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ZEC surges 4%, targets new weekly high

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ZEC surges 4%, targets new weekly high

Key takeaways

  • Zcash (ZEC) climbed more than 4% after developers announced progress toward proving its new privacy system is free from undetectable counterfeiting vulnerabilities.
  • Project Tachyon is close to completing a mathematical verification of Zcash’s upcoming Ironwood shielded pool.

Zcash’s native token ZEC surged more than 4% on Wednesday after developers announced they are close to mathematically proving that the network’s next-generation privacy system is free from a critical class of counterfeiting vulnerabilities.

The announcement restored investor confidence following last month’s disclosure of a security flaw in Zcash’s existing shielded transaction system, helping the privacy-focused cryptocurrency reclaim the $500 level for the first time since early June.

Project Tachyon nears verification of Ironwood Shielded Pool

The latest update comes from Project Tachyon, the team leading the formal verification of Zcash’s upcoming Ironwood shielded pool, which is set to replace the current Orchard privacy pool.

According to the developers, they are close to producing a mathematical proof confirming that Ironwood does not contain undetectable counterfeiting bugs.

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Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox said the project is “on the verge” of completing a formal proof demonstrating that the latest generation of Zcash shielded pools is secure against this class of vulnerability.

If successful, the verification would provide stronger security guarantees for one of the network’s core privacy features.

Investor confidence was shaken last month after developers disclosed a critical vulnerability affecting Zcash’s Orchard shielded pool.

The flaw could have theoretically allowed an attacker to create counterfeit ZEC within the privacy pool without detection.

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Although developers quickly patched the issue and said they found no evidence that the vulnerability had ever been exploited, Zcash’s privacy architecture made it impossible to cryptographically prove that no counterfeit coins had been created.

The disclosure triggered a sharp market reaction, sending ZEC down more than 40% in just two days.

Will ZEC reclaim $550?

The ZEC/USD 4-hour chart remains bullish and efficient following the recent rally. The momentum indicators suggest that the bulls could push ZEC’s price higher.

The RSI of 57 shows that ZEC is above the neutral zone, while the MACD lines reinforce the bullish bias.

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If the bulls remain in control, ZEC could rally past the Tuesday high of $510 and set a new weekly high around $550. 

ZEC/USD 4H Chart

A decisive candle close above this level could allow ZEC to reclaim the $600 psychological zone in the near term. 

However, if the bears come into the picture, ZEC could retest the 4-hour TLQ at $438 over the next few hours.

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SK Hynix perps suffer flash crash to $900 on Hyperliquid

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SK Hynix perps suffer flash crash to $900 on Hyperliquid

Perpetual futures tied to SK Hynix, a South Korean chipmaker whose American depositary receipts debuted on Nasdaq earlier this month, suffered a flash crash on Hyperliquid shortly before the underlying share price came under pressure in its home market.

Between 23:00 UTC and 23:01 UTC, the price of perpetuals tracking the Seoul-traded stock crashed 20% to $900, according to data from Hyperliquid. The price rebounded to over $1,000 the very next minute and was recently priced at $1,092. The contract is traded and denominated in dollar-pegged stablecoin USDC.

An hour later, the Korean stock market opened on a negative note, led by chipmakers. By the end of the day, SK Hynix shares had dropped by 15% to 1,550,000 won ($1,762). Other losers included Samsung Electronics and carmaker Hyundai Motor. The benchmark Kospi index fell 11%.

SK Hynix ADRs, 10 of which equal one share, fell 4.5% in pre-market trading to $136.51.

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Hyperliquid, the leading perpetuals-focused decentralized exchange, has emerged as a hot favorite of traders looking to express their view on traditional assets, especially since the onset of the Iran war in late February. The exchange had not responded to a request for comment by publication time.

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Crypto exchanges face a survival crisis as day traders disappear

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Crypto exchanges face a survival crisis as day traders disappear

BitMEX is now facing legal action alleging it withheld trader collateral and engaged in insider trading. The new lawsuit accuses Hayes and fellow co-founders, Ben Delo and Samuel Reed, of designing a system to retain customers’ collateral and transfer the remaining bitcoin to the platform’s insurance fund.

