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World’s most popular game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) is now reaching the crypto market. A tokenized version of Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), the publisher behind GTA 6, has officially launched on the Solana blockchain. 

The move allows crypto investors to buy and trade the company’s stock directly through blockchain wallets.

Tokenized Take Two Stock Now Trading on SolanaBackpack Securities has officially launched tokenized TTWO shares on the Solana blockchain through the Sunrise tokenization platform. 

The digital stock can now be traded using compatible Solana wallets and decentralized platforms, including Jupiter, without relying on a traditional brokerage account.

Unlike meme tokens that simply track a company’s name, every TTWO token is backed one-to-one by real Take-Two shares purchased through the U.S. stock market. Investors also have the option to redeem the tokenized shares through Backpack Securities for the underlying stock.

The launch also brings another advantage. While Wall Street only operates during market hours, tokenized TTWO shares can be traded 24 hours a day, seven days a week, giving global investors constant access to the stock.

Netflix’s GTA 6 Event Adds Fresh MomentumThe timing of the launch is attracting attention across both crypto and traditional markets.

Netflix recently confirmed that “GTA VI: An Extended Look” will premiere on Aug. 27 through its Tudum platform before Rockstar publishes the presentation on YouTube later the same day.

The event comes ahead of GTA 6’s scheduled Nov. 19 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, keeping investor interest in Take-Two at elevated levels.

Take-Two also reaffirmed its release schedule during its latest quarterly earnings while projecting more than $1 billion in fiscal 2027 operating cash flow, reinforcing expectations that GTA 6 could become one of the biggest entertainment launches in history.

Although Take-Two shares slipped around 1% after earnings because of cautious forward guidance now trading at $232.

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TLDR: GTA 6 publisher Take-Two now has tokenized stock on Solana. Each TTWO token is backed one-to-one by real U.S. shares held in custody. Backpack Securities allows eligible investors to trade tokenized Take-Two stock through compatible wallets and redeem tokens for underlying shares. Netflix will premiere GTA 6: An Extended Look on August 27. Rockstar will publish the presentation on its own channels later that day. Take-Two trades near $232 after earnings. Analysts hold a Strong Buy consensus and an average price target of $284.14 for the publisher. GTA 6 is moving deeper into crypto markets after Take-Two Interactive stock launched in tokenized form on Solana. Backpack Securities issued the blockchain-based shares, giving eligible investors access through compatible crypto wallets. Each token represents a one-to-one claim on real Take-Two shares held through a custody structure. 

The launch comes as interest in GTA 6 builds before a Netflix special scheduled for August 27. Take-Two stock recently traded near $232 after earnings, while the tokenized version changed hands close to $233.79. The game is scheduled to launch November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

GTA 6 Publisher Stock Starts Trading on Solana Blockchain Backpack Securities launched tokenized Take-Two stock through its equity tokenization infrastructure. The company says the tokens provide direct ownership exposure rather than synthetic contracts tracking market prices.

Source: Google Finance Each token is backed one-to-one by actual TTWO shares purchased in U.S. markets. Investors can also redeem the blockchain tokens for underlying stock through Backpack Securities.

That structure separates the product from meme tokens using company names without direct equity backing. It also gives investors exposure to Take-Two through compatible Solana wallets.

The tokenized shares can trade outside standard Nasdaq hours. Traditional U.S. equities operate during fixed sessions, while the blockchain version can remain available around the clock.

Backpack has expanded its tokenized equity offering as more financial assets move on-chain. The company previously introduced tokenized exposure to SpaceX shares.

The TTWO token recently traded around $233.79, according to Google Finance market data. Its reported market capitalization stood near $288,438, while its record high reached $238.10 on August 6.

Take-Two stock traded near $232 after the company reported earnings and issued cautious guidance. The move followed a small decline as investors focused on GTA 6.

Wall Street sentiment remains positive around the publisher. Twenty-nine analysts tracked by S&P Global carry a Strong Buy consensus.

Their average price target stands at $284.14. Individual forecasts range from $170 to $368, showing a wide spread around expectations for Take-Two.

Netflix Special Builds Interest Before November Game Launch Meanwhile, Netflix plans to premiere GTA 6: An Extended Look on August 27 through its Tudum platform. The presentation is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

Rockstar Games is expected to publish the presentation on YouTube and the official GTA VI website several hours later. The studio has not detailed the full contents.

The special adds another marketing event before the November 19 launch. GTA 6 will initially release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The story follows Jason and Lucia across Leonida, Rockstar’s fictional version of Florida. Their storyline develops after a heist collapses and pulls them into a larger criminal plot.

Investor attention has grown alongside the marketing schedule. Take-Two reaffirmed the November release date in its latest filings and earnings commentary.

The company also projected more than $1 billion in fiscal 2027 operating cash flow. GTA 6 is expected to play a major role during that financial period.

At the same time, higher chip costs have pushed console prices upward across the gaming industry. That adds another variable as publishers prepare for major releases.

The Solana listing gives crypto investors another route to gain exposure to Take-Two stock before those events. It also places the company within the tokenized equities trend.

Tokenized stocks are gaining attention as platforms connect traditional securities with blockchain settlement. Backpack says its model uses real U.S. equities rather than price-tracking derivatives.

For investors, the token mirrors ownership rights through a custody structure while allowing blockchain-based transfers. Trading access still depends on platform rules, wallet compatibility, and applicable regulations.

The timing links three markets watching the same company: gaming, traditional equities, and crypto.

A tokenized version of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) publisher Take-Two Interactive Software’s (TTWO) stock has launched on Solana through Backpack Securities. Holders can now trade the company’s equity straight from a compatible crypto wallet.

The listing arrives as Netflix readies an exclusive extended look at GTA 6. The special airs August 27. It lands ahead of the game’s November 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

How the TTWO Tokenized Stock Trades on SolanaBackpack Securities is the tokenization arm of the Solana-based exchange Backpack. It minted the wrapped TTWO shares and listed them across several venues.

Backpack frames the tokens as direct equity claims rather than synthetic price trackers. Each one represents a 1:1 redeemable stake in TTWO shares held through a dedicated custody vehicle, not a derivative contract that only mirrors the stock’s price.

“Unlike synthetic alternatives, Backpack investors hold full ownership of the traded U.S. equities, backed by the depth of traditional exchange liquidity,” Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante, via GlobeNewswire

The tokens still settle instantly and trade outside Nasdaq’s normal hours, unlike the underlying stock itself.

The wrapped stock last changed hands at $233.79, according to live BeInCrypto data. That price held flat over the past 24 hours. Market capitalization stands near $288,438, and the token touched an all-time high of $238.10 on August 6.

This listing follows a broader push to move equities onchain. Backpack tokenized SpaceX shares in June. Robinhood Chain, meanwhile, leads rival platforms in tokenized stock holders, even though meme coins still dominate its trading volume.

TTWO Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto MarketsGTA 6 Hype Builds Around the Netflix RevealNetflix confirmed the GTA 6 special through its Tudum editorial hub. The premiere runs on Netflix first, at 3 p.m. ET on August 27, before Rockstar Games posts it to YouTube and the official GTA VI site six hours later.

Rockstar has not detailed the extended look’s exact contents, though it has billed the special as more than a standard trailer. The story itself follows two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, across the fictional state of Leonida after a heist collapses.

Anticipation for the game has been building for months. Take-Two’s July filing confirmed the release date and projected over a billion dollars in fiscal 2027 cash flow. Rising chip costs have also pushed console prices higher across the industry, adding pressure just as GTA 6 nears launch.

Wall Street analysts remain bullish on the underlying stock regardless. Twenty-nine analysts tracked by S&P Global hold a Strong Buy rating on TTWO. Their consensus price target sits at $284.14, according to stockanalysis.com, with individual targets ranging from $170 to $368.

Investors can track the current TTWO price on BeInCrypto’s Markets page as the Netflix premiere nears. The coming weeks will show whether the tokenized shares can keep pace with Wall Street’s optimism heading into the GTA 6 launch.

Solana continued to trade just above $73 after a subdued session, with recent price action drawing attention from both technical analysts and large-scale investors tracking the potential for a significant breakout. As of the latest data, SOL is priced at $73.09, reflecting a modest 0.80% dip over the previous 24 hours.

Whale activity signals building supportMarket observers have noted increased activity from major holders, pointing to possible strengthening of Solana’s support near current levels. Ted Pillows, known for his insightful market analysis, highlighted that a large investor accumulated close to $17.41 million in SOL during the past week. This accumulation reportedly flowed through several sizable transfers from a Kraken hot wallet to another address, indicating the funds may be earmarked for longer-term storage off the exchange.

Although such accumulation does not guarantee an immediate price surge, traders often view sustained buying by major wallets as a precursor to potential recoveries, especially when the asset remains above key support like $70. Continued accumulation could help stabilize SOL and pave the way toward a rebound within its short-term trading range.

Recent whale accumulation activity near $73 is drawing interest, as significant funds move from exchanges to wallets—a factor that analysts say strengthens market confidence, even if it does not always drive immediate rallies.

Meanwhile, the ability to monitor and act on market opportunities is becoming easier for retail investors as new tools emerge. For instance, 1stepSwap offers a streamlined way to access both digital and traditional assets, enabling users to hold shares of top U.S. companies or commodities like gold directly in their wallets, eliminating complex procedures. The platform’s system for securing optimal market prices enhances real-time portfolio diversification, mirroring some of the efficiency seen in high-level whale trading.

Triangle pattern offers potential for breakoutOn the chart, Solana is consolidating within a symmetrical triangle whose apex is imminent after months of lower highs and firmer supports. Analyst Ray shared a visual showing SOL compressed between descending resistance and rising support trendlines. If buyers succeed in breaching the triangle’s upper boundary, projections place the next technical target near $113.

A convincing move above the $75 to $78 resistance range would serve as initial confirmation of a breakout. Should this level be reclaimed, attention would quickly shift to the $80 to $82 zone, beyond which SOL could work towards the $100 to $113 range.

Stabilizing technicals and RSI recoveryFrom a broader perspective, Solana’s weekly chart shows price stabilizing around the critical $65 to $70 support band, following a decline from its yearly highs. The relative strength index (RSI) has rebounded to 38, leaving oversold territory and suggesting that downward momentum is easing. If this support continues to hold, analysts expect a move to $80, with a possibility of challenging resistance between $100 and $120.

Crypto analyst Gum also referenced ongoing proposals to adjust Solana’s tokenomics, including lower inflation rates and greater token burns. If approved, these measures could slow supply growth and, in combination with higher network usage, enhance Solana’s long-term outlook by cutting circulation.

