Morning Report | Bitcoin spot ETF ends nine days of net inflow, Ethereum ETF continues inflow momentum; Bank of England Governor Bailey warns that AI could trigger a financial crisis
August 31 Market Important Events OverviewCompiled by: ChainCatcher
What important events occurred in the past 24 hours?
Bitcoin holds at $78,000, yen falls below 160, and the strong dollar continues to pressure the crypto market
According to ChainCatcher, Bitcoin is currently maintaining around the $78,000 mark, with a 24-hour decline of 0.04% and a weekly increase of about 1%. The overall crypto market is under pressure due to the strong dollar and changes in interest rate expectations, with Solana and Dogecoin leading the decline at around 2%, followed closely by Hyperliquid and XRP; Ethereum, BNB, Zcash, and TRON are basically flat. Meanwhile, the yen has fallen below the 160 mark against the dollar and is trading near the Tokyo market. Market strategists believe that further depreciation of the yen to around 161 could trigger intervention, while the 162 to 163 range may face stronger intervention pressure. Following remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Waller at Jackson Hole, market expectations for rising U.S. interest rates have intensified, leading bond investors to price in the possibility of Fed rate hikes, which in turn has strengthened the dollar. This round of interest rate expectation repricing has previously led institutional funds to withdraw from Bitcoin ETFs. The market will focus on the monthly fund flows of Bitcoin ETFs.
Ireland's new tax-advantaged investment accounts will exclude cryptocurrencies
According to ChainCatcher, Ireland is preparing to exclude cryptocurrencies from the government-designed personal investment accounts set to launch in 2027, which allow savers to invest in listed stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Irish government has classified cryptocurrencies and derivatives as "highly complex and high-risk products" in its retail investment tax roadmap, thus excluding them from the scope of qualified assets. The new accounts will have a yet-to-be-determined tax-free threshold, with amounts above the threshold taxed at a low annual rate, and the existing deemed-disposal regime (taxing unrealized gains at a 38% rate every eight years) will not apply to investments within the accounts. Account providers will be responsible for calculating, reporting, and paying taxes to the Irish Revenue Commissioners, and savers will not face minimum contribution amounts, holding periods, or lock-up restrictions. The product list follows the European Commission's September 2025 recommendations on savings and investment accounts, which exclude high-risk and complex derivatives and cryptocurrencies, but not tokenized financial instruments. Tax rates, thresholds, and annual contribution limits are expected to be determined in the 2027 budget to be announced in October. Research from the Central Bank of Ireland shows that 38% of Irish households' financial assets are held in cash and deposits, higher than the EU average of 30%.
Data: Total financing in the crypto market in August was approximately $596 million, with RWA financing coverage at about 28.2%
According to ChainCatcher, based on financing data from RootData, there were 49 disclosed financing events in the crypto primary market in August, with a total financing amount of approximately $596 million, a 74.2% decrease from about $2.312 billion in July, and a 35.5% decrease from about $924 million in August 2025; the number of financing events increased slightly by 2.1% compared to 48 in July, but decreased by 42.4% compared to 85 in the same period last year. (This data does not include questionable financing and excludes mergers, IPOs, post-IPO, and debt financing.) In terms of sectors, DeFi was the most active sector this month, completing 19 financing events, but the disclosed amount was only about $73.1 million; the infrastructure sector completed 14 financing events, with a disclosed amount of about $311 million, ranking first in amount; CeFi completed 8 financing events, with a disclosed amount of about $199 million. The top three projects by financing amount were Ripple ($275 million), RQD Clearing ($74 million), and Fasset ($68 million), with the top three projects totaling about $417 million, accounting for approximately 70.0% of the overall disclosed financing scale. Regarding RWA, RootData currently includes 529 RWA-related projects, of which 149 have financing records, with a financing coverage of about 28.2%. However, in August alone, there was only one RWA-related financing event, Entropy, with a financing amount of $14 million, accounting for about 2.0% of the month's financing events and about 2.3% of the disclosed financing amount. Additionally, there were 6 disclosed merger events in August, a significant decrease from 19 in July; of these, 4 belonged to CeFi, including BitGo's acquisition of NYDIG, Nasdaq's acquisition of LeveL Markets, Rain's acquisition of Ansa, and OpenFX's acquisition of Global Ledger. The focus was mainly on CeFi, payments, market infrastructure, and data analysis services. Investment institutions such as YZi Labs, MH Ventures, Mapleblock, and Polychain remain active. Overall, in August, financing market funds mainly flowed into payments, clearing, stablecoins, CeFi, and institutional-grade infrastructure; RWA sector projects are well-reserved, with high narrative heat, but monthly financing has not yet seen a synchronized increase.
