumes still trail the peaks seen in 2025.
Spot ETFs continue to absorb institutional capital that might otherwise flow through exchange order books. Digital asset treasury products, which let companies hold crypto on their balance sheets through structured vehicles, are creating another off-ramp for large buyers who don’t need CEX liquidity.
Total CEX volume dropped by 23.9% in July, with spot figures falling to around $705 billion or potentially even lower depending on the measurement methodology.
Coinbase’s outsized recovery tells a story Coinbase’s 36% volume increase outpaced the market average by a wide margin. As a US-regulated exchange with deep institutional relationships, Coinbase sits at the intersection of traditional finance and crypto markets.
KuCoin’s 23% growth likely reflects a different driver. The exchange has historically been popular for altcoin trading, and altcoin demand continues to favor centralized platforms where listings and liquidity are concentrated.
Binance’s 21% growth to $227 billion kept it firmly in the top spot, but its market share of roughly 28% continues a gradual compression from the dominant position it held just a couple of years ago.
What this means for the competitive landscape Analysts noted that spot ETFs and digital asset treasury products remain a critical focus for the industry, as institutional flows begin to diversify away from CEX spot trading, particularly impacting Bitcoin and Ethereum trading volumes. Meanwhile, altcoin demand continues to support CEX platforms, as new token launches still overwhelmingly seek centralized exchange listings for the visibility and liquidity they provide.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
KuCoin has introduced KCUSD, a yield-bearing product that will allow eligible users to earn daily returns on stablecoin balances while the exchange works toward expanding the asset’s use within its trading ecosystem.
At launch, users will be able to subscribe using USDT, USDC or USDG, with a minimum subscription of 1 unit of the respective stablecoin. KCUSD will carry a dynamic base APR of up to 4%, while qualifying new funds may be eligible for a promotional rate of up to 6% during the initial launch period.
Unlike products that require users to periodically claim or reinvest their returns, KCUSD credits earnings directly to users’ balances each day. Those returns are then included in the balance used for subsequent yield calculations, providing automatic daily compounding. KuCoin will not charge a subscription fee, and users will have same-asset redemption options.
The product is being made available to eligible retail customers as well as high-net-worth and institutional users.
KCUSD is KuCoin’s attempt to address a broader issue around how stablecoin liquidity is used on crypto trading platforms. Market participants frequently keep stablecoins readily available to cover margin requirements or deploy capital when trading opportunities emerge. Doing so provides liquidity but leaves those balances without a yield. Moving the funds elsewhere to earn returns, meanwhile, can reduce their immediate availability for trading.
KuCoin is initially addressing one side of that trade-off by offering yield simply for holding KCUSD. The company plans to add margin functionality at a later stage, potentially expanding the asset’s role from an Earn product to capital that can also be used within trading activities.
“Digital asset markets are entering a new phase in which infrastructure will be measured not only by the access and liquidity it provides, but by how efficiently capital can be deployed across an always-on financial system,” said BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin. “Our long-term view is that yield, liquidity and risk utility should not remain in separate silos. KCUSD begins by helping users put idle balances to work and is designed to evolve toward broader trading utility. This reflects our vision for a more efficient market architecture that gives institutions and individual users greater flexibility in how they participate in global digital markets.”
The planned margin integration is part of KuCoin’s longer-term strategy for KCUSD. Rather than limiting the product to yield generation, the exchange expects it to eventually connect several functions across its platform, including liquidity, collateral, trading and risk management.
That approach reflects a shift in how stablecoins can be used within digital asset markets. While they have traditionally served primarily as settlement assets, trading liquidity and reserves, products such as KCUSD are being designed to make those balances productive while preserving the possibility of broader financial utility.
For KuCoin, the launch starts with daily yield, with additional trading and collateral functionality planned as the product develops.
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A freelance writer with a passion for crypto, delivering insightful and accurate content on blockchain and fintech. With a knack for translating complex concepts into accessible content, Eric produces well-researched articles, blog posts, and thought leadership pieces that cover the latest trends and developments in the digital finance space. His writing is aimed at educating and engaging both newcomers and industry experts, offering fresh insights into the world of cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance (DeFi), and blockchain innovations. Eric’s dedication to quality and accuracy makes him a trusted voice in the fintech and crypto communities
KuCoin Web3 Wallet said on September 2 that it had upgraded its self-custodial trading interface with intent-based swaps and limit orders. The KuCoin announcement names UniswapX and PancakeSwapX as the intent-routing integrations, while 1inch powers the new limit-order function.
Intent Systems Compete to Fill Wallet Swaps For eligible swaps, a user specifies the desired transaction outcome and third-party fillers or solvers compete to execute it. KuCoin said available routes may provide broader liquidity, competitive quotes, gas abstraction and protection against adverse maximal extractable value, including front-running and sandwich attacks.
Those benefits are conditional rather than universal. The route depends on the asset, network and available liquidity, so a supported wallet does not guarantee that every trade will receive the same execution path or protections. The company did not publish independent execution benchmarks with the release.
1inch Powers Signed, Offchain Limit Orders The limit-order component lets users choose a target price and expiry. Orders are signed cryptographically and remain offchain until filled, allowing the wallet to place immediate market swaps and target-price orders within the same interface. KuCoin had previously worked with 1inch on RWA trading, but the latest release extends the execution workflow to limit orders.
Tokenized Assets Join the Expanded Routes KuCoin said the upgrade also applies to eligible tokenized assets referencing stocks, exchange-traded funds and other real-world assets. Access remains subject to issuer rules, user eligibility, network support, market availability and liquidity. The wording matters because the release describes supported routes, not unrestricted access to every tokenized security.
The wallet has also been expanding the networks through which users reach DeFi and tokenized assets. In July, it integrated Robinhood Chain for DeFi access, adding a separate connectivity layer to the execution tools announced this week.
Upgrade Consolidates Trading Inside Self-Custody The central change is workflow consolidation: users can route supported swaps and set limit orders without moving between separate decentralized applications. KuCoin presents that as a simpler path from market discovery to execution while users retain control of their private keys.
Self-custody does not remove trading, smart-contract or liquidity risk. The release confirms the integrations and interface upgrade, but users still need to check network support, order terms and route availability before signing a transaction.
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Jide Idowu is a skilled freelance writer with expertise in blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and digital finance. Known for his ability to break down complex topics into clear, engaging content, Jide crafts articles, blog posts, and analyses that resonate with both beginners and seasoned professionals. His work spans a wide range of subjects, from emerging crypto trends to in-depth explorations of blockchain innovations. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for educating readers, Jide is a reliable voice in the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, Sept. 1, 2026 – KuCoin has expanded its Institutional Interest-Free Lending Program by integrating it with the exchange’s Unified Trading Account (UTA), allowing eligible institutional clients to use borrowed capital across Spot, Margin and Futures from a single account structure.
Under the updated terms, newly registered API clients can qualify with 10 million USDT in external 30-day trading volume, down from the previous 30 million USDT threshold. The program also provides 0% interest for the first two months without a trading-volume requirement, while eligible clients can borrow up to 3 million USDT.
The UTA integration is designed to reduce the need to move funds between separate trading accounts. Borrowed assets can be used across supported products within the unified account, giving institutional participants greater flexibility in how they allocate collateral and capital. Borrowing is available in USDT, USDC, BTC and ETH.
The latest update builds on KuCoin’s institutional lending offering launched in 2024, when eligible API traders and quantitative teams could access up to 500,000 USDT in interest-free credit alongside fee benefits, higher API limits, enhanced connectivity and technical support. In 2025, the borrowing limit increased to 3 million USDT and the program added support for multiple borrowing assets and the use of funds from sub-accounts as margin across eligible products.
“Professional market participants need timely, flexible and capital-efficient access to liquidity. Effective institutional lending infrastructure must combine financing at scale, tailored terms and competitive pricing so clients can execute sophisticated strategies with confidence,” said Alison Qin, Head of KuCoin Institutional & VIP. “By integrating lending with UTA, we are bringing capital closer to the accounts and products behind those strategies, making it easier to deploy while helping clients maintain control over execution and risk.”
The 2026 update extends that development by connecting institutional lending more directly with KuCoin’s account and trading infrastructure. The company said the integration is intended to simplify capital deployment across trading products while reducing operational friction for institutional participants.
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Simeon is a detail-driven editor who sharpens every piece with clarity and precision, ensuring clean, consistent, and professional content throughout.
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.
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.
31 August 2026 | 13:26 Monero led major cryptocurrencies as volume jumped 255%, but one trading pair carried most activity and THORChain’s anticipated native-XMR route remains delayed, leaving traders to judge whether momentum can last.
Key Takeaways XMR gained 10% as volume tripled. One KuCoin pair carried most volume. THORChain’s Monero rollout remains on hold. Daily RSI climbed above 84, raising risk. XMR outpaces every top-20 At 10:02 UTC on August 31, CoinGecko placed Monero near $532.29, up 10% over 24 hours and 22% over seven days. No other altcoin among the 20 largest cryptocurrencies by market value matched its daily gain.
Rolling 24-hour volume reached approximately $240.7 million, a 255% increase from the previous day. That implies an earlier comparison base of roughly $67.7 million and helps explain why the percentage change looks so dramatic. XMR’s market capitalization stood near $10 billion, making the latest turnover equivalent to about 2.4% of its market value.
The higher volume shows that more trading accompanied the price advance, but it does not represent $240.7 million of new investment. Every completed trade adds to the figure, and the same coins can change hands repeatedly.
Five days earlier, Coindoo’s review of a cooling altcoin market found XMR down 1.2% for the day and up 7.8% over seven days. By August 31, the reported weekly return had expanded by 14.4 percentage points.
Monero’s move also fits an older sector theme. In July, our team found that nine of the ten largest privacy coins finished the week higher. That history provides context for renewed interest in privacy assets, but it cannot identify the trigger for this particular 10% move.
One KuCoin pair carried 56% of the volume CoinGecko tracked XMR across 18 exchanges and 48 markets, but the activity was heavily concentrated. KuCoin’s XMR/USDT pair generated approximately $134.2 million, accounting for 56.2% of all tracked volume.
The concentration does not erase the increase, but it narrows what the headline figure proves. Participation was not equally strong across the market, and more than half of the recorded turnover depended on one exchange and one pair.
Broader demand would look different: total volume would remain elevated while KuCoin’s share declined as other exchanges and trading pairs became more active. If overall volume falls as activity on that pair cools, the surge will look more like a brief concentration of momentum than a market-wide change in XMR demand.
THORChain has not launched native XMR swaps yet The trading data show that activity increased; they do not reveal why. Major development surrounding Monero is THORChain’s planned native integration, although the official timeline does not support treating it as a completed catalyst.
Monero applies privacy by default, concealing transaction amounts and making senders and recipients difficult to link. That design distinguishes it from networks where confidential transfers are optional, but it has also contributed to XMR’s removal or restriction on several centralized platforms.
THORChain’s proposed integration would offer another route. Users could exchange native XMR for assets on other supported networks without wrapping the coin or depositing it with a centralized custodian.
In its July soft-launch plan, THORChain described the Monero code as close to ready and planned to begin with a clearly labeled beta. The cautious rollout reflects work that its existing integrations do not require: Monero’s transaction outputs and signing process must be handled through a separate technical setup.
The schedule changed before launch. On August 27, THORChain placed XMR and Zcash on an initial one-to-two-week hold while it reviewed network stability following version 3.20 and a pending hotfix. Monero also remained absent from THORChain’s supported-asset list at the time of writing.
Monero’s protocol plans are separate Monero’s own roadmap should not be confused with THORChain’s integration. The official roadmap places Full-Chain Membership Proofs, the Cuprate Rust node, Bulletproofs++ and the Seraphis/Jamtis codebase in its “Coming Soon” section. None was announced on August 31 as a fresh reason for the price move.
There is therefore no verified same-day fundamental announcement that explains the rally. The prospect of easier decentralized access may be attracting interest, but the available data cannot separate that expectation from momentum trading or a broader rotation into privacy assets.
Monero’s daily chart is strong but extended Prices moved quickly during the session.
Monero (XMR/USD) price chart showing a sharp surge and RSI indicator.
On the daily chart, XMR stood well above its major moving averages. The 50-day simple moving average was near $386, while the 100- and 200-day averages were clustered around $360 and $359. At approximately 39% above the 50-day average, price had no nearby moving-average support if profit-taking accelerated.
Daily RSI reading reached 84 which reflects strong momentum rather than an automatic reversal signal, but it also shows that the advance has had little time to reset. A routine pullback can become sharp when buyers enter after such an extended move.
The first level to watch is $500, both a round number and the area needed to preserve most of the latest breakout. The measured advance began near $486.32, making a daily close below that level a clearer sign that the latest leg had failed. The previous consolidation around $470 would then become relevant.
On the upside, $540 marks the immediate overhead area around the latest price readings. A daily close above it would leave $560 as the next visible round-number zone, although that level is a reference point rather than a guaranteed target.
What would make the rally more convincing Usable native swaps: THORChain launches XMR support, and its pool develops enough depth to process swaps without excessive slippage. Broader participation: Total volume stays elevated while KuCoin’s 56.2% share declines as activity spreads to other venues. A calmer chart: RSI retreats toward the 60-70 area while XMR continues closing above $500. The 255% volume increase shows that traders noticed Monero. It does not yet show whether they arrived for native-swap access, the wider privacy trade or short-term momentum. Actual THORChain usage, broader exchange participation and XMR’s behavior after RSI cools will provide a clearer answer than the size of one day’s price candle.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency prices are volatile, and market data can change rapidly.
