Hashdex, a crypto asset management firm, has filed its registration statement, S-1, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF.
Notably, the move is a step in its plans to be the first index-based crypto ETF in the U.S. that will track some digital assets in the Nasdaq Crypto US Settlement Price Index.
Hashdex’s Crypto ETF Awaits SEC Nod
According to the firm’s S-1 filing, the Sponsor will shift to a sample replication strategy if any crypto asset apart from Bitcoin and Ethereum becomes eligible for inclusion in the Index. This will keep BTC and Ether in the Index’s specified proportions.
Should the Trust decide to return to a full replication strategy, it will need to file a rule change under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act

The Solana blockchain saw the launch of 30 meme tokens by celebrities last month, including those from notable figures like Andrew Tate and Soulja Boy, according to Jupiter Slorg’s recent statistics.
On average, they have fallen by 94% from their peak values, with the top-performing tokens still suffering losses of over 70%, while half saw their values diminish by more than 99%.
Celebrity Meme Tokens Are Struggling
Currently, 22 out of the 30 recently launched celebrity meme tokens have market capitalizations below $1 million. However, even with the huge losses, some of these tokens remain ‘active’ due to ongoing discussions on Twitter.

Below is a chart of the 30 celebrity tokens launched on Solana in June.
Every single one is down.
Place you bets accordingly.

On July 23, Cynthia Lummis released a report arguing against the Biden administration’s proposed 30% excise tax on the energy consumed by Bitcoin miners.
Lummis argues that this tax could severely impact the growing Bitcoin mining industry in the U.S., based on what she describes as “unfounded concerns” about environmental pollution and risks to the energy grid.
Lummis’ Critique
“Even if we assume the administration’s goals are genuine, this tax should still be rejected,” Lummis argued. She described the proposed tax as a poorly designed policy that could have serious effects, undermining its stated objectives.

The Biden administration’s dangerous scheme to tax #Bitcoin miners is a blatant attack on innovation, energy abundance and American excellence.
Read my orange

India has decided to uphold its existing crypto tax regulations for the 2024/25 fiscal year despite ongoing appeals from industry leaders for a reduction in the current rates.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed this decision during her budget presentation on Tuesday for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
India’s Latest Budget Keeps 1% Crypto TDS
India’s latest budget presentation comes five months after the interim budget maintained the 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) rate for crypto transactions, a rule established in April 2022.
This regulation led to a significant decline in trade volumes in the Indian crypto industry. It then prompted industry representatives to advocate for a reduction in the TDS rate to 0.01% and the introduction of progressive taxation on gains.

The Coinbase premium turned positive in early July after a period of concern following a dip in mid-May
According to research from Kaiko, this could hint at a resurgence of institutional interest in Bitcoin.
Renewed Institutional Interest
The Coinbase premium, which measures the difference between hourly bitcoin prices on Coinbase’s BTC-USD pair and Binance’s BTC-USDT pair, is a key indicator of institutional sentiment in the cryptocurrency market.
On July 1, crypto analyst David Lawant pointed out that the Coinbase premium had fallen to worrying lows. He recalled a similar occurrence where a major crypto rally followed months after the premium had turned negative.

Coinbase premium returned to a level not seen since mid-May https://t.co/OLAYBUx8TD

State Street Corp., a Boston-based major player in traditional finance, is exploring the launch of its own stablecoin and tokenized deposits to improve payment settlement using blockchain technology.
According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, the bank has been actively making efforts to integrate into the crypto space.
State Street Is Pushing for Digital Expansion
In addition to the ongoing stablecoin efforts, State Street wants to participate in digital-cash consortium development and explore settlement options through Fnality International, a fintech company in which it has invested.
Fnality focuses on blockchain-based payment solutions, which are central to State Street’s strategy to streamline global payments. The company has ramped up its digital-asset efforts,

Trading volume on centralized exchanges declined 21.8% in June, marking the third consecutive month of diminishing activity since March.
According to a report by CCData released on July 17, the combined spot and derivatives trading volume across these platforms amounted to $4.2 trillion, down from a peak of $9 trillion recorded in March.