DTCC's tokenization service plans to go live commercially in October 2026
According to ChainCatcher, DTCC's DTC Tokenization Service is planned to go live commercially in October 2026, having completed production transactions on the Canton Network on July 15 as a final operational stress test. Over 30 companies participated in these transactions, testing collateral staking, securities lending, U.S. Treasury and repo DVP, stock DVP, stock DVD, stock token transfers, and CCP margin workflows, covering the Canton Network and LFDT's Besu. Regulatory foundations were established on December 11, 2025, with the SEC issuing a no-action letter authorizing DTC to operate tokenization services on a pre-approved blockchain for its custodial assets, with a three-year authorization. This service is supported by DTCC's ComposerX platform suite. The industry working group currently includes over 50 companies, including BlackRock, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citi, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Schwab, State Street, Nasdaq, NYSE, Circle, Ondo, Ripple Prime, Fireblocks, BitGo, Tradeweb, and Virtu. DTCC data shows that global high-quality liquid assets reach $300 trillion, with only 10% to 11% currently used as collateral.
CME launches new crypto index excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum
According to ChainCatcher, CME Group officially launched two multi-asset crypto benchmark indices on Monday, one covering a broad market index and a "New Emerging Crypto Index" specifically measuring large crypto assets excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum. The CME CF Emerging Crypto Index excludes Bitcoin and Ethereum, tracking 10 assets including BNB, XRP, SOL, HYPE, LINK, XLM, SUI, UNI, AVAX, and AAVE; while the CME CF Crypto Market Index includes Bitcoin and Ethereum in addition to the aforementioned 10 assets. Both indices are weighted by free-float market capitalization and undergo component adjustments and rebalancing every six months. The real-time version is calculated once per second and runs 24/7; the settlement version is calculated once daily and published at 4 PM London, New York, and Singapore/Hong Kong time. The methodology for the emerging index requires component assets to meet custody conditions, exclude meme coins, and set protocol usage rate screening thresholds based on the ratio of total locked value to total market capitalization. At the initial inclusion, assets that do not yet meet the general listing standards for U.S. national securities exchange crypto ETFs but are expected to comply within 30 days may temporarily enter the index with a maximum combined weight of 10%. The index is designed to be investable and can be used for passive replication of funds and derivatives settlement, continuing the precedent set by CME's launch of Nasdaq CME crypto index futures in June. CF Benchmarks stated that the emerging index can be authorized for financial products, investment funds, or derivative instruments.
Ireland's new savings plan excludes crypto assets, aiming to leverage $203 billion in deposits
According to ChainCatcher, Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simon Harris announced the framework for the country's new savings and investment plan via an Instagram video on Sunday, explicitly excluding crypto assets. Savers can hold stocks, bonds, funds, ETFs, and insurance products, while cryptocurrencies, derivatives, and interest-bearing cash are not permitted. The plan aims to guide approximately $203 billion (€175 billion) in deposits held by Irish households in bank accounts into the investment field. Every Irish tax resident aged 18 and over can open an account, with contributions within the tax-free limit completely exempt from tax, while amounts exceeding this limit will be taxed at a low fixed annual rate, with no minimum contribution or lock-up restrictions, but there will be an annual contribution limit. Specific thresholds and tax rates will be announced on the budget day of October 6, with accounts expected to open next year. Research from the Central Bank of Ireland shows that Irish households allocate only 2.3% of their financial assets to direct investments such as listed stocks and bonds, far below the EU average of 7.5%. Harris also confirmed that the new accounts will not be subject to the "deemed disposal" rule—this rule requires certain funds to be taxed at a 38% rate every eight years, and the government will review this regulation more broadly in the coming weeks. A survey by the Central Bank of Ireland found that about 10% of adults hold crypto assets, primarily young men, with an average holding of about €2,266. Prior to this exclusion of crypto assets, Ireland launched its first national anti-money laundering strategy on August 13, strengthening scrutiny of private wallet transfers and due diligence requirements for overseas crypto companies.
Bank of England Governor Bailey warns AI could trigger a financial crisis
According to ChainCatcher, Andrew Bailey, Chair of the Financial Stability Board and Governor of the Bank of England, warned G20 finance ministers and central bank governors that cybersecurity threats posed by cutting-edge AI models are significantly increasing the risk of a financial system collapse. Bailey stated that the global financial system is already strained due to energy-driven inflation pressures, a high-interest-rate environment, and rising investment leverage, and the introduction of AI risks will exacerbate this pressure. He noted that financial institutions and tech giants must prepare for extreme scenarios, as existing financial defenses will face severe tests if synchronized disruptions involving multiple institutions or shared technological dependencies occur. He mentioned that models tested by labs like Anthropic and OpenAI have demonstrated the ability to attack external organizations and create false identities in simulations, and he suggested developing bare-metal backup systems completely physically isolated from the main network. Bailey also cited potential threats that could trigger disorderly market adjustments, including the fragile state of stock market valuations driven by the AI boom, weakness in the sovereign debt market and private credit sector, and investors continually increasing leverage in the stock market.
