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MARA pledges 18,750 BTC for $600M in new loans

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MARA pledges 18,750 BTC for $600M in new loans

MARA Holdings secured $600 million of new borrowing on Aug. 4 after pledging 18,750 BTC worth about $1.2 billion as initial collateral, according to its Aug. 6 quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Summary

  • 18,750 BTC worth about $1.2 billion initially secured MARA’s two new Bitcoin backed lending facilities.
  • Coinbase provided $300 million of new funding while refinancing MARA’s existing $150 million credit line.
  • Two Prime supplied $300 million at a fixed 7.65% rate, with maturity in August 2028.
  • MARA said loan proceeds may help finance cash consideration for its planned Long Ridge acquisition.
  • The pledged Bitcoin equals roughly 53% of MARA’s 35,577 BTC holdings reported at June end.

The financing came from Coinbase Credit and Two Prime Lending as MARA directs more capital toward energy assets, Bitcoin mining, artificial intelligence and high performance computing.

The loans were completed after the June quarter, when MARA reported holding 35,577 BTC with a fair value of about $2.1 billion. The pledged 18,750 BTC therefore equals roughly 53% of its reported quarter end Bitcoin holdings. MARA said it expects to use the proceeds” for general corporate purposes, including financing part of the cash consideration for its planned Long Ridge Energy & Power acquisition.

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MARA gets $600M while refinancing another $150M

Although the two facilities carry $750 million of combined principal, only $600 million represents new borrowing. Coinbase provided a $450 million facility consisting of $300 million in fresh funding and the refinancing of MARA’s existing $150 million Coinbase credit line. Two Prime separately provided a fully drawn $300 million term loan.

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Coinbase’s debt carries a floating rate equal to the midpoint of the federal funds target range plus 3.875%. The Federal Reserve maintained its target range at 3.50% to 3.75% on July 29, which puts the current rate on the Coinbase facility at about 7.5%. The loan matures on Aug. 4, 2028 and automatically extends for another year unless either party cancels the extension.

Meanwhile, Two Prime’s $300 million facility carries a fixed annual interest rate of 7.65% and matures on Aug. 3, 2028. At the currently applicable rates, the two loans would generate about $56.7 million in annual interest expense if the full principal remained outstanding for a year. That figure is calculated from the disclosed rates rather than provided as MARA guidance.

Bitcoin collateral adds liquidity and margin risk

The financing shows MARA using its Bitcoin reserves as a source of liquidity alongside outright BTC sales. At June 30, the company already had 4,528 BTC pledged as collateral and another 4,742 BTC loaned to third parties. During the first six months of 2026, MARA also sold about 23,093 BTC for $1.6 billion to fund operations, pursue growth opportunities and manage liquidity.

MARA ended the second quarter with 35,577 BTC, down 29% from 49,951 BTC a year earlier. The company reported quarterly revenue of $174.9 million and a $611.3 million net loss, while declining Bitcoin prices contributed to a $342.7 million fair value loss on its holdings.

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However, borrowing against Bitcoin also exposes the company to collateral requirements if BTC prices decline. MARA must maintain agreed collateral ratios under both lending arrangements. If the value of pledged assets falls below specified margin call limits, it must add collateral or take other permitted action to restore those ratios.

Failure to provide enough collateral would constitute an event of default and could allow Coinbase or Two Prime to liquidate pledged Bitcoin. The filing does not disclose the exact margin call thresholds, so public information does not show the Bitcoin price that would trigger additional collateral requirements.

Long Ridge connects the loans to MARA’s AI expansion

MARA has linked part of the new financing to its proposed acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power in Hannibal, Ohio. The company announced the transaction in April at an enterprise value of about $1.5 billion, including assumed debt. Long Ridge includes a power generation business and more than 1,600 acres that MARA plans to combine with its existing infrastructure at the site.

MARA says the property could support several workloads, including Bitcoin mining, power generation, AI infrastructure and high performance computing. Those plans remain forward looking. The company has not announced completed AI tenant contracts for the campus, although it said it had received interest from prospective customers.

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The Ohio deal is part of a wider infrastructure expansion. MARA agreed in July to acquire a powered site covering more than 1,200 acres in Matagorda County, Texas. The purchase price can reach $600 million through milestone based payments, while MARA says the site could eventually support up to 2 GW of capacity.

MARA has also been reshaping its balance sheet to finance that strategy. In related coverage, the company sold 20,880 BTC during the first quarter and used part of the proceeds to repurchase convertible debt. By June 30, MARA said total debt had fallen to about $2.4 billion from $3.6 billion at the end of 2025.

What happens next for MARA

The next major milestone is completion of the Long Ridge transaction. MARA’s SEC filing says the acquisition carries an enterprise value of approximately $1.5 billion, including up to roughly $900 million of assumed debt. The company has also obtained a Barclays commitment for a 364 day senior secured bridge facility of up to $785 million as backstop financing for part of that debt if needed.

Closing is not guaranteed. MARA disclosed that it could owe a $75 million termination fee if the acquisition is not completed by Nov. 30, 2026. That deadline can extend to June 30, 2027 if certain regulatory conditions remain unresolved.

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For now, the Coinbase and Two Prime loans give MARA $600 million of additional liquidity without requiring another immediate large Bitcoin sale or equity issuance. In return, a large portion of its Bitcoin treasury is now tied to lender collateral requirements. The balance between those financing benefits and the risk of lower BTC prices will remain a key factor as MARA moves toward the Long Ridge closing and continues building its U.S. energy and AI infrastructure portfolio.

