Crypto World
Aztec v5 brings private smart contracts to Ethereum in alpha launch
Aztec has launched the alpha version of its v5 execution layer, introducing a programmable privacy framework that allows Ethereum applications to process both public and private state within the same layer-2 environment.
Summary
- Aztec has released the alpha version of its v5 execution layer, bringing programmable privacy to Ethereum through zero knowledge powered smart contracts.
- The new architecture processes private computations on user devices while verifying transactions on chain without exposing sensitive data.
- Aztec said the execution layer supports confidential decentralized applications with features designed to reduce front running and MEV risks.
Aztec Labs announced the alpha release of its v5 execution layer, describing it as a step toward making privacy-native smart contracts practical on Ethereum.
The new architecture allows developers to build decentralized applications that combine confidential user data with public blockchain state while relying on zero-knowledge proofs to verify transactions without exposing sensitive information.
Unlike Ethereum’s base layer, where every validator processes and stores transaction inputs, outputs, and execution data to reach consensus, Aztec’s execution layer moves private computation to the user’s device. Instead of revealing transaction details to the network, the system generates cryptographic proofs locally before submitting them for verification on-chain, reducing the amount of visible transaction data while preserving Ethereum’s security guarantees.
Client-side execution changes how private transactions are processed
At the center of the release is a client-side zero-knowledge execution engine integrated with Noir, Aztec’s domain-specific programming language for private smart contracts. Rather than executing confidential transactions across every network node like the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the system performs private computations on user hardware before generating recursive Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge, or SNARKs.
Those proofs allow the network to verify that state changes are valid without exposing plaintext inputs, transaction values, or account identities. According to Aztec Labs, the model cuts unnecessary data disclosure while maintaining mathematical guarantees that transactions have been executed correctly.
The architecture also introduces a hybrid state model designed to overcome one of the biggest engineering challenges facing privacy-focused blockchains. Purely private execution environments often struggle when multiple users attempt to update the same public state at the same time, creating state contention that limits interaction with shared decentralized finance infrastructure.
To address that limitation, Aztec separates private and public state management. Private assets are stored in UTXO-like note trees, while public data is maintained through key-value trees. During execution, private functions can generate deferred public function calls that are processed later within the same transaction lifecycle, allowing confidential and public operations to work together without sacrificing deterministic execution or creating race conditions.
The execution model is intended to support applications that require confidential computation while still interacting with Ethereum’s public ecosystem, including shared liquidity pools and other decentralized finance protocols.
Privacy model targets decentralized finance and enterprise applications
Beyond transaction privacy, the execution layer introduces features that could reduce several long-standing issues in blockchain execution.
According to Aztec Labs, transaction details remain hidden before state commitment, making it significantly harder for external observers to reorder pending transactions or exploit visible transaction data through Maximal Extractable Value strategies.
The architecture also provides building blocks for applications such as confidential order matching, private liquidity provisioning, and selective compliance systems that disclose only required information through viewing keys instead of exposing complete user records.
Those capabilities build on Aztec’s long-standing focus on programmable privacy rather than simple anonymous token transfers.
Speaking to crypto.news in April 2025, Aztec Labs co-founder and CEO Zac Williamson said blockchain privacy should go beyond hiding wallet addresses.
He described user privacy, confidential transaction data, and private smart contract execution as the three pillars needed for practical on-chain privacy, calling them “the holy grail of blockchain privacy.”
Williamson also argued that privacy should not be treated as a separate segment of the industry, saying, “all crypto will be private” as programmable privacy becomes part of mainstream blockchain applications.
Discussing compliance, Williamson said privacy preserving systems should rely on selective disclosure instead of complete anonymity. He pointed to ZKPassport as an example, explaining that users can tap an NFC enabled passport to generate a zero knowledge proof and choose “what information you want to disclose,” whether it is nationality, age, or other identity attributes.
He said the technology is “permissionless, it’s privacy preserving, and it ensures strong compliance,” adding that such systems are “a lot more powerful” than existing privacy solutions because they combine privacy with programmable compliance.
That vision expanded further in May 2026 when Aztec Labs acquired ZKPassport while committing to keep the passport verification platform open source. The acquisition brought the privacy-focused identity infrastructure directly into Aztec’s ecosystem, allowing developers to combine programmable privacy with zero-knowledge identity verification across Ethereum-compatible networks.
The technology had already been tested on Aztec’s network to help reduce Sybil attacks by allowing participants to prove they were unique individuals without revealing their identities. It was also used during the AZTEC token sale to perform sanctions screening while keeping participant information private.
