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Lido Reshapes Ethereum Staking With New Upgrade

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Lido Reshapes Ethereum Staking With New Upgrade

Lido, a liquid staking protocol that lets users earn Ethereum staking rewards through its stETH token, has launched an upgrade to its staking infrastructure that aims to improve validator efficiency and decentralization.

The upgrade introduces Curated Module v2, which adds support for Ethereum’s 0x02 withdrawal credentials. The change allows validators to increase their effective balance from 32 ETH to up to 2,048 ETH, according to a Lido update on Monday.

Lido said the migration could reduce Ethereum’s validator count from about 880,000 to roughly 628,000, a decrease of about one-third. The migration has not started yet, and the figures are based on Lido’s projections.

The change is expected to affect Ethereum’s consensus layer by reducing the number of validators and validator messages required to maintain the network, according to Lido. It is not designed to change execution-layer activity, which determines transaction fees and gas costs.

The update also introduces new accountability measures for Lido’s node operators, including bonding and penalty mechanisms. Lido said future stake distribution could place more weight on factors such as operator performance, fees and contributions to Ethereum’s ecosystem.

“Curated Module v2 is the next major step in that evolution,” Lido said, adding that the upgrade introduces new operator incentives, bond-based security mechanisms and governance improvements. Lido said no action is required from stakers because the upgrade will be handled at the protocol level.

Related: Ethereum nears market bottom against Bitcoin, though key signals remain unconfirmed: CryptoQuant

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Europe’s Premier FX, Crypto & Fintech Event – Wiki Finance Expo Cyprus 2026 is Coming to Limassol This November

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Europe’s Premier FX, Crypto & Fintech Event – Wiki Finance Expo Cyprus 2026 is Coming to Limassol This November

Limassol, Cyprus, JULY 28, 2026 / AlexaBlockchain/ – Mark your calendars for Wiki Finance Expo Cyprus 2026, taking place on November 6, 2026 at the prestigious Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa. As one of Europe’s most influential gatherings for the foreign exchange and fintech services industry, the event is set to welcome over 5,000 professionals, 50+ distinguished speakers, and 50+ exhibitors from more than 30 countries.

This year’s expo places a strategic focus on the core pillars that drive today’s financial markets, with dedicated tracks on:

  • Foreign Exchange & Liquidity Solutions – Institutional FX, prime brokerage, liquidity aggregation, and risk management
  • Regulatory & Compliance Frameworks – Navigating MiCA, CySEC regulations, AML/KYC, and cross‑border licensing
  • Next‑Generation Payments – Cross‑border remittance, digital wallets, instant settlement, and merchant services
  • Platform Building & Brokerage Technology – Trading platforms (MT4/5, cTrader, proprietary), white‑label solutions, CRM, and infrastructure providers
  • Fintech Service Providers – B2B technology vendors, data analytics, AI‑driven trading tools, and compliance automation
  • Crypto & DeFi – On‑chain liquidity, tokenized assets, smart contract‑based settlement, and the convergence of crypto with traditional FX
  • AI in Finance – AI‑powered trading algorithms, predictive analytics, fraud detection, and regulatory technology (RegTech)

Set in the heart of Cyprus – a global hub for forex brokers, payment processors, and regulatory technology firms – this expo offers an unrivalled platform for service providers, brokers, IBs, liquidity providers, payment gateways, and platform vendors to connect, showcase innovations, and forge cross-border partnerships. Backed by CySEC’s stringent oversight and EU-wide passporting privileges, this jurisdiction empowers firms to scale operations across the European Economic Area, all while staying ahead of the crypto and AI waves reshaping the industry.

Attendees will gain actionable insights through keynote addresses, panel debates, fireside chats, and dedicated networking sessions, all designed to address the real‑world challenges and opportunities facing the FX, fintech, and digital asset ecosystem.

