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

07-08انڈسٹری

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

07-08انڈسٹری

Strike launches ‘volatility-proof’ Bitcoin loans amid bear market, but at a cost

Bitcoin financial services platform Strike has launched a “volatility-proof” Bitcoin-backed loan that eliminates margin calls and forced liquidations amid the depths of a bear market, but only for those who can pay on time and handle a 14% interest rate.  In an announcement on Tuesday, Strike CEO Jack Mallers said the offering came in response to broad customer feedback on Strikes first Bitcoin loan product, which launched in May 2025 and triggered many liquidations during a timeframe in which Bitcoin (BTC) dropped 54% from peak to trough.  “No margin calls. No price liquidations. No matter how far bitcoin falls, your bitcoin doesnt move,” Strike CEO Jack Mallers said of the new Bitcoin loan product. The trade-off is an expensive interest rate, a shorter six-month loan term, and an obligation to pay on time to avoid liquidation, Mallers said.  Strikes Jack Mallers is presenting the new Bitcoin-backed loan product. Source: Jack Mallers  The Bitcoin industry has spent the better part of a decade racing to build financial products that expand Bitcoins use case beyond a savings technology. A report in June from crypto lending platform Ledn, however, found that while 88% of surveyed crypto investors said they would consider a crypto-backed loan, only 14% use

07-08انڈسٹری

Nigel Farage to resign from UK Parliament amid crypto “gift” scandal, will stand in by-election

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UKs Reform party, announced that he would resign as a member of Parliament and stand in the by-election that could replace him.  On Tuesday, Farage announced that he would resign as MP representing Clacton in response to what he called “foul means” by established politicians. The UK lawmaker‘s resignation followed reports that he had personally received millions of dollars’ worth of donations and gifts from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster linked to a crypto casino.  “Let me be absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong,” said Farage in an X livestream. “I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money.”Source: Nigel Farage  Farage already had ties to the crypto industry before reports of the scandal. He spoke at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas and is an investor in London-listed Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company Stack. When reports began circulating in May that the Reform leader had received a $6.7 million gift from Harborne, he initially called it a “reward” for campaigning for Brexit, the 2016 referendum that led to the UKs exit from the European Union.  Related: Crypto billionaires bankroll Nigel Farages pro-crypto party  The

07-08انڈسٹری

USDT wins payments, USDC wins DeFi as stablecoins diverge: Dune

The world‘s biggest stablecoins are increasingly becoming chain-specific financial products, with Tether’s USDt (USDT) and Circles USDC (USDC) serving distinct roles across the crypto ecosystem rather than competing head-on.  Dune‘s Digital Asset Brief found that USDT overwhelmingly dominates onchain payments. During the first half of 2026, the biggest stablecoin settled about $95 billion in identified commerce payments, compared with $14 billion for second-biggest USDC. It also accounted for roughly 92% of the $48 billion in business-to-business payment volume. On Tron, USDT’s largest network, around 93% of the tokens supply is held in ordinary wallets rather than on exchanges, underscoring its role as a payment and remittance asset.  USDC, meanwhile, has established itself as the dominant stablecoin in decentralized finance. USDC on Base processed roughly $2.6 trillion in transfer volume in June, the highest of any token-chain pair, while on Ethereum, that stablecoin handled another $1.6 trillion.  USDC on Base recorded daily velocity of about 20 times its circulating supply in June, reflecting its extensive use in trading and DeFi. Source: Dune  The findings suggest the traditional USDT-versus-USDC narrative is becoming less useful. Instead, each stablecoin is carving out its own niche, with USDT dominating payments and USDC underpinning much of cryptos trading and DeFi

07-08انڈسٹری

Bitcoin Reclaims $64K After $62.8K Dip as $108M in Short Liquidations Fuel Rebound

Bitcoin reclaimed the $64,000 mark following a brief flash crash to $62,800, bringing its total July gains to nearly 10%.  Key TakeawaysBitcoin reclaimed $64,000 on Tuesday, rallying past a brief flash crash to $62,800.Market volatility sparked $145 million in liquidations, wiping out $108 million in short positions.Bitfinex analysts predict future Bitcoin recovery depends tightly on stronger exchange-traded fund inflows.  Analysts Eye a Potential Floor  Bitcoin reclaimed $64,000 on Tuesday, just hours after it dipped to $62,800, maintaining its July upward momentum. Market data shows the cryptocurrency initially breached the $64,000 mark late Monday afternoon, threatening to test $64,700. Shortly after hitting a 24-hour peak of $64,657, bitcoin began a downtrend that nearly erased the previous days gains.  Just after midnight, the trend reversed as the cryptocurrency climbed back above $63,000. It held above that threshold until 10:30 a.m., when a brief flash crash dragged it back to $62,800. Volatility was on display again as it raced back to $64,140, representing a 24-hour gain of 0.5% at the time of writing.  Exactly seven days into July, bitcoin has risen by nearly 10%, a remarkable turnaround for an asset that recorded its second-worst June on record. The marginal increase lifted its market capitalization to $1.28 trillion, helping