Alpha release follows security incidents involving legacy products
The execution layer arrives shortly after Aztec Labs dealt with security issues involving products that had already been retired.
Earlier this month, Aztec Labs disclosed that it was investigating a potential exploit involving a deprecated payments product launched in 2021 after roughly $2 million was transferred from an immutable smart contract. The company said the affected system had been discontinued in 2022 and operated without administrator keys, preventing the team from pausing or upgrading the contract.
Separately, another deprecated product, Aztec Connect, lost approximately $2.1 million after attackers exploited an old immutable RollupProcessorV3 contract. Aztec Labs said the incidents were unrelated to the active Aztec network.
The Aztec Foundation also stated that neither exploit had any connection to the current network or the AZTEC ERC-20 token, emphasizing that the affected contracts belonged to legacy infrastructure that had remained live on Ethereum after the products were sunset.
Crypto World
Pound Weakens After Soft UK Inflation Data as Euro Awaits Fresh Market Signals
The pound remains under pressure following the release of weaker-than-expected UK inflation data. The slowdown in inflation has strengthened expectations that the Bank of England could adopt a more accommodative policy stance in the coming months, weighing on sterling. Meanwhile, the euro continues to trade within a relatively narrow range as investors await fresh signals from the eurozone economy.
Market participants also remain cautious due to the ongoing escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The United States continues to carry out strikes on targets in Iran, supporting demand for traditional refuge assets, including the US dollar, and limiting the recovery potential of European currencies.
Attention in the coming days will focus on the preliminary Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) releases from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the eurozone, which will provide an early assessment of economic conditions at the start of the third quarter. The data are particularly important for the euro, as they could influence expectations for the European Central Bank’s next policy moves. Stronger-than-expected figures may support the single currency, while weaker readings could reinforce expectations of further ECB policy easing. In addition, the weekly US initial jobless claims report will provide another update on the health of the US labour market.
EUR/USD
EUR/USD has entered a consolidation phase after failing to test the key resistance level at 1.1500. Technical analysis suggests the pair could decline towards the 1.1330–1.1370 area, as a bearish harami pattern has formed on the daily timeframe. A renewed upward correction may become more likely only after a decisive break and close above 1.1500.
Key events for EUR/USD:
- Today at 09:45 (GMT+3): France Flash PMI
- Today at 10:20 (GMT+3): Speech by Bundesbank Executive Board member Sabine Mauderer
- Tomorrow at 10:00 (GMT+3): Germany GfK Consumer Climate Index

GBP/USD
GBP/USD is undergoing a bearish pullback after buyers failed to establish a foothold above 1.3500. A bearish harami pattern has also formed on the daily chart, increasing the likelihood of another test of the nearby support zone at 1.3320–1.3340. The bearish scenario would only be invalidated by a decisive close above 1.3400.
Key events for GBP/USD:
- Today at 13:00 (GMT+3): UK CBI Industrial Trends Orders
- Today at 15:30 (GMT+3): US Initial Jobless Claims
- Tomorrow at 11:30 (GMT+3): UK Flash Manufacturing PMI

Summary
Sterling remains under pressure following softer UK inflation data, while the euro continues to consolidate as traders await fresh economic signals from the eurozone. Over the coming days, the preliminary PMI releases are likely to be the main catalysts for European currencies, as they could reshape expectations for future policy decisions by both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. US macroeconomic data and developments in the Middle East are also expected to remain important drivers of market sentiment.
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Crypto World
Veteran Crypto Exchange BitMEX to Shut Down in September
One of the pioneers of cryptocurrency derivatives trading and the creator of the 100x perpetual swap will permanently cease operations on September 23 after deciding to wind down the business.
The company has been active for more than 11 years, making the decision even more painful for the broader cryptocurrency industry.
Closing Down
The statement just published by BitMEX stated that the exchange will cease operations on September 23 this year at 04:00 UTC. Its parent company, HDR Global Trading Limited, said the move came after a strategic and detailed review of both the business and the crypto industry as a whole.
The trading platform has halted new account registrations and has urged existing users to close all open positions and withdraw their assets before the deadline.
BitMEX saw the light of day in 2014 and helped shape the modern crypto derivatives market. It introduced 100x leveraged perpetual swaps, a product that later became the industry standard and was eventually adopted by essentially every major crypto derivatives competitor. At its peak, BitMEX ranked among the world’s largest crypto exchanges, attracting professional traders with deep liquidity and advanced trading tools.
