The post Multiple International Companies Apply for Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Licensing appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News The Hong Kong Legislative Council passed the Stablecoin Ordinance on May 21, and it will come into effect on August 1, 2025. Now, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ( HKMA ) will begin accepting license applications. However, it has been speculated that the licenses are relatively short, contrary to the growing demand. More than 40 companies are preparing to apply. Competition for Crypto License in Hong Kong Institutions from all over the world are welcome to apply for the license , making the process flexible and intensifying the competition. More than 40 companies have submitted their application, on top of a dozen more companies intending to apply. JD CoinChain: A crypto operating on a decentralized blockchain platform Standard Chartered: A multinational bank partnering with the Animoca brand and HKT to form a joint venture that will apply for the HKMA license Circle Innovation Technology Co., A non-profit facilitator of technology solutions and innovation, is also applying for a stablecoin license in Hong Kong. Ant International: A global digital payment provider, is also planning to apply for stablecoins to strengthen blockchain operations and cross-border payment services. Hong Kong Monetary Authority Open for License Application The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) will start accepting stablecoin licenses from August 1, allowing investors to buy and sell virtual assets on a licensed virtual asset trading platform. The move aims to regulate fiat-referenced stablecoins and promote digital asset activities in the nation. “The passage of the Stablecoins Ordinance is a pivotal step. From 1 August 2025, all issuers of fiat-referenced stablecoins must be licensed by the HKMA and meet rigorous reserve, redemption, and AML standards.” — Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Uplifting Hong Kong’s Digital Asset Market Standard The HKMA has set a bunch of compulsory requirements for stablecoin licenses , including— A minimum paid-up share capital of at least HKD 25 million incorporation of a physical office in Hong Kong Risk and reporting management compliance Transparency and Security These are some of the measures mandatory for the applicant to follow. As the competition is growing for digital assets, Hong Kong is uplifting its standards while potentially positioning itself as a global crypto hub. Looking at these new regulations, it appears that Hong Kong is aligning its standards with global agencies.
Bitcoin traders are showing a “lack of follow-through strength” as BTC struggles to break its current all-time high level, says Bitfinex.
ETF Flows: 08 Jul 2025 Bitcoin ETFs: $80.08M net inflows Ethereum ETFs: $46.63M net inflows $BTC #Bitcoin $ETH #Ethereum
The post XRP News – Brad Garlinghouse Reveals Ripple’s 3 Demands for U.S. Crypto Regulation appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News The XRP Lawsuit is finally approaching the finish line. Ripple has already dropped its cross-appeal, and now everyone’s waiting to see if the SEC will officially withdraw theirs. If that happens, the years-long legal battle could wrap up in a matter of days or weeks. Regulatory clarity is finally within reach, and the future for XRP is starting to look a lot clearer. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is all set to testify before the Senate today with a sharp focus on XRP and regulatory clarity in the U.S. He has shared his full testimony ahead of the hearing. My full testimony for the hearing is available here: https://t.co/NHTh8wKQMc — Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) July 8, 2025 In the testimony, Brad highlights Ripple’s decade-long mission to build an “Internet of Value,” where money moves seamlessly like information. He also stressed Ripple’s compliance-first approach, highlighting over 60 licenses and ongoing work with regulators. Ripple vs. SEC: A Legal Battle Close To Being Resolved Garlinghouse shared that smart crypto regulation should protect consumers, keep bad actors in check, make sure markets are well overseen, and still leave room for innovation. He also pointed out the damage that was caused due to years of regulatory uncertainty, which drove innovation and jobs offshore. He notes that Ripple was the first major U.S. crypto company that was sued by the SEC in 2020. Brad Outlines 3 Key Priorities Ahead After a four-year legal battle, Ripple won a landmark ruling: the court determined that XRP is not a security. He underscored that the win was not just a victory for Ripple but for the entire U.S. crypto industry. Despite these challenges, Ripple continues to engage with lawmakers and regulators, stressing the need for smart and clearer crypto rules. He has outlined three key priorities for Congress: Firstly, clearly define the roles of financial regulators, secondly, create safe pathways for companies to innovate in the U.S., and finally, a real plan to ensure that the U.S. can be a global crypto leader. Brad says that the U.S. has everything it needs to lead in the blockchain. With over 55 million Americans involved in crypto and a $3.4 trillion market cap, a clear regulatory framework is long overdue. Brad Urges to Push CLARITY Act Forward He also called on the Senate to prioritize passing the crypto market structure bill (The CLARITY Act) for digital assets. This would spark a new wave of innovation and bring major benefits to both consumers and businesses. Ripple, he added, is ready to work with lawmakers to help make that future a reality. Tomorrow, on July 10th, the SEC will hold a closed-door meeting. There are growing speculations that it could be related to Ripple, and a final resolution could be near.