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BIP-110 Chain Falls Behind as Hashpower Support Lags

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BIP-110 Chain Falls Behind as Hashpower Support Lags

Bitcoin’s BIP-110-enforcing branch stalled at block 961,633 on Sunday after producing only two blocks, while the non-enforcing chain advanced to 961,721, widening the gap to 88 blocks. 

According to the BIP-110 monitor, updated at 10:19 am UTC, the branch’s latest block had been mined about 12 hours earlier. Ocean records show that a pseudonymous mining group called Roughnecks produced the branch’s first two blocks using Ocean’s Decentralized Alternative Templates for Universal Mining (DATUM) mining protocol. 

The divergence began after BIP-110 entered mandatory signaling at block 961,632 on Saturday. Only 51 of the preceding 2,016 blocks, or 2.53%, signaled support. During this window, BIP-110 nodes reject blocks that do not signal through version bit 4, while ordinary Bitcoin nodes accept both signaling and non-signaling blocks. 

Under the proposal, mandatory signaling continues through block 963,647. The enforcing branch must mine through the remainder of the 2,016-block adjustment period before its difficulty can adjust, making progress slow without substantially more hashpower.

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BIP-110 has faced opposition from prominent Bitcoin advocates. Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor said he shared the proposal’s objectives but argued that its approach threatened Bitcoin’s neutral rules and consensus. 

Blockstream CEO Adam Back warned that the consensus-level change could damage Bitcoin’s credibility and potentially make certain unspent transaction outputs unspendable. 

Related: Bitcoin nodes running BIP-110 crosses 2% as spam wars heat up

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

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5 Best Payment Platforms for Global Businesses in 2026

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A company with staff in four or five countries and customers in over twenty has a payments problem its bank was never built to solve. It can be messy, with factors like wire transfers clearing in several days, or maybe the correspondent bank taking a cut at every hop.

Or a contractor in Buenos Aires, Singapore, or Lagos often waiting much longer for payment (often more than the work itself took). Stablecoins do provide an advantage by changing some of those routes, but they are not necessarily perfect.

That’s why this guide covers some of the best payment platforms a business can sign up for today, what each charges, where each can send money, and who regulates it.

We looked at published pricing, regulatory standing, the currencies and countries each platform reaches, and whether a business can verify any of it without booking a sales call. That last test separated the field more than expected. Several established names publish nothing beyond a contact form, and we have marked every case where that is true.

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Best Payment Platforms for Global Businesses: A Quick Rundown

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Name Features Rating
Performa
Performa
Sponsored
  • Payroll & OTC in one platform
  • Bulk CSV payouts
  • Self-custodial option
  • Global off-ramp to 140+ countries

4.8/5
BVNK
BVNK
Best Enterprise Infrastructure
  • Over $30B annual volume
  • 40+ global regulatory licenses
  • Backed by Mastercard
  • Custom enterprise terms

4.7/5
NOWPayments
NOWPayments
Best Low Fees & Broad Coverage
  • 300+ crypto assets supported
  • Low 0.5% mono-currency fee
  • Optional pooled custody
  • Mass payouts up to 1,000 txs

4.6/5
BitPay
BitPay
Best Transparent Pricing
  • Published 1-2% fee schedule
  • Daily fiat bank settlements
  • Active since 2011 (NMLS Licensed)
  • Split fiat/crypto options

4.5/5
Revolut Business
Revolut Business
Best Business Bank
  • 220+ tokens inside banking app
  • Fully licensed bank
  • Published legal fee schedule
  • Multi-currency balances

4.5/5

The five, and the job each one is for, quickly summarized:

    1. Performa, for crypto payouts and OTC conversion
    2. BVNK, for enterprise stablecoin infrastructure
    3. NOWPayments, for low-cost acceptance and mass payouts
  1. BitPay, for merchants who want a published fee schedule
  2. Request Finance, for crypto invoicing and payroll

Performa: Best for Crypto Payroll and OTC Conversion

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Performa

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Rating:

4.8/5
  • Simplified bulk contractor payments
  • Converts crypto-fiat via vetted OTC partners
  • Built-in compliance and KYB checks
  • Both custodial and self-custodial wallets supported
  • Features undergoing tiered rollouts
  • Waitlist restrictions apply for some tools

Performa runs payment infrastructure for companies that hold digital assets and need to move them in both directions.

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The platform allows businesses to accept payments through links and invoices, send bulk payouts from a CSV file, convert between crypto and fiat through vetted OTC partners, and monitor the wallets from one treasury dashboard.

With payroll, a finance team can just upload a contractor list and settle it in a single run, which strips out the per-transfer bank charges that make small international payments uneconomic.

Onboarding runs in two tiers, with simplified verification allowing the opening of a basic account, while the full KYB lifts the limits and offers more benefits. Moreover, custodial and self-custodial wallets are both supported, so a company that wants to hold its own keys can.

