Topic: #cryptocurrency
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Bank Leumi launches direct crypto trading with Galaxy Digital
Israel's largest bank, Bank Leumi, announced a partnership with Galaxy Digital to offer Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana trading to its customers, launching in early 2027 and becoming the first bank in the country to provide direct digital asset services.
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Arizona, Pennsylvania, Illinois halt data center tax incentives over energy concerns
Three major US states have reversed or paused data center tax incentives, citing strain on energy grids and fairness concerns as hyperscalers expand operations nationwide.
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XRP ETFs Post $15M Weekly Inflows as Bitcoin, Solana See Outflows
XRP spot ETFs attracted $15 million in net inflows last week, bucking broader crypto weakness. Bitcoin ETFs saw $0.6 million in outflows and Solana funds lost $17 million, signaling selective investor demand across digital assets.
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Senate Faces Week-Long Window to Advance Digital Asset Clarity Act
The Senate heads into recess in one week with the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act still unresolved. An ethics provision stalemate between lawmakers and the White House is the primary blocker, though a procedural vote this week could position the bill for passage in September.
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U.S. Treasury Sanctions Iran Bitcoin Insurance Scheme for Strait of Hormuz
The Treasury Department designated two Iranian firms behind a maritime insurance operation that accepted bitcoin and other digital assets, describing the arrangement as extortion tied to IRGC-backed shipping controls.
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HYPE Token Down 24% as Institutional Deposits to Exchanges Accelerate
Hyperliquid's native token HYPE has lost approximately 24% over the last month, coinciding with large institutional deposits to centralized exchanges and deteriorating technical indicators including an RSI approaching oversold territory.
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SparkKitty malware infiltrates App Store and Google Play, targets crypto wallets
Security researchers have detailed how SparkKitty malware, first discovered in June 2025, spread through Apple and Google's official app stores by disguising itself as legitimate cryptocurrency and messaging apps, then scanned device photos for wallet recovery phrases.
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Bitcoin Quantum Threat Not Immediate, Coinbase CEO Says
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said quantum computing doesn't pose an immediate threat to Bitcoin, but warned the industry must begin preparing now for eventual quantum-resistant security upgrades through a newly launched Bitcoin Security Consortium.
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Dogecoin Co-Founder: Crypto Bear Market Could Last 3-4 Years
Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus said the current crypto downturn is boring rather than panic-inducing, and suggested consolidation could last three to four years based on historical cycles.
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Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky's X Account Hacked, Posts Crypto Thread
Brian Chesky's X account was compromised earlier this week and used to publish a lengthy thread praising real-world asset tokenization. Chesky responded with a lighthearted remark, though some social media users questioned whether the account had actually been hacked.
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US jobless claims fall to 208K, complicating Fed rate-cut case
Initial jobless claims dropped to 208,000 from 216,000, with continuing claims easing to 1.8 million. The stronger labor market reading reduces the likelihood of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts, adding pressure to risk assets including cryptocurrency.
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BNB Chain Completes 36th Quarterly Burn, Destroying $932M in Tokens
BNB Chain completed its 36th quarterly token burn, sending 1,615,827.795 BNB to dead wallets worth $931.7 million. The burn reduces total supply toward a target of 100 million BNB via an auto-burn system adjusted quarterly by price and block generation.
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UK Fraud Review Urges Judge Training on Crypto Laundering and AI Scams
A government-backed review recommends judges and magistrates be trained to handle a surge in cryptocurrency money laundering and AI-enabled fraud cases, warning that courts lack equipment and expertise for cases of unprecedented scale.
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ASML Raises 2026 Forecast on AI, Crypto Demand; Plans 30% Production Boost
ASML reported €9.3 billion in Q2 sales and raised its full-year revenue forecast, citing artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency as drivers of accelerating semiconductor demand. The Dutch chipmaking-equipment maker plans a 30% production boost for its advanced EUV lithography systems in 2027.
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x402 Foundation: Visa, Mastercard, Ripple back agent payments protocol
The x402 Foundation now governs a machine-to-machine payment protocol with 40 member organizations including Visa, Mastercard, Ripple, Google, and AWS. The protocol settled $24 million across 75 million transactions last month, averaging 32 cents per payment—a niche too small for traditional card networks to serve profitably.
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XRP Ledger Payment Volume Drops 95% in Days; Recovery Likely
XRP Ledger payment volume plummeted from 1.3 billion XRP in early July to 40.5 million on July 12, a 95% decline driven by large institutional transfers. Analysts note the metric often recovers quickly without signaling long-term price impact.
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Zcash trading volume surges 28% as ZEC defends $500 support
Zcash (ZEC) posted a 28% jump in 24-hour trading volume while derivatives markets surged 32%, outpacing Bitcoin and Ethereum. The asset has recovered above its 200-day moving average and faces next resistance at $520–$550, though momentum remains elevated and volatility persists.
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UK Tightens Election Funding Rules on Crypto Billionaire Donors
The UK government extended caps on overseas donations to cover a donor's first year of residency, directly targeting billionaire Tether investors and crypto-linked financiers backing Reform UK, amid investigations into undeclared gifts to Nigel Farage.
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A7A5 Russian stablecoin claims $34.4B volume, but analysts say it's inflated
A7A5, a sanctioned Russian ruble stablecoin, claims $34.4 billion in processing volume since January, but blockchain analysts say the token's actual activity is far lower and falling sharply, with circular transactions artificially inflating the figures.
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Zcash Ironwood upgrade nears testnet launch with no critical bugs found
Zcash developers say security testing has uncovered no serious new vulnerabilities as the Ironwood upgrade moves toward testnet activation, intended to restore confidence after May's Orchard flaw crashed ZEC by more than half.
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American Charged With Spying for Iran via Telegram for Cryptocurrency
Israeli prosecutors charged a 21-year-old American seminary student with espionage after he allegedly responded to a Telegram job posting and conducted surveillance tasks for Iranian intelligence handlers in exchange for roughly $1,379 in cryptocurrency.
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Farage Investigated Over Crypto Lobbying Tied to Tether Donor
Parliament's standards watchdog is investigating whether Reform leader Nigel Farage improperly lobbied the Bank of England on cryptocurrency policy to benefit his largest donor, billionaire Christopher Harborne, who holds a 12% stake in Tether.
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Tether Freezes $1.4M USDT in 131 TRON Wallets Linked to ISIS-K
Tether froze over $1.4 million in USDT across 131 TRON wallets designated by the US Treasury as linked to ISIS-K, acting within hours of the sanctions order. The action underscores stablecoin issuers' role in enforcing global financial compliance.
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Coinbase, BlackRock, Visa Back Open USD Stablecoin as Circle Stock Tumbles
More than 140 companies including Coinbase, Visa, Mastercard, and BlackRock announced a coalition to launch Open USD, a new stablecoin. Circle's stock fell nearly 16% on the news, extending its monthly decline to 39%.