Tag: CRYPTOS FoxBusiness

Vitalik Buterin has pitched the Diamond indistinguishability obfuscation (iO), a novel cryptographic framework that promises to deliver blockchain privacy and trustless infrastructure in both crypto and Web3.

Vitalik proposes new blockchain privacy technology

In his latest blog, the Ethereum co-founder describes Diamond iO as a tool that would enable user interaction with encrypted software, but in such a manner that the program’s underlying logic, code, and keys remain secret. Diamond iO would run on Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) inside a modified Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) scheme.

Unlike historical assumptions about iO, Buterin’s proposal could theoretically reduce the time it takes to run hidden program logic from a “universal-level” to a “planet-level” timescale. This would lay the groundwork for several privacy-preserving applications, including:

1. On-chain voting where the program tallies votes and displays results without the need for a centralized tallying body.
2. Private key use where applications can deploy private keys without risking their exposure.
3. Trustless cryptographic infrastructure where developers can build secure software licensing protocols and decentralized, trustless Web3 services.
4. Privacy-first blockchain and AI systems where artificial intelligence (AI) and smart contracts can process sensitive data with zero leakages.

Current limitations and competition

While Diamond iO is a viable proposition, it still requires extensive research and peer review before deployment. It also demands heavy computational input and tight circuit depth limits and will therefore require additional optimization studies.

Nonetheless, the idea speaks to the ever-growing need for privacy preservation on-chain and beyond, for both individuals and corporate entities.

The Altcoin Season Index, a widely followed gauge of cryptocurrency market sentiment, remained at 52 on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day. The reading, calculated by CoinMarketCap, indicates a market that is neither firmly in Bitcoin season nor altcoin season, leaving traders in a neutral zone.

How the Index Works

The index compares the 90-day price performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens, against Bitcoin. When 75% or more of those coins outperform Bitcoin, the market is considered to be in altcoin season. Conversely, when fewer than 75% outperform, it signals Bitcoin season. The scale runs from 1 to 100, with higher readings pointing toward altcoin dominance.

A reading of 52 means that roughly half of the top 100 coins have outperformed Bitcoin over the past three months, while the other half have lagged behind. This balance reflects a market that has not yet committed to a clear trend.

What the Neutral Reading Means

For investors, a neutral index reading often suggests a period of consolidation or indecision. Historically, sustained altcoin seasons have been associated with periods of high risk appetite and speculative interest, while Bitcoin seasons tend to occur during times of uncertainty or when Bitcoin itself is the primary focus of capital inflows.

The current reading of 52, unchanged from the prior day, implies that the market is waiting for a catalyst. This could come from regulatory developments, macroeconomic data, or a significant price move in either Bitcoin or a major altcoin.

Broader Market Context

Bitcoin’s price has been relatively stable in recent weeks, trading in a narrow range. Altcoins have shown mixed performance, with some projects gaining on specific news while others have followed Bitcoin’s lead. The index’s lack of movement suggests that no single narrative has taken hold across the broader market.

Traders and analysts often watch the Altcoin Season Index as a supplementary tool for assessing market sentiment. However, it is not a predictive indicator. A neutral reading does not guarantee that a shift is imminent, but it does highlight the current equilibrium between Bitcoin and altcoins.

Conclusion

The Altcoin Season Index at 52, unchanged from yesterday, reflects a cryptocurrency market in a holding pattern. With no clear leader emerging between Bitcoin and altcoins, the coming days may bring either a breakout or further consolidation. Investors should continue monitoring the index alongside other market data for a more complete picture.

FAQs

Q1: What is the Altcoin Season Index?
The Altcoin Season Index is a metric from CoinMarketCap that measures whether the top 100 cryptocurrencies (excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens) are outperforming Bitcoin over a 90-day period. A reading above 75 indicates altcoin season, while lower readings suggest Bitcoin season.

Q2: Why did the index stay at 52?
The index remained unchanged because the relative performance of the top 100 coins against Bitcoin did not shift significantly from the previous day. This indicates a balanced market with no strong trend in either direction.

