Author: John Smith

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned two Iranian maritime insurance companies on July 29, alleging that they supported an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked system for collecting revenue from vessels using the Strait of Hormuz. Summary Two Iranian maritime insurers were sanctioned after Treasury alleged HormuzSafe accepted Bitcoin to evade restrictions. Eight shipping companies and eight vessels were also targeted over alleged Iranian petroleum transport activities. OFAC published no Bitcoin addresses, transaction hashes or payment totals supporting its public designation announcement. The Office of Foreign Assets Control added HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority and Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company to its Specially Designated Nationals…

A Moscow court has moved BitRiver founder Igor Runets from house arrest to pretrial detention as investigators examine an alleged fraud involving nearly ₽1 billion. Summary Two months of pretrial detention replace Igor Runets’s house arrest in Moscow’s expanding fraud investigation. Nearly ₽1 billion in alleged losses involve prepaid mining equipment that investigators say never arrived. BitRiver’s parent faces bankruptcy proceedings tied directly to the disputed En+ mining equipment contract case. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court approved the change on July 22 and ordered Runets to remain in custody for two months. The new charge became public on July 29 through…

Every chain announcement leads with a transaction number. On a network charging $0.0002, 1 million transactions represents $200 of economic activity and a weekend of testing. The metric that headlines every milestone is the one that survives the least scrutiny, and the analytics platforms already know it. Summary Transaction counts are the most-cited blockchain metric and among the least informative, because a count measures events, not value, and says nothing about what those events were worth. On networks with fees measured in fractions of a cent, the cost of generating enormous counts is trivial, so testing, scripts, and incentive farming…

Prediction market guides explain how contracts resolve and pay. Almost none explain what happens when a market never gets that far, because it was voided, suspended by a court, renamed mid-life, or pulled by the exchange. The answers live in rulebooks and incident history, and they differ enough to matter. Summary A prediction market can end without a normal resolution in at least four ways: the exchange voids it, a regulator or court forces suspension, the contract’s terms are altered mid-life, or the venue withdraws a self-certified product under pressure. Voiding is the cleanest outcome and generally means positions are…

A federal judge has rejected the CFTC’s request to stop Wisconsin from enforcing state gambling laws against federally regulated prediction market platforms. Summary Judge William Griesbach denied the CFTC’s request for a preliminary injunction against Wisconsin. The court found sports event contracts may fall within Wisconsin’s commercial gambling laws. Wisconsin is pursuing cases against Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Coinbase. The CFTC plans to appeal the ruling and continue defending its claimed jurisdiction. Wisconsin court rejects CFTC injunction Judge William Griesbach of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin denied the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s attempt to…

Freehand has raised $75 million to expand AI agents that handle invoices, supplier negotiations, payments, and other supply-chain tasks for large companies. Summary Battery Ventures and NewRoad Capital Partners co-led the $75 million funding round. Freehand says its agents are deployed at Meta, Unilever, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. Customers recovered 5% to 10% of spending in some categories, according to company data. The startup will expand beyond invoice management into broader supply-chain operations. Freehand secures $75 million from US investors Battery Ventures and NewRoad Capital Partners co-led the round, with Nexus Venture Partners and PSP Growth also participating. Former…

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. Expanding crypto tax reporting rules are pushing investors to maintain accurate transaction records across exchanges, wallets, staking, and DeFi. Summary Crypto tax reporting now extends beyond exchange exports as DeFi, staking, and wallet transfers complicate recordkeeping. Expanding IRS crypto reporting rules make accurate wallet-level transaction records more important for tax compliance. DeFi, staking, and self-custody are reshaping crypto tax reporting as investors face stricter IRS recordkeeping requirements. For a long time, many crypto investors treated tax preparation as a…

Polymarket traders cut the CLARITY Act’s chances of becoming law in 2026 to a record-low 27% after the Senate postponed action on the crypto market structure bill. Summary CLARITY Act passage odds fell to 27%, their lowest level since the Polymarket market opened. Senate leaders prioritized Russia sanctions and federal nominations before the scheduled Aug. 8 recess. Senators Ruben Gallego and Thom Tillis are preparing a bipartisan ethics counteroffer for the White House. SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the agency could write crypto rules without Congress if negotiations fail. CLARITY Act odds fall as Senate changes priorities The Polymarket contract…

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. Amid crypto market uncertainty, Long DeFi highlights AI-driven analytics and automated strategies to help users navigate BTC and XRP market volatility. Summary Long DeFi promotes AI-powered cloud mining, highlighting automated hashrate management and daily crypto reward settlements. Long DeFi expands its AI-driven cloud mining platform with automated contracts, renewable energy, and multi-crypto support. The AI-powered cloud mining platform highlights automated mining services and renewable energy infrastructure for investors. Amidst the impact of inflation, major cryptocurrencies like BTC and XRP…

Bitcoin price recovered 2.8% from an intraday low of $62,850 to around $64,650 on July 29 as traders positioned for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. Summary Bitcoin rebounded 2.8% after buyers defended the 200-day exponential moving average near $62,850. $65,000–$65,200 remains the immediate resistance zone, reinforced by the 4-hour Supertrend indicator. Traders have purchased $2.5 billion in Bitcoin call spreads targeting a move toward $72,000. A rejection below $65,000 could expose $62,000–$62,500 as ETF outflows weaken spot demand. Bitcoin price recovers before the Fed decision According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin (BTC) price rose from $62,850 to an intraday…