Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

What's New in the Final CLARITY Act Ahead of the Senate Vote

Key TakeawaysState attorneys general could enforce new federal ethics restrictions.Stablecoin reward limits would require a deposit-flight finding.Developer protections would extend to miners and validators.　　Whats New for Federal Officials　　U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR) and Tim Scott (R-SC) released the final draft Sept. 14, turning proposed ethics restrictions into enforceable financial obligations. Under the new ethics language, covered federal officials and their spouses could not issue or sponsor digital assets in exchange for consideration, or maintain significant financial interests. They would have to sell those interests or place them in qualified blind trusts.　　State attorneys general could enforce the restrictions, including the ban on exchanges that list assets issued or sponsored in breach of those rules. Violators would face a civil penalty equal to 20% of the consideration received in the prohibited transaction or $500,000, adjusted for inflation, whichever is greater.　　The ethics provisions would take effect 360 days after enactment or 60 days after the final implementing rule, whichever occurs first. They form part of the broader 126 Democrat-requested changes identified by Senate Republicans.　　Whats New for Stablecoin Rewards　　The final draft does not impose an immediate restriction on rewards offered to payment stablecoin holders. Instead, it creates a conditional response that

09-15Industry

Ethereum builders face a choice between locking up too much cash or relying on trusted brokers

In a Sept. 8-11 Lido discussion, Commit-Boost contributor Jason Vranek argued that builders funding protocol-backed payments face costs from idle Ethereum, failed delivery, and offers they wanted to cancel.　　Related Asset Ethereum #2 ETH · $2,515.94 24-hour change: up 1.35% Loading price history… 24H Up 1.35% 7D Up 0.53% 30D Up 33.91%　　Those costs could make trusted connections more competitive. Meanwhile, Titan Builder said it expects validators to continue reaching it through relays that organize auctions and handle publication.　　An operators configuration helps determine which block-payment opportunities its validators can consider. For builders, the same settings help determine access to those validators.　　Related Company Lido Liquidity for staked assets　　As of Sept. 13, Ethereum.org lists Glamsterdam as testing on devnets, with mainnet expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 and no confirmed date. Lido contributors are discussing a proposed direction ahead of a future DAO vote.　　Glamsterdams technical purpose remains distinct from those market choices. Separating consensus work from execution processing gives validators more time for heavy work, whether operators continue using relays or not.　　Transaction-inclusion guarantees belong to another part of the roadmap. The Ethereum Foundations Sept. 7 priorities identify fork-choice enforced inclusion lists (FOCIL) as a Hegotá headliner.　　Related Company Ethereum Foundation Promotes and supports the

09-15Industry

WTI rises above $98.50 amid Middle East supply fears

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price extends its gains for the second successive day, trading around $98.60 per barrel during the Asian hours on Tuesday. Crude oil prices appreciate as traders continue to navigate heightened uncertainty over global supply.　　Saudi Arabias East-West pipeline, which provides an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, remains shut following drone attacks, with no clear indication of when operations will resume.　　A diplomatic meeting between Iran and the Gulf Arab states to discuss the situation in Hormuz was also abruptly postponed. Meanwhile, Iran claimed that a supertanker attempting to enter a restricted area in Hormuz exploded after striking mines, while maintaining that it would not engage in talks with the US until its demands are met.　　Discover more　　NEWS　　Compare Exchange Rates　　News　　In Eastern Europe, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared to halt attacks on Russian energy targets if Russia does the same, contradicting US President Donald Trump‘s claim that Moscow and Kyiv had already agreed to suspend strikes against each other’s energy infrastructure.　　Trend followers stay fully loaded in oil complex　　According to TD Securities, trend-following commodity trading advisors remain heavily committed to the energy complex, with the bank noting that “CTAs remain max long across crude oil, diesel and

