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Leopold responds to his fund's dismal July performance, apologizing to investors: "We let you down"

Odaily News: Affected by a sharp decline in artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks, investment firm Situational Awareness suffered a severe drawdown in July, with the fund's net value falling 67% in a single month. Aschenbrenner previously gained attention for publishing the research report "Situational Awareness: The Decade Ahead" on AI development trends, which discussed topics such as AI capability advancement, industrial competition, and AI safety over the next decade. This significant fund drawdown also highlights the challenges facing AI-themed investing: even with a long-term bullish view on technological transformation, concentrated bets on a few high-growth tech assets can still lead to剧烈 short-term volatility.The fund's founder and AI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner acknowledged that market performance in July fell far short of expectations and said in a letter to investors: "We let you down."The Situational Awareness fund previously attracted attention for its bets on long-term AI industry growth, with an investment strategy focused on AI infrastructure, AI chips, and related technology companies. However, the AI sector underwent significant adjustments in July, with high-valuation tech stocks facing sell-offs that dragged down the fund's performance.This drawdown reflects the high volatility risk within the AI investment boom. Although the market remains optimistic about the long-term development of artificial intelligence, some AI-related assets that had previously seen rapid valuation gains underwent noticeable corrections amid changes in interest rates, earnings expectations, and capital flows. (Cointelegraph)

PayPal reports Q2 revenue of $8.68 billion, advancing stablecoin and AI payment tools

: Global payments company PayPal reported its second-quarter earnings, with earnings per share of $1.26, compared to $1.30 in the same period last year, falling short of the analyst consensus estimate of $1.28. Revenue reached $8.68 billion, surpassing last year's $8.29 billion and exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $8.47 billion. PayPal recorded a non-GAAP adjustment of $81 million, related to gains and losses from strategic investments and crypto assets held for investment purposes. PayPal stated that since the company does not actively trade these assets and does not rely on them to fund ongoing operations, it excludes the related gains and losses from non-GAAP results. In its second-quarter investor presentation, PayPal stated that the company is leveraging its payments network, risk infrastructure, and trust capabilities to expand agent-based payments, stablecoins, identity, and biometric technologies. PayPal also noted that its PayPal World platform facilitated approximately $200 million in total payment volume between Venmo and PayPal.

Coinbase Ventures Becomes the Most Active Crypto VC in the First Half of the Year, Completing 30 Deals Against the Bearish Trend

despite the continued downturn in the crypto market, Coinbase Ventures led the venture capital rankings in the first half of 2026 by completing 30 investments.Animoca Brands followed closely with 19 investments, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) completed 18 investments, and stablecoin issuer Tether participated in 15 deals.Over the past 12 months, Coinbase Ventures has completed 75 investments, continuing to lead the industry. Animoca Brands, YZi Labs, GSR, and a16z have completed 40, 39, 31, and 30 investments, respectively.However, the overall crypto fundraising market remains in a bear market cycle. In June, the total amount raised by crypto companies fell to $1.4 billion, a 63% decrease from $3.8 billion in April. The number of funding rounds also decreased from 89 in May to 61. In comparison, fundraising in April this year was only $698 million, hitting a new low in nearly two years.So far in July, the crypto industry has completed 12 financing rounds, totaling approximately $456 million.In terms of investment focus, Coinbase Ventures has primarily invested in payment protocols, DeFi, and infrastructure over the past six months. This includes participation in seven funding rounds for payment projects, four rounds for DeFi, and three rounds for infrastructure and Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization projects.By sector, the areas that attracted the most capital over the past year were DeFi, payments, and AI. DeFi projects completed 216 funding rounds, the payment sector completed 131 rounds, AI and crypto combination projects completed 128 rounds, and infrastructure projects secured 110 rounds.It is worth noting that while top institutions remain active, the overall number of market participants is decreasing. The number of independent investment institutions in June dropped to 242, nearly halved from 452 in October 2025, reflecting a concentration of capital in the bear market environment. (Cointelegraph)

