bitcoinist.com

According to Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz, Bitcoin’s main strength isn’t in hosting complex smart contracts or in fast payments. It’s in offering a secure, trust‑minimized settlement layer that other networks can rely on.

Bitcoin’s proof‑of‑work backbone has proven its staying power over more than a decade. Its security model still draws interest from developers and institutions alike.

Secure Settlement Backbone

Schwartz pointed out that proof‑of‑work mining makes the top crypto uniquely resistant to attacks. It’s simple in design but tough to break. Investors and institutions value that certainty.

Even with block times around 10 minutes and fees that can climb during busy periods, the network’s security remains unmatched. Bitcoin may not match more programmable chains, but it has never suffered a major protocol failure.

Layer‑Two Growth And Off‑Chain Use

Based on reports, most BTC transactions today don’t hit the main chain directly. The Lightning Network handles micro‑payments. Other protocols like RSK bring smart‑contract features while still anchoring to BTC’s security.

The set of actual real-world problems being solved by cryptocurrencies today is really small. But I think the hope for bitcoin is that its solid layer one and early start will secure it a position as a currency of choice in an evolving digital asset ecosystem even if the vast…

— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) July 14, 2025

That kind of trend shows that Bitcoin’s core role can thrive even if most activity moves off‑chain. Bridges and sidechains have tapped into its value without clogging the base layer.

Schwartz likened Bitcoin’s broader reach to XRP being used on an EVM‑compatible sidechain. It doesn’t take place on the original ledger. Yet it still taps into the same currency utility.

He suggested BTC will remain a “currency of choice” in a growing digital asset system. That status holds even if competing networks offer flashier functions. Users will always have the option to fall back on the crypto asset’s proven rails.

Security Versus Feature Sets

The CTO noted that real‑world problems solved by crypto remain limited in scope. Many new blockchains boast lower fees or faster speeds. Still, none match Bitcoin’s history of continuous operation.

Companies and developers often choose to lock value in BTC before moving it elsewhere. That gives them peace of mind when scaling other services. It’s a practical trade‑off between pure security and extra features.

Market Milestones And Comparisons

Bitcoin surged past $123,000 on Monday, pushing its market cap to about $2.4 trillion. That puts it ahead of Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and NVIDIA. Only gold ranks higher among all assets.

Some analysts see that milestone as proof that BTC’s rock‑solid base remains in demand. Others warn that price swings could still test investor nerves. But Bitcoin’s top‑six ranking by market cap speaks for itself.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Standard Chartered has become the first big bank to launch spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum, a major milestone for cryptocurrency adoption.

Standard Chartered Launches Bitcoin, Ethereum Trading For Institutions

According to a press release, Standard Chartered has just rolled out deliverable spot trading for the two largest names in the cryptocurrency sector, Bitcoin and Ethereum. “In line with its commitment to offer clients safe, trusted and efficient digital assets solutions and following the successful launch of its digital assets custody service, Standard Chartered has today launched a fully integrated digital assets trading service for institutional clients,” reads the press release.

Standard Chartered is a global systemically important bank (G-SIB) headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK). The bank has branches around the world, but the digital asset trading launch is specifically coming through the UK arm.

This is the first example of a G-SIB offering deliverable spot trading services related to cryptocurrencies. G-SIBs are powerful institutions considered so integral to the global economy that their breakdown could trigger a wider financial crisis. As such, regulators closely watch these banks and put them through tighter scrutiny than normal institutions. Thus, for a G-SIB to enter the Bitcoin spot trading space could signal the progress digital assets have made in being accepted by traditional finance.

“Digital assets are a foundational element of the evolution in financial services,” said Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered. “They’re integral to enabling new pathways for innovation, greater inclusion and growth across the industry.”

While this is the first time the bank is offering Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading services to institutions, it’s not its first venture into the wider digital asset space. Standard Chartered has investments in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, firms offering a range of cryptocurrency-related services.

“We are applying our global expertise, infrastructure and risk management frameworks that our clients trust to the digital assets space,” said Tony Hall, Global Head of Trading and XVA, Markets, at Standard Chartered.

The G-SIB’s latest service plugs into the bank’s existing infrastructure, allowing institutional clients to take part in Bitcoin and Ethereum trading activities through Foreign Exchange (FX) interfaces that they already use. “Clients can settle to their choice of custodian, including Standard Chartered’s secure digital assets custody solutions,” added the press release.

In some other news, Bitcoin spot trading volume has seen a revival alongside the latest price surge, as the on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has pointed out in an X post.

Since July 9th, spot volume has increased by 50.3% and futures volume by 31.9%. While this is clearly a significant jump, the wider picture remains that of trading activity being relatively muted. Compared to the year-to-date average, spot and futures volumes are both down more than 20%.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $117,000, up over 7.5% in the last week.

In a twist that few saw coming, Vanguard has quietly become the top shareholder in Strategy (MSTR). The $10 trillion asset manager now owns just over 20 million MSTR shares. That adds up to nearly 8% of Strategy’s Class A stock. Vanguard once warned that Bitcoin was “immature” and carried “no inherent economic value.” Now it finds itself deeply tied to Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin play.

Index Strategy At Work

According to a Bloomberg report, Vanguard didn’t set out to back Saylor’s moves. It simply follows its index‑fund rules. When Strategy’s stock climbed, it grew larger in the indexes that the company tracks. The result: Vanguard had to buy more shares.

Through its broad‑market funds, the asset manager ended up with a stake worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It shows how passive strategies can lead to active positions in unexpected places.

Vanguard’s CEO Tim Buckley once said that Bitcoin “could wreak havoc on portfolios.” He argued that the flagship crypto lacked the history and solid ground that long‑term investors need.

Yet Vanguard’s own track record of following index weights means it can’t shy away from a stock that’s on the rise. No matter the fund’s view on Bitcoin, the rules forced its hand.

Indirect Bitcoin Exposure Grows

Strategy now holds 601,550 BTC. Each share of MSTR represents a slice of that giant pile of Bitcoin. For anyone holding Vanguard’s indexes, that means indirect exposure to more than half a million coins.

Since 2020, MSTR stock has climbed around 3,400%. That surge helped push the firm’s market value up fast enough to land in Vanguard’s top holdings.

Large investors often use ETFs or purpose‑built products to get Bitcoin exposure. Vanguard could have joined the likes of BlackRock in launching a spot Bitcoin ETF. But it declined.

Instead, it finds itself holding a big chunk of Strategy. That makes it an unwitting part of the Bitcoin story, even if it wasn’t the path the firm’s managers originally chose.

The fact that Vanguard is now the largest shareholder of $MSTR is proof that God has a sense of humor, or at least that was my reaction to @VildanaHajric who wrote story about it out today pic.twitter.com/TLg4iqT3kQ

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 14, 2025

Institutional Backing Signals Shift

Michael Saylor sees this as a sign that institutions are coming around to Bitcoin. He told Bloomberg that Vanguard’s stake is “a powerful signal” of acceptance.