“One lawsuit won’t move the market, but allegations involving 622 BTC (worth over $40.5 million) of withheld collateral reinforce the oldest doubt in crypto: your funds are safe until the day they aren’t,” said Samuel Videau, chief technology officer at Genius. “What’s ending is opacity,the model where you wire assets to a black box and take the operator’s word for it.”

The overall crypto derivatives market has barely flinched. The perpetual swap product BitMEX built now generates the bulk of trading activity on larger exchanges like Binance and OKX, alongside traditional platforms like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

“The derivatives market is now much larger and more diversified,” said Edwin Cheung, executive director at crypto trading platform Gate. “Most displaced volume is likely to be absorbed by other established platforms.”

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The shift suggests exchanges now need scale, regulatory compliance and broader services to survive, rather than relying on retail trading alone.

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Pi Network Price Nears Record Low: What ‘Washed Out’ Sentiment Means for PI Holders

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Although most of the cryptocurrency market has turned red today, some altcoins are taking the storm worse than others. This is typically true for Pi Network’s native token, and today is no exception.

The asset has plummeted by 9% in the past 24 hours and has come painfully close to breaking below $0.07, which would mean a fresh all-time low.

PI Crashes Again

Looking at PI’s price performance, you can easily quote one of the most recognizable songs of all time, which was immortalized from the TV show Friends. It just hasn’t been PI’s day, week, month, or even a year. Aside from a few impressive but very brief pumps, such as the one in March that sent the asset to $0.30 within days, the bears have been in total control, pushing it to a new low after a new low.

The last example came precisely two weeks ago. At the time, PI had broken below the crucial $0.10 support and went into price discovery territory (but on the wrong side). It kept plunging until it finally found some support at $0.07, but only after it had charted a new all-time low.

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Although the bulls reemerged at this point and helped it recover some ground to $0.10 in the following 10 days or so, the overall bearish sentiment remained high, and the inevitable transpired. PI was rejected once again, plummeted to $0.08, and after a few days trading above that line, it broke below it in the past 24 hours.

Hours ago, the asset tanked below $0.074, coming about 5% away from its ATL. Although it has rebounded slightly to over $0.075 now, it remains deep in the red daily (-9%) and weekly (-19%).

Pi Network (PI) Price on CoinGecko
Pi Network (PI) Price on CoinGecko

Washed Out Sentiment

Even before PI’s nosedive to $0.074, popular analyst Ben (co-founder of BSCNew) commented that the sentiment around the asset remains “as washed out as I have seen it.” And all of that comes despite the continuous updates, redesigned apps, and protocol upgrades delivered by the Core Team.

As such, Ben commented that his position is still unchanged as he cares about “shipping cadence more than the weekly candle.” And, he concluded that “the cadence is accelerating.”

Other accounts dedicated to covering Pi Network news, such as Pi Town, are also supportive of what the team is doing, and seemingly remain unfazed by the overall price calamity of the native token.

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Hyperliquid and Multicoin Push CFTC Toward One Prediction Market Rulebook

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The Hyperliquid Policy Center and Multicoin Capital submitted a joint comment to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on July 27th.

They expressed support for the agency’s proposed prediction market framework but also pressed for two changes that could affect how on-chain event contracts are designed and approved.

The filing is a direct response to the CFTC’s “Prediction Markets; Public Interest Determinations” proposal published earlier in June. It aims to amend Regulation 40.11 and seeks to establish a 90-day process for reviewing event contracts that may involve gaming, war, terrorism, assassination, or other activities listed in the Commodity Exchange Act, among other things.

HPC and Multicoin called the plan a “clear and well-reasoned framework.” They argued that prediction markets belong under the CFTC’s exclusive federal jurisdiction.

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The letter also states that regulating prediction markets on a state level, creating “fifty separate state regimes,” would fragment national derivatives markets.

Settlement: Key Regulatory Test

The first concern that the group outlines is related to the use of one word in the Commodity Exchange Act: “involve.” Under the statute’s rule, the CFTC can review contracts that involve certain listed activities and prohibit them when they are contrary to the public interest.

The letter supports an interpretation focused on settlement. Instead of treating trading itself as gaming, regulators would have to examine the event that determines the payout. A contract would fall within the special rule when settlement directly turns on illegal activity, not merely because buying it resembles placing a wager.

In addition, the group asked for more examples. Edge cases may include certain contracts with several potential paths to settlement or products that reference a sensitive activity only indirectly. Clear illustrations would help exchanges and developers assess regulatory exposure before having to commit resources to a launch.

