News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Decrypt, privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet Sparrow Wallet released version 2.5.4 on August 28. Developer Craig Raw stated that the update was driven by an AI-assisted code review, with the majority of fixes originating from it. This review was prompted by the recent seed generation code vulnerability exploit affecting Coldcard, as well as the release of unrestricted AI models in China, which has significantly enhanced vulnerability scanning capabilities across large codebases. Key updates include: validating the authenticity of transactions returned by Electrum servers, enforcing stricter BitBox02 hardware wallet security requirements (firmware v9.4.0 or higher required), patching local DNS leaks, and masking sensitive credentials in debug logs. Raw noted that there are no indications of any exploits being leveraged, user funds remain secure, and he still advises all users to update at their earliest convenience.
Odaily News: Prediction market platform Polymarket US withdrew two NFL player participation contract filings on August 26. The platform had completed certification with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) the previous day and planned to launch the related products no earlier than August 27.On the same day, Polymarket US certified Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana price contracts. All three contract types were submitted in paired form and classified as swaps under the binary options subcategory. Both the NFL contracts and the cryptocurrency contracts fall under the relevant classification.Polymarket US separately filed a confidential treatment request for the NFL compliance analysis documents, seeking permanent non-disclosure on the grounds that public release would reveal trade secrets and give competitors an unfair advantage. As of the time of record, another NFL American football starting eligibility contract remained in certified status. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News, Hyperliquid Policy Center stated on the X platform that perpetual contracts should be central to the innovation agenda of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The agency has submitted a statement ahead of the first meeting of the CFTC's Technology Advisory Committee on August 20, noting that perpetual contracts are expanding beyond digital asset markets into traditional asset classes such as equities and commodities, and that demand for these products among U.S. market participants is rising. Perpetual contracts can meet the risk management needs of various market participants, particularly suited for airlines hedging fuel costs, investment funds managing portfolio exposure, and AI developers addressing compute costs—exposures that are ongoing and have no defined expiration date. Compared to futures with fixed expiration dates, perpetual contracts require no rollover and face no expiration or delivery issues, using periodic funding rates to anchor the contract price to the underlying asset. Currently, on Hyperliquid, perpetual contracts deployed by third-party developers have covered over 80 traditional commodity and stock markets, with cumulative notional trading volume exceeding $500 billion. The CFTC has taken multiple steps this year to facilitate the launch of perpetual contract markets in the U.S. In May, the CFTC approved the first perpetual futures contract listed in the U.S. and issued a policy statement on listing perpetual contracts along with guidance on continuous trading; in June, the CFTC sought public comment on expanding perpetual contracts to energy commodities and further consulted on compute derivatives. Additionally, Hyperliquid Policy Center believes that on-chain infrastructure can also modernize U.S. derivatives markets within the existing regulatory framework. Public blockchains can openly record markets, orders, and positions, conduct margin assessments programmatically on an ongoing basis, and enable real-time collateral transfers, thereby reducing counterparty credit risk and settlement risk. The agency will continue to provide research and technical documents to the CFTC's Technology Advisory Committee and committee staff, and work to establish a pathway for U.S. market participants to access on-chain markets in a compliant manner. The agency believes that perpetual contracts represent one of the most notable financial innovations of the past decade and should be further developed in the U.S. market.
Japanese crypto asset trading service provider Coincheck announced that it completed its registration for the electronic payment instrument services business on August 27, 2026, becoming the second company in Japan to secure this type of stablecoin-related license. Coincheck stated it will gradually launch operations related to stablecoins and on-chain finance, leveraging its prior collaboration with U.S.-based Circle to expand USDC use cases in Japan. The company noted that stablecoins provide price stability pegged to fiat currencies, enabling round-the-clock, fast, and low-cost transfers and payments.
According to Chaoxiang Research, Goldman Sachs noted in its August 26 research report that the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole Annual Economic Symposium will be held from August 27 to 29. Chairman Warsh's remarks on Friday at 10:00 a.m. New York time will be the market focus. Goldman Sachs expects Warsh to reiterate the 2% inflation target, outline the Fed's communication strategy, and discuss macroeconomic topics such as AI and productivity, but will not provide clear policy guidance for the September policy meeting. Goldman Sachs believes that improving inflation data for two consecutive months in June and July has bolstered the confidence of most FOMC members to maintain interest rates unchanged. With another round of CPI and PPI data due before the September 16 policy meeting, August core inflation is expected to increase approximately 0.2% month-on-month. A methodological adjustment on September 30 is expected to lower year-on-year core PCE by at least 0.2 percentage points. The peak impact of tariffs, oil prices, and AI demand on inflation has passed. Goldman Sachs expects the FOMC to keep interest rates unchanged in September and through the end of the year.
