13 Aug 2025, 08:20

U.S. deficit hits $291B despite tariff windfall

The U.S. government ran a massive $291 billion deficit in July, according to data released Tuesday night by the Treasury Department, even as customs duty collections soared nearly $21 billion thanks to Trump’s tariffs. That deficit was 19% larger than July 2024, growing by $47 billion, driven mostly by a sharp rise in federal spending that completely outpaced revenue growth. The numbers show receipts rose only 2%, bringing in $338 billion, while outlays jumped 10% to a record-high $630 billion, the largest July total on record. Treasury officials tried to downplay the shortfall by pointing out that this July had fewer business days than last year. If you adjust for that, they claimed receipts might’ve been $20 billion higher, which would’ve pulled the monthly deficit down to around $271 billion. Still, no matter how you slice it, they spent way more than they earned. Tariffs bring in billions but don’t shrink deficit Customs receipts in July hit $27.7 billion, way up from $7.1 billion a year earlier, mostly because of higher tariffs imposed by Trump. That’s a 290% jump. A Treasury official confirmed the surge lined up with June’s numbers and noted that duty collections had been climbing steadily since April. These figures back up what Trump has been bragging about for months; billions flowing into the federal account from his tariff policy. But here’s the thing. Importing companies are the ones paying these tariffs, and surprise, they don’t just eat the cost. A chunk of those fees gets passed right on to consumers. You might not see it directly on the label, but it shows up in the final price. According to Tuesday’s inflation report , prices of items that usually feel the heat from tariffs, furniture, footwear, and car parts, all went up. But a drop in gasoline prices helped offset those hikes, keeping the headline inflation rate at 2.7%, the same as June. So technically, prices held steady overall, but the real story is in the details. If you zoom in on the core inflation rate, which strips out food and energy, it rose by 3.1%, the fastest pace since February. That kind of increase isn’t what the Federal Reserve wants to see. They’ve been aiming for a 2% inflation target, and they’re not there yet. Trump slams Powell, fires BLS head over weak jobs data Even with rising customs revenue, the broader picture doesn’t look great. Over the first 10 months of the fiscal year, the U.S. has already racked up a $1.629 trillion deficit, up 7% from this time last year. Receipts for the period reached $4.347 trillion, a new record, growing by $262 billion or 6%. But spending grew even more, $374 billion higher, hitting $5.975 trillion, also a record for that stretch. Trump, always one to deflect blame, didn’t miss the chance to attack the Federal Reserve again. He’s still furious the central bank hasn’t cut interest rates this year. He claims high rates are dragging the economy down and is still using social media to push his point. On Tuesday, he posted: “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell must NOW lower the rate.” He’s also been on a firing spree. After the Bureau of Labor Statistics dropped weaker-than-expected jobs data, which cast doubts on how great the tariff strategy really is, Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the agency’s head. That same agency compiled the inflation data he’s mad about. Trump’s attacks aren’t just online rants anymore. He’s now backing a “major lawsuit” against Powell, tied to renovations at Fed properties, signaling that the pressure on the central bank chief is only getting more intense. Still, the Fed, which was created by Congress to be independent of the White House, has refused to cut rates. Officials are worried that giving in could fuel even more inflation, especially with tariffs in the mix. Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

