LATEST: Wells Fargo Boosts BlackRock Bitcoin Trust Stake To $160 Million

Wells Fargo, the fourth-largest U.S. bank, has dramatically expanded its exposure to Bitcoin ETFs, according to a recent SEC filing. The bank disclosed it held more than $160 million in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) as of June 30, a sharp rise from just over $26 million at the end of the first quarter. The move highlights a growing embrace of digital assets among major financial institutions.

The filing also revealed Wells Fargo boosted its stake in the Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO) from $2.5 million to nearly $26 million during the second quarter. Holdings in the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) also climbed modestly, alongside smaller positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum funds from ARK Invest/21Shares, Bitwise, CoinShares/Valkyrie, Fidelity, and VanEck.

Momentum toward crypto exposure has been building across Wall Street. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported Wells Fargo and Bank of America’s Merrill began offering spot Bitcoin ETFs to brokerage clients upon request. The latest filing signals that big banks are not only opening the door for clients but also actively investing in crypto themselves.

Filing

LATEST: Hong Kong Family Office Avenir Reports $1 Billion Bitcoin Exposure

Hong Kong-based asset management giant Avenir has made headlines by investing $1.3 billion in Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The move highlights the growing confidence of major financial institutions in Bitcoin’s long-term potential, especially in Asia, where crypto adoption is accelerating. Avenir’s decision places it among the leading institutional players viewing Bitcoin as a core investment strategy rather than a speculative gamble.

The timing of this allocation reflects a broader regional trend. From South Korea to Singapore, both institutional and retail investors are showing stronger interest in digital assets. Hong Kong has emerged as a frontrunner, introducing policies that encourage innovation in the crypto sector while maintaining clear regulatory oversight. Avenir’s massive Bitcoin ETF stake underscores the city’s ambition to become a global hub for digital finance.

Beyond the financial commitment, this investment signals a deeper shift in perception—treating Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class. Institutional adoption has historically boosted market stability, liquidity, and investor confidence. With regulatory clarity expanding across Asia, more capital inflows into Bitcoin ETFs are expected, potentially driving crypto further into mainstream financial portfolios.

Cynthia Lummis Backs Scott Bessent’s ‘Commitment’ To Build Bitcoin Reserve Without Burdening US Taxpayers — ‘I Have A Bill For That’

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) on Thursday backed a “budget-neutral approach” to building a Strategic Bitcoin BTC/USD Reserve, opposing the idea of purchasing additional BTC to address the mounting national debt.

Disclosure: 82% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Lummis Pushes For BITCOIN Act, Schiff Disagrees

In an X post, Lummis agreed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said that the Treasury Department is “committed” to exploring budget-neutral pathways for expanding the stockpile.

“We cannot save our country from $37 trillion debt by purchasing more bitcoin, but we can revalue gold reserves to today’s prices & transfer the increase in value to build SBR,” Lummis said….

Read more on Benzinga

KindlyMD & Nakamoto Officially Merge, Plans To Buy One Million BTC

KindlyMD, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA) and Bitcoin-native holding company Nakamoto Holdings Inc. have officially completed their long-anticipated merger, forming a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury vehicle with ambitions to acquire one million BTC. The combined entity will operate under the KindlyMD name, trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, while Nakamoto will function as a wholly owned subsidiary overseeing the Bitcoin financial services division.

“Our vision is for the world’s capital markets to operate on a Bitcoin standard. Today’s merger represents the beginning of that journey for our company,” said David Bailey, CEO of the combined company. “Since I started my journey…

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Bitcoin Price Slid Down To $118,000 After Surpassing Google’s Market Cap

Bitcoin price experienced a significant pullback to $118,000 after briefly surpassing Google parent Alphabet’s market capitalization to become the world’s fifth-largest asset, highlighting Bitcoin’s growing institutional prominence despite continued volatility.

Bitcoin price reached an all-time high of $124,283 in early Asian trading on Thursday, pushing its market capitalization to $2.46 trillion and temporarily overtaking Alphabet’s $2.448 trillion valuation. However, the milestone was followed by a sharp correction as traders took profits and U.S. inflation data triggered broader market uncertainty.