Odaily News - Hardware wallet maker BitBox reports that credit card sales in August grew roughly 10x compared to the baseline of previous weeks, with the increase primarily driven by North America. Trezor and OneKey also confirmed rising sales during the same period, though neither disclosed specific figures.Trezor, BitBox, and OneKey have all re-reviewed their seed phrase generation, random number generator, entropy, and firmware verification processes. Trezor plans to conduct penetration testing on core firmware functions and publish related security audit reports. OneKey will strengthen reviews of security-critical code paths and transaction signing processes.Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet stated that AI-assisted attacks mean patch releases, vulnerability disclosures, and user education need to accelerate. Blockstream Jade has released a firmware update containing multiple fixes and recommends users simultaneously update their apps, operating systems, devices, routers, and home appliances. (Bitcoin.com News)
On August 25, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) submitted amendments to the crypto asset custody rules to the White House for review, aiming to eliminate regulatory uncertainty and clarify the compliance path for investment institutions to custody digital assets.
Odaily News: A survey by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) shows that 77% of Americans believe allocating cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans carries risk, with 46% viewing it as highly risky; 53% oppose employers offering crypto investment options.The survey also reveals that 80% of respondents think the U.S. is facing a retirement crisis, up from 67% in 2020; 61% worry about achieving financial security after retirement. Additionally, 68% say preparing for retirement is becoming increasingly difficult, and 77% report that debt hinders their ability to save adequately.Conducted by Greenwald Research from October 24 to November 14, 2025, the survey covered 1,203 Americans aged 25 and older, with results weighted by age, gender, and income.U.S. policymakers are pushing to include alternative assets in retirement plans such as 401(k)s. The U.S. Department of Labor withdrew related fiduciary guidance in May 2025; on August 7, Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring expanded access to alternative assets in defined contribution retirement plans and directing the Department of Labor and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to study related regulatory adjustments. In March 2026, the Department of Labor proposed rules for including alternative assets, and Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Bobby Scott called for the proposal to be withdrawn in June. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News Crypto exchange Coinbase and digital mortgage company Better Mortgage have announced the full rollout of token-backed conforming mortgages for Coinbase One members, allowing eligible borrowers to use crypto assets as collateral in the home buying process.The product became available to Coinbase One members on August 12. The two companies first announced their partnership in March of this year, with the first mortgage loan under this program designed within the framework of a Fannie Mae-compliant conforming mortgage. According to the announcement, Coinbase One members who qualify for Better's mortgage products can receive a lender credit equal to 1% of the loan amount, up to a maximum of $10,000. This credit can be applied toward mortgage closing costs and is available for standard mortgages, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and refinancing products. (The Block)
Odaily News, SEC published the proposed rules for "Regulation Crypto Assets" on August 18, which set two exemptions for specific investment contracts involving crypto assets: allowing startups to raise up to $5 million in a single offering within 4 years, and allowing eligible issuers to raise up to $75 million within any 12-month period, potentially conducting different rounds of offerings in subsequent years. Drew Hinkes, a partner at Winston & Strawn, stated that as long as each round of financing constitutes a separate and independent offering, projects could theoretically raise $75 million every 12 months. Lilya Tessler, head of Sidley's Fintech and Blockchain practice, noted that subsequent offerings are not automatically approved; issuers must resubmit offering statements, undergo SEC staff review, continue to file annual and semi-annual reports, and disclose funds raised through the exemption over the past 12 months to confirm that the fundraising cap has not been exceeded. The proposed rules also limit the participation size of non-accredited investors, whose purchase amount cannot exceed 10% of the higher of their annual income or net worth. Lee Reiners, a financial regulation expert at Duke University, stated that the limited initial offering amount may make early token allocations more attractive, but the rules are unlikely to recreate the ICO boom of 2017. Up to 90% of projects that raised funds through ICOs between 2017 and 2019 ultimately failed. The SEC estimates that approximately 130 offerings per year will use the two exemptions, and about 475 issuers may use the broader investment contract safe harbor. The proposed rules will provide token issuers with a clearer path for U.S. fundraising compared to the current framework, but secondary market trading may still involve a gray area regarding securities attributes. The proposal stipulates that investment contracts related to crypto assets may continue to transfer with the tokens in secondary market transactions until the asset is separated from the issuer's representations or commitments. Drew Hinkes stated that if a non-security token is transferred along with an investment contract from seller to buyer, the transaction could still be deemed a securities transaction, potentially affecting trading platforms. Lee Reiners also noted that some issuers might satisfy the formal requirements of the exemptions while still influencing token value through team management efforts, concentrated insider holdings, and aggressive promotion.