Performa Fees and Coverage

In a nutshell:

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  • Assets: more than 50 cryptocurrencies, including USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL, TRX and BNB
  • Published rate: 0.1% on Smart FX auto-conversion, the only fee disclosed publicly
  • Everything else: quoted per account, with custom terms for high-volume clients
  • Company-stated reach: payouts to more than 170 countries, local withdrawals in more than 140
  • Verification: KYB required to lift account limits

Pros and Cons of Performa

Pros:

  • Payroll, acceptance, OTC and treasury monitoring in one account
  • Non-custodial option, uncommon among payout platforms
  • CSV bulk payouts suit contractor-heavy teams
  • Built-in compliance, with KYB and AML checks
  • Global off-ramp

Cons:

  • The platform is going through tiered public rollouts, so it has some waitlist restrictions for its features

BVNK: Best Enterprise Stablecoin Infrastructure

Rating:

4.7/5
  • Unmatched regulatory footprint across UK/EU/US
  • Supports major marketplaces & payroll providers
  • Fast fiat conversion & API access
  • Mastercard ownership ensures balance-sheet stability
  • No self-serve signup available
  • Pricing is not publicly disclosed
  • Virtual accounts require a financial license
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BVNK is a London-based company that accepts stablecoins, holds balances, converts to fiat, and also offers an API.

It moves around $30 billion a year across more than 200 markets. Mastercard even bought it earlier in 2026, in a $1.5 billion deal, plus up to $300 million tied to performance milestones, and it completed on August 3, ahead of the December timetable set at signing.

It was one of the largest stablecoin acquisitions on record. Coinbase had been in talks at around $2 billion some months before.

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Its regulatory footprint runs deeper than anything else, with more than 40 licenses and registrations across the UK, the EU and the US, including an electronic money institution authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority.

BVNK Fees and Coverage

Enterprise terms throughout, with one significant restriction:

  • Pricing: not published, quoted per client
  • Scale: around $30B a year moved across 200+ markets
  • Regulatory: 40-plus licenses, UK and Malta EMIs, EU CASP registrations, US money transmitter licenses
  • Products: stablecoin acceptance, payouts, wallets, virtual accounts, embedded flows
  • Virtual accounts: available only to customers that are themselves licensed financial services providers
  • Ownership: Mastercard, acquisition completed 3 August 2026

Pros and Cons of BVNK

Pros:

  • Regulatory coverage: no other platform here comes close to matching
  • Built for volume, with payroll providers and marketplaces among its clients
  • Mastercard ownership brings settlement reach and balance-sheet certainty

Cons:

  • No published pricing and no self-serve signup
  • Virtual accounts require you to hold a financial license yourself, which excludes most businesses

NOWPayments: Best for Low Fees and Broad Asset Coverage

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Rating:

4.6/5
  • Accepts high-risk business sectors
  • Processed $10B since 2019
  • Non-custodial direct wallet settlement
  • Easy one-time deposit addresses
  • Three separate network fees per payment
  • No published payment license or regulator
  • FX conversion doubles service fee to 1%

NOWPayments is a crypto payment gateway launched by ChangeNOW in 2019. It accepts more than 300 cryptocurrencies and 75 fiat currencies, and settles them to a wallet the merchant controls.

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Payments route through a one-time deposit address, convert if the merchant wants a different asset, and pay out automatically to the merchant’s own wallet. An optional Custody product pools funds inside the platform instead, so a merchant withdraws once rather than paying a network fee on every payment.

Mass payouts run up to 1,000 transactions at a time, which covers contractor payroll alongside refunds and affiliate payments.

The service fee is 0.5% on a mono-currency payment, where the customer sends and the merchant receives the same coin. It rises to 1% when the payment converts between coins, and sits at 1% when a fixed exchange rate or the fee-paid-by-user option is switched on.

Network fees sit on top of that. The company’s own documentation counts three of them per payment: one paid by the customer, two taken from the deposit.

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NOWPayments Fees and Coverage

In a nutshell:

  • Service fee: 0.5% mono-currency, 1% multi-currency, 1% with fixed rate or fee-paid-by-user
  • Network fees: three per payment, flat amounts set by the blockchain
  • Assets: 300+ cryptocurrencies and 75+ fiat currencies, including USDT, USDC, DAI, PYUSD and FDUSD
  • Mass payouts: up to 1,000 transactions in a single batch
  • Company-stated volume: $10 billion processed since 2019, 30 million transactions a month

Pros and Cons of NOWPayments

Pros:

  • 0.5% on mono-currency payments, among the lowest published service fees in the sector
  • Funds settle to a wallet the merchant controls, with pooled custody available as an option
  • Accepts business types most processors refuse, including iGaming, casinos and adult platforms

Cons

  • Three network fees per payment put the real cost above the 0.5% headline
  • The site publishes an AML and KYC policy but names no payments license or regulator
  • Converting between coins, or fixing the rate, doubles the service fee to 1%

BitPay: Best for Transparent Merchant Pricing

Rating:

4.5/5
  • NYDFS virtual currency license
  • Predictable volume-tiered pricing
  • Converts to 7 major fiat currencies
  • Supports major coins like BTC, ETH, USDC
  • 2% baseline fee is high for small merchants
  • Limited to 7 fiat settlement currencies
  • Lacks payroll and treasury features

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BitPay has processed crypto payments since 2011, and is one of the largest payment service providers and digital wallet applications. New York’s Department of Financial Services licenses BitPay for virtual currency business activity under NMLS ID 1496848.

The supported asset list is broad, covering BTC, BCH, ETH, XRP, LTC, DOGE, USDC, DAI and EURC among others. Fiat settlement is narrower, at seven currencies including the US dollar, the euro and the British pound.

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Moreover, a merchant can take fiat, crypto, or a split of the two, with fiat arriving daily in a bank account. They usually pay 2% plus 25 cents below $500,000, 1.5% plus 25 cents between $500,000 and $999,999, and 1% plus 25 cents from $1 million upward.

