According to The Big Whale, The Sandbox founders Arthur Madrid and Sébastien Borget have stepped down from day-to-day operations, with Animoca Brands executive Robby Yung taking over as CEO. Borget will serve as a global ambassador, while Madrid will become non-executive chairman. Concurrently, the company has laid off over 50% of its staff, affecting teams in Argentina, Uruguay, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey. The company plans to close its Lyon, France, office, with further layoffs in Paris. This restructuring is seen as a strategic shift driven by technological advancements. Furthermore, The Sandbox is gradually de-emphasizing its Metaverse business and shifting towards broader Web3 applications, including the memecoin launch platform based on Base.
Hong Kong-listed EDA Group announced it will launch a stablecoin payment solution
According to an announcement from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, EDA Group, a Hong Kong-listed company, announced that it has reached a cooperation with UTCPAY on digital asset transactions, Web3 technology and blockchain applications, and will launch technical services including stablecoin payments, optimize payment solutions, and promote the widespread application of stablecoins in payment scenarios in the cross-border e-commerce logistics industry.
According to Businesswire, German listed company Nakiki SE announced that its management board is assessing interest from professional investors and expects to raise "tens of millions of euros" through a rights issue. The proceeds will be used for strategic investments in Bitcoin. Nakiki SE previously announced its full adoption of a Bitcoin treasury strategy, aiming to become the first publicly listed company in Germany to implement a pure Bitcoin reserve asset business plan.
Infini founder suspected of selling 2477 ETH, or has completely liquidated
According to Aiyi's monitoring, Christian, the founder of the stablecoin digital bank Infini, is suspected of selling 2,477 ETH ten hours ago, worth approximately $11.66 million, almost at last night's peak. 1,257 of these were sold via Cowswap at an average price of $4,777.6, and another 1,220 were deposited to Binance. If the sales are confirmed, this address may have completely liquidated its ETH holdings. Infini previously announced that it would refrain from legal action if the attacker returns $49.5 million.
Decentralized protocol Swarm Network completes $13 million in financing
According to FinanceFeeds, the decentralized protocol Swarm Network announced the completion of a $13 million funding round to accelerate the development of its decentralized AI verification protocol. This round of funding was funded in part by a $10 million public sale of agent licenses on the Sui network, with an additional $3 million in strategic capital from investors including Sui, Ghaf Capital, Brinc, Y2Z, and Zerostage. Swarm Network is a decentralized protocol that converts raw off-chain data into verifiable on-chain information in real time. By integrating AI agents, human intelligence, and zero-knowledge proofs, it rewards integrity and promotes transparency.
MANTRA announces the launch of its first $25 million OM token buyback round
MANTRA, a Layer 1 blockchain focused on RWA assets, announced on the X platform the launch of a $25 million buyback program for OM tokens, supported by major investors and stakeholders. Combined with Inveniam's recent $20 million investment, the total committed capital now stands at $45 million. The buyback program will be executed by MANTRA AG and will be transparently repurchased over several months at close to market prices across multiple centralized exchanges. The repurchased OM tokens will be converted from the exchanges into ERC20 tokens, subsequently migrated to the MANTRA mainnet, and staked to validator nodes. At current prices, the buyback program involves approximately $1.1 million in OM tokens.
According to CoinDesk, Aave Labs has launched a new platform, Horizon, which is committed to allowing institutional borrowers to use tokenized versions of real-world assets (RWA) such as U.S. Treasuries as collateral to obtain stablecoins. At launch, institutions will be able to borrow Circle's USDC, Ripple's RLUSD and Aave's GHO to exchange for a range of tokenized assets, including Superstate's short-term U.S. Treasury and cryptocurrency holding funds, Circle's income funds, and Centrifuge's tokenized Janus Henderson products. The platform aims to provide qualified investors with short-term financing for RWA holdings and allow them to deploy income
Unified Ventures raises $30 million to focus on RWA and stablecoins, with Bosi as a founding partner
Web3caff researcher Bocai (@bocaibocai_) announced his new role as a founding partner of Unified Ventures, revealing that Unified Ventures has just closed a $30 million fundraising round for a fund focused on RWAs and stablecoins. Bocai also stated that he made his public debut today as an investor in Fosun Group's new project, FinChain. Although the fund was recently established, it has already invested in several projects.
