According to Cointelegraph, financial technology companies are increasingly exploring decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocols as an alternative to traditional lending services. DeFi offers users the ability to lend and borrow cryptocurrency in a permissionless manner through smart contracts, bypassing numerous financial intermediaries. This shift is driven by the growing efficiency and accessibility of DeFi lending, which may prompt more fintech companies to adopt these protocols over centralized alternatives. Merline Egalite, co-founder of Morpho, the second-largest decentralized lending protocol, highlighted the strategic importance of integrating DeFi during an exclusive interview at EthCC 2025. Egalite emphasized that fintechs are recognizing the competitive advantage DeFi offers in terms of user experience and product offerings. He noted that DeFi adoption can enable financial institutions to provide superior financial products for lending and trading, potentially inspiring a significant portion of global fintech firms to transition to DeFi within the next three years. Morpho, with a total value locked (TVL) of over $5.5 billion across 20 blockchains, ranks behind AAVE, which leads the industry with a $31 billion TVL. DeFi lending protocols present a crucial financial lifeline for individuals lacking access to traditional banking infrastructure, thanks to their permissionless nature that circumvents traditional banking restrictions. Egalite pointed out that fintech firms using traditional banking systems risk losing their licenses or API access, whereas DeFi eliminates intermediaries, relying solely on the trust in the code. The advantages of DeFi's permissionless nature are increasingly recognized by fintech firms, and regulated yield-bearing products may further encourage financial institutions to explore DeFi lending. Recent data from DefiLlama indicates that DeFi lending reached a new cumulative all-time high of $66.7 billion in TVL, with AAVE's protocol accounting for 47% of the total DeFi lending value and Morpho contributing over 8.2%. This marks a significant recovery for crypto lending, which faced challenges starting in 2022 when several centralized finance lenders filed for bankruptcy amid declining crypto valuations.

According to PANews, TAO Synergies Inc. (Nasdaq: TAOX) has announced that as of July 17, 2025, it has acquired 29,899 TAO tokens, the native cryptocurrency of Bittensor, as part of its digital asset reserve strategy. The purchase, amounting to $10 million, was made at an average price of approximately $334 per token. This acquisition positions TAO Synergies as the largest publicly listed holder of TAO tokens globally.

According to BlockBeats, Coinsilium Group Limited, a publicly listed blockchain company based in the United Kingdom, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Forza Gibraltar Limited, has acquired 10.25 bitcoins. This purchase increases the subsidiary's total bitcoin holdings to 112 coins.

Binance Blog published a new article, highlighting the company's ongoing efforts to combat crime in the digital asset space. This initiative was underscored by a recent meeting between Binance CEO Richard Teng and Chiu Shao-Chou, Deputy Commissioner of Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), in Taipei. The meeting aimed to exchange insights and strategies for tackling the increasingly complex and transnational nature of virtual asset crimes. During the meeting, the CIB presented Binance with a commemorative badge, acknowledging the company's significant contributions to investigating and preventing illicit activities involving virtual assets. This gesture of appreciation reflects the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors in enhancing enforcement capabilities through technology-driven partnerships and information sharing. Binance CEO Richard Teng expressed his gratitude for the recognition, emphasizing the company's commitment to working with law enforcement agencies to combat illicit activities. He stated that building a secure and trusted ecosystem requires collective effort and strong partnerships, and Binance is dedicated to leading by example in upholding the highest standards of trust and security across the industry. The meeting also highlighted a recent successful collaboration between Binance and Taiwanese authorities, where Binance assisted in recovering over NT$26 million in criminal funds linked to a syndicate. This case exemplifies the tangible impact of public-private partnerships in advancing effective crime prevention and recovery. Since 2022, Binance's collaboration with Taiwanese law enforcement has grown significantly, with the company receiving an increasing number of requests from local agencies. Binance has conducted over 20 training sessions in Taiwan, reaching more than 2,000 officers and stakeholders, further strengthening its commitment to supporting law enforcement efforts. Globally, Binance continues to play a pivotal role in supporting cybercrime investigations. The company has responded to over 240,000 law enforcement requests and delivered more than 400 training sessions worldwide. These efforts equip investigators and officers with the necessary blockchain tools and expertise to identify and disrupt criminal activity. As cyber threats continue to evolve, Binance remains steadfast in its commitment to working hand-in-hand with public and private partners to ensure a safer, more secure digital financial landscape. This global commitment to safety underscores Binance's dedication to fostering a secure environment for digital transactions and maintaining the integrity of the digital asset industry.

