Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has called on U.S. lawmakers to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act as the legislation faces renewed resistance from a group of Senate Democrats.

Garlinghouse backed comments from Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty, who argued that lawmakers should not abandon the bill while seeking a perfect compromise. The renewed industry push follows the release of updated legislative text as Congress approaches its August recess.

Garlinghouse responded to Alderoty’s call for lawmakers to move the legislation forward despite unresolved disagreements. Ripple has supported federal crypto market structure legislation throughout the current congressional negotiations.

“Perfect can’t be the enemy of good. Let’s get this done!,” said Garlinghouse.

Alderoty described the CLARITY Act as a consumer protection measure that would strengthen anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements while giving law enforcement and state authorities clearer tools to act against misconduct. Garlinghouse agreed with that position in his July 22 response.

EX DeFi is gaining attention as investors seek alternative ways to participate in the Bitcoin ecosystem amid improving crypto market sentiment.

With new developments in US digital asset regulation and continued institutional inflows into Bitcoin spot ETFs, market sentiment has improved significantly. Bitcoin recently climbed back above the key $66,000 price range, and investors are now watching to see if it can challenge even higher levels and drive the entire digital asset market into a new upward cycle.

Data shows that Bitcoin spot ETFs have been attracting continuous inflows recently, with increasing institutional participation providing new liquidity support to the market. Meanwhile, Ethereum, XRP, and other mainstream digital assets have also strengthened, reflecting a gradual recovery in market risk appetite.

The Clarity Act boosts market expectations

Recently, the advancement of the US Clarity Act has become a focus of attention in the digital asset market. The market generally believes that this act is expected to further clarify the regulatory framework for digital assets, improve the policy environment for the long-term development of the industry, and enhance the confidence of institutional investors.

EX DeFi stated that if the bill proceeds smoothly, the market expects to further clarify the regulatory responsibilities of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the digital asset field, providing the industry with clearer regulatory expectations. While final implementation still requires subsequent legislative procedures, positive policy signals have become one of the important factors in the recent market recovery.

ETF funds continue to inflow, Bitcoin becomes market focus

In addition to the improved regulatory environment, the continued inflow of institutional funds into Bitcoin spot ETFs has further strengthened market confidence. Several market research institutions believe that the development of ETFs not only improves the convenience for institutions to allocate digital assets but also enhances the market acceptance of Bitcoin as a long-term asset allocation.

However, analysts also warn that future market trends will still be influenced by the global macroeconomy, monetary policy, regulatory changes, and market risk appetite, and digital asset prices will still experience some volatility.

Digital asset ecosystem continues to develop, cloud mining receives more attention

As the digital asset market continues to develop, more and more investors are beginning to focus on participation methods other than spot trading. Compared to purchasing, deploying, and maintaining mining equipment independently, cloud mining, with its lower barrier to entry and more convenient user experience, is gradually becoming an important part of the digital asset ecosystem.

Against this backdrop, EX DeFi offers smarter mining services, allowing users to participate in digital asset mining without deploying dedicated equipment and earn up to $13,000 in passive income daily through smart computing contracts.

How does EX DeFi ensure user asset security?

EX DeFi prioritizes fund security as a crucial aspect of its platform operations and has established a multi-layered security protection system to provide users with more robust digital asset services.

According to publicly available information, EX DeFi employs an asset storage system, intelligent risk control, network security protection, and compliance management mechanisms, combining multiple security measures to enhance the overall security of the platform.

Regarding asset storage, the platform uses a combined cold and hot wallet management model, with most digital assets stored in offline cold wallets to reduce network security risks.

According to Yahoo Finance, the platform also incorporates AI-powered intelligent risk control, Cloudflare enterprise-grade network protection, McAfee® security system, multi-factor authentication (2FA), and 24/7 real-time monitoring to further enhance account and asset security.

How to earn daily mining rewards with EX DeFi

EX DeFi is easy to use. Users only need to complete the following four steps to participate in cloud mining:

1. Register an Account

Visit the official EX DeFi platform and register for free using an email address. New users can receive a trial reward worth $17.

