Circle Renews Coinbase USDC Deal, Rules Out Quarterly Payouts
Circle said it has renewed its partnership with Coinbase on existing terms, preserving USDC’s central role across the exchange’s product ecosystem while continuing to pursue distribution agreements with other strategic partners. CFO Jeremy Fox-Geen said the company has no plans to introduce quarterly dividends, arguing that reinvesting capital in growth and strategic initiatives should generate stronger long-term shareholder returns. Circle is the NYSE-listed issuer of USDC, the world’s second-largest dollar-backed stablecoin by market value. — link
Circle said it has renewed its partnership with Coinbase on existing terms, preserving USDC’s central role across the exchange’s product ecosystem while continuing to pursue distribution agreements with other strategic partners. CFO Jeremy Fox-Geen said the company has no plans to introduce quarterly dividends, arguing that reinvesting capital in growth and strategic initiatives should generate stronger long-term shareholder returns. Circle is the NYSE-listed issuer of USDC, the world’s second-largest dollar-backed stablecoin by market value. — link
Move Creator Sam Blackshear Leaves Mysten Labs to Join Anthropic for Defensive Security Research
Move creator and Mysten Labs co-founder Sam Blackshear has announced his departure from Mysten Labs to join Anthropic, where he will focus on defensive security research. He will remain an advisor to Mysten Labs and Sui ecosystem builders and stay involved with the planned Move Foundation. @EvanWeb3 will take over responsibility for setting Mysten Labs’ technical direction. — link
Move creator and Mysten Labs co-founder Sam Blackshear has announced his departure from Mysten Labs to join Anthropic, where he will focus on defensive security research. He will remain an advisor to Mysten Labs and Sui ecosystem builders and stay involved with the planned Move Foundation. @EvanWeb3 will take over responsibility for setting Mysten Labs’ technical direction. — link
Upbit to List Cap (CAP) in KRW, BTC and USDT Markets; Bithumb to Add UB
Upbit will list Cap (CAP), opening trading in its KRW, BTC and USDT markets. Cap is an onchain credit and stablecoin protocol built around a “covered credit” model, offering the dollar-denominated cUSD and yield-bearing stcUSD, with CAP serving as its governance token. Upbit is South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, handling more than 80% of the domestic market by trading volume, according to analysts cited by Reuters.
Meanwhile, South Korea's second-largest crypto exchange Bithumb will list UB on its KRW market. Unibase (UB) is a decentralized AI memory and interoperability layer that enables autonomous agents to retain verifiable long-term memory, establish on-chain identities and collaborate across platforms. — link
Upbit will list Cap (CAP), opening trading in its KRW, BTC and USDT markets. Cap is an onchain credit and stablecoin protocol built around a “covered credit” model, offering the dollar-denominated cUSD and yield-bearing stcUSD, with CAP serving as its governance token. Upbit is South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, handling more than 80% of the domestic market by trading volume, according to analysts cited by Reuters.
