Crypto Briefs
Short updates on stories reported by a single outlet so far — summarized in a few sentences, always linking the original reporting. Stories picked up by more publications get full articles.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Pi Network ends flat app-building fee, shifts to usage-based pricing
Pi Network's Pi App Studio discontinued its flat 0.25 PI fee structure on August 24, transitioning to usage-based pricing where only applications with genuine user activity retain subsidies. The move represents the network's first substantive quality filter for developers building on the platform.
Read the original at Crypto.newsBitcoin Breaks $80K as Solana Rallies on Validator Proposals
Bitcoin surged past $80,000, gaining more than 25% for the week following Treasury bond-buyback expansion. Solana jumped 8% Tuesday as validators voted on proposals to reduce SOL supply growth and increase daily token burns, though technical indicators suggest overbought conditions across major assets.
Read the original at CoinDeskBNB Chain Activates Pasteur Hard Fork on Mainnet
BNB Chain has activated the Pasteur hard fork on its mainnet, which enhances bridge security, validator security, and introduces new block-building capabilities. The upgrade strengthens the chain's infrastructure and validator operations.
Read the original at Crypto.newsPayward Partners GTN to Expand xStocks to Multiple Markets
Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, is partnering with fintech firm GTN to launch xStocks—blockchain-based tokenized versions of real company shares—across Hong Kong, the UK, Europe, and South Korea. The expansion aims to bring tokenized equities to new geographic markets, broadening access to traditional asset classes via blockchain infrastructure.
Read the original at DecryptDemocratic lawmakers critique Republican crypto Clarity Act draft
Key Democrats expressed concerns that the Republican-drafted crypto Clarity Act falls short on ethics and other provisions, despite being potential supporters of the market structure bill. The criticism follows publication of a new draft by Republicans earlier in the day.
Read the original at CoinDeskEthereum EIP-8390 Proposal Risks Breaking Light Clients
EIP-8390 proposes to reduce Ethereum issuance by 33,800 ETH through offchain zero-knowledge finality proofs, but the proposal lacks a defined replacement API, prover incentive structure, or reproducible GPU benchmarks. The change would break all deployed Altair light clients, raising implementation concerns.
Read the original at CryptoSlateAnalyst Maps ETH Resistance Levels; $5,363 Target Flagged
A cryptocurrency analyst identified $5,363 as a potential upside target for Ethereum if current resistance breaks, though CryptoPotato notes the asset could first pullback toward its $2,235 realized price. The analysis flags key technical levels that may guide ETH's near-term direction.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoCosmos Labs Urges EVM Chains to Halt Over Security Incident
Cosmos Labs issued an urgent directive for EVM chains to halt operations following security incidents affecting MANTRA, TAC, and KiiChain. A detailed incident report from Cosmos was pending at publication, but the precautionary measure suggests a material vulnerability affecting multiple chains within the Cosmos ecosystem.
Read the original at Crypto.newsArthur Hayes: Treasury buybacks may extend Bitcoin rally
Arthur Hayes, former BitMEX CEO, argued that expanded U.S. Treasury buybacks and potential Treasury General Account spending could bolster dollar liquidity and sustain Bitcoin's upward momentum. Hayes linked macro monetary conditions to cryptocurrency market dynamics, suggesting policy shifts may support continued gains.
Read the original at Crypto.newsBitcoin Breaks $80K, Liquidates $260M in Short Positions
Bitcoin surged past $80,000 for the first time, triggering approximately $260 million in short liquidations according to CryptoPotato. The move follows several earlier attempts to breach the level and marks a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoCFTC pursues criminal case against soldier over $400K Polymarket bet
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has entered a criminal case involving a soldier's $400,000 bet on Polymarket, seeking to establish that event contracts qualify as swaps under commodities law. The intervention reflects the CFTC's ongoing effort to assert regulatory authority over prediction markets, which operate in legal ambiguity between commodities and gambling restrictions.
Read the original at Crypto.newsBlockchain Association urges exemption for P2P stablecoin transfers from ID rules
The Blockchain Association endorsed federal stablecoin identity verification requirements but called on agencies to exclude peer-to-peer secondary-market transfers from the rules. The group's position reflects efforts to balance regulatory compliance with preserving privacy in direct crypto transactions.
Read the original at Crypto.newsLummis: Crypto Clarity Act ethics provisions under further review
Senator Cynthia Lummis, a lead negotiator on the crypto Clarity Act, stated she was pleased with the updated bill's readiness for release, indicating that ethics and other provisions remain subject to further discussion. The remarks suggest ongoing refinement of the legislation ahead of potential advancement.
Read the original at CoinDeskUniswap governance proposal targets Optimism fees for UNI token burns
A Uniswap governance proposal seeks to redirect fees generated on the Optimism network to UNI token burns, potentially reducing circulating supply. The proposal represents community effort to enhance token value through deflationary mechanics tied to protocol revenue streams on layer-2 networks.
Read the original at BitcoinistInjective Files SEC Transfer Agent Registration for RWA Push
Injective Protocol has filed for SEC transfer agent registration, a regulatory step typically required to issue and manage securities or regulated tokens tied to real-world assets. The filing marks the blockchain platform's effort to support compliant RWA tokenization on its chain, signaling moves toward institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure.
