The unresolved 2020 Bitcoin heist highlights ongoing security vulnerabilities in crypto, potentially undermining trust in digital currencies.

The post Hacker still holds $14 billion in stolen Bitcoin from massive 2020 LuBian attack: Arkham appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Eric Trump's crypto endorsements amid economic uncertainty highlight the growing intersection of politics and digital asset markets.

The post Eric Trump bull-posts Bitcoin, Ethereum amid tariff jitters appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Hayes' crypto sell-off amid market decline may signal reduced confidence, potentially influencing investor sentiment and market stability.

The post Arthur Hayes offloads $13 million in ETH, PEPE, and ENA amid market pullback appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The merger could significantly boost U.S. Bitcoin mining capacity, impacting market dynamics and regulatory landscapes in the crypto industry.

The post Trump-backed American Bitcoin nears Nasdaq listing as Gryphon merger vote set for August 27 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Kugler's departure allows Trump to influence Fed policy direction amid ongoing tensions over interest rate strategies and leadership dynamics.

The post Fed Governor Kugler to step down on August 8, giving Trump chance to name replacement appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin’s on-chain activity lit up again as Blockstream CEO Adam Back alerted the Bitcoin community to the return of the so-called “Bitfinex whale.” According to Back, this unknown but powerful entity has been accumulating Bitcoin at a staggering rate, purchasing roughly 300 BTC per day over the past 48 hours using time-weighted average price (TWAP) buying strategies. He emphasized:

“For context 300btc/day that’s $400/second all day, historically they’ve done this days, weeks continuously and ramped it up too harder too up to 1000btc/day ($1300/second all-day at these prices).”

The Bitfinex whale effect

The sustained appetite of this whale, especially one connected with Bitfinex, is a potentially market-moving signal. Whale accumulation (large buys executed methodically over time) can soak up significant supply, causing upward pressure on price or stabilizing the market during volatility. Such whale behavior has preceded large bullish moves in previous cycles, as well as short-term volatility when whales shift gears or exit positions.

But not everyone sees this as unequivocally bullish. As one of Back’s followers commented:

“That’s not a good thing, as Bitfinex whales buy downtrends and sell uptrends.”

This highlights a long-debated dynamic. Some whales accumulate during market weakness and then distribute (sell) into liquidity during stronger markets, adding both buying support in downturns and potential resistance during rallies.

Whatever your take on the Bitfinex whale, Adam Back is no ordinary observer. As the inventor of Hashcash, a critical Proof-of-Work algorithm referenced in the original Bitcoin whitepaper, Back is seen as one of the founding figures in the crypto space.

He is the CEO and co-founder of Blockstream, a global leader in Bitcoin protocol development and infrastructure. Renowned as a cypherpunk and one of the first to correspond with Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, Back’s market commentary carries outsized weight within the industry.

Will Bitcoin price shake off broader slump?

Earlier today, former BitMEX CEO, Arthur Hayes warned of a global liquidity crunch and expected BTC to test $100,000 in the near term, adjusting his positions accordingly. Can traders expect this to change with the Bitfinex whale back on scene?

On-chain data suggests that when whales accumulate at this scale, it’s typically a sign of strong hands preparing for the next price move, or smart money stepping in to absorb panic selling. With supply on exchanges already at record lows and institutional interest surging, continuous spot buying from traders like the Bitfinex whale could fuel both a relief rally and long-term supply squeeze, especially if sustained over days or weeks.

However, whale accumulation doesn’t guarantee a straight line upward. Recent years have shown that large holders are just as likely to defend support as they are to take profit if the opportunity arises. Traders will be watching closely for signs of a trend reversal or major move.

The post Bitfinex whale returns: Adam Back sights massive Bitcoin accumulation appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Arthur Hayes is once again sounding the alarm on a greater shakeup in the crypto market after worse-than-expected data from the U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) jobs report sparked downside volatility in both traditional and digital markets. Despite his reputation as a long-term crypto bull, Hayes has recently moved assets and cash, preparing for further volatility ahead.

Hayes’ prediction comes as Bitcoin hovers in a turbulent range after a sharp June and July rally that saw the coin blast through $120,000 before encountering resistance and correcting down to below $114,000 in early August.

Hayes, a long-time advocate of Bitcoin’s macro potential, is now warning that short-term headwinds could push BTC below $100,000 and ETH below $3,000 in the aftermath of the latest jobs report, a number that fell well short of expectations and wiped $1.1 trillion from the stock market.

Risk assets sell off as Schiff reinforces ‘Bitcoin is not digital gold’

The crux of Arthur Hayes’ argument is rooted in macro liquidity. In his recent comment, he points to the spike in market volatility following the weaker-than-expected NFP, with risk assets selling off hard as traders rush to reprice interest rate expectations and the path ahead for Federal Reserve policy. For the crypto market, this unfolding reset spells trouble in the short term.

Bitcoin led the crypto downturn but managed to show relative strength compared to altcoins, which were hit even harder. Hayes points out that liquidity is being drained from markets as traders brace for further turbulence. Forced liquidations and margin calls are accelerating the move lower, with $172 million in Bitcoin long positions wiped out across exchanges in a 24-hour window as prices stumbled.

Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff wasted no opportunity to dunk on the number-one digital asset while praising the virtues of gold, commenting:

“Days like today make it clear that Bitcoin is not digital gold. We got bad economic news that sent gold and the Japanese yen up 2.2% and the euro up 1.5%. The NASDAQ went the other way, falling 2.2%. Bitcoin tanked 3%, tracking high-risk assets lower, not safe havens higher.”

Arthur Hayes is repositioning his assets

In the early hours of August 2, Hayes offloaded 2,373 ETH ($8.32 million), 7.76 million ENA ($4.62 million), and 38.86 billion PEPE ($414,700), causing a flurry of comments among the crypto community, most notably, Ethereum bulls who pointed out that Hayes had only recently been advocating for a $10K ETH. One follower commented:

“Classic Arthur shilling and dumping at the same time. Never fails.”

Hayes has been right before, predicting a BTC drop to $70,000 earlier in the current cycle when optimism and leverage were at fever pitch.

In April 2024, as Bitcoin scaled all-time highs and market euphoria peaked, Hayes issued a warning that the tides would soon turn, again calling out warning signs in liquidity, U.S. macro data, and the growing risks from overextended leverage in derivatives markets. Despite offloading ETH showing near-term caution, Hayes’ long-term view remains bullish.

The post Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes positions for market slump: predicts BTC to test $100K after NFP print appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Geneva, Switzerland – August 1, 2025 – CryptoRank, Messari and Nansen, leading platforms in blockchain research and analytics, have released comprehensive reports highlighting the TRON network’s exceptional performance throughout the first half of 2025. These independent analyses demonstrate TRON’s continued dominance in the global stablecoin ecosystem, record-breaking revenue generation, and sustained growth across key network fundamentals, reinforcing its position as a premier blockchain infrastructure for digital finance.

CryptoRank

TRON H1 2025: Consistent Growth Across Key Fundamental Metrics provides an in-depth assessment of TRON’s performance, revealing the blockchain’s sustained momentum across critical operational metrics and its strong position in the competitive Layer 1 landscape.

Key Insights from CryptoRank:

• USDT Dominance Expands: USDT supply on TRON surged 41% to 81.2 billion, reinforcing the network’s position as the primary infrastructure and preferred settlement layer for stablecoin transactions. 

• Top-Tier User Activity: TRON ranked top 3 among all blockchains in average daily active addresses during H1 2025.
• Revenue Leadership: TRON achieved nearly $1 billion in quarterly revenue by Q2 2025, representing the network’s highest revenue to date. TRON led all blockchain platforms in revenue burn during H1 2025, with nearly $319 million — significantly surpassing Ethereum and Solana — highlighting its unmatched economic activity and deflationary token model.

