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Belgian Regulator Identifies 6 Unapproved Crypto Providers After MiCA Deadline

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Crypto Breaking News

Belgium’s financial regulator has escalated enforcement under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework by issuing a fresh warning to consumers about six crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) it says are operating without authorization. The notice comes days after the EU’s MiCA transitional period ended, pushing regulators across member states into a more active licensing enforcement phase.

On Monday, the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) published a list of entities it identified as unauthorized CASPs active in Belgium. The regulator named Aurum Foundation, Bank Bit, Bithf Pro, Dxago, Global Dynamic Trade, and ZeriaFunding, and said it has added them to its roster of fraudulent CASPs.

Key takeaways

  • FSMA warns consumers not to engage with six named crypto firms it says are not authorized under MiCA in Belgium.
  • The regulator urges users to verify a provider’s status using the official FSMA CASP register before depositing funds or trading.
  • MiCA entered into force at the end of 2024, and Belgium’s transitional licensing window closed on July 1.
  • FSMA reiterates that crypto assets are volatile, may face liquidity constraints, and are not protected by compensation schemes that could reimburse losses.

FSMA names six unauthorized CASPs in Belgium

FSMA’s consumer warning is anchored in the idea that MiCA authorization is now the gatekeeper for crypto services offered in the country. In its notice, the regulator points out that the specified CASPs are operating without the required permission and therefore fall outside the legal perimeter set by Belgium’s MiCA guidance.

The FSMA advised consumers to reject offers from the named companies and to check whether any crypto-asset provider appears on its official CASP register. That emphasis matters for users because it shifts the compliance question from “is this company active?” to “is it authorized to operate what it claims to offer in Belgium?”

FSMA also reminded readers that even legitimate crypto activity carries risk: crypto assets can be highly volatile, liquidity can be limited, and—critically—losses are not covered by a compensation scheme that would reimburse clients in the event of provider failure.

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MiCA licensing moves from transition to enforcement

MiCA entered into force at the end of 2024 and establishes a harmonized EU-wide framework for CASPs and issuers. According to FSMA’s guidance, authorized CASPs are the only entities permitted to offer a range of crypto asset services in Belgium, including custody, trading platforms, exchange services (both crypto-to-fiat and crypto-to-crypto), order execution, transfer services, advice, and portfolio management.

Belgium’s transitional regime expired on July 1—the same day by which existing providers across the EU were generally required to obtain authorization or stop offering crypto-asset services. In practice, that timing is what turns the MiCA deadline into an enforcement moment: regulators can more clearly differentiate between entities actively complying with authorization requirements and those that continue to market services without approval.

Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that the transition period gave some companies time to apply and adjust operations ahead of the formal licensing cut-off. As that period ended, enforcement actions like FSMA’s warning suggest regulators are now leaning harder into compliance checks rather than relying on transitional cover.

Pressure on European crypto firms around July 1

The July 1 deadline has been a recurring stress point for crypto businesses that planned to operate within the EU while navigating authorization requirements. In June, Cointelegraph reported that Binance withdrew its MiCA application in Greece and intended to seek authorization in another EU jurisdiction just before the deadline.

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At the time of the withdrawal, Binance said it was “not leaving Europe,” while acknowledging that some users could be affected during the compliance process. That episode illustrated a broader pattern: the closer firms got to July 1, the more authorization strategies became dependent on selecting the right jurisdiction and meeting local procedural requirements under the broader MiCA regime.

While FSMA’s latest warning focuses on unauthorized entities, the Binance case highlights the difference between firms that are actively attempting to route compliance correctly versus those that continue operating without authorization at all. For investors and users, that distinction is practical: the risk profile changes when a provider is unlicensed under the regime designed to regulate custody, exchanges, and related services.

What Belgium users should do now

FSMA’s notice is straightforward in its consumer orientation. The regulator’s advice is to avoid the named companies and to verify any crypto-asset provider through the official CASP register before sending funds or relying on services such as custody or trading access.