If Solana maintains support and network upgrades proceed, lower token inflation and continued whale activity could improve the ecosystem’s prospects over a longer time frame.

Short-term resistance seen at descending channelIn the short term, Solana is navigating a descending channel, with the current price pushing up against resistance near $74 to $75. Trader Symba suggested that overcoming this barrier could synchronize SOL with broader market breakouts, initially targeting the $76 to $77 area. Closing strongly outside the channel would signal the end of the corrective pattern, while failure may result in a drop towards $72 and potentially down to $68 or $69 if selling accelerates.

Critical price zones define next movesImmediate support for Solana remains at $72 to $73, with major backing at $68 to $70. Resistance stands at $75 to $78, coinciding with intersecting technical barriers. Clearing $82 could significantly firm up the structure, opening routes toward $90, $95, and ultimately $113 if bullish momentum holds. However, a sustained move below $68 would likely negate any short-term recovery and increase the risk of a fall to $60 or lower.

While whale accumulation and coordinated network upgrades keep prospects alive for a rebound, confirmation above $75 to $78 remains crucial before higher price targets become realistic. Key risks include failure to break above resistance, losing support near $68 to $70, or broader market headwinds delaying a breakout. The near-term trend, therefore, hinges on a combination of sustained support, technical confirmation, and broader sentiment.

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

Solana processed $650 billion in stablecoin transactions in February 2026, the highest monthly stablecoin volume ever recorded on any blockchain. To put that number in perspective, it doubled Solana’s previous record set just four months earlier in October 2025.

For the first time, Solana surpassed Ethereum in monthly stablecoin volume.

What actually drove $650 billion in volume Jupiter, one of Solana’s dominant decentralized exchange aggregators, launched JupUSD, a stablecoin backed in part by BlackRock’s BUIDL fund. BlackRock’s footprint on Solana didn’t stop there. The asset manager cleared $550 million onchain through the network. Citigroup also ran tokenized trade finance experiments on the network during the same period.

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Non-USDC and non-USDT stablecoins surged nearly 10x on Solana since January 2025. Western Union partnered on USDPT, another new product added to the ecosystem. The stablecoin supply on Solana sat at roughly $15 billion in February and climbed to $17 billion by March 2026.

The broader Solana picture in February DeFi total value locked on Solana reached an all-time high of $95 billion, measured in SOL-denominated terms. The network also logged over 3.4 billion non-vote transactions during the same period.

February 2026 included fresh tariff announcements and a wave of market liquidations that rattled crypto broadly. Despite that pressure, stablecoin supply on Solana held steady and then grew.

What this means for investors and the competitive landscape The growth of non-USDC/USDT stablecoins is worth watching closely. That segment nearly 10x-ing since January 2025 suggests the ecosystem is diversifying beyond the two dominant dollar stablecoins. New entrants backed by institutional collateral, like JupUSD, could accelerate that trend further.

Investors watching Solana should track whether institutional transaction volume continues to grow as a share of total stablecoin activity, whether the $17 billion stablecoin supply figure keeps rising through mid-2026, and whether competing chains respond with product launches or fee adjustments that could slow Solana’s momentum.

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

Despite languishing asset prices and uncertain market sentiment, Solana’s onchain economy is humming with activity.

Spurred by a renaissance of onchain social trading Solana’s non-vote translation count has roared to new all-time highs, eclipsing landmark events like January 2025’s $TRUMP memecoin launch.

With traders piling back into onchain markets, Solana’s application revenue appears to be reversing its long downtrend as emerging social platforms surpass the trading terminals of yesteryear.

Solana Non-Vote Transaction Count Hits All Time High While crypto markets flip flop on global headlines, Solana’s onchain activity is consistently trending upwards. Buoyed by an influx of trading activity, Solana’s non-vote transaction count has roared to new all-time highs.

According to Blockworks data, Solana processed just over 1B non-vote transactions last week. Vote transactions, or messages passed between validators to reach consensus, are excluded from this figure, giving a more metric that more closely represents user-generated activity.

Remarkably, last week’s all-time high in transaction count eclipsed previous landmark moments in the chain’s history. In January 2025, one day before his inauguration, U.S. President Donald Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin, sparking an unprecedented level of activity across the network.

The previous weekly all-time high was recorded in early July, following the launch of $ANSEM, a memecoin endorsed by the crypto trader and internet personality who goes by the same name. 

In both cases, memecoins remain the strongest driver of onchain activity. Arguably, this is still the case today, with memecoin trading volume representing 28% of Solana’s weekly DEX volume, based on Blockworks data.

Application Revenue Breaks Downtrend After suffering declining revenues for months on end in the wake of the crypto bull run, Solana’s onchain application revenue is showing signs of reversing its trajectory.

Since the lows of early April, Solana’s weekly application revenue has steadily trending upwards, rising 32% to record $23.9M last week alone. On August 4th, application revenue spiked to $4.44M, its highest daily recording in the last six months.

Application revenue is largely being led by pump.fun, which has maintained a comfortable lead in the category for 25 of the last 26 months. However, a surge of revenue in emerging apps suggests that traders are changing how they interact with the memecoin economy.

Previously, feature-rich memecoin terminals like Axiom, Photon, and Trojan have dominated revenue generation among trading apps. However, onchain data shows that social-first venues, like Fomo, are emerging as the network’s favorite way to trade.

Blockworks data reports that FOMO generated over $315k in revenue over the last 24 hours, surpassing terminals like Axiom that were long-considered to be the most efficient way of trading onchain.

Read More on SolanaFloor Why are validators pushing back on $SOL tokenomics proposals?

Counterarguments Emerge as Validators Challenge $SOL Tokenomics Proposals

What Happens if CLARITY Fails?

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For all the sophistication of algorithmic trading and professional risk management, the 2026 crypto sell-off is humbling even the most seasoned market participants. According to a portfolio disclosure by market maker GSR, its Core3 model portfolio — which allocates to Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana — has cratered 57.78% over the past year. That loss handily trails the 49.84% decline of a simple equal-weight basket holding the same three assets. The year-to-date numbers are stark: Bitcoin down 24.82%, Ether down 35.49%, and Solana down 40.21% as of August 5.

The portfolio’s deeply negative performance comes despite GSR’s hands-on allocation approach. As of early August, the model was heavily tilted toward Ether (44.1%) and Solana (36.5%), with Bitcoin anchoring just 19.3%. That concentration in higher-volatility names amplified losses during the extended drawdown, leaving the model nearly 8 percentage points behind a passive benchmark. In a market where liquidity has been thinning and trading volumes cooling, even well-constructed models struggle when volatility correlations break.

Solana’s 40% Drop and Developer Resilience Solana’s 40% year-to-date plunge is the most acute among the three assets, reflecting its higher beta and sensitivity to risk appetite. The chain has been a hub for speculative memecoin activity, and as that frenzy unwound, SOL bore the brunt. Yet on-chain metrics paint a more nuanced picture. Developer engagement on Solana remains among the highest across blockchains, as tracked in weekly developer activity rankings. This divergence between price and fundamental activity is a recurring theme in deep drawdowns: infrastructure keeps building even as asset prices correct.

The Core3 portfolio’s Solana weight of 36.5% was likely intended to capture upside during rallies, but that same exposure turned into a drag once momentum reversed. With memecoin volumes evaporating and on-chain activity cooling, SOL’s correlation with broader risk assets kept it pinned. Market makers like GSR rely on volatility to generate returns, but when price discovery becomes disjointed, even active rebalancing can’t fully escape the downdraft.

Trimming Ether, Adding Bitcoin As trading activity and volatility eased, GSR responded by increasing its Bitcoin allocation and reducing its Ether exposure. That tactical shift mirrors a broader institutional pattern: when market conditions turn hostile, capital flows toward Bitcoin as a relative safe haven within the crypto space. Yet the reallocation alone can’t undo the structural vulnerability of a portfolio still dominated by altcoins. With Ether’s year-to-date loss already exceeding 35%, any reduction in ETH exposure may have come too late to meaningfully curb the annual losses.

Regulatory noise adds another layer of complexity. In the United States, major banking interests are actively working to derail sweeping crypto legislation just days before a crucial Senate vote, as covered in recent reporting. The uncertainty surrounding the regulatory framework particularly punishes altcoins that might be classified as securities, while Bitcoin’s clearer status insulates it somewhat. That dynamic may partly explain why GSR’s model — with its heavy altcoin weighting — underperformed an equal-weight basket where Bitcoin provided more cushion.

What the Model Discloses About Market Structure GSR’s disclosure is more than a performance snapshot; it offers a rare look at how professional trading desks are positioned during a persistent downturn. The fact that an actively managed basket underperformed a naive allocation suggests that timing errors and concentration calls exacted a heavy toll. It also underscores how illiquid conditions can punish even the largest players. While Bitcoin-backed RWAs crossed $20 billion on-chain — as highlighted in a recent tokenization roundup — the liquid crypto market has been unable to catch that tailwind. The bifurcation between tokenized assets and native crypto assets is widening, forcing participants like GSR to reassess risk models built for a different market regime.

Whether GSR’s shift toward Bitcoin in August marks a durable trend or a short-term hedge remains uncertain. The model portfolio’s 57% annual collapse doesn’t necessarily mean the house is wrong; it reflects the violent repricing that occurs when leverage unwinds and narratives shift. For market observers, the key variable is not whether GSR will continue to adjust, but how quickly. In this environment, the difference between a 50% loss and a 40% loss is often decided by the speed of reallocation, not just its direction.

AUTHOR

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.

Forge, the analytics platform built on Allora Network, has rolled out 15-minute realized volatility forecasting for four of the most heavily traded crypto pairs: BTC/USD, ETH/USD, SOL/USD, and XRP/USD.

What 15-minute realized volatility actually means The actual metric, realized volatility, measures the magnitude of price fluctuations over a specific historical window, expressed as a statistical value. It tells you how jumpy an asset has actually been, not how jumpy people expect it to be (that would be implied volatility). By compressing that measurement into 15-minute intervals, Forge is giving traders a near-real-time pulse on price action intensity.

Most volatility tools in crypto operate on daily or hourly timeframes. A 15-minute window is the kind of resolution that options market makers, algorithmic trading desks, and high-frequency strategies depend on.

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The four pairs Forge chose are not accidental. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two largest digital assets by market capitalization. Solana has become a hub for DeFi and memecoin activity, generating enormous intraday volume. XRP remains one of the most actively traded assets globally, particularly on Asian exchanges.

Why Forge’s positioning on Allora matters Forge operates on Allora Network, a decentralized AI inference platform. Rather than relying on a single proprietary model running on centralized infrastructure, Allora’s architecture aggregates predictions from a network of competing models. The best-performing models get rewarded, creating an economic incentive for accuracy.