According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission submitted a new proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget on August 25, proposing a new custody regulatory framework for investment advisers and investment companies holding clients’ digital assets. The proposal aims to clarify regulatory requirements for crypto asset custody and repeal certain existing custody rules deemed misaligned with current market practices.
Odaily News Bitcoin has rebounded strongly recently. Analysts believe that record-breaking short squeeze activity, along with policy signals from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, may be pushing the market into a new phase of bull market cycle adjustment.Data shows that Bitcoin has risen approximately 23% over the past week, marking its largest weekly gain since the post-U.S. election rally in November 2024. Crypto market trading activity has also recovered in tandem, with spot and perpetual contract trading volume surging 188%. CME Bitcoin futures volume rose 152%, and the annualized futures basis climbed to 11.1%—the highest level since January 2025. Additionally, Bitcoin ETF products recorded net inflows of approximately 31,740 BTC over the week, the strongest capital inflow since the market peak in October 2025.Vetle Lunde, Head of Research at crypto research firm K33 Research, stated that the early phase of this rally was primarily driven by short covering. On August 19, Bitcoin short positions saw a single-day liquidation scale of $1.37 billion, a record high, followed by another $739 million in short liquidations on August 21. The massive short squeeze pushed open interest in perpetual contracts down to 284,000 BTC, the lowest level since May, while market funding rates also returned to neutral.On the macro front, policy signals from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding increased long-term Treasury buybacks are also viewed by analysts as a market catalyst. K33 believes that the Treasury buyback program could lower long-term interest rates and boost demand for scarce assets. Meanwhile, Bitcoin's correlation with gold has risen, with the 90-day correlation coefficient reaching 0.52—the highest since October 2020—while its correlation with the Nasdaq index has declined to 0.38, a one-year low.Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at crypto investment firm Bitwise Asset Management, believes that Bessent's recent remarks on sanctions against Iran's financial network have further strengthened Bitcoin's investment thesis: as the global financial system becomes increasingly influenced by geopolitics, the value of assets that are decentralized and do not rely on any single nation's financial system may appreciate further. (The Block)
According to Bitcoin.com, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis announced the results of Operation Lighthouse on August 25. This transnational operation targeted criminal networks associated with child sexual abuse material (CSAM), investigating 29,120 cryptocurrency addresses and digital identifiers across more than 100 clearnet and darknet platforms, forums, and distribution networks. The effort generated 14,300 investigation leads and uncovered over 7,700 suspicious accounts and linked suspects spanning 125 countries. Coordinated in New York by the National Cyber Forensics & Training Alliance (NCFTA), the initiative involved at least nine law enforcement agencies, along with more than 13 private organizations and non-profits, including Europol, the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the UK’s National Crime Agency. Chainalysis stated that the discovered leads could subsequently result in account restrictions, arrests, and prosecutions. Law enforcement outcomes are expected to continue through 2027, and the company plans to extend this collaborative model to other types of crypto-related crime.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Shinhan Financial Group announced on August 26 that it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Visa Inc. The two parties will collaborate on digital assets and next-generation financial services. Shinhan Financial plans to leverage Visa’s stablecoin platform to validate core functionalities including stablecoin issuance, transfers, and redemptions, and will jointly develop business models aligned with South Korea’s domestic financial regulatory framework and market conditions. Additionally, both sides will explore the application of stablecoins in financial services such as credit card bill settlement, advance AI-driven new payment models, and expand B2B and B2C payment services.
