Crypto News Digest: August 26, 2026

Better launches Bitcoin-backed mortgages powered by Coinbase

Better and Coinbase have launched a crypto-backed mortgage product that lets US homebuyers pledge Bitcoin as collateral for a down payment without having to sell it.

What Traders Are Watching for Bitcoin's Next Move

Bitcoin's monster rally just hit its first real test. Here's why each catalyst matters and how they could move the price from here.

Nvidia tops earnings estimates, guides to $108 billion in revenue next quarter

The tech bellwether reported fiscal second-quarter results after the bell on Wednesday.

Nvidia Shares Surge in After-Hours Trading After Record $96.2 Billion Revenue

The chipmaker doubled quarterly revenue while disclosing $366 billion in future commitments and up to $108.5 billion in guarantee exposure.

Bill Gates Wants a Robot Tax and Jobs Humans Can't Be Fired From

Gates is calling for AI tokens and robots to be taxed so firms think twice before swapping out workers, plus a bracket of "human reserved" roles that stay off-limits to automation.

Russian Influence Network Used ChatGPT to Masquerade as Academic Experts

The operation promoted a purported Israeli think tank that published copied scholarship under academics’ names and circulated pro-Russian analysis across social media.

Bitcoin Wallets Dormant for Over a Decade Move $40M in One Week

Six wallets that slept through Bitcoin's entire boom woke up between Aug. 16 and Aug. 26, moving tens of millions in BTC.

US Banks Join Forces to Build a Blockchain of Their Own

The BankChain Alliance aims to give smaller financial institutions access to tokenized deposits and blockchain payments through a shared network targeted for 2027.

Galaxy Opens Retail Crypto-Backed Credit Lines on Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana

GalaxyOne clients can borrow cash against Bitcoin, Ethereum, and staked Solana at 8.99% APR without selling a coin.

Crypto Long & Short: Tokenized equities: the model underneath the trade

In this week's Crypto Long & Short, CoinDesk's Joshua DeVos writes that demand for tokenized equities is accelerating fast, from $16 billion to more than $590 billion in perpetual futures in a single year, but that the headline growth hides the question that matters most. Two tokens can trade under the same ticker while granting entirely different rights, and the…

Shinhan and Visa team up to test stablecoin issuance and B2B settlements in South Korea

Shinhan Financial Group will use Visa’s platform to test stablecoin issuance, remittance, and redemption while building new AI-powered payment models.

SEC sends crypto custody rule overhaul to White House for review

The securities regulator’s crypto custody overhaul could clarify how investment advisers and funds hold digital assets for clients as the proposal moves through review.

Crypto CEO Faces US Extradition Over Alleged $20 Million Token Scheme

Manpreet Kohli, accused of making $20 million from an alleged scheme to manipulate the Saitama token, is a step closer to facing trial in Boston.

'The Government Doesn't Own Our Data': Prosecuted GrapheneOS User

Samuel Tunick, facing five years over a wiped phone, said he was secretly placed on a watch list as a suspected terrorist.

Chainalysis estimates $457B in taxable crypto activity, says CARF misses most

The blockchain analytics firm said just 14% of the onchain activity it identified is covered by the OECD’s international crypto tax-reporting framework.

Solana Treasury Firm Invites Investors to Look 'Beyond the Price of SOL'

Nasdaq-listed SOL treasury company DeFi Development Corp launched a free network dashboard on Wednesday. Its pitch: judge Solana on more than just price.

Coinbase, Better make token-backed mortgages generally available

Coinbase and Better expand token-backed mortgage access to Coinbase One members, with a 1% closing-cost credit now available.

Protocol upgrade decouples consensus from execution to solve scaling bottlenecks

CTDG Dev Hub participant’s protocol upgrade decouples consensus from execution, allowing network nodes to reach agreement on blocks before transaction execution completes.

Ethereum Devs Propose Deposit Contract Overhaul to Quantum-Proof Staking

The proposal would let validator keys grow to 8,192 bytes and adds a switch that permanently retires today's BLS signatures.

