Cointelegraph

Gen-Z-Händler auf Binance legen einen wachsenden Anteil ihrer Aktienaktivität in börsengehandelte Fonds (ETFs) an. Laut Binance Research entfallen die Produkte im frühen August auf 25% des Handelsvolumens der Kohorte.
ETFs machten im Juli 21,9% der Nettozuflüsse von Gen Z in Aktien aus, nach 18,5% im Juni. Der Anteil, der an einzelne Aktien ging, sank hingegen auf 74,2% von 77%.
Die Analyse untersuchte die Aktivität in direkten Aktien, tokenisierten Aktien und traditionellen Finanz-Perpetuals und verglich dabei die Gen-Z-Konten mit Millennials, Gen X und Baby Boomers anhand von Kennzahlen wie Handelsfrequenz, Nettozuflüssen und der Nutzung von Leverage.

Die Regierung von Irland veröffentlichte eine umfassende Strategie zur Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche und legte dar, wie das Land digitale Vermögenswerte angehen will, die möglicherweise für illegale Zwecke genutzt werden.
In einer Mitteilung vom Donnerstag gab die irische Regierung ihre erste nationale Strategie zur Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche, zur Bekämpfung der Finanzierung des Terrorismus und zur Bekämpfung der Finanzierung der Proliferation bekannt. Das Dokument enthielt vorgeschlagene Reformen zu kryptowährungsbezogenen Richtlinien, die darauf abzielen, die Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche (AML) und zur Bekämpfung der Finanzierung des Terrorismus (CFT) zu stärken.

Der Konzern von Kraken, Payward, meldete für das zweite Quartal einen bereinigten Umsatz von 508 Millionen US-Dollar, ein Plus von 17% im Jahresvergleich, trotz eines Rückgangs des Krypto-Spothandels und des gesamten Transaktionsvolumens.
Laut dem Ergebnisbericht von Freitag sank das gesamte Transaktionsvolumen um 13% im Jahresvergleich auf 310 Milliarden US-Dollar, während sich die finanzierten Konten um 42% auf 6,6 Millionen erhöhten.
Payward blieb bei einem positiven bereinigten EBITDA von 23 Millionen US-Dollar. Umsatzerlöse aus transaktionsbasierten und sonstigen Quellen machten 60% des Gesamtumsatzes aus, nach 55% im Vorjahr; denn das Unternehmen erwirtschaftete einen wachsenden Anteil seines Umsatzes außerhalb der transaktionsbasierten Aktivität.

Der Reform-UK-Führer Nigel Farage wird einer Untersuchung unterzogen, die nach seinem Rücktritt aus dem Parlament nach seinem Sieg bei einer Nachwahl am Donnerstag vorübergehend ausgesetzt worden war, bei der keine Kandidaten einer großen Partei teilnahmen.
Laut der Website des britischen Parlamentsbeauftragten für Standards stand Farage ab Freitag derzeit unter Untersuchung wegen „Versäumnis, ein Interesse zu registrieren“ in Zusammenhang damit, dass der Reform-UK-Führer im Zusammenhang mit zwei Personen, die mit der Kryptoindustrie verbunden sind, Spenden und Geschenke im Wert von mehreren Millionen US-Dollar erhalten hat. Die Untersuchung wurde im Juli gestoppt, nachdem Farage als Mitglied des Parlaments zurückgetreten war, aber nach seiner Wiederwahl als Abgeordneter von Clacton wieder aufgenommen.

Die Bank Leumi in Israel hat eine Partnerschaft mit Galaxy Digital geschlossen, um es Kunden zu ermöglichen, Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) und Solana (SOL) über die Investment-Plattform der Bank zu handeln; der Dienst soll voraussichtlich Anfang 2027 starten.
Die Unternehmen erklärten am Freitag, dass die Kunden der Leumi Bank und Pepper, ihrem Mobile-Banking-Arm, die drei Kryptowährungen über einen eigenen Bereich der Leumi-Trade-App kaufen, halten und verkaufen können. Leumi und Galaxy sagten, die Einführung mache Leumi zur ersten israelischen Bank, die ihren Kunden Dienstleistungen für den digitalen Vermögenshandel anbietet.