“Cyprus has long been recognized as a gateway between Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a robust regulatory environment and a thriving community of financial technology providers,” said Loki So, COO of WikiEXPO. “Our Cyprus edition is uniquely tailored to the FX, liquidity, payments, and platform‑building sectors – but we also recognize that crypto and AI are no longer optional. We aim to bring together the entire value chain of service providers – from traditional brokers to cutting‑edge DeFi protocols and AI‑driven analytics firms – under one roof to drive responsible innovation and sustainable growth in this dynamic region.”

How to Participate:

The Only Official Free Registration Link:

https://www.wikiexpo.com/Cyprus/2026/en/?c=7iil3INU

Sponsorship & Exhibiting Opportunities:
Secure a prime booth or exclusive sponsorship package – ideal for liquidity providers, trading platform vendors, payment solution companies, regulatory tech firms, Web3 infrastructure projects, and AI fintech startups.
Contact Name: Loki So
Email Address: loki@wikiexpo.com
Telegram: https://t.me/Loki_wikiexpo_coo

LinkedIn ID: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loki-so-33826318a/

About WikiEXPO

WikiEXPO is a global hub for financial innovation, uniting visionaries and leaders in fintech, forex, and crypto industries. With a worldwide community of over two million followers, our iconic summits are held in global capitals including Dubai, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney, South Africa, and beyond. From cutting‑edge startups to industry giants, we connect the brightest minds. After six years of rapid development, WikiEXPO has become one of the world’s largest and most influential event platforms in the forex, fintech, and digital asset space.

Past Speakers at WikiEXPO (selected):

We look forward to welcoming you to Limassol this November – where the FX, fintech, and crypto communities converge to shape the future of finance!

Source: WikiEXPO

The above article “Europe’s Premier FX, Crypto & Fintech Event – Wiki Finance Expo Cyprus 2026 is Coming to Limassol This November” was first published on AlexaBlockchain. Read the complete article here: https://alexablockchain.com/wiki-finance-expo-cyprus-2026-is-coming-to-limassol-this-november/

Submit Your Blockchain and Crypto Press Release here.

Disclaimer: This is a press release, provided by the company/ company representative. AlexaBlockchain does not endorse, guarantee, or accept responsibility for the content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, or other materials presented in this publication. Readers are advised to conduct their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the company mentioned herein. AlexaBlockchain expressly disclaims any liability for damages or losses, whether direct or indirect, arising from or related to the use of or reliance on any content, goods, or services referenced in this press release.

Bitmine Buys More Ether, Bringing Holdings to 5.79M ETH

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Bitmine Buys More Ether, Bringing Holdings to 5.79M ETH

Latest NewsPublishedJul 27, 2026

The company added nearly 10,000 ETH over the past week, bringing its holdings to 5.79 million Ether, about 85% of which is staked through its validator operations.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies said Monday it holds 5.79 million Ether, or about 4.8% of the cryptocurrency’s total supply, after purchasing nearly 10,000 ETH over the past week.

Bitmine disclosed that about 4.9 million ETH (ETH), or roughly 85% of its holdings, are staked through its validator operations. The company projected annualized staking rewards of about $299 million once all of its Ether is deployed across its staking infrastructure and partner validators. The company’s crypto holdings, cash and marketable securities total $11.8 billion as of July 26.

The latest purchases come as Ether has outperformed Bitcoin (BTC) over the past week. ETH has gained about 2.4% over the past seven days while Bitcoin has fallen roughly 0.7%, according to CoinGecko data. In Monday’s announcement, Bitmine chairman Tom Lee said the rising ETH/BTC ratio, which he described as being at a three-month high, signaled strengthening momentum for Ether.

Bitcoin and ETH performance over the past seven days. Source: CoinGecko

Bitmine has built the world’s largest corporate Ether treasury, trailing only Strategy among public companies by the value of its digital asset holdings. However, Bitmine’s accumulation strategy has recently diverged from Strategy’s, which has paused Bitcoin purchases in recent weeks.

On Monday, Strategy announced it had raised $544.5 million through stock sales, repurchased $25 million of its STRC preferred shares and increased its US dollar reserve to $3.75 billion, while maintaining holdings of 843,775 BTC.

