US spot Bitcoin ETFs ended August on an impressive note and appear to have continued to build momentum, recording $731 million in net inflows on September 3rd, their strongest single-day performance since January.

Now, a pattern has sparked speculation over whether Bitcoin could see another short-term top following the latest surge in ETF demand.

ETF Buying Explodes

Analyst Ted Pillows said that on the previous two occasions when Bitcoin ETFs recorded daily inflows above $700 million, first in October 2025 and then in January 2026, BTC went on to form a local peak shortly afterward.

Despite a minor hiccup on September 1st, which saw outflows of over $236 million, US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs have bounced back strongly. Total net assets reached $103.34 billion, representing just over 6% of Bitcoin’s market capitalization. Cumulative net inflows since the ETFs launched in January 2024 stood at $55.44 billion.

Data shared by SoSoValue revealed that BlackRock’s IBIT led the gains with around $454 million. Next up was Ark and 21Shares’ ARKB at $137.7 million, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC at $74.4 million. Grayscale’s two products attracted a total of $57 million in capital.

On the other hand, VanEck’s HODL and WisdomTree’s BTCW were the only funds to have posted outflows of $20 million and $5 million, respectively.

Over the past month, Bitcoin saw around 105,000 BTC equivalent in net capital inflows, and the US spot Bitcoin ETFs accounted for approximately 42,800 of that total. According to Axel Adler Jr., the fund inflows accounted for about 41% of the overall capital entering the market during the period.

Bear Market Debate Continues

Alongside these inflows, Bitcoin surged by over 4% to trade near $81,130. Open interest on Binance and Bybit reached levels not seen since May 5, which suggested that derivatives activity is rebuilding alongside the latest price advance. These developments have prompted some experts to believe that the crypto bear market may be coming to an end.

However, Fidelity believes that the recent recovery does not yet prove the bear market is over. The firm noted that BTC’s historical four-year cycle could leave room for another market low around November 2026, although the pattern is not guaranteed.

The latest technical setup, however, looks more bullish. Bitcoin moved back above the weekly EMA ribbon after recently falling below it, a level that previously signaled the start of a sell-off. Dami-Defi explained that the EMA ribbon currently sits between about $71,000 and $78,000. The reclaim is seen as a positive shift, but the crypto asset still needs to hold above the ribbon on weekly closes. If it does, the next major resistance level to watch is around $95,000-$96,000. A drop below the ribbon, however, could invalidate the recovery.

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Bitcoin, once again, climbed above $80,000 after surging by 4.3% on Friday. The recent strength comes as a welcome change, as the crypto market spent much of the third quarter under pressure before a sharp rally in late August changed the tone. BTC, for one, recorded its strongest monthly gain since November 2024, which led some investors to believe the bear market may have ended.

But according to Fidelity, there is no guarantee that’s the case yet.

Possible November Bottom?

One factor in focus is Bitcoin’s historical four-year market cycle. The crypto asset has generally formed major bear-market bottoms and bull-market tops about four years apart. Since the previous bear market bottom came in November 2022, this pattern could point to another potential low around November 2026 if the cycle continues.

While Fidelity stressed that the four-year cycle is not guaranteed to repeat and that Bitcoin’s bottom may already have occurred in July, it still speculated that the cryptocurrency could fall again and set another low in November or later.

There are several catalysts that could also influence whether the crypto bear market ends. The financial giant pointed to more crypto-friendly regulation, changes in government monetary policy, the emergence of an unexpectedly popular crypto use case, and increasing institutional adoption. Price volatility is another factor the firm is watching.

Bitcoin’s previous bear markets have historically ended with a period of relatively low volatility followed by higher volatility and an upward expansion in price. Fidelity said the market experienced relatively low volatility from June through mid-August, which indicated that sellers may have become exhausted.

During that period, its analysis showed BTC and other crypto assets were trading toward the lower, or “value,” end of their historical price ranges. In late August, volatility increased sharply, with Bitcoin rising more than 25% during the third week of the month. Ethereum gained around 34% over the same period, while Solana rose 28%. Fidelity said this price behavior does not confirm that the bear market is over, but it is consistent with one possible historical pattern.

Meanwhile, events that might normally have pushed prices lower, including the Coldcard hardware wallet security exploit and the stalling of the CLARITY Act, did not result in further declines. This could support the narrative that cryptocurrencies are near a market bottom and may now be waiting for a new positive catalyst.

Crypto adoption continued to expand despite weak market sentiment. Bitwise Investments reported in early July that stablecoin transaction volume had reached 2.3 times Visa’s volume. MetaMask also reported in July that the real-world asset market had grown faster in 2026 than in any previous year.

Fidelity said this created a disconnect between adoption and prices, as activity in parts of the crypto industry kept increasing while the overall market remained in a bear market. The recent recovery could indicate that adoption and price have started to “recouple” again. An exact pattern occurred during the 2021-2022 bear market and the subsequent new bull market that began in late 2022.

CLARITY in Focus

Regulation remains another key factor for the market. The industry is still awaiting further action on the CLARITY Act, which aims to create a broader US regulatory framework for digital assets and clarify the responsibilities of federal regulators. The bill has passed the House but remains under consideration in the Senate, which leaves its timing and outcome uncertain.

The SEC also proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, which would address when certain early-stage crypto asset offerings could qualify for exemptions from securities registration requirements. The proposal is still subject to public comment and is not final, but Fidelity described it as an important step toward a more “tailored regulatory approach.”

The post Bitcoin Is Back Above $80,000, But Fidelity Says the Bear Market May Not Be Over Yet appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Remixpoint made ¥117.8 million ($746,800) from selling its altcoin holdings, and the gain is slated for recognition as business-segment revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2027.

The company said its decision to dispose of all its altcoins and become a Bitcoin-only treasury was based on market conditions, the assets’ risk-return profiles, and its financial strategy.

Dogecoin Sale Ends in Loss

According to the official document shared by Remixpoint, Ethereum generated the largest profit at ¥60.2 million ($381,000), followed by Solana at ¥49.3 million ($312,000) and XRP at ¥11.5 million ($72,900). Dogecoin was the only outlier as the meme coin produced a ¥3.3 million ($21,000) loss.

Remixpoint still holds roughly 1,506 BTC, worth more than $115 million. Its Bitcoin strategy has also produced additional income through lending. The company reportedly earned 14.92 BTC in fees between February 24 and August 31. Those fees were valued at ¥164.2 million ($1 million) using the relevant month-end exchange rates.

The funds generated from this sale are being considered to expand assets in growth areas, including grid-scale battery storage, strengthen its financial foundation, and pursue other measures that contribute to increasing corporate value and shareholder value.

The Japanese energy consulting firm secured around ¥31.5 billion in financing back in July 2025, the proceeds of which were earmarked entirely for BTC purchases. Remixpoint had set an initial target of reaching 3,000 BTC.

During the same period, Remixpoint had also announced that its President and CEO would receive his full executive compensation in Bitcoin. The move made it the first listed company in Japan to adopt BTC-only compensation for its top executive. The company linked the decision to its goal of “shareholder-oriented management.” By paying the CEO in Bitcoin, Remixpoint said management would share economic risks and rewards with shareholders.

Fresh Pressure

Bitcoin has struggled to break above $79,000 over the past few days. The crypto asset briefly fell to around $76,500 earlier this week, its lowest level since August 23. It has since recovered and was trading near $77,700 on Thursday. Ethereum also faced pressure, falling 3.5% over the past week to around $2,400.

Meanwhile, Solana recovered slightly and was trading just above $100. Dogecoin also saw a small rebound. The meme coin gained 1.13% over the past 24 hours, which pushed its price to $0.083.

The post Remixpoint Cuts ETH, XRP Exposure After Market Review, Keeps 1,506 BTC in Treasury appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Multicoin Capital has sold another 10% of its HYPE holdings, according to blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence. Still, HYPE remains its largest holding, currently worth around $90.5 million.

The investment firm had accumulated the tokens between February and March this year and has held the position for more than six months.

Slashing HYPE

Arkham stated that Multicoin held 4 million HYPE at its peak and now owns just over 25% of that amount. Earlier this week, the firm moved a large amount of the token to Coinbase Prime. On-chain data showed three separate transfers totaling 261,555 HYPE, worth about $21.7 million. The batches contained 63,235, 101,144, and 97,176 units. The transfers drew attention because they came as the crypto asset traded near its recent highs.

In June, Multicoin said it projected that HYPE could hit $319. The target came from valuing $8 billion in expected 2028 earnings at 20 times, which results in a $160 billion valuation based on an adjusted supply of about 502 million HYPE tokens. Its base case assumes crypto derivatives volume grows 35% annually, DEXs reach 32% of the derivatives market, Hyperliquid captures a 30% share, and USDC balances rise with volume.

On the other hand, its bear case puts HYPE at $109, while its bull case reaches $689 on $17.3 billion in projected cash flow. In the same report, Multicoin also compared Hyperliquid’s growth path with Binance’s rapid rise in 2017.

HYPE has been one of the best-performing assets this year. It has been on an absolute tear. The asset has gained 50% over the past month alone and recently established an all-time high of $86.71. It has since suffered a minor pullback, but continues to hover above $82.

Hyperliquid was also discussed during Donald Trump’s meeting with major crypto executives at the White House last month. Trump said CFTC Chair Michael Selig is working to bring the perpetuals-focused trading platform into the US. He said the goal is to make Hyperliquid operate in a “fully compliant and legal fashion.” The meeting also covered Bitcoin, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, and efforts to expand crypto activity in the US.

Due for a Drop?

While the broader outlook remains bullish, one trader is betting on a drop. Pseudonymous market watcher “swarmik” shared a bearish view on the token. The trader said it could fall 17.2% based on a four-hour chart setup while pointing to signs of weakness in the market structure. Heavy selling liquidity could push the price lower.

However, a potential correction could create an opportunity for a short position, with three downside targets being $76.77, $72.68, and $68.49. The trade would carry a risk level of 1.5R, according to the analysis.

The post Multicoin Sells Another 10% of HYPE Stack as Holdings Fall From 4 Million Tokens appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin has gained almost 23% over the past month, but a few choppy sessions briefly dragged the asset below $76,500. BTC has since stabilized above $77,700 following a minor 1.4% surge on Thursday.

The latest uptick came mainly from short covering rather than a fresh increase in leverage, according to QCP Capital, as markets continued to face a firm Federal Reserve stance.

Fragile Positioning?

Kevin Warsh reinforced the Fed’s focus on maintaining a 2% PCE inflation target, while headline PCE remains at 3.7%. This leaves little visible support for near-term rate cuts. Treasury long-end buybacks were doubled to $4 billion quarterly, but QCP said the amount represents only 0.013% of the $31.5 trillion Treasury market, which points to liquidity support rather than a policy pivot.

Heavy long-dated investment-grade issuance is also adding pressure, as technology companies account for 38% of 10-year-plus supply. Additionally, ETF inflows near the 95th percentile indicate genuine spot demand, although MSTR’s Bitcoin accumulation was funded through equity issuance.

“With policy guidance scarce and liquidity narrow, is this conviction or fragile positioning?”

Meanwhile, analyst NoName said that Bitcoin’s next major move could depend on whether it can close above $83,000. The analyst is also watching a CME futures gap above the current price and sees it as an important level separating a genuine reversal from another relief rally. A daily close above the level, supported by strong spot volume, would be needed to confirm a new uptrend.

Without that confirmation, NoName said that the recent bounce was a retest of previous supply. They warned that a rejection at $83,000 followed by a break below $74,000 could send the crypto asset toward $50,000-$55,000.

CryptoPatel also flagged the exact level and said that Bitcoin could face further losses if it fails to reclaim it with a higher-timeframe candle close. In that scenario, the analyst expects potential declines toward $70,000, $65,000, and $60,000. If the bearish market structure remains intact, the crypto asset could eventually fall toward the $50,000-$40,000 range. However, a higher-timeframe close above the $83,000 level would invalidate the bearish setup.

Another market watcher, Rain, noted that Bitcoin is starting to lose the demand support that helped the August rally.

The Case for Further Upside

Not everyone sees further downside ahead. Doctor Profit, for one, reiterated his stance that the bear market is over. He had previously stated that BTC broke out above key resistances and entered the Soft Bull Market, which he expects to turn into a full bull market escalation.

“Many desperate investors that wish for a lower Bitcoin price, some even call for a new low, and others say the bear market isn’t over. In fact, and I say it with my full conviction, I consider the bear market as over!”

More on the current market state can be found in our latest video below.

The post Bitcoin (BTC) Rally Driven by Short Covering, Not Fresh Leverage: QCP appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The Smarter Web Company has bought an additional 35 BTC as part of its “The 10 Year Plan,” which includes an ongoing policy of acquiring Bitcoins for its treasury.

The company spent around £2 million (which is worth approximately $2.7 million) on the latest purchase.

With this, The Smarter Web Company’s total BTC stash has increased to 2,747 units. Its net average purchase price is £82,562 per Bitcoin. The UK-based platform, which specializes in web design, development, and online marketing services, has made gross BTC purchases worth £235.5 million and gross sales worth £8.7 million.

The firm also disclosed that its total drawings under its Coinbase Strategic Credit Facility have reached £20.5 million, equal to an approximate leverage ratio of 14.8%. The facility remains secured against the company’s existing Bitcoin holdings, has a variable interest rate of 6%, and can be repaid without additional charges at the company’s discretion.

It began accumulating Bitcoin on April 28, 2025, with an initial purchase of 2.3 BTC worth $215,695 at the time. During this period, a growing number of companies turned to the crypto asset as part of their treasury strategies.

The development comes amidst Bitcoin’s recovery from its recent downturn. The asset briefly climbed above $80,000 in late August before pulling back a little below $77,000 at the time of writing. The price movement comes into focus as major treasury holders reassess their positions. For instance, Strategy recently bought 4,603 BTC for $370 million after selling 6,916 earlier in the summer.

