Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: BitMart founder Sheldon Lee dismissed claims of blocked withdrawals and unpaid July salaries as fabricated rumors, noting the exchange’s Chinese account was hacked. Critics including ZachXBT demand restored withdrawals or an independent audit, while BitMart winds down operations with a final trading day of August 26. Troubled firm Echo Base says its funded restructuring proposal went unanswered, potentially leading to court proceedings for customer claims.

TREE NEWS reports: The U.S. Department of the Treasury has requested public comments on the GENIUS Act, a landmark piece of crypto legislation. The proposed rule aims to clarify licensing requirements for industry participants, marking a significant step in federal crypto regulation.

TREE NEWS reports: UBS has disclosed holding 407,890 shares of BlackRock’s IBIT ETF, valued at $13.6 million, signaling growing institutional interest in Bitcoin exposure. Concurrently, open interest in IBIT call options has surged 24-fold, indicating heightened bullish sentiment among investors. This development underscores the increasing integration of crypto assets into traditional finance portfolios.

TREE NEWS update: The SEC has paused its crypto fundraising framework, citing an ‘unforeseen scheduling issue,’ but sources attribute the halt to legal pressure from Wall Street trade group SIFMA and the administration waiting on the Clarity Act’s fate in September. This delay reflects ongoing regulatory uncertainty for crypto fundraising.

TREE NEWS reports: A pirated copy of the movie ‘Odyssey’ is circulating online with embedded malware designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet keys and account credentials. Users who download the file risk having their digital assets compromised. This highlights the growing threat of malware targeting crypto holders through popular media.

TREE NEWS update: Bitcoin rose 2% to surpass $64,000, while gold gained amid US-Iran tensions and US stocks wobbled. Oil prices remained steady despite Trump’s threat regarding Oman, showing resilience in commodities.

TREE NEWS update: 21Shares’ Polkadot ETF reported that in Q2, its staking rewards came at a high cost, with every $1 of rewards generated resulting in a $4.52 loss. This highlights the financial challenges of integrating staking into crypto ETFs. The performance raises questions about the viability of such products in the current market.

TREE NEWS reports: Tom Lee’s Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine continues accumulating ETH despite $8.4B in unrealized losses, now nearing 5% of the total supply. Its staked holdings, exceeding 5 million ETH, are projected to yield $287 million annually, underscoring its long-term conviction in the asset.

TREE NEWS reports: twyne, a DeFi credit delegation layer protocol, has completed a $2.5 million seed funding round co-led by cyber Fund and Ethereal Ventures, with participation from Euler, Daedalus, and individual investors. The project aims to optimize credit allocation in DeFi lending by delegating borrowing quotas tied to collateral depositors to actual borrowers, enhancing capital efficiency.

TREE NEWS reports: Stripe’s $7 billion acquisition of OpenRouter, the AI model routing layer, marks a major consolidation in the AI infrastructure space. The deal underscores how payment giants are vying to control the monetization of AI services, positioning Stripe as a key toll booth for AI transactions.

TREE NEWS update: 21Shares’ Polkadot ETF (TDOT) disclosed that in Q2 2026, it sold DOT to pay staking rewards, incurring a realized loss of $4.52 for every $1 distributed. The fund sold 98,505 DOT for $107,500, realizing a loss of $485,600 amid DOT’s 34% quarterly decline. Despite paying $0.14698 per share, the ETF’s share price fell 34% to $9.86, failing to offset asset depreciation.

TREE NEWS update: Stripe is reportedly acquiring OpenRouter for $7 billion, a deal that enables AI micropayments without relying on blockchain, despite Stripe’s co-incubation of Tempo for onchain machine settlements. OpenRouter charges 5% on crypto top-ups versus 5.5% on card payments via Stripe, highlighting a traditional payment approach.

TREE NEWS update: Bitmine, chaired by Tom Lee, purchased an additional $19 million in Ethereum, bringing its holdings to 96% of the 5% total supply target. The firm’s aggressive accumulation underscores growing institutional interest in ETH as a store of value.

TREE NEWS reports: CleanSpark, BitFuFu, and Canaan reported month-over-month declines in Bitcoin production for July, with output falling roughly 5%, 10%, and 28% respectively. The decreases reflect operational adjustments or mining difficulty changes, impacting the companies’ monthly yields.

TREE NEWS update: SoftBank has invested $200 million in Gravis Robotics, a construction robotics startup. The funding aims to advance automation in the construction industry, though it is not directly related to RWA tokenization.

TREE NEWS reports: Duquesne Family Office, managed by David Tepper, has liquidated its positions in Intel and Micron Technology and instead established new stakes in four Bitcoin mining companies. This move signals growing institutional interest in crypto-related equities.

TREE NEWS reports: Bitcoin’s price has surged past the $64,000 mark, indicating strong bullish momentum in the cryptocurrency market. This move comes amid renewed investor interest and positive market sentiment.