For years, many big firms treated Bitcoin as a niche asset. Now they’re tied to its fortunes through Strategy’s public shares. That shift may encourage others to take a closer look.

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas summed up the irony on X, saying “God has a sense of humor.” He pointed out that Vanguard’s index approach means it must own all the stocks in its benchmarks—whether it likes them or not.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton is in a joyous mood ahead of July 18, with the legal expert reminiscing about how XRP has come a long way. This date is important as it could see the launch of another fund which provides exposure to the altcoin. 

Pro-XRP Lawyer Comments On July 18 ETF Launch Date

In an X post, John Deaton reacted to the news that ProShares XRP ETF will launch on July 18. The Pro-XRP lawyer noted how two years ago, a federal judge declared that the altcoin itself is not a security. He added that this is what the 75,000 XRP holders, who were part of his amicus brief, fought for. 

Deaton remarked that two years later, XRP ETFs go live. He then alluded to how this is a big win for the free markets. The ProShares XRP ETF is likely to launch on July 18, according to the firm’s filing with the SEC. This is bullish for the altcoin, given the amount of capital that would flow into its ecosystem through this fund. 

As the Pro-XRP lawyer indicated, the altcoin has been able to record these milestones of ETF launches thanks to Judge Analisa Torres’ ruling in the XRP lawsuit. This provided clarity for institutions on XRP’s status and prompted them to move to gain exposure to the altcoin. The clarity has also served as a catalyst for higher prices for the altcoin. 

Meanwhile, the ProShares XRP ETF is a futures-based fund and not a spot ETF, which would provide investors with direct exposure to the altcoin. The fund will invest in futures and derivatives contracts that have XRP as the underlying asset, thereby providing indirect exposure to investors. 

Canada XRP ETF Achieves Major Milestone

In an X post, 3iQ announced that its Ripple-backed XRP ETF, Canada’s largest XRP fund, has accumulated over $50 million in client assets since its launch on June 18. The asset manager’s CEO, Pascal St-Jean, stated that this significant milestone for their XRP ETF demonstrates the continued strong interest in these assets. This also highlights the potential interest that these spot funds could generate once they launch in the US. 

The US spot XRP ETFs are expected to launch this year, based on predictions by Bloomberg analysts James Seyffart and Eric Balchunas. These analysts predict a 95% chance that the SEC will approve these funds this year. 

Furthermore, market expert Nate Geraci noted that Ripple’s decision to drop its cross-appeal in the XRP lawsuit could clear the way for these XRP funds. The SEC is also expected to drop its appeal in the legal battle, which is bullish for the altcoin. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.87, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Following its recent rally, Ethereum, the second-largest crypto asset, is presently drawing notable attention and interest from both institutional and retail investors. One of the latest companies that has purchased ETH in a significant amount is BTCS Inc., a publicly traded firm.

BTCS Inc. Makes Major Ethereum Play

Ethereum’s adoption is growing strong in the crypto sector, cementing its position as a leading digital asset. BTCS Inc., a blockchain technology company, recently bought a huge chunk of ETH, ramping up its crypto strategy.

The reports show that the popular blockchain company has acquired another 14,522 ETH as the altcoin gains notable upward traction. At the time of the report, the 14,522 ETH purchased by the publicly traded firm was valued at over $44.15 million.

Since the purchase coincides with ongoing price spikes, the move reflects the company’s enduring belief in Ethereum’s crucial function in the blockchain ecosystem. As the cryptocurrency continues to establish its supremacy through network enhancements and increasing usage, the most recent acquisition essentially doubles down on trust in ETH’s future price trajectory.

Charles Allen, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BTCS Inc., stated that “Ethereum, in my mind, is going to be the financial rails that make the digital economy work.” According to the CEO, this is the major idea behind the company’s move to purchase ETH in large portions.

Another prominent company that has displayed stark interest in the second-largest digital asset is BitMine Immersion Technologies Inc. BitMine Immersion Technologies operates as a blockchain technology company, which implies that ETH is gaining a robust standing in the ever-evolving crypto world.

According to the report, BitMine Immersion recently acquired 163,000 $ETH, valued at around $500 million, as the company quickens its transition to an Ethereum-centric balance-sheet strategy. This strategic purchase comes days after the firm closed a $250 million PIPE raise.

With this move, BitMine Immersion has now become one of the largest public companies to hold ETH and is ranked second among Ethereum treasuries. The company’s major aim in carrying out this purchase is to grow its ETH treasury via capital markets and staking. Bitmine’s approach is in line with general market patterns, which show that ETH-focused treasuries are growing in popularity on financial platforms. 

Factors To Fuel ETH’s Major Price Surge

Given the renewed strength of the crypto market, there are speculations and predictions that Ethereum could reach the $10,000 mark in this current cycle. Shyla, the CMO at Yellow, stated that experts have underscored Ethereum Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and institutional adoption as the key drivers to the anticipated price rally.

Presently, institutional adoption is speeding up, and major players are putting ETH into their treasuries. At the same time, ETF momentum and network improvements are boosting optimism as ETH expands and staking gains traction. Whether or not those extremely high goals are achieved, Shyla noted that ETH’s fundamentals and institutional demand are getting stronger.

After reaching a new all-time high of $123,200, Bitcoin has retraced to the $116,000 level as profit-taking and shifting market sentiment begin to take shape. While the broader trend remains bullish, a key development has caught the attention of analysts and investors alike.

Top analyst Darkfost has flagged significant on-chain activity involving the so-called “80K whale”—a mysterious wallet cluster believed to be holding over 80,000 BTC from the Satoshi era. This entity recently transferred a substantial portion of its holdings to a wallet reportedly linked to Galaxy Digital, a major institutional player in the crypto space.

The move is raising eyebrows, as Galaxy Digital enforces strict KYC (Know Your Customer) protocols, suggesting that the identity behind the transfer is now known to the firm. While this could indicate an intention to sell through their OTC (Over-the-Counter) brokerage desk, it’s also possible that the whale is simply reallocating funds for asset management purposes, such as earning yield on dormant BTC.

40,000 BTC Sent to Galaxy Digital As Selling Activity Sparks Volatility

Darkfost has reported a significant movement in the Bitcoin network—40,000 BTC has been transferred to Galaxy Digital, one of the most prominent institutional players in the space. The transaction originated from wallet address bc1qmuxrzvnx34j8y6h9leg4zen5gnw7wmfmgp8v2p, which is now completely empty.

While this transfer is notable, it’s only part of the picture. Four other wallets from the same cluster still collectively hold 40,000 BTC—none of which have moved yet. The total amount of Bitcoin sent to exchanges or OTC brokers remains uncertain for now, but Darkfost noted that selling activity appears to be ongoing.

Such large-scale movements often trigger concerns in the market, and the potential for panic selling is real, especially given the scale and timing of this transfer following Bitcoin’s recent all-time high at $123,200. However, it’s important to contextualize the event within the broader market structure.

