Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Bitcoin Telegram accounts targeted by North Korean hackers

Bitcoiners are facing a renewed warning over an active social-engineering campaign that hijacks trusted Telegram accounts and funnels cryptocurrency professionals into fake Zoom or Microsoft Teams meetings.　　Lightning News raised the alarm on Aug. 7, citing recent accounts from Bitcoin community members. Independent security research confirms the core attack chain, though not every claim has been verified.　　JUMPSEC said in July that it obtained source code from an active BlueNoroff phishing kit after exposed JavaScript source maps. The researchers found a victim-acquisition platform that abuses compromised Telegram contacts, profiles cryptocurrency wallets and delivers malware to selected targets on Windows and macOS systems. JUMPSEC said identified campaign infrastructure remained active as of July 22.　　Telegram accounts under attack, source: XBlueNoroff turns trusted Telegram contacts into lures　　The attack begins with trust rather than a blockchain vulnerability. JUMPSEC found operators using compromised Telegram accounts belonging to real industry contacts to invite targets to fake video meetings. Because messages arrive from genuine accounts and can reference existing relationships, sender recognition alone provides limited protection.　　Google Mandiant independently documented a similar UNC1069 intrusion in February. A victim received messages from a compromised crypto executives Telegram account, scheduled a meeting and was redirected to a spoofed Zoom domain. The victim

08-07Industry

Coldcard temporarily halts customer data deletion over July exploit

Coldcard has temporarily suspended its automatic customer data deletion process because of legal obligations tied to the security incident disclosed on July 30, preserving records that would otherwise have been erased after 120 days.　　SummaryColdcard has suspended its automatic customer data deletion policy because of legal obligations tied to its July security incident.Customers can still request their records be handled under the companys original data retention policy by contacting support.The policy change follows a wallet flaw that Galaxy Research linked to 1,596 confirmed stolen Bitcoin across three attack waves.Coldcard said retained customer records will remain restricted to authorized personnel and used only to meet legal requirements.　　Coldcard announced the policy change in a post on X, saying it must retain customer records that could be relevant to ongoing and anticipated legal proceedings arising from the wallet security incident.　　Update on Customer Data Retention　　We want to inform our customers of a change to our data-handling practices in connection with the security incident disclosed on July 30, 2026.　　As many of you know, our standard practice has been to automatically blank customer records after…　　— COLDCARD (@COLDCARDwallet) August 7, 2026　　The company said the temporary measure overrides its published data-retention schedule but added that customers who do not

08-07Industry

Morning Minute: MetaMask Hands AI Agents a Wallet

Morning Minute is a daily newsletter written by Tyler Warner. The analysis and opinions expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Decrypt.　　GM!　　Todays top news:Crypto majors are slightly green; BTC at $65kClarity Act vote officially delayed until after August recess, 13% chance to passBTC ETFs see another $138M in net inflows, now $750M+ on weekRobinhood Chain hits new ATH in active addresses after Cashcat gets listed on Robinhood USNew NFT mint Mancer triples on debut, token runs 11x to $8M　　???? MetaMask Hands AI Agents a Wallet, With Guardrails and a “Beast Mode”　　MetaMask launched Agent Wallet on Thursday, a self-custodial wallet that lets AI agents trade crypto on their own, within limits the user sets.　　The pitch is autonomy without handing over the keys: an agent can run swaps, perps, prediction-market bets, and staking across Ethereum-compatible chains and Hyperliquid, but only after users have:capped its spendingallowlisted the protocols it can touch, andpicked a risk setting.　　There are two modes users can choose from, the cautious “Guard Mode” and a fully-let-it-rip “Beast Mode.”Guard Mode (default):Users pre-approve the protocols and addresses the agent can touch, and anything outside those rules, or above the spending limit, pauses for 2FA sign-off before it executesBeast

08-07Industry

Bernstein favors CleanSpark on AI execution as MARA awaits first commercial contract