Multiple AI models submit their volatility forecasts, and the network synthesizes them using a mechanism designed to surface the most reliable signal. For Forge specifically, adding these volatility topics expands the platform beyond simple price prediction into risk analytics.

What this means for traders and the broader market For individual traders, especially those running intraday strategies, 15-minute volatility data can serve as a filter. High volatility windows might signal opportunity for momentum traders, while the same signal would tell mean-reversion traders to sit on their hands.

For institutional players and algorithmic desks, realized volatility at high frequency is a critical input for options pricing, delta hedging, and risk management models. As crypto derivatives markets continue to mature, with products on exchanges like Deribit, CME, and various DeFi protocols growing in sophistication, the demand for precise volatility inputs only increases.

The choice to launch with four assets rather than dozens also suggests a quality-over-quantity approach. Bitcoin’s volatility profile behaves differently than Solana’s, which trades with significantly higher beta and thinner order books during off-hours.

One risk to keep in mind: volatility forecasting models, no matter how sophisticated, struggle during true black swan events. The 15-minute window captures normal market dynamics well, but flash crashes, exchange outages, or sudden regulatory announcements can render any model temporarily useless.

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

Take-Two Interactive Comes to Solana as Tokenized EquityTake-Two Interactive, the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto VI, has made its blockchain debut. The company is listing tokenized equity on the Solana blockchain through @Backpack Securities, giving investors a new way to get exposure to one of gaming's biggest names. The token trades under the ticker $TTWO and is available through @Sunrise on Solana.

The listing brings $TTWO to Solana as a tokenized representation of the company's NASDAQ-listed shares, with each token backed 1:1 by underlying TTWO stock and redeemable for the real thing. $TTWO tokens can be traded around the clock, transferred wallet-to-wallet, and plugged into decentralized finance applications, things a standard brokerage account simply cannot do.

Backpack has partnered with @Sunrise, a Solana-based tokenization protocol that specializes in creating blockchain representations of real-world assets, ensuring that each tokenized stock corresponds one-to-one with a real share held in custody.

Earnings Call and GTA 6 Extended Look Add to the MomentThe timing of the listing adds further weight to an already busy week for Take-Two. Take-Two Interactive reports fiscal Q1 2027 earnings on August 7, 2026, its first financial update covering the Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order window. This call is expected to be the first time official numbers on GTA 6 pre-orders are disclosed, covering the window that opened on June 25. On the entertainment side, a GTA 6 extended look is set to premiere on @Netflix on Thursday, August 27, at 3 PM ET.

The $TTWO listing also arrives at a notable moment for the broader tokenized equities market. Backpack exchange surpassed xStocksFi in monthly tokenized equities volume on Solana, generating $1.06 billion in July 2026 trading volume and capturing 73% of the issuer market. Solana now accounts for about 95% of global on-chain tokenized equity trading, with cumulative volume exceeding $10 billion.

Sources:
Crypto Briefing: Take-Two Interactive's $TTWO tokenized equity lists on Solana
Seeking Alpha: Take-Two earnings preview, all eyes on GTA 6 updates
Crypto Briefing: Backpack surpasses xStocksFi in monthly tokenized equities volume on Solana

The "Big Short" Michael Burry shorted Oracle at $144.63.

Michael Burry, the real-life inspiration behind *The Big Short*, disclosed his latest holdings: he shorted Oracle at $144.63 and Nebius at $211.77.

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Trade.xyz has once again used its perpetual contract fee revenue to acquire HYPE, transferring $3.25 million to start purchasing around 59,000 HYPE tokens.

According to MLM monitoring, Trade.xyz’s fee-receiving wallet has transferred $3.25 million from its perpetual contract fee wallet to its spot account, and has begun purchasing approximately 59,000 HYPE tokens worth around $3 million via a TWAP strategy. Earlier, on August 5, Trade.xyz transferred 250,000 USDC from its perpetual contract fee wallet to its spot account, using roughly $110,000 of that sum to buy 2,000 HYPE tokens, which were subsequently used to acquire a HIP-3 Ticker. This marks the first time Trade.xyz has used perpetual contract fee revenue to purchase HYPE; prior to this, all HYPE used for buying new HIP-3 Tickers was funded by spot fee revenue.

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OpenAI: Free users will receive unlimited text chat capabilities, and the company will update its GPT-5.6 Sol model.

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Proposed Iran-Oman Strait Agreement Faces Dual Hurdles: US Sanctions and Insurance Barriers

According to a Reuters report, four industry sources stated that a proposed agreement between Iran and Oman would grant Tehran control over vessels entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, but the deal faces implementation hurdles due to U.S. sanctions and restrictive insurance provisions governing any payments. Any toll measures would trigger significant compliance risks, as the U.S. has sanctioned Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Administration, the entity operating the waterway. The U.S. Treasury also bans U.S. individuals and entities from accepting services related to "safe passage" offered by the Iranian government. Industry sources added that any such payment could result in asset freezes. Another complicating factor is a clause introduced by the Lloyd’s Market Association at the end of July for war risk underwriters: under this clause, insurance coverage would be terminated if a vessel pays transit fees, passage charges, or other fees to traverse the Strait of Hormuz. An insurance industry source noted that shipping companies are caught in a dilemma: the Lloyd’s Market Association clause prohibits insurers from providing coverage to shipowners making such payments, while Iran seeks to collect passage fees. (Jinshi)

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Amid Shiba Inu's price rebound, high win-rate buyers have stepped in, with a whale boasting a perfect 5-0 trading record opening a long position worth $4.78 million.

According to TradingBeats (formerly Hyperinsight) monitoring, the whale address 0x9bb — which profited from all 5 prior storage trades and twice transferred approximately $7.537 million back to its spot account — deposited 2.393 million USDC into Hyperliquid last night. Less than a minute after the funds arrived, the address began going long on SNDK, purchasing a total of 3,800.84 contracts within 4 minutes for a transaction value of around $4.783 million, with an average entry price of $1,258.5. As of press time, the whale holds a $4.853 million long position in SNDK with 2x isolated margin, the only position in its account. SNDK is currently trading at $1,276.8, with the position showing an unrealized profit of roughly $69,600, a return of ~2.9%, a liquidation price of $662.1, and no open orders set. Last night, SNDK hit a low of $1,168.3 before rebounding to $1,276.8, a ~9.3% rise from the low, but still down ~10.5% from the previous day’s benchmark price. The whale did not enter at the lowest point, but re-opened its position after the rebound had already started. Since starting trading in late July, this address has only traded storage assets, with all 5 completed directional trades turning profitable: - SNDK long: ~$1.374 million profit; - SKHX long: ~$785,000 profit; - SNDK short: ~$662,000 profit; - MU short: ~$309,000 profit; - SKHY short: ~$184,000 profit. SNDK’s 24-hour trading volume is approximately $936 million, open interest stands at ~$161 million, and its hourly funding rate is about +0.000625%.

2 hours ago

MetaMask officially launches Agent Wallet, supporting AI agents to autonomously execute on-chain transactions.

MetaMask has officially launched Agent Wallet, a self-custody AI agent wallet for traders and developers. Users can connect to agent frameworks including Claude Code, Codex, and OpenClaw, allowing agents to execute on-chain operations within preset rules. Agent Wallet supports Hyperliquid, as well as EVM-compatible chains such as Robinhood Chain and Monad. Agents can also perform ERC-7821 batch swaps and one-off transactions, eliminating the need to hold native on-chain tokens for gas fees, with MetaMask settling network costs from transferred assets. Before executing supported EVM transactions, MetaMask provides transaction simulation, threat scanning, and MEV protection. Eligible transactions that incur losses despite passing security checks are covered by up to $10,000 in monthly transaction protection. MetaMask stated that Agent Wallet’s core is to enable AI agents to execute transactions within permission boundaries set by users, rather than granting them unrestricted wallet access.

2 hours ago

Rarible has launched its NFT marketplace on Solana, selecting Claynosaurz as the first featured collection available through the new integration.

The company said Thursday that it had spent several months developing, testing, and preparing the Solana rollout. Rarible plans to add more collections from across the ecosystem over the coming days and weeks.

Rarible said its preparations also included discussions with Solana NFT communities and project teams. Feedback from those conversations helped shape decisions around the marketplace and will continue informing future additions, according to the announcement.

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The company said it intends to work directly with individual projects rather than simply adding their collections to the platform. This approach will include marketplace experiences designed around each project’s identity, community, and content.

Claynosaurz, a collection of 10,000 animated three dimensional dinosaur NFTs launched on Solana in November 2022, will serve as the first featured project.

Rarible also pointed to the earlier launch of its Gacha Station product on Solana as an initial indication of its broader expansion plans. The feature allows users to open digital packs containing collectible assets and is currently promoted through Rarible’s marketplace.

In July, Rarible said it had started development, integrations, and security audits for its planned Solana marketplace launch, with the company targeting a rollout within four weeks.

Rarible said the current marketplace represents the foundation of a broader Solana expansion. The company plans to introduce additional projects, marketplace improvements, content, features, and community activations as the rollout continues.

Rarible Protocol previously added support for Solana based NFTs in 2022. The latest rollout extends the company’s consumer marketplace and collection focused experience across the ecosystem.

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

Solana is the undisputed leader in onchain stock trading. However, while the network dominates volumes in equities, Solana still trails rivals like Ethereum in tokenized commodity markets.

But onchain data suggests that disparity may be starting to change. Tokenized gold is witnessing explosive supply growth on Solana, supplemented by improving DeFi composability that brings new utility to the asset class.

Meanwhile, precious metals have once again captured the attention of global markets, with sovereign banks reallocating capital into gold following its historic drawdown earlier this year.

Solana Leads Tokenized Gold Supply Growth While Solana’s tokenized equity scene has dominated the spotlight in 2026, the commodities sector has steadily been gaining momentum and establishing a larger onchain footprint. According to Birdeye data, Solana’s tokenized gold supply has exploded in 2026, surging 689% since August 2025 and outpacing growth on rival chains in MoM growth.

Solana now plays host to a wealth of different issuers of the world’s favorite store of value, with seven different operators deploying tokenized gold onchain. 

But despite recent growth, Solana’s tokenized commodities sector still has a lot of catching up to do. Valued at $22.8M, RWA.xyz data suggests that Solana’s onchain commodity market only represents 0.47% of wider market share, which is dominated almost entirely by Ethereum.

While this discrepancy is largely due to Ethereum’s provenance and existing TVL, recent integrations are bringing greater DeFi utility to Solana’s onchain commodities. On July 27th, Kamino enabled collateralization on $PAXG, allowing users to borrow against their tokenized gold holdings.

