Today's news tips:
Powell will deliver a speech at the Jackson Hole Central Bank Annual Meeting at 22:00 today
The EU is considering running a digital euro on public blockchains like Ethereum.
Hemi token economics released, 25% allocated to the team and core contributors
Coinbase to List USD1 on Ethereum
Programmable data chain Irys completes $10 million Series A financing, led by CoinFund
Regulation & Macro
According to Decrypt, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it will no longer prosecute developers of truly decentralized, non-custodial software under Section 1960(b)(1)(C). Matthew Galeotti, Acting Chief of the DOJ's Criminal Division, announced the policy at an industry summit in Wyoming, but emphasized that other charges could still apply if criminal intent is established. He also reiterated that the DOJ does not rely on criminal prosecution as a means of regulating the digital asset industry. Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm was previously convicted of this offense and faces up to five years in prison.
Section 1960(b)(1)(C) of the United States Code defines "money transmitters" as a type of business operator under federal law. This provision clearly states that any person who operates a money transmitter business without a license and knowingly transmits funds of criminal origin or intended for use in illegal activities is guilty of an offense. This provision is often used to combat financial crimes such as money laundering and illegal remittances.
Pennsylvania lawmakers propose banning public officials from holding and trading cryptocurrencies
Pennsylvania Congressman Ben Waxman proposed HB1812, which would prohibit incumbent public officials and their immediate family members from holding, trading, or promoting cryptocurrencies in which they have financial interests during their term of office and within one year of leaving office. It would require asset divestiture to be completed within 90 days and violations could be subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and up to five years in prison.
The probability of a Fed rate cut in September is 75%.
OCC Terminates Compliance Order Against Anchorage Digital
The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced the termination of its cease and desist consent order against crypto bank Anchorage Digital. The order, issued in 2022, stemmed from the company's compliance procedures failing to address anti-money laundering regulations. Anchorage Digital has now met the relevant compliance requirements, and the OCC has determined that the order is no longer necessary. Anchorage provides custody services for BlackRock's Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs.
Powell will deliver a speech at the Jackson Hole Central Bank Annual Meeting at 22:00 today
Powell's speech is titled "Economic Outlook and Framework Review," suggesting he will spend time outlining his macroeconomic outlook and discussing the Fed's long-term policy goals, a review conducted every five years. While the majority of the meeting will not be broadcast live, approximately five Fed officials are expected to give media interviews on August 22nd, providing a crucial source of policy information for the market. Additionally, at 12:25 AM on Sunday, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda will participate in a panel discussion on the "Policy Implications of Labor Market Transitions." It's worth noting that historically, interviews with central bank officials often provide better insights into near-term policy direction than academic discussions.
Binance Australia and New Zealand acknowledged the decision of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to appoint an external auditor to independently review its anti-money laundering program.
Binance Australia expressed its full understanding and respect for AUSTRAC's decision to appoint an external auditor to independently review its anti-money laundering program, emphasizing that this is a regulatory review measure, not an enforcement action. Binance stated that it has dedicated over 1,200 employees to compliance, representing nearly 22% of its global workforce. Compliance spending is expected to increase by 33% this year, and the company will continue to expand its local compliance and operational capabilities to ensure robust governance and maintain the highest industry standards through collaboration with regulators.
The Shanghai Composite Index reached 3,800 points, setting a new high in nearly 10 years.
The EU is considering running a digital euro on public blockchains like Ethereum.
According to the Financial Times, sources familiar with the matter revealed that EU officials are accelerating planning for a digital euro as new US stablecoin legislation has raised concerns about the competitiveness of European digital currencies. Last month, the US Congress passed the Genius Act, a landmark law regulating the $288 billion stablecoin market, which is primarily dominated by the US dollar. A person involved in the discussions said that since the bill's passage, EU officials have been "rethinking plans for a digital euro." The person familiar with the matter added that due to privacy concerns, officials are currently considering running the digital euro on public blockchains such as Ethereum or Solana, rather than the previously anticipated private blockchain.
Market News: Trump's $464 million civil fraud fine dismissed
The U.S. CFTC launches a new round of crypto asset regulatory measures
According to the CFTC's official website, Acting Chairwoman Caroline D. Pham of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced the launch of the next phase of its crypto asset regulatory "sprint" to implement the recommendations of the President's Task Force on Digital Asset Markets report. The CFTC will collaborate with the SEC's Project Crypto to promote federal spot trading of digital assets. The public can submit comments on the CFTC's website by October 20th, and the recommendations will be publicly released.
Project News
Binance Plasma USDT Locking Product Subscription Limit Increased to 1 Billion USDT
According to Binance's announcement, the Plasma USDT lock-up product, with its first 250 million USDT quota fully subscribed within an hour, has increased the total subscription limit to 1 billion USDT, with subscriptions opening in phases. The second 250 million USDT quota will be available on August 22nd, with subsequent tranches to be announced later. XPL reward distribution will be dynamically adjusted based on the subscription pool, while users' daily USDT rewards will remain unchanged. Early redemptions will not affect rewards.
