Suehyeon Lee

BOK’s Project Hangang Enters Phase 2, Live Deposit-Token Transactions May Start in September

The Bank of Korea’s second phase of Project Hangang, its central bank digital currency pilot, may begin live deposit-token transactions as early as September. The BOK and commercial banks are in the final stages of preparation for Phase 2 live transa

Saylor Opposes Bitcoin BIP-110, Says It Risks a Network Split

Michael Saylor, co-founder and chairman of Strategy, has publicly opposed BIP-110, a proposed Bitcoin soft fork intended to curb spam on the network. The Block reported on July 19 that Saylor had posted on X on July 18 under the headline "110 Reasons

France Orders Polymarket Block Ahead of World Cup Final, Citing Illegal Gambling

France’s gambling regulator has ordered internet service providers to block access to prediction-market platform Polymarket ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The Block reported on July 19 that France’s National Gaming Authority, or ANJ, told do

US Says 3 Troops Feared Dead in Iranian Attacks, Including 1 in Iraq

Two U.S. service members were killed and one went missing in Jordan in an Iranian attack, while a separate incident in Iraq left another U.S. soldier dead as troops disposed of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone. U.S. Central Command said on X

Bitcoin May Drop to $38,000-$39,000 if Past Bear Markets Repeat

Bitcoin could fall to $38,000 to $39,000 this year if it follows a pattern similar to past bear markets. In a recent report, digital-asset financial services firm NYDIG said Bitcoin's 2025-2026 decline is increasingly resembling the four-year correct

Ether Outpaces Bitcoin This Week as ETF Inflows, Robinhood Chain Boost Demand

Ether was the only major cryptocurrency to post clear gains this week, handily outperforming Bitcoin and other large-cap altcoins. CoinDesk reported that Ether traded near $1,920 on July 16, up 2.2% on the day and about 11% over the past seven tradin

Stripe, Advent Offer $53 Billion for PayPal in Bet on Blockchain Payments

Stripe and private equity firm Advent International are pursuing a takeover of PayPal, a deal industry executives say could speed the rollout of blockchain-based payments infrastructure. Stripe and Advent have proposed acquiring PayPal for $53 billio

Bitcoin Nears $65,000 After Softer US CPI, as Selling by Long- and Short-Term Holders Caps Gains

Bitcoin rebounded to near $65,000 after softer US consumer inflation data, but the advance is losing momentum as both long-term and short-term holders sell into the rally. CoinDesk reported on July 16 that Bitcoin has climbed this week from $61,500 t

US Spot Ether ETFs Draw $53.9 Million for Second Straight Day of Inflows

US spot Ether exchange-traded funds recorded net inflows for a second straight day. Farside Investors data showed the funds brought in a combined $53.9 million on July 15. BlackRock’s ETHA led the inflows with $45.3 million. BlackRock’s staking Ether

US Spot-Bitcoin ETFs Draw $107.7 Million for Second Straight Day of Inflows

US spot-Bitcoin exchange-traded funds posted net inflows for a second straight trading day. Farside Investors data showed the funds recorded combined net inflows of $107.7 million on July 15. BlackRock's IBIT led the inflows with $80.8 million. Fidel

CASHCAT Slides 35% Below $0.10 After Noxa Suspends Launchpad Service

CASHCAT, a meme coin on Robinhood Chain, reversed course and fell below the $0.10 level. As of 1:01 p.m. Korea time on July 16, the token was trading at $0.09402, down 35.44% from a day earlier, according to CoinMarketCap. The decline appears to be t

Brent Trades Near $85 as Oil Extends Four-Day Rally on US Strikes on Iran

Oil rose for a fourth straight session as continued US airstrikes on Iran and fears of supply disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz supported the market. Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded around $85 a barrel on July 15, Bloomberg rep

Kaia Partners With Mochi Operator Xylo Labs to Expand On-Chain RWA Ecosystem

Kaia said July 16 that it signed a strategic partnership with Xylo Labs, the company behind stablecoin asset-management platform Mochi. Under the memorandum of understanding, the companies plan to integrate Xylo's asset-management services with the K

IEA's Birol Says Strait of Hormuz Must Fully Reopen Within Weeks to Avert Hit to Global Economy

The International Energy Agency warned that the global economy could come under pressure if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within weeks as military tensions around the waterway escalate. Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, told the

Arthur Hayes Buys 1,293 More Ether Worth About $2.48 Million

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes bought more Ether. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain said on July 15 that Hayes purchased 1,293 ETH about an hour earlier. The purchase was worth about $2.48 million.