Read the full report from CryptoRank here.

Messari

State of TRON Q2 2025 delivered a comprehensive quarterly analysis highlighting TRON’s performance, technical developments, and ecosystem expansion, confirming the network’s multi-faceted growth trajectory.

Key Insights from Messari:

• Ecosystem Activity: Ecosystem momentum was fueled by collaborations with Privy and Bridge (both Stripe companies), AEON Pay, and others, alongside expanded stablecoin offerings like USD1.

• Sustained Growth and Rising User Activity: Daily average transactions increased 12.6% QoQ from 7.7 million to 8.6 million, and daily active addresses grew 5.9% QoQ from 2.4 million to 2.5 million. Average daily new addresses increased in Q2, up 16.6% QoQ from 170,870 to 199,194.
• Stablecoin Activity Steadily Trending Up: The second-largest stablecoin on TRON, USDD, was up 71.2% QoQ from $252.8 million to $432.8 million. USDD reached a milestone of over 409,000 accounts (+269,000 holders in Q2) that hold the stablecoin.

Read the full report from Messari here. 

Nansen

TRON Quarterly Report – Q2 2025 highlights robust performance and continued ecosystem growth across DeFi, enterprise and global adoption on TRON. 

Key Insights from Nansen:

• During the first half of 2025, the TRON network saw a dominant share of its user activity and transaction throughput driven by centralized exchanges such as Bybit, Binance, OKX, and KuCoin, collectively contributing to a significant portion of network usage, underscoring TRON’s deep integration into global trading platforms.

• Canary Capital filed a proposal with U.S. regulators for a TRON ETF that includes native staking rewards, a first-of-its-kind structure in traditional finance. The fund would offer institutional exposure to TRX while enabling passive income via on-chain staking, bridging digital asset yields with regulated investment products.

• DeFi activity remained strong, led by platforms like SunSwap and JustLend, while new integrations with Chainlink oracles brought greater composability and risk management to TRON-based protocols.

Read the full report from Nansen here.

CryptoRank, Messari, and Nansen recognized TRON for its leading role in the blockchain space, particularly as a core infrastructure for stablecoins. Its dominance in USDT issuance, transaction volume, daily user activity, and growing institutional interest underscores its position as a key player in global digital finance. With steady ecosystem growth and expanding utility across DeFi and cross-border payments, TRON is well-positioned to sustain its momentum as a foundational force in the evolving digital economy.

About TRON DAO

TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps.

Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON blockchain has experienced significant growth since its MainNet launch in May 2018. TRON hosts the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin, exceeding $82 billion. As of August 2025, the TRON blockchain has recorded over 323 million in total user accounts, more than 11 billion in total transactions, and over $26 billion in total value locked (TVL), based on TRONSCAN.

TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | X | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum

Media Contact
Yeweon Park
press@tron.network

The post TRON Recognized by CryptoRank, Messari, and Nansen: $916M Revenue and $81B USDT Supply in H1 2025 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The number of tradable crypto tokens has gone parabolic since 2022, with CoinMarketCap now tracking roughly 18.9 million digital assets, compared to a little over 20,000 in 2022.

In January of that year, roughly 20,000 assets were listed across major trackers. By mid-2025, that universe swelled to an estimated 18.9 million, an astonishing 945x increase in just three and a half years. 

The surge isn’t evenly distributed, as three high-throughput networks are responsible for about 90% of the new supply: Solana, Base, and BNB, driven by low fees, turnkey launchpads, and a culture of rapid experimentation.

The three kings

Solana is the epicenter. Over the past year alone, the chain saw on the order of 18 million new tokens minted as memecoin factories and no-code issuers lowered the barrier to creation to pennies. 

Pump.fun has produced approximately 11.4 million SPL tokens by late July 2025, according to the Dune dashboard by user oladee, which tracks the app’s on-chain mints. That’s up from roughly 8.7 million in March 2025, adding almost 2.7 million in four months, up by 31%. 

The count exceeds the combined new token count on Base, BSC, Tron, Polygon, Optimism, Arbitrum, and Ethereum during the same period. 

The result is a torrent of micro-cap assets, most launched for fun, virality, or speculation, and many never progressing beyond a few wallets and a shallow liquidity pool.

Base has emerged as the fastest follower. In barely a year, developers and creators deployed more than 8.4 million fungible tokens on the network.

Creator coin tooling tied to Zora ignited a rapid mint cycle on Coinbase’s L2. A Dune dashboard by user Sealaunch reported over 1.5 million creator coins minted in 2025, as the model spread, with much of this activity centered on Base following its integration into the Base App. 

In late July, Base briefly outpaced Solana by daily token count as “content coins” turned social posts into micro-tokens at scale.

Binance Smart Chain (BSC), which pioneered the cheap-token boom in 2021, continues to significantly contribute to new token launches. 

BscScan’s token tracker lists nearly 4.7 million BEP-20 token contracts on BNB Chain, the ecosystem that BSC is part of. This highlights its role as a mass-mint venue for fungible assets.

While its share of new issuance has faded relative to Solana and Base, BSC remains a go-to venue for fast, low-cost launches.

Liquidity per token shrinks

The catch to this Cambrian explosion is liquidity. Capital simply hasn’t kept pace with supply. Average stablecoin liquidity per token has collapsed from around $1.8 million in 2021 to roughly $5,500 in early 2025. 

In practical terms, most of the 18.9 million tokens are illiquid, thinly traded, and highly susceptible to manipulation. Prices can rocket or crater on a few hundred dollars of flow, and rug-pulls remain a risk wherever low-effort issuance thrives.

That imbalance is reshaping market structure. Despite the proliferation of assets, value continues to concentrate in a few hundred names, with Bitcoin’s and Ethereum’s dominance climbing as capital consolidates into proven networks while the long tail languishes. 

For teams, the sheer existence of a token no longer confers value. Protocols must prove durable demand by showing users, fees, cash flows, or compelling utility to attract liquidity in a saturated field.

Networks face their own trade-offs. High throughput and low fees empower permissionless creativity but also invite spam and churn. 

The post Crypto tokens explode from 20k in 2022 to 18.9M following launchpad frenzy on Solana, Base, BSC appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Decentralized exchanges (DEX) reached $1 trillion in monthly trading volume for the first time in July.

According to DefiLlama data, spot trading volume grew 29.4% and reached nearly $514 billion last month, bested only by January’s all-time high of $568 billion.

At the same time, perpetual futures’ monthly volume increased 33.6% to register a new all-time high of $487 billion, with Hyperliquid registering a new record in monthly perpetual trading.

BNB dominance on spot

For the third consecutive month, BNB Chain dominated spot trading volumes. The chain’s volumes grew 15.3% and totaled $196.3 billion in July, representing 38.2% the monthly total.

PancakeSwap was the main driver behind growth, which amounted to $188.2 billion in spot trading volume. The BNB-native exchange volume is larger than the other four top DEXs combined, which is approximately $168 billion.

Uniswap registered the second-largest spot volume among DEXs in July, with $96.4 billion. Meanwhile, Solana-based decentralized exchanges wrapped up the top five.

Raydium, Meteora, and Orca registered $31.8 billion, $20 billion, and $19.5 billion, respectively. The five largest blockchains by volume remained the same between June and July, with just one slight change.

Runner-ups

Ethereum registered the second-largest monthly volume at nearly $86 billion, growing 49.3% from June, while Solana slid from second to third place in monthly spot trading volume despite growing 36.6% to reach $85.1 billion. 

Base and Arbitrum maintained their posts from June as the fourth- and fifth-largest blockchains by spot trading volume, respectively. 

Base’s volume increased by 46.8% and reached $41.6 billion, the first time the layer-2 blockchain surpassed $40 billion since January. At the same time, Arbitrum was the only chain in the top five with one-digit growth, reaching $19.2 billion in volume after jumping 7.4%.