2. Deposit Digital Assets

The platform supports a variety of mainstream digital assets, including BTC, ETH, USDT, XRP, BNB, LTC, USDC, BCH, DOGE, and SOL. The deposit process is convenient, secure, and transparent.

3. Choose a Hashrate Plan

Choose a suitable mining contract plan based on budget and needs. The minimum investment is $100. Once activated, the plan will run automatically.

4. Automatic Daily Earnings

The platform provides 24/7 intelligent cloud mining services. The system automatically handles computing power operation and earnings settlement, allowing users to earn daily earnings without continuous operation.

Popular DeFi Yield Plans

BTC (Beginner Trial Contract): Investment of $100, Term: 2 days, Daily Yield: $4, Total Profit: $100 + $8

DOGE (Golden Shell Mini Dogecoin Pro): Investment of $500, Term: 6 days, Daily Yield: $6.5, Total Profit: $500 + $39

BTC (Canaan-Avalon-A1466): Investment of $1000, Term: 10 days, Daily Yield: $13.4, Total Profit: $1000 + $134

LTC (Bitmain Antminer L7): Investment of $5000, Term: 20 days, Daily Yield: $73.5, Total Profit: $5000 + $1470

BTC (Bitmain S19K-Pro): Investment of $10,000, Term: 30 days, Daily Yield: $161, Total Profit: $10,000 + $4,830

For more details on popular contracts, visit the official website.

Conclusion

As the digital asset market continues to develop, the regulatory environment gradually improves, and institutional funds continue to flow in, more and more investors are beginning to focus on more diversified asset allocation methods. Whether it’s spot investment, ETFs, or Bitcoin mining, different participation methods bring more choices to the market.

In an environment where market opportunities and volatility coexist, EX DeFi stated that it will continue to strengthen platform infrastructure construction and security system protection, and provide more stable and efficient mining services to global users by continuously optimizing computing power contract services and intelligent operation capabilities.

Join the EX DeFi mining service platform now and start the journey to earn $13,000 in passive income every day.

Mirae Asset has completed its takeover of South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Korbit after securing regulatory approval, paving the way to raise its ownership stake to more than 97%.

According to an announcement from Korbit, Mirae Asset Consulting, an affiliate of Mirae Asset Financial Group, has become the exchange’s largest shareholder after completing the required regulatory reporting process for its acquisition of a controlling stake.

A revised regulatory filing submitted by Mirae Asset on Tuesday showed the firm also plans to acquire an additional 7.35 million Korbit shares worth about 7.2 billion won ($5.32 million), according to the Korea Herald. Once the purchase is completed, Mirae Asset’s ownership will increase from 92.06% to 97.15%. Yonhap News Agency reported that the additional transaction is scheduled to close on Friday.

Korbit told users that the ownership change will not affect its day-to-day operations. The exchange said the operating company, Korbit Co., Ltd., will remain unchanged, allowing customers to continue using login, trading, deposits, and withdrawals without interruption.

The exchange also said customer deposits and virtual assets will continue to be held separately from company assets under South Korea’s Virtual Asset User Protection Act. In the same notice, Korbit confirmed it will remain the controller of users’ personal information, with no changes to how personal data is processed or used, meaning customers do not need to take any action.

Earlier this month, South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission approved the acquisition, describing it as the country’s first case of an affiliate of a traditional financial group acquiring a cryptocurrency exchange, according to the Korea Herald.

Mirae Asset Consulting has previously said the acquisition is intended to secure future growth opportunities built around digital assets.

Traditional finance increases exposure to crypto

With the transaction now completed, one of South Korea’s largest financial groups has formally entered the country’s regulated cryptocurrency exchange sector as traditional financial institutions continue increasing investments in digital assets.

According to CoinGecko data, Korbit processed roughly $4.3 million in spot trading volume over the past 24 hours, making it South Korea’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange. Market leader Upbit handled approximately $224.2 million during the same period.

The acquisition also follows a series of investments that have brought established financial institutions closer to the country’s crypto industry.

In May, OKX Ventures agreed to acquire a 19.6% stake in South Korean exchange Coinone through an 80 billion won ($53 million) investment, pending regulatory approval. Coinone said the investment, made alongside Korea Investment & Securities, would combine secondary share purchases with subscriptions for newly issued shares.

