Crypto World
Crypto Lobby’s $189M Campaign: Will Clarity Be Secured?
After years of lobbying aimed at winning a clearer regulatory footing, the U.S. crypto industry is pressing toward the CLARITY Act—an effort to reshape crypto market structure legislation—while lawmakers weigh competing concerns from advocates and law enforcement.
With Senate negotiators working toward a possible floor vote ahead of Congress’s August recess, the political question has shifted from whether legislators are paying attention to digital-asset arguments to whether the industry’s election-season momentum and financial resources will be enough to carry the bill over the finish line.
Key takeaways
- The CLARITY Act is nearing a potential Senate floor vote, but remaining controversy—particularly around Section 604 / the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act—keeps the outcome uncertain.
- Crypto advocates describe their lobbying effort as the most “sophisticated” it has ever been, combining sustained lawmaker engagement with election-focused political activity.
- Public Citizen reported that crypto-related political spending reached $189 million so far ahead of the 2026 midterms, framing the debate over “buying influence” versus responding to anti-crypto politics.
- Major law enforcement groups are moving in different directions: the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) shifted to neutrality, while other attorneys and groups warned that broad exemptions could weaken oversight and accountability.
- Analysis from Brogan Law suggests that while Fairshake-backed candidates won most decided races, many were not as tightly contested as headlines imply, pointing to more nuanced campaign strategy effects.
CLARITY gains momentum—yet Section 604 remains the pressure point
For proponents, the debate around the CLARITY Act increasingly looks like an incremental narrowing of political resistance. A key signal came on July 3, when the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) said it moved from opposing the bill to a neutral position after discussions focused on Section 604, also known as the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong described the MCSA development as “huge” in a post on X, underscoring how much the industry appears to value law-enforcement-adjacent endorsements as lawmakers move closer to a vote.
That same day, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) became the first major law enforcement body to endorse the legislation.
Still, the bill’s path remains complicated. The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act / Section 604 is drawing sustained concern from public safety and oversight advocates. In late June, acting U.S. Attorney General was warned by four other attorneys and law enforcement groups representing 70,000 members collectively, according to reporting tied to an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) investigation. Their argument: the bill’s broad exemptions could create gaps in oversight and accountability that “sophisticated criminal actors may exploit.”
For investors and policy watchers, the practical takeaway is that the CLARITY Act’s coalition is improving—but not solidifying. The legislation is now in the phase where small wording differences and targeted carve-outs can determine who endorses it, who continues to oppose it, and ultimately whether leadership can secure the votes required for passage.
Why the crypto lobby’s political operation is drawing scrutiny
Alongside the legislative calendar, the crypto industry’s political infrastructure has become a major storyline of its own. In a June 25 X thread, Kristin Smith—president of the Solana Policy Institute and former CEO of the Blockchain Association—said crypto advocacy is “the strongest and most sophisticated it has ever been.” She cited bipartisan negotiations, ongoing meetings with lawmakers, and what she characterized as a winning campaign to support “champions” in Congress.
Public Citizen has framed that effort in far more contentious terms. In a report referenced by Reuters, the consumer advocacy organization said crypto’s political spending reached $189 million so far in the run-up to the 2026 midterms. The report’s implication is that industry spending is attempting to influence elections and policy agendas, while critics argue this is a bid to buy votes and legitimacy.
Industry figures reject that characterization. Colin McLaren, head of government relations at the Solana Policy Institute, told Cointelegraph that the infrastructure did not form overnight and pointed to several groups as key contributors to moving pro-crypto legislation forward, including Fairshake, Cedar Innovation Foundation, Stand With Crypto, and the Blockchain Association. McLaren argued that these groups helped build relationships inside Congress and provided lawmakers with “resources and cover” to legislate without fear of electoral backlash.
Fairshake: campaign spending versus what it can realistically change
No organization illustrates the crypto lobbying shift more clearly than Fairshake, a crypto-backed political action committee (PAC) funded by major industry players including Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz. A PAC, according to the Federal Election Commission, raises and spends money to support or oppose candidates and political causes under federal election rules.
During the 2026 U.S. congressional primary cycle, Fairshake and affiliated PACs reportedly spent tens of millions of dollars backing candidates viewed as favorable to digital assets and opposing those considered hostile to the sector. Cointelegraph previously reported that in May, affiliated PACs spent more than $20 million supporting Republican congressional primary candidates in Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky—where some figures included more than $7 million backing Rep. Andy Barr in Kentucky’s Senate primary. Coverage also noted follow-on spending in Democratic contests, including millions of dollars in Maryland and New York.
McLaren argued this approach is having real effects. He told Cointelegraph that some candidates appeared to be behind in polling before crypto-linked ads ran, and then won—adding that the industry appears willing to take electoral risks rather than only supporting low-uncertainty outcomes.
But analysis by Brogan Law journalist Veronica Irwin complicates the “wins equal influence” narrative. In a June 30 analysis published on Brogan Law, Irwin reportedly reviewed Fairshake’s involvement in 40 decided races and compared Federal Election Commission filings with polling data and election results. The analysis found that Fairshake-backed candidates won in 38 of those contests, but many races already tilted strongly toward the eventual winner prior to the PAC’s involvement. Using her methodology, only 16 races appeared competitive enough that Fairshake spending could plausibly have changed the outcome.
Irwin’s broader point was not that Fairshake lacks influence, but that the strategy may be more sophisticated than simple headline-level coverage suggests. She told Cointelegraph that popular accounts often read like “just the press release,” implying the PAC is “buying up all of the elections outright,” when the reality could involve a wider campaign approach enabled by the industry’s large financial resources.
That opens up a key question readers should watch: whether Fairshake’s greatest effect is directly flipping outcomes in tight races—or shaping expectations among politicians and voters so that being seen as crypto-friendly carries less political risk.
Legislation still depends on coalitions, not just advertising
Even if campaign spending can help candidates gain office, moving a market-structure bill through Congress typically requires more than winning elections. The CLARITY Act’s progress reflects months of negotiation involving lawmakers, industry participants, and outside stakeholders.
As MCSA shifted to neutrality rather than continued opposition, the message appears to be that coalition-building remains essential—especially for issues tied to financial crime concerns, consumer protection, and law enforcement roles. That pattern is visible in how Section 604 has become a focal point: even groups moving toward neutrality can still want assurance that accountability mechanisms won’t be diluted.
Ron Tarter, founder of RockWallet and a former attorney, told Cointelegraph that adoption is the foundation, lobbying translates adoption into policy engagement, and campaign spending acts as an accelerant. In his view, the political approach works because it layers different forms of pressure and influence rather than relying on one tool alone.
Irwin also suggested that crypto’s political advantage doesn’t come solely from ad budgets. She told Cointelegraph that for many voters, crypto doesn’t rank among the “top-five issues.” That creates what she described as a “sweet spot” where politicians can adopt more pro-crypto positions with limited downside, while lobbying and campaign support can make that shift more durable.
McLaren offered a final framing: the industry “played defense for years,” then decided to engage more directly at the ballot box and build an apparatus designed to advocate for regulatory clarity.
As Senate negotiators move toward potential floor action, the industry will likely focus on tightening the coalition around remaining disputes—especially around Section 604—while opponents continue pressing for assurances on oversight and accountability. The next milestone to watch is how quickly the bill’s support broadens among skeptics once the language questions are fully resolved, or whether those concerns ultimately narrow the paths to the votes needed for passage.
JPMorgan’s artificial intelligence (AI) agents beat a traditional 60/40 portfolio across two decades of backtests. The bank celebrated the result, then warned investors not to trust it.
The test asks whether AI can move from assisting analysts to allocating capital itself. It lands as Jack Dorsey champions a similar shift in how people work with machines.