13 Aug 2025, 08:00

Ethereum Bet Deepens: Billionaire Peter Thiel Takes 7.5% Of ETHZilla

Peter Thiel is doubling down on the emerging “corporate Ethereum treasury” trade. A fresh Schedule 13G filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission shows entities affiliated with Thiel’s Founders Fund have amassed a 7.5% passive stake in 180 Life Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: ATNF), which is rebranding as ETHZilla and pivoting its business to accumulating Ether and generating on-chain yield. Peter Thiel Doubles Down On Ethereum The disclosure, signed “/s/ Peter Thiel” on August 11, confirms beneficial ownership across multiple Founders Fund vehicles totaling roughly 11.6 million ATNF shares—7.5% of the float. The market reaction was immediate. ATNF shares more than tripled on Tuesday, closing near $10.24—about 207% above Monday’s close—before cooling in after-hours trading. ETHZilla’s pivot is not theoretical. In a press release furnished to the SEC on August 12, the company disclosed “total holdings of 82,186 Ether (‘ETH’) at an average acquisition price of $3,806.71,” valuing the position at approximately $349 million as of August 11. It also reported about $238 million in US dollar cash equivalents on the balance sheet. Executive chairman McAndrew Rudisill framed the strategy as a purpose-built, institutional ETH reserve that will be actively deployed into staking and on-chain yield strategies run by an external manager: “At ETHZilla we have put over $350 million in capital to work since the PIPE transaction we completed last week… as we seek to deliver on our on-chain yield generation program through our external asset manager Electric Capital.” Those disclosures cap a rapid financing sequence backing the accumulation plan. On August 4, ETHZilla closed a $425 million private placement, followed one week later by approximately $156 million of senior secured convertible notes due 2028. Each financing explicitly cited the goal of “rapidly” increasing the company’s ETH holdings. Thiel’s move into ETHZilla arrives less than a month after his group revealed a 9.1% passive stake in BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSE American: BMNR), the most aggressive of the public “ETH treasury” cohort. That earlier 13G similarly listed Thiel as signatory and helped ignite a rally in BMNR. Notably, The BitMine drumbeat grew louder again this week. On Tuesday, the company filed to enlarge its at-the-market equity program by another $20 billion—lifting total capacity to $24.5 billion—to finance additional ETH accumulation. The expansion was memorialized in a same-day Form 8-K and prospectus supplement. Tom Lee , co-founder of Fundstrat and Chairman of the Board of Directors at BitMine, is pursuing one of the largest Ethereum accumulation strategies in history through his company. BitMine has already amassed about 1.2 million ETH—roughly $5 billion worth—putting it 20% of the way toward its target of controlling 5% of Ethereum’s total supply. Taken together, the signal from Thiel is unambiguous. After the 9.1% BitMine disclosure in mid-July, the 7.5% ETHZilla stake marks his second material bet on an Ethereum-first corporate treasury in less than a month, displaying the kind of high-conviction wager that ETH’s appreciation will outpace dilution, financing costs, and mark-to-market volatility—justifying aggressive balance-sheet accumulation now for outsized upside later. At press time, ETH traded at $4,655.

