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From international to U.S.-centric, from Trump to Michael Saylor, we’re tracking today’s most important crypto and AI stories as they unfold. This article will be updated throughout the day.
Major Crypto Exchanges See Surge in July Trading Volumes
Spot trading volumes on major cryptocurrency exchanges jumped 62% in July compared to June, according to data from CoinGecko.
- BitMart posted the largest increase at +143%, followed by Upbit (+141%) and Coinbase (+79%), while Bitfinex (-16%), HTX (+13%), and OKX (+49%) recorded the weakest growth.
Derivatives trading volumes rose 31% month-on-month, led by KuCoin (+71%), Bitget (+57%), and Crypto.com (+51%).
Website traffic across major exchanges climbed 16%, with HTX (+85%), Bitfinex (+47%), and Kraken (+42%) seeing the largest gains, although analysts caution that some figures may be affected by wash trading or bot activity.
Stripe Building ‘Tempo’ Blockchain in Partnership With Paradigm
Payments giant Stripe is developing a new layer-1 blockchain called Tempo, according to a now-removed job posting on the Blockchain Association’s website.
The listing, dated Aug. 3, described Tempo as a “high-performance, payments-focused blockchain” in stealth mode with a five-person team, built in partnership with crypto venture capital firm Paradigm.
- Four sources told Fortune the chain will be Ethereum-compatible, while the ad sought a product marketer with Fortune 500 experience. Stripe and Paradigm declined to comment.
Tempo marks Stripe’s latest push into crypto, following its $1.1 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge in October and its purchase of crypto wallet developer Privy in June.
Strategy Buys 155 BTC for $18M, Boosts 2025 Yield to 25%
Strategy has purchased 155 Bitcoin for about $18 million at an average price of $116,401 per coin, the company disclosed. As of Aug. 10, 2025, the firm holds 628,946 BTC acquired for roughly $46.09 billion at an average price of $73,288.
The acquisition comes as Bitcoin trades near record highs, with Strategy reporting a 25% year-to-date yield on its BTC holdings. The company has positioned itself as one of the largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency.
OSL HK First to Offer Retail Solana Trading in Hong Kong After SFC Approval
Hong Kong’s first licensed crypto exchange, OSL HK, has received regulatory approval from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to open Solana (SOL) trading to retail investors. SOL becomes the fifth token cleared for retail trading in the city, joining Bitcoin, Ethereum, Avalanche, and Chainlink.
Flash trading for SOL in HKD, USD, and USDT pairs will launch on Aug. 11 at 23:00 (UTC+8), with pro trading in USD pairs set to begin on Aug. 18. OSL HK will also support SOL deposits and withdrawals via the Solana network.
Terraform Labs’ Do Kwon May Plead Guilty in U.S. Fraud Case
Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon may plead guilty in a U.S. fraud case tied to the $40 billion collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin in 2022, Bloomberg reported. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer has scheduled a change-of-plea hearing for Tuesday and instructed Kwon to be prepared to explain his conduct.
Kwon’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. The case is one of the highest-profile prosecutions in the cryptocurrency sector following the implosion of TerraUSD, which sent shockwaves through global digital asset markets.
SatoshiLabs Founder Warns of Rising Kidnappings and Assaults on Crypto Holders
Alena Vranova, founder of SatoshiLabs, warned that physical attacks, kidnappings, and extortion targeting Bitcoin and crypto holders are surging in 2025, with incidents on track to double the worst year on record.
- Speaking at the Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference in Riga, Latvia, she said victims are not limited to high-profile investors, citing cases involving as little as $6,000 worth of crypto and murders over $50,000.
Vranova linked the rise in so-called “wrench attacks” to leaked personal data from centralized exchanges and software providers, noting that more than 80 million crypto user identities have been exposed online, including 2.2 million with home addresses.
She added that the frequency of such crimes tends to spike during Bitcoin bull markets, with the cryptocurrency recently trading above $119,000.
This article will be updated throughout the day: Stripe Builds Tempo Blockchain | Live Crypto Updates | Aug. 12, 2025
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