Oman has made bitcoin mining mandatory through a state-controlled pool, OmanHash.om, following Kazakhstan’s similar model. Both countries invested heavily in mining infrastructure first, then introduced mandatory pooling as a control mechanism for tax collection and regulatory oversight.
Jito (JTO) is trading near $0.70, down 5% in 24 hours, with critical support at $0.6744 at risk. The token has collapsed 87% from its $5.61 all-time high as governance premiums compress and unlock schedules create steady selling pressure.
Kraken embedded on-chain trading for 2,500 Solana tokens directly in its mobile app, letting users buy and sell DEX assets without separate wallets or seed phrases. By removing friction from long-tail token access, Kraken is expanding retail participation in markets that never reached centralized exchanges.
Four men were arrested in Marseille after holding two women hostage and demanding access to their cryptocurrency wallets—the first such incident in the region. France has seen a sharp surge in crypto-related physical attacks, with over 40 kidnappings or attempted abductions confirmed since January 2026.
Bybit was added to Singapore’s Investor Alert List for operating without a license, though it already blocks Singapore users. The designation mirrors Binance’s 2021 listing and reflects a regulatory gap rather than a crackdown, as Bybit simultaneously pursues licenses in the UAE and UK.
Ethereum hit record transaction activity in H1 2026 with 3.6M daily transfers, yet ETH shed 46% in value—exposing a widening gap between network usage and token demand. Real-world asset tokenization surged 325%, signaling institutional adoption that price hasn’t caught up to yet.
The Strait of Hormuz reopens Friday following a US-Iran deal, with over 165 million barrels of crude currently stranded in the Gulf. Goldman Sachs cut its Brent forecast to $80/barrel for Q4 2026, expecting flows to resume at 11 million barrels daily despite Asian refiners already booking through August.
Crypto card spending is approaching $10 billion in cumulative volume, with most growth occurring during a market downturn—signaling genuine utility rather than speculation. Increased competition from new entrants like KAST and EtherFi is reshaping the market, while emerging-market adoption of dollar-stablecoins demonstrates real-world payment demand.
BlackRock’s new Bitcoin income ETF (BITA) launched in June, offering 15-25% annual yields by writing covered calls against Bitcoin holdings. However, investors cap their upside at roughly 70% of Bitcoin’s returns—a significant trade-off during the volatile rallies that historically drive long-term gains.
Apple partners with Intel on chip design and manufacturing, sending Intel shares up 9% while Apple stock barely moved—a telling sign of who needs the deal more. The arrangement targets Intel’s 18A node for iPad Pro and MacBook Air, though neither company has confirmed contract terms or volumes.