The U.S. State Department announced the Freedom Tech Excellence Program (FTEP) on July 24, 2026, a new initiative bringing private-sector talent to advance digital freedom and national security. Founding partners include the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
The U.S. government moved approximately $288 million worth of seized Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime on Monday, July 13-14, 2026, according to on-chain analytics platforms. The transfers included cryptocurrency confiscated from multiple cases and sparked speculation about potential asset sales.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Democrats are pushing for ethics restrictions in the cryptocurrency Clarity Act as it heads to the Senate floor, citing President Trump's estimated $1-1.4 billion in crypto holdings as a conflict of interest. The White House is pressuring the Senate to pass the bill within 24 days before the August recess.
New Hampshire's five-member Executive Council voted 3-2 to reject a proposed $100 million Bitcoin-backed municipal bond that would have been the first of its kind in the nation. Despite supporters arguing it posed no taxpayer risk, the council declined to attach the state's name to the volatile asset.
More than 16 months after President Trump ordered the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the initiative remains unrealized as the Treasury and Commerce departments dispute which agency should oversee the reserve holding seized Bitcoin assets.
SBI Shinsei Bank will begin a pilot program on June 10 allowing its 4.33 million depositors to receive vouchers worth 20% of their interest payments, redeemable for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The three-month program represents a novel integration of traditional banking with cryptocurrency rewards.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified that the department is proceeding with "deliberate speed" on establishing a Bitcoin reserve, while Representative Nick Begich introduced legislation to formally create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve within the Treasury Department.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Senate Finance Committee that the Trump administration is moving at a 'deliberate speed' to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve and urged Congress to pass the Clarity Act by summer, as the bill faces competition for limited Senate floor time.
The defunct cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox transferred 10,422 BTC ($739 million) from cold storage to a new wallet on June 2, marking its first on-chain movement in over two months. The transfer occurred as Bitcoin traded below $70,000, with approximately 35,000 BTC still remaining for distribution to creditors.
Prediction market platform Kalshi launched the first CFTC-regulated Bitcoin perpetual futures in the U.S. and applied for altcoin derivatives, while former congressman George Santos faces federal investigation for allegedly betting against his own attendance at a State of the Union address on the platform.
Investment firm Bernstein has initiated coverage on Bitcoin miners TeraWulf and Cipher Digital with 'Outperform' ratings and price targets of $36 and $32 respectively, positioning them as 'power landlords' for AI infrastructure. The coverage comes as Bitcoin mining stocks have significantly outperformed BTC in 2026, with miners securing over $110 billion in AI-related deals over the past two years.
New reports warn the cryptocurrency industry faces an accelerating quantum computing threat that could compromise Bitcoin's security sooner than expected, with over $2 trillion in digital assets potentially at risk. Early Bitcoin investor Andrew Gault suggests the industry may be focusing on the wrong vulnerabilities.
Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation that would lock existing U.S. government bitcoin holdings into a strategic reserve for at least 20 years. The bill notably drops earlier proposals to purchase 1 million BTC, focusing instead on preserving current holdings.
Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), a major Canadian pension fund, disclosed a $219 million position in Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), marking its return to Bitcoin exposure via public markets after previously exiting. The fund is now sitting on a $69 million unrealized gain.
The Czech National Bank, the first central bank to test bitcoin for reserves, concluded its study after purchasing $1 million in BTC in October. While finding bitcoin more efficient than stocks and gold, the bank determined it is too risky for sovereign reserve holdings.
Block Inc. revealed it holds 28,355 BTC ($2.2 billion) including $1.5 billion in customer Bitcoin and $692 million in corporate treasury, adding 114 BTC in Q1 and committing to regular third-party audited reports.
Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, indicated that a major announcement regarding Trump's strategic bitcoin reserve initiative is coming within weeks, stating that legislation is progressing through Congress.
The CEO of troubled Polish exchange Zonda revealed a Bitcoin wallet holding approximately 4,500 BTC (worth over $330 million) is inaccessible because private keys were never transferred during a company handover.
Morgan Stanley's MSBT Bitcoin fund has overtaken WisdomTree's spot Bitcoin ETF in assets after only six trading days, with inflows topping $100 million. The fund is now within striking distance of overtaking three other January 2024 Bitcoin ETF launches.
Financial services giant Charles Schwab, with nearly $12 trillion in client assets, announced plans to launch spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading through a new 'Schwab Crypto' account by the end of Q2 2026, with early access subscriptions now available.
Bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms sold 3,778 BTC worth approximately $250-290 million during Q1 2026, more than 2.5 times its production, as part of a strategic pivot toward AI infrastructure. The sales add to a broader trend of public Bitcoin treasury companies liquidating holdings.
A New Hampshire state authority received a provisional Ba2 (speculative-grade) rating from Moody's for a first-of-its-kind bitcoin-backed municipal bond. BitGo will serve as custodian and liquidation agent, marking an early test of crypto as collateral in traditional public finance markets.
Google researchers published findings showing quantum computers may require 20x fewer qubits than previously estimated to break elliptic curve cryptography used by Bitcoin and Ethereum. The research suggests fault-tolerant quantum machines capable of threatening crypto security could arrive by 2029-2032, accelerating industry urgency around post-quantum upgrades.
A group of Bitcoin developers propose BIP-360, introducing a new quantum-resistant transaction type called pay-to-Merkle-root (P2MR). The proposal creates a migration path for new coins but leaves billions in legacy addresses unprotected.
Senator Cynthia Lummis has reintroduced the Bitcoin Act, co-sponsored by five Republican Senators, featuring stringent holding requirements. This bill contrasts with President Trump's plan for indefinite retention, allowing regulated Bitcoin sales under strict conditions.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and digital asset stockpile using cryptocurrencies already owned by the government through law enforcement seizures, rather than purchasing new tokens. The reserve comprises approximately $17 billion in Bitcoin seized in enforcement actions.
