News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily News: Swiss online banking group Swissquote reported client assets of $118.4 billion in the first half of 2026, up 19.8% year-over-year and hitting an all-time high; net revenue rose 1.7% year-over-year to $447 million, with pre-tax profit of approximately $225 million. During the same period, net revenue from crypto assets fell 66.2% year-over-year to nearly $18 million, including a $6.5 million mark-to-market valuation loss on digital assets held to provide liquidity for its proprietary crypto trading platform SQX. Swissquote revised its full-year 2026 net revenue target down from $934 million to $897 million and lowered its pre-tax profit expectation from $473 million to approximately $449 million; its 2028 pre-tax profit target of roughly $615 million remains unchanged. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again postponed its plan for a tokenization "innovation exemption." The framework was intended to allow companies to test blockchain-based tokenized trading of U.S. stocks without meeting full exchange and broker-dealer standards. The delay is tied to unresolved negotiations over Section 10505 of the draft CLARITY Act in the U.S. Senate. That provision stipulates that tokenized securities remain securities and requires the SEC to study custody, consumer protection, cross-border issues, and regulatory coordination. The SEC also postponed a vote scheduled for Friday on a proposed exemption for crypto startup fundraising, citing scheduling issues, with no new date announced. The House version of the CLARITY Act passed in July 2025, and the Senate Banking Committee version advanced by a 15-9 vote in May of this year. A procedural Senate vote is not expected before September 15. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Bitcoin News posted on X platform stating that MSCI has proposed new rules targeting "non-operating companies." According to a simulation conducted by MSCI in May 2026, Strategy would be removed from its global investable market index. Strategy, along with Metaplanet and Yellow Cake, are the three companies listed in the simulated removal from the MSCI ACWI IMI. The proposed methodology would screen companies based on their operating assets, expenses and cash flows, non-operating fair value changes, and the extent to which they rely on accumulated assets raised through financing. The final criterion would directly target Strategy's model of accumulating Bitcoin through issuing equity and debt. The rules have not yet been finalized, with the comment period ending on September 30. MSCI is expected to make a decision by October 16, and related adjustments could be implemented during the November 2026 index review.
Odaily Planet Daily: Crypto asset trading platform Bullish has announced its financial results for Q2 2026. The company stated that as global securities markets gradually migrate to public blockchains, Bullish is planning to build a comprehensive issuer-supported tokenized securities service system covering issuance, listing, trading, and tracking.Bullish CEO Tom Farley stated that the global securities market, valued at nearly $300 trillion, is transitioning to public blockchains, and Bullish aims to work with issuers to drive this process. Upon completion of the proposed acquisition of Equiniti, the company will form an integrated platform covering tokenized securities issuance, listing, trading, and tracking.Financial data shows that Bullish's Q2 digital asset sales reached $32.6 billion, down from $58.6 billion in the same period last year; the net loss was $280 million, compared to a net profit of $108.3 million in the same period last year, corresponding to a diluted loss per share of $1.78.However, the company's core business performance improved. Q2 adjusted revenue (non-IFRS) reached $92.6 million, up 62% year-over-year from $57 million in the same period last year; among which subscription, services, and other revenue hit a record $62.7 million. Adjusted trading revenue was $29.9 million, up 24% year-over-year; adjusted EBITDA was $29.5 million, compared to $8.1 million in the same period last year; adjusted net profit was $14.3 million, compared to a loss of $6 million in the same period last year.In terms of business progress, Bullish stated that the acquisition of UK fintech company Equiniti is progressing and is expected to be completed in early 2027, subject to customary conditions including regulatory approvals. Additionally, Bullish's CoinDesk indices continue to gain institutional adoption. Morgan Stanley has launched Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana-related trading products based on CoinDesk benchmark indices, attracting over $400 million in inflows during Q2.On the regulatory front, Bullish has received approval from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) to provide secondary trading services for tokenized securities, becoming one of the first regulated platforms to offer issuer-supported tokenized securities trading.The company has also raised and refined its full-year 2026 guidance, projecting subscription, services, and other revenue (non-IFRS) of $225 million to $245 million, adjusted operating expenses of $225 million to $230 million, and financing costs of $52 million to $60 million. (Globenewswire)
The Bitcoin treasury company Strategy officially announced that it will hold an investor Q&A livestream at 12:00 ET on August 17. The company's Founder and Executive Chairman Michael Saylor and CEO Phong Le will attend. It is reported that this investor Q&A is expected to focus on market-concerned topics such as the company's Bitcoin strategy, capital operations, financing plans, and future business direction.
