Crypto World
Trump pocketed more than $1 billion from crypto ties as industry headed toward slump
The same section also noted Trump holding up to $250,000 in USD, up to $15,000 in the USDC stablecoin, more than $50 million in Ethereum’s ether (ETH), more than $50 million in bitcoin and a combined $6 million and change in various other cryptocurrencies under DT Marks Defi LLC, the Trump Organization-affiliated entity that has the stake in World Liberty.
The president also disclosed a number of other crypto crypto holdings through CIC Digital LLC, a Trump Organization affiliated entity that is one of the two main owners of the president’s memecoin business, including:
- more than $50 million in bitcoin
- $25 million in Ethereum’s ether (ETH)
- $25 million in USDC
- an equity stake in Coreweave, the bitcoin miner that shifted toward AI
- another stake in a “stablecoin holdco” held under DT Marks SC LLC., a business that generated $8 million in revenue last year, tied to an investment from Abu Dhabi Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan
White House spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the disclosures. Wealth disclosed on government financial reports can be difficult to assess, because they include wide ranges of valuation.
Vice President James David Vance disclosed holding somewhere between $100,000 and $500,000 worth of Bitcoin through a Coinbase account in his own annual disclosure.
Crypto World
Ethereum Just Had Its Best Month in a Year: Can ETH Keep Rallying in August?
The summer is not the most exciting period in the cryptocurrency markets, and the past month or so proved it. Nevertheless, Ethereum managed to become one of the few (re)rising stars, surging by roughly 20% and reaching a local peak.
History suggests that August has been quite the controversial month for the largest altcoin, and we will explore that data to try to see what could be hiding around the corner in the next 30ish days.
ETH Saw Big July Gains
The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap had a violent end to 2025 and a similarly painful start to 2026. Its troubles began after the all-time high marked in August last year, when it was rejected and marked six consecutive monthly closures in the red. The most painful were November (-22.38%), January (-17.52%), and February (-19.81%).
A minor relief rally followed in March and April with gains of around 7% each. However, the bears returned in May with an 11% drop, while June was extremely bearish for the entire market and ETH dumped by 21.7%. As such, the expectations for July were high for a rebound. Historically, it hasn’t been Ethereum’s best month, but all that were in the green saw double-digit gains.
July 2026 didn’t disappoint. The altcoin rebounded from the early slumber when it dipped toward $1,500 and rocketed to $1,980 at one point. Although it was rejected there, it ended the month at around $1,900, which meant a solid surge of approximately 20%. This performance dwarfed BTC’s monthly gains, as the market leader jumped by a more modest 9%.
What’s Next in August?
Although there are some warning signs about ETH’s short-term price future, August has delivered some major gains throughout the years. Obviously, the 2017 edition stands out when the token skyrocketed by nearly 93%. 2020 brought a respectable 25.32% surge, followed by another 35.62% pump in 2021. The gains in August 2025 were also double digits, and ETH managed to break its previous ATH record during that month.
The opposite side of the coin is that the other six Augusts since 2016 have been in the red. The most painful examples that stand out were during the 2018 bear market when ETH slumped by almost 35%, another 21.31% leg down a year later, and the 2024 drop of 22.21%.

The post Ethereum Just Had Its Best Month in a Year: Can ETH Keep Rallying in August? appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
BNB Chain pursues legal action after ex-employee’s memecoin launch

BNB Chain said a former employee allegedly used a company tutorial wallet to create a memecoin that the company says it did not authorize or endorse.
Crypto World
Trump Media Moves 2,628 BTC to Crypto.com, Wallet Drops to 4,261
Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company behind the Truth Social platform, has continued trimming its Bitcoin exposure, according to on-chain tracking shared by Lookonchain. The latest activity adds to a months-long pattern of sales that have significantly reduced the company’s reported BTC balance.
In transfers identified by Lookonchain using Arkham data, Trump Media-linked wallets sent 2,628 BTC to Crypto.com. The move is reported to be worth roughly $165 million, extending a selling cycle that began about seven months ago.
Key takeaways
- Trump Media-linked wallets reportedly transferred 2,628 BTC (about $165M) to Crypto.com, per Lookonchain’s analysis of Arkham data.
- Lookonchain estimates Trump Media has sold a total of 7,281 BTC over the past seven months, worth roughly $545M.
- Arkham wallet data cited by Lookonchain shows remaining holdings of 4,261 BTC, worth about $269.8M at the time of reporting.