Hyperliquid’s perpetuals reign

Hyperliquid became the first blockchain to surpass the $300 billion threshold in perpetual volume, reaching $323.4 billion in July after a 48.3% growth.

The volume surpasses Ethereum’s $48.7 billion by a large margin, which held the spot of the second-largest chain in perpetual trading volume last month. Despite the difference, Ethereum has grown by almost 56% since June.

The difference is even larger when decentralized exchanges for perpetual’s volumes are considered. Hyperliquid reached $313.4 billion, dominating 64.3% of the market and posting 16 times Jupiter’s volume of $19.4 billion.

Solana, BNB Chain, and Arbitrum wrap up the top five in perpetuals with $37.2 billion, $21.6 billion, and $19 billion in volumes, respectively.

The post DEX trading volume tops $1T for the first time in July, Hyperliquid leads record perp surge appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Toncoin just got a serious credibility boost. Its leading decentralized exchange, STONfi, pulled in $9.5 million in Series A funding led by Ribbit Capital and CoinFund. These aren’t your average crypto VCs—they’re heavy hitters in fintech. This isn’t just capital; it’s a greenlight from the top tier. Now the real question is whether TON’s price can turn this backing into a breakout. Let’s break it down.

TON Price Prediction: Why This Funding Round Changes the Game?

STONfi dominates the TON DeFi scene. It’s responsible for 80 percent of all DeFi users on the network and has already processed more than $6 billion in total volume. This isn’t a project looking for product-market fit—it already has it.

With this new capital, STONfi is gearing up to roll out professional-grade features. Think concentrated liquidity for LPs and native limit orders for traders. Add cross-chain swaps through the Omniston protocol, and you’re looking at a platform that's about to get a lot more serious.

From a macro view, this kind of institutional vote of confidence usually trickles down into the asset itself. Investors might not be directly buying TON yet, but they are buying into its infrastructure. That’s a signal.

TON Price Prediction: What the Price Is Telling Us?

Toncoin price is trading around $3.66 with a strong +4.46 percent daily gain. The candles are Heikin Ashi, and they show consistent green bodies over the past two weeks—clear sign of sustained bullish momentum.

The TON price just broke through the upper band of the Bollinger Bands. That’s often a sign of short-term overextension, but in trending markets, it can also signal the beginning of an aggressive push. The Bollinger Bands are widening, which supports the idea of increased volatility, not a reversal just yet.

Support sits around $3.27 and $2.97, the mid and lower bands respectively. But the real interest is in the levels above.

Fibonacci extensions suggest a potential short-term target of $4.00 followed by $4.40 if momentum holds. If Toncoin price pushes past $4.50 with volume, it opens the door to test $5.00. That level isn’t just psychological—it aligns with prior resistance back in early Q2.

What Could Go Wrong?

STONfi’s funding gives the ecosystem firepower, but execution still matters. If features get delayed or fail to attract new liquidity, the hype fizzles. Also, TON still lacks the developer saturation that Ethereum or Solana enjoy. One DEX does not make a full DeFi ecosystem.

On the technical side, watch for bearish divergence or any sharp pullbacks toward $3.25. That would weaken the current setup.

TON Price Prediction: Is $5 in Sight?

If momentum continues and the new features roll out on schedule, Toncoin price could rally toward the $4.40 to $5.00 zone within the next 2 to 4 weeks. Volume confirmation is key. If we get two more strong daily closes above $3.70 with rising volume, $4 is almost a given.

If broader market sentiment stays neutral or bullish, this TON price rally has legs. But any sudden shift in risk appetite or delays in promised upgrades could stall the run around $4.
Institutional backing doesn’t guarantee a price pump, but it adds serious weight to the long-term thesis. Toncoin is no longer just Telegram’s side project. It’s building a DeFi layer with real traction and serious funding. If the bulls hold this momentum, the next stop could be $5. Keep a close eye on volume and the $3.70 to $4.00 breakout zone.

Buy TON on OKX

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$Toncoin, $TON, $STONfi

Bitcoin Crash Reason: What Caused the Bitcoin Drop?

The Federal Reserve's decision to hold rates steady on July 30 created macro pressure on risk assets. Bitcoin, which had consolidated below the $123K resistance, finally gave in and triggered a cascading sell-off across the market. Crypto tends to perform better in low interest environments, and this "no-cut" policy stalled any bullish momentum.

BTC Coin Price: Chart Breakdown

BTC/USD 4-hours chart - TradingView

• Failed breakout at $123K, followed by range-bound movement between $116K–$118K
• Clean breakdown below $116K, which is now flipped into resistance
• 9/21 MA bear cross, with 9MA (orange) curving sharply down
• RSI at 29.34 → oversold zone, but with no bullish divergence yet

What to Watch Next for BTC

• Immediate support sits near $111K–$112K. If this breaks, we could see Bitcoin drop toward $108K or even $104K short-term.
• A potential relief bounce may occur, but it must reclaim $116K to flip the structure.
• Keep an eye on volume – if we see high sell volume near $111K, the market may accelerate downward.
• Macro events like further Fed commentary or inflation data could inject new volatility.

$BTC, $Bitcoin

Crypto Market Overview: Red Dominates

The total crypto market cap has plunged by over 3.2% in the past 24 hours, currently standing at $3.65 trillion. The drop marks a sharp continuation of the downtrend that began in late July. Almost every major altcoin is flashing red, with Bitcoin ($BTC) and Ethereum ($ETH) dragging the market lower, and several altcoins following suit with deeper losses.

Total Crypto Market Cap Chart Analysis

• The market cap failed to hold the $3.72T support, now turned resistance.
• The 21 EMA is sloping down, showing continued bearish pressure.
• The RSI is deep in oversold territory at 27.18, suggesting a potential relief bounce but confirming the current weakness.
• Volume spikes and aggressive sell-offs hint at institutional unloading.

Outlook: If $3.65T breaks further, the next major support lies near $3.54T. Upside recovery will only start once $3.72T is reclaimed and held.

Bitcoin Chart Analysis: $113K and Dropping?

Bitcoin’s 4H chart paints a similarly bearish picture:

• Price rejected at $118.6K, a major resistance zone highlighted by a horizontal orange line.
• It broke down from the short-term support at $116K, now acting as resistance.
• The 9 and 21 MA cross is bearish, with the 9MA sharply sloping below the 21MA.
• RSI at 29.20 confirms oversold conditions, yet no reversal signals are visible.

Outlook: If BTC doesn’t reclaim $116K soon, the next support rests around $111K–$112K. Only a strong close above $118.6K can reestablish bullish control.

Top 10 Crypto Performance (Excluding Stablecoins)

From the latest data snapshot, here’s how the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos are performing:

Key Observations:

• Bitcoin held relatively better than altcoins but remains in a technical downtrend.
• Ethereum continues underperforming BTC, showing a sharper daily decline.
• XRP, ADA, and DOGE are among the worst weekly performers, each dropping over 10%.
• Solana is breaking down after ETF hype cooled, now at -6.64% weekly.
• TRON (TRX) stands out as the only green token over the past 7 days (+4.00%), possibly due to recent ecosystem or regulatory news.

What’s Next?

The market is clearly risk-off. Bitcoin must reclaim $116K–$118K to reverse sentiment. RSI on major assets is deeply oversold, so a technical bounce could occur — but the trend remains down. Altcoins are more vulnerable, especially those with high volatility like ADA and DOGE.

$BTC, $ETH, $XRP, $BNB, $SOL, $DOGE, $TRX, $ADA

The decentralized finance (DeFi) market just shed over $4 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL) within a single day. That kind of drop usually spooks people. But zoom out, and something more strategic comes into focus. The data from DeFiLlama reveals not a collapse, but a recalibration across protocols, categories, and capital flows. Let’s unpack what’s really happening, what matters in these charts, and where things may be heading next in the crypto market.