Despite the short-term volatility, Bitcoin’s fundamentals remain strong. Institutional interest continues to grow, supply on exchanges remains historically low, and long-term holders show no signs of mass exit. This development may cause temporary price fluctuations, but it’s unlikely to shake the long-term conviction many investors maintain in Bitcoin’s trajectory. As always, whale activity commands attention, but it rarely defines the entire trend.

BTC Drops To $116K After ATH

The 12-hour chart shows Bitcoin facing a sharp pullback after reaching its all-time high at $123,200. Currently trading around $116,509, BTC has dropped nearly 6% from its peak, signaling a period of increased selling pressure. Notably, this correction was accompanied by a spike in red volume, indicating strong profit-taking activity or large sell-side orders—possibly linked to the recent whale movement toward Galaxy Digital.

Despite the retrace, Bitcoin still trades well above its key moving averages: the 50 SMA ($109,353), 100 SMA ($107,729), and 200 SMA ($101,375). These levels continue to slope upward, reflecting a healthy longer-term trend. The $114,000–$117,000 zone now acts as short-term support, aligning with the last consolidation area before the breakout.

Holding this range will be crucial for bulls to maintain momentum. A breakdown below could trigger a retest of the $109,300 support, a level that capped price action through much of June. On the upside, a recovery above $119K would suggest that buyers are stepping back in.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Shiba Inu is beginning to show signs of a major breakout due to a rare alignment of on-chain signals and strong bullish sentiment. Over the past week, two powerful metrics, the average holding time and token burn rate, have spiked dramatically. These developments come as Shiba Inu’s price follows Bitcoin’s surge past $122,000, lifting SHIB to a 30-day high of $0.00001391.

SHIB Holders Show Commitment

Shiba Inu investors are displaying stronger long-term conviction than at any other point in the current cycle. According to IntoTheBlock data, the average holding time of transacted SHIB tokens has increased by 783% in just the past seven days. This metric reflects how long SHIB coins were held before being moved on-chain, and such a quick increase indicates that most wallet holders are sitting on their tokens far longer than before. 

This aligns with the broader trend that the average holding time across all SHIB addresses now stands at 2.8 years, which is more than half of the token’s total lifetime. Even as SHIB touched a seven-week high of $0.0000139 during early Monday trading, the data shows that many holders are bracing for much higher price levels rather than selling into short-term rallies. This increase in diamond hands behavior is a strong bullish signal that often leads up to further major upside movement.

SHIB Burn Rate Blows Past 1 Billion, Up 1,784%

Adding to the bullish narrative is the concurrent increase in Shiba Inu’s burn rate. According to data from Shibburn, the Shiba Inu burn rate has seen a massive increase in the past seven days, with the number of tokens burned crossing the 1 billion threshold. Particularly, the burn data shows that 1,055,861,987 SHIB tokens have been removed from circulation in the past seven days alone, which translates to a 1,784.86% increase compared to the previous week. Furthermore, another 4,705,361 SHIB tokens were destroyed over the past 24 hours, pushing the daily burn rate up by 8.78%.

Burning tokens reduces the available supply in the market, and when paired with rising demand or a strong holding mentality, it creates the ideal conditions for a supply squeeze. The current burn rate explosion shows increasing effort within the community to drive up scarcity at a time when SHIB’s market structure appears to be tilting bullish. 

Shiba Inu’s current price action supports the idea that a breakout is underway. The token has followed Bitcoin’s most recent bullish breakout to a new price peak of $122,838. Although this move saw the Shiba Inu price reach a 30-day high of $0.00001391, it has since corrected a bit alongside Bitcoin’s correction to $117,000. Nonetheless, CoinGecko price data shows that Shiba Inu is still up by 9.7% in a seven-day timeframe.

At the time of writing, Shiba Inu is trading at $0.000013.

Stablecoins have emerged as the fastest-growing sector in the crypto market since the beginning of this cycle, playing a critical role in driving liquidity, market stability, and cross-border transactions. Their explosive growth has now placed them at the center of regulatory discussions, especially during this week’s highly anticipated “Crypto Week” in Washington.

US lawmakers are currently reviewing the Genius Act, a pivotal bill aimed at defining the legal framework for stablecoins in the United States. The outcome of this legislation could shape how dollar-backed digital assets are issued, regulated, and integrated into the broader financial system—impacting institutions, developers, and investors alike.

Meanwhile, market data from CryptoQuant shows that Tether (USDT) continues to dominate the stablecoin landscape, commanding 68% of the market share. USD Coin (USDC) follows with 27%, while newer entrants like USDE hold 2.2%. Binance’s BUSD now trails at just 1.5%, reflecting its gradual phase-out.

Stablecoins Fuel Market Liquidity

Top analyst Darkfost has highlighted a critical development in the crypto market: the total market cap of stablecoins has now climbed to $235 billion. This steady increase is more than just a number—it’s a clear signal that liquidity continues to flow into the digital asset space, even as prices experience short-term volatility. The rising stablecoin supply suggests that capital is being parked on-chain, ready to deploy across trading, DeFi, and institutional strategies.

Stablecoins have become the primary liquidity engine behind Bitcoin and the broader crypto market. Their utility as dollar-pegged, low-volatility assets makes them ideal for trading, hedging, and transferring value without relying on traditional banks. In essence, they are the bridge between traditional finance and crypto—connecting centralized capital with decentralized infrastructure.

With “Crypto Week” underway in Washington, stablecoins are under the spotlight. US legislators are expected to make critical decisions that could shape the way these assets function within both the crypto space and the traditional financial system. If regulators move toward supportive and well-defined guidelines, adoption and issuance could accelerate rapidly.

Analysts expect that legal clarity around stablecoins will not only boost investor confidence but also open the door for more institutional participation. Given their central role in liquidity flows, any positive outcome from this week’s debates could fuel the next wave of capital entering crypto markets—solidifying stablecoins as essential infrastructure for the digital economy. As liquidity builds, the groundwork for a broader market expansion continues to strengthen.

Dominance Holds at 7.28% as Market Liquidity Builds

The weekly chart of stablecoin dominance shows that they currently account for 7.28% of the total crypto market, a level that has held relatively steady in recent months. Despite the recent surge in total market cap to $235 billion, dominance has remained within a sideways range, suggesting that liquidity is flowing into both stablecoins and crypto assets simultaneously—rather than moving defensively into stables as seen during previous bear cycles.

Notably, the chart shows dominance falling below all major moving averages: the 50-week (7.73%), 100-week (7.97%), and 200-week (9.31%) SMAs. This suggests that while stablecoin issuance is rising in absolute terms, its share of total market value is shrinking as Bitcoin and altcoins outperform. This is typically seen during early to mid-stage bull markets, when capital begins rotating from stablecoins into risk-on assets.

