Circle Stock Spikes to All-Time High as Ethereum Treasury SharpLink Begins Rebound

A pair of crypto stocks, CRCL and SBET, are trading significantly higher on Monday, with shares of stablecoin issuer Circle marking a new all-time high price after completing its IPO less than two weeks ago.  CRCL shares are now trading at $154.96, down from a daily high of $165.60—but still up more than 16% during today’s trading session after peaking at more than five times the firm’s IPO price of $31. That daily high also marks the stock’s new all-time peak, beating a previous record of aroun...

A pair of crypto stocks, CRCL and SBET, are trading significantly higher on Monday, with shares of stablecoin issuer Circle marking a new all-time high price after completing its IPO less than two weeks ago.  CRCL shares are now trading at $154.96, down from a daily high of $165.60—but still up more than 16% during today’s trading session after peaking at more than five times the firm’s IPO price of $31. That daily high also marks the stock’s new all-time peak, beating a previous record of aroun...

SRM Stock Soars 580% as Justin Sun's Tron Eyes Nasdaq Debut

Tron, the layer-1 network founded by controversial crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, is set to debut on the Nasdaq through a reverse merger with SRM Entertainment, a purveyor of theme-park merchandise, The Financial Times reported on Monday. Citing two people briefed on the matter, the outlet reported that Dominari Securities, a boutique investment bank with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump’s two eldest sons, is spearheading the deal involving the eighth largest cryptocurrency by market value....

Tron, the layer-1 network founded by controversial crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, is set to debut on the Nasdaq through a reverse merger with SRM Entertainment, a purveyor of theme-park merchandise, The Financial Times reported on Monday. Citing two people briefed on the matter, the outlet reported that Dominari Securities, a boutique investment bank with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump’s two eldest sons, is spearheading the deal involving the eighth largest cryptocurrency by market value....

Trump Media Files to Launch Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF

Trump Media and Technology Group, via partnered firm Yorkville America Digital, filed with the SEC to launch a joint Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, according to a Monday filing.   The filing proposes a holdings ratio of 75% Bitcoin and 25% Ethereum, with Crypto.com acting as the custodian, execution agent, and liquidity provider. “The launch of the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF is pending effectiveness of the registration statement as well as approval of a Form 19b-4 filing with the SEC. Upon...

Trump Media and Technology Group, via partnered firm Yorkville America Digital, filed with the SEC to launch a joint Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, according to a Monday filing.   The filing proposes a holdings ratio of 75% Bitcoin and 25% Ethereum, with Crypto.com acting as the custodian, execution agent, and liquidity provider. “The launch of the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF is pending effectiveness of the registration statement as well as approval of a Form 19b-4 filing with the SEC. Upon...

Coinbase, Gemini Angling for MiCA Licenses in Malta and Luxembourg: Reuters

Two of the world's largest crypto exchanges, Gemini and Coinbase, are set to receive licenses that would permit them to operate across the entire European Union. Reuters reports that Gemini, owned and co-founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, is on the verge of receiving an operational license from Malta, after the small Mediterranean nation granted licenses to rival exchanges OKX and Crypto.com in January this year. Meanwhile, Luxembourg is reportedly in the final stages of approving a licens...

Two of the world's largest crypto exchanges, Gemini and Coinbase, are set to receive licenses that would permit them to operate across the entire European Union. Reuters reports that Gemini, owned and co-founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, is on the verge of receiving an operational license from Malta, after the small Mediterranean nation granted licenses to rival exchanges OKX and Crypto.com in January this year. Meanwhile, Luxembourg is reportedly in the final stages of approving a licens...

Hyperliquid, Solana Lead Altcoin Rally as Institutions Pour $1.9B Into Crypto Funds

The crypto market's appetite for risk assets returned with force on Monday, with altcoins including Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) surging as traders rotated out of Bitcoin (BTC) following its successful test of the $106,000 level. SOL is up 6.1% in the last 24 hours, trading at $155.78, while ETH stands at $2,611, gaining 3.7% in the past 24 hours, CoinGecko data shows. Ethereum "came back into favour after 2.5 years of underperformance" following recent network upgrades, with the narrative sh...

The crypto market's appetite for risk assets returned with force on Monday, with altcoins including Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) surging as traders rotated out of Bitcoin (BTC) following its successful test of the $106,000 level. SOL is up 6.1% in the last 24 hours, trading at $155.78, while ETH stands at $2,611, gaining 3.7% in the past 24 hours, CoinGecko data shows. Ethereum "came back into favour after 2.5 years of underperformance" following recent network upgrades, with the narrative sh...

