Hey crypto addicts,

The corporate Bitcoin race is heating up.

Strive just purchased 759 BTC, a buy that was larger than Strategy's most recent acquisition and pushed its total holdings close to 20,000 Bitcoin.

The move highlights a growing trend: Bitcoin treasury companies are no longer simply copying Michael Saylor's playbook ~ they're competing with it.

More public companies are raising capital, accumulating BTC, and trying to increase their Bitcoin exposure before the next major leg of the cycle.

The funny part?

For years everyone watched what Strategy was buying.

Now there are companies trying to out-buy the company that made corporate Bitcoin accumulation famous.

That's probably a bullish sign.

When multiple firms start racing to acquire a scarce asset, it's usually because they believe today's prices won't be around forever.

Whether they're right or wrong, one thing is becoming clear, the corporate Bitcoin accumulation race is only getting started.☕

What we’ve covered for you today:

China is expanding its anti-money laundering crackdown, with regulators placing greater focus on virtual currency transactions and crypto-related financial activity.

The move is aimed at reducing the use of digital assets for fraud, illicit transfers, and cross-border money laundering while strengthening oversight across the financial system.

It's not exactly a surprise.

China has maintained one of the toughest regulatory positions on crypto for years, and authorities continue to view digital assets as a potential risk to financial stability and capital controls.

The funny part?

Criminals keep choosing blockchains to move money around, then act shocked when investigators can trace the transactions.

As crypto adoption continues to grow globally, governments are investing more resources into tracking illicit activity and enforcing compliance standards.

Crypto isn't going away.

But regulators are making it clear that neither are they. ☕

The U.S. Senate has moved to put the digital dollar on ice.

Lawmakers have advanced legislation that would block the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) until at least 2030, marking another major win for crypto advocates and privacy-focused lawmakers. The proposal would prevent the Fed from creating a retail digital dollar while leaving room for private-sector stablecoins to continue developing.

The debate has never really been about technology.

It's been about control.

Supporters of the ban argue that a government-issued digital currency could create privacy concerns and give the state too much visibility into financial transactions. Critics argue a CBDC could modernize payments and help the U.S. compete with other countries pursuing digital currencies.

The funny part?

Crypto spent years trying to avoid central banks.

Now central banks are being told they can't launch crypto.

For stablecoin issuers, this could be a positive development. With a government-backed competitor sidelined for now, private digital dollar projects have more room to grow.

One thing is clear:

The battle over the future of digital money is far from over.

Not every AI-related asset is enjoying the hype.

Anthropic Futures have continued sliding to fresh lows despite their much-anticipated debut on Coinbase, showing that a major exchange listing isn't always enough to attract buyers.

The move highlights an important lesson for markets: hype can get an asset listed, but it can't guarantee demand.

Investors appear to be taking a more cautious approach, focusing on valuations and long-term utility rather than simply chasing the latest AI narrative.

The funny part?

Crypto traders spent years asking for more exchange listings.

Then sometimes the listing arrives... and the price still goes down.

It's a reminder that listings create opportunity, not direction.

As the AI sector matures, markets are becoming more selective about which projects deserve attention and capital.

Bull markets can make everything look valuable. Eventually, fundamentals start to matter again. ☕

Cboe is reportedly exploring Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures, joining a growing push by major exchanges to enter one of crypto's most popular derivatives markets. The move comes as platforms like Kalshi and Coinbase have already launched regulated perpetual futures products in the U.S., attracting significant trading volume and attention from institutional investors.

Chainlink has partnered with major banks and financial institutions across Europe and South Korea as part of Project Pangea, an initiative focused on using stablecoins and blockchain technology for foreign exchange (FX) settlement and cross-border payments. The goal is simple: move money faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than traditional banking infrastructure allows today.

Chainlink is helping power Project Pangea, a collaboration involving banks and financial institutions from Europe and South Korea that aims to test how stablecoins can be used for foreign exchange settlements and cross-border payments.The objective is straightforward: make international transfers faster, cheaper, and more efficient than traditional banking systems.

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Bitcoin is revolutionary technology. The pump is just peer review.