SharpLink successfully secured nearly $413 million in net proceeds during the fundraising period from July 7 to 11. A significant portion of these funds, around $156 million, has been strategically
House Speaker Mike Johnson says he’ll look to move forward with three crypto bills on Wednesday after some Republican lawmakers pulled support over wanting a CBDC ban.
On July 16, Solana spot ETF experienced a significant net inflow of $3.3 million, as reported by Farside monitoring. This influx contributes to a robust cumulative net inflow totaling $73
Bitcoin’s bull run shows strength as institutions lead, retail stays out, and the next leg up nears.
According to Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz, Bitcoin’s main strength isn’t in hosting complex smart contracts or in fast payments. It’s in offering a secure, trust‑minimized settlement layer that other networks can rely on. Bitcoin’s proof‑of‑work backbone has proven its staying power over more than a decade. Its security model still draws interest from developers and institutions alike. Secure Settlement Backbone Schwartz pointed out that proof‑of‑work mining makes the top crypto uniquely resistant to attacks. It’s simple in design but tough to break. Investors and institutions value that certainty. Even with block times around 10 minutes and fees that can climb during busy periods, the network’s security remains unmatched. Bitcoin may not match more programmable chains, but it has never suffered a major protocol failure. Layer‑Two Growth And Off‑Chain Use Based on reports, most BTC transactions today don’t hit the main chain directly. The Lightning Network handles micro‑payments. Other protocols like RSK bring smart‑contract features while still anchoring to BTC’s security. The set of actual real-world problems being solved by cryptocurrencies today is really small. But I think the hope for bitcoin is that its solid layer one and early start will secure it a position as a currency of choice in an evolving digital asset ecosystem even if the vast… — David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) July 14, 2025 That kind of trend shows that Bitcoin’s core role can thrive even if most activity moves off‑chain. Bridges and sidechains have tapped into its value without clogging the base layer. Schwartz likened Bitcoin’s broader reach to XRP being used on an EVM‑compatible sidechain. It doesn’t take place on the original ledger. Yet it still taps into the same currency utility. He suggested BTC will remain a “currency of choice” in a growing digital asset system. That status holds even if competing networks offer flashier functions. Users will always have the option to fall back on the crypto asset’s proven rails. Security Versus Feature Sets The CTO noted that real‑world problems solved by crypto remain limited in scope. Many new blockchains boast lower fees or faster speeds. Still, none match Bitcoin’s history of continuous operation. Companies and developers often choose to lock value in BTC before moving it elsewhere. That gives them peace of mind when scaling other services. It’s a practical trade‑off between pure security and extra features. Market Milestones And Comparisons Bitcoin surged past $123,000 on Monday, pushing its market cap to about $2.4 trillion. That puts it ahead of Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and NVIDIA. Only gold ranks higher among all assets. Some analysts see that milestone as proof that BTC’s rock‑solid base remains in demand. Others warn that price swings could still test investor nerves. But Bitcoin’s top‑six ranking by market cap speaks for itself. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Crypto exchange Kraken has officially launched Kraken Derivatives US, a regulated platform offering US clients access to crypto futures trading. This marks a major step forward in Kraken’s effort to provide a fully integrated trading experience. Through this rollout , clients can trade cryptocurrency futures directly on CME Group’s platform via Kraken Pro. Users will enjoy seamless collateral transfers, enhanced capital efficiency, and a simplified interface that combines spot and derivatives trading in one place. That means Kraken’s clients can now trade numerous crypto futures—such as Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts—besides traditional spot markets in the Kraken Pro interface, which is the exchange’s advanced trading feature. Combining both offers instantaneous collateral transfers and enables strategies to be carried out faster. “With this launch, Kraken clients in the US can now trade futures alongside one of the world’s most liquid cryptocurrency spot markets,” said Shannon Kurtas, Head of Exchange at Kraken. He noted that it’s important to provide traders with broad market access and increased capital efficiency within a regulated, high-performance environment. In making crypto futures available in a compliant and regulated environment, Kraken caters to the increasing institutional and retail demand for advanced trading instruments in the US. That’s important as US regulators grow more adamant about regulating the cryptocurrency market, putting added focus on regulatory clarity and investor protection. Kraken develops a unified digital and traditional trading solution The introduction of Kraken Derivatives US isn’t a once-in-a-while maneuver. It is part of Kraken’s larger plan to develop a holistic multi-asset platform where users can easily trade digital and traditional assets in a single place. In April 2025, Kraken launched its traditional finance offering , commission-free trading in US equities. Kraken has said it makes more than 11,000 US stocks and ETFs accessible, and that all trades are open 24 hours a day. This was a major step toward breaking the barrier between crypto and traditional investing. The company also recently introduced tokenized equities, through which customers can purchase fractionalized publicly traded stock shares on a blockchain. That means Kraken users can now manage a diverse investment playbook that features crypto coins and blue chips without leaving the platform. Kurtas said Kraken Derivatives US is constantly working to build and expand a holistic trading experience that enables seamless trading across digital and traditional assets, all on one platform without compromise in functionality, performance, or liquidity. She said the company is building an ecosystem to serve traders in DeFi, traditional finance, and the spectrum. We aim to create a trading system where capital can quickly and efficiently move across markets with high confidence using just one high-performance interface. Kraken expands after acquiring NinjaTrader This new ability for Kraken was largely facilitated by the acquisition of NinjaTrader , one of the US’s most storied retail futures trading platforms. This acquisition was strategically important for Kraken, as it added regulatory infrastructure, technology, and mastery to its business to move into older derivatives markets. The debut of Kraken Derivatives US is the largest product to come out of that acquisition. But it’s only the beginning. Kraken, one of the oldest crypto exchanges, said it would extend its derivatives offering later in the year to include more futures, such as commodities, foreign exchange (FX), stocks, and bonds. That development would put Kraken in direct competition with established institutions rather than those in the crypto market, offering traders a single place for managing risk and trading across all major asset classes. The move is especially critical when institutional interest in crypto and digital assets is increasing, and hedge funds, family offices, and asset managers seek ways to enter digital markets compliantly. By providing futures contracts, spot trading, tokenized and traditional equities under one roof, Kraken says it aims to be a power player in global finance, not just crypto. Your crypto news deserves attention - KEY Difference Wire puts you on 250+ top sites
On July 16, Trend Research executed a significant transfer of 5,000 ETH, valued at around $15.71 million, to Binance, as reported by EmberCN monitoring. This transaction occurred just 10 minutes
LQWD Technologies, a Canadian publicly traded firm, has announced its intention to secure $10 million in funding to accelerate its Bitcoin acquisition strategy. This capital raise aims to bolster the
SOL, the native cryptocurrency of the Solana network, witnessed sharp fluctuations during Tuesday’s U.S. market hours. In the…
MicroStrategy has significantly expanded its Bitcoin holdings, now controlling 3% of the total circulating supply, marking a pivotal moment in institutional crypto investment. This strategic accumulation underscores the growing confidence