- Current scrutiny is taking place alongside broader legislative debate over the CLARITY Act, which has drawn attention for its ethics provisions around digital asset activity.
New Crypto.com transfers cut into remaining Bitcoin
Lookonchain reported that Trump Media has executed another batch of Bitcoin sales via transfers to Crypto.com. The analysis attributes the transactions to Trump Media-linked wallets and cites Arkham’s wallet and transaction information.
In this most recent set of moves, Arkham data referenced by Lookonchain points to two transfers: one for 2,429 BTC and another for 198.9 BTC.
Taken together, Lookonchain said these transfers total 2,628 BTC, valued at about $165 million based on the prevailing price assumptions used in its reporting. This latest reduction follows earlier transfers to Crypto.com reported on May 22, when the company-linked wallets moved a combined 2,650 BTC, worth roughly $205 million.
Seven-month selling spree shrinks reported holdings
Lookonchain frames the most recent transfer as the continuation of a broader liquidation strategy. The tracker said Trump Media purchased 11,542 BTC at an average price of $118,522 before beginning to sell portions of its holdings around seven months ago.
Based on the same dataset, Lookonchain estimates cumulative sales of 7,281 BTC over that period, worth approximately $545 million. The analysis also calculates an average selling price of $74,855 per BTC for those transactions.
After the latest outflows, Arkham data referenced in the report indicates Trump Media’s remaining Bitcoin holdings stand at 4,261 BTC, valued at about $269.8 million at the time of publication. That implies the company’s reported BTC balance has fallen by roughly 63% compared with the initial purchase total cited by Lookonchain.
Why the timing matters amid ethics and ownership debates
Beyond the on-chain mechanics, the sales arrive as lawmakers debate the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, a proposal that has attracted scrutiny for its approach to ethics rules and the question of whether officials’ digital asset activity could create conflicts of interest.
Critics have pointed to a range of Trump-linked crypto initiatives discussed in the broader public policy debate, including memecoins such as Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania (MELANIA), as well as World Liberty Financial’s governance token WLFI and a USD1 stablecoin. The controversy centers on the overlap between political influence and private crypto holdings or products.
Recent CLARITY Act discussions, as described in coverage referenced by Cointelegraph, have focused on tightening ethics provisions—particularly rules governing when officials could issue or sponsor digital assets. However, as the source notes, the legislation remains under consideration and does not mandate that companies sell existing holdings.
That distinction is important for investors and compliance watchers: even if a law ultimately changes future behavior for officials or connected entities, it may not retroactively affect the ability of companies to keep, liquidate, or otherwise manage already-held crypto.
What to watch next for Trump Media-linked wallets
For market participants, the key signal in this story is not simply that Bitcoin is being sold, but how steadily it is being done and through which counterparties—here, Crypto.com—based on wallet and transaction clustering reported through Arkham data by Lookonchain.
Readers should watch for whether additional transfers continue to appear from the same Trump Media-linked wallet set, and whether the remaining 4,261 BTC balance changes further. At the same time, political and regulatory attention around the CLARITY Act suggests that disclosure, governance, and ethics standards for digital asset participation may remain a live topic even if near-term changes do not compel immediate sales.
Crypto World
XRP Price Prediction: Japan Just Made It Insanely Easy to Get Free XRP with a Credit Card
Japan just handed XRP holders a mainstream on-ramp that many Western markets still cannot match, and it’s bullish for Ripple’s price prediction. However, the pullback tells only part of the story. Tokyo’s latest crypto move could matter more than today’s price action.
Effective July 31, 2026, SBI VC Trade and Orient Corporation launched a first-of-its-kind integration. Orico credit card holders can now convert Orico Points into BTC, ETH, or XRP through the VCTRADE platform. The redemption rate is 1,200 Orico Points for ¥1,000 worth of crypto.
Meanwhile, Orico cards earn points at a 1.0% base rate, rising to 2.0% for new cardholders during their first six months. It marks the first time crypto has become a redemption option within the Orico Points program. The launch expands SBI’s push to connect traditional finance with digital assets.
A loyalty program that turns everyday spending into XRP exposure helps normalize the token for millions of Japanese consumers. That could gradually narrow the gap between retail interest and actual blockchain activity. While price remains volatile, easier access often supports adoption over the long run.
Discover: The Best Token Presales
XRP Price Prediction: Break $2 Again as Japan Adoption Accelerates?