Thailand's Central Bank Reviews High-Value USDT Transactions to Combat Money Laundering and Illicit Funds

the Bank of Thailand is strengthening stablecoin regulation to combat money laundering, illegal financing, and "grey capital" in the country. The central bank is collaborating with the Securities and Exchange Commission to review high-value stablecoin transactions, focusing on USDt (USDT), cash transactions, and foreign exchange dealings to identify and prevent illicit fund flows. Thailand will also expand the compliance responsibilities of commercial banks in areas such as cash networks, foreign exchange services, gold trading, and suspicious stablecoin transactions. In 2025, Thailand suffered losses of 115 billion Thai baht (approximately $3.4 billion) due to scams, recording about 173 million fraudulent calls and text messages. Cash deposits exceeding 5 million Thai baht will also require full disclosure. Bitkub, Thailand's largest exchange, processes a daily trading volume of approximately $26 million, nearly 40% of which is foreign exchange trading, with the USDT/THB trading pair being the most popular. In 2025, Thailand's banking sector froze 3 million bank accounts as part of efforts to crack down on nominee accounts, grey capital, and suspicious activities. (Cointelegraph).

Bitcoin Mining Company Ionic Digital Files for Nasdaq Direct Listing, Advancing Transition to AI Infrastructure

According to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin mining company Ionic Digital has filed a direct listing application with Nasdaq, planning to use the stock ticker IOND. This listing does not involve new financing; the main purpose is to provide existing shareholders, especially former creditors who obtained shares through the Celsius restructuring, with a public trading market.

Australia to Implement Cryptocurrency "Travel Rule" from July; Exchange Transfers Must Include Sender and Receiver Information

According to Cointelegraph, Australia will officially implement the cryptocurrency "Travel Rule" starting from July. At that time, when users conduct incoming and outgoing transfers on locally regulated cryptocurrency exchanges, they must provide the name and platform information of the payee or payer; when transferring to self-custody wallets, they also need to confirm address ownership. This rule is enforced by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, applies to transfers of all amounts, and aims to strengthen transaction traceability to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and fraud activities.

Indonesia Introduces New Regulation: Crypto Asset Promoters Must Obtain Licenses to Conduct Marketing

According to Cointelegraph, Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) issued Regulation No. 6, requiring individuals who recommend cryptocurrencies and other digital financial assets on social media platforms to obtain relevant competency certification—except for those already subject to other licensing requirements. The new regulation also stipulates that recommended assets must be listed exclusively on authorized exchanges, and all service providers involved must hold valid licenses.

STRC Falls Below Par Value, Sparking Market Controversy: Strategy’s Bitcoin Leverage Flywheel Faces Challenges

Bitcoin has dropped approximately 40% since Strategy launched its Bitcoin financing instrument, STRC, which has now fallen below its $100 issuance par value. This has sparked market debate over the sustainability of Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin “flywheel” model. Strategy currently holds over 846,000 BTC, but its purchase pace has notably slowed recently. Data shows that during the week ending June 8, the company added 1,550 BTC, worth approximately $101 million. The following week, ending June 15, it added another 1,587 BTC, valued at about $100 million. In contrast, during a single week in April 2026, the firm bought 34,164 BTC for $2.54 billion, indicating a significant decline in its recent capital deployment.Meanwhile, Strategy previously sold 32 BTC to meet dividend obligations. While minimal relative to its total holdings, the market views this as a sign that cash flow pressures could intensify if STRC’s funding efficiency declines. STRC was originally designed as a preferred stock instrument trading near its $100 par value, using dividend adjustments to attract investors and help Strategy raise capital for Bitcoin purchases. STRC has now fallen to historic lows, once dropping to $82.53 before closing at $88.59—roughly 13% below par value.Critics argue that STRC’s dip below par indicates mounting pressure on Strategy’s funding channels. Peter Schiff, a long-time Bitcoin critic, labeled STRC “a typical centralized Ponzi scheme,” claiming the model relies on continuous financing or Bitcoin sales to sustain itself. Crypto trader DonAlt also questioned STRC’s recent performance, describing its trading behavior as resembling a “Ponzi scheme.”However, some analysts believe STRC’s decline is more due to leverage liquidations than a fundamental deterioration of Strategy. STRC had long traded around $99 to $100, attracting leveraged traders. When the price broke below a key level, forced liquidations were triggered, exacerbating the drop.Analyst Scott Melker noted that STRC’s current yield has actually improved due to the discount. Since dividends are calculated based on the $100 liquidation preference, at an STRC price of $90, the 11.5% annualized dividend translates to an actual yield of about 12.8%. If the price falls to $85, the yield could exceed 13%.Strategy is expected to announce its next STRC dividend adjustment by June 30. The market is now focused on whether the STRC discount will persist and whether Strategy’s model of using capital market financing to continuously accumulate BTC can remain stable. (Cointelegraph)