Linea will hold a TGE in September and launch native ETH earnings in October
According to Linea's official documents, Linea will launch a token generation event (TGE) in September 2025 with an initial valuation of approximately US$2 billion. It also plans to support the growth of the ecosystem's total locked value (TVL) through a series of liquidity incentives, with a target of more than US$1.8 billion. In addition, Linea will also launch a 10-week "Linea Ignition" incentive program and launch a native ETH income function in October. Linea is currently the number one zkRollup solution in terms of TVL, having completed 283 million transactions and has 7 million wallet addresses. Its design is highly compatible with Ethereum, including an ETH staking vault, ultra-low fees, and a 20% fee destruction mechanism. Its token economic model is community-centric, and 85% of the token supply will be allocated to the ecosystem and developers.
Azuki founder: A big new project will be launched later this year
According to Opensea, Azuki founder Zagabond shared the project's original intentions and future development direction in an interview. Zagabond stated that Azuki aims to introduce tokenization into mainstream culture through storytelling and character IP, while fostering user-generated content creation through the "Garden" community. He also outlined the vision for Animecoin, a token designed to reward long-term supporters of anime culture and independent creators, while fostering an open anime universe. He revealed that Azuki is developing the Anime.com platform to foster interaction among anime fans. Azuki recently launched a starter set for its trading card game, which has received positive market feedback, and the team plans to further expand the series. Azuki is also preparing a major new project, expected to launch later this year. Regarding the future of the NFT industry, Zagabond believes its evolution lies in utility rather than price volatility, emphasizing the potential of NFTs as a tool for creative expression and building. Previously, Azuki partnered with OpenSea to release the Mizuki short film as an ERC-1155 collectible.
Crypto asset lending platform Ledn and Swiss crypto bank Sygnum have completed the refinancing of a $50 million Bitcoin-collateralized loan, which was twice oversubscribed and partially tokenized through its Desygnate platform.
The Avalanche Foundation has announced the second round of grants for the Retro9000 program, with eight projects receiving over $250,000 in funding. These projects have all launched on the Avalanche mainnet and are driving ecosystem development across multiple sectors, including Layer 1 blockchain and infrastructure tool development. The list includes: Artery Chain, which focuses on building an AI-native Web3 gaming ecosystem, introducing gas-free transactions and a unified token economy. CodeNekt, which is building a vehicle identity and lifecycle management blockchain and has deployed vehicle NFT smart contracts. Tixbase, which is developing a blockchain-based ticketing solution. ZeroOne, which is focusing on innovative Avalanche Layer 1 blockchain development. NUMINE, which provides mining pool infrastructure tools. Letsbuyhealthcare, which is exploring the application of blockchain in healthcare. Bango, which is building developer tools for the Avalanche ecosystem. Quboid, which is developing infrastructure tools to support the Avalanche ecosystem. The Foundation stated that grant allocations are subject to completion of Know Your Business (KYB) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, and has contacted each project to coordinate next steps. In addition, the Retro9000 program will continue to support projects that have made significant progress, with the next snapshot scheduled for October 14, 2025.
Nvidia's revenue beat expectations but outlook remains flat, and it approves a $60 billion buyback.
According to Jinshi Data, Nvidia's revenue for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 reached $46.7 billion, exceeding market expectations of $46 billion, and announced the approval of an additional $60 billion in share repurchases. However, its third-quarter revenue outlook was $54 billion (with a fluctuation of 2%), slightly higher than the market expectation of $53.46 billion, sparking market concerns about slowing spending growth in the artificial intelligence sector. Nvidia's data center business became its core growth engine, with revenue increasing 56% year-on-year to $41.1 billion in the second quarter. Cloud service providers are purchasing its latest generation of Blackwell chips, and sales of the chip increased by 17% compared to the first quarter. Despite the impressive performance, Nvidia's US stock price fell 5% after the market closed.
