Thailand's securities law overhaul could enhance market transparency, boost competitiveness, and streamline fintech operations, impacting investor dynamics.

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Market optimism may face a harsh reality check, potentially leading to significant volatility if economic conditions deviate from expectations.

The post Deutsche Bank warns markets may be pricing in a ‘Goldilocks’ scenario that doesn’t exist appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The C-17's Moscow landing may signal intensified U.S.-Russia diplomatic or military interactions, impacting NATO-Russia relations significantly.

The post US C-17 lands in Moscow amid Russia-Ukraine tensions, first since 2017 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Increased leverage on Binance for XRP could lead to heightened market volatility, posing risks of rapid liquidation if price trends reverse.

The post Binance XRP leverage ratio reaches highest level in more than 7 months appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Navitas' acquisition of Claros could significantly enhance its market position in AI power solutions, potentially reshaping industry dynamics.

The post Navitas accelerates AI power push with Claros acquisition worth up to $232.8 million appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Cypher Tank Returns to Lugano, Expanding Its Bet on Bitcoin Founders

Cypher Tank is back. 

Applications for 2026’s Bitcoin-focused pitch competition are now open after last year’s event drew over 4,000 participants from 64 countries. 

Like 2025’s event, the format, promoted and funded by the Plan ₿ VC Fund and the Plan ₿ Foundation, pairs a “Shark Tank”-style negotiation format with a documentary-style production, filming real pitches, deals and judge deliberations for release as an online series. 

This year’s edition expands the finalist field to 12 projects — eight for-profit and four nonprofit — up from last year’s eleven, with founders competing to negotiate direct investment from a panel of judges known as the “honey badgers” and to win one of three $100,000 prizes in incubation, acceleration, or relocation services.

Finalists are chosen by committee against three criteria: alignment with the values of individual freedom, privacy, decentralization, and resilience; execution ability, sustainability, and market feasibility; and integration within the broader Plan ₿ ecosystem.

The competition unfolds in four phases. Applications opened August 13 and close September 25, after which finalists are notified starting September 30. The finals themselves run October 25–27 at PoW Space Lugano, immediately following the Plan ₿ Forum — beginning with a coaching day where finalists rehearse pitches with communication experts, followed by two days of live pitching and negotiation split into batches on October 26 and 27.

Winners are selected at the close of the second day. The recorded episodes then go into post-production through the end of the year, airing online in January 2027, with the winners’ incubation and acceleration support kicking off at the end of February once their NDAs lapse.

The show’s first season launched in 2025 with similarly high stakes — over $850,000 in total prizes and a judging panel that included Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, Blockstream’s Adam Back, Ten31’s Matt Odell, Lightning Ventures’ Mike Jarmuz, and Ego Death’s Preston Pysh. 

It rode the momentum of a record-breaking Plan ₿ Forum, which drew more than 4,000 attendees from 64 countries and upward of 800,000 livestream viewers, before its episodes premiered at Plan ₿ Forum El Salvador in January 2026 and winners were formally honored in Lugano that March.

With season two now underway, Cypher Tank is betting that a bigger finalist pool and a tighter four-phase structure can build on that first-season visibility — continuing its push to position Lugano as a global hub for Bitcoin and freedom-tech innovation.

For more information and applications, founders can visit the application portal.

This post Cypher Tank Returns to Lugano, Expanding Its Bet on Bitcoin Founders first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

UK Banks Still Blocking Bitcoin, Policy Group Tells Parliament

Bitcoin Policy UK has slammed British banks for applying blanket restrictions to lawful bitcoin activity. 

The organization said in an announcement Friday that it had submitted evidence to the Crypto and Digital Assets APPG’s parliamentary inquiry into banking access, revealing that no improvements had been made over the past three years in how banks treat bitcoin activity. 

The issue: UK policy treats “crypto” as one thing, so bitcoin is caught by rules written for unbacked tokens and issuer-dependent stablecoins.

The British government has said since 2023 that banks should assess case by case rather than restrict by sector. The group says practice has not followed, and that the gap is widening as the UK moves toward full implementation of its cryptoasset regime in 2027. 

Bitcoin Policy UK called on British banks to give reasons for rejecting bitcoin-related activity. 

“Almost three years after we first raised blanket banking restrictions with the City Minister, our evidence to the Crypto and Digital Assets APPG inquiry shows the problem hasn’t improved,” Bitcoin Policy UK said in a Sunday post on X.  

“Roughly 40% of bank-to-exchange transfers in the UK are currently blocked or delayed.”

The organization filed evidence with the Crypto and Digital Assets All-Party Parliamentary Group’s inquiry into banking access. 

A joint survey by Startup Coalition, the UK Cryptoasset Business Council and Global Digital Finance, published in January 2025, found that half of the UK fintech and crypto firms it canvassed had been refused a bank account or had one closed, and that only 14% had opened and kept an account with one of the country’s nine largest banks. Most were UK-based operations rather than firms with no domestic presence.

Virgin Money, Metro Bank, Starling Bank, TSB and Chase UK block transfers and card payments outright, while Barclays and HSBC cap transfers at £2,500 ($3,400) per transaction, Bitcoin Policy UK said. 

It added that 80% of the exchanges said restrictions had increased over the previous year. None reported an improvement. An IG Group survey from August 2025 found 40% of active crypto investors had a payment blocked or delayed by their own bank.

The submission makes four requests: a regulatory statement that bitcoin activity through an FCA-registered exchange should not face blanket restriction; a duty on banks to give specific reasons and an appeals route; confirmation that FCA registration can serve as a risk basis, as in Hong Kong; and a published periodic measure of restriction levels.

In December, City Minister Lucy Rigby said that Britain can “without a doubt” compete with the United States and become an international hub for cryptoassets.

This post UK Banks Still Blocking Bitcoin, Policy Group Tells Parliament first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Strive Stock Soars After 1,110 Bitcoin Buy 

Strive, Inc. bought 1,110 bitcoin last week, the Dallas-based company’s largest single-week purchase in months, lifting its treasury to 21,356 coins, according to Monday filing. 

The company’s stock (Nasdaq: ASST) soared following the news, with shares trading over 7% higher on Monday. Strive is an asset manager which rebranded in 2025 as the first publicly traded asset-management bitcoin treasury company. In January 2026, Strive completed the acquisition of Semler Scientific in an all-stock deal — the first instance of a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company acquiring another publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company. 

An 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed Strive made the buys from August 17 through August 21 at an average price of about $73,409 per bitcoin, including fees and expenses, for a total near $81.5 million. 

The buy raised Strive’s holdings roughly 5.5% from the 20,246 coins it reported in mid-August, and it lands at prices well above the low-$60,000 range the firm paid through most of the summer. 

Strive funded the purchase with proceeds from at-the-market offerings of its ASST and SATA shares. Cash and cash equivalents stood at $171.9 million, up from the $154.1 million the company reported in July.

A faster pace as prices climb

Monday’s filing marks a sharp change in cadence. Strive bought 147 bitcoin between August 3 and 7 at an average of just over $64,800, then another 79 the following week at $63,231. Last week’s total exceeds those two rounds combined by a factor of five.

The acceleration tracks a rally in the underlying asset. Bitcoin rose nearly 25% last week, closing Friday at $77,387, and traded near $80,000 on Monday. 

ASST closed Friday at $18.22, up almost 13%, and gained more than 5% in premarket trading Monday. SATA preferred shares held near their $100 par value.

Strive now ranks as the seventh-largest public corporate holder of bitcoin, behind Strategy’s 840,447 coins, Twenty One Capital, Metaplanet, MARA and Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company.

Strategy, by contrast, has sat out the market for close to two months while rebuilding its dollar reserve.

Chief executive Matt Cole said Sunday he holds “very strong” conviction that the bitcoin bear market has ended, pointing to breakouts against both the dollar and gold.

This post Strive Stock Soars After 1,110 Bitcoin Buy  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Rally Accelerates, With $80,000 in Sight After ETFs Have Stellar Week 

Bitcoin’s price surged further on Monday, flirting with $80,000 after U.S. exchange-traded funds had their best week since October. 

The leading cryptocurrency was recently trading more than 2% higher over a 24-hour period after flying past $79,155. It earlier on Monday morning in New York reached as high as $79,954. 

Over the past week, the coin has risen 25%. Its rise comes after a sluggish June and July when it mostly traded below $65,000. 

Last week, U.S. investors reversed course and bought up shares in the Bitcoin ETFs, which had their best week since October, when bitcoin notched its record of $126,080. Data from Farside Investors shows that the funds — managed by the likes of BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale, and Morgan Stanley — received $1.9 billion in new cash. 

“This is one of the benefits of a commodity in a constant state of supply shock,” Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst Eric Balchunas wrote on X on Monday. 

The surge in interest in bitcoin’s was triggered by the Treasury Department’s announcement last week to at least double the size of its long-dated bond buybacks.

Since the Treasury made the announcement, yields have gone down, while bitcoin and gold have shot up. The dollar last week was trading at a three-month low and on track for its worst week of August. Bitcoin, on the other hand, had its best week since 2023. 

Positive regulatory news coming out of the White House also helped: President Donald Trump held a meeting with crypto executives earlier last week, and urged lawmakers to get the Clarity Act over the line. 

Lawmakers will vote on the long-awaited crypto legislation, which the digital asset industry has long called for, in September. The proposed law will establish a framework for distinguishing between digital assets that are securities, commodities or payment stablecoins. 

Bitcoin notched an all-time high in October but was hurt later that month after the biggest liquidation event in crypto history saw over $19 billion in bets closed. The coin continued its plunge after the Federal Reserve made it clear it was in no hurry to lower interest rates and investors increasingly threw money at artificial intelligence-related stocks. 

This post Bitcoin Rally Accelerates, With $80,000 in Sight After ETFs Have Stellar Week  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Strategy Again Skips Bitcoin Buy And Establishes USD Cash Dollar Reserve 

Bitcoin treasury Strategy has established a new cash reserve that it will use to buy Bitcoin, according to a Monday filing. 

The Nasdaq-listed company said it not only had increased its typical cash buffer to $5.1 billion but also created another pot of $1.59 billion which it may use to buy bitcoin and stock. 

Strategy has not bought bitcoin since June, instead focusing on stock buy-backs and creating a cushion — as well as occasionally selling bitcoin. 

“USD Cash is a separately designated pool of U.S. dollar liquidity that the Company may retain for future deployment for general Bitcoin Treasury Company purposes, which may include acquiring bitcoin, paying declared cash dividends on Strategy’s preferred stock and interest on its outstanding indebtedness, repurchasing Strategy’s MSTR Stock or preferred stock, repaying, repurchasing or redeeming Strategy’s outstanding convertible notes, increasing the USD Reserve, and other similar Bitcoin Treasury Company purposes,” the filing stated. 

Strategy has said that its buyback plan — approved in July — is about balance-sheet strength rather than retreat. President and CEO Phong Le has said that Strategy intends to remain a long-term bitcoin buyer. 

Shares of Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) were trading higher Monday morning in New York. The company’s stock rallied last week as the price of bitcoin rose. 

Strategy said in the filing that it sold about $2 billion in common shares last week, and also repurchased $136.4 million of its Stretch preferred shares.

Corporate software company Strategy — formerly MicroStrategy — started buying bitcoin in 2020 as a way to protect shareholder returns. 

It has since spent nearly $64 billion on the cryptocurrency largely using leverage and now holds 840,447 BTC worth $66.4 billion at today’s prices, making it the largest corporate holder of the digital coin. 

Investors can get exposure to Bitcoin via stock and dividend-paying instruments that Strategy has issued. 

Bitcoin’s price recently stood at $79,031, up 25% over a seven-day period. 

This post Strategy Again Skips Bitcoin Buy And Establishes USD Cash Dollar Reserve  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

In Canada, Australia, and a handful of other countries, leaving now triggers a tax bill on Bitcoin gains that have never been sold. Both countries treat the moment someone stops being a tax resident as a disposal, calculating the gain at that day's market price whether or not a single coin ever changes hands.

