Day trading crypto is brutal: prices swing 24/7, order books flip in minutes, and narratives rotate by the hour. Google’s Gemini AI can help you stay disciplined, filter noise, and turn scattered market data into actionable setups — without ever handing it your exchange keys.

Key Takeaways

Research & Plan, Don’t Auto-Trade
Gemini AI can analyze, summarize, and structure trade ideas, but it cannot execute trades.

Turn Data Into Discipline
Build repeatable loops — Watchlist → Catalysts → Levels → Plan → Order Flow → Post-Mortem — so you trade rules, not emotions.

Pair It With Real Data
Gemini Flash 2.5 lacks live market feeds. Combine it with TradingView, Glassnode, Nansen or other analytics for real-time prices and on-chain stats.

1️⃣ Set Up Your Gemini Workspace

Choose how you’ll access Gemini:

Google Sheets / Docs: Summaries, dashboards, and structured analysis.

Google AI Studio or Gemini API: For coders who want to prompt programmatically.

Google AI Pro (Advanced): Larger context windows for multi-asset intraday notes.

Create a trading notebook in Sheets with tabs like:

Watchlist

Catalysts (upgrades, unlocks, macro reports)

Levels (support, resistance, liquidity pockets)

Order flow (funding rates, on-chain flows)

Plan

Post-mortem

2️⃣ Gemini in Action — Practical Prompts

Use Gemini to reason over large context and produce structured insights.

Watchlist Ranking

“Summarize the top three coins by 24-hour price change from this dataset and rank them by shorting risk.”

Catalyst Filtering

“Flag which headlines are most likely to impact ETH and SOL in the next 12 hours based on past price reactions.”

Liquidity Mapping

“Identify key price clusters where ETH was rejected multiple times this week.”

Daily Trade Plan

“Draft three intraday scenarios using today’s Watchlist, Catalysts and Levels, with triggers and invalidations.”

Post-Mortem Review

“Analyze my last five trades and identify recurring mistakes or strengths.”

3️⃣ Build a Risk Firewall

Gemini helps you stay within safe limits:

Position sizing & leverage checks

Bearish and sideways scenario planning

Risk/reward ranking across all setups

Capital exposure summaries (e.g., too much ETH beta)

Bottom Line

Gemini AI won’t (and shouldn’t) trade for you — but it supercharges your research, organization, and discipline. By combining Gemini’s structured reasoning with live market data and strict risk management, you can react faster and trade smarter in crypto’s 24/7 battlefield.

Day trading crypto is brutal: prices swing 24/7, order books flip in minutes, and narratives rotate by the hour. Google’s Gemini AI can help you stay disciplined, filter noise, and turn scattered market data into actionable setups — without ever handing it your exchange keys.

Key Takeaways

Research & Plan, Don’t Auto-Trade
Gemini AI can analyze, summarize, and structure trade ideas, but it cannot execute trades.

Turn Data Into Discipline
Build repeatable loops — Watchlist → Catalysts → Levels → Plan → Order Flow → Post-Mortem — so you trade rules, not emotions.

Pair It With Real Data
Gemini Flash 2.5 lacks live market feeds. Combine it with TradingView, Glassnode, Nansen or other analytics for real-time prices and on-chain stats.

1️⃣ Set Up Your Gemini Workspace

Choose how you’ll access Gemini:

Google Sheets / Docs: Summaries, dashboards, and structured analysis.

Google AI Studio or Gemini API: For coders who want to prompt programmatically.

Google AI Pro (Advanced): Larger context windows for multi-asset intraday notes.

Create a trading notebook in Sheets with tabs like:

Watchlist

Catalysts (upgrades, unlocks, macro reports)

Levels (support, resistance, liquidity pockets)

Order flow (funding rates, on-chain flows)

Plan

Post-mortem

2️⃣ Gemini in Action — Practical Prompts

Use Gemini to reason over large context and produce structured insights.

Watchlist Ranking

“Summarize the top three coins by 24-hour price change from this dataset and rank them by shorting risk.”

Catalyst Filtering

“Flag which headlines are most likely to impact ETH and SOL in the next 12 hours based on past price reactions.”

Liquidity Mapping

“Identify key price clusters where ETH was rejected multiple times this week.”

Daily Trade Plan

“Draft three intraday scenarios using today’s Watchlist, Catalysts and Levels, with triggers and invalidations.”

Post-Mortem Review

“Analyze my last five trades and identify recurring mistakes or strengths.”

