Daily digests
Crypto News Digest: August 18, 2026
The stories that moved crypto on August 18, 2026.
40 stories
All crypto news
Pennsylvania Cracks Down on AI Data Centers as Backlash Grows
Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered new restrictions on large data centers aimed at shielding residents from higher electricity costs and giving communities more control over proposed projects.
U.S. accounting-standards group proposes way to see stablecoins as 'cash equivalent'
The Financial Accounting Standards Board, a nonprofit that governs accounting practices, proposed that certain stablecoins should fit the bill as cash-like.
Mozilla Tests an AI 'Smart Window' in Firefox—But Only If You Opt In
The optional window puts an assistant of your choice next to your tabs, with a switch to disable it.
Rare Books Traced to Amazon AI Training Facility to Be Scanned and Destroyed
A tracking device planted in a book order ended at a Las Vegas facility where Amazon strips bindings to scan pages for training data.
Ripple partners with South Korea’s Jeonbuk Bank for cross-border payments
The Jeonbuk Bank collaboration marked Ripple's third Korean partnership this year, following those with Kyobo Life Insurance and Kbank.
Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest scoops up $15 million in Block Inc shares as stock dips 3%
The firm also bought $1 million worth of Securitize shares, which fell over 20% last week following disappointing Q2 results.
Kraken brings US stock trading to European Economic Area customers
Kraken has launched US stock trading for eligible customers across all European Economic Area member countries.
Blockchain Association backs SEC’s proposal to scrap outdated NMS rules, citing tokenization benefits
The rules, established in 2005, have "failed to achieve their stated purposes," the Blockchain Association said.
Curve founder says FATF pressure could make DeFi safer and more decentralized
Curve founder Michael Egorov said FATF pressure could push DeFi protocols toward greater decentralization and stronger security.
Arguing With People on X May Get You More Posts You Hate as Algo Feeds on Ragebait
X’s algorithm may turn argumentative replies into a feedback loop that serves users more content that clashes with their values, with the effect stronger among Democrats, researchers found.
Solana Policy Institute CEO says Clarity Act in ‘August recess purgatory,’ gives it 10% odds before midterms
Miller Whitehouse-Levine urged regulators to move quickly, saying the industry "can’t afford to keep waiting for Congress."
SEC proposes new crypto rules in absence of CLARITY Act
The proposed rules from the US securities regulator would provide companies with a safe harbor from tokens being treated as“investment contracts” and certain exemptions for token issuance.
‘The Crypto Program’ promoter deported from Fiji over alleged $165 million Ponzi scheme
Fiji deported Edward Zimbardi to the U.S. to face charges over an alleged $165 million crypto Ponzi scheme involving thousands of investors.
Cypherpunk Technologies launches Zcash mining fleet with $33 million Winklevoss deal
Cypherpunk Mining is online as of today with roughly 4.2 GSol/s of Equihash hashrate deployed across the US.
Citi expects to launch bitcoin custody later this year under its new Custody+ platform
The platform also includes real-time asset servicing, instant settlements, liquidity tools, and AI-powered market intelligence.
Securitize brings Neuberger’s $230 billion fixed-income platform onchain with new tokenized fund
HINC will be available across Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana and Sui, as Securitize expands its push to bring fixed-income strategies onchain.
Metaplanet takes 96% of Super League in 2,100 BTC, cash deal to launch US bitcoin treasury firm
Metaplanet is taking its bitcoin treasury strategy to the U.S. with a controlling stake in Super League, which surged 80% on the news.
Bitcoin correction may be nearing an end with 8 of 12 capitulation signals flashing, VanEck says
Long-term holders shed roughly 356,000 bitcoin over the past month, pushing their share of supply below 60%.
SEC proposes new crypto offering rules as Congress stalls on digital asset legislation
On Tuesday, the SEC proposed a new rule that seeks to offer a pathway for investments involving digital assets.
Ripple CLO says Sept. 15 will be a ‘bellwether’ for Clarity Act market structure bill
Stuart Alderoty calls Sept. 15 a key test for the Clarity Act and warns the U.S. could "miss an incredible opportunity."