Jeremy Savory, CEO of the relocation firm Millionaire Migrant, said more of his clients in Canada, Australia and the UK now want to move before an expected Bitcoin rally, well before any decision to sell.

He told CryptoSlate:

“The planning question has moved from where to when.”

Why residency has become the variable for Bitcoin holders

Automatic exchange sends transaction data to the jurisdiction where a holder is officially considered tax resident. That is a distinct legal status from simply holding a tax identification number somewhere, and Savory calls conflating the two the biggest misconception among his clients.

Under the CRS and the newer Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), the reporting obligation sits with the provider, the bank or exchange itself, so the report follows the person regardless of where the asset itself moves.

The OECD says 76 jurisdictions have committed to CARF, with the first wave already collecting data domestically since Jan. 1 and cross-border exchanges beginning in 2027.

The UK's crypto providers started gathering user tax-residence and transaction information on that same date, with first reports covering this year due to HMRC by May 31, 2027. CARF makes the data visible everywhere, though each country still decides what it taxes.

Some of the clearest evidence comes from Canada and Australia, both of which treat departure itself as a taxable event for residents holding appreciated assets. Canada's tax authority generally deems emigrants to have disposed of certain property at fair market value the moment residency ends.

Australia's tax office goes further and uses Bitcoin directly as its example. Someone who buys BTC for A$10,000 and leaves the country once it is worth A$22,000 triggers CGT event I1, an A$12,000 capital gain calculated on the departure date, unless they elect to defer it.

A holder who bought 100 BTC at $20,000 each and left while Bitcoin traded near $78,000 would depart owing tax on over $5.8 million of gain. Wait until Bitcoin hits $120,000 to leave, and that captured gain rises to $10 million, adding more than $4 million to the departure-date tax base on the same position without a single sale.

What it takes to leave

Most authorities apply a facts-and-circumstances test built around severed ties, home, family and a list of secondary indicators. Where a tax treaty exists, its tie-breaker provisions turn a contestable factual argument into a structured legal one.

Britain has no general exit tax, and a properly executed departure can take an entire gain outside the country's tax net. But its temporary non-residence rule pulls gains on previously held assets back into UK tax under one condition.

If someone who was resident in at least four of the prior seven tax years returns within five complete tax years, those gains come back into charge. There is no relief to spread that liability across the years it built up. Spain has a separate exit-tax regime for certain shareholdings, subject to thresholds and residency conditions.

Savory said that the countries winning wealthy crypto residents are not competing mainly on headline tax rates.

Cyprus introduced a flat 8% tax on crypto disposal gains at the start of 2026, trading an informal zero for an explicit statutory rate. Türkiye went the other way, creating a 20-year exemption for qualifying foreign-source income and gains for new residents.

A legislated, multi-year regime with defined terms holds up better under examination than an unwritten zero-tax norm. That durability now counts for more with an eight-figure position than the rate on paper.

The US exception, and Puerto Rico's closing window

Citizenship-based taxation means the US taxes worldwide income no matter where a citizen lives. The only way out is expatriation itself, which treats covered expatriates as having sold their entire portfolio, crypto included, the day before they give up their passport.

Puerto Rico is the one route that keeps US citizenship intact while offering a 0% rate on island-source capital gains for bona fide residents. Savory is careful about the limits, since appreciation from before residency begins stays taxable at the federal level no matter where someone later moves.

He said:

“It's a rate on future growth, not an amnesty on gains you already hold, the same rule as everywhere else: move before the run-up, not after.”

That window is also closing on a fixed date. Under Act 38-2026, signed in March, applications filed starting Jan. 1, 2027 carry a 4% rate on capital gains, up from the current 0%. Existing decrees stay grandfathered, and the program runs through 2055.

Whether the trade pays off for Bitcoin holders

The bull case is that Bitcoin climbs meaningfully higher before the first CARF exchanges land in 2027. Holders in Canada, Australia and the UK move early enough that departure-date gains lock in near current levels, well below a much higher future price.

Investors who relocated specifically to get in front of that appreciation end up capturing exactly the outcome they were positioning for.

The bear case has tax authorities challenging thinly evidenced residency claims once the data trail makes paper residency easier to spot.

Clawback rules catch anyone who returns home too soon, and relocating once a rally has already happened does little on its own. The appreciation that occurred before the move stays inside the origin country's tax net no matter where the holder lives when the gain is eventually realized.

Governments are converging on visibility while leaving what they tax, and when they tax it, entirely up to each jurisdiction. That gap is where Bitcoin holders with large unrealized gains are doing their planning now.

The post Some Bitcoin holders tax bill is now set when they leave the country instead of when they sell appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The altcoin rally added $215 billion in market capitalization between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22, pushing the combined value of coins outside Bitcoin (TOTAL2) up more than 24% and back above $1 trillion, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost.

Darkfost also found that 56% of Binance-listed altcoins have reclaimed their 200-day moving averages, a sharp reversal from the months when 80% to 85% traded below that line.

He calls the move an early-stage altseason signal, though three days of gains this large have already left the market short-term overbought.

Why the altcoin rally still looks like a rotation from Bitcoin

The Altcoin Season Index sat at 49 as of Aug. 23, well below the 75 threshold typically used to call a confirmed altseason. Bitcoin dominance held near 59.69% the same day, high enough to describe this as a rotation attempt still finding its footing.

Bitcoin has climbed from roughly $63,000 to nearly $80,000 over the same stretch, and Glassnode ties the move to aggressive spot buying, stronger ETF inflows, and rising market activity.

Over $1.9 billion moved into Bitcoin ETFs last week, the strongest such stretch since BTC last traded above $80,000. Glassnode says market buyers pushed volume delta positive as price cleared $76,000, with buying demand holding at those levels since.

Glassnode's cost-basis work places Bitcoin's True Market Mean, a rough gauge of where the broader active-investor base sits on average, around $75,800. Bitcoin spent recent months trading beneath that line and has now reclaimed it.

The $75,000 to $76,000 zone gives the market room to keep pricing an altseason, since capital only keeps moving out the risk curve into altcoins while the asset underneath it still looks stable.

The funding data cuts both ways

Glassnode's latest altcoin funding data shows 85% of alts carrying funding rates above their historical averages, the strongest reading of that kind since Bitcoin's last record-high stretch.

The firm noted that the condition can persist for weeks during a genuine altseason, making it less an immediate warning and more a durability test the market still has to pass.

Santiment's Aug. 21 breakdown of Ethena's ENA token offers the clearest model for judging individual altcoins in the future. ENA rose roughly 69% as trading volume climbed more than eight times its baseline, daily active addresses hit 1,946, and open interest doubled in three days, all while funding stayed comparatively restrained.

Santiment's warning sign shows up when price keeps climbing while network activity starts fading underneath it, the pattern of leverage pushing a token higher without real participation behind it.

The altcoin rally was led by mid- and small-cap tokens, since smaller market caps move fastest when fresh capital arrives. The same trait cuts the other way if Bitcoin's reclaimed structure fails, since those same tokens carry the most room to fall.

Whether the altcoin rally broadens or the leverage unwinds

The bull case has Bitcoin consolidating above its reclaimed cost-basis zone without giving back the breakout, with Glassnode still seeing strong spot and ETF demand.

Under that path, Darkfost's breadth signal keeps extending, with 56% of Binance altcoins above their 200-day average climbing toward 60% and then 70% as the rally spreads into mid- and small-caps.

Santiment's framework becomes the filter for judging which of those tokens deserve attention. It rewards tokens that look like ENA, with volume and active addresses rising alongside price, over those where funding and open interest do all the work.

What to watch as the market tests this setup

The bear case has Bitcoin slipping back below its reclaimed structure as spot demand cools. That is a dangerous setup given altcoins already moved 24% in three days, and Darkfost's data already flags the market as short-term overbought.

Glassnode's elevated futures positioning and climbing investor profitability point toward the same risk, since profitable positions tend to get sold.

Bitcoin only needs to stop acting as the stable rail that let traders move further out the risk curve in the first place. The same high-funding altcoins that led the breadth recovery carry more room to unwind than Bitcoin itself once that support gives way.

Whether the altcoin rally holds now depends on whether Bitcoin can hold the ground it just reclaimed.

The post A $215 billion altcoin rally rests on Bitcoin holding its reclaimed market structure appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin price has crossed $80,000 as the US Treasury explored tapping its roughly $1 trillion cash pile to fund an escalating effort to stabilize long-term government debt.

Two senior Treasury officials told CNBC that the Treasury General Account, the federal government's operating account at the Federal Reserve, could help finance expanded bond buybacks. The officials did not specify how much could be used or when. Reuters put the account at about $940 billion as of last Wednesday.

The report extends a sharp shift in Treasury's response to rising borrowing costs.

On Aug. 19, the department unexpectedly said it would at least double liquidity-support buybacks for 10- to 30-year securities to $4 billion per operation from $2 billion, effective Sept. 9 through Nov. 4.

Bitcoin has gained roughly 27% in August, putting it on course for its best August since 2017 in a month that has historically produced a median loss of about 7%.

Bond market pushes Treasury toward a bigger intervention

The pressure increased after the bond market quickly erased much of the relief triggered by Treasury's Aug. 19 announcement.

The 30-year Treasury yield had climbed as high as 5.337%, its highest since 2007, before falling to about 5.18% after the buyback expansion was announced. By the end of last week, longer-dated yields had largely retraced the decline. The 30-year yield remained around 5.24% on Monday, while the 10-year traded near 4.70%.

Treasury has yet to conduct any of the enlarged purchases, meaning the reversal reflected skepticism over the announcement rather than the failure of completed buybacks. The larger operations begin in September.

Still, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent widened the possible response a day after the initial announcement, saying purchases could rise beyond the new $4 billion level.

He described the operations as an attempt to improve liquidity in parts of the Treasury market strained by thin summer trading and heavy corporate issuance, including borrowing to finance artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The mid-quarter change itself was unusual. Treasury typically uses its quarterly refunding process to communicate changes to debt management, giving investors a predictable schedule. The Aug. 19 announcement came weeks after the latest refunding plans had already been set.

Bessent said Monday that Treasury would continue with its regularly scheduled auctions, including sales of longer-dated debt, while leaving open future changes at the next quarterly refunding.

The intervention comes as the underlying financing burden continues to grow. US national debt crossed $40 trillion last week, including about $32.3 trillion held by the public, while higher yields are rapidly increasing federal interest costs.

The private sector is also competing for the same pool of capital. US technology companies have issued about $220 billion of debt this year to finance AI infrastructure, up sharply from 2025, adding another source of supply in a market already absorbing enormous government borrowing.

$950 billion cash pile changes the liquidity calculation

For Bitcoin investors, the TGA option would give Bessent more room to finance purchases without immediately matching them with additional short-term Treasury issuance.

Markets had initially expected Treasury to finance larger long-bond purchases by selling more bills, effectively shifting government borrowing toward shorter maturities. Bessent has referred to that approach as a “Treasury Twist.”

Drawing cash directly from the TGA could initially avoid some of that additional issuance. CNBC reported that the account has grown to roughly $950 billion, compared with a target of about $550 billion to $600 billion under the Biden administration.

The distinction has consequences for financial liquidity. Government spending from the TGA transfers cash held at the Fed back into the banking system. Financing every purchase with new Treasury issuance can absorb some of that liquidity from investors instead.

The firepower has limits. The TGA pays federal salaries, contractors, interest, and other government obligations, and Treasury ultimately needs to maintain sufficient cash to operate. Any large drawdown would eventually have to be replenished through tax receipts or additional borrowing. Treasury also lacks the Federal Reserve's ability to create reserves.

That constraint makes clear that the $950 billion figure does not represent an announced $950 billion bond-buying program. Treasury officials have given no indication that anything close to the full balance would be deployed.

Still, the willingness to discuss the account has intensified debate over how far policymakers will go to restrain long-term borrowing costs.

Brookings Institution senior fellow Robin Brooks said the prospect of using the TGA would reinforce investor expectations that “artificial yield caps are coming,” arguing that such a perception could put further pressure on the dollar while supporting precious metals.

