Author: John Smith

South Korea has reaffirmed plans to expand its blockchain and digital asset sector in the second half of 2026, pairing new blockchain initiatives with legislation for stablecoins, tokenized government bonds, and spot crypto ETFs. Summary South Korea has renewed its blockchain roadmap with plans for stablecoin rules, tokenized government bonds, and spot crypto ETFs. Authorities will introduce the Digital Asset Basic Act and establish a legal framework for cross border stablecoin transactions. Blockchain projects remain part of the government’s economic strategy even as AI and semiconductor investment receive stronger policy support. South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance said after…

Upbit will add Derive’s DRV token to its Korean won, Bitcoin and Tether markets on July 14. Summary Upbit adds DRV trading against KRW, BTC and USDT, expanding Derive’s access across South Korea. Derive migrated LYRA holders into DRV and now operates an onchain options and perpetuals exchange. DRV’s total supply now stands at 1.5 billion after a previously proposed strategic token mint. Trading is scheduled to open at 17:00 Korea Standard Time, giving the onchain derivatives protocol access to South Korean traders. The details appear in Upbit’s official DRV listing notice. The exchange said deposits and withdrawals will use…

White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt will take a months-long leave at the end of July to complete mandatory military legal training with the Georgia Army National Guard.  Summary Patrick Witt will leave the White House for mandatory Georgia Army National Guard legal training. Harry Jung is expected to assume Witt’s duties as CLARITY Act negotiations approach their deadline. Witt plans to remain involved during training, although his full-time return remains unclear after completion. The move comes as Senate negotiators work to advance the CLARITY Act before the chamber leaves Washington for its summer break. Crypto In America reported that…

Binance has released its 44th proof-of-reserves report, showing that customer Bitcoin holdings increased during June while Ethereum and Tether balances declined.  Summary Binance users raised Bitcoin holdings 1.22%, adding 7,715 BTC during June, the latest snapshot showed. Ethereum and Tether balances declined, while Binance continued publishing monthly reserve data for customer verification. Reserve snapshots show account balances, but they cannot explain whether users bought, sold, or withdrew. The report used a snapshot taken on July 1 and compared the figures with customer balances recorded on June 1. Customer Bitcoin holdings rose 1.22% to about 640,000 BTC, an increase of 7,715…

Spain has recorded the largest fan token burn of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after more than 1.16 million SPAIN Fan Tokens were permanently removed from circulation following the team’s quarter-final victory. Summary Spain burned 1.16 million SPAIN Fan Tokens after defeating Belgium in the World Cup quarter-finals. The Burn to Glory campaign has now removed nearly 3 million SPAIN tokens from circulation. Chiliz and LBank expanded fan token trading with new futures products and live trading competitions. According to Chiliz, Spain’s 2-1 win over Belgium triggered the destruction of 1,161,234 SPAIN Fan Tokens under its Burn to Glory campaign,…

President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will unveil newly declassified 2020 election intelligence during a Thursday night address alongside top U.S. national security officials. Summary Trump will deliver a primetime address on newly declassified 2020 election intelligence. Government reports found no evidence foreign actors changed votes or election results. Markets are watching as Polymarket assigns an 8% chance of a court overturning the 2020 election. According to MS NOW, Trump is scheduled to speak to the nation on Thursday at 9:00 PM ET alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Acting…

Strategy has raised $466.7 million through fresh MSTR stock sales while leaving its Bitcoin holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC for the week ending July 12. Summary Strategy raises $466.7 million through MSTR stock sales. Company keeps Bitcoin holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC. Standard Chartered maintains $100,000 Bitcoin target despite treasury concerns. According to a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Michael Saylor-led Strategy sold 4,818,781 Class A MSTR shares between July 6 and July 12 through its at-the-market (ATM) program, generating approximately $466.7 million in net proceeds. Despite the capital raise, the company reported that…

Coinbase Ventures has completed 30 startup investments during the first half of 2026, maintaining the industry’s most active venture pace despite a sharp slowdown in overall crypto fundraising. Summary Coinbase Ventures led crypto VC activity with 30 startup deals in H1 2026. DeFi, payments, and AI remained the top sectors attracting venture funding. Overall crypto fundraising stayed weak despite a modest recovery in June and July. According to CryptoRank, the venture arm of Coinbase led all crypto-focused investors with 30 deals between January and June, ahead of Animoca Brands with 19 investments, venture capital firm a16z with 18, and stablecoin…

Hyundai Motor’s U.S. and Mexican operations have completed a pilot cross-border treasury payment using Tether’s USDT stablecoin, settling a $20,000 transfer in about seven minutes over the Avalanche blockchain. Summary Hyundai completed a $20,000 USDT treasury transfer between the U.S. and Mexico in about seven minutes. The Avalanche-based pilot tested stablecoin settlement without changing existing treasury compliance and accounting processes. Tether continues expanding its enterprise strategy through corporate pilots and recent investments in blockchain infrastructure. According to Tether, the proof-of-concept involved Hyundai Motor America converting U.S. dollars into USDT before sending the stablecoin to Hyundai Motor Mexico, where it was…

Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have lost more than $20 billion in value after President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher and accelerated risk-off selling. Summary Trump’s Strait of Hormuz remarks helped send Brent crude above $79 and fueled a sharp crypto selloff. Bitcoin fell more than 3% as the crypto market lost over $20 billion and liquidations topped $40 million. Traders now await U.S. CPI data and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s testimony for policy and market direction. Trump’s comments have intensified pressure across global markets President Donald Trump said on Monday…