Crypto World
DAX 40: consolidation amid technology sell-off
A wave of selling in the technology sector that emerged earlier this week has weighed on European equities. The trigger was investor concern over the profitability of large-scale debt-funded investments by major US tech companies in AI infrastructure. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 fell to their lowest levels in more than a week, with semiconductor manufacturers bearing the brunt of the decline.
In Germany, Infineon Technologies (-5.86%), Siemens Energy (-3.93%) and Vonovia (-3.21%) were among the worst performers, while SAP and Airbus ended the session in positive territory, gaining around 2% each. Geopolitical factors also remain in the background: a memorandum signed in June between the United States and Iran has yet to remove uncertainty, with implementation of the agreement still subject to ongoing negotiations.
Technical picture
On the H4 chart of the DAX 40 index (GDAXIm on FXOpen), after peaking around 25,450 at the end of May, price declined towards the 23,970 area, forming a downward trend structure. Following an attempted breakout of the downtrend and a gap on 15 June, the index moved into a sideways range, forming a POC zone at 24,940–24,950 and an upper boundary of the current profile at 25,070, with price now trading between these levels.
The nearest resistance is located around 25,210, which could cap the market if the upper boundary of the profile is breached. Support is seen in the 23,970 area, which could be reached if the lower boundary at 24,460 is broken. Volume remains moderate, confirming the consolidation phase. The RSI and moving averages are at 48, 54 and 54 respectively; the oscillator is below its moving averages, while the averages are converging towards neutral levels, indicating a lack of clear momentum within the current range.
Summary
Pressure on the DAX 40 is driven by a global reassessment of AI infrastructure valuations, which has triggered a sell-off in the semiconductor sector worldwide, including German equities. Price has returned to a balance area after the rebound, while the RSI remaining below its moving averages signals a lack of directional momentum on either side.
Trade global index CFDs with zero commission and tight spreads (additional fees may apply). Open your FXOpen account now or learn more about trading index CFDs 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.
President Donald Trump called on the Senate to pass the Clarity Act "in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham, a big supporter" of the crypto market structure bill, in a Truth Social post Monday. Graham, the South Carolina Republican and Senate Banking Committee chair, died unexpectedly on July 11. Trump… Read the full story at The Defiant
Strategy sold $466.7 million worth of MSTR common stock between July 6 and July 12, 2026, lifting its USD reserve to $3 billion while leaving its bitcoin holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC, according to a Form 8-K the company filed with the SEC on July 13. The company sold roughly 4.82 million… Read the full story at The Defiant
S&P Dow Jones Indices and Pantera Capital have launched the S&P Pantera Digital Asset Index, a new benchmark that selects digital assets using revenue, market size and liquidity measures.Â
Summary
- S&P and Pantera launched an 18-token index focused on revenue-generating digital assets for institutional investors.
- ETH, BNB, SOL, TRX and HYPE rank as the index’s five largest confirmed current holdings.
- The benchmark screens tokens by revenue, liquidity and market size before applying capped market-cap weightings.
The firms announced the product on July 21, while S&P index materials list July 20 as its official launch date. The index currently holds 18 digital assets and targets institutional investors seeking a structured way to track a broader part of the crypto market, according to the official announcement.
The five largest constituents are Ether (ETH), BNB, Solana (SOL), TRON (TRX) and Hyperliquid (HYPE), according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The selection gives the benchmark a different profile from crypto products that concentrate heavily on Bitcoin or rank assets mainly by market capitalization. S&P says the index focuses on protocols that show recurring economic activity through protocol-level revenue.
Revenue rules shape the S&P Pantera Digital Asset Index
The index starts with assets from the S&P Cryptocurrency Broad Digital Asset Index and then applies several eligibility tests. New constituents must have a market capitalization above $500 million and meet a liquidity ratio above 0.5. Existing constituents receive a lower $250 million market-cap threshold. The screening process then narrows the eligible universe to assets that meet the benchmark’s economic activity requirements.