The Federal Reserve has so far stayed out of Treasury's intervention. Fed officials have continued to emphasize their inflation and employment mandates, while Chair Kevin Warsh is scheduled to deliver his first Jackson Hole keynote Friday as investors look for clues on whether monetary policy will provide any relief to the bond market.

Bitcoin's breakout extends beyond the dollar

The increasingly aggressive Treasury response has coincided with a dramatic reversal in Bitcoin after months of weakness.

Bitcoin moved above $80,000 earlier today after gaining more than 4% during the last 24 hours. At roughly 27% higher in August, the cryptocurrency is headed for its strongest August since its 2017 bull market, when it gained more than 60%.

Gold has rallied alongside it as investors revive the so-called debasement trade. Both assets surged after Bessent's initial announcement, while the dollar weakened as investors questioned whether Treasury intervention could suppress yields without addressing deficits, inflation and the government's borrowing requirements.

Strive CEO Matt Cole said Bitcoin's move against gold strengthens the bull case because the cryptocurrency is now appreciating against both the dollar and another scarce monetary asset.

Cole pointed to the BTC/gold ratio as an early signal during the previous cycle. Bitcoin peaked against gold in December 2024, about 10 months before its dollar-denominated peak in October 2025. The sequence reversed this year, with Bitcoin bottoming against gold in February before reaching its dollar low in July.

He argues that a weaker dollar, continued currency debasement and growing competition for scarce assets in an AI-driven economy could create a stronger backdrop for Bitcoin over the next 12 to 18 months.

Meanwhile, the speed of the current rally also raises the risk of a near-term reversal.

Bitwise Europe research head André Dragosch said the firm's crypto sentiment index briefly reached its highest level since late 2024 as funding rates, short liquidations and investor optimism surged. He said a pullback or consolidation now appears likely, although the broader recovery could remain intact.

That leaves Bitcoin and the Treasury market increasingly tied to the same question.

Bessent has more tools available to support long-dated bonds, including larger buybacks, changes to the maturity mix of government borrowing, and potentially hundreds of billions of dollars sitting in the TGA.

The bond market is still confronting $40 trillion of federal debt, persistent deficits, inflation risk, and record demand for private capital.

For Bitcoin investors, every escalation adds another test of whether those forces can be managed without further weakening confidence in dollars and long-term government debt.

The post Bitcoin tops $80,000 as Treasury weighs $950 billion cash pile for bond buybacks appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Tether’s abandoned Bitcoin mining venture in Uruguay, where a former contractor estimated spending reached about $120 million across two sites, is casting a shadow over the stablecoin issuer’s smaller renewable-energy pilot in Brazil.

The Uruguay project unraveled after Tether’s local entity, Microfin, and state utility UTE disagreed over the terms governing electricity use, Reuters reported. Microfin understood its contracted allocation as a minimum that could be expanded, while UTE treated it as a maximum.

The dispute was underway by late 2024. Microfin stopped paying power bills in May 2025, notified UTE the following month that it planned to terminate the contracts, and later failed to complete revised terms. UTE disconnected the sites on July 25.

By November, Tether, the USDT issuer, had notified labor authorities that it would cease operations and lay off most staff. Microfin settled the outstanding UTE debt in December.

A former contractor estimated Tether spent roughly $60 million at each of the two sites in Uruguay’s Florida department. The approximately $120 million figure is an estimate of spending, not a confirmed loss disclosed by Tether.

The collapse contrasts with Tether’s 2023 launch of the venture, when the company cited Uruguay’s renewable generation and grid reliability as advantages for Bitcoin mining.

The experience is directly relevant to Tether’s next South American project, which is tied to Adecoagro, a leading producer of sustainable agricultural goods and energy in South America.

Adecoagro representatives visited Tether’s Uruguay mining facility in February 2025 while the agricultural producer and Tether explored using renewable power for cryptocurrency mining. Five months later, the companies announced a memorandum of understanding for a 230 MW pilot in Brazil.

Meanwhile, that project is materially smaller. Adecoagro said the pilot would use about 10 megawatts of surplus renewable energy that would otherwise be sold into the spot market.

The more than 230 MW cited in the companies’ announcement refers to Adecoagro’s broader renewable generation capacity across South America, not power committed to Bitcoin mining.

The disclosures do not show that Tether redesigned the Brazil project because of what happened in Uruguay, nor do they establish that the new venture faces similar problems.

However, they make Brazil the next test of Tether’s regional mining strategy after Uruguay showed that renewable-energy availability alone does not guarantee a workable mining operation. Clear power terms, dependable capacity and sustainable economics proved just as important.

The post Tether’s $120 million Uruguay mining failure now shadows its next Bitcoin bet in Brazil appeared first on CryptoSlate.

On-chain fixed-rate lending protocol Term Finance said it permanently shut down its Meta Vaults after a governance exploit, ending new deposits while leaving withdrawals open.

Term Labs said it also revoked the vaults' DAO governance roles.

Blockchain security firm PeckShield separately estimated that the attacker removed about 2,843 ETH worth $6.87 million and 1.68 million USDC, which was swapped for roughly 1.68 million DAI.

Term has not confirmed the roughly $8.5 million total or published its own vault-by-vault accounting.

How the exploit moved through governance

Term's governance documentation describes an opt-out system. Vault liquidity-provider token holders can veto queued parameter changes during a seven-day delay, and the change can become executable without a veto.

A DeFiPrime reconstruction of the on-chain activity said an ETH Meta Vault proposal remained open for six days without a veto. Its first actions on execution set the delay cooldown to zero, removing the second waiting period before the transaction routed 2,841.7435 WETH through a newly added strategy to an attacker-controlled address.

The Ethereum transaction occurred at 06:25 UTC on Aug. 23. A second transaction about 22 minutes later executed five proposals across five USDC vaults and removed 1,679,639.29 USDC, according to the same analysis.

Term has not published a postmortem confirming how the proposer obtained authority to queue those actions or why the veto and delay controls did not stop them.

Yearn said Term's vault contracts use Yearn V3 architecture, but the exploit occurred through Term's custom governance wrapper. It said the attack vector does not apply to standard Yearn vault setups and that standard Yearn vaults were unaffected.

Term similarly said its underlying protocol and direct borrowing and lending markets had not been affected based on its investigation so far, while adding that it was still verifying the scope. That limits the confirmed impact to the vault product rather than every Term market.

The remaining question is what Meta Vault users can recover. Because Term has not confirmed the final accounting, keeping withdrawals open does not by itself establish the liquidity or value available for every withdrawal.

Term said it was coordinating with outside security teams on remediation and recovery. If a shortfall remains, it said it would explore ways to address it. The company did not commit to reimburse depositors or provide a recovery timetable.

The post Term Finance kills Meta Vaults after governance process clears path for $8.5 million drain appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Gifting Bitcoin in Austria: When the Gift Reporting Duty Applies

Giving bitcoin to your children, your partner or your friends does not trigger a general gift tax in Austria. A notification to the Austrian tax office may still be required.

The Austrian Federal Fiscal Code provides for a reporting duty on lifetime gifts of certain assets. Alongside cash and shareholdings, that also covers intangible assets. Cryptocurrencies can fall into this category. What matters above all is the value of the gift and the relationship between the donor and the recipient. 

For Relatives, the Threshold Is 50,000 Euros

Gifts between relatives are generally free of any reporting duty as long as the fair market value of the gifts made by the same person within one year does not exceed 50,000 euros. 

The definition of a relative is drawn widely. It includes, for example:

• spouses
• registered partners
• parents and children
• grandparents and grandchildren
• siblings
• uncles and aunts
• nephews and nieces
• cousins
• cohabiting partners as well as certain further relatives

Anyone who gives their child bitcoin worth 30,000 euros, and makes no further countable gifts in the relevant year, generally does not have to report that gift under section 121a of the Federal Fiscal Code.

Once the total value rises above 50,000 euros, a reporting duty can arise. 

For Other People, the Threshold Is Lower

Between people who do not count as relatives for tax purposes, the exemption threshold is only 15,000 euros over five years. Gifts made by the same person to the same recipient are added together. 

An example:

• 2024: bitcoin worth 8,000 euros given away
• 2026: a further 10,000 euros in bitcoin given away

Total value within five years: 18,000 euros.

That takes the gift over the 15,000-euro threshold, and a gift notification can become necessary.

Which Bitcoin Value Counts?

The fair market value of the transferred assets is what counts for the thresholds. For tradable bitcoin, it can generally be established from the market value at the time of the gift. The Ministry of Finance states in general terms that where an asset has an obvious value, that value goes into the gift notification; where the value is not obvious, an estimate of the fair market value is sufficient.

Investors should therefore document in particular:

• the date and time of the transfer
• the amount of bitcoin given away
• the bitcoin price used
• the euro equivalent
• the wallet addresses
• the transaction ID
• the relationship between donor and recipient

Gift Reporting Thresholds Compared

Bar length relative to the highest value (50,000 euros). Source: section 121a of the Federal Fiscal Code and statements by the Ministry of Finance as reported in the article; example value taken from the worked example in the text. As of August 25, 2026.

The Report Must Be Filed Within Three Months

Where a reporting duty exists, the gift generally has to be reported within three months. If the threshold is crossed only through several gifts, the deadline starts with the gift that first pushes the relevant value over the line. The report is generally filed electronically. It is enough for one of the persons subject to the duty to file it in time. Both the donor and the recipient can in principle be obliged to report. 

No Report Does Not Automatically Mean Tax

The gift notification has to be distinguished from a gift tax. Austria currently levies no general inheritance and gift tax. The notification mainly serves to document larger transfers of assets. With bitcoin in particular, that can matter later on. If the recipient sells the coins years afterwards, they have to be able to explain where the holding came from and which tax history was carried over.

What Happens to the Acquisition Costs?

A gift does not simply reset the tax history of the bitcoin. Where assets are acquired without consideration, the historical acquisition data of the previous owner is generally what counts for a later calculation of taxable gains. In other words: a high bitcoin price on the day of the gift does not automatically become the recipient’s new acquisition price for tax purposes. Alongside the blockchain transaction, the donor should therefore also pass on the original purchase data and acquisition costs wherever possible.

Not Reported: Possible Penalties

A deliberate failure to report can have consequences under fiscal criminal law. The Ministry of Finance cites a possible fine of up to 10 percent of the fair market value of the gifted assets. A missing report can also become a problem later on where increases in wealth cannot be explained. The taxpayer may then have to prove that the bitcoin did in fact come from a gift.

Conclusion

Bitcoin can generally be given away tax-free in Austria, because there is no general gift tax. Above certain value thresholds, however, a gift reporting duty can arise. For relatives the threshold is generally 50,000 euros within one year, and for other people 15,000 euros within five years. Anyone transferring larger bitcoin holdings should therefore secure more than the blockchain transaction alone and also document the market value, the original acquisition costs and the family or personal relationship involved.

(As of August 25, 2026. This article is not investment advice. Prices and fee structures change; check the terms with the provider before you buy.)

Phantom Wallet is removing two networks from its app. Monad disappears on August 26, 2026, Sui on September 24, 2026. Anyone holding a balance there will no longer see it in Phantom afterwards. That does not mean the funds are gone: the coins stay on their blockchain, and you can reach them from another wallet with the same recovery phrase. You still have to act, because the convenient route through the app is only open until each cut-off date.

Both announcements arrived within a few weeks of one another and affect different numbers of investors. The Monad deadline is the tighter one, while the Sui deadline concerns the older network: SUI has been running on mainnet since 2023, whereas Monad only launched its own in November 2025. This article sorts out what happens on which date, which two routes are left to you, and where a simple move accidentally turns into a taxable sale.

Phantom Wallet and Sui: what ends on September 24

Phantom published the decision on August 24, 2026 at 01:01 UTC through the @phantom account on X. The wording there says that Phantom and Sui have agreed to end Sui support in Phantom on September 24 and to leave the door open for future cooperation. It comes with an assurance: "Your funds remain safe and fully under your control." Before September 24, the post continues, you can move your wallet to another app that supports Sui.