XRP trades near $1.05 after a volatile week, leaving bulls stuck inside another familiar range. Recent weakness reflects cautious market sentiment more than XRP-specific selling. Meanwhile, relatively light volume suggests consolidation instead of heavy distribution.
Support now sits between $1.00 and $1.02, where buyers have repeatedly defended the price. A daily close below $1.00 would weaken the current structure and increase downside risk. Meanwhile, resistance stands between $1.08 and $1.10, where recent recovery attempts have faded.
Over the next two days, XRP is likely to trade between $1.00 and $1.10 unless a fresh catalyst shifts sentiment. A move above $1.10 could open the door to $1.15. However, losing the $1.00 support may trigger another test of the $0.95 region.
Longer term, bullish forecasts above $2.00 still depend on sustained institutional adoption. Japan’s new loyalty to the crypto initiative could strengthen that case over time. Still, investors will likely wait for meaningful user activity before pricing in a lasting breakout.
Trade XRP on Bybit and Get a Chance to Win Our $1,000 USDT Airdrop
Bitcoin Hyper Targets Early Mover Upside as XRP Tests Key Levels
XRP at today’s price is a legitimate hold for exposure to Japan’s institutional adoption story, but the upside math at this market cap requires a multi-month timeline and macro prediction. Traders looking for asymmetric early-stage returns are increasingly eyeing infrastructure plays that haven’t yet priced in their ceiling.
Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is positioning itself as exactly that kind of infrastructure bet. The project is the first-ever Bitcoin Layer 2 with Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) integration, meaning smart contract execution at sub-Solana latency speeds, built on Bitcoin’s security layer. That’s a genuinely different value proposition from anything currently live on-chain.
The presale has raised $32.9 million at a current price of $0.0136839, with staking already live for participants. The combination of a hard technical USP, a nine-figure fundraise still in presale, and BTC’s institutional tailwinds makes $HYPER worth putting on the research list.
Discover: The Best Crypto to Diversify Your Portfolio
The post XRP Price Prediction: Japan Just Made It Insanely Easy to Get Free XRP with a Credit Card appeared first on Cryptonews.
Crypto World
Ripple Lawsuit Architect Takes Over as US Director of National Intelligence
Jay Clayton becomes America’s top intelligence official on Monday. He is the same man who, as SEC chairman, sued Ripple for $1.3 billion.
Bill Pulte announced the handover on Saturday. He has held the DNI job on an acting basis since June.
What Jay Clayton’s DNI Move Means for Ripple
Clayton ran the SEC until December 2020. On his final full day, the agency sued Ripple.
The complaint named two executives as well. It said Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen sold about $600 million of XRP themselves.
Judge Analisa Torres gave each side part of what it wanted. Only Ripple’s sales to large institutions broke the law.
She fined the company $125,035,150. She also ordered it not to repeat those sales.
Both sides gave up their appeals on August 7, 2025. That ended the four-year case, and the fine stood.
Now Clayton leaves finance behind for good. His new job has no power over the SEC, crypto rules, or XRP.
That answers the question BeInCrypto asked at his June DNI nomination. XRP barely moved. It traded near $1.08 on Sunday, up 1.9% on the day.
The token is still down 64% over the past year.
Pulte Returns Full Time to Housing Finance
Pulte held two big jobs at once for about seven weeks. He ran the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). He also stayed in charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
However, Pulte spent much of that time cutting staff.
Hours before the Senate confirmed Clayton 51-47, Pulte announced a fifth round of firings on X (Twitter). He called it an “approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago.”
He did not say how many people lost their jobs, Nextgov reported.
In his farewell message, Pulte treated the shrinking as the point of his stint.
“I am eternally grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to serve as Director of National Intelligence, while he completed historic declassifications and we right sized the ODNI,” said Pulte, acting Director of National Intelligence.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
The cuts began before him. Tulsi Gabbard planned to shrink ODNI staff by 40% and its budget by $700 million before she resigned in June.
Congressional aides told the Washington Post that roughly 200 staff left or moved after June 1.
Clayton may not carry on. He told senators he wants a “fairly lean” office, but agreed to look again at some cuts.
“There needs to be a place of oversight, a place to resolve conflict. I look at it as a ‘board of directors’ role,” Clayton said in the hearing.
For crypto readers, Pulte is the name that matters more. He told Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to count crypto in mortgage assessments in June 2025.