Given FSMA’s reminder that crypto exposures are not protected by compensation schemes, the regulator’s warning underscores a key investor takeaway: authorization is not just paperwork—it can signal that the provider falls under a supervisory perimeter, which matters when liquidity problems or platform disruptions occur.

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Readers should watch how FSMA’s enforcement posture evolves in the weeks ahead, particularly whether additional CASPs are added to its warnings list and how quickly consumers see authorization status reflected in the regulator’s CASP register following the end of the transitional period on July 1.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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Strategy posts $8.33B loss as Bitcoin holdings sink

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Brad Garlinghouse slams Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin funding strategy

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.

Summary

  • Strategy recorded an $8.32 billion unrealized digital asset loss during the second quarter.
  • Its 843,775 BTC were worth $54.77 billion, below their $63.69 billion acquisition cost.
  • The company posted an $8.22 billion net loss, equal to $24.45 per diluted share.
  • A $3.75 billion dollar reserve provides 2.1 years of preferred dividend coverage under Strategy’s policy.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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books $8.2 billion in Q2 loss amid bitcoin (BTC) price decline

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Michael Saylor's Strategy (MSTR) moves to pay STRC dividends twice per month

Strategy (MSTR), the world’s largest corporate bitcoin 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.

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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.

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Schumer Pushes New Agency for Corruption Oversight, Targets Crypto Ties

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Crypto Breaking News

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Ripple-Backed Evernorth Completes Executive Agreements Ahead of XRP Treasury Listing

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Crypto Breaking News

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Up 439%, Then Margin-Called: Did Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness Actually Blow Up?

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Source: SEC 13F filings, BeInCrypto analysis

Situational Awareness made 439% in six months. Then margin calls took its entire stock book in one trade. Ken Griffin’s Citadel bought it.

A quarter of that fund’s last reported stock holdings were Bitcoin miners. That was not an accident, and it is why crypto investors are reading this story closely.

Who Is Leopold Aschenbrenner?

OpenAI hired him for its Superalignment team in 2023 and let him go in April 2024. He has said he was pushed out for raising safety concerns.

In June 2024 he published an essay series called Situational Awareness. Its central claim was blunt.

“AGI by 2027 is strikingly plausible,” Leopold Aschenbrenner, in his essay series Situational Awareness, June 2024.

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AGI means software that matches humans at most tasks. But the essay did more than predict it. One chapter argued the real bottleneck would be physical. Power contracts, transformers and electricity supply, not chips.

He then built a hedge fund on that idea. Its first stock disclosure, covering December 2024, listed six holdings worth $254.8 million.

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Every one was a power or chip company. Not one was crypto. That changed quickly.

What Happened to Situational Awareness This Week

July went badly. The fund owned memory chip makers like SK Hynix, which fell hard in the AI memory stock selloff.

It had also bet against software firms such as Adobe. That trade pays off when a stock drops. Those shares rose instead. The wider market went the same way. The Nasdaq-100 fell 10% from its early June peak.

Borrowed money turned a bad month into a forced one. The fund had used loans to hold more stock than its own cash could cover.

When prices fell, its lenders wanted more money behind those loans. That demand is a margin call.

CNBC named Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase as the brokers involved. It also reported the fund had grown to $45 billion by the start of July.

Then it unwound every public stock position, CNBC said. Griffin’s Citadel hedge fund agreed to buy them. Millennium Management and Jane Street looked and passed, Bloomberg reported.

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Where Do Bitcoin Miners Come In?

Crypto readers mostly missed this part. Situational Awareness became one of mining’s larger shareholders, and it happened fast.

Big US funds must list their stock holdings every three months on a form called a 13F. Five exist for this fund. Read in order, they show a bet being built.

Source: SEC 13F filings, BeInCrypto analysis
Source: SEC 13F filings, BeInCrypto analysis

The latest filing lists 29 holdings worth $5.52 billion. Miners and their data center arms make up $1.38 billion of it.

