News linked to both this project and an event.
According to The Block, Evernorth Holdings, an XRP treasury company, announced that its S-4 Registration Statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially become effective. The registration covers Evernorth's business combination with SPAC Armada Acquisition Corp. II, after which it is expected to commence trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "XRPN". The S-4 document registers up to 34,499,992 shares of Class A common stock and 11,499,992 warrants. Positioned as a regulated digital asset treasury company, Evernorth focuses on XRP investment exposure and plans to actively deploy capital into XRP infrastructure projects. Its investors include institutional backers such as Ripple, Arrington Capital, SBI Group, Pantera Capital, Kraken, and GSR. The merger is anticipated to close in late Q3 or early Q4 of 2026, pending shareholder approval.
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 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 The Block, the Blockchain Association has submitted comments on the stablecoin issuer rules under the GENIUS Act, proposed jointly by U.S. Treasury agencies including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Reserve. The association supports limiting Customer Identification Program (CIP) obligations to direct customer transactions in the primary market, emphasizing that they should not extend to peer-to-peer transfers in the secondary market. It also calls on regulators to further clarify the definitions of "account," "customer," and "digital asset service provider," exempt one-time redemptions and other non-recurring activities, and avoid duplicative compliance burdens alongside anti-money laundering regulations. The association stated that the implementation of the rules must strike a balance between ensuring stablecoin security, maintaining operational feasibility, and preserving room for industry innovation.
According to The Block, South Korea's top financial regulator stated that it will accelerate discussions on cryptocurrency legislation and plans to introduce South Korea's version of the Basic Act on Digital Assets this fall. The bill is expected to establish relevant regulatory rules for areas such as stablecoin issuance, Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licensing, and Bitcoin ETFs.
According to The Block, at a meeting of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) Innovation Advisory Committee, CME CEO Terrence Duffy publicly addressed the risks of manipulation in prediction market contracts, stating that "there are indeed people manipulating these contracts, which is extremely harmful to the industry," and expressing concern over the potential manipulation risks associated with numerous self-certified contracts, as well as those related to Trump's State of the Union address and Maduro's removal from office. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig promptly interrupted and rebutted this, noting that all the aforementioned contracts operate overseas and are not issues for the U.S. market. Subsequently, Kalshi COO Luana Lopes Lara challenged CME by asking whether it had also faced manipulation issues, leading to a heated exchange between both parties. Currently, the dispute over regulatory jurisdiction for prediction markets continues to escalate, with the CFTC asserting "exclusive jurisdiction" and having already filed lawsuits against several states, while pledging to advance revisions to consumer protection rules; meanwhile, some members of Congress have introduced legislation aimed at banning the listing and trading of prediction contracts tied to sports or gambling.
According to The Block, Securitize President Brett Redfearn stated that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission withdrew the crypto innovation exemption rules last Friday due to concerns over the voting progress of the Clarity Act. Redfearn expects the rules to be introduced following the Senate vote on September 15, likely in early October.
According to The Block, Curve founder Michael Egorov stated that regulatory pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on decentralized finance (DeFi) may prompt protocols to remove privileged access, upgrade risks, and the ability to intervene with user funds, thereby improving DeFi security and enhancing decentralization.
According to The Block, Kraken has officially launched US stock trading services for eligible users in all member states of the European Economic Area (EEA). It is reported that the service was previously quietly launched in Germany, the Netherlands, and France, and is now officially fully open to the entire European Economic Area. Kraken stated that it is currently the only crypto-native platform capable of providing European Economic Area users with trading of both spot US stocks and their tokenized versions within the same regulated account.
According to The Block, the Blockchain Association filed an amicus curiae brief on August 13 supporting Custodia Bank's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting a review of the legality of the Federal Reserve Bank's refusal of its master account application. The Blockchain Association pointed out that this case concerns whether legitimate digital asset enterprises can compete in a fair environment, and warned that the lower court ruling provides a precedent for federal regulators "to debank unpopular industries in the future without the intervention of state regulators." Custodia Bank was founded by Wall Street veteran Caitlin Long, applied for a Fed master account in October 2020, was rejected by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in January 2023 on the grounds that the crypto business model posed risks, subsequently lost twice in the district court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and was denied rehearing by the full court in a 7 to 3 vote in March 2026. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City must respond to the Supreme Court application by September 11.
According to The Block, the New York City Council has launched an investigation into four prediction market platforms—Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase, and Gemini Titan—alleging they employed "false, deceptive, or abusive" marketing tactics targeting young users. Among them, Polymarket was accused of paying social media creators to film videos placing fake bets on counterfeit websites, an incident first disclosed by The Wall Street Journal in June this year. Additionally, prediction market platforms face insider trading allegations; New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order in April prohibiting state government employees from using confidential government information to place bets on prediction markets.
According to The Block, Anchorpoint, a subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank, officially launched the first phase issuance of the HKD stablecoin HKDAP on Wednesday, opening test access to institutional distributors and professional investors. Anchorpoint, established as a joint venture by Standard Chartered Bank, HKT, and Animoca Brands, received a stablecoin issuer license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) in April this year, becoming one of the first licensed institutions.
