Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Why OKX hired Andrew Cuomo: Crypto‘s next battle isn’t for users

OKX added Andrew Cuomo to its board of directors this month, framing it as a natural progression from two years of him advising the company. Cuomo also co-chairs a joint venture between OKX and Intercontinental Exchange, the operator of the New York Stock Exchange.　　That venture is building infrastructure for tokenized assets, institutional derivatives and around-the-clock trading, and it plans to register as a broker-dealer and futures commission merchant once regulators approve.　　Through it, OKX customers would gain access to ICE futures and tokenized NYSE equities. ICE already holds a board seat at OKX from an earlier investment that valued the exchange at $25 billion.　　Cuomos directorship extends that same relationship via a licensed, publicly accountable market operator sitting inside a crypto exchanges governance.　　Put together, the board seat and the ICE venture describe an exchange assembling the licenses, partners and governance of a regulated financial firm, with a former governor filling the last seat.　　Tokenized assets became the top new listing category on major centralized exchanges in the first half of 2026, close to one in five new listings, up from under 7% in 2025. Real-world-asset perpetual futures volume climbed 57% in June to a record $311 billion.　　The capital base behind that growth already

07-22Industry

Pavel Durov says Telegram to roll out native Gram crypto wallet

Telegram plans to roll out a native non-custodial Gram wallet across its messaging app this summer, potentially bringing self-custody crypto payments to more than 1 billion monthly active users.　　In a post on Wednesday, founder Pavel Durov said the wallet would allow users to send cryptocurrency instantly and without fees. He described it as the “largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history,” though Telegram has not disclosed a firm launch date or additional technical details.Pavel Durov announces Telegram’s Gram wallet. Source: Pavel Durov　　Telegram surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2025, according to the company, giving the wallet a potential reach far beyond most standalone crypto applications. Even limited adoption among the platforms user base could significantly expand access to self-custody and peer-to-peer crypto payments.　　Related: Telegram founder links tax data leak to rise in crypto kidnappings in France　　Gram returns to Telegrams crypto roots　　The wallet announcement comes weeks after The Open Network, the blockchain closely integrated with Telegram, unveiled plans to rename its native token from Toncoin to Gram. The change revives the cryptocurrency‘s original name from Telegram’s 2018 white paper, with founder Pavel Durov describing it as a return to the projects roots.　　Telegram has increasingly backed the TON

07-22Industry

Talos brings institutional trading tools to Kalshi prediction markets

Institutional crypto trading platform Talos has integrated with Kalshi, allowing select clients to trade the prediction market operators event contracts and crypto perpetuals through the same infrastructure they already use for digital assets, eliminating the need for a separate connection.　　Talos will offer algorithmic order types including Iceberg, TWAP and POV, along with multi-leg execution for perp-to-perp and perp-to-spot spread trades. The company said institutional clients will also be able to execute block trades in Kalshi contracts through its request-for-quote platform using participating over-the-counter liquidity providers.　　Later this year, Talos plans to extend its dealer software to brokers and trading platforms, allowing them to offer Kalshi event contracts directly to customers where permitted. The company also plans to launch a unified prediction market data feed that standardizes events, trades, order books, open interest and implied probabilities across venues.　　The integration lowers the operational hurdles for hedge funds, market makers and other professional trading firms already using Talos to add regulated prediction markets alongside their existing crypto trading activity.　　Related: Kalshi says CFTC, Michigan orders leave it in ‘impossible position’　　Prediction markets hit record trading volumes　　The Talos integration comes as prediction markets attract record trading activity and growing institutional interest. According to a report from CoinGecko,