Core Scientific was the largest at $418.7 million. IREN came next at $328.6 million, then Applied Digital at $278 million.

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Cipher Mining, Riot Platforms, Hut 8, WhiteFiber, Bitdeer, CleanSpark and Bitfarms made up the rest.

The whole disclosed book grew nearly 22 times in a year. The mining share went from nothing to a quarter of it.

So the AGI fund became a mining fund by design. His essay said the bottleneck was power. Miners own power, land and cooling, which is why miners became AI powerhouses.

There is a catch for shareholders. Anyone holding these stocks in July shared the trade with a fund facing margin calls. No mining company knew, so none of them said so.

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Did Citadel Engineer This?

One theory spread fast. It says Citadel scared the market about rate hikes, waited for Leopold to break, then bought his stocks cheap.

The first part is true. Frank Flight, who runs macro strategy at Citadel Securities, published a note on July 27. He wrote that he now expected a rate hike at the July meeting.

Bloomberg reported the call added to market nerves. Two days later, a Griffin firm bought the stock book.

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Four things break the theory.

  • First, there are two Citadels.

Citadel Securities buys and sells stocks for other people. Citadel is the hedge fund. They are separate firms.

  • Second, Flight had company.

PGIM and Wrightson ICAP also called for a hike. Bond veteran Harley Bassman wanted one twice as big.

  • Third, the fear came first.

Bloomberg tied it to oil prices rising after the US and Iran clashed again, plus a strong job market.

  • Fourth, the Fed did not hike.

It held rates steady, and three of its 12 voting members wanted a quarter-point rise.

That last detail matters. It was the first time since September 2016 that three officials dissented in the same direction. The pressure to raise rates was real, and it sat inside the Fed.

What Nobody Can Answer Yet

Did Citadel get a bargain? Nobody outside the deal knows. Neither firm will say what it paid.

Some think the forced selling mattered anyway. On CNBC, Jim Cramer argued it looked like a clearing event that could mark a bottom for the AI trade.

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The tape says something simpler. Microsoft reported strong results on Wednesday night and rose about 15%.

Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Performance. Source: TradingView
Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Performance. Source: TradingView

Chip stocks jumped the next day. One big chip index rose 6.7% and snapped a five-day losing streak.

One block trade does not move a whole chip index. An earnings report can.

Six days before all of it, Aschenbrenner had told his investors to add money.

“PS. At times we call out opportunities that seem like a particularly good time to add funds, if you have been waiting for one,” Leopold Aschenbrenner, in the July 24 investor letter as reported by the Financial Times.

He got the direction right. He just did not own the stocks anymore.

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The fund is not dead. It still holds private stakes, including Anthropic, which filed confidential IPO paperwork on June 1.

Miners spent 10 years being called a curiosity. It took one AI fund’s margin call to make them matter.

The post Up 439%, Then Margin-Called: Did Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness Actually Blow Up? appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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books $8.2 billion in Q2 loss amid bitcoin (BTC) price decline

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Michael Saylor's Strategy (MSTR) moves to pay STRC dividends twice per month

Strategy (MSTR), the world’s largest corporate bitcoin 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.

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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.

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Amazon AI Bet Pays Off as Q2 Earnings Crush Expectations: How Will Stock React?

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Anthropic Admits AI Is Learning to Build Better AI Faster Than Expected

Amazon shares surged in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company delivered a blowout second-quarter earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations across revenue, AWS sales, operating income, and earnings per share.

The results reinforced investor confidence that Amazon’s massive AI infrastructure spending is translating into accelerating cloud growth and stronger profitability.

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Amazon Beats Wall Street Across Key Metrics

Amazon reported Q2 net sales of $200.6 billion, comfortably above analyst estimates of approximately $197 billion. The company also posted operating income of $27.46 billion, exceeding expectations of around $23.6 billion, while operating margin expanded to 13.7%, above the expected 12%.

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Perhaps the biggest surprise came from earnings. Amazon reported earnings per share of $5.75, far ahead of the consensus estimate of $1.82, highlighting significantly stronger profitability than analysts anticipated.