Historically, sharp spikes in dominance have coincided with periods of market stress, while declines have marked expansion phases. The current stability around 7% reflects a balanced environment where liquidity remains available, but market participants are comfortable holding volatile assets.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

The long-standing debate over whether Ethereum (ETH) can one day replace Bitcoin (BTC) has taken a new turn, as Hunter Horsley, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bitwise, offers a fresh perspective on the matter. Rather than framing Ethereum as a direct challenger to BTC, Horsley suggests that its true value lies in competing with traditional tech and financial systems. As the crypto market evolves, this view could influence how investors and developers assess cryptocurrencies by focusing less on price rankings and more on real-world utility. 

Ethereum’s Value Goes Beyond Bitcoin Rivalry

According to Horsley, the question of whether Ethereum can completely supersede Bitcoin may overlook a larger narrative. In a recent statement on X social media, the Bitwise CEO emphasized that ETH is not in direct competition with BTC at all. Instead, the real battle is unfolding in an entirely different arena, targeting legacy financial software and Web2 systems. 

Horsley explains that the perception that all cryptocurrencies are just variations of each other based on market capitalization is quickly becoming outdated. He forecasts that within the next 6-12 months, the crypto industry will move away from the “CoinMarketCap mindset”, which is the idea that all crypto assets are interchangeable and only differ by size. Instead, he believes the focus will shift toward understanding what makes each blockchain unique. 

For reference purposes, the crypto CEO drew a comparison to mobile applications, noting that while they may share the same operating system, each app serves a unique purpose. Similarly, different blockchains, including Ethereum, are built on related technologies but are designed to solve vastly different problems. 

While Bitcoin remains dominant in its role as a decentralized, non-sovereign form of money and a digital store of value, ETH is carving out a position as an open platform for programmable finance, dApps, and tokenized services. This view implies that Ethereum provides functionality that stretches far beyond the boundaries of money, shifting its primary challenge toward outdated legacy systems rather than Bitcoin. 

Overall, Horsley’s evolving perspective suggests that the crypto space is moving into a more mature phase, where blockchains may no longer be viewed through a narrow lens of rankings and price movements, but through their actual purpose, functionality, and long-term potential. 

ETH Tipped To Lead Future Of Crypto

A prominent market analyst on X, identified as ‘Crypto Xlarge’, has suggested that while Bitcoin sparked the crypto revolution, ETH is poised to carry it into the next era of technological transformation. In his post, the expert described the Ethereum blockchain as a foundational technology layer for the digital future, suggesting that its role extends far beyond that of a typical cryptocurrency. 

The analyst noted that Ethereum is positioned as the core next-generation infrastructure supporting a wide range of decentralized technologies, including Web3, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. Furthermore, he drew comparisons between Ethereum’s current stage and Bitcoin’s in 2013, seemingly implying that ETH may be at a similar inflection point where early adoption could yield significant returns.

The “big three” banking regulators in the United States—the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)—have jointly issued guidance on how banks should approach the custody of crypto assets. 

This guidance, while not introducing new rules, reinforces the necessity for banks to utilize existing risk management frameworks and compliance protocols when handling digital assets on behalf of their customers.

Standards For Crypto Asset Custody

According to reports from Fox journalist Eleanor Terret, the regulators’ statement is aimed at banking organizations that either currently provide or are considering offering safekeeping services for cryptocurrencies. 

The guidance defines “safekeeping” as the act of holding an asset for a customer’s benefit, emphasizing that banks may also offer additional custody services while focusing on the safekeeping of crypto assets.

The regulators acknowledge the complexities involved in digital asset custody. They highlight the importance of existing laws and regulations that govern fiduciary and non-fiduciary capacities. 

Banks offering these services must adhere to relevant legal standards, including those outlined in Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This includes managing crypto assets similarly to traditional assets.

Timur Suleimenov, head of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, noted that the potential for high returns from cryptocurrencies is enticing, but it is crucial to recognize the volatility associated with these assets. The regulators urge banks to conduct thorough risk assessments before entering the crypto safekeeping space. 

Furthermore, the guidance stresses the necessity for banks to have knowledgeable staff capable of navigating the intricacies of crypto-asset safekeeping. This includes developing contingency plans to address unforeseen challenges that may arise in providing these services. 

Audit Programs Recommended

In addition to operational risks, legal and compliance considerations are paramount. Banking organizations must comply with existing regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), anti-money laundering (AML) laws, and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) requirements. 

The guidance also emphasizes the importance of clear customer agreements that define the responsibilities of both the bank and its clients. Such agreements should address specific issues related to digital asset safekeeping, including governance, asset holding methods, and the role of any sub-custodians involved in the process. 

As banks consider offering crypto-asset safekeeping services, they must also weigh the benefits and risks of utilizing third-party sub-custodians. Due diligence is essential in selecting these partners, as banks remain responsible for the activities performed by any sub-custodian they engage. 

To ensure effective oversight, banks are encouraged to implement comprehensive audit programs that assess their crypto-asset safekeeping operations. These audits should cover various aspects, including cryptographic key management, customer asset transfers, and the overall effectiveness of the bank’s internal controls.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Within a short period of surging to a new all-time high, Bitcoin has become the topic of the day, prompting several well-known figures in the crypto landscape to share their takes on the crypto king. Anthony Pompliano recently addressed the performance of BTC while underlining key drivers behind the substantial growth.

Pompliano Brands Bitcoin “The Greatest Show On Wall Street”

Over the past few days, Bitcoin has witnessed a remarkable upward performance, breaking into uncharted territories. Renowned investor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Capital Management, Anthony Pompliano, has dubbed BTC the “Greatest Show on Wall Street” after the recent ferocious surge that brought it back into the spotlight.

The Capital Management CEO made the bullish statement in a recent interview on the popular CNBC Squawk Box show. In comments that demonstrate how captivating the asset’s recent upward trends have been, Pompliano emphasized Bitcoin’s unparalleled capacity to take center stage and hold investors’ attention.

According to the founder, the reason behind his statement that Bitcoin is the greatest show on Wall Street is that “everyone wants the crypto king.” Furthermore, he stated that BTC is no longer a contrarian trade; it is a consensus trade. His statement is backed by the Spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), the BTC Treasury companies, retailers, and the Sovereign Wealth Fund, among others.

When asked about concerns regarding the notion that when economists and analysts have a consensus view on BTC, investors should go the other way, the CEO asserted that this is nothing to be afraid of. This is due to his claims that “economists do not like Bitcoin.”

Major Drivers Of BTC’s Powerful Rally

Financial circles are taking notice of Bitcoin’s remarkable rise, which has sparked more extensive discussions regarding its crucial position in the industry. Pompliano has broken down the potential triggers behind BTC’s substantial upside action. 

The first driver mentioned by the CEO is the record inflows into the BTC Spot ETFs in recent weeks, highlighting the massive $1.2 billion capital flow witnessed on Thursday. BTC Spot ETFs have seen significant growth since their introduction, recording a net inflow of over $140 billion, with BlackRock’s fund valued at nearly $90 billion alone.