According to Blockworks, the team behind the former prediction market platform Polymarket has launched a new project, The Clearing Company, and has completed a $15 million seed round led by Union Square Ventures (USV). Other investors include Haun Ventures, Variant, Coinbase Ventures, and Compound. Co-founder Toni Gemayel stated that prediction markets, leveraging the collective wisdom of the internet age, can overcome the slowness and bias of traditional polls. The project aims to build an on-chain, permissionless, and regulatory-compliant prediction market while providing convenient participation for retail users.
According to Onchain Lens monitoring, four newly created wallets received 27,792 Ethereum (ETH), valued at approximately $124.88 million, from the crypto exchange FalconX. These wallets are likely associated with Bitmine. Currently, these wallets hold a total of 58,215 ETH, valued at approximately $261.58 million. This follows news yesterday that four wallets suspected of being linked to Bitmine withdrew $140 million worth of ETH from FalconX over a period of nearly 17 hours.
Tether Treasury mints 1 billion new USDT on Ethereum
According to Whale Alert monitoring, at 23:23 Beijing time, Tether Treasury minted an additional 1 billion USDT on the Ethereum network.
US CFTC to use Nasdaq surveillance system to expand cryptocurrency regulation
According to The Block, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is adopting Nasdaq's surveillance program to play a greater role in regulating digital assets. In a statement on Wednesday, the CFTC stated that Nasdaq's program will protect markets from fraud, abuse, and manipulation. Acting Chairwoman Caroline Pham stated that the new surveillance system will equip the agency with automated alerts and cross-market analysis capabilities, and that the CFTC is also preparing for the growth of the cryptocurrency market. Earlier this month, the agency launched its "Crypto Sprint" initiative, focusing on crypto futures trading and the recommendations outlined in the President's Task Force on Digital Asset Markets.
According to The Block, Avail, a modular blockchain infrastructure project backed by Founders Fund, has acquired Arcana, a chain abstraction protocol aimed at improving multi-chain scalability. This acquisition marks Avail's first, and Arcana's chain abstraction and developer tools will be integrated into the Avail technology stack. As part of the transaction, the Avail Foundation has acquired 100% of Arcana's XAR token supply, with existing holders able to convert them into AVAIL at a 4:1 ratio. The tokens will be unlocked in phases over six to twelve months, while Arcana team tokens will vest over three years. Avail co-founder Prabal Banerjee stated that acquisition negotiations began in April 2025 and are now fully completed. Financial terms other than the token swap structure have not been disclosed. The majority of Arcana's leadership and staff will transfer to Avail, bringing the team size to over 55, with plans for further hiring. Through this acquisition, Avail aims to unify cross-chain balances, intent-based execution, and the in-app user experience. Arcana has reportedly raised approximately $5.5 million in funding to date from investors including Digital Currency Group, Republic, Sandeep Nailwal, and Balaji Srinivasan.
Hemi (HEMI) will be listed on Binance Alpha and Binance Futures
According to an official announcement, Binance Alpha will launch and open trading for Hemi (HEMI) at 12:00 PM (GMT+8) on August 29, 2025. Additionally, Binance Futures will launch HEMIUSDT perpetual contracts at 12:30 PM (GMT+8) on August 29, 2025, with up to 50x leverage. As a launch bonus, all eligible Binance users can use their Binance Alpha points to participate in the Booster event to receive token airdrops.
Web3 smart hardware project MAGNE.AI completes $10 million in strategic financing
Web3 smart hardware project MAGNE.AI has officially announced the completion of a $10 million strategic funding round, with participation from Castrum Capital, DuckDAO, TB Ventures, and Becker Ventures. The funding will accelerate the development of its L1+L2 dual-chain mobile-native Web3 infrastructure, as well as the mass production and optimization of its AI+blockchain security chip. MAGNE.AI is a US-based technology company dedicated to building AI-native Web3 smartphones and next-generation mobile infrastructure for the decentralized internet.