The statement further outlined the platform’s highly impressive security record, stating that no customers’ funds were ever lost to a hack throughout its near-decade-long existence.
What Went Wrong
Despite its growth in its initial years, US authorities went after the company’s founders in 2020 for violating anti-money laundering laws by operating the exchange without implementing adequate Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures. It later settled with the US, while the former CEO Arthur Hayes and other execs pleaded guilty to Bank Secrecy Act violations.
Although it remained open for years after resolving those cases, several competitors had emerged and taken a big chunk of its former market share.
BitMEX said trading will remain operational over the following months, but it will impose restrictions gradually as the shutdown approaches. After August 26, users will no longer be able to open new positions and will only be permitted to reduce existing ones. Customers will retain access to their accounts after the shutdown date (September 23) only to view balances, transaction history, and withdraw remaining assets.
The post Veteran Crypto Exchange BitMEX to Shut Down in September appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
BitMEX to Shut Down Crypto Exchange After 11 Years
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Crypto World
Crypto’s next cycle: holders demand real value and real price protection
By Rembrandt, founder of OLY
Charlie Munger had a rule that explains more of crypto than any whitepaper ever written: “Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.”
Now look at the incentives of every token you have ever held. Strip away the Discord, the roadmap, the word “community,” and the game underneath is simple: a pool of limited liquidity and a race to take it from each other.
There is exactly one way to get paid: market-sell before everyone else does. Buy early, dump at the right moment, onto the latecomers and the believers.
The traders dumped at the first sign of weakness. The mercenary farms dumped their emissions on your head.
The VCs unlocked and sold into your conviction. A handful of early insiders capture most of the money, everyone else funds it, and the whole arrangement wears the costume of a movement. That is not a market failure.
That is the design, working exactly as built: player versus player, dressed up as community. For four straight cycles the patient subsidized the impatient, and the industry called it normal. We all know what it was: extraction by design.
OLY exists because that game does not deserve another cycle.
Before OLY had a name, it had a list of every action a user can take in a token’s life: buy, hold, stake, provide liquidity, sell slowly, sell instantly. Each one was tested against a single question.
Does this action feed the people who stay, or feed on them? Then every action was priced to match. Nothing is banned, and nothing is free of consequence.
Munger’s rule, run in reverse: choose the outcome, then build the incentive that makes it the rational move.
The result runs like a machine with three parts. The fuel: tax revenue, paid by sellers. The engine: the vaults that generate long-term revenue for stakers.
The defense: a strategic liquidity buy wall that meets every crash. Start with the fuel, because nothing shows the design faster than the exits.
The fuel: exits, priced
OLY has three exits, priced by the damage they do.
A market-sell is the only act that truly pushes the price down. Every red candle you have ever stared at was someone choosing the fastest door.
OLY prices that door to match the damage: a dynamic tax that scales with the protocol’s market cap, highest while the protocol is young and stepping down automatically as it grows.
The exact brackets live in the whitepaper; the principle is what matters: the cost of the fast door falls as the protocol grows.
Taxes in the main pool are collected in ETH, using Uniswap V4 hooks. A limit order waits for a real buyer instead of eating the book, for a small flat fee.
An exit through single-sided liquidity is the unsung hero of the design. Instead of selling into the pool, you become the pool: your tokens sit as depth, earn trading fees while they wait, and convert to ETH as buyers arrive.
It is the one exit that cannot print a red candle, and it costs zero.
That price is not generosity. The protocol wants every leaver to choose the door that leaves the market standing.
What OLY prices is the damage: leave through the cheapest door and nobody feels it; slam the expensive one and you pay everyone still in the room.
Notice what the tax is in this design. Not a punishment. A price, and a revenue stream. Sellers are not the enemy; they are the fuel.
The engine: where the revenue goes
The largest share flows into a staked-ETH vault earning validator rewards through Lido.
The rest is split between a Uniswap liquidity vault that earns trading fees, direct staker payouts in ETH, a buy and burn that permanently shrinks supply, and the protocol’s newest layer: the Liquidity Defense, which gets its own section below. A percentage of the downside, captured and recycled into the system.
Follow that loop into a drawdown and you find the design’s strongest property: when the impatient rush to market sell, protocol revenue rises, and staker payouts rise along with it.
The moment every other system starves its people is the moment this one pays its stakers the most. Capitulation has a beneficiary: those with the highest conviction.
And what do the people who stay actually collect? The best of what DeFi has to offer: ETH from every taxed exit, stETH earning validator yield, trading fees from blue-chip liquidity positions, and, as the vault system grows, whatever the DAO adds next. One token, staked once, collecting a portfolio.
