Crypto News & Insights for August 2026 - Bitcoin and Altcoins News

Domino

Whales Keep Buying While Retail Investors Sell: A Familiar Bitcoin Pattern 🐋

On-chain data shows a growing divergence between large and small Bitcoin holders. Since July 29, wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC have accumulated an additional 19,610 coins, increasing their combined holdings by 0.14%. At the same time, wallets with less than 0.01 BTC have reduced their share of the supply by 0.55%.

📊 This suggests that larger investors are absorbing the coins being sold by smaller market participants. Such behavior has appeared repeatedly during previous market corrections, when experienced investors increased exposure while retail sentiment weakened.

Several trends stand out:

* Whale wallets continue expanding their Bitcoin holdings.
* Small retail wallets are reducing their exposure.
* Long-term accumulation remains visible on-chain.
* Market sentiment among individual investors has deteriorated.

🔐 Confidence among retail investors was further shaken after a vulnerability was discovered in the entropy generation process of certain Coldcard wallet firmware versions. The security flaw reportedly exposed affected wallets to potential attacks, with losses exceeding 1,360 BTC, valued at roughly $87 million. Although the issue impacted only specific devices, the news raised broader concerns about self-custody security.

🧠 Fear often spreads faster than technical details. Even investors who were not directly affected by the vulnerability appeared to reduce their holdings, reflecting growing caution across the retail market. Meanwhile, larger holders continued accumulating without significant changes to their strategy.

💡 This contrast has been a recurring feature of previous Bitcoin cycles. Periods of heightened fear frequently coincide with accumulation by long-term investors, as stronger hands gradually acquire coins from sellers reacting to short-term uncertainty. While this pattern alone does not guarantee a market bottom, it has historically accompanied important accumulation phases. 🚀

Domino

US and Japan Coordinate Currency Intervention: What Could It Mean for Bitcoin? 🇺🇸🇯🇵

The United States and Japan have carried out a coordinated currency intervention to support the Japanese yen, marking the first joint operation of its kind since 2011. The intervention was executed through the FIMA Repo Facility, allowing Japan to access U.S. dollar liquidity without selling its Treasury holdings. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also indicated that similar actions could be taken again if necessary.

📉 For cryptocurrency markets, the move is significant because a stronger U.S. dollar and higher Treasury yields have historically created headwinds for risk assets, including Bitcoin. At the same time, coordinated central bank actions can influence global liquidity, making macroeconomic developments a key driver of market sentiment.

Several events are shaping this week's outlook:

* The U.S. and Japan intervened to stabilize the yen.
* Oil prices fell sharply after renewed diplomatic signals involving Iran.
* Bitcoin continues facing resistance near its 50-month EMA around $65,800.
* Investors are awaiting the latest U.S. employment report.

🛢️ Energy markets also shifted after President Trump suggested that a potential agreement with Iran could include the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, both WTI and Brent crude fell by more than 8%, easing short-term inflation expectations. Lower energy prices could reduce pressure on the Federal Reserve, although geopolitical uncertainty remains elevated.

📊 Seasonality is another factor to watch. August has historically been one of Bitcoin's weakest months, and analysts continue monitoring the long-term resistance zone near the 50-month exponential moving average. Until that level is decisively broken, many traders remain cautious about the broader trend.

🔑 Attention now turns to the upcoming U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls report. June employment growth came in at just 57,000 jobs, well below expectations. Economists now forecast a rebound to around 120,000 new jobs, while the unemployment rate is expected to edge higher to 4.3%. A weaker-than-expected report could strengthen expectations for a more accommodative Federal Reserve, potentially supporting Bitcoin and other risk assets.

🧊 Meanwhile, concerns surrounding the recently disclosed Coldcard hardware wallet vulnerability continue to spread. The issue affected devices manufactured in 2021, with reported losses now exceeding $89 million. Although exchange balances have not increased dramatically, the number of Bitcoin deposit transactions rose sharply on Friday. Transfers between 1 and 10 BTC reached approximately 7,300, the highest level recorded since February, suggesting that many investors are repositioning their holdings amid heightened uncertainty. 🚀

Domino

Bitcoin Could Confirm a Market Bottom if August Closes Above $63,000 📈

A monthly close above $63,000 could provide an important bullish signal for Bitcoin. According to market analysts, holding this level through the end of August would strengthen several long-term cycle indicators that have historically aligned with major market reversals.

