Executive brief
Bitcoin has steadied above the $65,000 level as geopolitical tensions regarding the Strait of Hormuz showed signs of easing following potential diplomatic discussions between Iran and Oman. Despite this stability, the market faces significant institutional selling pressure. Major players such as Strategy and Marathon Digital have liquidated large portions of their holdings, with the latter offloading 23,093 BTC worth over $1.6b. This trend extends to altcoin treasuries, as SkyAI and TaoWeave reported substantial sales of SOL and TAO to manage operating liquidity.
The regulatory landscape remains a key driver for price action. The U.S. Senate has delayed a vote on the Clarity Act until September, causing frustration among industry advocates who view the bill as a national security priority. Meanwhile, the UK Financial Conduct Authority is moving to regulate tokenised gold to maintain London’s status as a global bullion hub. Institutional infrastructure continues to mature, evidenced by Mastercard’s $1.8b acquisition of stablecoin firm BVNK and a rare shift by CME leveraged funds turning net long.
Looking ahead, the primary directional cue remains the upcoming U.S. CPI inflation data, which is expected to influence Federal Reserve rate bets. While Bitcoin volatility has hit its lowest level since 2025, a key risk exists in the form of large exchange inflows, such as a mysterious whale moving 6,494 BTC to Binance. Conversely, the continued expansion of spot ETF demand, which saw $853m in weekly net inflows, provides a sustained opportunity for price support against ongoing miner capitulation.
1) Top 20 news headlines
- Marathon Digital liquidates massive BTC position; the miner sold 23,093 BTC worth over $1.6b.
- Strategy sells 1,690 Bitcoin while raising capital; the company increased its USD reserve to $4.65b.
- BIP-110 fork stalls after two blocks; supporters are now proposing a proof of work change to replace existing miners.
- Grayscale withdraws multiple altcoin ETF applications; plans for Cardano, Polkadot, and Hedera offerings have been dropped.
- Mastercard acquires stablecoin firm BVNK; the acquisition deal is valued at $1.8b.
- Whale transfers 6,494 BTC to Binance; the flow is worth approximately $423m and has triggered sell off concerns.
- US exposes $6.3b Iran-Russia crypto pipeline; sanctions were applied to platforms accused of facilitating IRGC transactions.
- UK FCA drafting rules for tokenised gold; regulators aim to preserve London’s place as a hub for bullion.
- CME hedge funds abandon structural shorts; leveraged funds have turned net long for the first time in a rare market shift.
- Bitcoin spot ETFs record strongest inflows since April; investors poured $853.54m into the funds last week.
- Bitwise 10 Crypto Index assets fall 48%; net assets dropped to $532.8m in the first half of 2026.
- Coinsbuy exchange loses $8m in hack; a single actor coordinated a drain across TRON and Ethereum.
- Standard Chartered predicts $200 LINK price; the bank forecasts a 25-fold increase by the end of 2030.
- Jupiter launches Lend v2 on Solana; the product turns deposits and borrowed assets into trading liquidity.
- SkyAI sells 135,399 SOL at loss; the corporate treasury dumped $12.47m worth of tokens at a 54% loss.
- XRP Ledger adds 490,000 new accounts; total accounts reached 8.4m in the first half of 2026.
- Sweden’s H100 triples Bitcoin holdings; the firm now holds 3,506 BTC after a new acquisition.
- Bitdeer increases mining output fivefold; the company mined 2,694 BTC during the second quarter.
- South Korean police arrest three in XRP scam; the suspects allegedly defrauded investors of 3.4m XRP worth $9m.
- BitMEX traders face XBTUSD closure; holders of $39.45m in open interest have 16 days to exit positions.
2) BTC and ETH ETF flows
| Metric | BTC | ETH |
|---|---|---|
| Net inflow | $98,845,326.99 | $49,601,034.60 |
| Value traded | $1,571,984,411.32 | $484,831,749.83 |
| Net assets | $79,497,427,558.30 | $10,743,698,230.46 |
| Cumulative net inflow | $52,178,043,463.15 | $11,455,167,483.88 |
3) X trending news
- Strategic Petroleum Reserve multi-decade low; US inventories have fallen below 300 million barrels for the first time since 1983.
- TSMC reports explosive sales growth; the chipmaker saw a 45% year on year increase in July sales to $14.5b.
- Record tech fund inflows; global technology funds have attracted 131b in inflows year to date.
- US corporate profits hit record; pre-tax profits as a percentage of GDP have reached an all-time high of 14%.
- Trump demands compensation from Iran; the President is seeking payment for historical damages in any future negotiations.
- Peter Schiff issues Bitcoin warning; the prominent gold advocate has urged investors to sell Bitcoin now.
- Meta launches $1b data center fund; the Future Is For Everyone Fund will support towns hosting Meta AI infrastructure.
- JPMorgan raises S&P 500 target; the bank increased its year end target for the index to 8,000.