In March he went further and let crypto reserves back mortgages. From Monday, housing is his only job again.
The post Ripple Lawsuit Architect Takes Over as US Director of National Intelligence appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Trump Media Cuts Another 2,628 BTC; Wallet Drops to 4,261 BTC
Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent of Truth Social, has continued to reduce its reported Bitcoin exposure with another batch of transfers to exchange infrastructure. According to Lookonchain, the company sold 2,628 BTC—valued at roughly $165 million at the time of the transfers—via movements to Crypto.com, based on blockchain data compiled from Arkham.
The latest activity adds to a broader pattern of selling observed over the past seven months, shrinking the company’s reported holdings and feeding into ongoing political scrutiny of Trump-linked crypto projects and the ethics questions surrounding digital asset ownership.
Key takeaways
- Trump Media-linked wallets transferred 2,628 BTC (about $165 million) to Crypto.com, according to Lookonchain’s analysis using Arkham data.
- Over the past seven months, reported Bitcoin sales total 7,281 BTC (about $545 million), per Lookonchain.
- Arkham wallet data shows remaining holdings of 4,261 BTC (worth about $269.8 million at the time of reporting).
- Recent transfers include an Arkham-documented transaction for 2,429 BTC and another for 198.9 BTC moving to Crypto.com.
- The selling comes amid congressional discussion of the CLARITY Act, which targets ethics and digital asset rules but does not compel companies to liquidate existing holdings.
Another Crypto.com-linked transfer reduces reported BTC
In a Sunday post on X, Lookonchain said Trump Media sold 2,628 BTC through transfers to Crypto.com. The analysis was based on on-chain visibility attributed to Trump Media-linked entities, with Arkham used as the data layer for identifying the wallet activity.
Lookonchain further reported that Trump Media had purchased 11,542 BTC at an average price of $118,522 before starting to sell portions of its holdings about seven months prior to the latest transactions.
How much Bitcoin has been sold—and what remains
Lookonchain’s tally places total reported sales over the same seven-month window at 7,281 BTC, valued around $545 million, with an average selling price of $74,855 per BTC based on its methodology.
Arkham’s wallet figures cited by the analysis indicate that Trump Media’s remaining Bitcoin holdings were 4,261 BTC at the time of publication, worth approximately $269.8 million.
The most recent movements to Crypto.com, according to Arkham wallet data referenced in the report, included two notable transfers: one transaction of 2,429 BTC and another of 198.9 BTC. These transfers follow earlier activity that Lookonchain linked to the same selling program, including two movements recorded on May 22 totaling 2,650 BTC (worth about $205 million at the time).
Why repeated selling matters for investors watching disclosures
For market participants, the practical significance of these transactions is less about the immediate price impact of any single sale and more about consistency, transparency, and how quickly a large holder can reduce exposure. When a corporate-linked balance sheet shows continued liquidation of a major volatile asset like Bitcoin, investors often interpret it as a shift in treasury strategy, liquidity planning, or a risk-management decision.
Just as importantly, the reported activity draws attention to how on-chain transfers by identifiable entities can affect expectations around future flows. If more transfers to exchange-linked addresses continue, traders may look for repeated liquidity events that can complicate execution for both spot and derivatives participants—particularly if the market perceives the sales as part of a longer unwinding rather than one-off diversification.
CLARITY Act debate keeps ethics questions in focus
Beyond the on-chain movements, the latest Bitcoin sales land at a time when lawmakers are weighing the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act. In the broader debate, attention has turned to ethics provisions, conflicts of interest, and how public officials should handle relationships with digital asset issuers and related ventures.
Critics have pointed to a cluster of Trump-linked crypto interests discussed in policy circles, including the Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania (MELANIA) memecoins, as well as World Liberty Financial’s WLFI governance token and USD1 stablecoin. The issue raised by opponents is the overlap between political influence and private crypto holdings—particularly where governance or issuance incentives could be perceived as benefiting affiliated interests.
While current CLARITY Act discussions have focused on tightening ethics rules—such as restrictions on officials issuing or sponsoring digital assets—the legislation remains under consideration and, according to the report’s framing, does not require companies to sell existing crypto holdings.
That distinction is likely to matter in how the market interprets these developments. Even if policymakers move toward stricter disclosure or conflict-of-interest standards, treasury actions already in motion—like the sell-through described by Lookonchain and supported by Arkham wallet data—may continue on a timetable driven by corporate liquidity decisions rather than by immediate regulatory requirements.