3️⃣ Build a Risk Firewall

Gemini helps you stay within safe limits:

Position sizing & leverage checks

Bearish and sideways scenario planning

Risk/reward ranking across all setups

Capital exposure summaries (e.g., too much ETH beta)

Bottom Line

Gemini AI won’t (and shouldn’t) trade for you — but it supercharges your research, organization, and discipline. By combining Gemini’s structured reasoning with live market data and strict risk management, you can react faster and trade smarter in crypto’s 24/7 battlefield.

Crypto headlines often focus on hacks and scams, but that’s only part of the story. In this week’s Clear Crypto Podcast, brought to you by StarkWare and Cointelegraph, host Nathan sat down with Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs and former U.S. federal prosecutor, to dig into what really drives crypto crime — and why the bigger picture is far more encouraging.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

1. Crime exists, but it’s a small slice of the pie

“We’ve seen about $50 billion in scams and fraud over the last two years,” Redbord explained. “But illicit activity still makes up about 1% of all activity within the crypto ecosystem. That means 99% is lawful.”

Bad actors may grab headlines, but they are not the norm.

2. Criminals may be early adopters — but the blockchain fights back

“Bad actors are always early adopters of transformative technology,” Redbord said.
“But every transaction is traceable, trackable, and immutable on a public ledger. That means we can investigate and enforce better than ever before.”

The very openness of blockchain gives compliance teams and law enforcement the data they need to catch criminals faster.

3. Privacy and security can coexist
   Far from being a zero-sum game, privacy and security can reinforce each other through cryptography.

Zero-knowledge proofs (zk-proofs)

Privacy pools

Digital identity frameworks

These tools help guarantee privacy for lawful users while shutting out actors like state-sponsored hackers.

A Community Built on Optimism

Despite high-profile breaches, Redbord sees a strong foundation:

“What keeps me so positive is the incredible community of builders, compliance professionals, and law enforcement working together every day.”

This collaboration is key to crypto’s long-term legitimacy and safety.

Listen to the full conversation
Catch the entire episode of the Clear Crypto Podcast on:

Cointelegraph Podcasts

Paraguay’s largest bank is going quantum-safe. Ueno Bank has begun anchoring critical e-documents on QANplatform, a layer-1 hybrid blockchain built to resist quantum attacks and provide mathematically provable, immutable timestamps that comply with the U.S. NIST’s next-generation cryptographic standards.

Why Quantum Security Matters for Finance

Quantum computers will one day break today’s public-key cryptography, threatening e-signatures, archives, and audit trails.

Timeline pressure: NIST urges a full migration to quantum-resistant cryptography before 2030.

Attack risk now: Adversaries can “harvest now, decrypt later,” storing encrypted traffic until quantum tools can crack it.

Banks, insurers, and governments can’t afford to wait—especially for long-lived contracts and compliance records.

How Ueno’s Implementation Works

SignQuantum Add-On: Layers post-quantum signatures onto existing e-signature workflows.

QAN Private Blockchain: Stores tamper-proof document hashes on a permissioned chain for internal assurance.

Optional Public Anchoring: Hashes can also be anchored to a public QAN chain for independent verification.

Standards Aligned: Uses ML-DSA-65, NIST’s primary post-quantum signature standard.

This makes Ueno the first bank worldwide to run this combined solution in production.

Why QANplatform Fits Enterprise Scale

Hybrid by design: Private + public blockchain model for regulated workloads.

EVM-compatible: Seamless migration for Ethereum-based projects like DeFi, DEXs, and NFTs.

Fast deployment: Spin up QAN networks on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud in under 5 minutes.

Dev-friendly: Supports multiple Linux-compatible languages and integrates with Docker/Kubernetes.

Developer royalties: Built-in incentives when smart contracts are reused on the public chain.

Proprietary tools like QAN XLINK (ML-DSA-65 cross-signer) and strong governance make it enterprise-ready.

Policy & Industry Signals

G7 Cyber Expert Group: Calls for timely quantum-resilient adoption across financial services.

SEC Framework: Proposal for a “Post-Quantum Financial Infrastructure” to guide orderly market transitions.

Regional impact: Offers a template for Latin American banks to secure documents, then scale to identity, payments, and custody.

“Adopting SignQuantum and QANplatform both mitigates future risks and builds confidence with our customers and partners to bring a new standard of cybersecurity to the financial sector.”
— Juan Manuel Gustale, President, Ueno Bank

“Seeing QANplatform deployed in robust, real-life environments like Ueno Bank shows how quantum-resistant blockchain can work today.”
— Johann Polecsak, CTO & Co-founder, QANplatform

The Bigger Picture

Ueno Bank’s move is a measured first step toward a quantum-safe financial system. By starting with high-value records and layering post-quantum signatures on a quantum-resistant blockchain, it sets a repeatable path for other banks, insurers, and public agencies worldwide.

