Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Bitcoin miners AI pivot faces investor scrutiny over insider sales

Several publicly traded Bitcoin miners have enjoyed sharp stock re-ratings after pivoting toward AI infrastructure, but investors are increasingly questioning whether insiders and major shareholders capitalized on the rally before the sector cooled, raising fresh governance concerns, according to Blocksbridge Consulting.　　In its latest Miner Weekly newsletter, Blocksbridge said the AI narrative helped lift valuations for several Bitcoin mining companies as they repositioned operations around data centers, power infrastructure and hyperscaler partnerships. However, sentiment has since weakened, with AI and chip stocks pulling back. The TEM AI Infrastructure Growth Index, which tracks Bitcoin miners, artificial intelligence cloud providers, power suppliers and other AI infrastructure companies, has decline 16% over the past month.　　That shift has brought insider transactions into sharper focus. Executives at TeraWulf, Cipher Digital, Riot Platforms and Core Scientific have disclosed stock sales, many of them executed under prearranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. While such plans are common and designed to avoid conflicts around nonpublic information, the sales have attracted greater scrutiny as AI-related stocks have retreated, Blocksbridge said.　　The trend extends beyond company executives. Strategic investors have also reduced their exposure, including stablecoin issuer Tether, which trimmed its stake in Bitdeer after the companys AI-driven rebound.　　According to Blocksbridge, investors are

07-10Industry

Robinhood insiders sell HOOD shares after stock rally

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev sold 375,000 shares of Robinhood Markets stock on July 6, according to a recent SEC filing. The filing shows that his Class B shares automatically converted into Class A common stock when the sale took place. The transaction was made under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on Sept. 5, 2025.　　SummaryTenev sold 375,000 shares through a preset plan as HOOD traded near recent highs Monday.Gallagher also sold 10,000 shares, while Robinhood Markets trimmed its RVI fund stake this week.Crypto.news coverage ties Robinhoods rally to tokenized stocks, blockchain launches, and prediction market growth plans　　• CEO Vlad Tenev sold 375,000 shares worth ~$43.6 million　　• CLO Daniel Gallagher sold 9500 shares → ~$1.1 Million　　•Robinhood Ventures Fund I sold 21,300 RVI shares　　The sales come as $HOOD stock…　　The sale was reported across several price ranges, with weighted average prices from $112.2242 to $118.1385.Investing.com placed the total value near $43.6 million. Tenev still held more than 48.2 million Class B shares after the transaction, based on the same filing.　　You might also like:　　SWIFT launches blockchain ledger pilot with 17 global banks　　Gallagher also reports HOOD sale　　Robinhood Chief Legal Officer Daniel Gallagher also sold HOOD shares on July 6. A Form 4 summary showed 10,000

07-09Industry

Bank of Korea stands firm on bank-led stablecoin push as deposit token pilots advance

The Bank of Korea (BOK) has doubled down on its stance that won-denominated stablecoins should first be issued through bank-led consortiums.　　According to local reports from Digital Asset and EDaily, the central bank made the comments in materials submitted on Thursday to the National Assemblys finance committee. Local outlets reported that the BOK called for safeguards, including priority issuance by bank-led consortiums and a statutory policy body involving relevant agencies.　　The latest comments reinforce the BOKs months-long push to keep won stablecoin issuance under bank-led structures. The central banks stance has divided policymakers and industry groups and contributed to delays in South Koreas digital asset bill.　　The BOK also said it plans to continue developing deposit-token use cases in the second half of the year, including support for government subsidy payments, vouchers, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and further real-world transactions for the general public. Deposit tokens are digital tokens that represent commercial bank deposits.　　In April, BOK Governor Hyun-Song Shin expressed support for deposit tokens and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in his first public address, while South Koreas Ministry of Economy and Finance announced a pilot to use tokenized deposits for government operational spending.　　BOKs stablecoin stance keeps bill debate alive　　The BOKs latest comments