Japan's Financial Services Agency proposes to exempt trust-based stablecoins from reporting obligations starting in 2027
According to ChainCatcher, as reported by Cointelegraph, Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) proposed in its 2026 tax reform request to exempt trust-based stablecoins from mandatory tax reporting obligations starting in the 2027 fiscal year. The agency suggested that trust-based stablecoins would not need to submit beneficiary trust reports and calculation statements that include the names and income of beneficiaries. The FSA's reasoning is that trust-based stablecoins circulate among a large number of users, with frequent and numerous transactions, and holding these assets does not generate income. If this proposal is legislatively approved, the relevant tax exemption measures will take effect from April 1, 2027. This move is part of Japan's push to incorporate crypto assets into the traditional financial asset regulatory framework. In July, the Japanese parliament passed an amendment classifying crypto assets as financial assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, a direction first signaled by Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki in January.
Luno receives Class F digital asset business license from Bermuda Monetary Authority
According to ChainCatcher, cryptocurrency trading platform Luno announced that it has received a Class F digital asset business license from the Bermuda Monetary Authority. This license provides Luno with a regulated base outside its core emerging markets, placing it alongside globally recognized operators such as Coinbase, Circle, and Kraken. Luno stated that Bermuda can expand its crypto-as-a-service and global settlement products to clients outside Africa and Asia-Pacific for B2B and institutional business, establishing a base in a jurisdiction designed for digital assets and modern payments. The license allows for the provision of cryptocurrency, tokenized stocks and commodities, and over-the-counter trading of the rand-backed stablecoin ZAR Universal, issued by Luno's sister company BlockTowerTech for institutional use; the global spot market can access all of Luno's tradable assets; and wallet infrastructure for secure custody and transfers. Luno claims to have built trust with millions of customers over 13 years by prioritizing regulation and security, and Bermuda is the next step.
Fogo mainnet has been down for 46 hours due to the theft of 4 million FOGO, restart time undetermined
According to ChainCatcher, as reported by The Defiant, the Fogo mainnet has stopped block production for about 46 hours since Saturday afternoon due to an attack on the Fogo Foundation, where 4 million FOGO tokens (approximately 10.3% of the circulating supply) were transferred to the attacker's address. The foundation initially stated that the chain itself was not affected, but 15 hours later, the network was proactively paused, and plans were made to upgrade and restrict the relevant addresses. Currently, the Fogo official browser shows the last block as 718,525,971, and the RPC endpoint returns a 502 error, with the on-chain TVL tracked by DefiLlama frozen at $987,000 for three consecutive days. This downtime was facilitated by Fogo's validator design: the chain is managed by a council of 7 voting validators, with the foundation's stake evenly distributed among 7 operators, allowing for coordination to pause and implement client-level address blacklists within minutes. On the exchange side, KuCoin and Gate have both disabled FOGO deposits and withdrawals but retained trading, with a 24-hour spot trading volume of approximately $2.3 million. Meanwhile, a Twitter account impersonating the Fogo Foundation, @FcgoFNDN, posted a false compensation voting link, and Fogo officials reminded users to rely only on official channel information. Fogo is the second network to proactively shut down over the weekend, following Cronos, which rolled back its state due to an attack on the Tectonic lending protocol. Fogo had previously raised about $7 million by selling 2% of its supply through Binance before launching its mainnet in January, with a valuation of $350 million. The foundation has yet to disclose details of the attack, compensation plans, or a restart timeline.
Truth Social ETF manager Yorkville plans to launch over ten ETFs covering themes like the digital economy and macro strategies
According to ChainCatcher, asset management company Yorkville America, responsible for managing the Truth Social brand ETF under Trump, is nearing completion of an acquisition deal to further expand its product line by acquiring an institutional asset management company, with the transaction expected to close in September. Yorkville CEO Steve Neamtz stated that this acquisition will be an important step in the company's strategic expansion, pushing its business from a product line primarily focused on "America First" themed ETFs into a broader digital asset management field. Neamtz added that this is Yorkville's first entry into the digital asset and crypto product space, and the company has submitted applications to launch approximately 12 additional ETFs covering various themes such as the digital economy and macro strategies in the coming weeks to months. Meanwhile, Yorkville also disclosed the launch of the MANGOS Plus Index ETF, which will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NYSE Texas. This is Yorkville's first ETF not managed under the Truth Social brand, primarily betting on popular companies in the AI industry. The index tracked by this ETF includes major companies such as Meta, Anthropic, Nvidia, Alphabet, OpenAI, and SpaceX, as well as AI concept stocks like Micron and SanDisk.
