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.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Bitcoin Holds Near $64K as HYPE Leads Gainers, ETFs See Outflows
Bitcoin traded near $63,800 following July CPI data that matched forecasts, while the HYPE token led large-cap gainers. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $61.1 million in outflows during the period, suggesting mixed investor sentiment despite price stability.
Read the original at Crypto.newsBitwise CIO: Token Buybacks Could Double Crypto Valuations
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan suggests that revenue-linked token buybacks implemented by DeFi protocols could significantly increase crypto valuations. Hougan attributes potential valuation doubling to fee-funded token burns becoming more widespread across the sector, drawing parallels to traditional corporate buyback mechanisms.
Read the original at Crypto.newsErebor Bank Reaches $9.5B Valuation Six Months After Launch
Erebor, a nationally chartered bank founded by Palmer Luckey and Joe Lonsdale, has achieved a $9.5 billion valuation within six months of opening in February, according to Crypto.news. The bank holds $4.6 billion in deposits and generates $100 million in annualized revenue, metrics the publication notes exceed most publicly traded banks, positioning it as a potential successor to Silvergate in the crypto banking sector.
Read the original at Crypto.newsCoreum Bridge Drained of ~200,000 XRP in Exploit
The XRPL-Coreum Bridge was reportedly exploited and drained of approximately 200,000 XRP, leaving only 493.5 XRP in the bridge's XRP balance. Preliminary analysis indicates a potential relayer-validation vulnerability was responsible for the incident.
Read the original at CCNLummis Dismisses Stablecoin Deposit Flight Concerns as CLARITY Act Advances
Senator Cynthia Lummis disputed arguments that stablecoins are driving deposits away from community banks, citing Bank of America data showing household deposit balances have risen. The comments come as legislative debate intensifies around the CLARITY Act, a stablecoin regulatory framework championed by Lummis.
Read the original at CCNXRP Falls Below $1 Amid Record XRP Ledger Activity Spike
XRP dropped below the $1 psychological threshold on August 11 despite XRP Ledger recording 1.39 million transactions. The source notes that headline transaction counts may overstate actual network utility, suggesting a disconnect between on-chain activity metrics and price movements.
Read the original at CCNPokémon Cards Outperform Bitcoin, S&P 500 in 2026
Pokémon trading cards gained approximately 28% year-to-date in 2026, outperforming the S&P 500's 13% return and significantly exceeding Bitcoin's 29% decline, according to CCN. The report attributes the collectibles' strength to increased onchain adoption of the trading-card market.
Read the original at CCNStablecoins Process $4.8T in 30 Days, Only $1.1T Net After Adjustments
Stablecoins processed $4.8 trillion across 1.6 billion transactions in the past 30 days according to Visa's onchain analytics dashboard, though only $1.1 trillion remained after filtering for bot activity and other adjustments. The data suggests substantial non-organic trading volume inflates raw stablecoin transaction figures.
Read the original at CCNMetaplanet Denies $320M Bitcoin Sale Amid Holdings Verification
Metaplanet CEO dismissed rumors that the company sold bitcoin worth approximately $320 million, reaffirming the firm's 43,000 BTC holdings. The denial comes as speculation circulated regarding potential liquidation of the Japanese investment firm's substantial cryptocurrency reserves.
Read the original at CoinDeskBitcoin Firms Seek AI Lab Access Equal to Attackers' Capabilities
Coinbase, Block, BitGo and dozens of other cryptocurrency companies have jointly requested that AI labs provide them with the same security testing tools available to potential adversaries, arguing that current safety restrictions on frontier AI models impede legitimate security research. The signatories contend that guardrails limiting their access create asymmetric risk, as malicious actors operate without such constraints.
Read the original at CoinDeskBank of Korea Purchases $250M in Gold ETFs After 13-Year Gap
The Bank of Korea bought $250 million in gold exchange-traded funds, marking its first such purchase in 13 years. The move reflects a broader trend of central banks diversifying their reserve holdings, with potential implications for global gold markets.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingRipple Joins UK Tokenisation Taskforce; Treasury Stops Short of Endorsement
Ripple has been included in a 54-firm UK tokenisation taskforce, though Treasury documents do not constitute an endorsement of XRP or link UK Treasury figure Andy Burnham to the initiative. The participation marks Ripple's involvement in UK blockchain policy discussions but falls short of official government backing for the company or its token.
Read the original at 99BitcoinsSEC's 400-page crypto proposal to face vote August 14
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will vote August 14 on its first formal cryptocurrency rulemaking proposal. The 400-page document establishes three exemption pathways for crypto tokens, includes a decentralization off-ramp provision, and creates a regulatory framework designed to potentially obviate the need for congressional legislation on digital assets.
Read the original at Crypto.newsSolana network remains operational after validator disruption
Solana experienced a routing failure that temporarily took 102 of 699 validators offline, but the network remained operational with 597 validators continuing to vote. Full recovery occurred within 40 minutes, according to Crypto.news.