The recent surge and subsequent correction demonstrate Bitcoin’s maturing…

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India’s First Bitcoin Think Tank Launches On Independence Day. Its Mission? Financial Sovereignty

On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 2025, at 12:00 a.m. local time, the Bitcoin Policy Institute of India (BPI India) announced its official launch.

The think tank, which will advocate for Bitcoin as a strategic tool to help secure India’s economic future, made this announcement on India’s Independence Day to point out that national independence and financial sovereignty go hand in hand.

The institute plans to provide data-driven research and education to policymakers, regulators and the citizens of India in efforts to foster a clear pro-Bitcoin policy framework, according to a press release shared with Bitcoin Magazine.

It also plans to introduce bitcoin as a hedge to…

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Google involved in bitcoin miner TeraWulf’s ‘standout’ hosting deal  google-stake-terawulf

TeraWulf’s stock soared Thursday after revealing a 10-year deal with AI cloud platform Fluidstack that also aligns the bitcoin miner with Google.

The decade-long high-performance computing (HPC) colocation agreements — with two five-year extension options — come as bitcoin miners have looked to diversify income streams in recent years away from volatile crypto-linked revenues.

TeraWulf is set to deliver to Fluidstack more than 200 megawatts of critical IT load at its Lake Mariner datacenter in New York, the company said Thursday. TeraWulf estimates $370 million in annual revenue from this deal. 

Perhaps a bigger takeaway from the deal is Google taking a roughly 8% stake…

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Block Launches Modular Bitcoin Miner And Free, Open Source Mining Software

Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) has unveiled Proto Rig, a first-of-its-kind modular bitcoin mining system, and Proto Fleet, a free and open-source fleet management software platform, marking a bold step toward decentralizing mining hardware, increasing operational efficiency, and boosting Bitcoin network resiliency.

The announcement took place at Core Scientific’s facility in Dalton, GA, where Proto Rigs are already deployed as part of its mining fleet. This launch represents the first two end-to-end releases from Proto, Block’s suite of bitcoin mining products and services, following its initial chip sale to Core Scientific.

Currently, bitcoin mining hardware faces significant…

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LATEST: French Semiconductor Sequans Plan To Acquire 100,000 Bitcoin By 2030

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS), a leader in cellular IoT semiconductor solutions, has announced a groundbreaking plan to acquire 100,000 Bitcoin by 2030, making it one of the most ambitious corporate treasury strategies in the crypto space. The company first launched its Bitcoin strategy on July 8, 2025, with a $384 million private placement, and as of August 8, already holds 3,171 BTC. This places Sequans among the top 25 publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holders worldwide.

CEO Dr. Georges Karam confirmed that the company has completed its first phase successfully, accumulating more than 3,000 BTC in just one month. He emphasized Sequans’ commitment to “maximize Bitcoin per share and deliver long-term shareholder value” through disciplined and responsible accumulation. The next phase will see Sequans expand its strategy with equity issuance, Bitcoin-backed credit instruments, and potential monetization of intellectual property.

By 2030, Sequans aims to fully optimize its treasury structure with Bitcoin-backed financial products, setting a new benchmark for responsible crypto adoption and institutional credibility.

Source

LATEST: SEC Acknowledges Invesco Galaxy Spot Solana ETF Filing

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially acknowledged the filing for the Invesco Galaxy Spot Solana ETF, a move seen as a major step forward in the push for crypto-based exchange-traded funds. The proposed ETF is designed to track the real-time price of Solana (SOL) and includes a staking feature, with plans for listing on the Cboe BZX Exchange if approved.

This acknowledgment signals the start of a public comment period and marks a key procedural milestone, though it is still far from full approval. Invesco Galaxy’s submission joins a growing list of Solana ETF applications from major asset managers such as VanEck, Bitwise, Grayscale, Canary Capital, CoinShares, Franklin Templeton, and Fidelity. Each has filed updated S-1 registration statements reflecting ongoing coordination with regulators.

Market watchers view these filings and revisions as positive indicators, with some analysts predicting that SEC decisions on Solana ETFs could arrive as early as late August or September, fueling optimism for broader institutional adoption of crypto.

Filing