Total Value Locked Takes a Hit, but Momentum Remains Intact

According to  DefiLlama, TVL across all DeFi protocols now stands at $135.81 billion, down 3.14 percent over the past 24 hours. This marks a noticeable dip in an otherwise upward trend that’s been building since late 2023. The historical TVL chart shows a clear recovery from the brutal drawdowns of 2022 and the stagnation through much of 2023. While we’re not at the highs of the 2021-2022 DeFi summer, we are seeing a much healthier and more distributed recovery.

A one-day decline doesn’t change the larger structure. TVL is still up significantly year-to-date, and the composition of where the value is moving tells a more useful story than the headline number.

AAVE, Lido, and EigenLayer Dominate TVL, but Not the Growth

AAVE leads with $33.64 billion in TVL across 17 chains. That’s nearly one-fourth of the entire DeFi TVL in one protocol. Over the past 24 hours, AAVE saw a 2.6 percent drop in locked value, though it posted a modest 1.05 percent gain over the week and nearly 36 percent growth over the month.

Lido, the liquid staking heavyweight, follows closely with $32.73 billion. Its 7-day change is negative 2.27 percent, but like AAVE, it gained over 47 percent in the past month. These are big protocols with huge liquidity. They often act as liquidity sources or sinks during macro DeFi movements.

Then there’s EigenLayer, sitting at $17.51 billion. Despite a 5 percent daily TVL drop, it’s up almost 54 percent this month. That level of volatility on the upside and downside suggests hot capital flow, likely tied to yield-chasing restaking dynamics.

ether.fi and Ethena: The Outliers Everyone Should Be Watching

Where things get interesting is outside the traditional top three.

ether.fi, with just under $10 billion in TVL, is down nearly 4 percent on the day. Still, it has grown over 58 percent this past month. That is massive relative expansion. Even more impressive is its daily fee generation. It clocked in over $5.25 million in fees in the last 24 hours, which dwarfs even AAVE and Lido. However, its revenue remains low, just $72,353, implying high operational cost or aggressive reward emission strategies.

Ethena is the wild card. It’s the only protocol in the top six with positive daily and weekly TVL changes, up 0.7 percent and 21.15 percent respectively. Over the month, it has grown 59.66 percent. Even more impressive is its 24-hour fee haul: $13.92 million. That puts it at the top of the revenue leaderboard, well ahead of Lido and AAVE. Its revenue for the day, $2.43 million, reflects strong actual economic activity and suggests that it's not just emitting tokens to attract liquidity. Ethena appears to be monetizing real usage.

In short, the data shows that while traditional protocols are stabilizing or declining slightly, newer or more agile players like ether.fi and Ethena are gaining attention and traction quickly.

Fee Generation and Real Yield: A New Set of Winners

Across DeFi, total fees paid in the last 24 hours came in at $113.93 million. That number should not be underestimated. It reflects that usage is active, even when TVL dips. In fact, comparing this figure to DEX volumes ($19.38 billion in 24h) and perp volumes ($18.46 billion in 24h) highlights a healthy rotation across DeFi’s verticals.

Notably, many users are not simply holding liquidity in vaults or LPs. They are actively trading, bridging, restaking, and using leverage. This explains why protocols with lower TVLs (like Ethena) can outperform high-TVL incumbents in revenue. Capital is becoming more efficient.

ETF Outflows Reveal Institutional Hesitation or Strategic Rotation

One detail that should not be ignored: ETF inflows were negative $97.8 million over 24 hours. That is not just noise. It shows traditional finance pulling back slightly from crypto wrappers. Whether this capital is moving into stablecoins, DeFi protocols, or sitting idle is unclear, but the juxtaposition with the increase in DeFi protocol fees suggests that some of it may be rotating into on-chain opportunities.

In other words, while institutional products are bleeding capital, native DeFi protocols may be catching the upside from those flows.

Stablecoin Liquidity Continues Quiet Expansion

Stablecoins represent dry powder. Their market cap has now reached $266.92 billion, up 0.65 percent over the past week. That’s a key metric. While TVL in DeFi protocols has dropped, stablecoin supply is growing. That suggests capital is not leaving the ecosystem but sitting on the sidelines, likely waiting for reentry.

This further supports the idea that the 3 percent TVL drop is less about exit and more about reallocation.

RWA TVL Declines, but Still Significant

Real World Assets (RWA) represent $12.2 billion of TVL and have declined 3.15 percent over the week. This is in line with broader TVL decline but signals something worth watching. If stablecoin capital starts rotating into yield-generating RWAs, we could see protocols like Centrifuge or Maple Finance start outperforming again.

So far, most of the growth this month has been in staking, restaking, and synthetic dollar protocols.

Over $624 million in token unlocks are expected in the next 14 days. While that doesn’t always correlate to selling pressure, it often creates volatility. Projects undergoing large unlocks may see temporary price weakness, potentially creating entry points for long-term accumulation.

What This All Means for the Crypto Market?

• The short-term TVL drop is not a sign of collapse. It’s a reaction to market rotations, unlocks, and strategic reshuffling across protocols.
• Protocols like Ethena and ether.fi are gaining real traction. Their growth in both usage and revenue suggests sustainable momentum rather than fleeting hype.
• Legacy leaders like AAVE and Lido are still strong, but slowing. These giants may become stability anchors while newer protocols chase growth.
• Stablecoin growth and ETF outflows hint at capital movement. Liquidity isn’t vanishing. It’s waiting for the next wave or entering more agile strategies.
• The broader trend is still intact. Zoom out on the TVL chart and you’ll see a recovery trend from early 2023 lows. The current dip fits within that structure.

The market is not breaking. It’s breathing. The next few weeks will likely determine which protocols can convert short-term momentum into long-term dominance. For now, DeFi looks alive, active, and preparing for its next move.

$Crypto, $CryptoMarket, $BTC, $AAVE, $LDO, $ENA, $DeFi, $ETHFI

Retirement Reform: 401(k) Crypto Investments on the Horizon

A major retirement reform is underway as a new executive order is expected to encourage 401(k) plans to include nontraditional assets—most notably, cryptocurrencies. This shift reflects the growing mainstream acceptance of digital assets and aligns with the administration’s broader financial innovation goals. A comprehensive digital-asset strategy report is also expected to accompany the order, offering guidance on how retirement plans can safely and strategically integrate crypto investments.

Crypto Holdings to Reshape Mortgage Standards

The Trump administration’s Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has instructed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin considering cryptocurrency holdings as part of borrowers’ mortgage collateral. This unprecedented move aims to modernize home lending criteria and accommodate the growing influence of digital assets. However, critics like Senator Elizabeth Warren caution that such a change could inject instability into the housing market, given the inherent volatility of crypto.

Democratic Lawmakers Oppose Crypto-Fueled Financial Reforms

Political resistance to crypto integration is mounting, with Democratic lawmakers sending a formal letter to FHFA Director William Pulte. They argue that incorporating volatile digital assets into core financial systems—like retirement and housing—could jeopardize economic stability. Despite the criticism, the Trump administration remains firm in its stance, touting crypto adoption as a “concrete achievement” that advances the U.S. as a global leader in digital finance.

Why It Matters

If enacted, these changes would normalize crypto as collateral and investment in mainstream finance, potentially increasing demand and liquidity. However, the debate highlights the tension between innovation and prudential regulation. Investors should monitor policy announcements and legislative responses closely.

Want to stay informed? Learn what blockchain is and compare trading platforms via our exchange comparison before entering the market.

$crypto, $bitcoin, $btc

With the passing of the GENIUS Act, stablecoins are no longer a regulatory grey area—but usability challenges still remain.

Bitcoin miners had a profitable month in July, JP Morgan analysts noted in a report, as the price of the digital coin broke a new record.