BitPay Fees and Coverage

In a nutshell again:

  • Processing: 2% + 25c below $500K, 1.5% + 25c to $999K, 1% + 25c from $1M
  • Settlement: daily, in fiat, crypto, or a combination
  • Fiat currencies: seven, including the US dollar, the euro and the British pound
  • Licensing: NYDFS virtual currency license, NMLS ID 1496848
  • No monthly fee and no stated minimum

Pros and Cons of BitPay

Pros:

  • A published fee schedule, which makes the cost possible to budget
  • Volume tiers reward growth without a renegotiation
  • Fourteen years of operating history behind a US state license

Cons:

  • 2% is expensive for a small merchant besides stablecoin-native rails
  • Seven fiat settlement currencies constrain a genuinely global business
  • Weighted toward accepting payments, with little for payroll or treasury

Revolut Business: Best Business Account With Crypto Exposure

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Rating:

4.5/5
  • Regulated deposit protection for business
  • Buy, hold, and sell 220+ crypto assets
  • Cold storage treasury protection
  • Clear subscription plan limits
  • Cannot send or receive crypto directly
  • Bars funds originating from crypto trading
  • High exchange markups beyond plan caps

Revolut is the largest payment processor in Europe, allowing multi-currency balances, local account details, cards, expenses, bulk payments and API access, across markets including the UK, the US, the EEA, Singapore, Australia and the UAE.

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Crypto sits beside all of that as an investable asset. A business can buy, hold and sell more than 220 tokens inside the Business app, with the majority of funds in cold storage and permissions governing which team members can trade.

Read the boundary carefully, because it defines what Revolut is for. The company states that a business “can’t receive cryptocurrencies from other accounts” and “can’t send cryptocurrencies from your Revolut Business account”.

Funds that originated in crypto dealing or trading are barred from the account under its terms. The crypto here is treasury exposure, and the payments still travel on bank rails.

Revolut Business Fees and Coverage

Published in a legal fee schedule, which few platforms here manage:

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UK plans: Basic £10 a month, Grow £35 or £360 a year, Scale £125 or £1,080 a year, Enterprise custom

  • Crypto: 220+ tokens to buy, hold and sell, with no external send or receive
  • Custody: majority of funds in cold storage, and no individual wallet for the business
  • Banking: Revolut Bank UK Ltd, PRA-authorised, Financial Services Register number 981170
  • EU crypto services run through a CySEC-licensed CASP entity under MiCA

Pros and Cons of Revolut Business

Pros:

  • A fully licensed bank since March 2026, carrying deposit protection no crypto platform here offers
  • Plan fees, allowances and limits published in the terms rather than quoted on a call
  • Crypto exposure and everyday business banking behind one login

Cons:

  • Crypto cannot be sent or received, which rules it out as a payment rail
  • The terms bar funds originating in crypto dealing or trading, excluding many crypto businesses outright
  • Currency exchange allowances are capped per plan, with conversions above them charged a markup

How to Choose a Payment Platform for a Global Business

Let’s try to quickly summarize what you need from the get go:

Step 1: Choose a provider based on what you need: collecting payments, making payouts, holding balances, and currency conversion. Few providers excel at all four.

Step 2: Look beyond the advertised fees: Include transaction, payout, subscription, and FX costs, and compare the exchange rate to the mid-market rate, as FX spreads are often the biggest hidden expense.

Step 3: Check how recipients are paid: Confirm they can receive local currency in a local bank account if needed, and whether bank transfers or stablecoin payouts are the better option for your markets.

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Step 4: Ask about settlement times in real-world conditions, including weekends, holidays, and compliance reviews (not just the best-case scenario).

Step 5: Verify the provider’s regulatory status. Registration, licensing, and banking offer different levels of oversight and protection, so confirm what applies and request the licence number.

Step 6: Finally, make sure your business is supported. It might sound obvious, but many providers restrict crypto-related activities, so check the terms before integrating.

Risks and What to Watch

Many factors to watch out when considering using a payment platform, including but not limited to:

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Stablecoin issuer risk

Because a dollar in USDC is a claim on Circle’s reserves, a dollar in USDT is a claim on Tether’s, and neither one is a bank deposit with insurance behind it.

Concentration

Which compounds the risks. Two issuers dominate business stablecoin flows, so trouble at either would reach every platform in this guide except (except the ones that don’t accept stablecoins like Wise).

Self custody

Another important aspect is custody

Find out whether the platform holds your keys or you do… and what happens to your balance if the company fails.

Crypto payments do not reverse: That shields a merchant from chargeback fraud while leaving a buyer without recourse, which shapes the kind of business that can sensibly accept them.

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Regulation: Licensing regimes for digital asset payments differ sharply between Singapore, the EU and the US, and a platform available in one market this year may not be in another next year.

FAQ

What Is the Cheapest Way to Pay Contractors Abroad?

It depends on the destination. For SEPA and other well-served corridors, a mid-market-rate transfer through Wise usually costs less than a stablecoin payout once conversion at both ends is counted.

For markets with slow banking or restricted dollar access, a USDC or USDT payout is normally cheaper and lands far faster.

Does a Global Business Need a Crypto Payment Platform?

Only where crypto solves a problem it has. A company whose customers pay by card and whose staff sit in well-banked countries gains very little. A company paying contributors across fifteen countries, or one whose customers want to settle in stablecoins, gains a great deal.

