The 2026 FIFA World Cup drove $20 billion in blockchain-based prediction market volume and $24 million in digital collectible trades, with more than 400,000 wallets participating in blockchain-based betting, according to a report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

The $20 billion figure includes trading before and during the tournament, with bettors placing roughly $5.7 billion in wagers over the five-week World Cup itself. World Cup-related markets accounted for about 63% of all prediction market activity during that period, the report said.

According to Chainalysis, users from every continent except Antarctica participated in World Cup prediction markets, with the United States and China generating the highest attributable trading volumes, followed by Canada, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Despite the scale of betting activity, illicit participation remained limited. Chainalysis said fewer than 1% of wallets participating in World Cup prediction markets had ties to illicit actors, though it identified roughly $5.4 million in flows originating from sanctioned entities and other illicit sources.

The report also highlighted growing adoption of blockchain-based digital collectibles. Fans traded about $24 million worth of FIFA Collect NFTs during the tournament, while more than 100,000 match tickets were distributed through the platform. Wallets linked to sanctioned entities accounted for less than 0.01% of FIFA Collect users, which Chainalysis attributed in part to the platform’s identity verification requirements.

Chainalysis said the findings suggest blockchain will play a growing role in major global events and underscored the importance of compliance measures as platforms attract broader participation.

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Strategy reported an $8.33 billion second-quarter operating loss after Bitcoin’s 27% decline this year drove a sharp reduction in the value of its digital asset portfolio.

Strategy’s Bitcoin decline drives $8.33B loss

Bitcoin traded near $64,700 following Strategy’s earnings announcement, down from approximately $88,400 at the end of 2025. That decline left the company’s holdings valued below their aggregate purchase cost.

Strategy recorded an $8.32 billion unrealized loss on digital assets during the quarter, contributing to an operating loss of $8.33 billion. The results reversed the $14.05 billion unrealized gain recorded in the same quarter a year earlier.

The company reported a net loss of $8.22 billion, or $24.45 per diluted common share. Strategy posted net income of $10.02 billion, or $32.60 per share, during the comparable period last year.

Strategy shares were mostly unchanged in after-hours trading following the earnings release, suggesting investors had largely expected Bitcoin’s decline to weigh on the results.

Bitcoin holdings fall below Strategy’s acquisition cost

Strategy held 843,775 BTC as of July 26, an increase of 25% since the start of the year. The position had an original cost of $63.69 billion, including fees and expenses, and a market value of $54.77 billion.

Its average purchase price stood at approximately $75,476 per Bitcoin. With BTC trading near $64,700 after the report, the company’s position was about $10,776 underwater per coin based on its average acquisition cost.

The gap placed the total portfolio roughly $8.92 billion below its original cost. However, the reported quarterly loss was largely unrealized, meaning it reflected changes in Bitcoin’s market value rather than losses from selling the full position.

As crypto.news reported earlier, Strategy made no Bitcoin purchases between July 20 and July 26. Its total holdings remained unchanged at 843,775 BTC during that period.

The company has nevertheless sold approximately $218.4 million in Bitcoin this year to help fund preferred stock dividends. Those sales remain small relative to its overall digital asset reserve but show that Strategy is using part of the portfolio to meet financing obligations.

Strategy raises cash while reducing convertible debt

Strategy’s core software business generated quarterly revenue of $122.4 million, up 6.9% from $114.5 million a year earlier. Gross profit reached $81.6 million, representing a margin of 66.6%.

The company raised $17.06 billion through its capital markets programs during the year and reported a Bitcoin yield of 4.5%. That internal metric measures the change in Bitcoin held per assumed diluted share and does not represent a conventional investment yield.

Strategy also cut its convertible debt by 18% to $6.71 billion after repurchasing $1.5 billion of notes at a discount. The move reduced part of the company’s debt burden as lower Bitcoin prices placed pressure on its balance sheet.

Its U.S. dollar reserve rose by $525 million to $3.75 billion. Strategy said the reserve provides 2.1 years of coverage for preferred stock dividends under its current policy, although the calculation does not guarantee payments under every market condition.