Although Coinbase shares fell 17% on Friday, the stock could gain ground as the trading platform expands its services through different acquisitions, analysts wrote.

Amid a confluence of bearish political and economic developments, Bitcoin and other assets are down while liquidations only keep rising.

MicroStrategy aims to have the biggest corporate treasury stash ever—Bitcoin or otherwise—while Metaplanet raises $3.7 billion for its BTC buying spree.

Ethereum reached major yearly record just before price went down

Bitcoin price is in distress, but bulls are optimistic as more holders are in profit

Ripple has filed application for national bank charter

Shiba Inu slides in crucial open interest trend as bulls prepare for historically bearish August

Shiba Inu marks five years in market

The debate over whether Solana (SOL) can surpass XRP is heating up in today’s crypto markets. As institutional investment flows shift and ETF rumors create fresh price momentum, 2025 is more nuanced than a simple two-token race. The new twist? Analysts and smart-money movers are increasingly pointing to $MAGACOIN FINANCE as the cycle’s most explosive altcoin—one with a higher asymmetric upside than either blue-chip favorite.

XRP and Solana: The Stats as of Today

• XRP continues to attract major attention, holding near $3.13 and benefiting from bullish sentiment around its ETF prospects and continued large wallet inflows. Market activity across July has seen XRP outperforming many peers, especially in futures trading volume, due to revived optimism from recent policy clarity and whale accumulation.

• Solana (SOL), meanwhile, remains in the spotlight after the U.S. approval of the spot + staking ETF. SOL currently trades at $180.07, declining slightly by 1.04% over the past 24 hours, struggling to reclaim previous highs above $200. Analysts note institutional capital increasingly favors Solana ETFs over XRP, though price action has been capped by significant resistance levels.
  

The expert consensus? Solana’s ETF approval is significant, creating a pathway for SOL to potentially catch or outperform XRP in the next macro bull market stage. Still, as of July 31, XRP commands higher futures volume and maintains a critical edge in institutional sentiment on some exchanges.

MAGACOIN FINANCE: The Outlier With 9600x Potential

While XRP and Solana battle for the limelight, a larger expert focus today is on $MAGACOIN FINANCE, with multiple research briefings and market commentators citing it as the most compelling high-upside play in the current cycle.

Why the analyst buzz around $MAGACOIN FINANCE?

• Presale Momentum: $MAGACOIN FINANCE recently completed one of the fastest, most oversubscribed launches in the market, selling out all stages and attracting record-setting capital inflows for a political meme coin.

• Community Surge: On-chain trackers report a rapidly growing holder base—now past 12,500—driven by tiered rewards and viral support across social channels.

• Analyst Targets: Experts project returns up to 9600x based on current tokenomics, scarcity mechanics, and initial listing price. Analysts today explicitly compare $MAGACOIN FINANCE to early SHIB or PEPE territory before their exponential runs.

• Smart Money Rotation: Funds are flowing out of blue chips like XRP and Solana into early-stage altcoins, with $MAGACOIN FINANCE cited as “the top strategic bet” due to its unique blend of political branding, DeFi features, and fully audited security.
  

The Takeaway for July 31

• Solana may be closing the gap with XRP thanks to ETF-driven institutional demand, but market consensus today is that neither offers the kind of multi-thousand-percent upside smart money seeks from this cycle’s breakout projects.

• $MAGACOIN FINANCE stands out as the 9600x contender, with analysts explicitly stating it carries the “highest risk/reward ratio” for those looking beyond gradual large-cap moves. Its rapid market entry, viral engagement, and aggressive price trajectory place it squarely in the crosshairs of investors searching for exponential returns.

Bottom line: As of July 31, 2025, Solana and XRP continue their blue-chip rivalry—but the real expert consensus is clear. For those chasing parabolic potential, all arrows point to $MAGACOIN FINANCE as the altcoin likeliest to deliver moonshot results in the months ahead.

To learn more about MAGACOIN FINANCE, please visit:

Website: https://magacoinfinance.com

Presale: https://magacoinfinance.com/presale

Twitter/X: https://x.com/magacoinfinance

The post Will Solana (SOL) Overtake XRP? Expert Consensus Points to $MAGACOIN FINANCE as a Stronger 9600x Play 2025 appeared first on Blockonomi.

With fresh momentum returning to crypto, savvy investors are seeking altcoins ready to jump. While Solana steals headlines, the real movers of August could be different. Three tokens stand out: Cardano (ADA), XRP, and Remittix (RTX), each offering distinct upside depending on your play style.

We explore their setups, map their growth paths, and highlight why they may outshine many other top altcoins this month.

Cardano (ADA): Building a Bullish Breakout

The ADA price is trading near $0.78, struggling to maintain momentum after a recent decline. Prediction models expect ADA to trade between $0.78–$0.82 through August. Year-end projections increase further, with forecasts ranging between $0.66–$1.88, and some potentially eyeing $2.36 if critical levels hold.

Cardano’s technicals and long-term positioning keep it a smart pick among the top altcoins heading into the next leg.

XRP: Quiet Accumulation Amid ETF Hype

XRP price remains strong near $2.99–$3.10, trading in a tight window between $2.90 and $3.18. While short-term models lean neutral or slightly bearish heading into early August, experts are calling for a 60% rally to $4.47.

Source: TradingView

Market activity shows XRP holding firm amid regulatory and institutional tailwinds. If continuation patterns persist, a rally above $4 could be a trigger point long before meme coins re-enter phase two.

Remittix (RTX): The Fast-Rising PayFi Utility Token

For traders seeking explosive moves, Remittix (RTX) is the name on the tip of many tongues. It’s an Ethereum-native PayFi token built to send crypto directly to bank accounts in 30+ countries.

Here’s Why Remittix is Topping Charts as a 100x Crypto:

• Supports crypto-to-bank transfers
• Raised over $18 million in presale
• Q3 mobile wallet launch

Investors and analysts now tag RTX as one of the top altcoins to watch for breakout potential. Predictions mention paradoxical 50–100× upside as adoption builds, placing it in conversations with DeFi leaders and meme-season power picks.

Its Q3 mobile wallet launch will let users send crypto to cash via local rails, no KYC, no exchange required. That real-world use, backed by an active presale, sets it apart.

Top 3 100x Crypto to Buy Now

ADA price offers reliable breakout pressure with predictable upside if its chart breaks right. XRP price is consolidating while building strength for a potential 60% move if smart money rallies. Remittix (RTX) delivers real utility, strong early adoption, and explosive upside potential far beyond typical altcoin moves.

If you’re searching for top altcoins to buy in August, these three offer paths for both steady gains and big upside. Solana may dominate attention, but your smart move may be splitting exposure between ADA, XRP, and the real-use workhorses like RTX.

Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here:

Website: https://remittix.io/

Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix

$250K Giveaway: https://gleam.io/competitions/nz84L-250000-remittix-giveaway

The post Top 3 Altcoins to Buy Before They Surge This August, Solana Isn’t On The List appeared first on Blockonomi.

As July’s bull run heats up, three coins are standing out for potentially massive returns. Investors across both retail and institutional circles are scanning the market for future-proof projects that can deliver real performance in the next crypto breakout. The names that keep surfacing—again and again—are Solana, Ethereum, and the fast-rising MAGACOIN FINANCE.

These aren’t speculative one-hit wonders. They represent infrastructure, culture, and high-upside potential in a rapidly evolving ecosystem. From scalability and staking to political momentum, this trio is shaping up as the best altcoins to buy for July 2025.

Solana: The Scalable Speed King Returns to Form

Solana is once again dominating conversations among those tracking next-gen Layer-1 blockchains. Known for blazing-fast speeds and low fees, the network has reclaimed its status as the go-to hub for DeFi, NFTs, and consumer-grade crypto apps.