Odaily News: Recent Bitcoin volatility has triggered a wave of leveraged long position liquidations. On August 22, hourly liquidations reached $529 million, with long positions accounting for $478 million; on August 23, an additional $84 million in crypto long positions were liquidated within one hour.Prediction market Kalshi launched the first spot Bitcoin perpetual futures contract approved by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on June 3, with liquidations reaching $5.5 billion in the first two weeks. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour stated that the product offers U.S. institutions regulated onshore perpetual contract trading.Benjamin Schiffrin, Director of Securities Policy at Better Markets, pointed out that perpetual futures are high-risk crypto products for retail investors, and the CFTC did not impose additional investor protections when approving them. Analysis account Qmo noted that there are significant Bitcoin long liquidation pools in the $62,000 to $67,000 range; trader Money Bunny disclosed that short liquidations reached $2.7 billion to $3.5 billion within 24 hours. (Forbes Digital Assets)
Odaily News: As AI trading sentiment cools and South Korean regulators take measures to curb related investment demand, leveraged ETFs tied to the country's chipmakers have seen nearly $1 billion in outflows this month.So far, Samsung Electronics-linked leveraged products have seen approximately $381 million in outflows in August, while SK Hynix-linked products have seen about $601 million. If this trend continues, it would mark the first monthly net outflow since these products were launched at the end of May. (Bloomberg)
According to Chaoxiang Research, Goldman Sachs' research report dated August 24, 2026, indicates that cryptocurrency trading volume fell 30% in July and 21% in August, declining for 10 consecutive months, a duration that exceeded the median of the previous five cycles. Trading volume in this cycle has dropped 75% from its peak, while cryptocurrency market capitalization rebounded 21% over the past week. Goldman Sachs suggests a turning point in trading volume may emerge if market cap remains at current levels. On the regulatory front, 35% of institutional investors cite regulatory uncertainty as the biggest hurdle, while 32% identify regulatory clarity as the primary catalyst. The SEC recently proposed an innovation exemption framework. In 2026, over 10 additional digital asset companies received bank charters from the OCC, and more than 15 crypto firms have already been incorporated into the federal banking system. Crypto companies reduced expenses by an average of approximately 5% in 2026, lifting operating margins by roughly 5.8 percentage points. Goldman Sachs remains cautiously optimistic for the second half of the year, with sector valuations currently positioned at the 30th percentile over a five-year period. Key recommendations include COIN (target price $196), HOOD ($124), IBKR ($114, featured on Goldman Sachs' Conviction List US), and FIGR ($43). The investment logic diverges across the three sectors: traditional brokerages are poised for a September reversal, prediction markets are driven by the election cycle, and crypto equities benefit from a triple catalyst of market cap recovery, cost reductions, and regulatory reform.
According to BeInCrypto, payment company Banxa launched Banxa Native on August 20, providing embedded fiat deposit and withdrawal infrastructure for wallets, exchanges, and fintech platforms. Partners can execute fiat purchases or sales of crypto assets within their own interfaces, while Banxa provides backend pricing, compliance verification, and settlement services, reducing the need to redirect to third-party pages or undergo repetitive KYC verifications. For example, users can directly purchase USDC via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or bank cards within the wallet; for users who have already completed identity verification, their KYC information can be passed from the partner platform to Banxa, streamlining the process for subsequent transactions. Trust Wallet CEO Felix Fan stated that this partnership helps directly embed compliant fiat-to-crypto channels into the user journey.
According to Caixin Online, the National Development and Reform Commission has released the Draft Revised Measures for the Administration of Outbound Investment for public consultation, with the period running from August 21 to September 20, 2026. The draft expands the investor scope from enterprises to include domestic enterprises, other organizations, and resident individuals, and clarifies that re-investment overseas by investors also falls under outbound investment. Under the regulatory framework for outbound investment, concerning the classification of investments, division of regulatory responsibilities, and procedures and deadlines for approval and filing, investors must obtain approval documents or filing notices prior to implementing outbound investments. For resident individuals newly included as investors, the approving authority is the National Development and Reform Commission, while the filing authority is the provincial development and reform department at their place of household registration or habitual residence. The draft introduces new systems for an annual report on outbound investment information and a report on preliminary work progress. Investors are required to submit the annual report on outbound investment information via an online system by March 31 each year, thereby notifying the development and reform authorities of their outbound investment details as of the end of the preceding year.
According to Chaoxiang Research, Goldman Sachs' fourth annual report in its CHIPS Act series, released on August 24, indicates that by June 2026, China's semiconductor IC self-sufficiency rate will reach 70%, nearly double the 38% recorded in January 2010. Goldman Sachs has raised its forecast for China's semiconductor capital expenditure to $82 billion in 2030, up 79% from previous estimates. The report covers CXMT, China's leading DRAM manufacturer, for the first time, assigning a Buy rating with a target price of ¥129. Goldman Sachs projects that the supply-demand gap for China's advanced logic processes at 7nm and below will narrow from 92% in 2025 to 34% by 2035, while wafer demand for AI servers will grow at a CAGR of 42% over the same period. Under the baseline scenario, China's AI chip market is projected to reach $678 billion by 2030, representing a CAGR of 69% from 2025 to 2030; the DRAM market will reach $257 billion by 2028, growing at a 50% CAGR, with HBM expanding at an 188% CAGR. China's WFE spending will increase by 13%, 20%, and 15% in 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively. The revenue share of domestic equipment manufacturers in China's WFE market will rise from 31% to 38%. Despite the rising localization rate, global equipment suppliers remain key beneficiaries of China's capacity expansion in advanced processes. Goldman Sachs recommends Applied Materials, Lam Research, and Onto Innovation.