Crypto Briefs

An analyst forecast Bitcoin could reach $380,000–$450,000 by March 2028, though critics disputed the prediction, noting that Bitcoin's historical price peaks have typically occurred after rather than before halving events. The forecast reflects differing views on Bitcoin's post-halving cycle dynamics.

Bitcoin's four-week winning streak has paused as the asset faced rejection near the $67,000 level last week, with softening demand raising questions about whether another decline may follow. The technical resistance point marks a potential inflection point for the cryptocurrency's near-term price direction.

Grayscale CEO Peter Mintzberg filed a Form 144 on July 28 to sell 2,611 shares of the Grayscale XRP Trust ETF, representing the entire block he acquired privately in October 2024 before the trust's public listing. The sale is valued at approximately $53,000.

Fortitude, a Zcash miner, purchased a 9.4% stake in HeartSciences through private placement at a 22% premium as part of a merger agreement. HeartSciences has warned that failure to complete the deal could result in liquidation, though the shareholder vote date has not yet been scheduled.

BNB Chain recorded $19 billion in weekly decentralized exchange volume, outpacing all other blockchain networks. The metric underscores BNB Chain's competitive positioning in the DEX ecosystem and may influence investor sentiment around the network.

BitGo introduced four new institutional Bitcoin wallet controls designed to address quantum computing risks, including quantum-exposure scoring, UTXO consolidation, fund movement, and address default changes. The features aim to help institutional custodians prepare for potential quantum threats to cryptocurrency security.

Bitcoin traded above $75,000 as its upward momentum persisted. Analyst James Check characterized the market environment as challenging for bearish positions, signaling sustained bullish sentiment in the near term.

An options trader executed a $2 million straddle on XRP, positioning for significant price swings by August 28, 2024. The trade occurred as XRP prices surged, with the straddle structure—simultaneously buying calls and puts at the same strike—profiting from outsized moves in either direction.

Price swings surrounding the Federal Reserve's rate decision triggered liquidations of approximately $286 million in leveraged bets across roughly 90,000 traders, according to CoinDesk reporting. Losses were distributed relatively evenly between bullish and bearish positions, reflecting the sharp bidirectional volatility around the macro event.

South Korean exchange Upbit listed Bitcoin and USDT trading pairs for four tokens: BICO, BMT, NIL, and GWEI. The move expands liquidity options and price discovery for these assets on the platform, potentially increasing international accessibility.

Bitcoin dropped 0.5% to below $64,000 following the Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting, where no rate hike was announced but SEC Chair Paul Atkins signaled future increases. Tether expanded operations into Africa, while the U.S. targeted Iran's cryptocurrency activities. Crypto markets held up better than U.S. equities during the session.

XRP posted its strongest weekly performance since the 2024 election amid a sharp Bitcoin liquidation wave, according to Decrypt. The outlet notes the rally coincided with record Bitcoin liquidations but suggests ETF flows and futures positioning indicate the move may lack sustained fundamental support.

Ethereum's upcoming upgrade, referred to as Glamsterdam, modifies block timing parameters, extending the block bottleneck from 2 seconds to approximately 9 seconds. The public network is being used as a testing ground for the upgrade's client, builder, and gas changes before deployment to established testnets and mainnet.

NAVI Prime has introduced curated institutional lending markets on the Sui blockchain, expanding lending services to institutional users. The platform targets institutional borrowers and lenders with structured market conditions, adding a new product tier to Sui's DeFi ecosystem.

Mark Connors, a bond market veteran, argues that routine U.S. Treasury buybacks could improve liquidity conditions and catalyze Bitcoin's next leg higher toward $180,000. Connors links government debt management operations to cryptocurrency market dynamics, suggesting fiscal mechanics may support the next rally phase.

The CFTC's Innovation Advisory Committee held its inaugural meeting to examine risks associated with prediction markets. The committee's focus signals a regulatory shift toward stricter oversight that could affect market stability and innovation across financial sectors.

Texas has approved the Electric Reliability Council of Texas's request to postpone grid review deadlines for data centers and cryptocurrency miners. The delay aims to streamline grid planning and reduce speculative projects while aligning infrastructure investments with viable developments.

Bitcoin's strongest five-month rally has shifted near-term prediction-market odds from bearish to roughly even, according to Decrypt. However, longer-dated betting contracts still price in a significant price decline, suggesting traders remain skeptical of sustained gains despite the recent momentum.

Antalpha, a Tether-backed lending platform, saw loan total value locked decline by $696 million to $1.353 billion, according to CryptoSlate. The decline was driven partly by a $22 million loss from gold positions held through Aurelion, with guidance suggesting further deterioration in Q2 results.

Datavault announced plans to acquire BankWyse and fund the deal with $35 million, despite reporting only $1.4 million in cash on hand. The acquisition remains contingent on securing additional financing while the company's unresolved going-concern warning raises questions about execution viability.

Coldcard released firmware versions 5.6.1 and 1.5.1Q following a three-week security review, warning that users with affected seed phrases must create new wallets and migrate their Bitcoin. The update adds mandatory user entropy as part of the security fix, though the article excerpt does not specify the underlying vulnerability or scope of affected devices.

Bitcoin has climbed toward $73,000 following an 11% rally driven by a record short squeeze and declining U.S. Treasury yields. Analysts caution that sustained ETF and spot market demand will determine whether the price breakout can be maintained at these elevated levels.

U.S. authorities have charged members of an Iranian hacking crew in connection with a sprawling theft operation that included a $6 million Bitcoin ransom payment. The Department of Justice is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the defendants' capture or conviction.

Bitcoin Magazine examines how licensing restrictions affect software security in the Bitcoin ecosystem, using Coldcard hardware wallet as a case study. The analysis contrasts full open-source licenses under Free Software Foundation standards with source-available models that restrict commercial use, arguing that limited reviewer pools compromise security incentives for Bitcoin infrastructure.

Bitcoin rallied above $72,000, triggering liquidations of bearish derivative positions worth billions. Analysts quoted in the piece say sustained buying pressure will be required to maintain upward momentum, though the report offers no specific price targets or timeline.

CME Group Chairman Terry Duffy and Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara sparred during a CFTC meeting over prediction market regulation, manipulation safeguards, and compliance standards. The dispute highlights regulatory disagreement between established derivatives exchanges and newer crypto-native prediction market platforms seeking expanded market access.

Bitcoin miner BUZZ announced a $350 million AI infrastructure deal but requires $185 million in additional funding to execute it. Only $35 million of the company's stated $180 million annual recurring revenue is currently active, with the remainder contingent on Q4 deployments.

Solana's 50,000 SOL security contest did not cover a clock attack vulnerability that was disclosed months earlier, according to CryptoSlate. The bounty program excluded legacy Proof of History and TowerBFT code paths from scope, and no public paper-specific implementation review has been released.

Aerodrome's Public Goods Fund (PGF) executed a buyback of 325,000 AERO tokens valued at approximately $140,000 this week. The strategic buyback and governance token lock mechanisms are intended to support market confidence and influence liquidity dynamics on the protocol.

Macro analyst Lyn Alden suggested Bitcoin could draw fresh buyers as speculative capital exits the market, though she cautioned the asset may not yet be stabilized. Alden's commentary reflects ongoing market sentiment about shifting investor composition and potential demand drivers for Bitcoin.