White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt says he is ‘optimistic and bullish’ on Clarity Act as stablecoin fight resurfaces
The White House’s top crypto adviser said he is feeling "optimistic and bullish" ahead of the first planned vote on sweeping crypto legislation.
FalconX, Interstice Connect Canton to Ethereum, Solana and Robinhood Chain
The non-custodial cross-chain swap engine connects Canton’s institutional tokenized-asset markets with liquidity and trading activity across major public blockchains.
Wyoming joins $15 billion LayerZero exodus with state stablecoin move
This is the first time a U.S. government entity has publicly replaced its blockchain infrastructure specifically on security grounds.
U.S. SEC proposes first major crypto rule in surprise announcement
The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the "Regulation Crypto" proposal after having cancelled a meeting days before meant to vote on it.
White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt says he is ‘optimistic and bullish’ on Clarity Act as stablecoin fight resurfaces
The White House’s top crypto adviser said he is feeling "optimistic and bullish" ahead of the first planned vote on sweeping crypto legislation.
Ripple- and Coinbase-funded PAC spends $2M in Florida race with little mention of crypto
A Florida representative not running for reelection who voted against the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts has endorsed a Democratic candidate, possibly leading to PAC-funded negative ads.
SEC Proposes Crypto Fundraising Exemptions in Abrupt About-Face
The proposed rules would let crypto projects raise capital through token sales without full securities registration and create a path for tokens to separate from investment contracts.
Ripple CLO says Sept. 15 will be a ‘bellwether’ for Clarity Act market structure bill
Stuart Alderoty calls Sept. 15 a key test for the Clarity Act and warns the U.S. could "miss an incredible opportunity."
Markets Confident OpenAI Releases Its Next AI Model in Weeks
Traders are betting OpenAI's next frontier model lands within weeks—even after the company pumped the brakes.
SEC proposes new crypto offering rules as Congress stalls on digital asset legislation
On Tuesday, the SEC proposed a new rule that seeks to offer a pathway for investments involving digital assets.
Cypherpunk launches Zcash mining fleet controlling 18% of network hashrate
The $33.3 million Winklevoss Capital deal expands Cypherpunk’s ZEC strategy as it targets 5% ownership of the cryptocurrency’s circulating supply.
Bitcoin correction may be nearing an end with 8 of 12 capitulation signals flashing, VanEck says
Long-term holders shed roughly 356,000 bitcoin over the past month, pushing their share of supply below 60%.
Bitcoin has gone quiet as traders chase ‘5x or 10x’ payoffs elsewhere
Bitcoin's price swings have hit a cycle low, squeezed by a market tug-of-war with no clear winner. The traders who once lived off its chaos have taken their risk appetite elsewhere.
Bitcoin Wallet Maker BitBox Says AI Found Severe Flaws in Firmware
The Swiss hardware-wallet maker found two severe bugs with the help of frontier AI models, and warns that older firmware leaves you exposed.
Trump Family Crypto Firm Tied to Chinese AI Models US Government Called a Security Risk
WorldClaw accepts World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin while offering AI models from Chinese companies facing U.S. national security restrictions.
Kraken’s Krak debuts US debit card as Payward broadens financial services push
The multi-asset card lets US customers spend crypto and fiat and earn cashback as Kraken’s parent company expands across financial services.
Google Is Paying $10 Million to Use Spirit Airlines Data to Train Its AI Models
The bankrupt airline’s internal communications and business records could soon be used to improve Google’s AI systems.
Federal prosecutors blast ex-Celsius CEO’s motion to vacate as ‘without merit’
Despite already serving a 12-year sentence in federal prison, Alex Mashinsky continues to explore legal avenues to vacate his conviction related to activities at Celsius.
Neuberger teams with Securitize on multi-chain tokenized fixed-income fund launch
The $613 billion asset manager will subadvise a high-yield fund tokenized across Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche and Sui.
Kraken adds U.S. stocks in Europe as TradFi-crypto divide blurs
The exchange said it is the first crypto company to offer European customers both traditional U.S. equities and tokenized versions of those assets on a single regulated platform.