Transparency Could Become a Competitive Requirement

The second recommendation concerns what happens after a review under Regulation 40.11. Under the current proposal, the CFTC would publish written findings when it blocks a contract and explain how that particular decision fits with earlier findings.

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HPC and Multicoin argue that this could create an information gap: an approval, including by inaction, can reveal as much about the regulatory boundaries as a prohibition. Without any public reasoning, other platforms may repeat the same legal work, seek guidance, or avoid products that could have been permissible.

In any case, it’s interesting to follow developments surrounding the letter and whether the CFTC would adopt the two requested changes. This could be a signal that regulators are actively listening to industry experts and attempt to legislate in a way that’s both fair to anyone involved.

The post Hyperliquid and Multicoin Push CFTC Toward One Prediction Market Rulebook appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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Court Sides With Kalshi and Polymarket Over Minnesota’s August 1 Ban

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Court Sides With Kalshi and Polymarket Over Minnesota’s August 1 Ban

A federal judge blocked Minnesota’s prediction market ban on Monday, handing Kalshi, Polymarket US, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) a preliminary injunction days before the law’s August 1 effective date.

US District Judge Katherine Menendez found the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) likely preempts the statute. Her order bars enforcement against CFTC-registered designated contract markets (DCMs) until a final merits decision.

Why the Court Found Federal Law Likely Preempts Minnesota’s Statute

Menendez issued the order in 3 related cases against Minnesota, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Governor Tim Walz, and other state officials. Kalshi, Polymarket US, and the federal government each won their injunction motions.

Minnesota’s law, Minn. Stat. § 609.7615, makes operating or creating a prediction market a felony. It covers sports, elections, legal actions, pop culture, and statements by specific people. Advertising and providing data services also carry criminal penalties.

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The CFTC filed its lawsuit in May, after Walz signed the legislation. Chairman Michael Selig argued the ban would criminalize weather contracts that Minnesota farmers use for hedging.

Menendez ruled that the CEA gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over swaps traded on DCMs. She found many contracts on both platforms, including election and geopolitical markets, that likely qualify as swaps. Consequently, Minnesota likely cannot regulate them.

“Kalshi and Polymarket US are designated contract markets, so the CFTC has exclusive jurisdiction to regulate transactions involving those swaps,” the order read.

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Judge Signals Final Relief Could Be Narrower

However, Menendez stressed that not every event contract fits the swap definition. She pointed to Kalshi markets on Love Island USA winners and World Cup announcer mentions as likely failing the test.

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Both sides briefed the case as all-or-nothing, she noted. That left the court little guidance for crafting a narrower remedy, so she froze the entire statute for now.

Irreparable harm weighed heavily in the decision. Kalshi reported over 90,000 verified Minnesota users as of May 26, with millions of dollars in open positions. Sovereign immunity would bar any recovery of damages if enforcement proceeded.

The court did not address the First Amendment claims raised by both exchanges. Those questions, along with the implied preemption issue, now await a full merits ruling.

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Crypto News, July 28: CLARITY Act Shelved, Bitcoin Drops in Asian Market Rout

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In Washington, momentum can vanish as quickly as it arrives. The Clarity Act now sits on the shelf, while the Bitcoin price slips under renewed pressure after a sharp selloff across Asian markets.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has shifted attention toward federal nominations and a Russia sanctions bill, delaying debate on crypto legislation. The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, designed to define SEC and CFTC oversight, now faces an increasingly narrow window before Congress begins its August recess.

That delay arrives at a supposedly bullish moment. Risk appetite was at its top, and now, the delay leaves crypto exposed to fresh volatility.

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Clarity Act Delay Extends Regulatory Limbo

The Clarity Act is a reminder that politics don’t move in straight lines. Ethics concerns surrounding public officials’ digital asset holdings continue to complicate negotiations. Meanwhile, a proposed 2029 sunset clause remains another point of contention before lawmakers can reach consensus.

Outside Capitol Hill, opposition continues to build. New York Attorney General Letitia James argues the Clarity Act could weaken states’ ability to prosecute crypto fraud, potentially limiting local enforcement powers. Her criticism adds another obstacle as supporters race against the congressional calendar.