09-15Industry

UK weighs tokenized gold reforms - Heres why the timing matters for crypto

Looks like the Q4 cycle is being set up as one driven by a strong regulatory theme.　　At the macro level, the pending vote on the CLARITY Act has kept markets on edge for months and, if passed, would provide one of the most powerful bridges between TradFi and DeFi in crypto‘s history. As such, the news that the UK’s FCA will outline potential reforms for tokenized gold on Monday comes as no surprise, and adds to the growing list of things to watch in the regulatory space for digital assets.　　That said, the impact could still be significant. AMBCrypto recently reported that XAUTs market share of the RWA market has reached a record 11%.　　But the bigger story may be the overall growth of tokenized gold assets, which shows the speed at which traditional financial markets are moving on-chain, and why regulatory clarity could become a major catalyst for crypto adoption.　　Source: Token Terminal　　As the chart above shows, tokenized gold issuers such as Kinesis have seen the value of their KAU rise more than 4,600% in less than 180 days and outperformed even XAUT. This reflects the growing interest in tokenized instruments representing traditional assets (such as gold) beyond just cryptocurrencies.　　Against this setup,

09-15Industry

Ethereum Hits Record Usage as Active Users Fall 30%

Ethereums Layer-1 network reached fresh usage records in Q2 2026, despite a sharp decline in monthly active users. Token Terminal data shows Ethereum processed 203.9 million transactions during the quarter, up 68.4% from a year earlier. Average throughput also reached a record 25.9 transactions per second.　　However, monthly active users dropped 30% quarter over quarter to 9.2 million. Consequently, the remaining users generated significantly more transactions. Fees climbed 31.6% to $52.5 million, while ETH burn revenue more than doubled to $17.1 million.　　Tokenization Strengthens Ethereums Position　　Ethereums tokenized asset market averaged $203.1 billion during Q2. Stablecoins accounted for $176.8 billion, while tokenized funds reached $20.8 billion. Additionally, tokenized U.S. Treasury funds hit a record $7.5 billion average.　　Moreover, Ethereum retained the largest share of stablecoins and tokenized funds among leading chains. Its ecosystem TVL averaged $287.2 billion, although that figure declined 9.2% quarter over quarter.　　Staking Growth Supports ETH　　Ethereums staking ratio reached a record 32%, signaling stronger participation in network security. The number of ETH-holding addresses also climbed 6.6% to 312.1 million.　　Significantly, ETH currently trades around $2,538, up 1.18% over 24 hours. Hence, stronger network usage, rising staking participation, and expanding tokenization could support Ethereums long-term market position.　　Related: Strive Adds 469 BTC, Bringing Bitcoin Holdings

09-15Industry

Privacy Coins Outrun Bitcoin as Market Rotates Into Zcash and Monero

Privacy coins have broken away from a weak crypto market, with zcash and monero delivering gains while bitcoin remains below its October peak. Fresh sector data points to a rotation amid privacy demand, institutional access, and persistent network use.　　Key TakeawaysPrivacy coins gained 213% after bitcoins October 2025 peak.Zcash accounted for about 62% of the privacy sector on Sept. 7.Monero activity remains elevated despite major exchange delistings.　　Privacy Coins Separate From the Broader Crypto Market　　Market leadership has rotated toward privacy coins as most major cryptocurrencies remain below their October 2025 levels. A Bitfinex analysis published Sept. 11 highlighted the shift, drawing on data Glassnode published on Sept. 7. Among the 25 largest crypto assets, only zcash, Hyperliquid‘s HYPE, monero, and WhiteBIT’s WBT traded above their Oct. 6 levels.　　Glassnode‘s privacy-coin sector data showed the category gained 213% since bitcoin reached its record above $126,000 on Oct. 6, 2025. The basket also advanced 90% over the preceding month. Over the previous year, the sector’s combined market value increased from $7.1 billion to $33.6 billion.　　Zcash accounted for about 62% of the privacy sector‘s value in Glassnode’s Sept. 7 snapshot after delivering the largest gain in the group. ZEC rose more than 25-fold over the past

09-15Industry

Iran's President Pezeshkian: Our demands are the same as our previous demands

Iran‘s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Tehran is not at war with Saudi Arabia. Pezeshkian added that Iran’s demands for negotiation with the United States (US) are the same as our previous demands.　　Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said the US is open to engaging with Iran after previously repeatedly insisting that he did not want to negotiate with the Islamic Republic. Trump further stated on Monday that oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait and the price will drop after the Iran conflict ends.　　Key quotes from Irans President Pezeshkian　　How can we negotiate with the United States, when they have never honored their commitments？　　Our demands are the same as our previous demands.　　We have no intention of going to war with Saudi Arabia.　　Countries in the region can create security and a dynamic economy through cooperation.　　Market reaction　　At the time of writing, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 1.44% on the day at $98.05.　　Discover more　　Economics　　FINANCE　　Fintech　　WTI Oil FAQs　　WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and