Magazine: A quantum roadmap would push Bitcoin much higher: Charles Edwards

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Kalshi, Polymarket win pause against Minnesota’s prediction market ban

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Kalshi, Polymarket win pause against Minnesota’s prediction market ban

A federal judge ruled that Minnesota’s law banning prediction markets likely runs afoul of the Commodity Exchange Act, granting a preliminary injunction against the law to Kalshi, Polymarket and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Judge Katherine Menendez, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, ruled Monday that Minnesota’s recently passed law that would ban prediction market operators from offering their products in the state seems to be preempted by the federal CEA, and that the companies and federal regulator “are likely to succeed” in showing so after a full trial.

Kalshi, Polymarket and the CFTC sued Minnesota earlier this year after the state passed the law criminalizing the operation of prediction markets, arguing that the statute violated the CFTC’s jurisdiction to oversee “swaps,” which prediction market contracts are structured as.

In her ruling, Judge Menendez said that the three parties had shown they were likely to succeed in their arguments that the law underpinning U.S. commodities exchanges preempts the state law, that the CFTC has jurisdiction over these products and that the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits of the case.

U.S. Senate puts off crypto Clarity Act for now as it focuses limited bandwidth elsewhere

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U.S. Senate puts off crypto Clarity Act for now as it focuses limited bandwidth elsewhere

Bottom line: Clarity isn’t likely to come up for voting before next week — the final days before the chamber’s summer break is set to start on August 8. The hotly debated market structure bill isn’t yet ready for a vote, anyway, as the parties continue to try to seek a compromise on a contentious provision that’s stood in the way of a deal: the ban against senior government officials, including President Donald Trump, backing crypto projects.

Thune’s office had told CoinDesk last week that his next floor-time priority would go to the Russia legislation. While the majority leader also said he hopes to get to Clarity before the break, he said the leadership would have to “see where the votes are.”

At this point in the Senate calendar, every hour of floor time is a precious commodity, and the debate over the Clarity Act still hasn’t settled some of the major outstanding points — especially the section on government ethics, which was the topic of a Monday event hosted by Democrats opposing the Clarity Act and the president’s crypto activities.

Having significant disagreements at this stage could narrow the chances that Clarity can become law in 2026, potentially throwing the industry into some uncertainty over the timeline for U.S. regulations. If this legislation tanks, the next best avenues for regulatory legitimacy is the ongoing implementation of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act and the policy efforts at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

New York AG Warns CLARITY Act Could Weaken Crypto Enforcement

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New York AG Warns CLARITY Act Could Weaken Crypto Enforcement

Cointelegraph is committed to providing independent, high-quality journalism across the crypto, blockchain, AI, and fintech industries.

All news, reviews, and analyses are produced with full journalistic independence and integrity. For more details on our standards and processes, please read our Editorial Policy.

Bitcoin (BTC) price may fall to $52,000 as demand remains elusive, Nansen analyst says

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Bitcoin (BTC) price may fall to $52,000 as demand remains elusive, Nansen analyst says

Kruger said bitcoin needs to clear $67,300 to break out of the multi-week consolidation that has capped prices since June. A move above that level could signal the next leg of higher, while ether (ETH) faces a similar test at $2,000.

Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine and co-founder of Fundstrat, also noted ether’s recent outperformance relative to BTC as a bullish signal for crypto markets. The ETH-BTC ratio, which measures the price of ether in bitcoin, climbed to a three-month high on Monday.

Rally lacks demand amid macro risks

Still, not everyone is convinced about bitcoin’s strength.

Nansen senior research analyst Nicolai Sondergaard said the recent rebound lacks the buying conviction typically seen before sustained rallies.

“The market is holding range without strong buyers, not building toward a breakout,” Sondergaard said.

His base case remains a pullback toward $52,000-$58,000 unless market conditions improve.

While nearly 9,000 BTC left exchanges over the past week, open interest in bitcoin futures has fallen even as prices edged higher, suggesting traders are reducing exposure rather than adding fresh bullish bets. Order-book data also continues to point to net selling pressure, he said.

