Humanity Protocol, a privacy-first blockchain identity network and high-profile rival to Sam Altman’s Worldcoin, fired up its mainnet, debuting a system that connects familiar Web2 credentials to decentralized Web3 services using zero-knowledge transport layer security (zkTLS). The introduction comes just months after the Hong Kong-based startup raised $20 million in a funding round co-led by Jump Crypto and Pantera Capital, lifting its valuation to $1.1 billion. Humanity Protocol’s zkTLS technology allows users to prove they have viewed verifiable information, such as job listings or airline loyalty status, without revealing the underlying document or page. Sensitive data never leaves the user’s browser, avoiding the privacy concerns that have riddled biometric approaches, including Worldcoin’s iris-scanning model. Initially, travelers are able link frequent-flyer and loyalty accounts directly to their “Human ID,” creating a portable reputation layer usable across both Web2 and Web3 applications. The network also supports financial, educational and professional credentials. In future, it plans to roll out node infrastructure in new regions as well as venturing into on-chain ticketing and decentralized governance. “Our mainnet release turns decentralized identity into practical infrastructure,” said founder and CEO Terence Kwok. “With zkTLS now live, anyone can confirm who they are and what they have achieved across multiple platforms, yet no central party ever sees their personal information.” By relying on cryptographic proofs rather than physical biometrics, Humanity Protocol positions itself as a more privacy-conscious alternative to Worldcoin and other “proof-of-human” projects. The network’s architecture allows developers to build Sybil-resistant social platforms, reputation-based marketplaces and AI “humanity checks” without collecting or storing sensitive user data. A Sybil attack occurs when a person or entity creates multiple fake identities within a network, often to gain a reward like an airdrop or disproportionate control of a network’s operations. Powered by WPeMatico

Major Web3 investor Animoca Brands has formed a stablecoin joint venture (JV) with the Hong Kong division of multinational bank Standard Chartered (2888). The JV, known as Anchorpoint, also includes Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) and aims to build a business model for the issuance of licensed stablecoins, according to an emailed announcement on Friday. Anchorpoint has expressed its interest in applying for a stablecoin issuer license in Hong Kong coinciding with the special administrative region’s much-anticipated regulatory regime coming into effect at the start of this month. The three entities have been jointly participating in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) stablecoin sandbox for over a year in preparation for the regulation. Around 40 companies are expected to apply for licensing under Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Ordinance, though HKMA CEO Eddie Yue said the regulator was likely to approve fewer than 10. Stablecoins are crypto tokens pegged to the value of a traditional financial asset, such as a fiat currency, usually the U.S. dollar. They have been a central part of developing regulatory oversight of cryptocurrency in 2025, with the U.S. moving to regulate stablecoins under the GENIUS act, as well as the advent of the licensing regime in Hong Kong. Powered by WPeMatico

Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume traded, enlisted Spain’s third-largest bank, BBVA, to provide custody services as it looks to improve protection for customers by isolating their assets from any disruption that might occur to the trading platform, the Financial Times reported. The custody arrangement separates trading activities from the funds backing the transactions by parking client assets in U.S. Treasuries held by BBVA. Binance then accepts the Treasuries as margin for trading, the FT said, citing people familiar with the process. If Binance were to fail, funds would remain secure in the Treasuries under BBVA’s control. The deal distances the exchange from its earlier model of holding user funds in-house. The shift follows mounting pressure on crypto exchanges to isolate custody from trading, especially after FTX’s collapse in 2022, which left users’ funds frozen and shattered confidence across the market. Others measures exchange adopted include proof-of-reserves, a cryptographic method of proving customers’ funds are in their wallets. Binance, which paid a $4.3 billion penalty last year to U.S. regulators for anti-money laundering failures, has since allowed clients to use third-party custodians including Sygnum and FlowBank. BBVA has been moving deeper into crypto. Just this year, it rolled out crypto trading and custody services through its mobile app and advised private clients to allocate up to 7% of portfolios into bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH). Powered by WPeMatico

Solana memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has created the Glass Full Foundation, an initiative aimed at providing liquidity to selected projects in its ecosystem as platform revenues slide from early-year highs. The group said GFF will “inject significant liquidity into ecosystem tokens to support our most diehard cults,” without disclosing the source of funds or the selection criteria for recipients. Initial deployments have already been made, with more planned, according to posts on X. The top Pump ecosystem token is fartcoin (FART), valued at over $1 billion as of Friday. The second-largest token is peanut the squirrel — a reference to a viral Instagram pet that was put down last year to huge social media backlash — which boasts a market cap over $253 million. The Glass Full announcement comes as Pump.fun’s daily revenue has dropped sharply from more than $7 million at the height of January’s memecoin frenzy to around $200,000 earlier this month, based on on-chain data. That slump came as LetsBonk.fun, a rival Solana launchpad tied to the Bonk community, gained market share in recent weeks to become the highest grossing and most-active launchpad by issuances last month. Powered by WPeMatico

