cryptocurrencies

According to Hong Kong 01, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng reflected on his journey from a rural area in Jiangsu to a net worth of hundreds of billions in an exclusive interview, sharing his "Four No" financial principles: do not buy stocks, do not speculate on real estate, do not trade cryptocurrencies, and do not hold excessive cash. He explained that real estate transactions are time-consuming and the returns are not worth it, and he never trades stocks or engages in short-term cryptocurrency trading, only holding long-term and selling some crypto assets when needed. "Holding fiat currency is the dumbest investment method; cash continues to depreciate."In 2013, Zhao Changpeng sold his house and invested all his money into Bitcoin, which at one point dropped two-thirds in value and remained stagnant for a year and a half. In 2017, he founded Binance, which became the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange in just five months. In 2023, he was sentenced to four months in prison for violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, and was pardoned by Trump last year. His current net worth is approximately $114.6 billion. He admitted that success is a matter of luck, but the key lies in consistently making the right decisions and quickly correcting mistakes.

Ireland is preparing to exclude cryptocurrencies from the government-designed personal investment accounts set to launch in 2027, which will 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 higher-risk products" in its retail investment tax roadmap, and they will not be included in the scope of qualifying assets.The new accounts will set a yet-to-be-determined tax-free threshold, with amounts above the threshold subject to a low tax rate based on annual average value, and the existing deemed-disposal regime (which taxes unrealized gains at a rate of 38% 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 period, or lock-in period restrictions.The product list follows the European Commission's September 2025 recommendations regarding savings and investment accounts, which exclude high-risk and complex derivatives and cryptocurrencies, but with the exception of 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%.

Zhao Changpeng stated at the "Bitcoin Asia 2026" conference in Hong Kong that many countries have misconceptions about Bitcoin, viewing it as a dangerous asset. However, in fact, not using Bitcoin is more dangerous, just like not investing in AI technology is a real risk for a country today.When discussing strategic reserves, he mentioned that Bitcoin will definitely be more important than gold. Large countries will take time to make this shift, but this trend will certainly occur. He believes that the possibility of a digital currency emerging that is superior to Bitcoin and surpassing it, taking the lead before Bitcoin overtakes gold, is very small. In the future, Bitcoin will soon surpass gold; currently, the gap between the two is only about 10 times, which could be realized in the next bull market.Regarding reserve allocation recommendations, he stated that he usually advises countries to allocate the top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalization (excluding stablecoins) in addition to their dollar reserves, according to their market capitalization proportions. This is the simplest and most market-oriented approach. Typically, Bitcoin will account for over 50%, Ethereum will account for 10%-20%, and BNB and others will also be included.

According to actu, a couple in the Landes department of France was invaded, taken hostage, and kidnapped by assailants in their home. The assailants targeted the Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies they held. Around 4 a.m., several criminals entered the residence, threatening and pressuring the couple to hand over a large amount of crypto assets.The two were subsequently taken away: the man was later found in the town of Solférino, completely naked and with multiple cuts on his body. The woman was found in another vehicle, in a different province at a considerable distance. After the incident, the French gendarmerie quickly blocked the roads and launched an investigation. Two men have already been arrested. The case is being handled by the Bordeaux Interregional Specialized Court (JIRS) and the National Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (PNACO).

According to RootData, among 3,244 cryptocurrency projects with financing records spanning no more than four years and amounts that can be accounted for, 1,617 have a cumulative financing amount of no more than $5 million, accounting for 49.8%. The median financing for this batch of projects is $2.5 million, with about 96% recording only one round of financing.In terms of sectors, DeFi, infrastructure, and gaming projects together account for 59.2%, with small-scale financing mainly flowing to protocol development, underlying technology, and consumer applications. However, a quarter of the projects in the sample have already ceased operations, indicating that while lower regulatory thresholds can improve financing efficiency, they cannot replace product demand and sustainable operational capability.Institutional participation is also higher than the market's usual perception of "small projects": 92.9% of the sample has identifiable investor records, and 83.5% disclosed at least two investors. Among them, Animoca Brands, Shima Capital, and Big Brain Holdings participated in 84, 69, and 67 projects, respectively.It is reported that the U.S. SEC officially proposed the "Regulation Crypto Assets" on August 18. The proposal aims to set up two tiers of issuance exemptions: projects can raise no more than $5 million in a single instance within four years; projects with greater financing needs can raise up to $75 million within each 12-month period, but must submit financial statements and fulfill ongoing reporting obligations. The proposal is currently in a 60-day public comment period and has not yet officially taken effect.