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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.
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.
OpenClaw 2.0 Launches: The Biggest Update in Its History After 7 Weeks of Development
Beating AI News: OpenClaw’s last major version launched in mid-July, with no new official major release in the nearly seven weeks since. Previously, the project updated roughly every two days on average, a pace that has now slowed significantly. Today, the OpenClaw development team rolled out a new version dubbed "OpenClaw 2.0", marking the project’s largest update to date. A total of 933 developers participated, merging over 16,000 pull requests (PRs) — accounting for roughly half of all PRs merged in the project’s history. The update focuses on lowering the barrier to entry: during installation, it automatically detects existing ChatGPT, Claude subscriptions, API keys, and local models on the user’s device, reducing manual configuration. The browser-based interface has also been revamped, enabling direct chatting, task resumption, session management, and support for multiple users to join or take over the same task. The update also covers messaging, memory, Skills, models, automation, plugins, security, and native apps. Over the past 230 days, OpenClaw released 106 versions. The team acknowledged that the previous rapid release pace outpaced its underlying architecture and release processes. Moving forward, OpenClaw will continue to reduce its update frequency.
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Barclays expects the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by 25 basis points each in September and December this year.
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Tencent's Hunyuan Hy4 Overwhelmed Just 3 Days After Launch: WorkBuddy Undergoes Emergency Scaling
Beating AI News Flash: After Tencent’s Hunyuan Hy4 preview launched on WorkBuddy, usage surged, leading to queuing issues. The joint project team of WorkBuddy and Hunyuan issued a notice stating that it is urgently scaling up the Hy4 preview inference cluster and will continue to dynamically add resources based on usage. Hy4 preview is Tencent’s new-generation flagship model released and open-sourced on August 28, with 770 billion total parameters, 49 billion activated per inference, and a 1 million-token context window. It was integrated with WorkBuddy, CodeBuddy, Yuanbao, and Ima on its release day, offering a two-week free trial on WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy. Just three days after launch, WorkBuddy has already faced queuing due to peak concurrent usage. The team noted that total high-end computing power and peak concurrent capacity remain limited, so queuing may still occur during some periods even after scaling. Temporary solutions include switching back to Hy3 or avoiding evening peak hours. The free trial period for Hy3 on WorkBuddy has been extended to September 30 at 23:59.
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The 'US Stock Market Top Winner' liquidated all long positions in HYPE, returned to trading US stocks, and opened new NVDA positions worth $24.5 million.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), the previously tracked "US Stock Market Winner" has largely exited its long positions in HYPE. The whale’s HYPE contract long positions have dropped from around 152,800 units to just 11.82 units, while its spot account holds only approximately 374.9 HYPE tokens. Its primary risk exposure has now refocused on US stocks. Currently, this whale holds a 20x fully leveraged long position of roughly 112,800 NVDA contracts, with a position value of about $24.495 million and an average entry price of $220.08. NVDA is trading at around $217.15, resulting in an unrealized loss of roughly $330,000 on the position, with a return of approximately -26.6%. The position was opened two days ago. Additionally, the whale has placed 169 sell orders around NVDA: 40 "position-reduction only" sell orders at $221.7 to $222.5, planning to reduce holdings by around 46,200 units, with a nominal value of approximately $10.267 million, covering about 41% of its current long position. Another 129 non-position-reduction sell orders are placed at $218.95 to $228.33, targeting the sale of around 192,500 units, with a nominal value of roughly $42.586 million. The number of these orders exceeds the whale’s current NVDA long position by approximately 70.7%. If the non-position-reduction sell orders are fully executed, the whale may shift to a short position after exiting its remaining NVDA long holdings. Currently, this whale is the largest NVDA holder on Hyperliquid. On-chain perpetual and address analysis tool TradingBeats is now live, supporting real-time access to Hyperliquid data, tracing whale operations from addresses, and delivering in-depth analysis for full visibility.
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Whale Tracking: Amid renewed US-Iran clashes, smart money flipped to go long on 5.5 million barrels of crude oil, while ramping up positions on "invasion of Iran" prediction shares.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), U.S. forces struck two rocket launch sites on Iran’s Larak Island overnight, a development that sent international oil prices soaring in a gap-up move. WTI crude oil contracts (CL) on Hyperliquid are currently trading at $85.45, up roughly 3.2% in 24 hours. Geopolitical conflict-focused trader xm39, who has been closely tracked, adjusted positions in both crude oil and prediction markets amid this price swing. Between 7:32 and 8:00 AM today, its associated address added roughly 28,400 WTI short contracts against the market trend, with a transaction value of around $2.401 million. As oil prices continued to rise, the address closed out all 107,400 short contracts at 9:01 AM, with an average closing price of ~$84.86, booking a realized loss of approximately $131,500. Just about 10 minutes later, it flipped its trading direction from short to long. The address then sequentially bought roughly 64,700 WTI contracts, and currently holds a long position of ~$5.531 million at 20x full leverage, with an unrealized profit of ~$18,200, a margin return rate of around 6.6%, and a liquidation price of ~$64.88. Meanwhile, xm39 also continued to increase its geopolitical conflict bets on Polymarket. Between 7:43 and 7:51 AM today, it purchased a total of 274,500 Yes shares for the market question “Will the U.S. invade Iran before 2027” in three separate trades, executed at probabilities of 14%, 15%, and 16% respectively, for a total investment of ~$41,700. This round of purchases expanded its position in this prediction market by roughly 74.7%. Currently, xm39 holds a total of 642,300 Yes shares, with an accumulated cost of ~$127,100, at an average entry probability of 19.79%; the current market probability for the question is ~15.5%, resulting in an unrealized loss of approximately $27,600.
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Two crypto whales made high-profile buys of ETH, totaling $140 million.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), two large ETH whale addresses have continued to add to their long positions from last night to this morning, purchasing a total of 23,245.3 ETH in perpetual contracts, with a trading volume of approximately $57.752 million and a weighted average execution price of around $2,484.4. As of press time, ETH is trading at $2,414.6. The two addresses currently hold a combined 60,036.2 ETH long positions, with a total position value of roughly $145 million, a weighted average entry price of about $2,480.8, and a combined unrealized loss of approximately $3.975 million. Whale address 0x0392: Between 00:07 and 00:36 today, it purchased 13,078.1 ETH in concentrated trades, with a trading volume of around $32.662 million. It currently holds 45,087.3 ETH long positions with 8x full leverage, valued at roughly $109 million, at an average entry price of $2,486.4, posting an unrealized loss of about $3.236 million, a return rate of -23.1%, and a liquidation price of approximately $2,251.2. Whale address 0x77dd: Between 18:31 and 22:38 last night, it bought 10,167.3 ETH, with a trading volume of around $25.09 million. It currently holds 14,948.9 ETH long positions with 12x full leverage, valued at roughly $36.1 million, at an average entry price of $2,464, with an unrealized loss of about $738,000, a return rate of -24.1%, and a liquidation price of approximately $2,144.8. On-chain perpetual (Perp) and address analysis tool TradingBeats is now live, supporting real-time access to Hyperliquid data, tracing whale activities from addresses, and delivering in-depth analysis for full visibility.
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.
OpenClaw 2.0 Launches: The Biggest Update in Its History After 7 Weeks of Development
Beating AI News: OpenClaw’s last major version launched in mid-July, with no new official major release in the nearly seven weeks since. Previously, the project updated roughly every two days on average, a pace that has now slowed significantly. Today, the OpenClaw development team rolled out a new version dubbed "OpenClaw 2.0", marking the project’s largest update to date. A total of 933 developers participated, merging over 16,000 pull requests (PRs) — accounting for roughly half of all PRs merged in the project’s history. The update focuses on lowering the barrier to entry: during installation, it automatically detects existing ChatGPT, Claude subscriptions, API keys, and local models on the user’s device, reducing manual configuration. The browser-based interface has also been revamped, enabling direct chatting, task resumption, session management, and support for multiple users to join or take over the same task. The update also covers messaging, memory, Skills, models, automation, plugins, security, and native apps. Over the past 230 days, OpenClaw released 106 versions. The team acknowledged that the previous rapid release pace outpaced its underlying architecture and release processes. Moving forward, OpenClaw will continue to reduce its update frequency.
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Barclays expects the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by 25 basis points each in September and December this year.
UK major banking group Barclays projects the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by 25 basis points each in September and December this year, reversing its earlier expectation that the Fed would hold rates steady.
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Tencent's Hunyuan Hy4 Overwhelmed Just 3 Days After Launch: WorkBuddy Undergoes Emergency Scaling
Beating AI News Flash: After Tencent’s Hunyuan Hy4 preview launched on WorkBuddy, usage surged, leading to queuing issues. The joint project team of WorkBuddy and Hunyuan issued a notice stating that it is urgently scaling up the Hy4 preview inference cluster and will continue to dynamically add resources based on usage. Hy4 preview is Tencent’s new-generation flagship model released and open-sourced on August 28, with 770 billion total parameters, 49 billion activated per inference, and a 1 million-token context window. It was integrated with WorkBuddy, CodeBuddy, Yuanbao, and Ima on its release day, offering a two-week free trial on WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy. Just three days after launch, WorkBuddy has already faced queuing due to peak concurrent usage. The team noted that total high-end computing power and peak concurrent capacity remain limited, so queuing may still occur during some periods even after scaling. Temporary solutions include switching back to Hy3 or avoiding evening peak hours. The free trial period for Hy3 on WorkBuddy has been extended to September 30 at 23:59.
1 seconds ago
The 'US Stock Market Top Winner' liquidated all long positions in HYPE, returned to trading US stocks, and opened new NVDA positions worth $24.5 million.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), the previously tracked "US Stock Market Winner" has largely exited its long positions in HYPE. The whale’s HYPE contract long positions have dropped from around 152,800 units to just 11.82 units, while its spot account holds only approximately 374.9 HYPE tokens. Its primary risk exposure has now refocused on US stocks. Currently, this whale holds a 20x fully leveraged long position of roughly 112,800 NVDA contracts, with a position value of about $24.495 million and an average entry price of $220.08. NVDA is trading at around $217.15, resulting in an unrealized loss of roughly $330,000 on the position, with a return of approximately -26.6%. The position was opened two days ago. Additionally, the whale has placed 169 sell orders around NVDA: 40 "position-reduction only" sell orders at $221.7 to $222.5, planning to reduce holdings by around 46,200 units, with a nominal value of approximately $10.267 million, covering about 41% of its current long position. Another 129 non-position-reduction sell orders are placed at $218.95 to $228.33, targeting the sale of around 192,500 units, with a nominal value of roughly $42.586 million. The number of these orders exceeds the whale’s current NVDA long position by approximately 70.7%. If the non-position-reduction sell orders are fully executed, the whale may shift to a short position after exiting its remaining NVDA long holdings. Currently, this whale is the largest NVDA holder on Hyperliquid. On-chain perpetual and address analysis tool TradingBeats is now live, supporting real-time access to Hyperliquid data, tracing whale operations from addresses, and delivering in-depth analysis for full visibility.
1 seconds ago
Whale Tracking: Amid renewed US-Iran clashes, smart money flipped to go long on 5.5 million barrels of crude oil, while ramping up positions on "invasion of Iran" prediction shares.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), U.S. forces struck two rocket launch sites on Iran’s Larak Island overnight, a development that sent international oil prices soaring in a gap-up move. WTI crude oil contracts (CL) on Hyperliquid are currently trading at $85.45, up roughly 3.2% in 24 hours. Geopolitical conflict-focused trader xm39, who has been closely tracked, adjusted positions in both crude oil and prediction markets amid this price swing. Between 7:32 and 8:00 AM today, its associated address added roughly 28,400 WTI short contracts against the market trend, with a transaction value of around $2.401 million. As oil prices continued to rise, the address closed out all 107,400 short contracts at 9:01 AM, with an average closing price of ~$84.86, booking a realized loss of approximately $131,500. Just about 10 minutes later, it flipped its trading direction from short to long. The address then sequentially bought roughly 64,700 WTI contracts, and currently holds a long position of ~$5.531 million at 20x full leverage, with an unrealized profit of ~$18,200, a margin return rate of around 6.6%, and a liquidation price of ~$64.88. Meanwhile, xm39 also continued to increase its geopolitical conflict bets on Polymarket. Between 7:43 and 7:51 AM today, it purchased a total of 274,500 Yes shares for the market question “Will the U.S. invade Iran before 2027” in three separate trades, executed at probabilities of 14%, 15%, and 16% respectively, for a total investment of ~$41,700. This round of purchases expanded its position in this prediction market by roughly 74.7%. Currently, xm39 holds a total of 642,300 Yes shares, with an accumulated cost of ~$127,100, at an average entry probability of 19.79%; the current market probability for the question is ~15.5%, resulting in an unrealized loss of approximately $27,600.