How JPMorgan’s AI Agents Beat the 60/40 Portfolio
JPMorgan’s cross-asset strategy team built eight AI agents that move between stocks and bonds as conditions change. The strategists, led by Thomas Salopek, shared the results in a July 9 note. The system reads four macro regimes set by growth and inflation.
The benchmark is fair and meaningful. The 60/40 split anchored balanced portfolios for decades. In 2022 it had its worst year since 1937, when stocks and bonds sank together.
The agents favored stocks when growth looked strong and bonds when it weakened. Over 20 years of backtests, the best agent topped the 60/40 portfolio by 0.7 percentage point a year.
It did so with 2.8% lower annual volatility. All eight agents won on a risk-adjusted basis, with Sharpe ratios of 0.74 to 0.95 against the portfolio’s 0.61.
The agents ran on off-the-shelf models from OpenAI and Anthropic, yet beat JPMorgan’s own rules-based regime model. That extends the bank’s recent AI calls into riskier territory.
Why the Bet Echoes Dorsey’s Agent-First Vision
The approach mirrors a philosophy Jack Dorsey described. The Block chief executive now defers to AI agents rather than directing them.
Dorsey has already bet his company on it, cutting over 4,000 jobs at Block in February and crediting AI. That was about 40% of staff. JPMorgan’s agents apply the same logic to markets, part of a wider push toward AI agents handling money.
The Warning Veteran Quants Know Well
JPMorgan was clear about the limits. The results come from historical simulations, not live trading, and the bank cautioned against over-reading them.
Richard Bernstein, a veteran Wall Street quant, put it more sharply. New strategies, he noted, rarely publish backtests that lose.
His point is publication bias. Flexible AI models can fit past noise, then fade when live costs and unseen regimes hit.
JPMorgan also warned that crowded AI trades could amplify market stress, echoing broader cracks in AI spending. Backtests have flattered many strategies that later stumbled. Whether these agents survive live markets is the real question.
The post JPMorgan’s AI Portfolio Bet Echoes Jack Dorsey’s Vision, But With a Big Warning appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Grayscale has named five blockchains best positioned to gain as tokenized stocks push deeper into traditional finance. The asset manager pointed to Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), BNB Chain, and Canton Network.
A new research note frames tokenized equities as one of the clearest signs of blockchain entering mainstream markets. Grayscale sees three models driving that shift, and each rewards a different set of networks.
Three Models Moving Tokenized Stocks Onchain
Grayscale head of research Zach Pandl laid out the three phases in the note. The first is the wrapper model, where a token represents shares held inside a special purpose vehicle. That structure holds more than 70% of tokenized stock value today.
These wrapped tokens give holders price exposure rather than direct ownership. They appeal to retail traders because they fit decentralized finance and trade around the clock. Demand has climbed fast, with tokenized stock products drawing fresh capital in recent weeks.
The split already favors specific chains. Grayscale’s data shows third-party platforms hold most tokenized stock value. Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain carry the majority of onchain assets.
The second model brings existing securities on-chain through regulated rails, part of the broader real-world asset tokenization trend. Grayscale pointed to the DTCC pilot on Canton Network.
That pilot runs under a no-action letter from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. A live launch is targeted for the first half of 2026. The weight behind it is substantial. DTCC processed $3.7 quadrillion in securities transactions in 2024, and it recently joined Euroclear as co-chair of Canton’s governance.
Securitize Pushes the Newest Model
The third and newest model has companies issue shares natively on-chain. Securitize became the first newly public company to bring its own stock on-chain at its NYSE debut this month. It launched SECZ shares on Avalanche and Solana on day one.
The firm expects SECZ to become the world’s largest tokenized stock. Its choice of Avalanche and Solana tracks Grayscale’s view that open and hybrid networks suit issuer-native shares. Securitize also serves as the tokenization platform behind BlackRock’s BUIDL, the largest tokenized US Treasury fund.
Grayscale expects all three models to coexist for years. It sees the issuer-native model as the most promising, though tokenized market liquidity stays thin and rules remain unclear. Wrapper products lean on Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain, while Canton anchors the institutional pilot.
