5 Aug 2025, 16:04

Trump said Russia’s economy “stinks” and warned low oil prices will cripple Putin’s war effort

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Russia’s economy “stinks” and claimed that falling oil prices would crush Vladimir Putin’s war machine. “Putin will stop killing people if you get energy down another $10 a barrel. He’s going to have no choice because his economy stinks,” Trump said during a live interview on Squawk Box . He made it clear that he believes oil revenue is the backbone of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and if it dries up, the war ends. This is part of Trump’s long-running one-man feud with Putin, who has refused to even acknowledge Trump’s existence for over a month. Putin hasn’t responded once, not even with a passing comment. Instead, it’s been Dmitry Medvedev, his closest confidant and former president, doing the talking, on X no less. Medvedev called Trump’s demands dangerous and said they’re pushing the U.S. closer to war with itself. He also reminded the world that Putin doesn’t see Trump as an equal, so he will never take the bait. Trump cuts deadline, threatens tariffs, deploys subs Tensions between Washington and Moscow got worse when Trump shortened the timeline for a Ukraine peace deal. Last Monday, he announced that the original 50-day window was now less than two weeks. If Putin doesn’t agree to stop the war, Trump plans to slap harsh secondary tariffs on countries still trading with Russia. It’s his way of forcing others to choose sides. Medvedev responded quickly. “Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war,” he wrote on X. “Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.” Trump followed up on Friday by saying he had ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be moved to “the appropriate regions,” clearly referring to Russian-controlled waters. Trump has also been attacking New Delhi and PM Narendra Modi for buying discounted Russian oil and reselling it for big profits. “India has not been a good trading partner,” he said Tuesday on CNBC. “So we settled on 25%, but I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they’re buying Russian oil, they’re fueling the war machine, and if they’re going to do that, I’m not going to be happy.” Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Trump’s tariff threats were just “attempts to force countries to stop trade relations with Russia.” He also backed India directly, saying sovereign countries “have the right to choose their own trade partners.” Russian economy under pressure, but not broken Oil prices are falling, though, and that’s a problem for Putin. On Tuesday, Brent crude dropped 83 cents to $67.92 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate went down 87 cents to $65.41. This came after OPEC and its partners announced on Sunday that they would increase output, which made markets worry about weakening demand. Russia’s finance ministry is already bracing for less revenue. It expects oil and gas income this year to be 24% lower than previously estimated. The ministry cut its oil price forecast from $69.70 to $56 per barrel. It also raised next year’s budget deficit target from 0.5% of GDP to 1.7%. Russia’s own Economic Development Ministry sees slower growth ahead. They project the economy will expand by only 2.5% this year, down from 4.3% in 2024. Inflation is officially sitting at around 10%, but independent analysts believe it’s higher—possibly over 15%. Food and production costs have soared. Putin even admitted the situation was “alarming.” The International Monetary Fund added more bad news in July. They revised Russia’s 2025 GDP growth down to 0.9%, from 1.5% in April. That change came after data showed weak retail activity and reduced industrial output. Despite all this, the Russian economy hasn’t been stunted, though sanctions have clearly slowed it down. Domestic pressures have increased. Oil revenue is down. Growth is falling. But the Kremlin hasn’t shown any signs of panic. Trade with countries like India and China continues. Putin hasn’t blinked. And Trump is still waiting for a reaction that hasn’t come, and probably never will. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More

5 Aug 2025, 16:00

Solana Institutional Interest Grows As DeFi Dev Corp Adds 110,466 SOL To Treasury