1 seconds ago
Two crypto whales made high-profile buys of ETH, totaling $140 million.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight), two large ETH whale addresses have continued to add to their long positions from last night to this morning, purchasing a total of 23,245.3 ETH in perpetual contracts, with a trading volume of approximately $57.752 million and a weighted average execution price of around $2,484.4. As of press time, ETH is trading at $2,414.6. The two addresses currently hold a combined 60,036.2 ETH long positions, with a total position value of roughly $145 million, a weighted average entry price of about $2,480.8, and a combined unrealized loss of approximately $3.975 million. Whale address 0x0392: Between 00:07 and 00:36 today, it purchased 13,078.1 ETH in concentrated trades, with a trading volume of around $32.662 million. It currently holds 45,087.3 ETH long positions with 8x full leverage, valued at roughly $109 million, at an average entry price of $2,486.4, posting an unrealized loss of about $3.236 million, a return rate of -23.1%, and a liquidation price of approximately $2,251.2. Whale address 0x77dd: Between 18:31 and 22:38 last night, it bought 10,167.3 ETH, with a trading volume of around $25.09 million. It currently holds 14,948.9 ETH long positions with 12x full leverage, valued at roughly $36.1 million, at an average entry price of $2,464, with an unrealized loss of about $738,000, a return rate of -24.1%, and a liquidation price of approximately $2,144.8. On-chain perpetual (Perp) and address analysis tool TradingBeats is now live, supporting real-time access to Hyperliquid data, tracing whale activities from addresses, and delivering in-depth analysis for full visibility.
KuCoin Web3 Wallet has added full support for Sui Network mainnet assets, marking another step in the exchange's push to expand its self-custodial product beyond simple spot trading.
What the Integration Offers
Sui itself is a layer-1 blockchain built on the Move programming language.
A Deepening Relationship Between KuCoin and Sui The wallet integration extends that relationship into native on-chain asset management.
The Sui addition continues that pattern, broadening the wallet's multi-chain reach for users seeking a single interface across major layer-1 networks.
Even so, broader wallet-level access to a network typically lowers the barrier for new users to interact with its decentralized ecosystem directly.
Sources:
Crypto Briefing: SUI assets now supported in KuCoin Web3 Wallet
CoinGecko: What Is Sui? A Deep Dive into Sui and Its Ecosystem
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.
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.
HertzFlow’s USD1 Genesis Vault has been fully funded with $4.44 million, and its mainnet will open for trading on August 24.
HertzFlow announced that its $4.44 million USD1 Genesis Deposit Vault has been fully funded. The project’s official stated that this is a key milestone ahead of its mainnet launch, and the team is currently making final preparations for the mainnet to officially open trading on August 24. According to the introduction, HertzFlow aims to build a permissionless leveraged trading market for oracle-backed assets, and further activate on-chain liquidity on BNB Chain via composable DeFi strategies, converting more on-chain funds into liquid assets that generate sustainable yields.
14 minutes ago
Binance's derivatives trading volume surges over 600% in three days
According to data from BlockBeats, Binance's platform futures trading volume surged 619% over the three-day period from August 16 to 19, rising from $13.2 billion to $95.1 billion.
14 minutes ago
Bithumb will suspend deposits and withdrawals of 28 BNB Chain assets on August 25, with the network upgrade expected to be completed at 11:30.
South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb announced that to support the BNB Smart Chain network upgrade and node server updates, it will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for 28 related digital assets starting at 9:00 AM KST on August 25. The impacted assets include BNB, ASTER, CAKE, FLOKI, PUMPBTC, SFP, SOLV, USD1, XVS, C98, EDU, GMT, HOOK, LISTA, and others, with the suspension limited exclusively to the BNB Smart Chain network. Bithumb expects to complete the node server update by 11:30 AM KST on August 25, though the exact time may change due to network conditions and block generation speed. The platform will issue a separate announcement to resume deposits and withdrawals once the network stabilizes. The announcement emphasized that trading of the affected assets will remain normal during the suspension, but users should note that significant price fluctuations may occur in the period.
14 minutes ago
AI is fully permeating the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision-making process, with AI mentioned 18 times across 15 economic discussion segments.
The Federal Reserve’s recently released July meeting minutes show that policymakers referenced artificial intelligence (AI) 18 times across 15 paragraphs discussing economic conditions and outlooks. Attending officials warned that large-scale AI infrastructure investment could exert broader upward pressure on overall inflation by boosting aggregate demand, while the impact of AI on the labor market remains highly uncertain. Some officials noted that AI-related price pressures are currently concentrated only in chips, software, and certain consumer electronics, but others pointed out that the expanding scale of AI investment may have already or will soon affect overall prices. Meanwhile, Fed officials are concerned that AI capital spending is increasingly reliant on debt financing from non-bank investors and regional banks. A sharp reversal in AI asset pricing could lead to significant stock repricing and trigger shocks to financial institutions and consumer spending. The minutes also stated that AI’s impact on the labor market may be limited for now. While data center construction has created jobs in some regions, it has also exacerbated shortages of roles such as electricians, plumbers, and construction workers. Some officials also warned that there remains considerable uncertainty about whether and when the productivity gains promised by AI will materialize.
14 minutes ago
Xiaomi’s MiMo-V3-Pro benchmark results have reportedly leaked, scoring 72.8 on SWE-Bench Pro, approaching top-tier overseas closed-source models.
Max For AI has published a disclosure noting that a benchmark screenshot allegedly of Xiaomi’s next-generation large model MiMo-V3-Pro has circulated in online communities. The screenshot shows the model is primarily targeted at coding agent and general agent scenarios, with some test scores approaching those of top overseas models like Claude Opus and GPT. According to the alleged screenshot, MiMo-V3-Pro scored 72.8 points on SWE-Bench Pro, higher than GLM 5.3’s 67.9 points and Kimi K3’s 65.8 points, and less than 3 points behind Claude Opus 5’s 74.6 points and GPT-5.6 Sol Max’s 75.4 points. It also scored 70.6 points on Terminal-Bench 2.0, similarly close to Claude Opus 5’s 72.0 points and GPT-5.6 Sol Max’s 73.5 points. Additionally, its τ3-bench score reached 76.4 points, compared to GPT-5.6 Sol Max’s 78.8 points. If these scores are ultimately officially confirmed and reproducible in the official version, MiMo-V3-Pro could enter the first tier of the world’s top models. However, the authenticity of the benchmark screenshot and its test conditions have not been confirmed by Xiaomi’s official, and the relevant data should still be considered unsubstantiated leaks. It is worth noting that Xiaomi’s latest officially announced MiMo flagship models are currently MiMo-V2-Pro and MiMo-V2.5-Pro, so whether MiMo-V3-Pro exists and its specific release date remain to be further disclosed by the company.
14 minutes ago
Whale Makes $2.36M Going Long $ASTER as Price Pumps, Still Holds $2.27M Position
ASTER is pumping. A whale has made a total profit of $2.36M from going long $ASTER on @Aster_DEX. He still holds a 3.2M $ASTER ($2.27M) long, with an unrealized profit of $190K+.
PANews reported on August 20 that, according to official sources, KuCoin’s Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) has officially obtained ISO/IEC 42001:2023 international certification, further strengthening the company’s systematic capabilities in responsible AI deployment, governance, and continuous improvement.
The certification is the world’s first international standard for artificial intelligence management systems, providing an internationally recognized management framework for enterprises to establish, implement, maintain, and continuously improve their AI management systems. The certification covers KuCoin’s AI management system and related supporting functions, further promoting the transparent, secure, and responsible application of AI in platform operations.
As AI increasingly penetrates digital finance scenarios such as risk control, anti-money laundering, fraud detection, market monitoring, intelligent customer service, and platform operations, KuCoin is continuing to advance AI innovation and trustworthy governance in parallel. This certification further improves KuCoin’s trust framework, together with ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 22301, building trusted infrastructure covering information security, operational reliability, business continuity, and AI governance.
KuCoin announced today that its Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) has officially obtained ISO/IEC 42001:2023 international certification, further strengthening the company’s systematic capabilities in the responsible deployment, governance, and continuous improvement of artificial intelligence. This certification is the world’s first international standard for AI management systems, providing an internationally recognized management framework for enterprises to establish, implement, maintain, and continuously improve their AI management systems. The certification covers KuCoin’s AI management system and related support functions, further promoting the transparent, secure, and responsible application of AI in platform operations. As AI increasingly penetrates digital financial scenarios including risk control, anti-money laundering, fraud detection, market monitoring, intelligent customer service, and platform operations, KuCoin is continuously advancing AI innovation in parallel with credible governance. This certification further enhances KuCoin’s trust framework, working alongside standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 22301 to build a trusted infrastructure covering information security, operational reliability, business continuity, and AI governance.
KuCoin has obtained ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its AI Management System, which supports its effort to establish formal governance for AI across its digital asset platform.
The standard is the first international certifiable standard specifically focused on AI management systems and establishes requirements for governing AI throughout its lifecycle, according to KuCoin. The certification covers the firm’s AI management system and the organizational functions supporting it.
BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin, said the company expects AI to play a growing role in digital finance while emphasizing the need for responsible governance alongside technological advances.
“Achieving ISO/IEC 42001 demonstrates our commitment to embedding responsible AI governance into the way we build, deploy and operate AI across our platform. As we continue to innovate, we remain equally committed to ensuring that every AI capability is transparent, accountable and designed to strengthen user trust,” Wong added.
The certification adds an AI-specific layer to KuCoin’s existing Trust Framework, which includes ISO/IEC 27001 for information security, SOC 2 Type II for operational controls and ISO 22301 for business continuity and resilience.
The company said it will reinforce responsible AI deployment and continuous oversight across its global platform. AI is already used across areas such as risk control, AML, fraud detection, market surveillance, customer support and operational automation.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Entravel Group has raised $7.5 million to take its crypto-powered travel platform into mainstream markets. Ethereal Ventures, led by Joseph Lubin, and Finality Capital co-led the funding round. The company says its booking conversion rates are over 10%, much higher than the industry average of 1-3%. If you’ve ever booked a hotel through Kraken or MetaMask, you’ve already used Entravel Group’s technology. The company builds travel booking systems for crypto exchanges and fintech companies, powering more than 40 brands that together claim 300 million users.
With its new $7.5 million funding, Entravel plans to bring its technology to the wider travel industry. The round was co-led by Ethereal Ventures, chaired by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, and Finality Capital.
GSR, Varrock, G1 Ventures, Seier Capital, Veris Ventures, Funfair Ventures, and WTG Ventures also participated.
“Across our live white-label platforms, users can save up to 60% on selected hotels, while average booking conversion rates are above 10%, compared with an industry benchmark of approximately one to three percent. MocatravelX works directly with hotels to secure rooms and negotiate rates. Ratestellar combines this inventory with supply from other sources, giving partners access to more than 2.2 million hotels,” said Mathias Lundoe Nielsen, founder and CEO of Entravel.
When you search for a hotel, the booking site usually pulls live room availability, prices, and hotel details from different suppliers whose systems don’t always connect. Entravel says 38% of travel management companies see this fragmentation as a big obstacle to growth.
Entravel Group was founded in 2026 in Delaware and is led by Lundoe Nielsen. Entravel’s products include a system built on the Model Context Protocol, which lets AI agents connect directly to its travel data and booking tools.
Tech Funding News recently covered a team of former Google Flights and Kayak engineers who raised money to stop AI agents from flooding airline search systems with speculative requests. The booking layer, not the chat interface, is becoming the main focus for new travel tech challenges. Entravel thinks that owning this infrastructure will be crucial as bookings move from planning tools to agents that handle the whole transaction.
Entravel already works with Brands for Employees, Switzerland’s biggest employee benefits platform, which partners with over 2,500 employers like UBS, Swisscom, SBB, and Julius Bär. This demonstrates that Entravel’s infrastructure is effective for audiences beyond the crypto space.
From crypto funding to mainstream expansion The startup runs three connected businesses on one platform. MocatravelX works directly with hotels to get rooms and rates. RateStellar brings in more supply from other sources, using AI to match hotels and room types across suppliers, giving access to over 2.2 million hotels.
Entravel then creates a booking layer that partners can add to their own apps under their own brand. For example, a fintech app or employee benefits platform can offer hotel booking to users without building its own supplier network.
Entravel’s focus on infrastructure puts it in line with other B2B travel tech companies, but few handle all three parts of the stack at once. For example, London’s Lighthouse raised $370 million in Series C funding in November 2024 at a $2.4 billion valuation, but it provides pricing and revenue management software to hotels, not booking infrastructure for platforms.
“Online travel bookings approach $1.2 trillion in 2026, the need for modern, scalable distribution infrastructure is becoming increasingly important. Entravel Group has already demonstrated that its technology can power travel products for some of the world’s largest digital platforms,” says Joseph Lubin, Ethereum co-founder and chairman of Ethereal Ventures.
Entravel plans to use the new capital to expand supplier credit, boost booking volumes, move into traditional travel, and build a stablecoin-based financial system for settlement, treasury, and working capital.
Entravel wants to combine booking, supply, and settlement in one solution. It’s still unclear whether this approach will work outside the crypto world, where supplier trust and profit margins differ. This funding round hasn’t proven that yet.
KuCoin has secured ISO 22301:2019 certification for its Business Continuity Management Systems, a standardized framework designed to ensure organizations can keep operating through disruptions like cyberattacks, infrastructure failures, or the kind of chaos that tends to find crypto platforms at the worst possible moments.
The certification was announced on August 11.
What the certification actually means ISO 22301:2019 is the international standard for business continuity management. In practical terms, it means an independent auditor has verified that KuCoin has documented plans and processes in place to maintain critical services during various types of disruptions.
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KuCoin CEO BC Wong noted that operational resilience is now considered equally critical as security measures in the evolving digital asset sector.