One distinction regularly gets lost in reports of this kind. Network support means that the wallet app displays the balances of a particular blockchain, calculates them, and can sign and broadcast transactions on it. When support ends, that is precisely what ends. The blockchain itself carries on unchanged, and your keys remain valid on it.

The integration did not have a long history. Phantom announced the Sui connection in December 2024 and switched it on on January 29, 2025. Roughly twenty months later, it is over. According to consistent reports in the trade press, this was a joint decision by both sides and not a unilateral removal.

Monad in Phantom Wallet: why August 26 is the harder deadline

For Monad there is a more detailed primary source. In its help article on the Monad exit, Phantom names August 26, 2026 as the transition date and writes unambiguously: "Your assets are not lost. They remain on the Monad blockchain and can be accessed using a compatible wallet with the same credentials." Your holdings are not lost, in other words; they stay on the Monad blockchain and can be opened in a compatible wallet with the same credentials.

After the cut-off date, Phantom no longer displays Monad balances and no longer processes Monad transactions in the app. The provider itself offers two routes: swapping the Monad holdings into a network that remains supported before the transition date, or exporting the secret recovery phrase from the settings and importing it into another Monad-capable wallet.

The fee waiver has limits

By its own account, Phantom has waived its in-house fee on cross-chain swaps from native MON to wrapped MON on Solana until the transition date. Network fees and trading venue fees still apply, as the help article states. The route is therefore not free, only cheaper.

A wrapped token is a representation of a coin on a foreign blockchain: the original is locked, and a tradable stand-in is created on the target chain at a ratio of one to one. For the holder that adds a further party carrying risk, namely whoever administers the lock. If you would rather avoid that risk, take the move to another wallet instead of the swap.

Are your coins gone when a wallet drops a network?

No. A self-custody wallet does not hold coins, it manages keys. The balances sit on the blockchain and belong to the address derived from your recovery phrase. If the app falls away, the address remains. What falls away is the convenient interface to it.

This design is the decisive difference from an exchange. When a trading venue delists a token or closes your account, it genuinely holds your coins in custody, and the question becomes one of withdrawal deadlines and, in the worst case, forced liquidation. We have written up the exchange deadlines currently running separately, and they are sharper than what is at stake here. With Phantom the case is milder: access never ends, only the convenience does.

Exporting your secret recovery phrase: the route without a transaction

Moving to another wallet is the route that triggers no transaction, costs no fee and leaves your tax position untouched. You import the same recovery phrase into an app that supports the network, and you see the same balances there. The coins do not move at all; you only change the window through which you look at them.

What you need to watch out for

The recovery phrase is the master key. Whoever holds it holds everything attached to it, including the balances on every other network under the same phrase. That is exactly why the export is the most delicate moment of the entire exercise. It belongs on a computer you trust, not in a cloud note and not in a photo. We have set out at length how to store the phrase safely for the long term in our guide to keeping your seed phrase secure.

If your Phantom wallet manages Solana or Bitcoin holdings alongside Sui or Monad, you have two options. Either you import the phrase into the new app as well and keep using both in parallel, or you set up a fresh wallet with its own phrase for the departing network and transfer the balances there. The second variant is cleaner, but it costs network fees and, for tax purposes, counts as a transfer between your own addresses, so it is not a sale. Which software wallets are candidates for which chains is set out in our software wallet comparison.

Swap instead of move: what the fee-free exchange really costs

The second route is the swap inside Phantom. It is more convenient because you never leave the app, and for Monad holdings it is exempt from Phantom's own fee until the transition date. Three items remain even so: the network fee of the outgoing chain, the fee charged by the executing trading venue, and the price deviation between the quote on screen and the actual fill.

That last item is readily underestimated. On thinly traded tokens, the gap between the expected price and the realised one quickly eats up more than any fee does. If you hold a larger position, check the price a second time before sending and split the swap when in doubt. On very thin pairs, execution through a regulated trading venue can work out cheaper than the swap in the wallet, simply because more counterparty is available there.

Tax on a wallet change: when a move becomes a sale

This is where the two routes part company clearly, and for German investors it is the most important passage in this text.

Moving to another wallet is a non-event for tax. You transfer between your own addresses, or you merely import the key; no disposal takes place, and the holding period runs on unbroken.

The swap is a different matter. An exchange of coin for coin counts, for income tax purposes, as the disposal of the asset given up and the acquisition of the asset received. Under section 23 of the German Income Tax Act, the gain remains tax-free if more than a year lies between acquisition and disposal; within the year, the exemption threshold of 1,000 euros applies to the sum of all private disposal transactions in the calendar year. Once it is exceeded, the entire gain becomes taxable, not merely the part above the threshold.

The contested case: wrapping

Whether wrapping the same coin onto another chain counts as an exchange is disputed among tax advisers. In economic terms you continue to hold the same thing; in legal terms you receive a different token. That is an assessment rather than settled law, and we are not aware of a supreme court decision on the point. The practical consequence for you: if you would rather avoid that uncertainty, take the wallet export and leave the holding alone. If you choose the swap regardless, record the date, price and quantity cleanly. A portfolio and tax tool takes that documentation off your hands, provided you enter the transaction promptly.

Sui wallet alternatives: what Phantom itself names

For Sui holdings, the reports on the announcement point to two applications as the destination for the move: Suiet and the official Sui wallet, which now trades under the name Slush. Both are self-custody wallets and therefore accept the import of an existing recovery phrase.

We are not assessing these applications here and make no recommendation. Before importing, check for yourself whether the app supports the derivation scheme of your phrase. If the new wallet shows a balance of zero after the import, the cause is often a different derivation path rather than the holding itself. In that case it helps to reveal further accounts under the same phrase in the settings of the new app before you panic.

Phishing at the deadline: why unsolicited migration help is almost always a scam

Every publicly announced deadline is a diary entry for fraudsters. The pattern never varies: a message that quotes the genuine occasion correctly, a tight time frame, and a link to a supposed migration tool that asks for the recovery phrase.

Phantom has given this a paragraph of its own in the help article, writing that the company will never contact you first, will never ask for your secret recovery phrase or your private key, and will never offer to move your funds for you. Any unexpected offer of help with the migration should be treated as an attempted fraud.

That rule carries further than the current case. No reputable provider needs your phrase in order to help you, and no genuine migration requires you to type it in anywhere except into the new wallet app itself, locally on your own device. We have broken down the other markers of such messages using the example of fake withdrawal requests from crypto exchanges. The sheer number of active BaFin warnings about crypto platform series shows how large the field has become.

Why wallets drop networks: what the retreat says about the market

Putting this in context means separating the evidence from the interpretation. The evidence is this: Phantom is ending support for two networks within a few weeks, in the Sui case by its own account in agreement with the network team.

The explanation behind it is where interpretation begins. Every additional chain in a wallet costs work permanently: its own node connection, its own signing logic, its own price sources, its own support desk. If usage does not carry that effort, the integration turns into a loss-maker. We are not speculating about orders of magnitude here, because we have no reliable usage figures for individual networks.

For you, one practical consequence follows regardless of which explanation is correct: a wallet's network list is no promise of permanence. It can change, and in the best case you hear about it four weeks in advance.

What the case teaches about self-custody and hardware wallets

The real protection in this episode is the recovery phrase. It is the reason a discontinued network integration turns into an annoyance instead of a loss. Anyone whose coins sit on an exchange has no such safety net.

For larger holdings, a hardware wallet moves the key onto a device with no internet connection. The software interface then stays interchangeable while the key stays where it is. Which devices support which chains and what they cost is set out in our hardware wallet comparison. It is worth checking the supported networks before you buy, because compatibility cannot be taken for granted there either.

Checklist: what to sort out by September 24

Open Phantom first and see whether you are affected at all. Many users never activated either of the two chains and have nothing to do.

If you find a Monad holding, time is short: only a few hours of room to manoeuvre remain in the app before August 26, 2026. For Sui holdings you have until September 24, 2026, though you should not push it into the final week, because network fees and waiting times tend to climb shortly before a deadline expires.

Note down your balance before the move as well. If a different amount appears in the new app after the import, you will want to know whether a price difference or a wrong derivation path is behind it.

Checking your Phantom move: what to take away

1. Establish whether you are affected and choose your route. Check your Phantom wallet for Monad and Sui holdings. If you want to keep them, export the recovery phrase and import it into a suitable app; you will find an overview of the candidates in the software wallet comparison.
2. Settle the tax consequence before you click. Moving between your own wallets is not a sale, whereas the swap is. Record the date, quantity and price of every transaction, most easily with a crypto tax tool that tracks the holding periods for you.
3. Secure the key for the long term. If this case forces you to export your phrase, it is the right moment to reorganise how you store it. For larger holdings the key belongs on a separate device: hardware wallets compared.

(As of August 24, 2026. This article is not investment advice. Prices and fee structures change; check the terms with the provider before you buy.)

Ethereum trades at $2,472 as of 24 August 2026, up 0.38% on the day and roughly 28% over the past seven sessions. That is the strongest weekly performance ETH has printed all year, and it came out of nowhere for anyone who was not watching the macro tape.

Three catalysts stacked on top of each other in the space of 48 hours. The US Treasury announced it would at least double its buybacks of longer-dated government debt, lifting the operation size from around $2 billion to $4 billion. That pushed long-end yields lower and reopened the risk appetite window that crypto had been locked out of since spring. Almost simultaneously, the SEC published a proposed framework letting crypto projects raise capital under defined exemptions and exit securities classification once core managerial commitments are met, and President Trump publicly pressured the Senate to move on the Clarity Act, which is now scheduled for a procedural vote in September.

The market was positioned exactly wrong for all of it. More than $3 billion in leveraged crypto positions were wiped out in 24 hours, with short positions accounting for roughly 92% of the damage, around $2.77 billion. That is the fuel behind the vertical candle you see on the chart. $ETH went from below $1,950 to an intraday peak near $2,546 on 22 August, and it has held most of that ground since.

Institutional flow is confirming rather than fading the move. Spot Ether ETFs pulled in $71.47 million on 18 August with BlackRock's ETHA taking $64.68 million of it, and 30-day inflows reached $524.3 million. On the protocol side, the Ethereum Foundation activated the Platåberget public testnet on 17 August as the staging ground for Glamsterdam, targeted for Q4 2026.

So the fundamental backdrop is genuinely better than it was three weeks ago. The question is whether the chart can absorb a 29% move without giving it all back.

What does the Ethereum chart say right now?

ETH has flipped from a downtrend to a confirmed bullish structure for the first time since February, but it is doing so in deeply overbought territory.

The 200 EMA sits at $2,139.36 and had acted as a ceiling for the entire summer, sloping down and capping every rally attempt from May through mid-August. Price spent June crashing to roughly $1,512, then July and early August grinding sideways in a $1,850 to $1,980 box.

The breakout candle did not just clear the 200 EMA. It cleared $2,200 and $2,430 in a single session, which is three separate structural levels in one move. Price is now trading 15.6% above the 200 EMA, and the moving average itself has started to curl upward for the first time in months.

That is the bullish read. Here is the caveat: RSI (14) prints 79.30 against its own signal line at 65.00. Anything above 70 is overbought, and 79 on the daily is the kind of reading that usually resolves through either a sharp pullback or an extended sideways cooling period. It rarely resolves by simply continuing straight up.

There is also the shape of the move to consider. The candle from $1,950 to $2,300 is close to vertical, which means there is almost no traded volume in that band. Thin ranges like that tend to get revisited eventually, because there are no resting bids inside them to slow a decline.

What are the upside targets for ETH?

$3,000 is the objective this structure points to, but it is a Q4 target reached in three steps, not a two-week move.

Start with why $3,000 is the number worth watching rather than an arbitrary round figure.