What to watch next
Readers should watch for whether additional exchange-linked transfers continue from the same Trump Media-linked wallets and whether lawmakers’ CLARITY Act deliberations progress in a way that clarifies disclosure and ethics obligations for officials and affiliated entities. Until then, the main signal remains the on-chain pattern: reported Bitcoin balances appear to be shrinking in measured batches, supported by repeated wallet movements documented through Arkham and aggregated by Lookonchain.
Crypto World
Michael Saylor Shuts Down Viral $5 Billion MicroStrategy Bitcoin Sale Claims
Michael Saylor says the $5 billion Bitcoin sale story that tore across X (Twitter) this weekend was never news at all. Every dollar of it, he says, was made public a month ago.
The claim spread fast. MicroStrategy (now Strategy) had just won approval to sell up to $5 billion in Bitcoin (BTC), the posts said. Saylor called it old news in a new wrapper.
Where the $5 Billion Number Came From
MicroStrategy announced a new capital plan on June 29, 2026. Inside it sits a BTC Monetization Program. The program lets the company sell Bitcoin. It never makes it.
The plan set four spending limits.
- $1.25 billion to rebuild its cash reserve
- $1 billion to buy back preferred shares
- $1 billion to buy back common stock
- About $1.76 billion a year in dividend and interest bills
Add them up and you get $5.01 billion. That is the viral number. It went public five weeks ago.
Why did the cash reserve need rebuilding? It had shrunk to $871 million by May 25. MicroStrategy had just spent $1.38 billion of cash clearing debt.
BeInCrypto covered the shift toward active management when the plan landed.
The Never Sell Rule That Never Existed
So why did anyone think MicroStrategy would never sell?
Because Saylor said so. He posted “Never sell your Bitcoin” in February 2025. Followers treated the line as law.
The company had already moved on. Chief Executive Phong Le said on May 26 that selling Bitcoin was part of the toolkit. He said investors heard it on the first quarter earnings call.
That was five weeks before June 29. MicroStrategy’s first sale since 2022 came days later, to cover a dividend.
Saylor now separates his own advice from company policy.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
We have never had a “never sell” policy. The program does not require any BTC sale, and we expect to remain a net buyer of Bitcoin over time.
Watcher Guru, the account behind the viral post, has since deleted it.
What the Numbers Actually Show
Timing is the whole fight. MicroStrategy reported an $8.22 billion loss on July 30. Almost all of it was on paper. Bitcoin fell, so the value of its stack fell too.
Calling a June decision a reaction to a July loss gets the order backwards.
The trading says plenty. MicroStrategy bought 85,296 Bitcoin between April and June. It sold 1,395. That is 61 bought for every one sold. The stack still grew 11% to 846,000 BTC.
Sales this year hit $218.4 million by July 26. All of it paid dividends. That is 0.4% of a stack worth $54.8 billion.
Selling is picking up, though. Roughly $135 million of that came in July alone. That beats the whole second quarter. MicroStrategy has also paused its Bitcoin purchases for five weeks.
Bitcoin traded near $63,378 on Sunday, about half its October record. Staying a net buyer now rests on cheap money, not belief.
The post Michael Saylor Shuts Down Viral $5 Billion MicroStrategy Bitcoin Sale Claims appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Crypto PAC spending tops $2M in Michigan House race
A crypto industry-aligned political action committee has pushed its spending above $2 million in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, according to final-week Federal Election Commission disclosures.
Summary
- Protect Progress spending surpassed $2 million backing Thanedar and opposing McKinney before Tuesday’s primary vote.
- $884,240 in new advertisements supported Thanedar, while more than $150,000 targeted McKinney with opposition messaging.
- August 4 voters will decide the Democratic nominee after over one million Michiganders voted early.
Protect Progress is supporting Democratic incumbent Shri Thanedar and opposing challenger Donavan McKinney before the Aug. 4 primary.
Protect Progress is affiliated with the Fairshake network, which has received major funding from companies including Coinbase and Ripple. The latest filings added $884,240 in media supporting Thanedar and more than $150,000 in spending against McKinney. The additions effectively doubled the amount reported about a week earlier.
Crypto PAC spending tops $2M before Michigan vote
Protect Progress is registered with the FEC as an active independent expenditure-only committee, commonly called a super PAC. Its spending supports or opposes candidates but does not represent money transferred directly to their campaigns. The latest expenditure notices are available through the committee’s official FEC filings.
