How Helium demonstrates crypto’s utility

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“Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility.”

— Thomas Edison

The first idea that put Helium co-founders Amir Haleem and Shawn Fanning (of Napster fame) on the long road to building a decentralized, crypto-powered mobile network had nothing to do with decentralization, crypto or mobile networks.

Instead, they were looking for a way to keep track of the very expensive drones they kept losing over windy San Francisco.

It’s not surprising that it turned into something else — the tech industry has a rich history of unintended consequences…

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Japan, US strike trade deal that leaves US car makers out

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

With days to go before the new trade policy deadline takes effect, the US struck a deal with Japan.

President Trump announced the deal — a 15% tariff rate on Japanese exports to the US — late last night via a Truth Social post. The rate is lower than the previously proposed 25% levy and also applies to cars and auto parts. 

A photo shared on X by Dan Scavino, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, suggests officials were making changes to the policy up until the last minute. The document in the picture had been edited by hand, with $400 billion crossed out and replaced with… Read more on Blockworks

LATEST: Robinhood Now Offers ETH And SOL Staking Services To US Users

Robinhood has launched Ethereum and Solana staking services for U.S. users, starting July 10, allowing customers to earn rewards with as little as $1. This feature enables retail investors to participate in crypto staking without needing to run validator nodes. For Ethereum, Robinhood will pool user stakes to meet the 32 ETH requirement, offering between 50% and 100% of protocol rewards depending on network conditions.

Solana staking is also now live, with Robinhood managing the technical process to make it simple for users. Staking is not available in California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin due to regulatory restrictions. Starting in October 2025, Robinhood will introduce a 25% commission on staking rewards, in addition to third-party provider fees, which the company says are consistent with industry standards.

The launch supports Robinhood’s broader crypto expansion strategy, following its acquisitions of Bitstamp and WonderFi. The company is also building its own blockchain on Arbitrum to support on-chain equity trading and decentralized services.

The case for how crypto can Stop Killing Games

This is a segment from The Drop newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

Crypto comes in waves. And like surfing, it’s entirely possible to paddle too early and miss out altogether.

Some of the biggest phenomena in crypto have caught their respective waves with precision.

Markets change…

Yuga Labs rolled out Bored Apes in April 2021, as bitcoin and ether were headed to their first major peak of that bull market cycle.

More recently, pump.fun nailed it when it deployed in January 2024 — just as SOL was about to double in price in two months on the back of bitcoin ETFs.

Both companies are now case studies in capturing and monetizing the attention of…

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Bitcoin Stalls Below $118,000 As Traders Brace For Deeper Pullback

Bitcoin BTC/USD remains stuck around the $118,000 level, with traders increasingly cautious as key support zones weaken.

The lack of bullish momentum has prompted several to exit long positions and wait for a deeper retracement before re-entering.

What Happened: CrediBULL Crypto stated on Wednesday that he exited his Bitcoin longs after both the blue zone and hourly demand were breached.

While price hasn’t fully broken down, the repeated failure to hold those supports prompted him to adjust stops and step aside.

A brief bounce followed the liquidity sweep, but persistent passive selling pressure continues to cap price action, mirroring behaviour observed at the previous two local tops.

In…

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LATEST: Matador Technologies Raises $100 Million To Expand Bitcoin Reserve

Matador Technologies Inc. has signed a $100 million secured convertible note facility with ATW Partners, aiming to expand its Bitcoin-focused treasury strategy. The deal includes an initial funding of $10.5 million, while the remaining $89.5 million is pending regulatory approvals. All proceeds will be used solely to purchase Bitcoin, strengthening Matador’s position in the digital asset space.

The company plans to acquire up to 1,000 BTC by 2026 and grow its holdings to 6,000 BTC by 2027. Ultimately, Matador aims to hold 1% of Bitcoin’s total supply, placing it among the top 20 corporate holders worldwide. CEO Deven Soni said the funding aligns with the company’s long-term capital strategy and reduces immediate dilution, supporting its Bitcoin accumulation goals.

The secured notes carry an 8% annual interest rate and mature in approximately two years. Backed by Bitcoin collateral, they offer 1.5 times coverage for the first tranche. The conversion price for the initial closing is set at CAD$0.72.

Source

Why Bitcoin’s biggest mixer walked away from ‘huge profits’

This is a segment from the Supply Shock newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

A few years back at Bitcoin Amsterdam, I watched Core contributor Sjors Provoost make a point about the right to financial privacy in today’s digital world.

“I go to the bathroom at the train station right now. If I pay with my debit card, these records are kept for at least a decade. So the bank can actually look up, 10 years from now, exactly at what time I went to the bathroom. I think that is ridiculous, and I think everybody would agree that’s ridiculous.

“I think we should change the financial system to [stop doing] that.”

The panel featuring Provoost was about how the…

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ByteFederal Launches Crypto Real Estate Service In Florida, Partners With NEO And OPISAS

ByteFederal, a blockchain technology company, has launched a pilot program in Florida enabling real estate buyers to use bitcoin for property purchases, with settlements delivered in U.S. dollars to sellers. Announced on July 21, 2025, the service targets new construction properties and is facilitated through a strategic partnership with New Estate Only (NEO), a platform specializing in new real estate developments. Additionally, ByteFederal’s collaboration with OPISAS, an international real estate firm, allows foreign investors to purchase U.S. properties with cryptocurrency, expanding access to Florida’s housing market.

The Florida pilot enables buyers to pay security…

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LATEST: CoinShares Gains Approval For MiCA License Across European Union

CoinShares has officially become the first crypto asset manager based in continental Europe to receive a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation. The approval, granted by France’s financial regulator, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), allows the Jersey-based firm to offer crypto portfolio management services across all 27 EU member states under one unified framework.

The firm already operates in Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and plans to expand further across Europe. With this new MiCA license, combined with its existing MiFID and AIFM approvals, CoinShares is now the only major European asset manager to hold all three key EU regulatory credentials, strengthening its position in the digital asset space.

CEO Jean-Marie Mognetti called the approval a major milestone for both CoinShares and the European crypto industry. He said the MiCA framework offers a clear, harmonized structure, and positions CoinShares to help open the €33 trillion European asset management market to regulated crypto investment products.

Source

Bitcoin Purist Jack Dorsey Was Once Accused of ‘Ethereum Hate,’ He Made It Clear That ‘Focus On One Thing’ Isn’t The Same As Disdain For The Others – Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARCA:BTC)

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Bitcoin BTC/USD-focused firm Block, Inc. XYZ, has openly criticized Ethereum ETH/USD, although he has refused to label it as “hate” for the second-largest cryptocurrency. 

What happened: In response to accusations of “Ethereum hate” in August 2021 on Twitter, now X, Dorsey clarified that focusing on Bitcoin should not be construed as hatred toward Ethereum.

“I’ve made my concerns known about others in comparison to Bitcoin. Key ones are founding principles, security, and centralization,” Dorsey said.

See Also: ‘I’d Rather Have An iPhone Than A Landline’, Says Ether Machine CEO About Why He Doesn’t Own Bitcoin

Why It Matters: Dorsey has also been…

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