Most protocols pay stakers in freshly printed versions of themselves. OLY pays its stakers in everything else.
And the vault system is built to grow. The roadmap ahead includes an RWA vault on Robinhood Chain, pending DAO deployment, streaming tokenized stock yield to the same stakers, with more vaults to follow as Ethereum DeFi evolves.
Each new vault walks the same path: deployed, proven in production, then locked immutable. One stake, and your rewards reach beyond DeFi entirely.
The defense: liquidity that stands its ground
This is the part of the machine no tax can replicate. A tax makes the panicking seller pay, but it does not stop the fall; in a thin pool the crash happens anyway, just with a toll booth on the way down. So OLY defends with liquidity instead.
The protocol takes a share of every tax collection and stands it below the market price as concentrated ETH bids.
A crash cannot fall past those bids without selling into them, and every token they catch is permanently burned.
Sell-offs do not just pay the stakers; they arm the defense that meets the next sell-off. The more the price crashes, the more the protocol buys.
Commitment is priced too
The mint, opening August 28, prices patience directly: three pillars, best terms to the longest commitment.
Stakes run 88 days to 1,776, with share bonuses up to four times for the longest locks, and rewards landing on five rolling cycles of 8, 28, 90, 369, and 888 days.
The 888 was chosen because it is roughly one full crypto cycle.
Voting power comes from staking shares, not idle tokens. The steering wheel belongs to the people locked to the destination.
This is also how OLY answers the whale problem. In every token you have ever held, the largest holders were the largest threat: unstaked, unaccountable, one rumor away from nuking the chart. In OLY, size only works through staking.
Rewards flow to shares, voting power flows to shares, and shares come from locking, with real penalties for breaking the commitment.
A whale who wants whale economics must lock like everyone else, which means the largest positions in the system belong to the people least able to dump on you. The bigger the holder, the longer the alignment.
None of this makes OLY immune to markets. A reserve built on staked ETH falls when ETH falls.
Staking is a real commitment with real penalties for abandoning it. And a young protocol is a young protocol, whatever its architecture. What the design changes is not whether the storm comes. It changes who gets paid while it passes.
The thesis
Most tokens are extractive by design: they ensure value flows from the believers to the insiders. OLY is the reversal. Protection by design.
The impatient pay the patient. Conviction collects. Show me the incentive, and I will show you the outcome.
By the end of every cycle, the people who held are the people who matter. OLY is the incentive structure that finally agrees with them.
The mint opens August 28.
Website:oly.io • Whitepaper:oly.io/whitepaper • X:@olympusxreserve
This article is authored by a third party, and CoinJournal does not endorse or take responsibility for its content, accuracy, quality, advertisements, products, or materials. Readers should independently research and exercise due diligence before making decisions related to the mentioned company.
Crypto World
Worldcoin ETF filing shows 100 wallets control 90% of circulating WLD
Grayscale’s filing for a proposed Worldcoin ETF has revealed that the 100 largest wallets control roughly 90% of the circulating WLD supply.
Summary
- Grayscale’s proposed Worldcoin ETF filing says the largest 100 wallets hold about 90% of the circulating WLD supply.
- The filing states that governance remains largely under the World Foundation while World Chain continues to rely on centralized infrastructure.
- The disclosures come days after Grayscale sought SEC approval to launch a spot Worldcoin ETF that would hold WLD directly.
According to a recent SEC registration statement filed by Grayscale for its proposed Grayscale Worldcoin ETF, the largest 100 wallets held approximately 90% of all WLD in circulation as of the filing date. The disclosure appeared in the fund’s risk factors, where the asset manager outlined ownership concentration and governance risks tied to the token that would back the proposed exchange-traded fund.
The filing comes only days after Grayscale sought approval to list the product on Nasdaq under the ticker GWLD, offering investors direct exposure to Worldcoin through a traditional brokerage account instead of requiring them to purchase and store the token themselves.
If approved, the trust would hold WLD directly, use the CoinDesk Worldcoin Benchmark Rate to determine its net asset value, and rely on BitGo Bank & Trust as custodian, while The Bank of New York Mellon would serve as administrator and transfer agent.
The ownership data disclosed by Grayscale differs from Worldcoin’s original vision for token distribution.
Worldcoin’s whitepaper said most WLD tokens would eventually be claimed by individuals who verified themselves as unique humans through the project’s identity system. Grayscale instead warned that a relatively small group of early adopters currently controls a substantial share of the tokens already released.