Measure the entire bear leg from the August 2025 all-time high near $4,950 down to the June 2026 low around $1,512. That is a range of roughly $3,438. The 0.382 retracement of that decline sits near $2,825 and the 0.50 retracement sits near $3,231. In other words, $3,000 falls almost exactly in the middle of the standard recovery band for a move of this size. It is also the round number that carries the heaviest resting order flow, and it sits inside the zone where ETH spent significant time trading in early 2026 before the breakdown, meaning there is real historical volume anchoring it rather than empty air.

From the current $2,472, that is a 21% move. For context, Ethereum just delivered 29% in a single week, so the magnitude itself is not the obstacle. The sequencing is.

Here is the path in order.

• Step one, $2,546. The swing high from 22 August. ETH tagged it, rejected, and has been building a tight range between roughly $2,424 and $2,483 since. Nothing happens on the upside until this clears on a daily close.
• Step two, $2,750. Above the swing high the chart is clean all the way to this level, marked as the upper yellow band. It was the last meaningful supply zone before the spring breakdown. This is the genuine test, because it is the first place where trapped sellers from the earlier decline get their chance to exit at breakeven. Expect the move to stall here at least once.
• Step three, $3,000. Only reachable if $2,750 breaks on expanding volume rather than a low-volume wick. On the chart above, this level sits off the top of the visible range, which is worth stating plainly: it is an extension target, not a level currently being tested.

The honest framing on that upper target is that it requires the macro tailwind to persist. Specifically, it needs the Clarity Act procedural vote in September to go the market's way, and it needs ETF inflows to keep running above $70 million a day rather than flattening out the way they did in mid-August. If either of those breaks down, $2,750 caps the move and $3,000 stays theoretical.

Where is support if Ethereum pulls back?

$2,430 is the first line, $2,200 is the real test, and $2,139 at the 200 EMA is where the bull case actually lives or dies.

Work down the chart in order.

• $2,430 is the immediate flip level. It was resistance on the way up and price is currently using it as a floor. Losing it on a daily close signals the breakout is being sold rather than absorbed.
• $2,200 is the next horizontal. This is a level ETH respected repeatedly in May before the breakdown, and it sits right at the midpoint of the August spike. A retest here would be normal and healthy, and it would work off the RSI overbought condition without breaking anything structurally.
• $2,139.36 is the 200 EMA and the single most important number on the chart. Ethereum spent four months below it. Falling back under it would reclassify the entire August move as a liquidation-driven spike rather than a trend reversal, and it would put $2,000 back in play immediately.

Below that, the air gets thin fast. The $1,900 area was the July and August base, and $1,800 is the horizontal that held through the whole summer recovery. A move to $1,800 would mean the macro trade unwound entirely, and realistically that requires the Treasury liquidity story to reverse or the Clarity Act to die in the Senate.

Is the ETH breakout sustainable or is this a squeeze?

It is both, and that is exactly why the next two weeks matter more than the last two.

Short squeezes are real price discovery, but they are not organic demand. The $2.77 billion in liquidated shorts created forced buying that has now largely exhausted itself. What replaces it determines the next leg.

The bullish evidence for sustainability: ETF inflows continued through and after the squeeze rather than reversing, corporate treasury accumulation is ongoing with BitMine holding roughly 5.82 million ETH or about 4.8% of supply, and the regulatory catalysts are forward-looking rather than already priced.

The bearish evidence: derivatives leverage has already reset once, with mid-August deleveraging cutting around $3 billion in open interest, and analysts have flagged concentrated leveraged positions on Aave as a hidden liquidation risk if price moves sharply in either direction. $Ethereum also remains roughly 50% below its August 2025 all-time high near $4,950, so there is a great deal of trapped supply overhead as price climbs.

The clean tell is the monthly close. August closes on Sunday. A monthly candle that closes above $2,400 means the market absorbed the breakout. A close back below $2,200 means it was sold into.

Ethereum price prediction summary

• Base case: ETH consolidates between $2,400 and $2,550 into early September, works the RSI back toward 60, then attempts $2,750 once the September Clarity Act vote clears. This is the most likely path, and it puts $3,000 in reach late in Q4 rather than this month.
• Bull case: a daily close above $2,546 on strong volume takes ETH to $2,750 within two weeks. Clearing $2,750 opens $3,000, which lines up with the 0.382 to 0.50 retracement band of the entire bear leg and would coincide with Glamsterdam anticipation building into Q4.
• Bear case: failure to hold $2,430 triggers a retrace into the thin $2,200 zone. Losing the 200 EMA at $2,139 invalidates the reversal, reopens $1,900, and takes $3,000 off the table entirely.

The level that decides everything is $2,139. Everything above it is a bullish structure with a pullback risk. Everything below it is a failed breakout.

The short answer first: you can buy more bitcoin at a price of around $77,000, but not every method is the right one at this level. If you are already invested, a bitcoin savings plan is the calmer route, because it smooths out the weekly and daily swings. If you have been standing on the sidelines for months and want to invest a fixed amount, a lump sum purchase is statistically no worse, and more often than not it is better. The useful question is therefore not which method wins in general, but which one suits your starting position and the amount you have in mind. That is what this text is about.

It is Sunday, August 24, 2026. Bitcoin gained 22.78 percent in the week from August 16 to 23 and, according to a CoinMarketCap reading taken on August 23 at 11:28 UTC, stands at $77,256.75. Trading volume over the past 24 hours came to $27.80 billion. It is the strongest bitcoin week since March 2024 and the first price level above $77,000 since the spring.

How to Buy More Bitcoin Cleanly at $77,000

The easiest way to get your head around the topic is to look at a concrete amount. Take 6,000 euros that you will not need in the next three to five years. That gives you three basic options. First: you invest everything today. Second: you spread the 6,000 euros over twelve months at 500 euros each and let a savings plan run. Third: you combine the two, buying part of it today in one go and the rest gradually. All three routes are legitimate, all three carry different risks. There is no single correct answer, but there is one that fits the reality of your life.

The underlying assumption matters: you buy bitcoin only with money you can absorb losing. Bitcoin regularly moves 20 to 30 percent up or down within a month. Anyone who cannot stomach that should halve the amount rather than switch strategy.

What Pushed the Bitcoin Price Up 22 Percent This Week

Last week's rise hangs on several events whose timing added up. On August 19, US President Donald Trump received the leadership of the crypto industry and its regulators at the White House and there publicly called for the Clarity Act to be passed. The bill is meant to end the turf war between the SEC and the CFTC and to classify crypto assets as either a security or a commodity depending on how they are built. It already passed the House of Representatives in 2025 and has been stuck in the US Senate for months.

On the same day, US spot bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $517 million, the strongest day in three and a half months. Of that, $284.7 million went to the iShares Bitcoin Trust. Inflows into Ethereum came to $189 million. On top of that came the announcement by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that buyback limits for long-dated bonds would be doubled. That pushes long-term rates down and shifts capital into real assets, a category many investors count bitcoin among.

The point for your decision: the lift comes from a regulatory promise and from macro-driven reallocation, not from any new application. Whether the Clarity Act clears the Senate in 2026 is open. Prediction markets currently give it around a 16 percent chance, and the cloture vote in the Senate is scheduled after the return from recess on September 15. Anyone buying today is buying ahead of a regulatory promise that has yet to be delivered.

Lump Sum or Savings Plan: Which Strategy Suits Which Investor

A lump sum purchase means you swap your amount into bitcoin on a single day. The advantage: you are invested immediately, you pay the order fee only once, and you lock in the starting point of the next price move. The drawback: if the price falls ten percent the day after your purchase, you carry a visible paper loss, and that hits most investors emotionally harder than a quiet run of losses spread over weeks.

A bitcoin savings plan breaks the amount into equally sized portions and buys them at fixed intervals. The advantage: you smooth the swings, you never hit the single worst entry day, and you relieve yourself of the psychological question of whether today is the moment. The drawback: in rising markets a savings plan systematically lags the lump sum purchase, because later purchases are made at higher prices.

Academic work from Vanguard's research arm in the US shows that over long periods a lump sum purchase beats the savings plan in two out of three cases on average, because markets rise more often than they fall. For bitcoin the rule does not hold quite as neatly: price moves are more violent and recovery phases longer. That is why the bitcoin savings plan is usually the calmer choice for beginners, though it is not automatically the higher-returning one.

How a Bitcoin Savings Plan Works Technically and What It Costs

A crypto savings plan is a recurring chain of purchase orders at a provider of your choice. You set which day of the month a given sum is debited from your reference account and swapped into bitcoin at the market price. For this the provider charges you either a fixed order fee, a percentage markup on the market price, or it earns through the spread between the buying and selling price.

The cost range in Germany runs from roughly 0.5 percent per execution at the cheapest broker savings plans to more than 1.5 percent at convenient app solutions. Anyone saving 500 euros a month pays 60 euros a year at a fee of one percent. Over five years that is 300 euros flowing into the provider's margin instead of into bitcoin. If you are torn between two providers, the fee is the first criterion you may stop worrying about once it sits below one percent. Our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges provides an overview.

Which intervals work in practice

Monthly is the most common choice and works for most savers, because salary and outgoings are on a monthly rhythm. Weekly smooths the price swings more strongly, but triples the number of executions and with it the total fee, provided the provider bills per execution. Daily makes little sense at most German providers, because minimum amounts and per-execution fees bite. A two-week rhythm is a solid compromise where your broker allows it.

Why You Should Not Rule Out a Lump Sum Purchase at This Price

A widespread reflex says: after a rally you do not go in with a lump sum. That sounds sensible but is empirically questionable. If you examine bitcoin weeks with a gain of more than 20 percent since 2018, the price four weeks later was higher in the majority of cases, not lower. The reason lies in the structure of the bitcoin market: in many cycles rallies mark the transition into a momentum phase rather than the end of one.

What the Cost Average Effect and Volatility Really Mean for Your Calculation

The cost average effect is the mathematical consequence of the savings plan. If you invest the same euro amount every month, you buy less bitcoin at high prices and more at low ones. Your average entry price ends up below the arithmetic mean of all monthly prices. This is no magic effect but a consequence of the harmonic mean, which mathematically is always smaller than or equal to the arithmetic one.

Volatility, meaning the typical price movement over time, currently sits at around 60 percent a year for bitcoin. Equity indices such as the DAX move at around 20 percent. In everyday terms bitcoin therefore swings three to four times as much as a broad equity market. For the savings plan that is an advantage, because large swings amplify the cost average effect. For the lump sum purchase it is a risk, because the chance of a false start of 15 to 30 percent within a month is real.

How Large the Amount Should Be and When You Are Better Off Doing Nothing

A workable rule of thumb for the size of your bitcoin share of total assets sits between two and ten percent. Below two percent, bitcoin will not move your portfolio noticeably whatever happens. Above ten percent, a single asset class carries your financial wellbeing, and with an asset running 60 percent annual volatility that is careless. Anyone putting all their savings into bitcoin is speculating, however the order is structured.

There are moments when you are better off buying nothing. If you have no liquid emergency cushion of three to six months of net salary, your next euro belongs in an instant access savings account rather than in bitcoin. If you are servicing a loan at more than four percent interest, paying it down is the better return. And if you first heard of bitcoin within the past seven days, give yourself a week to think before you trigger an order.

Which German Providers Come Into Question for Savings Plans and Lump Sum Purchases

German investors have several routes. Regulated crypto exchanges based or licensed in the EU offer both lump sum purchases and savings plans, often with BaFin-registered custody solutions. Neobrokers from the traditional securities world offer crypto savings plans as ETP-like constructs, where you hold bitcoin economically without holding the coins yourself. Pure crypto apps offer the lowest entry amounts, often from one euro, but the highest percentage fees.

Which route suits you depends less on the provider's name than on two questions: do you want to transfer the coins to your own wallet later, or is custody at the provider enough for you? And do you trust yourself with a seed phrase and a private key, or should a third party handle custody? Anyone wanting to hold the coins themselves picks an exchange that allows withdrawals to a hardware wallet. Anyone taking the convenient route picks a neobroker with a crypto savings plan.