Bitcoin spot ETF ends nine days of net inflows, while Ethereum ETF continues its inflow momentum
According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF recorded a net outflow of $201.9 million on August 28, ending a streak of nine consecutive days of net inflows since mid-August. According to SoSoValue data, this reversal reduced the cumulative net inflows to about $55.1 billion, with total net assets of the fund at approximately $93.9 billion. Decrypt's ETF flow tracker turned Bitcoin sentiment to "bearish" on that day. The previous strong performance was particularly notable: the Bitcoin ETF saw cumulative inflows of $2.8 billion during an eight-day rally, during which Bitcoin tested the $80,000 mark and recorded the largest single-day inflow since May, with a peak single-day inflow of over $600 million on August 20. In contrast, the Ethereum ETF showed no signs of fatigue, with a net inflow of $102.1 million on August 28, extending its streak of inflows to ten days, with cumulative net inflows of approximately $12.9 billion and total net assets of about $13.8 billion. As fund flows diverged, Bitcoin fell due to hawkish remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Waller at Jackson Hole, which had previously pushed prices close to $80,000, with Bitcoin rebounding to around $79,000 over the weekend. Analysts pointed out that the single-day outflow relative to the fund's cumulative scale remains mild, and the interruption of the rally may not necessarily indicate a widespread reversal in institutional demand.
Kalshi permanently bans former Congressman Santos for his involvement in State of the Union trading
According to ChainCatcher, as reported by The Block, prediction market platform Kalshi has permanently banned former U.S. Congressman George Santos, marking the first time the platform has imposed a permanent ban on an individual. According to a disciplinary action and settlement notice submitted on Monday, Santos violated platform rules by trading prediction contracts regarding whether he would attend the State of the Union (SOTU) address, resulting in a fine of over $71,000. Previously, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) accused Santos of using his public statements made two weeks before the SOTU to influence the prices of related event contracts and reached a $35,000 settlement with him. Santos's lawyer stated that he had booked a hotel and flight to Washington, expecting to attend the event. Santos served as a congressman representing New York from January 2023 until his expulsion due to ethical violations. As the prediction market scales into the tens of billions of dollars, insider trading issues are increasingly drawing attention. The CFTC recently also fined former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez $172,000 for profiting in Kalshi's "mention market" by using prior access to Trump's speech content. Legislators have proposed several bipartisan bills to restrict trading on non-public information, but none have passed; platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are taking preventive measures, such as requiring sensitive market traders to undergo employment verification.
Samsung Electronics' third-quarter operating profit may exceed 100 trillion won for the first time
According to ChainCatcher, as reported by the Seoul Economic Daily on August 31, prices of HBM and DRAM used in AI accelerators continue to rise. Data from the Korea Trade Association shows that DRAM exports fell from about 681.7 million units in May to 591.74 million units in July, a decrease of 13.2%, while export value increased from $11.428 billion to $13.552 billion, an increase of 18.5%, with export unit prices rising from $16.76 to $22.90, a rise of 36.6%. HBM4 supply to clients like Nvidia is expanding, and initial yields are lower than HBM3E, exacerbating the overall DRAM supply shortage. Samsung Electronics' memory division is reportedly allocating about 70% of its capacity to long-term supply agreements by 2031, primarily with Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google. Mega Grid Supply data shows that the spot price of HBM3E 36GB is $2,100, about 4 to 5 times the long-term contract price; the spot price of HBM4 16-layer, currently in mass production coordination, is about $3,500. The financial investment community expects Samsung Electronics' third-quarter revenue to reach 206.64 trillion won and operating profit to reach 116.38 trillion won, with operating profit expected to exceed 100 trillion won for the first time. SK Hynix's third-quarter revenue is expected to be 101.76 trillion won and operating profit 79.16 trillion won. Samsung Electronics is considering converting its only wafer foundry line S5 in Pyeongtaek to memory production as early as next year.
U.S. government sells Anthropic shares held by SBF's two core allies, potential value may reach billions
According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. government previously seized shares of Anthropic held by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF)'s two core allies, Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh, and plans to sell the relevant shares to existing investors in Anthropic in 2025, but specific buyers, transaction prices, and government proceeds have not been disclosed. The court previously ruled that Ellison and Singh must forfeit their Anthropic shares. The U.S. government obtained shares from the two in February and April 2025. They had previously invested $10 million and $40 million, respectively, to participate in Anthropic's Series B financing in 2022. As Anthropic's valuation has skyrocketed, the value of their shares has significantly increased. UCLA professor Olav Sorenson estimates that based on Anthropic's announced valuation of $965 billion in May, the total value of their shares is approximately $4.17 billion to $5.03 billion; if Anthropic goes public at a valuation of $2 trillion in the future, the value of the relevant shares could reach about $5.44 billion. It is currently unclear at what price the U.S. government will sell these shares. Estimates show that if the transaction occurs at different points in 2025, the proceeds from the sale of the relevant shares could range from approximately $250 million to $1.1 billion. Notably, as of the end of June 2026, the proceeds from the sale do not appear to have been transferred into the FTX bankruptcy estate management system. FTX victim representative Sunil Kavuri stated that the government should use the relevant funds to compensate victims; however, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that it prioritizes providing compensation to victims from seized assets, but information regarding the sale of relevant assets and fund distribution is confidential.