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Not just in the States, regulatory pressure is also unfolding overseas. Thailand’s SEC has filed criminal complaints against Bitkub and two former executives over allegations they concealed a 2021 cyberattack worth about $50 million. Although customers were reimbursed, authorities allege the exchange submitted inaccurate reports, reviving concerns over transparency throughout the industry.

Elsewhere, prediction markets continue advancing despite federal uncertainty. A U.S. judge temporarily blocked Minnesota’s restrictions on platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket, citing potential conflicts with federal commodities law. As the CFTC seeks faster legal clarity, the Clarity Act remains trapped in Washington’s legislative queue.

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Bitcoin Price Slides as Asian Markets Trigger Risk Aversion

Ethereum (ETH)
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The Bitcoin price weakened after Asian equity markets suffered a huge selloff, extending losses from the previous U.S. session. Bitcoin briefly fell below recent support before stabilizing. It’s not just crypto, but a wider retreat from risk assets as investors reduced exposure across multiple markets.

The butchering started with South Korea’s Kospi, which recorded one of its sharpest declines in months, led by heavy selling in major technology stocks. This could be the culprit, dragging the Bitcoin price lower alongside market sentiment.

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Bitcoin price tumbles as the Clarity Act stalls in Congress. Is crypto heading for a deeper correction or just another shakeout?
Kospi Composite Index, Tradingview

Recent gains have also begun to lose momentum. Bitcoin price previously rebounded from July lows but struggled to reclaim higher resistance levels as buying pressure softened. Spot Bitcoin ETFs continued attracting inflows over recent weeks, although significant late-week withdrawals showed institutional demand remains sensitive to macroeconomic shifts.

Large holders have largely avoided aggressive accumulation during the latest decline. Strategy maintained its existing Bitcoin position without announcing any additional purchases, instead preserving billions in available cash. At the same time, miners may receive modest relief as network difficulty appears set for its first annual decline in nearly two decades.

Attention now shifts toward the Federal Reserve and Washington alike. Bitcoin price could remain trapped in a cautious range until investors receive clearer signals from policymakers and lawmakers. For now, delayed legislation and fragile market sentiment continue moving together, leaving the Clarity Act and crypto markets waiting for the next decisive chapter.

Trade Bitcoin and Major Cryptocurrencies on Bybit and Get a Chance to Win Our $1,000 USDT Airdrop

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Why Is Ripple’s XRP Down by 4.5% Today (July 28)?

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The rather impressive Monday rally didn’t last long, as the entire cryptocurrency market has turned red today, with the market cap losing over $80 billion from top to bottom.

Ripple’s native token is no exception. The asset has dropped from yesterday’s peak at $1.11 to $1.05. Here are some of the possible reasons behind this decline and what could be next.

XRP Dives and ETF Inflows Can’t Save It

Perhaps the most obvious reason behind XRP’s crash is that it’s not an isolated case; the entire market has turned red, led by bitcoin’s dive from $65,600 to $63,000. As such, the cross-border token cannot be simply ruled out, as it tends to follow the overall market trend.

It appears investors are reducing their exposure to risk-on assets like crypto ahead of the next Federal Reserve FOMC meeting. The US central bank will announce its interest rate decision tomorrow evening. According to some reports, there’s an actual chance of a rate hike despite easing inflation in June.

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The rejection at $1.11 and the subsequent decline to $1.05 meant that XRP has actually lost a crucial support zone at $1.08-$1.10, which managed to halt its free falls for most of July. Aside from this technical side of things, the asset’s drop triggered a large wave of liquidations, which also created the snowball effect of a more profound decline.

The silver lining is that the ETF net flows remained in the green. However, it was a very modest number of under $600,000, which is evidently not sufficient to help XRP avoid such price losses.

So What’s Next?

The daily leg down hasn’t changed popular analysts’ opinion on XRP’s claimed bright future. Xaif Crypto acknowledged the rising leverage and XRP’s rather tight trading range. The market observer commented that “two-sided liquidations are getting hit on both longs and shorts,” which, aligned with neutral funding and drying up spot liquidity on Binance, will likely lead to a much bigger move soon.

Meanwhile, CasiTrades outlined once again that she expects the next XRP wave to be “violent.” The analyst noted that XRP has returned to macro support, which, if broken to the downside, will likely lead to a more painful decline to $0.87, her targeted bottom.