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How Are Stablecoin Payouts Treated for Accounting?

As payments in property in most jurisdictions, which means a transaction can create a gain or loss between receipt and spending. This is why platforms producing audit-grade records, Request Finance among them, matter more than their feature lists suggest. Take local advice before running payroll this way.

What Happens if a Stablecoin Loses Its Peg Mid-Payment?

The recipient ends up with less value than the sender intended. Platforms that settle merchants in fiat, absorb that risk in exchange for their fee. Platforms paying out in stablecoins pass it to the recipient, which is why the contract should say who carries it.

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The post 5 Best Payment Platforms for Global Businesses in 2026 appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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Texas Has 5 New Rules for Data Centers as AI Backlash Grows

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Texas Has 5 New Rules for Data Centers as AI Backlash Grows

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has outlined five key disclosures data centers must reveal to connect to the state grid.

The move comes amid growing public backlash over the rapid expansion of data centers, with state officials seeking greater transparency into how much electricity and water these facilities will require.

What Abbott Wants Data Centers to Disclose

This month, Abbott ordered a pause on data center approvals. The governor directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to audit all data centers advancing through ERCOT’s interconnection process. Any center that fails state requirements will be denied a grid connection.

The requirements focus on five areas: public funding, power use, water consumption, community impact, and ownership. Companies must reveal any taxpayer-funded incentives they receive. 

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They must detail projected power demand and on-site generation plans. They must also identify water sources, reuse methods, and community measures such as noise and traffic controls.

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The scale is large. ERCOT is weighing more than 474 gigawatts of connection requests, over five times the state’s record peak demand. Data centers make up roughly 90% of those requests.

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“Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid. Simply put, Texans must come first,” Abbott said.

New York’s Freeze Signals a Wider Backlash

Texas is not alone. New York enacted the first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers in July. 

The pushback is spreading across the country. About a dozen states have proposed data center bans, according to CNN.

Public opposition is also rising. A recent Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans oppose having a data center built in their local area. Separately, a Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 57% would oppose a data center being built in their community.

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Brazil Weighs 24-Hour Crypto Transfer Hold to Curb Fraud

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Crypto Breaking News

Brazil’s central bank has approved new rules that require virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to temporarily freeze certain crypto transfers before sending funds to foreign platforms or self-custody wallets. The precautionary hold is designed to give firms time to review suspected fraud and suspected illicit behavior.

According to a note published by the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) on Friday, the requirement takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027 and will apply to transfers where the amount received by a customer exceeds $10,000, either as a single transaction or based on the customer’s total activity in a day. In addition to that threshold, VASPs must also place holds on other transfers flagged for enhanced scrutiny under their risk-management systems.

Key takeaways

  • Brazil’s BCB will require VASPs to implement precautionary holds of up to 24 hours on certain outbound virtual asset transfers.
  • The initial trigger is $10,000 in value received, measured per transaction or aggregated across daily customer activity.
  • Holds also cover transfers marked for review under a provider’s existing risk-management policies.
  • VASPs must inform customers about holds and maintain records of fraud incidents and remediation steps.
  • Japan’s earlier anti-scam measures exist, but they are non-binding—a key difference from Brazil’s approach.

How the 24-hour hold will work

Under the BCB’s framework, VASPs must apply precautionary holds to certain transfers once the underlying conditions are met. The central bank’s statement specifies that the rules cover funds received above $10,000, either in a single transaction or through the accumulation of transactions over the course of a day.

The BCB also requires providers to place holds on additional transfers that need further evaluation under their own risk policies. In other words, the $10,000 threshold is not the only gate: the central bank expects VASPs to treat certain flagged activity more cautiously, even if the threshold is not the only factor.

Providers will be allowed to complete their assessment and release a transfer before the 24-hour window ends, as long as they follow parameters set out by the BCB. That gives firms flexibility in cases where they can quickly clear the transfer after review.

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Operational duties for VASPs

The BCB’s note makes clear that the hold mechanism comes with compliance obligations. VASPs must:

  • Notify customers when a transfer is subject to a hold.
  • Keep records of fraud incidents, attempted fraud, and the corrective actions taken in response.

These requirements matter for users and firms alike because they effectively formalize what providers must do when suspicious cross-border activity is detected. For traders and businesses relying on fast settlement, the policy introduces a potential delay on outbound transfers routed to foreign venues or self-custody addresses when the relevant conditions apply.

Why this is being tightened now

The central bank’s move reflects a broader shift among regulators as they confront scams that leverage the speed and global reach of digital assets. Crypto transfers can settle quickly across borders, which can help legitimate users—but it also creates opportunities for criminals to move funds before counterparties can intervene.

Brazil’s rules are part of a larger international pattern where regulators seek to slow down or add friction at key stages of the transfer process, particularly when money is leaving regulated custody environments for higher-risk destinations such as self-custody wallets.

That context is especially important for investors and service providers: while blockchain activity is transparent, reversing losses is often difficult. Measures like precautionary holds aim to reduce the chance that funds are sent to the wrong addresses in the first place.

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Comparisons: Japan’s withdrawal delays and Europe’s scam warnings

Brazil’s action follows similar anti-scam developments elsewhere. In Japan, the Financial Services Agency and the National Police Agency asked crypto exchanges to restrict withdrawals after customers deposit fiat or buy digital assets. As reported earlier by Cointelegraph, Japanese authorities urged exchanges to implement controls such as requiring customers to preregister withdrawal addresses and applying a waiting period before newly added addresses can be used.

