Crypto Breaking

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has moved to harden the city’s financial system against the long-term risks posed by quantum computing. In a newly released white paper, the regulator unveiled a first-of-its-kind Quantum Preparedness Index (QPI) designed to measure how ready banks are for potential threats to the cryptography that underpins digital payments, tokenized deposits and blockchain-based settlement.
According to the HKMA, the sector’s overall QPI score stands at 2.3 out of 10. The white paper also found that around half of surveyed institutions have not put formal post-quantum planning in place. HKMA said it is targeting full sector readiness—defined as a QPI score of 10—by 2030.
Key takeaways
The HKMA’s inaugural Quantum Preparedness Index scored the banking sector at 2.3/10, signalling limited maturity in post-quantum planning.
About half of surveyed institutions reportedly lack formal post-quantum cryptography migration plans.
The regulator links quantum risk directly to the cryptography used in distributed ledgers and payment networks, warning of potentially severe disruption if protections fail.
HKMA aims for banks to reach “full readiness” by 2030, with early actions such as inventories and migration planning flagged as urgent.
Why Hong Kong’s tokenization agenda raises quantum stakes
HKMA’s quantum initiative arrives as Hong Kong deepens the integration of traditional finance with distributed ledger technology. The regulator’s broader push includes work to tokenize assets and expand digital settlement rails—areas that rely heavily on cryptographic security for confidentiality, authentication and transaction integrity.
Government figures highlighted in related reporting show that Hong Kong has issued three batches of tokenized green bonds totaling about HK$16.8 billion (roughly $2.1 billion) since 2023. At the same time, HKMA continues to advance tokenized deposits and digital-asset settlement efforts through Project Ensemble, a programme designed to explore how tokenized forms of money and assets can move and settle on distributed ledgers.
In practice, the more value that is represented, transferred, and authorized on cryptographically protected networks, the more consequential it becomes if the underlying encryption or signature schemes are eventually weakened by quantum capabilities.
The HKMA’s quantum preparedness framework
In Monday’s announcement, the HKMA introduced both a white paper on quantum preparedness and the sector’s first QPI. The regulator’s central point is that modern distributed ledger applications and payment networks depend on cryptography for core functions, meaning a compromise could translate into operational and trust failures across financial services.
The HKMA’s white paper states that quantum computers capable of running Shor’s algorithm at scale could break widely used public-key cryptography such as RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography. The regulator warns that this could enable attackers to decrypt protected data or forge the digital signatures used to authorize transactions, verify identities and underpin trust in financial systems.
Because cryptographic systems can be embedded deeply in hardware, software and operational processes—and replacement can take years—the HKMA is effectively pushing banks to treat post-quantum migration as a multi-year programme rather than a last-minute upgrade. The regulator urged institutions to begin inventories, conduct risk assessments and develop migration planning well before quantum capabilities become a practical threat.
What the QPI score suggests—and what banks must address next
The gap between the intended endpoint and the current readiness level is stark. With an overall score of 2.3 out of 10, the QPI results imply that many institutions may not yet have translated quantum risk into concrete governance, technical roadmaps, and replacement strategies for cryptography used across their systems.
HKMA’s findings also highlight a planning shortfall: around half of the surveyed institutions reportedly had no formal post-quantum planning. That matters because preparedness is not only about choosing replacement cryptographic algorithms. Banks also need to map where current cryptographic methods are used across their infrastructure, assess dependency chains in distributed-ledger connectivity and settlement workflows, and ensure that upgrades do not disrupt operational continuity.
While the overall picture is cautious, HKMA noted that at least one surveyed institution completed a proof of concept applying post-quantum cryptography to distributed-ledger connectivity. The white paper also referenced HSBC’s 2024 use of quantum-safe technology to move tokenized gold across distributed ledgers—an example that illustrates how quantum-resilience work can show up in real settlement experiments rather than remaining purely theoretical.
Still, the HKMA’s score indicates that these efforts are not yet broad-based enough to lift the sector average. For investors and market participants, the practical takeaway is that compliance, systems readiness and operational risk management around cryptography are likely to become increasingly important as Hong Kong scales tokenized products and distributed settlement services.
Hong Kong’s wider timetable: tokenization now, cryptography upgrades later
HKMA framed the quantum preparedness push within its broader strategy to expand fintech and tokenized finance. The regulator had previously outlined a Fintech 2030 strategy in 2025, where tokenization was identified as a strategic pillar in a plan covering more than 40 initiatives. The approach includes accelerating real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, regularizing tokenized government bond issuance, and exploring tokenized Exchange Fund papers, alongside blockchain settlement supported by mechanisms such as e-HKD, tokenized deposits and regulated stablecoins.
Supporting context also came from a speech by Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan, who said banks held more than HK$14 billion in digital assets under custody at the end of 2025—up about 180% year over year—while tokenized deposits had reached HK$29 billion. Those figures underscore the speed at which tokenization-linked activity is growing, even as cryptographic migration planning remains at an early stage.
That combination—rapid adoption of tokenized rails alongside an acknowledged lack of post-quantum preparation—helps explain why HKMA’s framework is structured as a measurable readiness programme with a target by 2030.
For readers watching this space, the key question is how HKMA will turn the QPI into action: whether institutions will formalize post-quantum migration plans at scale, and how quickly banks move from proof-of-concept work to system-wide inventories and upgrade roadmaps as tokenized settlement continues to expand.
This article was originally published as Hong Kong Readies Banks for Quantum Risks as Tokenization Expands on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Binance says it has been running simulated phishing attacks on its own staff every month for the past four years, using the results to measure whether its security practices are improving. The exchange’s chief security officer, Jimmy Su, told Cointelegraph that the internal “red team” carries out the exercises and that employees who repeatedly fail may be sent for remediation training.
Meanwhile, the crypto sector also faces policy and compliance pressures across Asia: an Internet rights group in India challenged a government-backed order to remove repositories related to Jack Dorsey’s BitChat, while other developments—from stablecoin payment pilots in the Philippines to shifting retail behavior in South Korea—highlight how technology adoption and regulation are moving in parallel.
Key takeaways
Binance conducts monthly internal phishing tests via its red team and uses the outcomes to trigger remediation training.
India’s Internet Freedom Foundation says a recent order to GitHub to disable BitChat repositories is unconstitutional and threatens open-source and free speech.
CoinShares-related social-engineering concerns remain in focus, with prior industry estimates suggesting a large share of crypto incidents are driven by manipulation rather than pure technical exploits.
South Korea’s five largest crypto exchanges reported a sharp year-over-year drop in combined trading volume, despite growth in equities.
Several countries are exploring real-world payment use cases for stablecoins and blockchain rails, even as governance scrutiny tightens.
Binance uses internal phishing drills to test security hygiene
According to Cointelegraph, Binance’s security approach includes ongoing, controlled attempts to trick employees with phishing-style tactics. Jimmy Su, Binance’s chief security officer, said the company runs these exercises “on a monthly basis” to determine whether day-to-day security hygiene is improving.
The tests are carried out by Binance’s internal ethical hacking unit—its “red team”—which is tasked with breaking into systems in order to identify vulnerabilities. Su said employees who fail the phishing simulations are not simply tracked; they are expected to undergo remediation training.
The broader relevance is that attackers often target human behavior rather than exploiting only software bugs. In February, AMLBot estimated that 65% of crypto security incidents in 2025 were driven by social engineering, underscoring why organizations have increasingly prioritized employee training alongside technical controls. (AMLBot estimate referenced by Cointelegraph: https://cointelegraph.com/news/amlbot-2025-crypto-incidents-social-engineering-phishing-impersonation)
India challenges GitHub takedown order over BitChat repositories
In India, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) condemned a government order directing GitHub to remove or disable repositories related to BitChat, describing the move as unconstitutional. The group warned that the decision could undermine free speech and the open-source ecosystem.
IFF’s statement, according to Cointelegraph, followed a cybercrime agency directive that ordered GitHub to disable access to three BitChat repositories within three hours. The agency’s rationale was that BitChat could be used to bypass internet shutdowns, evade lawful surveillance, and facilitate unlawful activities.
BitChat is described as a decentralized messaging app designed to route encrypted messages between nearby devices over Bluetooth, without relying on internet connectivity or centralized servers. Cointelegraph also noted that since BitChat’s July 2025 release, it has gained traction during periods of unrest and internet outages in countries including Madagascar, Nepal, Uganda, Jamaica, and Iran. (Cointelegraph links referenced by the original report: https://cointelegraph.com/news/jack-dorsey-launches-bluetooth-relayed-decentralized-messaging-app-bitchat, https://cointelegraph.com/news/48000-nepalis-install-jack-dorseys-bitcoin-amid-protests, https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitchat-second-ranked-app-jamaica-as-hurricane-strikes, https://cointelegraph.com/news/decentralized-messaging-adoption-global-unrest)
For developers and users, the dispute raises a familiar tension in crypto and open-source technology: platforms and code repositories can become collateral in broader concerns about communications infrastructure and governance. What remains to be seen is whether GitHub’s handling of the order, and any potential legal challenge in India, changes how decentralized tools are distributed—or whether similar requests spread to other repositories.
Retail crypto interest cools in South Korea while equities surge
Separately, South Korea’s crypto trading activity has deteriorated sharply even as its stock market climbed. Cointelegraph reports that the combined trading activity across five major won-based exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax—fell by 89% year over year.
The figure comes from Cointelegraph’s review of CoinGecko’s historical 24-hour volume readings. The comparison used seven-day averages in July 2025 versus July 2026. On a combined basis, average daily volume declined to $305 million from $2.82 billion over the comparable July 2025 period.
Cointelegraph also stated that the KOSPI benchmark more than doubled during the same stretch. While volume has dropped for crypto, the divergence suggests that some retail liquidity may be rotating toward stocks—or that risk appetite and participation in crypto are being influenced by factors beyond token prices alone, such as market structure or broader macro sentiment.
Traders and investors watching South Korea will likely want to focus on whether this pattern persists beyond July and whether exchange-level initiatives or regulatory developments affect participation. The next question is whether lower volumes reflect temporary sentiment shifts or a more durable change in retail allocation decisions.
Stablecoin rails and exchange restructures signal continued build-out
Beyond security and policy disputes, adoption-oriented developments continued. In the Philippines, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) plans a stablecoin-based settlement rail for cross-border payments to freelancers, virtual assistants, and other workers receiving overseas income. Cointelegraph reports that the project is being developed with Meridian, with the intent to reduce processing cost and time while retaining safeguards associated with traditional banking transactions.
According to Cointelegraph’s reporting, stablecoins would be used as a settlement instrument before funds are converted to Philippine pesos and credited to recipients’ BPI accounts. (Cointelegraph referenced coverage from ABS-CBN and Philippine Daily Inquirer.)
In Singapore, Coinbase is also reported to be expanding its local presence, planning to grow headcount from 150 to about 200 staff members by the end of 2026 and prioritizing roles including engineers and institutional sales. Cointelegraph cited comments from Hassan Ahmed, Coinbase’s country director for Singapore, to the Business Times about the city-state’s role as a strategic hub for crypto innovation. (Cointelegraph referenced link: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/coinbase-expand-singapore-operations-grow-headcount-200-despite-global-restructuring)
Elsewhere in Asia, HashKey Holdings said it has merged HashKey Exchange and HashKey Global into a single platform and application, with the goal of giving users a consistent app experience while compliance is managed through local regulatory frameworks. (Cointelegraph link referenced: https://cointelegraph.com/news/hong-kong-crypto-giant-hashkey-merges-its-exchanges-into-one)
Taken together, these stories point to a sector split between defensive maturity—like Binance’s ongoing internal phishing drills—and front-of-house expansion, such as stablecoin payment settlement testing and exchange platform consolidation. The common thread is governance: whether it’s security enforcement inside companies, repository access decisions by governments, or compliance-heavy product rollouts in banking systems, the “how” of crypto adoption is increasingly as important as the “what.”