Separate $1 billion repurchase programs have also been established for Strategy’s common shares and digital credit securities. The programs give the company the option to buy back securities but do not require it to use the full authorized amounts.

What the results mean for US investors

Strategy remains one of the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holders, giving U.S. investors indirect exposure to BTC through its securities. Its shares can respond to Bitcoin prices as well as debt costs, equity issuance, preferred dividends and changes in the company’s capital structure.

The second-quarter loss shows how Bitcoin volatility can produce large swings in reported earnings. Strategy moved from a $14.05 billion unrealized digital asset gain a year earlier to an $8.32 billion unrealized loss this quarter.

Its increased cash reserve and lower convertible debt provide additional financial flexibility, but Bitcoin remains below the company’s average purchase price. Further declines could deepen unrealized losses, while a recovery above $75,476 would move the portfolio back above its aggregate acquisition cost.

Strategy (MSTR), the world’s largest corporate bitcoin BTC$64,704.82 holder, reported Thursday an $8.2 billion second-quarter net loss after the cryptocurrency’s price decline erased billions of dollars from the value of its digital asset holdings.

The quarterly loss was driven almost entirely by an $8.32 billion unrealized markdown on its bitcoin holdings under fair-value accounting.

The company held 843,775 bitcoin as of July 26, up 25% from the start of the year. At current prices, the stash is worth roughly $54.8 billion, compared with an acquisition cost of $63.7 billion.

The report came after a period of growing investor scrutiny on the firm over whether it can sustain an increasingly complex capital structure built around multiple classes of preferred stock, common equity and convertible debt.

The company raised $17.06 billion through at-the-market stock offerings this year, repurchased $1.5 billion of convertible notes at an 8% discount and expanded its U.S. dollar reserve to $3.75 billion, enough to cover more than two years of preferred dividend payments and interest expenses.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced new federal legislation aimed at creating an “Anti-Corruption Bureau” with the power to investigate, enforce, and prevent executive-branch corruption. The proposal also folds into a wider political fight over cryptocurrency ethics and market-structure reform, as Schumer’s remarks directly referenced President Donald Trump’s financial ties to crypto.

According to Schumer’s office, the bill—called the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act—would establish a new agency designed to replace what he described as a fragmented system of oversight bodies. Schumer and cosponsors presented the effort as a targeted response to conflicts of interest they say stem from public office and lucrative crypto-related investments.

Key takeaways

• Schumer introduced the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act, proposing a dedicated US agency to investigate, enforce, and prevent executive-branch corruption.
• The bill’s rationale ties to alleged Trump-linked financial gains, including references to crypto exposure mentioned in Schumer’s Thursday notice.
• Schumer’s proposal would consolidate multiple ethics and oversight functions, grouping entities including the Federal Election Commission and other government ethics offices “under one roof.”
• Supporters position the bureau as a “real teeth” enforcement mechanism, while passage could still face hurdles in the House and Senate—and a potential veto by Trump.
• The timing overlaps with ongoing uncertainty around the Senate’s handling of the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, a major market-structure effort backed by many in the industry.

A new enforcement-focused anti-corruption bureau

In a Thursday press notice, Schumer said he introduced the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act. He described the agency as one with enforcement authority, designed to “investigate, enforce, and prevent executive branch corruption.” The legislation also sets out “Congress’ findings” that Schumer claims include disclosures about Trump’s earnings from investments and additional crypto exposure connected to foreign governments through a family fund, as referenced in Schumer’s notice.

Schumer framed the proposal as an institutional fix. In remarks shared through a Public Citizen forum about the bill, he characterized the bureau as having “real teeth” and argued it would help harmonize enforcement across institutions that currently operate with overlapping or inconsistent authority.

The bill’s structure, as described in connection with the forum, calls for a bipartisan group of seven members to be confirmed by the Senate. It also includes mechanisms intended to allow private citizens and state authorities to seek recovery of funds they allege were stolen through corruption, according to descriptions tied to the proposal.

How crypto ethics enters the political equation

For Democrats weighing support for comprehensive crypto market structure legislation, President Trump’s business ties have become a central flashpoint. Many lawmakers, despite White House agreement to certain ethics provisions in the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, have argued that the offered safeguards do not fully address potential conflicts of interest.

Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that debates around the CLARITY Act have kept ethics provisions at the center of discussions, with lawmakers saying the measures fall short. Schumer’s new anti-corruption bill adds a separate enforcement pathway to that same broader argument: that oversight should be strengthened to prevent public office from translating into private financial benefit, including in crypto-related business interests.

Consolidating enforcement and ethics offices

A notable feature of the anti-corruption proposal is its intent to gather multiple oversight functions under one organizational umbrella. As described in the coverage, the legislation would place the US Federal Election Commission, the Office of Government Ethics, and the Office of Special Counsel “under one roof” within the new bureau.

Supporters argue the consolidation would reduce the gaps they believe exist across current watchdog systems. Schumer’s messaging emphasized replacing “a broken patchwork of watchdogs” with a single agency capable of acting “anywhere, anytime corruption strikes.” Critics of the current system—particularly those focused on ethics enforcement—often point to jurisdictional complexity and uneven prioritization across agencies; this bill attempts to address that by reorganizing responsibilities rather than relying solely on incremental reforms.

Cointelegraph reported that it reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive an immediate response regarding the proposal.

Cosponsors, vote math, and what happens next

The bill was introduced by Schumer and has cosponsors including Senators Andy Kim, Alex Padilla, and Jeff Merkley. Passage would require Republican support in the House and Senate, where the party holds a slim majority.

Even if it advances before 2028, the president would have veto power. If Trump vetoed the legislation, Congress would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override it, according to the rules typically governing federal veto overrides.

The timing is also important because the Senate is approaching a break. As described in the coverage, the Senate had just over a week left before lawmakers planned to leave for a month-long state work period. That looming calendar could affect the speed at which both ethics-related and market-structure measures move in the upper chamber.

CLARITY Act uncertainty persists alongside the anti-corruption push

While Schumer’s anti-corruption proposal targets executive-branch conduct, it arrives in the midst of unresolved negotiations around the CLARITY Act, which many see as a key step toward a clearer US framework for digital assets.

As of Thursday, the Senate had not scheduled a vote on the CLARITY Act, despite pushes from Republican lawmakers and industry stakeholders. Cointelegraph previously highlighted that ethics provisions remain a sticking point for some Democrats, and this week’s status underscores how procedural timing may be just as decisive as policy design.

According to remarks attributed in the coverage to former SEC official John Reed Stark, after a public forum hosted by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Van Hollen, it was unclear whether lawmakers would move the CLARITY Act during the available window. The same report cited statements from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong referring to the bill nearing a critical stage, alongside continued advocacy from Senator Cynthia Lummis for a vote.

The political sequence matters for market participants: if crypto market structure legislation is delayed by calendar constraints, lawmakers may re-focus on broader political disputes about ethics and enforcement, potentially reshaping what “safe enough” looks like for legislators and regulators. Conversely, if the CLARITY Act advances, it could clarify the legislative pathway for industry—while leaving ethics and anti-corruption reforms to run in parallel.

For now, investors and builders should watch two developments closely: whether the Senate schedules and votes on the CLARITY Act before its break, and whether Schumer’s anti-corruption bureau proposal gains traction early enough to overcome House and Senate vote hurdles and any eventual veto risk.

Ripple-backed Evernorth Holdings has advanced its public market plans after updating its SEC registration. The company completed executive employment agreements and submitted another amended Form S-4 filing. Meanwhile, the latest disclosures also outlined compensation packages, merger progress, and financial impacts linked to recent XRP price weakness.

Ripple-Backed Evernorth Completes Leadership Agreements

Evernorth Holdings submitted Amendment No. 5 to its Form S-4 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing completed employment agreements for the remaining members of the executive leadership team. As a result, the company has finalized compensation arrangements before its proposed public listing.

The agreements cover Chief Legal Officer Jessica Jonas, Chief Business Officer Sagar Shah, and Chief Operating Officer Meg Nakamura. Each executive will receive a base salary, annual bonus eligibility, employee benefits, and restricted stock units. The compensation packages follow the company’s 2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

Jonas received the largest equity award among the newly announced executives. Her initial equity package carries a value of $4.5 million under the agreement. Meanwhile, Shah and Nakamura each received equity awards valued at $2.8 million, subject to shareholder and compensation committee approval.