The post 35 More Bitcoin: Smarter Web Expands Its Growing BTC Treasury appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Tether is facing a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York over the freeze of $42.4 million in USDT belonging to two Thai businessmen, Nutthawat Rukthammachalern and Natthawat Kasamvilas.

The plaintiffs allege that Tether blacklisted their Ethereum addresses in late October 2025 after receiving an informal request from an agent with the US Department of Homeland Security (HSI). A total of 42.4 million USDT was frozen. According to the businessmen, the stablecoin issuer took the action without a warrant, court order, or notice to them.

Funds Linked to Pig-Butchering Investigation

According to an update from Attorney Ariel Givner, the funds appear to be connected to an HSI Raleigh investigation into a pig-butchering case. The investigation began after a victim tip involving romance and investment fraud, a fake trading platform, and the movement of stolen USDT through multiple wallets in an effort to make the funds appear clean.

One of the wallets linked to the plaintiffs held about $26.1 million and had already been identified as a consolidation address in an “accumulate, layer, integrate” flow.

A warrant came later. On February 19, 2026, the Eastern District of North Carolina issued warrant 5:26-MJ-1267-JG, directing Tether to burn the frozen USDT and remint the tokens to a government wallet. Five days later, EDNC and HSI announced a $61 million USDT seizure traced to addresses allegedly associated with laundering proceeds stolen from pig-butchering victims. Tether was publicly thanked for carrying out the transfer.

The lawsuit, however, does not dispute the government’s claim that the funds are connected to scam proceeds. Instead, the plaintiffs have challenged Tether’s authority to freeze, burn, and reissue USDT that they say was purchased on the secondary market. The duo argued,

“Defendants are profiting directly from the freeze itself. Defendants use the actual U.S. dollars they receive when they mint USDT to purchase interest-bearing financial instruments, predominantly United States Treasury securities custodied in New York.”

Their claims include declaratory judgment, conversion, trespass to chattels, unjust enrichment, and injunctive relief. The duo is seeking to lift the freeze, damages if the tokens are destroyed, repayment of reserve interest earned during the freeze, and punitive damages.

Tether Defends Law Enforcement Role

The stablecoin issuer has defended the freeze. In a statement to CryptoPotato, the stablecoin issuer said,

“The new lawsuit against Tether is a baseless attempt to interfere with Tether’s important work with global law enforcement, including the Department of Justice, to prevent the unlawful use of USDT.”

The post Two Thai Businessmen Sue Tether Over $42.4M USDT Freeze as Issuer Calls Case ‘Baseless’ appeared first on CryptoPotato.

OpenPayd has announced expanded its regulatory presence in the United States after completing the integration of MSB USA Inc. into its group.

The latest move brings 43 state money transmitter licences (MTLs) under its umbrella.

US Expansion

In an official press release shared by CryptoPotato, the London-based financial infrastructure provider said the move strengthens its position in the US market and creates a broader regulatory base for its operations across North America. MSB is a US-based, state-licensed money services business, and the integration was finalised after receiving the required regulatory approvals.

In a statement, OpenPayd Founder, Dr. Ozan Ozerk, said,

“Every era of finance has been defined by its infrastructure: correspondent banking wired together the twentieth-century economy; programmable money will power the twenty-first. The U.S. is at the forefront of this evolution, and with regulated foundations now spanning the U.S., U.K. and Europe – across both fiat and digital assets – OpenPayd has something few providers can claim: regulated infrastructure spanning both fiat and digital assets, on both sides of the Atlantic.”

The network of 43 state licences will increase its geographic reach for global clients that already operate in the US or are planning to enter the market, OpenPayd added. The expansion comes after the platform’s recent authorisation under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework by the Malta Financial Services Authority.

Stats disclosed by OpenPayd continued to show organic growth across its business. As of July 31, 2026, its annual recurring revenue (ARR) climbed above $96 million, while annualised transaction volume surpassed $300 billion. The company said it remains profitable and has not taken external capital. It currently serves more than 1,200 clients globally, including crypto and financial companies such as Kraken, eToro, OKX and B2C2.

Nasdaq Plans

OpenPayd is also preparing to enter the US public markets through a previously announced business combination with Titan Acquisition Corp. In June 2026, the two companies announced a definitive agreement under which the company is expected to become a publicly listed company on Nasdaq under the ticker “OP.”

The transaction values OpenPayd at an equity value of up to $1.145 billion on a pro forma basis. The combination is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from Titan’s shareholders.

The post OpenPayd Makes Major US Push After Securing 43 State Money Transmitter Licences appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Artificial intelligence could usher in a new wave of concern over financial privacy, according to a Grayscale research report. The firm’s Head of Research, Zach Pandl, expects AI to create new privacy threats and drive demand for new solutions.

He sees Zcash as one potential option.

Zcash For Blockchain Privacy

Public attention to financial privacy has historically increased alongside major technological changes. The first wave came in the 1970s, when computers enabled the digitization and automation of financial record-keeping. A second wave followed in the 1990s with the expansion of the Internet and growing concerns over online privacy.

Grayscale believes a third wave has now begun as AI becomes more widely used. Pandl said AI tools are likely to create new privacy challenges across the economy, and the issue is particularly pressing for public blockchains that are transparent by default.

For instance, on the Bitcoin network, every transaction is recorded on a public ledger and can be viewed by anyone. When blockchain activity is linked with off-chain information, user addresses could potentially be de-anonymized, a risk also noted in the Bitcoin white paper.

While that risk existed before AI, Grayscale said advances in the technology could make blockchain address labeling more effective and widely available, increasing the need for privacy protection. Unlike Bitcoin, Zcash offers additional privacy features through shielded transactions, which use zero-knowledge cryptography to conceal both the addresses involved in a transaction and the amount being transferred. Grayscale said this privacy feature could become a “must-have” for users who prioritize financial privacy.

Grayscale had made a similar point earlier, while noting that ZEC had surged about 20 times in the past year but was still worth less than 1% of Bitcoin’s market cap. The firm said Zcash’s privacy features and other advantages may not be fully reflected in its current valuation, which leaves room for further gains.

The comments come days after Grayscale converted its Zcash Trust, launched in 2017, into a spot ZEC ETF. The fund began trading on the NYSE Arca on August 25.

$1,800 Target

ZEC has posted a strong performance. The privacy-focused crypto asset gained nearly 80% over the past month alone. Following the sharp rally, ZEC is trading around $850, but crypto analyst Ali Martinez is betting on further upside.

He said that “Zcash is about to melt faces,” while identifying $1,800 as the “first stop.”

The post Zcash May Have a Bigger Role to Play as AI Threatens Financial Privacy: Grayscale appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Prediction-market exchange Kalshi has permanently banned former US Rep. George Santos from accessing the platform after its Compliance Department found “reasonable cause to believe” that he engaged in insider trading and market manipulation.

The lifetime ban, effective August 28, 2026, is the first permanent penalty of its kind imposed by Kalshi on a user.

Penalty and Lifetime Ban

According to the official compliance document, Santos traded in markets linked to whether he would attend the State of the Union address on February 24, despite being prohibited from trading in those markets because he was capable of influencing the outcome of the underlying event. Kalshi said Santos placed a series of large trades between February 2 and February 25 in contracts whose results depended on his own attendance.

The platform said Santos materially benefited from the activity and earned $17,839.57 from the targeted markets. Alongside the permanent suspension of direct and indirect access to the exchange, the Compliance Department has also imposed a $71,356 penalty.

In response to the development, Santos took to X to attack Kalshi and accused the latter of violating its own notices and deadlines. He said that the August 7 notice allegedly gave his side 30 days before the latest action, as he questioned why the exchange had announced “frivolous nonsense” before that period was over.

“Leaking and attention seeking seem to be the M/O of this organization. Pathetic!”

The action comes after a settlement Santos reached last month with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which has said it has jurisdiction over prediction markets. He agreed to pay $35,000 under the settlement but did not admit or deny the agency’s findings. His counsel, Joseph W. Murray, said Santos cooperated with the CFTC.

The former congressman was expelled from the House of Representatives in 2023 after facing federal charges. In April 2025, he was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft. In October of that year, Trump announced that he had commuted the sentence, and Santos was released after serving less than three months.

Kalshi had previously suspended three US political candidates after finding they bet on election outcomes they were directly involved in, while calling the activity “political insider trading.”

More Heat on Prediction Markets

Prediction-market platforms face growing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. Last month, Baltimore officials sued Kalshi and Polymarket, alleging that their sports prediction contracts amount to unlicensed sports betting and can mislead consumers about their legal and regulatory status.

Meanwhile, Kalshi is also fighting a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James. The exchange has separately faced a lawsuit from FlightAware over flight-related markets, although that case was withdrawn shortly after being filed.

The post Former US Rep. George Santos Banned From Kalshi for Life After Betting on Himself appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Solana was trading near $102 on Tuesday, down more than 7% from its recent seven-month high of nearly $110. The recent price weakness has not stopped signs of stronger demand from building across the network.

According to Ali Martinez, Solana recorded an average of 9.5 million new addresses per day over the past week, a level of growth the analyst considers an important adoption signal and one that has historically preceded major rallies.

Bullish Factors

Larger investors are also becoming more active. Wallets holding at least 10,000 SOL rose 1.58% after adding 52 new whale wallets to the network. At the same time, US spot Solana ETFs extended their streak of weekly net inflows to nine weeks. These funds attracted almost $154 million in capital last week. Interestingly, Bitwise’s Solana Staking ETF, BSOL, recently surpassed $1 billion in assets under management within 10 months.

Meanwhile, exchange balances are moving in the opposite direction, as seen with SOL held on exchanges dropping 4.91% after the withdrawal of roughly 2.6 million tokens over the past week. Martinez stated that $103 is an important support level, since it’s backed by 39 million SOL acquired there. The next hurdles are $123 and $132, each tied to about 20 million SOL in previous purchases.

Holding support and breaking those two levels could set up a move toward $150.

A similar sentiment was echoed by crypto investor Batman, who said that Solana may be entering a stronger bullish phase after breaking out of a major accumulation structure. But he expects SOL to retest the $83-$85 zone and believes a successful hold there could eventually push the asset toward $150 or higher.

Another market watcher, Gerla, believes the asset could be preparing for a much larger move after breaking its downtrend. He flagged the formation of higher lows, which suggests that the market may be entering a reaccumulation phase. If the structure remains intact, Gerla said that Solana could target $300 or higher as the next major expansion zone.

Other Key Developments

Solana saw several major developments this week. This includes the conclusion of its first binding on-chain governance vote, which was followed by a 25% increase in network speed, taking slot times from 400ms to 300ms. Separately, Charles Schwab announced plans to add SOL to Schwab Crypto Direct.

Additionally, Solana’s RWA holder base also crossed 350,000, while xStocksFi topped $500 million in AUM across more than 700 tokenized assets. Tokenized commodities on the network also reached a record $50 million in supply, and Solana became the leading network by total x402 transaction volume.

The post Solana’s 7% Pullback Isn’t Slowing Demand: Here’s the $150 Setup appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin rose 25% in August, its strongest monthly gain since November 2024. The asset briefly crossed $80,000 last week but has since settled near $78,000. The rally, nonetheless, has renewed interest among retail players in one of crypto’s key markets.

In fact, new data suggests that South Korean investors are staging a comeback.

Korean Risk Appetite

Data shared by CryptoQuant revealed that the Korea Premium recently flipped positive after recording its longest period of negative readings. The analytics platform added that this shift from negative to positive territory “has typically been followed by a positive trend.”

The gap between BTC prices on Korean exchanges and global markets is known as the “kimchi premium” and is widely viewed as an important indicator to gauge retail investor sentiment across Asia and local market demand.

Rachael Lucas, an analyst at BTC Markets, stated,

“Korean retail tends to buy aggressively in risk-on phases and capital controls mean that buying shows up as a price gap rather than arbitrage flow. Historically, discount-to-premium crossings have preceded stronger bitcoin returns over the following weeks.”

Bitcoin ETF Road Ahead

But while retail demand appears to be returning, access to regulated Bitcoin investment products remains limited in the country. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju believes that the next stage of BTC’s current cycle could be driven by institutional demand and exchange-traded funds outside the US. It is important to note that South Korea still lacks a spot Bitcoin ETF, while retail investors cannot buy foreign ETFs and local companies cannot open exchange accounts to purchase BTC.

According to Young Ju, the market has so far been largely shaped by US adoption, but institutional participation could expand across the world through deeper stablecoin liquidity and real-world asset infrastructure.

A July report by CryptoPotato revealed that Japan is getting closer to allowing Bitcoin ETFs, as the country gears up for its first product, potentially launching in 2028 if planned regulatory changes move ahead. Lawmakers had approved amendments that bring crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, while the Financial Services Agency is working on changes to investment-fund rules that would allow investment trusts and ETFs to hold digital assets directly.

If approved, a spot Bitcoin ETF would give investors in Asia a simpler way to gain exposure to BTC. The development could be particularly relevant for South Korea, where Japan’s financial policy has often served as a reference point.

More on Bitcoin and a big PlanB statement can be found in our dedicated market video below:

The post Bitcoin’s Korea Premium Flips Positive After Its Longest Losing Streak appeared first on CryptoPotato.

A sharp contrast has emerged in active addresses across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, and Cardano, as the four blockchains continue to show different patterns when it comes to network usage.

Bitcoin’s count, for one, has dropped significantly compared with previous major cycles, even though its price remains far above historical levels. According to the latest observation by Alphractal founder Joao Wedson, this does not necessarily indicate weaker usage.

Very Different Usage Trends

Bitcoin investors now tend to hold for longer and move coins less frequently, while ETFs, custodians, exchanges, and the Lightning Network are being used more often. The growing role of ETFs is particularly notable, as US-based spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have recorded $3.31 billion in inflows so far in August. This shift in how investors access and hold BTC could help explain why on-chain activity is not increasing at the same pace as the asset’s price.