Open Interest and CME Declines
The report highlighted several key factors contributing to this decline. One major factor was a notable decrease in open interest in derivatives exchanges.
In June, OI on derivatives exchanges fell 9.67% to $47.11 billion. This trend persisted into July, with Coinbase experiencing a significant decline in open interest, dropping by 52.1% to $18.2 million.

The decline was attributed to a series of

On July 18, Judge Eric Vitaliano sentenced the founder of the Bitzlato cryptocurrency exchange to 18 months, the time he had already served, for running an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Anatoly Legkodymov pleaded guilty last year to running an operation that facilitated the concealment of over $700 million in proceeds from illegal gambling and drug transactions.
Bitzlato Founder Admits He Could Have Done More
Judge Vitaliano acknowledged the harsh conditions at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC), where Legkodymov was detained, stating, “It’s a terrible place, and the court does consider that.”
It’s interesting to note that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried also served time at MDC before being found guilty of all seven fraud charges and sentenced to 25

WazirX, the largest Indian cryptocurrency exchange, was hit by a security breach in one of its multisig wallets on Thursday.
The incident resulted in the loss of over $230 million from the multisig wallet.
Over $230 Million Stolen in WazirX Breach
The company announced the attack in a post on X:

At WazirX, our commitment to transparency and community welfare is paramount. There was a cyber attack on one of our multisig wallets. Below are the preliminary findings to clarify the situation:
» Incident Overview: A cyber attack occurred in one of our multisig wallets…
— WazirX: India Ka Bitcoin Exchange (@WazirXIndia) July 18, 2024

According to Arkham Intelligence, the attacker stole approximately $102.1 million in SHIB (Shiba Inu) tokens, which have now been fully sold off.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has advised against basing political support solely on a candidate’s pro-crypto views.
He emphasized the importance of broader values such as individual freedoms and technological advancement, warning that a narrow focus on cryptocurrency could undermine the principles that inspired the industry’s movement.
Broader Perspective
Buterin highlighted that the current trend of supporting politicians solely for their pro-crypto positions is shortsighted. He noted that political views can change over time, and a politician who appears crypto-friendly today may not hold the same views in the future.
To assess a candidate’s genuine commitment to crypto, Buterin suggests looking into their historical stance on related issues such as encrypted

Bitwise Asset Management’s Chief Investment Officer has predicted that the introduction of Ethereum Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) will drive ether (ETH) prices to new all-time highs above $5,000 by the end of the year.
The CIO suggests that ETP flows could have a bigger impact on Ethereum than they did on Bitcoin.
The Road to Ethereum’s New All-Time-High
According to Matt Hougan, with ETPs projected to attract $15 billion in new assets over the next 18 months and ETH currently trading at around $3,400, only 29% below its all-time high, the conditions are just right for a price rally.
The anticipated price surge for Ethereum depends on fundamental supply and demand principles. While ETPs do not alter the underlying fundamentals of ETH, they introduce new demand sources.

Ripple has contributed $1 million to back XRP advocate John Deaton in his campaign against Senator Elizabeth Warren in the Massachusetts Senate race.
The funds are being channeled to the Commonwealth Unity Fund, a new super PAC created by attorney James Murphy, who contributed $50,000 on April 15 to the cause.
Ripple’s Support For XRP Advocate Deaton
In February, John Deaton officially entered the race for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts to challenge Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren in November’s election. Deaton is one of several candidates competing in the Republican primary, scheduled for September 3.