Meanwhile, South Korea's second-largest crypto exchange Bithumb will list UB on its KRW market. Unibase (UB) is a decentralized AI memory and interoperability layer that enables autonomous agents to retain verifiable long-term memory, establish on-chain identities and collaborate across platforms. — link
GSR: Bitcoin, Ether and Solana Tumble in 2026, With SOL Down Over 40%
GSR’s Core3 model portfolio allocated 44.1% to ETH, 36.5% to SOL and 19.3% to BTC as of August 5. Bitcoin, Ether and Solana were down 24.82%, 35.49% and 40.21% year to date, respectively. The model portfolio lost 57.78% over the past year, underperforming the equal-weight basket’s 49.84% decline. As trading activity and volatility eased, GSR increased its Bitcoin allocation and reduced its Ether exposure. — link
GSR’s Core3 model portfolio allocated 44.1% to ETH, 36.5% to SOL and 19.3% to BTC as of August 5. Bitcoin, Ether and Solana were down 24.82%, 35.49% and 40.21% year to date, respectively. The model portfolio lost 57.78% over the past year, underperforming the equal-weight basket’s 49.84% decline. As trading activity and volatility eased, GSR increased its Bitcoin allocation and reduced its Ether exposure. — link
BlackRock Leads $305 Million Inflows Into Bitcoin and Ether ETFs
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded USD 244 million in net inflows on August 5, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with USD 197 million, according to SoSoValue. Spot Ethereum ETFs attracted another USD 60.86 million, with BlackRock’s ETHA accounting for USD 50.34 million. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing more than USD 15 trillion as of the second quarter of 2026. — link
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded USD 244 million in net inflows on August 5, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with USD 197 million, according to SoSoValue. Spot Ethereum ETFs attracted another USD 60.86 million, with BlackRock’s ETHA accounting for USD 50.34 million. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing more than USD 15 trillion as of the second quarter of 2026. — link
Dormant BTC Movement Hit 200 Times the Coldcard Theft, With Little Sent to Exchanges
Glassnode said Bitcoin remained range-bound at historically low volatility even as global equities and gold reached record highs. After a Coldcard wallet vulnerability led to the theft of roughly 594 BTC, about 119,000 BTC dormant for more than a year moved within three days, but only around 10% reached exchanges, suggesting wallet migration rather than broad selling. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs shed approximately 65,800 BTC in June, while upside implied volatility fell to a record low near 23%. — link
Glassnode said Bitcoin remained range-bound at historically low volatility even as global equities and gold reached record highs. After a Coldcard wallet vulnerability led to the theft of roughly 594 BTC, about 119,000 BTC dormant for more than a year moved within three days, but only around 10% reached exchanges, suggesting wallet migration rather than broad selling. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs shed approximately 65,800 BTC in June, while upside implied volatility fell to a record low near 23%. — link
Highlight Clip a16z: How to Prevent Another FTX-Style Risk?
a16z: How to Prevent Another FTX-Style Risk?
On August 1, 2026, Chris Dixon, head of a16z crypto, discussed how the CLARITY Act could reshape the regulatory environment for the crypto market. Dixon said the U.S. currently lacks a clear federal regulatory framework for crypto exchanges, and that the bill would grant the SEC and CFTC relevant oversight authority while establishing requirements for disclosure, anti-fraud measures, insider trading rules, and audits for crypto intermediaries.
Citing the FTX collapse, Dixon argued that similar incidents could have been less likely if trading platforms had been subject to traditional financial standards, including audits and risk controls. He believes a clear regulatory framework will allow compliant platforms to operate under defined rules. — link
a16z: How to Prevent Another FTX-Style Risk?
On August 1, 2026, Chris Dixon, head of a16z crypto, discussed how the CLARITY Act could reshape the regulatory environment for the crypto market. Dixon said the U.S. currently lacks a clear federal regulatory framework for crypto exchanges, and that the bill would grant the SEC and CFTC relevant oversight authority while establishing requirements for disclosure, anti-fraud measures, insider trading rules, and audits for crypto intermediaries.
Citing the FTX collapse, Dixon argued that similar incidents could have been less likely if trading platforms had been subject to traditional financial standards, including audits and risk controls. He believes a clear regulatory framework will allow compliant platforms to operate under defined rules. — link
BNB Overtakes Ether and Solana in Grayscale Smart Contract Fund
Grayscale added BNB to its Smart Contract Fund during its second-quarter rebalancing, giving the token a 30.6% weighting, ahead of Ether at 29.47% and Solana at 29.15%. Its DeFi Fund reduced UNI exposure, although Uniswap remained the largest holding at 34.16%, while the Decentralized AI Fund trimmed NEAR, which retained the top position at 31.35%. — link
Grayscale added BNB to its Smart Contract Fund during its second-quarter rebalancing, giving the token a 30.6% weighting, ahead of Ether at 29.47% and Solana at 29.15%. Its DeFi Fund reduced UNI exposure, although Uniswap remained the largest holding at 34.16%, while the Decentralized AI Fund trimmed NEAR, which retained the top position at 31.35%. — link
Step App Announces Shutdown After Four Years
Move-to-Earn project Step App has announced its official shutdown after four years of operation. The team stated that despite achieving over 1 million downloads and tracking billions of steps, they have made the difficult decision to wind down all operations. All services will be shut down by August 21, and users are advised to unstake locked tokens and manage their positions before the deadline.
