Cointelegraph.com
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Cointelegraph.com - 14:00 Aug 01, 2025
After banning retail access to crypto ETNs and derivatives in 2021, the FCA has reversed its approach in favor of ETN access for retail. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has lifted the ban on retail access to cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (cETNs). Companies in the UK will soon be able to offer retail consumers cETNs, with regulatory changes effective Oct. 8, according to an FCA announcement on Friday. The new development in the UK’s regulatory approach on crypto comes after the FCA banned crypto ETNs in January 2021, citing the extreme volatility of crypto assets and a “lack of legitimate investment need” for retail consumers. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:30 Aug 01, 2025
Following the landmark US passage of the GENIUS Act, Fabian Dori of Sygnum Bank breaks down what lies ahead for stablecoins, institutional adoption and global crypto regulation. The recent US passage of the GENIUS Act marked a significant turning point for stablecoins, setting a regulatory precedent that may shape digital finance globally. Fabian Dori, chief investment officer at Sygnum Bank, joined the latest episode of Cointelegraph’s Byte-Sized Insight podcast, detailing how the act will influence stablecoin adoption, institutional engagement and international regulatory alignment. The GENIUS Act, which introduces a clear federal regulatory framework for fiat-backed stablecoins, demands full transparency from issuers, including one-to-one asset backing, mandatory federal licensing and independent reserve audits. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:20 Aug 01, 2025
The GENIUS Act leaves a foreign stablecoin loophole that puts US issuers at a competitive disadvantage, says former CFTC Chair Timothy Massad. The signing of the GENIUS Act into law established the first comprehensive regulatory framework for US-issued stablecoins. Supporters argue it will enhance trust, drive mainstream adoption and bolster the dollar’s status as the global reserve currency. With stablecoins now gaining traction in global finance, the GENIUS Act could also prove a boon for the developing world, attract institutional interest and drive a resurgence in decentralized finance (DeFi). However, concerns remain over unresolved issues, such as the regulation of foreign issuers, doubts about the ban on yield-bearing stablecoins and the potential dominance of corporate and traditional finance players. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:07 Aug 01, 2025
Tether’s USDT supply has increased by $26 billion in 2025, pushing its market cap to $163.6 billion as global demand for stablecoin grows. Stablecoin-issuer Tether has become the 18th-largest holder of United States Treasurys globally, surpassing the holdings of South Korea, according to a recent attestation report. On Thursday, Tether said in its attestation report for the second quarter of 2025 that it holds $127 billion in US Treasury bills. The company said it has $105.5 billion in direct US Treasury exposure and $21.3 billion held indirectly. Tether’s current holdings show a $7 billion increase from the first quarter. On May 19, the stablecoin issuer reported having $120 billion in T-bills, overtaking Germany’s holdings to take the 19th spot. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:00 Aug 01, 2025
THG co-founder and CEO Stefan Deiss told Cointelegraph that the IDTrust allows users full control over their data, giving it an edge over competitors like Microsoft Entra. The Hashgraph Group (THG) has launched a self-sovereign identity (SSI) platform called “IDTrust” to provide a blockchain-based digital identity solution for individuals and institutions. In an announcement sent exclusively to Cointelegraph, THG said the IDTrust platform is built on the Hedera network and will be powered by artificial intelligence. An SSI platform allows users to issue, manage and verify credentials securely without the need for centralized authorities. The launch comes as governments and enterprises accelerate digital identity programs, including the Swiss e-ID initiative and the European Union’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:27 Aug 01, 2025
The Japanese investment company’s stock offering is part of its treasury strategy to acquire 210,000 Bitcoin by the end of 2027. Japanese investment firm Metaplanet is seeking to raise 555 billion yen ($3.73 billion) through a stock offering to support its aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy. The company, which is known as “Asia’s Strategy,” announced Friday that it will issue perpetual preferred shares to help fund its goal of acquiring 210,000 Bitcoin (BTC) by the end of 2027. The shares will offer up to a 6% annual dividend, depending on market conditions and investor demand. “The Company intends to actively pursue equity financing as part of its ‘Bitcoin Strategy,’ which aims to acquire 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027,” it said. “We believe that introducing Bitcoin-backed preferred shares represents a pioneering effort to fill this gap.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 01:15 Aug 01, 2025