Russia's compliant crypto trading expected to reach $46.43 billion in its first year
According to ChainCatcher, Anatoly Popov, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Russia's largest bank Sberbank, stated that compliant crypto trading in Russia is expected to reach at least 4 trillion rubles, approximately $46.43 billion, in its first year. The bank expects that as investors shift to the official trading system, the scale will grow to about 7.5 trillion rubles, approximately $87.06 billion, by 2029. He noted that most crypto trading volume will still flow outside the regulated exchange system, with about 20% of the trading volume in the first year, or 3.5 trillion to 4 trillion rubles, being completed through exchanges. The relevant system will take effect on September 1, allowing investors to legally purchase crypto assets through licensed brokers. Non-qualified investors can purchase up to 300,000 rubles worth of crypto assets per year through a single licensed intermediary, and must pass a risk awareness test; qualified investors have an investment limit of 3 million rubles. Currently, official exchanges can only trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT, while other altcoins will be excluded; exchanges must complete registration by July 1, 2027.
Data: Ethereum spot ETF saw a net inflow of $824 million last week, with BlackRock's ETHA leading with a net inflow of $567 million
According to ChainCatcher, based on SoSoValue data, the Ethereum spot ETF recorded a net inflow of $824 million during the trading days of August 24 to August 28 (Eastern Time). The Ethereum spot ETF with the highest net inflow last week was BlackRock's ETF ETHA, with a weekly net inflow of $567 million, bringing ETHA's historical total net inflow to $12.74 billion; followed by Fidelity's ETF FETH, with a weekly net inflow of $96.5 million, bringing FETH's historical total net inflow to $2.27 billion. As of the time of publication, the total net asset value of Ethereum spot ETFs is $15.23 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market value relative to Ethereum's total market value) of 5.20%, and historical cumulative net inflows have reached $12.97 billion.
Ahead of non-farm payroll data, the probability of the Fed raising rates twice this year exceeds 50%
According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. will release non-farm payroll data this Friday, which will serve as an important reference for the Fed's interest rate decision. Prior to this, CME's "FedWatch" showed that traders are betting on a probability exceeding 50% for the Fed to raise rates twice this year.
Fomo acquires on-chain data company Mobula's technology and intellectual property
According to ChainCatcher, social-first on-chain trading platform fomo announced the acquisition of proprietary software and intellectual property developed by on-chain data aggregation and infrastructure company Mobula, with some Mobula team members joining fomo to help build its own data capabilities. At the time of the acquisition, fomo's user base had doubled since early July to over 1.9 million, with over 30,000 new users added daily, and over 1.2 million active users in August, reaching as high as 3rd place in the financial category of the iOS App Store. Fomo's trading volume increased from $500 million in June to $1.5 billion in July, and is on track to exceed $2.8 billion in monthly trading volume and approximately $17 million in monthly revenue in August. Co-founder and CEO Paul Erlanger stated that acquiring these assets gives the company greater control over its infrastructure as it expands. Mobula was founded by Sacha Marcus, who will join fomo's engineering team along with CTO Sacha Delhoux and infrastructure head Cyril Conan. Fomo was established in 2025 and is headquartered in New York, supported by Index Ventures, Union Square Ventures, and Benchmark. The platform simplifies on-chain trading through a single account, with fomo Web accounting for about 25% of the total, and has launched social trading features like Clans.
Data: Listed companies' weekly net purchases increased by 529.6%, Strategy resumes buying after nine weeks
According to ChainCatcher, based on SoSoValue data, as of 8 AM Eastern Time on August 31, 2026, the total net purchase of Bitcoin by global listed companies (excluding mining companies) for the week was $513 million, an increase of 529.6% compared to the previous week. Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) bought 4,603 Bitcoin at a price of $80,318 last week, spending about $370 million, bringing its total holdings to 845,050 Bitcoin, marking its first purchase in nine weeks. The Japanese listed company Metaplanet did not purchase Bitcoin last week, marking seven consecutive weeks without purchases. Additionally, another company announced its Bitcoin purchase last week. Asset management company Strive announced on August 31 that it spent about $143 million last week to purchase 1,800 Bitcoin at a price of $79,431, bringing its total holdings to approximately 23,156 Bitcoin. French Bitcoin treasury company Capital B announced it has raised €21 million (approximately $24.5 million) from investors and institutions, including Adam Back, for Bitcoin purchases. As of publication, the total amount of Bitcoin held by the listed companies in the statistics (excluding mining companies) is 1,147,229 Bitcoin, an increase of 0.6% compared to the previous week, with a current market value of approximately $89.6 billion, accounting for 5.7% of Bitcoin's circulating market value.