The committee’s processed FEC summary may not immediately show every last-minute purchase. The agency states that its independent expenditure table excludes separate 24-hour and 48-hour notices, which committees use to disclose spending close to an election. One of the latest Michigan notices was filed through this FEC disclosure.
The scale is notable beside the candidates’ own finances. McKinney’s campaign reported $1.23 million in total disbursements through July 15. Protect Progress’s outside spending has exceeded that amount, although the figures cover different reporting periods and forms of political activity.
Thanedar’s crypto votes drew industry support
Thanedar voted for the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act and the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in the House. In an official statement, he described the measures as steps toward clearer rules, consumer safeguards and wider financial access, while acknowledging that the bills were “not perfect.”
The House-approved CLARITY Act remains under consideration in the Senate. Protect Progress has not stated in its FEC notices that any specific vote caused its spending decision. However, the committee generally supports candidates viewed as favorable toward digital asset legislation.
As previously reported, Protect Progress had disclosed more than $986,000 in Michigan spending by July 23. The latest filings pushed the total above $2 million during the final two weeks of the primary.
McKinney makes the spending a campaign issue
McKinney has used the outside funding to criticize Thanedar’s crypto policy record. In a July 21 statement, he alleged that “the crypto lobby is paying my opponent back” for votes that benefited President Donald Trump’s digital asset interests.
That statement represents a campaign allegation. FEC records confirm that Protect Progress paid for independent advertisements, but they do not establish McKinney’s claimed motive or demonstrate coordination with Thanedar’s campaign. Federal rules require super PAC expenditures to remain independent of supported candidates.
The Michigan spending forms part of a broader national strategy by Fairshake and its affiliates. Public Citizen estimated that crypto companies had supplied about $189 million during the 2026 election cycle, with Fairshake-linked groups accounting for more than $82 million in expenditures. Those totals represent the watchdog’s analysis rather than an FEC finding that every dollar came from one industry source.
Aug. 4 result will test the spending strategy
Michigan voters will choose the Democratic nominee on Tuesday, Aug. 4. More than 1.03 million residents had voted by the morning of July 31, according to the Michigan Department of State. Statewide early voting continued through Aug. 2, with some jurisdictions offering voting on Aug. 3. Completed absentee ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on election day.
The result will offer a near-term test of whether Protect Progress’s final advertising surge helped Thanedar. However, it will not prove that PAC spending alone determined the outcome because turnout, candidate organizations and local concerns also shape congressional elections.
Additional FEC notices or amendments may appear after voting ends. The official canvass will confirm the nominee, while later campaign-finance reports should provide a fuller account of the committee’s total Michigan spending. No verified crypto market reaction has been tied to the race.
Crypto World
Trump Media Moves Bitcoin as Holdings Fall to 4,261 BTC
Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, has made another major move involving its Bitcoin holdings, extending a series of recent sales.
The company sold 2,628 Bitcoin (BTC) worth about $165 million through transfers to Crypto.com, blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain said in a Sunday X post, citing data from Arkham.
Lookonchain said Trump Media bought 11,542 BTC at an average price of $118,522 before beginning to sell portions of its holdings seven months ago.
The Bitcoin sales come as Trump-linked crypto ventures face broader scrutiny, with lawmakers debating the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act and questions around ethics and digital asset ownership.
Trump Media’s Bitcoin holdings shrink 63%
The latest transfers bring Trump Media’s total reported Bitcoin sales over the past seven months to 7,281 BTC, worth about $545 million, according to Lookonchain’s analysis, which calculated an average selling price of $74,855 per BTC.
According to Arkham, the company’s remaining Bitcoin holdings stood at 4,261 BTC at publishing time, worth $269.8 million.

Source: Arkham
Arkham’s wallet data showed two recent transfers from Trump Media-linked wallets to Crypto.com, including one transaction of 2,429 BTC and another of 198.9 BTC.
The latest transfers follow two earlier Bitcoin movements to Crypto.com recorded on May 22, when Trump Media-linked wallets transferred a combined 2,650 BTC worth about $205 million.
Trump-linked crypto interests face ethics scrutiny
The Bitcoin sales come as lawmakers debate the CLARITY Act, which has drawn scrutiny over ethics rules, digital asset ownership and potential conflicts of interest involving public officials, including concerns raised by critics about US President Donald Trump’s crypto ventures.