Building a compliance stack The ISO 22301 certification doesn’t exist in isolation. KuCoin has been assembling what it calls a “Trust Framework,” layering multiple compliance certifications on top of each other.
The exchange already holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for information security management, SOC 2 Type II attestation for operational controls, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 for privacy information management.
The platform currently serves over 45 million users across more than 200 countries, with access to over 1,500 digital assets.
The regulatory backdrop KuCoin’s certification push aligns with several major regulatory frameworks that are reshaping how crypto businesses operate globally.
The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, known as MiCA, has established comprehensive requirements for crypto service providers operating in Europe. Alongside MiCA, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) specifically targets the operational resilience of financial entities, including crypto firms, requiring them to demonstrate they can withstand and recover from disruptions.
In Asia, both the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority have issued guidance that increasingly expects digital asset platforms to meet the same operational standards as traditional financial institutions.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
KuCoin has secured ISO 22301:2019 certification for its business continuity management system, adding an international continuity standard to the exchange’s existing security and operational controls.
Summary
KuCoin has secured ISO 22301:2019 certification for its business continuity management system. The standard covers preparations for operational disruptions and recovery of critical services. KuCoin now lists ISO 22301 alongside ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II in its Trust Framework. The certification comes as regulators place more focus on operational resilience for crypto and financial firms. According to KuCoin’s Aug. 11 announcement, the certification covers its framework for preparing for operational disruptions, maintaining critical services and restoring affected systems when incidents occur.
KuCoin ISO 22301 certification covers service continuity ISO 22301 sets requirements for a Business Continuity Management System, or BCMS, under which companies identify possible operational disruptions, establish response procedures and prepare recovery plans for critical services.
For KuCoin, the certification adds business continuity management to a compliance framework that already includes ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for information security and SOC 2 Type II for operational controls.
The exchange said ISO 22301 is designed to cover disruptions that can come from cyber incidents, infrastructure failures, problems involving outside service providers and other unexpected events. Its focus extends beyond preventing an incident by requiring procedures for keeping important operations running and restoring services when interruptions occur.
Such requirements have particular relevance for cryptocurrency exchanges because trading takes place around the clock rather than within fixed market hours. Platforms must maintain access to trading, asset transfers, payments and other services across different regions and time zones.
KuCoin identified cloud outages, blockchain node failures, payment infrastructure problems and reliance on third-party providers among the operational risks that exchanges may need to manage alongside cybersecurity threats.
The certification follows previous additions to the exchange’s security controls. As crypto.news reported in December, KuCoin already held SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27701 and Cryptocurrency Security Standard certifications at the time it received its European regulatory authorization. The exchange also used third-party proof-of-reserves audits.
KuCoin now lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for information security management, SOC 2 Type II for operational reliability and ISO 22301:2019 for business continuity as three parts of its Trust Framework.
Operational resilience requirements have entered crypto regulation Business continuity controls have also become part of regulatory requirements for financial and crypto companies in several markets.
In the European Union, the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation establishes rules for crypto-asset service providers, while the Digital Operational Resilience Act sets requirements covering information and communications technology risks for regulated financial entities.
DORA includes requirements around ICT risk management, incident handling, resilience testing and third-party technology risks. KuCoin also cited regulatory guidance from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority when discussing the role of continuity planning in financial services.
KuCoin already operates under MiCA through its European subsidiary. The exchange secured its MiCA license in Austria in late 2025, allowing KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH to provide regulated crypto services across 29 European Economic Area countries through the framework’s passporting system.
The Austrian authorization covers trading, custody and other digital asset services. MiCA also places requirements on licensed crypto service providers involving capital, governance, customer asset segregation and disclosures.
KuCoin CEO BC Wong said at the time that regulatory compliance formed part of the company’s long-term strategy. The authorization followed KuCoin’s registration as a Digital Currency Exchange with Australian financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC in November 2025.
According to Wong, MiCA had made regulatory compliance a basic requirement for companies seeking to operate in Europe. He said the exchange was investing in custody systems, compliance workflows and market-making infrastructure while operating under the European framework.
KuCoin adds continuity controls to its trust framework With the latest certification, KuCoin is putting additional controls around how its services respond when normal operations are disrupted.
The company said the BCMS framework requires organizations to identify risks before an incident, establish continuity plans and improve their ability to recover important services. The process also requires ongoing review rather than treating continuity planning as a one-time exercise.
BC Wong said maintaining user trust depended on a platform’s ability to remain consistent and reliable as well as secure.
“Trust is built not only through security, but also through consistency and reliability,” Wong said.
“As the digital asset industry continues to mature, operational resilience is becoming just as important as security,” he added, saying the ISO 22301 certification strengthens KuCoin’s preparations for unexpected events and its ability to restore operations.
The certification comes as KuCoin has also been building its regulatory presence outside Europe.
In April, the Central Bank of Nigeria selected KuCoin as the only global cryptocurrency exchange among six companies participating in a supervisory pilot for virtual asset service providers. The Nigerian regulatory pilot focuses on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing controls aligned with Financial Action Task Force standards.
Participants were required to provide detailed reports and work on governance, transaction monitoring and Travel Rule controls under the program. KuCoin joined five Nigerian fintech and crypto companies in the first group selected by the central bank.
Its regulatory record has also included enforcement actions in the United States. In March, KuCoin parent Peken Global Limited agreed to a $500,000 civil penalty to resolve Commodity Futures Trading Commission claims related to operating an unregistered offshore commodities exchange.
Under the CFTC settlement reached in March, Peken Global resolved the regulator’s remaining claims without admitting or denying the allegations and avoided a disgorgement order after cooperating with investigators.
The CFTC case followed KuCoin’s January 2025 guilty plea in a separate U.S. criminal case involving the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. The company agreed to pay more than $297 million in penalties in that case, while U.S. prosecutors had alleged deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and know-your-customer controls.
Against that regulatory history, KuCoin has continued adding formal security, compliance and operational standards to its systems. The ISO 22301 certification specifically addresses whether an organization has established processes to maintain or recover critical functions when disruptions occur.
Under its current Trust Framework, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 covers the management of information-security risks, while SOC 2 Type II assesses controls related to areas such as security and operational processes over a defined period. ISO 22301 adds a separate framework governing business continuity planning and recovery.
KuCoin said the three standards are intended to support information protection, service reliability and operational resilience across the exchange.
Wong said the company would continue investing in infrastructure under its “Trust First. Trade Next.” approach, with the latest certification focused on its ability to prepare for unexpected events and recover critical digital asset services efficiently.
Key HighlightsKuCoin Integrates ISO 22301 into Security InfrastructureBusiness Continuity Gains Regulatory AttentionKuCoin Strengthens Regulatory and Continuity Infrastructure KuCoin obtains ISO 22301 accreditation to enhance worldwide operational stability
ISO 22301 introduces structured continuity protocols and recovery mechanisms platform-wide
KuCoin broadens its security infrastructure with internationally recognized continuity practices
The standard addresses service interruptions, emergency response, and operational restoration
KuCoin enhances regulatory alignment as continuity standards gain importance worldwide
KuCoin has obtained ISO 22301 accreditation, implementing comprehensive business continuity measures throughout its worldwide cryptocurrency exchange. The international standard encompasses interruption management, operational restoration, and sustained access to essential platform functions. KuCoin indicated the accreditation represents a strategic commitment to enhanced operational stability.
KuCoin Integrates ISO 22301 into Security Infrastructure ISO 22301 establishes a systematic approach for handling operational interruptions and maintaining essential service delivery. The standard mandates threat evaluations, continuity strategies, restoration protocols, validation exercises, and ongoing assessments. KuCoin has integrated this methodology with its current security infrastructure and operational safeguards.
The platform previously achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II accreditations. These combined standards encompass data protection, service dependability, and operational continuity. ISO 22301 specifically targets maintaining platform functionality during unforeseen events that impact regular operations.
Cryptocurrency platforms encounter perpetual operational challenges since digital asset markets operate continuously. Exchanges must facilitate trading activities, asset transfers, transaction processing, and custody solutions worldwide around the clock. ISO 22301 enables KuCoin to address infrastructure failures, network disruptions, technical complications, and settlement challenges.
Business Continuity Gains Regulatory Attention Financial supervisors have intensified scrutiny of continuity planning as cryptocurrency enters mainstream financial infrastructure. European frameworks now mandate enhanced protocols for technological risk management, incident handling, service restoration, and vendor oversight. KuCoin’s ISO 22301 achievement aligns with this broader transition toward formalized resilience requirements.
The European Union enforces MiCA regulations on cryptocurrency providers serving its jurisdiction. DORA additionally establishes requirements for technology risk management, resilience validation, emergency protocols, and external dependency monitoring. KuCoin conducts European operations via its Austrian-regulated entity utilizing the MiCA passport framework.
Supervisory bodies in other jurisdictions have similarly prioritized continuity frameworks within operational oversight. Singapore and Hong Kong authorities maintain protocols covering platform uptime, restoration capabilities, and technology contingencies. ISO 22301 provides KuCoin with an established methodology addressing these supervisory expectations internationally.
KuCoin Strengthens Regulatory and Continuity Infrastructure KuCoin has progressively implemented formal governance systems while developing regulated presence across multiple territories. The platform completed registration with Australia’s AUSTRAC and subsequently obtained European-wide authorization. It additionally participated in a Nigerian regulatory framework addressing financial crime prevention and digital asset oversight.
The organization has also encountered regulatory challenges that heightened examination of its compliance infrastructure. American regulators previously initiated proceedings concerning licensing requirements, financial crime controls, and commodity registration obligations. KuCoin has subsequently advanced its governance framework, security architecture, compliance programs, and operational protocols.
ISO 22301 introduces a specialized continuity component emphasizing restoration following significant disruptions. The standard requires entities to validate contingency plans, identify vulnerabilities, and enhance procedures continuously. KuCoin now incorporates ISO 22301 alongside security and dependability certifications within its comprehensive Trust Framework.
Oliver Dale
Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]
KuCoin slipped an important, if unglamorous, badge onto its infrastructure this week: the ISO 22301:2019 certification for business continuity management. It is a signal that the exchange is trying to put in place the kind of operational shock absorbers that traditional finance firms have relied on for years. The announcement, made via a PRNewswire release on August 11, positions the Seychelles-based platform alongside a small but growing group of crypto-native companies that are voluntarily adopting international standards for resilience.
What the certification actually covers ISO 22301 is not about cybersecurity or anti-money laundering. It zeroes in on an exchange’s ability to keep critical functions running during disruptions—whether a data center outage, a key supplier failure, or a natural disaster. The standard requires a formal business impact analysis, risk assessments, and a plan for restoring operations within defined timeframes. For KuCoin, which processes billions of dollars in daily volume, that kind of framework can mean the difference between a minor hiccup and a confidence-shattering halt.
Operational continuity has become a sore spot for the industry. In the past two years alone, major platforms have buckled under flash crashes, cloud provider incidents, and even internal misconfigurations that locked users out of funds temporarily. The ambition behind the certification is to make those events less frequent and less damaging when they do happen.
Why the timing matters KuCoin’s move lands at a moment when the regulatory mood is hardening. The U.S. is debating structural crypto bills that could reshape how exchanges operate, while the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework is forcing platforms to meet higher operational and capital standards. Against that backdrop, an ISO certification is a pragmatic defensive play—it signals to users and authorities that the exchange is not waiting for a mandate to build a resilient back end.
That same logic has driven other exchanges to pursue certifications like SOC 2 or ISO 27001. But business continuity management remains relatively rare in crypto. By obtaining ISO 22301, KuCoin is aligning itself with a tier of infrastructure preparedness that institutions often require before they park significant assets on a venue. It does not guarantee safety, but it removes one reason to say no. The timing is also notable given the ongoing legislative wrangling in Washington, as evidenced by recent efforts by banks to derail a sweeping crypto bill just days before a Senate vote.
Infrastructure as a competitive moat For years, the exchange playbook was simple: list the hottest tokens, offer high leverage, and market aggressively. That model is fraying as users grow more discerning and institutional flow becomes the prize. A business continuity certification is not a marketing gimmick—it is a signal to prime brokers, market makers, and custody partners that the venue treats its own plumbing seriously.
KuCoin’s choice to pursue ISO 22301 also places it in direct contrast with exchanges that rely heavily on outsourced infrastructure or that have yet to publicly commit to any external audit beyond proof-of-reserves. As the asset class grows, the operational standards expected by capital allocators will inevitably tighten. Getting certified now, before regulators force the issue, is a calculated step to stay ahead of the curve.
What the badge does not do Certifications create a halo effect that can lull users into a false sense of security. ISO 22301 does not prevent a hack, a smart contract exploit, or fraudulent internal behavior. It is not a solvency guarantee. KuCoin still operates in a jurisdiction with lighter oversight than major financial hubs, and the certification is only as strong as the testing and audit cycle behind it.
Still, for an exchange that has weathered its own controversies—including a significant hack in 2020—the move toward a formal business continuity framework suggests a maturation that the market seldom demands loudly enough. Users and partners have long accepted a level of operational risk that would be unacceptable in traditional markets. Raising the floor, even by a few inches, shifts the burden onto platforms that refuse to follow.
Whether the certification translates into fewer outages or faster recoveries will only become clear under real stress. Until then, it remains a paper pledge with teeth—provided the auditing body holds the line. Market watchers will note that operational resilience is rarely headline-grabbing until it fails, at which point it becomes the only thing that matters.