Quick TakeBernstein reaffirmed its $24 price target and Outperform rating on CleanSpark, while maintaining a $17 target and Market-Perform rating on MARA.Analysts highlighted AI execution as a differentiator, with CleanSpark having already signed a $6.6 billion AI lease, while MARA has yet to land a single commercial AI contract.　　Analysts at research and brokerage firm Bernstein shared split ratings on two of the largest bitcoin miners pivoting to AI infrastructure, keeping CleanSpark (CLSK) at Outperform with a $24 price target and MARA Holdings (MARA) at Market-Perform with a $17 price target, in a pair of notes published Friday.　　The divergence reflects on execution, according to Bernstein.　　CleanSpark has a signed anchor tenant and a data center build is underway, while MARA is still waiting for its first commercial AI contract, the analysts led by Gautam Chhugani wrote.　　CleanSpark secures AI tenant　　CleanSparks $6.6 billion 20-year triple-net lease covers 175 IT MW at its Sandersville site in Georgia, with a high-investment-grade global technology company as tenant. The lease carries an exclusivity agreement over CleanSparks entire 885 MW Texas portfolio.　　The miner has also partnered with the tenants preferred engineering and construction firm for the Sandersville build, a step Bernstein said de-risks CleanSparks first scaled AI deployment. Another

08-07Industry

Chinas Exports Rise 23.9% YoY as Chip Demand Surges

China‘s exports rose 23.9% in July from a year earlier, beating analyst forecasts. A worldwide buildout of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure lifted demand for the country’s chips and high-tech goods.　　The gains kept the worlds second-largest economy on track through a year of trade shocks. Yet, they also highlight the split between booming factory exports and weak domestic spending.　　Sponsored　　Sponsored　　Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens　　AI Chip Boom Powers Chinas Export Surge　　Chinas exports rose 23.9% year over year in dollar terms in July, slightly ahead of economists expectations. Reuters-polled analysts had forecast a 22.2% increase, while a separate Bloomberg survey projected a median gain of 23%.　　Although exports beat estimates, growth eased from Junes 27% jump, which marked the strongest expansion since October 2021.　　Imports increased 27.5% during the month. Meanwhile, China‘s trade surplus totaled $112.5 billion, above market expectations of roughly $107 billion but lower than June’s $125.6 billion.　　Semiconductors drove much of the strength. Chinas integrated circuit exports, measured by value, nearly doubled over the first seven months of the year. In July alone, chip shipments climbed 117% from a year earlier.　　Sponsored　　Sponsored　　Mechanical and electrical products made up more than 60% of shipments over the first seven months. Electric

08-07Industry

Crypto crime has moved beyond online hacks, Chainalysis says

Chainalysis has warned that cryptocurrency crime has increasingly extended into kidnappings, home invasions and other violent incidents as criminals pursue holders who can transfer digital assets immediately under coercion.　　SummaryChainalysis said violent attacks against crypto holders have become more common as criminals target self custody wallets and instantly transferable assets.The report estimated more than $30 million has been stolen through successful physical attacks during the first half of 2026.Investigators found attackers leave blockchain trails that help trace stolen funds even after violent thefts succeed.France has recorded the highest number of publicly known crypto related violent incidents since 2023 as authorities expand organized crime investigations.Family members have increasingly been targeted to pressure crypto holders into transferring digital assets.　　According to the blockchain analytics firms latest report shared with crypto.news, cybercrime still accounts for most illicit crypto activity, including an estimated $3.4 billion stolen through hacks, $17 billion lost to scams and about $820 million linked to ransomware in 2025.　　At the same time, physical attacks have become more common because crypto holders often control large amounts of wealth through self-custody wallets without the institutional safeguards associated with traditional financial assets.　　The report estimates that violent criminals have extracted more than $30 million from crypto holders

08-07Industry

Ripple News: XRP USD at Risk of Losing Key Support at $1

XRP trades near $1.03 as short positioning builds and spot demand weakens following news that the U.S. Senate delayed its CLARITY Act vote until September, which has had a negative effect on the Ripple chart.　　According to market data from CoinGecko, the token recorded a near -2% 24-hour decline, with an intraday range of $1.0153 to $1.039, keeping its market capitalization near $64.7Bn. Trading volume stands around $1.4Bn against a circulating supply of 62.53 billion tokens.　　Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed on August 7 that consideration of the CLARITY Act will resume after the August legislative recess. While the delay removes an immediate regulatory tailwind in the US, market participants are weighing this against Ripples reported full compliance in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) and Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) in Luxembourg.　　Can regulatory clearance in Europe offset deferred US legislative timelines？ Meanwhile, speculative chart projections circulating on social channels point toward targets at $7 and $27 by October 2026, though present market indicators reflect more realistic near-term consolidation.　　Can the XRP Price Hold Above $1 Amid Regulatory Delays？　　$XRP is at a two-year low. Pay attention!　　Ripple is approaching the support zone at the bottom of a falling wedge pattern on the weekly chart.　　The price has hit