Kidnappers Release TikTok Crypto Influencer After Finding Out He’s Broke

Over the weekend, a 26-year-old TikTok crypto influencer was kidnapped and beaten by four men in Essonne, France, who later demanded a ransom paid in crypto. According to an initial report from local publication Europe1, he was released by the kidnappers after they checked his wallet balance and found out he was broke: he didn't have the $58,000 (€50,000) they were demanding. The influencer's kidnapping adds to a growing number of “wrench attack” cases in France targeting crypto holders. Lawmake...

Over the weekend, a 26-year-old TikTok crypto influencer was kidnapped and beaten by four men in Essonne, France, who later demanded a ransom paid in crypto. According to an initial report from local publication Europe1, he was released by the kidnappers after they checked his wallet balance and found out he was broke: he didn't have the $58,000 (€50,000) they were demanding. The influencer's kidnapping adds to a growing number of “wrench attack” cases in France targeting crypto holders. Lawmake...

Alabama Regulator Recovers $125K in Crypto Lost to Pig Butchering Scams

Alabama securities regulators have seized more than $125,000 in crypto assets for two residents who fell victim to elaborate "pig butchering" scams that collectively cost them nearly $580,000. The Alabama Securities Commission recovered $53,227.81 for a Baldwin County resident who lost approximately $185,000, and $73,927.68 for an Etowah County victim who was defrauded of $395,000 in separate schemes that began on dating apps and messaging platforms earlier this year, as per a Friday statement....

Alabama securities regulators have seized more than $125,000 in crypto assets for two residents who fell victim to elaborate "pig butchering" scams that collectively cost them nearly $580,000. The Alabama Securities Commission recovered $53,227.81 for a Baldwin County resident who lost approximately $185,000, and $73,927.68 for an Etowah County victim who was defrauded of $395,000 in separate schemes that began on dating apps and messaging platforms earlier this year, as per a Friday statement....

Vietnam Passes Landmark Law Defining Digital Assets, Boosting AI and Chip Sectors

Vietnam's National Assembly overwhelmingly approved landmark legislation Saturday, legalizing digital assets and establishing sweeping incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence development, and digital technology startups. The Law on Digital Technology Industry passed with 441 votes in favor out of 445 lawmakers present, making Vietnam one of the first countries to comprehensively regulate digital assets through dedicated legislation rather than traditional financial fr...

Vietnam's National Assembly overwhelmingly approved landmark legislation Saturday, legalizing digital assets and establishing sweeping incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence development, and digital technology startups. The Law on Digital Technology Industry passed with 441 votes in favor out of 445 lawmakers present, making Vietnam one of the first countries to comprehensively regulate digital assets through dedicated legislation rather than traditional financial fr...

Trump Discloses $57M Windfall From Crypto Venture World Liberty Financial

President Donald Trump pocketed $57.3 million from his crypto venture World Liberty Financial, earnings that had lawmakers calling it "open corruption." The windfall came from token sales by World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance platform Trump launched with his three sons—Donald Jr., Eric, and Barron—before winning the 2024 election.  The disclosure, spanning 234 pages and filed with the Office of Government Ethics, reveals Trump's crypto bet paid off handsomely as his administratio...

President Donald Trump pocketed $57.3 million from his crypto venture World Liberty Financial, earnings that had lawmakers calling it "open corruption." The windfall came from token sales by World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance platform Trump launched with his three sons—Donald Jr., Eric, and Barron—before winning the 2024 election.  The disclosure, spanning 234 pages and filed with the Office of Government Ethics, reveals Trump's crypto bet paid off handsomely as his administratio...

Digital Finance Reform Could Add Billions to Australia's Economy, New Research Shows

Billions in economic gain could be achieved if Australia develops a strategic approach to innovating its digital finance sector, according to new research revealed at the Australian Digital Economy Conference held on Monday at the Gold Coast, Queensland. Mapping specific opportunities across financial markets, the study found that foreign exchange emerged as the most significant opportunity, estimated at approximately US$4.8 billion annually, followed by cross-border payments at US$7.6 billion....

Billions in economic gain could be achieved if Australia develops a strategic approach to innovating its digital finance sector, according to new research revealed at the Australian Digital Economy Conference held on Monday at the Gold Coast, Queensland. Mapping specific opportunities across financial markets, the study found that foreign exchange emerged as the most significant opportunity, estimated at approximately US$4.8 billion annually, followed by cross-border payments at US$7.6 billion....