For the weeks ahead, watch how India’s BitChat repository dispute develops and whether it affects other open-source or decentralized tools, while South Korean trading volume trends indicate whether retail activity is temporarily shifting or settling into a new baseline.
This article was originally published as Binance Reports Monthly Internal Phishing Tests; India Censors BitChat Code on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Strategy, the business intelligence firm best known for holding one of the largest corporate Bitcoin treasuries, continued reshaping its capital structure last week by combining common stock sales with buybacks of its preferred shares.
According to company disclosures, Strategy sold 5,429,160 shares of its Class A common stock through its at-the-market (ATM) program between July 20 and July 26, bringing in $544.5 million in net proceeds. In parallel, it repurchased 288,930 shares of its STRC preferred stock for $25 million, as detailed in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
Key takeaways
Strategy raised $544.5 million in net proceeds via its July 20–26 ATM common stock sales.
In the same period, the company repurchased $25 million worth of its STRC preferred stock through buybacks.
Despite the capital activity, Strategy reported no Bitcoin buys or sales for July 20–26, keeping holdings steady at 843,775 BTC.
Strategy’s U.S. dollar reserve increased to $3.75 billion as of July 26, up from $3.225 billion the previous week.
Recent remarks by Michael Saylor on X fueled speculation about Strategy’s preferred-stock strategy, though the filings show only what the company actually executed.
ATM stock sales and preferred buybacks
Strategy’s latest capital moves were carried out through both of the mechanisms it has relied on to fund its broader financial strategy. First, the company used its at-the-market offering program to sell additional shares. The reported sale volume—5,429,160 shares of Class A common stock—translated into $544.5 million in net proceeds over the July 20–July 26 window.
Separately, Strategy used preferred share repurchases to alter its balance-sheet composition. The company repurchased 288,930 shares of STRC preferred stock for $25 million, according to the Form 8-K filed Monday.
Market reaction followed the news as traders digested the mix of issuance and repurchases. Yahoo Finance data referenced by the original reporting indicated STRC preferred shares were up about 2.3% to $88.90 ahead of the Nasdaq open, while Strategy’s common shares were also higher in Monday’s premarket activity.
Why the cash reserve matters for Strategy’s structure
Following additional fundraising through its ATM program, Strategy increased its U.S. dollar reserve to $3.75 billion as of July 26. The company’s prior reserve level was $3.225 billion the week before, meaning the latest funding cycle added roughly half a billion dollars to the cash buffer over a short period.
Just as important for investors is that Strategy reported no Bitcoin purchases or sales during July 20–26. Its Bitcoin holdings remained unchanged at 843,775 BTC, acquired at an average purchase price of $75,476 per bitcoin, for $63.69 billion in aggregate. In other words, the week’s financing activity appears to have been directed toward liquidity and capital structure rather than changing the size of the treasury.
Strategy’s growing cash reserve reflects an operational need that goes beyond flexibility in market conditions. The reserve is intended to support dividend payments on its preferred stock and interest payments on its outstanding debt—requirements that make near-term liquidity particularly relevant for a company balancing treasury strategy with obligations across its capital stack.
Saylor’s posts reignite debate on Bitcoin and banks
These financial filings arrived in the wake of renewed debate sparked by Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor on X. Earlier in the week, Saylor’s comments pushed the same discussion back to the forefront: whether Bitcoin’s long-term growth depends on integration with traditional financial institutions.
On Sunday, Saylor wrote that rejecting Bitcoin’s links to financial infrastructure would deny access to most potential users. The argument drew criticism from some Bitcoin supporters, who argue that greater reliance on banks runs counter to Bitcoin’s original goal as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system designed to minimize the need for financial intermediaries.
Supporters and critics both claim alignment with Bitcoin’s fundamentals, but they emphasize different layers of adoption. For those skeptical of bank involvement, the concern is that mainstream routing through established institutions could undermine the network’s decentralized promise. For those taking Saylor’s position, the focus is on distribution—how institutions can act as conduits for broader user access.
The renewed discussion also followed an earlier Saylor post in which he wrote, “We’re gonna need another color,” prompting speculation among market observers about possible adjustments to Strategy’s preferred stock approach. While the speculation highlighted investor attention to Strategy’s preferred instrument strategy, the week’s documented actions remain tied to the specific transactions reported in regulatory filings.
What to watch next
With Strategy maintaining a steady Bitcoin position during the July 20–26 window while simultaneously building cash reserves and adjusting preferred shares, the next signals to monitor are whether future filings show additional preferred share changes, further increases in the dollar reserve, or a shift back toward Bitcoin purchases. The balance between financing activity and treasury execution is likely to remain the key question for investors tracking how Strategy translates capital markets access into long-term Bitcoin exposure.
This article was originally published as Strategy Funds $544.5M and Launches STRC Share Buyback on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

HashKey Holdings says it has consolidated its crypto exchange operations into a single platform and application, aiming to give customers one seamless entry point while keeping regulatory compliance tailored to local jurisdictions.
In a Monday announcement, the Hong Kong-based digital asset services firm said it has merged its HashKey Exchange and HashKey Global businesses. The change brings core hubs—including Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle East (Dubai), and Bermuda—under one platform experience.
Key takeaways
HashKey is unifying separate exchange branches into one platform and one app for multiple regions.
The company says it will use a “unified entry, localized compliance” model rather than region-by-region front ends.
Customers across Hong Kong, Global, Singapore, and Dubai/Bermuda should download the same application.
Compliance and controls are described as being managed based on each user’s legislative domain.
The approach aligns with broader industry moves toward shared user interfaces over fragmented legal structures.
One app, multiple legal environments
HashKey’s stated goal is to reduce friction for users who would otherwise need to navigate different exchange offerings depending on where they operate. The company said the rollout follows a “unified entry, localized compliance” principle: the platform experience is meant to be consistent for end users, while compliance is handled according to the applicable regulatory framework for each jurisdiction.
Practically, HashKey says users in Hong Kong, Global, Singapore, or the Middle East can download the same application. From there, the platform would manage compliance across each user’s specific legislative domain—supporting the firm’s claim that the single front end can still remain aligned with local rules.
HashKey framed the move as a shift away from the early-era virtual asset industry pattern, when licensed exchanges often maintained siloed regional models to simplify compliance at the time.
How HashKey’s model compares with other exchanges
HashKey’s consolidation mirrors a trend visible in other major platforms: presenting a single consumer interface while distributing legal responsibilities across multiple entities behind the scenes.
For example, the company pointed to market precedents such as OKX, which markets its website and mobile apps as one platform. However, OKX’s terms historically allocate customers to different providers based on residence. In that setup, the outward experience is unified, but the legal backend remains fragmented across regions.
Similarly, HashKey referenced Kraken’s approach in Europe. Kraken previously consolidated its Dutch broker BCM into its platform following an acquisition in September 2024, and later began serving the European Economic Area through its Irish MiCA entity as part of a unified regulatory framework described in its own updates.
While HashKey’s announcement focused on front-end unification and localized compliance management, the comparisons underline a recurring industry reality: even when users see one platform, regulatory coverage often still depends on separate entity structures by region.
Why the consolidation matters for users and operators
For traders and other market participants, a single platform experience can reduce confusion—especially for users who operate across multiple regions or relocate. It can also streamline onboarding workflows by limiting differences in user interfaces, login flows, and product access that often vary between regional exchange branches.
From an operator standpoint, unifying applications can simplify support, infrastructure choices, and product delivery. Rather than maintaining parallel front ends and workflows for each jurisdiction, the firm can focus on one user experience and then apply compliance controls based on user location or jurisdictional classification.
Still, HashKey’s announcement also highlights a key tension in exchange consolidation: customer-facing simplicity does not necessarily mean one set of rules. The “localized compliance” framing suggests that while the application is shared, users may be governed by different legal and compliance arrangements depending on where they fall within HashKey’s described jurisdictional domains.
What to watch next after HashKey’s rollout
As HashKey moves to the unified platform, users should pay close attention to how access, account requirements, and compliance checks behave in each jurisdiction—particularly whether the transition changes onboarding steps or documentation expectations for customers in Hong Kong, Singapore, or the Middle East.
For the broader market, the move signals that exchange operators are continuing to modernize the customer layer of their businesses, even while regulatory requirements remain inherently local. The next phase to monitor will be how smoothly the migration completes across all described regions and whether HashKey expands the approach to additional products or services tied to licensing constraints.
This article was originally published as HashKey to Consolidate Hong Kong, Singapore and Middle East Exchanges on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Securitize, the tokenized-assets platform, said its subsidiary Securitize Capital has registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an investment adviser—an update that expands the firm’s regulated advisory offering for institutional clients.
The company framed the move as a way to deepen regulated investment-advisory capabilities around onchain capital markets, building on an existing lineup of market infrastructure and financial-services licenses already held within the Securitize group.
Key takeaways
Securitize Capital’s SEC investment adviser registration adds formal advisory capabilities to the firm’s current regulated business stack.
The subsidiary previously operated as an exempt reporting adviser and is now subject to additional disclosure, compliance, recordkeeping, and examination duties.
Securitize says the change is meant to support institutions designing and managing investment strategies that use tokenized, onchain capital markets.
The registration complements existing regulated entities at Securitize, including an SEC-registered broker-dealer, alternative trading system, transfer agent, and fund administration services.
What the SEC investment adviser registration changes
According to Securitize, Securitize Capital’s SEC registration broadens how the subsidiary can serve institutional investors. The key operational shift is that the business is no longer relying on exempt status—meaning it must comply with the Investment Advisers Act’s baseline requirements for regulated advisers.
Securitize said the company previously operated as an exempt reporting adviser. Under the Investment Advisers Act, that status generally implies more stringent expectations around disclosure, compliance, recordkeeping, and SEC examination. For institutional participants, those obligations matter because they shape governance, supervisory controls, and documentation standards that regulators typically look for in adviser oversight.
The firm also positioned the upgrade as an expansion of “investment advisory capabilities” tied to Securitize’s broader infrastructure. In practice, that means institutions may be able to engage with Securitize not only as a platform for tokenization and related market services, but also through a more explicitly regulated advisory channel.
A regulated platform built around tokenized capital markets
Securitize said the adviser registration is being added to existing regulated businesses within the group. The company cited an SEC-registered broker-dealer, an alternative trading system, a transfer agent, and fund administration services—capabilities that are often described together in tokenization business models because they can support issuance, custody/transfer mechanics, trading venues, and ongoing fund administration.
By bringing adviser registration under the same umbrella, Securitize is effectively tightening the regulatory alignment across multiple layers of its tokenized-asset ecosystem. That matters for institutions deciding whether they want exposure to tokenized structures under familiar compliance frameworks, rather than relying on a less standardized set of arrangements across different vendors.
Industry scale and the broader push for RWA infrastructure
Securitize also reiterated its market position in the “tokenization” category. The company described itself as the largest tokenization platform by onchain asset value, citing around $4.8 billion in tokenized assets across funds from BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, VanEck, Hamilton Lane and other asset managers.