Rather than indicating that the crypto asset is necessarily being used less, the trend may reflect its growing role as a reserve asset, as more activity takes place through financial products and other structures instead of directly on the blockchain.

Ethereum’s network activity has once again begun to accelerate, and active addresses are now close to reaching 1 million, even with a significant share of the ecosystem operating on Layer 2 networks. Such a trend evidences that the asset remains highly relevant as financial infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Tron was found to have recorded more than 4 million active addresses, which makes it the strongest case among the four networks by this measure. According to Wedson, much of its activity appears to be driven by payments and stablecoins, particularly USDT, rather than simply speculation around TRX’s price. The network has become a major infrastructure layer for transferring digital dollars.

Is Cardano Struggling?

The same cannot be said for Cardano, which has witnessed its activity fall sharply since 2021 and remains at very low levels compared with its own history. Wedson explained that price can increase because of narratives, liquidity, and speculation, while on-chain activity offers a clearer indication of whether people are actually using a blockchain.

Cardano’s weak activity comes after years of criticism over the network’s slow development and its struggle to turn its technology into broader usage. More recently, the network has come under tremendous pressure, including a public warning from founder Charles Hoskinson about a “wave of failures” and closures of important dApps.

On the price side of things, ADA briefly reached $0.254 this month, before pulling back to $0.196 at the time of writing. Despite the recent weakness in price, market commentators remain optimistic. One such analyst, Sssebi, said that he expects the ADA to return to its previous all-time high of $3.10 during the coming bull market and believes it could push above that level.

The post Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, and Cardano Tell Four Very Different Stories Through Active Addresses appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP has seen a notable improvement in its risk-adjusted returns. The Ripple token’s Sharpe Ratio on Binance has now reached its highest level since August 2025.

The indicator is currently stabilizing at around 0.207, according to CryptoQuant, while the price hovers close to $1.40.

Risk-Reward Profile

Over the past few months, XRP’s Sharpe Ratio stayed around negative or neutral levels and fell significantly during the crypto asset’s broader price decline. The recent increase suggests that returns have improved relative to the amount of volatility investors are facing.

The sharp rise in the Sharpe Ratio also occurred alongside the recovery in XRP’s price, which is up by almost 30% over the past month. This indicates that the recent move was accompanied by stronger risk-adjusted performance rather than being only an isolated price increase, CryptoQuant explained.

However, the indicator’s move to its highest level in a year does not confirm that XRP has entered a steady uptrend. The Sharpe Ratio could reverse quickly if market volatility rises or the token undergoes a significant correction.

Zooming out, institutional demand for XRP-linked investment products was also hard to miss. Last week, US-based spot ETFs pulled in $110.49 million in five days.

CryptoPotato reported that it was the first weekly inflow above $110 million since early December 2025. All five sessions ended in positive territory, and each attracted more than $10 million. Monday saw $13.82 million come in, followed by $23.87 million on Tuesday. Wednesday led the week with $28.14 million, the funds’ strongest single-day showing since January 5.

Another $18.47 million arrived on Thursday, while Friday brought $26.2 million. The latest figures pushed total net inflows across the five ETFs to a record $1.66 billion. Bitwise remains ahead of the other issuers; its ETF now holds slightly more than $600 million in cumulative inflows.

What’s Next?

Regardless of how promising XRP’s setup may appear, a move toward $1.80 or $2 could remain out of reach until the token reclaims $1.54, according to crypto analyst ChartNerd. That level represents both a six-month resistance wall and the weekly 50 EMA. He further explained,

“Just to be clear, and to reaffirm. I am not suggesting XRP can’t push up towards $1.80/$2. I am suggesting we are under resistance, and if we do get the follow through, it will likely open up an even deeper retrace than what we would witness rejecting the weekly 50 EMA at $1.54.”

The post Ripple’s (XRP) Sharpe Ratio Just Did Something It Hasn’t Done In a Year appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Cronos halted its blockchain on Sunday after an exploit hit Tectonic, which happens to be its largest lending protocol. Experts estimated that roughly $75 million in assets were affected.

So far, no timeline has been provided for when the network will resume. The blockchain has also not said what will happen to the assets linked to the attacker after the chain is restarted.

Third Mango-Style DeFi Attack?

Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek confirmed the security breach and said that the Cronos team was investigating the incident. The Cronos app and exchange were not affected and continued operating as usual, and Marszalek asserted that all funds were safe.

On-chain tracking platform LookonChain reported that the attacker was only able to bridge $6.29 million to Ethereum. These funds were swapped for 2,592 ETH when the network was halted. As a result, the remaining $68.7 million is stuck on the Cronos Network.

Meanwhile, researcher Weilin Li said the attack was linked to Tectonic’s TONIC governance token, which has a 20% collateral factor despite having very thin liquidity. According to Li, the attacker carried out a Mango Markets-style pump-and-borrow price manipulation attack, which caused TONIC’s price to surge 100-fold within 20 minutes.

Similar price-manipulation attacks have also affected other DeFi platforms recently. For instance, Moonwell, a lending protocol on the Base network, lost over $8 million last week after an attacker manipulated the collateral price of MAMO, a small-cap token with thin liquidity. In response, Moonwell cut borrow caps for all Core Markets on Base to 1 wei, which effectively stopped new borrowing across the deployment. It also reduced supply caps for MAMO and WELL to 1 wei, while leaving other supply caps unchanged.

Another recent case involved a low-liquidity Pendle market, where price manipulation led to about $36 million in liquidations of leveraged PT-reUSD positions on Morpho.

Aftermath

Tectonic’s locked assets have dropped sharply following the exploit. According to the latest stats by DefiLlama, the lending protocol held around $121 million on August 29.

Two days later, that figure had fallen to roughly $3 million.

The post Cronos Halts Network as Tectonic Faces Mango-Style Attack: $75M in Assets Reportedly Affected appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Crypto platforms have lost more than $3.63 billion to security incidents between January 2025 and July 2026. CoinGecko documented 245 attacks during the period.

The 10 largest incidents accounted for more than 72.5% of the total amount stolen, demonstrating that a relatively small number of major breaches drove most of the losses. Infrastructure and supply-chain vulnerabilities were the biggest sources of damage across both centralized exchanges and decentralized exchanges. Combined losses exceeded $1.8 billion.

Most Attacked Platforms Had Been Audited

Security failures involving Bybit and KelpDAO were notable examples. CoinGecko also found that the main weaknesses differ depending on how platforms are built.

For centralized exchanges, compromised private keys remained the most common point of failure, while decentralized applications lost $546 million through sophisticated smart contract exploits. Both centralized and decentralized platforms, however, remain exposed to oracle and market manipulation, with errors in internal mechanisms causing major losses for platforms including Bitget, Binance and Hyperliquid.

Upon examining the role of security checks, the report found that having an independent audit did not prevent many of the incidents. Of the 245 attacks recorded since early 2025, 147 involved protocols that had undergone audits before they were compromised. In fact, these audited platforms accounted for over 88% of the total capital drained during the 19-month period.

Conventional audits often do not cover the areas exploited in major attacks. Many incidents involved external infrastructure, unaudited code changes, or systemic features that were manipulated through governance attacks. Only about 11% of the incidents involving audited platforms were linked to smart contract vulnerabilities that fell within the audit scope, although those flaws still caused $396 million in losses.

CEXes generally do not use the same audit model as decentralized protocols and instead rely on compliance measures and financial attestations such as Proof-of-Reserve. However, CoinGecko said that such safeguards provide limited protection against social engineering and severe private-key security failures.

Crypto Insurance Is Shrinking

Even as exploits increased, active coverage across leading crypto insurance protocols has declined 20.2%, falling from $163.2 million to $130.2 million. Cumulative payouts have remained largely unchanged at $33 million. The report said high risks in the sector may have discouraged users from supplying capital or buying coverage at higher premium prices.

Crypto insurance can also have a narrow scope, as claims are often limited to verified smart contract exploits or infrastructure failures. Losses linked to human error, compromised private keys, or market volatility may not qualify.

As of August 2026, five of nine on-chain insurance protocols had become inactive or moved to other segments.

The post Crypto Lost $3.63B to Exploits Since 2025: 60% of Hit Platforms Had Been Audited (CoinGecko) appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Zcash has been one of the best-performing assets this year. It has managed to attract significant institutional capital. This week, asset manager Grayscale Investments launched the first exchange-traded fund that tracks the spot price of ZEC.

But interest in the privacy-focused token peaked shortly before its price reached a recent high.

Zcash Crowd Showed Up Early

Data shared by Santiment revealed that social chatter faded by the time the ZEC spot ETF launched. Grayscale converted its 2017 Zcash trust into a spot ETF, which began trading on NYSE Arca on August 25.

Ahead of the launch, the asset climbed from around $509 on August 18 to about $878 on August 23, posting a gain of roughly 72%. Social mentions reached 232 on August 22, which is around six times the usual August baseline. However, that surge in attention did not last.

Mentions had returned to their baseline level by the ETF’s launch day. According to Santiment, social activity peaked one day before ZEC’s price high, which suggested that much of the crowd interest arrived ahead of the market’s high.

Since reaching about $878, the token has pulled back to roughly $789, a decline of around 10% from the recent peak.

Zcash Challenging Bitcoin?

Grayscale Research believes ZEC could emerge as a serious challenger to Bitcoin’s network effects as demand for financial privacy grows. In a report by Head of Research Zach Pandl, the firm said Bitcoin remains dominant among digital currencies. While alternatives such as Litecoin have emerged, none has seriously challenged BTC’s position.

Grayscale, however, stated that Zcash could be different because it combines Bitcoin-like characteristics with privacy features that may become more important as AI-powered surveillance expands. The report also points to the ecosystem’s active development, which aims to address cybersecurity risks, including potential threats to traditional cryptography from quantum computing.

Another advantage is its cross-chain reach through “intents” technology built into modern blockchain wallets, which allows Zcash to function as a private asset hub without requiring broad merchant adoption. ZEC has already gained around 19 times over the past year but remains worth less than 1% of Bitcoin’s market capitalization. Grayscale said Zcash’s financial privacy and other features may be undervalued, thereby leaving room for further upside.

The post Zcash (ZEC) Social Buzz Vanished Before Its ETF Even Launched: Data appeared first on CryptoPotato.

US consumer advocacy group Public Citizen reported that crypto ventures linked to Donald Trump and his family have left investors with at least $4.7 billion underwater since 2022.

Most of the losses remain unrealized.

Trump’s Crypto Empire

Public Citizen estimated that investors in Trump Digital Trading Cards, launched in December 2022, have suffered at least $9.3 million in losses, while the WLFI token has left investors at least $1 billion underwater.

The largest amount came from the TRUMP meme coin, which Public Citizen estimated had resulted in $3.2 billion in losses for investors. Since its all-time high of $73 back in January 2025, the token has lost over 97% of its value. Earlier this month, US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal asked SEC Chair Paul Atkins to investigate the meme coin. They said that it may have enabled fraud or unfairly enriched people at the expense of everyday investors.

The advocacy group put losses tied to Trump Media’s digital-asset treasury at $450 million, while it estimated no losses for USD1, which brings the total to at least $4.7 billion.

Trump is said to have made at least $1.4 billion from crypto in 2025, based on his latest financial disclosure released in June 2026. But the disclosure does not indicate that he invested any of his own money in these ventures, according to Public Citizen.

While the White House has said neither the president nor his family have engaged or will engage in conflicts of interest, the report said Trump continues to own and control his businesses. The group said his stakes in the digital trading cards, the meme coin, World Liberty Financial’s two tokens, as well as Trump Media & Technology Group, are held through a revocable trust in which the president is the sole donor and beneficiary. His eldest child, Donald Trump Jr., meanwhile, serves as the sole trustee.

Clash Over Clarity

The push to strengthen the US crypto industry and advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act has continued to draw criticism over the family’s financial ties to digital assets. Last week, Trump met with executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Gemini, and other crypto firms at the White House, calling on Congress to pass a “fair version” of CLARITY while adding that it would help keep the US ahead of China.

But critics, including Ben McKenzie and Chris Van Hollen, warned that the bill could leave loopholes allowing Trump to profit from his ventures.

Previously, prominent comedian and political commentator John Oliver also described crypto as “a perfect vehicle to funnel money” to the US President’s family, while adding that Trump is “exploiting crypto sketchiness for maximum profit.”

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Bitcoin and Ethereum have picked up momentum over the past two weeks after months of choppy prices. Both posted significant gains during this period, and their rise has brought fresh movement to the market.

But data highlighted contrasting exchange inventory trends between the world’s two largest cryptocurrencies.

Different Exchange Trends

According to Santiment’s latest findings, there is a clear divergence in exchange balances for Ethereum and Bitcoin since June. ETH balances on exchanges fell by roughly 1.4 million coins during the period, from about 7.69 million on June 3 to 6.28 million on August 27. The outflow continued even as the leading altcoin’s price climbed. Another 275,000 coins were withdrawn after August 19, which pushed exchange holdings to their lowest level.

ETH has gained about 30% since August 16, indicating that the withdrawals happened during the price rise rather than a decline.

Bitcoin, on the other hand, moved in the opposite direction over the same 12 weeks. Santiment found that exchange balances increased by around 0.25% and remained near the upper end of their recent range. Its price, meanwhile, rose by 26%.

The relative strength has led to a bullish outlook from crypto analyst Credible Crypto, who believes Ethereum could reach $20,000 in the next few years. His thesis is based on the altcoin’s five-year trading range, its weaker performance against BTC, and the potential for capital to rotate into higher-risk assets.

Speaking on the No Bs Crypto podcast, Credible Crypto explained that ETH has traded between roughly $1,500 and $5,000 for about five years, and has reached both ends of the range several times. He considers $10,000 a basic target, as doubling the previous range high near $5,000 would take the asset to that level. A larger expansion of the range could push the price to $8,000 or $9,000 before other factors are taken into account.