Metaplanet Reaches 10,000 BTC Target Amid $210M Bond Issuance

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet announced on Monday that it had acquired 1,112 BTC for approximately $117.2 million, bringing its total holdings to 10,000 BTC and reaching the target it set for this year. The announcement coincided with the board's approval of a $210 million bond issuance to EVO Fund, a Cayman Islands-based investment firm.  The bonds, which carry no interest and mature in December, are part of the company’s 18th series of ordinary bond issuances. Japan's Metaplanet To Expan...

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet announced on Monday that it had acquired 1,112 BTC for approximately $117.2 million, bringing its total holdings to 10,000 BTC and reaching the target it set for this year. The announcement coincided with the board's approval of a $210 million bond issuance to EVO Fund, a Cayman Islands-based investment firm.  The bonds, which carry no interest and mature in December, are part of the company’s 18th series of ordinary bond issuances. Japan's Metaplanet To Expan...

This Week in Crypto Games: Dogecoin Got Game, FIFA Rivals Launches

It's tough to keep tabs on the ever-changing crypto gaming space, thanks to the constant flow of news: everything from big game launches and fun degen experiments to token price swings and occasional project collapses. It's a lot to follow. Luckily, we're plugged in at Decrypt's GG. We cover the biggest happenings throughout the week, and then this weekly roundup provides a quick way to catch up, as well as find a bunch of other little bits of news from throughout the week. Top stories Dogecoin...

It's tough to keep tabs on the ever-changing crypto gaming space, thanks to the constant flow of news: everything from big game launches and fun degen experiments to token price swings and occasional project collapses. It's a lot to follow. Luckily, we're plugged in at Decrypt's GG. We cover the biggest happenings throughout the week, and then this weekly roundup provides a quick way to catch up, as well as find a bunch of other little bits of news from throughout the week. Top stories Dogecoin...

Bitcoin DeFi Is Taking Root on Sui—Here’s How It Works

Bitcoin is widely considered the most secure and decentralized digital asset. But for all its strength as a store of value, it’s historically offered little financial utility due to network limitations, while its ballooning price has kept it from being seen as everyday spending money. Bitcoin DeFi, also known as BTCfi—a term referring to decentralized finance applications built on Bitcoin—is emerging to change that. Sui is one of several layer-1 blockchains now supporting Bitcoin-based functiona...

Bitcoin is widely considered the most secure and decentralized digital asset. But for all its strength as a store of value, it’s historically offered little financial utility due to network limitations, while its ballooning price has kept it from being seen as everyday spending money. Bitcoin DeFi, also known as BTCfi—a term referring to decentralized finance applications built on Bitcoin—is emerging to change that. Sui is one of several layer-1 blockchains now supporting Bitcoin-based functiona...

5 Prompts That Make Anthropic's Claude AI Better Than a Crypto Analyst, Broker or Doctor

When Anthropic dropped Opus 4 recently, the upgrade landed with little hype but plenty of substance: an AI that doesn't just answer questions, but digs into them and can be super useful as a true AI Assistant. In our tests, Claude outperformed even ChatGPT at investigative tasks using the web search function, without actually activating the deep research model. That’s why we picked it for a challenge: to see how far its reasoning goes when pushed with advanced prompts—tasks that leave most AIs f...

When Anthropic dropped Opus 4 recently, the upgrade landed with little hype but plenty of substance: an AI that doesn't just answer questions, but digs into them and can be super useful as a true AI Assistant. In our tests, Claude outperformed even ChatGPT at investigative tasks using the web search function, without actually activating the deep research model. That’s why we picked it for a challenge: to see how far its reasoning goes when pushed with advanced prompts—tasks that leave most AIs f...

AI Deepfakes Drove 40% of High-Value Crypto Fraud Last Year: Report

AI-generated deepfake impersonations of government officials, billionaires, and celebrities accounted for 40% of “high-value frauds” in 2024, a Bitget report revealed. That same year, $4.6 billion in crypto was lost to scams, a 24% increase from the previous year, Bitget's Anti-Scam Report 2025—co-authored with Slowmist and Elliptic—found. “Crypto scams have entered a new era—driven by AI deepfakes, social engineering, and deceptive project fronts,” the report said. “Scams now exploit trust and...

AI-generated deepfake impersonations of government officials, billionaires, and celebrities accounted for 40% of “high-value frauds” in 2024, a Bitget report revealed. That same year, $4.6 billion in crypto was lost to scams, a 24% increase from the previous year, Bitget's Anti-Scam Report 2025—co-authored with Slowmist and Elliptic—found. “Crypto scams have entered a new era—driven by AI deepfakes, social engineering, and deceptive project fronts,” the report said. “Scams now exploit trust and...