The registration statement adds that it is “reasonably likely” that early holders own a significant portion of the circulating supply, making WLD more concentrated than its long-term distribution goals suggest.
One of the largest addresses identified in public blockchain data belongs to the bridge connecting Ethereum and World Chain, meaning part of the concentrated holdings may represent assets deposited by multiple users rather than a single owner. Even so, Grayscale’s filing presents the overall concentration level as a material risk for prospective investors.
Filing outlines governance and decentralization risks
Beyond token ownership, the filing also describes several parts of the World Network that remain under centralized control.
According to Grayscale, governance of the network continues to be substantially guided by the World Foundation despite previous plans to decentralize decision-making over time. The filing states that WLD may eventually be used for governance, although the mechanisms required to support that transition remain new and untested at scale.
The disclosure contrasts with earlier statements from the project, which had promoted proof-of-personhood as a foundation for one-person-one-vote governance. Grayscale’s prospectus says governance has not yet reached that stage and continues to rely largely on the World Foundation.
The filing also identifies operational risks linked to the blockchain itself. World Chain currently depends on a centralized sequencer, while upgrade functions remain under the coordinated control of a limited group associated with the World Foundation, Tools for Humanity, and Optimism, the Ethereum layer-2 infrastructure supporting the network.
Grayscale further states that the Orb devices used to verify users are still manufactured and distributed mainly by or under the direction of Tools for Humanity. The filing also notes that the World Foundation continues to exercise significant influence over the protocol, the WLD treasury, and ecosystem grants.
ETF proposal arrives after recent ecosystem developments
The governance disclosures accompany Grayscale’s broader proposal to launch the first U.S. exchange-traded fund holding WLD directly.
Under the proposed structure, the trust would function as a passive investment vehicle without leverage or derivatives. Authorized participants would create and redeem shares in blocks of 10,000, known as baskets, either by delivering WLD directly or through cash transactions facilitated by liquidity providers. Grayscale has not yet disclosed the management fee, seed investment, or the number of WLD represented by each share, leaving those details for future amendments.
The SEC filing does not guarantee regulatory approval, and Nasdaq cannot list the product unless regulators approve the registration process.
The proposed ETF follows several developments that have increased attention on Worldcoin during recent months. In June, Robinhood added WLD to its trading platform, giving the token access to a larger retail audience.
Despite the listing, WLD fell nearly 15% on the day as traders focused instead on allegations reported by third parties involving Sam Altman and entities connected to the Worldcoin ecosystem, alongside continuing criticism of the project’s biometric identity verification system and token distribution model.
Crypto World
Robinhood Chain launchpad Pons announces V2 with Uniswap V4 upgrade
Pons has unveiled its V2 upgrade plan, introducing an ETH-based bonding curve, Uniswap V4 integration, creator payouts in ETH, and support for tokenized real-world asset trading pairs as Robinhood Chain’s competition among token launchpads continues to intensify.
Summary
- Pons has announced its V2 upgrade with an ETH based bonding curve, Uniswap V4 integration, and creator payouts in ETH.
- The update will support custom trading pairs including tokenized assets such as USDG, NVDA, AAPL, and HOOD while removing trading restrictions for regular wallets.
- The release comes as Robinhood Chain’s launchpad market continues to evolve after Noxa’s exit and growing competition among rival platforms.
According to an announcement published by the Pons team, the update is scheduled for next week and will redesign how tokens launch, trade, and transition into decentralized liquidity pools on Robinhood Chain. The team said the contracts are still undergoing audits with two partners, meaning every feature remains subject to change until deployment.
Pons said the latest version was shaped by user feedback gathered during the platform’s first weeks of operation. The team also said it had stabilized the protocol with infrastructure partners after dealing with several attacks following its launch and plans to continue building products for Robinhood Chain traders.
Bonding curve and new trading model
One of the biggest changes in Pons V2 is the replacement of its previous launch model with an ETH-denominated bonding curve.
The team said trading restrictions will remain configurable only for developer wallets while all other wallets will be able to trade freely. According to Pons, the change is intended to eliminate failed transactions experienced by third-party trading applications under the earlier version.
Developers will also be able to launch tokens against custom trading pairs instead of ETH alone. The announcement listed assets including USDG, NVDA, AAPL, and HOOD as examples, allowing deployers to create markets tied to tokenized real-world assets or other supported tokens.