Step App’s governance token FITFI reached an all-time high of approximately $0.73, with an IDO price of $0.0049, representing a peak gain of about 150x from IDO to ATH. Earlier on July 16, Upbit and Bithumb both announced the delisting of Step App (FITFI). — link
Move-to-Earn project Step App has announced its official shutdown after four years of operation. The team stated that despite achieving over 1 million downloads and tracking billions of steps, they have made the difficult decision to wind down all operations. All services will be shut down by August 21, and users are advised to unstake locked tokens and manage their positions before the deadline.
Step App’s governance token FITFI reached an all-time high of approximately $0.73, with an IDO price of $0.0049, representing a peak gain of about 150x from IDO to ATH. Earlier on July 16, Upbit and Bithumb both announced the delisting of Step App (FITFI). — link
Hyperliquid Q2 HIP-3 RWA Contracts’ Trading Share Rises from 1.8% to 32.2%
Hyperliquid released its Q2 report, showing that HIP-3-related RWA perpetual contracts increased their share of trading volume from 1.8% two quarters ago to 32.2%, with quarterly trading volume reaching $213 billion, accounting for nearly one-third of total platform volume. During the same period, three HYPE ETFs began trading, while funds and related treasuries collectively held about 7.7% of HYPE’s total supply. The protocol generated approximately $169 million in Q2 revenue, with around $141 million used for buybacks, bringing cumulative revenue above $1 billion. — link
Hyperliquid released its Q2 report, showing that HIP-3-related RWA perpetual contracts increased their share of trading volume from 1.8% two quarters ago to 32.2%, with quarterly trading volume reaching $213 billion, accounting for nearly one-third of total platform volume. During the same period, three HYPE ETFs began trading, while funds and related treasuries collectively held about 7.7% of HYPE’s total supply. The protocol generated approximately $169 million in Q2 revenue, with around $141 million used for buybacks, bringing cumulative revenue above $1 billion. — link
U.S. Initial Jobless Claims for Week Ending Aug. 1 at 199,000, Below Estimate
U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ended August 1 came in at 199,000, below the expected 202,000. The previous reading was revised from 197,000 to 198,000. — link
U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ended August 1 came in at 199,000, below the expected 202,000. The previous reading was revised from 197,000 to 198,000. — link
Plume Joins DTCC Digital Assets Solutions Industry Working Group
Plume announced it has joined the DTCC Digital Assets Solutions Industry Working Group alongside institutions including Charles Schwab, Nasdaq, and Alpaca. The group provides feedback on DTCC's Tokenization Service and promotes broader adoption of digital assets. DTCC provides custody and asset servicing for more than $114 trillion in assets. — link
Plume announced it has joined the DTCC Digital Assets Solutions Industry Working Group alongside institutions including Charles Schwab, Nasdaq, and Alpaca. The group provides feedback on DTCC's Tokenization Service and promotes broader adoption of digital assets. DTCC provides custody and asset servicing for more than $114 trillion in assets. — link
Optimism Projects 343M OP to Enter Circulation Over the Next Year
Optimism Foundation released its annual budget update and outlook, projecting that approximately 342.9 million OP will enter circulation during Year 5 (May 2026–April 2027). The projected increase includes 200 million OP from the Ecosystem Fund, 47.6 million OP for Early Core Contributors, and 15.3 million OP for investors, with circulating supply expected to reach 2.504 billion OP, or 58.3% of the total supply. The Foundation emphasized that the tokens come from the original allocation framework and that no new token allocation has been requested. — link
Optimism Foundation released its annual budget update and outlook, projecting that approximately 342.9 million OP will enter circulation during Year 5 (May 2026–April 2027). The projected increase includes 200 million OP from the Ecosystem Fund, 47.6 million OP for Early Core Contributors, and 15.3 million OP for investors, with circulating supply expected to reach 2.504 billion OP, or 58.3% of the total supply. The Foundation emphasized that the tokens come from the original allocation framework and that no new token allocation has been requested. — link