Binance announced the details of the DOLO HODLer airdrop. The total supply of DOLO tokens is 998,851,995, with a maximum supply of 1 billion. The total HODLer airdrop tokens are 15 million DOLO (1.5% of the maximum supply), with an additional 10 million DOLO to be used for marketing activities six months after listing. The circulating supply at the time of listing on Binance was 264,888,401 DOLO (26.49% of the maximum supply). The Binance HODLer airdrop will be based on a historical snapshot of users' BNB holdings and reward BNB holders with tokens. Users who subscribe to guaranteed and accrued coin products (regular and/or demand deposits) with BNB will automatically be eligible for the HODLer airdrop (as well as Launchpool and Megadrop rewards). Users who subscribe to on-chain coin-earning products with BNB will automatically be eligible for the HODLer airdrop and Launchpool rewards.
Binance HODLer Airdrop Now Available: Dolomite (DOLO), the 33rd Airdrop
According to an official announcement, Binance HODLer Airdrops have launched the 33rd project – Dolomite (DOLO), a decentralized money market protocol and DEX. Users who subscribe to guaranteed principal earning (fixed and/or demand) or on-chain earning products using BNB between 08:00 on August 3, 2025, and 07:59 on August 7, 2025 (GMT+8) will receive the airdrop. HODLer airdrop information is expected to be available within 24 hours, and the new tokens will be distributed to users' spot wallets at least one hour before trading begins. Binance will list DOLO at 00:00 on August 28, 2025 (GMT+8) and open trading against USDT, USDC, BNB, FDUSD, and TRY, subject to seed tag trading rules. DOLO deposits will open at 20:30 on August 27, 2025 (GMT+8).
According to The Block, REX Shares and Osprey Funds jointly filed an N-1A registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday, aiming to manage the first U.S. spot BNB ETF that may include staking functionality. The proposed fund aims to provide direct exposure to the price of BNB, the native cryptocurrency of BNB Chain. The ETF will be listed and traded on the Cboe BZX exchange. Its BNB holdings will be held by an unspecified cryptocurrency custodian and may delegate staking to third-party validators, including those in which REX Advisers affiliates hold a nominal stake. The product plans to stake a significant portion of its BNB holdings, potentially increasing returns for investors through staking rewards earned on the BNB Chain. The fund will process share subscriptions and redemptions in cash, rather than in-kind. However, it may also interact with liquid staking protocols that issue tradable staking derivatives, allowing it to maintain liquidity while also generating staking returns. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart said that the proposed REX-Osprey BNB collateralized ETF could be listed as early as November 9, drawing on the fast alternative path used to approve the REX-Osprey Solana collateralized ETF.
According to market data, the WLFI pin on Hyperliquid hit $0.39 and is now trading at $0.3265. The current pre-market contract price on Binance is temporarily reported at $0.2733. The price difference between the two platforms is currently about $0.05.
According to an official announcement, Japanese listed company Metaplanet plans to raise funds through the international issuance of new shares, with an estimated net fundraising of approximately 130.334 billion yen (approximately US$881 million). Of the funds raised, approximately 123.818 billion yen (US$837 million) will be used to purchase Bitcoin, and 6.516 billion yen (US$44 million) will be used for Bitcoin financial operations.
According to The Block, over 100 cryptocurrency entities are calling on lawmakers to protect software developers as they consider how to regulate the digital asset industry. The DeFi Education Fund (DEF), along with the Blockchain Association, the Chamber of Digital Commerce, Stand with Crypto, and several crypto companies, including Coinbase, Paxos, and Uniswap Labs, urged Senate committee leadership to include requirements in market structure legislation, stating that they cannot support it without the requested protections. The letter was sent to the leadership of the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees, two committees that play key roles in developing cryptocurrency legislation. Cryptocurrency stakeholders stated Wednesday that both the House and Senate versions of the market structure legislation need language to protect self-custody and the ability to engage in peer-to-peer transactions, and urged the inclusion of these changes. They stated: "These protections must clearly state that no person or entity should be regulated solely for participating in the core activities of creating, developing, launching, and maintaining a blockchain network, nor for allowing users to access such networks through software interfaces while maintaining custody of their own funds."
