News section

U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs drew about $197.4 million in the week ending Friday, their first positive week since early May and the end of a record eight-week outflow streak.Spot ether ETFs took in roughly $84.4 million, snapping their own eight-week losing run, which had tied the category’s record.The preceding eight weeks drained a combined $9.46 billion from the two groups, meaning this week’s rebound recovered only about 3% of those outflows.Friday’s buying was concentrated in BlackRock’s IBIT and ETHA, while most of the other funds reported no flows.

Binance’s June futures trading volume climbed to $1.63 trillion, the highest level of 2026.CryptoQuant said derivatives activity stayed strong despite cautious Bitcoin sentiment and the summer slowdown.U.S. regulators continue reviewing crypto derivatives as trading activity remains elevated across major markets.

Tom Lee says traditional finance and crypto will eventually merge into one market, with Ethereum at the center.His comments come as Bitmine’s Ethereum treasury has grown to 5.74 million ETH, equal to 4.8% of the total supply.Lee also links Ethereum’s outlook to the CLARITY Act and expanding layer-2 payment activity involving Visa and Shopify.

Morgan Stanley added nearly 1,000 BTC over the past two weeks, pushing its tracked holdings to 5,761 BTC.Arkham data shows the accumulation came through multiple large transfers from Coinbase Prime rather than a single purchase.The latest buying follows Morgan Stanley’s June crypto expansion with Galaxy Digital, allowing eligible clients to convert crypto into spot investment products.

Empery sold 1,400 BTC for $87.1 million to reduce debt and fund operations.The company now holds 1,514 BTC and about $73.9 million in cash.Capital B and Nakamoto are pursuing different Bitcoin treasury strategies through financing and refinancing.

DOJ has reportedly moved to dismiss its case against BitClub founder Matthew Goettsche despite $722 million fraud allegations.The reported decision follows a 2025 DOJ policy ending “regulation by prosecution” for the digital asset industry.Federal prosecutors continue pursuing other major crypto fraud cases, including the alleged $328 million Goliath Ventures scheme.

Almost a year after the House passed its version of that bill, called the Clarity Act, it’s the Senate’s turn to pass legislation.However, the timeline is tight, with just a few weeks to pass the bill before the August recess and attention turns to elections.“When senators return next week, the focus should be on resolving the remaining technical questions and moving the Clarity Act to the Senate floor for a vote,” said Blockchain Association Chief Policy Officer Lindsay Fraser.

Empery Digital used part of the proceeds for a 25% stake in an AI data center campus project.The company amassed more than 4,000 BTC after raising over $500 million last year.

Standard Chartered is maintaining its end-2026 bitcoin forecast of $100,000, arguing that Strategy’s shift from a “never sell bitcoin” posture to using BTC as collateral for its preferred stock is a communication problem rather than a solvency one.Strategy’s STRC preferred stock, which has around $10 billion notional outstanding, hit an intraday low of $71.25 on June 26 against a $100 par value, a divergence Standard Chartered traces to the June 1 disclosure that the company had sold 32 BTC.

Top Democrats on key Senate committees demanded inquiries into the more than $1.2 billion that President Trump made on crypto last year.

Nasdaq-listed Empery Digital said it sold 1,400 Bitcoin since May to help fuel an AI data center deal, legal bills, and other expenses.

The New Hampshire Executive Council voted to reject a proposal to establish a $100 million bitcoin-backed bond tied to CleanSpark.Governor Kelly Ayotte had expressed support for the proposal, touting it as an innovative way to bring more investment opportunities to the state.

Trump confirmed the U.S. will continue talks with Iran after a new request from Tehran.Bitcoin climbed above $64,000 as markets reacted positively to the diplomatic update.Polymarket still places the odds of a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal by year-end at just 38%.

Revolut has connected its standalone crypto exchange, Revolut X, to third-party AI assistants, including Claude, Gemini, OpenClaw and Cursor, allowing users to analyze markets, set alerts, and place trades via natural language prompts.Users remain responsible for reviewing and approving every order, and Revolut said it does not endorse or guarantee the third-party AI tools or accept liability for erroneous trades.

Standard Chartered says Strategy-related concerns, not Bitcoin fundamentals, caused the recent market pullback.The bank has reaffirmed its $100,000 Bitcoin price target for the end of 2026 despite recent volatility.Wells Fargo increased its Strategy stake while trimming IBIT holdings and expanding its crypto options positions.

Marc Andreessen will co-lead a Federal Reserve task force examining AI, productivity and American employment.Stanford economist Charles Jones and Microsoft executive Asha Sharma will serve alongside Andreessen on the panel.The review comes as Fed officials debate whether AI will ease inflation or raise costs.