Solana’s comeback is being fueled by two powerful forces: developer growth and institutional capital. With new projects launching weekly, and integrations with real-world payment systems expanding, the Solana price prediction from leading analysts points to a potential 700% upside in this bull cycle.

As capital rotates away from Bitcoin, Solana offers a compelling mix of performance and real-world usability—making it a long-term crypto pick in every sense.

Ethereum: ETF Momentum and Staking Demand Drive Institutional Frenzy

Ethereum remains the foundation of the smart contract economy—but in 2025, it’s evolving into something even more powerful. With the launch of BlackRock’s ETHA spot ETF and $7.9 billion in assets under management, ETH is now entering the portfolios of traditional investors with confidence.

That’s not all. With talk of SEC approval for staking via ETFs, Ethereum is moving from a volatile asset to a yield-generating machine. Add in the continued Layer-2 scaling rollouts, a deflationary supply post-merge, and Ethereum’s deep dominance in DeFi, and you get a recipe for serious long-term upside.

No surprise that Ethereum altcoin bull run predictions now include 5x to 7x targets across high-conviction portfolios.

MAGACOIN FINANCE: The Political Meme Token Evolving into a Cycle Leader

While Ethereum and Solana dominate the headlines, MAGACOIN FINANCE 2025 is capturing alpha group attention with speed—and scale. Launched with a fixed 170B supply, zero-tax trading, and no VC control, the project is becoming more than a meme—it’s a movement.

The July momentum is no accident. MAGACOIN FINANCE has gained traction thanks to its alignment with the Trump-backed $600 crypto tax exemption, which could make small crypto payments tax-free across the U.S.

With surging Telegram growth, wallet integrations with MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet, and strong community-led campaigns, the coin is outperforming Ethereum and SUI on engagement and early-stage inflows.

Conclusion

If you’re scanning the market for altcoins to buy July 2025, these three projects demand attention. Solana brings speed and scalability. Ethereum offers institutional-grade staking and ecosystem dominance. And MAGACOIN FINANCE is setting the tone for the meme-political crossover narrative.

Each offers a unique angle for growth—and together, they represent a powerful portfolio setup for anyone chasing that 700% gain in the upcoming cycle.

To learn more about MAGACOIN FINANCE, visit:
Website: https://magacoinfinance.com
Twitter/X: https://x.com/magacoinfinance
Telegram: https://t.me/magacoinfinance

The post Best Altcoins to Watch: Solana, Ethereum, and This New Coin Tipped for 700% Gains as the July 2025 Bull Run Picks Up appeared first on Blockonomi.

Things are currently looking dim for payments giant XRP in the ongoing bull market, according to the latest XRP news, as the token has failed to join the ongoing price appreciation rally washing over the crypto industry.

Analysts can’t seem to place a finger on why XRP is performing so poorly in the market, especially since it had a meteoric rise at the start of the year.

XRP, which nearly surged past the psychological $5 mark in the first quarter of the year, has now fallen below $3, a critical support level for the token. While the token’s future hangs in the balance, Remittix (RTX), another payments token, is gradually growing in reputation and could become the top payments token in the industry at the end of the ongoing cycle.

XRP Price Prediction: Analysts Say Token To Fall Below $3

If the latest XRP price prediction by crypto analysts is anything to go by, XRP investors may want to pivot their portfolios or at least some parts of it into more promising altcoins as we head deeper into the ongoing cycle. Analysts believe the payments giant could dip below the psychological $3 barrier over the coming weeks. If they are right, it would represent the token’s lowest price dip this year as it continues to struggle in the market.

XRP’s recent woes come as a bit of a surprise, considering that it was just a few cents away from surging past the $5 mark during the first quarter of the year. If it did, it would have set a new all-time high for price, but alas, it fell short just towards the finish line.

With XRP currently in decline, investors interested in payment tokens may want to consider other options, such as Remittix, the upcoming PayFi token, generating lots of interest within the industry ahead of its launch.

Remittix To Outperform Major Tokens This Cycle: Analysts

The ongoing cycle may have just begun, but the verdicts and predictions are already rolling in by the hundreds, and one of the more popular ones is that the upcoming PayFi project, Remittix, could outperform major tokens once it launches.

Remittix has caught the eye ahead of its launch thanks to a plethora of impressive features and offerings that vastly improve the global payments experience. These include:

• Direct crypto-to-bank transfers in over 30 countries worldwide
• 50% token bonus for early adopters and supporters
• 20% referral rewards for onboarding new users

It has also been in the news recently following the launch of its $250,000 mega giveaway and the recent crypto wallet beta launch.

Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here:

Website: https://remittix.io/

Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix

$250,000 Giveaway: https://gleam.io/competitions/nz84L-250000-remittix-giveaway

The post XRP Price Prediction: XRP Price Could Drop Below $3, While Traders Hedge With Remittix (RTX) appeared first on Blockonomi.

Shiba Inu (SHIB), which skyrocketed from fractions of a cent to a global phenomenon. Before SHIB, it was Dogecoin (DOGE). And now, in 2025, another low-priced meme coin is quietly building a case to be the next breakout star — Little Pepe (LILPEPE). With a presale price of just $0.0017, LILPEPE is currently flying under the radar for most casual investors. But those paying close attention can see the writing on the wall: this under-$0.003 ERC-20 token has the meme power, narrative momentum, and utility foundation to potentially surge to $3 and beyond — a mind-boggling 176,000% gain from current levels. If you missed Shiba Inu when trading at $0.000001, this may be your once-in-a-lifetime shot at redemption.

The Rise of Meme Coins with Real Vision

In 2021, meme coins were mostly jokes — DOGE had the backing of Elon Musk’s tweets, and SHIB was riding the hype wave. But the 2025 cycle is different. Today’s investors want more than memes: infrastructure, innovation, and ecosystems built for longevity. Little Pepe has taken that to heart. While it leans into the playful, culture-savvy appeal that made Pepe memes iconic, LILPEPE is far more than a viral coin. It’s becoming a Layer 2 chain built exclusively for meme coins, positioning itself as the go-to ecosystem for the next generation of Doges, Shibas, Wens, and Bonks. By solving the high-gas fee problems of Ethereum while offering lightning-fast speeds and sniper-bot resistance, LILPEPE is offering something meme coin buyers have never had before: security, speed, and scalability, all wrapped in meme magic.

A $3 Target: Ambitious or Inevitable?

At $0.0017, the market cap of LILPEPE remains modest, especially considering it has raised over $13 million and sold over 9.2 billion tokens during its presale. With more than 50% of the total supply allocated to early supporters, LILPEPE is showing strong grassroots momentum. So, is $3 a crazy target? Let’s put it in perspective. The peak for Shiba Inu was $0.000088 after surging from $0.000001 which represents an astronomical 9,000,000%+ return. During the latest bull run, Dogecoin, which was initially launched as a joke, saw its value increasing to $0.24 and a market capitalization of 35 billion dollars. If LILPEPE hits 1% of that market cap, it could easily trade above $0.03. But with its growing ecosystem, meme coin launchpad, and unmatched branding in the meme space, LILPEPE may exceed those expectations — hence the bold yet plausible $3 target.

Backed by Insiders and Built for Virality

One thing separating LILPEPE from the flood of meme coins is its silent army of backers. While the team remains anonymous — a hallmark of many successful meme projects — the buzz around LILPEPE suggests it’s supported by the same underground network that helped launch several top meme tokens to billion-dollar fame. Their strategy? Launch quietly, build fast, create viral loops, and lock in centralized exchange listings at the perfect moment. That strategy seems to be playing out already, with LILPEPE reportedly targeting two top-tier CEX listings at launch, with its eyes on “the biggest exchange in the world” shortly after. This type of backing, if executed well, could catapult LILPEPE into mainstream visibility overnight.