Odaily News – Bitcoin mining companies MARA Holdings and CleanSpark have released their latest quarterly earnings reports, with both companies posting double-digit year-over-year revenue declines. MARA reported Q2 revenue of $174.9 million, down 27% year-over-year, while CleanSpark reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $138 million, down 30.5% year-over-year.Despite the earnings pressure, both companies continue to expand their high-performance computing (HPC) and AI infrastructure businesses. As the AI industry grows and Bitcoin mining difficulty continues to rise, both companies are investing resources to expand their HPC business lines. MARA stated it will expand its AI computing capabilities through the acquisition of power and data center assets, with its future power portfolio potentially reaching 4.8 GW. CleanSpark, meanwhile, said it currently controls more than 1.8 GW of power, land, and data center resources.To date, MARA holds approximately 35,577 BTC, while CleanSpark holds approximately 13,924 BTC, ranking fourth and eleventh respectively among publicly traded companies' Bitcoin holdings. (The Block)
Odaily News – The ethics provision of the CLARITY Act, proposed by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Ruben Gallego, would require Trump to divest his crypto-related business assets, an arrangement that could allow Trump to defer federal taxes on gains from those assets for years, potentially saving millions of dollars. This provision has become one of the key factors driving the passage of the CLARITY Act, the first comprehensive crypto regulatory bill in the U.S., through the Senate. The latest version also permits state attorneys general to enforce the rules, whereas the previous version only granted enforcement authority to the Department of Justice.As of Thursday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader John Thune had not yet filed a cloture motion, a necessary step before a formal vote. (The Block)
Odaily News: Cryptocurrency market maker Wintermute announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Wintermute USA, has completed its broker-dealer registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). With the registration complete, the company can provide liquidity to U.S. stock exchanges and over-the-counter (OTC) trading counterparties, and trade equities and options using its proprietary accounts. In addition, Wintermute can now self-clear digital asset securities transactions and act as an Authorized Participant (AP) for exchange-traded products (ETPs), including ETF products related to digital assets. (The Block)
Odaily Odaily News: Wall Street investment firm Bernstein has reaffirmed its "Outperform" rating on stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Financial, maintaining a $140 price target.Bernstein stated that Circle's second-quarter performance effectively addressed previous market concerns regarding intensifying stablecoin competition and the growth potential of reserve asset income. Analysts believe that Circle's expanding partnerships, regulatory licensing progress, and the upcoming Arc blockchain project will bring new revenue streams to the company—growth drivers that are not yet fully reflected in current market expectations.As the stablecoin market continues to expand, Circle is expected to further broaden its business model through payment infrastructure, on-chain financial services, and ecosystem collaborations, with its future growth potential still underestimated by the market. (The Block)
According to The Block, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan stated that even if the US Clarity Act fails to pass this week, the crypto industry will still find a way forward. The US Congress will enter summer recess from August 10 to September 11, leaving the Clarity Act with only a three-day window to advance in the Senate. Hougan pointed out that if the bill fails to pass, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins may directly introduce regulatory rules more friendly to the crypto industry, which could even become an accelerator for industry development. However, he also warned that delayed legislation will increase market uncertainty, further hindering institutional investors from entering the market.
据 The Block 报道，德克萨斯州州长 Greg Abbott 本周一下令要求公用事业委员会（PUCT）及电网运营商 ERCOT 对州内所有在队列中的数据中心项目展开审计，ERCOT 随即暂停了原定本月公布结果的"Batch Zero"大型用电审批流程。目前数据中心申请占 ERCOT 474GW 互联队列的约 90%。 Bernstein 分析师在周二发布的客户报告中指出，此次监管审查将抑制投机性开发、压缩新增电力容量供给，从而提升已获批电力容量的稀缺价值，利好现有比特币矿企及 AI 运营商。报告点名 Cipher Digital（CIFR）、CleanSpark（CLSK）及 Core Scientific（CORZ）受审计影响较大，因其近期扩张计划依赖德州电网接入；而 Terawulf（WULF）因电力资产分布于肯塔基、马里兰及纽约等多州，抗风险能力较强；Riot Platforms（RIOT）和 IREN 则因已在 ERCOT 拥有大规模获批运营资产而受益。
According to The Block, Bernstein analysts indicated that the likelihood of the U.S. Clarity Act passing within 2026 is declining, with the Senate left with only this week's window (before recess on August 7). Analysts noted that if the bill fails, the digital asset market may experience a negative reaction in the short term, but the SEC and CFTC will accelerate rule-making under the "Project Crypto" framework, covering token classification, DeFi, and self-custody regulatory details, while continuing to promote innovative areas such as tokenized real-world assets (RWA), perpetual contracts, and prediction markets. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig previously also warned that if Congress fails to act, regulators will be forced to "take over all rule-making". Currently, bipartisan senators Thom Tillis and Ruben Gallego have submitted a revised ethics compromise proposal, and negotiations are still ongoing.
According to The Block citing Bits Media, Russian law enforcement agencies recently raided the offices of multiple cryptocurrency exchanges in Moscow to investigate a theft case involving 144 million rubles (approximately $1.8 million). Investigators suspect the stolen funds were transferred through the exchanges and are currently reviewing whether relevant employees are involved.