Last week marked a major step in crypto's mainstream integration as Galaxy Digital lists on Nasdaq, Coinbase joins the S&P 500, and CoreWeave soars on Nvidia's backing. Regulatory scrutiny intensifies with Coinbase facing a biometric privacy lawsuit and fallout from a major hack though analysts view market fears as exaggerated. The EU’s MiCA framework enters implementation.
Galaxy Digital, founded by Mike Novogratz, debuted on Nasdaq, capping a significant week for crypto in public markets, with Coinbase joining the S&P 500 and eToro also going public.
CoreWeave shares soared after Nvidia disclosed a significant ownership, highlighting rising institutional and corporate interest in the AI cloud computing company that pivoted from crypto mining.
The total altcoin market cap, excluding Ether (ETH), surged by $126 billion in Q2, fueling speculation of an impending altseason and sparking renewed enthusiasm among investors.
Coinbase is being sued by Illinois users who allege its identity verification process violates the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) through improper biometric data handling. A retired artist lost over $2 million after being deceived by a scammer posing as Coinbase support, underlining persistent social engineering threats. Meanwhile, Binance and Kraken recently prevented social engineering attacks similar to the one that led to a major Coinbase data breach.
A wave of violent kidnappings and robberies targeting crypto investors and executives in France has sparked fear and anger within the community. High-profile incidents, with 22 cases documented in Jameson Lopp's GitHub repository, highlight the growing risks as cryptocurrency gains popularity and value. In response, executives are boosting personal security, including hiring bodyguards, while authorities—led by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau—have agreed on new security measures for crypto professionals. Emergency meetings are underway to address these targeted attacks and their political implications.
The DOJ has charged 12 individuals for stealing over $263 million in crypto, linked to a Genesis creditor case. Separately, Hong Kong police arrested 12 suspects for laundering $15 million via crypto exchange shops, highlighting ongoing global enforcement against crypto-related crimes.
A Wellington man has been arrested in connection with an FBI-led investigation into a global cryptocurrency fraud operation, allegedly stealing $450 million NZD ($265 million USD).
Hong Kong police arrested 12 suspects in a cross-border money laundering operation that used crypto and over 500 bank accounts to launder HK$118 million ($15 million), according to local reports.
Paraguayan authorities deported three undocumented immigrants and arrested another individual following an attempted theft of crypto mining equipment at a facility near the Itaipu hydroelectric dam.
The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation is now in its critical rollout, aiming to unify crypto rules across 27 member states and provide regulatory clarity. Industry observers are watching how firms adapt to the new framework and its real impact on the market.
Starting January 1, 2026, UK crypto companies must collect and report data on every customer trade and transfer to enhance crypto tax reporting, according to the UK government.
CoinDesk's Consensus Toronto 2025 highlighted evolving crypto regulations, with US firms navigating new political strategies and major legislative moves like the GENIUS Act.
Everstake has engaged with the SEC to advocate for clearer regulatory definitions, asserting that non-custodial staking should not be classified as securities as the agency seeks industry input on staking in blockchain networks.
Central banks are testing smart contracts to implement monetary policy in tokenized environments as part of BIS Project Pine, highlighting growing interest in integrating blockchain technology with traditional finance.
Filmmaker David Goyer, known for the Blade trilogy and The Dark Knight, is developing a new science-fiction franchise called Emergence, built on blockchain technology. The project aims to leverage blockchain for storytelling and fan engagement in the sci-fi genre.
Oracle Red Bull Racing, Gate.io, and Abstract have partnered to launch an onchain fan engagement platform, offering a new digital experience for Formula 1 enthusiasts.
Moonwalk Fitness is taking a unique approach to onboarding users to Web3 by focusing on wellness, diverging from the typical strategies seen in other crypto projects aiming to attract the next billion users.
Coinbase (COIN) stock faced a sharp sell-off after news of a hack and an SEC probe, but analysts at Barclays and Oppenheimer believe the market reaction is overblown. The breach reportedly affected high-profile executives and VCs, with insiders allegedly involved.
Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands, suggests that bringing student loans onchain could increase DeFi total value locked by over four times, potentially supercharging the industry.
Robinhood Crypto executive Johann Kerbrat says tokenization may allow retail investors to access asset classes that were previously restricted, making investing more accessible to a wider audience.
Fintech companies are increasingly integrating decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions to enhance their back-end operations while maintaining user-friendly interfaces, a trend dubbed the 'DeFi mullet.' This approach aims to combine the strengths of both sectors for improved financial services.
Michael James of Douro Labs highlights how high-speed blockchain oracle networks like Pyth are transforming the $50B finance data industry by providing faster, decentralized data feeds. This disruption challenges traditional finance data providers and could reshape market infrastructure.
Austin Federa, CEO of DoubleZero, highlights that public internet infrastructure is the main bottleneck for high-throughput blockchain networks. DoubleZero is developing high-speed fiber solutions to address these critical speed and performance constraints.
A Fireblocks survey reveals that 90% of institutional players are using or exploring stablecoins in their operations, signaling growing mainstream adoption and integration of stablecoins in traditional finance.