What the Clarity Act and the ETF Tailwind Mean for Your Timing

Regulatory impulses have repeatedly triggered short-term price jumps in recent years, but they have rarely determined the long-term direction on their own. Should it become law, the Clarity Act would give US trading venues more legal certainty in handling crypto assets. Institutional inflows through ETFs could accelerate. Should the bill fail in September or October, a price setback is likely, because part of the rally rests on that expectation.

For your savings plan both outcomes are irrelevant, because by construction it absorbs either case. For a lump sum purchase the following applies: anyone timing their purchase date around a political vote accepts the corresponding headline risk. Anyone setting that date independently is buying a position in the running cycle, with no special expectation attached.

How to Factor Tax and the Holding Period In at the Point of Purchase

In Germany, bitcoin counts as a private economic asset under Section 23 of the Income Tax Act. Price gains from a sale are tax-free after a holding period of twelve months, provided you hold them as private assets. If you buy on August 24, 2026, a sale from August 25, 2027 onwards will be tax-free, assuming the current legal position holds. Within the holding period the gain is charged at your personal income tax rate plus the solidarity surcharge and, where applicable, church tax, once annual gains exceed 1,000 euros. Losses within the year can be offset against other private disposals.

With a savings plan, every monthly tranche has its own holding period. The tranche from August 2026 becomes tax-free in August 2027, the tranche from September 2026 in September 2027. Your broker should manage these tranches automatically using the first-in-first-out method. For the tax report, using a crypto tax tool from the outset pays off, so that a later partial sale does not force you to sort order CSVs retrospectively.

Buying More Bitcoin: What to Take Away

Three numbered steps with which you can make the decision today.

1. Set your budget before choosing a provider. Define the bitcoin share of your total assets at between two and ten percent and work out what that means in euros. Halve the figure if a loss of 30 percent would cost you sleep. Only then do you compare the exchanges that fit.
2. Choose the method that suits your starting position. If you are already invested and want to top up, a bitcoin savings plan is the calmer route. If you have been waiting for months and the move is getting on your nerves anyway, buy three quarters of your target position today in one go and put the rest into a savings plan. You will find the providers for that in the savings plan comparison.
3. Think about custody and tax from the start. Small amounts may sit at the exchange, larger holdings belong in your own wallet. Anyone planning to hold for the long run picks capable hardware. The overview is in the hardware wallet comparison.

For context on this week and the triggers of the price jump, see our article Bitcoin Price Above $75,000: 3 Reasons for the Rally. If you want to go deeper into the macro-financial framework, the connection between the dollar, gold and bitcoin is in our analysis Dollar at a Two and a Half Month Low, Gold Above $4,400, Bitcoin Up 8 Percent.

Two market reports serve as primary sources for this text: the overview by CNBC on the White House meeting and the inflow data on spot bitcoin ETFs at The Block.

(As of August 24, 2026. This article is not investment advice. Prices and fee structures change; check the terms with the provider before you buy.)

Bitcoin Savings Plan in Austria: How the Moving Average Price Is Calculated for Tax

Bitcoin savings plans spread the purchase across many individual transactions. Anyone investing 200 euros a month, for instance, inevitably buys their bitcoin at different prices. For the later tax calculation the question therefore arises: which purchase price applies when only part of the coins is sold?

Austria uses the moving average price for this as a matter of principle. Where units of the same cryptocurrency are acquired one after another and held at the same crypto address, their acquisition costs are merged into a single average price. With a wallet, the wallet as a whole can serve as the relevant reference unit instead.

How the Calculation Works

An investor buys through a savings plan:

• 0.01 BTC for 300 euros
• 0.01 BTC for 400 euros
• 0.01 BTC for 500 euros

In total they then hold 0.03 BTC with acquisition costs of 1,200 euros.

The moving average price therefore comes to:

1,200 euros ÷ 0.03 BTC = 40,000 euros per BTC

If the investor subsequently sells 0.01 BTC, acquisition costs of 400 euros are as a rule attributed to that portion.

What is not decisive, then, is whether the bitcoin sold are the ones bought first, last or at a particular price.

Every New Savings Plan Purchase Shifts the Average

The average price is not fixed for good. Every further purchase of the same cryptocurrency at the same relevant address or wallet changes it.

Anyone buying a further 0.01 BTC for 600 euros, for example, then holds:

• 0.04 BTC
• total acquisition costs: 1,800 euros
• new average price: 45,000 euros per BTC

At the next taxable sale this updated average price is used as a matter of principle. The Austrian crypto asset regulation prescribes this method both for the capital gains tax deduction and for the income tax assessment.

Several Wallets Can Carry Different Average Prices

Anyone spreading their savings plan holdings across several wallets should note that not all of a person's bitcoin are automatically merged into a single average price. The Austrian rules attach in principle to the respective crypto address or wallet. As a result, two wallets holding bitcoin belonging to the same person can carry different acquisition costs for tax purposes.

With an Austrian provider obliged to withhold capital gains tax, that provider may determine whether the individual address or the wallet as a whole is used as the reference unit. Once used, this reference unit is then also decisive for the assessment.

Legacy Bitcoin Holdings Are Treated Separately

One important exception concerns bitcoin acquired up to and including February 28, 2021. Such legacy assets are not included in the moving average price of the newer holdings. Bitcoin for which flat-rate acquisition costs were applied because tax data was missing likewise do not feed into the normal average price. Despite regular savings plan purchases, investors may therefore face a tax separation between older and newer holdings.

When Does Tax Actually Arise?

The savings plan purchase itself does not as a rule trigger income tax on price gains. The holding becomes relevant for tax purposes above all on a later realisation, for instance on a sale for euros. For bitcoin acquired after February 28, 2021, realised gains are as a rule subject to the special tax rate of 27.5 percent. The holding period plays no role in principle.

Example:

• average acquisition costs: 40,000 euros per BTC
• sale of 0.1 BTC at a price of 70,000 euros
• sale proceeds: 7,000 euros
• acquisition costs: 4,000 euros
• taxable gain: 3,000 euros

At 27.5 percent this produces a tax of 825 euros as a matter of principle.

Conclusion

With a bitcoin savings plan, Austria does not work out the acquisition price for tax separately for each unit sold. For bitcoin of the same kind acquired one after another at the same relevant address or wallet, the moving average price applies in principle. Every new savings plan purchase shifts that average. Legacy holdings from before March 2021 and certain flat-rate valued holdings, by contrast, are treated separately. With long-running savings plans in particular, investors should therefore document purchase history, wallet transfers and the tax cost basis used in each case on a lasting basis.

(As of August 24, 2026. This article is not investment advice. Prices and fee structures change; check the terms with the provider before you buy.)

Brent Kovar told at least 400 investors a supercomputer was mining crypto for them, and that their money was insured by the FDIC.

Digital assets are among five sectors in a campaign Treasury called an “Economic D-Day,” alongside technology, gold, aviation and shipping.

The $1.8 trillion manager is putting its onchain money market fund on the Hong Kong exchange's Earn channel.

The open-source AI hub is fielding buyout interest at nearly triple its 2023 valuation, weeks after a security breach and days after Stripe's OpenRouter deal reset the price of AI infrastructure.

The company increased its Bitcoin holdings by 5.5%, but its Bitcoin per fully diluted share rose only about 1.4%.

XRP still holds momentum following its recent price breakout as the number of active addresses using the XRP ledger has skyrocketed by 659% in just three days.

XRP prints its best August since 2021 by surging to $1.48 with Bollinger Bands now highlighting a potential retest of $1.14 as the ultimate entry.

The timing of the surge remains significant with options market signaling a potential big move for XRP price.

Current tendencies on the market aren't that easy to explain, especially when smaller ETF overtakes giants.

Zcash outperforms as tech billionaires link its 21 million scarcity to the AI era.

Key Takeaways

• Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 futures rebound Tuesday following Monday’s technology sector selloff
• Bitcoin climbed past $80,000 for the first time since February
• Fresh US sanctions targeting Iran failed to move oil markets or investor sentiment
• Nvidia’s Wednesday earnings release could signal direction for AI infrastructure investment
• Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh set to give his inaugural Jackson Hole address this week

Equity futures are trending upward Tuesday morning as market participants shift attention away from newly imposed Iran sanctions and toward two critical events on the horizon: Nvidia’s quarterly earnings announcement and the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium.

Futures tied to the Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.76% during premarket hours, bouncing back from Monday’s technology-led decline. Futures for the S&P 500 increased 0.36%, while Dow futures added 0.39%, representing a gain of 207 points.

The previous session saw the Nasdaq Composite end lower, weighed down by worries surrounding artificial intelligence investment commitments from major technology corporations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average stood alone as the only primary benchmark to post gains Monday.

New Iran Sanctions Leave Little Market Imprint

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled sanctions targeting over 60 entities, individuals, and maritime vessels connected to Iran during Monday’s session. The announcement generated minimal reaction across financial markets.

Oil prices declined despite the sanctions announcement. Brent crude fell 0.8% to settle at $89.84 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, decreased 0.7% to $84.37 per barrel. Market strategists at ING characterized the response as viewing the measures as “marginal rather than market-moving.”

While the sanctions sparked speculation about potential Strait of Hormuz disruptions, crude prices nevertheless declined.

Bitcoin Surges Through $80,000 Threshold

Bitcoin breached the $80,000 level for the first time since late February. The cryptocurrency’s advance followed recent Treasury bond market interventions that intensified fears regarding US dollar devaluation, steering capital toward alternative store-of-value assets.

Gold prices, which had climbed in recent sessions, consolidated Tuesday.

All Eyes on Nvidia Results

Nvidia is scheduled to release quarterly results following Wednesday’s market close. The semiconductor giant has experienced seven consecutive sessions of declines, and its financial report is widely viewed as a critical barometer for artificial intelligence infrastructure spending throughout the technology sector.

Marvell Technology’s earnings, due Thursday, will provide additional perspective on AI chip demand trends.

Jackson Hole Summit and Upcoming Economic Releases

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is scheduled to deliver his first address as Fed chairman at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, which commences Thursday. Investors will parse his remarks for guidance on the central bank’s approach to persistent inflation pressures.

Ahead of that event, Tuesday’s economic calendar includes new residential sales figures, ADP private payroll data, and manufacturing sector indicators. Wednesday will bring the PCE inflation gauge, the Fed’s preferred inflation measure.

Yields on US government bonds moved modestly higher in early action. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.710%, while the 30-year bond yield touched 5.237%.

Dick’s Sporting Goods tumbled 13% in premarket activity after delivering disappointing second-quarter results and lowering its full-year guidance. Intuit and Zoom Communications are among other companies scheduled to report earnings Tuesday.

Equity markets across Asia declined broadly overnight, pressured by the Iran sanctions announcement and Nvidia’s recent downward momentum.

The post Stock Futures Climb as Investors Eye Nvidia (NVDA) Earnings and Fed’s Jackson Hole Event appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Tesla implemented a 7% price increase on the Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD to $74,990 and boosted the Premium AWD by 6% to $84,990
• Shares of TSLA declined 4% during Monday’s session, marking the steepest drop in over a month, despite showing a 12% gain for August
• Cox Automotive data indicates U.S. Cybertruck deliveries reached only 7,263 units in the first half of 2026, after Q1 sales tumbled 45%
• Manufacturing at Giga Texas resumed full capacity following Tesla’s successful recovery of essential production equipment from Angstrom Automotive
• Citizens maintained its “Market Perform” stance on Tesla after Nevada granted authorization for 5,000 Tesla robotaxis

On Tuesday, Tesla announced price increases across two Cybertruck variants, pushing costs up by as much as 7%, while TSLA shares dropped 3.83% amid questions about market appetite for the premium-priced electric truck.

Tesla, Inc., TSLA

The base Cybertruck Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive configuration now carries a $74,990 price tag, representing a $5,000 jump from its previous $69,990 sticker. Meanwhile, the Premium All-Wheel Drive variant climbed to $84,990 from $79,990. The flagship Cyberbeast model maintained its $99,990 pricing.

Price adjustments have become a recurring theme for the Cybertruck. Last August, Tesla pushed the Cyberbeast to $114,990—a $15,000 premium—before walking back that decision in February. That same month saw the introduction of a short-lived budget-friendly Dual Motor edition priced at $59,990, which Musk announced would remain available for just 10 days.

