The DeFi (decentralized finance) market is heating up again, with the total value locked (TVL) surging past $116 billion—a level not seen since April. This 4.95% jump in just 24 hours is fueled by rising crypto prices and fresh money flowing into lending platforms, restaking services, and other yield-generating tools. Ethereum and Solana are leading the charge, soaking up most of the action.

Editor’s Note: After a sluggish stretch, DeFi is showing signs of life again. This rebound suggests growing confidence in crypto markets and a renewed appetite for risk—especially in lending and staking, where users chase higher returns. For investors, it’s a signal that DeFi might be shaking off its recent slump, but as always in crypto, today’s rally could shift fast.

TRON DAO—a decentralized group pushing for a more open internet via blockchain—just made waves as a top-tier "WAGMI" sponsor at Europe’s biggest Ethereum conference, EthCC. They teamed up with heavyweights like MetaMask and Arkham to host events, signaling a collaborative push in the crypto space despite Ethereum and TRON historically being seen as competitors.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just another crypto conference sponsorship. TRON’s high-profile role at an Ethereum event hints at bridges being built between rival blockchain ecosystems. For everyday users, it could mean smoother cross-chain tools down the line—and proof that even decentralized networks are better when they play nice.

Big players Ondo Finance and Pantera Capital are teaming up to drop $250 million into tokenizing real-world stuff—think stocks, bonds, or even real estate—but on the blockchain. Their new fund, Ondo Catalyst, will back projects turning traditional assets into digital tokens, betting big on the future of "RWAs" (real-world assets) in crypto.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just another crypto fund—it’s a sign that institutional money is getting serious about blending old-school finance with blockchain tech. Tokenizing real assets could unlock liquidity for things that are usually hard to trade (like private equity or property), but it also raises questions about regulation and who actually benefits. If it takes off, it might reshape how we think about owning and investing in, well, everything.

Backpack, a Solana-based trading platform, ran into trouble after scheduled maintenance this week. The system restarted with glitches that messed up users' futures orders and balance reports—prompting CEO Armani Ferrante to vow investigations and compensation. While they’d warned users about downtime, the post-maintenance hiccups still caused headaches.

Editor’s Note: For crypto traders, platform stability is everything—especially when futures and balances get scrambled. This snafu shakes confidence in Backpack’s reliability, even if they’re owning up to it. It’s a reminder that in decentralized finance, even routine updates can go sideways, leaving users scrambling.

Two big Russian insurance companies—Renaissance Life and BCS Life Insurance—are now offering life insurance policies that let customers invest in Bitcoin indirectly. These policies are tied to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which is the largest Bitcoin ETF out there. It’s a way for people to get exposure to crypto without buying it directly, wrapped up in a traditional financial product.

Editor’s Note: This move shows how crypto is creeping into mainstream finance, even in markets like Russia where regulations are tricky. For everyday investors, it’s another sign that Bitcoin is being treated more like a "real" asset—but it also means insurers are betting on its long-term appeal. Whether that’s smart or risky depends on who you ask.

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, has skyrocketed to become the asset manager's third-biggest revenue generator in just 18 months—a meteoric rise that’s turning heads. The fund’s performance has even prompted Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor to predict it’ll soon snag the top spot.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just another ETF success story—it’s a signal that Bitcoin is gaining serious traction in mainstream finance. BlackRock’s stamp of approval and IBIT’s rapid ascent suggest institutional investors are warming up to crypto in a big way, which could further legitimize Bitcoin as an asset class and shape future investment trends.

A crypto research strategist at 21Shares, Matt Mena, argues that June's surprisingly strong U.S. jobs report—with 147,000 new non-farm payrolls versus the expected 110,000—creates a "soft-landing" economic scenario that could propel Bitcoin to over $200,000. The data suggests a resilient economy without overheating, which might boost investor confidence in riskier assets like crypto.

Editor’s Note: If the economy cools just enough to avoid recession but doesn’t spiral into inflation chaos, it could be the sweet spot for Bitcoin. Strong job growth hints at stability, and crypto traders love stability—it often means more money flowing into speculative bets. Whether BTC actually hits $200K is anyone’s guess, but this report adds fuel to the bullish fire.

Circle’s stock (CRCL) has left Bitcoin in the dust since its public debut in early June, skyrocketing by 472% compared to Bitcoin’s performance over the same period. The company, which went public at $31 a share, is now riding a wave of investor enthusiasm that’s far outpacing even the crypto giant.

Senator Cynthia Lummis just introduced a bill aimed at clarifying how crypto transactions—like tiny payments or rewards for validating blockchain transactions—should be taxed. The proposal tweaks the tax code to define terms like "digital asset" and treats most crypto as property (unless it’s just a digital version of something else). Basically, it’s trying to cut through the confusion around crypto taxes, especially for small-scale users and validators.