The expansion comes as Robinhood Chain continues building infrastructure around tokenized financial products. As crypto.news previously reported, Robinhood has already introduced transferable stock tokens backed one-for-one by underlying shares while positioning the Ethereum Layer 2 network as infrastructure for tokenized securities and decentralized finance.
Earlier this week, a FalconX research primer found that Robinhood Chain had accumulated approximately $431 million in total value locked, nearly $400 million in stablecoin market capitalization, and close to $9 billion in cumulative decentralized exchange volume within three weeks of launch. The report also found that more than 80% of decentralized exchange activity still comes from memecoin trading despite the network’s long-term focus on tokenized assets.
New fee structure and automatic graduation
Pons also plans to redesign how creators and the protocol collect fees.
According to the announcement, V2 will use Uniswap V4 pools and Hooks so creators receive payouts in ETH by default instead of accumulating fees in the launched token. The protocol said fee conversion will occur within the liquidity pool, allowing creators to avoid receiving small balances of memecoins that might otherwise be sold on the open market.
Deployers seeking exposure to their own tokens will need to purchase them through the market like other participants rather than receiving them automatically through protocol mechanics.
Liquidity migration has also been redesigned. Instead of launching directly into Uniswap V3 pools, new tokens will remain on the bonding curve until reaching 4.2 ETH, the same graduation threshold used previously.
Once that level is reached, the protocol said an automated two-step process will transfer liquidity into a permanently locked full-range Uniswap V4 position. If a token is paired with an asset other than ETH, the accumulated ETH will first be swapped into the selected quote asset before the liquidity pool is created.
According to the team, permanently locking the resulting liquidity position is intended to prevent liquidity from being withdrawn after graduation.
Creator payouts and governance features
Alongside ETH payouts, Pons said creators will have the option at deployment to receive protocol fees in another supported asset, including stablecoins or tokenized real-world assets such as USDG.
The team said the feature allows deployers to receive more predictable payouts or gain exposure to different assets instead of relying entirely on their token’s market performance.
Governance tools are also being updated. Pons said V2 will introduce a CTO feature protected by a three-day timelock after an oversight in the V1 contracts prevented protocol administrators from changing the fee recipient. According to the announcement, the delay is intended to give communities advance notice and time to react if a malicious attempt is made to take control of a project.
Another planned addition is an optional transaction tax applied to token purchases and sales. The protocol said integration partners could use the collected fees for yield generation or other holder incentives through reflection-style token models.
Competition grows after Noxa’s exit
The update arrives as Robinhood Chain’s launchpad market continues to evolve following the departure of its earliest market leader.
As crypto.news previously reported, Noxa halted new token launches on July 11 after generating more than $12 million in protocol fees and supporting over 60,000 token launches, accounting for roughly 75% of all deployments on Robinhood Chain. The platform later became unavailable before announcing that future trading fees would be redirected entirely to token creators.
Noxa’s shutdown was followed by declines in several of the chain’s most actively traded memecoins, including CASHCAT, while rival launchpads such as flap.sh, trensh.today, bankr, and Pons began competing for displaced activity.
Although Robinhood Chain has continued attracting users and liquidity, FalconX said speculative memecoin trading remains the network’s largest source of decentralized exchange volume. The addition of custom RWA trading pairs alongside updated memecoin launch mechanics positions Pons to participate in both areas of the ecosystem as Robinhood Chain expands its on-chain financial products.
The Pons team said the V2 contracts are expected to be deployed next week after ongoing audits are completed, with token launches initially taking place through the platform’s ponsfamily.com domain.
Crypto World
Bitcoin Retreats As Fresh US-Iran Tensions Spook Jittery Markets
Bitcoin (BTC) started the week in positive territory, reclaiming $65,000 and extending its gains on Tuesday, crossing $66,000 and reaching an intraday high of $66,923.
However, the flagship cryptocurrency failed to cross $67,000 as another escalation in hostilities between the US and Iran raised oil prices and dampened optimism.
Bitcoin Stumbles After Fresh Geopolitical Headwinds
Bitcoin (BTC) almost breached the $67,000 mark before sellers stepped in and drove prices lower. Price action is still being dictated by three key drivers: US-Iran tensions, the Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for July 28 and 29, and risk appetite. The immediate reason for BTC’s latest downturn is fresh tension between the US and Iran.
The ongoing geopolitical situation has adversely impacted global markets and investor sentiment. Oil prices briefly declined thanks to a fragile truce between the warring nations.