Trump Strategist Outlines How Bitcoin Helped Republicans Win the 2024 Election

Republican Party strategist Chris LaCivita, one of the architects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s winning presidential campaign in 2024, pointed to the two-term commander-in-chief’s embrace of cryptocurrencies as a lynchpin for his political comeback.  Speaking at the Coinbase State of Crypto Summit in New York City on Thursday, LaCivita said targeting so-called crypto voters helped President Trump court a lot of supporters, particularly those belonging to voter blocs that have traditionally pr...

Republican Party strategist Chris LaCivita, one of the architects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s winning presidential campaign in 2024, pointed to the two-term commander-in-chief’s embrace of cryptocurrencies as a lynchpin for his political comeback.  Speaking at the Coinbase State of Crypto Summit in New York City on Thursday, LaCivita said targeting so-called crypto voters helped President Trump court a lot of supporters, particularly those belonging to voter blocs that have traditionally pr...

7 Games That Prove Indie Studios Are Outshining AAA Publishers in 2025

Spending $300 million on a game is one way to set that game on the road to success; ultra-detailed, immersive games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and next year's Grand Theft Auto 6 appeal to gamers looking for a cutting edge experience. But $300 million doesn't promise you a good game—just a big one. We're not even six full months into 2025, and indie developers can't stop dropping great games on us, from genuine all-timers to zeitgeist-catching games that we all can't resist picking up and chec...

Spending $300 million on a game is one way to set that game on the road to success; ultra-detailed, immersive games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and next year's Grand Theft Auto 6 appeal to gamers looking for a cutting edge experience. But $300 million doesn't promise you a good game—just a big one. We're not even six full months into 2025, and indie developers can't stop dropping great games on us, from genuine all-timers to zeitgeist-catching games that we all can't resist picking up and chec...

Why Is BlackRock's IBIT Bitcoin ETF Soaring?

After missing a couple of beats in late May and early June, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (IBIT) returned to its previous searing form last week, totaling about $1.1 billion in net investments. The fund has been one of the great investment success stories, cracking $70 billion in assets under management in just 341 days, faster than any of the thousands of funds in the ETF industry's 32-year history. IBIT's popularity reflects not only of the $11.6 trillion asset management gi...

After missing a couple of beats in late May and early June, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (IBIT) returned to its previous searing form last week, totaling about $1.1 billion in net investments. The fund has been one of the great investment success stories, cracking $70 billion in assets under management in just 341 days, faster than any of the thousands of funds in the ETF industry's 32-year history. IBIT's popularity reflects not only of the $11.6 trillion asset management gi...

IBM’s New Quantum Roadmap Brings the Bitcoin Threat Closer

Quantum computers weren’t expected to pose a threat to Bitcoin’s security anytime soon. But IBM has launched a project that could expedite the timeline: the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, set to debut by 2029. Despite their ability to calculate in multiple directions simultaneously, current-generation quantum computers have high error rates. Without fault tolerance, and the ability to detect and correct errors as they happen, quantum computers can’t run complex algorithms that wo...

Quantum computers weren’t expected to pose a threat to Bitcoin’s security anytime soon. But IBM has launched a project that could expedite the timeline: the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, set to debut by 2029. Despite their ability to calculate in multiple directions simultaneously, current-generation quantum computers have high error rates. Without fault tolerance, and the ability to detect and correct errors as they happen, quantum computers can’t run complex algorithms that wo...

Russia Paying Teenage and Untrained Spies Using Bitcoin: Report

Russian intelligence services have been using Bitcoin to pay teenage and untrained spies, according to a Reuters investigation conducted in partnership with blockchain analytics firms Global Ledger and Recoveris. A report from Reuters detailed the recent case of Laken Pavan, a Canadian national who in December was sentenced to 20 months in prison in Poland after pleading guilty to aiding Russian intelligence. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had recruited Pavan in late April 2024, aft...

Russian intelligence services have been using Bitcoin to pay teenage and untrained spies, according to a Reuters investigation conducted in partnership with blockchain analytics firms Global Ledger and Recoveris. A report from Reuters detailed the recent case of Laken Pavan, a Canadian national who in December was sentenced to 20 months in prison in Poland after pleading guilty to aiding Russian intelligence. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had recruited Pavan in late April 2024, aft...