Happy August, fam!
It’s a new month, and whether you’re here for the tech, the tokens, or the tea, this week’s roundup has a little bit of everything.
We’re talking SEC reforms, global tax shifts, major lawsuits, and bold moves from countries betting big on blockchain. Hit that subscribe button so you never miss an important update!
SEC Approves In-Kind Transactions for Bitcoin and Ether ETPs, Signalling Regulatory Shift
The U.S. SEC has approved in-kind creation and redemption for bitcoin and ether exchange-traded products (ETPs), allowing authorized participants to transact in crypto assets directly rather than through cash only. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins described the move as part of a broader effort to build a tailored regulatory framework for the crypto industry.
Alongside the in-kind approval, the SEC also greenlit several supportive measures: exchanges may now list a mixed bitcoin and ether ETP, introduce options and FLEX options on specific bitcoin ETPs, and increase position limits on bitcoin ETP options to 250,000 contracts. These changes aim to improve efficiency, cut costs, and provide greater flexibility for issuers and investors.
Other News Making Waves
- Tron has filed SEC registration for a continuous securities offering under Rule 415, enabling flexible capital raises to support its crypto pivot. (More)
- The SEC has delayed its decision on the Truth Social Bitcoin ETF until at least September 18, citing the need for further review amid growing political scrutiny. (More)
- CoinDCX CEO Sumit Gupta has denied rumours of a near-$1B acquisition by Coinbase, reaffirming the company’s independence amid recovery efforts following a recent $44.2 million security breach. (More)
- Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko sparked backlash after calling memecoins and NFTs “digital slop”, criticizing their speculative nature despite their role in driving Solana’s record-high dApp revenue. (More)
- Ray Dalio, billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, has endorsed a 15% portfolio allocation to Bitcoin or gold as a hedge against U.S. debt concerns, while expressing doubts about Bitcoin’s viability as a reserve asset. (More)
- A CoinDCX employee in India has been arrested following a $44 million crypto heist linked to compromised login credentials, with investigators suspecting a social engineering attack enabled through malware on his work laptop. (More)
- Peter Schiff warns that stablecoins could disrupt U.S. Treasury markets by diverting capital from money markets and driving up borrowing costs, countering claims that they improve financial liquidity and efficiency. (More)
- The Ether Machine marked Ethereum’s 10th anniversary by buying $57 million worth of ETH to expand its institutional-grade treasury, while also donating $100,000 to Ethereum core developers through the Protocol Guild. (More)
- The Trump administration has reaffirmed plans to build a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, calling Bitcoin “in a class of its own” and confirming long-term accumulation without disclosing current holdings. (More)
- Rowland Marcus Andrade, creator of AML Bitcoin, was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding investors out of millions and laundering funds from a fraudulent ICO. The court also ordered asset forfeiture and restitution. (More)
Around the World: Bold Moves and Crypto Regulations
- Hong Kong’s Monetary Authority (HKMA) has launched its stablecoin regulatory framework, effective August 1, with strict licensing rules, a public registry, and criminal penalties for unauthorized offerings to retail investors. (More)
- U.S. federal prosecutors are seeking to forfeit over $2.4 million in Bitcoin linked to the Chaos ransomware group, after the Dallas FBI seized funds allegedly used for money laundering and cyber extortion. (More)
- Chinese authorities have convicted eight Kuaishou employees for embezzling $20M and laundering it through Bitcoin, exposing a major crypto-related corporate fraud despite China’s ongoing crypto ban. (More)
- South Korea is set to roll out official crypto lending guidelines in August, targeting risky high-leverage practices by exchanges, with a new task force developing rules on transparency, leverage limits, and investor protection. (More)
- The Philippine government has launched a blockchain-powered notarization system on Polygon to combat document forgery and boost fiscal transparency, despite the rollout coinciding with a temporary network outage. (More)
- Bolivia has signed an agreement with El Salvador to advance crypto adoption, formally recognizing cryptocurrency as a viable alternative to traditional money and aiming to modernize its financial system through shared regulatory insights. (More)
- Indonesia will raise crypto taxes starting August 1, increasing rates for overseas trades and crypto mining while removing VAT on buyers, as part of a broader effort to regulate its fast-growing digital asset market. (More)
- South Korea’s central bank has launched a dedicated cryptoassets department to enhance oversight, policy coordination, and regulatory readiness ahead of planned stablecoin regulations and broader digital asset reforms. (More)
Market Trends: Winners and Losers
Top 5 Gainers 📈
According to data from CoinGecko, these are the five biggest gainers of the week:
- Uranus +292.2%, from $0.139950 to $0.548760
- TROLL +227.3%, from $0.01705786 to $0.055829
- League of Kingdoms +158.7%, from $0.118416 to $0.306283
- EverValue +87.93%, from $2.90 to $5.45
- AS Roma Fan Token +67.42%, from $3.10 to $5.19
Top 5 Losers 📉
According to data from CoinGecko, the five biggest losers of the week are:
- Radix –50.06%, from $0.00793087 to $0.00396043
- Tokenize Xchange –44.73%, from $9.01 to $4.98
- Graphite Protocol –41.32%, from $6.63 to $3.89
- Concordium –40.69%, from $0.00928441 to $0.00550753
- Aspecta –28.69%, from $0.199998 to $0.142618
Project Spotlight
Octane and Avalanche Partner to Embed Real-Time Security in Web3 Development
Octane has teamed up with Avalanche to launch an AI-powered integration that embeds real-time vulnerability detection directly into the Web3 development process. Tailored specifically for Avalanche’s ecosystem, the tool scans code as it’s written, reducing audit costs, accelerating deployment, and eliminating late-stage security surprises. By integrating seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, the system has already secured over $261M in TVL and flagged critical issues missed by manual audits.
Why It Matters:
This partnership redefines smart contract security by shifting protection to the start of development, enabling faster, safer Web3 innovation on Avalanche.
Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein should be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading or investing in cryptocurrencies carries a considerable risk of financial loss. Always conduct due diligence.
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