Another key factor pointed out is Bitcoin Options Expiry. After the options expired at the end of Q2, BTC saw a notable downward pressure, which appears to have served as a launchpad to the recent rally. Finally, the entrepreneur considers the significant liquidations of short sellers as a major part of BTC’s upsurge. As Bitcoin takes out short sellers, Pompliano claims that the flagship asset ultimately went into a price discovery phase.

According to the CEO, BTC entered a price discovery phase in November last year when the crypto king surged from its previous high $70,000 to $90,000 within 3 weeks. Pompliano has identified a possible similar trend following BTC’s break above the $110,000. As a result, he is confident that the asset could rally hard, potentially reaching the $140,000 price mark because it is now in a true price discovery phase.

Demand for Bitcoin ($BTC) has once again overtaken the monthly issuance rate of the cryptocurrency, according to a report.

While institutional investors and ETFs have driven much of the demand, a huge chunk also came from smaller investors and high-net-worth individuals.

This growing acceptance of digital currencies among mainstream buyers is a huge plus for other crypto presales, like Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) and Snorter Token ($SNORT).

Investors Quickly Snapping Up Bitcoin at Any Price

A report by digital asset trading platform Bitfinex revealed that smaller investors are buying up $BTC at a rate of 19.3K $BTC per month, while only 13.4K new $BTC are issued during the same period.

Bitfinex also cited data from Jan3 that Bitcoin ETFs bought 22.3x more $BTC than was mined on July 9, while demand outpaced the supply created by 19.53x the following day.

According to the platform, this level of $BTC accumulation shows that the market is so bullish that new buyers are willing to buy the world’s most valuable crypto at a faster rate and at any price.

Bitcoin’s spectacular rise over the past several weeks means that it has overtaken silver and Amazon in terms of market capitalization. It is now ranked #5, only next to Apple’s market cap of $3.1B.

With Bitcoin Dominating, What Presales are Worth the Shot?

While $BTC seems a good buy at any price for now, another good news is that there are still plenty of cryptocurrencies that are up for grabs at super low prices. Here are some of the best presales worth considering:

1. Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) – Delivering Speed, Low Fees, and Flexibility to Bitcoin

Bitcoin may be the world’s top crypto, but it has its flaws. Its transactions are slow and expensive, and it only offers limited programmability.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) addresses these limitations with its Bitcoin Layer 2. Once launched, the L2 will deliver Solana-level speeds and smart contracts to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Plus, it features a decentralized and non-custodial Canonical Bridge. This allows you to transfer your $BTC securely and easily between Layers 1 and 2.

This project has a native token called $HYPER. Holding this will let you pay for transaction and smart contract fees, access exclusive features, and enjoy governance rights.

Alternatively, you can lock in your $HYPER to the staking pool and get passive rewards.

At the moment, you can buy tokens for only $0.012275 each via the Bitcoin Hyper presale page. For step-by-step instructions, you can check out our Bitcoin Hyper buying guide.

2. Snorter Token ($SNORT) – Getting Ahead of Bots and Whales Made Easy

The more crypto demand ramps up, the more difficult it gets to find the next big project. That’s because the market is rife with scams, while bots and whales often beat small investors to the punch.

Snorter Token ($SNORT) wants to level the playing field with Snorter Bot. It’s a Telegram-native crypto bot that lets you find the most promising presales before anyone else with its automated sniping capability.

Aside from that, it lets you manage your portfolio, copy trades, swap crypto, and even detect malicious tokens before you buy them.

Getting its $SNORT tokens through its official presale website will allow you to make the most out of Snorter Bot via low transaction fees, unlimited snipes, and governance rights.

Staking is available with a reward rate of 205%. But if you want to HODL, then it can be a great strategy too, as $SNORT could reach as much as $3.25, according to our Snorter Token price prediction.

3. Neo Pepe Protocol ($NEOP) – Bringing Back Decentralization to Cryptocurrencies

Decentralization has been one of the most attractive characteristics of cryptocurrencies in the market’s early days.

But increased adoption by institutional buyers and governments means that decentralization is quickly fading into the background.

Neo Pepe Protocol ($NEOP) is a presale that wants to fight against centralized control. At its core is its community governance. As a $NEOP token holder, you’ll have direct influence over strategic decisions, such as exchange listings and important project developments.

Costing only $0.083153, it’s a great investment while supporting a worthy cause.

There’s No Stopping the Bitcoin Train

The way it currently stands, it seems that Bitcoin has nowhere to go but up. Of course, a few downtrends are expected along the way, but the market overall seems bullish about its long-term value.

This is why it’s also essential to always be on the lookout for the best presales before they blow up and go mainstream, such as Snorter Token ($SNORT) and Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER).

These projects offer a lot of potential upside as their underlying concepts are solid and strong communities to back them up.

If you’re planning on buying crypto, be sure to do your research first. This is not investment advice.

When Solana Labs co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko posted on X on 14 June that “all users need is 1 full node to defend against 100 percent of malicious stake,” the remark detonated a familiar flashpoint in the ongoing Solana-versus-Ethereum culture war. In Yakovenko’s telling, any node—even one with zero SOL staked—could “carry the torch” and veto a rogue software upgrade, because Solana’s fork-choice rules allow any honest client to refuse blocks it considers invalid. Critics immediately seized on the claim as proof that the network’s vaunted speed rests on a fragile foundation of social coordination rather than hard-coded decentralization.

Solana Decentralized?

Developer “0xZodomo” fired the first volley, warning that “a single Discord channel is capable of making sweeping changes to Solana consensus,” and accusing “wolves” of selling centralization as a feature. Lawyer Gabriel Shapiro (@lex_node) sharpened the satire, dubbing an imaginary one-node chain “gorbagana” and joking that the dumpster fire could be kept alive by a lone hold-out. Ethereum supporter “Etheraider” piled on, noting that Solana has averaged “an outage once every six months for the last four years,” an allusion to the seven documented halts the network has suffered since 2020.

Yakovenko, better known as “toly,” doubled down. If users “get a bunch of user nodes to follow your leader and only accept finality locally after double-spend synchronicity assumptions,” he quipped, “you are golden.” Fee stability, not perfect uptime, was his priority: “No fee spikes,” he wrote, arguing that retail users care more about predictable costs than about the 99th-percentile block-time metric that enterprise critics invoke. He later contrasted Solana’s throughput with the DTCC’s razor-thin revenue margins, adding, “What I care about is assets that move.”

Performance evangelists inside the ecosystem echoed that stance. Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz reminded followers that Solana “handles more scale than all other blockchains combined, has the highest-revenue apps, and is about to get 100× faster while doubling block-space”—a reference to the forthcoming Firedancer client and pipelined fee markets.

Yet the decentralization question remains stubborn. Validators.app currently lists roughly 1,400 consensus validators and 5,170 total nodes spread across 46 countries, a figure far below Yakovenko’s 6,000 but well above the 1,295 “high-quality” validators the Solana Foundation counted in its June network-health report. By contrast, Etherscan’s node tracker detects 11,841 reachable Ethereum full nodes, while the Beacon chain boasts about 1.04 million validator entities securing proof-of-stake consensus.