Critics have pointed to Trump-linked crypto ventures, including the Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania (MELANIA) memecoins, as well as World Liberty Financial’s WLFI governance token and USD1 stablecoin, in discussions over the overlap between political influence and private crypto interests.
Related: Senator Schumer proposes agency to address corruption, including Trump’s crypto ventures
Recent CLARITY Act discussions have focused on tightening ethics provisions, including rules around officials issuing or sponsoring digital assets, but the legislation remains under consideration and does not require companies to sell existing crypto holdings.
Magazine: Here’s why the CLARITY Act’s ethics deal may be so hard to reach
Crypto World
$676 Million Reached Binance From an Iran-Linked Exchange Dubai Had Already Fined
At least $676 million in crypto moved from an unlicensed Dubai exchange onto Binance since May 2024, Reuters reported. Investigators say the exchange, Shelbit, sits at the center of an Iranian sanctions evasion network.
About $540 million of that moved after Dubai regulators cracked down on Shelbit in January 2025. Binance says it cannot match that number.
The Warning That Changed Nothing
Rich Sanders is an independent blockchain researcher who tracks Iran. He said he warned Binance about Shelbit in October 2025.
The money kept coming. Funds moved from Shelbit to Binance after that warning, the data reviewed by Reuters shows.
Binance did not say what it did about the warning. It said Shelbit never held an account and has never been sanctioned.
“When users associated with Shelbit interacted with our platform, our compliance program operated as it should have: it investigated, froze the relevant accounts, and reported them to law enforcement,” Reuters reported, citing Binance.
The exchange also said an outside analytics firm did not flag the flows as risky. It did not name the firm.
That defense meets an awkward record. Binance pleaded guilty in November 2023 to breaking US money-laundering and sanctions laws. It paid $4.3 billion, one of the largest corporate penalties in US history.
Prosecutors found something specific. Binance had let more than $898 million in trades pass between US and Iranian users. Those trades ran from January 2018 to May 2022.
The deal came with conditions. Binance had to hire an independent compliance monitor for three years.
Shelbit started up about six months into that term. Its cooperation with US investigators has since become a point of dispute.
Watches, an Empty Office and $4 Billion
Shelbit has no website. There is no visible way for the public to trade on it.
Its listed Dubai address sits behind a locked door. The sign reads “Velorix Watches Trading LLC.” That firm belongs to Shelbit’s founder, Siavash Kayvanpour.
A Reuters reporter visited the three-room office in early July. Inside were 13 battered watches, a cash-counting machine and three staff. None had heard of Kayvanpour. The watches were not for sale.
Investigators still traced at least $4 billion through Shelbit since May 2024. Roughly $125 million came straight from Iran’s central bank.
Shelbit also dealt with wallets Israel links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Another counterparty was Nobitex, Iran’s biggest exchange.
Washington sanctioned Nobitex in June, using the legal power reserved for terrorist financiers. Treasury said Nobitex handled over half of Iran’s crypto inflows in 2025. It also helped regime insiders reach global exchanges.
Shelbit is accused of the same job, from outside Iran.
Where the Money Starts
The cash begins with gambling. Shelbit’s biggest customers were more than 2,000 Farsi-language betting sites.
Reuters mapped that network with cybersecurity firm Infoblox. Gambling is illegal in Iran and carries prison and lashes. The law was updated in 2023 to cover online betting.
The sites still plug into Iran’s domestic payment system. Iran’s central bank controls that system.
“When it comes to gambling, the IRGC learned the Islamic Republic’s most lucrative lesson early: declare something illegal, then control both the prohibition and the black market,” the report read, citing Miad Maleki, former associate director at the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Dubai has now acted. A July 24 notice from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) cites the UAE’s anti-money-laundering and terrorism-financing law. It says Shelbit threatens the integrity of the country’s financial system.
The regulator has moved this way before. It ordered KuCoin to halt operations in March.
What Nobody Has Proven
One big question stays open. Reuters could not establish who inside Iran controlled Shelbit.
It also could not say where most of the crypto ended up. Blockchain records showed the route. They did not show the driver.
Pressure is building anyway. Washington already pushed Binance over Iran in May. OFAC listings this year have triggered stablecoin freezes within hours. Treasury says it is taking the Shelbit claims seriously.
Binance did not immediately respond to BeInCrypto’s request for comment.
The post $676 Million Reached Binance From an Iran-Linked Exchange Dubai Had Already Fined appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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