PANews

PANews, August 21 — OKX market data shows that BTC has just surpassed $73,000, currently at $73,042.80 per coin, up 0.79% today.

PANews, August 21 — According to Bybit market data, the three major U.S. stock indexes all closed lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.24%, the Nasdaq down 0.83%, and the S&P 500 down 0.84%. Crypto-related stocks were mixed, with COIN (Coinbase) up 5.80% during the day and HOOD (Robinhood) down 1.95%.

PANews, August 21 — According to CCTV News, U.S. President Trump announced that White House Director of Legislative Affairs James Braid will leave office in September. It was also reported that Braid is a senior aide responsible for liaising with Congress on behalf of the White House. Braid is another White House aide who is set to leave office soon. On August 12, Trump announced that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt would resign at the end of August to spend more time with her family.

The siphoning effect of AI on the semiconductor industry chain continues to intensify, with a new wave of price hikes—broader in scope and stronger in impact—expected in the second half of 2026. Maxscend Microelectronics, Nationz Technologies, ST, and ADI have successively adjusted prices, covering areas including memory, MCUs, RF front ends, power components, analog devices, and passive components. The price increases are driven by AI computing demand boosting mature process nodes, along with rising costs, tight supply and demand, and the expansion of domestic substitution, propelling the industry into an upward cycle of rising volumes and prices.

According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin’s sharp rise this week may be driven by easing in the U.S. Treasury market and the White House’s comments on stabilizing bonds. Analysts said that if the bond market requires policy support, the market will favor scarce and predictable assets, which Bitcoin fits. The U.S. Dollar Index fell to 98.77, its lowest level since May, and its weakness may create a favorable environment for Bitcoin. The market will focus on the White House’s comments on the bond market, geopolitics, and initial jobless claims data.

Bitcoin’s upward momentum is strengthening, bringing it close to a golden cross, which is viewed as a long-term bullish signal. The 50-day moving average is currently around $63.98k, while the 200-day moving average is around $69.01k. If the 50-day moving average breaks through and rises above the 200-day moving average, it could trigger a golden cross. The long-term trend is determined by the 200-day moving average; BTC has fluctuated below this line multiple times since October 2025. If it falls below the 200-day moving average, the bullish logic behind the golden cross will become invalid.

Franklin Templeton has obtained U.S. regulatory approval to incorporate tokenized assets into traditional funds and plans to use tokenized money market funds as holdings and collateral in ETFs and mutual funds. This move marks the first time digital-native products have entered the traditional fund system, aiming to leverage blockchain to improve liquidity, transparency, and operational efficiency, and promote blockchain applications in asset issuance, trade settlement, and fund management.

Franklin Templeton announced that its first collateralized fund obligation (CFO) raised $150 million with participation from global investors. Evercore served as the structuring advisor and placement agent, while Simpson Thacher served as issuer’s legal counsel. FTIS served as the collateral manager, responsible for portfolio management, liquidity, and risk control. As of July 2026, alternative assets under management totaled approximately $295 billion.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, possibly to discuss the “three major super projects,” focusing on the semiconductor and AI industries as well as SK hynix’s investment in southwestern South Korea. Market rumors suggest that the U.S. may ask South Korea to increase semiconductor investment in the U.S., while South Korea’s industry minister said no discussions on the matter have yet taken place. The two previously met at the AI summit in San Francisco, and officials have not disclosed the specific content of their talks.

CoinDesk reports that the U.S. Treasury will regularly buy back long-term government bonds and may expand the scale of these purchases, potentially making them a key catalyst for Bitcoin’s next rally and creating conditions for BTC to surge to $180k. The move aims to stabilize the bond market and bring yields in line with fundamentals. After the announcement, Bitcoin briefly rose to around $73k. Connors said that if intervention in the bond market drives down long-term interest rates, it could ease macroeconomic pressure on risk assets such as Biduibi and improve the outlook for capital inflows.

The U.S. Treasury plans to establish low-cost, common-sense investment rules for “Trump Accounts” and prohibit investments in ESG funds within the accounts, alongside provisions for other low-fee options, ensuring investors retain more of their money.

Reports indicate that the CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting at 1 p.m. Eastern Time today, focusing on issues including cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and prediction markets. Representatives from the crypto industry, traditional finance, academia, and prediction markets will attend, aiming to strengthen communication between the CFTC and emerging technology industries. The meeting is expected to discuss digital asset regulation, AI applications, and the development of prediction markets, and may signal the future direction of crypto market regulation.

Privacy blockchain project Beldex announced the completion of an $8 million funding round led by Sigma Capital, with participation from NTC, Nxgen, Digital Consensus Fund, EAK Ventures, and others. The new funds will be used for developer tools, privacy applications, protocol security, AI infrastructure, and ecosystem expansion, focusing on research into technologies including privacy-preserving AI identities, encrypted AI communications, confidential payments, secure AI execution, and fully homomorphic encryption.

PANews, August 20 — According to Bitcoin Magazine, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said: “I think there’s a very good chance that we’re at the beginning of the next bull market.” “Look at the September 15 vote on the CLARITY Act, as well as October, November, and December following Bitcoin’s halving cycles. These months have traditionally been good times for Bitcoin.”

PANews, August 20 — According to CLS, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that because companies believe they will earn high returns from artificial intelligence investments in the future, the corporate debt issuance he has observed is “nearly insensitive to yields.”

Coldcard released Mk4/Mk5 5.6.1 and Q 1.5.1Q firmware, enhancing mnemonic security. When generating a new mnemonic, the new version requires user-provided entropy: 65 unpredictable key presses, 50 dice rolls, or 128 coin flips, combined with entropy from the STM32 TRNG, SE1, and SE2. It does not repair already generated mnemonics. If affected, update the device first, then generate and verify a new mnemonic before transferring funds; updating and verifying the signed firmware is recommended.

A couple in France’s Landes department were held hostage after intruders broke into their home, targeting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. At 4 a.m., the robbers forced them to hand over their assets before taking them away. The man was found in the town of Solférino with multiple cuts and completely naked; the woman was found in a car in another, more distant department. Gendarmes sealed off the roads and launched an investigation. Two men have been arrested so far, and the case is being handled by the Bordeaux Interregional Specialized Court and the National Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office.

A U.S. Treasury official said the per-operation cap for Treasury buybacks could exceed the previous $4 billion limit, highlighting the powerful toolkit the United States has in the Treasury market. Xiaocai noted that on the 19th, the Treasury announced that the liquidity buyback size for long-term nominal coupon-bearing Treasury securities (10–20 and 20–30 years) would at least double, with the per-operation cap rising from $2 billion to at least $4 billion, effective September 9, 2026, and covering the current reopening quarter through November 4.

PANews, August 20 — According to GMGN data, the issuing address of “Niu Lai” has issued a new token, “Golden Bull.” The address has now issued a total of 10 tokens, generating 204.13 BNB in total fee revenue (approximately $131k).