Strategy CEO Phong Le says the market still misunderstands and undervalues its Bitcoin play, as it posted $10 billion profit in the second quarter and plans to raise $4.2 billion to buy more. Strategy’s shares fell 1.4% in after-hours trading despite posting a company-record $10 billion in profit in the second quarter, as CEO Phong Le called the Bitcoin-holding company the “most misunderstood and undervalued stock” in the market. Strategy’s operating income rose 7,100% year-on-year (YOY) to $14 billion, the company Michael Saylor co-founded said in its earnings statement on Thursday. It marked the second reporting period in which the firm applied fair value accounting, which includes unrealized gains from Bitcoin (BTC). Strategy also announced plans to raise another $4.2 billion worth of shares through one of its preferred stock offerings to buy more Bitcoin, part of its long-term goal to buy $84 billion worth of the cryptocurrency under its upgraded “42/42” plan. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 22:58 Jul 31, 2025
Though it has weighed in on traditional staking, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has not issued guidance on liquid staking. Solana infrastructure provider Jito Labs, asset managers VanEck and Bitwise and two other stakeholders are appealing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow liquid staking for Solana exchange-traded products (ETPs). Liquid staking is a form of allocating tokens to a validator while receiving a derivative token in return, effectively meaning the staked tokens aren’t “locked up.” Liquid staked tokens (LSTs) can be traded, used in decentralized finance or even loaned. However, the process introduces additional risks not seen in traditional staking processes. Groups appealing to the SEC, including the Solana Policy Institute and Multicoin Capital Management, argue that liquid staking could improve capital efficiency by allowing ETP issuers to avoid forced rebalancing. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 22:44 Jul 31, 2025
Once one of crypto’s loudest critics, Jamie Dimon now says he’s a “believer” in stablecoins as JPMorgan deepens its push into digital assets. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon appeared to moderate his long-held skepticism toward digital assets in a CNBC interview Tuesday morning, saying he’s now “a believer in stablecoins” and sees value in blockchain technology. During the interview, Dimon suggested JPMorgan’s shift toward crypto is being driven by customer demand, not conviction. “We’re going to accommodate… It’s what the customer wants, not what JPMorgan wants,” he said, adding that all new financial products come with risk: “There’s never been a new financial product that didn’t entail risk.” JPMorgan has been sharply expanding its footprint in crypto. Dimon confirmed in mid‑July that the bank plans to participate in the space with its deposit coin and broader stablecoin issuance to “understand it and be good at it.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 22:20 Jul 31, 2025
China state TV bashes Trump’s crypto policies in 30-minute special. New Telegram dark markets tie with Huione’s infrastructure. Asia Express. CCTV, Chinas state broadcasting mouthpiece, aired a half-hour special on cryptocurrencies and how the US is attempting to solidify dollar dominance with stablecoins. The July 27 broadcast framed the new US stablecoin legislation GENIUS Act, as a geopolitical turning point. CCTV pinpointed that the new rules explicitly ban a Federal Reserveissued central bank digital currency (CBCD) while allowing stablecoins to export US debt in digital form. The broadcaster said stablecoins backed by US Treasury bonds represent the third phase of dollar hegemony after Bretton Woods gold and Middle Eastern oil. In this model, crypto users across the globe become indirect holders of US government debt, while stablecoin issuers emerge as the next generation of bond superbuyers. The program warned that this digital infrastructure could displace weaker currencies. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 22:20 Jul 31, 2025
The proposal aims to make Ethereum faster and quantum-resistant, while also reducing the layer-1 blockchain's technical complexity. Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake has proposed “Lean Ethereum,” a plan to make the layer-1 smart contract network quantum-secure, while also simplifying Ethereum’s tech stack, which includes the consensus layer, data layer and execution layer. The researcher proposed zero-knowledge powered virtual machines, a way of verifying data onchain without revealing the content of that data, to quantum-proof the execution layer and strengthen security. Drake called for data availability sampling as a way of reducing the storage requirements for the Ethereum blockchain, while preserving block integrity. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 22:02 Jul 31, 2025
The crypto exchange missed revenue estimates for Q2 2025, with transaction volumes falling sharply. Still, steady growth in stablecoin-related income offered some relief. Shares of Coinbase Global (COIN) plunged in after-hours trading Thursday after the crypto exchange missed Wall Street estimates on both earnings and revenue, despite hitting several key business milestones during the quarter. Coinbase reported $1.5 billion in second-quarter revenue, falling short of analysts’ expectations of $1.56 billion to $1.59 billion. While net income came in at $1.4 billion, adjusted net income, excluding investment gains, was just $33 million. Non-GAAP earnings were particularly weak, with profit at only $0.12 per share, well below the $1.49 per share analysts had projected. A sharp drop in transaction revenue, driven by falling spot crypto trading volumes, weighed heavily on results. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:25 Jul 31, 2025
Bitcoin’s range expansion chose the downside, but data suggest the larger breakout is still brewing. Key points: Bitcoin still trades in its 18-day range despite a breakdown below $116,000. The latency between pro-crypto policy from US regulators and the Trump administration and Bitcoin price has left traders feeling anxious. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:10 Jul 31, 2025
