Crypto markets showed signs of recovery this week as Cardano surged after a major technical breakout, Robinhood’s new blockchain gave Uniswap a significant boost, and the SEC explored changes that could simplify crypto ETF approvals.
Elsewhere, XRP gained on continued ETF inflows, Solana introduced on-chain governance, and Stellar advanced its stablecoin ambitions.
The week also brought major legal battles for Binance, new AI restrictions from Anthropic, and growing concerns over Strategy and Circle. Catch up on the biggest stories shaping crypto, regulation, markets, and Web3 in this week’s full recap.
Cardano Price Jumps 12% as Breakout Sparks Recovery
Cardano surged more than 12% after rebounding from a six-year low, helped by weaker U.S. jobs data, a technical breakout above its 20-day EMA, rising trading volume, and heavy short liquidations. Growing stablecoin activity also supported sentiment, though ADA now faces key resistance between $0.183 and $0.187.
TokenWorks Suspends FWA Protocol After NFT Exploit
TokenWorks has suspended trading on its Fake World Assets protocol after an attacker exploited a vulnerability involving a Chainlink callback to unfairly acquire CryptoPunk #5450 for about $66,000 in ETH. The team says Chainlink’s randomness was not compromised, has frozen purchases, and will fully reimburse the NFT’s owner while investigating the flaw.
Worldcoin Surges 14% After Breaking Multi-Week Downtrend
Worldcoin (WLD) jumped about 14% after breaking above a multi-week descending channel, signaling renewed bullish momentum. The rally was backed by rising trading activity and a sharp increase in derivatives positions, suggesting growing trader confidence. Analysts say the breakout could pave the way for further gains if key support levels continue to hold.
XRP Climbs as ETF Demand and RLUSD Growth Boost Sentiment
XRP rose nearly 10% from its recent low, reaching its highest level since June 23 as steady inflows into XRP ETFs and renewed growth in Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin lifted investor sentiment. ETF inflows have continued for months, while RLUSD assets and trading volume surged, though analysts say a sustained bullish trend still needs technical confirmation.
Anthropic Closes Loopholes Used by Chinese Firms to Access Claude
Anthropic is expanding restrictions on access to its Claude AI models by targeting indirect routes used by Chinese companies, including overseas subsidiaries, cloud services, and VPNs. The company will monitor accounts for suspicious activity to enforce its ownership-based policy, saying the move is aimed at reducing security, regulatory, and geopolitical risks.
SEC Considers Private Crypto ETF Filings to Ease Approval Process
The SEC is exploring a confidential filing process for certain ETF applications to better manage a growing wave of submissions, including crypto funds. The move could protect new product ideas from copycats while creating a more structured approval process. The agency now reviews about 200 ETF filings each month as demand for crypto investment products continues to rise.
Uniswap Jumps After Robinhood Makes It Core to New Blockchain
Uniswap’s UNI token rose more than 12% after Robinhood launched its Layer-2 blockchain with Uniswap as its primary automated market maker. The partnership makes Uniswap the network’s default liquidity provider for trading and tokenized assets, driving a surge in trading volume. Technically, UNI has broken above key resistance, with momentum pointing toward a potential move to $4 if support holds.
Solana Introduces On-Chain Governance for Validator Voting
Solana Foundation has launched Solana Governance Proposals (SGP), a new on-chain governance system that allows validators to submit, sponsor, and vote on major protocol changes using stake-weighted voting. Proposals must first gain support from 15% of the network’s stake before advancing to a formal vote. The initiative aims to give stakers greater influence over key decisions and make Solana’s governance more transparent and accountable.
Stellar XLM Surges After Open USD and Stablecoin Launch
Stellar’s XLM token climbed about 10% after the network joined the Open USD initiative and launched USST, an institutional stablecoin backed by tokenized U.S. Treasury assets. The announcements strengthened Stellar’s role in real-world asset settlement, driving trading volume up more than 52% as XLM reclaimed the $0.20 level amid broader strength across altcoins.
Sei Updates Giga Blueprint With Faster Finality and Privacy Features
Sei Network has released Giga Whitepaper V2, outlining major upgrades to its trading-focused layer-1 blockchain. The update targets transaction finality below 250 milliseconds, introduces new privacy protections against MEV, and revamps execution and storage architecture. Sei says the changes could support more than 200,000 transactions per second, while the token saw little immediate price movement.
Robinhood Shares Climb as Bullish Signals Strengthen
Robinhood shares rose to their highest level since mid-June after gaining about 70% from this year’s low, with the stock nearing its first golden cross since 2023, a technical signal often associated with further gains. Wall Street analysts have also raised their price targets, citing stronger trading activity, expanding products, and continued business momentum.
Nearly 1,700 UK Investors Sue Binance and CZ for $200M
Nearly 1,700 UK investors have filed a $200 million lawsuit against Binance and co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, alleging the exchange unlawfully sold high-risk crypto derivatives to retail customers without UK authorization. The claim argues Binance breached financial regulations by promoting leveraged trading products, while the company says it will defend itself in court.
Bitcoin Cash Faces Key $210 Test as Recovery Attempts Continue
Bitcoin Cash held above the $200 level after buyers stepped in, trading around $203 as improving momentum offered cautious optimism. However, the cryptocurrency remains in a broader downtrend, with resistance at $210 and support near $190. Analysts say reclaiming the $270–$300 range will likely depend on Bitcoin holding above $60,000 and broader market sentiment improving.
Circle Shares Slide as Open USD Sparks Stablecoin Competition
Circle’s stock fell to a four-month low after a consortium including Coinbase, Visa, Mastercard, and Google unveiled Open USD, a new stablecoin aimed at businesses. While investors fear tougher competition for USDC, analysts note newer stablecoins have struggled to gain significant market share, though USDC’s recent growth has slowed.
Strategy Stock Slides as Dilution and Bitcoin Sale Plans Fuel Concerns
Strategy’s stock has fallen nearly 50% this year to its lowest level in 2026 as investors worry about continued share dilution and plans to sell $1.25 billion in Bitcoin. Analysts also point to weakening technical signals and growing concerns over the company’s business model, with the stock potentially falling toward $50 if the downtrend continues.
Grayscale Says Bitcoin Faces Fresh Downside Without CLARITY and Fed Pause
Grayscale says Bitcoin’s next move will largely depend on U.S. regulation and Federal Reserve policy. The firm believes prices could stabilize if the CLARITY Act passes and the Fed pauses rate hikes. But if the bill stalls and rates rise, Bitcoin could face further declines as institutional holders reduce exposure.
Chainlink Holds Key Support as ETF Outflows Cloud Outlook
Chainlink traded around $7.25 as growing adoption, bank-backed settlement initiatives, and whale accumulation supported long-term optimism. However, the first weekly net outflows from LINK ETFs signaled weaker institutional sentiment. With the LINK price hovering above key support at $7.23, holding that level could trigger a rebound, while a breakdown may lead to deeper losses.
