Babylon Labs' Genesis Could Transform BTC's Role in PoS Security and Liquidity

Solana's price surged over 5% on Friday, reaching a peak above $241, the highest since January, driven by institutional interest. Forward Industries secured a $1.65 billion PIPE deal led by Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital, causing its stock to briefly touch $46 before settling at $37.72, still 9.41% higher than the previous day.

Allied Gaming & Entertainment, a Nasdaq-listed company, revealed its investment in Bitcoin and Ethereum as part of a new treasury strategy. The stock, AGAE, surged 105% before settling at a 71% increase. The company plans to further integrate blockchain and digital assets into its operations.

Chainlink has been designated as the primary oracle for Polymarket, ensuring accurate and timely resolution of markets dependent on digital asset performance. This partnership aims to enhance trust in prediction markets through high-quality data and tamper-proof computation, with a focus on cryptocurrencies initially.

President Bukele of El Salvador has been announcing significant Bitcoin purchases, but the IMF claims the government's Bitcoin holdings have not increased. Despite this, blockchain data shows daily additions to the Bitcoin Reserve.

Tether introduced a U.S.-specific stablecoin, USAT, to comply with new laws, led by Bo Hines, former White House executive. USAT, issued by Anchorage Digital, will launch by year-end, headquartered in Charlotte.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts is pursuing a civil forfeiture case to recover $584,741 in Tether stablecoins from an Iranian individual linked to supplying technology to the Iranian military. The accused, Mohammad Abedini, is associated with a firm providing navigation equipment for drones used in various military operations.

An appeal for former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's 25-year prison sentence is set for Nov. 4, addressing potential legal errors in his trial. Bankman-Fried's lawyers claim he was unfairly judged and the government presented a false narrative about FTX's financial situation.

BlackRock is planning to tokenize ETFs and real-world asset funds, expanding beyond its current on-chain cash management product, BUIDL. This move, pending regulatory approval, aims to bring traditional investment vehicles onto blockchain rails, potentially shifting trillions in assets on-chain.

Bitcoin's hash rate and difficulty have reached new all-time highs, with the hash rate hitting 1.12 billion TH/s and the difficulty touching a record high of 136.04T. The next difficulty adjustment is scheduled for September 18, with an estimated increase of 6.38% to 144.72T.

Gemini, the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, has priced its IPO at $28 per share, surpassing expectations. The offering includes an option for underwriters to purchase additional shares.