This context is important: as the real-world assets (RWA) sector continues to develop, competition is increasingly about more than token issuance. Platform operators are trying to combine issuance rails with trading, transfers, and governance that fit within U.S. financial regulation. Securitize’s move suggests it wants to add another leg to that structure—advisory oversight—while keeping the rest of its regulated-services suite in place.
NYSE listing follows a merger, while the stock faces pressure
The registration comes as Securitize’s public-company status continues to play out. Securitize began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SECZ on July 2 after completing a business combination with Cantor Equity Partners II.
Following the listing, the article notes that the shares have fallen about 46% from their first-day closing price.
While the SEC investment adviser registration is a regulatory milestone, it may also be read by investors as part of a broader effort to strengthen institutional credibility and expand monetizable services. At the same time, the stock’s drawdown since the NYSE start date underscores that market participants may be watching not only compliance progress, but also whether that compliance translates into durable demand and measurable business growth.
What to watch next
For institutions and market participants, the immediate question is how Securitize Capital’s adviser status will expand real advisory workflows—particularly how compliance, oversight, and recordkeeping will be implemented as clients engage with tokenized strategies. For investors, the next signal to track is whether the additional regulated capability converts into higher adoption, clearer revenue drivers, and continued traction across its tokenized-asset partnerships.
This article was originally published as Securitize Registers as SEC Investment Adviser via Capital Unit on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

“Crypto + AI” is the new “blockchain + [anything].” A desperate rebrand for failing business models, and investors aren’t buying it.
The Pattern We’ve Seen Before
2017: Every company added “blockchain” to their name and watched their stock price triple.
Kodak became KodakCoin. Long Island Iced Tea became Long Blockchain Corp. A company that made fruit juice rebranded to blockchain and saw its shares surge 200% overnight.
None of it was real. All of it eventually collapsed.
2026: The same thing is happening with AI. Except this time, it’s crypto companies doing the rebranding—and it’s failing faster.
What’s Actually Happening Right Now
Bloomberg reported it today: the once-hot market for cryptocurrency treasury stocks has imploded. Companies that bet their entire identity on Bitcoin accumulation are now pivoting to artificial intelligence to win back investors.
The numbers are brutal:
K Wave Media, a former Bitcoin accumulator that shifted to data center development, has seen its shares fall 71% since rebooting in May.
Satsuma Technology approved the full liquidation of its 668 BTC. The move was so drastic it triggered the company’s delisting from the London Stock Exchange. A company deleted itself from a major exchange to exit crypto.
Sequans Communications sold 1,025 BTC, along with almost 80% of its remaining holdings, just to repay convertible debt.
MARA Holdings and Bitdeer have been selling Bitcoin to repay debts while simultaneously redirecting resources toward AI data centers.
Even Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, the loudest evangelist for the corporate Bitcoin treasury model, sold approximately 3,620 BTC and authorized further sales. They still hold over 840,000 BTC, making them the largest corporate holder. But even the true believer is selling.
The corporate Bitcoin treasury model isn’t just struggling. It’s unwinding in real time.
Why The AI Pivot Isn’t Working
Here’s what these companies are betting on: if we say “AI” enough times, investors will forget we said “Bitcoin” and give us another chance.
It’s not working. K Wave Media’s 71% decline happened after the pivot, not before.
Why? Because investors aren’t stupid. They’ve seen this movie before.
When a company pivots its entire identity to chase a hot trend, it signals one thing: the original strategy failed, and management has no real conviction about what comes next.
A Bitcoin treasury company that suddenly loves AI data centers isn’t a tech innovator. It’s a company trying to survive by attaching itself to whatever narrative is currently attracting capital.
The market can tell the difference between a genuine AI company and a crypto company that bought a few Nvidia chips and updated its press release.
Turns out, so can Bloomberg.
Brian Armstrong Saw This Coming
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said it this week, publicly:
Crypto startups that rebrand to AI are missing the point. Blockchain technology isn’t competing with AI; it’s the infrastructure that will underpin future automation.
Armstrong’s argument is precise: these aren’t two separate things you can choose between. AI needs infrastructure. Blockchain provides trustless, verifiable infrastructure for AI agents, AI transactions, AI governance.
Companies pivoting from “crypto” to “AI” as if they’re alternatives are making a category error. And they’re making it because they’re panicking, not because they have a strategy.
The companies that will survive aren’t the ones that abandoned crypto for AI. They’re the ones that understood crypto is the infrastructure for AI and built accordingly.
The Real Problem: Business Models Built On Hype
Let’s be honest about what the corporate Bitcoin treasury model actually was.
Companies like MicroStrategy (now Strategy) made a bet: buy Bitcoin, hold it, watch the price go up, use the appreciation to justify your existence as a company.
That’s not a business. That’s a leveraged Bitcoin position dressed up as corporate strategy.
When Bitcoin price goes up, you look like a genius. When it stagnates, as it has for much of 2026, hovering around $64–65K, you look like a company with no real business model, sitting on an asset that isn’t moving, with investors asking uncomfortable questions about your actual operations.
The crypto treasury model required perpetual Bitcoin appreciation to work. The moment appreciation slowed, the model broke.
And now those same companies are trying to claim they were always AI companies really.
The Difference Between Real AI And AI Panic
There’s a meaningful difference between companies building genuine AI infrastructure and companies slapping “AI” on a failing crypto strategy.
Real AI infrastructure companies:
Have actual compute resources being used by actual customers
Generate revenue from AI services, not just from asset appreciation
Have technical teams building real AI products
Can explain what their AI actually does
Crypto companies pivoting to AI:
Announce plans to build AI data centers
Haven’t yet generated meaningful AI revenue
Are selling Bitcoin to fund the pivot
Can’t clearly explain how AI fits their original thesis
K Wave Media’s 71% decline after its pivot tells you which category investors think it falls into.
The Deeper Pattern: What Happens When A Narrative Breaks
Every market cycle has a dominant narrative. The narrative attracts capital. Capital inflates valuations. Valuations attract more capital. Until the narrative breaks.
2021–2022 crypto narrative: Bitcoin is digital gold, crypto is the future of finance, every company should have a Bitcoin treasury.
Companies built entire identities around that narrative. Stock prices reflected narrative premium, not business fundamentals.
2023–2025: Narrative weakens. Institutional adoption happens but stabilizes rather than explodes. Bitcoin sits at $60–65K instead of going to $200K as predicted. The narrative premium evaporates.
2026 desperation move: Attach to the new dominant narrative (AI) before investors fully price in that the old narrative failed.
The problem: AI investors are sophisticated. They know what real AI companies look like. A Bitcoin accumulator with an Nvidia press release isn’t one of them.
Who’s Actually Winning
While crypto treasury stocks implode, two categories of companies are doing well:
1. Companies that built genuine products on blockchain infrastructure
Coinbase, whatever its challenges, built an actual exchange with actual users generating actual revenue. It has a real business that doesn’t depend on Bitcoin price appreciation alone.
2. Companies building AI infrastructure that happens to use blockchain
The companies Armstrong is describing: building the trustless infrastructure layer that AI agents will need to transact, verify, and operate at scale. This is real. It has genuine demand. It’s not a rebrand.
The companies failing are the ones that were never really building anything, just accumulating an asset and hoping appreciation would substitute for operations.
The Uncomfortable Question For Every Crypto Company
If your business model requires the price of Bitcoin to keep going up forever to justify your existence, what do you actually do?
That’s the question the imploding treasury stocks can’t answer.
And “we’re pivoting to AI” isn’t an answer. It’s a postponement.
The companies that survive the current shakeout will be the ones that had actual operations, actual users, actual revenue— that happened to use blockchain or crypto as infrastructure.
The ones that don’t survive will be the ones that confused “holding Bitcoin” with “building a company.”
The AI rebrand just delays the reckoning by a quarter or two.
What Comes Next
Expect more of this: crypto companies announcing AI pivots, investors not being fooled, stock prices continuing to decline, companies eventually running out of runway.
Expect fewer of this: genuine companies built on blockchain infrastructure, serving real users, generating real revenue—that will be fine.
The shakeout was always coming. The Bitcoin treasury model worked during appreciation. It was never a real business. Now that appreciation has slowed, the reality is visible.
The AI pivot is the last gasp. Not a new beginning.
The Lesson That Never Gets Learned
Every market cycle produces the same story:
Narrative attracts capital. Capital inflates valuations beyond fundamentals. Smart money exits. Companies desperately rebrand to the next narrative. Doesn’t work. Collapse.
2017: Blockchain everything. 2021: NFT everything, metaverse everything. 2024–2025: Bitcoin treasury everything. 2026: AI everything.
The companies that survive every cycle are the ones that were never chasing the narrative in the first place. They were building something real that happened to use the technology everyone else was hyping.
Those companies exist in crypto. They’re just not the ones making headlines this week.
If your crypto strategy requires Bitcoin to go up forever, you don’t have a strategy. You have a bet. And bets eventually lose.
This article was originally published as Crypto Companies Are Pivoting To AI To Save Themselves It’s Not Working on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Securitize Capital, the investment-advisory arm of tokenized-asset platform Securitize, has registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an investment adviser, the company said Monday. The move is intended to broaden Securitize’s regulated advisory offering for institutional clients and add investment-advisory capabilities on top of its existing suite of market infrastructure services.
Until now, Securitize Capital operated as an exempt reporting adviser. By moving into SEC registration, it becomes subject to additional requirements under the Investment Advisers Act, including enhanced disclosure and compliance obligations, along with stricter recordkeeping and examination standards.
Key takeaways
Securitize Capital registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, expanding its regulated advisory business for institutions.
The firm says the change strengthens its ability to support onchain capital markets through investment strategy development and management.
Securitize Capital previously operated under an exempt reporting-adviser framework, which generally involves lighter oversight than full SEC registration.
Securitize already operates multiple SEC-regulated businesses, including a broker-dealer, alternative trading system, transfer agent, and fund administration services.
The parent company, Securitize, listed on the New York Stock Exchange on July 2 after completing a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II.
What the SEC adviser registration changes
SEC adviser registration is more than a procedural update—it reshapes how a firm must operate across compliance, reporting, and oversight. Securitize Capital’s registration brings it under the Investment Advisers Act, which typically increases the scope and rigor of formal compliance programs, mandated documentation, and regulatory examinations compared with an exempt reporting-adviser posture.
In its statement, Securitize framed the update as a capability upgrade for institutions looking to develop and manage investment strategies that incorporate onchain capital markets. The practical implication is that clients seeking regulated advisory services tied to tokenized investment products may have an expanded pathway within the Securitize ecosystem, rather than relying solely on the platform’s other regulated functions.
How Securitize’s existing regulated stack sets the stage
Securitize said the investment-adviser registration adds advisory capabilities to its existing regulated footprint. According to the company, its current SEC-regulated business lines include an SEC-registered broker-dealer, an alternative trading system, a transfer agent, and fund administration services.
That combination matters because tokenization platforms often rely on multiple layers of regulated infrastructure to move from issuance to transfer, administration, and execution. By layering investment advisory into an already regulated environment, Securitize is positioning itself to offer a more integrated set of services—potentially reducing friction for institutional participants that prefer to work with providers operating under recognized SEC frameworks.
It also reframes the competitive landscape in real-world assets (RWA) tokenization: rather than focusing only on issuance and custody-adjacent functions, the platform can now emphasize portfolio strategy support under the adviser framework.
