Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Crypto

Gold has reached a record high of $3,508 as traders bet on potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, which have boosted Bitcoin to over $110,000. The probability of a quarter-point reduction has risen to nearly 90%, driven by growing expectations of Fed action. Investors await key US economic releases for further confirmation.

Bitcoin traders are cautiously optimistic despite macroeconomic uncertainty and seasonality odds signaling a bearish September. A recent price increase has led to bullish bets on U.S. jobs data, but some traders are hedging against potential downside risks with low implied volatility. Friday's Non-farm Payrolls report will determine the cryptocurrency's future direction.

A new strategy from STRC aims to attract yield-seeking investors by offering a higher dividend. The move is part of the company's efforts to boost investor appeal and generate returns for shareholders. By increasing the dividend payout, STRC hopes to draw in more capital, ultimately benefiting its stakeholders financially.

Michael Saylor's bitcoin stack has acquired an additional 4,408 coins worth $450 million, bringing total holdings to 636,505, valued at around $70 billion. The acquisition was funded through sales of common stock, sparking concerns about dilution among existing shareholders. Recent Bitcoin price rallies have seen the value increase significantly since the purchase.

The US has jumped to second place in Chainalysis' Global Crypto Adoption Index, surpassing India for the first time. This shift is attributed to regulatory clarity around Bitcoin ETFs and stablecoins driving institutional demand. The Asia-Pacific region led growth with a 69% surge, while Indian policymakers implemented measures without dampening user engagement.

US politician Mike Collins has filed periodic transaction reports revealing he's invested up to $745,000 in cryptocurrency since January 2023. The latest filing includes two transactions: a $15,000 Ethereum investment and a $15,000 stake in meme coin Ski Mask Dog, bringing his total reported crypto activity to over $745,000.

U.S. Bank has resumed its bitcoin custody services for institutional investment managers, initially paused in 2022. The bank's Global Fund Services division now offers bitcoin exchange-traded funds, with NYDIG serving as sub-custodian for digital assets. This move comes amid greater regulatory clarity, expanding U.S. Bank's digital asset solutions across $11.7 trillion in assets.

Etherealize, a startup helping Wall Street institutions adopt Ethereum, has raised $40 million in Series A funding to develop private and settlement tools for institutional clients. Co-founded by Danny Ryan and Vivek Raman, the firm aims to build zero-knowledge privacy systems and tokenized fixed-income markets, backed by Vitalik Buterin and Ethereum Foundation grants.

Ether Machine, a crypto treasury firm, has secured $654 million in Ether financing to support its upcoming Nasdaq listing. The deal adds 150,000 ETH from Jeffrey Berns, increasing holdings to 495,400 ETH, valued at approximately $2.16 billion. This funding brings the company's total goal of $1.5 billion and 400,000 ETH by going public.

The Federal Reserve is hosting a conference in October to discuss stablecoins, DeFi, AI, and tokenization in payments. The event aims to evaluate emerging technologies, improve payment infrastructure, and share ideas from innovators. Governor Christopher Waller sees these technologies as streamlining operations and strengthening sector collaboration, with potential for significant impact.

The Ethereum Foundation plans to sell 10,000 ETH through centralized exchanges, with proceeds supporting research and development, ecosystem funding, and donations. This follows new treasury policies that cap annual expenses at 15% and establish a reserve buffer. The sale aims to maintain financial stability while funding initiatives for companies like SharpLink Gaming.

Microsoft's AI technology has sparked controversy over its potential impact on jobs, particularly with the inclusion of an "AGI" clause in its latest funding deal, which has been criticized as overly ambitious and potentially misleading by some experts. Meanwhile, gamers have seen a surge in player counts since Helldivers 2 released on Xbox, but this has also led to server crash issues. To address this, a new quiz has been made available for fans of the game to test their knowledge and compete with others, offering a unique way to engage with the franchise amidst the AI-related debate.

A security alert has been issued for the NX build tool, which was compromised to steal wallets and credentials. At least 1,400 people are affected, with malicious repositories created in their GitHub accounts. The malware uses a post-install hook to run code, dumping environment variables and searching for wallet-related patterns on the file system. To mitigate this, users should update to the latest safe versions of NX, delete compromised repositories, rotate stolen secrets, and remove shutdown directives from shell files, effectively protecting themselves against this malicious attack. Immediate action is crucial to prevent further damage.