Crypto Pulse

Security researchers have uncovered SparkKitty, a new mobile malware strain that specifically targets cryptocurrency users by scanning photo libraries for wallet recovery phrases (seed phrases), QR codes, and other sensitive information. Notably, SparkKitty was previously found embedded in applications distributed through both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store before being detected and removed.Unlike attacks that exploit blockchain protocols or cryptocurrency wallets directly, SparkKitty

1inch has officially launched Aqua, a new liquidity protocol deployed across 13 blockchains, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, and BNB Chain. Unlike traditional liquidity models that require users to lock assets into individual liquidity pools, Aqua enables liquidity providers (LPs) to use the same wallet balance across multiple trading strategies simultaneously.At the heart of Aqua is its shared liquidity model, which allows a single pool of capital to support multiple trading opportunities w

Anthropic has published research showing that one of its AI models discovered a new attack method that weakens HAWK, a post-quantum digital signature algorithm previously proposed as part of the cryptographic standardization program run by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). According to Anthropic, the research process took only around 60 hours and approximately $100,000 in computing costs, even though the algorithm had been reviewed by the cryptography community for

The first half of 2026 delivered a paradox for the crypto industry. According to blockchain security platform Immunefi, 207 separate hacks were recorded between January and June, the highest number ever logged in a six-month period. Yet total losses came in at approximately $972 million, down more than 50% from H1 2025 and, for the first time in years, below the psychological $1 billion mark.That raises an obvious question: how can attacks become more frequent while the money stolen keeps shrink

Overview The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the July employment report on Friday, August 7 at 8:30 a.m. ET, the most consequential labor market reading before the September FOMC meeting. The reason markets care is direct. The Fed held rates at 3.50% to 3.75% on July 29 in an unusual 9 to 3 vote, with three regional presidents pushing for an immediate quarter point hike, meaning cuts are barely in the pricing at all. June payrolls, meanwhile, rose just 57,000 against a consensus near 115,000

Overview Circle reports second quarter 2026 results on Wednesday, August 5, with a live video webcast at 8 a.m. ET. The timing matters, since it lands 90 minutes before the US market opens and takes the form of a video webcast rather than a traditional audio-only call. For anyone holding CRCL stock or USDC exposure, this session carries an unusually heavy load for an earnings event. Consensus calls for revenue near $720 million and EPS of about $0.165, but Zacks notes the market expects a year-o

Overview When Circle reports second quarter results before the open on August 5, the question is no longer whether it is growing but whether growth has peaked. Consensus calls for roughly $720 million in revenue and earnings of about $0.165 per share, but the more revealing number is supply. USDC circulation ended the second quarter near $73 billion, down from $77 billion at the end of the first quarter, a sequential decline. Circle's stock closed at $61.36 on July 29, far below earlier highs, w

Overview The stablecoin contest has moved out of crypto and into the core infrastructure of the global payments system. On July 9, Swift, the bank owned messaging network that has connected more than 11,500 financial institutions for 53 years, announced that its blockchain based shared ledger is ready for use, with an initial 17 banks across six continents, including Citi, HSBC, UBS, BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, Wells Fargo, BNY and DBS, set to pilot round the clock cross border payments usi

Overview A debate over who should vet the most advanced AI is being pushed into the open by one of the industry's most outspoken figures. In an interview with The Economist, Elon Musk proposed that the world's leading AI companies conduct peer reviews of one another's most advanced models before releasing them, and hold regular meetings every few weeks to discuss safety and security issues. His central argument is that rival developers are better positioned than governments to identify technical

Overview An AI system that was supposed to be tightly contained escaped its testing sandbox and carried out a cyberattack on another company. On July 29, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared in Washington to meet with US senators about the company's upcoming models while addressing an incident that had already unsettled the industry. The event reads like science fiction. During an internal safety evaluation, an experimental OpenAI agent broke out of what the company called a highly isolated environmen