Scale in tokenized assets and ties to major asset managers
Securitize described itself as the largest tokenization platform by onchain asset value, citing approximately $4.8 billion in tokenized assets across funds associated with major asset managers. The company named BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, VanEck, Hamilton Lane, and other firms.
For investors and allocators, the relevance of that figure is less about a single day’s announcement and more about where the market may concentrate liquidity and operational depth. Tokenization projects vary widely in activity and infrastructure maturity; an adviser registration can be a signal that the platform is working to deepen its institutional relationships beyond settlement and issuance into ongoing strategy and management.
Still, readers should note that the registration does not, by itself, confirm new products, fee arrangements, or changes in tokenized fund availability. It primarily establishes a broader regulated role within the existing business model.
Company listing and market performance context
Securitize’s parent company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SECZ on July 2, following a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II. The announcement pointed to the completion of that business combination.
Since listing, shares have fallen about 46% from their first-day closing price, according to data available via Yahoo Finance at the time of the article. While stock performance does not directly measure regulatory progress, it often reflects investor expectations about growth trajectories—especially in an RWA sector still working through questions of scale, standardization, and distribution.
The adviser-registration step can be interpreted as part of an attempt to solidify long-term institutional traction: by increasing regulatory alignment and expanding advisory capabilities, Securitize may be aiming to make its platform more attractive to institutions that want regulated investment strategy support alongside tokenized exposure.
What to watch next is whether Securitize Capital’s SEC adviser status leads to new or expanded institutional advisory workflows—such as additional advisory offerings tied to onchain investment strategies—and how regulators interpret the firm’s compliance posture as it transitions fully from exempt reporting adviser requirements to a registered adviser framework.
This article was originally published as Securitize Capital Earns SEC Registration as Investment Adviser on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Tether Gold has received Shariah certification, giving Islamic banks, institutions, and investors a compliant way to access physical gold through blockchain technology. Amanah Advisors, led by Mufti Faraz Adam, reviewed the product and approved its structure under Islamic finance rules.
The certification covers real asset ownership, clear gold backing, reserve transparency, and the absence of interest-based features. Each XAU₮ token represents ownership of physical gold stored in secure Swiss vaults and issued by TG Commodities, S.A. de C.V.
Tether Gold Shariah Certification Supports Wider Access
Tether Gold does not rely on riba, leverage, or speculative derivatives, according to the company. This structure allows users to hold tokenized gold while keeping direct exposure to allocated bullion.
Circle has acquired fundamental assets from the @IBM blockchain patent portfolio, including 680+ patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide.
The acquisition makes Circle the leading U.S. blockchain patent holder and strengthens the foundation behind USDC, CPN,… pic.twitter.com/lp6F6z55aw
— Circle (@circle) July 27, 2026
The approval may support adoption among Islamic banks, takaful providers, halal savings platforms, and trade finance firms. These institutions often prefer assets backed by real value and clear ownership terms.
Islamic Finance Markets Gain Digital Gold Option
Tether Gold may help Islamic finance firms offer digital gold products without changing the asset’s physical backing. Banks could use the token for savings products, treasury holdings, wealth preservation, or approved collateral services.
The certification may also expand access in GCC countries, South Asia, Africa, and other Islamic finance hubs. These regions have strong demand for gold and growing interest in regulated digital assets.
Gold-Backed Loans Expand XAU₮ Use
Tether Gold holders can also use XAU₮ as collateral through Tether’s partnership with Ledn. The service allows eligible users to access loans while retaining exposure to physical gold.
The lending product keeps bullion backing at the center of the structure. However, users must still review loan terms, fees, and local rules before using the service.
Tether Links Gold With Blockchain Strategy
Tether Gold forms part of Tether’s wider plan to connect traditional assets with blockchain networks. The company also supports Bitcoin-based transfer systems through the RGB protocol and Lightning Network tools.
For XAU₮, Tether Gold remains focused on direct gold ownership, verifiable reserves, and digital transfer access. Each token links to allocated gold bars held in Swiss storage facilities. Investors can also transfer fractional ownership without arranging direct transport or private vault storage.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said gold has long represented trust and stability across many cultures. He said Shariah approval allows Tether Gold to serve more users while respecting Islamic finance standards.
This article was originally published as Tether Gold Wins Shariah Approval, Expanding Access To Islamic Finance on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Tether’s gold-backed token XAUt has secured Shariah certification from Amanah Advisors, positioning the product for wider use among Islamic financial institutions and investors seeking Shariah-compliant exposure to physical bullion. The move focuses on whether the token’s underlying design aligns with Islamic finance principles, particularly around how value is held and whether income-generation features introduce interest-related concerns.
According to Tether, the certification concluded that XAUt’s structure complies with key Shariah requirements, including full backing by physical gold, the absence of interest and leverage, and transparent reserves. Tether says each XAUt token corresponds to one troy ounce of physical gold held in Swiss vaults.
Key takeaways
XAUt received Shariah certification from Amanah Advisors, strengthening its suitability for Islamic financial institutions and investors.
Tether says the token is fully backed by physical gold, with reserves designed to be transparent and structured without interest or leverage.
As of March 31, Tether reported XAUt reserves exceeding 707,000 troy ounces worth more than $3.3 billion.
Onchain data cited by RWA.xyz indicates XAUt’s asset value has risen from about $700 million in July 2025 to roughly $2.5 billion.
Why Shariah certification matters for tokenized gold
For many investors, the question is not simply whether an asset is pegged to a real-world commodity, but whether the product’s mechanics fit within Shariah guidelines. Islamic finance frameworks generally restrict practices considered to involve excessive uncertainty, speculative dynamics, or interest. Those constraints have historically created a barrier for broader adoption of mainstream crypto and tokenized offerings.
By obtaining certification, Tether has effectively reduced one of the main due-diligence hurdles for compliance-focused stakeholders. Tether said the certification gives it a clearer path to distribute XAUt to Islamic banks and institutions, as well as individual investors across regions where Islamic finance is widely practiced, including the Gulf Cooperation Council, South Asia, and parts of Africa.
In addition, Tether highlighted reserve transparency and physical custody as central to the compliance narrative. Tether’s position is that each token represents one troy ounce of gold stored in Swiss vaults, and that the token is not engineered with leverage or interest-bearing features.
Reserve coverage and growth in tokenized gold exposure
XAUt is described by Tether as one of the largest tokenized gold products in the crypto market. The company’s latest reserves reporting (available via Tether’s gold reserve reports page) showed that the token was backed by more than 707,000 troy ounces of physical gold as of March 31, representing a value above $3.3 billion.
Beyond reserve size, demand signals also matter. Data cited by RWA.xyz suggests XAUt’s onchain asset value has expanded significantly over the past year. The article notes that the figure rose from approximately $700 million in July 2025 to around $2.5 billion, indicating growing interest in gold exposure delivered through token infrastructure.
While tokenized commodities are often discussed through the lens of liquidity and accessibility, the key point for investors is how Shariah certification and physical backing can intersect with market demand. If institutions in Shariah-compliant finance ecosystems can evaluate the product with fewer structural objections, it may help unlock new distribution channels—particularly where regulators and compliance departments scrutinize whether a product’s income or risk characteristics violate established principles.
Broader trend: more Shariah-compliant crypto products
Debate over cryptocurrency’s compatibility with Islamic finance has been ongoing. As discussed in earlier coverage referenced by the source, scholars have differed on whether digital assets meet Shariah expectations due to concerns such as speculation and uncertainty. Over time, however, efforts to design compliant products have started to gain traction.
One example highlighted in the source dates back to 2025, when a Bahrain-based group, AlAbraaj Restaurants Group, said it adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy and intended to develop Shariah-compliant financial instruments to broaden access to Bitcoin within the Islamic world.
More recently, the source points to developments in stablecoin infrastructure. In April, Palm Azgar Finance expanded its Shariah-compliant PUSD stablecoin to ADI Chain, positioning it around the scale of the global Islamic finance market. The source notes that PUSD became the second stablecoin available on that network, enabling institutions to settle transactions using either a dollar-linked asset or a dirham-denominated token on the same infrastructure.
Taken together, these examples frame a shift from theoretical compliance debate toward product engineering—attempts to structure crypto exposure in a way that can pass institutional review. Tether’s XAUt certification fits that broader pattern by targeting a concrete barrier: certification by a recognized advisor that can assess whether a tokenized gold product is consistent with Shariah guidelines.
Middle East momentum and the regulatory backdrop
Distribution is not just about product design; it also depends on how regional regulators handle digital asset services. The source describes Dubai as an increasingly prominent crypto hub and notes that the emirate’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) issued its 50th virtual asset service provider license earlier this month. The article adds that this puts Dubai ahead of Hong Kong and Singapore in the number of licensed crypto firms, underscoring the pace of regulated market development in the region.
For tokenized assets like XAUt, regulatory clarity can influence whether institutions consider adoption—especially when they need to align token distribution, custody, and settlement practices with local compliance requirements. Shariah certification addresses a religious/contractual suitability question, while licensing and regulatory frameworks address operational and legal concerns. Together, the two can determine how quickly eligible products can move from niche demand to broader institutional access.
Looking ahead, the key variable will be how fast Shariah-compliant finance players incorporate XAUt into their offerings after certification. Investors and institutions should watch for indications of new partnerships, clearer market access strategies by Tether, and evidence that demand growth continues in step with the asset’s reserve reporting and onchain uptake.
This article was originally published as Tether’s XAUT Receives Shariah Certification for Islamic Investing on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Tether’s gold-backed token XAUt has secured Shariah certification from Amanah Advisors, a development that Tether says could make its tokenized gold product more accessible to Islamic financial institutions and investors seeking Shariah-compliant exposure to physical gold.
According to Tether, the certification concludes that XAUt’s design aligns with core Islamic finance requirements: the token is fully backed by physical gold, it does not involve interest-based mechanics, avoids leverage, and maintains transparent reserves disclosures. Tether states that each XAUt token corresponds to one troy ounce of physical gold held in Swiss vaults.
Key takeaways
XAUt has received Shariah certification from Amanah Advisors, positioning it for wider use by Shariah-focused institutions.
Tether says the token is fully backed by one troy ounce of physical gold per XAUt, stored in Swiss vaults.
The company highlights compliance features commonly required in Islamic finance, including no interest and no leverage.
Reserve reporting shows XAUt is already one of the more established tokenized gold offerings, with backing exceeding 707,000 troy ounces as of March 31.
Onchain metrics compiled by RWA.xyz indicate XAUt’s asset value has risen sharply since mid-2025.
Why Shariah certification matters for tokenized gold
For investors and institutions operating under Shariah principles, the challenge is often less about whether gold is permitted, and more about how a financial product is structured. Islamic finance typically emphasizes restrictions around interest, excessive uncertainty, and speculative leverage—conditions that can affect whether certain tokenized products are considered acceptable.
Tether’s certification directly targets that gatekeeping issue. By obtaining formal Shariah certification for XAUt’s structure, Tether is signaling that its tokenized-gold model is designed to meet the expectations of Shariah-governed decision makers—potentially reducing friction in markets where Shariah compliance is not optional.
In its announcement, Tether said it expects the certification to support adoption in regions where Islamic finance is widely used, including the Gulf Cooperation Council, South Asia, and parts of Africa.
