Author: James Wilson

SharpLink CEO Joseph Chalom has opposed an Ethereum proposal that could eventually eliminate issuance-based staking rewards, warning that the change may weaken ETH’s appeal to institutions and raise capital costs across decentralized finance. Summary SharpLink opposes tapered issuance burn, arguing that native yield helps distinguish Ethereum from Bitcoin. Validator issuance rewards would fall to zero near a 50% staking ratio under the proposal. SharpLink stakes nearly all its ETH and has earned more than 18,000 ETH in rewards. Chalom supports controlling issuance but wants Ethereum to rely on its existing base-fee burn. SharpLink challenges Ethereum staking proposal Chalom said the…

The CFTC has warned regulated prediction markets against displaying American-style gambling odds as state authorities intensify efforts to classify sports event contracts as unlicensed betting. Summary The CFTC told regulated prediction markets to avoid American-style odds in product displays. Platforms must comply with derivatives laws and avoid deceptive marketing or solicitation practices. New York is seeking at least $36 billion from Kalshi over alleged gambling violations. Kalshi has requested emergency protection from Utah enforcement while it pursues an appeal. CFTC warns prediction markets over odds displays The Commodity Futures Trading Commission instructed regulated prediction market platforms not to display contracts…

U.S. authorities sanctioned crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether after alleging that the platforms helped Iran evade restrictions and move funds connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Summary OFAC sanctioned Shelbit, Aban Tether and Siavash Kayvanpour over alleged sanctions evasion. IRGC-linked wallets allegedly sent more than $1 million in crypto to Shelbit addresses. Shelbit addresses reportedly transferred over $2 million to wallets controlled by the IRGC. Kayvanpour-linked wallets allegedly sent more than $2 million to sanctioned exchange Nobitex. OFAC targets Shelbit and Aban Tether The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions on Aug. 7…

Bybit has sued North Korea, its intelligence agency and the Lazarus Group in a U.S. federal court as the exchange seeks to recover assets stolen in the record $1.5 billion crypto hack. Summary Bybit filed its case against North Korea, the RGB and Lazarus Group in Washington, D.C. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction freezing certain stolen assets held by unidentified defendants. The FBI previously attributed the $1.5 billion February 2025 attack to North Korean actors. Bybit said the civil case remains separate from ongoing U.S. criminal investigations. Bybit takes Lazarus Group to US court Bybit filed the civil…

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. XRP faces renewed pressure after its first ETF outflow, while EX DeFi gains attention from investors seeking cloud mining and yield opportunities. Summary XRP ETF records its first monthly outflow as weakening price action raises concerns over short-term market sentiment. EX DeFi gains attention from XRP holders seeking cloud mining and yield strategies amid ongoing market volatility. Despite recent ETF outflows and price weakness, long-term optimism for XRP remains supported by institutional adoption. XRP price has recently remained weak,…

Blanket, an independently developed AI tool, is using Kalshi’s regulated event-contract markets to help small businesses identify and hedge operational risks. Summary Blanket analyzes business risks tied to weather, energy prices, tariffs, elections and other events. The tool recommends relevant Kalshi event contracts but does not execute trades or hold customer funds. Independent fintech entrepreneur Lauris Zminsky developed Blanket, which is not an internal Kalshi product. The launch comes as Kalshi expands its institutional services and strengthens its market-surveillance controls. Blanket matches business risks with Kalshi contracts Blanket is designed to evaluate the risks facing a business and identify Kalshi…

Russia has detained over 20 workers in raids on nine crypto exchanges over alleged laundering scheme tied to scam proceeds. Summary Russia has detained more than 20 people after raiding nine unregistered crypto exchange services in Moscow. Authorities alleged the exchanges converted scam proceeds into cryptocurrency and transferred the funds to Ukrainian handlers. Exchange employees and couriers are under investigation for alleged involvement in large scale fraud carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The operation comes weeks before Russia’s new regulated cryptocurrency market is scheduled to begin on Sept. 1. According to an official statement from Russia’s…

German Bitcoin developer René Pickhardt said on Aug. 6 that fears about self-custody security and key management kept him from accumulating more Bitcoin, despite believing the asset had upside.  Summary Bitcoin developer René Pickhardt says self-custody security concerns kept him from accumulating more BTC earlier. Coldcard vulnerabilities made some wallet seed phrases predictable, exposing users to remote key recovery attacks. Galaxy Research estimates roughly 1,755 BTC was stolen across several waves linked to vulnerable wallets. Coinkite says patched firmware cannot repair previously generated weak seeds, requiring users to migrate funds. Adam Back argues Bitcoin self-custody remains powerful but requires users…

CleanSpark has reported a $239 million quarterly loss as revenue fell 30.5% year over year, while its latest AI data center lease has added a long-term revenue stream outside Bitcoin mining. Summary CleanSpark reported a $239 million quarterly net loss as revenue fell 30.5% year over year. Quarterly revenue came in at $138 million, missing analysts’ estimates compiled by Yahoo Finance. The company signed a 20 year lease expected to generate $6.6 billion from its Georgia AI data center. CleanSpark continued expanding its AI infrastructure while maintaining its Bitcoin mining operations. According to CleanSpark’s fiscal third-quarter results published on Thursday,…

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci said on Aug. 7 that crypto adoption may reach its most important stage when consumers use blockchain infrastructure without knowing it is there.  Summary Scaramucci says mainstream users will soon use crypto and blockchain technology without recognizing underlying infrastructure. Adjusted stablecoin transaction volume reached $10.2 trillion over twelve months, according to Visa-backed blockchain research. Federal Reserve researchers identified accelerating retail stablecoin adoption through digital wallet partnerships as 2025 developments. Tokenized stock transfers rose 105% monthly to $8.41 billion as blockchain-based equity infrastructure expanded rapidly. Scaramucci previously backed the CLARITY Act, calling compromise preferable to continued…