Weekly Crypto Regulation Roundup: Trump Media’s Bitcoin ETF and SEC Clarity Push

The past week in U.S. crypto regulation has been anything but quiet. A flurry of political pressure, legislative proposals, policy shifts, and industry positioning has kept the sector’s stakeholders on their toes. From the halls of Congress to state legislatures to the SEC’s policy desk, these developments reveal just how fragmented and fast-moving America’s crypto policy environment remains. Elizabeth Warren Sounds Alarm on “Weak” Crypto Oversight U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has once again sharpened her rhetoric on crypto regulation, warning in an August 11 MSNBC interview that the current framework is so underdeveloped that it could “blow up” the American economy. Warren argued that the patchwork of rules—and in some cases, their absence—leaves the financial system exposed to corruption risks, particularly involving high-profile political figures such as President Trump. @SenWarren warns current crypto framework could 'blow up' US economy while blasting GENIUS ACT and Trump's crypto business ventures as corruption risks. #Crypto #Regulation #US https://t.co/A1pgs3P8tA — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 11, 2025 She accused the industry of wielding outsized influence over legislation through lobbying, undermining consumer protection and financial stability. “Strong cryptocurrency regulation is essential, not industry-favorable legislation that endangers our economic stability,” Warren said. Her comments reinforce her position as one of Capitol Hill’s most vocal crypto skeptics and indicate that, in an election season, the political battle over digital assets will remain highly charged. Trump Media’s Spot Bitcoin ETF Pushes Forward Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, is pressing ahead with its ambitions to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF. This week, the firm filed an amended S-1 registration with the SEC, though conspicuously absent were key details such as the fund’s fee structure or ticker symbol. Crypto.com has been tapped as both the custodian and liquidity provider, while Yorkville America Digital will serve as the sponsor. Trump Media has filed an amendment to the S-1 registration with the SEC for its Bitcoin ETF, where https://t.co/U4D4dECttR will act as BTC custodian and liquidity provider. #TrumpMedia #BitcoinETF #Crypto .com https://t.co/Q8YIFbwjCN — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 12, 2025 Bloomberg Intelligence’s Eric Balchunas noted that the ETF may face an uphill battle to stand out in a crowded market already dominated by earlier entrants. If approved, the ETF would directly hold Bitcoin and track its price performance, with shares expected to trade on NYSE Arca. For Trump Media, the move positions the brand squarely at the intersection of politics, finance, and crypto, though SEC approval is far from guaranteed. Wisconsin Lawmakers Target Bitcoin ATMs At the state level, Wisconsin legislators are ramping up efforts to tighten oversight of cryptocurrency kiosks. Senate Bill 386, introduced on Monday, mirrors an Assembly bill filed just weeks earlier. Both aim to address fraud tied to the state’s 582 Bitcoin ATMs, which are often located in convenience stores and gas stations. Wisconsin legislators are making a renewed push to rein in crypto kiosks, filing a second bill aimed at curbing fraud tied to the machines. #ATMs #Crypto https://t.co/8TL92NeKIr — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 12, 2025 Lawmakers point to $247 million in fraud losses as a compelling reason to act, framing these machines as a weak link in consumer protection. The proposed rules could introduce stricter licensing, compliance, and reporting requirements for kiosk operators, potentially curbing access but also tightening controls against abuse. SEC Shifts Focus to Policy After Ripple Case Ends In a shift, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears ready to move from courtroom battles to policymaking. Commissioner Hester Peirce announced via X that the SEC’s case against Ripple has officially concluded. She called it a “welcome development” that frees up bandwidth for building a “clear regulatory framework for crypto.” The SEC will focus on creating a clear crypto regulatory framework after dismissing its case against Ripple, regulator Hester Peirce says. #SEC #Ripple https://t.co/wJNt21xQzs — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 12, 2025 SEC Chair Paul Atkins backed Peirce’s remarks, urging the agency to prioritize crafting explicit, innovation-friendly rules. “With this chapter closed, we now have an opportunity to shift our energy from the courtroom to the policy drafting table,” Atkins said. While the agency has faced criticism for its enforcement-heavy approach, this shift could indicate a recognition that prolonged litigation has done little to settle core regulatory questions. Banking Groups Warn of Stablecoin Yield Loophole Major U.S. banking associations are pressing Congress to close what they see as a dangerous gap in the GENIUS Act’s stablecoin provisions. In a letter this week, the Bank Policy Institute, alongside groups including the American Bankers Association and the Financial Services Forum, warned that current language could allow issuers to pay yield indirectly through affiliated platforms. US banks have warned that a gap in the GENIUS Act could allow stablecoin issuers to skirt restrictions on paying yield to holders. #Stablecoin #Crypto https://t.co/N7lSngpPof — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 13, 2025 They argued that without a fix, this “loophole” undermines the law’s intent to prevent stablecoin products from functioning like interest-bearing bank accounts without equivalent safeguards. The push shows the tension between traditional finance and emerging digital asset models and the intense lobbying around the fine print of new laws. Treasury Clarifies Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Plans U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent created a stir earlier this week when he appeared to rule out Bitcoin purchases for the country’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. By Thursday, he clarified the policy: the reserve will not buy coins outright but will instead be built from confiscated Bitcoin, which the government will stop selling. Treasury Sec. @SecScottBessent walked back his no-buy stance, saying the US Bitcoin reserve will grow through seized coins and neutral spending. #BTC #ScottBessent https://t.co/6Wh6Uqt8GL — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 15, 2025 Bessent told Fox News that the current reserve—valued between $15 billion and $20 billion—would be maintained and expanded under this approach. Later, in an X post, he reiterated that forfeited Bitcoin will serve as the foundation for the reserve, established under President Trump’s March executive order. The clarification leaves some uncertainty about the program’s long-term scope but reinforces that the U.S. will hold—rather than liquidate—seized digital assets. The Takeaway This week’s developments demonstrate the multi-layered nature of U.S. crypto regulation. Federal lawmakers are sharpening political narratives, state legislatures are targeting specific risk points like Bitcoin ATMs, the SEC is hinting at a new phase of rulemaking, and industry stakeholders are jockeying to shape the fine print of stablecoin and ETF frameworks. The crypto regulation environment remains highly dynamic and, at times, unpredictable. But taken together, these stories suggest a slow but steady shift toward more codified rules, even as political posturing and policy gaps continue to generate uncertainty. The post Weekly Crypto Regulation Roundup: Trump Media’s Bitcoin ETF and SEC Clarity Push appeared first on Cryptonews .