13 Aug 2025, 07:49

Pantera Capital Bets $300M on Crypto Treasury Firms, Sees Yields Beating ETFs

Pantera Capital has committed $300 million to a growing niche of companies that hold significant digital asset treasuries, arguing that their performance could outpace crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Key Takeaways: Pantera Capital has invested $300M in digital asset treasury companies. Its portfolio includes firms like BitMine, now the largest Ether treasury holder. BitMine’s shares have surged over 1,300% since June, far outpacing Ether’s 90% gain in the same period. In a note on Tuesday , Pantera general partner Cosmo Jiang and content head Erik Lowe said digital asset treasuries (DATs) “can generate yield to grow net asset value per share, resulting in more underlying token ownership over time than just holding spot.” They argued that owning shares in a DAT could deliver higher returns than holding tokens directly or through an ETF. Pantera Backs DATs Using Strategies to Boost Per-Share Token Holdings The firm has backed DATs in the US and the UK that hold Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and other altcoins. Jiang and Lowe said these companies use their unique position to “employ strategies to grow their digital asset holdings in a per-share accretive way.” Crypto treasury companies have emerged as one of the hottest trends on Wall Street, drawing billions from investors and sending share prices soaring. However, industry voices caution that the market could become overcrowded, leaving some players vulnerable to collapse. One of Pantera’s first investments from its DAT Fund was BitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Tom Lee. In just two and a half months, BitMine has become the largest Ether treasury company and the third-largest crypto holder among public firms globally. It now holds nearly 1.2 million ETH, worth about $5.3 billion, and has set a goal of acquiring 5% of Ether’s total supply. Dive into the investment case for Digital Asset Treasury companies (DATs) with Tom Lee ( @fundstrat ) and @cosmo_jiang ! Learn why DATs may be a more effective vehicle for crypto exposure than owning an ETF or holding the underlying token directly. pic.twitter.com/cvAPzorx3e — Pantera Capital (@PanteraCapital) July 3, 2025 BitMine’s strategy includes issuing stock at a premium to net asset value, using convertible bonds to monetize volatility, and generating staking and DeFi yields. Pantera noted that the company’s ability to sustain these tactics “will play out over time,” but its approach has already drawn high-profile backers, including Stan Druckenmiller, Bill Miller, and ARK Invest. Since launching its ETH acquisition plan in late June, BitMine’s shares (BMNR) have surged over 1,300%, compared to Ether’s nearly 90% gain in the same period. “We expect that the growth story of the highest quality DATs will come to be appreciated by more institutional investors,” Pantera said. Vitalik Buterin Warns Overleveraging Could Doom Crypto Treasury Firms However, not everyone shares the optimism. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has warned that overleveraging could sink some treasury companies if markets turn. Framework Ventures co-founder Vance Spencer recently suggested much of the ETH bought by treasuries will end up in on-chain lending markets to loop or farm yields, adding to systemic risk. Standard Chartered analysts also cautioned in June that Bitcoin-focused treasury firms could face trouble if BTC prices fall sharply, underscoring that the boom in DATs comes with significant downside potential. VanEck’s head of digital asset research, Matthew Sigel, has also raised concerns about the Bitcoin treasury strategies used by certain public companies, suggesting that continued accumulation of BTC could soon harm shareholders more than help. The post Pantera Capital Bets $300M on Crypto Treasury Firms, Sees Yields Beating ETFs appeared first on Cryptonews .

13 Aug 2025, 07:30

Nasdaq-Listed Giant Announces $1.5 Billion Investment Plan for Trump-Backed Altcoin!

ALT5 Sigma Corporation, backed by US President Donald Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., announced the completion of $1.5 billion in financing to launch a treasury strategy focused on WLFI, the native token of World Liberty Financial. Nasdaq-listed ALT5 Sigma aims to purchase approximately 7.5% of the total supply of the WLFI token and adopt a WLFI Treasury Strategy. WLFI CEO Zach Witkoff appointed as ALT5 President, Eric Trump joins as Director, and Kraken will serve as asset manager The company plans to allocate the raised funds to debt repayments, litigation resolution, and general corporate expenses, in addition to planned WLFI token purchases. World Liberty Financial co-founder and CEO Zach Witkoff will become chairman of ALT5 Sigma's board, while Eric Trump will join the company as an executive. Matt Morgan, ALT5’s chief investment officer, added that the company will swap half of the newly issued shares directly for WLFI, held by World Liberty Financial, setting the token’s value at $0.20. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Nasdaq-Listed Giant Announces $1.5 Billion Investment Plan for Trump-Backed Altcoin!

