Thursday, September 4, 2025

Crypto

The California Public Employees' Retirement System's $506 billion pension fund is divided on its Bitcoin investment strategy. Challenger Steve Mermell opposes crypto investments entirely, while challenger Troy Johnson remains open to future investments. The split also exists on blockchain technology versus direct crypto investment, with concerns about volatility and potential benefits being expressed.

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 strategy of investing in Bitcoin and converting fiat liabilities into cryptocurrency poses significant risks due to a heavy debt load, stretched equity base, and exposed wallets. Proponents see long-term benefits, but governance concerns and operational security threats are major drawbacks that could destabilize the company if market volatility increases.

Kite, backed by PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst, secures $18 million in Series A funding to develop the "agentic internet" – a future where AI agents can interact securely without intermediaries. The startup aims to build a shared blockchain identity system, launching its Ozone testnet, and plans to create unified governance and access to stablecoin payments.

Ali's email expresses surprise and admiration for Version 4.2 of the GABI tool, calling it a "huge service" that will benefit others for years to come. They attribute this improvement to Cary Coutant's work on the project, showing gratitude for his effort in enhancing the tool, which significantly surpasses previous editions.

The Ethereum Foundation plans to sell approximately $43 million worth of ETH over several weeks to fund research and development, grants, and donations. This sale is part of the foundation's treasury policy, aiming to balance funding needs with market impact considerations through quarterly asset sales, supporting blockchain development and ecosystem growth initiatives.

Steve Guo, Loopring's CEO for three years, has resigned to spend more time with his family. The community is divided over his existence, while some speculate on the project's future under new leadership. Despite initial speculative buying driven by uncertainty, LRC's price has corrected, with profit-taking and market caution taking hold.

The United States has jumped to second place in the Chainalysis 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, surpassing India and other countries. Regulatory clarity around Bitcoin ETFs and stablecoins drove institutional demand, while India retained its top spot despite heavy taxation. The Asia-Pacific region led growth with a 69% surge in transaction volume.

U.S. Bank has resumed its bitcoin custody services for institutional investment managers, offering them through NYDIG as a sub-custodian. The expansion follows regulatory clarity and comes after a brief pause in 2022. This move supports bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and is part of U.S. Bank's digital asset solution efforts.

Etherealize, a startup focused on institutional Ethereum adoption, has raised $40 million in Series A funding to develop critical infrastructure for Wall Street institutions. The new capital will support zero-knowledge privacy systems, settlement engines, and tokenized fixed-income markets, aiming to make Ethereum an attractive option for diversified portfolios amidst recent institutional developments.

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.

A Solana-based project called Collector Crypt has reignited interest in tokenized Pokémon cards with its "packs" offering redeemable NFTs for physical trading cards. The CARDS token's $85 million market cap presale has generated buzz, with other platforms like Courtyard also seeing significant sales volume, sparking debate on the concept's practical applications.

The Federal Reserve is hosting a conference in October to discuss emerging technologies like stablecoins, DeFi, AI, and tokenization in payments. Panel discussions will focus on converging traditional and decentralized finance, stablecoin use cases, and AI applications in payments. The event aims to explore opportunities and challenges of new technologies.

A dormant Bitcoin wallet holding nearly 13 years' worth of coins, approximately $53.68 million, has come to life, executing a small transfer of 0.25 BTC to another wallet. The sudden awakening sparks discussions about potential implications for the market, with theories ranging from a long-lost owner regaining access to a savvy investor's strategic move.

A government researcher misused NSF-funded supercomputers to mine for Bitcoin, generating $8,000-$10,000 worth of coins. He claimed to be conducting tests, but accessed systems remotely without authorization. The incident highlights the misuse of powerful computing resources and the need for safeguards against illicit activities, prompting the NSF to suspend the researcher.