07-09Industry

Adam Backs Bitcoin treasury company seeks new terms with Cantor for SPAC merger

The Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company (BSTR), founded by Blockstream CEO Adam Back, wants to change the terms of its merger agreement with Cantor Equity Partners for a public offering.　　According to a Wednesday announcement, BSTR and Cantor Equity Partners I, the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) created by financial services giant Cantor Fitzgerald, scrapped the original terms of a 2025 merger agreement and will negotiate a new deal. Although the details were not included in the announcement, both companies said that they intended to negotiate terms that “better reflected market conditions.”　　Source: BSTR　　A shareholder meeting scheduled for Friday intended to address the SPAC merger and a public offering was postponed indefinitely. The companies said that they would “provide further details in due course.”　　BSTRs initial deal included contributing more than 30,000 Bitcoin (BTC) and $1.5 billion in PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) financing. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recognized the registration statement for the agreement in June, with many expecting the public offering soon to follow.　　Related: Capital B raises $1.3M from Adam Back for Bitcoin strategy　　According to a February report from Institutional Investor, Cantor was giving itself “a lot of wiggle room” in SPAC deals, no longer keeping its sole

07-09Industry

Officials set to revise MiCA to cover non-EU stablecoin issuers: Report

European Union officials are reportedly planning to revise the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework amid the implementation of a US law on stablecoins.　　According to a Wednesday report from Euronews, EU officials planned to revisit proposed changes to MiCA to broaden the frameworks scope, specifically regarding non-EU companies issuing stablecoins.　　The revised rules, which authorities will reportedly consider in 2027, were in response to the US governments Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, or GENIUS, Act, putting pressure on EU officials to clarify how US stablecoin issuers could be regulated in member states. Officials will also reportedly consider expanding MiCA to include rules on tokenized payments and deposits.　　Under MiCA, crypto companies offering services to EU-based users across 27 member states must now be licensed as Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) by a regulator in one of the member states. Although the licensing requirement took effect on July 1, European Commission officials had already opened a comment period for potentially revising the framework, including provisions on decentralized finance (DeFi) and stablecoins.　　Related: Stablecoin-settled TradFi perpetual trading tops $1.1T: Binance Research　　The proposed framework, which some have dubbed “MiCA 2.0,” will remain open for comments until Aug. 31. However, Miroslav Durić, a senior associate at

07-09Industry

Trump-linked AI Financial may sell core unit for just $15m

AI Financial, formerly known as Alt5 Sigma, is in talks to sell its core payments business to Tokyo-based blockchain firm Perpetuals.com. The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal could be worth up to $15 million.　　SummaryAI Financial may sell Alt5 Sigma Canada after WLFI losses wiped out most shareholder value.The possible deal remains non-binding, with Perpetuals.com still reviewing terms and due diligence.Trump-linked World Liberty remains under scrutiny as crypto.news reports rising political and ethics questions.　　WSJ: Trump Family Crypto Project-Linked AI Financial in Talks to Sell Core Business for Up to $15M　　According to The Wall Street Journal, AI Financial, formerly Alt5 Sigma, is in talks to sell its core payments business to Tokyo-based blockchain company Perpetuals com for up to… pic.twitter.com/MUwBaWXtRJ　　— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 8, 2026　　The possible sale would cover Alt5 Sigma Canada, a payments subsidiary owned by AI Financial. Perpetuals.com said in a July 7 filing that it had signed a non-binding term sheet to explore the acquisition.　　The filing said, “No decisions have been made,” while Perpetuals.com reviews the business. The company also said it is carrying out due diligence before any final agreement.The talks mark a sharp turn for AI Financial. Less than a year ago, the company

07-09Industry

Kraken leads MiCA exchanges as EU crypto rules bite

Kraken leads MiCA-regulated crypto exchanges in liquidity, according to DefiLlamas MiCA exchange dashboard. The data cited by Wu Blockchain showed Kraken with $399.71 million in spot liquidity and $206.90 million in perpetual liquidity, placing it first in both categories.　　DefiLlamas live MiCA-regulated exchanges dashboard later showed Kraken still ahead, with more than $400 million in spot liquidity and more than $220 million in perpetual liquidity. The live figures may change because liquidity data moves with market depth, prices and exchange activity.　　Coinbase ranked second in the figures cited by Wu Blockchain, with $305.23 million in spot liquidity and $167.39 million in perpetual liquidity. DefiLlamas live page still placed Coinbase among the top regulated venues, but behind Kraken in the main liquidity table.　　The gap matters for traders who need deeper order books. Higher liquidity can help reduce slippage when users place larger orders. It can also make an exchange more useful for active traders, market makers and institutional clients.　　Coinbase and Crypto.com remain close rivals　　Coinbase remains Krakens closest large rival among MiCA-regulated exchanges. The exchange has built its European base in Luxembourg, where it uses a MiCA license to serve users across the bloc.　　crypto.news reported that Coinbase opened its Luxembourg MiCA hub as the