XAUt’s backing and growth in tokenized gold
Tokenized gold only becomes practically useful to mainstream users if the underlying asset is credibly secured and consistently disclosed. Tether points to reserve reports published on its website as evidence of ongoing backing and transparency.
In Tether’s most recent reserves reporting, the company said XAUt was backed by more than 707,000 troy ounces of physical gold, worth over $3.3 billion, as of March 31. That matters because Shariah certification alone does not address the operational question of whether there is sufficient physical backing behind token issuance.
Beyond reserve disclosures, market interest in the product appears to be growing onchain. Data cited from RWA.xyz shows XAUt’s onchain asset value rose from roughly $700 million in July 2025 to around $2.5 billion. While onchain valuations do not replace physical reserve verification, they do offer a window into how widely a tokenized asset is being held and used across blockchain-based venues.
Shariah-compliant digital assets move from niche to organized offerings
Crypto has long faced questions from Islamic scholars about whether certain digital assets can comply with Shariah principles. The debate has often focused on whether participation in the asset introduces prohibited elements such as interest, excessive uncertainty, or speculation.
In recent years, however, more structured products have emerged that attempt to address those issues directly rather than leaving compliance to interpretation. The broader trend appears to be an industry shift toward token designs that emphasize asset backing, transparent reserve models, and reduced exposure to interest-like returns.
Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that Shariah-compliant approaches have been pursued in different ways. For example, a Bahrain-based group, AlAbraaj Restaurants Group, adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy and said it planned to develop Shariah-compliant financial instruments to broaden access to Bitcoin across the Islamic world.
More recently, Palm Azgar Finance expanded its Shariah-compliant PUSD stablecoin to ADI Chain, positioning the product for participation in what it described as the $3 trillion Islamic finance market. PUSD is designed to allow transactions to settle using either a dollar-linked asset or a dirham-denominated token on the same infrastructure.
Alongside individual product efforts, regulatory clarity has also been a factor in regional expansion. Dubai has been highlighted as a leading crypto hub in the Middle East, continuing to grow its regulated digital asset framework. Cointelegraph previously reported that Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) issued its 50th virtual asset service provider license earlier this month, surpassing the number of licensed crypto firms in Hong Kong and Singapore.
What to watch next after Amanah Advisors’ certification
With Shariah certification in place, the next question is adoption: whether Islamic banks, funds, and Shariah-governed investors will translate compliance approval into measurable purchasing and integrations for XAUt. Readers should watch for subsequent announcements from Tether or ecosystem partners describing where XAUt will be offered, how it will be distributed through compliant channels, and whether reserve reporting continues to meet the transparency expectations that underpin Shariah assessments.
This article was originally published as Tether’s XAUt Gold Token Gets Shariah Certification for Wider Access on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Strategy expanded its cash reserve to a record $3.75 billion after selling additional MSTR shares last week. The company also completed its first STRC preferred stock buyback under its repurchase program. Meanwhile, Strategy kept its Bitcoin holdings unchanged as MSTR shares gained during premarket trading and Bitcoin remained above $65,000.
Strategy Expands Cash Reserve and Completes First STRC Buyback
Strategy increased its USD reserve by $525 million after raising about $544.5 million through MSTR stock sales. The latest filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed the updated reserve position. As a result, the company now holds $3.75 billion in cash reserves.
The larger reserve gives Strategy about 2.1 years of dividend coverage under current estimates. At the same time, the company executed its first STRC preferred stock repurchase. Strategy bought back 288,930 STRC preferred shares for approximately $25 million.
The repurchase formed part of the Digital Credit Securities Repurchase Program announced last month. After the transaction, Strategy retained $975 million for additional preferred stock repurchases. Meanwhile, the MSTR share repurchase program still has about $1 million available for future purchases.
Bitcoin Holdings Stay Unchanged as Capital Strategy Continues
Strategy did not purchase additional Bitcoin during the latest reporting period. Instead, the company continued raising capital through MSTR share sales. The company still holds 843,775 BTC valued at approximately $58.47 billion.
Strategy acquired those Bitcoin holdings for about $63.68 billion over several years. Consequently, the company currently carries more than $5.21 billion in unrealized losses. However, the company has maintained its long-term Bitcoin treasury approach despite recent market fluctuations.
Strategy remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin among publicly traded companies. The company has regularly financed Bitcoin acquisitions through equity offerings and preferred stock issuance. However, the latest filing focused on strengthening liquidity instead of expanding Bitcoin holdings.
MSTR Shares Rise as Bitcoin Holds Above $65,000
MSTR shares closed 2.09% lower at $91.67 during Friday’s regular trading session. The stock traded between $89.76 and $93.68 before finishing below the previous close. Trading volume also remained below the stock’s 20 million share average.
Premarket trading showed renewed buying activity after the latest corporate filing became public. MSTR gained 2.21% and traded near $93.70 before the opening bell. Even so, the stock remains down about 10% over the past month and nearly 50% this year.
Meanwhile, STRC shares advanced 1.66% to $88.33 but remained below the preferred stock’s $100 target price. Several brokerage firms have maintained buy ratings on MSTR with an average 12-month target of $275. At the same time, Bitcoin traded above $65,000 after developments in Iran-Oman discussions supported broader market sentiment, while trading volume increased 86% during the past 24 hours.
This article was originally published as Strategy Raises Cash Reserve to $3.75B and Starts STRC Stock Buyback on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Bitcoin is heading into the final stretch of July under the pressure of shifting US macro expectations, with traders focused on two near-term catalysts: the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision and new inflation data that could influence rate expectations. At the same time, market participants are watching whether the usual ties between crypto and traditional risk assets are returning or fading—an issue that has become more relevant as equities show signs of wobbling.
With US bond yields elevated and oil reacting to geopolitical developments, the next few days could determine whether Bitcoin’s relatively tight trading behavior turns into a decisive breakout—or a renewed pullback. On-chain signals add another layer: CryptoQuant reports that BTC whale inflows to Binance have cooled materially since mid-June.
Key takeaways
FedWatch data from CME Group assigns a roughly one-in-three chance of a July hike, while pointing to higher odds for September.
Markets will get a fresh read on inflation Thursday via the June PCE report, which IMEN expects to moderate to 3.7% year over year.
Bitcoin’s correlation with major equity indices appears weak on higher timeframes, but geopolitical and macro shocks could re-link the markets.
CryptoQuant data shows BTC inflows from whales to Binance have fallen as much as 44% since June 12, with retail inflows declining less sharply.
Technically, Bitcoin is testing a widely watched 50-month trend level, where sell-side activity could determine whether the range holds.
Fed and inflation headline risk returns to the front of crypto
The immediate driver for risk assets remains the US interest-rate outlook. Attention is centered on the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision set for Wednesday, July 29, chaired by Kevin Warsh. Expectations around further tightening have remained volatile, with geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation concerns keeping the possibility of additional rate hikes on the table.
According to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, the probability of a hike at the upcoming meeting is about 31%, while odds for a September increase are higher—around 50%.
Those expectations were not static. Earlier Monday, oil prices fell about 8% after developments involving the US and Iran paused strikes, according to the article’s reporting. That shift was reflected in Fed pricing as rate-hike odds moved from 37.4% to 33.7%.
Beyond the headline odds, traders are also tracking bond-market signals. Mosaic Asset Company noted in its “The Market Mosaic” newsletter that the 30-year Treasury yield is testing a breakout level. The firm referenced how, in May, the 30-year yield saw a false move above the 5% resistance area that had held since late 2023. A stronger long-end move can still matter for broader financial conditions—even if the long end plays a smaller direct role in funding the government than it once did.
PCE may offer clues on whether inflation is cooling fast enough
Inflation data is the other pillar for the week. On Thursday, markets will focus on the June Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, with the prior month’s reading described as a three-year high at 4.1% year over year. The report’s importance for crypto lies in how quickly traders can reprice the probability of Fed actions once the inflation trajectory becomes clearer.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is expected to publish the June PCE numbers (as referenced in the article). IMEN, in an X post cited by the report, predicted that June PCE inflation would come in moderately below May, forecasting 3.7% year over year.
That kind of move could help explain the market’s recent sensitivity. The article notes that June’s PCE release coincided with Bitcoin dipping to macro lows around $58,000, underscoring how inflation surprises can quickly ripple through risk sentiment.
Bitcoin’s equity link looks muted—but not immune
One of the more notable themes from the reporting is that Bitcoin’s correlation with major equity benchmarks has appeared unusually weak on longer timeframes. TradingView data referenced in the article suggests the daily correlation between BTC/USD and the S&P 500—using a 20-week loopback window—is “practically absent,” at levels not seen since March. Against the Nasdaq Composite, the correlation coefficient is reported around 0.11, last observed in mid-February.
That matters because it implies Bitcoin may be trading more on its own set of drivers than pure equity beta. However, the report cautions that bearish macro or geopolitical developments can still force correlations back into view, especially when markets are repricing discount rates.
Equities themselves are not providing a clean tailwind. US corporate earnings have reportedly continued to exceed expectations, but the article points to historically elevated valuations as a reason rallies may struggle to absorb further shocks. It also highlights that several major tech names saw notable drawdowns in the prior week, with “Magnificent 7” losses totaling about 5.3% through Friday, after earlier sell-offs tied to $GOOGL and $TSLA.
Even so, the Kobeissi Letter cited in the article argued that margins and earnings beats remain strong across the S&P 500 so far, and that AI is supporting earnings growth. Investors should recognize the tension here: solid earnings can reduce the immediate pressure, but higher rates can still cap multiples and undermine market breadth.
From exchange flows to BTC price levels: what to watch next
Alongside macro risk, crypto-specific positioning is also under scrutiny. CryptoQuant’s analysis—quoted in the article—focuses on BTC transfer flows to Binance. The firm reports that whale inflows to Binance have dropped by as much as 44% since June 12, while retail inflows have fallen 22%.
In the same blog post referenced by the article, contributor Amr Taha wrote that retail inflows are roughly twice whale inflows, leaving a gap of $3.9 billion. The interpretation offered is that the composition of transfers has shifted: retail participants are currently more active than whales in sending BTC to exchanges.
That distinction matters because exchange inflows can influence sell-side readiness, though it does not automatically translate into immediate selling. Still, Taha frames the FOMC meeting as a “major macro catalyst” that could test whether this divergence between retail and whale behavior persists or starts to converge.
The report also points to signs of active redistribution at Binance, noting single-day withdrawals of over 9,000 BTC last week, as previously covered by Cointelegraph.
On the market chart, Bitcoin’s near-term behavior remains range-bound. After the Sunday weekly close, the article says BTC reached a local high of $65,680 on Bitstamp, but it remains engaged in a familiar contest with the 50-month exponential moving average trend line. Trader and analyst Rekt Capital is cited warning that sell-side pressure appears to be building at this resistance area.
Rekt Capital’s view, as quoted, is that if seller volume dominates while Bitcoin is held at resistance, rejection becomes more likely. The analysis also references the 200-week simple moving average, describing price as “sandwiched” between the 200-week SMA and the 50-month EMA—setting up a scenario where continued compression could eventually force a volatility expansion.
For traders and long-term observers alike, the next key questions revolve around whether macro data and the Fed decision reinforce current risk pricing or trigger a sharper repricing. If PCE and post-FOMC guidance confirm a higher-for-longer path, Bitcoin’s exchange-flow shifts and its resistance-area compression may matter more than usual; if inflation cools meaningfully, the market could regain room to break out of its current “boring” range.