Read the original at Crypto.newsOpenAI's Head of Ethics Departs After Less Than One Year
OpenAI's head of ethics has left the organization within one year of joining, marking another departure from the company's ethics team. The exit reflects ongoing tensions between rapid AI commercialization and maintaining ethical standards, according to Crypto Briefing.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingASX Shareholder Pursues Court Action Over Failed CHESS Project
Rosherville, an ASX shareholder, plans to file in Federal Court against former ASX directors regarding the failed CHESS replacement project, which led to the exchange receiving a A$20.5 million penalty. The shareholder action follows regulatory sanctions related to the troubled technology initiative.
Read the original at Crypto.newsAnthropic Embeds Invisible Watermarks in Claude AI Models
Anthropic has implemented invisible watermarking technology across its Claude AI models globally. The watermarking approach is positioned as advancing transparency in AI systems and may influence regulatory standards and industry practices for AI model identification and authenticity.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingMetaplanet CEO clarifies 5,014 BTC transfer was not a sale
Metaplanet moved 5,014 BTC worth approximately $322 million between custodial addresses and clarified the transfer was not a sale, with total holdings remaining at 43,000 BTC. The CEO's statement ended market speculation triggered by the large on-chain transaction.
Read the original at Crypto.newsBitcoin BIP-110 fork trails main chain by 300 blocks post-split
A Bitcoin fork implementing BIP-110 split from the main chain on Saturday and has since produced only two blocks compared to over 300 on the canonical Bitcoin network. At the current rate, the fork would require approximately six years to self-correct its divergence from the main chain.
Read the original at CoinDeskBitcoin Below $65K as Oil Rally Stokes Inflation Concerns
Bitcoin failed to maintain levels above $65,000 for the fourth consecutive day as rising oil prices rekindled inflation concerns ahead of Wednesday's U.S. price data release. XRP and ether also recorded losses, with traders positioning for a potential decline toward $70,000 bitcoin.
Read the original at CoinDeskSEC schedules vote on proposed Reg Crypto digital assets framework
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will hold a meeting this week to vote on initiating its first major rulemaking process for cryptocurrency, according to CoinDesk. The proposed Reg Crypto framework would establish rules to support certain digital assets offerings.
Read the original at CoinDeskDogecoin Futures Positioning Signals Rebound Bets Despite 70% Price Decline
Dogecoin has fallen 70% from October 2025 levels, yet futures positioning has rebuilt to amounts last seen when the token traded at three times its current price. Bullish bets outnumber bearish positions by more than 3-to-1, according to CoinDesk analysis, suggesting traders are positioning for a potential recovery despite sustained price weakness.
Read the original at CoinDeskBank of Korea Adds Gold to Reserves for First Time in 13 Years
South Korea's central bank has purchased gold assets, marking its first such investment since 2011. The move signals a strategic shift toward reserve diversification and could influence global gold market dynamics.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingDeepSeek Forms AI Agents Team to Challenge Anthropic's Claude Code
DeepSeek has assembled a team to develop AI agents intended to compete with Anthropic's Claude Code offering, according to Crypto Briefing. The move represents DeepSeek's strategic expansion into the AI agents market, potentially intensifying competition among AI development platforms and reshaping industry dynamics.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingArizona Crypto ATM Law Returns $171K to 35 Scam Victims
Arizona's crypto ATM refund law has enabled 35 scam victims to recover $171,332 through its 30-day refund provision, according to Crypto.news. The regulation offers a consumer protection alternative to outright kiosk bans used in other U.S. jurisdictions.
Read the original at Crypto.newsMicroStrategy Shifts to Net Seller After Years as Bitcoin Accumulator
MicroStrategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, has sold Bitcoin for four consecutive weeks, realizing a $102 million loss and recording an $8.2 billion quarterly write-down. The company's strategic pivot away from accumulation signals a potential shift in corporate Bitcoin treasury strategies that Saylor had championed.
Read the original at Crypto.newsGSR Shifts Core3 Model: Solana to 43.6%, Bitcoin Down to 16.9%
Trading firm GSR increased Solana's allocation to 43.6% in its Core3 model portfolio, making it the largest holding ahead of Ether at 39.5%, while reducing Bitcoin to 16.9%. The reallocation reflects changes in the firm's relative alpha signals across the three major cryptocurrencies.
Read the original at Crypto.newsBitcoin 'Strongest Hands' Wallets Hit Six-Month High of 90
The number of elite Bitcoin wallets holding over 10,000 BTC has reached a six-month high of 90 addresses, according to on-chain data cited by CoinDesk. The accumulation follows earlier buying by mid-sized whales and coincides with Coldcard hardware wallet concerns and delays in the Clarity Act, suggesting institutional confidence amid market uncertainty.
Read the original at CoinDeskPrediction Market Platform Fireplace Shuts Down After 195 Days
Fireplace, a crypto prediction markets platform that raised $1.5 million in February, is ceasing operations less than seven months after launch. The platform is providing users until September 30 to close positions and withdraw funds, according to CryptoPotato reporting.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoSolana Shows Three Technical Bullish Signals, $100 Target Eyed
Solana (SOL) is displaying three technical indicators—a parallel channel, TD Sequential buy signal, and MACD golden cross—that suggest a potentially bullish setup near the $78 price level, according to CryptoPotato's technical analysis. The confluence of these signals has prompted analysts to revive the $100 price target for the token.
Read the original at CryptoPotato