After the initial screening, the index ranks eligible assets by revenue generated over the previous two quarters. It adds assets until the selected group represents 99% of the eligible universe’s total revenue. S&P uses data from Artemis to measure protocol-level revenue. The index then weights constituents by adjusted market capitalization, while limiting the largest holding to 35% and every other holding to 20% at each rebalance.
Cathy Clay, CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices, said the company built the benchmark around “using a fundamentals-driven, economics-based framework built for diversified portfolios.” The structure allows the index to serve as a benchmark for active strategies and as a possible base for future index-linked investment products. S&P also states that protocol revenue acts as a rules-based measure of economic activity rather than a forecast of future investor returns.
ETH, BNB and SOL lead the 18-token basket
The current top holdings show how the revenue screen changes the composition of a broad crypto benchmark. Ether sits among the largest constituents alongside BNB and SOL, while TRX and HYPE complete the top five. The basket therefore includes smart-contract platforms and trading infrastructure that generate measurable activity across their networks.
The approach also places less weight on token popularity alone. Dan Morehead, Pantera Capital’s founder and managing partner, said “the biggest friction point in crypto hasn’t changed; it’s knowing how to allocate.” Pantera contributed digital-asset research and governance experience to the project, while S&P supplied its index design and administration framework.
The launch follows other moves by S&P Dow Jones Indices to expand its digital-asset products. As previously reported by crypto.news, S&P announced plans for the S&P Digital Markets 50 Index in 2025, combining 15 cryptocurrencies with 35 crypto-linked public companies. That product takes a wider ecosystem approach, while the new Pantera index narrows its selection around recurring protocol revenue and economic activity.
Institutional crypto benchmarks continue to expand
Other financial market operators have also introduced basket-based crypto products for professional investors. As crypto.news reported in June, CME Group launched Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures tied to eight major digital assets. The cash-settled contract gives investors a regulated way to gain or hedge exposure to several cryptocurrencies without holding each underlying token directly.
Meanwhile, S&P has continued work that connects established benchmarks with blockchain infrastructure. As crypto.news reported in April, S&P Dow Jones Indices and Kaiko announced plans to bring the iBoxx U.S. Treasury index onto the Canton Network. The project aims to support index-linked products through on-chain index data, licensing terms and access controls.
The S&P Pantera Digital Asset Index adds another model to this growing set of benchmark products. Rather than building the basket around market capitalization alone, it uses revenue and liquidity screens before assigning capped market-cap weights. Its 18-token composition and current top holdings place ETH, BNB, SOL, TRX and HYPE at the center of the benchmark at launch.
S&P says the index can act as a reference point for active managers and potential index-linked products. However, investors cannot invest directly in an index, and third parties would separately issue any investment products based on the benchmark. The index’s composition can also change at future rebalances as assets meet or fall outside its selection rules.
Kalshi spent $990,000 on federal lobbying in the first half of 2026, nearly matching its total for all of last year, as it races to counter the casino industry on Capitol Hill.
The prediction market operator and its gambling-sector rivals are both sharply raising spending. Kalshi’s direct lobbying alone nearly matches the American Gaming Association’s, signaling how hard each side is working to win over lawmakers.
The Prediction Market vs Gambling Lobbying Fight
Kalshi’s $990,000 closes in on the $1 million it spent across all of 2025. Including outside firms, its total nears $1.8 million, a record six-month figure disclosed in federal filings this week.
The company deploys seven lobbying firms, including its in-house team. It has hired former Biden and Obama administration officials to widen its reach. Kalshi also counts Donald Trump Jr. as a paid advisor.
Polymarket keeps a lighter presence. A single firm spent $180,000 on its behalf, pacing toward the $360,000 spent last year.
The gambling side is spending more, too. The American Gaming Association has committed $1.39 million in 2026, up 30% from the same period last year. The Cherokee Nation, which holds gaming interests, has spent $600,000.
Patrick McHenry, a former Republican congressman who now advises the Coalition for Prediction Markets, said the casino lobby has a structural head start.