Bottom line: The quantum countdown has already begun. Ueno’s approach shows how to protect critical data today—and be ready for the cryptographic future.

Paraguay’s largest bank is going quantum-safe. Ueno Bank has begun anchoring critical e-documents on QANplatform, a layer-1 hybrid blockchain built to resist quantum attacks and provide mathematically provable, immutable timestamps that comply with the U.S. NIST’s next-generation cryptographic standards.

Why Quantum Security Matters for Finance

Quantum computers will one day break today’s public-key cryptography, threatening e-signatures, archives, and audit trails.

Timeline pressure: NIST urges a full migration to quantum-resistant cryptography before 2030.

Attack risk now: Adversaries can “harvest now, decrypt later,” storing encrypted traffic until quantum tools can crack it.

Banks, insurers, and governments can’t afford to wait—especially for long-lived contracts and compliance records.

How Ueno’s Implementation Works

SignQuantum Add-On: Layers post-quantum signatures onto existing e-signature workflows.

QAN Private Blockchain: Stores tamper-proof document hashes on a permissioned chain for internal assurance.

Optional Public Anchoring: Hashes can also be anchored to a public QAN chain for independent verification.

Standards Aligned: Uses ML-DSA-65, NIST’s primary post-quantum signature standard.

This makes Ueno the first bank worldwide to run this combined solution in production.

Why QANplatform Fits Enterprise Scale

Hybrid by design: Private + public blockchain model for regulated workloads.

EVM-compatible: Seamless migration for Ethereum-based projects like DeFi, DEXs, and NFTs.

Fast deployment: Spin up QAN networks on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud in under 5 minutes.

Dev-friendly: Supports multiple Linux-compatible languages and integrates with Docker/Kubernetes.

Developer royalties: Built-in incentives when smart contracts are reused on the public chain.

Proprietary tools like QAN XLINK (ML-DSA-65 cross-signer) and strong governance make it enterprise-ready.

Policy & Industry Signals

G7 Cyber Expert Group: Calls for timely quantum-resilient adoption across financial services.

SEC Framework: Proposal for a “Post-Quantum Financial Infrastructure” to guide orderly market transitions.

Regional impact: Offers a template for Latin American banks to secure documents, then scale to identity, payments, and custody.

“Adopting SignQuantum and QANplatform both mitigates future risks and builds confidence with our customers and partners to bring a new standard of cybersecurity to the financial sector.”
— Juan Manuel Gustale, President, Ueno Bank

“Seeing QANplatform deployed in robust, real-life environments like Ueno Bank shows how quantum-resistant blockchain can work today.”
— Johann Polecsak, CTO & Co-founder, QANplatform

The Bigger Picture

Ueno Bank’s move is a measured first step toward a quantum-safe financial system. By starting with high-value records and layering post-quantum signatures on a quantum-resistant blockchain, it sets a repeatable path for other banks, insurers, and public agencies worldwide.

Bottom line: The quantum countdown has already begun. Ueno’s approach shows how to protect critical data today—and be ready for the cryptographic future.

Technical analysis will tell you that maybe it’s time for a pullback. But then again, this is crypto. It’s the wild west, where predictions are polite suggestions at best. Here’s what we know about where we are.

Bitcoin Takes a Breather

Bitcoin BTCUSD started the week on a quieter note, trading mostly sideways while altcoins decided to explore the downside a little more aggressively. After hitting a record high of $124,500 in mid-August, the world’s largest cryptocurrency has pulled back roughly 13%, currently hovering between $108,000 and $110,000.

That’s still a big number, but the market mood has shifted from full-blown euphoria to cautious watching. And the question on everyone’s mind? Did we just top out or is there more room to the upside?

️ Politics, Tariffs, and Bitcoin’s Rally

Crypto’s recent run-up didn’t happen in a vacuum. After the April dip – triggered by President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariff announcements – Bitcoin bounced back hard.

Traders quickly shrugged off the policy shock, betting that a crypto-friendly administration would eventually be good for business.

And they weren’t wrong. Since late 2024, Bitcoin and co have been riding a bullish wave fueled by increased Treasury interest, ETF inflows, and a broader perception that digital assets are now mainstream.