Trump posted on the X platform stating that the U.S. government has discussed plans to accumulate large-scale Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets. Trump mentioned that the U.S. is exploring the possibility of increasing its holdings of digital assets, but did not disclose specific implementation plans, sources of funding, or timelines.Previously, the U.S. government has promoted the establishment of strategic Bitcoin reserve-related policies, and the market continues to pay attention to the possibility of the U.S. further expanding government allocations to Bitcoin and other crypto assets.

On July 23, the European Union passed the 21st round of sanctions against Russia, expanding the trading ban to 14 cryptocurrency service platforms located in Georgia, Panama, the UAE, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, and adding 4 new sanctions measures targeting the A7 Russian ruble network. The new regulations will take effect on August 25, prohibiting Russian and Belarusian citizens from holding, controlling, or serving in positions within MiCA cryptocurrency asset service providers in the EU, with the scope extending to services such as consulting, portfolio management, and transferring cryptocurrency assets on behalf of clients.The new regulations also allow the EU to impose a comprehensive ban on cryptocurrency transactions against third countries that have not prevented relevant sanction evasion activities. The list of relevant countries is currently empty and only includes third countries identified by the EU Council as having continuously and systematically failed to prevent the provision of cryptocurrency asset services or the operation of related platforms.

Arthur Hayes posted on the X platform stating that his article "Yen-quake" will introduce how Buffalo Bill Bessent plans to manipulate the USD/JPY exchange rate and restart the currency printing press. Arthur Hayes mentioned that the continuous weakening of the yen over the past decade has driven up global asset markets, but this situation will eventually come to an end. The yen is the lowest valued currency globally and is also a focal point of controversy among the two major powers, the United States and China, as well as ordinary Japanese voters.There are three ways to address the yen issue, but the U.S. Treasury and Japanese politicians only lean towards one of them. He will explain the operational mechanisms of each method for yen appreciation and why the last option is the preferred solution; he will also discuss how to politically implement the third option. He stated that as U.S. dollar liquidity rises significantly, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies will increase.The three options include: 1. The Bank of Japan significantly raises interest rates, eliminating the interest rate differential between the dollar and the yen at least on the short end. 2. The government persuades domestic institutions and public entities like GPIF to change their investment mandates, selling overseas assets and buying local assets. 3. Preferred option: The Japanese Ministry of Finance hands over its U.S. Treasury holdings to the Federal Reserve through repurchase transactions in exchange for dollars; subsequently, it sells dollars in the foreign exchange market and buys yen.Arthur Hayes stated that before delving into details, speculators should consider why the discussion of yen appreciation is happening now. For decades, many have claimed that the yen was about to appreciate, leading to the unwinding of global carry trades. Two weeks ago, monetary policy officials from the U.S. and Japan conducted a joint currency manipulation action, merely referring to it as intervention. U.S. Treasury Secretary Buffalo Bill Bessent expressed a desire to raise the counterparty limit for the FIMA repurchase mechanism so that the Japanese Ministry of Finance could utilize its vast asset reserves to defend the yen. The Japanese Ministry of Finance also stated that it is closely cooperating with the U.S. to promote a decline in the USD/JPY exchange rate. Relevant officials are conveying to the market that they support changes in global currency relations, and thus the market must pay attention to this.

Ansem posted on platform X stating that he will initiate a trading tracking around PUMP and plans to hold from the current cycle bottom all the way to the market top. Ansem mentioned that when he first invested in PUMP, the price was about $0.001675, and he will currently update trading progress around $0.002544, planning to continue tracking to historical highs or even higher positions. His investment logic mainly includes: Pump.fun is one of the top three platforms in the crypto industry by revenue, with about $2 billion in cash reserves; however, due to market bias against tokenization models, the current circulating market value is about $1 billion, corresponding to a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of less than 2.8 times.Ansem believes that as on-chain activity continues to grow, especially with the further popularization of mobile applications, Pump.fun will become a beneficiary. If more retail users participate in new coin issuance through platforms like Ansem's in the future, $PUMP may have greater growth potential. He predicts that PUMP is expected to enter the top ten of crypto asset market capitalization within less than two years.

According to CryptoQuant analyst Novaque Research, the Federal Reserve voted 9 to 3 on July 29 to maintain the interest rate target range at 3.50% to 3.75%. However, maintaining the interest rate is different from cutting rates and did not bring new liquidity stimulus, and Bitcoin's internal demand indicators reflect this constraint.Novaque stated that the Coinbase premium index continues to be deeply negative, close to -0.11, indicating that Bitcoin's pricing on Coinbase is weaker than on offshore platforms, pointing to sluggish spot demand in the U.S.; total open interest remains below the 100-day moving average, and CME options exposure has significantly contracted from the peak in the first quarter; exchange reserves have rebounded from the April low to about 2.72 million BTC, indicating an increase in supply that can be sold at any time. It believes that against the backdrop of weak demand in the U.S., simply pausing interest rate hikes can only prevent further tightening and cannot create a favorable environment for price increases, and Bitcoin prices will remain under pressure in the short term.