What Comes Next for the Five Networks
The framework lands as tokenized equities move from pilots toward regulated infrastructure. Broader adoption still depends on clearer rules for natively issued shares.
Market pricing shows the stakes for the named chains. Ethereum’s spot market had ether near $1,785, the second-largest crypto asset, while Solana’s SOL price hovered around $78. Both networks host a rising share of on-chain tokenized assets.
Whether regulated pilots can match the retail pull of wrapper tokens will shape the next phase. For now, Grayscale’s map sends the value toward a short list of chains.
The post 5 Altcoins Stand to Gain From Tokenized Stocks, Grayscale Says appeared first on BeInCrypto.
USDC stablecoin issuer Circle has received final approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish First National Digital Currency Bank (FNDCB), a national trust bank that will operate under the name Circle National Trust. The OCC’s decision marks a significant step toward bringing Circle’s custody and trust-related services into a federally regulated banking structure.
Circle said the approval, announced Friday, follows its application for the national trust bank charter in June 2025. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire called it “a defining step in bringing blockchain technology and digital assets into the core of the US financial system,” according to the company’s press release: https://www.circle.com/pressroom/circle-receives-final-occ-approval-to-establish-national-trust-bank.
Key takeaways
- Circle received final OCC approval to create Circle National Trust, a national trust bank.
- The bank’s initial mandate focuses on fiduciary digital asset custody for Circle and affiliated companies.
- Circle National Trust may later extend services to a limited set of institutional customers if demand grows.
- The structure could, in future, support management of the USDC Reserve under federal oversight, depending on implementation.
From charter application to OCC final approval
Circle’s new bank is the culmination of a charter process that began when the company applied for the national trust bank charter in June 2025, according to Circle’s earlier filing and subsequent updates. In Friday’s announcement, Circle framed the OCC approval as an important regulatory milestone for its broader effort to embed USDC infrastructure within mainstream financial oversight.
While the approval itself is a clear authorization step, the scope of what Circle National Trust can do—at least at launch—remains tightly defined by the bank’s approved business plan. That distinction matters for investors and counterparties because the earliest stage will likely concentrate on internal and affiliate custody needs before widening to external clients.
What Circle National Trust will do at launch
According to Circle’s approved business plan, Circle National Trust will initially offer fiduciary digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliated companies. This “start limited” approach is common when new regulated entities begin operations, especially when they involve specialized services like digital asset custody.
Circle also indicated it could later expand services to a limited group of institutional customers. That potential expansion includes banks and other financial institutions, such as regulated derivatives firms, if demand develops. In other words, the bank is not positioned as a broad retail custodian from day one; rather, it appears designed to support institutional workflows connected to regulated capital markets.
The structure additionally creates a pathway—if implemented—to manage the USDC Reserve within a trust bank framework, bringing those operations under federal oversight. Circle did not provide further implementation details in the announcement, but the possibility is a key point because USDC’s reserve management is central to stablecoin credibility and operational risk controls.
Circle’s expanding regulatory footprint
Circle’s OCC approval adds another layer to a regulatory build-out that has already included multiple jurisdictions. The company said it was the first firm to receive a BitLicense from the New York Department of Financial Services in 2015. It also stated it became the first global stablecoin issuer to comply with the European Union’s MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) framework in 2024, aligning its operations with a more comprehensive EU stablecoin regime.
Circle has also pointed to approvals in other markets, including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bermuda, Canada, and Abu Dhabi, as it continues to scale its USDC infrastructure globally.
For market participants, this multi-region regulatory record is relevant because it suggests Circle is pursuing a “compliance-first” model across major financial jurisdictions. The US trust bank approval, in that context, is a move from sector-specific and cross-border oversight toward a deeper integration with US banking supervision.
The company previously worked on expanding how USDC can be minted and used through traditional banking channels; Cointelegraph reported on Standard Chartered and Circle bringing USDC minting onto banking rails, reflecting an ongoing effort to connect stablecoin issuance and distribution to regulated financial infrastructure.
