Latest Crypto News & Market Updates

Nasdaq targets 24 hour trading with LeveL acquisition

Nasdaq agreed on Aug. 11 to acquire all equity interests in LeveL Markets LLC, adding one of the largest U.S. alternative trading systems to a broader strategy built around longer trading hours, tokenized securities and digital market infrastructure.　　SummaryNasdaq agreed to acquire LeveL Markets, the third largest U.S. alternative trading system by volume.LeveL reaches more than 2,500 clients and trades across more than 7,000 symbols each day.Nasdaq created Digital Liquidity Networks to combine tokenization, liquidity platforms and digital asset technology capabilities.The SEC approved Nasdaq tokenized securities rules in March, then longer trading hours during April.LeveL will remain FINRA regulated and separately managed after closing, subject to required regulatory approvals.　　Financial terms were not disclosed in the companys release.　　The deal comes after two major U.S. regulatory approvals for Nasdaq this year. The SEC approved its tokenized securities rules in March and its plan for 23 hour weekday trading in April. Nasdaq now plans to launch the longer trading schedule on Dec. 6, while the newly created Digital Liquidity Networks unit will bring LeveL into the same organization as its digital asset and tokenization capabilities.　　You might also like:　　Plume joins DTCC group with Nasdaq and Schwab　　LeveL gives Nasdaq a larger U.S. off exchange foothold　　Nasdaq says

3 days agoIndustry

MoneyGram brings Solana cash ramps to 170+ markets

MoneyGram expanded its blockchain payments strategy on Aug. 11 by launching MoneyGram Ramps on Solana, giving wallets, exchanges and developers access to its cash network through one API.　　The companys release says the integration supports cash deposits in more than 25 countries and cash withdrawals in more than 170 countries and territories.　　Rift is the first Solana wallet to integrate the service. The launch builds on MoneyGrams June entry into Solana as a validator and participant in the Solana Developer Platform, extending the relationship from network infrastructure into customer facing payment access.　　MoneyGram Ramps gives Solana cash access in 170+ markets　　MoneyGram says developers can obtain API credentials, use a sandbox and integrate software development kits without building separate banking connections. Solana has embedded Ramps in the payments module of its Developer Platform, allowing apps to connect onchain activity with MoneyGrams physical cash network.　　MoneyGram says its wider network serves more than 60 million active customers and includes nearly half a million retail locations. Solanas announcement lists international payouts, stablecoin payroll and aid distribution as possible applications. Those are proposed use cases, not announced customer deployments.　　MoneyGrams corporate site says its broader network spans more than 200 countries and territories, with more than 480,000 retail locations

3 days agoIndustry

Crypto Spot Trading Volume Falls 21.7% in July, All 14 Exchanges Post Declines

A 21.7% month-over-month drop across every major exchange is rarely just noise. The July 2026 spot trading report from WuBlockchain puts combined volume at $429.0 billion across 14 platforms, down from $547.9 billion in June. Binance alone absorbed nearly half of that total, a reminder that liquidity concentrates fast when traders pull back.　　Binance notched $196.5 billion in spot trades, grabbing a 45.8% share. OKX followed at $41.6 billion and Bybit at $36.3 billion. Together, the top three exchanges captured 64.0% of all spot volume. The concentration is stark, but the real story is in the declines. Every single exchange reported lower volumes. Uniswap held up best, shedding just 9.8%—an unusually mild retracement for a decentralized venue. Kraken‘s 13.4% slide and Gate’s 15.9% drop suggest that fiat on-ramps and Asia-facing platforms weathered the slowdown better than rivals focused on altcoin margin. At the other end, Bitfinex cratered 59.7%, Coinbase dropped 26.4%, and Bybit fell 24.5%. That dispersion points to shifting trader loyalties and thinning liquidity in specific market pockets.　　Liquidity Concentration Hits a New Extreme　　When Binance holds a near-46% share in a month where everyone else is shrinking, the structural imbalance can feed on itself. Depth migrates to where the orders already