This target depends heavily on Bitcoin’s performance. If it stays around $80,000 and the ETH/BTC ratio returns to its previous high of 0.156, he expects the altcoin to rise above $12,000. A BTC price of $100,000 would put ETH above $15,000, while a move beyond Bitcoin’s previous high near $126,000 could take Ethereum to $20,000 or higher.

Nine-Day Inflow Streak

On the institutional side, CryptoPotato previously reported that institutional demand has reached its strongest level since October 2025 for US-based spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. The funds have recorded nine consecutive days of inflows.

BTC funds have attracted more than $3.5 billion in capital so far, while ETH products have secured $1.66 billion.

Meanwhile, if you want to check out some major Ethereum predictions, you can take a look at our video below.

The post 1.4M ETH Gone From Exchanges Since June as BTC Moves in Reverse appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s $80,000 level has emerged as a major threshold as the crypto asset attempts to break out of the current bear market. Several technical and on-chain measures are converging around this level.

At the same time, the traditional realized price has become less relevant because of the large amount of illiquid BTC supply, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost.

$80K Breakout Test

In his latest post, Darkfost noted that Bitcoin’s market capitalization has been on the rise. At the cycle peak, the figure even reached $1.75 trillion. Because coins bought more than 10 years ago are now largely considered illiquid, they represent a much smaller share of the market capitalization than Bitcoin purchased more recently. This makes it necessary to adjust the realized price by weighting it according to the amount of capital invested.

Using this capital-weighted approach, the analyst calculated a Bitcoin cost basis of approximately $79,600. That figure places the average invested capital near the $80,000 mark, which makes the level a significant barrier for the crypto asset at present.

Darkfost explained that this area more clearly identifies where the average invested capital reaches neutrality. A daily close above $80,000, followed by a weekly close above the same level, would represent a strong signal. Such a move would also return a large portion of BTC’s invested capital to profit.

Next Buying Opportunity

Meanwhile, Ali Martinez said that the crypto asset could be heading toward another buying opportunity if its current market structure follows the pattern seen during the 2022-2023 bottom. The analyst stated that Bitcoin broke above a descending resistance trendline on Thursday, similar to the move seen in early 2023, which has brought back the May 2026 high near $83,000 into focus.

This level could lead to a retracement before Bitcoin makes another move higher. URPD data reveals a major resistance zone between $83,307 and $84,569, where nearly 975,000 BTC were previously acquired. This concentration of supply could make it difficult for Bitcoin to push through the zone on its first attempt.

Additionally, on-chain trader profit margins have climbed to 25%, a level that has often been followed by increased profit-taking and short-term corrections over the past year. Whales also appear to be taking profits, with roughly $88 million in gains already realized.

If selling pressure increases, he identified $76,996 to $78,258 as a crucial support range, where 843,000 BTC were previously traded. A break below that zone could shift attention to the next major demand area around $63,111, where roughly 925,000 BTC were traded.

Martinez said a pullback toward these support levels could present another opportunity before Bitcoin pushes towards $100,000.

The post Why $80,000 Could Be Bitcoin’s (BTC) Most Important Level Right Now appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP briefly surged past $1.7 before stabilizing near $1.4. While the token appears to have hit a wall after a massive rally, whale withdrawals from Binance have surged to their highest level in six months.

According to the latest findings by CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, more than 231 million XRP have moved off the exchange by large holders.

Whale Accumulation

The withdrawals totaled more than $335 million in a single day, far above the 90-day average of roughly $40 million. Darkfost described the move as both sudden and powerful compared with the recent trend, while pointing to a significant change in behavior among large XRP holders.

The surge in whale outflows comes as the crypto asset’s market capitalization increased by $25 billion over the past week, during which the token gained more than 40%.

According to the analyst, this trend has potentially helped fuel XRP’s strong market performance and renewed attention. If this accumulation trend continues, Darkfost said the asset could potentially test the $2 level within a relatively short period.

This week, Ali Martinez flagged a major jump in XRP network activity, after active addresses rose to 356,070 from 47,180. That represents a surge of well over 654%, a level of activity that typically suggests increased participation and can coincide with sharper price swings.

Trouble Ahead?

But the derivatives market showed short-term pressure for XRP after the token cleared liquidity around resistance and moved back toward a major support zone. Long liquidations were recorded at approximately $4.66 million, a 31.82% daily increase, while short liquidations stood near $1.13 million after rising 61.61%.

Despite the stronger percentage increase in short liquidations, the total volume of long liquidations is nearly four times larger. This indicates that the pullback following the recent rally forced a significant number of leveraged long positions out of the market, meaning that the sell-off was driven by both spot selling and the liquidation of leveraged positions.

While this confirms the current bearish pressure, the clearing of leveraged positions could eventually provide room for a healthier rebound, CryptoQuant explained.

Meanwhile, XRP’s Money Flow Index (MFI) has fallen to 35.89 from around 60, which points to a significant weakening in the buying pressure that supported the earlier price move. However, the MFI remains above 20, which means that the crypto asset has not yet entered technically oversold territory and could still face further downside.

The post Ripple (XRP) Whales Are Pulling Millions Off Binance: The $2 Level Is Back in Focus appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Altcoins have taken a leading role in the latest crypto market rally, as trading activity and market capitalization surged alongside Bitcoin’s sharp move higher. This comes after an extended period of low volatility and subdued trading volumes.

According to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, investor attention and capital have moved strongly toward altcoins, “potentially signaling a broader resurgence of risk appetite across the market.”

Biggest Dominance Surge in 2 Years

Bitcoin gained nearly 25% over the past week, while altcoins significantly amplified the broader market trend. The total altcoin market capitalization, measured through Total2 and excluding Ethereum, increased by around $135 billion during the same period. Darkfost said that the scale of the move highlights how quickly capital has entered the altcoin segment.

A notable change was also seen in trading activity. On Binance, which represents nearly 40% of altcoin trading volume across exchanges, these tokens accounted for as much as 65% of total volume at their peak. At that point, Bitcoin made up just 21% of volume, while Ethereum accounted for 13.6%.

Darkfost explained that altcoins had not held this much of Binance’s trading volume in two years. The gap between the assets indicates a clear redistribution of liquidity across the market, as these tokens attracted a larger share of trading activity than Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The shift came after several announcements from Trump on August 19, including his call for the US to purchase large amounts of BTC and for Congress to pass the Clarity Act. Darkfost said the announcements helped push liquidity into altcoins.

Impulse Surges to 93%

The strength is also showing up in market breadth. Altcoin Vector said its ‘Altcoin Impulse’ reading jumped to 93%, which suggested that the rally has spread across a large part of the market. However, it considers breadth above 75% overextended, meaning the move could face exhaustion or a reset.

Analyst Matthew Hyland had previously predicted that alts could deliver returns of 10x to 1000x, comparing the June sell-off to the March 2020 market collapse. Hyland had said that June was essentially an altcoin version of the 2020 crash and pointed to Ethereum, Cardano and other tokens as examples that could see outsized gains if the comparison plays out.

He had also said many of these tokens could recover within a few months rather than taking years to regain lost ground.

The post Altcoin Volume Dominance Hits Two-Year High as Traders Pour $135B Into the Market appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP has flipped the script this week, emerging as one of the market’s strongest performers after weeks of lackluster performance. The crypto asset briefly tapped $1.76 before stabilizing near $1.50.

A sharp rise in network participation has now added fresh weight to the rally.

Higher Levels

Ali Martinez reported that active addresses climbed from 47,180 to 356,070, an astonishing 654.71% increase in days. A spike of this size usually reflects a sharp rise in participation and can come alongside increased volatility in the token’s price.

If this is really the start of a new XRP trend, analyst Casi Trades said that the $1.20 level could soon become a thing of the past. She expects the asset to first move toward $1.78, followed by a pullback to roughly $1.30 before another push to $2.57.

The full five-wave structure could eventually take XRP to around $2.90, according to the analysis, completing Wave 1 of a much larger macro Wave 3. A later correction may bring the asset back toward $1.65, which could turn the resistance seen today into support. In that scenario, the important point is not just how high XRP could go, but whether the token ever gets another chance to trade below $1.20.

As the Ripple token cleared seven months of resistance with a roughly 70% gain in one weekly candle from the accumulation zone, Crypto Patel said that the focus is now turning to $1.55. Holding above that level could set up another bullish move, while a break below may lead to retracement or re-accumulation. The $5-$10 range remains the long-term target.

Strong Week For ETFs

On the institutional front, US-based spot XRP ETFs began last week quietly, recording zero flows on Monday, but the numbers quickly changed. Flows reached $5.81 million on Tuesday before coming in at $2.35 million on Wednesday.

From there, activity picked up following the US Treasury Department’s announcement that it would double the maximum size of liquidity-support buybacks for longer-dated government debt. Thursday saw $13.24 million, while Friday reached $18.38 million, which was the strongest level since mid-May.

The buying trend has continued into this week. $13.82 million in inflows were recorded on August 25th. Bitwise’s fund led the chart with $8.25 million, followed by Franklin and Canary’s ETFs with $4 million and $1.57 million, respectively.

The post Ripple (XRP) Just Posted a Huge Network Jump: Here’s the Level That Matters Now appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Cosmos Labs has urged affected networks in contact with its team to halt operations amid an ongoing security incident involving the EVM module.

Statements issued by KiiChain, TAC, and MANTRA have all pointed to flaws within the Cosmos EVM infrastructure when describing the attacks they faced in recent days.  Cosmos Labs, however, has yet to establish publicly whether the incidents stemmed from one common flaw or clarify which networks were specifically instructed to suspend operations.

EVM Security Crisis Escalates

Cosmos Labs said it will publish an incident report once the situation has been resolved. Meanwhile, KiiChain said an attacker drained 148,326,583.15 KII from wallets on August 22, repeating the same technique 18 times against different targets. The chain detected the activity internally and halted at block 9,355,723, thereby stopping further theft and freezing funds that remained on the network. According to KiiChain, the root cause had been identified, reproduced and fixed.

It said that the vulnerability was in the shared Cosmos EVM module, rather than KiiChain-specific code. The chain said three upstream defects combined to enable the attack, including an underflow in the staking precompile when it writes a post-delegation balance back to the EVM, along with two other undisclosed bugs.

KiiChain said the same class of vulnerability affected Cosmos EVM chains with vesting accounts enabled and linked the issue to the compromises of MANTRA and TAC during the same week.

The handling of the vulnerability has also come under scrutiny. A security fix for one of the three flaws was made public on August 19, but KiiChain said affected networks were not given advance notice and the release was not clearly flagged as a critical security update. When communication reached the affected chains two days later, the fix was included with unrelated issues already being handled privately. It was not accompanied by a recommendation to halt networks.

By then, MANTRA had already been exploited. KiiChain said an emergency halt could have contained the risk much faster than a software upgrade, which requires validators to review, test, and deploy the patch.

TAC separately said an attacker exploited a vulnerability in the Cosmos EVM precompile layer on the same day and drained a single account. The chain was halted to stop the attack, and it was said that the defect was not in TAC-specific code. The chain said 2,985,651,403 TAC was moved between accounts. No new tokens were created, and the total supply remained unchanged. Only TAC was affected, while other assets on the network remained intact.

Mantra Security Incident

MANTRA halted its Layer 1 network last week as a precaution for about 30 hours. The project later said it had identified the root cause, contained the immediate threat, and that no user funds were exploited.

MANTRA said the incident affected two wallet addresses, and the network resumed operations after a patch was deployed.

The post Cosmos Labs Urges EVM Chains to Halt as KiiChain and TAC Attacks Raise Security Fears appeared first on CryptoPotato.

A federal jury has convicted Las Vegas businessman Brent C. Kovar of defrauding at least 400 investors of $24 million through a crypto investment scheme.

Kovar owned Profit Connect, a Las Vegas-based company that operated from late 2017 through July 2021 and claimed to use artificial intelligence software on a supercomputer to mine crypto and verify transactions.

Crypto Fraud Conviction

According to the US Justice Department, Kovar falsely told investors that Profit Connect was profitable and could provide fixed annual returns of 15% to 30%, along with a 100% money-back guarantee.

He also claimed the company was backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto reserves. Prosecutors said Kovar knew those claims were false. Profit Connect was not profitable, had no crypto reserves, could not pay the promised returns, and had no legitimate way to provide the money-back guarantee.

Instead, the businessman used money from investors to keep the company operating, purchase gifts for employees, and buy a house for himself. He also used the funds to repay other investors while making it appear that the money had come from crypto mining and transaction verification.

After a nine-day trial, the jury found Kovar guilty on 11 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office stated,

“The victims in this case thought they were engaged in revolutionary technological advancement, but it was merely a deception crafted by the falsehoods and trickery of Mr. Kovar.”

Meanwhile, Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General said Kovar also falsely told investors that their investment was insured by the FDIC. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2026, and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 280 years in prison.

Another Conviction

Separately, a federal jury has convicted San Francisco resident Japheth Dillman of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud after a 10-day trial over a crypto investment scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dillman, 48, and a co-conspirator defrauded more than 20 investors of nearly $1 million through false claims about Block Bits Capital, a crypto trading fund they helped establish.

From June 2017 to August 2018, they told investors the fund would generate profits through automated crypto trading using a software tool called “Autotrader,” which they claimed was complete and operational. Evidence showed Dillman knew the algorithm was not working and that investor funds could not be used as promised.

The money was also used for personal payments and to make risky investments in other crypto ventures, which ended up suffering major losses. Dillman remains released on bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2026. He faces up to 20 years in prison with a $250,000 fine for each count.

The post 280 Years in Prison Looms for Las Vegas Businessman in Crypto Case appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ethereum saw one of its biggest weekly moves in years after staging an impressive 30% rally. The altcoin crossed $2,500 briefly, then slipped back slightly below that level.