While Solana’s price has gained upside traction, many treasury companies are beginning to purchase the altcoin at a significant and rapid rate to boost their treasury holdings. One of the treasury companies that has showcased robust confidence in SOL and has gone on a buying spree is Defi Dev Corp. DeFi Dev Corp Doubles Down On Solana Solana treasury reserve is ramping up among big institutional firms alongside other notable cryptocurrency assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. In a daring move that highlights the growing institutional confidence in SOL, Defi Development Corp, a public firm, has acquired a huge chunk of the altcoin for its treasury reserve. Defi Development Corp’s strategic purchase of SOL reflects a deepening institutional interest and commitment to the Solana ecosystem . The strategic purchase by the treasury-focused firm shows that major companies may be getting ready for the next wave of blockchain usage. According to the report from SolanaFloor, Defi Dev Corp recently purchased an additional 110,466 SOL, marking a considerable expansion of its holdings. During the time of purchase, these coins were valued at approximately $18.4 million at an average price of $166. Following the massive acquisition, the company’s treasury reserve has reached a total of 1.29 million SOL, worth about $209 million. The latest acquisition comes just a week after the firm’s last purchase of $20 million worth of SOL. New companies are beginning to show interest in owning a Solana treasury reserve as the network sees notable growth. SolanaFloor reported that Artelo Biosciences Inc., a pharmaceutical company, is on the verge of launching its SOL treasury strategy. The platform noted that the pharmaceutical firm under Nasdaq recently raised $9.47 million through a private placement to launch its SOL treasury strategy. With the purchase, the company is now the first publicly traded pharma firm to adopt Solana as a reserve asset. In the post, SolanaFloor highlighted that Bartosz Lipiński, a lead investor and former Solana Labs employee, will provide guidance through CUBE, a crypto-based platform, which will manage DeFi execution, staking, and storage. “Artelo joins a growing list of publicly traded companies adopting SOL for treasury management,” the platform added. SOL Network Leads In On-Chain Revenue These notable purchases of SOL coincide with a rise in interest in Layer 1 scalability solutions and a revival of developer activity. The network is currently leading in terms of revenue, as users and developers are steadily flocking in. According to SolanaFloor, SOL continues to lead all Layer 1s and Layer 2s in network revenue for 20 consecutive weeks, reflecting its growing dominance in the blockchain sector. SOL’s revenue metrics have surged past its competitors, including Tron, Ethereum, and Bitcoin. Data shows that SOL amassed $16.6 million in revenue in one week, particularly between July 28 and August 3. Tron comes in second place with $14.05 million, and Ethereum in third place with $11.4 million in weekly revenue.

5 Aug 2025, 15:58

SharpLink Boosts Holdings With New $264M ETH Purchase – Institutional Adoption Rising?

SharpLink Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBET), has expanded its Ethereum treasury by purchasing 83,561 ETH between July 28 and August 3, 2025. NEW: SharpLink now holds 521,939 ETH Between July 28 – August 3, SharpLink acquired 83,561 ETH for $264.5M at an average price of $3,634 ETH-per-share (“ETH Concentration”) is now 3.66, up from 3.40 last week, and has increased 83% since we began the strategy on June 2nd 100%… pic.twitter.com/X1MFXFDj37 — SharpLink (SBET) (@SharpLinkGaming) August 5, 2025 The weekly accumulation, valued at $264.5 million, increased the company’s total ETH holdings to 521,939—up 19% from 438,190 ETH the prior week. This marks another major leap in SharpLink’s aggressive treasury strategy , which began on June 2, 2025. Since the start of the program, the company has boosted its ETH holdings by more than 150%. Average Purchase Price Declines For the week ending August 3, the average ETH purchase price stood at $3,634, a modest decrease from the previous week’s $3,756. Despite the minor dip in price, SharpLink has accelerated its buying activity, acquiring more ETH than in any of the three preceding weeks. Since mid-July, the company has maintained a consistent pace of large-scale ETH purchases, starting with 74,700 ETH in the week ending July 13 and growing weekly, reaching 83,600 ETH in the most recent update. ETH Concentration Rises SharpLink’s ETH-per-share concentration—referred to as “ETH Concentration”—rose to 3.66 from 3.40 the previous week. This figure reflects the number of ETH per outstanding share and has increased by 83% since the treasury strategy was launched. The metric is a key indicator of how tightly SharpLink is tying shareholder value to Ethereum’s price performance and adoption. ATM Facility Drives Capital Growth To fund its ETH accumulation, SharpLink said it continues to rely on its At-the-Market (ATM) facility. For the week ending August 3, the company issued 13.6 million shares, generating $264.5 million in net proceeds. This follows the $279.2 million raised the prior week and the $96.6 million the week before. Cumulatively, the company has issued over 52 million shares and raised more than $1 billion since the strategy was launched. Adding momentum to the company’s evolving direction, Joseph Chalom—former digital asset strategist at BlackRock— officially assumed his role as Co-CEO on July 24. Chalom reaffirmed SharpLink’s commitment to expanding its ETH treasury, stating, “SharpLink remains deeply committed to its mission of creating enduring shareholder value by building the largest and most trusted ETH treasury company.” He added that the company is evaluating additional capital formation strategies—including debt and equity-linked instruments—to further scale its ETH holdings and reinforce alignment with Ethereum’s role in decentralized finance. As of August 3, 100% of SharpLink’s ETH is staked, and cumulative staking rewards reached 929 ETH, further strengthening the company’s crypto-native yield generation strategy. The post SharpLink Boosts Holdings With New $264M ETH Purchase – Institutional Adoption Rising? appeared first on Cryptonews .

