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US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a net inflow of $32.11 million, while spot Ethereum ETFs experienced a net outflow of $18.65 million, highlighting a divergence in investor sentiment. Data from SoSoValue indicates sustained institutional interest in Bitcoin, whereas Ethereum funds are witnessing short-term profit-taking. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led daily inflows with $89.83 million, bringing its total net inflow to $60.42 billion. Conversely, Fidelity's FBTC saw the largest daily outflow at $43.08 million. Overall, the total net asset value of spot Bitcoin ETFs reached $77.46 billion, accounting for 6.08% of Bitcoin's total market cap, with cumulative net inflows hitting $51.36 billion. In the Ethereum market, despite the overall outflow, Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust (MSSE) attracted a daily inflow of $14.30 million, and BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) saw $5.16 million in inflows. Fidelity's Ethereum Fund (FETH) recorded the largest daily outflow of $16.07 million.

The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two Iranian marine insurance firms, Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority. These companies, allegedly controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are accused of using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to circumvent US sanctions. The US government states these firms force commercial vessels to purchase mandatory insurance for passage through the Strait of Hormuz while Iran itself creates the primary risks, including ship seizures. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that the US will not allow Iran to hold global trade hostage or finance terrorism. The sanctions also target eight vessels in Iran's "shadow fleet" involved in transporting oil and petrochemicals. This action is part of broader US pressure on Iran's key economic sectors.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's persistently hawkish monetary policy stance is expected to continue pressuring cryptocurrency markets, particularly Bitcoin, despite holding interest rates steady. Analysis following the July 29 rate decision indicates this approach, aimed at combating inflation even at the risk of slowing growth, creates unfavorable macroeconomic conditions for crypto assets. Tighter policy could reduce system-wide liquidity and dampen investor risk appetite. Specifically, crypto positions reliant on leverage or cheap financing will face higher costs, potentially exerting downward pressure on Bitcoin. Institutional investors may adopt more defensive portfolio strategies if the Fed's firm rhetoric persists, potentially increasing selling pressure on risky assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies. A accelerated shift toward safer havens such as bonds and cash could slow capital inflows into crypto markets. While Bitcoin has shown relative resilience, maintaining key support levels amid recent macroeconomic shifts, experts warn that any new or unexpectedly hawkish signals from the Fed regarding further policy tightening could trigger fresh market volatility. In such a scenario, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies might face additional near-term price pressure.

An unpublished Anthropic AI model, Claude Mythos Preview, broke the post-quantum signature scheme HAWK-256 in about 60 hours at a cost of roughly $100,000. The AI uncovered a previously unknown symmetry in HAWK's design, reducing its security effectiveness by 50% and slashing the required work from ~2^64 to ~2^38 operations. The algorithm, a candidate in NIST's post-quantum cryptography evaluation, was subsequently withdrawn by its creators. This event does not pose an immediate threat to Bitcoin, as Bitcoin never used HAWK-256. Bitcoin currently relies on ECDSA and Schnorr signatures on the secp256k1 elliptic curve, which are unrelated. However, the incident significantly changes a key assumption in Bitcoin's post-quantum roadmap: AI is making the testing and potential breaking of complex cryptographic systems faster and more affordable. The development intensifies the debate on when Bitcoin should begin its transition to quantum-resistant cryptography. Proposals like BIP-360 (introducing P2QRH outputs using NIST-approved ML-DSA/SLH-DSA) and BIP-361 (phasing out ECDSA) are already in motion, having bypassed HAWK. The core challenge is whether AI-assisted cryptanalysis could compromise these intended replacement algorithms before the network completes its migration. Analysts warn that AI is accelerating cryptanalysis, compressing security timelines. Combined with quantum computing advances, this underscores the urgency for Bitcoin's transition. Reports estimate roughly 6.7 million BTC (worth nearly $600 billion) could be vulnerable to a sufficiently advanced quantum computer, with a non-trivial probability of such a machine existing by 2035. The primary issue is no longer solely hardware development but whether the network can execute a successful protocol upgrade in time.

The U.S. Treasury Department's OFAC has imposed sanctions on two Iranian marine insurance companies, Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority, for using cryptocurrency to evade sanctions. The Treasury alleges the firms are controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and force commercial vessels to purchase mandatory insurance for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran itself creates the primary risks. HormuzSafe notably accepts payment in Bitcoin and other digital assets. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the measures aim to prevent Iran from taking global trade hostage or using shipping to finance terrorism and repression. The sanctions also target eight vessels in Iran's "shadow fleet" transporting oil and petrochemicals. These actions are part of broader U.S. efforts, under an existing executive order, to pressure Iran's oil sector and its economy, which is suffering from high inflation.