Odaily News – Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings disclosed in its latest quarterly SEC filing that it has pledged 18,750 BTC as collateral for two Bitcoin-backed loans, totaling $750 million in principal.Among these, financing provided by Coinbase Credit includes a refinancing of the original $150 million credit facility plus an additional $300 million in new funds; Two Prime Lending separately provided a $300 million loan. Both loans have been fully drawn, with a combined financing cost of approximately 7.56%, primarily maturing in August 2028.The pledged 18,750 BTC were valued at approximately $1.2 billion at the time of the transaction. If a decline in Bitcoin's price pushes the collateral ratio below the agreed level, MARA could face margin call requirements; otherwise, the related BTC may be subject to liquidation risk.The new funds will mainly be used for general corporate purposes and to support MARA's acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power. The transaction has an enterprise value of approximately $1.5 billion. Long Ridge owns a natural gas power plant in Ohio, USA, with an expected installed capacity of 505 MW, along with over 1,600 acres of industrial land. MARA plans to further develop the site into a base for Bitcoin mining, AI, and high-performance computing infrastructure. (Crowdfund Insider)
Odaily News: Connecticut Federal District Court Judge Vernon D. Oliver denied Kalshi's motion for a preliminary injunction, ruling that its sports event contracts do not constitute swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act. The CFTC therefore does not hold exclusive jurisdiction. The ruling noted that sports event contracts account for 80% to 90% of Kalshi's listed contracts and revenue, and the CFTC has never reviewed any of these contracts under relevant special rules. Oliver held that event outcomes fall under the category of event results, not separate events. Coinbase Financial Markets suffered a similar defeat on the same grounds, having offered Kalshi contracts through its platform since January as a futures commission merchant rather than a designated contract market, and Connecticut had not previously issued a cease-and-desist order against it. Kalshi was valued at approximately $11 billion at the time of its February hearing, with around 24,000 users in the state. (Bitcoin.com News)
Empery Digital sold 1,635 Bitcoin between July 1 and August 6, raising $102.2 million, with holdings reduced to 1,279 BTC. Of these, 954 BTC have been pledged as collateral for a $35 million debt, leaving only 325 BTC unrestricted, a notable decrease from 1,375 BTC on June 30. In the first half of this year, Empery Digital also sold 1,167 Bitcoin, generating $80.1 million, while spending $54 million to repurchase shares, repay $50 million under a repurchase financing facility, and another $10 million loan. The company repaid $20 million in debt after June 30, with the lender returning 585 Bitcoin, reducing the collateralized amount from 1,539 BTC to 954 BTC. Empery Digital has invested $2.9 million in EMHU, an independent real estate project managed by Texstack, and may need to contribute an additional $62.1 million if the acquisition is completed. The company has also completed a $20 million investment in Cardinal Data Power, acquiring approximately 8% equity; as of June 30, the company held $3.7 million in cash including restricted cash, with a working capital deficit of $5.7 million. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News Tether-backed bitcoin treasury company Twenty One Capital (NYSE: XXI) has released its financial results for the second quarter of 2026, reporting a net loss of $413.5 million, primarily driven by a decline in the value of its bitcoin holdings.According to the financial report, approximately $401.5 million of Twenty One Capital's second-quarter loss was attributable to a decrease in the book value of its bitcoin assets. As the company uses bitcoin as its core asset allocation, fluctuations in BTC prices directly impact its financial performance.New CEO Raphael Zagury stated that Twenty One Capital can no longer exist solely as a "Bitcoin treasury" company, but needs to transform into a broader financial services platform. Zagury outlined that the company's next phase of plans will focus on three key directions, including: expanding its business footprint through mergers and acquisitions; enhancing financing capabilities through capital market instruments; and exploring bitcoin-collateralized lending businesses. (The Block)
Odaily News According to Gate Ventures' latest weekly report, global risk assets have shown a clear recovery over the past week, with major US stock indices collectively hitting new all-time highs. The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.58%, 5.19%, and 2.96%, respectively. The crypto market also rebounded in tandem, with BTC up 2.1% on the week and ETH up 1.4%, bringing the total cryptocurrency market cap up 1.4%. On the capital flows front, BTC spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $853 million for the week, while ETH spot ETFs saw net inflows of $244.9 million, indicating further improvement in institutional demand.In terms of industry developments, the integration of traditional finance and blockchain continues to advance. BlackRock has appointed JPMorgan to push forward the tokenization of a European money market fund, exploring 24/7 transfer of blockchain-based fund shares. Grayscale has filed an S-1 registration statement for the first US Worldcoin ETF, further deepening the connection between digital assets and traditional financial markets. Stablecoin infrastructure also remained active, with Yellow Card completing a $40 million strategic funding round and planning to expand its stablecoin account and payment infrastructure into Latin America and the Asia-Pacific markets.On the investment and financing front, eight deals were completed last week, with total disclosed funding reaching $90.64 million, focused on the infrastructure track. Overall, market risk appetite has seen some recovery, with institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure, stablecoins, and asset tokenization remaining key areas of continued industry focus.
