based on materials from the site - By CoinPedia News
What a week! New rules. Important releases. And a few unexpected surprises.
From regulators outlining boundaries to new milestones in ETF development, the cryptocurrency space has rapidly evolved, just like the U.S., with new reports (yes, the Fed published rates) and political decisions.
A lot is happening right now, and this overview is all you need to catch up and get ahead.
Launched on July 30, 2015, Ethereum promised to surpass Bitcoin, becoming a decentralized platform for everything from applications to finance. Ten years later, it still does. ETH has returned to $3,800 after hitting $1,500 in April, driven by growing interest in tokenization, stablecoins, and yield strategies.
More and more companies are holding ETH on their balance sheets. As the Ethereum ecosystem expands, it is gradually solidifying its position in traditional finance without losing its roots.
The White House released a detailed 166-page report on cryptocurrencies aimed at making the U.S. the 'crypto capital of the world.' It includes a call for regulators to accelerate clarity in trading rules, custodial storage, and DeFi, and strongly recommends that Congress modernize anti-money laundering laws.
The plan is backed by strong investor support: 82% believe now is a good time to buy, and venture investment is rising. Although the Bitcoin reserve has not been accounted for, the U.S. wants to lead in the cryptocurrency space. A little more patience will be needed.
The Fed kept rates unchanged this week, remaining at 4.25–4.5%, even after the U.S. economy showed an unexpected 3% GDP growth in the second quarter. But Trump is not celebrating. He unleashed criticism on Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Truth Social, writing: 'Too late! RATES MUST BE CUT NOW.'
Trump went further, calling Powell a 'stubborn idiot' and demanding that the Fed's board 'take control' if cuts do not follow soon.
Two governors, Waller and Bowman, supported small cuts. But for now, the Fed is taking no action, and Trump seems unwilling to back down. What happens next remains a mystery.
The Fed refuses to lower interest rates, but every American will benefit from lower rates.
JPMorganChase and Coinbase have announced a new partnership aimed at making Bitcoin purchases more convenient and accessible. The agreement will allow Chase users to directly link their bank accounts to Coinbase wallets, convert credit card rewards at a 1:1 ratio, and starting later this year, top up their accounts using Chase credit cards. 'It's about security, privacy, and giving customers new ways to use their money,' said Melissa Feldsher from JPMorgan.
Coinbase states that this is part of a larger initiative to 'lower the barriers to entry' into the cryptocurrency business.
The SEC has launched the Crypto project — a new step towards modernizing cryptocurrency regulation in the U.S.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins stated that most crypto assets are not securities, and that legal uncertainty hinders the industry's development. The plan includes clearer rules for self-custody, cryptocurrency trading, and asset classification.
'I firmly believe in the right to use a self-custody digital wallet,' Atkins stated in Washington.
The agency will also support super apps, update custody laws, and open doors for DeFi integration under a unified streamlined licensing model.
Strategy, the company behind the largest corporate Bitcoin reserve, reported $14.03 billion in operating profit in the second quarter, which is 7100% more than a year earlier, thanks to $10 billion raised during the IPO and ATM programs. Most of the funds were directed into Bitcoin, increasing its holdings to 628,791 BTC, which accounts for nearly 3% of the total supply.
The company is now applying to raise another $4.2 billion for further expansion. 'STRC reflects our commitment to developing innovative financial products,' said Executive Chairman Michael Saylor.
Public companies currently hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets worth over $100 billion.
According to Galaxy Research, about 160 publicly traded companies called Digital Asset Management Companies (DATCO) now consider cryptocurrency part of their core balance. Collectively, they hold nearly 1 million BTC and over 1.3 million ETH. Some even use stock bonuses and yield programs to grow their assets faster, indicating that crypto finance is entering a more strategic, corporate phase.
Coinbase unveils plans to create an on-chain 'exchange for everything': from tokenized stocks to prediction markets, Coinbase is building a trading platform that goes beyond cryptocurrency, despite disappointing quarterly earnings and a sharp decline in spot trading volumes.
Tether reports a profit of $4.9 billion, becoming one of the largest holders of U.S. Treasury bonds: thanks to the influence of Treasury bonds and the rise of cryptocurrencies, Tether's profit in the second quarter set a new record as the supply of USDT reached $157 billion, with expansion plans shifting towards the U.S. market.
