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
Binance Launches Five Stock Perpetuals With 20x Leverage
Binance introduced five new USDT-settled perpetual contracts tied to traditional finance assets including DJT stock, Moderna shares, and leveraged semiconductor ETFs, offering up to 20x leverage. The expansion extends Binance's tokenized stock offerings into higher-leverage derivatives territory.
Read the original at Crypto.newsFranklin Templeton Expands Tokenized Gov Fund via HashKey in Asia
Franklin Templeton has partnered with Hong Kong-licensed HashKey Exchange to distribute its tokenized U.S. government money market fund across Asia. The expansion, announced August 24, broadens access to the fund through HashKey's regulated trading platform, marking Franklin Templeton's continued push into tokenized asset markets in the region.
Read the original at Crypto.newsJapan's Last Registered High-Speed Trading Firm Relocates to Singapore
Japan's only registered high-speed trading firm has relocated from Tokyo to Singapore, according to Crypto Briefing. The move may reduce market efficiency in Japan and potentially impact the growth of the nation's digital securities sector.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingLas Vegas Businessman Convicted in $24M Crypto Ponzi Scheme
A federal jury convicted Las Vegas businessman Brent Kovar of fraud and money laundering for operating Profit Connect, a cryptocurrency scheme that collected $24 million from at least 400 investors through false claims about mining and returns. Kovar faces up to 280 years in prison. The conviction underscores ongoing enforcement against crypto-based investment fraud.
Read the original at Crypto.newsGemini Enables XRP Transfers via XRPL in Singapore
Gemini has activated XRP deposit and withdrawal functionality through the XRP Ledger (XRPL) for users in Singapore. The move expands the exchange's support for Ripple-related assets in the region and provides Singapore-based traders direct on-chain settlement options.
Read the original at Crypto.newsIndia to Launch Tokenized Corporate Bonds Using Digital Rupee
India plans to issue its first tokenized corporate bonds next month via REC, valued under 5 billion rupees ($57 million), with digital rupee settlement on blockchain infrastructure. The move marks a pilot deployment of India's central bank digital currency in corporate debt markets.
Read the original at Crypto.newsOFAC Expands Iran Crypto Sanctions Over $100M Oil Payments
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has expanded sanctions targeting Iran's cryptocurrency sector, alleging that over $100 million in crypto transfers supported oil sales by entities linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since 2023. The action reflects intensified enforcement against cryptocurrency use in circumventing existing sanctions regimes.
Read the original at Crypto.newsPi 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 CoinDesk