13 Aug 2025, 07:10

Ethereum Sees Biggest Search Spike on Google Since 2021 as ETH Nears ATH

Global search interest for “ Ethereum ” has soared to its highest level since 2021, according to Google Trends data , reflecting a surge in public attention as the cryptocurrency closes in on record prices. The surge coincides with heightened institutional activity, propelling Ether to $4,670 on Wednesday and bringing it within 5% of its Nov. 2021 record high. Google’s data shows sharp growth in search traffic over recent weeks, culminating in a steep rise that eclipses all peaks from the past three years. North Macedonia, Switzerland, Singapore, Slovenia and Austria led search interest, indicating a diverse spread of global curiosity. Source: Google Trends Institutional Demand Pushes ETH Higher as Treasuries Grow to $16.4B This rise in attention coincides with an 8% jump in Ether’s price in a single day, propelled by mounting demand from institutional investors and corporate treasuries . Figures from strategicethreserve.xyz show Ethereum-focused treasuries now hold $16.4b worth of ETH. At the same time, Ethereum’s network activity has reached an all-time record, with daily transactions hitting about 1.875m, according to CryptoQuant . Ethereum Approaching Price ATH While Transaction Count Hits Record High “Ethereum’s network activity has surged to unprecedented levels, with daily transactions reaching an all-time high of approximately 1.875 million.” – By @CryptoOnchain pic.twitter.com/IdZkVHAdTZ — CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) August 13, 2025 Jamie Elkaleh, chief marketing officer at Bitget Wallet, said more companies are integrating Ethereum into their treasuries as a strategic financial tool, not just a speculative bet. By staking ETH, firms can earn passive returns while supporting the network’s security, he said. However, co-founder Vitalik Buterin has cautioned that overleveraging these holdings could destabilize the ecosystem if forced liquidations occur. BlackRock, Fidelity Lead Record-Breaking ETH ETF Inflows Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget, noted that spot Ethereum ETF inflows exceeded $1b on August 11, led by BlackRock’s ETHA and Fidelity’s FETH. He attributed the inflows to Ethereum’s growing role in DeFi and Web3, and to improved macro sentiment following softer US inflation data. Lee also pointed to the potential long-term impact of President Trump’s executive order allowing cryptocurrencies in 401(k) plans. Such policy changes, combined with ETF momentum and corporate accumulation, could expand crypto’s role in mainstream investment portfolios, he said. Piyush Walke, derivatives research analyst at Delta Exchange, noted Ethereum has significantly outperformed Bitcoin in recent weeks, gaining 25% in August versus Bitcoin’s 3% rise. Walke credited the rally to strong institutional inflows, technical breakouts and optimism surrounding Ether ETFs. Monday marked the highest ever daily net inflows for spot Ether ETFs at $1.01b, coinciding with a 90% price gain over the last 40 days, he noted. “Often seen as a bellwether for altcoins, Ethereum’s momentum could be an early signal of broader capital rotation into the wider altcoin market,” he added. BitMine and SharpLink Drive Bullish Momentum With Major ETH Purchases Institutions such as BitMine and SharpLink have sharply increased their ETH holdings, in some cases by several hundred percent. These purchases have reinforced bullish technical signals and driven prices through key resistance points. Analysts say its current momentum could foreshadow capital rotation into other digital assets. With search interest climbing and institutional engagement deepening, Ethereum’s approach to its all-time high is being watched closely by both retail traders and large investors. Many will be looking to see if the current wave of demand can sustain the rally and potentially push the cryptocurrency to new records. The post Ethereum Sees Biggest Search Spike on Google Since 2021 as ETH Nears ATH appeared first on Cryptonews .

13 Aug 2025, 06:30

Security Talk Leads to Surprise $100M Cardano DeFi Proposal from Charles Hoskinson

Cardano community discusses hot wallet security after FluidTokens Lending V3 audit release. Hoskinson proposes a $100M ADA allocation to boost Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem and stablecoin use. ADA trades at $0.85 amid debate on liquidity impact of large-scale treasury allocation. A community discussion about hot wallet security in the Cardano ecosystem recently prompted founder Charles Hoskinson to weigh in. The conversation itself was sparked by the release of a new audit report for the DeFi platform FluidTokens. The Cardano ecosystem takes security seriously https://t.co/2pBzSwMDgo — Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) August 12, 2025 It all started when a community member, MadMusicMaker, asked Hoskinson for the best way to secure funds in a hot wallet, acknowledging the risks but asking for practical advice. This question came after several recent incidents where scammers had targeted Cardano project team members. Another participant, Bobcorn, pointed to a specific case where victims were tricked into downloading a fake Zoom application, which led to compromised devices and exposed wallet seeds. He recommended avoiding unfamiliar links and refraining fro… The post Security Talk Leads to Surprise $100M Cardano DeFi Proposal from Charles Hoskinson appeared first on Coin Edition .