08-07Industry

Crypto market maker Wintermute lands SEC approval to trade equities and ETF blocks

SummaryWintermutes U.S. arm has officially registered with the SEC and joined FINRA, securing broker-dealer status for its institutional operations.The firm is now authorized to trade U.S. stocks and options, provide liquidity for ETFs, and self-clear digital asset securities for proprietary accounts.Wintermute plans to focus initially on crypto-linked markets, with intentions to scale into tokenized stocks pending necessary regulatory approvals.　　Crypto market maker Wintermute has secured broker-dealer status in the U.S., giving the firm a regulated route into Wall Street as crypto trading and traditional securities markets draw closer together.　　New York-based Wintermute USA LLC registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The unit will operate as a proprietary trading firm rather than a retail broker.　　The registration lets Wintermute trade stocks and equity options, provide liquidity to exchanges and over-the-counter counterparties, and act as an authorized participant for exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including crypto-linked funds.　　Authorized participants create and redeem large blocks of ETF shares, a process that helps keep an ETFs market price close to the value of its holdings.　　Wintermute described the unit as proprietary-only and did not announce retail brokerage services.　　Authorized participants create and redeem blocks of ETF shares directly with fund issuers, helping keep

08-07Industry

Bitcoin hovers below $65,000 as Middle East tensions escalate further

SummaryBitcoin is holding near $64,700 Friday, barely changed over the last 24-hour period, while the broader CoinDesk 20 index is down 0.2% over the period.Brent crude has meanwhile moved to over $83 a barrel after Yemens Iran-linked Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions in the Middle East.Gold has meanwhile maintained its recovery, moving up 1.5% to now trade at $4,300 per ounce as investors move toward safety in the face of uncertainty.　　Bitcoin is holding near $64,700 Friday, barely changed over the last 24-hour period, while the broader CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index is down 0.2% over the period.　　Brent crude has meanwhile moved to over $83 a barrel after Yemens Iran-linked Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions in the Middle East.　　Treasury yields have seen a slight correction, but remain at 4.67% for the 10-year note, a level Fidelitys Director of Global Macro Jurrien Timmer said “history suggests that nothing good happens.”　　Higher oil could add to inflation pressure if sustained, while elevated Treasury yields tighten financial conditions. Together, they could limit expectations for near-term rate cuts and weigh on bitcoin and other risk assets.　　Gold has meanwhile maintained its recovery, moving up 1.5% to now trade at $4,300 per ounce as investors

08-07Industry

GTA 6 Creators Stock Hits Solana as Netflix Special Approaches

A tokenized version of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) publisher Take-Two Interactive Software‘s (TTWO) stock has launched on Solana through Backpack Securities. Holders can now trade the company’s equity straight from a compatible crypto wallet.　　The listing arrives as Netflix readies an exclusive extended look at GTA 6. The special airs August 27. It lands ahead of the games November 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.　　Sponsored　　Sponsored　　How the TTWO Tokenized Stock Trades on Solana　　Backpack Securities is the tokenization arm of the Solana-based exchange Backpack. It minted the wrapped TTWO shares and listed them across several venues.　　Backpack frames the tokens as direct equity claims rather than synthetic price trackers. Each one represents a 1:1 redeemable stake in TTWO shares held through a dedicated custody vehicle, not a derivative contract that only mirrors the stocks price.　　“Unlike synthetic alternatives, Backpack investors hold full ownership of the traded U.S. equities, backed by the depth of traditional exchange liquidity,” Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante, via GlobeNewswire　　The tokens still settle instantly and trade outside Nasdaqs normal hours, unlike the underlying stock itself.　　The wrapped stock last changed hands at $233.79, according to live BeInCrypto data. That price held flat over the past 24 hours. Market capitalization

08-07Industry

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