🚨SCOOP: @Ripple has donated $1M to the Commonwealth Unity Fund, a new super PAC set up by attorney James Murphy aka @MetaLawMan, to unseat

Former President Donald Trump has announced that he has chosen crypto-friendly Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his vice presidential candidate.
According to his latest federal financial disclosure, Vance, a venture capitalist turned politician, owns between $100,001 and $250,000 in Bitcoin.
Trump and Vance’s United Front on Crypto
Earlier this year, former President Trump’s stance on crypto shifted from skepticism to support. In May, his team began accepting contributions in various cryptocurrencies through Coinbase. He has also been vocal on the industry during his campaign, vowing support.
While Trump’s lead is widening in almost every post-debate survey, one advocacy group still believes that Biden has a “pivotal opportunity” to alter his position on crypto to lead.

According to a Reuters report, three industry sources indicate that spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are expected to begin trading on July 23.
The sources also mention that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted preliminary approval for at least three of eight asset managers to release the spot Ether ETFs.
Will Spot Ether ETFs Begin Trading Next Week?
Nate Geraci, President of the ETF Store, highlighted this development in a post on X. He noted that the SEC has given preliminary approval to at least three of the eight spot Ether ETF issuers to begin trading next Tuesday, with all eight expected to launch simultaneously.

Reuters: SEC has given “preliminary approval” to at least three of eight spot eth ETF issuers to begin trading next

Scroll, a ZK rollup Layer 2 network, is up 23% over the past seven days to reach a TVL of $1.03 billion, according to L2Beat data.
Meanwhile, the total value locked for all Ethereum Layer 2s is up 12.04% over the last week to reach $42.04  billion.
Scroll Hits $1 Billion TVL
Scroll has become the 8th Ethereum Layer 2 network to surpass a TVL of $1 billion. Of this total value, ETH accounts for 87.29%, stablecoins 11.11%, and other assets 1.60%.
The network has recently garnered significant attention, continuously rolling out features since its launch in October 2023. The latest, Scroll Canvas, allows users to collect and display achievements, status, and on-chain credentials within the ecosystem.
Another initiative, ‘Session One,’ incentivizes liquidity by awarding points

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, reported a milestone in its second-quarter financial results, as assets under management (AUM) soared past the $10 trillion mark.
The company reported an AUM of $10.6 trillion, marking a 13% increase from the previous year’s $9.43 trillion.
BlackRock’s Q2 Performance
According to the report, BlackRock’s earnings per share (EPS) rose to $9.99 from $9.06 a year earlier, with revenue increasing by 7.7% to $4.8 billion. Total revenue for the quarter grew by 8% to $4.81 billion, while net income rose to $1.50 billion.
The company reported total net inflows of $139 billion for the year’s first half, including a record $82 billion quarterly net inflows for BlackRock ETFs. Investment advisory and administration fees, typically a

According to a report by a Malaysian news outlet, MalayMail, Bitcoin and crypto mining operations were mostly responsible for the massive electricity theft in the country between 2018 and 2023.
Despite the crackdown, crypto mining and general services are not illegal in the Asian country.
Bitcoin Mining Using Stolen Energy
Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, the Deputy Minister for the Energy Transition and Water Transformation docket in Malaysia, noted that between 2018 and 2023, the country lost around RM3.4 billion ($723 million) due to unauthorized electricity supplies for crypto mining.
Akmal Nasir spoke at an event where over 2,000 pieces of equipment seized in an October 2022 crackdown were disposed of. As per the report, this equipment, valued at about $467K, lacked ST

According to a recent survey by CoinGecko, only about half of investors are actually bullish about the current crypto market.
The study, which featured 2,558 people, was conducted over the last two weeks, from June 25 to July 8.
Crypto Investors Lead Bullish Outlook
The CoinGecko report highlights that 49.3% of crypto participants are still optimistic about the market’s future. This is despite the crypto market’s downward trend following the post-halving rally.
Among these participants, 26.1% felt somewhat bullish, and 23.2% fully bullish. Interestingly, 25% of participants maintained a neutral stance. On the other hand, 25.2% of participants expressed bearish sentiments. This bearish group was nearly evenly divided, with 13.4% somewhat bearish and 11.8% fully bearish.