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Ethereum Foundation, Whales, and Hackers: What’s Driving the ETH Sell-Off?

TL;DR Whales, hackers, and the Ethereum Foundation wallets moved over $500M in ETH through large sales and withdrawals. Ethereum transfers rose to 4.6M ETH, nearing the monthly high of 5.2M recorded in July. Staking inflows hit 247,900 ETH, the highest in a month, locking more supply from trading. Large Withdrawals and Whale Activity Ethereum (ETH) has seen heavy movement from major wallets over the past few days. On-chain data from Lookonchain shows a newly created wallet pulled 17,591 ETH, worth $81.62 million, from Kraken in just two hours. Over three days, two new wallets withdrew a combined 71,025 ETH, valued at $330 million, from the exchange. One of these wallets, address 0x2A92, has withdrawn 53,434 ETH, worth $242.34 million, in two days. This includes a recent purchase of 30,069 ETH, valued at $138.46 million, during a market drop. Major ETH Holders Offload Millions Amid Price Rally In contrast, several separate entities have been disposing of some ETH holdings. A wallet tied to a hacker address 0x17E0 sold 4,958 ETH for $22.13 million at $4,463, securing a profit of $9.75 million. Earlier this year, the same address sold 12,282 ETH at $1,932 and later bought back part of the amount at higher prices. A different whale sold 20,600 ETH for $96.55 million over the past two days, generating a profit of more than $26 million after holding the position for nine months. Meanwhile, an Ethereum Foundation-linked wallet, 0xF39d, sold 6,194 ETH worth $28.36 million in the last three days at an average price of $4,578. Recent sales from the same wallet included an additional 1,100 ETH and 1,695 ETH for over $12.7 million combined. The #EthereumFoundation -linked wallet(0xF39d) sold another 1,300 $ETH ($5.87M) at $4,518 ~11 hours ago. Over the past 3 days, this wallet has sold a total of 6,194 $ETH ($28.36M) at an average price of $4,578. https://t.co/4hfCWymHVG pic.twitter.com/ErUyEY8SJy — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) August 15, 2025 Network Activity on the Rise CryptoQuant data shows Ethereum’s total tokens transferred have been climbing since August 9. After ranging between 1 million and 3 million ETH through late July and early August, transfers have risen to 4.6 million ETH, approaching the monthly high of 5.2 million recorded in mid-July. This increase has occurred alongside a price rally from about $3,400 to $4,600. Source: CryptoQuant Interestingly, staking inflows generally stayed between 20,000 and 80,000 ETH per day over the past month. On August 14, inflows jumped to 247,900 ETH, the highest in the period. At the time, ETH was trading near $4,600. Large staking deposits reduce the amount of ETH available for immediate trading, as staked coins are locked for a set period. Source: CryptoQuant In the meantime, ETH trades at $4,647 with a 24-hour volume of $68.25 billion, down 2% on the day but up 19% over the week. The post Ethereum Foundation, Whales, and Hackers: What’s Driving the ETH Sell-Off? appeared first on CryptoPotato .