New data shared by crypto analyst Ali Martinez suggests that ETH could be on a path toward $5,000 if it clears a major resistance zone.

Growing Buying Pressure

On August 19, Ethereum’s MVRV Ratio formed a golden cross above its 160-day moving average. Martinez also pointed to stronger whale accumulation. The number of addresses holding more than 10,000 ETH has increased by 1.74%. In fact, 17 new whale addresses joined the network over the past week.

At the same time, the token supply is moving off exchanges. More than 180,764 ETH, which is worth about $440 million, has been withdrawn over the past week. Martinez said the trend supports the case for increasing buying pressure.

However, it still faces a major resistance zone between $2,722 and $2,970. URPD data shows that 16.70 million were previously acquired within this range, which makes it a major supply wall. If Ethereum breaks through the zone, the next major MVRV Pricing Band is near $5,363, at the 2.4 level. The analysts also noted that a rejection could first send the altcoin back toward the Realized Price near $2,235 before a potential move toward the 2.4 MVRV band.

Besides, Ethereum has once again reached its 200-week moving average, which happens to be the 11th such instance over the past five years, ‘The Long Investor’ found, who pointed to a repeated pattern in the crypto asset’s price history. Each time it has moved below the 200 WMA, it has later returned to the moving average.

The analyst therefore called any percentage below the level “free money” and said investors cannot lose.

Additionally, ETH’s 50-week and 200-week moving averages are now at the same level. This creates a confluence zone. If the asset turns that level into support, the analyst expects bulls to take it back to its all-time highs. ETH remains a buy.

ETFs Draw Fresh Capital

US spot Ethereum ETFs have attracted their biggest inflows since October 2025, as demand picked up sharply during the mid-week. Net inflows stood at $30.85 million on Monday and $71.47 million on Tuesday. The pace increased after Wednesday’s announcement from the US Treasury Department. The department said it would double the maximum size of liquidity-support buybacks for longer-dated government debt, lifting them from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation. Wednesday recorded a capital influx of $189.15 million.

The figure rose again to $220.77 million on Thursday, while Friday recorded another strong $185 million in net inflows.

The post $5,000 Ethereum? Analyst Identifies the Levels That Could Decide ETH’s Next Move appeared first on CryptoPotato.

A meme coin tied to the GTA VI leak saga is having an absolutely wild run. CYBERLEEK, a Solana-based meme coin promoted by the person or group behind the alleged leaks, has jumped another 35% in the past 24 hours.

That comes after an almost unbelievable 40,000% surge over the past week. The token is now trading around $0.028, as fresh GTA VI gameplay footage continues to appear alongside its promotion.

CYBERLEEK, however, asserted that there is more to the token than a quick crypto gamble. They claim it is connected to a “secret project” and that the money raised will go toward building infrastructure and security for the project.

GTA VI Leaks

International Cyber Digest reported that CyberLeek has burned almost $1.5 million worth of developer tokens to argue that the meme coin isn’t a pump-and-dump scheme. The group has collected around $40,000-$70,000 or more in transaction fees. It also reportedly sought a 400 Monero “donation,” worth roughly $165,000 at the time, to initiate contact for potential advertising deals.

CyberLeek began posting GTA VI gameplay footage last week, which included details about the game’s map and free-roam gameplay, and was later removed from X following a copyright strike from Rockstar Games. The group said the token was created to raise funds for a “secret project” that cannot yet be disclosed because revealing it would give large corporations time to prepare defenses.

It denied that the project is a cash grab and added that the funding is intended for infrastructure and protection against corporate counterattacks.

CyberLeek’s posts briefly pushed the token’s market capitalization to over $20 million on Monday. According to the now-blocked website, the group had asserted that its actions were driven by objections to anti-consumer practices in the gaming industry, including digital pre-orders, paid single-player content, and limited long-term offline access. But the use of leaked footage to promote its own meme coin has raised serious questions.

Take-Two Hunts the Leakers

The leaks have continued despite Take-Two Interactive seeking information from Microsoft and Discord that could help identify those behind them. On August 22, two more videos were released, one showing supercar gameplay and an armed robbery, while the other featured a strip club scene.

Take-Two said in its court filings that GTA VI material, including audiovisual content, artwork, images and dialogue, had been posted through Microsoft’s GitHub platform and Discord. Microsoft said it was working with Take-Two and Rockstar to protect their creative work and intellectual property. Discord, meanwhile, said it reviews and complies with valid DMCA subpoenas. Rockstar has not publicly confirmed whether the leaked footage is authentic.

The post The Group Behind the GTA VI Leaks Has a Meme Coin, Millions in Value, and a Secret Agenda appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin had a huge week, finally. The crypto asset jumped by 25% and neared $80,000 as the rally gathered serious momentum.

One analyst now believes that the bear market has ended and BTC has entered a “Soft Bull Market,” following its recent breakout above several important resistance levels.

Bears Get Squeezed

Doctor Profit identified $71,000 as extremely strong support and $78,500 as the next major resistance, while explaining that everything between those levels is “noise.” While the analyst is not ruling out a retest of the $71,000 region, he does not expect it to be necessary. According to his analysis, it is the lowest meaningful region Bitcoin could revisit before moving higher.

Meanwhile, a break above $78,500 could help the asset make a run toward approximately $82,000. He expects the “Soft Bull Market” to turn into a full bull market escalation once Bitcoin breaks $82,000 with strength. Doctor Profit also points to BTC’s reaction around $60,000 as evidence that significant capital is ready to enter when fear returns.

“Bulls showed that they are ready to deploy size when fear appears, while everyone waiting for $50K, $40K or some magical four-year-cycle bottom was left watching the market move without them. And personally, I doubt the market will now be generous enough to give the majority another clean opportunity below $71K.”

Addressing concerns about Bitcoin being in an overbought zone, Doctor Profit said the weekly and monthly RSI remain in neutral regions. While the analyst considers the daily RSI important for short-term movements, he does not see it as a major risk at the current price area. Much of the recent move came from shorts being forced to close rather than an overload of new leveraged longs or massive spot purchases, which means that “bears became buyers against their will.”

A similar pattern played out in 2023, when BTC climbed from around $16,000 to $25,000, gaining approximately 56%, before correcting roughly 22% toward $19,000. Fear and Greed then reached extreme fear levels, and many holders who had survived the bear market panic sold as they feared another major collapse.

Instead, Bitcoin quickly reversed and surged from approximately $19,000 to $30,000, a move of almost 60%. The comparison is less about repeating the exact price pattern and more about recurring psychology: fear, disbelief, short squeezes, corrections, panic, capitulation, and eventual expansion, Doctor Profit explained.

Powerful Weekly Reversal

For Ali Martinez, Bitcoin’s latest weekly surge could be an early sign of a new bull market. Back in 2019, the crypto gained almost 32% in one week, while in January 2023, BTC jumped 25% after the FTX collapse, despite deeply bearish sentiment.

Martinez is now seeing a similar setup. The move also came as many traders were expecting a market bottom in October based on the four-year-cycle theory.

The post Bitcoin’s Bear Market May Be Over After a 20% Rally: But What Comes Next? (Analyst) appeared first on CryptoPotato.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has significantly increased its scrutiny of UK crypto users during the 2025-2026 financial year.

The tax authority reportedly sent more than 81,000 warning letters to holders it suspects may have unpaid tax, the BBC reported after reviewing a freedom of information request.

UK Holders on Notice

The number is nearly three times higher than the 27,714 letters sent in 2024. HMRC believes a large share of the unpaid tax relates to gains made during the crypto bull run between 2022 and 2025. The tax authority has reminded recipients that obligations can arise when crypto is sold, given away, exchanged, or used to make purchases.

Failure to pay can result in penalties of up to 100% of the tax owed, in addition to interest. Meanwhile, offshore transfers potentially carry greater consequences.

The crackdown is also set to become broader as HMRC prepares to receive new powers in 2027. Offshore firms will be required to hand over customer information to the UK tax authority, which estimates the measure could raise £315 million (or $430 million) by 2030.

Neela Chauhan, a partner at accounting firm UHY Hacker Young, told the BBC that many traders are young and have had little previous experience dealing with HMRC. She said some operate on the assumption that the agency has limited visibility into their crypto activity. Chauhan also said authorities suspect many investors of evading tax and suggested that identifying unpaid liabilities among wealthy holders could become considerably easier once the new powers take effect.

While HMRC is tightening oversight, banking access is becoming a serious concern for the industry.

Banking Roadblocks

Earlier this month, Parliament’s Crypto and Digital Assets All-Party Parliamentary Group asked the chief executives of major UK banks to explain how they deal with cryptocurrency businesses. Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan and Lord Vaizey of Didcot sent the letter after hearing repeated complaints from firms unable to open bank accounts, alongside reports of restrictions on payments.

The group asked banks about their policies, transaction limits, reasons behind those decisions, and whether the country’s incoming crypto rules could change their approach. The MPs accepted that banks must tackle financial crime and protect customers, but asserted that firms should be judged on their individual risk rather than simply being part of the sector. Vaizey called the banking problems “an unnecessary piece of friction.”

Research from the UK Cryptoasset Business Council found that banks were blocking or delaying around 40% of attempted transfers to digital asset exchanges.

The post UK Sends 81,000 Crypto Tax Warnings as HMRC Targets Unpaid Bull Run Gains appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Crypto investors may be underestimating where the industry is heading, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan, who has pointed to three mistakes he sees in the market right now.

In a recent post, Hougan said that investors are using today’s market size, established brands, and current activity to judge crypto’s future. Those are normally reasonable approaches, but the space is evolving so quickly that these assumptions are becoming outdated.

Investors Missing the Bigger Market

His first point is that investors are underestimating what crypto applications could eventually be used for. Uniswap, for example, was built as a platform for trading cryptocurrencies, but Hougan said it should not necessarily be valued only against the roughly $2 trillion market. As stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets move onto blockchains, the addressable market for platforms such as Uniswap could become much larger.

The stock and bond markets are worth about $150 trillion and $350 trillion, respectively. Tapping these spaces could create an opportunity roughly 100x larger than crypto alone. Hougan said the same applies to applications such as Hyperliquid, Aave and Chainlink, which investors often view simply as crypto platforms.

The second mistake is assuming that the biggest TradFi companies will eventually take over crypto-native businesses. The exec pointed to PayPal’s stablecoin launch in 2023 as an example. Despite its global brand and position in payments, PYUSD only accounts for 1% of the stablecoin market, while Tether and Circle dominate 88%.

Fidelity faced a similar situation after launching its crypto custody service in 2019. While Fidelity has performed well in the market, Coinbase has become the largest crypto custodian in the US. The same goes for CME’s position in crypto derivatives and Bakkt, which was backed by Intercontinental Exchange, as examples of traditional finance companies that did not end up dominating their respective markets.

He said crypto-native firms have an advantage because they tend to move faster, focus entirely on crypto, and already have users and trust within the sector.

100x More Transactions?

The third mistake is using current transaction volumes to estimate how much activity blockchains will eventually handle. Tokenized stocks could trade around the clock, rather than during current market hours, with AI agents eventually monitoring portfolios and executing trades on behalf of investors. US stocks currently trade for 33 hours a week, compared with 168 hours in a 24/7 market.

While this alone does not mean volume will rise 5x, Hougan believes that the combination of round-the-clock trading and AI-driven activity could push stock transactions 10x higher. He added,

“I can imagine 50x or 100x.”

There exists a similar opportunity in payments, where activity involving AI agents could far exceed current levels. While higher volumes may bring lower fees, Hougan asserted that transaction growth of this scale is likely to more than offset that pressure.

The Bitwise CIO isn’t the only one pointing to artificial intelligence as a potential catalyst for crypto. Back in June, Binance founder CZ said that AI agents could rely on blockchain payments because TradFi systems often require human authentication and are not designed for autonomous software.

He expects agentic trading and payments to emerge within months, while AI-related activity could also add to blockchain trading volumes rather than compete with crypto.

The post Three Crypto Investing Mistakes Could Be Hiding a Much Bigger Opportunity appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP has emerged as one of the best-performing crypto assets this week after surging by over 35%. In the past 24 hours alone, it rose by almost 20%.

The latest push has revived talks of all-time highs.

Bulls Find Fresh Fuel

The token broke through several major levels before reaching $1.42 on Friday, including the previously identified $1.293-$1.302 range. Despite attempts from sellers to push the price a little lower, XRP held on. According to Diana’s findings, this may represent a “confirmed breakout” which could bring the previous all-time-high zone back into focus.

However, the 4H RSI remains around 83, indicating extremely overbought conditions. A failure to hold $1.30 could cool momentum and make $1.20 the key support to defend.

Meanwhile, analyst Crypto Patel said that a move toward $10 for XRP should not be dismissed, while pointing to the token’s past price action as evidence of its potential for sharp gains. The crypto asset traded around $0.006 in 2017, when a move to $3 was considered impossible, before eventually reaching more than $3 in 2018. XRP was also being described as “dead” in 2023 before surging from $0.50 to $2.60 in November 2024.

Taking factors such as fast transactions, low fees, and real-world payment adoption into account, the analyst therefore said that “$10-$20 is absolutely on the table.”

Adding to the bullish backdrop, XRP whales have also continued accumulating. Data cited by analyst Ali Martinez revealed that large holders acquired more than 300 million tokens since the start of the current business week.

Long Bets Surge on Binance

Activity in the XRP derivatives market on Binance is also picking up. CryptoQuant revealed that the funding rate reached 0.0101, its highest level since October 2025. The current funding rate is also well above its 30-day moving average, demonstrating how much stronger the demand for long positions is compared with the recent average.

However, as more traders build long positions, the cost of maintaining those positions rises. This leaves the market more exposed if XRP suddenly moves lower. A sharp decline could trigger liquidations among leveraged traders and add pressure to the price. For that reason, the funding rate could become an important gauge of whether the crypto asset’s current momentum is sustainable.