🏛️ The base-case scenario assumes that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged. However, a continued rise in yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds could increase the likelihood of another rate hike in September. Higher borrowing costs would likely remain a challenge for risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Several indicators are drawing investors' attention:

* An August close above $63,000 would strengthen long-term technical signals.
* More than half of Bitcoin's circulating supply is currently held at a loss.
* Long-term holders now control a record 14.7 million BTC.
* Macroeconomic conditions remain the primary market driver.

⛏️ Analysts also note that Bitcoin miners could add selling pressure as some companies continue shifting capital toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. Estimates suggest miners may eventually release around 100,000 BTC into the market. Even so, researchers believe macroeconomic conditions are likely to have a greater impact on Bitcoin's direction than miner activity or corporate treasury management.

📊 On-chain data offers a more constructive perspective. More than 50% of Bitcoin's supply is currently underwater, a condition that has historically appeared 13 to 31 days before major cycle lows. While history does not guarantee the same outcome, previous bear markets have often entered their final accumulation phase under similar conditions.

💡 Another encouraging signal comes from long-term investors. Their combined holdings have reached a record 14.7 million BTC, indicating continued conviction despite recent volatility. Some analysts believe the current cycle may reach its bottom earlier than the traditional four-year pattern, with macroeconomic forces playing a larger role than in previous market cycles. 🚀

Domino

10x Research: Bitcoin Bear Market Could End as Early as August

📈 Markus Thielen, founder and head of 10x Research, believes Bitcoin could complete its current bear market as early as August. According to the analyst, the key requirement is a monthly close above $63,000, which would strengthen several long-term technical indicators and increase the probability of a trend reversal.

Despite the optimistic outlook, Thielen says confirmation has not yet arrived. Bitcoin finished July below the $63,000 threshold, and the cryptocurrency declined by 3.2% over the past week. Until the market regains that level, he believes it is too early to declare the correction over.

Several factors will determine Bitcoin's next move:

* A monthly close above $63,000 could confirm a bullish reversal.
* Rising U.S. Treasury yields remain a major macroeconomic risk.
* Additional selling from miners could increase market supply.
* Holding above $60,000 remains critical for long-term momentum.

🏛️ Thielen also pointed to broader economic risks. If yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds continue climbing, the Federal Reserve could be forced to resume interest rate hikes as early as September. Higher borrowing costs typically reduce investor appetite for risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

⛏️ Another potential source of pressure comes from Bitcoin miners. According to Thielen, mining companies that have shifted part of their operations toward artificial intelligence infrastructure collectively control around 100,000 BTC. If a meaningful portion of those holdings reaches the market, selling pressure could temporarily increase. Large institutional holders could also contribute to additional supply if market conditions deteriorate.

💡 Even so, Thielen believes Bitcoin's long-term recovery remains achievable. A more supportive macroeconomic environment, combined with a sustained move above $60,000 and a monthly close beyond $63,000, would significantly improve the market structure and increase the likelihood of a new bullish cycle. 🚀

Domino

Bitmine Expands Ethereum Holdings to 5.8 Million ETH

📈 Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the largest publicly traded Ethereum holder, continues to increase its crypto reserves. Over the past week, the company purchased an additional 10,399 ETH, bringing its total holdings to 5,797,813 ETH.

Bitmine now controls approximately 4.8% of Ethereum’s total supply. The company announced that its “Alchemy 5%” strategy is already 96% complete after 13 months. The goal of the program is to accumulate 5% of all circulating ETH.

Bitmine Chairman Tom Lee said the company has consistently increased its Ethereum position since June 2025. According to him, Bitmine has added ETH to its reserves every week despite short-term market volatility.

Key elements of Bitmine’s Ethereum strategy:

* Building a long-term position equal to 5% of Ethereum’s circulating supply.
* Staking assets to generate additional revenue.
* Supporting the growth of Ethereum’s decentralized application ecosystem.
* Betting on the long-term value of blockchain infrastructure.