But with prices off their August highs, the question is whether the market still has the energy to keep pushing… or if gravity is about to kick in.

Technical Check: Bulls, Bears, and Battle Lines

Let’s talk charts. At current levels, Bitcoin is sitting right in the middle of its long-term ascending channel – a key battleground between bulls and bears.

1️⃣ Upside scenario: If Bitcoin can hold the line around current prices, the structure could accumulate to a potential breakout toward fresh highs. A sustained move above $112,000 could flip short-term momentum back in favor of the bulls.

2️⃣ Trip south scenario: If the near-term support fails, there’s potential for $98,500 as the bears' next target. It’s a previous bottom hit on June 22.

3️⃣ Deep south scenario: $92,000 could become the next support as it would represent the fourth inflection point of the ascending channel’s lower boundary. That is, if prices continue to drift lower at the same steady pace.

4️⃣ Really deep south scenario: A steeper correction could drag Bitcoin all the way back to $75,000 – the key level last touched on April 7 (yes, it was the tariff mayhem). It’s the dip, which kicked off the current bull cycle so it’s something of a big deal.

Adding to the caution, both the 50-day and 100-day moving averages are now sitting above current prices, suggesting that the upward momentum has cooled – at least for now.

The Seasonal Side of Crypto

Bitcoin’s price history has a rhythm, and for better or worse, crypto dances to seasonal vibes. Historically, late summer and early fall tend to bring volatility spikes – and often, corrections – as trading volumes thin out and liquidity gets patchy.

The OG token isn’t the only one feeling the heat. Ether ETHUSD – which hit a record high of just under $5,000 on August 24 – has slipped roughly 11%. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; corrections can reset overheated conditions and shake out weak hands (not you, diamond hands) before another leg higher.

Still, with macro uncertainty looming, traders should expect choppier price action heading into the final quarter of 2025.

Technical Analysis: What to Make of It

Technical analysis is built on one key assumption: history repeats itself. Traders look for continuation patterns, support and resistance levels, and indicators like moving averages to predict future price moves.

But technical analysis doesn’t account for surprises (unless you go full meta and add the surprises to the natural order of events). Sudden regulatory actions, geopolitical shocks, or even a single whale unloading a massive position can blow up the cleanest technical setups.

️ Bottom Line

The next few weeks will be key. If Bitcoin can reclaim momentum and punch above $112,000, the bulls could get back in control. But if we slide through $100,000 and lose $92,000, the conversation may shift toward deeper corrections and range trading, with a long-term bear target of $75,000.

In the bigger picture, this pullback could just be part of Bitcoin’s usual rhythm: rally, correct, consolidate, repeat.

Still, Bitcoin ETFs are booming and companies continue to load up on the crypto and jam it in their treasuries while the White House is working out crypto-friendly legislations.

️ Fast fact: Bitcoin has lost 80% of its value not once or twice but four times, only to recoup the losses and come back roaring to a new all-time high. What would an 80% drop look like? Going from $124,500 to $24,000.

Off to you: WAGMI? Or NGMI? Share your thoughts in the comments!

While Bitcoin did manage to push to a fresh record high, the broader august trend reflected cautious investor sentiment, supported by modest momentum and ongoing macro uncertainty. The narrative suggests price resilience, but without the forcefulness needed for the next wave of bullish momentum.

In stark contrast, Ethereum continued with its run of outperformance—posting double-digit returns and surpassing its 2021 peak to hit fresh all-time highs. Its rally was powered by robust institutional demand, record ETF inflows, and active on-chain metrics like rising transaction volumes and reduced network fees. Favorable regulatory signals, particularly stablecoin-friendly legislation, further stoked confidence in ETH’s utility-driven narrative.

This divergence has shifted the ETHBTC dynamic sharply in ETH’s favor. As Bitcoin grinded higher with subdued volatility, Ethereum’s performance underscored its emergence as the speculative bellwether, attracting capital rotating away from Bitcoin’s more mature positioning.

Credits to:
Exclusive FX research from LMAX Group Market Strategist, Joel Kruger

XAUUSD has surged to test the resistance zone above 3,500 after strong bullish momentum carried price through the wedge breakout. The structure is defined by an upward channel, with the latest higher low aligning with trend continuation. As long as price holds above 3,490, the bullish bias remains intact, targeting the 3,600–3,620 zone. The broader pattern favors trend extension unless a deep pullback invalidates momentum.