Why the timing and structure could matter for USDC
USDC’s role in crypto markets depends not only on its liquidity, but also on how its infrastructure is supervised and operationalized. A federally regulated trust bank structure can potentially strengthen institutional confidence by formalizing custody-related functions within a banking oversight framework.
At the same time, it’s important to separate the approval from the eventual operational outcomes. Circle National Trust’s initial custody scope is limited to Circle and affiliated companies, and any future handling of the USDC Reserve would depend on later implementation. That means the most immediate impact may be internal—while the broader institutional-facing effects could arrive later if Circle expands its customer base as indicated.
Markets react as Circle shares move higher
Circle Internet Group’s stock (CRCL) rose roughly 16% in pre-market trading on Friday after the announcement, according to Yahoo Finance data, climbing above $73 after closing the previous session at $63: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CRCL/.
Stablecoin demand and overall crypto market activity remain key drivers for USDC, and the token’s scale provides additional context. At the time of publication, USDC was described as the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization at $73.3 billion, according to CoinGecko. CoinGecko data cited in the source indicated its market cap increased 16.7% over the past year, while declining 2.5% year-to-date (as reported in the original article).
Investors and institutional users will likely watch two things next: whether Circle National Trust expands its custody services beyond affiliated entities, and whether Circle moves forward with any plan to bring USDC Reserve management under the bank’s federally supervised structure. Both developments could shape how quickly USDC infrastructure deepens its integration with traditional financial systems.
A bipartisan housing bill containing a ban on a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the United States is set to become law as the deadline approaches for President Donald Trump to sign it.
Just after midnight on Friday, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will have been in Trump’s hands for 10 days, excluding Sundays, the maximum amount of time a bill can be on the president’s desk without a veto or a signature. Under the US Constitution, the legislation will automatically become law without action from Trump, who canceled the signing ceremony for the bill on Jun 24.
In a Friday social media post, Trump confirmed that he would not sign the housing bill, calling Republicans in Congress who voted on the legislation “dumb” and urging the Senate to instead prioritize a controversial voting bill, the SAVE America Act. The legislation, which would require people to provide proof of US citizenship in person to register, has received widespread criticism for claims that it would disenfranchise citizens already eligible to vote.
Source: Donald Trump
The housing bill, passed by the House of Representatives and Senate in June with support from Democrats and Republicans, included language barring the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a CBDC “or any digital asset that is substantially similar” until Dec. 31, 2030. Many analysts saw the digital dollar ban as a political giveaway to gain Republican support. Trump did not address the CBDC ban in his Friday post.
Related: Trump backs CFTC authority over prediction markets
“[H]e’s refusing to sign the biggest housing bill in 30 years,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren, who co-sponsored the bill, on Trump’s actions. “The good news: it’s going to become law anyway.”
Could Trump’s inaction also affect crypto market structure?
Although the US president said in May that he intended to “future-proof” digital asset regulations, his refusal to sign legislation unrelated to the SAVE America Act has raised questions about whether the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act under consideration in the Senate could face a similar situation as the housing bill.
The CLARITY Act, considered by many to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation affecting digital asset regulation, has already passed the House and two crucial Senate committees. Republican leaders in Congress expect that the bill will be heading to the full chamber for a floor vote in July once lawmakers return from state work periods on Monday.
Trump’s ties to the crypto industry have already complicated discussions between Democrats and Republicans over the market structure bill. The president disclosed earning more than $1.4 billion in income from his crypto ventures in 2025, including memecoins and the family’s World Liberty Financial platform.
Magazine: Crypto’s CLARITY Act faces partisan fight over ethics on Senate floor
Crypto World
Bitwise Report: Crypto Fundamentals Are Getting Stronger Despite Third Straight Negative Quarter
Bitwise’s Q2 2026 crypto market review shows its 10 Large Cap Crypto Index dropped 15.4% last quarter, the third straight quarter in the red and the longest such stretch since 2022.