Bitcoin analyst Plan B stated on the X platform that the core of Bitcoin's long-term value lies in scarcity, not short-term price fluctuations.Plan B believes that many people focus on Bitcoin's price charts, while the S2F model he uses focuses on the degree of asset scarcity. This model measures scarcity through "existing supply ÷ annual new production," where the S2F for gold is approximately 60. Due to Bitcoin's fixed total supply of 21 million coins and its predictable issuance schedule, its S2F is currently around 120 and continues to rise over time.The Bitcoin halving mechanism is an important driver of the S2F model. Approximately every four years, the Bitcoin network reduces the block reward by half, decreasing new supply and roughly doubling the S2F level, making it the core supply-side event observed by the model.Plan B emphasized that the S2F and its upgraded version, the S2FX model, predict long-term average value rather than precisely forecasting market tops or bottoms. Bitcoin's price typically fluctuates around the model's estimated value, and investors should focus on multi-year cycle averages rather than single-day price highs. Additionally, Plan B believes that as scarcity increases, Bitcoin is undergoing different stages of development, including proof of concept, payment network, "digital gold"/store of value asset, and institutional-grade financial asset. Each increase in scarcity could bring new market narratives and capital inflows.However, Plan B also reiterated that "all models are wrong, but some are useful." He stated that the S2F model is merely a tool for long-term understanding of Bitcoin's scarcity, not a trading signal or a "crystal ball" for price prediction. Although the model has withstood major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and China's mining ban, it still has limitations.
Odaily News: Payment company Stripe did not sign long-term supplier contracts with third-party stablecoin APIs. Instead, after Bridge achieved $5 billion in annualized cross-border transaction volume, Stripe acquired it outright for $1.1 billion and integrated stablecoin infrastructure into its global checkout layer. Fintech platform Robinhood did not expand internationally through external trading venues. Instead, it acquired cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp for $200 million, obtaining more than 50 global regulatory licenses and institutional liquidity. From 2012 to 2018, early B2B fintech startups paid traditional banks for proof-of-concept pilot fees. From 1996 to 2001, telecom infrastructure startups raised over $50 billion to lay dark fiber. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily Planet Daily Report: Arthur Hayes stated on the X platform that his article "Yen-quake" will introduce how Buffalo Bill Bessent plans to manipulate the dollar-yen exchange rate and restart the money printing press. Arthur Hayes said that over the past decade, the continued weakening of the yen has driven gains in global asset markets, but this situation will eventually come to an end. The yen is the lowest-valued currency globally and is also a point of contention among the United States, China, and Japanese everyday voters. There are three ways to resolve the yen issue, but the U.S. Treasury and Japanese politicians tend to favor only one of them. He will explain the operating mechanisms of each yen appreciation method and why the final option is the preferred approach; he will then discuss how to execute the third option at the political level. He stated that as dollar liquidity rises significantly, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies will rally. The three options include: 1. The Bank of Japan sharply raises interest rates, causing the dollar-yen interest rate differential to disappear, at least on the short end. 2. The government persuades domestic institutions and public bodies such as GPIF to change their investment mandates, selling overseas assets and buying local assets. 3. Preferred option: The Japanese Ministry of Finance conducts repurchase transactions of its U.S. Treasury holdings with the Federal Reserve in exchange for dollars; it then sells dollars and buys yen in the foreign exchange market. Arthur Hayes said that before getting into the details, speculators should consider why yen appreciation is being discussed now. Over the past few decades, many have claimed that the yen was about to appreciate and trigger a global unwinding of carry trades. Two weeks ago, monetary policy officials from the United States and Japan conducted a joint exchange rate manipulation operation, though they euphemistically called it intervention. U.S. Treasury Secretary Buffalo Bill Bessent indicated a desire to raise the counterparty limit for the FIMA repo facility, enabling Japan's Ministry of Finance to use its massive asset reserves to defend the yen. Japan's Ministry of Finance also stated it is working closely with the United States to push the dollar-yen exchange rate lower. Relevant officials are signaling to the market their support for a shift in global currency relations, so the market must pay attention to this.