Other safeguards discussed in Japan include customer-specific withdrawal limits, stronger monitoring, phishing-resistant multifactor authentication, and checks intended to confirm that a bank remitter’s name matches the crypto account holder.

However, the Japanese measures are not binding. Exchanges can decide how to implement protections based on their own operations and exposure to misuse, which stands in contrast to Brazil’s regulatory timing and threshold-based structure.

In Europe, regulators have also highlighted risks tied to impersonation and fraud. Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted warnings about criminals impersonating watchdogs and crypto firms, including instances involving fake websites and the misuse of identity and logos in falsified documents. While those reports focus more on deception surrounding licensed providers, they point to the same underlying issue: scammers adapt quickly to user demand, especially when people are looking for regulated access points.

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What to watch next

With Brazil’s hold rules scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2027, VASPs will likely adjust transfer flows, customer communications, and fraud-review processes well before the effective date. Users sending large transfers to foreign services or self-custody wallets should watch how providers interpret the $10,000 trigger and what criteria they use to classify additional transfers as “requiring further scrutiny.”

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

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Can Crypto Advance Without the CLARITY Act? Grayscale Says Yes

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US CPI Data is Critical for Bitcoin and Gold This Week

Grayscale Head of Research says the crypto industry can keep moving forward even if the CLARITY Act, the bill that would set US rules for digital asset markets, fails to pass this year.

Zach Pandl said full passage looks unlikely in 2026, given the crowded Senate calendar and election-year politics.

Crypto Ran 17 Years Before the CLARITY Act 

Pandl noted that digital assets operated for roughly 17 years without comprehensive US market structure rules. Progress, he said, can continue through regulators rather than Congress.

“CLARITY not passing won’t have an immediate impact on the functioning of major blockchains, the demand for Bitcoin as a store of value, or on the growth of stablecoin payments,” he said.

He expects the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators to fill gaps through rulemaking, particularly around tokenized securities. He pointed to the regulators interpretative guidance on the application of Federal securities laws to crypto assets, calling it a “big step forward for the industry.”

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Pandl also credited the Trump-era policy for aiding the sector. He cited new institutional custody rules, improved access to banking, clearer staking policies, and growth in crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs).

“Crypto will move forward without CLARITY, supported by expected rulemaking by the SEC and other regulators,” Pandl added.

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Grayscale Warns Activity Could Move Abroad

Nonetheless, without clear rules at home, the executive cautioned that a growing share of new investment and developer activity could drift to overseas markets. He framed the delay as a missed opportunity rather than a crisis for domestic crypto markets.

“The lack of comprehensive market structure legislation could hold back new investment activity in the United States,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on the motion to proceed, setting up a floor vote after lawmakers return on September 15. 

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Even so, the bill still lacks the support to advance, and analysts have flagged several Senate roadblocks that could sink a possible September vote.

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The post Can Crypto Advance Without the CLARITY Act? Grayscale Says Yes appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Ethereum Price Risk: Fewer Coins to Sell and More Dollars in Position

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Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance.

Ethereum (ETH) is tightening from several directions at once, with coins leaving exchanges, staking absorbing supply, and stablecoin liquidity rotating onto its rails. Yet, the price sits still near $1,900.

The setup has drawn attention from onchain analysts. The read points to a market quietly repositioning, while the chart shows little.

Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto Markets

Supply Squeeze Building Beneath a Flat Ethereum Price Chart

Ethereum balances held on exchanges have fallen through 2026. CryptoQuant data shows aggregate exchange reserves down to 15.12 million ETH, from 16.86 million in January.

That marks a decline of roughly 1.74 million ETH, close to 10% of the balances available to sell.

Ethereum Exchange Reserves
Ethereum Exchange Reserves. Source: CryptoQuant

At the same time, large-holder movement, measured through top-10 inflow and outflow volumes, is running below recent averages.

Staking has climbed above 34% of the circulating supply. In addition, validator exit queue sits near zero. Thus, holders are choosing to keep it staked rather than sell.

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Exchange-traded funds are removing supply as well. Spot ETH funds drew about $482 million over the four weeks to August 7, with the final week alone adding roughly $245 million. Cumulative net inflows now sit near $11.46 billion, according to SoSo Value data.

New smart contract deployments have also risen sharply. The result is a widening gap between shrinking available supply and expanding onchain usage.

Independent data reinforces the picture. Analyst Tanaka noted weekly transaction activity above 20 million, near historical highs. 

An analyst noted that similar conditions, where exchange liquidity thins as network activity builds, have led to sharper price moves in the past once demand picks a direction.  He cautioned that the pattern provides no timing signal on its own.

Where the Dollars Are Moving

The liquidity side tells a parallel story. CryptoOnchain highlighted that over the past 14 days, total stablecoin netflows to Binance averaged around $87 million per day, but the composition shifted sharply.

Tether (USDT) on Tron (TRX) has drained fast. Binance’s Tron-based USDT reserves fell from about $1.4 billion to $709 million in roughly two weeks.

Ethereum-based stablecoins moved the other way. USDT on Ethereum saw weekly netflows rise 210%, while USD Coin (USDC) inflows climbed 114% over the same period.

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The signal is not capital leaving the market. It is capital choosing which network to sit on, with market makers favoring deeper liquidity on Ethereum.