Binance: Hold at least 200 Alpha Points to claim XPIN token airdrop
Binance Alpha has become the first platform to list the XPIN Network (XPIN), and Alpha trading is now open. Users holding at least 200 Binance Alpha Points can claim a first-come, first-served airdrop of 80,000 XPIN tokens. The claim threshold will automatically decrease by 15 points every hour until the reward pool is fully distributed. Claims will cost 15 points and must be confirmed within 24 hours; otherwise, they will be forfeited.
Binance Wallet to Launch Hemi (HEMI) Pre-TGE and Booster Events
Binance Wallet has announced the launch of the Hemi (HEMI) Pre-TGE and Booster Program. During the Pre-TGE phase, users can subscribe to HEMI within their wallet with up to 3 BNB. The total subscription amount is calculated based on the total subscription amount, with a total of $150,000. Subscribed HEMI will be locked and will be available for trading only after the project announces its circulation. The Booster Program will reward 200 million HEMI, which will be awarded upon completing tasks and holding sufficient Alpha Points. This reward also has a lock-up period.
The first buyer of YZY is suspected to be Naseem, the man who made 100 times profit from Trump
On-chain data shows that Naseem, a trader who previously profited over $100 million from the Trump token, has once again made a precise move, becoming the first buyer of the YZY token. Naseem purchased YZY for $250,000 on August 21st and has cashed out $800,000, leaving him with $600,000. Bubblemaps notes a strong correlation between his initial purchases of several major tokens, such as Trump, Hawk, and Libra, sparking debate about whether this trading activity is the work of a professional sniper or an insider.
CAMP airdrop eligibility check tool launched
According to the Camp Foundation, CAMP Season 1 airdrop eligibility is now open. Users must register by 11:59 PM ET on August 25th and verify using the same wallet they used to participate in the Camp ecosystem (including the Summit Series Testnet). Eligibility criteria include holding CampTrailHeads NFTs and being a verified participant of the Summit Series Incentivized Testnet. Registration requires a one-time fee of 0.0025 ETH, which will be used to claim the airdrop on the mainnet without gas. No additional fees are required.
Coinbase to List USD1 on Ethereum
Coinbase has announced the upcoming launch of World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) on the Ethereum network (ERC-20 token). Please refrain from transferring this asset over other networks, as this may result in loss of funds. This asset will be available for transfer in regions where Coinbase and Coinbase Exchange support trading is available.
Republic Launches Injective-Powered Wallet and Launchpad
Global investment platform Republic has announced a full integration with Injective, launching the Republic Wallet and dedicated Launchpad powered by Injective, providing institutional-grade tokenization capabilities for Injective-based projects.
It is reported that Republic has deployed more than US$3 billion in funds, has more than 3,000 financing experiences, and covers 3 million community members in more than 150 countries.
Japan's SBI Holdings announced that it has signed an equity transfer agreement with some of CoinPost's shareholders, and plans to complete the acquisition of a majority stake in CoinPost on October 1, 2025, and incorporate it into the group.
Binance Launches Pre-Market Trading of XPLUSDT Perpetual Contracts
Binance Futures has launched pre-market trading for the XPLUSDT (Plasma) perpetual contract, offering up to 5x leverage and multi-asset support. The funding rate is 0.005% per four hours during pre-market trading, increasing to ±2% after the close of pre-market trading. The contract is settled in USDT. Plasma is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain focused on global stablecoin payments.
SBI Holdings and Startale Partner to Launch On-Chain Stock and Real Asset Trading Platform
Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings and blockchain infrastructure company Startale Group have announced a joint venture to launch a platform supporting 24/7 on-chain trading of stocks and physical assets. The platform will combine SBI's financial ecosystem with Startale's blockchain technology to offer cross-border settlement, sharded holdings, DeFi protocol integration, account abstraction, institutional custody, and real-time compliance monitoring. The two parties will establish two joint venture companies, one responsible for technology development and the other for brand and business development. The platform's launch date has not yet been announced.
Hemi token economics released, 25% allocated to the team and core contributors
Hemi has officially announced the release of its Hemi token economics for the modular blockchain network. The total supply of Hemi tokens is 10 billion, with 25% allocated to the team and core contributors, 15% to the Hemispheres Foundation, 32% to the community and ecosystem, and 28% to investors and strategic partners.
ETF service provider State Street announced that it has become the first third-party custodian to access JPMorgan Chase's Digital Debt Service, providing blockchain-based debt securities custody services to institutional clients.
JPMorgan Chase's Digital Debt Services supports the issuance, settlement, and lifecycle management of bonds through the Kinexys digital asset platform, leveraging blockchain technology for precise T+0 settlement and automated operations. The first transaction was completed by State Street Investment Management, which purchased $100 million in commercial paper.
According to official news from the AI project FLock, in the second half of 2025, FLock will launch six major initiatives, including the FL Alliance beta, Moonbase rewards layer, API platform, global conference, venture capital arm, and support for AI mission creation. The FL Alliance will focus on a privacy-preserving collaborative framework, while the Moonbase rewards layer will provide AI Arena contributors with more revenue opportunities and support external project participation. The API platform is expected to launch in the third quarter, supporting developers in building and integrating AI applications. Furthermore, FLock plans to launch an AI Agent marketplace by the end of the year and enable user-generated missions through AI Arena V3.