According to Cryptopolitan, Bitcoin mining company Keel Infrastructure (formerly Bitfarms) released its Q2 2026 financial report this Monday, disclosing that the company has completed the shutdown of all its US Bitcoin mining farms, and sold 1,085 BTC between April 1 and August 7, cashing out approximately $75 million, and currently still holds 1,861 BTC on its balance sheet, valued at approximately $121 million. Financially, Keel's Q2 revenue was $30 million, down 50% year-over-year, mainly dragged down by weak Bitcoin prices and the shutdown of the Moses Lake mining farm; operating loss reached $141 million (including $84 million in non-cash depreciation), net loss from continuing operations was $64 million, and adjusted EBITDA was negative $24 million. Following the announcement, KEEL stock price fell more than 11% in a single day. In terms of strategic transformation, Keel is converting its core sites in Pennsylvania, Washington State, and Quebec into high-performance computing data centers; currently, permitting approvals for the three priority sites are nearly complete, and negotiations with potential tenants are underway. The company's current liquidity is approximately $819 million, including $698 million in unrestricted cash and $121 million in Bitcoin, and during the quarter, it also raised $458 million through convertible notes.
Odaily News: UMX (The Unified Market Exchange), incubated by Avenir Group under Li Lin, has announced the launch of an invitation-only public beta.According to the introduction, UMX is positioned as a crypto-friendly securities platform for global professional investors, integrating crypto assets and real securities trading on the same platform to improve capital efficiency in cross-asset trading. During the public beta phase, the platform offers crypto spot, leverage, futures, and options trading, as well as real US stocks, ETFs, and US stock options trading.This public beta focuses on opening the capital flow channel between crypto assets and securities accounts. UMX has designed cross-market fund transfers, financing, and crypto-to-stock conversion mechanisms. Users can use "Convert & Transfer" to automatically convert stablecoins such as USDT into USD and transfer them to securities accounts with one click, or use "Borrow & Transfer" to collateralize non-stablecoin crypto assets to gain purchasing power for trading US stocks, ETFs, and US stock options. After completing fiat account verification, users can also open a personal fiat account under their own name for fiat deposits and withdrawals. Securities holdings can also be converted into corresponding stock tokens via the "Stock-to-Token" function, which can be counted toward crypto trading account margin at a corresponding discount rate, and these stock tokens can also be converted back into the corresponding securities assets.Around cross-asset capital efficiency, the platform has introduced a cross-asset margin mechanism, where eligible wealth management assets can also be used as margin. During the public beta, the platform has also launched BTC and USDT wealth management products, with maximum annualized returns of up to 2.5% and 5.5%, respectively. UMX stated that this model aims to reduce the operational costs incurred by professional investors from frequent fund transfers and fragmented account management, while providing a unified capital and risk management framework for cross-asset allocation.This public beta is invitation-based. Users who have obtained a beta code can complete registration via the UMX official website (umx.com) to experience the currently available products and services; users who have not yet received a beta code can reserve the official version, receive launch notifications, and participate in the early-bird benefits program.