09-15Industry

Patrick Witt Signals CLARITY Act Progress After Trump Ethics

The CLARITY Act faces a crucial Senate vote Tuesday after President Donald Trump agreed to tougher ethics limits for federal officials with crypto interests, White House adviser Patrick Witt said Monday.　　Republicans accepted as much as 95% of Democrats requests during negotiations, Witt said at the Solana Policy Institute summit. The agreement comes as lawmakers seek a broader framework for cryptocurrency regulation.　　Trump accepts wider ethics limits　　Under the latest deal, Trump could be required to place some investments in blind trusts, while states could gain greater authority to enforce federal ethics rules, Witt said.　　Related: 17 Attorneys General Warn Clarity Act Could Weaken State Crypto Enforcement　　The changes aim to address concerns about potential conflicts involving government officials with crypto holdings. However, Democratic staffers have questioned whether the provisions could give Trump administration officials too much control over ethics enforcement.　　The Senate needs 60 votes to advance the bill, leaving Republicans with little room for defections.　　CLARITY Act faces more hurdles　　Banking groups have warned that stablecoin rewards could encourage customers to move funds from traditional bank deposits. Witt called the concern “entirely hypothetical and speculative.”　　Crypto advocates remain concerned about restrictions affecting decentralized finance projects. Even if the Senate reaches the 60-vote threshold, lawmakers would still need

09-15Industry

Grayscale Launches 4 Crypto Portfolios for Financial Advisors

Key TakeawaysGrayscale launched four model portfolios built from crypto ETPs.Every strategy is rebalanced quarterly with a 40% weighting cap per asset.Advisors retain control over allocations made in client accounts.　　Four Models Package Crypto Exposure for Advisor Accounts　　Financial advisors gained four preconstructed approaches to digital asset exposure on Sept. 14, when Grayscale announced its model portfolio suite. The strategies combine multiple crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs), while incorporating asset selection, position sizing, diversification, and rebalancing into methodologies that financial platforms can make available for client accounts.　　Laurie Katz, Grayscales global head of distribution, described the models as a way to reduce the operational work involved in maintaining separate crypto allocations. Katz stated:　　“Advisors are increasingly looking for ways to bring digital assets into client portfolios without having to build and maintain allocations asset by asset.”　　The launch moves Grayscales advisor offering beyond individual funds and into portfolio construction, where several products are grouped under one strategy. Each model provides suggested allocations rather than a directly managed account, leaving the financial professional responsible for deciding how the portfolio applies to each client.　　Bitcoin, Altcoins, and Infrastructure Define the Four Strategies　　Each strategy uses market-cap weighting, rebalances quarterly, and limits any single asset to 40% of the portfolio. The official

09-15Industry

Clarity Act Update: US Crypto Bill Faces Fresh Hurdle Before Critical Senate Vote

Key InsightsClarity Act update draws opposition from James and 17 other attorneys general.Revised text adds ethics rules, state enforcement, and a stablecoin-rewards circuit breaker.A Tuesday cloture vote needs 60 votes as banks seek tighter rewards language.　　The Clarity Act update faces a fresh obstacle before Tuesdays Senate procedural vote. New York Attorney General Letitia James and 17 other attorneys general urge lawmakers to reject the crypto market-structure bill. Their Monday letter says federal preemption could weaken state registration authority and investor-protection cases. The group argues that the measure could make fraud enforcement harder for state prosecutors.　　The Clarity Act Senate vote needs 60 votes to advance. Republican sponsors say the revised text incorporates 126 changes requested by Democrats. Those revisions address official ethics, stablecoin rewards, decentralized finance, and developer registration.　　The debate also tests how crypto regulation will divide federal and state authority. Even so, state officials and banking groups say unresolved language still needs changes.　　Clarity Act Update Draws State Enforcement Warning　　James‘s coalition sent the letter to Banking Committee leaders Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren. It places the Clarity Act update at the center of the dispute. The coalition’s central concern is language allowing the Securities and Exchange Commission to preempt state registration

09-15Industry

...

160162

...

1000