“So much of the existing infrastructure of engagement on the Hill and at the states has been by the casino industry. The prediction markets are a new entrant into the policy debate in Washington, and are making great strides at communicating with lawmakers,” he said.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Why the Two Sides Are Clashing
At the center of the tension is the rise of prediction markets and their growing pull on retail users. As these venues gain popularity, they are drawing bettors away from traditional sportsbooks.
That shift explains the gambling sector’s resistance. Operators view sports-event contracts as direct competition that bypasses state and tribal gaming rules.
The tension escalated in June, when the gambling industry pressed the Senate to ban sports contracts in the crypto market structure bill.
Prediction markets have also faced concerns about insider trading. Recent incidents highlight the scale of the problem.
That activity has renewed scrutiny from lawmakers, many of whom have introduced bills to curb the practice. The platforms themselves have moved to counter the growing concern.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights
The post Prediction Markets and Casinos Are Both Betting Big on Washington appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong said Base's yearlong push into creator "content coins" failed, telling a critic on X Monday that the Coinbase-incubated network "pivoted early this year" away from the strategy. "They didn't work and we pivoted early this year. We messed up, time to turn the… Read the full story at The Defiant
Tesla (TSLA) reports second-quarter earnings today after US markets close. Investors already know how many cars it sold, so the real test is profit.
Wall Street expects a sharp jump in earnings per share from last quarter. Most of Tesla’s good news already came out weeks ago, though.
What Wall Street Expects
Analyst estimates cluster between $0.50 and $0.55 per share. That marks a solid jump from the $0.41 Tesla earned in the first quarter.
Revenue forecasts range from about $25.7 billion to $27.6 billion. That is up from $22.39 billion in the prior quarter.
Tesla’s earnings record has been uneven, though, it has missed some estimates in six of its last 10 quarters, according to Zacks Investment Research. Still, it beat those estimates by double digits over the last two quarters, with an average surprise of 5.48% over the last four.
Why the Delivery Numbers Won’t Move Much
Tesla already told investors it delivered 480,126 vehicles in the second quarter. That is a 25% jump from a year earlier and well above the roughly 406,000 vehicles analysts expected.
Energy storage deployments rose more than 40% from last year too. Because these figures came out weeks ago, much of that good news likely already sits in Tesla’s share price.
What Could Actually Swing the Stock
The number investors will watch closest is Tesla’s automotive profit margin, excluding regulatory credits. Tesla earns these credits by beating emissions rules, then sells them to automakers that fall short.
Estimates point to a possible dip to around 18.1%, down from 19.2% in the first quarter. Discounts and cheap financing offers could explain the drop.
Investors will also listen for updates on three things: Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi rollout, its Full Self-Driving software, and AI infrastructure spending. Analysts frame the stakes directly.
Tesla’s stronger automotive performance should improve near-term earnings and help finance its artificial intelligence investments, but Robotaxi, Full Self-Driving and Optimus remain the main drivers of the stock’s valuation, this according to analysts at Morgan Stanley and Barclays.
Tesla’s first-quarter earnings beat came alongside a $2 billion investment in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, a company that has seen a sharp share price slide of its own this year. The report also lands in the middle of a broader corporate earnings season, following strong results from major banks earlier this month.
The Bottom Line
Options markets are pricing a swing of roughly 6% to 8% in either direction once Tesla reports. A margin beat paired with a firm robotaxi timeline could support the stock. A vague update on autonomy, even with strong headline numbers, may not be enough to change the story.
The post Tesla Earnings Today: What to Expect as Investors Eye Profit Margins Over Deliveries appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Hut 8 Corp. (HUT) shares have swung between $44 and $133 in 2026, a peak-to-trough gain of about 200%, according to TradingView data.
The stock now trades near $108, up about 128% for the year, after Hut 8 signed a $9.8 billion, 15-year lease with an unnamed technology hyperscaler.
