Grayscale Files Another Amendment, Countdown Begins for First US Zcash ETF
Grayscale submitted a new amended filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, paving the way for its planned Zcash ETF. If approved, it would be the first exchange-traded fund tracking Zcash in the US market.
Curve Founder Egorov: FATF Regulatory Pressure Could Push DeFi Toward Greater Decentralization
Curve founder Michael Egorov offers a counterintuitive take: pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) may not be a headwind for DeFi, but rather a driving force pushing protocols toward greater decentralization and stronger security.
'The Crypto Program' Host Deported from Fiji to US, Faces $165M Crypto Scam Charges
Edward Zimbardi is accused of running a $165 million crypto Ponzi scheme through a project called The Crypto Program, drawing in thousands of investors. He has now been deported from Fiji to the US to stand trial.
Blockchain Association Backs SEC's Push to Repeal 2005 NMS Rules, Citing Tokenization Benefits
Industry group Blockchain Association has publicly voiced support for an SEC proposal to repeal the National Market System (NMS) rules, which have been in effect since 2005, arguing the framework has never achieved what it was designed to do.
TRM Labs Report: AI Use in Crypto Crime Surges 40% Over Past Year
Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs' latest report finds hackers are ramping up AI adoption to uncover overlooked system vulnerabilities and infiltrate IT companies, with related criminal tactics growing 40% in a single year.
Citi Reportedly Planning Bitcoin Custody Service This Year, to Join New Custody+ Platform
According to The Block, Citi is expected to launch a bitcoin custody service later this year, folding it into a new platform called Custody+ alongside real-time asset servicing, real-time settlement, liquidity tools, and AI-powered market intelligence as part of the same suite of features.
STS Digital CEO: Crypto Prices Still in Winter, But Institutions Have Already Hit Summer
STS Digital CEO Maxime Seiler observes that Bitcoin futures basis is converging toward the risk-free rate, signaling rising institutional adoption—even though token prices have yet to catch up with the shift.
Cypherpunk Mining Goes Live with Zcash Hashrate, The Block Says Winklevoss Poured in $33 Million
Cypherpunk Mining officially went live in the US today with roughly 4.2 GSol/s of Equihash hashrate targeting Zcash mining; a report from The Block says the buildout involves $33 million in funding tied to Winklevoss.
GSR Asset Management Exec: Tokenized Fixed Income Could Become a Key Player in Institutional Collateral
Andy Baehr, Managing Director of Asset Management at GSR, says tokenized fixed income products have the potential to play a pivotal role in institutional collateral use cases, while also expressing "excitement" about the idea of large-scale equity tokenization.
Securitize's Redfearn: SEC Delaying Crypto Trading Exemption Until After Senate Vote on Clarity Act
Securitize's Redfearn says the SEC is deliberately holding off on approving a crypto trading exemption, wanting to avoid complications before the Senate votes on the Clarity Act.
Bitcoin Spot ETFs See $517M Single-Day Inflow, Highest in Over Three Months
Analysts point to the surprise crypto market rally driven by the U.S. Treasury's expanded buyback announcement as the catalyst behind this wave of capital returning, pushing net inflows into bitcoin spot ETFs to their largest scale in nearly three and a half months.
Industry Warning: If AI Agents Go Rogue, Crypto Hacking Losses Could Make Billion-Dollar Incidents Look Like "Chump Change"
According to The Block, crypto industry insiders warn that if AI agents take over on-chain operations at scale, a single mistake could result in losses that dwarf existing billion-dollar hacking incidents. Trust, model hallucinations, and unclear legal liability remain the biggest obstacles.
Rain CEO: Over 100,000 Merchants Unknowingly Already Processing Stablecoin Transactions
Rain CEO Farooq Malik points out that over 100,000 merchants are accepting stablecoin payments completely unaware, with these transactions settled through Visa taking three days to complete.
Kalshi Files with CFTC for Perpetual Futures Tied to US Stock Market and Copper
Prediction market platform Kalshi has filed an application with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to launch perpetual futures products linked to the MerQube US Large Cap Index and copper prices.
White House Crypto Advisor Patrick Witt Says He's "Optimistic and Bullish" Ahead of Clarity Act's First Vote
White House chief crypto advisor Patrick Witt has gone public ahead of the Clarity Act's first scheduled vote, calling himself "optimistic and bullish"—while stablecoin controversy resurfaces at the same time.
Solana Policy Institute CEO: Only 10% Chance Clarity Act Passes Before Midterms
Miller Whitehouse-Levine describes the Clarity Act as stuck in "August recess purgatory," warning the industry can't afford to wait on Congress and urging regulators to pick up the pace.
Ondo Exec: Tokenization Is Following Early ETFs' Playbook, Hopes Clarity Act Will Loosen Up US Market
According to The Block, an Ondo executive compared the current stage of tokenization to the early development trajectory of ETFs, saying the company hopes the Clarity Act's passage will open up room for it to launch tokenized products in the US.
Kraken's Parent Company Payward Reportedly Exploring "Full Bank" Status Outside the US
According to The Block, Kraken parent company Payward is exploring banking, lending, and asset management operations, with mortgages listed as a possible future direction.
Evernorth Bets on XRP Ledger DeFi Play While Pushing Ahead With IPO Plans
Evernorth, a treasury company focused on holding XRP, plans to start putting its reserves to work generating yield. The move comes just as the XRP Ledger is evaluating a native lending feature, and as Evernorth itself is on the path toward going public.
Chainlink's McCormick: AI Agents and Bots Will Be the New Drivers of On-Chain Trading
Chainlink's McCormick describes AI agent- and bot-driven on-chain trading as having "Star Wars vibes," predicting AI will lower the cost of building blockchains, fueling a multi-chain landscape and rising demand for cross-chain interoperability.
OpenLedger Core Contributor: AI Agents Don't Have Bank Accounts — Crypto Payments Could Be the First Killer App
OpenLedger core contributor Ram Kumar points out that AI agents can't access traditional banking services, giving "agent payments" a shot at becoming crypto's most significant real-world use case yet.
Trump Meets Crypto and Finance CEOs in Oval Office, Reportedly Turns More Bullish on Clarity Act
According to The Block, Trump sought input from crypto and finance industry CEOs during a private meeting at the White House Oval Office, with a source describing him as "bullish" on pushing forward the Clarity Act.
Bitcoin Surges Past $72,000: Analysts Say Holding $70K Is the Real Test
Bitcoin's price has broken through the $72,000 mark, with analysts pointing to spot and ETF buying as the driving force behind the rally. But whether it can hold above $70,000 will be the key test of whether this is more than just a short squeeze.
Clarity Act Stuck on Ethics Deal, Sen. Gallego Says: 'The Plane Can Still Land'
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego says that even though the crypto ethics agreement hasn't been finalized, Congress still has a chance to bring the Clarity Act in for a "safe landing," highlighting the tension surrounding the bill's progress.