“Large holders and market makers may be shifting collateral away from Tron and toward Ethereum, potentially reflecting a preference for deeper DeFi liquidity, broader Ethereum-based market infrastructure, or positioning ahead of Ethereum-centric volatility,” the post read.

The Trigger Has Not Fired

ETF inflows have been steady in the past few weeks, yet they have not moved the price. That points to offsetting supply reaching the market, or to conviction too thin to force a breakout.

At the same time, spot buying on US venues remains weak. The Coinbase Premium Index, which tracks US spot strength relative to offshore venues, has held negative since early May and sits near -0.069. 

Ethereum Coinbase Premium Index.
Ethereum Coinbase Premium Index. Source: CryptoQuant

Meanwhile, analyst Michaël van de Poppe described the price picture as unchanged, with ETH stuck between $1,800 and $2,000 and volatility near multi-year lows. A clean break above $2,000, he suggested, could open a stronger move.

Whether that break comes depends on demand firming, which the data does not yet show. The setup can also persist, as a tighter supply alone does not force a move.

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The post Ethereum Price Risk: Fewer Coins to Sell and More Dollars in Position appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Brazil sets 24-hour hold on $10,000 crypto transfers

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Brazil’s central bank has ordered virtual asset service providers to hold certain crypto transfers for up to 24 hours from Jan. 1, 2027, adding a new anti-fraud layer to the country’s expanding digital asset rulebook. 

Summary

  • Brazil will require 24-hour holds on qualifying crypto transfers above $10,000 beginning January 1, 2027.
  • Transfers to overseas crypto providers and self-custody wallets fall within the central bank’s new safeguards.
  • Providers may release transfers early after completing risk reviews under parameters established by Brazil’s regulator.
  • Virtual asset providers must notify customers and maintain records covering fraud attempts and corrective actions.
  • Brazil’s latest rule follows broader 2026 measures covering licensing capital audits and cross-border crypto activity.

Banco Central do Brasil published Resolution BCB No. 584 on Aug. 7, covering transfers above $10,000 destined for foreign crypto providers or self-custody wallets.

The threshold applies either to one transaction or a customer’s combined transactions during the same day. Smaller transfers can also face additional review when a provider’s risk policies identify reasons for closer scrutiny. The central bank said the measure responds to growing use of virtual assets, including stablecoins, to move proceeds from financial fraud quickly, sometimes beyond Brazil or into wallets controlled directly by users.

Brazil crypto transfers will face new checks

Under the central bank’s new anti fraud rules, a covered provider must retain the assets for 24 hours before proceeding with qualifying transfers. However, the measure is precautionary rather than a permanent freeze. A provider can complete its risk review and release the transfer before the full period ends when the conditions established by the regulator are met.

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Providers must also tell customers when a transfer is being held. In addition, institutions must maintain records of fraud incidents, attempted fraud and the corrective measures taken. These requirements extend Brazil’s existing payment fraud controls to virtual asset services and give providers more time to review transactions that could otherwise settle rapidly.

The 24-hour hold joins a wider 2027 crypto rulebook

The transfer rule is one part of a broader regulatory expansion. In July, the BCB classified virtual asset service providers under its prudential framework and said they would begin following capital, risk management and disclosure requirements from Jan. 1, 2027. They must also enter the more demanding Segment 4 supervisory category by June 30, 2028, regardless of size.

In related coverage of Brazil’s capital rules, the framework builds on earlier licensing, customer asset segregation and compliance requirements. Separately, as previously reported, the central bank has restricted the use of virtual assets to settle payments inside regulated cross-border electronic foreign exchange channels.

The tighter oversight also follows fresh scrutiny of Brazil’s stablecoin market. The International Monetary Fund’s July Financial System Stability Assessment found that Brazilian crypto activity, particularly involving U.S. dollar pegged stablecoins, has grown rapidly since 2017. It said cross-border crypto flows have been rising faster than traditional capital flows and nominal GDP.

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What happens before the January 2027 deadline

Crypto providers now have less than five months to adapt transaction monitoring, customer notification and record keeping systems before Resolution 584 takes effect. Firms will also need processes capable of calculating the $10,000 threshold across multiple transactions made by the same customer during a single day.

Meanwhile, the Jan. 1 deadline will bring several regulatory changes into force at once. Besides the new transfer controls, providers will begin operating under additional prudential requirements covering capital and risk management. The overlap means Brazil is moving beyond basic crypto licensing toward ongoing supervision of how regulated providers manage assets, transfers and financial risks.

For customers, the new rule does not create a general 24-hour delay on every crypto withdrawal. It targets qualifying transfers to overseas providers and self-custody wallets, along with other transactions selected for additional risk assessment. Providers may also release reviewed transactions early, making the eventual waiting time dependent on the circumstances of each transfer.

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Dario Amodei Claude AI Predicts the Next Chapter for Bitcoin in 2026

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Dario Amodei Claude AI Predicts the Next Chapter for Bitcoin in 2026

Only 1.32 million coins remain unmined, while another 4 million sit permanently lost. Claude Fable 5 AI predicts that the shrinking float becomes the story of H2, and the price prediction runs to $150,000 by December from $64,600 today.

The catalyst list is unusually long. CLARITY Act regulatory clarity leads it, with the GENIUS Act stablecoin framework close behind.

Fed rate cuts factor heavily, including a widely expected dovish shift once Powell’s term ends in May. ETF holdings pushing past 1.5 million BTC add persistent demand.

