Author: John Smith
Coinbase and Ripple have secured EU-wide access through Luxembourg as MiCA’s July 1 deadline has pushed Binance and other unlicensed platforms to scale back services. Summary Coinbase and Ripple have secured EU-wide access through separate Luxembourg MiCA authorizations. Binance’s retreat has created an opening for licensed exchanges to capture migrating customers. USDT restrictions give USDC and RLUSD room to compete for European stablecoin volume. According to earlier reports, Binance withdrew its Greek license application and began suspending services in several European Union countries after the 18-month transitional period ended. The deadline requires crypto-asset service providers to obtain authorization before continuing…
President Donald Trump has convened key Republican senators at the White House as Ripple warned that rejecting the CLARITY Act would preserve regulatory gaps linked to the FTX collapse. Summary Trump will meet Republican senators to address disputes holding up the CLARITY Act. Ripple warned that rejecting the bill would leave major crypto regulatory gaps open. Polymarket places the bill’s chance of becoming law in 2026 at 36%. According to Politico, Trump is scheduled to meet several Republican senators on Thursday to discuss the crypto market structure bill and the remaining work needed to secure a Senate vote. Senator Bernie…
A stablecoin depeg is not one event. It is two very different events that look identical on a price chart, and confusing them is how traders lose money on coins that were never actually broken. Summary A depeg happens when a stablecoin’s market price moves meaningfully away from its target, almost always one dollar, and does not quickly return. Drift of a fraction of a cent is normal and not a depeg. The distinction that matters is between a liquidity depeg, where the exchange price falls but redemption at the issuer still works, and a reserve depeg, where the backing…
Cantor and Securitize have formed a partnership to bring blockchain infrastructure directly into initial public offerings and follow-on stock sales, creating a pathway for companies to raise capital and issue securities onchain. Summary Cantor and Securitize will combine capital markets expertise with regulated infrastructure for blockchain-based public offerings. The partnership targets IPOs and follow-on offerings while keeping issuers within existing capital market frameworks. Securitize previously tokenized its own NYSE shares, providing an early model for issuer-sponsored digital securities. Under the agreement announced on July 15, Cantor will provide its equity capital markets and trading capabilities. Securitize will handle the infrastructure…
Veteran trader Peter Brandt has identified a possible bottoming structure on Bitcoin’s chart after the cryptocurrency rebounded from its late-June lows. Brandt stressed that traders still lack enough evidence to confirm the setup. Summary Peter Brandt sees a possible Bitcoin bottom pattern but stresses that confirmation remains far away. Bitcoin rebounded from below $58,000, but the recovery remains stalled around the $65,000 resistance zone. Recent ETF flows and macro relief support Bitcoin, while weak spot demand keeps analysts cautious. Bitcoin traded near $64,000 on July 16 after failing to hold above $65,000. It has recovered from below $58,000, but questions…
A California pair has been indicted on allegations of running a darknet drug operation that prosecutors say generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency proceeds from fentanyl and methamphetamine sales. Summary California prosecutors have charged two people with running a darknet drug operation that allegedly laundered crypto proceeds from fentanyl and methamphetamine sales. Authorities said the suspects shipped more than 500 drug parcels and operated an illegal ghost gun manufacturing setup. The case adds to a series of U.S. actions targeting cryptocurrency linked to drug trafficking and money laundering. According to a Wednesday statement from the U.S. Department of…
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust has secured a major regulatory win after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved a fourfold increase in the ETF’s options position limit from 250,000 to 1 million contracts. Summary SEC has approved raising IBIT options limits from 250,000 to 1 million contracts. NYSE Arca says the higher cap matches strong trading demand and improves liquidity. The approval comes after BlackRock reported 31% year-over-year revenue growth in Q2. According to a notice published by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a rule change submitted by NYSE Arca has become effective immediately, allowing the exchange to raise…
Base creator Jesse Pollak has acknowledged that the network’s multi-year bet on onchain social products did not deliver the expected growth and has redirected Base toward trading, payments, and AI-powered financial infrastructure. Summary Jesse Pollak admitted Base’s onchain social strategy failed to drive expected crypto adoption. Base will prioritize trading, stablecoin payments, and AI agent infrastructure through 2026. JPMorgan warned growing USDC revenue sharing could pressure Coinbase and Circle profits. Base returns to infrastructure after social experiment falls short According to a post published by Jesse Pollak on Wednesday, the first quarter of 2026 became a turning point after Base…
Senate Democrats have intensified scrutiny of Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche during his confirmation hearing, accusing him of weakening crypto enforcement while President Donald Trump’s digital asset businesses have expanded. Summary Dick Durbin accused Todd Blanche of dismantling DOJ crypto enforcement to benefit Trump’s crypto businesses. Senate Democrats linked Blanche’s nomination to demands for stricter ethics rules in crypto legislation. Blanche defended the DOJ’s new approach while saying he would review the Binance pardon process if confirmed. According to proceedings from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Senator Dick Durbin used his opening remarks to argue that Blanche…
A new academic study has found that Polymarket’s five-minute Bitcoin prediction contracts have created incentives for sophisticated traders to manipulate spot prices and profit at the expense of ordinary participants. Summary Stanford researchers link Polymarket’s five-minute Bitcoin markets to settlement-price manipulation. The study estimates about $1.28 million shifted from retail traders to sophisticated participants. Researchers say longer settlement windows and improved pricing methods could reduce manipulation risk. According to researchers from Stanford University and Singapore Management University, the structure of Polymarket’s short-duration Bitcoin markets encourages traders to influence the cryptocurrency’s spot price shortly before contracts settle. Their paper concluded that…