Grayscale is forging ahead with its proposal to list and trade an ETF that trades Dogecoin, landing on the ticker symbol "GDOG."
SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins is speaking today about Project Crypto, a new effort focused on shaping clear rules for cryptocurrencies. The talk included ideas on how to handle the launch of new tokens, protect investors, and make sure blockchain technology can work within current financial laws. SEC is Mobilizing to Update Crypto Rules The head …
SEC Chair Paul Atkins appeared on "Mornings With Maria" to discuss his recently announced "Project Crypto.
The Federal Reserve said it is ending its program supervising banks involved in crypto and financial technology.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is postponing decisions on whether to approve proposals for Solana exchange-traded funds.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says there are still four catalysts the market hasn't fully priced in which could push prices substantially higher.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and the DeFi Education Fund have urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to create a “Safe Harbor” program for decentralized application (dApp) trading platforms. In an Aug. 12 letter to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, the groups wrote that a clear framework would keep builders of non-custodial interfaces from being treated […]
The post a16z and DeFi Education Fund push SEC for safe harbor on dApp regulation appeared first on CryptoSlate.
One of Washington's largest lobbying groups focused on decentralized finance is debuting the nonprofit DeFi Education Foundation.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Thumzup recently raised $50 million through a public offering to expand into crypto mining as well as fund token purchases.
The DeFi Education Fund and a16z proposed a safe harbor that could clarify broker rules for blockchain apps, such as Uniswap and OpenSea.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Kwon was criminally charged in March 2023 with conspiracy to defraud, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud, among others.
Democratic staff say Republican counterparts'crypto draft bill creates a "superhighway" for assets looking to skirt regulators' authority.
BlackRock’s absence from the crowded spot XRP ETF race could be a reflection of client demand, regulatory caution and a calculated focus on bitcoin and ether.
Regulatory clarity fuels surging prices across Ethereum’s staking ecosystem, with layer-2 tokens and optimistic rollup projects posting double-digit weekly gains.
The close of Ripple's years-long lawsuit signaled the potential for big firms such as BlackRock to try their hand at proposing a spot XRP ETF.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Ripple Labs’ long-running legal fight with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is officially over after both sides agreed to drop their appeals in the case. Related Reading: Bitcoin Insult Alert: Pro Trader Dubs HODLers ‘Idiots,’ Saylor Fires Back According to reports, a joint filing on August 7 confirmed the decision to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, ending a nearly five-year dispute that has shaped debate over how cryptocurrencies are regulated. Back To Business Ripple’s chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty said on social media the matter was “over” and the company could get “back to business.” Following the Commission’s vote today, the SEC and Ripple formally filed directly with the Second Circuit to dismiss their appeals. The end…and now back to business. https://t.co/nVqthNcFOt — Stuart Alderoty (@s_alderoty) August 7, 2025 Appeals Withdrawn, Penalties Finalized Based on reports, the SEC has withdrawn its challenge to a 2023 ruling that XRP sales on public exchanges were not securities. Ripple, in turn, dropped its own appeal on the finding that institutional sales of XRP violated securities laws. Both parties will shoulder their own legal expenses. The case’s resolution finalizes $125 million in penalties first outlined by Judge Analisa Torres. Of that, $50 million will go to the US Treasury, while $75 million—held in escrow since June—will be returned to Ripple. The ruling also leaves in place a permanent injunction stopping Ripple from making institutional XRP sales without following securities laws. It can be recalled that the litigation started in December 2020 when the regulatory body charged Ripple with raising $1.3 billion from unregistered securities offerings. Ripple protested innocence, claiming XRP is not a security. In July 2023, Judge Torres agreed with the SEC on “programmatic” sales to institutional buyers but decided such type of sales to retail purchasers were not deemed as “securities.” Political Shift Shapes Outcome The move to suspend appeals follows US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and appointment of new bosses at the SEC. According to reports, under the new chair, Paul Atkins, the agency has backed away from more than a dozen enforcement actions and investigations involving crypto firms in recent months. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse earlier said both parties had already agreed in June to put closure to their appeals, though negotiations to reduce the penalties failed. Meanwhile, market observers say the outcome is a reflection of the SEC’s softened approach in other high-profile cases, including those involving Coinbase and Kraken. For the crypto industry, this resolution is being viewed as a sign of changing tides in Washington’s stance when it comes to regulation. Related Reading: Crypto Is Here To Stay—Even The SEC Can’t Do Anything About It, Analyst Says XRP Sees Renewed Trading Activity Following news of the case’s end, XRP shot up 13%, registering a 24-hour trading volume of $9.50 billion—an increase of more than 100% compared from the previous day. XRP’s price has been climbing by around 14% in the last seven days, latest data shows. Analysts say the sharp spike in activity signals renewed investor confidence now that the legal cloud over Ripple has been cleared. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
The US markets have seen a surge of digital coins. Millions of Americans now hold tokens in their wallets. Blocking all of it suddenly would be nearly impossible. At the same time, leaving this sector with no rules puts everyday investors in harm’s way. Related Reading: Bitcoin Insult Alert: Pro Trader Dubs HODLers ‘Idiots,’ Saylor Fires Back Why Ban Is Off The Table According to Bloomberg columnist Matt Levine, outright banning crypto is off the table. He points out that tens of millions of people own digital assets today. Pulling the plug now would ripple through trading platforms, payment apps, and even major Wall Street firms. Levine argues that such a move would simply drive innovation and jobs offshore. Hostile Past Still Looms Under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, most tokens were treated as stocks. That meant they needed to register under securities laws—a process that almost no project could clear. In practice, that stance rendered crypto “illegal” in the US. Many developers and investors felt shut out. Matt Levine: “We will ban crypto” is no longer feasible for the SEC, and “we will ignore crypto because it’s not a security so not our problem” is not very attractive for the SEC. The only choice left is “we will regulate crypto, but in a way that you like. pic.twitter.com/hBFXTmMnh5 — Sar Haribhakti (@sarthakgh) August 7, 2025 According to analysts, crypto serves two purposes: it powers networks and it offers investment chances. That split role creates regulatory headaches. Many tokens act much like shares in a company, yet they also run on open software and community rules. The SEC knows how to protect stock investors, but digital coins need different safeguards. Project Crypto Signals Change Current SEC Chair Paul Atkins launched “Project Crypto” this year. The goal is to carve out faster, clearer paths for token registration. Projects that truly function as securities could follow a new, streamlined process. At the same time, tokens used mainly for network services would face lighter requirements. Related Reading: Bitcoin Remains ‘Undefeatable’, Tether Chief Says Levine warns that drawing clear lines won’t be easy. How do you tell a governance token from a pure utility token? What level of disclosure makes sense when code can update itself overnight? Those questions will test regulators and industry alike. However, having defined categories would guide honest developers and protect small investors. The SEC now faces a clear choice: use its power, but adapt its toolkit. A full ban would leave retail holders stranded. Total hands-off would leave them exposed to fraud. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission first sued Ripple in 2020, during Donald Trump's first term.
Trump signed an executive order that directs the Labor Department to pave the way for crypto to be offered in 401(k) retirement plans.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Paxos Trust Company will pay $26.5 million in fines to New York after the state's financial regulator found failures.
Liquid restaking total value locked (TVL) on Ethereum stands at around $24 billion as of Aug. 5, The Block's data shows.
AlphaPoint’s Reba Beeson dives into the trends and regulatory policy shifts driving crypto M&A, cementing its role as core infrastructure for the future of finance.
The SEC’s new guidance on liquid staking boosts governance tokens like LDO and RPL, while TVL across protocols holds steady at $67 billion.
Former US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chief of staff Amanda Fischer released a warning that liquid staking could trigger crypto’s own Lehman-style collapse. This statement has drawn attention from the crypto industry and also triggered fear and debate over how the U.S. should regulate staking tokens. Ex-SEC Chief Faces Backlash Over Lehman Brothers Comparison …
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw has criticized recent staff guidance on liquid staking, warning that it fails to reflect the practice’s complexities. On Aug. 5, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance asserted that certain liquid staking arrangements, specifically those involving receipt tokens, do not fall under securities regulations. However, Crenshaw pushed […]
The post SEC official warns liquid staking guidance adds confusion, raising Lehman-like risks appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Ethereum, DeFi protocols, and platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood stand to benefit most from the policy shift, in Matt Hougan's view.