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Amazon Earnings: Does the Chart Already Know Something the Numbers Don’t?

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Amazon Earnings: Does the Chart Already Know Something the Numbers Don't?

All eyes are on July 30, when Amazon reports Q2 2026 earnings, with Wall Street increasingly convinced the bar has been set too low. Consensus sees EPS near $1.82-$2.26 on roughly $197 billion in revenue, but the real story is AWS: after posting its fastest growth in 15 quarters at 28% in Q1, several major banks—including Bank of America—now expect acceleration toward 32-33%, fueled by surging AI demand and Bedrock workloads tied to Anthropic and OpenAI.

That optimism comes with a catch. Amazon’s $200 billion AI capex plan has already squeezed free cash flow to just $1.2 billion, and investors will be watching closely for any further guidance hike, following similar moves from Alphabet. Options markets are pricing a 6.3% swing on earnings day, above the stock’s typical 5.4% post-earnings move, signaling traders expect this report to matter more than usual.

With shares up roughly 18% year-to-date and trading at a below-average forward multiple, the setup favors strength—but only if AWS growth and margin guidance clear an already demanding bar.

Technical Analysis of Amazon

As the chart shows, Amazon stock has pulled back from April’s highs near $280 within a broader ascending channel, with price now testing the confluence of the rising trendline and the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement near $225-$230—precisely where Thursday’s earnings could prove decisive.

Bullish Scenario

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Should Amazon deliver on the AWS acceleration Wall Street is now pricing in, a strong earnings beat could fuel a bounce off this trendline-Fibonacci confluence. A confirmed reclaim of the 0.5 retracement near $240, followed by a push back above the 0.382 level around $248, would put the broader uptrend firmly back in play, opening the door toward a retest of the channel’s upper boundary and the April highs.

Bearish Scenario

Conversely, a disappointing report—particularly around capex guidance or AWS margins—could send price breaking below both the ascending trendline and the 0.618 retracement. That would expose the deeper 0.786 level near $215, with a more severe reaction potentially dragging price back toward the $200 psychological support that has held since April.

With earnings landing squarely on this technical crossroads, AMZN stock’s next move could be one of the most consequential of the summer—will AWS’s AI story be enough to reignite the rally, or does the chart already know something the numbers don’t?

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Lido Reshapes Ethereum Staking With New Upgrade

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Lido Reshapes Ethereum Staking With New Upgrade

Lido, a liquid staking protocol that lets users earn Ethereum staking rewards through its stETH token, has launched an upgrade to its staking infrastructure that aims to improve validator efficiency and decentralization.

The upgrade introduces Curated Module v2, which adds support for Ethereum’s 0x02 withdrawal credentials. The change allows validators to increase their effective balance from 32 ETH to up to 2,048 ETH, according to a Lido update on Monday.

Lido said the migration could reduce Ethereum’s validator count from about 880,000 to roughly 628,000, a decrease of about one-third. The migration has not started yet, and the figures are based on Lido’s projections.

The change is expected to affect Ethereum’s consensus layer by reducing the number of validators and validator messages required to maintain the network, according to Lido. It is not designed to change execution-layer activity, which determines transaction fees and gas costs.

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The update also introduces new accountability measures for Lido’s node operators, including bonding and penalty mechanisms. Lido said future stake distribution could place more weight on factors such as operator performance, fees and contributions to Ethereum’s ecosystem.

“Curated Module v2 is the next major step in that evolution,” Lido said, adding that the upgrade introduces new operator incentives, bond-based security mechanisms and governance improvements. Lido said no action is required from stakers because the upgrade will be handled at the protocol level.

Related: Ethereum nears market bottom against Bitcoin, though key signals remain unconfirmed: CryptoQuant

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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Paradigm leads $470M Antares Nuclear funding round for military SMRs

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Paradigm leads $470M Antares Nuclear funding round for military SMRs

Paradigm has led a $470 million funding round for nuclear startup Antares Nuclear, extending its capital into military-focused small modular reactors as the crypto venture firm continues investing across frontier technologies.

Summary

  • Paradigm has led a $470 million funding round for nuclear startup Antares as it continues expanding into frontier technologies alongside crypto.
  • Antares plans to deploy its first electricity producing small modular reactor next year before targeting U.S. military bases in 2028.
  • The investment comes weeks after Paradigm launched its $1.2 billion fund focused on crypto, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies.
  • Antares is one of three finalists in a Pentagon program testing small modular reactors at Air Force installations.