However, the same report argued that even as prices fell, the crypto sector, including stablecoins, tokenized assets, and prediction markets, has been strengthening.
Crypto Prices Down, But Fundamentals Are Improving
According to Bitwise, eight of the index’s 10 constituents finished Q2 in the red, with the worst performer in the basket being Cardano (ADA), which slipped nearly 40% in Q2 and is down more than 56% year to date. Ethereum and XRP lost 24.66% and 20.79% of their values, respectively, while Solana’s dip was more modest in comparison at 10.87%, although YTD it registered a more significant 40.61% plunge.
Bitcoin itself just suffered its worst June in four years after falling below $60,000 and was about 49% off its October 2025 all-time high of over $126,000 at the time of writing, stretching the downturn to about nine months.
But there were two assets in the Large Cap Crypto Index that bucked the downward trend: Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Stellar Lumens (XLM), with the former going up 79% and the latter over 10%. However, year-to-date XLM dumped 6.71% while HYPE still stayed green, surging by nearly 158%.
A separate report from CryptoQuant indicated that about 40% of altcoins are trading near their all-time lows, a share that climbed toward 45% when BTC broke below the aforementioned $60,000.
Per the Bitwise market review, on-chain activity, trading volume, and the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi also slipped. But it was not all doom and gloom, as prediction market volumes reached a record $43.2 billion during the quarter, which is almost 18 times higher than the year before.
Meanwhile, tokenized real-world assets have gone up more than 50% so far this year to nearly $33 billion, and crypto-focused equities have also outperformed the wider digital asset market, with the Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index gaining 30.6%.
The asset manager also noted that stablecoins settled 2.3 times more value than Visa and collectively hold more US Treasuries than the likes of Norway, India, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Further, it pointed out that revenue generation among crypto applications has become more concentrated, with Hyperliquid, PancakeSwap, and Aave each producing roughly $900 million over the past year.
A Market Twice the Size It Was at the Last Bottom
When Bitwise compared current activity levels to the same point in the 2022 cycle, the difference stood out away from the price charts. For instance, Ethereum transaction counts ran about 13 times higher, and DeFi TVL sits more than 60% above the level from that period. Additionally, stablecoin assets under management have doubled.
According to the report, only prices have failed to keep pace with the increasing usage and infrastructure, with the market now valuing crypto at levels associated with the last bear market, even though the industry is operating at almost twice the scale it had reached then, and there is greater liquidity and clearer participation from traditional finance firms.
The post Bitwise Report: Crypto Fundamentals Are Getting Stronger Despite Third Straight Negative Quarter appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Senate Democrats Call for Hearings into Trump’s Ties to Crypto Amid CLARITY Act Discussions
Five Democratic senators have called for committee hearings “to investigate the national security implications of President Trump’s cryptocurrency holdings” as the chamber considers digital asset market structure legislation.
In a Friday notice, the Democratic ranking members of five US Senate committees and subcommittees asked lawmakers to address President Donald Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure, in which he reported earning about $1.4 billion connected to crypto ventures like his memecoin and family’s World Liberty Financial platform. The lawmakers said that the reports “heighten concerns about the President pushing Congress to pass crypto legislation in favor of the very industry he’s cashing in on,” referring to the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, on which the Senate is expected to vote this month.
“We call on our respective Committees to hold hearings to investigate the national security implications of President Trump’s cryptocurrency holdings, including the influence of the [United Arab Emirates] or unknown third parties on President Trump’s actions,” said the notice.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the Democrats who called for hearings into Trump’s ties to crypto, speaks to CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday. Source: Richard Blumenthal
As members of the minority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, Democrats have less authority to hold their own hearings and oversight without Republican support. However, Senate rules require 60 votes to end a filibuster and advance a bill, meaning that Republicans will need help from some Democrats to pass CLARITY.