The critical question now becomes whether consumer interest can justify these elevated price points.

Sales data paints a concerning picture. According to Cox Automotive’s estimates, Tesla delivered approximately 3,519 Cybertrucks during Q1 2026, representing a steep 45% year-over-year decline. Total deliveries for the first six months of 2026 reached roughly 7,263 vehicles in the United States.

To put this in perspective, 2025 saw full-year Cybertruck deliveries plunge 48% to 20,237 units, down sharply from 38,965 in 2024. These figures remain dramatically below Elon Musk’s ambitious target of 250,000 annual units.

Since Tesla refrains from reporting Cybertruck-specific delivery numbers, market observers must depend on third-party data providers like Cox Automotive for sales insights.

Wait Times Push Beyond 2027

Extended delivery schedules are now visible across Tesla’s product range through its online configurator. Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt highlighted that current estimates place most model deliveries in October or November. Customers ordering the entry-level Dual Motor Cybertruck face wait times extending into 2027.

Premium configurations typically feature shorter lead times. The Cyberbeast has recently shown availability within weeks in certain markets, while existing inventory units offer even faster fulfillment.

Manufacturing Resumes Following Legal Resolution

Tesla’s production operations have stabilized after recent challenges. Cybertruck assembly at the Texas Gigafactory encountered disruptions earlier this year when a commercial disagreement with Angstrom Automotive Group threatened access to vital manufacturing tools.

In early August, Tesla obtained a temporary restraining order that enabled equipment retrieval. Production lines resumed normal operations shortly thereafter, with completed Cybertrucks reappearing in the facility’s outbound staging areas.

Engineering updates continue as well. Tesla transitioned the Cybertruck’s underbody construction from aluminum panels to an advanced composite material that reduces both weight and manufacturing costs. Additionally, the Actually Smart Summon functionality has started deploying to Cybertruck customers.

On the autonomous vehicle front, Nevada regulators approved operating permits for up to 5,000 Tesla robotaxis, significantly exceeding the 1,000-unit allocations granted to Waymo and Uber’s partners Motional and Zoox. Following this development, Citizens Bank reaffirmed its “Market Perform” rating on Tesla stock.

The post Tesla (TSLA) Stock Dips as Cybertruck Price Jumps to $85,000 appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Shares of DKS plummeted 13% in early trading following disappointing Q2 financial results
• The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.53, falling short of analyst expectations of $3.76-$3.78
• Total net sales reached $5.59 billion but failed to meet projections, despite a 53% annual increase
• Management slashed annual EPS forecast to $11.00-$12.00, significantly trailing Street expectations of $14.28
• The Foot Locker segment proved problematic, posting a 3.6% decline in proforma comparable sales

Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) tumbled 13% to $157.45 during premarket hours on Tuesday following the retailer’s disappointing second-quarter performance and substantial reduction in annual earnings projections.

DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc., DKS

The sporting goods retailer reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.53, representing a decline from the prior year’s $4.38 and missing analyst projections ranging from $3.76 to $3.78. While net sales climbed 53% from the previous year to $5.59 billion, the figure still came up short of Wall Street’s anticipated $5.64-$5.65 billion.

The substantial revenue increase was primarily attributed to the acquisition of Foot Locker, which closed in September 2025, rather than underlying business expansion.

Comparable store sales across the company increased by 2.1%, underperforming the Street’s 4% projection. The core Dick’s Sporting Goods segment delivered 4.9% comp growth, representing a deceleration from the 6% posted in the first quarter.

The Foot Locker division emerged as the primary headwind, with proforma comparable sales declining 3.6% during the period.

Executive Chairman Ed Stack attributed the challenges to an increasingly promotional landscape in the athletic footwear and apparel categories, noting that market conditions deteriorated as the quarter advanced.

According to Stack, the Foot Locker operation suffered disproportionately due to its greater exposure to traditional footwear designs and launch or retro merchandise, categories that experienced heightened promotional activity.

Annual Outlook Substantially Reduced

Management dramatically reduced its full-year adjusted earnings per share projection to a band of $11.00 to $12.00. The $11.50 midpoint represents approximately 19% below the previous analyst consensus ranging from $14.20 to $14.28.

The company established revenue guidance between $21.9 billion and $22.2 billion, with the $22.05 billion midpoint trailing the $22.35 billion consensus estimate.

Dick’s additionally revised downward its Foot Locker segment proforma comparable sales projection to between -2.0% and 0.0%, while maintaining its Dick’s segment forecast at 2.5% to 4.0% expansion.

Margin Compression Evident

Adjusted operating income for the second quarter registered at 8.1% of net sales, marking a significant contraction from 13.0% recorded in the comparable period one year earlier.

Management cited the dilutive effect of 9.6 million newly issued shares connected to the Foot Locker transaction as a contributing factor to the results.

Operating margin projections were also lowered for both the Dick’s and Foot Locker operating segments.

Prior to Tuesday’s decline, DKS had already fallen 9.4% year-to-date, lagging the S&P 500’s performance in 2026.

Shares closed Monday’s session down 2.1% before the premarket plunge intensified losses.

The post Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) Stock Plummets 13% on Earnings Miss and Slashed Outlook appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Jack Ma acquired over HK$600 million in Alibaba shares listed in Hong Kong during back-to-back trading sessions.
• Ma’s substantial investment demonstrates confidence in the company’s artificial intelligence strategy and future prospects.
• Chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu collectively purchased HK$202 million in shares during the same period.
• The insider buying activity occurred following the company’s first share issuance in over four years.
• Hong Kong-listed Alibaba shares (9988) gained 1.5% during pre-market hours Tuesday.

Jack Ma is backing his company with substantial capital. The Alibaba co-founder acquired over HK$600 million in Hong Kong-listed shares of the e-commerce giant during consecutive trading days, sources with knowledge of the transactions confirmed.

The substantial share acquisitions occurred through open market purchases across two sequential trading sessions. Following news of the purchases, Alibaba’s Hong Kong-traded stock (9988) climbed 1.5% in pre-market activity Tuesday.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, BABA

A source with direct knowledge of the situation indicated the purchases demonstrate Ma’s “strong confidence for Alibaba to realise its AI ambitions and capture the long-term growth opportunities ahead.”

Ma isn’t alone in demonstrating financial commitment to the company.

Senior Leadership Joins Buying Spree

Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai and chief executive Eddie Wu Yongming invested a combined HK$202 million in company shares during the identical two-day window, according to regulatory filings submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The share purchases by Tsai and Wu became public knowledge through mandatory disclosure requirements enforced by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which requires timely reporting of executive transactions.

When combined, the insider acquisitions from Ma, Tsai, and Wu exceed HK$800 million invested over just 48 hours.

The timing carries significance. These purchases followed Alibaba‘s first capital raise through new share issuance since 2019, a strategic decision that captured investor attention regarding the company’s funding approach.

Artificial Intelligence Strategy Takes Center Stage

Alibaba has aggressively expanded its artificial intelligence initiatives throughout the previous year. The technology conglomerate has integrated AI-powered capabilities throughout its e-commerce platforms and cloud computing operations.

The source’s commentary regarding AI objectives aligns with the company’s strategic emphasis. Ma’s significant investment can be interpreted as endorsement of this technological trajectory.

Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post—the publication that initially disclosed Ma’s share purchases—had not issued a statement in response to comment requests by Tuesday.

Large-scale open market purchases by Ma represent uncommon activity. The entrepreneur withdrew from active involvement in Alibaba’s daily operations several years ago and has maintained a reduced public presence following heightened regulatory scrutiny of Chinese technology companies beginning in 2021.

This magnitude of acquisition by the company’s founder attracts particular attention specifically because such moves are infrequent.

The share purchases by Tsai and Wu received independent verification through Hong Kong exchange regulatory filings, which mandate that executives and significant shareholders report transactions within established timeframes.

The documentation reveals the acquisitions occurred during the same two consecutive trading days as Ma’s purchases.

Alibaba maintains its Hong Kong listing under ticker symbol 9988. The shares advanced 1.5% during pre-market trading Tuesday after the buying activity was reported.

The post Jack Ma Invests Over HK$600 Million in Alibaba (BABA) Stock Alongside Top Executives appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• United Airlines anticipates sufficient Airbus A321XLR aircraft deliveries to launch five fresh European destinations in 2027, featuring Luxembourg, Ibiza, and Toulouse
• Chief Executive Scott Kirby plans expanded operations at JFK Airport, possibly via JetBlue collaboration starting next year
• European tourism demand remains robust through fall months, now lasting through October and November
• Consolidation efforts with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines failed during the current year
• A321XLR international operations commence December 1, 2026, connecting Washington Dulles with Amsterdam and Dublin

United Airlines is orchestrating an unprecedented international expansion initiative, introducing service to 10 fresh destinations throughout Europe and Asia during 2027.

United Airlines Holdings, Inc., UAL

Half of these additions will utilize the Airbus A321XLR, a narrow-body aircraft designed for extended-range operations. Fresh European destinations encompass Luxembourg, Ibiza in Spain, and Toulouse in France.

The carrier placed its A321XLR order in 2019. This aircraft type will launch international operations on December 1, 2026, connecting Washington Dulles with Amsterdam and Dublin.

Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president for global network planning, acknowledged “a few teething issues” surrounding the A321XLR program. However, he expressed confidence the airline will secure adequate aircraft to maintain scheduled operations.

Competing airlines including Air Canada have encountered delivery setbacks as Airbus navigates production challenges and supply-chain constraints. United’s A321neo Coastliner fleet, designated for premium coast-to-coast services, has similarly experienced Airbus-related delays.

While introducing the A321XLR, United is retiring its veteran Boeing 757 aircraft. Fleet planning undergoes continuous revision to accommodate manufacturer scheduling changes.

Sustained European Market Strength

United reports European travel demand extending significantly beyond conventional summer peak periods. Quayle noted routes maintain profitability into October and November, far exceeding the traditional Labor Day endpoint.

“The schedule is not being pulled down as quickly in September as it used to be right after Labor Day,” he said.

United observed no decline in European traffic during summer despite elevated temperatures. “Demand is incredibly strong,” Quayle confirmed. Air Canada mirrored this assessment, projecting September and October revenue will establish new records for those periods.

JFK Expansion and Strategic Development

CEO Scott Kirby informed CNBC he intends expanding United presence at JFK Airport. He suggested this might materialize through JetBlue collaboration, potentially launching next year. United may also acquire slots from carriers experiencing weak JFK performance.

Kirby mentioned he frequently announces new international routes prematurely because he reveals them early. His staff now avoids advance briefings.

He identified South America as a region where United maintains limited presence. Miami International, where American Airlines controls over 60% of passenger boardings, commands regional access.

Kirby additionally highlighted the Southeast United States as a market where independent growth faces significant obstacles.

United’s merger aspirations have reached an impasse. American Airlines declined a combination proposal this year, with Delta similarly rejecting overtures. Kirby stated United would abandon consolidation efforts “for any time I can see in the foreseeable future.”

UAL stock gained 0.35% during trading.

The post United Airlines (UAL) Stock: Ambitious Europe Push with A321XLR Fleet in 2027 appeared first on Blockonomi.

It was less than a week ago when we last wrote a major Ripple (XRP) update, and the landscape was entirely different. Not that the company behind the token hadn’t made some major moves, because it frequently does, but because the underlying asset was stuck at $1.00 and analysts were wondering whether that support would hold or we were in for another major leg down.

The environment is entirely different now, and we will take a look at what has taken place in the Ripple ecosystem over the past week, especially on the XRP price front.

FedNow, Gemini, XRPL

Multiple reports emerged online in the past few days that FedNow Payments has enabled payments through Ripple’s tokens after the company’s integration with Volante. FedNow is an instant payments rail in fiat USD that settles on central bank reserves, while Volante provides platform connectivity to the former for domestic payments in the US and to Ripple for cross-border services.