3 days agoExchange

MoneyGram expands crypto cash ramps to Solana

Global remittance company MoneyGram has expanded its Ramps service to Solana, allowing wallets, exchanges and developers on the network to offer cash-to-crypto and crypto-to-cash conversions through its payments network.　　Ramps previously operated on Stellar, making Solana its second supported blockchain. Rift is the first Solana (SOL) wallet to integrate the service, allowing users to move between crypto and local currencies through MoneyGram.　　In an X post announcing the launch, Solana said MoneyGram serves more than 60 million customers through nearly 500,000 retail locations across more than 170 countries, with the network now accessible to Solana developers through a single API.Source: Solana　　Ramps supports cash deposits in more than 25 countries and withdrawals in more than 170 countries and territories, according to MoneyGram. The service, also integrated into the Solana Developer Platform‘s payments module, lets developers add MoneyGram’s fiat on- and off-ramp infrastructure without building their own banking integrations.　　The company said the Solana launch is part of a broader effort to make Ramps available across multiple blockchain ecosystems. In June, MoneyGram became a Solana validator, staking SOL and processing transactions on the network. It also joined the Solana Developer Platform as part of that expansion.　　Magazine: Bitcoin will never fall below $60K again: Nansen founder

3 days agoIndustry

FlightAware sues Kalshi over flight cancellation data

FlightAware, a company that offers real-time status and information about flights globally, filed a lawsuit against Kalshi in a New York federal court over the prediction markets platform using its “data and name to run gambling markets on flight cancellations.”　　In a Monday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the company said that despite repeated demands for Kalshi to stop using its registered trademark and offering bets “verified by FlightAwares data,” the prediction market has continued to list event contracts based on flight cancellations.　　The lawsuit cited authorities‘ claims that event contracts on prediction market platforms like Kalshi were “wagers” in violation of state laws, adding that the company’s expansion to trading on commercial flights starting in July was associating FlightAware with activities potentially harming its reputation. FlightAware sought to “stop Kalshis illicit behavior before there is any harm to public safety.”　　“[T]here was widespread outrage and concern that the markets would incentivize unsafe tactics to impact cancellations, threatening public safety and creating the potential for massive disruption of air travel. Airlines condemned the markets,” said the lawsuit. “And due to Kalshi‘s unauthorized use of FlightAware’s data and mark, customers immediately assumed that FlightAware was involved

3 days agoIndustry

Coinbase-backed Flowdesk secures full broker-dealer license in Dubai

Flowdesk, an institutional crypto market maker backed by Coinbase Ventures and BlackRock, has received a full broker-dealer license in Dubai, expanding its ability to serve institutional investors in the emirate.　　On Tuesday, Flowdesk said Dubais Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority granted the license to its local entity, Flowdesk Omega FZE, allowing it to provide regulated broker-dealer services to qualified and institutional investors in and from Dubai.　　The approval follows Flowdesk‘s broader regulatory expansion, with the company receiving authorization in France as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework.　　Broker-dealers are playing an increasingly important role in the cryptocurrency market, bridging traditional finance and digital assets while providing liquidity, custody services and regulatory compliance. Earlier this month, crypto market maker Wintermute launched a US broker-dealer, allowing it to trade stocks and options.　　Digital asset infrastructure provider BitGo and securities marketplace operator OTC Markets announced in July that they plan to provide digital asset trading and custody infrastructure for more than 150 broker-dealers using OTS Link ATS, an alternative trading system.　　Related: SoFi taps BitGo to provide infrastructure for bank-issued stablecoin

3 days agoIndustry

Nasdaq to acquire LeveL Markets in push toward ‘always-on’ markets

Nasdaq has agreed to acquire LeveL Markets, the third-largest alternative trading system in the US by trading volume, as part of its push into tokenized and always-on markets.　　According to Nasdaq, LeveL Markets processes hundreds of millions of shares daily and serves more than 2,500 buy- and sell-side clients. The venue will operate within Nasdaq‘s new Digital Liquidity Networks unit, led by Roland Chai, who has overseen the company’s digital assets strategy since earlier this year.　　Nasdaq first invested in LeveL Markets in 2021. The platform has since grown to execute trades across more than 7,000 symbols daily and serves more than 300 institutional buy-side firms, with average daily trading volume increasing 56% in 2025.　　Tuesdays announcement said LeveL Markets will remain a FINRA-regulated ATS with its own management team following the acquisition. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal remains subject to regulatory approval.　　Nasdaq said the acquisition will add LeveLs institutional execution network to its broader push toward programmable, “always-on” markets. The Digital Liquidity Networks unit combines liquidity platforms, tokenization capabilities and digital asset technology.　　Related: Tokenized RWA surge to $4T may push LINK to $200 by end-2030: Standard Chartered　　Nasdaq expands push into tokenized, always-on markets　　Nasdaq first proposed allowing tokenized securities to