Since its launch, Kamino’s $PAXG market has amassed $358k in deposits, representing 30% of Solana’s $PAXG supply.

Commodities Prove Popular Among Solana’s Perps Traders While some crypto-native gold bugs prefer to use their tokenized commodities as an onchain store of value, Solana’s perps traders are flocking to precious metals. 

According to Blockworks data, gold and silver rank as the 4th and 5th most traded assets on Solana, trailing $BTC, $ETH, and $SOL.

However, despite high volumes on perpetual commodity markets, open interest remains extremely low compared to other asset classes. Higher turnover rates in gold and silver pairs suggest that trading activity is largely driven by high-frequency traders, or by users deliberately inflating their volume to take advantage of incentive campaigns.

Investors Return to Metals Amidst Volatile Markets Offchain, global markets are once again piling into precious metals. After a debilitating downturn in hard assets in Q1, which saw gold plummet 26% from all-time highs of $5,598 in January to $4,098 in March, sovereign banks are stepping in to refill their coffers.

Following the lead set by nations like Poland, Uzbekistan, and China, Korea has committed to rebuying physical gold for the first time in 13 years. Newfound sovereign demand for the world’s largest asset by market cap is causing a market-wide surge in all precious metals, with silver and copper breaking out of recent downtrends.

Driven by its material value as a conducive metal required by AI datacenter buildouts, copper has roared to new all-time highs of $6.92 a pound. 

But while gold bugs and commodity enthusiasts are celebrating a return to precious metals, market analysts argue the recent surge could be a warning sign of future volatility, compounded by the Japanese Yen intervention by the U.S. government.

Read More on SolanaFloor Onchain activity is booming

Solana Transaction Activity Hits New All-Time High in Midst of Crypto Winter

What Happens Next for CLARITY?

Solana is one of the highest-performing blockchains in the space. It is designed to solve scalability issues and is built on the PoH (Proof of History) consensus mechanism that allows up to 50,000 transactions per second. Solana’s architecture also gives users a chance to explore low-latency transactions and fees along with a variety of decentralized features.

Solana API are interface that lets users connect applications to a Solana node on the blockchain. These interactions happen through JSON-RPC (JavaScript Object Notation-Remote Procedure Call). JSON is a data format that is useful in structuring messages sent back and forth; RPC, on the other hand, is a protocol that lets a program execute code or call a function on a remote server as if it were running locally.

Basically, Solana APIs are tools that help developers read blockchain data, send transactions, and track wallet or market activity without running their own validator node.

While there are a lot of options in the space, it is important for users to look for a useful API that fits their needs. The API needs to decode, label, and enrich the raw RPC data it receives so the frontend can render it directly. Additionally, most crypto consumer apps support EVM chains, and Solana, a unified schema that runs across chains, would help to reduce the complexity of users’ architecture.

Here are our top picks for the best Solana APIs for the month of August 2026:

1. CoinStats API

The CoinStats API is one of the most comprehensive ones in the space. Instead of giving only blockchain RPC access, the platform has a unified structure. This includes access to portfolio tracking, token information, market prices, wallet analytics, historical data, and DeFi insights.

The API reads on-chain and market data for any Solana address, such as SPL tokens, SOL, transactions, DeFi positions, and prices, all returned as structured JSON from a single key. CoinStats has developer-friendly documentation and a reliable infrastructure that is best for crypto dashboards, portfolio trackers, and other investment tools.

2. Alchemy API

Alchemy is one of the largest blockchain infrastructure providers that serves both Solana and EVM ecosystems. It is known for its reliability and developer experience that mixes fast RPC endpoints and covers current state queries, transaction submission, archival data, and network monitoring.

It also offers scalable node infrastructure, debugging tools, usage analytics, and enhanced APIs. Alchemy also gives fast account reads and developer tooling that can help estimate costs before deployment.

3. Helius API

Helius is one of the most popular infrastructure providers in the space. It focuses on high-performance RPC access, specialized APIs for NFTs, and real-time streaming.

Instead of working with raw JSON-RPC directly, Helius provides indexed blockchain information, webhook services, enriched transaction data, and real-time event streaming. It also has an enhanced transaction parsing feature that converts low-level blockchain instructions into structured, human-readable data.

4. Moralis API

Moralis supports both Solana and EVM chains, and the API focuses on making blockchain data accessible through simple REST endpoints, without having to manage indexing infrastructure or custom database pipelines.

Moralis also focuses on token data, pricing, and NFT metadata and gives a higher-level abstraction than raw RPC. It also has a multichain approach with teams building apps that support Solana along with Polygon, Ethereum, and other networks.

5. QuickNode API 

One of the most established blockchain infrastructure providers, QuickNode API provides reliable Solana RPC endpoints. It prioritizes speed, uptime, and scalability. Applications can send transactions, monitor blockchain events, and query token data through optimized RPC endpoints around the world.

It also has add-ons, developer dashboards, analytics and monitoring tools, along with enhanced APIs that improve developer productivity. WebSocket connections are also supported for applications that require live blockchain updates.

6. Chainstack API

ChainStack’s Solana API gives developers access to reliable RPC nodes without having to run their own infrastructure. It offers flexible pricing, easy deployment, and enterprise-grade uptime.

It also has dedicated nodes, shared infrastructure, monitoring tools, and deployment across various cloud providers. It combines scalability with affordability, which can be a great option for growing startups.

7.  Shyft API

Designed to simplify Solana development by giving high-level APIs for common blockchain operations, Shyft is another great option in the space. Developers can use REST APIs for NFTs, token management, transactions, wallet operations, and marketplace integrations instead of working directly with low-level RPC methods.

Shyft has a user-friendly development approach and makes it easy to build applications, marketplaces, and blockchain-enabled business platforms without a lot of expertise. It also supports storage integrations, transaction history, and developer SDKs, making it suitable for startups looking to launch products quickly.

Final word Every API in the Solana ecosystem has a different use case. Choosing the right API for your application requirements, preferred development workflow, and expected scale is therefore essential. A lot of projects combine multiple APIs to tap into the best parts of each service.

Disclaimer. Readers are encouraged to do their own research. Ambcrypto is not liable for any outcomes related to the use of information, products, or services mentioned. This content may include affiliate or partner links.

TLDR: Grayscale rebalanced its DeFi Fund, selling Uniswap and boosting Ondo to a 25.44% weighting. The Smart Contract Fund now holds BNB at 30.6%, surpassing both Ether and Solana positions. Grayscale’s AI Fund sold NEAR Protocol shares, redirecting proceeds into Bittensor and Render tokens. Both DEFG and GSC Funds distribute components to cover expenses, reducing per-share holdings over time. Grayscale Investments has completed its second-quarter 2026 rebalancing across three multi-asset funds, adjusting component weightings for the DeFi Fund, Smart Contract Fund, and Decentralized AI Fund.

The Stamford, Connecticut-based firm confirmed the changes align with respective index methodologies.

Grayscale describes itself as the largest digital asset-focused investment platform by assets under management.

DEFG Fund and GSC Fund See Notable Shifts Grayscale adjusted the Decentralized Finance Fund by selling Uniswap holdings entirely from its active purchase basket.

The proceeds were redirected toward other existing components based on their proportional weightings. Following the update, Uniswap remained the largest holding at 34.16%, trailed by Ondo at 25.44%.

Aave, Ethena, Curve, and Lido DAO rounded out the remaining allocation, each holding smaller shares.

The Smart Contract Fund underwent a different type of adjustment during the same review period. Grayscale sold portions of existing components proportionally and used the cash to buy BNB.

This move pushed BNB to the top position at 30.6% of the fund. Ether followed closely at 29.47%, with Solana nearly matching that figure at 29.15%.

Smaller allocations within the Smart Contract Fund included Cardano, Hedera, Avalanche, and Sui. These four assets combined represented less than 11% of total fund weighting.

The structure reflects the CoinDesk Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index methodology that governs the fund. Grayscale reviews these compositions quarterly to reflect market conditions.

Both funds operate without generating income for shareholders, according to the announcement. Instead, they regularly distribute fund components to cover ongoing operational expenses.

This distribution process means the number of underlying assets represented by each share gradually declines. Investors should factor this expense structure into long-term holding decisions.

AI Fund Rebalancing Reflects Sector Focus Grayscale’s Decentralized AI Fund also received quarterly adjustments following its own dedicated methodology.

The firm sold NEAR Protocol holdings and reinvested the proceeds across remaining fund components. Despite the sale, NEAR Protocol still led the fund with a 31.35% weighting after the transaction settled.

Bittensor claimed the second-largest position within the AI Fund at 29.15%. Render followed with a 21.59% allocation, while Filecoin rounded out the basket at 17.91%. These four assets now form the complete composition of Grayscale’s AI-focused investment vehicle.

Unlike the DeFi and Smart Contract funds, the AI Fund follows a methodology set directly by Grayscale as fund manager.

This structure allows the company flexibility in selecting or removing components each quarter. Holdings and weightings remain subject to change based on ongoing evaluation.

All weighting figures reflect end-of-day valuations recorded on August 3, 2026. Grayscale emphasized that investors cannot directly invest in the underlying indexes referenced. The company directed interested parties toward its official website for additional fund details.

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Glimpse, a renowned Bitcoin-native forecasting platform, is expanding its portfolio. In this respect, Glimpse is adding forecasting services for Gold, Solana, and Ethereum. As per Glimpse’s official press release, the expansion is a noteworthy milestone in its growth trajectory, offering new opportunities to consumers. Hence, the move enables forecasts across diverse assets, elevating Glimpse’s position within the world of financial forecasting.

Glimpse Includes Gold, Ethereum, and Solana in Forecasting Portfolio to Expand $BTC-Native Rewards The expansion of Glimpse’s forecasting portfolio with Gold, Solana, and Ethereum highlights a significant user interest in the company’s cutting-edge approach to a broader range of assets traded worldwide. Unlike conventional trading entities, Glimpse is not dependent on a simple buy-and-sell mechanism. Rather, it permits participants to make forecasts regarding an asset within a price range.

Consumers making precise forecasts obtain rewards in Bitcoin ($BTC). This establishes a new incentive-led way to interact with diverse financial markets. The respective framework guarantees that traders get potential benefits during volatile market periods but also when markets are not bullish. Particularly, Gold, Solana, and Ethereum’s inclusion denotes Glimpse’s focus on platform diversification while also maintaining a $BTC-native foundation.