Key Levels

Buy trigger: Hold above 3,490 resistance
Buy zone: 3,490–3,500 support retest region
Target: 3,590–3,600 resistance
Invalidation: Breakdown below 3,490

Risks

Strong rejection from resistance zone near 3,550 leading to corrective retracement.
Unexpected USD strength from macroeconomic releases weighing on gold.
Bond yield spikes undermining safe-haven demand for gold.


If this idea resonates with you or you have your own opinion, traders, hit the comments. I’m excited to read your thoughts!

Market Context
BTC is currently printing a series of higher lows, which signals a bullish underlying trend despite short-term volatility. Each dip has been defended, showing that buyers are stepping in earlier with every pullback. This type of structure often builds the foundation for an eventual breakout higher.

Consolidation Phase
After the strong bounce from recent lows, price has moved into a tight consolidation range. This is a classic "cooling-off" period where liquidity builds up and traders wait for direction. Consolidations at this stage often precede expansion moves, and the side that breaks tends to dictate the next wave of momentum.

Bullish Fair Value Gap & Fakeout
Just below the consolidation lies a Bullish Fair Value Gap. Price may fake out to the downside into this zone, trapping breakout sellers and filling imbalance before reclaiming levels. This setup is particularly interesting because the higher-timeframe structure still favors the bulls, making the FVG a potential springboard for continuation.

Distribution into New Highs
If the FVG reacts as expected, the next phase would likely be distribution into new highs. That means clearing out liquidity above the consolidation and targeting the next round of upside expansion. In this scenario, the higher lows, the fakeout trap, and the FVG all align to fuel the breakout.

Final Thoughts
The higher-low structure gives this setup a bullish tilt, but the real clue will come from how price behaves around the Fair Value Gap. A clean reaction there could be the trigger for a sharp push into new highs.

If this breakdown gave you clarity on the structure, a like would be appreciated — and drop your thoughts in the comments. Do you expect the fakeout into the FVG, or are you positioned differently?

As Venezuela’s economy spirals deeper into crisis, cryptocurrencies are moving from fringe to core — becoming a practical shield against hyperinflation, government controls, and banking restrictions.

Everyday Crypto Usage

From family shops to large retailers, merchants now accept crypto via Binance and Airtm.

Some companies even pay employees in stablecoins.

Universities are rolling out crypto courses.

Shopper Victor Sousa (paid in USDT):

“The plan is to one day have my savings in crypto.”

Adoption Rankings

Venezuela ranks 13th globally for crypto adoption (Chainalysis 2024 Index).

Usage surged +110% YoY.

Why Crypto?

Bolívar collapse: Since October, the currency lost 70% of its value.

Inflation: Hit 229% in May (OVF).

Barriers: Low wages, dollar shortages, sanctions → banks harder to access.

Crypto offers a parallel financial system for survival.

Economist Aarón Olmos:

“Venezuelans started using cryptocurrencies out of necessity.”

️ Friction & Risks

US sanctions → Binance restricts accounts tied to sanctioned banks/individuals.

Connectivity issues limit access.

Government stance: erratic.

Launched the Petro in 2018 (collapsed in 2024).

Main exchange regulator shut down in 2023 after corruption scandals.

Remittances in Crypto

2023: Crypto made up 9% of $5.4B remittances → ~$461M.

Families increasingly prefer digital assets over Western Union (slower, costlier, FX issues).

️ Political & Geopolitical Backdrop

Venezuela–US tensions heating up:

Venezuela deployed navy + drones in the Caribbean.

US sent 3 warships + missile cruiser + nuclear submarine to the region.

Trump admin accused Maduro of working with cartels.

Reward for capture: $50M (Maduro), $25M (Cabello).

Takeaway

Crypto in Venezuela isn’t speculation — it’s economic survival tech.

Citizens use stablecoins to escape inflation.

Merchants adopt crypto to stay connected to global liquidity.

Families rely on it for cross-border remittances.

While politics and sanctions complicate access, crypto’s role as a lifeline in collapsing economies has never been clearer.

Circle is stepping up its global push to make USDC (and EURC) part of everyday financial plumbing. Two major partnerships were unveiled this week:

Mastercard Integration

Mastercard will enable acquirers and merchants in EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa) to settle payments in USDC and EURC.

First adopters: Arab Financial Services & Eazy Financial Services.

Marks the first stablecoin settlement through Mastercard in the region.

Finastra Integration

Finastra (London-based fintech, $5T+ cross-border transactions processed daily) is adding USDC settlement to its Global PAYplus platform.

Impact: Banks in 50 countries can now settle cross-border payments in USDC — while keeping instructions denominated in fiat.