Data: Binance saw a net inflow of $15.6 billion in the past month, exceeding the total assets of the Robinhood platform
According to ChainCatcher, based on DefiLlama data, Binance saw a net inflow of $15.6 billion in the past month, surpassing the total assets of the Robinhood platform ($14.325 billion). During the same period, OKX had a monthly net inflow of about $1.7 billion, and Bybit about $1.9 billion, with Binance's inflow scale being about 8-9 times that of both. Analysts believe that in addition to market conditions and the head effect, Binance is accelerating its expansion into the TradFi (traditional finance) sector. Recently, the platform has continued to expand into assets such as gold, silver, popular U.S. stocks, ETFs, tokenized stocks, and pre-IPO assets, allowing users to allocate various assets including crypto, precious metals, U.S. stocks, and ETFs within the same account without needing to transfer crypto assets to traditional brokers.
Altrata: The number of billionaires worldwide will increase to 3,795 by 2025
According to ChainCatcher, wealth intelligence company Altrata's latest report shows that the number of billionaires worldwide will rise to a historic high of 3,795 by 2025, an increase of 8.2%, marking the strongest growth in five years. The rapid growth of super-rich wealth is driven by rising stock markets, monetary stimulus policies, and the AI investment boom. The total wealth of billionaires is expected to grow by 12.8% in 2025, reaching a record $15.1 trillion, equivalent to nearly a quarter of the total market capitalization of the S&P 500 index. This marks the third consecutive year of accelerated growth in billionaire wealth, with the average wealth now at $4 billion and the median net worth approaching $2 billion. By region, the number of billionaires in North America increased by 11.6% to 1,337, accounting for 35% of the global total; Europe saw a nearly 8% increase for the second consecutive year, reaching 1,081, accounting for 28%; and Asia grew by 6.5% to 881. The report notes that since 2023, the AI investment boom has been one of the most important drivers of wealth creation for billionaires globally, with its impact becoming more apparent in 2025 and the first half of 2026. Investor enthusiasm for generative AI, large language models, cloud computing, and AI software has attracted significant capital, driving the revaluation of tech companies, with founders and major shareholders of leading global tech companies being the biggest beneficiaries.
Data: Bitcoin spot ETF saw a net inflow of $924 million last week, with BlackRock's IBIT leading with a net inflow of $938 million
According to ChainCatcher, based on SoSoValue data, the Bitcoin spot ETF recorded a net inflow of $924 million during the trading days of August 24 to August 28 (Eastern Time). The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net inflow last week was BlackRock's ETF IBIT, with a weekly net inflow of $938 million, bringing IBIT's historical total net inflow to $63.36 billion; followed by Grayscale's Bitcoin mini trust BTC, with a weekly net inflow of $81.829 million, bringing BTC's historical total net inflow to $2.86 billion. The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net outflow last week was Ark & 21 Shares ETF ARKB, with a weekly net outflow of $85.141 million, bringing ARKB's historical total net inflow to $1.32 billion. As of publication, the total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs is $97.59 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market value relative to Bitcoin's total market value) of 6.28%, and historical cumulative net inflows have reached $54.63 billion.
Apple completes CEO transition on September 1, John Ternus succeeds Tim Cook
According to ChainCatcher, as reported by the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily, Apple will complete its CEO transition on September 1 local time. Current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will succeed Tim Cook, who will become the Executive Chairman of the Board and continue to handle communications with global policymakers. Ternus's primary tasks upon taking office include presiding over Apple's fall product launch event on September 9, which will feature this year's new products, including the first foldable iPhone and a smart display that can recognize speakers and adjust content according to users. He will also oversee a broader product line including camera-equipped AirPods, smart glasses, home security systems, robotic display arms, and wearable cameras.
