SpendNode Podcast: Crypto News & Analysis

More than half of recent de novo bank charter applications to the OCC involve digital assets, a sign that crypto is moving into the federal banking perimeter. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/occ-bank-charters-23-of-40-digital-assets-august-2026/

Bitcoin futures open interest set a record on Aug 15, 2026, with more leveraged positions open than the whole market trades in a day. Here is the liquidation math. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-futures-record-leverage-open-interest-august-2026/

Brian Armstrong says most G20 nations already regulate crypto trading while the US stays fragmented. Here is where US rulemaking stands as of August 2026. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/g20-crypto-regulation-us-outlier-armstrong-august-2026/

Ledger Wallet now converts USD and EUR to USDT or USDC inside the app, powered by Noah. Here is what the in-app funding change means for Ledger card users. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/ledger-wallet-cash-to-stablecoin-noah-fiat-conversion-august-2026/

BitMart is considering creditor repayments and a phased restart less than a month after announcing it would shut down. What the reversal means for deposits. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitmart-restart-creditor-payouts-shutdown-reversal-august-2026/

El Salvador's treasury reached 7,751 BTC worth about $599M as of August 23, 2026, extending a one-coin-a-day accumulation policy that has outlasted its IMF deal. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/el-salvador-7751-btc-daily-buy-august-2026/

A 72-hour squeeze wiped $2.7B in short positions as Bitcoin climbed to $77,285 and XRP jumped 6.8% in a day. The leverage math behind the move, as of August 22, 2026. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/crypto-2-7-billion-shorts-liquidated-72-hours-august-2026/

Binance Pay now works at 3,700+ merchants in Bhutan through DK Bank QR codes, with zero transaction fees through 2026. What it means for spending crypto abroad. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/binance-pay-bhutan-3700-merchants-zero-fees-august-2026/

US spot Bitcoin ETFs closed the week with $1.92 billion in net inflows, the strongest since the market recovery. Here is what the full-week number shows. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-etf-inflows-1-92-billion-strongest-week-august-2026/

SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda names three immediate crypto goals: end regulation by enforcement, issue interpretive guidance, and work with Congress on rules. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/sec-uyeda-three-prong-crypto-strategy-end-enforcement-august-2026/

Bitcoin fell about $2,000 shortly after Jim Cramer told viewers to buy it, and $1.3B in leveraged positions were liquidated. The prices and the pattern behind the move. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-drops-2000-jim-cramer-buy-call-1-3-billion-liquidated-august-2026/

Bitcoin's rally to $77,034 could let Riot Platforms reclaim up to 1,500 BTC pledged against a $200M Coinbase loan, easing pressure on a leveraged miner. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/riot-platforms-unlock-1500-btc-bitcoin-rally-august-2026/

Aave founder Stani Kulechov says protocol deposits have reached $30B, a sign that on-chain liquidity is returning to DeFi lending after a quiet stretch. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/aave-deposits-30-billion-defi-liquidity-returns-august-2026/

US spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $1.67B across five straight trading days, led by BlackRock's IBIT, even as BTC trades at $76,686 after a soft 24 hours. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-etf-inflows-1-67-billion-blackrock-ibit-august-2026/

Ledger's new Transaction Check scans Ethereum transactions in real time and warns users before they sign, targeting the phishing and approval scams that drain wallets. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/ledger-wallet-transaction-check-ethereum-threat-detection-august-2026/

KuCoin Pay rolled out a Gift Card letting businesses send USDT and USDC in bulk via API for rewards, payroll, and loyalty. What it means for stablecoin payments. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/kucoin-pay-gift-card-stablecoin-distribution-august-2026/

Nasdaq-listed SharpLink Gaming staked another 39,319 ETH, per Lookonchain, deepening a corporate bet on Ethereum as ETH trades near $2,424 on August 21, 2026. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/sharplink-gaming-stakes-39319-eth-treasury-august-2026/

Bitcoin trades near $77,600 as of August 21, 2026, up 21% since a Treasury buyback announcement revived the dollar-debasement trade. Glassnode data breaks it down. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-21-percent-treasury-buyback-dollar-debasement-august-2026/

US prosecutors added defendants to an Iran-linked hacking case, tying six to HBO's 2017 breach and a Bitcoin ransom demand that climbed to about $6 million. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/doj-iran-hacking-case-17-defendants-hbo-bitcoin-ransom-august-2026/

Japan approved Laser Digital Japan for a crypto license, its first new grant in four years, clearing the Nomura-backed firm to supply liquidity to domestic providers. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/japan-first-new-crypto-license-four-years-laser-digital-august-2026/

Trump says CFTC Chair Michael Selig is working to bring the $200B on-chain venue Hyperliquid onshore, forcing regulators to define a legal on-chain exchange. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/trump-cftc-onshore-hyperliquid-onchain-exchange-rules-august-2026/

Bitdeer AI has contracted roughly half its new Malaysia data center under a 5-year, ~$400M offtake deal and is targeting 350MW of AI cloud capacity by Q1 2028. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitdeer-400m-malaysia-data-center-ai-offtake-august-2026/

MANTRA Chain stopped block production and froze every transaction on August 21, 2026 after an unidentified incident, leaving OM holders locked out mid-rally. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/mantra-chain-halts-network-freezes-transactions-august-2026/

The SEC cleared Franklin Templeton's ETFs and mutual funds to invest in its blockchain-based money market fund, a US first that folds tokenized assets into mainstream portfolios. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/franklin-templeton-sec-tokenized-money-market-fund-etfs-august-2026/

CFTC Commissioner Mike Selig says the agency will use existing authority to regulate crypto asset markets if the CLARITY Act stalls. Here is what that means. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/cftc-mike-selig-unilateral-crypto-regime-clarity-act-stalls-august-2026/