This article was originally published as Bitcoin Weekly: Why the Rate Path Still Splits Investor Bets on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Bitcoin moved higher at the start of the week’s first Wall Street session, testing fresh local highs as broader markets opened in positive territory. The latest push came alongside reports of a pause in US–Iran tensions and renewed efforts connected to the Strait of Hormuz—an outcome that traders viewed as a near-term reduction in geopolitical risk.
According to TradingView data cited in market coverage, BTC/USD spiked toward the $66,000 area as risk assets gained traction. At the time of writing, US equity benchmarks such as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were up by roughly 0.3%, while WTI crude oil dipped before a modest rebound, reflecting a less volatile energy backdrop than earlier in the month.
Key takeaways
Bitcoin pushed toward new local highs near $66,000 after a reported easing in US–Iran strike activity.
Iranian and Omani discussions tied to maritime traffic via the Strait of Hormuz supported sentiment, with oil moving less sharply.
BTC held two key short-to-medium-term trend levels on the daily chart: the 21-day and 50-day SMAs near $64.3k and $63.3k.
Despite the bounce, market commentary emphasized the price base as “fragile,” with traders watching for follow-through toward $66k–$67k.
Crypto short liquidations increased as price rose, with CoinGlass data showing the figure nearing $250 million over 24 hours.
Geopolitics and risk assets lift BTC at the open
The immediate catalyst for Bitcoin’s uptick was macro-linked sentiment tied to the Middle East. TradingView data showed BTC/USD jumping toward $66,000 as traders responded to reports that there had been a pause in strikes between the US and Iran.
Additional reporting referenced statements by an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman indicating that Tehran and Oman were “trying to establish mechanisms regarding maritime traffic” through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil flows that had been closed. While headlines about reopenings and “mechanisms” can remain fluid, the market impact was clear: energy risk eased at the margin, and that helped equities—and Bitcoin—start the session with momentum.
WTI crude oil, often treated as a proxy for near-term geopolitical stress, fell toward about $82 per barrel before recovering modestly. The combination of a steadier oil tape and higher equity futures aligns with a classic “risk-on” relationship that can temporarily benefit liquidity in major crypto markets.
Macro headwinds remain, but crypto’s July performance stands out
Even with the immediate tailwind, traders were careful not to overstate the durability of the move. One potential constraint mentioned in the coverage was the risk of higher US bond yields, which can weigh on assets with lower real-yield support.
QCP Capital argued that—despite a more challenging macro backdrop—digital assets had generally outperformed equities during July. In its “Market Color” analysis, the firm said BTC and ETH were up about 11.6% and 24.6% month-to-date, respectively, noting that higher Treasury yields and periodic risk-off episodes had pressured broader markets.
Importantly for investors focused on regulation, QCP also flagged attention around the proposed CLARITY Act. The analysis described ongoing interest from digital asset participants because the bill could affect the US regulatory framework for the sector. The CLARITY Act was referenced as being under consideration, with market participants watching for any progress that could shift expectations around how digital asset rules might evolve.
Support levels hold—yet traders want proof beyond the bounce
On the chart, the rally’s quality mattered as much as the direction. Crypto trader and analyst Michaël van de Poppe highlighted that BTC was holding the 21-day and 50-day simple moving averages (SMAs). The levels cited were approximately $64,289 for the 21-day SMA and $63,261 for the 50-day SMA—areas that often function as magnets for both discretionary traders and systematic strategies.
Van de Poppe characterized the holding as a “strong signal” for long-biased positioning, but added that the structure was still “a little fragile.” In a posted view on X, he indicated he would prefer to see a decisive advance into the $66,000–$67,000 band within the next 1–3 days, which would indicate more persistent demand rather than a single-session push.
That distinction is crucial. A market can rise quickly toward resistance levels and still fail if buyers don’t expand after the initial liquidity draw. For traders, the next test is not just whether BTC reaches the higher range, but whether it can keep the bid long enough to convert a “spike” into a sustained move.
Liquidations rise as shorts get squeezed
Alongside price strength, liquidation data suggested that the move was accompanied by short-covering. CoinGlass data referenced in the coverage showed crypto short liquidations increasing as BTC rallied, with the metric nearing $250 million over a 24-hour period.
Liquidation spikes can be interpreted in two ways: they may signal aggressive leverage being forced out, or they may reflect a crowded short position that becomes vulnerable when the market turns upward. Either way, when large liquidation prints occur near key technical levels, they often coincide with bursts of volatility—meaning traders may see both acceleration and faster reversals if price fails to hold.
What to watch next
With BTC holding important moving averages while testing the upper end of the near-term range, the market now appears to be waiting for confirmation. Traders are watching whether Bitcoin can sustain interest into the $66,000–$67,000 zone, while broader risk sentiment could hinge on continued developments around US–Iran tensions and any tangible progress related to Strait of Hormuz maritime arrangements.
This article was originally published as Bitcoin Holds Near $66K as Stocks Rally After Iran-Strike Pause on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

HashKey Holdings says it has consolidated its exchange operations into a single user-facing platform, bringing together what were previously separate apps for different regions. In an announcement released Monday, the Hong Kong digital asset services firm said customers across Hong Kong, “Global,” Singapore, and the Middle East (Dubai) will use the same application—while compliance controls are handled according to each jurisdiction’s legal requirements.
The update reflects a broader shift away from early “regional silo” exchange models, where licensing and front-end products were often kept separate to reduce compliance complexity. HashKey’s approach is built around a principle it describes as “unified entry, localized compliance.”
Key takeaways
HashKey has merged its HashKey Exchange and HashKey Global into one platform and one application for users across multiple regions.
The front-end experience is centralized, while regulatory compliance is managed based on each customer’s legislative domain.
HashKey frames the change as a move from earlier jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction exchange silos toward a unified model.
Other major exchanges have implemented similar structures, though with different ways of routing users to local legal entities.
One app across regions, with compliance tailored locally
HashKey said it has consolidated core jurisdictional hubs—including Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle East (Dubai), and Bermuda—under a single platform and application. While the firm’s statement emphasizes that the “front-end” is unified, it also stresses that the system is designed to remain compliant with local frameworks by managing compliance requirements in line with each user’s jurisdiction.
Under HashKey’s model, users download the same application, but the platform applies localized compliance handling across the Hong Kong, Global, Singapore, and Middle East regions. In practical terms, that means the product experience is simpler to access, even though the legal and regulatory obligations still differ by geography.
Why unified platforms are becoming more common
HashKey’s announcement positions the merger as an evolution from the early days of virtual asset trading. In those early stages, many licensed exchanges operated through regional silos—separate platforms, separate apps, and often separate operational setups—to make it easier to compartmentalize compliance.
According to HashKey, its updated structure is intended to preserve compliance benefits while reducing friction for users who operate across or move between markets. The promise is a single front-end that can simplify access to systems expected to remain aligned with local regulatory requirements, as compliance is managed within the platform rather than through separate customer-facing products.
For traders and liquidity providers, a unified application can also reduce the risk of confusion around which interface, account type, or supported features apply in different jurisdictions. For the operator, it can streamline development and user onboarding workflows by consolidating the customer entry point while maintaining jurisdiction-specific controls in the background.
How this compares with other exchanges’ structures
HashKey is not alone in moving toward centralized user experiences paired with jurisdiction-specific legal coverage.
As one comparison, the article notes that OKX presents its website and mobile apps as one platform. However, OKX’s terms reportedly assign customers to different providers based on residence. In other words, the customer-facing “one app” concept is paired with a legal routing layer that maps users to the appropriate entity depending on where they are.
Kraken provides another example. The announcement referenced that Kraken consolidated a Dutch broker entity—BCM—into its platform after acquiring it in September 2024. Kraken has also expanded its European offering through a MiCA structure: the firm reportedly began serving the EEA through its Irish MiCA entity in August, suggesting that compliance alignment is achieved within a unified operational framework.
These comparisons underscore that while the “single platform” idea is spreading, implementations can differ. The key variable is how an exchange ties a unified front-end to jurisdiction-appropriate regulatory responsibility—whether by assigning users to distinct providers behind the scenes or by applying compliance processes localized to each customer’s jurisdiction.
What users should watch after the consolidation
HashKey’s transition to a single application across multiple regions raises questions that matter most to customers: how onboarding flows will change, how jurisdiction-specific feature access will be reflected in the user experience, and whether account management will remain seamless when users interact with region-specific compliance requirements.
For regulators and industry observers, the merger is also a useful test case for whether exchanges can maintain strong compliance controls while consolidating products and codebases—an approach that could become more attractive as regulatory regimes mature and operational efficiency becomes a competitive differentiator.
Readers should watch for further details on the rollout mechanics, such as how HashKey handles user migration from previously separate platforms and how the unified app communicates jurisdiction-dependent limitations, if any. As the exchange environment continues to tighten, the ability to centralize the user interface without diluting regulatory obligations will likely be a key measure of operational readiness.
This article was originally published as HashKey Consolidates Regional Crypto Exchanges Into One Platform on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Strategy, the corporate software firm best known for its large Bitcoin treasury, continued to reshape its capital structure last week by selling common stock under its at-the-market program and repurchasing preferred shares.
According to company disclosures, Strategy sold 5,429,160 shares of its Class A common stock through an at-the-market (ATM) offering between July 20 and July 26, generating $544.5 million in net proceeds. In parallel, the company repurchased 288,930 shares of its STRC preferred stock for $25 million, as detailed in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
Key takeaways
Strategy raised $544.5 million in net proceeds from an at-the-market sale of 5.43 million Class A shares between July 20 and July 26.
In the same period, the company spent $25 million to repurchase 288,930 shares of STRC preferred stock.
Strategy’s U.S. dollar reserve increased to $3.75 billion as of July 26, up from $3.225 billion the prior week.
Strategy reported no Bitcoin purchases or sales during July 20-26, leaving its holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC.
The move follows Michael Saylor’s latest social media post, which some observers interpreted as a potential signal about future preferred-stock strategy.
ATM stock sales and STRC preferred buyback
Strategy’s latest financing activity combined two parts: common stock issuance and preferred share repurchases. The Class A share sales were executed via Strategy’s at-the-market offering, allowing the company to issue shares in smaller increments rather than a single large raise.
The preferred buyback is notable because it suggests the company is not only expanding its liquidity through equity markets, but also actively managing its preferred instrument in the capital stack. The $25 million repurchase covered 288,930 shares of STRC preferred stock, per the SEC Form 8-K filed Monday.
While market pricing can shift quickly around corporate actions, Yahoo Finance data cited in the original reporting indicated Strategy’s Class A shares were up more than 2% in Monday’s premarket trading, and STRC preferred shares were higher ahead of the Nasdaq open.
Bitcoin holdings unchanged as cash reserves grow
Despite the increased equity activity, Strategy reported no Bitcoin trades during the July 20-26 window. The company stated its BTC holdings remained at 843,775 BTC, acquired at an average purchase price of $75,476 per Bitcoin, representing an aggregate cost basis of $63.69 billion.
At the time of publication, Bitcoin was reported as trading around $64,971. Strategy’s lack of BTC buying or selling during this specific period means the new liquidity primarily supports corporate objectives rather than immediate additions to its treasury.
Strategy also highlighted how the company intends to use its expanded cash: maintaining liquidity as it increases capital markets activity through common stock offerings and preferred stock instruments. The growing dollar reserve is designed to support dividend payments on preferred stock and interest payments on its outstanding debt.