In short: stablecoin rails beneath traditional payment flows.

Policy Tailwind

The GENIUS Act (signed July 2025) gave the U.S. its first federal stablecoin framework.

Circle has accelerated global partnerships since:

July 31: Zero-fee USDC USD conversions with OKX across Asia, Middle East, Europe.

August: Talks with South Korea’s four largest banks about on-chain integrations & a potential won-backed stablecoin.

Japan: Circle joined SBI Group, Ripple & Startale to push USDC adoption and build a tokenized real-world asset (RWA) trading platform.

The Takeaway

Circle isn’t just expanding USDC liquidity on exchanges — it’s embedding stablecoin settlement rails into the banking & merchant stack:

Merchants: Mastercard integration brings stablecoins to retail.

Banks: Finastra integration brings stablecoins to cross-border finance.

Policy: GENIUS Act provides the U.S. compliance framework.

USDC is quietly positioning itself as the backbone of global payments.

Every day, decentralized markets get flooded with new tokens. Some are legit, but many hide traps:

Honeypots (you can buy, but can’t sell)

Rugpull-style liquidity drains

Predatory transfer taxes

Impostor tickers mimicking trusted projects

Manual reviews can’t keep up. If DeFi wants to scale safely, platforms need an automated first line of defense that screens tokens at the exact moment a user is about to interact.

What Token Validation Means

Token validation = automated pre-trade checks. The system analyzes live + historical data for red flags, then outputs a clear signal before a swap or approval goes through.

Good systems scan across multiple angles:

Liquidity: sudden pulls, sketchy additions, pool concentration

Fees: abnormal buy/sell taxes, hidden drains

Contract controls: owner privileges, pausability, upgradeability

Holders: suspicious concentration or abrupt shifts

Provenance: shady deployers, recycled scam code

Identity: impostor tickers, scam airdrop patterns

Compliance: sanctions/policy checks

Result = a pre-trade risk signal so users don’t have to be auditors.

️ What Platforms Need

Security teams need more than a label. They need actionable, product-ready outputs:

Scores: Neutral / Low / Medium / High risk

Categories: Malicious / Restricted / Suspicious / Unverified

Actions:

Block malicious or restricted tokens

️ Warn users on suspicious or high-risk tokens

️ Inform otherwise (show evidence, let the user proceed)

This lets wallets, DEXs, launchpads, and compliance desks all act on the same evidence consistently.

Example in the Wild

1inch + Web3 Antivirus (W3A) is a live case:

Simulated transactions to catch honeypots

Fake-ticker flags

Blocklist matches

Aggressive fee/liquidity risk alerts

All inside the swap flow, with minimal friction.

What W3A Brings

From the engine side, Web3 Antivirus (by PixelPlex team) delivers:

Rug-pull signals (liquidity yanks, suspicious creators)

Honeypot behavior + fee spikes

Owner/proxy actions that can change contracts post-launch

Unusual holder shifts (insider moves)

Impostor tokens + scam airdrops

Sanctions/policy exposure checks

Outputs are compact + developer friendly: detectors + evidence + score + recommended action. Works across all EVM chains, so signals stay consistent across ecosystems.

Why It Matters

Pre-trade validation is now possible at scale. Alongside transaction simulation + phishing protection, it can:

Block malicious approvals

Vet new listings

Strengthen compliance screening

Endgame = safe by default. Much like a spam filter, it runs in the background — protecting users without slowing them down.

The Takeaway

Token validation is moving from “nice-to-have” to baseline.

Wallets, DEXs, launchpads, compliance teams → one shared scoring system

Users → fewer hacks, fewer nasty surprises

Market → healthier growth as safety becomes the default

DeFi doesn’t need every user to be an auditor. It needs interfaces that make safe choices automatic.

Despite billions poured into cybersecurity, the crypto industry remains locked in what experts call an “endless war” against hackers.

According to Ronghui Gu (Columbia University professor & CertiK co-founder), protocols can patch vulnerabilities and improve audits, but attackers only need one weak point—often a human mistake—to exploit.

“As long as there’s a weak point out there, sooner or later attackers will find it… I’m afraid next year’s hacks will still be at a billion-dollar level.” — Ronghui Gu

Hack Losses: 2025 by the Numbers

$2.47B lost in H1 2025 (already more than all of 2024’s $2.4B)

Q2 2025: 144 incidents, ~$800M lost (52% less value lost vs Q1)

Largest exploit ever: $1.4B Bybit hack on Feb. 21, 2025

Source: CertiK

The Shift: From Code to People

As Layer 1s and protocols harden security, hackers are increasingly targeting human behavior:

Private key compromises caused ~50% of incidents in 2024

Phishing & social engineering scams are on the rise

Common tactics: malicious links, fake approvals, wallet-drainer contracts

Recent cases:

Aug. 6: Investor lost $3M USDT by signing a malicious transaction (wallet address mismatch hidden in middle characters).

