Ethereum’s 10th anniversary celebration was marked by an uptick in institutional demand for Ether as an alternative treasury reserve asset, prompting Wall Street to look past Bitcoin. Ethereum’s 10th anniversary was marked by a significant milestone in terms of institutional crypto adoption, as cryptocurrency treasury firms surpassed $100 billion in collective investments on Thursday.Ethereum’s 10th birthday brought renewed corporate interest in Ether (ETH), which saw the 10 largest corporate crypto treasury firms amass over 1% of the total Ether supply since the beginning of June, according to a Tuesday report by Standard Chartered.The bank predicted that corporations will eventually hold 10% of the total Ether supply, which may see the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency surpass the bank’s year-end target price of $4,000 per Ether.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

Bitcoin derivatives data shows no evidence the 2025 bull run is over despite BTC price sliding to lower support levels below $115,000. Key takeaways:BTC options signals caution but not an outright bearish market shift.Bitcoin ETF outflows and futures premiums show neutral-to-bearish sentiment, but no panic.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

It is essential to secure your BTC, altcoins and NFTs with a crypto inheritance plan that safeguards keys and simplifies wealth transfer for heirs. A crypto inheritance plan is vital because losing private keys or seed phrases can permanently make assets like Bitcoin, Ether and NFTs unrecoverable.A strong inheritance plan includes asset inventories, secure access instructions and a trusted executor, ensuring heirs can safely and legally access holdings.Privacy must be protected using encrypted files, sealed documents or decentralized identity tools rather than exposing sensitive details in public wills.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

The value of Bitcoin has grown substantially since the BTC community asserted independence from miner domination on Aug. 1, 2017. August 1 marks the eighth anniversary of a key moment in Bitcoin’s (BTC) history — the initial activation of Segregated Witness (SegWit) in 2017, a key software upgrade that reshaped the network’s future and triggered a hard fork. The move, known as “Bitcoin Independence Day,” reduced miner influence over the protocol and led to the creation of Bitcoin Cash (BCH), highlighting the community’s divisions over how Bitcoin should scale to support global use.The “block size wars” were fought between those who wanted to keep the Bitcoin block size small and “big blockers,” a coalition of miners and businesses that wanted to include more transactions in each block to make BTC suitable for everyday payments and commercial transactions.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

Gemini looks smart, but can it actually trade? We put it to the test with sample trades and break down where it helps and where it doesn’t. Gemini is now used by crypto traders to monitor market catalysts and breaking news in real time.The Gemini Pro version’s longer context window and web access boost its usefulness for macro and sentiment tracking.It lacks native support for charts, portfolios or backtesting; traders still need external tools.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

OpenAI’s latest funding round, which values the company at $300 billion, was five times oversubscribed amid surging investor demand for AI, according to The New York Times. OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion at a $300 billion valuation, accelerating its plan to secure $40 billion in funding by year’s end. The latest round, led by Dragoneer Investment Group, comes after the company raised $2.5 billion in March.According to The New York Times on Friday, Dragoneer committed $2.8 billion to the raise, representing roughly 10% of its total funds. The funding round brings OpenAI closer to its 2025 target, which includes a $30 billion commitment from SoftBank.The funding round was five times oversubscribed, meaning investors wanted to invest roughly $40 billion, the Times said. OpenAI prioritized new strategic investors over existing backers, frustrating some investors who received smaller allocations than they hoped for.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

As physical gold hits record highs, Tether Gold’s (XAUt) market cap surges past $800 million, while Bitcoin treasury firm Twenty One Capital expands holdings. While Bitcoin (BTC) is often described as digital gold, a tokenized commodity offering direct exposure to the physical metal is quietly gaining traction.By the end of the second quarter, Tether Gold (XAUt) — a tokenized asset issued by the stablecoin provider behind USDt — was backed by 7.66 tons of gold, according to the company’s latest attestation report. The reserve supports more than 259,000 XAUt tokens in circulation, giving the asset a total market value of over $800 million.The rise of Tether Gold reflects a broader surge in demand for physical bullion, which has hit multiple record highs this year amid renewed inflation concerns and market unease driven by the White House’s tariff agenda.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

Adriana Kugler steps down from the Federal Reserve Board amid mounting political pressure and renewed uncertainty over Jerome Powell’s leadership. Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Adriana D. Kugler has announced her resignation, stepping down during a particularly sensitive moment for the US central bank as President Donald Trump continues to challenge the long-standing tradition of Fed independence.In a statement released Friday, the Fed said Kugler’s resignation will take effect on Aug. 8. While she did not provide a specific reason for her departure, the central bank noted she plans to return to her academic post at Georgetown University. Her term had been scheduled to end in January.“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,” Kugler said. “I am especially honored to have served during a critical time in achieving our dual mandate of bringing down prices and keeping a strong and resilient labor market.”Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

Stablecoin-linked stocks in Hong Kong plunged by double digits amid the city’s new regulatory transition, but experts say it’s a healthy correction. Stablecoin companies operating in Hong Kong posted double-digit losses on Friday amid local regulatory shifts and a broader market correction.Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group fell nearly 20% on Friday, according to Google Finance data. Yunfeng Financial Group dropped more than 16% during the trading session, while Guotai Junan International Holdings slid 11% and OSL Group declined 10.5%.These companies are referred to as “Hong Kong stablecoin-concept companies,” with share prices driven by exposure to stablecoin issuance, custody, trading, or related infrastructure. Still, some local experts view the correction as a positive market adjustment.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)

The roundtables, scheduled to be held in 10 cities, will focus on crypto startups less than two years old and with 10 or fewer employees. US SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce will hit the road this fall, leading a 10-city tour as part of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s new crypto outreach initiative. The regulator announced a roundtable series on Friday aimed at gathering feedback from industry stakeholders, developers and investors as the agency weighs future digital asset rules.“The Crypto Task Force is acutely aware that any regulatory framework will have far-reaching effects, and we want to ensure that our outreach is as comprehensive as possible,” Peirce said in a statement.The agency’s crypto task force is “particularly interested” in meeting with crypto startups less than two years old and with 10 or fewer employees. The roundtable discussions will take place between August and December.Read more Source: cointelegraph.com (Read Full Article)