However, the latest round of escalatory actions has pushed prices higher again. US Crude rose nearly 3% to $84.70 per barrel as supply fears, amid the prospect of another closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, resurfaced. Rising oil and energy costs could push inflation higher. A report in Reuters also confirmed a damaged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz and warned of delays in Saudi crude shipments. Houthi forces have also issued threats to ships in the area.
Clarity Act Progress And Sustained ETF Inflows Behind Bitcoin Push Above $65,000
Bitcoin (BTC) pushed higher on Tuesday after the Trump Administration reached an agreement on comprehensive federal ethics rules. The rules could also apply to President Donald Trump’s crypto interests, an issue raised repeatedly by Senate Democrats. However, it remains unclear how the restrictions will be imposed. Democratic senators have pushed for tighter restrictions on political crypto dealings, with Senator Elizabeth Warren stating that a bill that does not address the president’s links to the crypto industry would be worthless.
Reports of the agreement also pushed crypto-linked stocks higher, with Coinbase and Circle shares surging nearly 10%.
Meanwhile, spot Bitcoin ETFs extended their inflow streak for a sixth day, recording $203.2 million in inflows on Tuesday, according to Coinglass data. Total inflows over the past six days currently stand at $930.2 million. Additionally, over $223 million was liquidated in 24 hours, of which $181 million were short positions.
Bitcoin Price Action
Bitcoin (BTC) briefly pushed above the upper Bollinger band when it crossed $66,000, indicating substantial buying pressure. However, with sellers dominating around $67,000, the flagship cryptocurrency has lost ground over the past two sessions.
BTC reached an intraday high of $66,923 on Tuesday but failed to cross the resistance at $67,000. As a result, it declined to $66,086 and has extended its decline during the ongoing session, and currently trades around the $65,700 mark.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
Crypto World
1win Invites Creators to Join Its Global Ambassador Network
[PRESS RELEASE – Willemstad, Curaçao, July 23rd, 2026]
Leading crypto entertainment platform 1win announces the launch of its new X.com Ambassador Program, inviting content creators to join the brand’s growing global ambassador network and help shape conversations across the crypto and online entertainment communities.
As social platforms continue to advance in crypto adoption, the initiative is designed to strengthen 1win’s online presence by partnering with creators who can authentically engage their audiences and contribute to discussions around cryptocurrencies, crypto entertainment, blockchain, sports, Web3, and more.
Successful applicants will join 1win’s global ambassador ecosystem that includes internationally recognized names such as Luis Suárez, Tyga, Gable Steveson, and other members of the 1win family.
The 1win Ambassador Program offers three tracks tailored to different creator profiles:
- Brand Ambassador for creators who maintain a consistent, positive presence around 1win through regular organic content on X.
- Gambling Ambassador for performance-oriented creators focused on introducing new users to the platform through their content.
- Streaming Ambassador for streamers who showcase and promote 1win during their live broadcasts.
To support collaboration and community building, all ambassadors will be coordinated through a dedicated Discord server, where participants will receive campaign updates, creative guidance, exclusive opportunities, and direct communication with the 1win team.
Applications for the program are now open to active creators interested in becoming part of the 1win ecosystem and contributing to the brand’s continued global growth.
About 1win
Founded in 2016, 1win is a crypto entertainment platform in the global gaming industry. Operating across Asia, Latin America, and Africa, 1win offers a wide range of entertainment products adapted to regional audiences. The brand has active collaborations with international public figures, including football legend Luis Suarez, martial artist Jon Jones, and Olympic champion and UFC fighter Gable Steveson. In 2026, 1win welcomed rapper Tyga and UFC legend Ilia Topuria as members of the 1win VIP community.
The post 1win Invites Creators to Join Its Global Ambassador Network appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Bullish XRP Chart Clashes With an ETF Warning, Who Wins?
XRP (XRP) price is holding just above $1.13 after a mild pullback, keeping a bullish chart structure alive even as institutional demand shows signs of cooling.
The token has slipped since July 21, yet the drop looks orderly rather than panicked. That calm hides a sharper tension building between the price chart and the money flowing into XRP funds.
XRP Builds a Bullish Cup and Handle as Selling Fades
Since early July, XRP price has traced a cup and handle, a rounded recovery followed by a small drift lower that often forms before a breakout. The current consolidation, running since July 21, fits neatly as the handle.
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Crucially, volume has thinned during this recent slide. Falling sell volume suggests the pullback is a pause rather than a fresh wave of exits, which keeps the XRP breakout case intact.
Still, a clean chart means little if the buyers behind it start to walk away.
