The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

According to HTX market data, Base ecosystem token BNKR plunged around 18% in a single day, with its market capitalization falling to $25 million. In related development, Bankr founder deployer stated today that token launch platform Pools.fun will roll out its official protocol token. The platform’s plan allocates 30% of all protocol fees to buybacks and burns, alongside planned airdrops and a points system—where both users’ trading volume and volume from tokens they deploy on the platform will be factored in. Pools.fun is a token launch platform jointly launched by Bankr and Sushi, built to compete against Uniswap’s pools.trade on the Robinhood chain.

US initial jobless claims for the week ended August 8 came in at 209,000, marking the highest level since the week ended July 11. The reading exceeded the market expectation of 202,000, while the prior week's figure was revised from 199,000 to 200,000.

Second-largest Ethereum treasury firm Sharplink, Inc. (SBET) announced it will stake $200 million worth of ETH via Lido—Ethereum’s largest liquid staking protocol—receiving wstETH tokens representing the staked ETH and its earnings, which will be held in custody at Anchorage Digital. This move continues the company’s efforts this year to make its ETH treasury more productive for shareholders, adding Lido to its existing staking and restaking strategies. Lido currently holds the majority share of all liquid-staked ETH, with roughly $165 billion in ETH staked on its protocol. wstETH has been integrated into over 100 protocols, with around $100 billion actively used as collateral. wstETH allows holders to utilize the token in Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem while the underlying ETH continues accruing staking rewards. Sharplink CEO Joseph Chalom stated: “This is an exciting expansion that makes our ETH more productive, leveraging wstETH’s composability while maintaining institutional-grade risk standards. Joining the Lido staking protocol deepens the diversification of our treasury strategy and grants us access to one of the most liquid and widely integrated assets in Ethereum’s DeFi space.”

According to Iran’s Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), a spokesperson for Iran’s Joint Military Command stated: "No vessel can safely transit the Strait of Hormuz without prior approval. Any ship passing through the strait must obtain Iran’s permission, and Iran has full control over the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian military monitors U.S. movements in the region, and Trump’s claim about controlling the strait is a lie."

US-listed Ethereum treasury firm Bit Digital (BTBT) has released its Q2 2026 financial results: the company’s total revenue for the second quarter hit $32.1 million, up 15% quarter-over-quarter. Gross profit reached $18.6 million, with a gross margin of 57.9%. Net loss attributable to shareholders amounted to $107.2 million, narrowing from the prior quarter’s $146.7 million loss. As of June 30, 2026, Bit Digital held approximately 164,310.5 ETH, alongside $83.6 million in cash and cash equivalents.

According to Robinhood Markets, Inc.’s July 2026 operational data release, as of the end of July, the platform had 28.5 million funded users, an increase of roughly 1.77 million year-over-year. The platform’s total assets stood at $355 billion, up 19% year-over-year but down 4% month-over-month from June. July net deposits hit $5.6 billion, with an annualized growth rate of 18%. Nominal stock trading volume reached $333 billion, up 59% year-over-year; options contract volume was 324 million contracts, up 66% year-over-year; event contract volume came in at 6.1 billion contracts, surging approximately 20 times year-over-year. Cryptocurrency trading volume underperformed: July’s nominal crypto volume was only $10.9 billion, down 33% month-over-month and a sharp 62% year-over-year drop, with the Robinhood App’s crypto trading volume seeing an even steeper 74% year-over-year decline. On the interest assets side, margin balances totaled $20.7 billion, up 82% year-over-year; cash and deposit balances were $19.5 billion, up 34% year-over-year. Total securities lending revenue reached $40 million, down 34% year-over-year.