Bitcoin smashed through $69,000, gaining around $4,000 in just 20 minutes.

The sharp move came as the US Treasury bought back government bonds and yields dropped, giving risk assets a strong boost.

Shorts got absolutely cooked: 114,038 traders were liquidated over the past 24 hours for a total of $1.57 billion. The biggest single liquidation was a $32.18 million ETH position.

The Blockchain Association is backing the SEC’s proposal to scrap Rules 611 and 610(e), two market rules that have been around since 2005.

The group argues that markets have changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Trading is faster, more automated and increasingly connected to blockchain infrastructure, while the old rules now add unnecessary costs and complexity.

Tokenization is a big part of the argument. As stocks and other traditional assets move onto public blockchains, the Association says existing rules could slow down the development of onchain markets.

It is also calling on the SEC to modernize its approach to best execution and formally recognize that tokenized securities traded through public blockchains can operate within existing regulatory requirements.

The service is aimed at businesses and is expected to process international payments within seconds or minutes, 24/7.

One important detail is still missing: neither side has confirmed whether settlements will use XRP, RLUSD, another digital asset, or traditional fiat rails.

This is already Ripple’s third partnership with a South Korean financial institution in 2026.

From August 17–23, a significant amount of tokens will enter circulation. The biggest unlocks are AKE at $21.11M, ZRO at $20.11M and KAITO at $11.31M, followed by YZY, PYBOBO, PENGU and SENT.

Global equities are under pressure today as the selloff in government bonds pushes yields sharply higher. The US 10-year Treasury yield moved above 4.7%, while the 30-year climbed above 5.3%, its highest level since 2007. Rising oil prices and renewed US-Iran tensions are adding even more pressure. (Reuters)

Higher yields mean more expensive money and tighter financial conditions, which is exactly what stocks don’t want to see after a strong run. For now, the bond market is becoming one of the main things to watch.

Chainalysis has taken the U.S. government to court over ICE’s decision to award a $94.6 million blockchain analytics contract to rival TRM Labs without an open competition. The one-year deal runs from July 2026 through June 2027 and covers blockchain tracking software and investigative support for the Homeland Security Task Force.

Chainalysis says ICE’s decision was “arbitrary, unreasonable and unfair.” The company had submitted its own proposal after ICE announced plans to purchase the services from TRM Labs. The lawsuit remains sealed because it contains internal business information and trade secrets, so the exact claims and what Chainalysis wants from the court are still unknown.

TRM Labs has joined the case as an interested party. Oral arguments are scheduled for September 2, with the U.S. government asking the court to issue a decision by September 10.

Binance reportedly handed Russian investigators transaction data belonging to Russian IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy.

Between January 2023 and March 2024, he sent more than $700 in crypto to support Ukrainian forces, including the Azov unit.

Reuters,he data provided by Binance was later used as evidence in a “terrorism financing” case. Belenkiy was arrested and is currently being held in a Russian detention center while awaiting trial.

A pretty uncomfortable story for anyone who still thinks using a centralized exchange means their transaction history stays private.

Trump spent much of Saturday posting images on social media showing the US maintaining what he called an “iron” blockade of Iran and portraying himself capturing Iranian oil tankers.

Today, the US reportedly conducted reconnaissance around an area in the Pacific where Iranian tankers are stationed.

Some experts believe this could be a sign that Washington is preparing for a much larger operation targeting Iranian oil tankers.