As part of that agreement, Coinone and OKX Ventures said they would exchange expertise in user protection, security systems, and risk management, while Korea Investment & Securities said it intends to pursue opportunities involving security tokens and stablecoins as South Korea continues discussions on digital asset legislation.

The Coinone investment came after Binance’s acquisition of rival exchange Gopax, adding to a growing list of global cryptocurrency firms expanding into South Korea’s regulated digital asset market.

Domestic financial institutions have also stepped up activity across the sector. Earlier this year, Samsung subsidiaries announced plans to acquire a combined 4% stake in Dunamu, the parent company of Upbit, while several major banks and payment companies, including KB Kookmin, Shinhan and NHN KCP, entered partnerships involving tokenized deposits and stablecoin payment infrastructure.

Korbit continues expanding partnerships

Before the ownership change, Korbit had already been expanding its blockchain partnerships.

In November 2024, the exchange partnered with Coinbase to integrate Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, allowing users to deposit Ether on Ethereum and withdraw it through Base, or complete the process in reverse.

At the time, Coinbase said it would support Korbit through promotional campaigns, community events and initiatives tied to the Base ecosystem. The companies also said they planned to cooperate on developing on-chain technology in South Korea and expanding support for Base network functions.

Korbit Chief Executive Officer Oh Se-jin said the partnership with Coinbase would help the exchange develop services aligned with global industry trends and strengthen its competitiveness. Coinbase Vice President of Business Development Dan Kim said the company planned to work with Korbit on buildathons, hackathons, and educational community events designed to introduce more Korean users to the Base ecosystem.

Swiss cantonal bank BancaStato has launched regulated cryptocurrency trading through a new integration with Sygnum and banking technology provider Avaloq. 

Clients can now buy, hold and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Solana from the bank’s existing web and mobile applications.

The service connects Sygnum’s business-to-business digital asset infrastructure directly with BancaStato’s Avaloq core banking environment. Sygnum handles crypto execution and custody, while BancaStato keeps the customer experience inside its current banking channels. The launch makes BancaStato the first bank using Avaloq’s software-as-a-service environment to offer Sygnum-powered crypto trading through an API.

BancaStato adds four cryptocurrencies to banking apps

At launch, BancaStato customers can trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Solana. They can place market orders based on the amount of cryptocurrency or the U.S. dollar value they want to trade. The bank has added the service to the same web and mobile platforms clients already use for traditional banking and investments.

The setup uses Sygnum’s B2B API without requiring BancaStato to operate a separate order management system. Sygnum said this structure reduces technical complexity and allows the bank to adjust trading features while using its existing Avaloq systems. BancaStato serves customers in Ticino and has operated as a Swiss cantonal bank since 1915.

Moreover, Sygnum provides the digital asset trading infrastructure behind the service and holds customer crypto in its institutional custody system. The company said it uses hardware and software controls, governance procedures and external audits. It also holds client digital assets off its own balance sheet under the applicable legal framework.

BancaStato said the integration lets clients manage traditional and digital assets through one banking relationship. Curzio De Gottardi, head of the bank’s Products and Services Division, said:

“We are proud to partner with Sygnum Bank on this strategic initiative,” noted Curzio De Gottardi.

The bank said it plans to use Sygnum’s crypto banking infrastructure as it expands its range of investment services.

BancaStato joins Sygnum’s growing banking network

BancaStato joins more than 25 banks and financial institutions using Sygnum’s B2B platform. The network includes PostFinance, Zuger Kantonalbank, SocGen FORGE, Bordier & Cie and other financial firms. Sygnum says its partner banks give more than one-third of Switzerland’s population access to digital asset services.

The network has expanded steadily. As crypto.news previously reported, Sygnum had already onboarded more than 20 financial institutions by June 2024 to provide crypto trading, custody and related services to customers.

Sygnum’s earlier rollout with PostFinance also showed demand from customers new to investing. The company said 61% of PostFinance customers who bought crypto after its 2024 launch had not previously invested in any asset class through the institution. That experience gave the B2B model an established presence inside Swiss retail banking channels.

PostFinance later expanded its Sygnum-backed services by adding Ethereum staking.Customers gained access to the staking service through the bank’s existing digital platforms.