XRP ETF Inflows Look Green, but the Trend Is Quietly Fading
However, the flow data carries a subtle warning that is easy to miss. On the surface, XRP ETF inflows still show green, with fresh money arriving every month since launch. Most readers would see that and assume steady strength.
Look closer at the pace, though, and a different picture emerges. Monthly inflows climbed from $81.59 million in April to a $131.94 million peak in May, then fell by more than half to $59.46 million in June.
So far in July, the funds have drawn just $12.43 million, the weakest month on record. The numbers stay positive, yet the steady slide suggests institutional buyers may be quietly stepping back, a sign of cooling XRP ETF demand.
Fund flows, however, are only half the demand picture. On-chain holder behavior hints at the same quiet shift.
Hodler Net Position Change Echoes a Familiar Warning
The Hodler Net Position Change, a metric that tracks whether long-term holders are adding or trimming their coins, is flashing a familiar signal. Back on June 22, it hit one of its highest readings.
From there, the metric fell steadily into July 1, and XRP price corrected alongside it. The XRP price fell from $1.13 to $1.05 during that time.
Then, as XRP holders began adding again, the price recovered, so the two have moved closely together.
Since July 19, the metric has turned lower once more, easing from about 231 million to roughly 226 million XRP. If that link holds, the price could fade the same way.
That leaves the chart to settle the argument.
XRP Price Levels to Watch Now
With the current swing still forming, the key levels come from the July 1 to July 13 move. The first hurdle sits at $1.15, the 0.618 Fibonacci zone, a strong technical level that marks a common pullback point within a prior move.
A clean break above $1.15 would crack the handle and put the cup neckline near $1.16 in play. Above that, $1.18 and $1.21 open up for XRP price. Still, XRP has a history of failed cup formations, so a breakout needs a decisive daily close, not just a wick.
On the downside, a drop under $1.13 exposes $1.12, then the $1.09 support. A fall below $1.05, the cup low, would void the pattern entirely. For now, $1.15 separates a fresh push toward $1.21 from a slide back to $1.09.
The post Bullish XRP Chart Clashes With an ETF Warning, Who Wins? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
‘Hackers Day’: 3 Crypto Protocols Drained of $35 Million in 24 Hours
AFX Trade, BSquaredNetwork, and Verus have all fallen victim to exploits over the last 24 hours.
In what many are calling “Hackers Day,” the three protocols have collectively lost over $35 million in crypto assets.
Crypto Industry Hit With Three Separate Hacks
PeckShieldAlert said it detected an attack on Arbitrum-based protocol AFX on July 22, with estimated losses of about $24.15 million USDC. The on-chain security firm added that the exploiter bridged the stolen funds from Arbitrum to Ethereum, after which they swapped them for 12,467.5 ETH.
Less than an hour later, PeckShieldAlert reported that attackers had drained BSquaredNetwork of $8.59 B2 tokens on BNB Chain, resulting in it losing approximately $3.86 million. The hackers then quickly swapped the tokens for more than 5,000 WBNB, converted them into 1,128 ETH, and bridged the funds out using NEAR Intents. The impact on the market was quick, with B2’s price dropping by over 15% in the aftermath of the exploit.
It doesn’t stop there; blockchain security firm Lookonchain also alerted the public to another incident, this time affecting Ethereum-based cross-chain bridge Verus protocol. In this case, the exploiters made off with $7.55 million.
Additionally, the latest exploit comes about two months after Verus lost roughly $11.58 million in a separate incident. Blockaid said that the July attack seems to be related to the previous exploit, describing the two as involving the same bridge contract, same entry path, and same bug class.
Monahan Questions AFX’s Security
Steven Goldfeder, a contributor at Arbitrum, has confirmed that the compromised bridge was operated independently by AFX and was not one of its native bridges.
Meanwhile, there seems to be a storm brewing elsewhere, with on-chain security expert Taylor Monahan questioning why the AFX bridge had $24 million on it in the first place.
She revealed that she had found some “terrifying” details after going through a recently published audit of the bridge. According to her, the protocol had almost no test coverage, several issues flagged by auditors were acknowledged but never fixed, and the auditors allegedly couldn’t even fully review the code because they received only parts of it.
“Honestly, they seem like a super chill team. Ah yeah it’s probably fine we’ll just wait it out and then manually send if we need to,” she wrote.
Monahan says that the biggest red flags were what the technical vulnerabilities revealed about the team’s approach to security, explaining that the situation suggested a culture that didn’t prioritize it.
The post ‘Hackers Day’: 3 Crypto Protocols Drained of $35 Million in 24 Hours appeared first on CryptoPotato.
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