AUTHOR
Farhan Karim is a technology writer and content strategist with 15+ years of experience writing thousands of articles, blogs, whitepapers, and ebooks on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and other tech niches. His expertise in content strategy, SEO, and a keen eye on the ever-evolving tech space have led him to work with companies like Pepsi, Huawei, Arab News, and now Blockchain Reporter.
HYPE, toparlanma çabasını sürdürürken KuCoin‘e yapılan 2,03 milyon dolarlık balina transferiyle yeniden satış baskısıyla karşı karşıya kaldı. Yaklaşık 37,39 bin HYPE tokenının borsaya gönderilmesi, piyasada işlem görebilecek arzın artabileceği endişelerini güçlendirdi.
Söz konusu cüzdan aynı zamanda yaklaşık 290,65 bin dolar değerindeki 290,75 bin USDC‘yi Kraken’e aktardı. Ancak HYPE transferi, doğrudan borsa arzını artırması nedeniyle piyasa açısından daha önemli bir gelişme olarak öne çıktı.
2,03 Milyon Dolarlık HYPE Transferi Ne Anlatıyor? Bir balinanın HYPE varlıklarını KuCoin’e taşıması, tokenların satışa hazır hale gelme ihtimalini artırıyor. Ancak bu işlem tek başına balinanın HYPE sattığını kanıtlamıyor; yalnızca borsalarda işlem görebilecek arzın yükseldiğini gösteriyor.
Buna rağmen transferin zamanlaması dikkat çekiyor. Genel spot piyasa akışları da aynı anda borsalara yönelik arz artışına işaret ettiği için balina hareketi daha güçlü bir negatif sinyal haline geliyor.
Kripto para piyasasında borsa yatırımları genellikle potansiyel satış baskısı açısından izleniyor. Bu nedenle yatırımcıların tek bir transferden kesin satış sonucu çıkarmak yerine net akışlarla birlikte tabloyu değerlendirmesi gerekiyor.
Spot Netflow HYPE İçin Satış Baskısını Artırıyor Mu? HYPE tarafındaki borsa hareketleri, balinanın KuCoin transferinden önce de arz yönüne dönmeye başlamıştı. Son kayıtlara göre Spot Netflow yaklaşık 1,24 milyon dolar seviyesine ulaşırken, borsalara giren varlık miktarı çıkan miktarı aştı.
Bu durum, temmuz sonlarında görülen güçlü negatif netflow döneminden önemli bir farklılaşmaya işaret ediyor. Önceki negatif akışlar HYPE tokenlarının borsalardan uzaklaştırıldığını ve anlık satışa açık arzın azaldığını gösteriyordu.
Son pozitif netflow ise bu eğilimin değiştiğini ortaya koyuyor. Tek bir pozitif dönem geçmişteki çıkışları tamamen ortadan kaldırmasa da mevcut görünüm, borsalara yönelen arzın güç kazandığını gösteriyor.
Dolayısıyla alıcıların daha fazla HYPE arzını karşılaması gerekebilir. Pozitif netflow devam ederse satıcıların kısa vadeli piyasa üzerindeki etkisi daha da artabilir.
Balinalar Aktifken Perakende Talep Zayıflıyor HYPE piyasasında büyük yatırımcılar hareketliliğini korurken genel spot piyasa katılımında soğuma görülüyor. Spot Average Order Size göstergesi büyük balina işlemlerini ortaya koyarken, Spot Volume Bubble Map daha geniş yatırımcı katılımının zayıfladığını gösteriyor.
Bu iki gösterge arasındaki ayrışma, büyük yatırımcıların HYPE fiyatı üzerindeki etkisini artırıyor. Üstelik balina hareketleri mevcut koşullarda talep yerine arz tarafını destekliyor.
Spot netflow 793,92 bin dolar seviyesinde pozitif kalırken, aynı dönemde bir balinanın 2,03 milyon dolarlık HYPE’ı KuCoin’e göndermesi dikkat çekiyor. Perakende katılımı toparlanmadığı sürece büyük yatırımcıların borsalara yaptığı transferler fiyatın toparlanmasını zorlaştırabilir.
HYPE İçin 53,67 Dolar Seviyesi Neden Önemli? Satış baskısına rağmen HYPE, 53,67 dolar desteğini koruyarak yeni bir toparlanma ihtimalini canlı tuttu. Fiyat, düşen yapıdaki alt bölgeden tepki aldıktan sonra yaklaşık 54,65 dolara kadar yükseldi.
Ancak düşen trend çizgisi yukarı hareketi sınırlamaya devam ediyor. HYPE için önemli direnç 57,10 dolar seviyesinde bulunuyor. Bu seviyenin aşılması halinde fiyatın sonraki aşamada 62,48 doları test etme ihtimali gündeme gelebilir.
Teknik göstergeler de tamamen negatif bir tablo ortaya koymuyor. MACD çizgisi -1,93 seviyesine yükselerek -2,23 seviyesindeki sinyal çizgisinin üzerine çıktı ve histogram 0,30’a ulaştı. Ancak her iki MACD çizgisinin de sıfırın altında kalması, toparlanmanın henüz tamamlanmadığını gösteriyor.
RSI 43,42’ye yükselirken 39,57 seviyesindeki ortalamasının üzerinde kaldı fakat 50 nötr bölgesinin altında bulunuyor. Bu nedenle HYPE’ın 57,10 dolar direncini aşması toparlanmayı güçlendirebilir; başarısızlık ise 53,67 dolar desteğini yeniden baskı altına sokabilir.
Bu içerik kesinlikle yatırım tavsiyesi niteliği taşımamaktadır. Piyasalar yüksek risk içermektedir ve yatırım kararlarınızı almadan önce kendi araştırmanızı yapmanız önemlidir.
Son Dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla.
Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.
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.
Intel is down 1% in pre-market trading after announcing it expanded its stock offering size and priced the offering.
According to BIT (Bit.com) market data, Intel (INTC.O) shares fell 1% in pre-market trading. Earlier, the company announced an increase in the size of its stock offering and completed the relevant pricing.
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The Jaredfromsubway exploiter is really bad at trading—buying high and selling low again! 4 days ago, he bought back ...
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Whale 0x2d59 buys 50,000 $ETH ($93.6M) in 2 hours, stakes it after 40,000 $ETH purchase last week
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Goldman Sachs expects July CPI to come in slightly lower than expected, though the rebound in oil prices will prevent markets from fully easing.
Goldman Sachs' economic team forecasts July's core CPI will rise 0.19% month-over-month, slightly below the market consensus of 0.2%, with a year-over-year growth rate of 2.47%—also lower than the consensus expectation of 2.5%. For nominal CPI, Goldman projects a mere 0.05% month-over-month increase, below the market forecast of 0.1%, mainly reflecting the impact of earlier energy price declines. However, inflation risks have not fully dissipated. The bank notes its core CPI forecast corresponds to a 0.26% month-over-month rise in July’s core PCE, with components like portfolio management likely driving a larger gain. Looking ahead to the coming months, Goldman expects core CPI monthly gains to hover around 0.2%, housing inflation will continue to cool, the contribution of tariff-related price hikes will fall, and the pressure from jet fuel prices that previously lifted airfares will ease. July’s U.S. CPI is set to release at 20:30 Beijing time on August 12, with markets awaiting the data to chart the next move for U.S. Treasury yields and tech stock rotation. Ahead of the release, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield returned to near 4.70%, while oil prices climbed back above $87. Goldman warns that if oil market disruptions and price rises persist longer than expected, inflation risks will tilt to the upside.
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SK Hynix will resume investment in its NAND flash memory production line in Dalian, China, with production capacity expected to increase by 50%.
According to South Korean media Maeil Economic Daily, Solidigm, the NAND flash subsidiary of SK Hynix, plans to resume construction of the second phase of its NAND flash production base in Dalian, China. Equipment installation is expected to begin in November this year, with formal production set to launch in the first half of next year. The Dalian Phase II project had been stalled for a long time due to factors including the sluggish NAND market, inventory adjustments, and U.S. restrictions on semiconductor equipment exports to China. Driven by the expansion of AI data centers, demand for enterprise-grade solid-state drives (eSSDs) has grown, prompting SK Hynix to resume investment to expand NAND production capacity. The current monthly production capacity of Dalian Phase I is approximately 100,000 wafers; upon completion of Phase II, an additional monthly capacity of around 50,000 wafers is expected, boosting overall production capacity by about 50%. SK Hynix plans to adopt a "dual-track production" strategy: manufacturing mature-process NAND at its Dalian facility, while concentrating high-end NAND production at its M17 plant in Cheongju, South Korea.
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Alameda Wallet has earned approximately $2.83 million in profits from staking SOL over five years, pushing its holdings value to $15.27 million.
According to monitoring by Onchain Lens, a wallet linked to Alameda Research’s bankruptcy proceedings has un-staked 201,740 SOL after nearly five years of staking, with the holdings now valued at around $15.27 million. FTX and Alameda-related addresses have previously seen repeated SOL un-staking and transfer activities, and the market has been closely tracking their asset disposal progress. Data indicates the position initially held 164,380 SOL, earning approximately 37,360 SOL in staking rewards over the period. The position’s current value stands at roughly $2.83 million. Calculated based on the initial investment, the SOL stake was worth about $352,000, and its value has now surged to approximately $15.27 million.
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.
KuCoin Listing Sparks Sharp RallyRobinhood Chain memecoin $PIPEDOG surged as much as 18% after KuCoin announced it would list the token. The token later trimmed those gains but remained up roughly 9% on the day and has climbed about 16% over the past week. Its market cap currently stands at approximately $35 million. KuCoin opened deposits on August 6, with trading beginning at 12:00 UTC.
The listing marks a notable step for a token that has already had a turbulent journey. PIPEDOG debuted on Robinhood Chain in late July 2026, rocketing to a peak market cap of approximately $73.7 million within hours of launch. The project team subsequently locked the liquidity pool and refunded 173 ETH to users affected by an issue with the initial contract. The KuCoin listing now gives the token its first major centralised exchange presence, bringing it to a significantly wider audience.
Memecoins Dominate Robinhood's New BlockchainThe rally is the latest episode in a broader memecoin wave that has swept Robinhood's recently launched network. Robinhood launched the public mainnet for Robinhood Chain on July 1, 2026, bringing tokenized stock trading live in more than 120 countries. The chain is a permissionless, Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 blockchain built on Arbitrum's Orbit stack, designed to bring traditional markets, crypto, and real-world assets together on a single network.
The network quickly became one of crypto's busiest new chains, with around $312 million in total value locked and 3.6 million daily transactions. Despite Robinhood's pitch as a venue for tokenized real-world assets, those assets account for only about $12.8 million on the chain, while memecoins dominate activity and market value. Within weeks, memecoins were generating over 80% of all trading volume on the network, and a cat-themed token briefly became worth more than every tokenized stock on the chain combined.
$PIPEDOG sits among the more established names in that ecosystem. The project currently has deep liquidity, with the pool containing approximately $4.5 million in ETH at a market cap of around $30 million, though prices have moved since that figure was reported. The chain's longer-term future hinges on whether speculative memecoin traders ultimately convert into users of its tokenized equity and real-world asset offerings.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Robinhood built a blockchain for tokenized stocks. Memecoins took over.
Crypto Times: PIPEDOG Meme Coin on Robinhood Chain Surges Over 140X Within Hours of Launch
Robinhood Newsroom: Robinhood Chain Mainnet Launch
While centralized exchanges scramble for market share in derivatives, KuCoin is steadily building its payment rails. On Thursday, KuCoin Pay introduced a new product, KuCoin Gift Card, an enterprise-grade gift card solution designed to let businesses transact using stablecoins, as reported in the original announcement.
The product targets corporate clients looking for a digital-first way to manage gift card issuance and distribution. Instead of relying on traditional banking rails or fiat settlement, companies can leverage stablecoins to fund and distribute gift cards. The move signals KuCoin’s intent to diversify beyond its exchange business into the infrastructure layer that connects crypto with mainstream commerce.
The Payment Pivot at Exchange Giants Exchanges have long signaled interest in becoming full-stack financial service firms. Binance launched Binance Pay years ago, and Coinbase Commerce has been pushing merchant tools. KuCoin Pay’s gift card product fits into this trend, but the emphasis on enterprise scale suggests a focus on B2B stablecoin utility rather than direct consumer transfers. That’s a less crowded lane—one where compliance, settlement speed, and treasury management matter more than flashy marketing.
The gift card piece gives companies a way to move stablecoins into an application layer that already has consumer acceptance. Gift cards are familiar, and for many businesses they’re a controllable marketing tool. By attaching stablecoin spending to that vehicle, KuCoin eliminates some of the onboarding friction that has plagued crypto payment adoption. Employees or customers receive a card they know how to use; the underlying asset stays in a stablecoin until redemption.
Stablecoins Move Beyond Trading Stablecoins have largely been used as a settlement layer for trading, DeFi, and high-volume transfers. Products like KuCoin’s enterprise gift card are part of a subtle shift: making stablecoins do real commercial work. This shift is not happening in isolation. In May, SUI’s 18% rally was partly attributed to a partnership with Paga, a $11 billion Nigerian fintech firm that integrated its payment services with the Sui blockchain—another instance of digital assets moving into payments, as noted in a recent market update. These developments show that stablecoin utility is being tested across continents and sectors.