Sygnum has also worked with traditional banks on blockchain settlement.UBS, PostFinance and Sygnum completed a legally binding interbank payment using tokenized bank deposits on a public blockchain in September 2025.

Sygnum expands regulated bank-to-bank crypto services

The BancaStato launch follows Sygnum’s latest regulatory expansion in Europe. On June 30, Sygnum Europe said it had moved into operation under a Crypto-Asset Service Provider license issued in Liechtenstein under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. The authorization supports its plans to provide digital asset infrastructure to banks and other clients across the EU and European Economic Area.

Sygnum has positioned its bank-to-bank model as an option for financial institutions that do not want to build crypto trading and custody systems from scratch. Its infrastructure allows partner banks to keep their customer interfaces while connecting to Sygnum through APIs. The BancaStato deployment brings that model directly into an Avaloq SaaS setup.

For Avaloq, the project adds crypto trading to a core banking environment already used for conventional financial products. Christian Haux, Avaloq’s managing director for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, said the integration allows BancaStato customers to view and manage digital and traditional portfolios in one place.

BancaStato has not announced plans to add more cryptocurrencies or other digital asset products. The initial service covers BTC, ETH, LTC and SOL. However, the bank now has a direct technical connection to Sygnum’s platform, providing infrastructure that could support additional services if BancaStato later expands its offering.

Chainlink whales have increased their activity as LINK attempts to recover from a broader market decline, with large holders reportedly accumulating more than 14 million tokens in less than a month.

LINK traded near $8.54 at the time of writing, down about 0.6% over the past 24 hours. The token had a market capitalization of roughly $6.39 billion and daily trading volume of about $175.24 million. Its 24-hour trading range stood between $8.53 and $8.72, according to crypto.news market data.

Chainlink whale activity rises as large holders accumulate LINK

Onchain data shared by crypto analyst Ali Martinez showed that Chainlink whale activity had increased over the past two weeks. More than 20 transactions valued above $1 million each were recorded during one recent session, which Martinez described as evidence of “growing interest from large holders.”

Separate data shared by the analyst showed that large holders accumulated more than 14 million LINK in less than a month. Their combined holdings reportedly rose from below 170 million tokens to around 182 million to 183 million LINK during the period. 

Whale accumulation can reduce available market supply when holders keep their tokens rather than moving them to exchanges, but it does not guarantee that prices will rise.

The latest activity follows earlier accumulation seen across the Chainlink network. Wallets holding more than 1,000 LINK recently reached their highest level of the year, while addresses controlling at least 100,000 LINK rose to a record 805, as previously reported.

LINK price shows short-term recovery signals

The daily chart shows LINK trading inside a broader downtrend after falling from earlier highs near $26–$28. The token has spent recent months largely moving within the $7–$10 region as buyers and sellers compete around the lower end of its longer-term range.

Short-term technical indicators have improved. The MACD line stood near 0.1866, above its signal line at about 0.1267, while the positive histogram pointed to improving momentum. The relative strength index was near 60.43, above both the neutral 50 level and its moving average of about 58.31.

The readings suggest buyers have gained some control without pushing LINK into overbought territory. However, price still faces resistance between $9 and $10. A sustained move above that area could strengthen the recovery structure, while another rejection may keep LINK inside its current consolidation range.

Recent price action has followed a similar setup. LINK rose after Mantle moved its $2.5 billion Super Portal to Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol. 

Falling exchange reserves tighten available LINK supply

Chainlink exchange reserves have also moved lower, according to CryptoQuant data. The total has fallen to about 125.4 million LINK, compared with levels commonly ranging between roughly 165 million and 190 million during parts of 2024 and 2025.

Lower exchange balances can mean fewer tokens are immediately available for sale. However, declining reserves alone do not prove that demand will increase. LINK continues to trade near the lower part of its multi-year price range, so stronger buying pressure would still need to appear in the price structure.

Derivatives data also presents a mixed picture. CoinGlass data showed trading volume rising 1.95% to about $233.74 million, while open interest slipped 0.91% to roughly $445.28 million. The combination suggests more trading activity without a matching increase in outstanding leveraged positions.