Aug. 3: Another victim lost $900K+, 458 days after unknowingly approving a malicious wallet-drainer.

The Takeaway

Cybersecurity firms can audit millions of lines of code daily, but it takes only one overlooked bug or one careless click to trigger massive losses.

The battlefield is shifting: tech is getting harder to hack, humans aren’t.

As phishing gets more sophisticated, education and behavioral safeguards may become just as critical as protocol-level security.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is modernizing its outdated 1990s infrastructure by integrating a financial surveillance tool built by Nasdaq.

What the Tool Does

According to Tony Sio (Nasdaq’s head of regulatory strategy & innovation), the system is designed to detect market abuse across equities and crypto:

Tailored algorithms for digital assets

Real-time analysis of order book data across trading venues

Cross-market analytics that link traditional + crypto markets

CFTC will feed the system with data collected via its regulatory powers

Translation: Crypto order books and TradFi markets will now be monitored side by side for manipulation or suspicious trading patterns.

️ Privacy vs. Surveillance in Crypto

The move comes as financial surveillance heats up in the U.S.:

Privacy advocates: say it risks creating a digital “prison.”

Regulators / institutions: argue it’s critical for AML compliance and to attract institutional adoption.

Bigger Policy Context

The U.S. Treasury is considering mandatory digital ID checks inside DeFi smart contracts to combat illicit flows.

Part of the White House’s July crypto report:

More KYC parameters for digital assets

Updated NIST digital identity guidelines

Overhaul of identity credential tools

Critics argue this undermines DeFi’s core ethos of permissionless access:

“If you turn a neutral, permissionless infrastructure into one gated by government-approved identity credentials, it fundamentally changes what DeFi is meant to be.” — Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, CEO of Ubuntu Tribe

The Take

The CFTC’s partnership with Nasdaq signals a serious step toward Wall Street-grade surveillance in crypto markets. But it also fuels a growing debate:

Will this finally make institutional investors comfortable entering DeFi and crypto at scale?

Or does it risk killing the very openness and neutrality that make DeFi valuable?

Revenue grew by 56% year-on-year to $46.74 billion.

Net profit increased by 40.8%, reaching $26.4 billion.

Earnings per share came in at $1.05, exceeding forecasts of $1.01, CNBC noted.

The company said it did not supply H20 chips to China during the second quarter but received $180 million in revenue from selling inventory to customers outside the PRC. At the same time, Nvidia expects to earn between $2 billion and $5 billion from H20 sales in the third quarter — “if the geopolitical situation allows.”

Nvidia’s CEO also stated that production of its flagship Blackwell Ultra chips is “in full swing,” calling demand for them “colossal.” According to him, the new generation of chips will become the “main platform” in the AI race.

Analysts surveyed by Fortune said Nvidia had far exceeded the market’s already “sky-high expectations.” Despite this, the company’s stock fell by 2.78% in after-hours trading on August 27, 2025. Experts believe China remains a “huge untapped business opportunity” due to trade restrictions.

Context: Export Restrictions

In 2022, U.S. authorities restricted exports of advanced Nvidia processors to China over concerns they could be used for military purposes.

In April 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration banned Nvidia from supplying H20 chips to China.

In August 2025, media reported that Nvidia and AMD struck a deal with U.S. authorities: the companies would be allowed to sell certain chip models to China, but required to pay 15% of the revenue from those sales into the U.S. budget.

In response, Chinese authorities sent notices to a number of companies urging them to abandon Nvidia H20 and AMD MI308 chips. This primarily affected state-owned enterprises and private companies engaged in government contracts.

If you thought Bitcoin ETFs were the star of TradFi adoption, think again. Over the past five trading days, spot Ether ETFs have absolutely outpaced their Bitcoin counterparts by more than 10x.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Since Aug. 21:

🟣 Ether ETFs: $1.83 billion inflows

🟠 Bitcoin ETFs: $171 million inflows

Wednesday alone:

🟣 9 ETH funds → $310.3M inflows

🟠 11 BTC funds → $81.1M inflows

ETH also recovered faster this week:

ETH +5% from Tuesday low

BTC +2.8% from same period

Anthony Sassano summed it up: “Brutal.”