July 16 Economic, Crypto Calendar: US June Retail Sales Due

Today's Key Economic Events ▶ July 16 (Thursday): US weekly initial jobless claims (9:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time); US June retail sales (9:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time); US July NAHB Housing Market Index, or HMI (11 p.m. Korea Standard Time); US June

Trump to Meet Republicans to Discuss Clarity Act Ethics Provisions

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Republican lawmakers to discuss ethics provisions, the biggest obstacle to passing the Clarity Act, a bill to regulate the cryptocurrency market. Kristin Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, told

Hyperion DeFi Signs 500,000-HYPE Bond Deal With Skew

Hyperion DeFi, a Nasdaq-listed digital-asset treasury company focused on Hyperliquid, has partnered with Skew Technologies to help launch new institutional markets on the Hyperliquid platform. The Block reported on July 15 that Hyperion signed a HAUS

Strategy CEO Says Balance Sheet Is Safe Unless Bitcoin Drops Below $10,000

Strategy Chief Executive Officer Phong Le said the company sees no threat to its financial health unless Bitcoin falls to about $8,000 to $10,000. Le told Bloomberg TV in an interview cited by The Block on July 15 that "we're not going anywhere" and

US Military Fires Hellfire Missile at Tanker Bound for Iran, Citing Blockade Violation

The US military said it disabled a tanker headed for an Iranian port after determining that the vessel had breached a maritime blockade. US Central Command said in an official post on X on July 15 that it stopped an empty tanker sailing toward an Ira

Ether Jumps More Than 4% After Softer US CPI as Futures Buying Surges

Ether jumped more than 4% after a softer-than-expected US consumer price index report, with heavy buying in the derivatives market helping drive the rally. CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost wrote on July 15 that, before the CPI release, markets had pr

Binance Pushes to Become Super App for Payments, Financial Services

Binance is pushing to expand beyond cryptocurrency trading and transform itself into a super app that integrates payments and a broader range of financial services. Shunyet Jan, Binance's head of spot and derivatives, told CoinDesk on July 15 that th

US Spot Ethereum ETFs Return to Net Inflows With $58.4 Million

U.S. spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds returned to net inflows after one day of outflows. Trader T data showed the funds took in a combined $58.4 million on July 14. BlackRock’s ETHA drove virtually all of the inflows, attracting $58.34 million. Bl

SBI Global Asset Management, DigiFT Launch Tokenized Japan Equity Strategy on Solana

SBI Global Asset Management and DigiFT have launched JX, a tokenized investment product built on the Solana blockchain. The Solana Foundation said on July 15 that JX puts a Japanese asset manager's equity investment strategy on-chain. The product giv

US Spot-Bitcoin ETFs Return to Net Inflows With $181.07 Million Haul

US spot-Bitcoin exchange-traded funds returned to net inflows after one day of outflows. Trader T data showed on July 15 that US spot-Bitcoin ETFs recorded combined net inflows of $181.07 million in the previous session. BlackRock's IBIT led the gain

South Korea’s FSC to Draft Digital Asset Framework Act This Year, Including Stablecoin Rules

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission said it plans to draw up a Digital Asset Framework Act by the end of this year to foster the digital-asset industry. In its second policy briefing to the president on July 15, the FSC said it would prepare

BitMine Quarterly Revenue Surges 22-Fold to $45.7 Million on Ethereum Staking

BitMine Immersion Technologies overhauled its quarterly revenue mix by scaling up its Ethereum staking business. Cointelegraph reported on July 14 that BitMine generated $45.7 million in revenue from Ethereum staking and validator services in the qua

Ark Invest Buys More Circle and Block, Trims Robinhood Stake

Ark Invest, led by Cathie Wood, bought additional shares of Circle and Block while trimming its Robinhood position. The Block reported on July 14 that Ark Invest bought 220,012 more Circle shares through its flagship exchange-traded funds ARKK, ARKW

BitMine Appears to Buy 6,000 More Ether Worth About $11.18 Million

BitMine, led by Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee, appears to have added to its Ether holdings. On July 14, on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain reported that BitMine received 6,000 ETH, worth about $11.18 million, from FalconX, an institutional digita

Bitmine, SharpLink Back EthSystems, an Ethereum Infrastructure Startup for Institutions

Bitmine, SharpLink and Consensys Chief Executive Officer Joe Lubin are backing EthSystems, a new company building Ethereum infrastructure for institutional investors. The Block reported on July 14 that EthSystems is a for-profit spinoff from the Ethe