3 days agoIndustry

Russia proposes exchange trading of Bitcoin, Ether and Tethers USDT

Russias central bank has compiled a proposed list of crypto assets that could be admitted to public trading on exchanges under new rules approved last week.　　The list includes Bitcoin, Ether and Tethers stablecoin USDT, the Bank of Russia said Tuesday, adding that the assets meet criteria including market capitalization, average daily trading volume and at least five years of price history on overseas markets.　　The proposal follows a new law, signed by President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4, that gives the Bank of Russia authority to determine which digital currencies can be admitted to organized trading and set related rules.　　Under the rules, non-qualified investors could buy up to 300,000 Russian rubles ($3,650) worth of cryptocurrency per year through each intermediary, including a broker, crypto exchange service or asset manager. Qualified investors would face no purchase limits for crypto assets traded on exchanges or over-the-counter markets.　　“Before making transactions, all investors, regardless of their status, will have to pass a test and familiarize themselves with the risks of investing in crypto assets,” the Bank of Russia said.　　The central bank said the restrictions are designed to protect non-qualified investors from sharp and unpredictable fluctuations in crypto prices. The regulator is accepting comments on the

3 days agoIndustry

BTCPay Backers Offer Bitcoin Bounty After Wallet Exploit

In briefBTCPay Server supporters offered 10% of recovered funds, capped at 3 BTC.Attackers stole Bitcoin using credentials taken from vulnerable LND servers.Users running affected software should update to version 2.4.2 immediately.　　BTCPay Server supporters are offering 10% of any funds recovered, capped at 3 BTC currently worth around $190,000, if all the Bitcoin stolen in a recent exploit is returned.　　In a post on X on Monday, BTCPay said the offer extends to anyone with information that could help recover the funds, including the attacker.　　“We will examine our mistakes, but regret alone will not help affected users or secure the project,” the company wrote. “There is no time to waste. We have to learn, improve, and act quickly.”　　BTCPay first warned users about the attacks on Friday, urging them to install a new version, 2.4.2, or take their servers offline. At the time, the project had not confirmed any thefts or explained how the exploit worked.　　According to BTCPay, the flaw allowed attackers to obtain LND admin macaroons—credentials that grant broad control over a Lightning Network node—and use them to access connected wallets. The Lightning Network is a layer-2 payment network built on the Bitcoin blockchain that enables faster and cheaper transactions. Lightning Network

3 days agoIndustry

Cryptocurrency spot volume drops 21.7% to $429B as all 14 exchanges retreat

Crypto trading cooled off sharply last month. According to data compiled by WuBlockchain, cryptocurrency spot volumeacross major exchanges fell to roughly $429.0 billion in July 2026, a steep pullback from the previous month that touches every single platform tracked in the report. The numbers paint a picture of a market that went quiet almost everywhere at once, not just at one or two venues.　　Key takeawaysTotal spot trading volume across 14 exchanges reached about $429.0 billionin July 2026.Volume dropped 21.7%from June 2026s $547.9 billion.All 14 exchanges in the sample recorded a month-over-month decline — none rose.Binancetopped the list with $196.5 billion, a 45.8% market share.Binance, OKX, and Bybit together controlled about 64.0% of total volume.　　July 2026 Spot Trading Volume Overview　　Spot trading activity across the tracked exchanges shrank noticeably in July, with the combined total landing near $429.0 billion — down from $547.9 billion in June. That‘s a drop of roughly 21.7% in a single month, one of the sharper contractions seen in recent exchange data. WuBlockchain’s compiled figures show this wasnt a case of a few laggards dragging down the average; the slowdown was broad-based.　　Total Volume and Month-over-Month Decline　　The 21.7% month-over-month decrease in cryptocurrency spot volumestands out because it wasnt isolated

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