Cryptocurrency
A16z Joins Legal Fight Against Treasury and IRS Over DeFi Rules

Michele Korver, head of regulation at Andreessen Horowitz’s blockchain arm, A16z Crypto, has voiced strong opposition to the US Treasury and IRS’s newly issued broker reporting rule.
In an official statement, she claims that it jeopardizes the future of decentralized finance (DeFi) innovation in the United States.
Treasury’s “Midnight” Reporting Rule Lambasted
In a December 30 tweet, Korver outlined A16z’s support for a lawsuit filed by the DeFi Education Fund, the Blockchain Association, and the Texas Blockchain Council. This lawsuit aims to block regulations stemming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which seeks to expand the definition of brokers in a way that could include DeFi trading front-ends.
These platforms, which allow users to interact with decentralized protocols, do not directly facilitate transactions, a distinction highlighted in the lawsuit. The groups argue that the rule imposes undue burdens on DeFi entities, violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and exceeds the Treasury’s statutory authority.
Korver described the rulemaking process as a rushed “midnight” decision that undermines DeFi’s potential to deliver accessible, efficient, and consumer-focused financial services. She further stated the broader implications of the rule, warning that it could stifle innovation and drive DeFi operations offshore.
A16z Crypto even went on to reiterate that it would defend the sector through multiple avenues, including legal challenges and legislative advocacy with Congress and the incoming executive branch. Korver reassured developers that industry attorneys are working to protect this technology, stating that these efforts are critical to preserving the transformative potential of decentralized financial systems.
“We believe that this final rule exceeds Treasury’s statutory authority, violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and is unconstitutional. DeFi builders should feel confident that industry attorneys are working hard to protect this technology. We will keep fighting on all fronts – in the courts, and with the help of Congress and the incoming executive branch.”
IRS Attracts Backlash
Jake Chervinsky, a prominent voice in crypto policy and head of policy at Blockchain Association, also weighed down on the recent developments and pointed out the swift legal response by the crypto industry on the broker rule, which was challenged within 24 hours of its announcement. Chervinsky praised the industry’s evolution of policy infrastructure in the USA over the last couple of years and expressed optimism about the future of crypto and its ability to push back against regulatory overreach.
This stance has been echoed by other prominent figures in the crypto space. Unsiwap founder Hayden Adams, for one, criticized the rule’s timing and potential impact while suggesting that it represents a deliberate attempt to hinder DeFi innovation. He expressed confidence in legal and legislative challenges to overturn the rule.
Meanwhile, Uniswap CLO Katherine Minarik also said that “there is no good reason for the IRS’s new rule misclassifying DeFi technology as brokers.” The exec added,
“It races past the plain limits set by Congress, it will produce far more pointless paperwork than the IRS can handle, it contradicts itself throughout on the tech, and it imposes a burden that could cripple DeFi entirely. All so we can … conduct unnecessary mass surveillance on crypto transactions by everyday Americans. DeFi is the antidote to debanking. The last thing we can afford to do is try to choke it to death next.”
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Cryptocurrency
Ripple (XRP) News Today July 30th

The last few weeks have been quite turbulent for XRP and the company behind it. In this article, we will check the latest updates involving the two and analyze the token’s price dynamics.
Has the Ripple/SEC Battle Concluded?
The major developments in the legal battle between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), more specifically, the company’s court wins, have left some with the expectation that the tussle is over.
Just recently, the American lawyer Bill Morgan said the regulator has not withdrawn its appeal yet. He emphasized that the Commission faces no formal deadline to do so, though it is required to submit a status update to the appeal court by August 15.
The legal contest refers to a court decision in 2023. Back then, Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Ripple’s sales of XRP tokens on secondary markets are not securities. The SEC appealed the ruling, while the company filed a cross-appeal, which was later withdrawn.
Earlier this year, the two parties jointly requested that the appeals be paused to allow time for a potential settlement. The court respected their wish but required the regulator to file a status report by mid-August. Many believe that if the SEC agrees to withdraw its appeal, it could mark the final resolution of the case.
To the uninitiated, it all started in December 2020 when the Commission filed a lawsuit against Ripple, accusing it of conducting an unregistered securities offering by selling XRP tokens. Initially, it sought a whopping fine of $2 billion, while years later, Judge Torres ruled a penalty of $125 million. Moreover, the SEC and Ripple shook hands on an even smaller sum of $50 million.
RLUSD Keeps Progressing
One trending asset within Ripple’s ecosystem is the USD-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD. The product, which officially debuted in December of last year, recently saw its market capitalization soar past $500 million and caught the eye of some major financial players.
As CryptoPotato reported, the asset was recognized by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) as a crypto token within the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), while the oldest US bank, BNY Mellon, agreed to serve as a custodian for RLUSD.
Meanwhile, the stablecoin’s market cap continued to grow in the following weeks and currently stands at approximately $577.6 million.
Spot XRP ETF Incoming?
Several XRP exchange-traded funds have popped up in the United States over the past several months. However, all of them are futures-based, and you can check the details here.
The XRP army has been eagerly awaiting the launch of a spot XRP ETF, which is expected to have a more significant impact on the price of the underlying token.
Some of the well-known firms willing to launch such a product include Bitwise, Grayscale, Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree, and more. According to Polymarket, the approval odds before the end of the year stand at around 87%.
XRP Price Outlook
Ripple’s native token exploded to a new all-time high of $3.65 in mid-July, but since then, it has been on a downtrend, currently trading at around $3.08 (per CoinGecko’s data).
However, some important factors suggest this could be a temporary correction, followed by another rally. Large investors, for instance, have acquired 60 million XRP tokens in the last 24 hours. This shows strong confidence in the asset and could encourage other smaller players to jump on the bandwagon, too.
The amount of tokens stored on exchanges has been declining lately, suggesting that holders might have moved their funds into cold storage. This, in turn, reduces the immediate selling pressure.
Last but not least, the number of XRP wallets keeps growing, hinting at solid user engagement and rising interest in the network. The figure reached a peak of 7.2 million on July 21 and is currently inching towards 7.3 million.
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Cryptocurrency
Solana (SOL) Plunges by 10% Weekly, But This Market Signal Says ‘Buy the Dip’