Gift cards have historically served as a bridge product in payments: they let users spend with unfamiliar rails while the merchant accepts a known value. In the crypto space, gift card solutions from companies like Bitrefill and CoinsBee have existed for years, but those cater primarily to retail users buying gift cards with crypto. KuCoin’s enterprise angle is different. It envisions companies directly issuing branded gift cards backed by stablecoin liquidity. If large enterprises—think commodity suppliers, travel agencies, or tech platforms—begin adopting this model, the stablecoin circulating supply could see a blend of transactional and corporate treasury demand that differs from the speculative flows exchanges typically rely on.
The underlying blockchains that host stablecoin activity continue to see active development. According to a weekly developer activity report, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon remain the top chains by developer activity. These networks are likely to support the smart contract logic and token standards that power gift card issuance. KuCoin didn’t specify which chains its product uses, but the report’s data underscores that the infrastructure is maturing.
For KuCoin, which has faced regulatory heat in some jurisdictions, building out a compliant enterprise payment tool might also serve a strategic purpose. It broadens the brand’s role from exchange to infrastructure provider, a move that could help the firm sit more comfortably with corporate partners and regulators. The gift card solution, if successful, may become a wedge into corporate treasury discussions where blockchain is not the main sales pitch—stable efficiency is.
What remains unclear is how merchants and businesses will price the operational cost of managing gift cards in stablecoins. While stablecoins remove FX risk, they introduce a layer of custody and on-chain transaction fees that might make sense at scale but could burden smaller operations. Moreover, the regulatory landscape for stablecoin issuance and usage is far from settled. The U.S. has been debating stablecoin legislation for years, and Europe’s MiCA framework is still being implemented. KuCoin Pay’s product will have to navigate these regional differences carefully, especially with enterprise clients who demand legal certainty.
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.
, /PRNewswire/ -- As the digital asset industry enters a more mature and selective phase, the role of crypto exchanges is expanding beyond trade execution. Liquidity and product breadth remain fundamental, but security, transparency, regulatory readiness, infrastructure resilience and real-world utility are becoming increasingly important measures of long-term competitiveness.
Against this backdrop, CoinGecko Research has released the KuCoin Exchange Report, providing an independent assessment of KuCoin's nine-year evolution and its performance during the first half of 2026. Released alongside KuCoin's ninth anniversary, the report examines how KuCoin has evolved from a crypto exchange focused on token access into a trusted digital asset infrastructure serving more than 45 million users worldwide, while reflecting the broader transformation taking place across the digital asset industry.
The report highlights KuCoin's continued expansion beyond transaction execution, particularly across payments and broader crypto utility. During H1 2026, KuCoin's off-chain payment volume increased by 300%, payment orders grew approximately 25-fold, and its network of service partners and merchants expanded by 60%. On-chain payment activity also recorded rapid growth, reflecting increasing demand for practical digital asset use cases beyond trading.
CoinGecko Research identifies three key trends shaping KuCoin's market activity during H1 2026: resilient derivatives participation, broader trading interest and continued expansion into tokenized markets.
First, derivatives activity remained comparatively resilient despite a more cautious market environment. KuCoin recorded average daily trading volumes of $1.99 billion in spot markets and $3.07 billion in perpetual futures. Weekday and weekend perpetual trading volumes differed by only 9.4%, indicating sustained participation in a continuously operating global market and reinforcing the importance of reliable, always-on trading infrastructure.
Second, trading activity became increasingly diversified. BTC and ETH's combined share among KuCoin's top 18 spot trading pairs declined from 74.3% to 45.2% by the end of June. CoinGecko Research links this shift to faster rotation across altcoins and emerging market narratives, highlighting the growing need for exchanges to combine deep liquidity in major assets with the agility to respond to rapidly evolving user demand.
The report also points to tokenized markets as an important area of product evolution. Between January 1 and July 29, approximately 61% of newly launched perpetual contracts on KuCoin were tokenized stocks or equity indices, reflecting growing demand for round-the-clock access to traditional market themes through crypto-native infrastructure.
Taken together, the report suggests that exchange competitiveness is increasingly defined by more than trading volume alone. As the industry matures, market depth, resilient infrastructure, regulatory readiness, transparency, product relevance and real-world utility are becoming the defining characteristics of long-term leadership.
CoinGecko Research concludes that KuCoin's nine-year evolution reflects a broader industry transition—from facilitating access to digital assets toward building trusted infrastructure that supports long-term participation in the digital asset economy.
Read the full KuCoin Exchange Report.
About KuCoin
Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the digital asset industry enters a more mature and selective phase, the role of crypto exchanges is expanding beyond trade execution. Liquidity and product breadth remain fundamental, but security, transparency, regulatory readiness, infrastructure resilience and real-world utility are becoming increasingly important measures of long-term competitiveness.
Against this backdrop, CoinGecko Research has released the KuCoin Exchange Report, providing an independent assessment of KuCoin’s nine-year evolution and its performance during the first half of 2026. Released alongside KuCoin’s ninth anniversary, the report examines how KuCoin has evolved from a crypto exchange focused on token access into a trusted digital asset infrastructure serving more than 45 million users worldwide, while reflecting the broader transformation taking place across the digital asset industry.
The report highlights KuCoin’s continued expansion beyond transaction execution, particularly across payments and broader crypto utility. During H1 2026, KuCoin’s off-chain payment volume increased by 300%, payment orders grew approximately 25-fold, and its network of service partners and merchants expanded by 60%. On-chain payment activity also recorded rapid growth, reflecting increasing demand for practical digital asset use cases beyond trading.
CoinGecko Research identifies three key trends shaping KuCoin’s market activity during H1 2026: resilient derivatives participation, broader trading interest and continued expansion into tokenized markets.
First, derivatives activity remained comparatively resilient despite a more cautious market environment. KuCoin recorded average daily trading volumes of $1.99 billion in spot markets and $3.07 billion in perpetual futures. Weekday and weekend perpetual trading volumes differed by only 9.4%, indicating sustained participation in a continuously operating global market and reinforcing the importance of reliable, always-on trading infrastructure.
Second, trading activity became increasingly diversified. BTC and ETH’s combined share among KuCoin’s top 18 spot trading pairs declined from 74.3% to 45.2% by the end of June. CoinGecko Research links this shift to faster rotation across altcoins and emerging market narratives, highlighting the growing need for exchanges to combine deep liquidity in major assets with the agility to respond to rapidly evolving user demand.
The report also points to tokenized markets as an important area of product evolution. Between January 1 and July 29, approximately 61% of newly launched perpetual contracts on KuCoin were tokenized stocks or equity indices, reflecting growing demand for round-the-clock access to traditional market themes through crypto-native infrastructure.
Taken together, the report suggests that exchange competitiveness is increasingly defined by more than trading volume alone. As the industry matures, market depth, resilient infrastructure, regulatory readiness, transparency, product relevance and real-world utility are becoming the defining characteristics of long-term leadership.
CoinGecko Research concludes that KuCoin’s nine-year evolution reflects a broader industry transition—from facilitating access to digital assets toward building trusted infrastructure that supports long-term participation in the digital asset economy.
Read the full KuCoin Exchange Report.
About KuCoin
Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.
KuCoin’s off-chain payment volume surged over 300% in the first half of 2026, according to the exchange’s “Beyond the Signal” H1 review published on July 23. Total payment orders didn’t just grow, they multiplied roughly 25 times over the same period.
The payments play At the center of this growth is KuCoin Pay, the exchange’s off-chain settlement system that processes transactions via an internal ledger. The pitch is straightforward: zero fees, instant settlements, no blockchain congestion.
KuCoin’s service partner and merchant network expanded by 60% during the period.
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Altcoin diversification accelerates Among KuCoin’s top 18 spot trading pairs, the combined market share of Bitcoin and Ethereum dropped from 74.3% to 45.2% by the end of June 2026. That’s a nearly 30-percentage-point decline in the dominance of crypto’s two largest assets within the exchange’s most active markets.
User growth and emerging markets KuCoin crossed the 45 million user mark as of mid-2026, coinciding with the exchange’s ninth anniversary. Latin America led the charge with a 170% increase in user growth. Africa followed with a 30% uptick.
KIA, the exchange’s AI service layer, saw daily active users increase by 300%.
What this means for investors KuCoin has now published Proof of Reserves reports for 44 consecutive months and has undergone 14 independent audits by blockchain security firm Hacken.
Off-chain settlement systems operate on trust in the platform itself, since transactions don’t benefit from the transparency of on-chain verification. KuCoin’s Proof of Reserves reporting mitigates this somewhat, but users are still essentially trusting a centralized entity to manage their funds. The 60% growth in merchant partners also needs context: expanding a network is one thing, sustaining transaction volume through that network is another entirely.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
As cryptocurrency exchanges compete for users, liquidity, and new products, another race is quietly reshaping the industry: regulatory compliance.
According to a new CoinGecko-supported report released by KuCoin, the exchange has spent the past year aggressively expanding its regulatory footprint while strengthening transparency and security, a strategy that may define the next phase of competition among global crypto platforms.
The report highlights several major milestones, including Digital Currency Exchange registration with Australia’s AUSTRAC, a MiCAR license in Austria through KuCoin EU, and becoming the first global crypto exchange to register with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
At the same time, KuCoin announced it has completed 44 consecutive months of Proof of Reserves reporting, backed by 14 independent audits conducted by cybersecurity firm Hacken, alongside achieving internationally recognized certifications including SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701, and CCSS.
Trust Becoming the New Battleground The report suggests the industry’s competitive landscape is evolving beyond trading fees and token listings.
Following a series of high-profile failures and increasing regulatory scrutiny worldwide, exchanges are investing heavily in transparency, cybersecurity, compliance frameworks, and independently verifiable reserves to attract both retail and institutional users.
KuCoin’s report argues that these areas are becoming as important as trading volume itself.
Growth Continues Alongside Regulation Despite operating in a softer crypto market during the first half of 2026, KuCoin continued expanding its global presence.
The exchange now serves more than 45 million users across over 200 countries and regions, while maintaining average daily trading volumes of $1.99 billion in spot markets and $3.07 billion in perpetual futures.
The company also expanded beyond trading through KuCoin Pay and KuCard, supporting greater real-world use of digital assets across multiple regions.
Industry Entering Its Next Phase The report concludes that crypto exchanges are increasingly transforming into regulated financial infrastructure providers rather than pure trading venues.
As governments introduce clearer digital asset rules and institutional participation grows, exchanges capable of combining compliance, transparency, security, payments, and innovative products may be best positioned for long-term growth.
With its latest regulatory milestones and continued investment in user trust, KuCoin appears to be positioning itself for that next chapter.
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Simeon is a detail-driven editor who sharpens every piece with clarity and precision, ensuring clean, consistent, and professional content throughout.
Exchange longevity is rare in crypto. Most platforms that launched in 2017 vanished within one cycle. KuCoin, which started as a small spot exchange that same year, has not only survived but kept expanding its service stack—from futures and margin trading to institutional custody, a public chain, earn products, and an on-chain wallet. The original report by CoinGecko Research frames that arc as emblematic of a wider shift from trade execution to trusted infrastructure. But the timing deserves scrutiny.
KuCoin’s announcement of the report lands a few years after the exchange pleaded guilty to US anti-money laundering violations and agreed to pay nearly $300 million in fines and forfeiture. That settlement, finalized in 2024, laid bare the gap between the infrastructure narrative and operational reality. So when the platform now talks about becoming a trusted infrastructure layer, the market’s response is measured. This is not a story of seamless transformation. It’s a case study in whether an exchange can rebuild credibility while the sector around it matures.
The Infrastructure Bet Is No Longer Optional CoinGecko’s data underscores what many analysts already track: volume alone doesn’t command valuation or user loyalty anymore. The report points to KuCoin’s expansion into wallet services, its KuCoin Community Chain, and institutional-grade custody. These aren’t vanity projects. They reflect a sector-wide recognition that exchanges must control more of the stack—especially as custody and settlement infrastructure becomes the dividing line between legacy platforms and next-generation venues.
This trend accelerated after the FTX collapse and the Binance-DOJ settlement. Both incidents showed that trading volume can be built on fragile foundations. Firms that once routed order flow to the highest-volume exchange now ask different questions: Where are assets held? Who controls the settlement layer? What jurisdictions actually enforce the rules? In that context, KuCoin’s push into on-chain services and custody is defensive as much as it is opportunistic.
Regulatory Reality Check The research frames the evolution as a move toward trust. But trust in crypto exchanges is tested in courtrooms, not just product roadmaps. KuCoin’s guilty plea—for operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and failing to maintain adequate AML programs—remains a live issue for any institutional onboarding. While the exchange continues to operate globally and has adjusted its KYC policies, the regulatory environment in the US remains hostile to platforms that were previously non-compliant. Even the biggest legislative push for crypto clarity faced a last-minute banking lobby effort to derail it. This climate makes it harder for any exchange with a recent enforcement history to position itself purely on innovation.
Yet KuCoin’s situation is not unique. Many offshore-born exchanges that once thrived on permissionless access are now racing to meet compliance standards without alienating their existing user base. The challenge is that the window for grace periods is closing. The next wave of institutional capital—tokenized real-world assets, corporate treasuries, payment volumes—demands regulatory certainty. The tokenization market crossing $20 billion on-chain shows where the money is heading. Exchanges that can’t meet those standards risk being sidelined to retail-only pools.