Ein Hardware-Wallet-Exploit im Wert von 116 Millionen US-Dollar hat eine der ältesten Debatten rund um Bitcoin neu entfacht: Lohnt es sich, die eigenen Schlüssel zu verwahren – trotz des Risikos? Tage später verzeichneten US-Spot-Bitcoin-ETFs die stärksten Zuflüsse seit April, woraufhin Bloomberg-Analyst Eric Balchunas darüber nachdachte, ob Sicherheitsangst Anleger künftig stärker von der Selbstverwahrung weg und hin zu ETFs treiben könnte.
Inzwischen bereitet Strategy Berichten zufolge vor, die Bitcoin-Käufe nach einer seltenen Verkaufswelle wieder aufzunehmen. Riot Platforms soll seine Mining-Infrastruktur in ein 9-Milliarden-US-Dollar-KI-Geschäft umwandeln, und Trump Media überdenkt seine Kryptoschatzstrategie nach einem Quartalsverlust von 238 Millionen US-Dollar.

Bitcoin (BTC) ist in den Handel am Freitag zur Eröffnung der Wall Street gefallen, da Händler zunehmend eine Kursbereinigung bei Bitcoin-Preisen erwarten.
Wichtige Punkte:
Bitcoin bleibt unter 63.000 US-Dollar und nähert sich stetig neuen August-Tiefs, während US-Aktien weiter auf Rekordhoch-Niveau aufbauen.
Laut einer Analyse muss 63.220 US-Dollar bis zum wöchentlichen Schluss zurückerobert werden, um einen tieferen Abschwung zu vermeiden.
Die Märkte blicken auf die PCE-Inflationsdaten als nächsten entscheidenden Test für risikoreiche Anlagen.
Bitcoin fällt zusammen mit Aktien auf neue Höchststände
Daten von TradingView zeigten, dass BTC/USD am Tag um 1,3 % gefallen ist, auf 62.570 US-Dollar, nahe den niedrigsten Niveaus seit Monatsbeginn.

Der US-Investmentbanking-Riese Morgan Stanley meldete im zweiten Quartal größere Positionen in Krypto-Fonds, angeführt von einem Anstieg von mehr als 3 Millionen Aktien in BlackRocks Bitcoin-Exchange-Traded-Fund (ETF).
Die gemeldeten Bestände von Morgan Stanley an BlackRocks iShares Bitcoin Trust-ETF (IBIT) stiegen um 23 % auf rund 16,5 Millionen Aktien von 13,4 Millionen, laut der am Donnerstag eingereichten Q2-13F-Meldung bei der US-Börsenaufsicht SEC.
Morgan Stanley meldete außerdem 2,57 Millionen Aktien seines eigenen Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), im Wert von etwa 43,3 Millionen US-Dollar. Das Produkt nahm den Handel im April auf.

Die gemeldete Position von JPMorgan im Bitcoin-Exchange-Traded-Fund (ETF) von BlackRock stieg im zweiten Quartal um etwa 25 %, während sich seine Ether-ETF-Position mehr als vervierfachte, wie aus seiner jüngsten Wertpapiermeldung hervorgeht.
Die Formular-13F-Einreichung bei der US-Börsenaufsichtsbehörde (SEC), eingereicht am Mittwoch, umfasst Bestände per 30. Juni und beinhaltet 17 weitere Investmentmanager bei JPMorgan.
Das erschwert es, festzustellen, ob einzelne Positionen eine bestimmte Marktrichtung widerspiegeln. Jonatan Randin, Senior-Marktanalyseexperte bei PrimeXBT, sagte gegenüber Cointelegraph.

Binance will stop processing transactions involving crypto exchange HTX and 10 other listed crypto platforms and service providers from Aug. 23.
The cryptocurrency exchange cited recent regulatory developments for the decision in a Friday announcement. From Aug. 23, Binance will stop processing transactions involving HTX, Rapira, Aifory Pro, ABCeX, WhiteBird, NoOnecrypto INC., Tradex, Monease Ltd, BitPapa, Exnode and EXMO.
Transactions attempted on or after the effective dates may be held and subject to compliance review. Binance said restrictions may also be applied to impacted wallets while the review is ongoing.
HTX, formerly Huobi, was added to the European Union’s sanctions package targeting Russia in late July. The UK government also designated Huobi Global S.A. in May, citing “reasonable grounds to suspect” that it supported Russia’s government by providing financial services or making available funds and economic resources to A7 LLC and Garantex Europe OU.
HTX denied the UK sanctions allegations, arguing the designation applies only to Huobi Global S.A. as a separate legal entity and saying its online exchange and user funds remain unaffected. The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation later said it considers the HTX exchange itself subject to the sanctions because it is owned by Huobi Global.
The US Treasury sanctioned Shelbit and Aban Tether on Aug. 7.
Magazine: How the EU’s crypto tax rules are expected to work for users and platforms

Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini reported a 37% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue to $45.5 million, while posting a $107.7 million net loss as exchange trading weakened.
Exchange revenue fell 38% to $12.5 million as trading volume dropped to $3.8 billion from $11.3 billion, the company said Thursday.
Services revenue climbed 149% to $23.5 million, led by a 231% increase in credit card revenue to $16.2 million and a 50% rise in staking revenue to $4 million. Including interest income, services revenue and interest income totaled $26 million.
Meanwhile, transaction losses rose to $20.1 million from $3.6 million a year earlier, primarily due to a $16.1 million provision for credit losses tied to an identity fraud event involving the credit card portfolio. Gemini said the elevated provision was concentrated among affected accounts and did not reflect broader deterioration in the portfolio.
Operating expenses rose 24% year-over-year to $122.4 million, though they fell 15% from the first quarter as the company continued cost-cutting measures announced earlier this year.
Gemini’s stock price rose 3% during regular trading on Thursday, but fell nearly 5% in pre-market trading on Friday following the earnings release, according to Yahoo Finance data.
Magazine: Bitcoin adoption metrics say one thing, price action says another

South Korea’s Shinhan Asset Management signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with tokenization-focused blockchain network Plume to develop a proof of concept for a Korean won-denominated tokenized fund.
The pilot project will use a Shinhan won-denominated ultra-short-term bond fund as its underlying asset and BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized fund as a benchmark to test the issuance and distribution process, Shinhan said on Friday.
The companies will also test compliance requirements for tokenized investment products, including whitelist-based transfer restrictions, onchain operations, Know-Your-Customer checks and Anti-Money Laundering controls.
Shinhan said the pilot is intended to test the overseas use of won-denominated financial products in onchain markets that have largely developed around dollar-denominated assets.
In April, fellow Shinhan Financial Group affiliate Shinhan Card signed an MOU with the Solana Foundation to test stablecoin payment technology and explore the use of non-custodial wallets. Another group affiliate, Shinhan Bank, completed a stablecoin remittance pilot in July 2023.
Magazine: South Korea lifts 9-year corporate crypto ban: What the policy change means

Bitcoin-(BTC)-Long-Positionen sind „vom Liquidationsrisiko bedroht“, da die Volatilität Anzeichen dafür zeigt, dass nun endlich ein Ausbruch aus einer Spanne bevorsteht.
Kernaussagen:
Bitcoin-Long-Positionen sind mehreren Risiken ausgesetzt, während die Kursentwicklung von BTC auf neue August-Tiefstände zusteuert, warnt ein Analyst.
Die Korrelation zwischen dem Binance-Open-Interest und dem Preis erreichte am Donnerstag 0,25, da beide fielen.
Der KryptoQuant-CEO Ki Young Ju sagt, dass der Bitcoin-Bullenmarkt noch nicht bereit ist, ein Comeback zu starten.
Bitcoin-Longs spüren den Druck, während der Preis fällt
Einblicke, die am Donnerstag auf der On-Chain-Analytics-Plattform CryptoQuant vom Community-Analysten „BorisD“ veröffentlicht wurden, deuten darauf hin, dass stark gehebelt eingegangene Long-Positionen in BTC aus dem Markt gespült werden, da BTC/USD die Monat-bis-heute-Tiefstände ansteuert.

RedotPay’s plans for a US stock market debut have reportedly been delayed as the stablecoin payment company prepares to expand into the country.
The company delayed plans for a US initial public offering (IPO) while it seeks regulatory approvals and contends with legal disputes involving Binance, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A RedotPay representative declined to comment on the timing of an IPO to Cointelegraph. The representative instead pointed to the company’s US expansion, saying RedotPay obtained a money transmitter license in the US this week and is preparing to launch its product in the country.
The reported setback follows a nearly $473 million lawsuit filed by Binance affiliates and comes as RedotPay works to expand its regulatory footprint in the US and other markets.
RedotPay’s IPO ambitions surfaced in February
RedotPay, founded in 2023 and based in Hong Kong, first emerged as a potential US public-market entrant in February, when reports surfaced that the company was considering a New York listing.
RedotPay has reportedly been working with JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Jefferies Financial Group on a listing that could raise more than $1 billion. At the time, the company was seeking a valuation of more than $4 billion.
Separately, RedotPay has reportedly been in talks to raise up to $150 million in new funding amid organizational changes and preparations for a potential IPO. “As we transition from an early-stage startup to a unicorn, we are evolving our organizational structure and talent pool to support our ongoing growth trajectory,” RedotPay told Cointelegraph in March.
Binance lawsuit adds legal pressure
Binance affiliates sued RedotPay’s founders in Hong Kong earlier in August, seeking nearly $473 million in damages over allegations that they diverted hundreds of thousands of customers from Binance to RedotPay.
The plaintiffs allege that RedotPay’s founders used confidential information obtained through their previous work with Binance to build a competing payments business and attract Binance users. RedotPay rejected the allegations and told Cointelegraph it would “vigorously defend all claims.”
The dispute has also spilled into Singapore, where Binance and RedotPay disagree over the fate of a related case. RedotPay told Cointelegraph this week that it expected Binance to discontinue the case, while Binance rejected that account and said its claims remain active.
Magazine: Inside the fake crypto startup that fooled North Korean IT workers