Visa, Mastercard, tech firms and banking institutions are all exploring ways of using blockchain technology for payments and settlement. Payment company Visa expanded stablecoin offerings on its settlement platform by adding support for Global Dollar (USDG), PayPal USD (PYUSD), Euro Coin (EURC) and two new blockchain networks, Stellar and Avalanche. The integration allows users to send and receive stablecoin payments through the supported blockchain networks or convert their balances to traditional fiat currency, Visa said in a press release on Thursday. Visa already offered support to Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, while supported networks for transfer and settlement include Ethereum, Solana and the newly added chains. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:40 Jul 31, 2025
In the first six months of 2025, Tether has had a profit of $5.7 billion, a rise of 9.6% compared to the same period in 2024. Tether disclosed another strong quarter as stablecoins continue to gain traction amid growing regulatory clarity in the United States. The company said it posted $4.9 billion in profit for the second quarter of 2025, a 277% increase compared with the same period a year ago. Tether is the creator of USDt (USDT), a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar and backed by US Treasurys and cash equivalents. According to DefiLlama, USDt continues to dominate the stablecoin market, accounting for 61.7% of all stablecoin value, with a market capitalization of $164.5 billion at this writing. According to Tether, it had $162.6 billion in assets and $157.1 billion in liabilities as of June 30, with most of the liabilities relating to token issuance. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:10 Jul 31, 2025
Bitwise is the first to act on the SEC’s rule change, though analysts say it’s a backend fix, not a retail breakthrough. The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent decision to let crypto ETF issuers swap Bitcoin and Ether directly for fund shares represents a structural upgrade, not a retail revolution, analysts say. Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas called the change “a plumbing fix,” noting it won’t meaningfully affect how everyday investors interact with crypto exchange traded funds. “This doesn’t mean retail can exchange IBIT for actual bitcoin,” he wrote on X, “but it shows the SEC is ready to treat crypto like a legit asset class.” The change, announced Tuesday, allows asset managers to exchange crypto tokens directly for ETF shares, instead of using cash. Known as in-kind creations and redemptions, the move cuts out conversion fees, improves price accuracy and makes the ETFs more efficient, ultimately benefiting investors through lower costs and tighter spreads. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:46 Jul 31, 2025
A fresh wave of profit-taking from newly emerged Bitcoin whales has marked the third major distribution event of this bull run, according to CryptoQuant. Bitcoin’s failure to hold above $120,000 was accompanied by a surge in selling from large holders, marking what analysts call the “third major profit-taking wave of this bull run.” Realized profits on Bitcoin (BTC) spiked to between $6 billion and $8 billion in late July — levels that coincided at or near local tops in March and December 2024, according to onchain analytics firm CryptoQuant. This latest sell-off was driven by “new whales,” who began realizing gains once BTC crossed the $120,000 mark, CryptoQuant noted. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:27 Jul 31, 2025
Bitcoin begins a 77-day historical countdown to its potential 2025 peak, with targets around $150,000 and higher. Key takeaways: Bitcoin may reach a cycle top of $150,000 by October, based on halving-cycle fractals. New BTC investor activity is rising, signaling more room for upside. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:06 Jul 31, 2025
The initiative aims to modernize the SEC for 21st-century finance and was formed in response to recent policy recommendations from the White House. US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins has announced “Project Crypto,” an initiative to modernize the agency for the digital finance age and establish clear regulations for digital assets in the United States. Atkins said Project Crypto was in direct response to recommendations in a recent report by the President's Working Group on Digital Assets. Atkins proposed easing licensing rules to allow for multiple asset classes or instruments to be offered by brokerages under a single license, while also creating a clear market structure separating commodities, which most cryptocurrencies fall under, from securities. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 16:00 Jul 31, 2025
Adam Back’s Blockstream has launched Bitcoin-native smart contract programming language Simplicity, offering an alternative to Ethereum’s Solidity. Blockstream, the developer of Bitcoin’s layer-2 protocol Liquid and led by Bitcoin cypherpunk Adam Back, has launched Simplicity, a new smart contract language designed for Bitcoin. According to a Thursday announcement shared with Cointelegraph, Simplicity smart contracts will be integrated into Liquid. The company said the move marks a step forward in transforming Bitcoin (BTC) from a secure store of value into a programmable foundation for decentralized finance. The company also introduced SimplicityHL, a higher-level implementation of the language that facilitates easier development with increased abstraction. Read more
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