Ethereum network transactions rose to a record high as levels of staked ether (ETH) climbed to a record high, lifted by a regulatory boost for liquid staking. The seven-day average of daily transactions on the blockchain touched 1.74 million earlier this week, overtaking the previous record of 1.65 million set on May 12, 2021. The activity surge comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance said certain liquid staking activities and “staking receipt tokens” do not constitute securities under the 1933 Securities Act, provided they meet a strict set of assumptions. Such a stance is bullish. It reduces legal uncertainty, making it safer for institutions and platforms to offer liquid staking products. That can boost demand for staked tokens like ETH, lock up more supply and support higher prices by reducing selling pressure. More than 36 million ETH, or almost 30% of supply, is now locked in staking contracts, data from Dune Analytics shows. That’s a signal that holders are willing to forgo liquidity for yield as prices make a push toward $4,000, a level not seen since December. ETH’s price action has also been supported by the growing footprint of public “crypto treasury companies,” or firms that buy and hold tokens directly or through dedicated vehicles. Those holding ETH now control $11.77 billion worth of the second-largest cryptocurrency, led by BitMine Immersion Technologies with 833,100 ETH ($3.2 billion), SharpLink Gaming with $2 billion, and The Ether Machine with $1.34 billion. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin backed the trend in a Thursday podcast, saying treasury vehicles give investors more options, particularly those with different financial constraints. Still, he warned, excessive leverage could backfire. “ETH just being an asset that companies can have as part of their treasury is good and valuable … giving people more options is good,” Buterin said. “If you woke me up three years from now and told me that treasuries led to the downfall of ETH … my guess would be that somehow they turned it into an overleveraged game,” he told the Bankless podcast, outlining a scenario where forced liquidations cascade into deeper price losses. Buterin expressed confidence that ETH investors would avoid such pitfalls, quipping, “these are not Do Kwon followers,” referring to the founder of the failed Terra project. ETH has rallied 163% from April’s low of $1,470 to trade near $3,909, narrowing its performance gap with larger rival bitcoin (BTC) and and Solana’s sol (SOL). More than 500,000 ETH — valued about $1.8 billion — was staked in the first half of June alone, according to CryptoQuant’s Onchainschool, which said the trend signals “rising confidence and a continued drop in liquid supply.” Powered by WPeMatico

DOGE jumped 8.4% in the 24-hour period ending August 8, climbing from $0.20 to $0.22 in a two-phase rally. Price action spans a $0.021 range, marking 9.5% volatility. As per CoinDesk analytics, a new resistance forms at $0.222-$0.224, while support holds at $0.220. Consolidation appears likely before the next directional move. Price Action Summary • DOGE rallies 8.4% from $0.20 to $0.22 in a volatile 24-hour session ending August 8• Two breakout waves — 10:00 push to $0.213 and 19:00-22:00 surge to $0.223 — drive gains• Whale accumulation tops 1 billion DOGE in 48 hours, lifting institutional confidence with analyst targets at $0.34 and $0.50 Technical Indicators Analysis • Price gains 8.4% from $0.20 to $0.22 with 9.5% volatility• Two rally phases: 10:00 breakout to $0.213, 19:00-22:00 surge to $0.223• Trading volume spikes above 1 billion during breakouts vs. 378 million average• Resistance set at $0.222-$0.224 with firm support above $0.220• RSI nearing historical breakout thresholds linked to 70% rallies• Inverse head-and-shoulders pattern with liquidation clusters near $0.21• Hourly consolidation in $0.2208-$0.2223 range on declining volume What Traders Are Watching • Whether whale-led accumulation triggers short squeeze above $0.223• Breakout confirmation past $0.224 and follow-through toward $0.25• Sustained RSI overbought conditions as a momentum driver• Impact of broader meme coin sentiment on DOGE flows Powered by WPeMatico

Global risk appetite strengthened on Friday, with crypto, equities and gold futures all pushing higher, while oil headed for its steepest weekly decline since June. Traders are balancing the tailwind from easing U.S.–Japan trade tensions against signals of cooling bitcoin (BTC) demand and heavier hedging in crypto options markets. In broader Asian markets, The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.5%, set for its fifth straight day of gains. Japan’s Nikkei-225 jumped 2.3% after chief trade negotiator Hiroshi Suzuki said the US had agreed to end stacking on universal tariffs and cut car levies concurrently. Oil prices slipped toward a weekly drop of more than 4%, with Brent and WTI under pressure from rising US inventories and weaker Chinese import data, per Bloomberg. The total crypto market cap rose 3% to $3.76 trillion over the past 24 hours, led by major altcoins. Ether (ETH) gained 7.3% to $3,935, XRP (XRP) jumped 12% to $3.36, Solana (SOL) added 4.7% to $175.19, and dogecoin (DOGE) climbed 8.8% to 22 cents. Bitcoin lagged with a 1.9% rise to $116,781 on $38.8 billion in daily volume. FxPro chief market analyst Alex Kuptsikevich said the rebound aligns with “growing appetite in the stock markets,” but warned that BTC is “trapped in a narrow range” between $112,000 support — the 50-day moving average and recent lows — and $120,000 resistance, defined by July highs and a psychological round number. Meanwhile, Glassnode data signaled that BTC market sentiment has shifted from “euphoria” to “cooling off.” Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows have fallen nearly 25%, network activity is down, and transaction fees have dropped. Options positioning points to increased hedging for BTC below $100,000 into late August, which could act as insurance amid expectations of a continual summer lull. Powered by WPeMatico

Miran’s appointment could influence Fed policies towards more crypto-friendly stances, potentially impacting future economic innovation and growth. The post Trump taps Bitcoin advocate Stephen Miran as temporary Fed governor appeared first on Crypto Briefing. Powered by WPeMatico

The executive order could reshape banking regulations, potentially increasing scrutiny on financial institutions’ practices and promoting equitable access. The post Trump issues executive order banning unlawful debanking of conservatives, crypto companies appeared first on Crypto Briefing. Powered by WPeMatico

The resolution may influence future crypto regulations, setting a precedent for how digital assets are classified and traded legally. The post SEC and Ripple to wrap up years-long legal battle after dropping XRP appeals in Second Circuit appeared first on Crypto Briefing. Powered by WPeMatico