Community, Culture, and the $777K Giveaway

Memes are nothing without community. And LILPEPE’s army is already passionate, relentless, and rapidly expanding. To stoke the flames of this viral growth, the project recently launched its “Little Pepe $777K Giveaway,” which will see 10 lucky winners receive $77,000 worth of LILPEPE tokens. That’s not just a marketing gimmick. It’s a direct injection of virality that could supercharge user acquisition during the presale stages. With a dedicated focus on meme coin culture and strong financial incentives for community engagement, LILPEPE is building more than a token; it is creating a movement.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Miss This Ride

If you sat on the sidelines while SHIB went from nothing to global fame, you’re not alone. But the crypto market doesn’t care about missed chances — it rewards those who act early, take informed risks, and see patterns before the mainstream does. LILPEPE is showing the hallmarks of a generational meme coin: low entry price, huge upside, strong infrastructure, and meme-native branding. With its Layer 2 launchpad for meme coins, growing presale momentum, and tokenomics designed for growth, this token might be the next Shiba Inu — on steroids. The difference? This time, you’re early. LILPEPE is still in presale at $0.0017. If the stars align, and this token hits its $3 target, even a small investment now could translate into life-changing gains. You missed SHIB at $0.000001. Don’t miss LILPEPE before it flies.

For more information about Little Pepe (LILPEPE) visit the links below:

Website: https://littlepepe.com

Whitepaper: https://littlepepe.com/whitepaper.pdf

Telegram: https://t.me/littlepepetoken

Twitter/X: https://x.com/littlepepetoken

The post You missed Shiba Inu (SHIB) at $0.000001, but don’t miss this under-$0.003 token before it soars to $3 appeared first on Blockonomi.

Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill have decided to plead guilty to charges related to their mixer service.

The pair had previously denied guilt in April 2024 and had made several attempts to have their lawsuit dropped.

Pleas Changed on Wednesday

According to court documents shared earlier in the week, the executives agreed to change their admissions during a Wednesday morning hearing before Judge Denise Cote. The two faced charges of conspiring to launder money, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, which carries a five-year sentence. This brings their total possible prison time to 25 years.

Prosecutors alleged that Samourai processed more than $2 billion in illegal transactions and laundered over $100 million in criminal proceeds. This includes payments tied to illicit online marketplaces such as Silk Road.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) claims that the wallet’s Whirlpool and Ricochet features were designed to conceal the origins of Bitcoin transactions. The indictment also cited internal communications and social media posts showing the two were aware that Samourai was being used for criminal activity and actively marketed it for such operations.

The founders have made several attempts to dismiss the litigation against them. Following an April 12 memo issued by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which stated the DOJ would no longer pursue cases based on user actions or regulatory technicalities, their lawyers pushed for the charges to be dropped.

A month later, their defense lodged another motion, alleging that prosecutors withheld internal communications from FinCEN, which suggested that Samourai Wallet didn’t qualify as a money transmitter and therefore wasn’t legally required to register. However, the DOJ argued it didn’t have to share that evidence.

Harmful Legal Precedent

Elsewhere, Tornado Cash is facing similar legal action with Roman Storm, one of its co-founders, currently being tried before a jury. His trial began in July at a Manhattan federal court, where he faces allegations of money laundering, violating U.S. sanctions, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

Critics say these lawsuits could set a dangerous precedent by criminalizing open-source development for non-custodial tools that don’t hold user funds. They argue that programmers shouldn’t be held liable for how autonomous code is used, particularly when there’s no direct evidence of intent to commit crimes.

Earlier this year, a blockchain developer filed a lawsuit against the DOJ, in the twilight of the Biden administration, claiming it had undermined crypto innovation. He accused the authority of overreaching by treating creators of non-custodial crypto software as unlicensed money transmitters.

The post Samourai Wallet Founders Plead Guilty in $100M Bitcoin Laundering Case appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Crimes involving cryptocurrency are worryingly on the rise, becoming ever more aggressive and, as in this case, quite shocking.

Regardless of whether alleged or not, this is the harsh reality we are currently facing in this day and age.

Pleading Not Guilty

According to a story from Fox News, two culprits are accused of torturing an Italian millionaire in his apartment in New York, reportedly over a stash of $100 million in Bitcoin, and one of them was released after spending two months in the Rikers Island prison.

The discharged is John Woeltz, 37, on the condition of a $1 million parole, with the release coming a week after a Manhattan judge granted bond for him and an alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, aged 33. Both have pleaded not guilty, and the latter has remained in custody.

The duo is accused of kidnapping and tormenting Italian crypto trader Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan. The defense attorneys on the case stated that the alleged torture very closely resembled a “fraternity-like rite of passage.” Woeltz’s attorney, Wayne Gosnell, noted the following in a previous hearing:

“Mr. Carturan was there in the role of a pledge, he was essentially being hazed.”

The alleged torturer, who was released and is also involved in cryptocurrency trading, evaded questions about whether he actually carried out the claims against him, and how he felt to be freed from custody as he was walking out of the Supreme Court building in Manhattan.

As a condition to his release, the sum of which, reportedly, was a combination of cash and property put up by his father, he is subject to home arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet. He will only be allowed to leave the premises of his home for doctor’s appointments, meetings with lawyers, or in the event of an emergency.

Violent and Graphic

Prosecutors stated in court that the duo kidnapped Carturan and tortured him for over three weeks, supposedly relieving him of his phone and passport. The attorneys further note that both Duplessie and Woeltz reportedly had a manifesto prepared with how they plan to steal the prisoners’ cryptocurrency.

“Informant further states that the defendant and unapprehended male demanded that Informant provide the defendant with Informant’s wallet password so that the defendant and unapprehended male could take Informant’s Bitcoin,” a criminal complaint states.

When the victim refused to provide the password to his crypto holdings, the two detainees allegedly subjected him to “physical beatings, in addition to, but not excluding, using electric shock, lacerating his head with blunt force from a firearm, and pointing said firearm at the Informant’s head several times. Further, the captive was dragged to the top of a flight of stairs, hanged over the ledge, and threatened with losing his life.”

The authorities further added that there were threats against the 28-year-old hostage’s family in Italy, while he was, supposedly, humiliated by having people urinate on him and by Woeltz forcing him to take drugs.

Both defendants are due to appear in court on October 15th.

The post Alleged Bitcoin Torture Suspect Freed on $1M Bail After 2 Months in Custody appeared first on CryptoPotato.

GAIA has partnered with Samsung to launch a limited-edition AI-native phone, built on the Galaxy S25 Edge. Designed for AI sovereignty, the device enables users to run large language models directly on-device, eliminating cloud dependency while offering privacy, ownership, and rewards through its decentralized AI ecosystem.

In this interview, Shashank Sripada, the project’s COO and Co-founder, explains how the GAIA Edition Galaxy S25 aims to make AI sovereignty tangible, offering users direct control over their data and digital assistants from the device itself.

You describe GAIA as enabling “AI sovereignty.” In practical terms, what does that mean for the average user in regions where privacy concerns are high but technical literacy is low?

AI sovereignty means control over your data, models, and the intelligence that acts on your behalf. For users in high-privacy regions with limited technical skill, GAIA offers turnkey domains and agent templates that let anyone deploy personal AI tools without ceding control to cloud platforms. Practically, this means:

Your data stays local – inference can happen on-device or in a domain you control.

You choose the agent – whether it’s open-source or fine-tuned to your context.

No centralized surveillance – responses are composable, auditable, and censorship-resistant.

Think of it like Signal meets ChatGPT – but powered by you, not a trillion-dollar cloud monopoly.

Some argue that decentralized AI layers will simply recreate centralization under different labels if network participation is limited. How will GAIA avoid this pitfall?

GAIA’s network economics, architecture, and governance are specifically designed to resist re-centralization:
Open Node Access: Anyone can run a node – even on mobile or low-power edge devices – and stake to participate in inference.