The AI Pivot
Speaking to CNBC, CEO Asher Genoot said the was proof that Hut 8’s pivot from Bitcoin mining to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is paying off for shareholders.
The new lease adds 704 megawatts of capacity to Beacon Point, Hut 8’s AI data center campus in Texas, and carries an implied $653 million in annual revenue. Genoot said Hut 8 had zero contracted AI revenue about a year ago.
He now counts roughly $27 billion in contracted AI revenue and about $1.75 billion in annualized earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).
What Happened to the Bitcoin Mining Business
Hut 8 was firstly known as a Bitcoin mining business, but the company technically no longer runs Bitcoin mining directly. In March 2025, it moved the business into American Bitcoin Corp. (ABTC), a separately traded subsidiary that Hut 8 majority owns and that Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. partly back.
Unlike Hut 8’s own AI pivot, ABTC has doubled down on mining, expanding its fleet capacity and its Bitcoin (BTC) reserve through 2026.
That bet has not paid off for ABTC’s backers. Its shares have fallen more than 76% in 2026, a drop that wiped out over $600 million from Eric Trump’s stake, echoing the pattern in American Bitcoin’s stock crash.
The AI Story, and the Pushback
Despite the successful pivot, Hut 8 has been under the microscope for its contribution to electricity prices. Genoot rejected a New York Times report that blamed data centers for $6.3 billion in added electricity bills across PJM Interconnection, the grid operator covering 13 states and Washington, D.C.
The report tied the increase to a capacity auction PJM held on June 30. “It’s not true,” Genoot said on air. He argued that most data center developers, including Hut 8, cover their own transmission upgrades and energy costs instead of passing them to ratepayers.
Independent analysts complicate that upbeat picture. A Seeking Alpha review of Hut 8’s first-quarter 2026 results found a $253 million net loss and negative margins in its digital infrastructure segment. The same analysis does not expect material AI revenue until the second quarter of 2027.
Hut 8’s stock chart and ABTC’s chart tell two very different stories right now. Whether Hut 8’s $27 billion in contracted AI revenue turns into real cash before ABTC’s mining bet recovers could decide which story wins out.
The post Hut 8 Stock Surges Up to 200% in 2026 as Bitcoin Mining Unit Struggles appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Blockchain security firms linked the collapse to a suspected attack on 42DAO, the decentralized organization that governs the Balance Protocol ecosystem.
The war against Iran has run up a heavy bill for the United States, now pegged at $37.5 billion.
The estimate, delivered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arrives as US strikes on Iran continue for an 11th straight night.
US Defence Secretary Puts Iran War Cost at $37.5 Billion
Hegseth presented the figure to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. He said the $37.5 billion covered certain aspects of the war plus anticipated costs through September 30.
Cost estimates have risen sharply since the conflict. Reuters reported in March that the administration valued the first six days of fighting at a minimum of $11.3 billion.
The latest $37.5 billion figure sits roughly $12 billion above the $25 billion estimate Hegseth gave in late April. He offered that number just before Trump brokered a temporary ceasefire with Iran.
The administration is also pressing for more money. In late June, it asked Congress for $87.6 billion in extra funding.
The New York Times reported that as much as $70 billion of that would go to emergency military spending. The funds would cover war costs and pay for new weapons and personnel.
The Pentagon wants $46 billion to expand munitions production. That includes precision bombs, hypersonic missiles, and counter-drone systems.
“This is a new request based on new realities of a world we face, stepping up to meet that moment,” Hegseth stated.
Ordinary Americans are absorbing costs too. Brown University’s Watson Institute estimates that higher gasoline and diesel prices have added $71.8 billion in consumer spending since the war began. That works out to about $548 per US household.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
US-Iran Ceasefire Proposal Lands as Strikes Hit 11th Night
Diplomacy has run in parallel with the fighting. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that mediators had handed Tehran a de-escalation proposal.
The plan floats a 10-day ceasefire. The pause would create room to revive an interim deal struck last month.