If funding stays elevated while XRP remains stable or continues moving higher, it would point to steady demand in the derivatives market. On the other hand, a decline in funding could signal that speculative interest and bullish momentum are starting to weaken.

The post Ripple (XRP) Hits $1.42 After Breaking Crucial Resistance Zone: Is the ATH Now Back in Sight? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ethereum extended its rally after climbing by over 5% on Friday and touched $2,420 for the first time in months. With ETH now trading above $2,380, new data suggest that several signals aligned ahead of this sharp move.

The recovery has pushed the $4,700 resistance into focus, which could open the door for $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000 targets.

Next Big Test

According to Santiment’s latest analysis, the crowd sentiment on ETH hit a three-month low on August 17. Its seven-day weighted sentiment average fell to its lowest reading in at least three months and turned negative. Two days later, ETH shot up.

On August 18, Santiment’s eth_whale_dump anomaly fired once at roughly $7.55 million, compared with five events in each of the prior two weeks. ETH held on exchanges also fell to about 6.54 million coins, the lowest level of the stretch.

Then macro factors took over as the US Treasury expanded long-end bond buybacks, followed by a record wave of short liquidations. The analytics platform said that the negative crowd did not cause the rally, but it did leave a record pile of shorts in its path.

The breakout has prompted Michaël van de Poppe to expect further upside, although the MN Fund founder said that the crypto asset could see some consolidation after the recent move. He believes ETH can continue higher as long as it stays above $2,000. His short-term upside levels include $2,465 and potentially $2,900. The market commentator added that a higher high would signal the end of the bear market.

Higher Targets Come into Focus

Crypto Patel’s chart puts longer-term upside in focus. Ethereum has gained more than 55% from the $1,500 accumulation zone highlighted in Crypto Patel’s analysis. The $4,700 has now emerged as a key resistance and breakout point. If the asset clears it, the analysis points to potential targets of $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000.

Axel Bitblaze also saw a familiar setup in ETH’s latest move. The analyst noted that Ethereum also bottomed near $1,500 in April 2025 before spending weeks below $1,950 and then pushing toward $2,400. With the current price action following a similar path, the analyst expects some sideways trading and added that the token could see one more dip before making another move higher.

On the institutional side of things, US spot Ethereum ETFs are also drawing fresh capital. These funds added yet another positive sign for the asset. On August 20, total net inflows topped $220 million, just a day after logging $189 million.

The post ETH Rallied 30% After Sentiment Collapsed: Here’s the Level That Matters Next appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ethereum exchange balances have continued to decline, moving in the opposite direction to Bitcoin over the same three-week period.

ETH supply on trading platforms fell from around 7.70 million on June 2 to about 6.54 million on August 18, which puts roughly 1.15 million coins off exchanges, or around 15% over eleven weeks.

ETH Moving Out

According to Santiment’s latest analysis, Bitcoin moved the other way, as its exchange balance rose about 1.8% from July 28 to August 18. Roughly 23,000 BTC was added back onto such platforms, while ETH balances fell about 2.2% over the same period.

Santiment noted that staking remains near record levels, while corporate treasuries continue adding the altcoin. BitMine Immersion Technologies alone holds close to 5% of the supply, with most of it staked. The company’s treasury holdings grew to 5,815,164 tokens. Meanwhile, Ethereum has surged nearly 20% over the past day, pushing the price above $2,300 for the first time since May.

This is being driven by a mix of stronger US crypto policy signals and heavy buying activity. President Donald Trump met with executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Gemini, and other major crypto companies at the White House on Wednesday, during which discussions focused on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, Bitcoin, and expanding crypto activity in the US.

Trump urged Congress to pass a “fair version” of CLARITY, saying the legislation could help the US stay ahead of China. He also said the US has discussed buying “sizable” amounts of Bitcoin and other crypto assets.

Fresh Institutional Buying

US spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds pulled in $189.15 million on August 19. The last time these products recorded a daily inflow of this size was October 28, 2025. The fresh money has taken August’s total past $534 million.

BlackRock’s ETHA accounted for $122 million of Tuesday’s inflows, while Fidelity’s fund brought in another $36.5 million. Grayscale Mini ETH attracted $16.04 million, while BlackRock’s staking-enabled investment vehicle brought in another $9.71 million. Morgan Stanley’s MSSE also recorded $2.25 million in inflows, and Franklin Templeton’s EZET also saw $790,000 enter the fund.

The post 1.15 Million Ethereum (ETH) Left Exchanges – And The Exodus Isn’t Slowing appeared first on CryptoPotato.

President Donald Trump met with executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Gemini, and other major crypto companies at the White House on Wednesday as the administration sought to take a stronger position in the digital asset industry.

The discussion focused heavily on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, Bitcoin, and the push to bring more crypto activity into the US.

CLARITY, Bitcoin and Hyperliquid

Trump called on Congress to pass “a fair version” of CLARITY and said the legislation would help keep the US “ahead of China.” The bill passed the House of Representatives in July 2025 but has remained stalled in the Senate over issues including tokenized equities, stablecoin rewards, and concerns about potential conflicts involving the Trump family and the crypto industry.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said the legislation would make the country’s crypto policy “durable into the future, so it could survive for decades and decades to come.” The exec expects the bill to get “more than 60 votes” when the Senate takes up a cloture motion on September 15. Trump backed Armstrong’s assessment of the bill’s support and said,

“It’s very bipartisan, I would say. Lot of Democrats support.”

During the meeting, Trump also said the US has discussed plans to buy “sizable” amounts of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. He later said,

“We’re going to ensure America remains the undisputed leader, not only in Bitcoin and crypto, but also in technologies like prediction markets and artificial intelligence.”

Hyperliquid was another topic raised during the meeting. Trump said Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig is working to bring the perpetuals-focused trading platform into the US in a “fully compliant and legal fashion.” HYPE jumped more than 20% following the remarks and climbed to $71.

Markets Cheer, But Hurdles Remain

Crypto markets reacted strongly after the White House meeting and the latest signals on regulation. Bitcoin gained 7% and tapped $70,000, while Ethereum posted a bigger jump of nearly 18% and reached $2,327. XRP also moved higher as it climbed to $1.14.

But the bigger question for the industry is still in Washington. Trump can urge lawmakers to move ahead, but the CLARITY Act must still clear political hurdles in the Senate. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, for instance, warned lawmakers to slow down rather than rush toward a Senate vote. Speaking at the SALT Wyoming Blockchain Symposium on Wednesday, Gallego said Democrats and Republicans still need to work through disagreements over ethics and stablecoin yield.

“Don’t go for a fast vote. A fast vote gets you a fast result, but I’m not sure it’s the result you want.”

It is important to note that Senate Democrats have pushed for language that would prevent public officials, including the president, from selling digital currencies. But Gallego said that repeated efforts to reach the White House on the ethics language have made little progress.

The post Trump Wants the US to Lead Crypto: Here Are the Biggest Takeaways From the White House Meeting appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP’s struggle near $1 continues even as its peers display modest gains this week. The crypto asset went down almost 10% over the past month before it rebounded significantly on Wednesday evening.

Despite the weakness, much more XRP is being withdrawn than deposited across major platforms.

Reserves Slide

According to the latest analysis shared by CryptoQuant, XRP reserves across Upbit, Binance, and Bithumb have fallen by roughly 240 million from their late-May and early-June levels, as of August 19. South Korean giant Upbit held 6.40 billion XRP, down from 6.51 billion on May 30, which is a decline of about 110 million, or 1.7%.

The figures for Bithumb fell to 1.82 billion from 1.85 billion on June 2, a decrease of roughly 30 million, or 1.6%. Meanwhile, Binance recorded the largest percentage decline, with its reserves for the token dropping to 2.62 billion from 2.72 billion over the same period, which translates to a reduction of approximately 100 million XRP, or 3.7%.

Combined reserves across the three exchanges decreased from about 11.08 billion to 10.84 billion, representing a decline of roughly 2.2%. Despite the overall reduction, Upbit remains the largest holder of the crypto asset among the three exchanges. In fact, Upbit and Bithumb together hold about 8.22 billion XRP and account for nearly 76% of the reserves tracked across the three platforms.

The falling exchange reserves come as wallet activity across major exchanges turns more focused on withdrawals. As recently reported by CryptoPotato, Coinbase recorded a seven-day net wallet count of -14,300 as of August 18. The exchange accounted for 47.3% of the total absolute imbalance, its highest share since July 2024.

Binance posted a net wallet count of -3,270, while Crypto.com recorded -2,680. Both exchanges moved into negative territory on July 18, almost a week after Coinbase. Binance’s share of the overall imbalance also rose from nearly zero on July 16 to around 10%. Upbit, however, saw its share fall to about 12% from 40% in June.

Whale Activity

The asset’s weak price performance has not stopped large transactions from picking up on the XRP Ledger. Data shared by crypto analyst Ali Martinez revealed that transactions worth more than $1 million jumped 280% in a single day and reached nearly 40, compared with around 10 during each of the previous two days.

The spike came shortly after wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million XRP accumulated about 72 million tokens in one day.

Network activity has also picked up, as the ledger recorded nearly 50,000 active addresses over a 24-hour period last week. Despite the rise in activity, social sentiment around XRP fell to a three-month low.

The post 240 Million XRP Pulled From Major Exchanges Since Early Summer: Why It Matters appeared first on CryptoPotato.

BlackRock said Bitcoin’s more than 50% decline from its all-time highs in October 2025 to its mid-2026 lows has not changed its long-term investment case.

In its latest report, the asset manager attributed the sell-off to “idiosyncratic deleveraging and flow dynamics” rather than a structural shift in the cryptocurrency’s trajectory.

Long-Term Case Remains Intact

BlackRock said that Bitcoin’s core role as an emerging global monetary alternative and a unique portfolio diversifier remains unchanged. During the sell-off, BTC showed a “dual personality,” at times acting as a haven asset, especially after the US-Iran conflict, while also showing high correlations with risk assets during deleveraging episodes such as February 2026.

According to BlackRock, this was shaped by investors seeking a hedge against macro risks and by market positioning. The firm said Bitcoin’s correlation with risk assets tends to rise when speculative positioning becomes high and is followed by deleveraging. Positioning reached extreme levels as the crypto rose above $120,000 last October, during which futures open interest exceeded $90 billion and was heavily concentrated in leveraged perpetual futures on offshore exchanges.

A macro-driven risk-off catalyst, including China tariff headlines, then ended up triggering deleveraging across precious metals as well as crypto markets. Liquidation waves pushed BTC below $60,000 by June 2026. Weaker institutional inflows were yet another factor that slowed Bitcoin’s price recovery. Spot BTC ETPs had attracted a record $60 billion in inflows from their January 2024 launch through October 2025, but later saw more than $5 billion in outflows as investor attention pivoted toward AI-themed products, which attracted $30 billion during the same period.

Concerns about the balance sheet sustainability of digital asset treasury entities further weighed on sentiment. But BlackRock views these developments as cyclical flow dynamics and not as evidence of a structural change in BTC’s long-term institutional adoption.

BlackRock Endorses Modest BTC Allocation

Over longer periods, the firm said Bitcoin has remained a low-correlation asset, supported by its potential role as a global monetary alternative and a hedge against fiat debasement. BlackRock also explained that every developed-market currency has lost more than 99% of its value against gold over the past century. Its portfolio analysis found that the crypto asset has offered positively skewed returns and low correlation with traditional risk assets, including equities, over extended periods.

The heavy deleveraging since last October could lead to lower correlations between Bitcoin and risk assets, according to BlackRock. At the same time, its volatility has trended down over the past decade as the market structure has matured, with the expansion of derivatives and ETPs helping drive that decline.

However, the growth of leveraged perpetual futures over the past year has partly offset that trend. BlackRock’s updated trailing 10-year analysis found that a 1%-2% BTC allocation could have improved risk-adjusted returns in a traditional 60/40 portfolio, and it said a measured allocation could remain “compelling” as a strategic diversifier for long-term portfolio construction.

The post BlackRock Says Bitcoin’s 50% Plunge Didn’t Break Its Long-Term Investment Case appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin posted a modest recovery on Wednesday, which helped it climb above $64,000. The cryptocurrency is still almost 50% down from its all-time high, but VanEck’s latest analysis revealed that 8 of 12 tracked signals in its “Bitcoin Capitulation Check” are now firing.

This suggests that the market may be nearing the end of its correction phase.

Shallower Trough

VanEck said that all 12 signals entered their capitulation zones at some point over the past three months, while BTC itself has spent the past month stabilizing after recovering from its June summer low and may have bottomed near $58,500 on June 30.

Meanwhile, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded more than $950 million in net inflows so far in August, which points to some renewed institutional demand even as the crypto asset remains below its record high.

VanEck expects a shallower trough this cycle compared with previous Bitcoin downturns. Earlier bottoms saw drawdowns of 94%, 85%, 84%, and 78%. Those periods also came before the current spot ETF market and when institutional ownership was much smaller. More importantly, each of those cycles saw major failures across the market. This time, there has been no Celsius, Three Arrows Capital, or FTX collapse.

According to its findings, Bitcoin appears to have gone through price capitulation, and the market is nearing or currently in an accumulation phase.

That accumulation phase could gain further momentum if more capital begins moving back into crypto, which Bitfinex identifies as the major missing piece for Bitcoin’s next rally. In its latest Alpha report, the exchange said two of the three conditions for a BTC rally are already in place: lower expected rates and already-loose financial conditions.

The third – capital flowing from equities, technology, and AI markets into crypto – has yet to materialize. For instance, corporate Bitcoin treasury activity has turned negative, and stablecoin supply remains below its May record. Bitfinex warned that in such a thin market, even relatively small changes in flows could produce an outsized move.

Bigger Move Ahead

Some investors are, however, already looking much further ahead.

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci recently told CNBC that he expects Bitcoin to climb back above $100,000, a level the cryptocurrency has not closed above since November 2025. He believes the six-digit price territory will come around the halving, scheduled to take place in less than two years.