JPMorgan Chase ended a banking relationship with Polymarket over regulatory concerns, according to the Financial Times.
JPMorgan notified the prediction market platform in October 2025 that it needed to find a new bank, the Financial Times reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Polymarket now works with another unnamed lender.
However, JPMorgan has maintained other ties with Polymarket. The bank is allegedly keen on a potential underwriting role should Polymarket attempt to go public. Polymarket reportedly said that it continues to have a “close, active relationship” with JPMorgan.
Cointelegraph has approached JPMorgan and Polymarket for comment.
Prediction markets are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny in the US and abroad. More than a dozen US states have taken legal action against Polymarket, Kalshi or both over sports event contracts, while authorities in several countries have also blocked or restricted access to Polymarket.
Magazine: Why Argentina is blocking Polymarket despite its global growth

Crypto remains a marginal payment option among euro area businesses even as other forms of digital payments gain ground, according to a new European Central Bank (ECB) report.
Just 0.2% of companies selling goods and services online accept crypto assets, the ECB said in its survey on companies’ cash use, published Thursday. Cash remains the most widely accepted payment method, with 92% of companies with physical points of sale accepting it.
The ECB surveyed 8,205 businesses across the 21 euro area countries, covering retail, restaurants and cafes, hotels, and arts, entertainment and recreation. Market research firm Ipsos conducted the telephone interviews from Feb. 23 to April 10.
The findings come as the ECB advances work on a digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC) designed to complement cash and preserve the euro’s role.
Mobile payments are catching up
Mobile payments recorded the biggest shift among payment methods at physical locations, with acceptance jumping to 68% in 2026 from 36% in 2024.
The most commonly accepted mobile options include instant payments and digital wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Acceptance of various payment instruments, 2024 versus 2026. Source: ECB
Cash edged up to 92% from 90%, while physical card acceptance rose to 88% from 87%. Crypto assets and stablecoins showed virtually no momentum at physical points of sale, remaining below 1% acceptance in both 2024 and 2026. Acceptance of bank checks, meanwhile, fell to 27% from 36%.
Merchants cite consumer preference as top payment factor
Consumer preference was the biggest factor companies considered when choosing which payment methods to accept, cited by 26% of respondents, followed by security at 22% and ease of handling at 15%.
Businesses that reject cash most often cited weak customer demand, at 36%, and difficulties depositing or withdrawing it, at 35%, while 29% pointed to security risks.
Most important criteria when choosing to accept a means of payment, euro area, 2026. Source: ECB
The longer-term outlook varies sharply by country, with 51% of cash-accepting small and medium-sized enterprises in Cyprus saying they may stop accepting cash, compared with 23% in Greece and 18% in Bulgaria.
What counts as accepting crypto?
The ECB survey asked companies whether they accept crypto assets or stablecoins, citing Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether’s USDt (USDT) as examples.
Some crypto payment services allow merchants to receive settlement in traditional currency even when customers pay with crypto. The survey does not specify whether merchants should count such payments as crypto acceptance.
Cointelegraph asked the ECB whether converted crypto payments could therefore go unreported by merchants and whether regulatory uncertainty could affect companies’ answers. The ECB said it “prefer[s] not to speculate.”
Asked whether euro area merchants are permitted to accept crypto under European Union rules, the ECB said it does not set payment regulation and referred Cointelegraph to the European Commission and national lawmakers.
Magazine: El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment turns 5: ‘It was for us, not them’