OpenAI terminates contract for Cursor model, Musk criticizes Altman
According to ChainCatcher, OpenAI has notified SpaceX that it will terminate the contract to provide models for its AI coding tool Cursor, with a suggested termination date of November 12, citing the longest notice period stipulated in the contract. OpenAI stated that the decision was difficult, as it values the widespread use of its models by developers, but does not trust SpaceX to use the technology as agreed due to Musk's past breaches of contract, mentioning issues related to the use of OpenAI models during xAI training and the contract when acquiring X. Musk stated on X that he does not care at all and referred to Sam Altman and Greg Brockman as frauds, accusing them of stealing from the open non-profit organization. Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI but later filed a $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and lost due to exceeding the time limit. OpenAI had previously attempted to acquire Cursor's developer Anysphere but was unsuccessful, and SpaceX acquired Cursor for $60 billion, completing the merger on August 15. Cursor co-founder and current SpaceX executive Michael Truel stated that Cursor views the OpenAI platform as neutral infrastructure and is negotiating with OpenAI, noting that OpenAI models account for 5% of Cursor's user traffic. Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown stated that they will continue to expand computing power to provide the Claude model on Cursor.
ASUS and MSI's first batch of RTX Spark models sold out
According to ChainCatcher, the RTX Spark series PCs developed by Nvidia in collaboration with MediaTek are expected to launch this fall, with Microsoft and more game developers recently announcing updates and support for the platform. The first batch from ASUS and MSI has sold out, and they are actively seeking more allocations from Nvidia. ASUS co-CEO Hu Shubin pointed out that channel customer reservations have exceeded expectations, and the first batch of available units has been fully reserved, with a highly optimistic outlook for sales next year. MSI's product manager Peng Renfang revealed that customers from mainland China, Taiwan, and the United States are actively placing orders, and the first batch of laptops equipped with the high-end N1X chip is nearly sold out, with efforts underway to follow up with Nvidia for more orders. The RTX Spark super chip is built using TSMC's 3-nanometer process, featuring Nvidia's Blackwell RTX GPU connected to a 20-core Grace CPU, and adopts a Windows on Arm architecture. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that RTX Spark will integrate CUDA, RTX, and AI platforms into one super chip, capable of running ground agents, front-end models, creative workflows, RTX games, etc., on laptops, "this is the new PC, a personal AI computer." The processors are divided into high-end N1x and mainstream N1, with the actual selling price of PCs equipped with N1x yet to be announced, but the market generally expects it to start from 110,000 yuan. The first wave of partner brands includes ASUS, MSI, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Acer, and Gigabyte will follow suit. Nvidia recently announced at Gamescom 2026 in Germany that multiple game developers are bringing various games to join the RTX Spark lineup.
Cronos network pauses due to Tectonic attack, estimated loss of about $75 million
According to ChainCatcher, the Cronos network, associated with Crypto.com, has paused operations after detecting an attack on the lending protocol Tectonic. The Cronos Network posted on X that it has identified vulnerabilities on Tectonic and paused the network, with Tectonic confirming that it is investigating the incident and advising users not to interact with the protocol until safety is confirmed. According to DefiLlama data, Tectonic had a total locked value of approximately $121.7 million before the incident, with active loans of about $82.7 million. On-chain researcher Weilin Li attributed this attack to price manipulation of the TONIC token. The attacker bought enough TONIC within 20 minutes to push its price up by about 100 times, then used the inflated tokens as collateral to borrow other assets from Tectonic, a method similar to the 2022 Mango Markets oracle manipulation attack. Li initially estimated the attacker profited about $66 million, later discovering another address controlled by a different attacker with about $8 million, totaling an estimated loss of about $75 million. Li also stated that the attacker only successfully bridged about $6 million to Ethereum, and the pause of the Cronos network prevented most affected assets from flowing out. Crypto.com CEO Kris Marsalek stated that the company's app and exchange were not attacked, and its security team is assisting Tectonic in the investigation.
U.S. Senate to hold procedural vote on the CLARITY Act
According to ChainCatcher, Bitcoin News posted on X that the U.S. Senate plans to hold a key procedural vote on the CLARITY Act on September 15. This vote to terminate debate requires 60 votes in favor; if passed, the Senate will advance to formal consideration of the bill, but this does not guarantee the bill's final passage. The CLARITY Act aims to establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for the digital asset market. Meanwhile, Michael Selig, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, stated that the agency can use its existing authority to advance limited cryptocurrency regulation, but these powers cannot replace the broader framework currently under congressional review.
U.S. SEC plans to abolish shareholder proxy proposal rules
According to ChainCatcher, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to abolish rules regarding when and how shareholders of listed companies can submit shareholder proxy proposals, as indicated by a recent release from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). According to a notice released on Monday, the SEC submitted this proposal to the White House OMB for review last week. This is the latest step by SEC Chairman Paul Atkins to change the dynamics between shareholders of listed companies and company management. In simple terms, the SEC intends to adjust the system rules for shareholders of listed companies to propose proxy proposals, which is still in the OMB review stage.