Outages also color perceptions. Solana has not suffered a hard halt since February 2024, when a duplicate-bug froze block production for five hours, but previous incidents—in September 2021, April 2022 and February 2024—fuel the charge that one Discord mis-configuration can pause the chain. The Helius outage ledger notes that five of the seven stoppages were triggered by client bugs and two by transaction-spam storms, each time requiring an off-chain validator co-ordination to restart.

That social layer is precisely what Yakovenko says keeps users safe: if consensus clients misbehave, any node may refuse the fork. Ethereum veterans counter that relying on ad-hoc coordination violates the very premise of permissionless decentralization. The debate is unlikely to cool as Solana’s footprint grows; the chain already processes 65,000 transactions per second in production loads and has been chosen by Visa for USDC treasury settlements, citing sub-cent fees and sub-second finality.

At press time, SOL traded at $160.56.

As the crypto market moves into the green once again, meme coins like PEPE are beginning to see upside, with the promise of major breakouts becoming stronger by the day. PEPE, in particular, has been flashing bullish for a while now as momentum continues to rise with a solid community behind the meme coin. This is one of the things expected to prompt the next wave of double-digit rallies for the cryptocurrency, according to one crypto analyst.

PEPE Price Already Gearing Up For A Breakout

The first thing pointed out in the analysis is the fact that PEPE has already begun to show signs of a possible breakout. This is spurred on by the fact that the chart has formed what looks to be a falling channel pattern. This pattern is historically bullish and is no different when it comes to the PEPE price.

As the crypto analyst explains, a fallen channel pattern often signals that there is a change in the trend coming. Since the PEPE price is yet to break out fully and is still being weighed down by sell-offs, the trend change here could refer to a change toward the more bullish side.

Once this trend reversal is complete, the crypto analyst expects the price of PEPE to almost double from here. However, there needs to be a major increase in the trading volume for this to be sustained. This is because the rise in volume would prop up the price and give an added boost to continue the uptrend.

From here, the analyst sees the PEPE price reaching as high as $0.000022, which would be a 75% increase from the current price. This would still be below its current all-time highs of $0.000028, but it shows a step in the right direction, especially as meme coin mania is looking to resume on the back of the Pump.Fun presale sellout.

Other indicators that the PEPE price is on the path to a breakout include the fact that more investors are coming into the meme coin as the hype grows. So far, there has been a lot of liquidity for the meme coin, with daily trading volumes remaining on he high side. The price volatility has also been a magnetic pull for swing traders, who continue to place their bets on the PEPE price.

As long as the support holds, which has been forming just above $0.00001 since the market recovery began, the PEPE price seems clear-cut for a price rally. The only thing from here would be for the altcoin to actually finish a retest and confirm a breakout from the falling channel, and the push upward should begin.

For now, the analyst highlights that “Traders should keep a close eye on the breakout level and volume spikes, as these will serve as key confirmation signals for the next move.”

Kazakhstan is exploring a significant move into the cryptocurrency arena, contemplating the establishment of its first-ever cryptocurrency reserve. This, amid a record-breaking rally in Bitcoin (BTC) and an increasing adoption of digital assets by institutions, public companies, and nations. 

Reports from local media indicate that the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves, alongside the assets of the National Fund, are being considered for investment in crypto assets.

Kazakhstan Eyes Crypto Assets For National Fund

During a recent press conference, Timur Suleimenov, the head of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, outlined the country’s intentions. He mentioned that Kazakhstan is developing an alternative investment portfolio for its gold and foreign exchange reserves, as well as for the National Fund. 

This portfolio reportedly aims to employ more aggressive strategies to enhance investment returns. Suleimenov noted that the country is looking at successful models from the Norwegian fund, American practices, and strategies used by Middle Eastern funds, many of which include investments in digital assets, either directly or through related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and stocks.

Suleimenov emphasized that while the potential for high returns from such investments is appealing, the inherent volatility of digital assets necessitates a cautious approach. 

He stated, “This is not an easy question, so you can’t rush here. Yes, such assets can bring high returns, but at the same time, they are characterized by high volatility.”

Evolving Digital Asset Regulations

In addition to the investment plans, the National Bank is also considering the creation of a state reserve for crypto assets. This reserve would be designated for storing digital assets that have been confiscated by law enforcement agencies. 

To facilitate this, a separate infrastructure would be established, illustrating Kazakhstan’s commitment to not only participating in the digital asset economy but also managing it responsibly.

Furthermore, Suleimenov mentioned that if certain enterprises engage in mining cryptocurrencies on behalf of the state, a portion of those assets could be directed into the crypto reserve through taxes or mandatory payments. 

The regulatory landscape in Kazakhstan is also evolving. Recently, there have been discussions about implementing administrative and criminal penalties for transactions involving crypto assets on the “gray market.” 

Currently, digital asset trading is permitted only on licensed exchanges within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). The National Bank is also planning to impose restrictions on advertising related to digital assets, aiming to create a more controlled environment for crypto transactions.

As of this writing, Bitcoin trades at $117,450. However, the market’s largest cryptocurrency saw its price reach a new record earlier on Monday of $123,000, registering an 11% surge in the monthly time frame. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Abacus Market, one of the biggest Bitcoin-powered darknet bazaars in the West, has gone offline without warning. According to TRM Labs, its clearnet mirror, website and wallets all vanished at once.

Users first reported trouble withdrawing funds in late June. Then deposits plunged from around $230,000 a day in early June to just $13,000 daily between June 28 and July 10. Now, many think the operators simply grabbed the cash and disappeared.

Market Faces Sudden Shutdown

Based on reports from TRM Labs, Abacus’s admin—known as “Vito”—blamed a surge of new users and a DDoS attack when withdrawals started failing. But users rushed to pull their money anyway.

That deposit drop was a clear sign something was wrong. When a site handles more than $6.3 million in a single month after Archetyp Market’s June 16 closure, it’s bound to draw unwanted eyes.

Vito, the Abacus administrator, reassured users that the withdrawal problems won’t be for long. Source: TRM Labs 

Volume Spike Attracted Attention

According to TRM Labs, Abacus saw its highest monthly sales ever in June. Archetyp’s shutdown sent buyers scrambling, and Abacus’s share of the Bitcoin-supporting Western dark market shot above 70% after the fall of ASAP Market last July and Incognito Market’s seizure in March 2024.

Over four years, the site sold nearly $100 million in Bitcoin. But since much of its trade used Monero—a privacy coin—actual volume may lie between $300 million and $400 million.

Customers Flee As Trust Erodes

Based on user reports, many traders grew nervous when withdrawal hiccups began. Vito’s message didn’t calm fears. Instead, more people pulled their funds out and moved on.

Darknet markets tend to lose users at the first sign of trouble. Once trust is gone, deposits dry up fast. In Abacus’s case, that change was a drop of almost 95% in daily inflows over two weeks.

Future Of Darknet Markets

According to TRM Labs, operators who reach the top often become law enforcement targets. Some admins opt to exit with the money rather than face arrest.