07-08انڈسٹری

SBI Holdings is sole investor in crypto platform EDX Markets' $76 million Series C

Quick TakeInstitutional crypto platform EDX Markets has closed a $76 million Series C funding round, with Japans SBI Holdings as the sole investor, CEO Tony Acuña-Rohter told The Block.The funding will help EDX expand its trading, clearing, and settlement capabilities as it targets growing institutional demand, particularly from large banks.  Institutional crypto platform EDX Markets has closed a $76 million Series C funding round, with Japans SBI Holdings as the sole investor, CEO Tony Acuña-Rohter told The Block.  This was an equity round, Acuña-Rohter said, but he declined to disclose its terms or EDXs valuation. Notably, this is the first time EDX has disclosed the size of one of its funding rounds. Its previous two rounds were undisclosed but included backers such as Charles Schwab, Citadel Securities, Fidelity Investments, Sequoia Capital and Paradigm. Acuña-Rohter also declined to comment on those earlier rounds, saying the details are confidential.  Founded in 2022, EDX operates an institutional-only crypto trading venue with a central clearinghouse, aiming to bring traditional market structure to digital asset trading.  The new funding will help EDX expand its trading, clearing and settlement capabilities, accelerate product development and scale its global operations, Acuña-Rohter said. The firm is focused on serving the next wave of

07-08انڈسٹری

MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins grew 128% ahead of July 1 deadline, says Decta

The market capitalization of compliant euro stablecoins grew 128% in the year leading up to the end of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) transition period, according to payments infrastructure firm Decta.  Decta said in a Sunday report that the combined market cap of eight MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins rose to $673.9 million on June 28, 2026, from $295.6 million on June 30, 2025. Trading volume rose 43.1% to $67.3 million from $47 million. The number of MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins tracked in the report also rose to eight from five over the period.  Decta tracked eight euro stablecoins that were actively issuing tokens and had market capitalization and trading volume during the study period. By contrast, the European Securities and Markets Authority interim MiCA register lists a broader set, including tokens that may not meet Dectas activity criteria.  The report found that euro-denominated stablecoins are growing under MiCA but from a small base in a market still dominated by dollar-backed tokens. CoinGecko data shows US dollar-pegged stablecoins at about $300 billion in market capitalization. The combined market capitalization of Dectas eight actively traded, MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins was 0.22% of the dollar stablecoin market.  From July 1, firms offering crypto-asset services in the European Union generally

07-08انڈسٹری

1kx, Blockchain Capital back $7.5 million KOR Protocol Series A at $100 million valuation

Quick TakeKOR Protocol is building an onchain clearinghouse that helps register and route creative works and provide programmable payments to creators and rights holders when licensed work is used.1kx and Blockchain Capital were named investors in the $7.5 million Series A at a $100 million valuation.  Entertainment-focused KOR Protocol has raised a $7.5 million Series A funding round with participation from 1kx, Blockchain Capital, and others at a $100 million valuation, according to an announcement shared with The Block.  KOR Protocol describes itself as an onchain creative asset clearinghouse built on Coinbases Layer 2 blockchain that provides infrastructure to help verify, route and settle creative works, like music and movies.  By registering these assets onchain, KOR argues they can be better matched “with the right labels, agencies, MCNs, brands, curators and platforms.” Moreover, using stablecoins like USDC can help with payments, including “programmable splits across the people and partners involved.”  “As both an artist and an operator, I know how difficult it is to translate strong work and audience momentum into distribution, partnerships, and sustainable revenue,” Ritty Quin, an electronic music producer and CEO of KOR, said. “KOR is building the system that connects those pieces by helping talent get recognized earlier, reach the

07-07انڈسٹری

Hyperliquid Stays Near All-Time High, Even as Bitcoin ETFs Lose $6.5 Billion

Even as billions of dollars exit major crypto investment products, Hyperliquids HYPE token has remained resilient despite heavy withdrawals from U.S. spot bitcoin and ethereum ETFs, according to Coinshares.  Key TakeawaysU.S. spot bitcoin ETFs have recorded eight consecutive weeks of outflows, with more than $6.5 billion leaving since May, while HYPE has remained resilient.Three U.S. spot HYPE ETFs give investors brokerage-accessible exposure to Hyperliquids native token.Coinshares says Hyperliquids tokenomics are resonating with investors as platform fees support systematic HYPE buybacks.  Why Is Hyperliquid Defying Broader Crypto Market Weakness?  Cryptocurrency markets have been under sustained pressure from weak investment flows in recent weeks. Luke Nolan, senior research associate at Coinshares, said in a statement to Bitcoin.com News that crypto has received “very little help from flows recently,” highlighting continued pressure across major digital asset investment products.  He explained that U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs have recorded eight straight weeks of outflows, the longest streak since launch. More than $6.5 billion has exited those funds since May, while ethereum ETFs have also weakened during the same period. Strategy also sold 3,588 BTC during the week to fund preferred stock distributions.  Despite those headwinds, Hyperliquid has remained resilient, he described, adding:  “Against these tough market conditions, Hyperliquid (HYPE) continues to

07-07انڈسٹری
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