Institutional Tilt Toward ETH

Total ETH ETF inflows since July: nearly $10B

Aggregate inflows since launch (13 months): $13.6B

Compare: BTC ETFs (20 months running) = $54B total inflows

Investment advisers now dominate ETH ETF holdings → $1.3B exposure

Top holder: Goldman Sachs ($712M)

Why the Flip Toward ETH?

Policy shift: The GENIUS Act (first federal stablecoin law, signed July) turbocharged the Ethereum narrative.

Stablecoins + RWAs: Ethereum already owns the lion’s share of both markets.

Narrative: Jan van Eck calls ETH “the Wall Street token” — and the money flow seems to agree.

Price Check

ETH: $4,560 (–1.2% daily)

BTC: $113,234 (slightly green, but lagging ETH’s bounce)

The Takeaway

For the first time, Ethereum is dominating TradFi inflows head-to-head against Bitcoin. If this pace continues, ETH ETFs could rival BTC’s growth trajectory in a fraction of the time.

Ethereum isn’t just competing anymore — it’s positioning itself as the financial system’s preferred settlement layer.

Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest just doubled down on its bet that Ethereum treasuries and crypto stocks are the next big frontier.

On Wednesday, ARK bought $15.6M worth of BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) shares across three ETFs:

🟠 ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK): 227,569 shares

ARK Next Gen Internet ETF (ARKW): 70,991 shares

🟢 ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF): 40,553 shares

(Source: Ark Invest Tracker)

ARK’s Crypto-Heavy Portfolio Moves

BitMine: Now over $300M invested (nearly half the size of ARK’s Coinbase stake).

Coinbase (COIN): ~$676M still held, even after trimming 5,721 shares last week.

Other recent buys:

$21.2M in Bullish stock

$16.2M in Robinhood

$19.2M in Block (after a long selling stretch)

ARK is clearly stacking crypto-adjacent equities at scale.

🟣 Why BitMine? A Proxy for ETH

BitMine’s ETH holdings: recently hit $7.5B.

ARK sees BMNR not just as a mining stock, but essentially an ETH treasury play.

This fits ARK’s thesis on disruptive tech: crypto, AI, and finance convergence.

Stock Action

BMNR closed Wednesday at $46.03 (–8%).

Dropped another –2.22% after hours to $45.01.

Still up a mind-blowing +490% YTD.

Q2 financials:

Revenue: $2.05M (+67.5% YoY)

Net profit margin: +43%

The Take

Cathie Wood is leaning hard into crypto equities, and BitMine is quickly becoming one of ARK’s biggest conviction bets — second only to Coinbase.

Translation: ARK isn’t just bullish on crypto — it’s doubling down on Ethereum as the backbone of corporate treasuries.

Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck, says the stablecoin boom could cement Ethereum as the clear “winner” among blockchains.

In an interview with Fox Business, van Eck argued that banks and financial services will soon need blockchain rails for stablecoin transactions — and Ethereum is the most obvious fit.

“It’s very much what I call the Wall Street token… because of stablecoins, every bank and every financial services company has to have a way of taking them in. The winner will be Ethereum or something using Ethereum methodology (ECM).”

Policy Backdrop: Stablecoins Go Federal

The Genius Act — the U.S.’s first federal stablecoin law — was signed by President Trump last month.

Stablecoin supply just crossed $280B and continues growing.

A May Fireblocks survey found 90% of institutions are exploring stablecoin integration.

Translation: Banks won’t have the luxury of saying “no, don’t send me that digital dollar.” They’ll either adapt — or risk losing customers to institutions that will.

Even Eric Trump echoed this back in April, saying banks must adopt crypto or go extinct within 10 years.

Ethereum’s Strategic Position

Ethereum’s architecture + ecosystem make it the frontrunner for stablecoin settlement rails.

Corporations are increasingly adopting ETH for treasuries — over $6B acquired in the past month.

Analysts like Bitwise’s Matt Hougan argue ETH has solved its “narrative problem” by becoming palatable to traditional investors.

VanEck itself runs an Ether ETF (launched July 2024), which now holds $284M in assets.

ETH Price Action

ETH hit a new all-time high above $4,946 this week.

Currently trading around $4,566, down ~1% in the past 24h.

The Big Take

If stablecoins are the killer app banks can’t ignore, Ethereum (or ECM chains modeled after it) may become the backbone of the next financial system.

Ethereum isn’t just a blockchain anymore — it’s shaping up to be Wall Street’s default settlement layer.