5 Aug 2025, 15:57

SharpLink nears $2B in ETH holdings just weeks after first purchase

Gaming-turned-Ethereum treasury firm SharpLink now holds close to $2 billion worth of ETH in its coffers, less than two months after its first purchase. As of Tuesday, August 5, SharpLink announced it holds 521,939 ETH following its latest acquisition of 83,562 Ether, valued at $264.5 million. The company said it purchased the tokens between July 28 and August 3 at an average price of $3,634. At current market prices, the firm’s total Ethereum holdings are valued at approximately $1.91 billion. Fast and furious SharpLink’s accumulation strategy remains one of the most aggressive and fastest among public firms, with hundreds of thousands of ETH acquired in just under two months. SharpLink made its first ETH purchase on June 13, acquiring $463 million worth of the asset and immediately becoming one of the largest corporate holders. Since then, it has made a series of large buys backed by private placements and equity sales. In July, SharpLink raised $413 million through a share issuance, following an earlier $425 million private round in May. The capital raised has fueled its treasury strategy, modeled after MicroStrategy’s approach to Bitcoin accumulation. Within weeks of its first purchase, SharpLink overtook the Ethereum Foundation in terms of ETH holdings, and currently stands as the second largest corporate holder of Ethereum. To support its pivot from gaming to Ethereum treasury management, SharpLink restructured its leadership to better support its new vision of owning a noticeable chunk of Ethereum’s total supply. On July 25, the company appointed former BlackRock digital assets head Joseph Chalom as co-CEO. Chalom has previously led strategic initiatives behind the iShares Ethereum Trust and brings two decades of institutional asset management experience. Meanwhile, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin chairs the board. SharpLink nears top holder spot SharpLink’s latest accumulation has narrowed the gap with BitMine Immersion Technologies , the current leader among public ETH holders. While BitMine maintains its lead with 833,137 ETH—worth nearly $3 billion—SharpLink’s 521,939 ETH puts it within striking distance. The difference of just over 311,000 ETH is considerably smaller than it was a few weeks ago, which goes to show that BitMine surged ahead in late July following a rapid series of acquisitions that saw it increase its ETH holdings by over 200,000 in just 48 hours. Its strategy, unlike SharpLink’s steady weekly purchases, has focused on front-loading massive buys to quickly dominate the Ethereum treasury leaderboard. Company chairman Tom Lee has publicly stated BitMine’s long-term ambition: to eventually control 5% of Ethereum’s circulating supply, a goal that would require over 6 million ETH at current levels. Why are companies opting for Ethereum over Bitcoin? Both BitMine and SharpLink have framed ETH as a strategic reserve asset. While Bitcoin remains the dominant store-of-value asset in the crypto market, it does not provide native staking rewards. But for firms like SharpLink, staking yields add an income-generating dimension to their treasury strategy. By staking its entire ETH position, SharpLink is not only betting on long-term price appreciation but also securing a yield stream that outpaces many traditional financial instruments. Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network currently offers annualized staking rewards in the 3–5% range. For companies holding hundreds of millions, or billions, in ETH, these rewards can add up quickly. SharpLink confirmed that all of its Ether is staked, allowing the company to earn rewards from Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network. To date, it has generated 929 ETH in cumulative staking rewards, worth over $3.3 million. The firm uses a proprietary ETH-per-share metric, referred to as ETH concentration, to measure the value of Ether held per outstanding share. That figure now stands at 3.66, up 83% since the company began accumulating ETH in June. The post SharpLink nears $2B in ETH holdings just weeks after first purchase appeared first on Invezz

5 Aug 2025, 15:47

Nasdaq-Listed US Company Enters This Altcoin with Loads! "Becoming the First Company!"

Last July, Nasdaq-listed MEI Pharma announced its move for a crypto reserve and chose Litecoin (LTC) for it. Following this announcement, MEI Pharma implemented its reserve strategy and purchased $100 million worth of LTC. According to the official announcement, MEI Pharma made its first LTC purchase and launched a $100 million corporate treasury strategy with Litecoin founder Charlie Lee and GSR acting as advisors. MEI Pharma announced today that it has purchased 929,548 Litecoin at an average price of $107.58, successfully launching a major corporate treasury strategy that will see its LTC treasury valued at approximately $110.4 million as of August 4, 2025. MEI Pharma has become the first US-listed public company to adopt Litecoin as its primary reserve asset. “Litecoin has long been the symbol of a robust, scalable, and decentralized currency. By launching this strategy, MEI is taking a clear, institutional step that recognizes Litecoin's role as both a reserve asset and an integral part of global financial systems,” said Charlie Lee. Litecoin has seen a massive surge compared to other altcoins in the last 24 hours, rising 7% to $123.8. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Nasdaq-Listed US Company Enters This Altcoin with Loads! "Becoming the First Company!"