What the Data Doesn’t Show CoinGecko’s analysis is a quantitative timeline of product launches and feature expansions. It doesn’t measure user trust or reveal which segments actually drive revenue today. Several exchanges have built sprawling product ecosystems only to see 80% of income still come from derivatives trading. The unanswered question is whether KuCoin’s infrastructure layer is a revenue engine or a branding exercise—and how much of its futures volume still operates in regulatory gray zones.
There’s also the matter of developer adoption. KuCoin Community Chain, for example, hasn’t broken into the top tier of developer activity. Recent rankings of blockchains by developer activity are still dominated by Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Solana, and a handful of Layer-2s. Exchange-affiliated chains face an uphill battle unless they attract tooling, liquidity, and a genuine builder community that doesn’t depend on exchange incentives. KuCoin’s on-chain push will be measured by that adoption, not by the number of chain integrations listed in a research report.
Where This Leaves the Exchange Narrative The CoinGecko report captures an industry shift that is both real and incomplete. Exchanges are indeed layering on infrastructure. But the “trusted” label isn’t earned through feature count. It’s earned through settlements, licensing, and a track record of protecting user assets during market stress. For KuCoin, that journey is still underway. The platform has survived multiple cycles, which counts for something. But the next phase—competing for institutional mandates and on-chain capital flows—requires a different level of accountability. The market will watch whether product announcements translate into verifiable custody, settlement, and compliance improvements. Until then, the infrastructure story is a destination, not a description of the present.
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Brenda is a writer with three years of experience specializing in cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. She graduated from the University of Mombasa with a degree in Psychology. She has worked at Cryptopolitan and Blockchain Reporter.
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.
At least $676 million in crypto moved from an unlicensed Dubai exchange onto Binance since May 2024, Reuters reported. Investigators say the exchange, Shelbit, sits at the center of an Iranian sanctions evasion network.
About $540 million of that moved after Dubai regulators cracked down on Shelbit in January 2025. Binance says it cannot match that number.
The Warning That Changed NothingRich Sanders is an independent blockchain researcher who tracks Iran. He said he warned Binance about Shelbit in October 2025.
The money kept coming. Funds moved from Shelbit to Binance after that warning, the data reviewed by Reuters shows.
Binance did not say what it did about the warning. It said Shelbit never held an account and has never been sanctioned.
“When users associated with Shelbit interacted with our platform, our compliance program operated as it should have: it investigated, froze the relevant accounts, and reported them to law enforcement,” Reuters reported, citing Binance.
The exchange also said an outside analytics firm did not flag the flows as risky. It did not name the firm.
That defense meets an awkward record. Binance pleaded guilty in November 2023 to breaking US money-laundering and sanctions laws. It paid $4.3 billion, one of the largest corporate penalties in US history.
Prosecutors found something specific. Binance had let more than $898 million in trades pass between US and Iranian users. Those trades ran from January 2018 to May 2022.
The deal came with conditions. Binance had to hire an independent compliance monitor for three years.
Shelbit started up about six months into that term. Its cooperation with US investigators has since become a point of dispute.
Watches, an Empty Office and $4 BillionShelbit has no website. There is no visible way for the public to trade on it.
Its listed Dubai address sits behind a locked door. The sign reads “Velorix Watches Trading LLC.” That firm belongs to Shelbit’s founder, Siavash Kayvanpour.
A Reuters reporter visited the three-room office in early July. Inside were 13 battered watches, a cash-counting machine and three staff. None had heard of Kayvanpour. The watches were not for sale.
Investigators still traced at least $4 billion through Shelbit since May 2024. Roughly $125 million came straight from Iran’s central bank.
Shelbit also dealt with wallets Israel links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Another counterparty was Nobitex, Iran’s biggest exchange.
Washington sanctioned Nobitex in June, using the legal power reserved for terrorist financiers. Treasury said Nobitex handled over half of Iran’s crypto inflows in 2025. It also helped regime insiders reach global exchanges.
Shelbit is accused of the same job, from outside Iran.
Where the Money StartsThe cash begins with gambling. Shelbit’s biggest customers were more than 2,000 Farsi-language betting sites.
Reuters mapped that network with cybersecurity firm Infoblox. Gambling is illegal in Iran and carries prison and lashes. The law was updated in 2023 to cover online betting.
The sites still plug into Iran’s domestic payment system. Iran’s central bank controls that system.
“When it comes to gambling, the IRGC learned the Islamic Republic’s most lucrative lesson early: declare something illegal, then control both the prohibition and the black market,” the report read, citing Miad Maleki, former associate director at the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Dubai has now acted. A July 24 notice from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) cites the UAE’s anti-money-laundering and terrorism-financing law. It says Shelbit threatens the integrity of the country’s financial system.
The regulator has moved this way before. It ordered KuCoin to halt operations in March.
What Nobody Has ProvenOne big question stays open. Reuters could not establish who inside Iran controlled Shelbit.
It also could not say where most of the crypto ended up. Blockchain records showed the route. They did not show the driver.
Pressure is building anyway. Washington already pushed Binance over Iran in May. OFAC listings this year have triggered stablecoin freezes within hours. Treasury says it is taking the Shelbit claims seriously.
Binance did not immediately respond to BeInCrypto’s request for comment.
US AI startups race to build low-cost AI alternatives to Chinese AI, but still face financing headwinds.
According to The Wall Street Journal, as Chinese open-weight models such as Kimi, Qwen, and DeepSeek approach top-tier U.S. models at lower costs, Silicon Valley and Washington are growing increasingly concerned that Chinese models could long-term compress the profits of U.S. AI enterprises. U.S. startups including Arcee AI, Reflection AI, and Poolside are racing to develop domestic alternatives to meet user demand for low-cost, downloadable, and customizable models. However, U.S. open-weight model companies face financing difficulties. Some investors question whether freely open models can generate stable revenue, and also worry that related technology could erode the value of their investments in OpenAI and Anthropic. In the first quarter of 2026, AI startups raised a total of $255.5 billion, with nearly two-thirds coming from three funding rounds by OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. With limited capital, Arcee AI used 2,048 Nvidia Blackwell B300 chips, completed 33 days of pre-training on an approximately $20 million budget, and launched Trinity Large. The model is still smaller than top-tier models and lags behind OpenAI and Anthropic in multiple benchmarks, but the company plans to develop a larger model via a new round of financing. Nvidia has become a major supporter of the U.S. open AI ecosystem, not only developing the Nemotron series of models but also investing in Reflection AI, Poolside, and Thinking Machines Lab. Industry insiders note that the U.S. open-weight ecosystem is still small, and Chinese models as a whole remain dominant.
1 hours ago
Trump Media & Technology Group has officially launched the Truth API, enabling paying customers to access Trump’s posts faster.
Trump Media Group has officially launched the paid data service Truth API, which provides clients with faster access to posts from Trump and other top accounts on the Truth Social platform. The service costs up to $100,000 per month, targeting primarily trading firms and enterprises. Kevin McGurn, interim CEO of Trump Media, stated that the Truth API is designed to provide institutions with "direct, licensed, real-time data streams of the most market-influential Truth posts." Trump's @realDonaldTrump account currently has 13 million followers, and some of his major policy decisions are first posted on Truth Social. Ahead of the service's launch, U.S. Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren have sent a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), demanding an investigation into whether Trump Media has violated laws. The two senators argue that the service could constitute the use of presidential office for personal gain, and harm ordinary investors and market integrity. Trump Media stated that Truth Social posts already impact the market, and the Truth API will drive the commercialization of the company's own data assets through a high-margin, recurring revenue model.
1 hours ago
Iranian military: Trump’s claim that Iran requested a halt to attacks is a 'lie'
Iran's Mehr News Agency cited an Iranian military official in a report on the 2nd that US President Donald Trump labeled Iran's demand to cease attacks "a new lie". The official stated: "Whether he continues his aggression or retreats, our forces are on high alert and prepared for all eventualities. If confrontation is unavoidable, the battlefield will decide everything, and by then everyone will know who holds the power and who will have the final say." (Xinhua News Agency)
1 hours ago
After three years of a "winter" slump, Chinese VCs are racing to raise capital, with at least 60 dollar-denominated funds targeting $35 billion.
According to the Financial Times, after three years of record lows, Chinese venture capital firms are accelerating the raising of new funds, seeking to capitalize on renewed investor interest in China’s tech sector. Data from Asante Capital shows that at least 60 new U.S. dollar funds plan to raise a combined total of around $35 billion, with roughly 40 of these being venture capital funds. HSG, IDG Capital, Matrix Partners China, and Mingshi Capital are among those promoting new funds or preparing to launch fundraising rounds; ZhenFund and Qiming Venture Partners have recently completed their fundraisings. The successful listings of tech firms including Zhipu AI and MiniMax, as well as advances in MoonShot AI, DeepSeek, and the robotics space, have spurred renewed investor focus on Chinese tech. Some investors are viewing allocations to Chinese AI as a way to hedge bets on the U.S. market, noting that Chinese firms compete fiercely on cost and offer lower-priced model services. However, market players say this does not mean Chinese venture capital has returned to its boom period, but rather a selective restart of U.S. dollar fundraising after three consecutive years of lows. Preqin data shows that in 2022, 1,105 China-related funds raised $150 billion, while in 2025 only 97 funds raised $13.6 billion. Currently, some large U.S. investors remain on the sidelines due to restrictions on sensitive technology investments, while funds from Europe and the Middle East have shown stronger interest. In the current "buyer’s market", investors are pushing for more co-investment rights and demanding fund managers to commit more of their own capital. Meanwhile, a large pool of capital is competing for a limited number of high-confidence projects, particularly concentrated in the AI sector.
1 hours ago
The Coldcard attack remains ongoing, and users should immediately migrate funds from their associated addresses.
Coldcard has been hacked, with stolen funds now totaling 1,367.05 BTC, valued at approximately $88.6 million, across 4,585 addresses. Galaxy Research Head Alex Thorn said the attack is ongoing, urging users who have not yet moved their funds to immediately transfer assets from addresses generated by Coldcard. He also called on affected users to voluntarily provide information to help track the stolen funds and report to law enforcement. Thorn noted that the three previously confirmed large-scale attacks exhibit clear procedural characteristics, with similar transaction patterns likely orchestrated automatically; the stolen BTC remains in the attackers’ addresses and has not been moved. However, smaller opportunistic attackers have emerged recently, transferring and laundering funds within hours, with some funds flowing to overseas gambling platforms via cross-chain services like ThorChain. All Coldcard single-sig addresses generated after the March 2021 firmware update may ultimately be compromised, so users should complete migration as soon as possible. The stolen funds had lain dormant for an average of 3.18 years, with a median of 3.55 years, and victims are primarily long-term holders. Thorn said most of the identified stolen assets remain unmoved, and the relevant addresses have been submitted to U.S. law enforcement and industry contacts. He views the incident as a major blow to Bitcoin self-custody, calling on the industry to improve security, education, and risk warnings about the complexities of self-custody.
1 hours ago
Roundhill Memory ETF has included ChangXin Memory Technologies in its holdings, with a weighting of 2.52%.
Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) has added CXMT (Changxin Technology) to its holdings, with a weight of 2.52%. This DRAM ETF focuses on memory chip companies. As of August 2, its top three holdings are Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology, and SK Hynix, with respective weights of 26.39%, 24.54%, and 22.77%. Other major holdings include Seagate Technology, Western Digital, SanDisk, Kioxia, Nanya Technology, and GigaDevice Semiconductor.
@GRVT_IO's native token $GRVT is landing on two major centralized exchanges simultaneously, with @Bybit_Official and @KuCoinCom both confirming spot listings for the project's long-awaited token debut.
Listing DetailsTrading of the GRVT/USDT pair on @KuCoinCom is scheduled to begin at 14:00 UTC on July 30, 2026, following the enablement of ERC-20 deposits. Spot trading on @Bybit_Official will also launch around the same time, giving traders access to $GRVT across two of the industry's most widely used venues simultaneously.
The total token supply is capped at 1 billion, with 28% allocated to community airdrops. Holders can unlock platform benefits including reduced trading fees, higher margin efficiency, and priority access to treasury investments.
What Is GRVT?GRVT is a self-custodial, onchain wealth platform combining yield-bearing savings, institutional-grade investment products, and perpetual futures and spot trading within a single user balance, designed so that each deposit earns base yield by default while remaining usable as collateral across the platform's other financial functions.
GRVT is a hybrid DeFi platform that blends the user experience and regulatory compliance of centralized exchanges with the self-custody, privacy, and decentralization of traditional DEXs, positioning itself as the world's first licensed and regulated onchain exchange.
The platform runs on a custom Layer 2 built on the ZKsync ZK Stack, operating in Validium mode: transaction validity is proven and settled on Ethereum mainnet, while transaction data is kept off the public chain to preserve trade-flow privacy.
Unlike traditional centralized exchanges, GRVT employs decentralized trade settlement mechanisms, allowing users to trade without relinquishing custody of their assets. This approach minimizes risks associated with centralized fund storage, such as hacking or mismanagement, while maintaining the benefits of deep liquidity and low-latency trading.
The dual listing marks a significant step for the project's accessibility. Previously, $GRVT exposure was limited to early participants and airdrop recipients. Spot trading on two major venues opens the token to a much broader audience of retail and institutional traders.