07-22Industry

XRP Completes Double Golden Cross: Can Buyers Take Control？

XRP created golden cross signals on two of its short-term charts even as price secures a much-watched breakout.　　A golden cross was completed on XRPs 2-hour chart when the MA 50 crossed above the MA 200 on the short-term timeframe. A similar formation was seen on the 4-hour chart, with the MA 50 rising above the MA 200 in a crossover on this timeframe.　　XRP/USD 4-Hour Chart, Image By TradingView　　XRP rose above the daily MA 50 for the first time since mid-May, surpassing a much-watched price level.　　According to Ali, a crypto analyst, $1.13 remains a key level to watch on XRP, as a decisive breakout above it could confirm the bullish breakout and open the door for further upside. XRP surpassed this resistance, putting the next major target at $1.30.　　Digital Currencies　　Is it time for a move？　　XRP climbed to a high of $1.16 on Tuesday in five straight days of gains from July 17.　　According to Santiment, XRPs rise to a two-week high coincides with whale accumulation. Santiment noted that XRPs move back above $1.16 on Tuesday might be justified based on recent wallet behavior.　　Whales and sharks holding 100,000 to 100 million XRP have added over 2.8% more coins to their bags over five

07-22Industry

Bitget plans U.S. launch with or without CLARITY Act, CEO says

Bitget plans to enter the U.S. market regardless of whether Congress passes the CLARITY Act, according to CEO Gracy Chen.　　The exchange is reviving an expansion effort it shelved after the 2022 collapse of FTX and the regulatory pressure that followed.　　Chen said she is leading the push and wants Bitget to establish a U.S. entity before offering services. The company plans to pursue money-transmitter, derivatives and broker-dealer approvals before launching services.　　Bitget revives U.S. expansion after years on sidelines　　Bitget considered setting up a U.S. business in 2022 but later dropped the plan as enforcement actions and regulatory disputes increased across the crypto industry. Chen said the company has now made a decision to return.　　“With or without the Clarity Act, Bitget has already made a decision to enter the U.S. market,” she said.　　The launch will still depend on regulatory approvals. Chen said Bitget wants licenses in place before rolling out services. The exchange intends to operate through an independent U.S.-based entity, separating the planned business from its offshore platform.　　That approach follows Bitget‘s wider effort to seek local approvals in markets. Bitget EU submitted a MiCAR application to Austria’s Financial Market Authority in June. The company has also expanded through registrations in markets including

07-22Industry

Bitcoin ETFs extend inflow streak to six days with $203M added

US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their sixth consecutive day of net inflows on Tuesday, adding $203.1 million.　　The Bitcoin ETFs attracted about $930 million over the six-session streak, their longest run of consecutive inflows since April, according to SoSoValue data.　　The inflows came as Bitcoin traded above $65,000 and briefly climbed to $66,700 on Tuesday. At publication, Bitcoin traded at $65,802, up about 2% over the previous 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.　　Broader crypto market sentiment also improved on Wednesday, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index rising to “fear” from “extreme fear.”　　The recovery comes as analysts said Bitcoin needs to break above and hold the $65,000 to $65,500 range to strengthen the case for a sustained uptrend.　　The funds have accumulated $51.8 billion in cumulative net inflows since launch, while total net assets reached $80.9 billion. US spot Bitcoin ETFs remain about $4.84 billion in net outflows year-to-date.

07-22Industry

BSC Scan Will Go Down, What Can Be Used Instead: List of Alternatives

The most popular blockchain explorer on the network, BSCScan, is scheduled to undergo maintenance on July 22, which may cause brief disruptions for BNB Chain users. The official announcement states that maintenance will start at 6:00 AM UTC and run for three to four hours.　　What to use instead？　　Traders, developers, analysts, and anybody else depending on real-time blockchain data may be impacted during this time if portions of the website and API infrastructure go down. Several substitutes can offer comparable functionality during the outage for users who require continuous access to on-chain data.OKX Explorer – A multi-chain blockchain explorer that provides transaction tracking, wallet analysis, token information, and smart contract data. It is compatible with BNB Chain.Blockscout – An open-source blockchain explorer compatible with many EVM networks. It offers contract verification, address analytics, and comprehensive transaction histories.Token Terminal – Provides on-chain metrics, protocol revenue data, and ecosystem analytics for BNB Chain projects. It is useful for research and analysis, though it is not a direct replacement for a blockchain explorer.DEX Screener – Particularly useful for traders monitoring token activity, liquidity pools, large transactions, and price movements across decentralized exchanges on BNB Chain.　　One of the most crucial infrastructure elements in the BNB