Odaily News: On August 5, the minority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs stated that the July 22 version of the CLARITY Act fails to meet five minimum standards. The bill, numbered H.R. 3633, aims to divide digital asset regulatory authority between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The analysis suggests that the bill's two-tier system could remove certain blockchain assets from SEC oversight, allowing issuing companies to self-certify exemptions from securities regulation. Healthy Markets and five labor organizations have raised concerns over pension protections and securities law loopholes, while minority staff also noted that investors' private right of action and state and tribal enforcement powers could be weakened. Minority staff stated that DeFi-related companies could be exempt from anti-illegal financing obligations even if they earn millions of dollars from platform transactions; some crypto mixers may circumvent U.S. sanctions by exploiting the "Tornado Cash loophole." The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) warned that stablecoin yields could drain deposits from community banks, and the Systemic Risk Council has flagged related banking activities as potential bailout risks. Minority staff noted that Donald Trump alone earned over $1.4 billion from crypto businesses in 2025, with related enforcement solely under the purview of his Attorney General, and that obligations would terminate upon his departure from office. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, citing $3.8 billion in investor losses, have separately called on the SEC to investigate Trump memecoin. The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote on September 15 on the motion to proceed, with the bill needing 60 votes to advance. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Software company Strategy holds nearly 850,000 Bitcoin, valued at just over $50 billion, with some recent purchases funded through debt and stock issuance. Since Michael Saylor shifted the company toward Bitcoin accumulation in 2020, his wealth has fluctuated with Bitcoin's price. Michael Saylor stated that last year, with the aid of an AI chatbot, he earned $15 billion through the company's Bitcoin-backed preferred stock. Strategy's STRC offers an annual dividend yield of 12%, with its price recently recovering to near $100 after dipping to around $75 in late June. Over the past year, Strategy's common stock value has fallen by approximately 80% alongside Bitcoin's price decline. The company recently sold some of its Bitcoin holdings to manage debt and dividend commitments, and has built a $4 billion cash reserve, providing roughly two years of funding support before subsequent financing. Michael Saylor also mentioned that in May of last year, he used ChatGPT's deep research mode to design the company's convertible preferred stock product.
: Bitcoin mining company MARA completed two loans on August 4, pledging 18,750 BTC to secure $600 million in new debt for expanding its power generation and AI infrastructure business. The collateralized assets were valued at approximately $1.2 billion at the time of the transaction. The combined principal of the two loans totals $750 million, with Coinbase Credit providing $450 million, including a refinancing of the existing $150 million credit facility and an additional $300 million; Two Prime Lending separately provided $300 million. Both loans have been fully drawn. The Coinbase loan carries an interest rate of the midpoint of the Federal Reserve's target rate range plus 3.875 percentage points, with a maturity date of August 4, 2028; the Two Prime loan carries a fixed interest rate of 7.65%, with a maturity date of August 3, 2028. Assuming the principal remains unchanged, the annual interest expense on the two loans is approximately $56.7 million. MARA stated that the loan proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including part of the cash consideration for the acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power LLC. The transaction has an enterprise value of approximately $1.5 billion. Long Ridge owns a 505-megawatt gas-fired power plant and more than 1,600 acres of industrial land, which MARA plans to use for power generation, Bitcoin mining, and potential AI and high-performance computing campuses.
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan stated that as Bitcoin is increasingly viewed as a mainstream financial asset by financial advisors, family offices, pension funds, insurance institutions, and sovereign wealth funds, it could attract institutional capital inflows worth trillions of dollars over the next decade. He pointed out that global large institutions manage approximately $100 trillion to $200 trillion in assets, and if about 1% of that were allocated to Bitcoin, it would be sufficient to support its long-term price expectations.
Odaily News: Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman of digital asset financial firm Strategy, stated that if you're looking for the next billion-dollar financial business, you should explore digital credit. He noted that digital credit can transform Bitcoin-centered capital strategies into yield-generating products. Within Strategy's digital credit product line, the Stride Preferred Stock (STRD), Stretch Preferred Stock (STRC), Strike Preferred Stock (STRK), and Strife Preferred Stock (STRF) offer effective yields of 15.29%, 12.63%, 12.08%, and 10.38%, respectively. These preferred securities provide the company with an additional financing avenue beyond common stock and debt.