Author: James Wilson

Coinbase has pulled trading support for five cryptocurrencies after giving holders a month to prepare. Summary Coinbase disabled trading for IDEX, LRC, OMNI, PIRATE and FIS across major trading platforms Friday. Customers can still access and withdraw affected tokens, while Coinbase has not announced conversions yet. Coinbase first announced the five suspensions July 7, giving holders one month of advance notice. Six non-dollar pairs were separately suspended August 6, but their underlying tokens remain supported elsewhere. Coinbase says routine reviews determine whether listed assets continue meeting its standards across trading services. On Aug. 7, the exchange confirmed that trading had…

Fresh HYPE supply is moving through trading venues after HyperLabs unlocked 433,025 tokens worth more than $23 million, adding another test for Hyperliquid’s market as scheduled team distributions continue.  Summary HyperLabs unlocked 433,025 HYPE worth about $23.46 million and moved tokens toward trading venues afterward. Lookonchain linked transfers to Flowdesk and OKX, but exchange deposits do not confirm sales occurred. HYPE traded near $54.6 Sunday after falling from levels above $56 before the unlock activity. Hyperliquid team distributions follow a vesting schedule that began in January and continues through 2027. Protocol buybacks provide HYPE demand, creating a counterweight to supply…

President Donald Trump has privately told senior aides he could end the U.S.-Iran war without securing a nuclear agreement if Tehran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 9, citing U.S. officials. Summary Trump reportedly told aides he could end the Iran war without securing a nuclear deal. Iran says Hormuz reopening requires U.S. compensation, sanctions relief, freed assets, and broader security concessions. An Iran-Oman shipping agreement is in final stages, but Tehran says it cannot reopen Hormuz. Brent crude settled at $83.55 Friday, up 1.3%, as traders awaited clearer Hormuz negotiations details. Washington…

Bitcoin’s BIP-110 split widened further on Aug. 9, with the enforcing branch still unable to produce a third block hours after mandatory signaling began.  Summary BIP-110 remains frozen at block 961,633 while Bitcoin’s main chain has advanced through block 961,744. Current-period signaling stands at zero among 113 main-chain blocks mined since mandatory signaling began Saturday. OCEAN reports 257 PH/s on its BIP-110 endpoint, with no new block for 17 hours. Roughnecks mined both BIP-110 blocks using OCEAN’s DATUM system at Bitcoin’s 127.48 trillion difficulty level. Saylor estimates 99.85% of hashpower rejected the fork, though that figure remains his own calculation.…

XRP Ledger developers have retired five long active protocol amendments in xrpld version 3.3.0, but the move does not remove their features or require XRP holders to take action. Summary XRPL 3.3.0 retires five long-active amendments, making their post-activation behavior permanent within the core protocol. Clawback remains available after retirement because only obsolete pre-amendment code is removed from xrpld software. XRPL documentation allows amendment retirement after two years of Mainnet activation to reduce legacy complexity. Six new amendments entered version 3.3.0, but each still requires validator approval before Mainnet activation. Node operators should upgrade to version 3.3.0 promptly, while users…

Michael Saylor put Strategy’s Bitcoin activity back under scrutiny on Sunday, Aug. 9, with a two word X post: “Doing ₿usiness.”  Summary Strategy sold 1,638 BTC for $104.73 million between July 27 and August 2, filings show. Saylor’s Sunday “Doing ₿usiness” post did not specify whether Strategy bought, sold, or moved Bitcoin. Lookonchain linked a 1,030 BTC transfer to Strategy, but no company filing confirms any sale. Strategy’s holdings remain 842,138 BTC acquired for $63.51 billion at an average cost of $75,419. STRC closed Friday near $94.60, still below the $100 stated amount Strategy management currently targets. The company’s executive…

Domestic stablecoins designed to strengthen the role of national currencies could have an unintended effect: making it easier for users to move into digital dollars.  Summary IMF says local stablecoins could accelerate dollar-token adoption by making onchain currency conversion easier globally. Nearly 99% of stablecoins remain dollar-denominated, reinforcing network effects that local tokens struggle to match. South Africa shows limited dollar-stablecoin use while rand-linked tokens have attracted weaker demand so far. IMF recommends regulating onramps, offramps and onchain exchanges when stablecoins expand access to foreign currency. BIS found stablecoin inflows broadly similar across economies with and without cross-border usage restrictions…

MARA Holdings secured $600 million of new borrowing on Aug. 4 after pledging 18,750 BTC worth about $1.2 billion as initial collateral, according to its Aug. 6 quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Summary 18,750 BTC worth about $1.2 billion initially secured MARA’s two new Bitcoin backed lending facilities. Coinbase provided $300 million of new funding while refinancing MARA’s existing $150 million credit line. Two Prime supplied $300 million at a fixed 7.65% rate, with maturity in August 2028. MARA said loan proceeds may help finance cash consideration for its planned Long Ridge acquisition. The pledged Bitcoin…

Brazil’s central bank has ordered virtual asset service providers to hold certain crypto transfers for up to 24 hours from Jan. 1, 2027, adding a new anti-fraud layer to the country’s expanding digital asset rulebook.  Summary Brazil will require 24-hour holds on qualifying crypto transfers above $10,000 beginning January 1, 2027. Transfers to overseas crypto providers and self-custody wallets fall within the central bank’s new safeguards. Providers may release transfers early after completing risk reviews under parameters established by Brazil’s regulator. Virtual asset providers must notify customers and maintain records covering fraud attempts and corrective actions. Brazil’s latest rule follows…

HYPE price climbed above $56.80 as strong quarterly revenue, token buybacks, and rising RWA trading activity helped it rebound from the $51 support area. Summary HYPE price gained 2.5% in 24 hours and traded about 3.7% higher over the past week. Hyperliquid generated $169 million in Q2 revenue, allocating $141 million to HYPE buybacks. The daily chart shows a potential breakout from a descending channel, but momentum is nearing overbought levels. Liquidation clusters at $57.20 and $55 could determine HYPE’s next short-term move. HYPE price rebounds from $51 support According to data from crypto.news, Hyperliquid (HYPE) price traded near $56.80…