Celsius co-founders Shlomi Daniel Leon and Hanoch “Nuke” Goldstein have agreed to pay more than $6 million to resolve Federal Trade Commission allegations stemming from the cryptocurrency lending platform’s collapse.

Goldstein, the former chief technology officer, will pay $2.014 million, while Leon, the former chief strategy officer, will pay $4.1 million under separate court orders. The settlements follow a $10 million agreement reached by former chief executive Alex Mashinsky in April.

Celsius held assets valued at $25 billion at its peak but owed customers $4.7 billion when it filed for bankruptcy in July 2022. The FTC alleged that executives misrepresented the platform’s reserves, insurance coverage and lending practices, including claims of safety made shortly before the filing.

The orders also prohibit Leon and Goldstein from marketing or selling products involving deposits, exchanges, investments or withdrawals of digital assets. Payments will offset part of a larger $4.72 billion judgment for alleged consumer harm.

Mashinsky received a 12-year prison sentence in May 2025 after pleading guilty to fraud charges related to misleading customers on risks and profitability.

Celsius co-founders Shlomi Daniel Leon and Hanoch “Nuke” Goldstein have reached settlements with the Federal Trade Commission totaling more than $6 million over allegations related to the platform’s collapse.

US District Judge Denise Cote approved the orders, with Goldstein required to pay $2.014 million and Leon $4.1 million. The agreements resolve claims that executives misrepresented the safety and operations of the cryptocurrency lending platform prior to its 2022 bankruptcy.

The settlements extend regulatory consequences from the Celsius failure beyond former chief executive Alex Mashinsky, who reached a $10 million agreement with the FTC in April. Celsius held $25 billion in assets at its peak but owed users $4.7 billion when it filed for bankruptcy in July 2022.

The orders also impose bans on Leon and Goldstein from marketing or selling certain crypto-related products and services. The payments will be credited against a broader $4.72 billion judgment reflecting alleged consumer harm.

The FTC accused the company of falsely claiming sufficient reserves for withdrawals, a $750 million insurance policy on deposits and avoidance of unsecured loans. Executives continued to assure customers of safety shortly before the bankruptcy filing.

Mashinsky was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2025 after pleading guilty to fraud charges.

Grayscale Investments has filed a registration statement for the first US exchange-traded fund tracking Worldcoin, expanding its range of cryptocurrency-related products beyond major assets such as Bitcoin and Ether.

The proposed Grayscale Worldcoin ETF would list on Nasdaq under the ticker GWLD. BitGo Bank & Trust would provide custody for the WLD token, with BNY Mellon acting as administrator and transfer agent. CSC Delaware Trust Company would serve as trustee.

The preliminary prospectus does not yet specify management fees, seed capital, authorized participants or liquidity providers.

Worldcoin’s WLD is an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain associated with the World project, which employs biometric verification to distinguish individuals from automated systems. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman co-founded the initiative.

The filing brings Grayscale’s total cryptocurrency-related exchange-traded products to 17, covering assets including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Dogecoin and Chainlink.

White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt has postponed military training to continue supporting the CLARITY Act as it advances toward a Senate vote.

Witt confirmed the deferral in a social media statement, allowing him to remain involved in negotiations for the legislation, which aims to establish a comprehensive federal framework for digital assets. The bill faces a deadline before the August 8 congressional recess.

Separately, shares of Bitcoin mining companies rose sharply after announcements of major artificial intelligence infrastructure contracts. Hut 8 secured a 15-year, $9.8 billion lease for its data center campus, while IREN reported $2.8 billion in cloud services agreements and raised its annualized revenue target for the business above $4 billion by the end of 2026.

Several peers, including Cipher Digital, CleanSpark and MARA Holdings, posted gains of at least 9 percent. The developments highlighted the sector’s ongoing diversification into high-performance computing amid challenges in traditional mining economics.

In asset management news, Grayscale Investments outlined plans to implement regular cash distributions from staking rewards on its Ethereum and Solana exchange-traded products. Amendments to the relevant trust agreements are expected around August 7, with quarterly conversions of rewards into cash for shareholder payouts.

The move follows Grayscale’s initial staking distribution for its Ethereum product earlier this year. The Ethereum fund holds approximately $1.22 billion in net assets, while the Solana fund stands at $101.13 million.

Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network developed by Coinbase, is preparing to introduce 1:1-backed tokenized equities in the near term.

Jesse Pollak, the network’s creator, indicated in a Tuesday social media post that the launch is imminent, with final preparations underway. He acknowledged that a competing Ethereum layer-2 platform had successfully implemented similar products and noted Base’s intention to follow suit promptly.

The development reflects Base’s strategic shift toward financial applications, including trading, payments, artificial intelligence agents and tokenized assets. The network had previously emphasized social and creator-focused products but has adjusted its priorities accordingly.

US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded net inflows for a fifth consecutive session on Monday, marking the longest such streak since early May.

The funds attracted $226.9 million in new capital, the largest single-day total since July 6. Cumulative inflows over the five-day period reached approximately $727.3 million.

The performance reduced year-to-date net outflows to below $5 billion. It followed a period of broader market recovery, with Bitcoin climbing above $65,000.

Analysts noted that the inflows may indicate easing selling pressure more than a resurgence in broad institutional interest. Sustained upward momentum in Bitcoin prices would likely be required to support further capital allocation to the products.

Bitcoin traded near $65,879 at the time of reporting, up 3.3 percent over the prior 24 hours.

A United Kingdom parliamentary group has initiated an investigation into barriers faced by cryptocurrency businesses and consumers in accessing banking services, including account openings and transaction restrictions.

The Crypto and Digital Assets All-Party Parliamentary Group announced the inquiry on Monday. It will evaluate the effects on investment, competition and economic growth, while assessing whether current measures are proportionate.

Stakeholders including banks, payment providers and crypto firms have until August 31 to submit written evidence. The group intends to release findings and recommendations afterward.

A survey conducted earlier this year by the UK Cryptoasset Business Council revealed that 10 exchanges reported banks blocking or delaying 40 percent of transactions. Seventy percent of respondents indicated the restrictions had diminished their willingness to invest, expand or hire in the United Kingdom.

Participants in the survey, which included major platforms such as Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini, reported increased instances of blocked customer transfers. One exchange estimated nearly 1 billion pounds in declined transactions over a 12-month period.

Industry representatives have argued that banks should apply differentiated risk assessments based on regulatory status, governance and fraud controls rather than uniform restrictions. They noted that blanket policies and transaction limits often fail to distinguish between high- and low-risk cases.

The inquiry precedes the Financial Conduct Authority’s planned start of full authorization applications for crypto firms on September 30. Full implementation of the regulatory regime is scheduled for October 2027.

Experts have highlighted a potential inconsistency between the government’s goal of positioning the UK as a global crypto hub and ongoing challenges in securing banking partnerships for authorized entities.

Bitcoin surpassed $66,000 on Tuesday, breaking through recent resistance levels and recording its highest price in more than a month.

The cryptocurrency reached an intraday high of $66,306. The move followed repeated tests of the $65,000 area and came amid renewed trader optimism for further gains.

Market participants pointed to potential upside toward $67,000 and beyond, with some forecasts suggesting an additional 5 percent to 6 percent increase if nearby resistance at $67,500 to $68,000 is cleared. The $70,000 level has emerged as a longer-term focus.

Short liquidations contributed to the upward momentum, with approximately $200 million in cross-cryptocurrency positions closed over 24 hours. Derivatives data indicated growing demand for upside exposure into month-end, particularly ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting on July 28-29.

Traders noted that while some buying interest appeared limited, the price action reflected improving risk sentiment amid ongoing geopolitical developments. The next key test for sustained momentum lies in holding above the recent breakout zone.

Russia’s State Duma has passed a comprehensive bill establishing a regulatory framework for digital assets, advancing the country’s efforts to formalize cryptocurrency activity.

The lower house of parliament approved the measure, known as bill No. 1194918-8, in its second and third readings on Tuesday. The legislation now awaits signature by President Vladimir Putin to take effect.

The bill sets rules for various market participants, including exchanges, brokers, custodians, asset managers and crypto exchangers. It grants the Bank of Russia significant oversight powers, including the ability to approve eligible crypto assets and issue detailed regulations.

Separate provisions apply to qualified and non-qualified investors. Non-qualified investors would face annual limits of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,800) for crypto purchases through a single intermediary and 100,000 rubles for transfers abroad. Qualified investors would encounter higher caps of 3 million rubles for purchases and 1 million rubles for international transfers.

Domestic use of crypto assets for payments for goods and services remains prohibited. The legislation permits their application in foreign trade settlements to support cross-border transactions.

If signed, most provisions would enter into force on September 1, 2026, followed by a transition period ending July 1, 2027. After the transition, transactions must occur through regulated entities, with banks required to block non-compliant activity.

The central bank is expected to issue around 80 supporting regulatory acts by year-end. Additional bills addressing taxation and penalties for violations are also under consideration.

Industry representatives described the legislation as an initial step, noting that practical implementation will depend on further infrastructure development and detailed rules.

Gate Europe chief executive Giovanni Cunti has cautioned that some cryptocurrency firms already licensed under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation may still exit the bloc due to mounting compliance costs.

Cunti highlighted the challenges during a Monday interview, noting that stricter requirements have raised barriers for sustained operations. He indicated that several licensed entities could struggle to maintain the necessary resources over the long term.

The MiCA framework’s 18-month transition period concluded on July 1, compelling firms serving EU clients to obtain authorization or halt regulated activities. Several exchanges responded by limiting or withdrawing services in parts of the region.

Cunti observed that the regulatory environment, while enhancing investor protections, may discourage innovation compared with jurisdictions offering lighter oversight. Some projects could opt to establish operations elsewhere to avoid the compliance burden.

The number of authorized crypto-asset service providers has continued to expand, reaching 294 after the European Securities and Markets Authority added 14 firms on Friday.

Cunti noted that the reduction in market participants from thousands to hundreds creates opportunities for remaining providers, particularly as customers seek to maintain access to EU services.