The post Bitcoin Just Hit 8 of 12 Capitulation Signals; VanEck Thinks the Pain May Be Nearing Its End appeared first on CryptoPotato.

South Korea has decided to block domestic access to Polymarket after authorities determined that its services facilitate activities considered illegal gambling under local law.

The Korea Media and Communications Commission announced on August 18 that its Communications Deliberation Subcommittee had reviewed the platform and approved an access-blocking corrective measure.

South Korea Blocks Polymarket

According to a report by local media, the platform came under scrutiny in South Korea in late May, when police began investigating users on suspicion of gambling. The country’s media watchdog subsequently opened its own review on July 6. In reaching its decision, the commission said Polymarket’s structure, combined with wagers on events outside users’ control, “encourages gambling behavior.”

Polymarket, on the other hand, argued that it was outside South Korean jurisdiction after removing Korean-language services and disabling payments denominated in Korean won. The commission rejected that position and said that technical changes or service methods do not remove a platform’s obligation to comply with domestic law.

South Korea is not alone in restricting Polymarket. France blocked the platform last month over concerns about user losses and potential betting manipulation, while Australia and Germany imposed access restrictions in 2025 after classifying it as an illegal gambling service. More than 30 countries, including Italy, Indonesia, and Argentina, have also blocked or restricted Polymarket.

More Legal Trouble Emerges

The pressure on prediction markets as a whole is also building in the US, although the legal questions vary by jurisdiction. In Baltimore, officials, for instance, have taken aim at both Polymarket and Kalshi.

As reported by CryptoPotato, the city and Mayor Brandon M. Scott filed separate lawsuits on August 13, accusing two platforms of effectively offering sports betting without the licenses required in Maryland. The complaints also allege that both companies presented their products in ways that could leave consumers with the impression that they are legal and properly regulated.

Baltimore argued that calling them “event contracts” or prediction-market trades does not change their underlying nature. The city is seeking penalties, consumer restitution, disgorgement, and other legal remedies. Meanwhile, Kalshi is also facing a separate legal fight with New York officials over its operations in the state.

The post Polymarket Hit With Access Block in South Korea Over Gambling Allegations appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ripple has partnered with Jeonbuk Bank in South Korea as the latter prepares to deploy Ripple Payments for cross-border remittances. The deal makes Jeonbuk Bank the first regional bank in the country to deploy the payment service.

The main objective is to support businesses that have traditionally faced several days of delays when moving money across borders via conventional transfers.

Expansion in Korea

The partnership will be used for international transfers for businesses such as import-export companies, IT startups, and online content creators. Traditional transfers can take days to complete as payments move through multiple intermediary banks via the SWIFT network. Ripple Payments handles settlement in seconds to minutes and operates 24/7.

Weighing in on the development, JB Jeonbuk Bank’s President, Park Choon-won, said,

“With this partnership with Ripple, JB Jeonbuk Bank is ready to move beyond its role as a regional bank and emerge as a digital finance leader that meets global standards. This partnership will become a new growth engine for the bank, and we will lead innovation that reshapes the financial paradigm, going beyond the adoption of new technology.”

The announcement follows two other Ripple deals in South Korea this year. In April, the fintech company teamed up with Kyobo Life Insurance to focus on tokenized government bond transactions. The companies previously said that they would assess the technical and regulatory requirements for the approach, using Ripple Custody to support the storage, transfer, and settlement of tokenized assets. This was Ripple’s first deal with a major insurance institution in the country.

KBank is also working with Ripple to test how blockchain infrastructure could be integrated into its existing cross-border transfer system. The internet-only bank is running a two-phase proof of concept. It plans to use the company’s Palisade digital wallet during this stage.

Beyond its work with banks and financial institutions, Ripple has also been expanding the reach of RLUSD in South Korea. One of the company’s executives recently revealed that the stablecoin is now listed on the four largest crypto exchanges in the country – Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, and Coinone.

Price Faces Downside Risks

On the price side of things, XRP’s struggle around $1 has left the token vulnerable to another decline. One analyst has projected a potential decline of 20% to 40%. That would put the token between $0.85 and $0.65, a range that could serve as a macro accumulation zone.

Still, short-term momentum is showing some signs of stabilizing. Another market watcher said XRP’s four-hour RSI is holding near 42, while tighter price action suggests selling pressure has eased. For a stronger recovery, $1.015, $1.05, and $1.081 are levels to watch. A sustained move above $1.081 may open the way toward $1.145 and $1.20.

The post Important Ripple (XRP) Partnership Targets Cross-Border Remittances appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Curve Finance founder Michael Egorov has taken a swipe at Solana-based Pump.fun and criticized the platform’s role in the meme coin market.

His comments add to the scrutiny Pump.fun has faced as it has grown into one of the biggest venues for launching new meme coins.

Token Failures and Controversies

Egorov criticized Pump.fun and called it “a casino of scams called meme coins.” ClawPump co-founder Tomas Oliver, however, pushed back and asserted that the platform simply provides a service and users choose how to use it. Oliver added that meme coin activity would exist elsewhere if Pump.fun did not dominate the market.

The Solana-based launchpad has faced controversy before, particularly over the way its platform has been used.

In November 2024, its livestream feature drew heavy backlash after users began using it for extreme and disturbing stunts linked to their token prices. Some streams involved threats of self-harm, violence, and harm to family members. In one case, a user threatened to end their life if a token failed to reach a $25 million market cap. Another incident reportedly involved a couple using their child as part of a campaign to boost a token.

The backlash led Pump.fun to halt livestreams. The feature returned in April 2025, but with stricter moderation rules.

It also faced legal pressure during this period. A proposed class-action lawsuit accused Pump.fun of offering unregistered securities and alleged that it had collected nearly $500 million in fees. The case was brought by a trader who said he lost money on three tokens – FWOG, FRED, and GRIFFAIN.

Growth Paradox

Concerns over the tokens themselves have also continued. A May 2025 report from blockchain analytics firm Solidus Labs found that 98.6% of Pump.fun tokens it analyzed showed characteristics of pump-and-dump schemes or rug pulls. More recently, a CoinGecko analysis of 18.67 million tokens found that more than 68% recorded their final trade on the same day they launched. Only 4.55% remained active for more than 90 days.

Despite this, the platform has also become a major source of revenue on Solana. In fact, it was among seven Solana applications that generated more than $100 million in revenue in 2025. According to the latest newsletter by pseudonymous Pump.fun co-founder Sapijiju, the launchpad surpassed Hyperliquid in revenue measured over 30 days.

The post Pump.fun Under Fire Again: Curve Finance Founder Calls It a ‘Casino’ for Meme Coins appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP has struggled to hold its ground in August and is facing renewed downside risk after slipping below the psychologically important $1 level.

Analysts are now warning that the crypto asset could have further room to fall before establishing a durable market bottom.

Battle Around $1 Intensifies

Crypto analyst Patel expects XRP to potentially decline another 20%-40%, which puts the projected macro accumulation zone between $0.85 and $0.65. The outlook comes after the token suffered a steep decline from its cycle peak. In fact, XRP is down by over 70% since July 2025.

Rather than viewing the current weakness as an immediate buying opportunity, Crypto Patel’s analysis points to the range as an area where macro accumulation could become more attractive if selling pressure intensifies.

Zooming in, however, one momentum indicator is beginning to stabilize. On the 4-hour RSI, another market watcher, Diana, noted that the indicator is holding around 42 and has moved slightly above its signal line near 41.8, while price remains largely flat and recent candles are becoming tighter rather than extending aggressively lower.

According to her, bulls would need XRP to move through $1.015, $1.05, and $1.081. A break above $1.081 would bring $1.145 and $1.20 into focus. On the downside, Diana said a decisive break below $1 with follow-through would put $0.906 and $0.861 back on the radar.

“If this is ACCUMULATION, XRP doesn’t need to explode immediately. It needs to keep absorbing the selling around $1 until buyers finally force a breakout.”

Wall Street’s Growing XRP Exposure

Despite the choppy price action, Wall Street is quietly loading up on XRP exchange-traded funds. CryptoPotato recently reported that several major financial firms reported exposure to these funds at the end of the second quarter.

For instance, Jane Street Group stood out with more than 1.2 million shares of the Bitwise XRP ETF, compared with just 20,605 shares at the end of the first quarter. The trading firm also held positions in XRP ETFs from Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Canary Capital, and 21Shares.

Meanwhile, Bank of America reported 13,260 shares of the Volatility Shares XRP ETF, which is worth around $76,000. Morgan Stanley also disclosed holdings in three funds, including Franklin, REX-Osprey, and Bitwise products.

Other reported holders included Wolverine Asset Management, which has nearly 200,000 Bitwise shares, and Gallacher Capital Management, with 86,744 Capital XRP ETF shares. Main Street Group and National Bank of Canada also reported smaller positions related to the asset.

The post Ripple’s (XRP) $1 Breakdown Could Get Worse Before It Gets Better appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Chainalysis is challenging the US government’s decision to award a blockchain analytics contract to TRM Labs without a competitive bidding process.

According to a case filed in the US Court of Federal Claims, the company alleged that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) favored TRM Labs.

Clash Over $94.66M Contract

At the center of the lawsuit is a major contract of $94.66 million, which was awarded last month by ICE to TRM Labs. This one-year award runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and states,

“The purpose of this contract is to support the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Homeland Security Task Force National Coordination Center Cyber Disruption Center through the provision of analytical support services.”

Chainalysis has challenged that award while alleging that the federal law enforcement agency’s decision was “arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable.” The company stated that the agencies skipped the normal competitive process and awarded the work directly to its rival. It has now asked the court to stop the award. The full complaint is under seal because it contains Chainalysis’ confidential, proprietary information and trade secrets, so the public docket does not reveal all of its arguments.

TRM Labs has already joined the case as an intervenor to defend the government’s decision. The court has also approved a protective order. Briefing is now underway, and filings are scheduled through the end of August. Oral arguments are set for September 2 at the National Courts Building in Washington, DC.

Meanwhile, the government has asked the court to issue a decision by September 10.

Lucrative Market for Crypto Analytics

Chainalysis and TRM Labs are both popular blockchain analytics companies whose tools are used by government agencies to track cryptocurrency activity. These tools have become increasingly important for authorities tracking crypto-linked financial activity by identifying wallets and following the movement of funds tied to sanctioned entities and illicit networks. The technology has also been used in cases involving state-linked wallets and the freezing of crypto assets.

This has helped platforms such as Chainalysis to build a significant business with the US government.

In the case of Chainalysis as well, its federal work dates back to 2015, when the FBI awarded it a $9,000 contract for data software. Since then, its government business has grown substantially, working with several agencies, including the DEA and IRS.

The post Chainalysis Takes US Government to Court Over $94.66M TRM Labs Contract appeared first on CryptoPotato.

South Korea’s Seoul Southern District Court has sentenced Delio CEO Jeong Sang-ho to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of fraud involving nearly 70 billion Korean won ($49.2 million) in customer crypto assets. The 11th Criminal Division, presided over by Judge Jang Chan, handed down the sentence on August 13.

The court also ordered Sang-ho to be detained due to concerns that he could flee.

15 Years Behind Bars

The prosecution had initially sought a 20-year prison term, but the court rejected some of the prosecution’s evidence after accepting arguments from Sang-ho’s side that the search and seizure of the server of outsourcing company Gabia was conducted unlawfully.

According to the court, prosecutors failed to guarantee Delio’s right to participate in the search and did not provide a list of seized items, which rendered the company’s database information and related secondary evidence inadmissible.

Upon sentencing, the court stated,

“The defendant committed a crime of embezzling a large amount of money from numerous victims, and considering the circumstances and details of the crime, the means and methods used, and the scale of the damage, the nature of the offense is very serious. He has not received forgiveness from the victims who suffered serious economic losses as a result of this case.”

At the same time, the court acknowledged that external factors had contributed to the case and noted that Sang-ho did not have a prior criminal record involving a punishment greater than a fine. The ruling represented a significant reduction from the prosecution’s original case, which alleged fraud involving approximately 250 billion won (worth around $176 million) and around 2,800 customers.

After excluding evidence related to the larger allegation, the court instead found Sang-ho guilty under the prosecution’s alternative indictment involving approximately 70 billion won and over 1,078 victims.

Crisis Linked to Haru

Delio used to offer high returns on cryptocurrency deposits and promoted itself as a digital asset bank. Its subsequent collapse was closely linked to the downfall of crypto yield platform Haru Invest. Delio had reportedly placed a portion of customer assets with Haru to generate returns, which left the South Korean lender exposed when the latter abruptly suspended withdrawals in June 2023 after citing problems involving its service provider, B&S Holdings.

This forced Delio to halt withdrawals shortly afterward, which ended up triggering a liquidity crisis that ultimately contributed to its bankruptcy.

The post Delio’s Jeong Sang-ho Handed 15-Year Sentence Over 70B Won Crypto Scandal appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP has shed more than 10% over the past week as its struggle near $1 continues. This downward pressure has pushed the crypto asset’s yearly losses to almost 70%.

Despite the negative sentiment, institutional participation appears to be intact, as several firms continue to use exchange-traded products to gain exposure to XRP.

Institutions Remain Unfazed

Morgan Stanley has disclosed its XRP exposure in the second quarter of 2026. The Wall Street giant holds positions through three XRP-linked exchange-traded funds: Franklin, REX-Osprey, and Bitwise ETF. Its largest position was in the Franklin fund, with 6,715 shares. The filing showed 255 shares of the REX-Osprey ETF and 67 shares of Bitwise’s.

The 13F filing also shows a larger position in Armada Acquisition Corp II, the SPAC partner of Ripple-backed Evernorth Holdings.

Several investment firms have had exposure to the token through exchange-traded products. For example, Wolverine Asset Management held 199,912 shares of the Bitwise XRP ETF. Gallacher Capital Management held 86,744 shares of Canary’s XRP ETF. Main Street Group had 5,261 shares of the same fund.