In a July 11 hearing, Judge Katherine Polk Failla expressed skepticism about Coinbase’s efforts to subpoena SEC Chair Gary Gensler in the ongoing SEC case against the cryptocurrency exchange.
As detailed by Inner City Press, the hearing showcased Coinbase’s persistent efforts to acquire Gensler’s communications, including statements made before he became SEC Chair in 2021.
Judge Skeptical of Coinbase’s Subpoena
Judge Failla stated, “I understood from the SEC’s opening submission that this request includes a period before his Chairmanship. You’ll have a hard row to hoe on that. I find your arguments speculative.”

Judge Failla: I understood from the SEC’s opening submission that this request includes a period before his Chairmanship. You’ll have a hard row to hoe on that. I

Shares of Bitcoin mining company IREN, formerly known as Iris Energy, tumbled by 24% on the Nasdaq following a report from short-seller firm Culper Research.
The paper, released on July 11, labeled the company as “wildly overvalued” and suggested its stock should be valued 52-79% lower than its current market price.
HPC Plans and Underinvesting
Following the report, according to Google Finance data, IREN’s shares fell 24.5% to $10.36 before partially recovering to $11.20 by the end of trading hours.
Culper Research accused the company of making grandiose claims about its high-performance computing (HPC) plans while underinvesting in the necessary infrastructure.
“IREN talks a big game of its HPC plans but ultimately seems entirely disinterested in actually doing what it

Argentina’s advance to the Copa America finals has almost doubled the market value of the country’s fan token, ARG.
The token’s price has increased by over 65% in the last 24 hours, making it the second-largest soccer coin by market value.
ARG Token Soars by Over 65%
According to CoinGecko data, the price of the ARG token has increased by 98.8% over the past week, reaching $2.34, its highest level since May 30. At the time of writing, the token was trading at $2.34 and was up by 67.8%, driven by the excitement surrounding Argentina’s Copa America performance.
This increase in value has made ARG the most heavily traded fan token in the market. Its daily trading volume has increased by 578.50%, reaching $23.8 million. This figure is nearly four times higher than that of the

Analysts say that Solana ETFs are expected to have a final decision deadline around mid-March 2025.
This follows the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) filing applications on Monday to list VanEck and 21Shares’ proposed ETFs.
Mid-March Decision Deadline
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that Solana ETFs are expected to have a final deadline of mid-March 2025. However, he emphasized that November is the most significant date in the interim.

Looks like Solana ETFs are going to have a final deadline of mid-March 2025. But between now and then the most imp date is in November. If Biden wins, these likely DOA. If Trump wins, anything poss. https://t.co/ywkf6oA8Rc
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 8, 2024

The CBOE submitted two Form 19b-4 applications on July

DigitalX Limited, a digital asset fund manager, announced today the successful approval and upcoming launch of its spot Bitcoin ETF on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
The new spot Bitcoin ETF, under the ticker “BTXX,” will start trading on Friday, July 12, 2024, at 10:00 AM AEST.
DigitalX Teams Up with K2 Asset Management and 3iQ
DigitalX has partnered with ASX-listed K2 Asset Management, which will serve as the Responsible Entity and issuer for the ETF. K2 brings experience in managing ASX-listed ETFs, compliance systems, and meeting Australian financial services license requirements.
Additionally, DigitalX will collaborate with 3iQ to promote and distribute the ETF both in Australia and internationally. 3iQ has a proven track record in managing and distributing

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas predicted on X that July 18 would be the “best guess” for the spot Ethereum ETF launch.
This comes after the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) issued S-1 amendments, which required companies to amend their registration statements and submit their applications.
Balchunas Notes Minimal Changes in Latest Filing
In the latest series of amendments filed by asset managers regarding spot Ethereum ETFs, Eric Balchunas described the changes as minimal, noting that there was “nothing to see here” in two of the earliest filings.