Read the original at BitcoinistdYdX Chain v5.1 Enables Permissionless Market Listings
dYdX Chain released version 5.1, introducing permissionless market listings that allow users to create derivative markets without governance approval. The upgrade removes listing barriers and expands the protocol's trading capabilities, potentially broadening the range of assets available on the decentralized exchange.
Read the original at BitcoinistPyth Launches USDY Price Feed on Aptos and Sui Networks
Pyth Network has launched a price feed for Ondo Finance's USDY stablecoin across Aptos and Sui blockchains, expanding oracle support for yield-bearing dollar tokens in those DeFi ecosystems. The move enables dApps on both networks to access real-time USDY pricing for trading, lending, and other financial applications.
Read the original at BitcoinistSui Advances Confidential Transactions Feature to Devnet
Sui blockchain has progressed its confidential transactions initiative to devnet, expanding privacy capabilities for the network. The move represents a development milestone in Sui's broader privacy enhancement roadmap. Confidential transactions obscure transaction amounts while maintaining verifiability on the public ledger.
Read the original at BitcoinistMovement Labs Files for Bankruptcy Amid Token Collapse
Movement Labs has filed for bankruptcy following a severe decline in the MOVE token, which is trading 99% below its $1.45 all-time high and recently hit new lows. The project raised $141 million but has fallen to generating only $8 in daily fees, signaling a dramatic collapse in user activity and revenue.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoFalconX petitions SEC to regulate DeFi single-stock perpetuals
FalconX has asked the SEC to bring single-stock perpetual futures from decentralized finance platforms under swap rules oversight, arguing that comparable single-security or narrow-index contracts outside joint listing regimes should fall under SEC jurisdiction. The petition signals industry debate over regulatory classification of synthetic equity derivatives in crypto markets.
Read the original at CryptoSlateDatavault faces Nasdaq delisting risk as stock plummets below $1
Datavault Technologies (DVLT) is trading 68% below the $1 minimum price threshold required for Nasdaq listing compliance, with its first cure period ending August 24. The company may qualify for a 180-day extension if it meets other listing standards and files a written notice, but faces potential delisting if compliance is not restored.
Read the original at CryptoSlateSwiss Bank BancaStato Launches Bitcoin Trading via Sygnum
BancaStato, a Swiss bank, has begun offering regulated bitcoin trading to customers through its existing banking applications using infrastructure provided by Sygnum and Avaloq. The move makes BancaStato the latest Swiss financial institution to integrate cryptocurrency trading into traditional banking services.
Read the original at Bitcoin MagazineBitcoin slides as oil rises, Clarity Act odds fall to 38%
Bitcoin declined alongside rising oil prices and interest rates, while Democratic lawmakers pushed for stronger safeguards in crypto legislation, causing odds on the Clarity Act to drop to 38%. Geopolitical risks and regulatory concerns drove the market downturn, signaling potential obstacles for pending market structure bills.
Read the original at CoinDeskArbitrum-based AFX Trade loses $24M to compromised bridge keys
AFX Trade, an Arbitrum-based protocol, was drained of $24.15 million USDC after an attacker obtained sufficient hot-validator signatures to authorize a withdrawal through the platform's bridge. Arbitrum confirmed its native bridge was not compromised in the incident, suggesting the vulnerability was specific to AFX Trade's implementation.
Read the original at CoinDeskCross-Chain Protocols Lose $35M in Coordinated Security Attacks
Multiple cross-chain protocols including Verus and B² Network suffered coordinated attacks hours apart, resulting in $35 million in losses. The breaches exploited compromised keys, flawed upgrade mechanisms, and inadequate validation checks rather than cryptographic weaknesses, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities in cross-chain infrastructure design.
Read the original at CoinDeskXRP Whales Accumulate 2.8% as Small Holders Exit
Large XRP holders accumulated 2.8% more tokens over five weeks while smaller investors capitulated, according on-chain analysis. The buying by whales coincided with XRP price recovering above $1.16, suggesting institutional confidence amid retail selling pressure.
Read the original at CoinDeskChainlink Whale Activity Rises Amid $100 Price Predictions
Chainlink (LINK) token whale activity has increased as analysts circulate bullish price targets reaching $100, though the token currently trades below $10. The uptick in large holder movements coincides with growing optimism about LINK's future trajectory among market observers.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoFederal Judge Allows Coinbase Investor Class Action to Proceed
A federal judge has ruled that a class action lawsuit against Coinbase can move forward, rejecting the exchange's motion to dismiss. The decision permits investors to pursue claims against the cryptocurrency platform, though the specific allegations were not detailed in the available excerpt.
Read the original at NewsBTCBlackRock: Crypto Can Outpace Quantum Computing Threat
BlackRock has stated that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency networks possess advantages in addressing quantum computing threats if they implement defenses quickly. The firm suggests crypto protocols can adapt faster than traditional systems, positioning the industry ahead of potential quantum risks to cryptographic security.
Read the original at Bitcoin MagazineJapheth Dillman Convicted of Wire Fraud in $1M Crypto Fund Scheme
Japheth Dillman was convicted of wire fraud related to a cryptocurrency fund scheme that defrauded investors of nearly $1 million. The conviction underscores risks associated with unregulated crypto investments and the importance of investor due diligence and regulatory oversight in the digital-asset space.
Read the original at Crypto Briefing