XRP vastly outperformed ETH over the past year, but institutional investor demand for Ether could change the trend. Key takeaways: XRP leads in yearly gains, surging 552% since July 2024 and 49% year-to-date. ETH sees major institutional adoption, with over $4.4 billion in holdings from firms like Bit Digital and BlackRock. Read more
After about two weeks of hearing from US government witnesses, Roman Storm’s legal team called Preston Van Loon to the stand to kick off its defense case. Prosecutors in the criminal trial of Tornado Cash co-founder and developer Roman Storm rested their case on Thursday, opening the door for defense counsel to call an Ethereum core developer as its first witness. According to reporting by Inner City Press on Thursday from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ethereum core developer Preston Van Loon testified in Storm’s defense case, which is expected to last about a week. The developer reportedly described Tornado Cash as a “privacy tool for Ethereum” and said he had used the mixing service four times to send a combined 43 Ether (ETH) in 2019 or 2020, citing safety concerns. “If [hackers] know the scope of my assets I can become a target,” said Van Loon, according to reporting from the courtroom. Read more
A new More Perfect Union video sheds light on what life is like for Granbury, Texas, residents living with the near-constant noise of a Bitcoin mining operation. Many residents of a Texas town southwest of Dallas, facing health problems allegedly associated with constant noise, don’t seem to have anything good to say about a crypto mining facility run by MARA Holdings. In a video released Thursday by the nonprofit advocacy organization More Perfect Union, reporter Dan Lieberman spoke to residents of Granbury, Texas, some of whom lived less than a mile from MARA’s 300-megawatt Bitcoin (BTC) mining facility. Many long-term residents and retirees described life as “hell” under the near-constant noise of the mining operation, which lies in an unincorporated area of Hood County. “It never goes away, headaches never go away,” said one elderly resident on camera, with the sound of the facility easily heard in the background. Read more
Bit Origin’s DOGE purchase for its crypto treasury could improve sentiment and boost the altcoin above the $0.29 resistance. Key point: Bit Origin’s DOGE purchases for its crypto treasury could limit the downside and open the doors for a rally above $0.29. China-based pork processing company and Bitcoin miner Bit Origin said on Monday that it had completed the acquisition of 40.5 million Dogecoin (DOGE) for its crypto treasury. Earlier, the firm said on July 17 that it aims to become the largest publicly traded DOGE holder. For that, the firm has entered into agreements with investors to raise $500 million via a combination of share sales and debt offerings. Read more
Crypto and fintech groups are urging Trump to defend open banking rules, warning the case could affect access to wallets, DeFi apps, and stablecoins. A coalition of trade groups representing the crypto, fintech, retail, and restaurant industries is urging President Donald Trump to defend open banking rules under a so-called legal attack by the nation’s largest banks. In a letter sent July 23, organizations including the Blockchain Association, Crypto Council for Innovation, and the Financial Technology Association claim that the US’s most powerful banks are undermining innovation by suing to block the implementation of new open banking rules and imposing “stunning” new data fees on fintech and crypto apps. On July 11, Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan plans to start charging fintech firms fees for access to their customers’ bank account data. According to pricing sheets sent to customers, the fees vary based on how the information is used, with higher charges applied to payments companies. Read more