The Glimpse Co-founders, Ruban Sundara Raj and James Pierog, also expressed enthusiasm while reflecting on this expansion. They said, “Whether you think Ethereum is undervalued, Gold is about to rally or Bitcoin is entering a range, Glimpse lets you put that view to the test.” Moreover, they added, “Every forecast also contributes to a live picture of where the market collectively expects these assets to go, giving traders valuable insight alongside the opportunity to earn Bitcoin.”

Redefining Financial Forecasting with Unique Trader Opportunities One of the notable benefits of this expansion for traders takes into account earnings in Bitcoin ($BTC). Additionally, the other advantages include opportunities even during sideways markets, rapid network transactions, access to collective expectations, and the chance to test their market conviction in comparison with other traders.

At the same time, Glimpse is currently progressing through the in-principle authorization process of the Bermuda Monetary Authority. According to Glimpse, the inclusion of Gold, Ethereum, and Solana assists it in developing a home for comprehensive financial forecasting for Bitcoin ($BTC).

Along with that, the move also lets it gradually move toward the goal of offering a leading forecasting entity for worldwide financial markets and digital assets. Overall, the latest expansion emerges as a key step in the firm’s mission to revolutionize financial forecasting, establishing a dynamic hub that gives opportunity for conviction and rewards for accurate foresight.

AUTHOR

Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.

Solana’s deflationary momentum just got another boost.

On the 4th of August, Solana’s Resource and Inclusion Fee proposal cleared the initial voting stage.

If approved, the proposal could increase daily SOL burns from 650 to 9,000 SOL, nearly a 14x increase. This could strengthen Solana’s deflationary narrative and become another bullish factor for its tokenomics. 

The scale of the change is what makes it notable.

How much could SOL inflation fall? As the chart below shows, analysts expect the proposal to reduce SOL emissions by around 18.9 million tokens over six years, worth $1.39 billion at current valuations.

In simple terms, Solana may reduce the number of new SOL tokens entering the market by 18.9 million over the next six years. Under the current inflation schedule, Solana would have created these tokens over time.

Source: X So, by 2032, this could significantly lower SOL’s supply growth, reducing future inflation pressure. That said, the proposal still needs 15% stake support to advance to the final governance phase.

However, with this potential impact on SOL’s supply dynamics, it’s no surprise that market participants expect the proposal to move forward smoothly.

As a result, the focus after the recent vote quickly moved beyond whether it will pass and toward how it could shape Solana’s [SOL] outlook over the next six years. This has shifted attention toward SOL’s technical strength and long-term market structure. 

That said, some analysts believe the market may not wait six years to price in these changes. 

The technical case for Solana after a major tokenomics shift  One question has caught the most attention: What happens to SOL’s price if both proposals pass?

Solana currently has two active proposals that could shape how much SOL enters circulation by 2032. This is where the discussion gets interesting.

Notably, the market is now looking at whether lower emissions and reduced supply growth could create a stronger long-term setup for SOL.

One analyst highlighted that Solana currently issues around 65,500 SOL per day while burning approximately 650 SOL.

If both proposals pass, daily burns could rise to around 9,000 SOL, while SOL’s inflation could reach its minimum level in 2.8 years instead of 5.7 years. Put simply, Solana’s supply growth could slow much earlier than the six-year timeline suggests.

Source: X This is where the numbers start to matter. 

Can lower supply push SOL toward $100? If Solana burns 9,000 SOL per day, there could be 36.9 million fewer SOL in circulation by 2032.

At the same market valuation, that alone could make each SOL worth about 5.3% more. If daily burns increase to 27,000 SOL, the potential upside rises to 11.7%. At Solana’s previous all-time high, that would translate to about $32 more per SOL, assuming demand remains unchanged. 

Looking at Solana’s fundamentals, this thesis doesn’t seem far-fetched. If anything, it puts even more focus on the upcoming governance vote as a potential catalyst.

A successful vote could strengthen the case for a solid Q4 rally, with a move back toward $100 becoming increasingly realistic.

Final Summary Solana’s burn proposal has advanced to the next voting stage. If approved, daily SOL burns could jump from 650 to 9,000, strengthening its deflationary tokenomics. Analysts believe the reduced supply could become a key catalyst for SOL, with the upcoming governance vote potentially setting the stage for a stronger Q4 rally.

ElizaOS Token Collapses to All-Time Low as Foundation Shuts Down

Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL) are trading in the red on Thursday, facing downside pressure. The technical outlook for altcoins is bearish, as XRP risks falling below $1.00, ADA is eyeing the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.1766, and SOL remains capped below a cluster of resistance levels.

Technical outlook: Could XRP, ADA, and SOL extend their losses?Ripple edges lower on Thursday, testing the bearish breakout of a rising support trendline near $1.0500. XRP extends a bearish near-term bias as price holds beneath the 50-day EMA at $1.1143 and the longer-term 200-day EMA at $1.3938, suggesting the broader trend remains under pressure.

Momentum is weak, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering near 38, approaching the oversold zone, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) descends below the signal line, hinting at lingering selling pressure.

A decisive close below $1.0500 could confirm the downside release, risking a drop below the $1.0000 psychological threshold. The S1 and S2 pivot levels at $0.9945 and $0.9271, respectively, serve as downside support levels.

XRP/USDT daily price chart.On the topside, initial resistance appears at the descending trendline around $1.1050, where a daily close above this level would open the way toward the 50-day EMA at $1.1143 and the R1 pivot level at $1.1568.

Cardano extends losses below $0.1900 at press time on Thursday, after the $0.2000 psychological barrier capped its recent recovery. Still, ADA holds a mild bullish bias in the near term, as price remains above the 50-day EMA at $0.1766 but well below the 200-day EMA at $0.2627, indicating that the broader trend remains challenged.

Momentum backs this upside tilt, with the RSI holding around 62 as it reverses from the overbought boundary, while the MACD, in positive territory, remains above the signal line, suggesting buyers retain control.

On the downside, initial support is seen at the 50-day EMA at $0.1766, with a deeper structural floor near the horizontal level at $0.1382, marked by the June 25 low.

ADA/USDT daily price chart.To reinstate an upward trend, ADA must clear above the $0.2000 mark, which could open the path toward the 200-day EMA at $0.2627.

Solana trades below $75 on Thursday, keeping a bearish near-term bias below the 50-day EMA at $75.50 and the 200-day EMA at $92.60. SOL also remains below the downward resistance trendline near $75.25, which acts as an immediate cap.

Solana must sustain a decisive close above this zone to reinstate a recovery toward the 200-day EMA at $92.60. The RSI around 46 and a slightly negative MACD reinforce waning upside momentum.

SOL/USDT daily price chart.Looking down, the key support for SOL aligns with the descending support trendline near $70.75, guarding the downside to the February 6 low of $67.50.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana have seen significant declines in 2026, with digital asset trading activity slowing across major markets. GSR, a global crypto trading and market-making firm, responded by shifting the allocation in its Core3 model portfolio, favoring Bitcoin over Ether amid persistent market weakness.

GSR adjusts portfolio after steep market dropGSR’s Core3 model portfolio, which uses internal quantitative indicators to allocate among Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana, has undergone notable changes as trading activity cooled and volatility dropped. As of August 5, the portfolio held 19.3% in Bitcoin, 44.1% in Ether, and 36.5% in Solana.

Performance in 2026 has remained negative for all three assets. Bitcoin fell 24.82% year-to-date, Ether dropped 35.49%, and Solana recorded the steepest loss at 40.21%.

AssetYTD Change (2026)Portfolio Allocation (Aug 5, 2026)Bitcoin-24.82%19.3%Ether-35.49%44.1%Solana-40.21%36.5%GSR reported that its Core3 portfolio lost 57.78% over the past year, underperforming an equally weighted basket of the same assets, which declined 49.84% in the same period. The company attributed the move to relatively limited price swings and subdued market conditions, resulting in lower volatility and softer trading volumes.

Amid these shifts, GSR increased exposure to Bitcoin while reducing allocation to Ether. The firm cited its proprietary alpha signals as the basis for the adjustment, even as the short-term outlook for prices showed only minor differences.

Mini dictionary: GSR is a leading algorithmic trading and market-making company specializing in digital assets, providing quantitative investment products and liquidity solutions to institutional clients.

Despite a lower weighting, Ether continued to outperform other portfolio constituents in 30-day performance. However, the updated allocation reflected what GSR described as stronger forward-looking signals for Bitcoin and Solana.

Solana maintained a substantial presence in the portfolio, according to GSR, who pointed to resilience in its price action and a marked drop in the token’s volatility.

GSR observed, “Year-to-date, Bitcoin, Ether and Solana were down 24.82%, 35.49% and 40.21%, respectively, while our Core3 model portfolio allocation as of August 5 reflected 44.1% in ETH, 36.5% in SOL and 19.3% in BTC.”

Bitcoin targets resistance amid subdued tradingMarket attention has centered on Bitcoin as traders monitor whether it can reclaim recent highs in a period marked by low volatility. Technical analysts have identified $67,000 as a major resistance level after Bitcoin reached peaks near that mark in both June and July.

Crypto trader Daan Crypto Trades emphasized the significance of breaking above $67,000, noting that doing so would mark a higher daily high and lead to a more constructive market structure. He also described $60,000 as the main higher timeframe support zone in case downside pressure resumes.

One technical analyst stated, “Flipping $67K would put Bitcoin into a bullish market structure on the daily timeframe, while the $60K area remains a critical support level.”

The subdued environment continues to define digital asset markets, keeping volatility and trading volumes muted. GSR’s move to raise its Bitcoin allocation matches these conditions as all three Core3 assets continue to trade far below their levels from the start of the year.

The firm’s ongoing portfolio adjustments underscore the cautious sentiment prevailing in cryptocurrency markets as investors await signs of renewed momentum.

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

Solana has kicked off August by proving why it’s one of the most efficient L1.

On the fundamentals side, two major network upgrades are gaining momentum. The first is the deflationary upgrade, which has officially entered its final voting stage.

Meanwhile, SIMD-0525 is now live on testnet, cutting slot time from 400 ms to 350 ms as the first step toward a 200 ms slot time. Together, these developments point to a faster network, reinforcing Solana’s scalability thesis heading into Q4.

The key takeaway? The impact is already showing up on-chain. As the chart below highlights, Solana’s weekly transaction count crossed the 1 billion mark for the first time, reaching a record 1,012,226,009 transactions from the 27th of July to the 2nd of August.

Source: Blockworks In essence, Solana’s network upgrades aren’t just improving performance on paper.

Instead, they’re supporting record transaction throughput as on-chain activity continues to scale. From a fundamentals standpoint, that’s a strong signal.

Sustained transaction growth reinforces Solana’s core strengths, such as high TPS, low-latency finality, and the network’s ability to process more activity.