Source: Claude AI Bitcoin Price Prediction

Corporate treasury accumulation continues in the background. A BTC-backed lending market analysts expect to cross $100B this year sits alongside it.

The post-halving cycle historical pattern rounds it out. Safe-haven demand in macro stress is the final entry.

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The other side is more sobering. June 2026 delivered the worst monthly ETF outflow on record at roughly $4B.

Bitcoin finished H1 down nearly 33% while tech stocks rallied. Claude Fable 5 reads that as a crypto-specific unwind rather than broad risk-off.

The market now sits pinned in a tight $63,900 to $65,000 band. If the FOMC decision disappoints and outflows continue, the bear case sees BTC breaking support and sliding toward $45,000.

Bitcoin (BTC)
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Bitcoin Price Prediction: Fewer Coins, More Buyers, And One Meeting That Decides Everything

The daily chart covers a full round trip. Bitcoin ran from $75,000 last April to a peak near $126,000 in October. November began the unwind. Price fell to roughly $80,000 by December before a brief recovery attempt.

February broke it decisively, carving it down from $90,000 to $60,000. Spring rebuilt toward $82,000 by May. June erased that entirely and returned Bitcoin to $58,000. Since then, the structure has been a tight base with slightly higher lows.

The close reads $64,809, up 0.86% and $553 on the session. The daily range spanned $64,103 to $64,910. Support sits at $63,900 first, then $60,000 and $58,000. Resistance stacks at $68,000, $72,000, and $76,000.

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RSI reads 54.15 against a signal line at 49.64. That gap of roughly 4.5 points leans mildly bullish without conviction. Both lines hover near the middle of the range. Momentum has flattened into indecision.

Claude Fable 5 frames the entire range as a coiled spring. The FOMC outcome is what determines which of those two targets the chart starts moving toward.

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Everyone’s Got a Predicts Even Claude AI, Yours Can Carry a Price And Make You Money.

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Reading the chart is free. Backing the call costs something, which is exactly why the odds on Kalshi tend to move before the headlines do.

It’s a CFTC-regulated exchange for event contracts: the Fed, inflation, crypto price levels, resolved against a defined source. Being right on a slow timeline still loses if the contract expires first, so mind the dates.

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The post Dario Amodei Claude AI Predicts the Next Chapter for Bitcoin in 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Viral Altcoin Skyrockets 50% as BTC Slips Further From $65K: Weekend Watch

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Bitcoin’s dull price action continues over the weekend, as the asset has barely moved from the $65,000 range, currently trading inches below that line.

Most larger-cap alts have remained sideways as well, but BNB has been able to reclaim the $600 psychological mark, while SOL and ZEC are up by just over 2%.

BTC Slips Below $65K

The business week began on the wrong foot for the primary cryptocurrency. The asset had recovered some ground during the previous weekend after Trump canceled the then-planned attacks against Iran, and sat close to $64,000. However, it was quickly rejected on Monday morning and slipped to $62,200.

Nevertheless, the bulls were quick to intercept the move and helped bitcoin rebound to $64,000 by Tuesday morning. The next few days saw some gradual price increases from BTC, which was able to tap $65,000. Although it was stopped there, after the CLARITY Act faced another setback in the US Senate, the weak jobs report that came on Friday resulted in a minor rally that drove the asset to $65,400.

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Bitcoin couldn’t continue climbing and retreated to $65,000, where it spent the entire Saturday. It has remained sideways on Sunday as well, currently trading a few hundred dollars below that level.

Its market capitalization remains at around $1.3 trillion, while its dominance over the alts is above 57% on CG.

BTCUSD Aug 9. Source: TradingView
BTCUSD Aug 9. Source: TradingView

BEAT Rockets Again

Today belongs to the undisputed leader in terms of gains – Audiera’s BEAT. The highly volatile token has skyrocketed by 50% in the past 24 hours and tapped $3.30 minutes ago. PUMP and CC follow suit, with increases of 8-10%, while CRO has erased some of yesterday’s losses and has neared $0.05 again.

Solana has reclaimed the $76 level after a 2% increase, while ZEC is close to $220 after a near-3% jump. BNB is above $600 now, while XRP, HYPE, DOGE, and RAIN have marked minor losses. ETH still stands above $1,900.

The cumulative market cap of all crypto assets has slipped by around $25 billion and is down to $2.275 trillion on CG.

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Cryptocurrency Market Overview August 9. Source: QuantifyCrypto
Cryptocurrency Market Overview August 9. Source: QuantifyCrypto

The post Viral Altcoin Skyrockets 50% as BTC Slips Further From $65K: Weekend Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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The Death Toll of a Mass Shooting Doesn’t End at the Scene

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The Death Toll of a Mass Shooting Doesn’t End at the Scene

The result was sobering. On the day after the 10 mass shootings with the most fatalities, traffic deaths rose by an average of 14.3%, about 20 additional deaths nationwide. Put another way, the extra deaths on the road equaled roughly 75% of the number of people killed in the shootings themselves.

Any surprising result invites an obvious question: Could it be a coincidence? To find out, we repeated the analysis 10,000 times, substituting fake, random dates for the dates of mass shootings. A spike as large as the one we observed arose only once in 10,000 iterations, making it clear that our findings were highly unlikely to have occurred by chance. The increase held across nearly every kind of driver, region, and weather condition, and it persisted even in states far from the shooting, which argues against local explanations like road closures or emergency response. And when we examined active-shooter incidents with no fatalities—events that drew much less public attention—we observed no rise in traffic deaths.

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