Past examples include Evolution Market’s exit scam and the quietly closed Agora Market. It’s also possible that authorities seized Abacus and are keeping it quiet while they track buyers and sellers. But insiders on the Dread discussion forum cast doubt on that theory for now.

For now, traders and vendors must treat every darknet site as temporary. Based on this latest shutdown, it’s clear that even markets with millions in monthly volume can vanish overnight.

Featured image from The SSL Store, chart from TradingView

Pump Fun, the Solana-based meme coin launchpad, recently debuted its own token, $PUMP, which reached a staggering $5.6B market cap on the very first day of trading.

At the time of writing, the market cap sits around $5.04B. The Initial Coin Offering (ICO) lasted just 12 minutes on July 12, raising $500M by selling 125B tokens, reaching a $4B valuation in the process.

While many initially called this valuation excessive, the explosive listing has largely silenced those concerns.

This historic launch not only validates the potential of meme coin infrastructure projects, but also signals the beginning of another major rally in the meme coin space, especially on Solana.

If you’re looking to ride the next wave, Snorter Token ($SNORT) deserves your attention.

$PUMP’s Pump Proves the Next Meme Coin Bull Run Is Brewing

The pre-market valuation was even higher, peaking at $7.2B, according to recent coverage by DeFi information platform The Defiant.

The token’s perpetual futures ranked third in volume on Hyperliquid, trailing only $BTC and $ETH, and that, too, with just 3x leverage.

$PUMP currently dominates Solana’s meme coin mindshare, commanding 28.47% of the ecosystem. It’s closely followed by $PENGU, which holds a 23.08% share.

It’s also worth noting that:

• Whales showed strong interest in the $PUMP ICO. While the average spend was around $44,209, the median was just $550.
• Over 200 wallets accumulated at least $1M worth of $PUMP.
• Since its launch in early 2024, Pumpfun’s revenue has grown steadily, now sitting at around $630M, with the 30-day revenue alone at $6.1M.
• Lastly, the total number of cumulative addresses on the platform has also surpassed 20M.

This explosive demand and performance underline a clear market signal: investor appetite for the best meme coins and altcoins is back in full force.

A token launchpad achieving this level of traction only strengthens the belief that the next meme coin bull run is just around the corner.

With one viral meme coin after another launching on Solana, it’s time to look at a new trading bot that could actually help you capitalize on these pumps. Enter one of the newest projects around: Snorter Token ($SNORT).

What is Snorter?

So, what is Snorter? In short, Snorter is a new Telegram-native trading bot built to offer retail meme coin traders on Solana a seamless and secure experience, equipping them with all the tools needed to make a killing in the markets.

For example, Snorter Bot comes with automated sniping, allowing users to place buy/sell limit and stop orders, which the bot then executes at lightning speed, automatically.

This gives retail traders the ability to snipe liquidity in new meme coins – in other words, to buy tokens as soon as liquidity arrives, positioning themselves just before potential pumps.

It’s worth noting that the first pumps in new meme coins are often the most profitable, and until now, institutional players have been the ones eating up that early liquidity using advanced trading tools. Snorter levels the playing field.

At launch, Snorter Bot will only be compatible with Solana, though it’ll soon expand support to Ethereum, Polygon, BNB, and Base.

How Snorter’s Security & Simplicity Set It up for Success

The current crypto landscape is unfortunately rife with scams and theft. But Snorter features airtight security, covering virtually every nook and corner.

In addition to independently verifying each token before allowing users to trade it, Snorter also comes equipped with front-running protection and advanced detection mechanisms to sniff out honeypots and rug pulls.

Additionally, the bot is also capable of protecting you against sophisticated MEV (or sandwich) attacks, which are often used by other bockchain bots to manipulate transaction order and extract profits at the trader’s expense.

Despite being laced with high-end features, Snorter remains one of the easiest-to-use trading bots out there.

As mentioned above, it’s built natively on Telegram, meaning you can simply interact with it (place buy/sell orders, copy trades from crypto pros, and even manage your portfolio) through the app’s chat interface. No need for complicated dashboards or clunky browser extensions.

Buy $SNORT to Ride This Trading Bot’s Market Adoption

Snorter is uniquely positioned to benefit from the growing crypto footprint, particularly in the meme coin segment, where demand for reliable trading tools is only set to increase.

You can be part of Snorter Bot’s rising momentum by purchasing Snorter Token ($SNORT), the platform’s native cryptocurrency.

The token is currently in presale, with over $1.8M raised in early investor funding so far. And right now, one $SNORT is available for a low price of $0.0983.

The best part? Our Snorter Token price prediction suggests that it could be the next crypto to explode, potentially surging 1,850% to hit $1.92 by 2026.

If this is your first crypto presale purchase, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to buy $SNORT.

And for additional information on the project, check out its whitepaper. Also, be sure to join its X feed and Telegram channel for regular updates.

Disclaimer: Crypto investments are highly risky due to the market’s volatility. None of the above is financial advice, and you must always do your own research before investing.

Cardano’s second annual Financial Insights Report lays bare the Foundation’s balance sheet and spending strategy for the first time on-chain, confirming a treasury worth $659.1 million split across ADA, bitcoin and fiat reserves. “As of 31 December 2024, the Foundation’s assets amounted to 659.1 million USD with 76.7% held in ADA, 15.0% in BTC, and the remaining 8.3% in cash, cash equivalents and financial assets,” the report states, adding that the 599.2 million ADA stake produced 17.1 million ADA in rewards last year, a 2.7 % return that now finances day-to-day operations without liquidating core holdings.

Cardano Publishes Financials On-Chain

Chief executive Frederik Gregaard sets the tone in his foreword, arguing that “sharing not only our achievements but also how we allocate resources is fundamental to building trust and ensuring long-term success.” He notes that 2024 spending reached $29.2 million, of which $22.1 million went directly into the Foundation’s three strategic pillars—adoption, operational resilience and education—while $7.1 million covered legal, governance, finance and infrastructure overheads “essential to scaling our delivery and ensuring our work remains robust, accountable and future-proof.”

More than half of last year’s budget—$15 million—fuelled adoption initiatives. Those dollars underwrote enterprise pilots ranging from a NASA tracking solution to a ballistic-identification system, the soft-launch of the Reeve on-chain accounting tool, and partnerships with Barcelona FC, Amnesty International, Swisscom and the UN Development Programme, among others.

Operational resilience absorbed $3.8 million, financing the launch of the open-source Cardano.org stack, public network-congestion monitors, preliminary work on the Ouroboros Genesis upgrade and Cardano’s contribution to the Chang hard fork era of decentralised governance. Education programmes drew $3.3 million, funding the Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate (CBCA) exam, regulatory engagement with the Bank for International Settlements and a 1,000-strong Cardano Summit in Dubai.