Die US-Börsenaufsicht SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) hat ein für Freitag geplantes offenes Treffen abgesagt, bei dem die neuen Regeln für Kryptowährungen geprüft werden sollten.
Die SEC erklärte am Donnerstag, dass das Treffen abgesagt worden sei. Die Behörde hatte damit gerechnet, zu prüfen, ob sie einen „maßgeschneiderten Regelungsrahmen für bestimmte Anlageverträge im Zusammenhang mit Krypto-Assets“ vorschlagen soll.
Die SEC teilte Reuters mit, dass das Treffen wegen „eines unerwarteten Terminproblems“ verschoben werde. Die Behörde habe nicht umgehend auf eine Anfrage von Cointelegraph zur Stellungnahme reagiert.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Neutrl has suspended minting and redemptions for its NUSD synthetic dollar after unspecified circumstances affected protocol reserves, leaving the cause and scale of any potential impairment unclear.
On Thursday, Neutrl said it had also paused other protocol functions on legal advice while it assesses the impact. The protocol did not identify the affected asset or counterparty, say whether reserves suffered a realized loss or provide a timeline for resuming operations.
Structured-yield protocol Strata later said it paused minting, redemptions and related functions for contracts in its Neutrl market, which supports several NUSD-linked products. Strata said its other markets remained operational.
With about $53.6 million in NUSD in circulation, the suspension prevents approved counterparties from exchanging the token for its backing assets while Neutrl determines whether its reserves have been impaired. Neutrl said it would provide timing and next steps when available.
Cointelegraph contacted Neutrl for comment but had not received a response by publication.
NUSD supply falls 18% over 30 days
According to RWA.xyz, NUSD had a market capitalization of about $53.6 million on Friday, down 18.4% over 30 days, while monthly transfer volume fell 72.4% to $71.4 million. However, the data does not establish that the earlier contraction was related to the reserve issue.
The synthetic dollar is designed to track the US dollar using yield-bearing crypto assets and market-neutral strategies rather than deposits held in a bank. RWA.xyz showed NUSD trading at about $0.9984, with 615 holders and 347 active addresses over the preceding 30 days.
On May 25, verification platform Accountable said its Neutrl dashboard provided continuous cryptographic proof that NUSD reserves matched the protocol’s liabilities.
A February assessment by risk-advisory team BA Labs nevertheless classified a proposed Neutrl integration as higher risk because of counterparty, operational and liquidity exposure. It said direct redemptions were limited to KYC or KYB-approved counterparties and that requests exceeding the liquid buffer could enter a queue targeted for completion within 48 hours, without a guarantee.
BA Labs estimated NUSD supply at $226 million and reserves at $233.7 million at the time, implying a 103.6% collateralization ratio. It said more than 87% of reserves were held through Fireblocks, while smaller amounts sat on centralized exchanges.
Magazine: Inside the fake crypto startup that fooled North Korean IT workers

Figure Technology Solutions reported $4.3 billion in consumer loan marketplace volume for the second quarter, up 132% from a year earlier, as its quarterly profit nearly tripled.
On Thursday, Figure said net income rose 192% year over year to $87 million, from about $30 million. Net revenue more than doubled to $226 million, while its net income margin increased 10.5 percentage points to 38.8%.
Figure’s marketplace volume includes home equity lines of credit, debt-service coverage ratio loans and personal loans processed through its loan origination system, along with third-party loans traded on Figure Connect, which accounted for $2.8 billion, or 65%, of the quarterly total.
Volume on the marketplace, which Figure launched in June 2024, increased 262% from the same period last year. The company also added 102 loan-origination partners during the quarter, bringing its total to 489.
CEO Michael Tannenbaum said weekly loan applications surpassed $1 billion in July. Figure expects consumer loan marketplace volume of between $4.8 billion and $5.2 billion in the third quarter.
Bernstein analysts predicted in May that Figure would post record second-quarter volume, citing live blockchain data that they said could increasingly allow investors to track the company’s lending activity in real time.

Laut dem Forscher Justin Drake entfernt sich die Ethereum Foundation in ihrer geplanten Post-Quantum-Architektur vom Poseidon-Hash-Algorithmus.
Am Donnerstag sagte Drake, die Stiftung verwerfe Poseidon und setze stattdessen auf etablierte Alternativen wie SHA oder BLAKE. Eine Hashfunktion wandelt Daten in einen festen digitalen Fingerabdruck um und ermöglicht es Computern zu überprüfen, dass die Informationen nicht verändert wurden.
Poseidon wurde für zukünftige Post-Quantum-Systeme wie leanVM in Betracht gezogen, die dabei helfen würden, dass Ethereum große Mengen an Blockchain-Aktivität effizient verifizieren kann. Diese Systeme wurden bisher noch nicht im Mainnet bereitgestellt.