07-09Industry

AscendEX crypto exchange shuts down, no assurance on user payouts

Quick TakeCrypto exchange AscendEX announced on July 6 that its platform ceased operations on July 1, citing regulatory, financial, and operational challenges.The companys statement indicated that the current liquidity issue may restrict full user withdrawals.　　Crypto exchange AscendEX announced that it has shuttered operations effective July 1, citing regulatory pressures and financial challenges.　　In an official notice dated July 6, the exchange stated that the decision stemmed from a combination of factors, including the full implementation of the European Unions MiCA on July 1, for which AscendEX does not hold authorization. Other financial and operational issues affected the platform.　　The exchange also indicated that existing users may not be able to withdraw the full crypto balances they held on the platform.　　“We relied on an agreed strategic transaction that was to provide liquidity to grow the platform, and the counterparty did not perform; wider crypto market conditions have added further pressure,” AscendEX wrote. “We are currently assessing the companys financial position and considering what options, if any, may be available in relation to account holders.”　　AscendEX noted that account access is restricted to limited offboarding purposes, and automated withdrawals have been paused. Withdrawal requests are subject to manual review, and therefore could be delayed, the

07-09Industry

South Korean super app Toss partners with Optimism for won linked stablecoin trial

South Korean financial super-app Toss has signed a strategic agreement with Optimism and Sunnyside Labs to test blockchain infrastructure for South Korean won-linked stablecoins through a three-month technology verification program.　　SummaryToss has partnered with Optimism and Sunnyside Labs to test blockchain infrastructure for South Korean won linked stablecoins over the next three months.The companies will evaluate payment settlement, compliance requirements and privacy protection using Optimism‘s OP Stack and Sunnyside Labs’ Privacy Boost technology.The project will assess whether public blockchain infrastructure can meet institutional financial standards while supporting secure and scalable digital payments.　　According to a press release shared with crypto.news, the financial technology company will work with Ethereum layer 2 network Optimism and privacy technology developer Sunnyside Labs to examine whether blockchain infrastructure can support institutional payment systems while meeting financial regulations in South Korea. The companies will carry out a proof-of-concept (PoC) over the next three months.　　Three areas under review　　As part of the project, the companies will evaluate whether financial institutions can directly manage payment and settlement processes, comply with customer identification and anti-money laundering requirements, and protect sensitive transaction information while operating on a public blockchain.　　Those requirements form the basis of the technical assessment, with Optimism providing blockchain infrastructure through

07-08Industry

Russia advances crypto bill after dropping wallet address disclosure rule

Russias State Duma committee has approved a revised cryptocurrency regulation bill for its second reading, removing a proposed requirement to declare crypto wallet addresses while adding provisions for crypto-funded investments and new transfer controls.　　SummaryRussias State Duma committee has approved a revised crypto bill for its key second reading after removing mandatory crypto wallet address disclosures.The updated proposal allows crypto to be used for buying Russian securities and digital financial assets while keeping the annual retail investment limit at 300,000 rubles.New provisions would require certain large overseas and third party crypto transfers to be frozen for up to two days under the proposed rules.　　According to a statement shared through State Duma Financial Market Committee Chairman Anatoly Aksakovs Telegram channel, the committee endorsed an updated version of the government-backed bill that is expected to move to its second, substantive reading. Records on the State Duma website have not yet been updated since the bill cleared its first reading in April.　　Revised bill removes wallet address reporting　　Among the biggest changes, the updated draft no longer requires cryptocurrency holders to declare wallet addresses. Instead, users would only need to report wallet balances and transaction volumes.　　Aksakov said the revision is intended to reduce the risk of

07-08Industry

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