However, while the 1 billion weekly transaction milestone clearly validates Solana’s scalability, another key on-chain signal appears to be emerging.

If it continues to build, it could give Solana [SOL] an additional edge as the market heads toward Q4.

Tokenized gold pushes Solana to a new network milestone  The market is already calling August a “huge month” for Solana.

Interestingly, that narrative isn’t being driven by SOL’s price action. The token is up just over 1.8% so far this month, lagging Cardano’s 11% gain over the same period.

Instead, the focus has shifted to Solana’s fundamentals, with network upgrades driving the bullish narrative rather than short-term price speculation.

Notably, this is where the chart below becomes important. While the 1 billion transaction milestone confirms Solana’s growing network activity, another signal is starting to stand out.

Over the past year, Solana has led all major L1s in the growth of tokenized gold, one of the fastest-growing segments within the RWA market.

Source: BirdEye To put into context, since August 2025, Solana’s tokenized gold market cap has grown 689.1%, averaging 18.8% month-over-month growth.

That’s more than 2x the year-over-year growth recorded by BNB Chain and roughly 4.6x the growth seen on Avalanche and Ethereum.

The timing couldn’t be better. From a macro perspective, gold is regaining momentum, with spot prices climbing above $4,200/oz to their highest level since June 2022.

If the rally extends, it could drive fresh demand for tokenized gold, an area where Solana already holds a clear growth advantage. 

That, in turn, could further strengthen the on-chain activity and provide another fundamental tailwind for SOL heading into Q4.

Final Summary Solana hit a record 1 billion weekly transactions, showing its network upgrades are already driving stronger on-chain activity. Solana also leads the tokenized gold market. With gold prices rising again, that could give SOL another boost heading into Q4.

Western Union launched Stablecard across 37 markets on August 4, putting its USDPT stablecoin on Solana into the hands of consumers through a Visa card. The 173 year old remittance giant is betting that 380,000 cash-out locations will beat crypto-native competitors at their own game, but the math says it is automating the destruction of its own margin.

Summary

Western Union’s Stablecard launched August 4 across 37 markets with a target of 60 by year end, connecting the USDPT stablecoin on Solana to the global Visa payment network’s 175 million merchant locations. USDPT is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, the first federally regulated crypto bank in the United States, with Fireblocks providing wallet and settlement infrastructure and Rain powering the card product. Western Union reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1 billion with adjusted revenue declining 1% year over year and adjusted EPS falling from $0.42 to $0.31, while branded digital transactions rose 25% and account payout transactions grew 50%. The global digital remittance market is worth $278.17 billion in 2026, growing at 4.24% CAGR, while stablecoin transaction volume hit a record $1.79 trillion in June 2026 alone, up 125% from June 2025. Western Union charges an effective 5.96% on a $500 transfer including FX markup, while stablecoin-based remittances compress fees from 6.49% to under 1%, raising the question of whether the company is building the infrastructure that makes its own pricing model obsolete. Western Union filed its stablecoin strategy in a single press release on May 4. Three months later, Stablecard went live across 37 markets, the Digital Asset Network connected external crypto wallets to 380,000 agent locations, and the company’s Q2 earnings showed digital transactions growing at 25% while total revenue declined. The gap between those two numbers is the entire story.

A company that has processed billions in remittances annually for over a century is building on the same blockchain rails that compress its highest-margin product to near zero. The remittance industry charges a global average of 6.49% per transaction, a fee structure that stablecoins can replicate for under 1%. Western Union is not responding to this threat from the outside. It is building the technology that makes its own pricing model obsolete, betting that the volume gains from lower prices and the Treasury yield on stablecoin reserves will replace the FX spread that has sustained the business for decades. Whether this is visionary disruption or managed decline depends on arithmetic that Western Union has not yet shared publicly.

The product: what Stablecard actually does Stablecard is a Visa-linked digital wallet that holds USDPT, Western Union’s proprietary stablecoin issued on Solana. The card launched on August 4, 2026 in partnership with Rain, a crypto card infrastructure provider. Users download the app through Apple’s App Store or Google Play, complete identity verification, fund their wallet with USDPT, and spend anywhere Visa is accepted, which means 175 million merchant locations globally.

The product sits within a broader architecture. The Digital Asset Network connects external crypto wallets to Western Union’s physical agent network, allowing users to convert stablecoins to cash at any of the company’s 380,000 agent locations across more than 200 countries and territories. A separate consumer product called “Stable by Western Union” is planned for launch in more than 40 countries in 2026, allowing users to hold USDPT balances and spend locally.

USDPT itself is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, the first federally chartered crypto bank in the United States. Fireblocks provides wallet and settlement infrastructure. The stablecoin is fully backed by US dollars and designed initially for settlements with Western Union’s agents as an alternative to the SWIFT messaging system. Bybit became the first major cryptocurrency exchange to list USDPT for trading, transfers, and custody.

The arithmetic nobody performed: margin destruction by design Western Union charges an effective 5.96% on a $500 remittance transfer when including the FX markup. That spread is the company’s primary revenue engine. In Q2 2026, the company reported $1 billion in revenue with adjusted EPS of $0.31, down from $0.42 a year earlier. The cause is structural: the shift from high-margin cash payouts to lower-revenue digital payout-to-account transactions continues to compress profitability.

Stablecoin-based remittances settle for a fraction of a cent on Solana, where median transaction fees run under $0.01. The industry-wide compression from blockchain rails has already pushed remittance fees from the global average of 6.49% to under 1% in corridors where stablecoin services operate. In the Philippines corridor, fees have dropped from 6% to approximately 1% with near-instant settlement.

LATEST: Robinhood Chain reaches #2 spot in global 24h DEX volume

The chain posted ~$878 million in volume, outpacing Ethereum and Base combined and ranking second only to Solana pic.twitter.com/tIWQ3a2aGw

— crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) July 13, 2026 The arithmetic Western Union has not shared publicly is straightforward. If USDPT settles agent payments at near-zero cost, the company can no longer justify the FX spread that generates the bulk of its revenue. The question is not whether the spread compresses. It is how fast, and whether the volume increase from lower prices offsets the margin loss.

The Forbes analysis of Western Union’s stablecoin strategy described USDPT as automating “the end of its own margin.” The most profitable remittance corridors face the greatest pressure from automation, meaning the routes that generate the highest revenue per transaction are exactly the routes where USDPT delivers the most cost savings to the consumer.

There is a counterargument built into the stablecoin’s structure. Under the GENIUS Act, stablecoin issuers cannot pay interest to token holders, but reserves must sit in short-term Treasuries. The issuer keeps the entire yield. If Western Union, through Anchorage, holds billions in USDPT reserves earning Treasury rates, the interest income from reserves could partially offset the margin compression on remittance fees. This is the same revenue model that generates billions annually for Tether and Circle.

The competitive landscape: who Western Union is actually racing The stablecoin payments market is no longer nascent. Adjusted stablecoin transaction volume hit a record $1.79 trillion in June 2026, up 125% from June 2025, contributing to $8.82 trillion in volume for the first half of the year. USDC now accounts for approximately 70% of adjusted stablecoin transaction volume, compared with roughly 25% for USDT, according to Visa’s onchain analytics data.

Western Union faces three categories of competitors. The first is fintech remittance services such as Wise, Remitly, and its own digital platform, which charge 1% to 3% with transparent mid-market exchange rates. The second is crypto-native remittance services that use stablecoins as settlement rails, compressing fees below 1%. The third is the stablecoin issuers themselves: Circle and Tether are building payment infrastructure that could bypass remittance intermediaries entirely.

MoneyGram launched a stablecoin-enabled mobile app in September 2025, making it the first traditional remittance company to offer stablecoin services to retail customers. Samsung announced plans to integrate stablecoin wallets into 800 million phones. Corporates settled an estimated $2.4 trillion in B2B stablecoin payments during 2025, with the figure expected to double in 2026.

The question for Western Union is whether its physical network is an asset or a liability in this race. The company’s 380,000 agent locations across 200 countries represent the largest cash-out network in the world. In corridors where recipients need physical cash, no crypto-native service can match this infrastructure. In corridors where recipients have bank accounts or mobile wallets, the physical network is an expensive overhead that competitors do not carry.

What Western Union has that crypto-native firms do not The bet behind the Digital Asset Network is specific: Western Union becomes the regulated on-ramp and off-ramp for stablecoin remittances worldwide, earning a smaller margin on far greater volume, and monetizing the cash-out leg that pure-crypto firms cannot serve.

This is the section a competitor could not have written, because it requires understanding both the physical infrastructure and the regulatory architecture.

Western Union holds money transmitter licenses in every US state and regulatory authorizations in more than 200 countries. Building this compliance infrastructure from scratch takes years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. Crypto-native remittance services such as Chipper Cash, Valora, and Bitso operate in specific corridors but lack the global coverage that Western Union’s licensing provides.

The cash-out problem is equally significant. Approximately 1.4 billion adults worldwide remain unbanked, according to the World Bank’s most recent Global Findex data. For these users, receiving a stablecoin remittance is meaningless without a physical location to convert it to local currency. Western Union’s agent network solves this problem at a scale no other company, crypto-native or otherwise, can match.

The regulatory advantage extends to the GENIUS Act’s stablecoin framework. USDPT is issued by a federally chartered bank under explicit regulatory authorization. Competing stablecoins issued by offshore entities face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the markets where Western Union’s compliance infrastructure provides the greatest advantage.

There is also a data advantage that is easy to overlook. Western Union processes millions of remittance transactions annually across hundreds of corridors. That transaction data, covering sender demographics, receiving patterns, seasonal flows, and corridor-level pricing elasticity, is irreplaceable. Crypto-native competitors building from zero have no equivalent dataset. If Western Union uses this data to optimize USDPT pricing, corridor selection, and agent incentives, it can move faster than competitors who must learn corridor economics from scratch.

The combination of physical infrastructure, regulatory licensing, and transaction data creates a position that is expensive and time-consuming to replicate. The question is whether these advantages are sufficient to offset the fundamental margin compression that stablecoin settlement creates, or whether they simply slow the decline.

The corridor economics: where USDPT wins and where it does not Remittance corridors are not interchangeable. The economics of a $200 transfer from the United States to the Philippines differ fundamentally from a $500 transfer from the United Arab Emirates to India or a $150 transfer from South Africa to Zimbabwe. Each corridor has different regulatory requirements, different currency volatility, different cash-out infrastructure density, and different competitive dynamics.

Western Union’s highest-margin corridors are typically those connecting high-income sending countries to low-income receiving countries with limited banking infrastructure: the United States to Central America, the Gulf states to South Asia, Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa. These are also the corridors where the FX spread is widest, the demand for physical cash is highest, and the regulatory barriers to entry are steepest.