Q3: Is a reading of 52 bullish or bearish?
A reading of 52 is neutral. It does not signal a strong bullish or bearish bias for either Bitcoin or altcoins. It suggests that the market is in a period of indecision, and traders should look for other signals to determine direction.

Zama [$ZAMA] is back on track after an explosive recovery in terms of trading volumes and network activity.

The token’s prices increased by more than 10% over the past 24 hours following the release of the company’s Q2 report, which indicated further expansion of its ecosystem.

The move was accompanied by a 20% increase in trading volume to $110.4 million, suggesting buyers backed the rally instead of chasing it on thin liquidity.

For prospective investors, the question now is whether the latest surge has enough momentum to keep the bullish run going.

The Q2 update is already showing up on-chain

Market response was not confined just to price changes.

Activity on the network increased soon after the report was published, with the number of active addresses doubling in the past 24 hours. The number of token holders has also recorded some recommendable gains of late.

On the other hand, Open Interest surged by double digits, implying that there is new money flowing into the derivatives market and not merely existing traders changing their positions.

At press time, the cumulative leverage open positions were at an all-time high at $36.4 million after a sharp 24% daily surge.

All in all, the market shows improving market confidence following the latest ecosystem update, a development that could boost the current bullish momentum.

Buyers remain in control

The technical structure has also strengthened.

$ZAMA continues to trade above its key Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), preserving the bullish trend that has been building over the past 10 consecutive days.

Holding above those dynamic support levels suggests buyers are still absorbing selling pressure despite the token’s recent advance.

However, despite most on-chain metrics and structure standing by the market bulls, its Stochastic RSI sends some cautionary signals.

On the daily chart, the token’s stochastic RSI is just bouncing from an oversold region (greater than 80), suggesting the token’s price action could be a short-term correction before extending its long-term bullish trend.

Can the rally extend?

After the Q2 report, there has been higher network activity, increased active addresses, derivatives usage, and price action. All the metrics collectively point to a potential momentum continuation in the long run.

But while $ZAMA stays above its key moving averages and participation is high, bulls should keep momentum on their side. A short-term correction cannot be sidelined either.

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Final Summary

• $ZAMA gained by more than 10% after releasing its Q2 report, while trading volume climbed 20% to $110.4 million.
• Active addresses doubled over the past 24 hours, and Open Interest posted double-digit gains, reinforcing the token’s bullish structure.

Tokenized asset specialist Ondo Finance ONDO$0.4037 has abandoned plans to build a conventional layer-1 blockchain, instead introducing a trading network it says is better suited for the next wave of onchain financial assets.

Dubbed Ondo Network, the system marks a shift from the company’s February 2025 vision for Ondo Chain, a blockchain for institutional finance and tokenized real-world assets. After building its new perpetual futures platform, Ondo Perps, the firm said it concluded that a traditional blockchain wasn’t the best tool for handling the speed and privacy institutional trading requires.

Ondo Perps is the first application using the network, with plans to offer tokenized assets as collateral for trading.

The pivot comes as tokenization gathers momentum across Wall Street. Tokenization — the process of representing traditional assets such as stocks, bonds and funds as blockchain-based tokens — is gaining traction as firms look to modernize capital markets with faster settlement and around-the-clock trading. At the same time, perpetual futures, once largely confined to crypto markets, are expanding to traditional assets such as stocks and commodities like oil and gold.

Beyond issuing tokenized assets

Ondo has emerged as one of the sector’s largest issuers, with about $2.6 billion in tokenized U.S. Treasury products across OUSG and USDY and roughly $850 million in tokenized equities, according to rwa.xyz. The firm’s broker-dealer obtained last week FINRA approval to launch regulated markets and services for tokenized securities.

Crypto-friendly policies and startup incentives are helping reshape the U.S. innovation landscape, according to the latest Draper Innovation Index (DII).

The index ranks states based on their ability to attract entrepreneurs, investment, and emerging technologies.

The top performers and laggards

The March 2026 update shows that states embracing digital assets and emerging technologies are gaining ground. Meanwhile, some traditional technology hubs are losing momentum.