SpaceX IPO Attracts Over $250 Billion in Investment Demand

According to reports, SpaceX, the aerospace company led by Elon Musk, has attracted over $250 billion in investment demand for its IPO, surpassing its planned fundraising target of $75 billion. The offering is nearly 4 times oversubscribed, valuing the company at $1.8 trillion. Bankers and investors noted that long-term funds have submitted large orders. Pricing is expected to be finalized on Thursday, though demand figures could still change before orders are placed by major institutional investors. SpaceX's growth narrative is primarily tied to its satellite internet business, Starlink, which has become a significant source of revenue and profit for the company. SpaceX also highlighted that its artificial intelligence products address a market opportunity worth $23 trillion. Cryptocurrency exchanges including Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and Bybit have listed pre-IPO perpetual futures for SPCX this month. Binance's related product has accumulated a trading volume of $2.1 billion over 18 days, covering over 130 countries. Decentralized exchange Hyperliquid recorded a trading volume of $70 million in the past 24 hours, with open interest exceeding $115 million. (Cointelegraph)

Cardano analytics platform TapTools announces shutdown amid departure of five executives, rendering operations unsustainable

According to Cointelegraph, TapTools, a real-time Cardano analytics platform, announced it will gradually shut down over the next two weeks. Since the beginning of this year, the platform has lost two co-founders, its Chief Operating Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and a backend developer. This exodus has resulted in a critical knowledge gap, rendering the platform unable to maintain normal operations. TapTools also cited high operational costs—including infrastructure, development, and support—as another key reason for the shutdown. The platform stated it remains open to external acquisition or financing. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson accepted partial responsibility, noting he had previously proposed an “index program” to rescue struggling projects, but the initiative failed to materialize.

Analysis: Model Predicts BTC Could Reach $255,000 This Year; Long-Term Valuation Range Upgraded to $308,000

According to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin has declined approximately 40% from its all-time high in October 2025, yet long-term valuation models indicate substantial upside potential remains. Based on the “Bitcoin Decay Channel” measurement of long-term trends, Bitcoin’s conservative year-end price range has been revised upward to $90,000–$255,000, with the high-end scenario reaching as high as $255,000. This model fits a logarithmic decay trend to historical cycle highs and lows, showing that BTC prices at the peaks of the 2013, 2017, and 2021 cycles all approached the upper channel boundary, while bear market bottoms fell near the lower boundary. Analyst Sminston stated that Bitcoin remains within a historic, long-term upward channel and noted that the price range for 2027 could further expand to $128,000–$308,000.