Because the SEC asked for the S-1s on July 8th but told issuers the fee wasn’t nec yet. They will give guidance back to issuers soon along with the game plan. Then the docs come will come back with fees (and every

In Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, a 3-year-old boy was abducted from a shopping mall on July 3.
Following the incident, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 660,000 USDT, which is about HK$5.15 million.
Hong Kong Kidnappers Demand USDT
The boy’s parents were instructed to download the Telegram messaging app and purchase the USDT ransom from an offline OTC store. They were also warned against contacting the police to keep their child safe.
The Hong Kong Police Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB), which specializes in organized crime, took immediate action. Late at night on July 3, detectives combed through CCTV footage from Tseung Kwan O Plaza and nearby areas to trace the kidnappers. By 5:25 a.m. on July 4, the boy was found unharmed, and the suspects were apprehended.

In the second quarter of 2024, Web3 user engagement hit an all-time high, with approximately 10 million daily unique active wallets (dUAW), marking a 40% increase from Q1.
According to a July 4 report by blockchain analytics platform DappRadar, the unprecedented growth spanned various sectors of the decentralized application (DApp) industry, leading to an overall bullish trend.
Social dApps and NFTs Growth Marks Q2
The social sector had the highest increase, clocking in a 66% rise in dUAW. This rise was driven by applications like Fantasy.top and UXLINK. The blockchain gaming sector also saw an uptick in users, although its market share slightly declined.
Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) such as Uniswap and Raydium registered substantial increases in user activity. Uniswap’s

Darin Feinstein, founder of Core Scientific, recently asserted that Bitcoin is still massively undervalued.
In a July 4 post on X, Feinstein shared his insights and personal experiences within the world of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s True Value
In the post, he stressed that the true value of Bitcoin lies in its underlying technology: the immutable ledger on which it operates.
“What is still massively undervalued about Bitcoin is that the immutable ledger that Bitcoin runs on is infinitely more valuable than the Bitcoin itself. The ledger blockspace is still not priced in,” he explained. According to Feinstein, the Bitcoin ledger represents “the most important accounting ledger of all time and the only true record of history in humanity.”
Reflecting on Bitcoin’s growth, Feinstein

German Member of Parliament and Bitcoin advocate Joana Cotar has called on the government to halt its rapid Bitcoin sell-offs.
Cotar argued that it is neither “sensible” nor “productive” and believes that Bitcoin should be adopted as a strategic reserve currency to safeguard against economic instability.
Joana Cotar Criticizes German Bitcoin Sell-Offs
In a July 4 post on X, Cotar expressed her concerns about the government’s current strategy, stating, “Instead of holding Bitcoin as a strategic reserve currency, as is already being debated in the USA, our government is selling on a large scale.”

Statt #Bitcoin als strategische Reservewährung zu halten, wie es in den USA bereits debattiert wird, verkauft unsere Regierung im großen Stil. Ich habe @MPKretschmer, @c_lindner &

According to data from Coingecko, the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) native token has experienced significant price surges in recent days, gaining over 20% in value within the last 24 hours.
These gains are driven by increasing excitement surrounding the upcoming ENSv2 upgrade, which aims to enhance the efficiency and scalability of the naming service.
ENS Token Gains Massively
ENS, the native token of the Ethereum Naming Service, has experienced significant price surges, particularly in the last 24 hours. According to Coingecko’s chart analytics, ENS moved from a low of approximately $26, a critical resistance level since May 2022, to a peak of about $33.1, representing nearly a 30% increase. At the time of writing, ENS has slightly decreased to around $31.6, still over 21%

Vitalik Buterin, the Ethereum co-founder, has announced new strategies to reduce the transaction confirmation times on the Ethereum network.
Acknowledging the necessity for faster transaction speeds, he highlighted the need for latencies in the “hundreds of milliseconds or even less” for certain applications.
New Strategies to Reduce Transaction Time
In a June 30 blog post, Buterin highlighted Ethereum’s progress, noting the confirmation window is at 5-20 seconds, comparable to credit card transactions. However, Buterin believes there is room for further improvements using new strategies.
One of them, Single-Slot Finality, will streamline the existing complex slot and epoch architecture. By ensuring that each new block is finalized before the next one is proposed, SSF