A research report published by Blockworks Research shows that among the 1,972 tokens that first broke through a circulating market value of $50 million between January 2020 and December 2025, only 4.1% outperformed Bitcoin as of June 2026. Among tokens with at least 24 months of historical data, this percentage drops to 1.7%. The median token in the full sample has lost 97% since entering the statistics.The report points out that the token market presents a pyramid structure with a "wider base and thinner top." The number of tokens with a market value exceeding $1 million reached a historical high of 3,648 in December 2024, but the tier with a market value exceeding $250 million has continued to shrink since peaking in November 2021, with only 102 tokens above that threshold as of June 2026, about one-third of the 279 in November 2021. Among the 187 tokens that outperformed Bitcoin during the 2020-21 bull market, 86.1% have since fallen at least 90% from their peak in November 2021, with only OKB continuing to outperform Bitcoin.The report also found that token performance deteriorates more rapidly over time: 86% of tokens issued in 2024 fell below 10% of their initial price within 24 months, while the proportion for tokens from 2020 during the same period was 18%. The median peak price of new tokens after 2023 is only 0.93 times the listing price, meaning it has never exceeded the listing price, while the median peak price for 2020 tokens reached 5.1 times. Exchange tokens are the only significant over-representatives in the long-term outperforming Bitcoin group, with BNB, OKB, GT, LEO, BGB, WBT, MX, and CAKE (PancakeSwap) all outperforming Bitcoin, sharing the common feature of fee revenue being used for regular buybacks and burns. The report's authors state that the crypto market is shifting from a broad token expansion to a pattern driven by a few high-quality assets.

Asset management giant Franklin Templeton publicly expressed support for the CLARITY Act on platform X, stating that the act will clarify the regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies, inform investors of applicable protections, and specify which regulatory agency governs businesses. The company stated, "It's time to provide the clarity the industry needs."

The Governor of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, stated that Bill No. 1194918-8 distinguishes between qualified and non-qualified investors, and it is not only applicable to the cryptocurrency sector but is a common arrangement in regulation. Elvira Nabiullina mentioned that the scope for non-qualified investors is more limited because the government protects them through legislation to avoid risks they do not understand.She pointed out that the relevant measures also cover the crypto ecosystem, due to reasons including the volatility of the crypto market and the possibility that foreign digital assets may be seized due to their association with Russia. Bill No. 1194918-8 is expected to take effect on September 1 and will be implemented simultaneously with the launch of the digital ruble. The bill stipulates that the purchase limit for non-qualified investors in cryptocurrencies is 300,000 rubles, approximately $3,800, while the limit for qualified investors is ten times that amount.Elvira Nabiullina stated that the Russian crypto ecosystem remains open, and the repatriation and transfer of digital assets abroad are not restricted. She noted that investors will not be protected by Russian law after receiving relevant assets abroad, and any issues must be resolved within foreign jurisdictions.

According to TASS, the Governor of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, stated that there are no restrictions on transferring cryptocurrencies from Russia to overseas for all categories of investors, but investors should be aware that such operations currently lack legal protection.

The Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, Emmanuel Tutuba, stated that the bank is completing the formulation of regulatory laws and regulations for digital assets, covering virtual assets, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins, to enhance regulation and supervision.Emmanuel Tutuba mentioned that many young people are investing in related fields, and the central bank has received complaints from individuals who have incurred losses in cryptocurrency-related transactions. The relevant rules will be used to protect Tanzanian investors. He stated that the new regulations will also address the risks of money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities related to virtual assets, ensuring that entities involved in related activities operate according to the guidelines that will be released soon.

According to The Block, the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance is formulating a basic law for asset management of state-owned assets, aimed at effectively managing new asset classes including cryptocurrencies.

The South Korean stock market continues its downward trend, with the KOSPI index dropping 4% during the day, and SK Hynix falling over 7%. The continuous decline in the stock market seems to have started to deter retail investors in South Korea, with a noticeable flow of funds back into the cryptocurrency market.According to Coingecko data, the largest CEX in South Korea, Upbit, has a trading volume of $4.26 billion in the last 24 hours, an increase of 1663%. The top 5 cryptocurrencies by trading volume on this CEX are: Bitcoin, XRP, USDT, ETH, and XEC.