BlackRock's BUIDL assets reach $2.8 billion, reclaiming the title of largest tokenized U.S. Treasury product
According to ChainCatcher, as reported by Bitcoin.com, the asset size of BlackRock's BUIDL fund has rebounded to approximately $2.8 billion, surpassing Circle's USYC to become the largest tokenized U.S. Treasury product. BUIDL accounts for about 18.5% of the $151 billion tokenized U.S. Treasury market. Launched in March 2024, BUIDL is managed by blockchain asset service company Securitize and currently covers eight blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Aptos, and BNB Chain. Each token aims for a net value of $1 and accumulates daily returns through a rebalancing mechanism. BUIDL was surpassed by USYC in March 2026 but regained the top position at the end of August. Its underlying assets include cash, short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, and repurchase agreements, with Moody's granting the fund a AAA-mf rating earlier this year.
Meme Popularity Rankings
According to meme token tracking and analysis platform GMGN data, as of September 1, 08:50,
The top five popular ETH tokens in the past 24 hours are: V4, UNI, MANYU, SAF, SHIB
The top five popular Solana tokens in the past 24 hours are: MACRODUCK, fone, solly, HeeHaw, TJR
The top five popular Base tokens in the past 24 hours are: Basecat, BASELINE, FLOCK, SOL, STONKEX
What are some noteworthy articles to read in the past 24 hours?
Reg CA establishes a compliance framework of "token issuance looks at structural separation, performance looks at white paper fulfillment, exit looks at derecognition graduation," requiring project parties to thoroughly isolate "equity and token" trading contracts in the early stages, choose subject locations based on user positioning, and strictly control public relations statements after product launch to prevent re-triggering reviews; it also requires VCs to update investment documents to constrain agreement separation and assess the feasibility of derecognition based on "roadmap performance completion" for existing portfolios, transforming regulatory uncertainty into assessable variables to reconstruct post-investment management and valuation logic. Overall, this rule is less about a new round of token issuance dividends in the crypto market and more about a system arrangement jointly promoted by regulators and leading institutions to standardize existing assets and clear risks.
MSTR shareholders question Michael Saylor: What to do with a $73,000 investment now worth $20,000?
Phong Le: I still do some relaxing things; Michael basically just works. I have three kids and enjoy traveling with my wife and family. I play basketball, cook, play video games, and occasionally watch shows that don't require too much thought. However, I try to strictly protect my time and avoid spending too much time on things that don't create much value. --- This article does not constitute any investment financial advice, and readers should strictly comply with local laws and regulations. Guest statements do not represent Wu's views and do not constitute any investment advice; please strictly follow local laws and regulations. Audio transcription and translation are completed by GPT and may contain errors.
Hyperliquid HIP-4 launches on a permissionless mainnet; will the prediction market landscape change?
Previously, ChainCatcher raised the question in "Can Hyperliquid Win in the Prediction Market?" that the prediction market is essentially still a content and operation business, and HIP-4 needs to prove its capabilities in topic supply, credibility building, and user profile adaptation. These areas are not Hyperliquid's traditional strengths and are unlikely to be achieved overnight. Therefore, the current permissionless deployment only opens up the supply side; whether the depth can keep up, whether settlements can withstand controversial trades, and whether fee advantages can hold up all need to be verified by the market.
CZ: I'm not an expert on this. I think many buildings are very meaningful in terms of modeling, but from my perspective, the older they are, the more meaningful they become because they are more likely to deteriorate. Like the Acropolis of Athens in Greece, and Machu Picchu in Peru, which I haven't visited. I've been to Greece. Then in India, they say the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. I think these things are------but these things have been modeled by many people. But I think the quality of your modeling is still quite high, and it's okay to build a few more times. Just like we are in Bhutan now, the buildings you see outside are very culturally rich, and there are many old buildings, which I think are quite good. So I don't think I'm an expert in this area…
Less than two months after launch, Robinhood Chain sets multiple record indicators
He pointed out that Robinhood Chain also provides a reference sample for other traditional finance: entering the chain does not necessarily require first establishing a serious financial special zone. It may be faster to let the chain come alive first and then embed its own assets into existing speculative and DeFi activities than to "comply first and wait for people to come." Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Robinhood Chain has recently maintained high popularity. Continuous token issuance creates new assets, ongoing trading brings traffic, and the wealth effect attracts more funds, while RWA provides new asset combination methods, all of which allow more users and funds to enter Robinhood Chain and gradually form a growth flywheel.
Amber CEO: A confession and rebirth of a "distracted" public company boss
On September 1, Amber will debut under a new name (which you may find familiar) as a new company that will focus on one thing for the next decade—Build AI Agents. Our flagship AI agent, along with a brand new version of MIA that has quietly launched for a month, will also meet everyone on the same day. Looking back at my first nine years of entrepreneurship, Amber has experienced successes and failures alongside the rise of crypto finance from zero to one. For the next decade, I will focus on one thing: building AI agents that get you there. Let AI agents create real, tangible value for you.
Risk warning