TL;DR
- Analysts point to certain indicators that suggest SOL could be poised for a rally in the near future. Some of the biggest optimists believe the price could soar to a new all-time high of $400.
- SOL’s RSI hovers just above 30, signaling oversold conditions. Combined with increased token withdrawals from crypto exchanges, this could reduce sell pressure and hint at a possible short-term recovery.
Buying Opportunity?
Solana’s SOL has declined by over 10% in the past week, currently valued at around $177 (according to CoinGecko’s data). However, the X user, Ali Martinez, estimated that the TD Sequential indicator has flashed a buy signal.
Buy the Solana $SOL dip, says the Tom DeMark Sequential indicator! pic.twitter.com/cyE5MR45DY
— Ali (@ali_charts) July 30, 2025
The analyst isn’t the only one with a bullish stance following the price drop. One X user claimed SOL “is setting the pace,” predicting a pump to as high as $400.
“Ignore the noise. This isn’t hype, it’s a shift in momentum. Smart money isn’t chasing later – it’s positioning now. Solana season is real,” they added.
BitBull thinks SOL’s current price performance resembles that of 2023, which was followed by a major breakout. The analyst argued that the activity in the Solana network is still strong, while institutional inflows “are coming.”
“All it needs now is a weekly close above $230, and SOL parabolic run will start,” the X user suggested.
AlejandroBTC stands in the opposite corner, claiming there’s no real momentum, while exit liquidity is “getting thinner by the day.” The analyst forecasted that SOL’s price could continue to plunge, warning investors that the altcoins are not in a bull market.
Observing Other Metrics
Over the past several months, the shift of SOL tokens from crypto exchanges toward self-custody methods has been more than evident. This results in reduced immediate selling pressure.
Solana’s Relative Strength Index is the next technical analysis tool we will touch upon. It tracks the speed and magnitude of recent price changes and helps traders identify overbought or oversold conditions. The metric varies from 0 to 100, and ratios around or below 30 suggest SOL could be headed for a rebound, while anything above 70 is considered bearish territory. Currently, the RSI stands at just over 30.
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Cryptocurrency
Ethereum ETF Inflows Soar in July, Outpacing Last 11 Months Combined

Ethereum’s 10th anniversary is proving to be more than symbolic. As the network celebrates a decade since mining its genesis block on July 30, data shows a record-breaking surge in institutional demand.
Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $5.41 billion in net inflows in July alone, surpassing the combined capital entries of the previous 11 months, which stood at $4.21 billion as of June 2025.
Institutional Investment Pushes ETH Into a New Phase
Data from SoSoValue shows that ETH ETFs have had $9.62 billion in cumulative fund deposits since their launch in July 2024. However, the inflows haven’t been consistent.
After a rocky start, with $483 million in outflows in their first month, the ETFs saw steady growth. They hit 10 figures for the first time in November 2024, when $1.05 billion came into the funds, followed by an even more impressive $2.08 billion the following month.
The first quarter of 2025 was more muted. January and February saw a combined $161.23 million in new capital before a poor showing in March led to more than $403 million flowing out of the ETFs.
Since then, the products have been on a tear, with investment activity growing exponentially month after month, to finally hit $5.41 billion in July. The explosion suggests a shift from institutional caution to aggressive accumulation, with ETH emerging as the clear beneficiary of this sentiment shift.
Data from SoSoValue shows that BlackRock’s ETHA alone now holds $11.39 billion in assets, while Grayscale’s ETHE remains in recovery after $4.31 billion in cumulative withdrawals. Together, these movements have pushed Ethereum ETF assets to $21.61 billion, which is about 4.75% of ETH’s market cap.
Price Momentum Builds as ETH Nears $4K
The price of ETH has also seen a fair amount of growth recently. At the time of writing, it was trading at $3,786, up 3.1% over the past week and 19.6% in the last fortnight despite a 2.4% dip in the previous 24 hours amid profit-taking.
It has also climbed 53.3% across 30 days, moving from around $2,470 to approach the $3,900 range, even briefly touching $3,933 before retracing.
QCP Capital has cautioned that derivatives positioning and overheated funding rates may create near-term resistance around $4,000, yet the structural tailwinds from ETF demand remain intact. If these fund flows persist, Ethereum could not only challenge its November 2021 all-time high of $4,878 but also cement itself as the centerpiece of a potential altcoin-led market cycle.
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