Evernorth Advances Merger With Armada Acquisition Corp II

The latest filing follows earlier agreements with Chief Executive Officer Asheesh Birla and Chief Financial Officer Matt Frymier. Those agreements already established executive salaries, bonuses, equity awards, and vesting schedules. Consequently, Evernorth has now completed employment terms across its senior leadership team.

The company continues preparing for its planned business combination with Armada Acquisition Corp II. Arrington Capital sponsors the special purpose acquisition company leading the proposed transaction. Following completion, the combined company intends to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol XRPN.

Evernorth has secured more than $1 billion in gross proceeds from strategic backers supporting the transaction. Funding has come from Ripple, Arrington Capital, SBI Holdings, Pantera Capital, and Kraken. The company has also assembled a board featuring senior executives from blockchain, finance, and technology organizations.

Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty will serve on the board after the merger closes. Other directors include Asheesh Birla, Ted Janus, Robert Kaiden, and Derar Islim. The proposed public company, therefore, combines experienced leadership from digital assets and financial services.

The transaction supports Evernorth’s strategy to establish one of the largest publicly traded XRP treasury companies. Corporate treasury models have gained attention as several firms increase exposure to digital assets. As a result, Evernorth aims to expand institutional participation through a publicly listed structure backed by XRP holdings.

XRP Price Weakness Leads to Impairment Charge

Evernorth also disclosed financial effects resulting from recent XRP market performance. The company reported a $38.4 million impairment tied to declining XRP valuations during the past four months. Consequently, the value of its combined XRP holdings fell to approximately $640 million.

XRP traded between $1.05 and $1.09 during the latest market session. The token changed hands near $1.07 after declining during the previous 24 hours. In addition, XRP has recorded losses exceeding 5% during the past week while trading activity weakened.

Daily trading volume also declined by approximately 10% during the latest session. Market sentiment remained under pressure as regulatory developments continued affecting cryptocurrency prices. Meanwhile, delays surrounding the CLARITY Act added another challenge for digital asset markets.

Armada Acquisition Corp II shares also recorded a modest decline during recent trading sessions. However, the stock maintained its broader year-to-date gains despite the latest movement. At the same time, Evernorth continued progressing toward its planned merger while strengthening executive leadership before entering public markets.

The updated SEC filing marks another milestone in Evernorth’s listing process. Executive agreements, governance appointments, and merger preparations now appear substantially complete. As a result, the company has strengthened its organizational structure before completing its proposed Nasdaq debut and expanding its XRP treasury strategy.

Strategy (MSTR), the world’s largest corporate bitcoin BTC$64,779.11 holder, reported Thursday an $8.2 billion second-quarter net loss after the cryptocurrency’s price decline erased billions of dollars from the value of its digital asset holdings.

The quarterly loss was driven almost entirely by an $8.32 billion unrealized markdown on its bitcoin holdings under fair-value accounting.

The company held 843,775 bitcoin as of July 26, up 25% from the start of the year. At current prices, the stash is worth roughly $54.8 billion, compared with an acquisition cost of $63.7 billion.

The report came after a period of growing investor scrutiny on the firm over whether it can sustain an increasingly complex capital structure built around multiple classes of preferred stock, common equity and convertible debt.

The company raised $17.06 billion through at-the-market stock offerings this year, repurchased $1.5 billion of convertible notes at an 8% discount and expanded its U.S. dollar reserve to $3.75 billion, enough to cover more than two years of preferred dividend payments and interest expenses.

When Liz Gumbinner first noticed a twinge in her right shoulder, she assumed she’d pulled a muscle. It was during the pandemic, when many exercise studios were closed, and Gumbinner, a writer who teaches advertising at Boston University, had been doing a lot of yoga and dance at home. 

But the pain, mild at first, gradually became excruciating, shooting down her arm whenever she extended it. “We’re talking worse than labor contractions,” she says. 