The post Crypto Market Today —Top Tokens Stabilise While Cronos Explodes With Over 2000% Rise in Volume, Followed by Raydium appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News The Bitcoin price surged above $108,000 in the past few days and has remained sustained above the range. With this, the top 10 tokens like Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin and Cardano, hold above their respective support. Meanwhile, Cronos price spiked heavily due to the external factors, while the other tokens attracted notable gains. Therefore, the current crypto markets appear to be largely stable, with the market capitalisation and volume remaining within a range. Although the BTC price is an inch close to its ATH, the market sentiments continue to remain neutral, while the star token continues to hold a huge dominance. Besides, Cronos (CRO) and Raydium (RAY) attract double-digit gains, followed by popular memecoins. Meanwhile, the other tokens attract decent gains, hinting towards the markets experiencing a stabilized state. Cronos Settles After A Massive Breakout The CRO price experienced a pullback of nearly 5% after rising by more than 22% following the inclusion in the Truth Social Blue-Chip ETF filing . The token not only broke above the multi-month consolidated zone but also attracted volume that surged from levels around $10 million to as high as $230 million within a few hours. The long-term price action appears bearish as the sellers have booked the profit, but the short-term price action hints towards a drop in their actions as well. The CRO price is trying hard to hold the local support at $0.0897, which may offer a strong bullish rebound. The StochRSI has reached the oversold range, while the hourly MACD displays a rise in the selling pressure. However, the chart pattern suggests the support could be held firmly, which may further reinstitute a strong upswing back to the local highs and eventually achieve $0.1. Raydium Preparing for a Parabolic Recovery Raydium is climbing steadily with a significant rise in the buying pressure and is currently trading at $2.42 with a huge rise of over 13% in the past 24 hours. The token broke the $2.3 level with a strong bounce after bouncing from the $2.01 lows. This breakout is backed by a massive rise in the volume and a clean trend. RAY price appears to be undergoing a parabolic recovery that initiated before the start of the month. The latest rise pushed the price above the 50-day MA, which is now serving as a temporary support. A daily close above the levels could validate the rise, but until then, the fear of the pullback may haunt the rally. On the other hand, the RSI is incremental, which hints towards the rising strength of the rally. Therefore, the next levels to look out for are $2.42, followed by $2.56 and $2.7.
SharpLink Gaming has significantly expanded its Ether holdings, now totaling over 205,000 ETH, underscoring its strategic pivot toward Ethereum staking and treasury management. The company’s aggressive acquisition strategy, fueled by
TL;DR Four of the most utilized AI chatbots speculate on which one of the two largest altcoins will be the first to reach a significant round-numbered target of $10 for XRP and $10,000 for ETH. Although they acknowledged that it was a challenging prediction to make given their speculative nature, all four backed the same horse. Who’s First? Leaving aside the communities behind both cryptocurrencies and their respective ecosystems, this article will focus on what ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Grok answered when asked the same question: Will XRP hit $10 first, or will ETH reach $10,000 first? Historically, Ether had come closer to its rather tall goal as it surged to almost $5,000 back in 2021. In contrast, XRP’s all-time high was at $3.4 in January 2018, and the asset only managed to match it in 2025. Although ETH is slightly closer to its target now, the difference is negligible as both require rather similar price increases (of around 300%) to reach their respective goals. While this sounds significant, especially for the two largest altcoins, let’s not forget that XRP experienced an even more remarkable price surge in late 2024 and early 2025. All AI solutions admitted that ETH appears as the more likely horse to win this race. They laid out its path toward the $10,000 target, claiming that ecosystem growth, network upgrades, RWA tokenization, and institutional adoption will push it higher. ChatGPT was particularly interested in the institutional adoption segment, indicating that ETH has an advantage not just because of the ETF demand it sees, but also due to the growing number of companies that have recently started storing ether as a reserve asset. Some even dumped BTC to buy more ETH. “Ethereum hitting $10,000 first seems more probable in the medium term. Its established ecosystem, ongoing technological advancements (especially the impact of spot ETFs), and its central role in the broader crypto space (DeFi, NFTs, RWA tokenization) provide a more diverse and robust set of drivers. The percentage increase required for Ethereum is also slightly lower than for XRP to reach $10.” – concluded Gemini but the sentiment was echoed by all other AIs. XRP’s Case Although the AI chatbots seemed conclusive in picking ETH as the potential winner, they also outlined the less probable scenario in which XRP goes into double-digit price territory first. Gemini said that its path is “contingent on regulatory clarity and widespread institutional adoption for cross-border payments.” Grok noted that Ripple’s token can reach $10 if the company behind it continues with its massive partnerships and acquisitions, which could increase the overall trust in the project. Recall that the company spent over $1.2 billion earlier this year to acquire the prime brokerage giant Hidden Road, a move described by the community as a “game-changer” for XRP . Additionally, all four AIs highlighted the potential approval of spot XRP ETF in the States, the odds of which are over 90% , according to experts and Polymarket. This would open the doors for institutions to invest in XRP through regulated financial vehicles, which should, in theory, act as a price booster. The post We Asked 4 AIs If XRP Will Hit $10 Before ETH Taps $10K: You Won’t Believe the Split appeared first on CryptoPotato .