Sources:
KuCoin: GRVT Token Distribution Plan
CoinMarketCap: GRVT Token Overview
The Block: GRVT Raises $19 Million Series A
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin concluded the second weekend of Tomorrowland Belgium 2026 by marking its ninth anniversary alongside its global partners and community, while celebrating the broader progress of the digital asset industry over the past nine years. The milestone formed part of a memorable weekend that also brought an entirely new lineup of artists to the Celestia Stage and revealed the next chapter of its evolved visual identity, with the butterfly-inspired structure emerging in KuCoin’s signature green. Together, these moments connected KuCoin’s anniversary narrative, Tomorrowland’s creative energy and Celestia’s vision of trust, discovery and transformation.
KuCoin’s ninth anniversary was celebrated through its broader “Beyond the Signal” campaign, which looks beyond short-term market movements toward the trust, innovation and infrastructure enabling the industry’s long-term development. During Weekend 2, KuCoin marked the milestone through the “On Cloud 9 Skybox Experience,” bringing partners and community representatives together to recognize nine years of shared growth and industry progress.
Throughout the weekend, the Celestia Stage offered festivalgoers an entirely new program of artists, including Mark Knight, Mr. Belt & Wezol, Belters Only, Bingo Players with Iceman, Dada Life, Sander van Doorn and Dannic b2b Dyro. From house and progressive sounds to high-energy electronic sets, the performances created a vibrant festival atmosphere, bringing audiences from around the world together through music, movement and shared celebration.
Following its debut during Weekend 1, Celestia returned with an evolved visual identity, transforming from a young butterfly with a transparent roof and subtle touches of KuCoin green as the color gradually spread across its translucent wings, forming vivid emerald patterns while preserving the stage’s light and open character. Shaped by the music, energy and connections shared across both weekends, this evolution symbolized growth, trust and possibility, while reflecting KuCoin’s nine-year journey and the digital asset industry’s broader transformation from an emerging, trading-focused technology into trusted infrastructure increasingly connected to finance, culture and everyday life.
The Celestia Stage brings together the perspectives of KuCoin and Tomorrowland: a belief in the power of imagination, technology and community to connect people across borders. Tomorrowland invites people to explore new worlds through music and creativity, while KuCoin is working to make the future of digital finance more accessible, trusted and human.
As Tomorrowland’s Official Exclusive Crypto Exchange and Crypto Payments Partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium 2026 – 2028, KuCoin will continue working with Tomorrowland to create meaningful real-world connections. The shared vision remains clear: lasting transformation is built through trust, brought to life through innovation and carried forward by global communities.
About KuCoin
Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.
Learn more at www.kucoin.com.
About Tomorrowland
Founded 20 years ago by Belgian brothers Manu and Michiel Beers, Tomorrowland remains a family-owned business driven by a creative and passionate team. Over the years, Tomorrowland has evolved into a global entertainment brand.
The WEAREONE.world group consists of several business units, including Festival & Events, Music, Experiences, Leisure, Products and Fiction. Today, more than 350 team members create magic from the company’s headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, as well as local offices in Brazil, France, Ibiza and Thailand.
Known for bringing people together through music, creativity and storytelling, Tomorrowland has become one of the world’s most recognized and influential festival brands, inspiring millions through unforgettable experiences and a shared vision of connection.
The association between crypto and a global music festival like Tomorrowland might have seemed jarring just a few years ago. Digital assets belonged to a niche corner of finance, not to a Belgian dance floor hosting hundreds of thousands of attendees. KuCoin’s decision to mark its ninth anniversary by transforming the Celestia Stage during Tomorrowland Belgium Weekend 2, as detailed in the original report, is more than a birthday party. It’s a deliberate attempt to embed an exchange brand inside a cultural moment, and it says a great deal about where the industry believes the next wave of users will come from.
Nine Years of a Different Kind of Exchange KuCoin launched in 2017, a period when initial coin offerings were peaking and hundreds of tokens flooded the market. It grew by listing assets long before larger competitors would touch them. The exchange currently serves over 37 million users globally, according to its public statements, and remains known for a sprawling altcoin catalog. Turning nine in an industry where platforms often collapse under regulatory or liquidity pressure is not trivial.
The Tomorrowland tie-in, built around the Celestia stage, signals a shift in brand identity. Instead of targeting only traders through terminal screens and Telegram groups, KuCoin is placing its name where non-crypto natives gather. Music festivals attract a demographic that overlaps with early adopters but isn’t necessarily active in decentralized finance. The bet is that cultural immersion builds trust faster than banner ads ever could.
Exchanges Are No Longer Just Marketplaces Across the sector, trading venues are morphing into lifestyle brands. Binance sponsors major sports teams. Crypto.com pours millions into Formula 1 and arena naming rights. Coinbase crafts Super Bowl commercials. KuCoin stepping into the Tomorrowland ecosystem fits a pattern: exchanges compete not only on fees and liquidity but on mindshare in places where regulation can’t block them. Markets are expanding beyond spot trading, with tokenized real-world assets crossing $20 billion on-chain and institutional plumbing becoming a priority for exchange groups.
KuCoin’s presence at a European festival also coincides with a period when development activity on major blockchains remains elevated. Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon continue to attract builders, and the assets built on those networks eventually need listings and liquidity. Festivals become customer acquisition funnels for exchanges that can convert cultural interest into wallet downloads.
Brand Celebrations Don’t Erase Regulatory Scrutiny For all the celebratory energy, the backdrop for exchanges like KuCoin remains complicated. Last year, the US Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission brought actions against the platform, alleging violations of anti-money laundering rules and unregistered derivatives trading. The firm has since made adjustments, including mandatory know-your-customer requirements, but the legal cloud hasn’t fully lifted. Legislative battles continue to define how exchanges will operate, and a landmark crypto bill in the US remains uncertain just days before a Senate vote.
Marketing campaigns that reach millions of festival-goers won’t resolve outstanding compliance questions. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions are scrutinising exchange operations, token listing standards, and cross-border flows. A high-profile sponsorship can backfire if enforcement actions escalate, turning brand visibility into reputational risk. KuCoin’s anniversary push will be judged not by Tomorrowland’s lights but by whether the platform can sustain growth while navigating an uneven regulatory landscape.
The ninth-year milestone is a moment for the exchange to project durability. Sponsoring a global event suggests confidence in its own staying power. Yet the real test of brand evolution isn’t a stage transformation; it’s whether a platform that grew through aggressive altcoin listings can mature into a regulated, institutionally ready infrastructure while still holding onto the users who made it big in the first place. That balance remains elusive for most of the centralized exchange industry, and KuCoin is no exception.
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Mysterious crypto writer with expertise in blockchain, offering deep insights that captivate and intrigue readers. With a unique ability to uncover hidden insights and trends, Samuel delivers in-depth analysis and thought-provoking content that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. His writing style is engaging and informative, blending technical knowledge with a sense of intrigue, making complex crypto topics accessible to both newcomers and seasoned industry professionals. Samuel’s work continues to capture the attention of the crypto community, solidifying his reputation as a trusted voice in the space.
Crypto trading platform KuCoin is marking a major milestone in its sports sponsorship strategy after its Global Brand Ambassador, Tadej Pogačar, claimed a fifth Tour de France title, a landmark result that both the rider and the exchange are treating as a defining moment for their partnership.
Pogačar’s win came after another grueling three week campaign that tested riders across mountain stages, time trials, and the tactical battles between rival teams. Coming out on top for a fifth time confirms his position as one of the sport’s dominant figures of the current era, and the result has generated a wave of attention well beyond the usual cycling press, partly due to the growing visibility of his commercial partnerships.
Among those partnerships is his role as brand ambassador for KuCoin, an exchange serving more than 45 million users worldwide. The company entered into agreements with both Pogačar and his team, UAE Team Emirates, XRG, earlier this year, and this Tour de France victory represents the first major sporting achievement to arrive since those deals were finalized. KuCoin has described the timing as significant, noting that the partnership was built around a shared belief that meaningful results come from sustained effort rather than short term wins.
In its statement, KuCoin drew a parallel between Pogačar’s approach to racing and its own approach to building a business in the digital asset industry. The exchange pointed to qualities such as discipline, consistency, and the willingness to keep improving over a long period, arguing these traits apply as much to competing at the top of professional cycling as they do to establishing trust with users in a fast moving and often volatile market.
BC Wong, chief executive of KuCoin, was quoted congratulating Pogačar directly:
“Congratulations to Tadej on an extraordinary fifth Tour de France title,” said BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin. “Winning the Tour de France once is an extraordinary achievement. Winning it five times is the result of years of unwavering commitment, resilience, and consistency. Those same values inspire everything we do at KuCoin as we continue earning the trust of millions of users through responsible innovation and long-term commitment. We are proud to celebrate this historic moment with Tadej, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and cycling fans around the world.”
The partnership with Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates, XRG is part of a broader trend of crypto exchanges investing in high profile sports sponsorships as a way to reach audiences outside their traditional user base. Cycling sponsorships in particular have become more common among financial technology brands looking to associate themselves with endurance, precision, and long term performance rather than short term speculation, themes that align closely with how many exchanges try to position themselves to regulators and mainstream users alike.
For KuCoin, the timing of Pogačar’s win adds momentum to a year in which the company has been actively expanding its brand presence beyond its core trading products. The exchange indicated it intends to continue building out its association with the rider and his team as the season progresses, with further campaigns expected to lean on the themes of resilience and long term achievement that have defined the partnership since it began.
As Pogačar’s list of accomplishments continues to grow, so too does the visibility of the brands connected to his name, and KuCoin appears positioned to be one of the more prominent beneficiaries of that growing profile in the months ahead.
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.
Nine years is a geological age in crypto. Most exchange tokens and platforms launched after 2017 are already defunct or irrelevant. KuCoin’s survival through two major bear markets and a shifting regulatory landscape says something about resilience—and, increasingly, about the importance of brand-building outside of trading terminals. On the day of its ninth anniversary, KuCoin welcomed global partners, institutional clients, ecosystem builders, and media to Tomorrowland Belgium, according to the original report.
Holding the event at one of the world’s largest electronic music festivals is not a random choice. Since Binance partnered with The Weeknd’s tour and Crypto.com booked stadium naming rights, exchanges have moved decisively toward cultural sponsorship. KuCoin’s Tomorrowland appearance fits that playbook: signal to institutional clients and retail communities that you are more than an order book.
The Brand Wars Are Real For many users, the technical differences between top-tier and mid-tier exchanges are shrinking. Liquidity clustering, stablecoin ramps, and even listing inventories are converging. When functionality becomes a commodity, perception starts to matter. Events like Tomorrowland allow exchanges to do things that ad campaigns and referral bonuses cannot: embed themselves into lifestyle identity.
KuCoin has historically positioned itself as an altcoin-heavy venue with a strong user base in Asia and emerging markets. That positioning cuts both ways. While it attracted retail traders hunting early-stage tokens, it also drew regulatory scrutiny. In 2023, the exchange faced charges from the US Department of Justice and a separate CFTC action over alleged unregistered operations. The brand took a hit. An anniversary event in Belgium, with institutional attendees, suggests an effort to reset the narrative toward global maturity and compliance.
A Long Tail of Risk There is more to an exchange anniversary than optics. The sector is watching a broad institutional pivot toward tokenized real-world assets, as seen in the recent tokenization wave that pushed RWA on-chain past $20 billion. Exchanges that fail to capture that flow risk being left behind. KuCoin’s emphasis on “ecosystem builders” at the Tomorrowland event suggests it understands this shift, but translating interest into custody and settlement infrastructure is a heavy lift.
Meanwhile, the regulatory environment remains unpredictable. Efforts in Washington to pass a landmark crypto bill have been fiercely contested by banking interests, as reported in recent legislative battles. An exchange with a legal history like KuCoin’s cannot afford to treat compliance as a secondary function. The Tomorrowland celebration will look hollow if enforcement actions fill the news cycle again.
What Nine Years Actually Taught Us Exchange longevity is no longer guaranteed by first-mover advantage. Nearly all of crypto’s largest volume days occurred after 2020. The infrastructure that handled those volumes was built largely by exchanges that now dominate the top five. KuCoin is among the next tier—large enough to matter, but not so large that it is immune to margin pressure. Celebrating nine years is appropriate, but the message inside the Tomorrowland tent was likely less about nostalgia and more about what comes next.
If the current cycle follows past patterns, we can expect exchange consolidation to accelerate. Smaller platforms will merge or disappear. The survivors will be those that not only hold funds safely and list assets people want to trade, but also build durable community moats. Whether a music festival appearance deepens that moat is hard to measure. But in an industry where trust is scarce and sentiment shifts overnight, showing up in places people actually want to be may count for more than it used to.
Nine years from now, the exchange map will probably look very different. KuCoin’s bet appears to be that remembering how to throw a good anniversary party while also keeping institutional partners close is not a trivial skill. In a market where developer activity remains concentrated on a handful of chains like Ethereum and Solana, as noted in this week’s developer data, exchanges must also ensure they are integrated with the networks that will matter half a decade out. The Tomorrowland invite was just the surface layer.
AUTHOR
Nicholas Otieno is a fintech writer specializing in cryptocurrency markets. Since 2019, he has written articles to educate readers about cryptocurrency and its substantial positive impact on global prosperity. Nicholas is a Bitcoin holder, believing firmly in its fundamentals. His work has been featured in publications such as Finance Magnates, Blockchain.News, Bitcoin Magazine, Coincub, and among others. When he's not writing, Nicholas enjoys performing domestic tasks, spending time with friends, listening to music, and watching football.