Deterministic Reward Distribution: Node rewards are tied to performance and decentralization, not centralized hosting or capital.

Decentralized Domains & Agents: Value capture happens at the edge – meaning builders, not just validators or miners, accrue value.

On-chain governance: Protocol upgrades and reward structures are governed by token holders, not a centralized foundation.

In short, participation is low-barrier and structurally distributed. The economic incentives scale with decentralization, not against it.

What regulatory or legal challenges do you anticipate GAIA facing with operating on-device AI inference and integrated wallets, especially with jurisdictions that have strict rules on AI and crypto?

We’re proactively navigating this intersection of AI and crypto with a jurisdiction-aware architecture:
On-device inference is akin to running local software or using open-source tools – not a regulated service on its own. Integrated wallets follow existing patterns from dApps and DeFi, but we ensure non-custodial design, user consent flows, and limited data exposure to stay clear of financial intermediation triggers.

Jurisdictional fallback: Where required, GAIA can implement region-specific gating, disclosures, or compliance toggles, especially around KYC, model access, and token transfers.

Partnerships with legal advisors in the US, EU, and Asia ensure we’re compliant with evolving AI transparency, explainability, and crypto rulesets. Regulation is inevitable – and GAIA’s modular structure makes it adaptable to emerging norms without compromising decentralization.

How does GAIA plan to handle potential regulatory challenges around crypto rewards tied to hardware sales, especially in the US, where token incentives may trigger securities scrutiny?

The GAIA Edition Galaxy S25 is designed to demonstrate what a fully decentralized AI interface looks like – one that is both sovereign by design and modular by implementation. From a regulatory perspective, GAIA avoids direct entanglements by ensuring that:

The hardware functions as an open AI device, not as a financial instrument or token distribution tool.

On-device inference is local-first and privacy-preserving – akin to using offline AI models or edge apps – not a hosted or custodial service.

The integration of Web3 infrastructure (wallets, domain management, agent registries) follows non-custodial patterns, allowing users to interact with decentralized networks on their terms.

Crucially, the GAIA Phone does not require any blockchain interaction to operate as a powerful AI assistant. This allows the phone to ship globally with optional features gated or localized based on regional legal norms – ensuring compliance without compromising on the broader vision.

Rather than embedding financial assumptions into hardware, GAIA’s approach centers on empowering users to run private, autonomous AI agents locally – with full transparency, auditability, and freedom from centralized gatekeepers.

Consumer education could be a major hurdle for Gaia’s adoption. Practically, how will you convince crypto users accustomed to wallets and DeFi to trust a decentralized AI phone, and what incentives or network effects will drive them to become node operators?

The GAIA Edition Galaxy S25 is more than a phone – it’s a blueprint for how AI should work in a decentralized world. It delivers an experience that is immediately useful, deeply private, and intuitively extensible, even for non-technical users.
Here’s how we’re solving the consumer onboarding challenge:

1. Out-of-the-box utility
   The phone ships with pre-installed on-device AI agents that work from day one – including smart assistants, workspace copilots, and knowledge managers. Users experience low-latency, offline AI without needing to log in to cloud APIs – reducing friction and boosting trust.
2. Seamless Web3 integration (without the learning curve)
   GAIA’s mobile stack includes a built-in wallet and agent registry, but is designed to be opt-in, non-custodial, and user-directed. Users can onboard into domains, deploy their own agents, or build automations via visual interfaces, not smart contract code.
3. Real-world relevance and differentiation: Unlike typical phones that outsource intelligence to centralized servers, the GAIA phone empowers users to own their compute, their data, and their decision layer. This directly appeals to users in regions with strong data sovereignty values, privacy expectations, and distrust of platform monopolies.

In effect, the GAIA phone makes decentralized AI tangible – not as an abstract concept, but as a daily tool that’s faster, safer, and smarter than the cloud. It’s our most powerful demonstration yet of how GAIA’s infrastructure can scale into the hands of millions – not through ideology, but through utility.

The post Inside GAIA’s Plan to Democratize AI With Open Infrastructure (Exclusive Interview) appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Real-world asset tokenization is already a massive department within the blockchain industry.

Real World Asset Tokenization Is Here

By giving a real-world asset like a house, car, artwork, collectible item, or season tickets to a sports franchise a blockchain token, cryptocurrency platforms can provide more financial services for users.

In fact, various blockchains hosted $24 billion worth of tokenized real-world assets in June 2025, according to a tally posted by Forbes.

According to the survey, over 205,000 blockchain users held deeds to some real-world assets with the help of 194 various smart contract issuers.

While that’s a large number of vendors to choose from to log real-world property with financial value using the blockchain, number one and two for size in crypto markets are Ethereum and Solana.

It’s interesting to note that Ether’s price gained some 30% over the past 30 days, while SOL is up by a slight 5%.

But this lag may be an opportunity for altcoin investors to speculate on an undervalued RWA segment within these two digital currency economies.

Solana RWA Growth Outpaces Ethereum in Q1 – 2

According to data collected by RWAxyz, a blockchain explorer that focuses on tokenized real-world assets, the total value of all the segment on Solana increased by over +200% year-to-date by mid-July.

Meanwhile, Ethereum’s pool of RWAs grew in market value by +81% YTD. That’s certainly impressive growth, driven by increased blockchain adoption and a perceived bull market. But Solana RWAs grew more than twice as fast over the same 28-week period.

The RWAxyz data indicates a Solana RWA growth of +200% YTD by mid-July; however, Messari data shows a figure of +140% growth for the year so far, with a total value exceeding $418 million.

The US government hopes to support the blockchain industry’s efforts to tokenize real-world assets. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins recently said,

“Tokenization is an innovation and we at the SEC should be focused on how do we advance innovation at the marketplace.”

Solana’s performance this year in meme coins and RWAs is impressive, but a Wall Street-driven demand shock for Ethereum could still hand Ether tokens the edge in 2025’s altcoin price markets.

The post Is Solana Winning The RWA Wars Against Ethereum? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

TL;DR

• Ripple’s native token fared relatively well during one phase of the ongoing market-wide correction, but has slipped further below the crucial resistance at $3.
• Although the asset has lost more than 20% of its value since its all-time high registered in mid-July already, there could be more pain on the horizon. Here are four signs supporting this narrative.

Technical Indicators

It was just a few weeks ago when XRP rode a massive wave that drove it from a range-still position of around $2.2 to an all-time high of $3.65. Following this spectacular run, the asset expectedly calmed and retraced toward $3.3. At this point, analysts emerged to warn about the significance of the $3 support, which has to endure so that XRP can remain in a bullish state.

Although this was indeed the case for a long period during the recent correction, that support line finally cracked in the past several hours, and the third-largest cryptocurrency now sits well below it. Although it still hasn’t closed beneath it on the daily, it could dump to the next two support lines at $2.8 and $2.5 if it does, as previously reported.

The second worrying sign for XRP’s price comes from the TD Sequential metric. Ali Martinez, a popular crypto analyst with roughly 140,000 followers on X, warned that the indicator had flashed a sell signal on the 4-hour chart at the local top.

Thirdly, Martinez highlighted the MVRV ratio, which just notched a “death cross, another sign that a steeper correction could be underway.”

Whales Dumping

Ahead of and during the aforementioned rally to a new all-time high, large market participants, known as whales, were accumulating en masse. Within a few weeks, they spent billions to acquire more tokens. In fact, they were buying even when the asset’s price dipped.

However, whales have switched their strategy and disposed of more than 700 million XRP tokens in the span of just a day. To put things into a USD perspective, this stash is worth over $2.1 billion at current prices. Such massive sell-offs increase the immediate selling pressure and serve as examples for smaller investors who can follow suit.

Whales have sold over 710 million $XRP in the past 24 hours! pic.twitter.com/xE5ldWaZz7

— Ali (@ali_charts) August 2, 2025

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