Texas climbed to fourth place in the DII US ranking, overtaking Wyoming, thanks in part to growth in overall venture capital investment, cryptocurrency and blockchain-related funding, and new business creation. Oklahoma also posted one of the biggest gains, rising to 15th place after strong growth in startup formation and crypto-related venture investment.

Meanwhile, California dropped to 31st place and New York fell to 49th. According to the index, both states were hurt by weaker new business formation despite their large economies and established innovation ecosystems.

New Hampshire ranked third, despite being 40th in GDP and 42nd in population size, highlighting the index’s argument that business-friendly policies can outweigh economic size. The state’s tax environment and startup-friendly policies have helped it attract entrepreneurs, according to BizWorld.

Draper argued that innovation moves toward places with fewer barriers for founders.

“When taxes get punishing, when regulations pile up, when policy stops rewarding risk… founders leave,” he said.

The index also shows Canada falling from third to fifth place and other regions seeing declines linked to instability and capital flight.

Cryptocurrency, blockchain adoption, and policies supporting business formation are becoming increasingly important factors in determining where the next generation of startups will emerge, according to Draper.

Perpetual futures have become one of crypto’s defining financial products, but DRW CEO Don Wilson says much of what people think they know about them is wrong.

In a series of posts on X, Wilson argued that perpetual futures — or “perps” — are simply futures contracts without an expiration date. The features often associated with crypto perpetuals, such as high leverage, auto-deleveraging (ADL) and around-the-clock trading, are characteristics of how some crypto exchanges chose to implement the products, not the contracts themselves.

“Most of what people think they know about ‘perps’ … has nothing to do with the contract itself,” Wilson wrote.

His comments come as interest in bringing perpetual futures into regulated U.S. markets continues to grow. Several exchanges and market participants have explored launching perpetual futures beyond crypto, though questions remain over how the products should be regulated and whether they fit within existing futures or swaps frameworks. Kalshi, which saw perps trading explode shortly after launching, recently submitted a proposal with regulators to expand its offerings to precious metals.

Unlike traditional futures markets, crypto exchanges like Hyperliquid operate continuously, use digital collateral and can calculate margin requirements in real time. Those technological differences allowed exchanges to offer products with higher leverage and alternative liquidation mechanisms, including ADL, which automatically reduces winning positions when losing traders cannot cover their losses.

Wilson said those design choices should not be confused with perpetual futures themselves.

“I’m not a fan of ADL,” he wrote, adding that there is “no reason it needs to be used for perps.”

Instead, Wilson argued that digital payment rails create opportunities to improve risk management. Traditional clearinghouses generally calculate margin once a day, with market participants often having until the following business day to post additional collateral. Because markets can move significantly during that window, clearinghouses require relatively large initial margin buffers.

With real-time settlement, however, exchanges can recalculate margin continuously and require traders to post collateral immediately, reducing the need for large upfront margin requirements while maintaining the same level of protection, Wilson said. Whether exchanges choose to translate those efficiencies into higher leverage is a business decision, not a defining feature of perpetual futures.

Wilson said the real innovation of perpetual futures is that they eliminate the need for investors to repeatedly roll expiring contracts, reducing transaction costs, market impact and roll slippage while allowing positions to more closely track the front of the futures curve.

He also urged regulators to focus on economic substance rather than legal labels.

“There’s no reason to treat perpetuals as swaps simply because they don’t expire,” Wilson wrote. “Economically, they’re futures.”

Wilson concluded by calling for perpetual futures to be available across a broader range of markets, including commodities, securities and crypto, arguing that they should be viewed as another tool for price discovery and risk management rather than as a crypto-specific innovation.

Atsuko Sato, the owner of Kabosu, the Shiba Inu dog that inspired Dogecoin, has stated that she has no connection whatsoever with the CATE token projects circulating in the cryptocurrency market.

Sato stated that a post he made on his Instagram account was used without his permission, and that fake tokens were launched using this content, falsely portraying him as being associated with it. The owner of Kabosu expressed his regret that some accounts with high follower counts on the X platform also contributed to the spread of these posts.

