Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Bitwise XRP ETF sees reported $3.58M redemption

A reported $3.58 million outflow from the Bitwise XRP ETF drew attention on Aug. 6 after social media accounts described the move as an unusual sale by the asset manager.　　SummaryBitwise‘s XRP ETF reportedly recorded $3.58 million in net redemptions during Wednesday’s U.S. trading session.Official Bitwise data showed 293.9 million XRP held by the trust through August 4, 2026.ETF outflows reflect shareholder redemptions and do not establish a discretionary bearish decision by Bitwise.The trust may distribute XRP in kind or sell tokens to satisfy cash redemption orders.XRP traded near $1.07, remaining roughly 70% below its July 2025 record high of $3.65.　　The available evidence supports a narrower conclusion: the fund reportedly experienced a net redemption during the Aug. 5 U.S. session.　　No public transaction details show that Bitwise made a discretionary market call against XRP. The distinction matters because the fund is a trust holding XRP for shareholders. Bitwise Investment Advisers sponsors the product, while authorized financial firms handle share creation and redemption orders under the trusts operating documents.　　You might also like:　　XRP price risks $1 breakdown as ETF demand fades　　Bitwise XRP ETF outflow is a shareholder redemption　　The Bitwise XRP ETF creates and redeems shares in blocks of 10,000 through authorized participants. A net

08-06Industry

Crypto wrench attacks steal more than $30M so far in 2026: Chainalysis

Criminals stole more than $30 million through physical attacks on crypto holders in the first half of this year, putting the year on pace to surpass the record $58 million stolen in 2025.　　In a Chainalysis report released Thursday, the blockchain analytics firm said that 46 violent crypto-related incidents had been documented globally through late June, up from 40 during the same period in 2025. The incidents include kidnappings, home invasions and hostage situations, collectively known as “wrench attacks.”　　The findings suggest wrench attacks are increasing, expanding the risks facing crypto holders beyond custody and asset management to their physical safety, homes and families.　　According to the report, only 12 of the 46 attempts resulted in payment, giving attackers a 26% success rate, down from 49% in 2025. However, the report acknowledged that known cases likely understate the scale of the problem, as many attacks go unreported.　　Chainalysis said the “tradecraft tends to be amateur at the point of violence, but professional at both ends,” with victims often selected through data leaks, social media or insider information before low-skilled crews carry out the attacks.　　Success rate of crypto wrench attacks by year. Source: Chainalysis　　France remains wrench attack hotspot　　According to Chainalysis, France recorded 30 publicly known

08-06Industry

CFTC chief backs innovation in $1.2 quadrillion derivatives market

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said regulators must give financial innovation room to lead as the global derivatives market enters a new phase of development.　　Selig rejects restrictive derivatives rules　　Writing in The Economist, Selig argued that regulators should avoid importing or copying rules that could limit competition and prevent new financial products from reaching the market.　　“The new era of finance needs innovation, not consensus,” Selig said.　　Derivatives, including futures, options and swaps, allow companies, farmers, investors and financial institutions to manage risk and allocate capital. Selig placed the global notional value of those contracts above $1.2 quadrillion, with markets under CFTC supervision accounting for nearly half of the total.　　The chairman said U.S. leadership developed through market competition, strong institutions, effective oversight and openness to new technology. Regulators in other countries have consequently treated the CFTCs approach as a model for derivatives supervision.　　However, Selig warned that international regulatory consensus should not become a reason for the United States to adopt restrictive frameworks. His position suggests the agency will weigh market efficiency and competitiveness alongside consumer protection when considering new products.　　CFTC expands its innovation-focused agenda　　Selig‘s remarks extend the approach he outlined after becoming the CFTC’s 16th chairman in December 2025. In his first public address,

