CFA Report Pegs US Crypto Fraud Losses at $80.7B

Cantor Equity Partners 1, led by Howard Lutnick's son, is in talks to acquire nearly $4 billion in crypto, including 30,000 BTC from Blockstream Capital's Adam Back. The deal may also involve raising $800 million for more Bitcoin purchases, following Cantor Fitzgerald's SPAC-backed Bitcoin treasury firm creation in April.

Wintermute's 1H 2025 OTC Market Report reveals a growing divergence between institutional and retail investors in crypto trading. The report shows institutions maintaining larger allocations to Bitcoin and Ethereum, while retail investors are rotating into altcoins. Options trading surged by 412% in the first half of 2025 on Wintermute's OTC desk.

ProShares has introduced two new exchange-traded funds offering increased exposure to XRP and Solana, aiming to provide investors with double the daily returns of these assets. These new products come as issuers expand their crypto-focused offerings to meet investor demand for leveraged funds.

A proposal by Jameson Lopp and five other developers aims to incentivize Bitcoin owners to adopt quantum-resistant storage methods to prevent potential threats from quantum computers. The proposal suggests disallowing funds to quantum-vulnerable addresses and introducing new address types for enhanced security.

XRP has surged to $2.90, breaking free from a $2.00-$2.50 range, becoming the best-performing top 10 crypto asset. The broader crypto market remains cautiously optimistic, with XRP eyeing its January high of $3.40.

DeFi policy experts and industry leaders are criticizing the CLARITY Act, warning that it could harm the DeFi sector in the U.S. The bill may force decentralized exchanges to operate more like centralized ones, impacting small startups disproportionately.

GameStop's CEO, Ryan Cohen, hinted that the company will not follow the trend of other firms like Strategy in accumulating Bitcoin. Instead, GameStop will focus on its unique strategy, including using Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation. The company's future Bitcoin plans remain undisclosed.

Pump.fun's token quickly rose to the top 65 tokens by market cap after a $600 million ICO that sold out in 12 minutes. Despite this, it remains below BONK, a meme coin rival on Solana's launchpad market share.

SharpLink Gaming disclosed acquiring $225 million worth of Ethereum, increasing its holdings to 280,000 Ethereum valued at $846 million. The company's stock price surged 160% in the past month as Ethereum's price exceeded $3,000, reflecting gains seen by other Ethereum treasury firms.

The crypto sector, backed by companies like Coinbase, is gearing up for significant spending in the upcoming U.S. congressional elections. Fairshake, a political action committee, has already amassed over $141 million to support pro-crypto candidates and influence key races across the country.