Crypto Briefs

Edelman Financial and Tudor Investment have revealed significant Bitcoin holdings, signaling institutional adoption by two major investment firms. The disclosure adds to growing evidence of large asset managers building crypto positions, though specific holding sizes and acquisition timing were not detailed in the source.

Bitwise's Chainlink-focused ETF received $1.5 million in weekly inflows despite posting negative returns since its launch. The continued investor interest suggests sustained demand for regulated cryptocurrency exposure products, even as the fund's performance has lagged.

Fermi has received a subpoena from US District Court seeking documents related to Project Matador. The legal action raises questions about governance and investor confidence in the project, though specific details of the court's investigation remain undisclosed.

South Korean exchange Upbit will list Block Street (BSB) token on August 7 in KRW, BTC, and USDT markets. Ethereum deposits are enabled while trading will face temporary restrictions during the initial phase.

The estate of Ondo founder Nathan Allman is pursuing company control through Delaware legal proceedings and contesting CEO Ian De Bode's authority to lead the firm. The challenge represents a significant governance dispute at the blockchain infrastructure company, though details on the estate's specific claims remain limited.

Wintermute USA has registered with the SEC and FINRA as a broker, enabling the firm to trade U.S. equities and ETFs while positioning itself for future tokenized securities markets. The registration represents a significant expansion for the crypto trading firm into traditional securities infrastructure.

A vote on the bipartisan Crypto Clarity Act, which aims to clarify regulatory treatment of digital assets, has been postponed until September after lawmakers enter August recess, according to Majority Leader John Thune. The delay affects one of the most closely watched pieces of crypto legislation in Congress.

Bitcoin price moved higher despite negative headlines including a Coldcard hardware wallet security breach and delays to the Clarity Act legislation. The rally was attributed to sustained investor demand through spot bitcoin ETFs, suggesting institutional interest remained resilient amid near-term concerns.

July payrolls missed expectations, reducing the odds of a September Federal Reserve rate hike and lifting risk-asset sentiment. Bitcoin remains trapped in a death cross technical pattern, however, keeping the cryptocurrency in bear territory despite the macro tailwind.

Microsoft disclosed that hackers are using the BNB Chain blockchain to host and retrieve malicious instructions, which compromised websites then serve to visitors disguised as CAPTCHA prompts. The malware is designed to execute on Windows devices. The technique leverages blockchain's immutability to maintain persistent command-and-control infrastructure.

CryptoSlate reports on a new August 13 dashboard and research highlighting that prediction market prices require contextual interpretation and do not directly translate to probability odds. The piece notes prediction markets are increasingly being used as financial data sources alongside APIs and professional tools, but cautions that raw prices like 63% do not necessarily indicate 63% actual odds.

Aero has published its first batch of core contracts as the protocol approaches the end of its security audit process. The move is intended to enhance transparency and demonstrate commitment to security standards in DeFi development.

France's tax authority has confirmed a data breach affecting hundreds of thousands of people, according to Bitcoin Magazine. The incident is noteworthy to crypto holders given France's existing vulnerability to wrench attacks, where investors are targeted and coerced to surrender cryptocurrency.

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser stated the bank supports passage of the crypto Clarity Act, though she indicated some improvements are needed to the bill. Fraser positioned Citigroup as a leader in digital assets and emphasized the bank's interest in safe adoption of cryptocurrency technology.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted preliminary conditional approval for a bank charter to World Liberty Trust Co., a Trump-backed entity, on Friday. The conditional approval is a significant step toward establishing banking operations, though final approval remains subject to unspecified conditions.

Norges Bank Investment Management reported 11,549 BTC of indirect Bitcoin exposure as of June 30, 2026, up 60% year-over-year, achieved through public-equity holdings rather than direct purchases. The fund also disclosed a new stake in the world's largest Ethereum treasury company, marking a sixth consecutive record for its crypto-linked portfolio.

XAO DAO, operating on the XRP Ledger, is planning major governance upgrades aimed at increasing community participation, according to CryptoPotato. The organization has not yet disclosed final mechanics or implementation timelines for the proposed changes.

BNB Chain announced a hard fork scheduled for Aug. 25 named Pasteur, targeting three upgrades: enhanced cross-chain transfer security, stricter validator controls, and increased transaction throughput from 1,237 to 2,324 transactions per second. The upgrade aims to strengthen the network's infrastructure and security posture.

Bitcoin spot ETFs reversed recent gains on Aug. 13, with inflows losing 38% of their prior four-session accumulation as BTC dropped below $63,000. Only Micro Bitcoin (MSBT) and Grayscale's Bitcoin Mini Trust attracted fresh capital during the session, signaling reduced demand across the broader ETF ecosystem.

An unnamed public company has abandoned its Bitcoin treasury strategy following a $22 million loss attributed to volatility, according to CryptoSlate. The company cleared its Coinbase debt and held approximately 760 BTC as of July 23, marking another retreat from corporate Bitcoin adoption trends.

XRP traded in a narrow range Thursday as on-chain metrics showed millionaire wallet counts increasing despite a 29% market cap decline, suggesting large holders may be accumulating during the downturn. The observation points to potential whale activity during market weakness.

Binance CEO CZ suggested software wallets avoid risks highlighted by a Trezor customer data leak that exposed home addresses. Security expert Nick Neuman warned the leaked addresses could facilitate wrench attacks—physical theft targeting crypto holders. The comment follows Trezor's confirmation of a data breach affecting customer information.

Stellar has added MoneyGram, Figure Technologies, and Range as Tier 1 validators to its network. The expansion includes major regulated finance firms and is intended to enhance network resilience and signal Stellar's growing adoption in institutional financial infrastructure.

A Washington judge restricted seven contract categories at prediction market Kalshi and imposed two geofencing deadlines, while the CFTC ordered the platform to continue operating under federal rules on August 11. The ruling reflects ongoing regulatory tension between state restrictions and federal oversight of crypto derivatives trading.

Prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are facing legal scrutiny beyond Baltimore for offering sports betting products without proper licenses, according to CryptoPotato. The platforms allegedly allow bets on game winners, spreads, totals, and player statistics in jurisdictions where they lack required regulatory authorization.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange has proposed the first-ever 3x leveraged Bitcoin ETF for US markets. The product could amplify market volatility and attract speculative trading, according to the source.

Mizuho reduced its price target for BitGo to $11, citing delays in regulatory clarity and volatile crypto markets as headwinds to the company's growth prospects. The analyst firm cited concerns that extended regulatory uncertainty could impact both BitGo's business trajectory and broader market confidence.

Compute Exchange has introduced contracts allowing users to lock in AI token prices for six months. The contracts are designed to stabilize operational costs for AI services and reduce financial volatility exposure, potentially lowering barriers to broader AI adoption by mitigating price risk.

NEAR Protocol's AI compute platform has crossed 500,000 NEAR tokens staked by users seeking private AI processing services. The staking model allows token holders to earn rewards while providing compute resources, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional payment methods for AI services.

Tokenization-linked stocks fell up to 11.2% after reports indicated the SEC would delay its planned innovation exemption for blockchain-based securities due to legal and market concerns. The exemption was reportedly under preparation before the postponement.