08-06Industry

Optimism forecasts 343M more OP in circulation

Optimism published its Year 4 budget update and Year 5 outlook on Aug. 6, forecasting that circulating supply will reach 2.504 billion OP by April 2027.　　That would equal 58.3% of the projects reported 4.295 billion total supply.　　The Foundations stated figures imply that approximately 343 million OP could enter circulation from May 2026 through April 2027. Optimism said in the official update that it had not requested a new token allocation and would continue working within the original distribution framework.　　Optimism budget directs 200M OP toward its ecosystem　　The Ecosystem Fund represents the largest listed Year 5 category, with 200 million OP forecast to enter circulation. Optimism also expects releases of 47.6 million OP for early core contributors, 15.3 million for investors and 10 million from the Governance Fund.　　No OP circulation is forecast from airdrops or Retro Funding during the period. However, the figures are not final.　　Optimism Projects 343M OP to Enter Circulation Over the Next Year　　Optimism Foundation released its annual budget update and outlook, projecting that approximately 343 million OP will enter circulation during Year 5 (May 2026–April 2027). The projected increase includes 200… 　　The Foundation described them as “directional estimates” that are “subject to adjustment” based on program performance and governance

08-06Industry

Zeus Wallet takes infrastructure offline after cybersecurity incident

Zeus Wallet has taken its infrastructure offline after mitigating a cybersecurity incident, saying no customer funds have been lost or placed at risk while it completes a full systems audit before restoring services.　　SummaryZeus Wallet has taken its infrastructure offline after mitigating a cybersecurity incident.The company said no customer funds were lost and no Lightning node software vulnerability has been identified.Users with closed Lightning Service Provider channels will receive replacement channels after services resume.Zeus is auditing its systems before restoring operations and has not provided a timeline.The incident comes as Bitcoin developers expand security reviews following the recent Coldcard wallet attacks.　　Zeus Wallet announced the incident in an Aug. 5 update, saying the attack had been contained within hours but that infrastructure would remain offline until a comprehensive review of its systems is completed. The self-custodial Bitcoin Lightning Network wallet said its investigation has so far found no evidence that the incident stemmed from a vulnerability in Lightning node software.　　ZEUS infrastructure is temporarily offline following a cybersecurity incident.　　The attack has been mitigated. We are keeping services offline while we conduct a comprehensive audit of all systems before restoring operations.　　Founder Evan Kaloudis said in a company blog post that investigators currently believe the

08-06Industry

Crypto wrench attacks steal $30M in first half of 2026: Chainalysis

Violent attacks against crypto holders extracted more than $30 million worldwide through late June 2026, according to an Aug. 6 report.　　The firm documented 46 kidnappings, home invasions, hostage situations and related attempts, compared with 40 during the same period in 2025.　　The total places 2026 on pace to challenge the record $58 million stolen during 2025. However, Chainalysis said its figures cover reported cases and likely undercount the true scale. Attempted extractions, including blocked transfers, unpaid ransom demands and recovered funds, reached an estimated $107 million during the first half.　　Crypto wrench attacks put 2026 on record pace　　Only 12 of the 46 documented attempts resulted in payment, producing a 26% success rate. That was down from 49% in 2025 and 67% in 2024, even as the number of known attacks increased.　　Chainalysis said 2026 “could become the single-worst year” for violent crypto theft if the first-half pace continues.　　The projection is conditional rather than a confirmed year-end outcome. The report covers known cases through late June, and both reporting rates and the size of individual thefts can change sharply during the second half.　　The attack mix also changed. Home invasions represented 37% of incidents, up from 14% in 2025. Kidnappings accounted for 52%. Chainalysis said

08-06Industry

Blockchain.com obtains Cayman VASP licence after conditional approval

Blockchain.com has secured a definitive Virtual Asset Service Provider custody licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, expanding its regulated crypto services after meeting all licensing conditions on July 22.　　According to a Thursday announcement from Blockchain.com, the approval grants the company a full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) custody services licence through its Cayman Islands subsidiary, replacing the conditional approval issued by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) in December 2025. The company said it had satisfied all of the regulators conditions before receiving the definitive licence.　　Alongside custody services, the licence authorizes Blockchain.com to offer exchanges between virtual assets and fiat currencies as well as exchanges between one or more convertible virtual assets. Before obtaining the licence, the company had operated under a VASP registration in the Cayman Islands since May 2022.　　The latest approval adds to a series of regulatory milestones for Blockchain.com over the past year. The company recently obtained a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence in Europe and completed registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority, developments that co-CEO Lane Kasselman said strengthen its regulated presence across multiple jurisdictions.　　Blockchain.com expands regulated services in the Cayman Islands　　With the definitive licence now in place, Blockchain.com said it can offer a