Chainlink has seen similar periods of tightening supply before. Declining exchange reserves and whale purchases have repeatedly formed part of the bullish case for LINK, though price performance has not always followed immediately.

Chainlink ecosystem activity supports the broader market case

Chainlink continues to expand its role in blockchain infrastructure despite LINK’s weak longer-term price performance. Santiment has ranked the network among the leading real-world asset projects by development activity, placing it alongside Hedera at the top of the sector in recent rankings.

The Smarter Web Company has repaid its $11.7 million Smarter Convert instrument ahead of schedule by selling 177.89 Bitcoin, removing a potential 7.7 million-share issuance while retaining a treasury of 2,700 BTC.

According to an official announcement from The Smarter Web Company, the London-listed firm settled its Smarter Convert instrument around two weeks before maturity after requesting an early repayment with the support of investment manager TOBAM, whose affiliated entities held the instrument.

The company said it repaid $11,698,540 by disposing of 177.8909127 BTC at an average sale price of $65,762 per coin. The Bitcoin sold represented the holdings originally acquired through the proceeds of the Smarter Convert financing.

Under the original agreement announced in August 2025, at least 98% of the subscription proceeds had to be invested in Bitcoin. The company said it instead allocated the full amount into Bitcoin, making it responsible for returning all of the Bitcoin purchased with those funds when the instrument was repaid.

With the repayment completed, the company said the potential issuance of 7,718,551 ordinary shares linked to the Smarter Convert structure has been eliminated. It also removed those potential shares, along with the 177.8909127 BTC used for repayment, from its fully diluted Bitcoin treasury analytics.

Following the transaction, The Smarter Web Company said it now holds 2,700 BTC.

Company moves away from convertible structure

Chief executive Andrew Webley said the Smarter Convert instrument had provided an alternative source of financing when the company was still building its Bitcoin treasury strategy.

According to Webley, the structure helped strengthen the balance sheet while preserving financial flexibility during the early stages of the company’s Bitcoin accumulation plan. He added that although the company continues to recognize the value of both fiat and Bitcoin-denominated convertible instruments, it no longer considers them the right funding option for its current stage of development.

Webley also thanked TOBAM for supporting the structure and helping develop the financing arrangement.

The repayment comes after the company spent much of 2025 expanding its Bitcoin reserves through repeated purchases under what it calls its “10 Year Plan.”

Earlier in September 2025, The Smarter Web Company appointed Coinbase Institutional as an additional Bitcoin custody partner to work alongside its existing custodians through Coinbase Prime. At the time, the company said the multi-custodian approach was intended to strengthen security, improve risk management, and support the continued growth of its Bitcoin treasury.

When announcing that partnership, the company held 2,470 BTC, following a 30 BTC purchase completed earlier that month.

By October 2025, the company had increased its treasury to 2,650 BTC after acquiring another 100 BTC for approximately £9.08 million ($12.1 million). The purchase formed part of the same long-term accumulation strategy, which management has described as a core element of its corporate treasury policy.

The latest repayment indicates that the company continued adding Bitcoin after October, as its holdings now stand at 2,700 BTC despite disposing of nearly 178 BTC to settle the Smarter Convert obligation.

Bitcoin strategy remains in place

Although the financing structure has now been retired, the announcement does not indicate any change to the company’s long-term Bitcoin treasury strategy.

The Smarter Web Company has repeatedly said it intends to continue building its Bitcoin reserves under its 10 Year Plan. Earlier in 2025, it also raised £17.5 million to support additional Bitcoin purchases while expanding the infrastructure around its treasury operations.

Previous company announcements described the firm as the UK’s largest publicly traded Bitcoin-holding company. It has also climbed the global rankings of corporate Bitcoin holders during the past year as it continued increasing its reserves through regular acquisitions.

The removal of the convertible instrument also simplifies the company’s capital structure by eliminating millions of potential new shares that could have been issued under the agreement. Instead of leaving the instrument outstanding until maturity, the company chose to repay it early using the Bitcoin originally purchased with the financing proceeds.

With the repayment complete, The Smarter Web Company has closed one of the financing arrangements used during the early phase of its Bitcoin treasury expansion while continuing to hold 2,700 BTC on its balance sheet.