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BNY Expands Institutional Crypto Custody with USDC Minting and Redemption

BNY has upgraded its Digital Asset Custody platform to support client use of Circle’s USD Coin (USDC), adding the ability for institutional users to convert US dollars to USDC, store it, and later redeem it back into dollars through the bank. The bank says this makes USDC the first stablecoin available on its custody service, with plans to expand to other stablecoins and related “digital cash” workflows over time. The move follows BNY’s broader push into crypto-adjacent infrastructure, including custody offerings for major tokens. Key takeaways BNY’s Digital Asset Custody now supports USDC for institutional clients, including storage, transfers, and redemption into USD through the bank. Clients can convert dollars into USDC and redeem back into dollars directly within BNY’s platform workflow. BNY positions the upgrade as an extension of its existing role as custodian of assets backing USDC reserve arrangements. DefiLlama data referenced by BNY puts USDC at more than $73.8 billi...
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Strategy Sets $1.25B Bitcoin Sale Plan After Pausing BTC Purchases

Strategy opened a new funding chapter after authorizing Bitcoin monetization for credit support, preferred security buybacks, and dividends. The company also paused Bitcoin purchases while raising $1.15 billion through MSTR stock sales. The move shifts part of its treasury policy from pure accumulation to broader capital management. Bitcoin Monetization Plan Takes Shape Strategy adopted its Digital Credit Capital Framework on June 29 through a new regulatory filing with broader funding options. The framework targets stronger liquidity, preferred security support, and long-term exposure to Bitcoin. It also aims to protect shareholder value as the firm manages larger credit obligations and capital needs. The central tool is a Bitcoin Monetization Program, which allows controlled BTC sales for defined purposes rather than simple accumulation. Strategy may generate up to $1.25 billion and place the cash in its USD Reserve for near-term needs. The reserve can fund dividends, interest paymen...
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Can AI Drain DeFi? Checking Claims Behind Claude’s Hype

Anthropic’s announcement of its “Mythos” cybersecurity models has sparked a fresh round of debate in crypto: will advanced AI tools make decentralized finance easier to exploit, or will they simply accelerate the pace of defense? The discussion gained traction as Anthropic positioned Mythos-class systems for security-focused tasks and—according to the company—reported improvements in vulnerability research and exploit analysis compared with earlier iterations. For DeFi investors, developers, and security teams, the underlying question matters less about hype and more about operational reality: can AI meaningfully shorten the gap between discovering weaknesses and turning them into working attacks? And just as importantly, can defenders use the same capability to identify issues earlier and patch faster? Key takeaways Anthropic frames Claude Mythos as a cybersecurity-focused AI system aimed at tasks such as vulnerability research and layered security reasoning. AI can accelerate cod...
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Bitcoin Critics Turn to Blockchain: 5 Notable Crypto U-Turns

The debate that once framed much of mainstream finance as “crypto skepticism” has quietly shifted—at least for some of the most visible skeptics. A handful of prominent figures who previously dismissed digital assets as illegitimate or destructive have either backed crypto-adjacent products, invested in tokenization, or moved from public hostility to selective engagement. Rather than a single narrative of conversion, the pattern looks more like a split between those who reconsider the technology and those who keep attacking the asset while profiting from the rails. The result: crypto’s credibility continues to spread not only through believers, but through well-positioned skeptics adjusting their strategies. Key takeaways Several top executives have moved from condemning Bitcoin to treating it as a fit within regulated investment channels, helping drive institutional access. Some “still skeptical” voices have not changed their public stance on Bitcoin, while simultaneously building...
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New Capital Framework Aims to Preserve Bitcoin Exposure and Pay Dividends

Strategy has introduced a new “Digital Credit Capital Framework” aimed at monetizing part of its Bitcoin holdings to support dividends, bolster cash reserves, and fund share repurchases—while explicitly keeping a long-term Bitcoin strategy in place. The move was detailed in a Monday 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In the filing, Strategy also outlined changes to its STRC preferred stock dividend policy, including an increase in the annual dividend rate to 12% from 11.5%, and authorized separate buyback programs for its preferred securities and its Class A common stock. The company said it may sell Bitcoin to raise as much as $1.25 billion to strengthen liquidity for dividends, debt costs, and additional buybacks. Key takeaways Strategy’s new Digital Credit Capital Framework formalizes a Bitcoin monetization program to generate cash for dividends, interest, and debt payments. Cash reserves are reported at $2.55 billion, covering about 17 months of preferre...
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Bitcoin (BTC) Steadies Near $60,000 After Volatile Week

Bitcoin (BTC) steadied itself over the weekend after a volatile week that saw its value drop to its lowest level since September 2024. The flagship cryptocurrency fell to a low of $58,000 on Thursday, struggling against sustained ETF outflows, a hawkish Federal Reserve, concerns around Strategy, and a stronger US Dollar. Bitcoin Stabilizes After Sharp Selloff BTC experienced a substantial downturn last week, falling from a high of $65,553 on Monday to a low of $58,000 on Thursday. ETF outflows, a stronger US Dollar, a hawkish Federal Reserve, and the ongoing geopolitical situation continue to pressure Bitcoin and the broader market. However, price action steadied over the weekend and has reclaimed the $60,000 level after falling to a low of $58,800 earlier today. Bulls have defended $58,000, a key support level, despite substantial selling pressure. BTC maintained its position above $58,000 over the weekend despite fresh US-Iran tensions over a volatile ceasefire. Markets had registere...
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Vitalik Buterin: Obfuscation May Enable Private On-Chain Voting

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has laid out a longer-term cryptography blueprint for private, onchain voting that aims to avoid the need for a trusted group to handle ballots. In a technical essay published Monday, Buterin argues that a cryptographic technique known as indistinguishability obfuscation (iO) could let blockchain systems compute voting results while keeping individual votes hidden and limiting opportunities for collusion. The proposal centers on replacing traditional threshold-style committees—groups that collectively decrypt encrypted votes—with protected programs designed to reveal only the final outcome. Buterin cautions, however, that the approach is not yet practical, with the most conservative versions requiring extremely heavy computation and faster variants depending on less-tested security assumptions. Key takeaways Buterin’s proposal uses indistinguishability obfuscation (iO) to create “protected programs” that can compute vote tallies without exposing ba...
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