According to TechCrunch, the Series C financing includes $370 million in equity and $100 million in debt, with Caffeinated Capital co-leading the round and participation from Industrious Ventures, Point72 Ventures, and Shine Capital. 

The investment comes weeks after Paradigm closed its own $1.2 billion fourth fund, which the firm said would continue backing crypto while expanding into artificial intelligence, robotics, and other frontier technologies.

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Paradigm has extended its frontier technology strategy

Fresh capital for Antares adds another example of how Paradigm is deploying money outside blockchain without stepping away from digital assets. On July 8, Paradigm announced a $1.2 billion fourth fund dedicated to crypto while also backing companies working in AI, robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and other emerging technologies.

At the time, co-founder Matt Huang and managing partner Alana Palmedo said the firm would continue investing “first in crypto” while supporting founders building technologies that sit alongside advances in software and hardware. The firm cited companies including Zipline, SendCutSend, True Anomaly, and Nous Research as examples of investments beyond blockchain.

Antares now joins that expanding portfolio, giving Paradigm exposure to another industry that has attracted growing venture capital interest as electricity demand rises alongside AI infrastructure expansion.

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Interest in advanced nuclear companies has accelerated over the past year as hyperscale data center construction and broader electrification have increased demand for dependable power generation. Venture firms have increasingly turned to startups developing advanced reactors capable of supplying electricity to industrial facilities, government customers, and computing infrastructure.

Antares Nuclear is targeting military reactor deployments

Founded to develop compact nuclear systems, Antares has built a small modular reactor capable of generating between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt of electricity, enough to supply power to roughly 750 homes.

According to TechCrunch, the company’s demonstration reactor, known as Mark-0, reached criticality on June 4 at Idaho National Laboratory, a milestone showing the reactor sustained a controlled nuclear chain reaction.

Rather than targeting commercial utilities first, Antares is pursuing U.S. government customers. The startup is one of three finalists selected for the Pentagon’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program, which plans to evaluate small modular reactors at Air Force bases in Colorado and Montana.

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If development remains on schedule, Antares expects to bring its first electricity-producing reactor online next year before beginning deployments at U.S. military installations in 2028.

The company’s reactor uses TRISO fuel, a technology adopted by several advanced nuclear developers. TRISO fuel surrounds uranium particles with multiple carbon and ceramic layers that are designed to contain radioactive material under high temperatures. The fuel can be paired with cooling systems that use gases such as helium or molten salts instead of conventional water-based designs.

Nuclear investment has grown alongside AI infrastructure

Antares’ latest fundraising arrives as investors continue directing capital toward companies developing advanced nuclear technologies.

According to TechCrunch, X-energy completed a $1 billion initial public offering in April, while Radiant Energy, Standard Nuclear, and Last Energy have each secured funding rounds exceeding $100 million since December.

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Artificial intelligence has become one of the main drivers behind that investment activity. Large-scale AI models require data centers that consume substantial amounts of electricity, prompting technology companies and investors to search for additional power sources capable of operating continuously.

Paradigm has already identified AI as one of its priority investment sectors. When announcing its latest venture fund earlier this month, the firm said blockchain would remain central to its strategy while AI and robotics would become additional areas for new investments.

The firm also pointed to internal projects combining blockchain research with artificial intelligence. Among them are EVMbench, developed with OpenAI to evaluate AI agents for smart contract security, along with continued work on open-source blockchain infrastructure projects such as Foundry and Reth.

Viewed together, the Antares investment fits within the direction Paradigm outlined earlier this month, where crypto remains part of the firm’s strategy while capital is also being allocated to technologies supporting future computing infrastructure.

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Commercial hurdles still remain for small modular reactors

Although investment activity has accelerated, commercial deployment of advanced nuclear reactors still faces several challenges.

According to TechCrunch, many developers continue dealing with limited domestic supply chains and the difficulty of scaling manufacturing. Several companies argue factory-built reactors will eventually lower production costs, but industry observers have said those manufacturing benefits typically take years to materialize.

The report cited analysis from Lazard estimating electricity generated by first-generation small modular reactors could cost about $214 per megawatt-hour, placing them above the cost of most newly built power plants except the highest-cost gas turbine facilities.

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