💡 Tom Lee also highlighted Ethereum’s strong performance in July. He noted that ETH surpassed the NASDAQ-100 index in terms of market capitalization growth, outperforming it by around 25%.

Despite the current crypto market downturn and unrealized losses on part of its ETH holdings, Bitmine remains confident in Ethereum’s future. The company continues staking its assets through MAVAN, a platform designed for institutional investors.

As of August 2, Bitmine had placed approximately 4.92 million ETH into staking, with a total value of about $9.2 billion. The average acquisition price of these coins is around $1,880 per ETH.

🏦 The company expects staking rewards to generate approximately $247 million in annual revenue. Tom Lee believes Ethereum remains significantly undervalued and predicts that the network’s market capitalization could eventually reach $5 trillion due to the expansion of decentralized finance and other blockchain-based applications.

Domino

ETH sentiment hits a three-month low as the market reverses 📈

📉 On August 17, Ethereum sentiment reached its most negative level in three months. The seven-day weighted average moved deep into negative territory. Two days later, ETH surged by roughly 17%.

The negative sentiment did not directly trigger the rally. Instead, extreme pessimism created a large number of short positions. As ETH recovered, those positions faced forced liquidations and accelerated the upward move.

🔒 Ethereum reserves on exchanges also continued to decline. On August 18, exchange balances fell to around 6.54 million ETH. That was the lowest level recorded in the available data.

Lower exchange balances can indicate growing accumulation. Fewer coins available for immediate selling may also reduce market pressure and provide stronger structural support for ETH.

🏛️ Broader financial conditions added another bullish catalyst. The U.S. Treasury expanded its buyback program for longer-term government bonds. This weakened the dollar and pushed Treasury yields lower.

The shift in bond markets triggered a major wave of short liquidations across crypto. Bitcoin gained roughly 7% that day, while Ethereum followed the broader market higher.

💡 The combination of extreme bearish sentiment, shrinking exchange reserves, and easier financial conditions created a powerful setup for ETH. The recent rally suggests that excessive pessimism can leave the market vulnerable to a sharp reversal when selling pressure fades.

Domino

BTC is testing the active supply realized price near $70,400 📊

Bitcoin is currently attempting to close above a key on-chain valuation level. This metric estimates the average cost basis of BTC that has moved within the past seven years.

By excluding coins that have remained inactive for longer periods, analysts estimate the active supply realized price at roughly $70,400. This may provide a more practical view of the market’s current cost basis than the traditional realized price.

🔄 Bitcoin previously reclaimed this level in early April. However, sellers regained control in June, pushing BTC back below the threshold.

The market is now testing the same resistance again. A sustained breakout above $70,400 could become an important signal for a broader trend reversal.

📈 If Bitcoin manages to hold above this level, the move could develop into a longer-lasting rally. The previous recovery lasted around two months, but the current setup could support a more extended advance.

For now, $70,400 remains a critical level. A confirmed close above it would strengthen the bullish case and suggest that market structure is improving.

Domino

BTC records its strongest session since February after a massive short squeeze 📈

💥 Crypto markets saw a major wave of liquidations yesterday. More than $1.4 billion worth of short positions were wiped out. Bitcoin gained around 7.1%, marking its strongest daily performance since February 2026.

Binance accounted for a major part of the move. The exchange holds nearly 36% of Bitcoin’s total open interest. More than $311 million in BTC short positions were liquidated there within just a few hours.

🔄 Short sellers were forced to buy Bitcoin to limit their losses. Those forced purchases created additional demand and pushed prices higher. This can produce a snowball effect, with rising prices triggering more liquidations.

Such events often cause sudden and highly volatile market moves. The speed of the rally can also make short-term price action difficult to predict.

📊 A short squeeze of this size can lead to temporary market overheating. Bitcoin may enter consolidation or experience a pullback after such a sharp move.

However, the bullish setup remains intact if BTC holds above $70,000. The next major resistance stands near $75,000. The key support zone is around $70,000–$71,000.

