Morning Edition · Sunday, July 26, 2026
Crypto
Aztec Ships Private Smart Contracts to Ethereum's Mainnet, Proving Transactions on a Laptop in Seconds
The Alpha V5 release moves zero-knowledge proof generation onto the user's own device, proving a fully private transaction in about 2.5 seconds and cutting fees below five cents.
Crypto
Uniswap Adds Compliance-Gated Pools to Its Version 4 Protocol for Tokenized Securities
The Permissioned Pools framework checks each wallet against an issuer-controlled allowlist before every swap, keeping regulated assets on-chain while keeping them separate from open liquidity.
Crypto
Tokenized Stocks on Robinhood's Chain Multiply Fivefold as Equities Begin Trading in Size
Real-world assets on the network reached about $70 million and a dozen tokenized stocks each cleared at least $500,000 a day, though stablecoins and memecoins still dominate the chain.
Geopolitics
European Union Bars Transactions With Crypto Exchange HTX Over Russian Sanctions Evasion
The bloc's 21st sanctions package placed Huobi Global, the entity behind HTX, under a transaction ban effective August 23, and claimed new power to restrict entire countries' crypto networks.
Crypto
Lien Finance Loses About $542,000 as Attacker Mints Bond Tokens Without Burning Collateral
The Ethereum protocol's permissionless bond-registration flow let an attacker create tokens that bypassed the burn logic and drained real USD Coin (USDC) from live pools, one of several incidents this week.
Crypto
Galaxy Digital Cuts Odds of US Crypto Market-Structure Bill to 30% as Senate Clock Runs Down
The CLARITY Act needs a deal within days to clear before recess, and disputes over President Trump's crypto income remain a central obstacle even as Fidelity urges passage.
Geopolitics
Russia's Sberbank Sets December 1 Deadline for State-Run Crypto Trading and Custody
The country's largest bank plans to embed crypto wallets into its apps once a new digital-asset law takes effect September 1, with custody keys held under state-linked control.
Crypto
North Korean Hacking Group Uses Fake Zoom and Teams Calls to Profile and Drain Crypto Wallets
Researchers found the BlueNoroff group running an active phishing kit that identifies a victim's wallet before delivering malware, compromising a full system in under five minutes.
Geopolitics
North Korea Arrests Its Own Military Hackers Over Crypto Laundering From State Banks
Authorities say the group breached the central bank and Foreign Trade Bank, moved funds into overseas wallets, and converted them to cash through Chinese brokers before an internal probe traced the transactions.
Crypto
Samsung Plans Native Stablecoins in Its Wallet, With Distribution to 800 Million Devices at Stake
Unannounced choices over issuer, chain, custody, and redemption will decide whether the feature becomes a default payment route or a narrower integration.
Macro
Bitcoin Trades Near $64,000 as a Shrinking European Central Bank Balance Sheet Competes for Capital
The central bank held rates steady on July 23 while its bond portfolios kept contracting and euro-area lenders tightened credit, reducing the liquidity that risk assets rely on.
Crypto
Miden Pitches Selective Privacy as the Missing Layer for Mainstream Blockchain Use
The network's Guardian design argues that practical adoption requires confidentiality users can turn on and disclose selectively, not the fully transparent ledgers that dominate today.