Blockstream says it will not negotiate with the hackers behind the Liquid Network exploit, arguing that withholding other parties’ funds is criminal rather than a legitimate “disclosure” effort. In a statement released Friday, the Bitcoin infrastructure firm said it engaged with the attackers in good faith to try to recover user assets—but will refuse any demand for a bounty paid from Blockstream’s own funds. The dispute centers on remaining assets tied to the Liquid sidechain, after self-described “white-hat” actors withdrew funds earlier this month and later partially returned them. Blockstream’s position signals that it expects authorities and market participants to help handle any unresolved recovery work, rather than relying on further onchain payments or messages from the exploit actors. Key takeaways Blockstream rejects the hackers’ demand for an onchain “bounty” payment, calling it theft and not responsible disclosure. After the Liquid incident, 3,400 BTC were reportedly re...

Anchorage Digital has partnered with stablecoin protocol Frgmnt to expand institutional access to fUSD and its staked version, sfUSD, via Anchorage’s regulated custody platform. The new integration is designed to let qualified clients hold, mint and redeem fUSD, and stake or unstake it without setting up additional custody infrastructure, according to a Friday announcement from Frgmnt (linked below). The partnership is notable not just for broadening the range of stablecoin services Anchorage offers, but also because Frgmnt’s token structure ties rewards to active lending strategies. For institutions, the move reduces operational friction around custody while keeping the yield component inside an established compliance workflow. Key takeaways Anchorage Digital will offer institutional custody access to Frgmnt’s fUSD (mint/redeem) and sfUSD (stake/unstake) through its platform. Frgmnt issues fUSD against USDC on Base, with backing deployed across onchain lending markets. Frgmnt’s ...

Regulation is emerging as the most significant risk for Hyperliquid, the layer-1 network behind one of the largest decentralized perpetual futures venues, according to Crypto Banter founder Ran Neuner. Speaking on Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction podcast, Neuner argued that governments will likely turn their attention from centralized exchanges to decentralized platforms once current centralized frameworks are in place. Hyperliquid is already deeply positioned in derivatives liquidity: DeFiLlama data cited by Neuner shows the network has led perpetual DEXs by trading volume over the past 30 days, with roughly $223 billion in that period. Still, Neuner suggested that high activity may not fully shield decentralized venues if regulators decide to apply similar compliance expectations. Key takeaways Ran Neuner called regulatory uncertainty the biggest risk for Hyperliquid, warning that decentralized exchanges could face stricter scrutiny after centralized rules take hold. Neuner believ...

Bitcoin Suisse is planning a significant restructuring of its Swiss workforce as it scales up operations abroad. The crypto financial services firm says the change is intended to support its international expansion and long-term shift toward a broader wealth and asset management offering—not to address weakness in the crypto market. According to a report from Swiss publication Finews, Bitcoin Suisse expects to relocate up to 60 roles out of roughly 120 positions based in Switzerland. If carried out as described, that would involve moving as many as half of its Swiss-based jobs to lower-cost locations in the years ahead. Key takeaways Bitcoin Suisse plans to move up to 60 Swiss roles abroad as it expands internationally, according to Finews. The firm expects to relocate affected back-office and administrative functions to hubs in Bratislava and Vietnam. CEO Andrej Majcen frames the change as a strategy for global growth, not a reaction to declining crypto activity. Earlier in 20...

Regulation has emerged as the central risk facing Hyperliquid, according to Crypto Banter founder Ran Neuner, who warned that governments are likely to extend rules currently being built for centralized exchanges to decentralized trading platforms next. Neuner made the comments during Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction podcast, arguing that while regulatory frameworks for centralized venues are already taking shape, the treatment of decentralized exchanges remains unclear—a gap that could materially affect the way platforms like Hyperliquid operate across jurisdictions. Key takeaways Ran Neuner says regulators have begun focusing on centralized exchanges, and decentralized exchanges could be next. Uncertainty around how decentralized trading will be regulated is viewed as Hyperliquid’s biggest vulnerability. Neuner also argues Hyperliquid’s network effects and liquidity advantages are difficult to replicate, limiting competitive threats. US officials have indicated potential for a...

Bitcoin rebounded to around $79,000 on Friday after US core inflation data came in broadly in line with expectations, helping ease pressure across risk assets earlier in the session. The relief rally, however, unfolded against a backdrop of sharp moves in US bond yields—an environment market participants say can still make it harder for BTC to sustain gains. US CPI showed that core prices rose 0.3% month-on-month in August, slightly above the 0.2% expected by traders, while the broader inflation narrative remained tightly linked to Federal Reserve rate expectations. According to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, implied odds of a 0.25% rate hike at the September 16 meeting climbed to 85% on Friday, up from roughly 60% a week earlier. Key takeaways Bitcoin jumped more than 3% after core CPI exceeded expectations by 0.1 percentage point on a month-on-month basis. CME FedWatch Tool data showed the probability of a September 0.25% hike rising to 85% after the release. Bond markets reacted w...

Anchorage Digital has partnered with stablecoin protocol Frgmnt to bring institutional access to Frgmnt’s fUSD and sfUSD tokens through Anchorage’s regulated custody platform. The arrangement is designed to let qualifying clients hold, mint and redeem fUSD—and also stake and unstake it—without having to build a separate custody setup. According to a Friday Chainwire announcement, Frgmnt’s fUSD is issued against USDC on Base, with backing deployed across onchain lending markets. Users can stake fUSD to receive sfUSD, which entitles them to rewards generated by Frgmnt’s underlying strategies. Key takeaways Anchorage Digital will provide custody-based access to fUSD and sfUSD for institutional clients, covering minting, redemption, and staking operations. Frgmnt issues fUSD against USDC on Base and links staking yields to returns from onchain lending markets. Frgmnt is currently in a capped, invite-only beta, but plans to open public access and raise its deposit cap on Sept. 15. F...