Domino

$2.09 billion in crypto options expire with Bitcoin far above max pain 📊

Today at 16:00 UTC, a major batch of crypto options expires on Deribit. The contracts include $1.75 billion in Bitcoin options and $340 million in Ethereum options.

Bitcoin options have a put/call ratio of 0.81. Their max pain level stands at $67,000. Ethereum options show a put/call ratio of 0.82, with max pain at $2,000.

🎯 Both assets are trading well above their respective max pain levels. Bitcoin is currently around $8,000 above its options settlement point. This puts many call options deep in the money.

The put/call ratios suggest a moderate bullish bias. However, the large gap between spot prices and max pain could increase market volatility around the settlement.

🔄 Market makers may need to adjust their hedges as these contracts expire. This process can create additional buying or selling pressure, depending on their existing positions and exposure.

⚖️ Ethereum faces a similar setup. ETH is also trading significantly above its $2,000 max pain level. Its 0.82 put/call ratio remains relatively balanced, but call holders currently have a clear advantage.

As expiration approaches, hedge adjustments could amplify short-term price movements. The immediate reaction may be volatile even if the broader market trend remains unchanged.

Domino

Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings return to profit as BTC climbs above $76,000 📈

Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has moved back into significant unrealized profit. The company’s gain has surpassed $1 billion as BTC rose above $76,000.

The figure represents the difference between Bitcoin’s current market value and Strategy’s total acquisition cost. The company has accumulated its massive BTC reserve since 2020 under chairman Michael Saylor.

📊 Strategy currently holds 840,447 BTC. The company has spent approximately $63.36 billion building the position. Its average purchase price stands at around $75,385 per Bitcoin.

With BTC trading near $76,700, Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings are now worth roughly $64.46 billion. This puts the company more than $1 billion above its aggregate acquisition cost.

The turnaround comes after a sharp reversal in the previous quarter. Strategy recently reported an $8.2 billion loss for the second quarter. Bitcoin’s decline toward $60,000 was the main reason behind that result.

🏦 Strategy has also changed its recent approach to Bitcoin accumulation. Since July, the company has paused its regular BTC purchases and has instead focused on strengthening its cash reserves.

Its dollar liquidity has grown to approximately $4.8 billion. Strategy raised part of this capital by selling its MSTR common shares.

💡 Michael Saylor continues to defend Bitcoin as a long-term monetary asset. He has described it as the first digital monetary network without a physical form or central point of control.

The latest price recovery has once again placed Strategy’s Bitcoin strategy in the spotlight. Whether the company resumes aggressive purchases may depend on market conditions and its liquidity needs.

Domino

Ethereum

Ethereum gained more than 26% between August 14 and 21. ETH climbed above $2,300 for the first time since May. The strongest move came on Wednesday, August 19. The cryptocurrency surged 17.51% during that session.

Trading activity also increased sharply. According to CoinGlass data, Ethereum’s cumulative trading volume exceeded $90 billion on August 20. The market had not reached this level since June 6.

Spot Ethereum ETFs also continued to attract capital. They recorded inflows for the sixth time in seven weeks. Total weekly inflows reached $291.47 million.

BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) attracted the largest share. The fund received approximately $212.7 million.

Several factors are supporting Ethereum’s recent recovery:

• Stronger spot ETF demand
• Higher trading activity
• Renewed interest from investors
• Progress toward the Glamsterdam hard fork

Ethereum developers are also preparing for the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade. A new testnet called Plataberget was launched this week. It will help developers test the hard fork before deployment on Sepolia and Hoodi.

The Plataberget testnet is expected to involve around 50,000 validators. They will operate across 50 nodes. This setup should help developers test different combinations of client software.

Technical indicators have also turned more positive. ETH has moved above its 50-day moving average. This confirms a shift toward a bullish short-term trend.

However, traders should remain cautious. The stochastic oscillator has entered overbought territory. This could increase the probability of a short-term correction.

The next important levels are around $2,219.30 and $2,469.30. A move above resistance could strengthen the bullish structure. A break below support would signal that buyers are losing momentum.

Domino

Bitcoin

Bitcoin surged nearly 19% between August 14 and 21, 2026. The rally pushed BTC to a new two-and-a-half-month high. August 19 was especially strong. Bitcoin gained more than 7% that day, marking its best session in six months.