Violent Crypto Attacks Caused Over $30 Million in Losses in H1, France Most Affected
According to Chainalysis, wrench attacks targeting crypto holders caused more than $30 million in losses in the first half of 2026, and losses for the full year could surpass the record $58 million reported in 2025 if the current trend continues. The report noted that France has become a major hotspot for such attacks, partly due to a data breach involving French tax authorities that exposed information on high-net-worth crypto investors and expanded criminals’ target pool. Chainalysis also said these attacks are increasingly targeting victims’ family members, with home invasions and kidnapping cases accounting for a growing share. — link
According to Chainalysis, wrench attacks targeting crypto holders caused more than $30 million in losses in the first half of 2026, and losses for the full year could surpass the record $58 million reported in 2025 if the current trend continues. The report noted that France has become a major hotspot for such attacks, partly due to a data breach involving French tax authorities that exposed information on high-net-worth crypto investors and expanded criminals’ target pool. Chainalysis also said these attacks are increasingly targeting victims’ family members, with home invasions and kidnapping cases accounting for a growing share. — link
Kumio: North Korea Has Successfully Compromised 1640 Companies Across 57 Countries Globally
According to WIRED, Vangelis Stykas, CTO at cybersecurity firm Kumio, revealed that after maintaining access to North Korean hackers' command-and-control servers for 22 months, he discovered that North Korean hackers have compromised 1,640 companies across 57 countries using fake job interview lures. Among them, 700 to 800 organizations suffered highly damaging intrusions, including root access to servers, AWS permissions, and cryptocurrency wallet keys.
The research highlights that hackers maintained a laser focus on cryptocurrency theft, while lax access controls among external contractors vastly amplified the blast radius of these breaches. — link
According to WIRED, Vangelis Stykas, CTO at cybersecurity firm Kumio, revealed that after maintaining access to North Korean hackers' command-and-control servers for 22 months, he discovered that North Korean hackers have compromised 1,640 companies across 57 countries using fake job interview lures. Among them, 700 to 800 organizations suffered highly damaging intrusions, including root access to servers, AWS permissions, and cryptocurrency wallet keys.
The research highlights that hackers maintained a laser focus on cryptocurrency theft, while lax access controls among external contractors vastly amplified the blast radius of these breaches. — link
Late Ondo Founder’s Mother Sues for Company Control, Seeks Removal of CEO Ian De Bode
The mother of late Ondo Finance founder Nathan Allman has sued in Delaware seeking control of the company and the removal of CEO Ian De Bode. She alleges De Bode assumed the CEO role without board approval after Allman’s death and argues that, as representative of his estate, she controls the company’s voting power and has authority to reconstitute the board. De Bode denies the claims and says the current leadership retains the support of key stakeholders, lead investors and the Ondo Foundation. — link
The mother of late Ondo Finance founder Nathan Allman has sued in Delaware seeking control of the company and the removal of CEO Ian De Bode. She alleges De Bode assumed the CEO role without board approval after Allman’s death and argues that, as representative of his estate, she controls the company’s voting power and has authority to reconstitute the board. De Bode denies the claims and says the current leadership retains the support of key stakeholders, lead investors and the Ondo Foundation. — link
Wintermute Registers as U.S. Broker-Dealer, Targets Wall Street Market-Making Giants