Those talks have not slowed the strikes. CENTCOM said it finished its 11th consecutive night of operations against Iran on Tuesday evening.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes hit military command centers, aircraft hangars, drone storage sites, and naval assets. The stated goal is to blunt threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights
The post How Much Has the Iran War Cost the US? Defence Secretary Puts a Number on It appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Aztec has launched the alpha version of its v5 execution layer, introducing a programmable privacy framework that allows Ethereum applications to process both public and private state within the same layer-2 environment.
Summary
- Aztec has released the alpha version of its v5 execution layer, bringing programmable privacy to Ethereum through zero knowledge powered smart contracts.
- The new architecture processes private computations on user devices while verifying transactions on chain without exposing sensitive data.
- Aztec said the execution layer supports confidential decentralized applications with features designed to reduce front running and MEV risks.
Aztec Labs announced the alpha release of its v5 execution layer, describing it as a step toward making privacy-native smart contracts practical on Ethereum.Â
The new architecture allows developers to build decentralized applications that combine confidential user data with public blockchain state while relying on zero-knowledge proofs to verify transactions without exposing sensitive information.
Unlike Ethereum’s base layer, where every validator processes and stores transaction inputs, outputs, and execution data to reach consensus, Aztec’s execution layer moves private computation to the user’s device. Instead of revealing transaction details to the network, the system generates cryptographic proofs locally before submitting them for verification on-chain, reducing the amount of visible transaction data while preserving Ethereum’s security guarantees.
Client-side execution changes how private transactions are processed
At the center of the release is a client-side zero-knowledge execution engine integrated with Noir, Aztec’s domain-specific programming language for private smart contracts. Rather than executing confidential transactions across every network node like the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the system performs private computations on user hardware before generating recursive Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge, or SNARKs.
Those proofs allow the network to verify that state changes are valid without exposing plaintext inputs, transaction values, or account identities. According to Aztec Labs, the model cuts unnecessary data disclosure while maintaining mathematical guarantees that transactions have been executed correctly.
The architecture also introduces a hybrid state model designed to overcome one of the biggest engineering challenges facing privacy-focused blockchains. Purely private execution environments often struggle when multiple users attempt to update the same public state at the same time, creating state contention that limits interaction with shared decentralized finance infrastructure.
To address that limitation, Aztec separates private and public state management. Private assets are stored in UTXO-like note trees, while public data is maintained through key-value trees. During execution, private functions can generate deferred public function calls that are processed later within the same transaction lifecycle, allowing confidential and public operations to work together without sacrificing deterministic execution or creating race conditions.
The execution model is intended to support applications that require confidential computation while still interacting with Ethereum’s public ecosystem, including shared liquidity pools and other decentralized finance protocols.
Privacy model targets decentralized finance and enterprise applications
Beyond transaction privacy, the execution layer introduces features that could reduce several long-standing issues in blockchain execution.
According to Aztec Labs, transaction details remain hidden before state commitment, making it significantly harder for external observers to reorder pending transactions or exploit visible transaction data through Maximal Extractable Value strategies.
The architecture also provides building blocks for applications such as confidential order matching, private liquidity provisioning, and selective compliance systems that disclose only required information through viewing keys instead of exposing complete user records.
Those capabilities build on Aztec’s long-standing focus on programmable privacy rather than simple anonymous token transfers.
Speaking to crypto.news in April 2025, Aztec Labs co-founder and CEO Zac Williamson said blockchain privacy should go beyond hiding wallet addresses.Â
He described user privacy, confidential transaction data, and private smart contract execution as the three pillars needed for practical on-chain privacy, calling them “the holy grail of blockchain privacy.”Â
Williamson also argued that privacy should not be treated as a separate segment of the industry, saying, “all crypto will be private” as programmable privacy becomes part of mainstream blockchain applications.
