Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
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Ripple's David Schwartz would unretire only for Nik Bougalis
David Schwartz, who retired as Ripple CTO on January 1, 2026, said he would only consider returning to work if given the chance to collaborate with Nik Bougalis, now CTO of the Algorand Foundation.
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Gulf oil producers invest billions in pipelines to bypass Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are funding new pipeline infrastructure to create alternative routes for oil exports, reducing reliance on the Strait of Hormuz amid geopolitical tensions that threaten one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.
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US crude oil surpasses $90 per barrel amid Middle East tensions
U.S. crude oil prices have climbed above $90 per barrel for the first time since June 11, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and concerns over supply-route disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Crypto home invasions surge to 20 incidents in H1 2026: CertiK
Crypto home invasions surged to 20 reported incidents in the first half of 2026 from just one a year earlier, according to blockchain security firm CertiK. France accounted for nearly two-thirds of all verified wrench attacks globally, with authorities recording 77 crypto-linked kidnappings and extortion cases.
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BitMEX Shuts Down September 23, 2026; Halts New Sign-Ups
BitMEX, the crypto derivatives pioneer, will cease operations on September 23, 2026 at 04:00 UTC. The exchange has halted new sign-ups and will bar new positions starting August 26, citing a strategic review of the business and broader industry.
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BitMEX to shut down exchange on September 23 after 11-year run
BitMEX, the crypto derivatives exchange that pioneered 100x leverage perpetual swaps, will cease operations on September 23, 2026, following a strategic review by parent company HDR Global Trading Limited. The platform stops new registrations immediately.
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BitMEX shuts down operations September 23, 2026 after 11 years
BitMEX announced it will cease operations on September 23, 2026. HDR Global Trading Limited, the exchange's owner, decided to close the company following a strategic review, though the platform has maintained a record of no customer funds lost to hacks during its 11-year history.
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Memecoins Dominate Robinhood Chain, Outpacing Tokenized Assets
Memecoins have become the primary driver of trading activity on Robinhood Chain, with retail traders favoring volatile assets over tokenized stocks and commodities. Daily DEX volume reached $474 million while tokenized asset value sits at just $21.8 million.
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AFX Trade loses $24M after validator keys compromised
AFX Trade, a decentralized perpetuals exchange, lost approximately $24.15 million on Wednesday when an attacker compromised validator signing keys held offchain by bridge operators, not the Arbitrum native bridge itself.
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XRP whales accumulate 2.8% as small holders capitulate, price rebounds
XRP's price rose over 8% in five weeks as wallets holding 100,000 to 100 million tokens added 2.8% to their balances, while the smallest holders shed 5.2% of their holdings, according to on-chain data from Santiment.
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Oil prices surge amid Middle East tensions, supply disruption fears
Oil prices have surged due to escalating Middle East conflicts, reversing earlier declines in Brent crude and raising concerns about disruptions to supply through the Strait of Hormuz.
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HYPE, NEAR, SHIB Face Technical Headwinds as Market Consolidates
Hyperliquid retreats from its June peak amid weakening momentum, while Near and Shiba Inu remain trapped in tight consolidation ranges. Technical analysis reveals mixed signals across the three altcoins as July trading draws to a close.
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Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers push oil prices to six-week highs
Houthi militants targeted two Saudi crude tankers in the Red Sea, raising geopolitical tensions and driving Brent crude to $94.76 and WTI to $88.01—both marking six-week highs amid shipping route security concerns.
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Coinbase launches Everything Exchange in Canada with stocks and crypto
Coinbase is expanding its Everything Exchange platform into Canada, unifying crypto, stocks, ETFs, and prediction markets on a single platform. The company registered as Canada's first international crypto exchange in April 2024 and is now moving into phase two with no hard launch date set yet.
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Tesla holds 11,509 BTC steady as bitcoin falls 14%, records $112M loss
Tesla maintained its 11,509 BTC holdings unchanged through the second quarter despite bitcoin's 14% price decline, recording a $112 million after-tax impairment loss on digital assets. The automaker beat revenue expectations but missed profit forecasts.
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Kraken Parent Payward Expands xStocks to Hong Kong, UK, Europe
Payward, the parent company of Kraken, teamed up with fintech GTN to bring xStocks—blockchain-backed tokenized equities—to Hong Kong, the UK, Europe, and South Korea. The product, which launched in June 2025, has already processed over $35 billion in transaction volume.
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Alibaba Qwen Image 3.0 Prioritizes Text-Dense Infographics Over Aesthetics
Alibaba launched Qwen Image 3.0 on Tuesday, a generative model that renders dense infographics and text-heavy layouts in a single pass, supporting 12 languages and precise text rendering down to 10 pixels. The model launched without published benchmarks or open weights, marking a departure from Alibaba's prior release strategy.
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Franklin Templeton: Blockchain Essential for Agentic AI Commerce
Sandy Kaul of Franklin Templeton published a paper arguing that autonomous AI agents will need blockchain infrastructure to handle payment volumes traditional networks can't support, positioning crypto as essential infrastructure for the next wave of commerce.
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Bitcoin Tests $66K as Death Cross Signals Institutional Caution
Bitcoin recovered to $66,347 after recent lows near $58,000, but a death cross formation and bearish prediction markets signal institutional hesitation ahead of major tech earnings.
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Clarity Act Draft Bars Trump From Crypto Ventures Until 2029
The latest Clarity Act draft includes ethics restrictions on the president and his family from issuing digital assets while in office, but the ban expires January 20, 2029. The bill also shields non-custodial developers and limits stablecoin yield.
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Bitwise CIO: Hyperliquid and Robinhood lead next crypto cycle
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan said Hyperliquid and Robinhood could emerge as leading beneficiaries of the next crypto bull market, driven by the convergence of traditional and onchain finance rather than speculation alone.
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Crypto industry directly supports 34,000 US jobs, contributes $55B to economy
The National Cryptocurrency Association's latest report shows the crypto sector directly employs 34,000 Americans and is on track to contribute over $55 billion to the economy in 2026, with crypto jobs paying an average of $133,000 annually.
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US authorities seize $25M in crypto tied to romance, investment scams
US federal authorities recovered over $25 million in cryptocurrency on July 21, 2026, targeting five civil forfeiture complaints linked to romance scams, investment fraud, and recovery schemes that victimized hundreds.
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MVMT Labs files Chapter 11 bankruptcy after $38M Series A
Movement Labs' parent company MVMT Labs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July, listing $100,001 to $1 million in assets against $1–$10 million in liabilities, despite raising $38 million in April 2024. Move Industries says it has no affiliation with the debtor.