The Wall Street Journal reported that Wintermute’s U.S. arm has registered as a broker-dealer, bringing it under FINRA and SEC oversight and making it eligible to seek designated market-maker status on exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. The firm plans to begin trading in crypto-related markets such as commodities and digital-asset ETFs, before expanding into tokenized equities if permitted by U.S. regulators. Wintermute USA has already secured ETF issuers as clients and aims to compete with Jump Trading, Jane Street and Citadel Securities within the next three to five years. — link
The Wall Street Journal reported that Wintermute’s U.S. arm has registered as a broker-dealer, bringing it under FINRA and SEC oversight and making it eligible to seek designated market-maker status on exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. The firm plans to begin trading in crypto-related markets such as commodities and digital-asset ETFs, before expanding into tokenized equities if permitted by U.S. regulators. Wintermute USA has already secured ETF issuers as clients and aims to compete with Jump Trading, Jane Street and Citadel Securities within the next three to five years. — link
South Korea’s Largest Crypto Exchange Upbit to List KMNO/KRW Trading Pair
According to an official announcement, South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit, will list the KMNO/KRW trading pair at 1:30 p.m. KST on August 7. Kamino Finance is a lending-based DeFi protocol. — link
According to an official announcement, South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit, will list the KMNO/KRW trading pair at 1:30 p.m. KST on August 7. Kamino Finance is a lending-based DeFi protocol. — link
MARA, the Largest Publicly Traded Bitcoin Miner, Reports 29% YoY Decline in Bitcoin Holdings to 35,577 BTC in Q2
MARA, the largest publicly traded Bitcoin miner, reported a 29% year-over-year decline in its Bitcoin holdings to 35,577 BTC in Q2 2026. Revenue fell 27% to $175 million, while the company posted a net loss of $611 million and adjusted EBITDA of negative $361 million. Year-end hashrate rose 22% to 70.3 EH/s, Bitcoin production increased 3% to 2,422 BTC, and daily cost per unit of hashrate fell 4% to $27.7. Cash and Bitcoin holdings were worth approximately $2.5 billion combined. — link
MARA, the largest publicly traded Bitcoin miner, reported a 29% year-over-year decline in its Bitcoin holdings to 35,577 BTC in Q2 2026. Revenue fell 27% to $175 million, while the company posted a net loss of $611 million and adjusted EBITDA of negative $361 million. Year-end hashrate rose 22% to 70.3 EH/s, Bitcoin production increased 3% to 2,422 BTC, and daily cost per unit of hashrate fell 4% to $27.7. Cash and Bitcoin holdings were worth approximately $2.5 billion combined. — link
Upbit and Bithumb to List Block Street’s BSB Trading Pairs on August 7
South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit, will list BSB/KRW, BSB/BTC and BSB/USDT trading pairs at 3:00 p.m. KST on August 7. Block Street is an onchain capital markets infrastructure protocol for tokenized stocks and real-world assets (RWAs).
Additionally, South Korea’s second-largest crypto exchange, Bithumb, will also list the BSB/KRW trading pair at the same time. — link
South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit, will list BSB/KRW, BSB/BTC and BSB/USDT trading pairs at 3:00 p.m. KST on August 7. Block Street is an onchain capital markets infrastructure protocol for tokenized stocks and real-world assets (RWAs).
Additionally, South Korea’s second-largest crypto exchange, Bithumb, will also list the BSB/KRW trading pair at the same time. — link
Bitcoin Spot ETFs Record $129 Million in Net Inflows on August 6, Marking Four Straight Days of Inflows
On August 6 (ET), Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded total net inflows of $129 million, marking four consecutive days of net inflows. Ethereum spot ETFs recorded total net inflows of $92.15 million, extending their net inflow streak to three days. — link
On August 6 (ET), Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded total net inflows of $129 million, marking four consecutive days of net inflows. Ethereum spot ETFs recorded total net inflows of $92.15 million, extending their net inflow streak to three days. — link