Separately, Gemini’s co-founder, Tyler Winklevoss, announced some “big news for the Ripple Army in Asia.” In a tweet from today, he said users of the cryptocurrency exchange he co-founded with his twin brother in Singapore can deposit and withdraw XRP through the native XRP Ledger network.

Speaking of XRPL, Ali Martinez cited data from Santiment and highlighted a major surge in activity. The number of active addresses skyrocketed by over 650% in the past several days, going from 47,180 to just over 356,000. The popular analyst concluded that such a major spike “typically signals a sharp increase in network participation and is often accompanied by higher price volatility.”

XRP ETFs Are Back, CEO Speaks Out

The major market shift is evident in institutional appetite as well. The spot XRP ETFs, which struggled for weeks with insignificant inflows, picked up the pace last week, especially after Wednesday. In total, they attracted almost $40 million in net inflows, which became the best weekly performance since May.

Moreover, the total cumulative flows hit a new all-time high of just over $1.55 billion, while Bitwise’s XRP fund extended its lead as the largest of the bunch.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse spoke on Saturday for the first time after attending two major Washington meetings last week – the Crypto Summit at the White House hosted by the POTUS and CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee. He noted that the conclusion from both meetings is that all parties involved, including TradFi, want clear regulation on the crypto industry, which is likely to come from the highly anticipated CLARITY Act.

XRP Price Revival

As promised above, we will dedicate a major part of this update to the native token’s recent performance. Recall that it was less than seven days ago when the asset struggled to remain above the psychological $1.00 support and dipped below it on a few occasions as the overall sentiment had quickly deteriorated.

However, then came the Wednesday afternoon resurrection of the crypto market, led initially by BTC. Although XRP was a little late to the party, it eventually joined in full force. It skyrocketed from $1.00 to $1.70 by Saturday morning, posting a massive 70% surge in less than 72 hours.

Most of the ‘blame’ was put on whales, as on-chain data showed that they had accumulated roughly 400 million tokens in several days. However, XRP was quickly halted at $1.70 and is now back to around $1.50. Most analysts are now convinced that the asset has to reclaim the $1.65-$1.70 resistance before we can call it a bull phase again.

Popular trader CasiTrades doubled down earlier today on the importance of that level, indicating that it was “incredible to see XRP rally all the way back up to test the macro .618 resistance,” but admitted that it was met with “heavy resistance and instant rejection.”

“So now XRP needs to prove it can actually sustain this rally. We need [the] price to break above the macro 0.618 and then come back to successfully test that level as support. THAT is the structural shift that would signal beginning a new trend.”

The post Important Ripple News and XRP Price Update: August 25 appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin completed a remarkable turnaround in the past week, surging from under $65,000 on Wednesday to a three-month high above $81,000 earlier this morning.

The move began abruptly on August 19, accelerated in the following days, and, unlike the previous breakout attempts, was not halted painfully in its tracks. Obviously, something changed in the market, but the question is what precisely.

Who Lit the Fuse

The most talked-about reason behind the initial leg up was the US Treasury Department’s announcement last Wednesday that the government would at least double buybacks of longer-dated Treasury securities. This meant an increase in 10- to 30-year debt from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation.

At its core, the move was aimed at improving liquidity and easing pressure in the long end of the bond market, where borrowing costs had skyrocketed. Risk-on assets like BTC, alongside gold, reacted immediately with a surge from $64,000 to $70,000, while Treasury yields declined initially.

Here’s where this narrative breaks down. Long-term yields rebounded almost immediately, while BTC’s price rocketed by another $10,000-$11,000. According to analysts from the Kobeissi Letter, this suggested that investors were interpreting the Treasury intervention not merely as lower-yield support but as evidence of growing pressure surrounding the US’s fiscal policy.

As previously reported, US federal debt recently surpassed $40 trillion, while persistent deficits and massive refinancing requirements intensified uncertainty about how the government will manage the situation.

Debasement Trade Returns

The US dollar is the second macro piece in this equation. Treasury intervention pressured the greenback and revived Wall Street calls for the debasement trade: capital moving toward scarce assets, like BTC and gold, when investors fear that fiscal and monetary policies could gradually erode fiat purchasing power.

The precious metal exceeded $4,600 per ounce during bitcoin’s rally past $81,000. This synchronized move strengthened the argument that investors are treating both assets as alternatives to government-issued money.

Ray Dalio added fuel to that fire a few days ago, warning of a potential US debt crisis and recommending investors own gold and a ‘bit of bitcoin,’ while the dollar fell to a multi-month low.

Changes in Liquidity Expectations

The Treasury Department’s move led to another important change as markets are increasingly debating whether the government could use its enormous Treasury General Account more aggressively to support the bond market. The account recently stood at around $950 billion, and speculation that some of this liquidity could effectively be deployed through expanded Treasury operations has gained significant attention.

Although this is not quantitative easing, in fact, it’s very far away from it, if Treasury actions reduce pressure on long-term borrowing costs, weaken the dollar, or inject additional liquidity into financial markets, the broader environment becomes considerably more favorable for scarce and risk-sensitive assets such as BTC.

Who Amplified the Move

Appetite for BTC through the spot Bitcoin ETFs returned with vengeance last week as the figures showed a massive resurgence: almost $2 billion entered the funds in just five days, hitting a ten-month record. Expectedly, the demand accelerated after Wednesday.

Separately, the rapid move from under $65,000 to $70,000 first and $75,000 a day later forced heavily leveraged bearish trades to close positions. More than $4 billion in shorts were liquidated in less than two days, which helps explain the extreme nature of the reaction.

The Treasury announcement was the initial spark, followed by falling confidence in the dollar, which, alongside America’s fiscal trajectory, strengthened demand for scarce assets. ETF inflows added genuine spot demand, while short liquidations accelerated an already powerful surge.

The post Why Did Bitcoin Explode Past $81K? 4 Macro Factors Behind the Rally appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s price initiated another leg up in the past several hours, blasting past $80,000 and $81,000 for the first time since the middle of May.

BTC even outperformed many larger-cap altcoins, which resulted in an uptick in its dominance over the market.

Bitcoin Exceeded $81K

It was just a week ago when we were wondering what would be the new (old) thing that we could write about the crypto market, as bitcoin had stalled below $65,000 for a long, long time. However, Wednesday afternoon changed the trend. Whether it was the US Treasury Department’s announcement, the White House Crypto Summit, or something else, BTC exploded out of the gate with force.

It went to $70,000 within a few hours, dipped back to $68,000, and then skyrocketed once again to $75,000 by Thursday. The bulls took it a step further on Friday, helping BTC climb to almost $80,000 for the first time since mid-May.

After gaining $15,000 in days, the asset was due for a correction, which took place during the weekend with a price slip to $75,500. Nevertheless, the bull returned in full force at the start of the new business week, pushing bitcoin to over $81,000 earlier today to mark a 15-week peak.

It was stopped there and now sits inches below $80,000, but its market cap has risen to $1.6 trillion. Its dominance over the alts has rocketed to 58% on CG and to almost 60% on CMC after its latest run.

SOL Touches $100

Solana’s native token is the top performer among the larger-cap alts today, surging by 7% to over $100 for the first time in months. HYPE has neared its all-time high of $83, marked a few days ago, once again, as it now sits close to $82. ZEC has surpassed DOGE as the 10th-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

XMR and RAIN are the other top performers from this cohort of assets, while MORPHO, AAVE, and LTC have dropped the most. Meanwhile, ETH remains inches below $2,500, XRP is stuck at $1.50, and BNB is back above $700.

The total crypto market cap has added nearly $100 billion since yesterday and is up to $2.770 trillion on CG.

The post Bitcoin Dominance on the Rise Again as BTC Tapped 15-Week Peak Above $81K: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.

An analyst has claimed that large Coinbase-linked holders are pinning XRP’s price with the buy and sell walls on both sides of the market.

Their thesis landed as the Ripple token hovered near $1.51, holding a tight range after a rally that more than doubled the asset’s price from its early-August low.

Whale Walls and a Split Order Book

CW posted a chart showing XRP consolidating between roughly $1.52 and $1.53, with heavy sell orders stacked above $1.70 and $2.00 and buy orders clustered just under $1.52.

“It is Coinbase whales that are controlling the price of XRP,” the account wrote, arguing that the walls are not there to push price up or down but to hold it in place, and tying the standoff specifically to US trading desks not yet ready for a rally.

They followed up later with data on futures positioning, suggesting the setup for a rally is building even though price has not moved.

The data showed whale long/short ratios on Binance and OKX both leaning bullish, with OKX’s whale position ratio at 8.16, but smart money sentiment stayed split: extremely bullish on OKX, extremely bearish on Bybit, and merely bearish on Binance, which was an improvement from a more bearish reading a day earlier. Taker volume was close to even, 48.74% long against 51.26% short.

In another post, CW said XRP had broken through its point of control and main resistance zone, with the sell wall now above price looking small by comparison.

ETF flow added another data point, with a net inflow of $13.82 million across XRP ETFs, split between $8.25 million on Bitwise’s fund, now at $551 million cumulative, $4.01 million into Franklin’s XRPZ, at $438 million cumulative, and $1.57 million on Canary’s XRPC fund.

Combined AUM sits at $1.441 billion, and total XRP ETF volume, spot and otherwise, topped $207 million for the day.

How XRP Got Here

CryptoPotato reported that XRP surged more than 65%, raising its market cap above $94 billion and briefly taking the position of the fourth-largest cryptocurrency ahead of BNB, although it later fell back to fifth.

The token saw a rally from below $1.00 to nearly $1.70 in under 72 hours, its highest level since January, before retracing, with market watchers like EGRAG CRYPTO considering $1.65 to $1.70 the level where its fate will be decided.

Diana, another trader active on X, laid out a wave count putting $1.79 as the first target if XRP clears resistance between $1.53 and $1.64, followed by $2.58 and $2.89 after a pullback toward $1.27 to $1.30.

At the time of writing, XRP was trading around $1.51, which is still a more than 50% jump in seven days. The token’s trading volume also went up by more than 11% from Monday’s numbers to hit $5.9 billion. However, it is still about 59% below its all-time high of 3.65, set in July 2025.

The post The Real Reason XRP Is Stuck: Analyst Blames Massive Trading Walls on Coinbase appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The Core Team behind the popular yet controversial project has officially implemented a major change to the pricing structure of its AI-powered App Studio, as they announced last week.

Starting from August 24, the project will no longer heavily subsidize app creation and editing costs for all developers. Here’s what and how changed.

What’s New in the Studio

CryptoPotato reported last week the major changes coming to the App Studio for the pricing model. Until now, Pi Network charged creators just 0.25 PI to generate an application and another 0.25 PI to edit it. However, the team said these prices did not reflect the actual costs involved.

They explained that AI-powered app creation is significantly more expensive, with the network covering the difference during App Studio’s introductory period. Having gathered more data about how Pioneers use the platform, the team has now decided to redirect those subsidies toward apps showing actual signs of utility.

Consequently, the standard price for creating and editing apps will now more closely reflect the underlying costs of the AI services required for each operation. That means that the new model will not necessarily charge a fixed fee, as the amount can vary depending on the resources consumed

The team emphasized that it will not add a markup on top of the underlying AI costs. However, they added that there’s an important exception.

The Exception

Not all creators will be charged equally. Those whose applications attract sufficient numbers of real and distinct users can continue paying the old subsidized rates. The team will use existing App Studio data to determine the initial group that qualified, but eligibility isn’t permanent.

Devs who initially do not qualify to receive the old pricing model can become eligible later if their applications start gaining actual usage. However, the team admitted that the actual qualification criteria could also evolve over time.

The announcement explained that the change should prevent network resources from being spent on experiments, tests, or spam applications while providing an incentive for developers to build products that people actually use and care for.

These changes come at a rather interesting moment for the entire crypto market as well as Pi Network’s native token. In fact, while BTC and most alts have surged by double digits in the past week, PI has failed to fully take advantage of the rally, currently fighting for the $0.09 level.

The post Major Pi Network Change Is Now Live: Here’s What Pioneers Need to Know appeared first on CryptoPotato.