The earnings release immediately fueled investor optimism, sending Amazon shares from a regular-session close of $235.50 to roughly $251 in after-hours trading, representing a gain of more than 6.5% after the closing bell.

AWS Growth Shows Amazon’s AI Spending Is Paying Off

The strongest signal from the report came from Amazon Web Services.

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AWS generated $42.23 billion in revenue during the quarter, surpassing expectations of roughly $40.57 billion. Cloud revenue grew approximately 37% year-over-year, marking AWS’s fastest expansion in roughly 18 quarters.

For investors, AWS remains Amazon’s most closely watched business because it serves as the company’s primary AI infrastructure engine.

Chief Executive Andy Jassy has repeatedly defended Amazon’s aggressive capital investment strategy, maintaining plans to spend roughly $200 billion during 2026 to expand AI data centers, networking infrastructure, and custom silicon capabilities.

The latest earnings suggest those investments are beginning to translate into accelerating customer demand rather than simply higher expenses.

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Investors Reward Amazon’s AI Strategy

Heading into earnings, investors questioned whether Amazon could match the strong cloud performance recently reported by Microsoft while justifying its enormous AI capital expenditures.

Instead, Amazon exceeded expectations across nearly every major operating metric.

The combination of stronger AWS growth, expanding operating margins, and better-than-expected profitability eased concerns that AI spending would pressure near-term earnings. Investors instead viewed the results as evidence that Amazon’s infrastructure investments are already supporting faster revenue growth.

Although some of the earnings benefit included non-operating gains, the company’s underlying operating performance remained well ahead of Wall Street forecasts.

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What’s Next for Amazon?

Attention now shifts toward Amazon’s second-half execution as management continues rolling out AI infrastructure and expanding AWS services.

Investors will closely monitor whether AWS can maintain its accelerated growth trajectory while Amazon continues one of the largest capital investment programs in corporate history. Future earnings will also provide a clearer picture of whether AI-driven demand can continue supporting margin expansion and justify the company’s long-term spending plans.

If AWS momentum remains intact, Amazon could further strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive AI cloud market alongside Microsoft and Google.

The report also arrives at a pivotal moment for the AI investment race, with Microsoft and other tech giants raising the bar on cloud performance. Amazon’s latest numbers suggest its AI strategy is beginning to generate tangible financial returns.

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The Surprising Perimenopause Condition That Can Freeze Your Shoulder

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The Surprising Perimenopause Condition That Can Freeze Your Shoulder

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. 

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Hyperscale Data sells 100 BTC to fund AI center

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CZ challenges AI hype with Bitcoin’s fixed-supply inflation shield

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.

Summary

  • Hyperscale Data sold about 100 BTC to fund construction and equipment purchases.
  • Its Bitcoin-backed credit facility carries a variable rate of approximately 4.5% to 5%.
  • A 10-year AI services agreement could generate more than $1.2 billion if fully exercised.
  • Hyperscale Data retains about 1,006 BTC, ranking 44th among public corporate holders.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Can Studying Daily Life Help Us Envision the Future?

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Can Studying Daily Life Help Us Envision the Future?

This is what makes the current moment so difficult to read. Transitions do not move neatly through the categories we use to manage the world; pressure crosses them, changing role as it goes, and by the time the official language catches up, people may already have been living with the change for years.

The next transition is forming through that movement. It is not an artificial intelligence story alone, or a climate story alone, or a demographic story alone. Each of those matters, but none explains the whole moment by itself. What matters most is how these forces begin to interact, and how much load they place on systems built around older assumptions. When enough pressure moves at once, the operating and organizing logic of an age begins to lose its fit.

Every age has such a logic. Most people do not experience it as a theory. They experience it as the background of life: how work is organized, how families are supported, how knowledge is trusted, how institutions make decisions, how risk is absorbed, and how people are expected to build a life. For a long time, that background can feel natural. Then the world changes around it, and what once made life manageable begins to show its limits.

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