Related: Donald Trump says ‘nothing wrong’ with $1.4B crypto windfall while in office
Some Senate Republicans, like Cynthia Lummis, continue to push for CLARITY to pass even as many Democrats signal they will withhold support without clear ethics provisions. Representative French Hill, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee and helped the bill pass in the House in 2025, said that Trump’s ties made passing legislation “more complicated.”
CBDC ban to become law after Trump’s refusal to sign bill
The notice from Democrats came just hours before a bill barring the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC) until Dec. 31, 2030, is expected to become law on Saturday. Trump canceled the signing ceremony for the bipartisan housing bill containing the CBDC ban and did not issue a veto of the legislation, leaving the measure to automatically become law after 10 days.
Magazine: Crypto’s CLARITY Act faces partisan fight over ethics on Senate floor
Crypto World
Weekly Market Insights with Gary Thomson: US Inflation, UK GDP, Chair Warsh Testimony, and Earnings
In this video, we’ll explore the key economic events and market trends, shaping the financial landscape. Get ready for insights into financial markets to help you navigate the week ahead. Let’s dive in!
In this episode of Market Insights, Gary Thomson unpacks the strategic implications of the most critical events driving global markets.
👉 Key topics covered in this episode:
✔️ US Inflation Rate — 14 July, 3:30 PM GMT+3
Investors are closely watching the latest US inflation report, as it could influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s next policy decisions. A stronger-than-expected reading may revive expectations of tighter monetary policy and support the US dollar, while softer data could reinforce expectations that rates will remain unchanged for longer.
✔️ Fed Chair Warsh Testimony — 14–15 July
Market attention is turning to Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s first congressional testimony, where investors will look for fresh signals on interest rates, inflation and the economic outlook. Any shift in tone or unexpected comments could drive volatility across currencies, gold and US equities.
✔️ UK GDP Data — 16 July, 9:00 AM GMT+3
The latest UK GDP figures will provide insight into the strength of the British economy and could affect expectations for future Bank of England policy. With sterling already under pressure against the US dollar, any surprise in economic growth data may trigger increased volatility across GBP pairs.
✔️ US Earnings Season
The start of the US earnings season will offer an early look at corporate performance, with major banks reporting results. Investor focus will be on credit demand, consumer activity and the overall health of the US economy, with financial sector results potentially setting the tone for broader equity markets.
Geopolitical risks, especially around US-Iran tensions and energy markets, could remain an important driver of volatility across currencies, commodities and equities.
In this environment, traders closely monitor incoming data, being flexible and getting ready for short-term volatility.
Gain insights to strengthen your trading knowledge.
💬 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more professional market insights every week.
Watch it now and stay updated with FXOpen.
This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Euro Coin (EURC) saw a sharp increase in on-chain activity as both daily active addresses and new wallet creation reached all-time highs in its four-year history, according to Santiment.
The surge likely reflects growing demand for regulated euro-denominated stablecoins as the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework encourages exchanges, payment providers, and crypto applications to adopt compliant digital assets.
Biggest On-Chain Spike
Circle’s EURC has emerged as one of the leading euro-backed stablecoins in this environment, particularly as usage for these tokens continues to expand beyond traditional US dollar trading pairs. Santiment said the latest on-chain data indicates euro liquidity is becoming increasingly important across blockchain networks.
The analytics firm also linked the increase in activity to recent developments within Circle’s ecosystem, broader cross-chain expansion of stablecoins, and renewed interest in compliant payment infrastructure.
Circle issues EURC through Circle SAS, with the regulated euro-backed stablecoin available on networks including Ethereum. It has also continued expanding EURC support across additional blockchain ecosystems. This includes enabling USDC and EURC on Cronos while investing in broader stablecoin infrastructure.
Santiment said that although stablecoins do not typically experience price rallies like other crypto assets, rising activity around EURC points to growing underlying demand within Europe’s blockchain-based payment ecosystem.
Europe’s Regulated Stablecoin
The market for MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins currently consists of eight fully authorized tokens, which offer regulated options for different types of users.