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SharpLink shares drop 12% on Q2 crypto impairment loss

SharpLink now holds $3.5 billion worth of ETH, maintaining its rank as the token's second-largest corporate holder, according to its Q2 filing.

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BITWISE FILES AMENDED S-1 FOR DOGECOIN ETF

BITWISE FILES AMENDED S-1 FOR DOGECOIN ETF

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Identity of the Long-Time Anonymous Cryptocurrency Whale Has Finally Been Revealed

The identity behind a long-unknown, massive cryptocurrency whale has been revealed. Blockchain analysis platform Arkham announced that the address in question belongs to Bitmine Immersion Technologies. The company is chaired by renowned Wall Street strategist Tom Lee. According to Arkham data, Bitmine holds a total of $5.14 billion in assets with 1.17 million Ethereum (ETH), making it the company with the largest Ethereum treasury in the world. Bitmine purchased an additional 28,650 ETH (approximately $129.89 million) in just the last hour. This aggressive buying strategy appears set to continue in the coming days. Tom Lee highlighted the supply shortage in Ethereum, claiming that institutional investors haven't yet fully grasped this opportunity. Related News: BREAKING: Fed Announces Bullish News for Cryptocurrencies Bitmine stands out as a company that was previously known for its Bitcoin mining operations but has recently shifted its focus to accumulating Ethereum. Under Lee's leadership, the company aims to increase its ETH reserves by raising an additional $20 billion. Corporate crypto treasury strategies first came to the fore in 2020 with Michael Saylor's Bitcoin purchases with MicroStrategy. Recently, companies have begun adding alternative crypto assets to their balance sheets, moving down the risk curve. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Identity of the Long-Time Anonymous Cryptocurrency Whale Has Finally Been Revealed

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SharpLink Stock Dives After Q2 Loss as Ethereum Price Surge Cools

SharpLink Gaming stock fell Friday as the Ethereum treasury posted $103 million in net losses for Q2 and as ETH dipped below $4,400.

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Wellgistics Health Launches XRP Ledger Payment System for 6,500+ Pharmacies

Wellgistics Health is integrating the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into its pharmaceutical payment system. It will enable instant, low-cost transactions for over 6,500 pharmacies. The partnership with RxERP ensures seamless onboarding and compliance. The latest announcement from Wellgistics Health regarding the launch of its XRP Implementation Program is garnering attention. On Wednesday, the company announced it would be integrating the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into its pharmaceutical payment and treasury infrastructure. This initiative introduces real-world utility for XRP, enabling instant low-cost payments for over 6,500 independent pharmacies and more than 200 pharmaceutical manufacturers across the United States. It also highlights institutional confidence in the token’s functionality beyond speculation. Wellgistics’ XRP Integration The program will streamline payment processes for independent pharmacies, removing the friction and delays caused by traditional banking and credit card systems. According to Wellgistics Health, the XRP-powered system delivers: Instant settlement Bypasses costly banking and card network charges 24/7 availability – paymen… The post Wellgistics Health Launches XRP Ledger Payment System for 6,500+ Pharmacies appeared first on Coin Edition .

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Bitcoin Stalls but Smart Money Is Still Betting on It

Markets are still recovering from Thursday’s bombshell commercial inflation data, but institutional interest in bitcoin is still alive and well. BTC Flat, Yet Institutional Investors Remain Bullish Bitcoin dipped below $117K on Friday, as markets floundered in the wake of Thursday’s higher-than-expected wholesale inflation data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But the

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Illinois Says No to AI in Therapy, Warns of Self-Harm Risks

Illinois has approved new rules that stop licensed therapists from using artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to help with mental health treatment .

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Ronin rejoins Ethereum as rollup strategies diverge

From Ronin’s classic L2 pivot to Taiko’s based rollup and Puffer’s ultra-low-latency appchain testnet, Ethereum-aligned architectures are multiplying

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