5 Aug 2025, 15:45

Bitcoin Reserve: Indonesia’s Bold Move Towards Digital Prosperity

BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Reserve: Indonesia’s Bold Move Towards Digital Prosperity The global financial landscape is constantly evolving, and nations are increasingly looking towards innovative ways to strengthen their economies. A fascinating development is unfolding in Southeast Asia, where Indonesia is actively exploring the potential of a Bitcoin reserve . This bold consideration could mark a significant shift in the nation’s economic policy. Reports indicate that the office of the Indonesian Vice President has engaged in discussions regarding strategic Bitcoin reserve plans with key pro-crypto officials. This isn’t just a casual conversation; the idea of directly mining Bitcoin to bolster national assets has also entered the discourse, according to The Crypto Basic. This signals a serious exploration of a new financial frontier for the archipelago nation. Why is Indonesia Considering a Bitcoin Reserve? Indonesia’s interest in a Bitcoin reserve stems from several factors. The nation recognizes the increasing global acceptance of digital assets and their potential as a hedge against inflation or geopolitical instability. Holding Bitcoin could diversify Indonesia’s foreign exchange reserves, offering a novel layer of economic resilience. This strategic move aligns with a forward-thinking approach to national finance. One key benefit is the potential for long-term value appreciation. As a decentralized asset, Bitcoin operates independently of traditional financial systems, offering a unique alternative. This exploration by Indonesia Bitcoin officials highlights a growing recognition of cryptocurrency’s role in the future global economy. Furthermore, the discussion around direct Bitcoin mining suggests an ambition to not just acquire, but also produce, this digital asset. This could create new domestic industries and employment opportunities, further integrating the nation into the burgeoning digital economy. The Path to National Digital Currency Adoption While a national digital currency often refers to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), Indonesia’s consideration of a Bitcoin reserve is a distinct yet complementary step. A Bitcoin reserve would serve as an external asset, much like gold or foreign currencies. This approach demonstrates a pragmatic view on leveraging established cryptocurrencies. The discussions also touch upon the broader implications for crypto adoption within the country. If the government embraces Bitcoin at a strategic level, it could pave the way for wider public and institutional acceptance, fostering a more robust digital economy. This could streamline international transactions and attract foreign investment. What Challenges Lie Ahead for This Cryptocurrency Strategy? Adopting a cryptocurrency strategy of this magnitude is not without its hurdles. Volatility is a primary concern. The price fluctuations of Bitcoin can be significant, posing risks to a nation’s reserves. Robust risk management frameworks would be essential to mitigate these potential downsides. Regulatory clarity also presents a challenge. Indonesia would need to establish comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks to manage and secure such a reserve. This involves addressing issues like custody, security, and the integration of digital assets into existing financial laws. Public education and understanding of digital assets are also crucial for successful implementation. Global Precedents and Digital Asset Strategy Indonesia is not the first nation to explore significant moves in the digital asset space. El Salvador notably adopted Bitcoin as legal tender, while other countries are researching or piloting CBDCs. However, pursuing a digital asset strategy focused on a Bitcoin reserve for diversification is a unique and potentially groundbreaking approach. This initiative could position Indonesia as a leader in embracing future financial technologies, attracting innovation and talent. It signals a proactive stance in navigating the evolving global financial landscape. The discussions reflect a willingness to explore unconventional avenues for economic strength. Conclusion Indonesia’s contemplation of a Bitcoin reserve marks a pivotal moment in its economic journey. From exploring direct mining to assessing broader implications for crypto adoption , the nation is clearly looking ahead. While challenges exist, the potential benefits of diversifying national assets and fostering a digital-first economy are compelling. This strategic discussion highlights a growing global trend towards integrating digital assets into national financial frameworks, underscoring their increasing importance. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is a Bitcoin reserve? A Bitcoin reserve refers to a nation’s strategic holding of Bitcoin as part of its foreign exchange reserves or sovereign wealth fund, similar to holding gold or traditional currencies. Why is Indonesia considering a Bitcoin reserve? Indonesia is exploring a Bitcoin reserve to diversify its national assets, potentially hedge against inflation, enhance economic resilience, and integrate into the evolving global digital economy. What are the potential challenges of a national Bitcoin reserve? Key challenges include Bitcoin’s price volatility, the need for clear regulatory frameworks, secure custody solutions, and educating the public on digital assets. Has any other country adopted a similar strategy? While El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender, Indonesia’s focus on a strategic Bitcoin reserve for diversification is a distinct approach, though many nations are exploring various digital asset strategies. How does this differ from a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)? A Bitcoin reserve involves holding an existing decentralized cryptocurrency, whereas a CBDC is a new digital currency issued and controlled by a country’s central bank. If you found this insight into Indonesia’s potential Bitcoin reserve intriguing, share this article with your network! Stay informed on how nations are navigating the future of finance by sharing on social media. To learn more about the latest Bitcoin trends, explore our article on key developments shaping Bitcoin institutional adoption. This post Bitcoin Reserve: Indonesia’s Bold Move Towards Digital Prosperity first appeared on BitcoinWorld and is written by Editorial Team