Atsuko Sato stated that Own The Doge is the only project she has officially authorized to manage intellectual property rights. Own The Doge acquired the iconic Doge NFT in 2021 and launched the $DOG token. The project also organizes Doge Day events, supports charities, and manages intellectual property rights related to the Doge brand.

Sato stated that he and the Own The Doge team also launched the COCORO token on the Base network in 2025. Therefore, he clarified that the only cryptocurrency projects officially affiliated with him are $DOG and COCORO.

Sato stated that the proceeds from these projects would be used for pet care and for animal protection organizations supported by “withkabosu,” and urged users to trust only official statements.

*This is not investment advice.

28 July 2026 –Tether, the largest company in the digital asset industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to explore digital asset education, tokenization, and financial market innovation in Nairobi.

The NSE, established in 1954, is one of the leading African exchanges, based in Kenya, that offers trading facilities to people seeking exposure to Kenya’s and Africa’s economic growth. With a market cap of approximately $26.4 billion, NSE plays a vital role in Kenya’s economic growth by encouraging savings and investment and helping local and international companies access cost-effective capital. NSE is a member of the Association of Futures Markets and is a partner exchange in the United Nations-led SSE initiative. The NSE provides a world-class platform for trading equities, debt securities, and derivatives for people in Nairobi and the diaspora.

Tether and NSE aim to close the gap between where Kenyan investors are today and where they need to be by proposing an investor education program through training sessions, workshops, and other accessible, structured knowledge-transfer initiatives on capital markets in the digital age, targeting participants from NSE-listed brokers and retail investor groups, to build awareness and participation in capital markets through digital assets.

This MoU also aims to support the development and implementation of a blockchain-based market infrastructure for the tokenization and instant settlement of securities within the NSE using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and enable fractionalized access to securities for both local and diaspora investors via the Hadron platform. Tether and NSE will also design and pilot secured onboarding flows tailored to the Kenyan regulatory environment to streamline Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.

Another key area of focus is the potential development of Real World Asset (RWA) Tokenization, which will explore the Hadron platform’s features and functionality to enable the issuance and trading of tokenized securities and other financial instruments. To promote financial freedom and optimize the institution’s financial workflow, Tether aims to support the integration of instant and atomic settlement mechanisms to reduce the institution’s current three-level settlement cycle. Additionally, both parties will assess the viability of integrating USD₮as a potential digital settlement infrastructure layer to enhance liquidity and attract increased capital flow where permitted by.

“The use cases for digital assets are evolving, from crypto into real-life applications and, ultimately, cross-border institutional finance. This is what true freedom means. We’re glad to deepen our collaboration with the Nairobi Securities Exchange to advance practical institutional adoption and technological progress. Our goal is to streamline operations and enable efficient, transparent, accountable, and sustainable processes, while protecting data and privacy,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

“This MoU is fully aligned with the NSE’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, which is anchored on leveraging technology, deepening market participation, and expanding access to investment opportunities for all investors. By collaborating with Tether, we are exploring innovative technologies that have the potential to modernize market infrastructure, enhance operational efficiency, and broaden investor access while maintaining the highest standards of market integrity and regulatory compliance. As we execute our strategy, partnerships such as this will play a critical role in positioning the NSE as a globally competitive exchange and a catalyst for Kenya’s economic growth,”said Frank Mwiti, Chief Executive Officer, NSE.

Solana price fell about 5% from its July 27 high near $77 to $73 on July 28 as a break below short-term support triggered long liquidations.

Solana price drops back toward $73

According to data from crypto.news, Solana ($SOL) price traded near $73.20 at the time of writing after falling from an intraday high around $77 during the previous session. The move represented a decline of about 5% from peak to trough.

The pullback followed $SOL’s latest rejection from the upper half of a descending channel visible on the 4-hour chart. Buyers pushed the token toward $77 on July 27 but failed to challenge the channel’s upper boundary or the wider $78 resistance area.

Selling accelerated after $SOL lost the $75 level, which had supported several earlier intraday rebounds. The token subsequently fell toward $73 before entering a narrow consolidation range.