08-06Industry

Plume joins DTCC group with Nasdaq and Schwab

Plume announced on Aug. 6 that it had joined the DTCC Digital Assets Solutions Industry Working Group, placing the real world asset network alongside firms such as Charles Schwab, Nasdaq and Alpaca.　　SummaryPlume joined DTCCs tokenization working group alongside Nasdaq, Charles Schwab, Alpaca and other financial firms.DTCC‘s working group has expanded beyond 100 members and partners ahead of October’s service launch.July production trades tested tokenized Treasuries, equities, collateral, securities lending and margin workflows across networks.DTC custodies assets worth $114 trillion, but Plumes membership does not tokenize that entire amount.Kimber Transfer Agency‘s SEC registration supports Plume’s onchain ownership records for tokenized securities and funds.　　The group provides industry feedback on The Depository Trust Companys tokenization service and helps test the operating standards needed to move traditional securities into tokenized form.　　The announcement gives Plume a seat in a group that expanded from more than 50 firms in May to over 100 members and partners by mid-July. However, membership does not mean DTCC selected Plume as a supported blockchain, issued assets through its network or entered a commercial integration. Neither company announced a deployment timetable or contract value.　　You might also like:　　Plume puts Bitwise and Invesco funds inside Binance Wallet　　Plume joins after DTCC completed production trades　　DTCC

08-06Industry

Coldcard hackers transfer 64 BTC and 200 ETH to cryptocurrency mixers

About 64 Bitcoin, worth $4.17 million, and 200 Ether, worth $380,000, linked to the recent Coldcard exploit were sent to cryptocurrency mixing protocols, according to blockchain security platform CertiK.　　The Bitcoin transfer was from address bc1q0 to crypto mixing protocol Wasabi on Tuesday, according to blockchain data shared by CertiK.　　“We think it might be a smaller exploiter. There‘s likely a few copycats after the initial exploit,” a CertiK spokesperson told Cointelegraph. The 200 Ether (ETH) was transferred to Tornado Cash on Wednesday, according to CertiK’s X post.　　Crypto mixing protocols such as Tornado Cash typically pool and then scramble the cryptocurrency from multiple users, breaking the publicly traceable onchain link between senders and recipients. This makes it difficult to trace the stolen funds, decreasing the chances of asset recovery.　　In April, the hacker behind a $293 million Kelp DAO hack laundered about 75,700 Ether, then worth $175 million, primarily through THORChain, generating about $910,000 in fee revenue for the protocol. The attacker also used the Umbra privacy protocol.　　The Coldcard exploit has now become the third-largest cryptocurrency hack so far in 2026. It drained at least $100 million in Bitcoin across three confirmed attack waves from 7,300 victim wallets, according to Galaxy Digital. The

08-06Industry

Bitget signs Bhutan agreement to pursue crypto license in GMC

Bitget has signed a cooperation agreement with Bhutan‘s Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority to establish a local presence and pursue a Financial Services Licence under the city’s virtual asset framework.　　According to Bitget, the agreement provides a framework for the exchange to establish a legal entity in Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), prepare an application for a Financial Services Licence under the regulatory framework administered by the Gelephu Financial Services Office (GFSO), and collaborate with the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA) on operational, regulatory and ecosystem development workstreams. The company said the cooperation remains subject to the required regulatory approvals.　　Bitget plans legal entity and license application in Bhutan　　Under the announced framework, Bitget intends to establish offices in GMC over time and hire locally as part of its long-term presence in Bhutan. The company said the local setup will support talent development, knowledge transfer and capability building alongside its exchange operations.　　Gracy Chen, chief executive officer of Bitget, said Bhutan combines long-term planning, renewable energy resources and a regulatory framework that supports digital assets. She added that the company intends to contribute exchange infrastructure, operational experience and local talent development as the ecosystem develops.　　The agreement also commits both parties to cooperate on regulatory processes and

08-06Industry

...

105107

...

1000