USDPT’s value proposition is strongest in exactly these corridors. Stablecoin settlement replaces the multi-day SWIFT process with near-instant finality on Solana, eliminating the float that ties up capital during settlement. In corridors with volatile receiving currencies, the ability to hold value in a dollar-pegged stablecoin until the moment of cash-out protects both the sender and the agent from exchange rate risk during the settlement window.

The corridors where USDPT adds the least value are those where both sender and receiver have bank accounts, where currency pairs are liquid and stable, and where fintech competitors already offer digital-to-digital transfers at 1% to 2% fees. The US to UK corridor, for example, is already served by Wise at margins that USDPT cannot meaningfully undercut because the cost savings from stablecoin settlement are small relative to an already efficient market.

The strategic question is whether Western Union prices USDPT-settled transfers differently from SWIFT-settled transfers. If the company passes the settlement savings through to consumers in the form of lower fees, it accelerates the margin compression that is already pressuring earnings. If it pockets the savings, competitors who do pass them through will capture the price-sensitive segment of the market. Neither option preserves the current margin structure.

The stablecoin market context: why timing matters Western Union is entering a stablecoin market that has grown beyond any projection made two years ago. Adjusted stablecoin transaction volume hit $8.82 trillion in the first half of 2026. USDC now accounts for approximately 70% of adjusted volume, a reversal from 2020 when USDT handled nearly 90%. The total stablecoin market capitalization reached $317 billion, with Tether at approximately $187 billion and Circle at $76 billion.

The crypto-based remittance market itself is projected at $34.96 billion in 2026, a fraction of the $278.17 billion total digital remittance market. But the growth rate tells a different story: crypto and blockchain payment gateways are expanding at 24.18% CAGR, roughly six times the 4.24% growth rate of the traditional digital remittance market. At those rates, the crypto segment overtakes traditional digital remittance within a decade.

Western Union’s timing is deliberate. The GENIUS Act, enacted in July 2025, created the first US regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. USDPT was announced five months later. The CLARITY Act, currently before the Senate, would further codify the regulatory environment for digital assets. If both bills become law, Western Union operates in a market with clear rules that advantage federally regulated issuers over offshore competitors. If the CLARITY Act fails, the regulatory advantage narrows but does not disappear, because the GENIUS Act alone provides the stablecoin framework USDPT requires.

The timing also matters for Solana. The blockchain processed more than one billion non-vote transactions in a single week in July 2026, with median fees under $0.01. Solana’s Agave v4.2 upgrade, scheduled for mainnet on August 17, will reduce slot times to 200 milliseconds, making it even more suitable for high-frequency payment settlement. Western Union chose the fastest and cheapest major blockchain for a use case that demands both speed and low cost. If Solana delivers on the performance improvements Agave v4.2 promises, USDPT settlement will operate at speeds and costs that no traditional payment rail can match, giving Western Union a technical infrastructure advantage over competitors still settling through legacy banking systems.

The opposing case at full strength The bull case for Western Union’s stablecoin strategy rests on network effects: 380,000 agent locations, global licensing, and the cash-out monopoly. The bear case is equally specific and arguably stronger.

First, the margin math may not work. Western Union’s Q2 2026 earnings showed that digital transaction growth of 25% did not prevent a 1% revenue decline and a 26% drop in adjusted EPS. Higher agent commissions and signing bonuses associated with new partner wins are increasing costs. If stablecoin settlement compresses the FX spread faster than volume grows, the company faces a period of declining revenue with no clear bottom.

Second, the physical network may not matter for long. Mobile money adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America is growing at rates that could render cash-out points increasingly irrelevant within five to ten years. If the unbanked population shrinks significantly, Western Union’s primary competitive advantage erodes.

Third, faster-built competitors were architecturally designed for stablecoin settlement from the start. Western Union is adapting a legacy system. Wise, for example, already processes $12 billion in cross-border payments monthly at margins that assume digital-first infrastructure. Adapting a 173-year-old company to compete with purpose-built fintech is a challenge that execution history does not favor.

What would invalidate the thesis that Western Union can win the stablecoin remittance race: if USDPT adoption among agents remains low through 2027, if the Treasury yield curve inverts again and eliminates reserve income, or if a major stablecoin issuer launches its own cash-out network in Western Union’s top corridors. The most dangerous scenario for Western Union is not competition from another remittance company. It is the possibility that stablecoins eliminate the need for remittance intermediaries entirely, with senders and receivers transacting directly through wallets that connect to local cash-out infrastructure operated by mobile money providers, convenience stores, or ATM networks.

The Q2 2026 earnings: what the numbers actually say Western Union reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1 billion with adjusted revenue declining 1% year over year. Adjusted EPS fell to $0.31 from $0.42 a year earlier. Full-year 2026 guidance projects 4% to 6% adjusted revenue growth and adjusted EPS between $1.25 and $1.35.

The digital segment tells a different story. Branded digital transactions rose 25%. Account payout transactions grew 50%. Consumer money transfer transactions grew 3% overall. The gap between 3% total growth and 25% digital growth means the physical business is contracting.

JUST IN: Samsung Wallet to add native stablecoin support

A mockup at Galaxy Unpacked featured USDC though no launch date or chain has been confirmed pic.twitter.com/Rp2iiuTsqC

— crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) July 25, 2026 The company described the USDPT launch and Stablecard deployment as central to its forward strategy on the Q2 earnings call, but did not disclose USDPT transaction volumes, agent adoption rates, or Stablecard active users. Without these numbers, the market cannot evaluate whether the stablecoin strategy is gaining traction or remains a press release.

The margin pressure is visible in the details. Higher agent commissions and signing bonuses associated with new partner wins and renewals increased costs during the quarter. The shift from cash-payout transactions to digital payout-to-account transactions continued to weigh on profitability. This is the structural challenge USDPT is supposed to address: by replacing SWIFT settlement with stablecoin settlement, Western Union reduces its own infrastructure costs. But the same technology that reduces costs also reduces the pricing power that sustains revenue.

The stock market’s response to Western Union’s stablecoin strategy has been muted. WU shares fell after the Q2 earnings miss, and the company’s market capitalization remains well below its 2018 peak. Analysts who cover the stock are divided between those who see USDPT as a potential catalyst for volume growth and those who see it as an admission that the legacy business model has a limited remaining lifespan. The full-year guidance of 4% to 6% adjusted revenue growth implies management expects the digital transition to begin contributing positively in the second half, but the EPS guidance range of $1.25 to $1.35 suggests the margin compression is expected to continue.

What to watch Stablecard active users and transaction volume through Q3 2026. Western Union has not disclosed adoption metrics. The Q3 earnings call in late October is the first opportunity for hard numbers. USDPT circulating supply on Solana. The onchain supply is publicly observable. A rapidly growing supply indicates agent and consumer adoption. A flat supply after three months indicates a marketing launch without operational traction. Agent adoption rate for USDPT settlements. The transition from SWIFT to stablecoin settlement among 380,000 agents determines whether the cost savings flow through to consumers or remain theoretical. FX spread compression in USDPT-enabled corridors. If Western Union maintains 5%+ fees on corridors where USDPT settlement costs fractions of a cent, the stablecoin is window dressing. If fees drop below 2%, the strategy is real but the revenue impact is severe. Competitor response from Circle and Tether. If either stablecoin issuer launches direct-to-consumer payment products or partnerships with cash-out networks, Western Union’s intermediary position weakens. Frequently asked questions What is Western Union’s Stablecard? Stablecard is a Visa-linked digital wallet that holds USDPT, Western Union’s proprietary stablecoin on Solana. It launched on August 4, 2026 across 37 markets and allows users to spend stablecoin balances anywhere Visa is accepted, covering 175 million merchant locations.

What is USDPT? USDPT is a US dollar payment stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on the Solana blockchain. It is fully backed by US dollars and was launched on May 4, 2026 for settlements between Western Union and its agent network as an alternative to the SWIFT messaging system.

How does Western Union’s stablecoin compare to USDC and USDT? USDPT is a proprietary stablecoin designed for Western Union’s payment network, while USDC and USDT are general-purpose stablecoins with market capitalizations of approximately $76 billion and $187 billion respectively. USDPT’s advantage is integration with Western Union’s 380,000 agent locations. Its disadvantage is limited liquidity and exchange listing compared to incumbent stablecoins.

What are the fees for using Stablecard? Western Union has not publicly disclosed the complete fee structure for Stablecard transactions. Traditional Western Union transfers charge an effective 5.96% on a $500 transfer including FX markup, while stablecoin-based alternatives typically operate at under 1%. The degree to which Stablecard passes through stablecoin settlement savings to consumers has not been confirmed.

Why did Western Union build on Solana? Solana offers sub-second finality, median transaction fees under $0.01, and throughput exceeding one billion non-vote transactions per week. These characteristics make it suitable for high-volume payment settlement. Western Union’s USDPT is one of several payment stablecoins choosing Solana for its speed and cost profile.

What is the Digital Asset Network? The Digital Asset Network connects external crypto wallets to Western Union’s physical agent locations, allowing users to convert stablecoins to local currency at any of the company’s 380,000 agent locations across more than 200 countries and territories.

Can Western Union compete with crypto-native remittance services? Western Union’s competitive advantage is its physical cash-out network and regulatory licensing in more than 200 countries. Crypto-native services offer lower fees but lack the global infrastructure for physical cash distribution. The outcome depends on how quickly mobile money adoption reduces demand for cash payouts in key remittance corridors.

Is USDPT a good investment? USDPT is a payment stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, not a speculative asset. It is designed to maintain a 1:1 value with the dollar. The investment question is whether Western Union stock benefits from the stablecoin strategy, and that depends on whether USDPT adoption drives sufficient volume growth to offset margin compression. This is educational analysis, not investment advice.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Western Union’s stablecoin products are evolving rapidly and specific features, fees, and availability may change. Published August 5, 2026.

Shiba Inu recently staged a sharp recovery, briefly lifting its price above local resistance, but sellers quickly responded and reversed much of that advance. Trading activity spiked during the initial rally; however, sustained buying interest faded, leading to a rejection at the daily high.

Technical resistance and indicatorsSHIB remains positioned below its 100-day and 200-day moving averages, underscoring a persisting bearish trend. The 50-day moving average, located near $0.00000500, presents the next critical resistance level that buyers need to overcome for a renewed short-term rally.

Shorter-term averages have started climbing in response to the recent surge, reflecting stronger momentum. Meanwhile, the RSI has recovered to 58, suggesting that there is still room for an additional upward move before reaching overbought conditions.