Meanwhile, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo held 964 shares of the Franklin XRP ETF. Additionally, National Bank of Canada revealed 3,848 shares of Bitwise’s XRP ETF.

Opportunity Amid Pressure

The picture looks less encouraging when it comes to XRP’s broader market activity. As reported by CryptoPotato, the Taker Buy/Sell Ratio is around 0.86, its lowest level since last May. The ratio has stayed below 1 for most of the recent period, which means that sellers have generally been more aggressive than buyers in the derivatives market.

There have been short-lived moves above 1, but buyers have yet to establish a clear change in momentum. A move back above that level could be a better sign for XRP, especially if it also starts seeing stronger volume and price action.

For now, however, derivatives traders appear to be leaning toward the sell side. Futures open interest also remains elevated and stands at 435.1 million units, above the 403.6 million 30-day average, with a +1.20σ Z-score, meaning “leverage is still stacked.” As such, the token is at risk of a liquidation cascade if it dumps further.

But the current weakness may also create a potential setup for a future recovery. ChartNerd highlighted $1.24 as an important level to reclaim. If the asset fails to do so, the analyst identified the $0.90-$0.70 range as a possible area where accumulation could take place.

ChartNerd also expects a retest of the 3-month 40 EMA to help XRP form a stronger base. Similar setups played out in 2023 and 2024, according to the analyst.

The post Morgan Stanley’s XRP Exposure Emerges as Price Struggles Near $1 appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Baltimore has taken legal action against prediction market operators Kalshi and Polymarket, accusing both companies of offering illegal sports betting in the city.

Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Baltimore City Council filed separate lawsuits on August 13 in the Circuit Court. The cases allege violations of Baltimore’s Consumer Protection Ordinance and accuse the companies of misleading consumers about whether their products are legal and properly regulated.

Illegal Sports Betting

The complaints claimed that Kalshi and Polymarket allow Baltimore residents to bet on game winners, point spreads, point totals, player statistics, and other outcomes commonly offered by licensed sportsbooks. The companies describe these products as “event contracts” or prediction-market trades. According to the officials, the label does not change what the products are.

Neither platform, according to the lawsuits, has the licenses required to offer sports betting in Maryland. The city said that this lets them compete with regulated sportsbooks while avoiding the oversight, taxation, responsible-gambling requirements, and consumer protections imposed on licensed operators.

Questions have also been raised about how the companies promote their platforms. Baltimore alleged that Kalshi and Polymarket market their platforms in ways that can create a false or misleading impression that the offerings are legal and properly regulated. The city added that this can make gambling more accessible and expose vulnerable consumers, including young adults and people with gambling addictions, to financial harm.

Baltimore is seeking civil penalties, injunctive relief, restitution for affected consumers, disgorgement of alleged ill-gotten profits, and other relief allowed under law.

Legal Battles on Multiple Fronts

The two companies are already dealing with several other legal and regulatory disputes. For example, Kalshi recently faced a lawsuit from New York State Attorney General Letitia James seeking to shut down its operations in the state. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission then used its emergency authority to require Kalshi to continue operating in New York after the company sought federal help. The agency said the order followed the platform’s request for assistance after the state lawsuit was filed at the end of July.

It also faced a lawsuit from flight-tracking company FlightAware over flight-related prediction markets. FlightAware accused Kalshi of using its data and name without permission to host markets on flight cancellations. But the case was withdrawn just a day later. Its lawyers said the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice against all defendants.

Polymarket has faced separate problems as well. JPMorgan Chase stopped providing banking services to it late last year. Polymarket has since moved to another lender, although its name has not been disclosed.

A separate consumer protection lawsuit has also been filed against it in Washington, D.C. The National Association of Consumer Advocates alleges that the company, CEO Shayne Coplan, and Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber ran “flagrantly deceptive” social media advertising campaigns that promoted Polymarket to American consumers and encouraged betting on a platform that was not technically available in the US.

The complaint also refers to reports of political influencers praising Polymarket’s accuracy without disclosing paid deals. It cites a Wall Street Journal investigation that found viral videos using simulated versions of the platform to suggest creators had won bets.

The post It’s Not Just Baltimore: Kalshi and Polymarket Face More Legal Trouble appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The market has been in a rough patch for some time. The total crypto market capitalization is down 1.1% today, falling to $2.17 trillion, as pessimism continues to grow. The mood has been getting darker as prices struggle to regain momentum and traders become increasingly cautious.

At the same time, crypto “dead” chatter is rising again across X, Reddit, Telegram, and other crypto channels.

“Dead, Dying, Finished”

Terms such as dead, dying, over, ended, ending, and finished are gaining traction. According to Santiment’s latest update, this language reflects fear and often appears as retail patience weakens, prices remain stuck, and traders view temporary weakness as lasting failure.

Crypto markets can move against the crowd when bearish views become too certain. If “crypto is dead” talk rises while Bitcoin holds key levels, stronger hands continue accumulating, and forced selling declines, the market structure can become more attractive for patient buyers, the analytic firm explained.

Bitcoin has had its obituary written many times before, but it has repeatedly bounced back and gone on to deliver strong returns. The cryptocurrency once existed largely as a sideshow in the underbelly of the internet. Over time, however, it moved from the fringes into the center of mainstream finance. Now, despite all that attention and acceptance, Bitcoin is facing another period of weakness. Its price has been stuck around $63,000 for weeks, bringing back the familiar debate over whether it has lost its momentum.

The latest wave of fear is worth watching, especially as some investors see opportunity instead. In a recent tweet, Crypto Patel said investors calling Bitcoin “dead” may be missing the bigger picture. Retail traders often see fear when prices weaken. But, according to the analyst, whales may see the same period as a long-term BTC accumulation zone.

This trend is evident in recent reports, which also suggest that the largest wallets are growing again. The number of wallets holding at least 10,000 BTC returned to a six-month high. There are currently 90 such wallets, up by six over the past eight weeks. During this period, holdings among micro wallets have declined in August.

Collapsing Sentiment

Chiming in on the growing narrative, another market watcher, Allen Rodgers, said the trend is worth watching because similar spikes in the narrative have appeared during periods of extreme fear, often when the asset was close to finding a bottom. According to Rodgers, the pattern usually starts with the crowd turning bearish and social sentiment collapsing. The market can then begin to turn before traders feel comfortable buying again.

“Then the market starts turning before anyone feels comfortable buying. Not saying history has to repeat. But when everyone starts calling the same market ‘dead’ again…”

The post ‘Crypto Is Dead’ Talk Is Rising; Could Peak Fear Be a Contrarian Signal? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Chainlink has surged by almost 8% over the past week despite choppy price action across the broader crypto market. The crypto asset may be setting up for a major move, according to crypto analyst Ali Martinez.

What makes the setup particularly interesting is that some of the signals now appearing on LINK’s chart have historically emerged ahead of sharp rallies.

Whale Activity and Network Usage Jump

For the first time in more than a year, the MVRV Ratio has formed a golden cross with its 200-day SMA, a historically significant bullish signal. Interestingly, the same setup preceded a 155% rally in November 2024 and an 85% rise in July 2025. If the pattern repeats, the latest crossover could support another significant move.

To top that, whale activity is also increasing. Over the past 96 hours, transactions worth more than $1 million on the Chainlink network rose from roughly one to around 15. This indicates a sharp rise in large-holder activity.

Network activity has strengthened as well. Active addresses nearly doubled during the same period after climbing from about 2,450 to 4,800. Martinez also flagged a buy signal from the TD Sequential on the crypto asset’s monthly chart. According to the analyst, it could be a macro reversal signal that switches the trend from bearish to bullish.

On the daily chart, LINK is testing the mid-range of a parallel channel at $8.80. A daily close above that level may pave the way for a 30% rally toward the channel’s upper boundary near $11.

A fresh and much bolder outlook was recently put forward by another market watcher, CryptoPatel, who said that LINK is sitting in a strong long-term accumulation zone, with a higher-timeframe close above $10.87 potentially opening the door to $25, $50, and even $100.

Another trader, TheBoss, identified a similar setup, while pointing to months of consolidation above major support and a descending trendline that could soon be tested. Momentum indicators such as RSI, MACD, and ADX may become increasingly important if the token breaks that trendline.

Meanwhile, Standard Chartered’s outlook stretches even further. Its forecast calls for roughly $13 in 2026, $41 in 2027, $82 in 2028, and $133 in 2029 before the token reaches $200 in 2030. The bank also expects growing blockchain-based tokenization to play a major role in that climb.

Institutional Footprint

Zooming out, the oracle network has secured over $33 trillion in total transaction value. The figure has climbed sharply in just a few months. Back in April 2026, the transaction value stood at around $30.06 trillion. This means that the network has added more than $3 trillion since then.

Its institutional footprint is also expanding across financial markets and crypto. DTCC has processed live production transactions involving tokenized securities that were powered by Chainlink for secure data orchestration. Major institutions, including J.P. Morgan and CME Group, have participated in the initiative.

Project Pangea, meanwhile, has brought together more than 50 banks to explore T+0 cross-border FX settlement using stablecoins, SWIFT, and Chainlink infrastructure.

Adoption is also spreading across the crypto industry as platforms including BitGo, Robinhood, Aave, and OKX are using its technology. Mantle has migrated its Super Portal from LayerZero to CCIP. Lombard also uses the protocol to facilitate cross-chain deposits into its Bitcoin Onchain Credit Strategy. Circle’s Arc has also joined Chainlink Scale.

The post Chainlink (LINK) Flashes a Rare Signal Linked to Triple-Digit Rallies appeared first on CryptoPotato.

GSR said its Core3 model portfolio increased its allocation to Solana to 43.7%, while cutting its Ether holdings to 39.5% and Bitcoin slightly to 16.9%.

The change came as crypto markets stayed “constructive” over the past week, according to the trading firm.

GSR Leans Toward Solana

In its update, GSR noted that trading remained relatively calm, and that the move aligns with Solana’s stronger near-term price momentum. However, the asset’s trading volume has weakened over both the seven-day and 30-day periods. Ether still posted the strongest 30-day return of 6.4%, even after its portfolio weight was reduced. Meanwhile, Bitcoin remains the smallest allocation.

Longer-term trading activity for the world’s largest crypto has also stayed subdued.

For the uninitiated, GSR launched its first exchange-traded fund in April this year. The Crypto Core3 ETF trades under the ticker BESO on Nasdaq. The fund has a 1% management fee. It also offers active portfolio management and staking rewards on eligible assets. GSR had earlier said the fund actively shifts its allocation across the three assets. It rebalances every week based on research-driven signals designed to pursue additional returns.

One user on X speculated whether the move could signal the start of an altcoin rotation.

Solana is currently hovering above $76. As CryptoPotato recently reported, several technical signals have been pointing to additional upside. Analyst Ali Martinez said SOL is trading inside a parallel channel, and the $78 level has become important. A break above the mid-range could open the way toward the upper boundary near $100. A buy signal from the TD Sequential on its daily chart further supported the bullish thesis. The MACD has also formed a golden cross.

A Bottom, But Not Yet?

Glassnode, in its latest analysis, stated that the asset is stuck in a tight range as buyers remain largely absent. The price is sitting between the Median Realized Price at $63,000 and the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis at $68,700. Spot trading volume has also fallen to its lowest level since 2019.

The firm explained that sellers are showing signs of exhaustion, while several indicators are moving closer to levels seen during previous bear-market bottoms. At the same time, leverage has built up on the long side. If Bitcoin climbs back above $68,700 on stronger volume and ETF inflows pick up, it would be a positive sign. But if it fails to rally or falls below $58,500, the bottom could still be in doubt.

The post Solana Overtakes Bitcoin and Ether in GSR’s Latest Crypto Portfolio Shake-Up appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP’s price action has remained choppy this week. It briefly fell below $1 before a modest recovery. But that strength faded quickly, and it has since settled near $1.01.

New data suggests that selling pressure on the token has reached its highest level since May on Binance.

Downside Risk Grows

According to CryptoQuant’s latest findings, the exchange’s Taker Buy/Sell Ratio has fallen sharply to around 0.86, its lowest reading since last May. A reading below 1 means traders are executing more sell orders than buy orders, which indicates clear selling pressure in the derivatives market.

The ratio has stayed below 1 for most of the recent period. There have been brief moves above that level, but they failed to develop into a lasting trend. XRP has also continued to fall from the highs recorded in previous months. This adds to signs of weak spot demand and speculative interest.

However, the low ratio does not mean XRP must continue declining. It mainly shows a temporary imbalance between buyers and sellers in the market. If the ratio moves even lower, downward pressure on the asset could increase. On the other hand, if the ratio moves back above 1 and holds, buying interest could improve. This would be more significant if it came with a stronger price and higher buying volume.

But CryptoPatel also flagged high open interest as another warning sign. XRP futures OI stands at 435.1 million units, above the 30-day average of 403.6 million units, which gives it a Z-score of +1.20σ. The analyst explained that the combination of price weakness and elevated OI essentially means that leverage remains stacked in the market. If the asset falls further, the setup could turn into a liquidation cascade.

Meanwhile, CasiTrades expects XRP to see a deeper pullback before finding a stronger floor. The analyst identified $0.94 as a level where the token could find some relief, but $0.87 remains the bigger downside target.

Whales Take a Different View

Short-term traders may be leaning bearish, but whale wallets have been moving in the opposite direction. Earlier this week, Santiment found that the number of wallets holding at least 1 million XRP has risen by 32 over the past three months, even as the asset’s market cap fell 29%.

The analytics firm said this points to stronger holders absorbing the recent panic as “patience replaces price-driven hype” – a shift that could make future volatility more “interesting” for the bulls.

The post XRP Faces Its Strongest Selling Pressure Since May: What’s Next for Ripple’s Price? appeared first on CryptoPotato.