Transparency itself became a budget line: the Foundation has migrated its entire 2024 general ledger to Reeve, a bespoke reporting tool that anchors financial statements, treasury balances and expenditure records directly on Cardano. Reeve, the report explains, “records, verifies and shares financial data directly on the Cardano blockchain,” allowing stakeholders to audit immutable entries without relying on external gatekeepers.

That step, Gregaard says, “reaffirms our dedication to financial responsibility and strategic investment,” and signals an open invitation to the community to verify every figure. By combining on-chain disclosure with a narrative report that converts ADA and bitcoin balances into USD, the Foundation hopes to satisfy both technically minded auditors and mainstream readers.

With a war chest still dominated by native ADA—originally seeded by an endowment of 648 million ADA and 8,258 BTC—the Foundation faces no immediate liquidity pressures. Its delegation policy continues to funnel stake to mission-critical pools that contribute code or infrastructure, reinforcing a self-referential ecosystem in which staking rewards fund further development.

At press time, ADA traded at $0.7277.

US banking regulators released a joint statement yesterday allowing banking organizations to provide safekeeping services for crypto like Bitcoin.

A key point in the statement covers the management of crypto keys, including the generation of these keys and taking the necessary precautions when they are lost or compromised.

Keys are an integral part of crypto ownership and security, and questions about custody are increasingly important, especially as more people worldwide expand into digital assets.

This is why self-custody crypto wallets, like the one behind Best Wallet Token ($BEST), allow users direct ownership and management of their keys, delivering a generally more secure environment than custodial services.

Banks Must Secure Clients’ Assets, Can Be Held Liable for Lost or Compromised Keys

The joint statement was made by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

These US banking regulators outlined existing laws, regulations, and risk-management principles that will apply to crypto safekeeping services.

For one, the agencies outlined the importance of cryptographic keys, which could result in financial loss if these keys are lost or compromised. They added that banking organizations may be held liable for their customers’ losses.

Because of this, banks must implement risk-management measures to secure these keys, including how these are generated and having a contingency plan if these keys are lost or compromised.

They also urged these organizations to ‘consider the evolving nature of the crypto-asset market,’ which includes the underlying technology and having a risk governance framework that allows them to adapt to the risks involved in the safekeeping services they are providing.

Like other banking services, these services will also have to meet strict standards for anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-financing of terrorism (CFT), among other similar regulations.

As such, organizations that safeguard crypto for their clients must verify the identity of their customers and continuously monitor transactions for suspicious activity, among other things.

The Increasing Need for Crypto Key Security as Crypto Ownership Grows

With more and more individuals owning crypto, there’s also a growing demand for highly secure crypto wallets.

According to a report by crypto exchange and custodian Gemini, crypto ownership is growing worldwide. In Singapore, for example, 28% of respondents said they had crypto investments.

Meanwhile, the UK saw the biggest jump among countries surveyed from only 18% in 2024 to 24% in 2025.

While banks and exchanges offer people a convenient means to store their digital assets, some crypto owners may prefer to secure their assets on their own. This is where non-custodial crypto wallets come in. Secure Your Digital Assets with Best Wallet, Powered by Best Wallet Token

Non-custodial crypto wallets allow individuals complete control over their private keys. The reason for this is that you use these keys to sign transactions and prove that you really own your digital assets.

In contrast, custodial wallets are those in which third parties like banks and wallet providers hold your keys for you. It’s convenient but less secure than non-custodial wallets.

Best Wallet comes in as one of the newest, most secure, and most user-friendly non-custodial crypto wallets in the market today.

Aside from letting you control your keys, you can also secure the wallet app itself with a code and your biometric data. All these layers of security help ensure that only you can access your wallet.

Best Wallet isn’t just for storing your digital assets, though. You can buy, trade, and swap crypto, and even access the best presales via its Token Launchpad.

It’s available for both iOS and Android devices, making it extra convenient to use while still being secure.

If you want to get the most out of your wallet, you can also get its native Best Wallet Token ($BEST).

Owning this token gives you additional perks, like low transaction fees, early access to presales, and governance rights that allow you to vote on matters relating to the Best Wallet ecosystem.

$BEST is fairly affordable at only $0.025335 via its official presale page or the Best Wallet app.

Our Best Wallet token buying guide has step-by-step instructions on how to get your hands on $BEST.

Alternatively, you can stake your tokens to earn passive rewards. HODLing is a great option too considering that $BEST may reach as high as $0.82 in 2030 according to our Best Wallet Token price prediction.

Want Top-Notch Crypto Security? Non-Custodial Wallets are One of the Safest Bets

It’s always good news when government agencies finally accept that digital currencies are the future. The statement providing banks with more clarity regarding crypto safekeeping services is one such example of this kind of news.

The part regarding crypto keys is significant as it stresses the role of banks in securing these keys and adds that providers may be liable if customers lose their digital funds in the event of a data leak or hack.

This is where non-custodial crypto wallets like Best Wallet are ahead of the curve. Customers of self-custody service providers already have control over their private keys for superior security.

What’s more, owning Best Wallet Token ($BEST) gives you additional perks like governance rights. These will allow you to vote on how the ecosystem should evolve regarding essential matters, such as security.

If you want to invest in crypto, do your own research. This is not financial advice.

The lawsuit brought against Ripple by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has raged on for the last five years. While the last year has brought very good news for supporters of XRP, it has yet to be dismissed completely, which has further dampened morale. But while it seems that there is something major holding the lawsuit from being concluded, a former SEC lawyer has come forth to verify that what is actually holding back the conclusion.

No Pending Decisions In Ripple Vs. SEC Lawsuit

After one XRP community member known as ToniTheRippler posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the possibility of Ripple’s banking license being approved, a debate was quickly sparked in the comments over when this could happen. Community members were mainly worried about the ongoing Ripple Vs. SEC lawsuit and how this could impact and probably delay the approval of the banking license.

One community member responded that things are expected to move fast now that there is a pro-crypto SEC. However, another user commented that if it were so, they would have dropped the Ripple case already. A third user then explained that the fault does not lie with the SEC, but rather with the judge, Judge Analisa Torres, who has ordered that both parties follow due process in their bid to drop the case.

Given the multiple angles being thrown around, former SEC lawyer Marc Fagel chimed in to clear the air and reveal what was really holding up the case. Since both the SEC and Ripple have agreed to drop the case, Fagel revealed that neither of them was to blame for the case not being dropped yet. Rather, both parties have to follow the standard procedure to do so, and the problem was that this procedure typically takes between 1 and 2 months before it is completed.

Explaining further, Fagel, responding to the same user, explained that both parties had actually already resubmitted their filings to drop the case. But the court decided that they had failed to meet the burden required. Thus, Judge Analissa Torres had refused to modify the order against Ripple.

This means that presently, there is actually nothing left to be deliberated on by the court, as both parties no longer have any pending judgments. Instead, they now have to work to actually meet the requirements to completely dismiss the appeals that were initially filed by both parties, which Fagel said they would do shortly.

As for when the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit would be completely done, going by the timeline provided by Fagel, it would mean that the lawsuit should be concluded by late-August, barring any other developments.