French Bitcoin Treasury Company Capital B Acquires Additional 192 BTC, Total Holdings Rise to 3,135 BTC<odatory-translate-split><p>Odaily reports that French publicly-listed Bitcoin treasury company Capital B has announced the acquisition of an additional

法国上市比特币财库公司 Capital B 宣布增持 192 枚 BTC,价值约 1300 万欧元(约 1520 万美元),买入均价约为 78948 美元。此次增持后,Capital B 的比特币总持仓量升至 3135 枚 BTC。此前,该公司曾宣布完成 1780 万美元融资,投资方包括 Blockstream CEO Adam Back 及巴黎资产管理公司 TOBAM。数据显示,Capital B 目前为欧洲第二大比特币财库公司,仅次于持有 3605 枚 BTC 的德国 Bitcoin Group SE。尽管公司持续推进比特币财库策略,其股价在公告发布后仍下跌约 2.4%。(Cointelegraph)

Poll: Only 4% of Americans Say They Would Consider Candidates’ Cryptocurrency Stances When Voting

According to Cointelegraph, a survey conducted by POLITICO and Public First among 2,035 U.S. adults found that only 4% of respondents said they would consider candidates’ cryptocurrency policy positions when deciding whom to vote for. The survey also revealed that only 18% of respondents ranked establishing regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrency markets as a congressional priority; 27% supported government efforts to promote cryptocurrency as a mainstream financial asset, while 31% opposed it. Additionally, over half of respondents stated they would not consider trading cryptocurrency, and 45% viewed investing in cryptocurrency as a risk not worth taking.

April Crypto Venture Funding Drops to $659 Million, Lowest Since July 2024

According to Cointelegraph, venture capital funding in the cryptocurrency sector dropped to $659 million in April, the lowest monthly total since July 2024.

Analysis: Strategy’s financing instrument STRC falls below its $100 par value, potentially exerting downward pressure on Bitcoin

According to Cointelegraph, Strategy’s financing instrument STRC has traded below its $100 par value since April 15, potentially undermining its ability to continuously raise capital via share issuance to purchase Bitcoin—raising the risk of Bitcoin falling below $70,000. Strategy previously disclosed that approximately 86% of the funding for its most recent Bitcoin purchase—34,164 BTC—came from STRC financing. The report also notes that historically, during periods when Strategy paused Bitcoin purchases, Bitcoin’s average decline was around 30%. Technically, if the lower boundary of the flag pattern is breached, Bitcoin could fall toward the $67,000–$69,000 range; however, if it holds above both the 20-day and 50-day EMAs, price may still rebound and test the $78,000 resistance level.

Malaysian digital asset exchange Hata closes $8 million Series A funding round, led by Bybit

According to Cointelegraph, Malaysian digital asset exchange Hata has completed an $8 million Series A funding round led by Bybit, with participation from multiple global family offices. Previously, Bybit also participated in Hata’s $4.2 million seed funding round. Hata holds licenses issued by the Securities Commission Malaysia and the Labuan Financial Services Authority, enabling it to provide digital asset trading and custody services in the country.

Swiss Crypto Valley’s blockchain funding grew by 37% in 2025, with TON Network transactions dominating

According to Cointelegraph, Switzerland’s Crypto Valley raised a total of $728 million in blockchain funding in 2025—a 37% year-on-year increase—and accounted for 47% of Europe’s blockchain venture capital. The largest single contribution came from TON Network’s $400 million funding round; Sygnum Bank raised $58 million; the M0 stablecoin platform raised $40 million; Impossible Cloud Network and CratD2C raised $34 million and $30 million, respectively. The report states that global blockchain funding totaled $15.5 billion, up 30% year-on-year, but deal volume declined by 32%, reflecting a trend toward concentration of capital in a smaller number of large-scale projects. The number of active blockchain companies in Crypto Valley rose to 1,766, while the number of unicorns fell from 17 to 10, primarily due to market conditions.

OpenAI Plans to Reserve IPO Shares for Retail Investors; CFO Confirms Strong Demand

According to Cointelegraph, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar confirmed that the company will reserve a portion of shares for retail investors in its IPO, citing “very strong demand” from individual investors in its latest funding round. OpenAI is currently valued at approximately $300 billion, yet it remains unprofitable. There is significant market debate over the risks associated with retail investor participation in this IPO.