07-22Industry

US seeks forfeiture of $25 million in crypto tied to global fraud investigations

Quick TakeThe U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia filed five civil forfeiture complaints seeking over $25 million in cryptocurrency recovered from international fraud schemes targeting U.S. and Canadian residents.Prosecutors said the funds are the latest in the more than $800 million recovered as part of the Scam Center Strike Force.　　The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to forfeit more than $25 million in cryptocurrency recovered through five separate investigations into international fraud networks that allegedly targeted residents in the U.S. and Canada.　　The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement on Tuesday that Secret Service Washington Field Office agents, working through the Cyber Fraud Task Force, identified multiple laundering networks and thousands of victims worldwide who were misled into believing they were making legitimate crypto investments.　　According to the statement, the first investigation, flagged by Canadian authorities in late 2024, traced more than 270 suspected victim transactions and seeks roughly $10.4 million. The second, involving online romance schemes with more than 200 victims, seeks approximately $12.1 million.　　The third and fourth investigations — reported in May 2026 and March 2026 respectively by victims in the National Capital Region — seek about $1.2 million and $2.4 million.

07-22Industry

Crypto research firm Hazeflow to shut down as founder steps away from industry

Hazeflow founder Pavel Paramonov has announced the closure of his crypto research firm, saying he will step away from the crypto industry for at least a month after deciding to wind down the business.　　According to a statement published by Paramonov on X, Hazeflow will cease operations after what he described as a decision that was not made voluntarily, arguing that founders do not normally shut down businesses that continue to generate revenue.　　Today, Im shutting down my research firm @hazeflow_xyz.　　Unfortunately, youre usually forced into such decisions, you dont magically wake up one day and think you should shut down something that brings you money.　　I dont wanna write all this bs like running a company taught…　　— Pavel Paramonov (@paramonoww) July 21, 2026　　Without disclosing the specific reasons behind the closure, Paramonov said decisions of this kind are usually forced by circumstances rather than choice. He did not elaborate on the factors that led Hazeflow to shut down or whether financial, operational, or market-related issues played a role.　　Although the company is closing, Paramonov said he views the experience positively and expressed gratitude to the people who helped build the business. He thanked Hazeflow‘s clients, partners, and employees, calling the firm’s run a good one.　　Before

07-22Industry

Crypto lobby sues Illinois, says blockchain tax violates Constitution

The Digital Chamber has challenged Illinois new 0.2% digital asset transaction tax in court, arguing that the law unfairly targets blockchain-based commerce and violates constitutional protections.　　According to a complaint filed Tuesday in an Illinois circuit court, crypto trade association The Digital Chamber (TDC) is seeking to block the states Digital Asset Tax Act before it takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.　　The organization argues that Illinois has singled out digital assets by imposing a transaction tax based on the technology used to record and transfer ownership rather than on the underlying economic activity.　　????1/ Today we filed suit in Sangamon County, IL, to stop the Digital Asset Tax Act. No one should be taxed differently because of how ownership of digital assets is recorded or transferred. pic.twitter.com/pv3J3FPybM　　— The Digital Chamber (@DigitalChamber) July 21, 2026　　The lawsuit asks the court to declare the law “void and unenforceable,” contending that it violates the U.S. Constitution and should not be allowed to move forward.　　Trade group challenges technology-specific tax　　In a statement accompanying the filing, The Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone said the organization is not asking for favorable treatment but for equal treatment under the law.　　Carbone said taxes should be designed with fairness in mind alongside revenue

07-22Industry

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