Hong Kong-listed company Shan Gao Holdings issued corporate tokenized notes totaling US$40 million
Hong Kong-listed company Shangao Holdings announced the issuance of corporate tokenized notes with a total amount of US$40 million. The product is deployed on HashKey Chain and intends to sprint towards the construction of "AI computing power + data assets". In the future, the company's high-quality physical assets will also be "chained". It is reported that the corporate tokenized note is the first corporate note tokenized product in Hong Kong.
Zora launches short video feature Vidz
The Zora platform launched the short video function Vidz, which allows users to watch, trade and discover short video content from selected creators within the app.
Kraken announced that it has completed the integration of SSV Network’s distributed validator technology (DVT) into its Ethereum staking infrastructure. The architecture, which will support all Kraken staking clients, aims to decentralize the operation of Ethereum validator nodes. Instead of relying on a single machine or software client, DVT distributes validator node responsibilities across a group of independent nodes, each holding a secure validator key.
Aave first deployed to non-EVM blockchain Aptos
Lending protocol Aave has officially launched on the Aptos blockchain, marking its first deployment on a non-EVM blockchain. This move is a key step in Aave's multi-chain strategy. Initially supported assets include native USDC, USDT, APT, and sUSDe.
Financing News
Stablecoin payment processor Loop Crypto has completed a strategic financing round co-led by VanEck and Fabric Ventures, bringing its total raised to $6 million, but the specific amount of financing was not disclosed.
It is reported that Loop Crypto focuses on stablecoin payment solutions, supports subscription payment models, and serves multiple merchants including Helius, OpenPay, Kaito and Privy. Its transaction volume in the second quarter of 2025 increased by 344% year-on-year.
Programmable data chain Irys completes $10 million Series A financing, led by CoinFund
Irys, a programmable data chain, has completed a $10 million Series A funding round led by CoinFund, with participation from Hypersphere, Tykhe Ventures, Varrock Ventures, Breed VC, Echo Group, Amber Group, and WAGMI Ventures. This round brings Irys' total funding to $20 million.
Kanye West injects $34 million of YZY into the YZY liquidity pool
Kanye West added 30 million YZY (worth approximately $34 million) to the YZY liquidity pool, setting the price range between $3.1716 and $4.4929.
This move means that when the price of YZY exceeds $3.1716, Kanye West will start earning transaction fees and gradually convert YZY into USDC; if the price breaks through $4.4929, all 30 million YZY will be sold.
Important data
Verb Technology holds $780 million in assets, including $713 million in TON
Verb Technology (Nasdaq: VERB) announced today that it now holds over $780 million in assets, including $713 million in Toncoin (TON) and $67 million in cash. This marks a significant milestone in the company's strategy for the TON blockchain. Previously, on August 8th, the company completed a $558 million private placement , with the majority of the funds allocated to the purchase of TON as its primary reserve asset. The company plans to accumulate over 5% of the circulating supply of TON, becoming a significant participant in the TON network. Furthermore, the company plans to gradually increase the number of TON tokens held per share through cash flow reinvestment and staking rewards.
According to Ember’s monitoring, a whale or institution that held 10,606 BTC for seven years sold 2,070 BTC (about $235 million) in the past 24 hours.
Part of the funds were used to purchase 30,367 ETH spot (approximately $131 million), while the remaining portion was used to open a long position of 78,000 ETH through contracts (valued at approximately $336 million). The whale currently holds 8,437 BTC (approximately $960 million), and it is expected that this shift to ETH will continue.
SOL Strategies announces treasury holdings exceeding 400,000 SOL
SOL Strategies announced that its treasury currently holds 400,909 SOL. The company generates daily SOL revenue through its validator nodes and chooses to reinvest it rather than dilute shareholders, thereby expanding its treasury at a lower cost than would be available on the market. This figure does not include its JitoSOL holdings.
Yesterday (August 21st, EST), Ethereum spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $288 million. The Blackrock ETF (ETHA) saw the largest single-day net inflow, with $234 million. ETHA's total net inflow has now reached $12.047 billion. The second largest single-day net inflow was the Fidelity ETF (FETH), with a daily net inflow of $28.5283 million. FETH's total net inflow has now reached $2.538 billion.
Yesterday (August 21st, EST), Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net outflow of $194 million. The Bitcoin spot ETF with the largest single-day net inflow yesterday was the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (BTC), with a net inflow of $4.9657 million, bringing the total net inflow to $1.716 billion. The second largest single-day net inflow was the Franklin Bitcoin ETF (EZBC), with a net inflow of $3.2497 million, bringing the total net inflow to $281 million. The Bitcoin spot ETF with the largest single-day net outflow yesterday was the Blackrock IBIT ETF (IBIT), with a net outflow of $127 million, bringing the total net inflow to $58.258 billion.