Pretty soon, Gumbinner couldn’t zip up a dress, turn off a light switch on the wall, or even hold hands with her boyfriend. The only way she could sleep was flat on her back with her arms at her sides. “That’s when I realized it wasn’t a pulled muscle,” she says.

A few months later, she was diagnosed with adhesive capulitis, colloquially known as “frozen shoulder,” a condition in which the shoulder capsule—a fibrous sheath which surrounds the joint—becomes thick and inflamed. It usually develops in three phases: the freezing stage, which can last several months and cause severe pain; the frozen stage, during which the shoulder becomes stiffer and difficult to use, often for up to a year; and the thawing stage, when mobility finally begins to improve. 

Hyperscale Data has sold about 100 Bitcoin and secured a BTC-backed credit facility to finance construction of its artificial intelligence data center in Michigan.

Hyperscale Data converts Bitcoin into AI funding

Hyperscale Data disclosed the Bitcoin sale and financing agreement on Thursday as it accelerated work on its Michigan AI campus.

Proceeds from the sale will fund construction and purchases of critical infrastructure and equipment with long delivery times. The company did not disclose the dollar value of the transaction or the lender behind its Bitcoin-backed credit line.

Its new facility is expected to provide financing at a variable interest rate of roughly 4.5% to 5%. The arrangement allows Hyperscale Data to raise additional capital against its remaining Bitcoin rather than selling a larger share of its holdings immediately.

Bitcoin Treasuries data shows the company retains approximately 1,006 BTC after the sale. That position makes it the 44th-largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder tracked by the platform.

Formerly called Ault Alliance, Hyperscale Data adopted its current name in 2024 as it shifted more attention toward AI infrastructure. However, the company has continued operating its Bitcoin mining business.

Michigan AI contract could exceed $3 billion

Construction at the Michigan campus supports an earlier master services agreement with an unnamed AI infrastructure provider. The initial phase covers approximately 20 megawatts of computing capacity.

The agreement has a 10-year term and includes two optional five-year extensions. Hyperscale Data estimates the contract could produce more than $1.2 billion in revenue if the customer exercises all options attached to the initial capacity.

The customer can also request another 32 MW within the first two years. If that expansion proceeds and remains active throughout both extension periods, Hyperscale Data expects the contract’s total value to exceed $3 billion.

These projections depend on the customer taking the available capacity and exercising its extension rights. Hyperscale Data has not identified the customer or provided a final timeline for completing the full 52 MW buildout.

Bitcoin miners expand into US AI infrastructure

Hyperscale Data’s financing decision adds to a wider shift among U.S.-listed Bitcoin miners seeking revenue from AI computing and data centers.

Hut 8 recently signed a second 15-year lease valued at $9.8 billion for its Beacon Point AI campus in Nueces County, Texas. IREN separately announced $2.8 billion in new multi-year cloud contracts and increased its year-end 2026 annualized revenue target to more than $4 billion.

Mining companies already control power connections, land and data center infrastructure that can be adapted for high-performance computing. AI contracts may offer steadier revenue than Bitcoin mining, where income depends on network difficulty, energy costs and the market price of BTC.

The transition is not without risk. Poolin filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. on July 22 with roughly $173 million in prepetition obligations. The Singapore-based mining company and two U.S. subsidiaries plan to sell their Texas assets through a court-supervised process rather than restore the business.

Hyperscale Data’s Michigan investment gives the trend a direct U.S. infrastructure angle while also showing how corporate Bitcoin reserves can serve as a source of construction capital.

GPUS shares rise after financing announcement

Hyperscale Data shares, traded on NYSE American under the GPUS ticker, gained more than 5% in late-morning trading Thursday, according to Yahoo Finance data.

The market reaction followed the company’s financing update and its projections for the Michigan contract. Investors will now watch construction progress, the AI customer’s expansion decision and any further changes to Hyperscale Data’s Bitcoin holdings.

Using BTC as both a saleable reserve and loan collateral exposes the company to Bitcoin price movements while it funds a capital-intensive data center project. Future disclosures on the facility’s collateral requirements and the campus delivery schedule may provide a clearer view of that risk.