Despite these improvements, buyers have not yet built sufficient momentum to attempt a full trend reversal. Volume remains a key factor. Initial enthusiasm saw robust participation in the breakout, but trading volume has gradually declined in subsequent sessions.

This declining turnover often signals that traders are waiting for more convincing signs before committing additional capital. Without renewed buying activity, SHIB could continue consolidating just below current resistance levels. The first notable support lies between $0.00000465 and $0.00000470, underpinned by the short-term moving averages. If that zone fails, the recent breakout level at $0.00000440 becomes the next area of interest for buyers. For now, SHIB appears to be transitioning from an impulsive rebound into a consolidation period.

While the latest rally brought notable price action, a move above the 50-day moving average would likely be required to trigger a stronger recovery and alter the broader downtrend characterizing much of 2026.

Near Protocol faces resistance after correctionNear Protocol, a smart contract platform focused on scalability, continues to trade under selling pressure despite signs of price stabilization. After declining from its summer peaks, NEAR has settled near the $1.60 level, though technical outlooks still call for caution.

NEAR currently trades below its major moving averages, including the 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-day, all of which now serve as layered resistance. This alignment typically signals an ongoing corrective phase rather than the start of a new uptrend. Buying activity helped defend $1.60 recently, sparking a modest bounce, but the rebound lacked depth without meaningful volume—a sign that larger investors remain cautious.

Momentum indicators are similarly neutral, opening the potential for either fresh losses or a gradual uptick, depending on how broader market conditions develop. NEAR’s first upside target stands at the 200-day moving average around $1.80, with further resistance at the 50-day and 100-day averages. A recovery above these levels could spark renewed bullish interest, but if support at $1.60–$1.62 breaks decisively, NEAR risks erasing gains from earlier in the summer.

Currently, the charts show no clear evidence that buyers have regained control, leaving the possibility for either continued stabilization or another leg down.

Mini dictionary: Near Protocol is a high-performance blockchain designed to provide fast, scalable solutions for decentralized applications. It employs sharding to increase transaction throughput and reduce fees.

Solana trading sideways amid uncertaintySolana, another leading smart contract blockchain, continues to trade in a tight band following a recovery from June lows. The price remains rangebound between $73 and $75, with neither bulls nor bears dominating the current market.

The convergence of the 20-day and 50-day moving averages near the current price signals a transition to a neutral phase. Solana is holding above the higher low established in June but has yet to muster enough buying power to recapture higher resistance levels. The RSI hovers near 45, reflecting balanced market sentiment.

Trading volumes for SOL have dwindled in recent weeks, indicating hesitation among traders until a new catalyst emerges. Should buyers reclaim the 100-day moving average around $79, the next psychological target would be $85. The area between $71 and $72 remains the primary support, and a break below could expose June’s lows at $64.

Solana appears to be forming a base after months of weakness. However, a sustained move above the 100-day average and stronger trading volume would be necessary to signal a shift away from the broader downtrend.

AssetCurrent Price RangeKey SupportKey ResistanceTrendShiba Inu (SHIB)$0.00000465–$0.00000500$0.00000440$0.00000500Consolidation / BearishNear Protocol (NEAR)$1.60–$1.62$1.60$1.80, $1.90Bearish / StabilizingSolana (SOL)$73–$75$71–$72, $64$79, $85Neutral / ConsolidatingCardano (ADA)~$0.20$0.17, $0.18$0.197 (100-day MA)Bullish BreakoutCardano outperforms with key breakoutCardano surged through several important moving averages within a brief window, posting its strongest technical performance in weeks. The rally brought ADA closer to $0.20, outpacing peers and overcoming resistance that had previously halted recoveries since May.

Unlike many other large-cap altcoins, Cardano now trades above both the 20-day and 50-day moving averages. ADA is currently testing the declining 100-day moving average near $0.197, the last major obstacle before a more sustainable trend reversal might be established.

Trading volume climbed sharply during the breakout, indicating that active buyers, rather than short covering, drove the move. As long as ADA maintains its position above the reclaimed averages, technical momentum remains positive.

The RSI for Cardano climbed above 65 during the breakout, reflecting growing bullish momentum. Although approaching overbought levels, sustained trends can keep RSI high for extended periods.

The first key support for ADA sits at the 50-day moving average near $0.18, followed by the 20-day at $0.17. Holding these levels would preserve the recent series of higher lows, considered vital for an extended recovery trend.

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

Solana’s tokenized gold market cap has exploded by 689% since August 2025, making it the fastest-growing blockchain for on-chain precious metals by a comfortable margin. Physical gold prices breached $5,000 per ounce in early 2026, and tokenized gold offers exposure with the added bonus of yield opportunities that a bar sitting in a vault simply can’t provide.

What’s driving the growth Three protocols are doing most of the heavy lifting in Solana’s tokenized gold ecosystem: Oro Finance, Matrixdock, and Streamex.

Oro Finance launched its $GOLD token in September 2025, offering holders an APY of 3-4% through institutional leasing arrangements. The project raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding in March 2025.

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Matrixdock entered the Solana scene in February 2026 with XAUm, a token backed by LBMA-certified gold.

Streamex rounds out the trio with similar yield-bearing features, though the protocol hasn’t disclosed specific APY figures.

The bigger picture for tokenized gold The entire tokenized gold market has been on a tear, with total market capitalization approaching $4.8 billion to $6 billion across gold and silver assets. Sector-wide trading volume hit $90.7 billion in Q1 2026 alone.

Within that broader boom, Solana recorded an average quarterly growth rate of 213.2% through the first half of 2026, vastly outpacing the average across all chains during the same period.

Solana’s tokenized gold products aren’t designed to sit passively in a wallet. They’re built to plug into DeFi protocols as collateral, liquidity pool assets, and yield-generating instruments.

What this means for investors The risk side of the equation deserves attention. A 3-4% APY on gold sounds attractive until you consider the counterparty risk embedded in institutional leasing arrangements. If the institutions borrowing that gold run into trouble, token holders could face losses that a simple spot gold position would avoid.

There’s also concentration risk within Solana’s tokenized gold ecosystem. Three primary protocols serving an entire chain’s gold market means that any smart contract vulnerability or custody failure at one project could shake confidence across the entire sector.

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

@WesternUnion has launched Stablecard, a digital wallet and @Visa secured credit card that lets remittance recipients receive and hold money in $USDPT, the company's dollar-backed stablecoin, and spend it anywhere Visa is accepted. The product is built in partnership with Rain and marks a significant step in Western Union's push to put blockchain-based payments directly in the hands of everyday consumers.

A dollar-backed shield against currency volatilityThe card is aimed squarely at remittance receivers in markets where local currencies are prone to sharp swings. Rather than converting an incoming transfer into a volatile local currency immediately, users can hold their balance in $USDPT, a dollar-pegged token that offers a degree of protection against depreciation. Remittance recipients can maintain their balances in this denomination without needing to convert them immediately into the local currency of their respective countries.

Stablecard began commercial operations in 37 initial markets selected for high exchange rate volatility in their local currencies. Western Union's stated goal is to extend availability to more than 60 international markets before the end of 2026.

The technological platform is provided by Rain, an entity holding principal membership in the Visa and Mastercard networks with operational reach in over 200 countries and territories.

Regulated infrastructure underpinning the product $USDPT is fully backed by U.S. dollars and issued by Anchorage Digital Bank N.A., the first federally regulated crypto bank in the United States, and built on Solana. Each unit in circulation maintains a 1:1 parity backed by cash bank deposits and U.S. Treasury debt securities.

The stablecoin itself has been in development since late 2025. Western Union launched $USDPT on the Solana blockchain in May 2026. Stablecard is the first major consumer-facing product built on top of that infrastructure. Solana's fast, low-fee, 24/7 operations allow $USDPT to handle small consumer payments and large settlement flows, merging remittances and wholesale settlements.

Data from the Solana blockchain show that $USDPT has 7.4 million tokens in circulation distributed among 162 registered wallets, representing approximately 0.05% of the total stablecoin volume on the Solana network, which amounts to $15.8 billion. The relatively modest supply suggests the rollout is still in its early stages, with room to scale as the card reaches new markets.

Sources:
Crypto Economy: Western Union Launches Solana-Powered Stablecoin Card Across 37 Markets
Western Union Investor Relations: USDPT Launch Press Release
Anchorage Digital: USDPT Partnership Announcement

Solana (SOL) is maintaining a key support level, reflecting solid buyer conviction and optimism about potential price gains, provided certain resistance zones are surpassed. Recent proposals to adjust Solana’s token economics have also garnered support from major stakeholders and are expected to influence the network’s future supply and burn rate.

Strong support lifts sentiment, resistance in focusSOL is currently valued at $74.14, with a 24-hour trading volume of $1.43 billion and a market capitalization of $43.09 billion. The price has risen 1.05% over the past day, and analysts are observing signs of a bullish reversal in both technical indicators and network activity.

Crypto analyst BitGuru identified the $75 to $77 range as the next major resistance level for SOL, following a notable bounce from a pullback that attracted renewed buyer activity near support. This surge has improved market confidence, suggesting growing demand among traders aiming for an upside breakout.

A convincing move above the $77 mark could trigger further gains towards $78, reinforcing bullish sentiment. However, failure to breach this resistance may result in SOL consolidating in its current range.

LevelSupportCurrent PriceResistanceNext TargetSOLKey support held$74.14$75–$77$78Governance proposals seek to strengthen tokenomicsDefi Dev Corp., a blockchain-focused organization, has publicly supported new governance initiatives for Solana, namely SIMD-0550 and SIMD-0553, aimed at refining the tokenomics of the network. These proposals focus on reducing the annual supply growth and increasing the number of SOL tokens burned on the network.

SIMD-0550 is designed to speed up Solana’s path to a 1.5% annual inflation rate and is projected to result in approximately 18.9 million fewer SOL minted over the next six years.

In addition, SIMD-0553 introduces a change to the network’s fee system. Instead of charging a flat fee, Solana would implement transaction costs based on resource usage, with these fees incinerated rather than distributed as rewards.

Defi Dev Corp. reported that token burn rates could rise substantially, from the current 648 SOL per day to as much as 9,000 SOL daily, if these changes are adopted.

Mini dictionary: Defi Dev Corp. is an organization involved in decentralized finance infrastructure and contributes to blockchain governance and protocol improvement proposals.

Market implications for investorsThe outcome of these governance decisions and price action at the $75–$77 resistance range are of significant interest to investors. A sustained breakout could see SOL target new highs, while ongoing consolidation remains possible if resistance holds.

Defi Dev Corp. stated that the proposed changes represent “significant milestones” for Solana’s future tokenomics by reducing supply growth and increasing the frequency of token burns.

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