Odaily Planet Daily News Binance officially released a notice about Trusta AI, saying: "The only official website of @TrustaLabs promoted by us on Binance Alpha and Binance Futures is trustalabs.ai. Currently, there are tweets that automatically link to a fake website that has nothing to do with the project and may be suspected of impersonation. Please be sure to check the URL carefully before participating to ensure that you are visiting the correct site.

Netflix has officially incorporated generative artificial intelligence (AI) into one of its original productions, marking a first for the streaming giant.

EU imposes new sanctions on individuals and companies for misuse of crypto in disinformation and circumvention. source: https://en.spaziocrypto.com/crypto/eu-against-crypto-disinformation-and-sanctions/

BlackRock’s Ethereum (ETH) appetite appears far from satisfied. source: https://finbold.com/blackrock-is-buying-5-times-more-ethereum-than-bitcoin/

According to Foresight News, SolanaFloor reports that Solana (SOL) experienced a price increase to $184 within the past 24 hours. This surge resulted in the liquidation of a $22 million short position at the $183 price point. During the same period, the total liquidation of SOL short positions reached $34.59 million.

Odaily Planet Daily News: Market data shows that C (Chainbase) rose briefly above 0.5 USDT and is currently trading at 0.4923 USDT, with a 24H increase of 249.25%.

GENIUS, stablecoin, detailed explanation of the US "Genius Act" Golden Finance, the US "Genius Act" was finally passed.

Odaily Planet Daily News According to the official announcement, Gate Wallet BountyDrop has launched Caldera and Tagger airdrop activities. Users can enter the BountyDrop section through the Gate Wallet App "Discover" page to participate in the task. Completing the task will give you a chance to win rewards. BountyDrop is an exclusive coin-earning activity area in the Gate Wallet "Discover" page. Users can have the opportunity to win rewards or participate in the lottery to get airdrop tokens by completing simple tasks. In addition, the Gate Wallet invitation rebate function has been launched. Old users can go to the invitation page to receive a limited-time exclusive benefit of 20% handling fee rebate. Invite friends to bind and you can also get 30% of the friend's transaction fee as a rebate, and friends can receive 20% of their own transaction fee rebate. Gate Wallet connects 100+ public chains, millions of assets and tens of thousands of DApps in one stop, opening a professional-level Web3 experience and providing the best solution for every Web3 need.

Scale AI has cut 700 jobs, including 200 full-time staff and 500 contractors, as part of a major restructure. The company is narrowing its focus to coding, language and audio data after rapid growth created overlaps and confusion.

Standard Chartered Bank, Cryptocurrency, Standard Chartered enters the game, Crypto breaks the circle, Golden Finance, true decentralization is not in the menu, but in the behavior.

A former National Crime Agency officer was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for reaching into the digital wallet of a suspect he was investigated and pocketed 50 bitcoins from his crypto wallet, earning himself a total of £4.4 million.

External buyers are driving the ETH asset, challenging our perception that it can only go down and not up.

The global expansion of stablecoins has profoundly reshaped the international monetary power structure. The United States has incorporated stablecoins into the dollar system through the "GENIUS Act", strengthening the trend of "digital dollarization".

An Australian fintech company, Block Earner, has launched the country’s first mortgage that accepts Bitcoin as loan security. This became possible after a court ruled the product doesn't need a financial licence, letting people use crypto to buy homes without selling it.

After Michael Saylor's Bitcoin reserve strategy was imitated by more than 50 companies, Wall Street has turned its attention to more productive assets, and this time, Ethereum has become the protagonist.

The implementation of the US policy has undoubtedly reassured the crypto market. As the GENIUS Act is about to be signed into law, how will the banking, retail, payment, and Wall Street financial giants react? How to deal with the impact of the crypto bill?