Sondergaard said the Fed’s rate decision and communication about it will likely set the tone for risk assets on Wednesday. Investors will also be watching Thursday’s core PCE inflation report, second-quarter GDP data and earnings from Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Amazon before Friday’s roughly $13-14 billion bitcoin and ether options expiry.

BNY Mellon Unit Joins MiCA Register With 15 CASPs

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BNY Mellon Unit Joins MiCA Register With 15 CASPs

European authorities added 15 crypto companies including a BNY Mellon unit to the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework register in the third update of regulated providers since the July 1 transitional deadline.

With the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) update on Friday, its interim MiCA register shows 309 licensed crypto-asset service providers (CASPs).

The latest entries include four banking institutions, including BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of US banking giant BNY Mellon, and three German banks, alongside digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify and Bleap.

The update comes as regulators continue building out the MiCA framework, which introduced the European Union’s first unified rules for crypto service providers and aims to bring more oversight to the sector.

Germany and Denmark lead latest CASP additions

Germany and Denmark accounted for the largest number of the latest additions, with three new CASPs registered in each country. Bulgaria and Latvia followed with two additions each, while Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein and the Netherlands each added one provider.

The German additions included cooperative financial societies Spar-und Kreditbank Rheinstetten and VR-Bank Augsburg-Ostallgäu, along with Raiffeisenbank Falkenstein-Wörth.

15 new CASPs in the MiCA register update on Thursday. Source: ESMA

Other newly listed providers include: Bulgaria’s Altcoins BG and Digital Assist; Denmark’s SafeLynx Technologies and Januar, a digital asset infrastructure company; and, Latvia-registered providers Bleap and Nodu Digital.

MiCA expansion continues after July deadline

The latest update follows ESMA’s previous register additions after the July 1 deadline, including 14 CASPs added in the regulator’s second post-deadline update, which included major industry companies such as Ripple Payments Europe.

While the CASP roster expanded, ESMA reported no changes to other MiCA-related registers in the latest update, including authorized issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs), e-money tokens (EMTs), and crypto assets, as well as non-compliant entities.

Related: Swiss bank BancaStato launches regulated crypto trading with Sygnum

The continued updates show that MiCA implementation remains an evolving process, with regulators still adding authorized providers as companies complete licensing procedures across European markets.

At the same time, some industry executives warn that the cost of maintaining a MiCA license could push smaller firms out of the market, with Gate Europe CEO Giovanni Cunti saying some licensed companies may struggle to sustain the compliance resources required over the long term.

Magazine: Here’s why the CLARITY Act’s ethics deal may be so hard to reach

Uphold reduces global headcount by 17% amid enterprise pivot

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Uphold reduces global headcount by 17% amid enterprise pivot

The cuts come as the crypto industry grapples with a prolonged downturn. After three consecutive quarters of declines, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization fell to around $2.1 trillion at the end of the second quarter, while trading volumes weakened and retail participation slowed amid higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and persistent outflows from crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF).

U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded a combined $6.9 billion of net outflows in May and June. While flows have recovered in July, including a six-day streak of inflows, the rebound remains modest relative to the withdrawals seen during the broader market downturn.

Uphold stressed that it is not closing its U.K. operations or any of its international offices, adding that all locations remain fully staffed and operational.

The firm’s enterprise platform enables banks, fintechs and broker-dealers to integrate digital asset services for their own customers, an area the company said is seeing rapid growth.

The momentum in that business, combined with weaker retail demand, made the restructuring necessary as it shifts personnel and investment toward enterprise products. Further growth announcements are expected in the coming months, the company said.

The firm remains bullish on the long-term outlook for the retail market. “In 2026, we’re expanding our popular consumer app into a multi-asset, blockchain-enabled financial companion,” McLoughlin said. “By year end, the app will offer US stocks, tokenized securities, asset-backed lending, credit cards, prediction markets and enhanced DeFi yield opportunities on assets including XRP,” he added.

Binance disappears from Google Play in certain EU countries

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Binance disappears from Google Play in certain EU countries

Binance’s Android app is unavailable on Google Play in some EU markets amid scrutiny over MiCA compliance.

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