XRP Leads Crypto Pullback as Leverage Unwind Tests Rally

XRP led losses among the 10 biggest cryptocurrencies today. The charts show the real test for its rally is only getting started.

Bitcoin dips below $78K as stocks, gold fall on higher US PCE Inflation data

Bitcoin stayed away from challenging $80,000 after July US PCE inflation data came in slightly higher than anticipated, pressuring gold and risk assets.

CryptoQuant says bitcoin has entered bull market but needs to cross $83,000 for ‘official’ confirmation

"Historically, bitcoin's bull markets have 'officially' begun when price crosses above its 365-day moving average," CryptoQuant said.

Hyperliquid Policy Center, trade[XYZ] urge CFTC to create path for US oil perpetuals

The CFTC should adopt a regulatory framework for energy perpetual contracts, the Hyperliquid Policy Center trade[XYZ] said in a letter.

77% of Americans see crypto in retirement plans as risky: Survey

A new survey finds broad skepticism toward crypto in workplace retirement plans as US policymakers move to expand access to alternative assets.

Tokenized Deposits Could Drain $700 Billion From Bank Lending, Dallas Fed Warns

A shift toward faster, more rate-sensitive deposits could push banks into safer assets, constrain lending, and raise borrowing costs, Dallas Fed researchers said.

SEC sends crypto custody rule changes to White House for review

A proposal from the SEC to change its rules governing how investment advisers hold digital assets was sent this week to the White House.

The evidence doesn't support the banks' case against stablecoin rewards

Ethereum developers propose first step to protect ETH staking from quantum attacks

A draft proposal would allow validators to deposit with quantum-resistant keys, then permanently stop accepting the format the network runs on today.

SEC’s proposed crypto rules probably won’t spark new ICO boom

The SEC’s ‘regulation crypto assets’ proposals could create early-round FOMO. But some tokens may still fall into the no-man’s land between security and non-security.

SOL treasury firm DeFi Development launches real-time ‘State of Solana’ intelligence platform

The Nasdaq-listed company holds roughly 2.3 million SOL worth about $208 million, while its shares have fallen 16% year to date.

Dallas Fed warns tokenized deposits could strip $700 billion from U.S. banks' lending capacity

Programmable deposits and AI agents may enable instantaneous, automated bank switching for higher yields, driving up bank funding costs.

Revolut Launches Euro-Pegged EURR Stablecoin

EURR has gone live for selected customers in Denmark, Poland and Portugal, with a Luxembourg subsidiary of Stripe holding the reserves.

Bernstein forecasts Bitcoin to reclaim $125K by late 2026 ahead of cycle peak

Bernstein expects Bitcoin to reclaim $125,000 by late 2026 before reaching $300,000 in 2029 under its base case, with a bull case of $500,000.

Digital Euro Will Offer 'Maximum Level of Privacy,' ECB Board Member Says

Piero Cipollone said the Eurosystem would not be able to link individuals to transactions, though the banks handling them still could.

Students want crypto classes but learn on social media: OKX survey

A separate review found only about 28% of accredited US business schools offered blockchain courses, despite strong demand in the OKX poll.

‘Altitude sickness can wait’: Bitcoin’s historic short squeeze, Bessent catalyst may signal bull-market reset, analysts say

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's recent actions provide an additional macro catalyst.

Morning Minute: LayerZero Announces ATLAS as New Settlement Engine

The market liked the news, with ZRO up 10% and jumping nearly 50% off its local bottom.

Taurus links digital asset platforms to Swift’s blockchain ledger

Taurus expects first institutional clients to connect in days, with initial DLT transactions through its platforms expected within weeks.

Strategy cuts net leverage to near zero as cash nearly matches convertible debt

The bitcoin treasury company has built nearly four years of preferred-dividend coverage while continuing to repurchase STRC below par.

Bitcoin takes a breather after adding 23% in 7 days as ETF demand holds steady

The price of bitcoin fell to $79,000 on Wednesday after gaining 23% in seven days as August ETF inflows climbed above $3 billion.