EURC is the largest by market capitalization and is joined by Société Générale’s EURCV, which is designed for institutional and wholesale settlement. Monerium issues EURE as a regulated e-money token, while Schuman Financial offers EUROP, a newer entrant focused on the European market. StablR’s EURR is a cash-backed euro stablecoin, and Quantoz Payments issues the MiCA-compliant EURQ.
EURI, issued through Banking Circle, is among the three largest euro stablecoins by market capitalization, while EURAU is the newest addition, launched by AllUnity. The combined market capitalization of the eight tokens grew from around $295 million to $669 million over the past year, an increase of about 126%.
The post EURC’s Record Network Growth Could Signal a Major Shift in Europe’s Crypto Economy appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Lighter Prepares to Burn 15.5 Million LIT in First Revenue-Funded Supply Reduction, Will LIT Rally?
Lighter will carry out its first revenue-funded LIT token burn, removing about 15.5 million tokens, or 6.3% of circulating supply. The perpetuals exchange repurchased the Lighter Infrastructure Token (LIT) with trading revenue through the end of Q2 2026.
The burn is the first under a June tokenomics overhaul that routes buybacks into permanent supply cuts. Lighter said it will publish the Ethereum transaction hash once the burn settles on-chain.
Revenue-Funded LIT Token Burn Replaces Buybacks
The burn follows a late-June tokenomics overhaul, when Lighter said buybacks would cut supply rather than sit in its treasury. The exchange has bought back LIT with trading fees since its LIT token debut in December.
“buybacks will be used to permanently reduce the LIT supply through burns,” Lighter said in the June update.
Those buybacks rest on real revenue. Traders have paid Lighter about $69 million in fees since it began trading, according to DefiLlama.
Roughly $2.8 million of that came in the past month. The team will move the repurchased LIT to an Ethereum burn address. It may instead burn undistributed tokens, which it calls economically equivalent.
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The model echoes rival Hyperliquid, whose fee-funded HYPE buybacks have topped $1 billion and been credited with HYPE’s 2026 run.
LIT Price Climbs as Supply Tightens
LIT’s live price sat near $2.54 on July 10, up about 8% in 24 hours, BeInCrypto data shows. The 15.5 million tokens are worth roughly $39 million at that price. LIT has more than tripled from its March low near $0.78, yet trades well below its $7.86 December record.
The burn cuts supply once, but the same overhaul emits about 7.5 million LIT a year in staking rewards. That steady issuance offsets part of the one-time reduction.
Revenue-backed burns often read as a positive signal, since they shrink supply using real income rather than new emissions.
Still, a lasting rally is not guaranteed. Monthly fees have edged lower, and LIT’s longer-term price outlook likely hinges on whether trading revenue keeps funding buybacks. Lighter said it will share the transaction hash, letting anyone verify the burn on-chain.
The post Lighter Prepares to Burn 15.5 Million LIT in First Revenue-Funded Supply Reduction, Will LIT Rally? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
The CBDC limit expires at the end of 2030, though there was little chance that a Fed digital currency would have been executed by then. There’s been limited appetite at the central bank, where its previous leadership — even before the arrival of Trump’s newest Fed chair, Kevin Warsh — had long said that such an effort would require backing from the White House and congressional authorization. There’s never been wide support for a CBDC in Congress.
But the idea — strongly opposed by the crypto industry for its potential to compete with privately issued stablecoins — has been pursued in other jurisdictions, such as Europe and China, and it became a popular political target for U.S. politicians. So Republicans managed to slip it into the unrelated housing legislation, after previously trying to include it in a range of bills including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Despite the overall housing bill’s popularity, Trump took an unexpected, last-minute stand against signing it, for which he’d previously scheduled a ceremony and had a stage erected. He declared that he wouldn’t sign anything until lawmakers approved a bill that would impose new proof-of-citizenship and identity checks on voters — an effort without sufficient current support to pass in Congress.
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