Australia Launches Bitcoin-Backed Mortgages Amid Housing Crisis

A new financial product allowing Australians to leverage Bitcoin as collateral for home loans has been introduced, targeting both crypto holders and those struggling with the country’s worsening housing affordability crisis, reports CoinTelegraph.

Ethereum-Based ETFs See Record Weekly Inflows

▪️From July 14 to 18, U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $2.18 billion — the highest weekly figure since their launch a year ago.

▪️During the same period, spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $2.39 billion. This marks the sixth consecutive week of positive net inflows into Bitcoin funds.

▪️A net inflow means that the amount of new investor funds entering the ETFs exceeded the amount of redeemed shares.
These inflows compel fund managers (like BlackRock, Fidelity, and other ETF operators) to purchase the equivalent amount of Bitcoin or Ether, thereby creating additional demand and supporting price growth.

▪️According to SoSoValue, the entire group of spot Ethereum ETFs collectively holds 4.19% of the circulating ETH supply — worth over $18.37 billion.

▪️None of the nine active funds have recorded a decrease in assets. Capital continues to flow into Ethereum spot ETFs for the tenth week in a row.

ETH is currently trading around $3,800 — its highest level in 2025. In July alone, ETH has gained over 50%.

In Q2 2025, crypto traders continued their shift from centralized exchanges (CEX) to decentralized ones (DEX).

Trading volumes on CEXs dropped by 27% compared to Q1 — from $5.4 trillion to $3.9 trillion. Meanwhile, DEX volumes increased by 25% — from $699 billion to $877 billion.

Manhattan Pastor and Wife Charged in Crypto Investor Kidnapping

A Manhattan pastor and his wife were arrested in connection with the kidnapping and torture of a crypto investor. Prosecutors detailed a written “manifesto” outlining the elaborate plan for extortion and ransom.

Police stated that the couple targeted the victim based on his perceived control of large cryptocurrency holdings, adding a disturbing dimension to financial crimes linked to digital wealth.

Due to a sudden surge in retail enthusiasm for ETH, Ethereum’s spot trading volume in July has started to surpass that of Bitcoin.

Another solo miner has successfully mined block 907283 on the Bitcoin network, earning a reward of 3.154 BTC (approximately $372,800).

Coinbase has announced a partnership with banking giant JPMorgan Chase to make access to cryptocurrencies even easier.
Source – Coinbase Blog

A high school student gave ChatGPT $100 and allowed it to fully manage the investments.

The AI independently selected stocks, volumes, and stop-loss levels — and within a month, the portfolio grew by 23.8%.

The experiment’s creator did not interfere with the process and even built a custom system to track trades via Yahoo Finance.

Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Stolen in Lugano, Switzerland

A bronze statue honoring Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has been stolen from its public display in Lugano—a Swiss city known for its pro-crypto initiatives.

The Cardano community has approved a $70 million budget allocation for further core development of the project.

The statue of Satoshi Nakamoto was found in a nearby lake.

OpenAI could become the most valuable private tech company in the world, according to FT.

▪️The developer of ChatGPT is in talks with investors regarding a secondary sale of employee-owned shares.

▪️This deal could push the company’s valuation to $500 billion.

On August 6, the Ethereum network recorded 1.87 million transactions — close to the all-time high of 1.96 million set in January 2024 — according to Etherscan data.