Discussing compliance, Williamson said privacy preserving systems should rely on selective disclosure instead of complete anonymity. He pointed to ZKPassport as an example, explaining that users can tap an NFC enabled passport to generate a zero knowledge proof and choose “what information you want to disclose,” whether it is nationality, age, or other identity attributes.Â
He said the technology is “permissionless, it’s privacy preserving, and it ensures strong compliance,” adding that such systems are “a lot more powerful” than existing privacy solutions because they combine privacy with programmable compliance.
That vision expanded further in May 2026 when Aztec Labs acquired ZKPassport while committing to keep the passport verification platform open source. The acquisition brought the privacy-focused identity infrastructure directly into Aztec’s ecosystem, allowing developers to combine programmable privacy with zero-knowledge identity verification across Ethereum-compatible networks.
The technology had already been tested on Aztec’s network to help reduce Sybil attacks by allowing participants to prove they were unique individuals without revealing their identities. It was also used during the AZTEC token sale to perform sanctions screening while keeping participant information private.
Alpha release follows security incidents involving legacy products
The execution layer arrives shortly after Aztec Labs dealt with security issues involving products that had already been retired.
Earlier this month, Aztec Labs disclosed that it was investigating a potential exploit involving a deprecated payments product launched in 2021 after roughly $2 million was transferred from an immutable smart contract. The company said the affected system had been discontinued in 2022 and operated without administrator keys, preventing the team from pausing or upgrading the contract.
Separately, another deprecated product, Aztec Connect, lost approximately $2.1 million after attackers exploited an old immutable RollupProcessorV3 contract. Aztec Labs said the incidents were unrelated to the active Aztec network.
The Aztec Foundation also stated that neither exploit had any connection to the current network or the AZTEC ERC-20 token, emphasizing that the affected contracts belonged to legacy infrastructure that had remained live on Ethereum after the products were sunset.
Record 7.4 million households struggle to afford essentials
Trump Urges Senate to Pass Clarity Act for Lindsey Graham
Max Fried injury: Yankees All-Star set to return in major boost to New York’s rotation
-
NewsBeat6 days agoLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan handed a peerage by Keir Starmer alongside 15 other Labour figures… just days before the PM leaves No10
-
Fashion4 days agoWeekend Open Thread – Corporette.com
-
Politics4 days agoThe House | The City of London can help the new chancellor deliver growth in every postcode
-
Politics7 days agoYoung campaigners urge incoming PM to act on outdoor junk food ads
-
Crypto World5 days agoTwo July Windows Left: The CLARITY Act’s Senate Fight and What Failure Means
-
Crypto World6 days agoCFTC blocks Kalshi from unwinding Michigan trades after court order
-
Crypto World4 days agoRipple Payments Joins MiCA With 14 Firms, Does It Mean Anything For XRP?
-
Business6 days agoNvidia Stock Slips After Big Tuesday Rally as Huang Confirms Vera Rubin Chip Is Now in Production Today
-
Politics3 days agoDemocrats look to World Cup watch parties to register thousands of voters
-
Entertainment6 days agoDisney’s Most Ambitious Failed Star Wars Attraction Is Coming to SDCC
-
Crypto World4 days agoRipple wins EU-wide access as ESMA adds it to MiCA register
-
Crypto World20 hours agoGrayscale Files For Worldcoin ETF, WLD Registers Sharp Rise
-
Crypto World5 days agoInjective Submits SEC Transfer-Agent Registration to Onchain Ownership Records
-
Business6 days agoPalantir Shares Rise After Expanded Nvidia Partnership and Fresh Analyst Upgrades Ahead of Earnings Day
-
Tech1 day agoSail Virtually Aboard The “Itanic” With IA-64 Emulator
-
Tech1 day agoTurtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: a nifty screen-equipped gaming keyboard
-
NewsBeat5 days agoRegistration is now open for March for Men with Kev 2026
-
NewsBeat2 days agoUnregistered fitter used Gas Safe logo on business flyers
-
Sports6 days agoNew Cornerback Enters Vikings Trade Rumor Mill
-
News Videos5 days agoMoney | Class 12 Economics | CBSE Board Exam 2026-27
You must be logged in to post a comment Login