Coinbase has launched a $5 million bug bounty program hosted on Cantina, aimed at strengthening the security of its on-chain products and the Base layer 2 network. The program, which was announced on July 8, is one of the biggest of its kind in web3 and aims to identify and fix critical vulnerabilities across Coinbase’s smart contracts. Security researchers are encouraged to submit their findings through Cantina’s platform, which facilitates repeatable and structured reviews. Every submission is assessed by experienced triagers, and rewards are based on how significant and serious each finding is. Coinbase has emphasized the importance of clear, actionable submissions that can lead to quick resolutions. A landmark moment in onchain security. @Coinbase has launched a $5M bug bounty on Cantina, a new program focusing exclusively on all its onchain products and @base ’s smart contracts. It sets a new standard for securing Web3 organizations at scale. Details below. pic.twitter.com/otO5QVTtH4 — Cantina 🪐 (@cantinaxyz) July 8, 2025 This program expands on Coinbase’s earlier collaboration with Cantina, which included audits of key components like WebAuthn modules, Verified Pools, and Nitro Validators, among others. These earlier reviews set the groundwork for a larger, open-access program that now includes Base’s smart contracts and other on-chain systems. You might also like: Court rules IRS can collect Coinbase user data without warrants The launch also comes at a time when security remains a top priority for Coinbase. In May, the company faced a high-profile data breach involving bribed support staff. Rather than pay the attackers’ ransom, Coinbase created a $20 million reward fund for information that could help identify and prosecute those responsible. The company has since taken several steps to improve internal controls and raise overall security standards. Alongside the work with Coinbase, Cantina has emerged as a major force in Web3 security. Its platform streamlines review workflows and lowers the number of low-value submissions by combining AI-powered tools with expert-led triage. Cantina has also hosted major programs like Uniswap’s ( UNI ) $15.5 million bounty for version 4 of its protocol. The new bug bounty reflects Coinbase’s ongoing shift toward open collaboration with the security research community . It also expands protection for Base, the company’s Ethereum ( ETH ) layer 2 network, and complements similar efforts by Optimism ( OP ) to secure the OP Stack. Read more: Coinbase launches regulated alternative to offshore crypto perpetuals
OpenSea has acquired Rally Wallet, a mobile-native crypto wallet startup, in a move aimed at expanding its reach into mobile and token-based trading. The acquisition was announced on July 8 by Rally co-founder and chief executive officer Chris Maddern, who will now serve as OpenSea’s chief technology officer. Rally co-founder Christine Hall also joins OpenSea’s leadership team. The Rally team will help develop a reimagined OpenSea Mobile experience, which the company says will become the central hub for onchain activity, spanning non-fungible tokens, memecoins, decentralized finance, and digital assets. While details are still limited, the Rally app will eventually be integrated into OpenSea’s broader product suite. OpenSea has acquired @rally_xyz 🏁 Buckle up. The future of NFT and token trading fits in your pocket. pic.twitter.com/9CMN8yv0yj — OpenSea (@opensea) July 8, 2025 The acquisition aligns with OpenSea’s long-term vision to become the “home of all web3,” moving beyond NFTs to support fungible tokens, yield opportunities, and mobile-first use cases. “We will unlock the unique possibilities created by combining NFTs & tokens, and the opportunities for collectors, creators, and traders that come with that,” said Maddern. You might also like: OpenSea pushes SEC to drop exchange, broker designation for NFT marketplaces Rally, launched in 2021, is a mobile-first wallet designed to manage NFTs and tokens. It immediately gained popularity for its community-first philosophy and easy-to-use interface. The acquisition is expected to improve OpenSea’s capacity to cater to general users, especially as demand for token-native platforms and integrated mobile experiences rises. As part of the integration, OpenSea is recognizing Rally’s earliest supporters, the holders of Floor Genesis NFTs. These NFTs were originally issued as access passes to the first private beta builds of Rally’s early app, then named Floor. Holders played a key role in shaping product direction through feedback and testing. OpenSea now plans to convert these NFTs into tiered Treasures, special reward tokens within the OpenSea ecosystem designed to acknowledge meaningful user contributions. A snapshot mechanism will be used to facilitate the reward conversion, and eligible holders can use the OpenSea Rewards portal to claim their Treasures. The new mobile push comes shortly after OpenSea’s May launch of OS2, its upgraded platform that supports trading across 19 blockchains. OS2 includes cross-chain functionality, real-time liquidity aggregation, and support for both NFTs and tokens. A SEA token airdrop is also underway to reward longtime users. Read more: OpenSea and YOAKE brings ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ anime NFTs to Soneium
SharpLink Gaming’s total Ether holdings hit 205,634 ETH after its latest round of buys, which it will commit to staking.