Several factors helped accelerate the move. The biggest catalyst came from the US Treasury. The department announced plans to at least double buybacks of longer-term government bonds. The move affected Treasury yields and encouraged capital to flow into riskier assets, including Bitcoin.

Political developments also supported market sentiment. On August 19, Donald Trump met with representatives from the crypto industry. He urged Congress to reconsider the long-delayed CLARITY Act. His supportive comments gave investors another reason for optimism.

The rally was also amplified by a major short squeeze. Between August 19 and 21, more than $2.1 billion in short positions were liquidated. Long liquidations totaled only $48.19 million during the same period. Short sellers therefore faced roughly 43.6 times more forced liquidations.

Bitcoin ETFs provided another important source of demand. Spot BTC ETFs recorded weekly inflows of $1 billion. This marked their first weekly inflow of that size since January.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) attracted the largest amount. Its weekly inflow reached approximately $588.54 million.

The main market signals now include:

• BTC has moved clearly above its 50-day moving average
• The previous $67,253 resistance has turned into support
• The next major resistance zone is near $76,000
• RSI has entered overbought territory
• The Fear and Greed Index jumped 43 points to 72

The technical picture has therefore shifted toward a bullish trend. However, the overbought RSI increases the risk of a short-term pullback.

The $67,253 level is now particularly important. Holding above it could strengthen the current bullish structure. A sustained break above $76,000 would provide another confirmation of buyer strength.

Investor sentiment has changed dramatically as well. The Fear and Greed Index now shows clear greed across the crypto market. That shift supports the rally but also suggests that volatility could increase.

Domino

The Sandbox hit by infinite mint attack: 500 million SAND created

Hackers exploited a cross-chain contract linked to The Sandbox’s SAND token. The attack affected the OFT system on Base. Security researchers from Blockaid identified the incident.

The attackers gained control over delegated permissions associated with LayerZero’s SAND OFT system. They then used the approveAndCall function to bypass normal controls. This allowed them to mint SAND without providing the required backing.

Initially, the attackers created around 500 million SAND. That amount represented nearly 17% of the token’s total supply of 3 billion.

The situation later appeared even more extreme. PeckShield tracked two addresses linked to the attack. Those wallets eventually showed balances totaling 14.9 billion SAND.

Blockaid estimates that the attackers minted tokens worth around $49 billion. The activity involved more than 400 transactions.

However, the actual financial damage was far smaller. The Ethereum OFT adapter lost approximately 14.75 million SAND. Those tokens were worth around $675,000 at the time.

The attackers also converted about 79.74 ETH from the stolen assets.

Several exchanges reacted quickly to the suspicious activity:

• Bithumb suspended SAND deposits and withdrawals
• Upbit issued a warning to its users
• The Sandbox halted cross-chain SAND transfers
• Users were advised to avoid trading SAND on Base and BSC

The Sandbox team said the vulnerability affected its cross-chain infrastructure. The affected networks were Base and BNB Smart Chain.

Ethereum and Polygon were not affected by the exploit. The team also confirmed that user wallets remained safe. SAND locked on Ethereum was not exposed to the attack.

The vulnerability has already been addressed. Cross-chain transfers between Base and BNB Smart Chain were stopped as a precaution.

The Sandbox also promised compensation for affected liquidity providers. The team urged users not to trade SAND on Base or BSC until further notice.

Despite the enormous amount of tokens created, the market reaction remained relatively limited. SAND fell 2.6% over 24 hours to around $0.04661. Its market capitalization stood near $136.6 million.

Trading volume increased sharply during the incident. Daily volume jumped 239.5% to approximately $88.3 million.

The incident highlights the risks of cross-chain token infrastructure. An exploit can create a huge artificial supply even when user wallets remain untouched.

The Sandbox has faced other security-related problems before. Last year, hackers compromised an executive’s X account. They used it to promote a fraudulent SAND token giveaway.

The project also restructured its business last year. More than half of its global workforce was reportedly laid off. The company attributed the changes partly to declining interest in the metaverse sector.