Author: James Wilson
Moneyflip CEO Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan faces a federal murder-for-hire charge after allegedly paying undercover agents $40,000 to kidnap and kill a businessman over an unpaid debt. Summary Kleiman allegedly agreed to pay $40,000 to kidnap and murder a Mexican businessman. Prosecutors said the final payments included $5,000 in cash and about 25,000 USDT. Undercover agents previously had Kleiman convert approximately $750,000 into cryptocurrency. The federal charge carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Moneyflip CEO arrested in Miami Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested Kleiman in Miami on July 30 in connection with a federal complaint…
CLARITY Act passage odds have fallen to 25% as the White House reviews a bipartisan ethics proposal that could determine whether the Senate takes up the crypto market structure bill before its August recess. Summary Polymarket traders give the CLARITY Act a 25% chance of becoming law in 2026. Anthony Scaramucci expects President Donald Trump to approve the bipartisan ethics proposal. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ruben Gallego reportedly submitted the compromise language to the White House. Senate leaders have not confirmed the timing of any floor action. Scaramucci expects Trump to approve ethics deal SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci said…
Bitcoin price fell below $63,000 on Friday as a short-lived rebound in Asian semiconductor stocks faded, adding pressure as the cryptocurrency entered its historically weak August trading period. Summary Bitcoin price dropped 3% in 24 hours, extending its weekly loss to about 2%. Samsung and SK Hynix surrendered momentum after surging roughly 25% on Thursday. Bitcoin’s median August return stands near negative 8%, placing $58,000 in focus. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 25, signaling “Extreme Fear.” Bitcoin price falls below $63K as risk assets weaken Bitcoin traded below $63,000 after losing approximately 3% over the previous 24…
Tether generated approximately $1.5 billion in net operating profit during the second quarter of 2026 as returns from US Treasury holdings and repo operations supported its earnings. Summary Tether recorded about $1.5 billion in quarterly operating profit, according to its BDO attestation. USDT supply reached approximately $184.6 billion, representing over 60% of the stablecoin market. The company reported $187.7 billion in assets and about $4.1 billion in excess reserves. Tether reduced secured loans by $2.4 billion while adding 14 tons to its gold holdings. Tether reports $4.1B in excess reserves Tether’s total assets stood at approximately $187.7 billion at the…
The largest tokenized securities platform cleared its SEC probe, secured FINRA authorization, and put BlackRock’s IVV onchain. Now it is shopping for a target worth up to half a billion dollars while the market it helped build outgrows it. Summary Ondo Finance is exploring an acquisition valued between $250 million and $500 million to expand into wealthtech and adjacent financial sectors, though no formal advisers have been appointed and no target has been identified. The company’s SEC-registered broker-dealer subsidiary received additional FINRA authorizations in July 2026, covering tokenized corporate equities, ETFs, and other investment products. Ondo debuted the SEC’s third-party…
Pump.fun reportedly dismissed employees shortly before their PUMP token grants were scheduled to vest, leaving at least one former worker without an allocation now valued at seven figures. Summary Employees were reportedly dismissed weeks before 25% of their PUMP grants vested. One former employee allegedly lost a token allocation now worth seven figures. Separate claims said 40 workers were cut one day before another vesting date. PUMP trades near $0.002, about 77% below its September 2025 peak. Pump.fun layoffs preceded employee token vesting Pump.fun reduced its workforce in late March and early April after rapidly expanding its operations, according to…
Uniswap has launched Earn, a self-custodial lending product that allows users to deposit USDC, USDT, and ETH into Morpho vaults without leaving its app. Summary Earn is live on the Ethereum mainnet through the Uniswap Web App and Wallet. Deposits enter Morpho lending vaults curated by Gauntlet, where borrower interest generates user yield. Uniswap charges no additional Earn fee, although users must pay Ethereum network costs. UNI traded near $4.30, down about 2.8% over 24 hours but up 12% for the week. Uniswap Earn supports USDC, USDT and ETH Earn is available through the Uniswap Web App and Wallet, extending…
Grayscale Investments has urged the Senate to vote on the CLARITY Act before the August recess as lawmakers face mounting pressure to resolve disputes holding up the crypto market structure bill. Summary Grayscale requested a Senate floor vote on the CLARITY Act before lawmakers leave Washington. The bill would divide digital asset oversight between the SEC and CFTC. Ethics restrictions involving federal officials remain a sticking point in bipartisan negotiations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also called for an immediate vote. Grayscale urges action on the CLARITY Act Grayscale sent a letter to senators calling for action on the Digital…
SBI Holdings has reaffirmed its exposure to Ripple, telling investors that its Ripple shareholding carries an estimated value of $41.2 billion despite weaker XRP prices and sluggish crypto market conditions. Summary SBI cited a ¥6.6 trillion valuation for its Ripple shareholding during its first-quarter earnings presentation. SBI’s crypto asset business posted a ¥1.4 billion pretax loss, although market maker B2C2 remained profitable. First-quarter net profit rose 149.9% year over year to ¥148.1 billion. SBI is also expanding through the Canton Network and a ¥3 billion crypto fund. SBI maintains its Ripple position despite XRP weakness SBI discussed its Ripple investment…
Senate leaders still intend to bring the CLARITY Act to the floor before the August recess, although unresolved negotiations and a crowded calendar leave the timing uncertain. Summary Sen. Cynthia Lummis expects Senate action on the CLARITY Act before the August recess. Majority Leader John Thune has reportedly reserved floor time for the crypto market structure bill. Revised ethics language would let state authorities enforce restrictions on federal officials’ token activities. The Senate must navigate nominations, funding talks and sanctions legislation before leaving Washington. Lummis says CLARITY Act remains on the agenda Sen. Cynthia Lummis told crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett…