Geopolitics

The United Arab Emirates reportedly released billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets on August 11 and 12, including approximately 1.5 tonnes of gold valued between $200 million and $283 million, according to reports from The Hormuz Letter and sources on X. Bitcoin price moved back

According to reports from The Hormuz Letter and sources on X, Bitcoin recovered above $63,300 on Thursday after claims emerged that the United Arab Emirates released several billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets. Reports cited transfers including approximately 1.5 tonnes of gold valued

On August 13, 2026, from 09:00 to 09:15 (UTC), BTC edged down 0.23% over the 15-minute period, with prices fluctuating between 63,620.1 and 63,772.0 USDT and an Ampl of just 0.24%. The current price is approximately $63,681, down 0.25% over the past 24 hours. Under macroeconomic pressure, the market remains range-bound, generally in a wait-and-see mode rather than experiencing panic selling. The main drivers of this move were the continued escalation of U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions and uncert

On Aug. 13, 2026, the Central Bank of Russia listed Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT) as the crypto assets approved for trading in the Russian market in draft guidelines released for public consultation. The annual limit for nonprofessional investors purchasing crypto assets through a single intermediary is 300k rubles, and they may purchase only the three cryptocurrencies listed above. Three Inclusion Criteria: Market Capitalization, Average Daily Trading Volume, and at Least 5 Y

According to bits.media, Russia's Central Bank has added Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT to its list of cryptocurrencies approved for trading in the Russian market, as detailed in a draft guidance issued by the central bank. Retail investors are restricted to purchasing only these three assets, with an

Congress passed competing stopgap funding bills on July 21 and August 8, moving the government-funding deadline beyond the midterms and reducing the immediate risk of an October shutdown. The House approved

According to Bank of Russia, starting September 1, the central bank will restrict retail cryptocurrency trading on regulated exchanges to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. Non-qualified investors are capped at 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,600) in annual purchases per intermediary, while qualified inv

According to The Bitcoin Historian, a Taiwan lawmaker recently stated Taiwan has a 100% possibility of establishing Bitcoin as a strategic reserve. The lawmaker emphasized that Bitcoin differs from gold due to its digital transferability and verifiability, and noted that nations are increasingly

According to the Bank of Russia's draft directive published on August 11, retail investors in Russia can purchase only three digital assets—Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether's USDT—up to 300,000 rubles (about $3,630-$3,650) per year through any single broker. The whitelist requirement stems from

According to the Korea Blockchain Business Cooperative, the association requested approval for a regulatory sandbox for digital assets during a government regulatory innovation forum held on Aug 12. The cooperative urged the government to allow various pilot projects through the sandbox to

According to Bank of Russia, the central bank published a draft framework on 11 August allowing non-qualified investors to purchase Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether's USDT through licensed brokers, exchanges, and asset managers. Annual purchases are capped at 300,000 rubles per intermediary, with the l

Bitcoin (BTC) remained weak and fell further, trading at around $63,755 as of August 12. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has scheduled a meeting this week to begin formulating cryptocurrency regulations if the CLARITY Act is not passed. The Central Bank of Russia has proposed allowing BTC, ETH, and USDT to be traded on exchanges, with retail investors subject to an annual limit of $3,650. Macro Events & Crypto Highlights CoinTelegraph reported that the U.S. Securities and Excha

According to Tass, citing the Bank of Russia's Telegram channel, the central bank approved Bitcoin trading for retail investors this month, capping annual purchases at 300,000 rubles ($3,632). The selection criteria for approved cryptocurrencies factor in market capitalization, average daily tradin

According to Interfax, the Central Bank of Russia unveiled a draft regulation on August 11, 2026, that would permit Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether (USDT) to be publicly traded on exchanges. Retail investors would be capped at 300,000 rubles in annual cryptocurrency purchases per brokerage firm,

From 18:30 to 18:45 (UTC) on August 11, 2026, BTC plunged sharply over the 15-minute period, posting a Return % of -0.27% and falling back into the 63250.0-63504.7 USDT range, with an Ampl of 0.40%. Order Book data was extremely limited, with depth at only one level. The market was in a low-volatility state, and attention remained relatively stable. The main driver of this move was the sharp escalation of the U.S.-Iran military conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a broad spillover of ge

Russia's Bank of Russia published a draft directive on Aug. 11 allowing non-qualified investors to trade cryptocurrency through brokers, exchanges, or managers, capped at 300,000 rubles per year. The framework approves only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether's USDT for public exchange trading, while qual

From 15:30 to 15:45 on August 11, 2026 (UTC), BTC fell 0.48% over the short term, with its price declining from 63,860 USDT to 63,448.7 USDT and an Ampl of 0.64%. Market trading was subdued, with the overall pullback occurring on low volume. The core drivers of this move were the combination of rising geopolitical risks and macroeconomic policy uncertainty. The deadlock in the U.S.-Iran conflict continued, with the issue surrounding the Strait of Hormuz remaining unresolved. Iran proposed six ne

According to Euronews, Kazakhstan introduced tax incentive measures to encourage individual crypto asset holders to register and transfer their holdings to licensed domestic platforms. Eligible personal digital asset trading income qualifies for a three-year tax break, provided transactions do not i

According to RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), North Korea has laundered at least $2.8 billion in stolen cryptocurrency through fraud rings and organized crime networks between January 2024 and September 2025. The report notes that portions of the stolen funds are resold at discounts through t

According to Cointelegraph, on August 4, Russia's central bank proposed a list of cryptocurrencies eligible for public trading on organized exchanges, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. The proposal follows a new law signed by President Putin,