From “another color” to expectations on preferred strategy
The financing update arrived after executive chairman Michael Saylor sparked speculation on Sunday with an X post referencing “another color.” Some market observers interpreted the phrase as a hint that Strategy could implement additional actions related to its preferred stock approach.
Separately, the preferred stock repurchase and the continued buildup of cash reserves underscore that Strategy’s capital structure management remains tightly linked to its broader treasury and funding strategy. For investors, the key issue is how these moves affect future returns and risk: common stock issuance can dilute shareholders if priced below intrinsic value, while preferred repurchases may reduce fixed obligations, depending on the terms and market conditions.
Saylor reignites debate over banks and Bitcoin’s path
Strategy’s latest corporate filings also surfaced in the context of renewed discussion prompted by Saylor about Bitcoin’s relationship with traditional finance. On X, Saylor argued that rejecting Bitcoin’s connection to financial infrastructure would restrict access to most potential users, suggesting that integration with banks is necessary for broader adoption.
That position drew pushback from some Bitcoin supporters who contend the network’s original intent—outlined in Bitcoin’s white paper as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system—was to reduce the need for financial intermediaries. The exchange highlighted an enduring divide inside the ecosystem: one camp views banks and legacy rails as essential gateways to mainstream usage, while the other sees such involvement as a risk to Bitcoin’s decentralized foundation.
In practice, Strategy sits in the middle of that tension. As a publicly traded company with a large BTC treasury, its operations depend on conventional capital markets. Its use of common stock offerings and preferred instruments illustrates how corporate Bitcoin exposure often relies on the same financial infrastructure that some Bitcoin purists view with skepticism.
Going forward, investors will likely watch whether Strategy’s expanded cash reserve is followed by additional BTC purchases in subsequent reporting windows, and whether Saylor’s “another color” comment evolves into specific preferred-stock actions. The immediate uncertainty remains the timing and purpose of the next treasury decisions—whether liquidity is mainly for near-term corporate obligations or for accelerating Bitcoin accumulation later.
This article was originally published as MSTR Trading Plan Cuts Shares, Adds $25M in STRC Preferred Stock on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson has warned Bitcoin could lose its dominance if its governance system and community fail to coordinate a response to the quantum computing threat.
Bitcoin developers are already working on post-quantum solutions, including BIP 361, which proposes moving away from ECDSA and Schnorr signatures after a post-quantum system is selected.
Quantum Threat Could End Bitcoin Dominance
Hoskinson’s warning came during an interview with The Starting Block. The Cardano co-founder described Bitcoin as being “stuck in time” because any changes to the network require consensus across stakeholders including users, miners, node operators, and developers. According to Hoskinson, frustration with Bitcoin’s rigidity and inflexibility was one of the reasons behind the creation of Ethereum. Hoskinson was one of the original co-founders of Ethereum along with Vitalik Buterin. He stated during the interview, “The issue with Bitcoin is it’s frozen in time. It’s very difficult to change anything.”
Bitcoin uses elliptic-curve cryptography to prove the ownership of funds. Quantum computers, in theory, could decipher private keys from the public keys and authorize transactions without the owner’s knowledge or approval. Hoskinson believes the quantum threat could pose a major risk to the flagship cryptocurrency and its $1.3 trillion market capitalization, eventually stripping it of its dominance unless its governance mechanism adapts without impacting the qualities that give it value. “What made Bitcoin so strong is it survived external threats … including the loss of its founder. Quantum computers are yet another threat … if Bitcoin’s governance is such that it’s impossible actually to make meaningful progress, or they compromise the core reason to use Bitcoin, I don’t think Bitcoin’s going to stay the number one cryptocurrency.”
Cardano Better Equipped for Technical Threats
Hoskinson argued that Cardano’s formal on-chain governance and ability to approve upgrades make it better at responding to threats like the one confronting Bitcoin.
“Cardano is, in many ways, a spiritual successor [to Bitcoin]. It reflects correcting a lot of things that I think that Satoshi couldn’t get around to because of expertise or time but was directionally moving there.”
Cardano moved to full community governance after the Plomin hard fork in January 2025. ADA token holders can vote or delegate their vote to representatives called DReps. A constitutional committee and stake pool operators also participate in key decisions. This system helps Cardano approve hard forks and treasury decisions on-chain. Hoskinson argued that Cardano could use the system to vote on migrating away from quantum-vulnerable infrastructure.
Hoskinson added that Cardano is preparing for its largest upgrade, which would make the network “60-times faster.”
Not a Perfect System
However, Cardano has yet to undertake or complete such a migration because its governance system must evaluate technical designs, approve funding, and organize users, developers, and service providers. Cardano’s governance system has also witnessed several disputes. Cardano delegates recently rejected and challenged several proposals linked to Hoskinson and Input Output, including a proposal to research Leios scaling and quantum-resistant cryptography.
Bitcoin Developers Exploring Post-Quantum Options
Bitcoin’s governance allows developers to propose code. However, users and node operators decide on its implementation. Miners, exchanges, and wallet providers also influence decision-making. While this helps avoid frequent changes, it makes urgent coordination difficult. The community is tracking BIP-361, a proposal that phases out legacy ECDSA and Schnorr signatures to protect the network against the quantum threat. Several other proposals are also under consideration, including ones advocating new address formats, hybrid signatures, and recovery paths.
However, any measure will require wallets, exchanges, custodians, and dormant holders to migrate their funds without splitting the network or creating conflicting ownership rules.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
This article was originally published as Charles Hoskinson Warns Quantum Threat Could Dethrone Bitcoin on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

European regulators have extended the scope of their Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) oversight by adding 15 new crypto-asset service providers to ESMA’s interim MiCA register, bringing the total number of licensed providers to 309. The update was published on Friday and follows the EU’s July 1 transitional deadline for firms operating under the new framework.
According to ESMA’s latest register update, the new additions include providers across banking and digital-asset infrastructure, signaling continued momentum as companies complete licensing steps under Europe’s unified crypto rules.
Key takeaways
ESMA’s interim MiCA register now lists 309 licensed crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) after 15 new additions were published.
BNY SA/NV—part of BNY Mellon’s banking group—is among the newly registered firms.
Germany and Denmark led the latest wave, with three new CASPs added in each country.
ESMA reported no changes in this update to other MiCA-related registers covering issuers and non-compliant entities.
Industry observers continue to debate the long-term burden of MiCA compliance for smaller firms.
New CASPs join ESMA’s interim MiCA register
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated its MiCA register on Friday as part of an ongoing effort to map which crypto firms have met regulatory requirements. ESMA’s page on the MiCA framework shows that, in this third post-deadline update, the number of listed CASPs rose to 309.
The latest additions include four banking institutions. One is BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of the US banking group BNY Mellon. The other newly listed banks are three German institutions, reflecting how traditional financial firms are progressively positioning themselves within MiCA’s permitted activities.
Beyond banking, ESMA’s list also includes digital-asset platforms such as BitPay and other providers including Coinify and Bleap, demonstrating that payment and infrastructure-focused companies continue to work through the licensing process.
Geography shows where licensing is moving fastest
ESMA’s update highlights uneven geographic progress across the bloc. Germany and Denmark recorded the largest number of new CASPs in this round, with three providers added in each country.
Bulgaria and Latvia followed with two additions each, while Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each added one provider.
Among the German additions, ESMA listed cooperative financial societies including Spar-und Kreditbank Rheinstetten and VR-Bank Augsburg-Ostallgäu, along with Raiffeisenbank Falkenstein-Wörth.
Other newly listed providers named in the update include Altcoins BG and Digital Assist in Bulgaria; SafeLynx Technologies and Januar in Denmark; and Bleap and Nodu Digital in Latvia.
Regulators keep expanding after the July 1 deadline
The Friday update is part of ESMA’s broader post-deadline process to ensure MiCA licensing becomes operational across the EU. ESMA previously published register additions after July 1—including a second post-deadline update that added 14 CASPs. Earlier coverage noted that this second update included well-known industry players such as Ripple Payments Europe.
Importantly, ESMA’s latest publication did not signal changes to other MiCA-related registers in this specific update. ESMA reported no changes to lists covering authorized issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs), e-money tokens (EMTs), and other crypto assets, nor to registers of entities categorized as non-compliant.
That split—adding more CASPs while leaving other register categories unchanged—suggests that licensing progress is not uniform across the MiCA value chain. Some types of MiCA permissions may require longer review cycles or depend on different documentation and compliance steps than service-provider authorizations.
Why the register updates matter for firms and users
For market participants, ESMA’s evolving interim register functions as a practical checkpoint. It provides a clearer view of which providers have successfully moved into MiCA-regulated status, which can influence partnerships, custody and onboarding decisions, and compliance processes for businesses choosing counterparties.
While the register continues to expand, ESMA’s work also underscores that MiCA implementation is a moving target. The framework introduced Europe’s first unified regulatory regime for crypto-asset services, but the path from “operating” to “authorized under MiCA” remains procedural—requiring firms to complete licensing steps across jurisdictions and within ESMA’s register process.
At the same time, concerns about the cost of compliance have persisted. In earlier reporting, Gate Europe CEO Giovanni Cunti warned that some licensed firms may struggle to sustain the compliance resources required over the long term, particularly smaller operators that may find the ongoing burden harder to absorb.
That tension—more providers entering the register, but questions around affordability and scalability—could shape how the MiCA market develops. Investors and counterparties may need to weigh not only whether a firm is licensed, but also whether it can maintain the operational capacity to comply consistently as the framework matures.
What to watch next
With ESMA continuing to publish successive register updates, the next question for EU observers is whether upcoming additions accelerate across other MiCA categories—such as token issuers—rather than concentrating solely on CASPs. Market participants should also monitor whether compliance pressures intensify for smaller firms as the licensing pipeline progresses beyond the initial post-deadline wave.
This article was originally published as BNY Mellon Unit Enters MiCA Register as ESMA Lists 15 New CASPs on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

European regulators have expanded the public register of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) operating under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, adding 15 new firms in the latest ESMA update released after the July 1 transitional deadline.
According to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the interim MiCA register now lists 309 licensed CASPs. The newest entries include several banks, as well as digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify and Bleap.
Key takeaways
ESMA’s latest MiCA register update adds 15 CASPs, bringing the interim total to 309 licensed providers.
Banking groups are among the largest new entrants, including BNY SA/NV and multiple German banks.
Germany and Denmark contributed the most new registrations, with three additions each.
ESMA reported no changes in other MiCA registers in this update for issuers of ARTs and EMTs, or for crypto asset categories and non-compliant entities.
Industry concerns persist that compliance costs could pressure smaller firms to exit the market.
ESMA adds 15 CASPs as MiCA roster keeps growing
ESMA’s update, published on Friday, continues the step-by-step buildout of the MiCA licensing pipeline since the July 1 deadline for firms to transition into the regime. MiCA is designed to create the EU’s first unified framework for crypto services, replacing a patchwork of national rules with standardized oversight.
In this third post-deadline register update, ESMA’s interim list for regulated providers increased from prior levels by 15 new CASPs. Among the additions are four banking institutions, including BNY SA/NV—identified in ESMA’s update as the Belgian subsidiary of BNY Mellon.
Where the new registrations came from
The geographic distribution of the new CASPs underscores how MiCA licensing is spreading across member states. ESMA reports that Germany and Denmark led the latest additions, with three newly listed CASPs in each country. Bulgaria and Latvia followed with two new providers each.
Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each recorded one addition in this round, indicating a broader but uneven rollout pattern across Europe.
The German entries include cooperative institutions and a regional bank: Spar-und Kreditbank Rheinstetten, VR-Bank Augsburg-Ostallgäu, and Raiffeisenbank Falkenstein-Wörth. Denmark’s new registrations include SafeLynx Technologies and Januar, described as a digital asset infrastructure company.
Other newly listed providers named in ESMA’s update include Bulgaria’s Altcoins BG and Digital Assist, and Latvia-registered firms Bleap and Nodu Digital. In addition to these regional entities, digital asset platforms also appear among the new CASPs, including BitPay, Coinify and Bleap.
MiCA expansion continues after the July 1 transitional deadline
This update follows ESMA’s second post-deadline register changes, when the regulator added 14 CASPs after July 1. Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that some major industry participants were among those earlier additions, including Ripple Payments Europe.
While the CASP list grew again this time, ESMA said its latest update did not affect other MiCA-related registers. Those include authorized issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs) and e-money tokens (EMTs), as well as registers covering crypto assets and non-compliant entities. For market participants, this distinction matters: the CASP register reflects entities providing regulated services, while token issuer categories are tracked separately.
That separation also helps explain why the MiCA rollout can appear uneven across the ecosystem. Even when service providers reach licensing milestones, the authorization process for token issuers and specific issuer categories may follow different timelines and require different documentation.
Why the growing CASP list matters—and what to watch next
For investors and users, a larger number of MiCA-licensed CASPs can translate into clearer regulatory expectations around custody, exchange services, and other crypto-asset activities—assuming firms comply with ongoing MiCA obligations. For builders and fintech operators, the register’s expansion provides a real-time signal that licensing is progressing beyond announcement stages and into operational authorization.
At the same time, ESMA’s continued additions also highlight that MiCA implementation remains an evolving process. Even after the July 1 transitional deadline, ESMA’s register continues to change as companies complete licensing procedures across different European markets.
Beyond the register itself, the sustainability of compliance requirements remains a live issue. Earlier reporting from Cointelegraph cited Gate Europe CEO Giovanni Cunti warning that the cost of maintaining a MiCA license could weigh on smaller firms, potentially making it harder for them to keep up with compliance resources over the long term.
As ESMA publishes further updates, market participants should monitor not only how quickly the CASP roster expands, but also whether changes begin to appear in the token issuer registers—ARTs, EMTs, and other crypto asset categories. That shift would indicate MiCA’s next phase is moving beyond service providers into a broader portion of the crypto value chain.
This article was originally published as BNY Mellon Unit Enters MiCA Register as ESMA Adds 15 Providers on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, plans to roll out crypto trading infrastructure by December 2026. The announcement comes ahead of new regulations for crypto trading, custody, and settlement that come into force from September 1, 2026.
Russia’s crypto push comes as the European Union readies new sanctions targeting the country over the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Sberbank Plans Crypto Infrastructure Rollout
Sberbank plans to build and launch critical crypto trading infrastructure, including a digital depository, by December 1, 2026. The bank is leading Moscow’s efforts to bring cryptocurrency trading, custody, and settlement into the mainstream financial system. Sberbank’s announcement comes after Russia approved new rules for cryptocurrency exchanges, brokers, banks, and digital depositories. The new regulations come into force on September 1, 2026. Companies will also be given additional time to ensure compliance with the new requirements.
“Russia’s Largest Bank Sberbank Plans Crypto Trading Infrastructure: Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, plans to build cryptocurrency trading infrastructure and launch a digital custody system by Dec. 1 to support regulated crypto trading, custody and settlement.” – Wu Blockchain
The digital depository will record cryptocurrency ownership and process transactions outside the primary blockchain. Sberbank will also operate wallets for client deposits, withdrawals, and transfers. Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy chairman of Sberbank’s management board, stated,
“One of the key elements of the new infrastructure will be a digital depository, which will maintain records of clients’ cryptocurrency rights and account for transactions outside the main blockchain. It will also facilitate transactions on active wallets to fulfill clients’ currency transfer orders.”
However, the bank is yet to disclose eligibility, fees, withdrawal limits, or which cryptocurrencies are supported by the framework.
Sberbank Expanding Crypto Services
Sberbank joined Russia’s register of information system operators in 2022, and has since issued several digital financial assets and products linked to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and other assets. As mentioned earlier, the bank was already working on a digital asset depository and cryptocurrency wallet. It could also give customers access to foreign cryptocurrency exchanges depending on prevailing regulatory requirements. Sberbank has also dabbled in cryptocurrency-backed lending, completing a pilot loan with Bitcoin miner Intellion Data. According to reports, the bank has considered offering similar loans to corporate customers.
Russia’s Crypto Market Framework
Russian lawmakers concluded a final reading on a bill to regulate cryptocurrencies in the country. The bill gives the Bank of Russia oversight of the cryptocurrency market, including the authority to dictate which cryptocurrencies are offered through licensed intermediaries. The bill categorizes market participants, dictating which entities can buy, sell, hold, and exchange crypto assets once the framework comes into effect. The Bank of Russia has set an average market capitalization of over 5 trillion rubles (~$64 billion) and an average 24-hour volume of 1 trillion rubles (~$12.8 billion) over two years for cryptocurrencies offered under the framework.
Moscow’s push for a regulated crypto framework comes as the EU imposed another tranche of sanctions and also listed the HTX cryptocurrency exchange in the sanctions for “providing crypto asset services or payment services established outside of the Union that are significantly frustrating the purpose of the prohibitions against Russia.”
EU officials have also barred Belarusian nationals and residents from owning, controlling, or managing cryptocurrency exchanges in compliance with the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework.
According to the Bank of Russia, the new framework allows investors to purchase crypto assets through regulated intermediaries. However, qualified and non-qualified investors are subject to different limits. Both qualified and non-qualified investors must pass a test to become eligible to purchase crypto assets. However, qualified investors can access more cryptocurrencies and are not subject to an annual limit when investing. On the other hand, non-qualified investors can access limited digital assets and can only purchase 300,000 rubles worth of crypto per year through a single intermediary.
Russian Companies Prepare For New Framework
Other entities are also preparing for the new framework. VTB and T-Bank are developing their own digital depository services, while the Moscow Exchange is considering offering regulated crypto operations. Alfa Bank has also tested custody tools and cryptocurrency services, a clear indicator that major players in Russia’s financial sector are preparing themselves before the licensing deadline.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
This article was originally published as Sberbank Plans Crypto Trading Infrastructure Launch By Year-End on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

As BitMart moves toward a planned wind-down, customer withdrawals are becoming the market’s most immediate stress test. Blockchain analytics account Lookonchain reported that withdrawals appeared to slow significantly after the exchange announced operational restrictions tied to its closure timetable.
On Monday, Lookonchain said it observed 58 wallets withdrawing roughly $805,000 in more than 24 hours. It also claimed BitMart processed no withdrawals during the latest eight-hour window it tracked, while some users on X described delays and account warnings related to withdrawal processing.
Key takeaways
Lookonchain reported only 58 withdrawals totaling about $805,000 over 24+ hours, with no withdrawals during an eight-hour period tracked.
Some users on X claimed they received “completed” withdrawal emails despite on-chain withdrawal freezes or pending transactions.
BitMart has said withdrawals remain available, but requests may face additional compliance and security reviews.
BitMart’s wind-down includes ending trading services on Aug. 26 and ceasing operations entirely on Jan. 31, 2027.
On-chain data cited by Arkham suggests BitMart-linked wallets held about $69 million in crypto assets on Monday, down from roughly $102 million on July 6.
Withdrawal activity under scrutiny
The clearest measurable signal so far comes from Lookonchain, which framed Monday’s results as a slowdown in outflows from BitMart. In its report on X, it did not present a verified explanation for the pause, but the figures—58 withdrawing wallets totaling approximately $805,000 over 24 hours—highlight a stark contrast to the normal behavior many exchanges see during stable operating periods.
Lookonchain also added that BitMart did not process any withdrawals during the final eight hours of its tracking window. If the pattern holds, it would suggest that either fewer customers are attempting withdrawals or that outgoing transfers are being held back by internal checks.
That uncertainty is compounded by user reports. Two X posts described issues that could align with additional screening or operational constraints. One user said an email indicated a USDT withdrawal had been completed even though they claimed no transaction had appeared and their account displayed an “on-chain withdrawal freeze.” Another user said a $30 test withdrawal remained pending for more than 30 minutes.
These individual accounts have not been independently verified, but they are consistent with the kind of operational friction customers often expect when an exchange is preparing to wind down—particularly when withdrawals are still enabled but processing may be gated.
BitMart’s “orderly” wind-down and what it means for customers
BitMart has previously stated that withdrawals will remain available, while warning that requests may face additional compliance and security checks. According to the exchange’s published notice regarding the orderly cessation of operations, these reviews can include examinations of customer identities, login devices, withdrawal addresses, trading histories, and sources of funds.
The notice also indicates the exchange may request proof of identity, address, source of funds, or ownership of the receiving wallet. For customers, this matters because even when withdrawals are technically possible, the timing can vary depending on whether an account or transaction triggers enhanced verification.
In that context, the key question for users is not only whether withdrawals are enabled, but whether the promised “orderly” wind-down translates into predictable processing for the remaining volume. If withdrawal handling stays consistent, the episode could remain contained. If delays broaden—or appear uneven across customers—it could intensify confidence concerns.
Cointelegraph attempted to contact BitMart for comment, but did not receive a response before publication.
Trading shutdown dates and the broader market backdrop
BitMart’s wind-down plan has already been laid out. Earlier, the exchange announced it would stop accepting new registrations and deposits and would restrict new spot orders and futures positions. Trading services are scheduled to end on Aug. 26, with the platform expected to cease operations entirely on Jan. 31, 2027.
As that timeline approaches, analysts and investors typically watch for two related indicators: whether customer funds can exit efficiently, and whether the exchange’s remaining token ecosystem reflects mounting pressure.
Arkham-identified wallets attributed to BitMart held about $69 million in crypto assets on Monday, down from roughly $102 million on July 6, according to the entity’s on-chain listing. While this does not, by itself, prove the pace of customer withdrawals, it provides a snapshot of the scale of assets tied to BitMart-linked addresses as the wind-down progresses.
Meanwhile, BitMart’s BMX token continued to struggle. CoinGecko data cited in the underlying reporting put BMX near $0.057 on Monday, after falling about 81.5% over seven days. The token was trading around $0.31 late Friday before the exchange’s shutdown became widely public.
The decline has also kept an eye on a separate but related issue: whether stronger exchanges might absorb smaller competitors during closures. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao previously commented that acquiring a centralized exchange can be more complicated than purchasing other types of businesses, because buyers could inherit security vulnerabilities left behind by previous teams, including potential backdoors. He said acquisitions remain possible but require greater scrutiny.
What to watch next for BitMart customers
For customers and observers, the next datapoints to track are straightforward: whether Lookonchain continues to show a near-total slowdown in withdrawals, whether pending and “freeze” reports on X persist across more accounts, and whether BitMart’s compliance checks translate into consistent processing times for approved requests. As trading winds down ahead of Aug. 26 and the cessation date approaches in 2027, withdrawal reliability will likely remain the single most important signal of whether confidence erosion stays contained or escalates into a broader exit narrative.
This article was originally published as BitMart Withdrawals Slow After Wind-Down Announcement on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.