Summary
gm, Michael Saylor's company continued its Bitcoin accumulation streak for the 11th consecutive week, now holding over 592,345 BTC valued at $63.6 billion. A major regulatory development is emerging with analysts anticipating the imminent launch of the first-ever Solana staking ETF by REX Shares following positive feedback from the SEC, potentially signaling a new phase of "crypto ETF summer." Meanwhile, concerns have arisen in Kenya, where local crypto startups are alarmed that the proposed VASP Bill could grant excessive influence to a Binance-linked lobby group, potentially creating an unfair marketplace, while on the technical front, BNB Smart Chain completed its Maxwell hard fork, reducing block times from 1.5 to 0.8 seconds to enhance network efficiency.

News Headlines
🚨 Record $2.1 Billion in Crypto Stolen by Hackers in First Half of 2025

  • Hackers stole over $2.1 billion in cryptocurrency during the first half of 2025, with North Korean-sponsored groups responsible for approximately 70% ($1.6 billion) of these losses, according to TRM Labs.
  • A significant contributor was February's Bybit exchange breach, where nearly $1.5 billion in Ethereum and related assets were compromised through infrastructure attacks targeting private keys and seed phrases, which accounted for 80% of this year's losses.

☕ Spanish Café Chain's $1.1B Bitcoin Plan Draws Skepticism

  • Vanadi Coffee, a Spanish café chain with just six locations and $3.9 million in losses last year, is attempting to pivot to Bitcoin with plans to accumulate $1.17 billion in the cryptocurrency despite having negative equity.
  • Experts, including Andrew Bailey from the Bitcoin Policy Institute, view the venture as likely to fail, emphasizing that acquiring Bitcoin does not resolve underlying business issues and raising concerns about dilution of existing shareholders' interests.

📈 Japanese Firm Metaplanet Becomes 5th Largest Corporate Bitcoin Holder

  • Metaplanet has acquired an additional 1,005 BTC for $108 million, surpassing mining company Cleanspark to become the fifth-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin with total holdings of 13,350 BTC valued at approximately $1.45 billion.
  • The company has issued 30 billion yen ($208 million) in 0% ordinary bonds to fund more Bitcoin acquisitions and aims to raise $5.4 billion to acquire 210,000 BTC by 2027, with its stock price increasing 350% since the start of 2025.

🏆 Coinbase Recognized Among TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025

  • TIME has named Coinbase as a "disruptor" in its 100 Most Influential Companies list, primarily due to its advocacy work in cryptocurrency policy and becoming the first crypto stock included in the S&P 500 index.
  • Coinbase is pursuing SEC approval for tokenized stock trading and has secured a license under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, positioning itself for global expansion amid growing institutional interest in digital assets.

⚠️ Few Bitcoin Treasury Companies Expected to Survive Market Downturn

  • A report from venture capital firm Breed warns that only a few Bitcoin treasury companies will survive a possible 'death spiral' triggered by decreasing Bitcoin prices, which affects a company's multiple of net asset value (MNAV) and can lead to margin calls.
  • The report identifies seven phases of decline, emphasizing that strong leadership, disciplined execution, and distinct strategies are essential for survival, while warning that widespread debt financing in the industry could exacerbate market fallout.

Market Metrics

Fundraising & VC
No fundraising data today.

Regulatory
🌐 Hong Kong Launches Stablecoin Regulations Challenging USD Dominance

  • Hong Kong will implement new stablecoin regulations on August 1, requiring issuers to meet strict compliance measures for reserve asset management, redemption, and anti-money laundering controls.
  • The regulatory framework aligns with China's de-dollarization efforts, with Financial Secretary Paul Chan emphasizing stablecoins' role in fostering regional trade using local currencies instead of USD.

🔒 Mass Decoy Messaging Developed to Protect Whistleblowers

  • CoverDrop has developed a mass decoy messaging system that generates significant fake traffic between news agencies and readers to obscure genuine whistleblower communications.
  • The technology addresses growing concerns that even with end-to-end encryption, unique communication patterns make whistleblowers identifiable to surveillance agencies with advanced AI capabilities.

⚖️ Ripple-SEC Legal Battle Continues Despite Settlement Attempts

  • Despite announcements that the SEC would drop its appeal against Ripple, multiple legal hurdles have prevented final resolution of the case that began in 2020.
  • A federal judge rejected settlement attempts in May and June 2025, reaffirming the original penalty after Ripple had negotiated to reduce its fine from $125 million to $50 million.

💰 Stablecoins Emerge as Internet's Default Settlement Layer

  • Stablecoins have surpassed traditional card networks like Visa and Mastercard in on-chain transaction volume, establishing themselves as the primary settlement layer for internet payments.
  • The recent passage of the GENIUS Act in the U.S. provides clearer regulations for stablecoins, potentially fostering innovation while supporting existing financial infrastructure.

💵 GENIUS Act Progress Boosts Coinbase Stock by 43% in June

  • Coinbase shares surged 43% in June, making it the top S&P 500 performer, largely driven by progress on the GENIUS Act which establishes clearer stablecoin regulations.
  • The company's partnership with Circle, issuer of USDC stablecoin, positions Coinbase to earn significant indirect revenue as regulatory clarity increases stablecoin adoption.

Technical Analysis
Bitcoin - Bitcoin has broken up from an approximate horizontal trend channel in the short term after investors have paid ever more. A positive signal has been triggered and further increase for the currency is indicated. The currency has also broken a rectangle formation. A decisive break of the resistance at 108003 will signal a further rise to 116074 or more. The currency is testing resistance at points 110000. This could give a negative reaction, but an upward breakthrough of points 110000 means a positive signal. The currency is overall assessed as technically positive for the short term.

Ethereum - Ethereum is in a falling trend channel in the short term. This shows that investors over time have sold at lower prices to get out of the currency, and indicates negative development for the currency. The currency has marginally broken up through resistance at points 2490. An established break predicts a further rise. Volume has previously been high at price tops and low at price bottoms. This weakens the falling trend and could be an early signal of a coming trend break. The currency is overall assessed as technically slightly positive for the short term.