The daily chart showed $SOL trading below the Murrey Math major support-and-resistance pivot at $75. Its July 28 candle recorded a low of $72.86, although buyers prevented a sustained fall below $73.

$SOL’s decline also came as capital showed a preference for Ethereum. $ETH recently reclaimed $1,900, while $SOL remained trapped below its July resistance range.

Crypto trader Daan Crypto Trades noted that the pair was beginning to lose its horizontal support area.

“[Solana] needs to break this local consolidation before we can start looking at the range high again.”

Daan added that Ethereum’s recent strength against Bitcoin had left Solana behind, making the $ETH ecosystem more attractive while $SOL remained weak.

Long liquidations accelerated the sell-off

The three-day CoinGlass liquidation heatmap shows that Solana’s slide cut through several leveraged trading zones between $75 and $73.

$SOL first dropped sharply below $75 before falling through another band of liquidity around $73. The move likely forced leveraged long traders to close their positions, adding market sell orders to an already weak spot market.

The heatmap shows that the largest nearby concentrations now sit on both sides of the current price. A bright liquidity band has formed around $72.40–$72.70, while additional clusters are visible near $73.80–$74.20.

This positioning could keep short-term price action unstable. A move below $73 may attract $SOL toward the lower liquidity pool, while an initial rebound could target the accumulated positions around $74.

Further liquidation interest is visible near $75 and $76.50. Those levels could act as upside targets if buyers regain control, but they may also become resistance because traders caught in the decline could use a recovery to exit positions.

The liquidation data support the view that derivatives positioning magnified the decline. However, the charts alone do not establish that institutional sell blocks caused the move.

$SOL indicators point to weak momentum

Solana remains inside a descending parallel channel that has guided its 4-hour price action since the early-July peak above $83. The channel has produced a sequence of lower highs, including rejections near $79 and $77.

$SOL is now approaching the channel’s lower half. The lower boundary sits close to $70, making that level the next broader technical support if $73 fails.

The 4-hour relative strength index has fallen to 35.57, below its signal average of 47.33. The reading shows that sellers control short-term momentum, although $SOL has not yet entered the conventional oversold zone below 30.

Aroon readings also favor the downside, with the stronger line at 78.57% compared with 57.14% for the opposing measure. The indicator reflects the recency of price highs and lows rather than the size of a move, but its current configuration is consistent with $SOL’s recent lower low.

On the daily chart, the average directional index stands at only 11.54. An ADX reading below 20 normally indicates a weak trend, suggesting $SOL is still consolidating rather than entering a confirmed directional breakdown.

That weak reading leaves room for false moves around support. $SOL could briefly sweep liquidity below $73 before recovering, particularly if selling pressure in the derivatives market eases.

Solana price levels to watch next

The first level buyers need to recover is $74. A move above that area would allow $SOL to challenge the $75 pivot, which has changed from support into near-term resistance.

A daily close above $75 would weaken the immediate bearish case. Bulls would then need to clear $77–$78 and break above the descending channel to reopen a path toward the July high around $83.

Failure to reclaim $75 would leave $SOL exposed to another test of the $72.50 liquidation cluster. Below that area, the channel boundary near $70 becomes the next likely target.

The daily Murrey Math chart places the bottom of the broader trading range at $68.75. That level may provide stronger support if a breakdown below $70 develops. A deeper correction could then extend toward the $62.50 pivot, although the current low ADX reading does not yet confirm such a move.

Fed decision adds risk for US traders

US investors are also awaiting the Federal Reserve’s next policy decision. Interest-rate expectations, movements in the dollar and Treasury yields can affect demand for high-risk assets such as $SOL.

Treasury yields eased on July 28, while oil prices also fell as markets responded to renewed hopes for diplomacy in the Middle East. Brent traded below $87 and US crude near $81, reversing part of the inflation-driven pressure seen earlier in the week. The pullback reportedly followed a pause in attacks and renewed hopes for a US-Iran agreement.

That means $SOL’s latest decline appears more closely linked to its technical breakdown and leveraged positioning than to a fresh rise in oil or Treasury yields. The Fed decision could still determine whether US liquidity conditions help $SOL recover $75 or push it toward lower support.