The News Tribune Weekly!
Today marks the last day of August, and it’s been quite a ride for crypto this month. Here’s a quick look at some of the key stories from the past week.
Without further ado, let’s move on to point 1!
August’s Crypto Rally Had More Than One Story
As August comes to an end today, crypto can look back on a month when prices moved higher across several assets. However, data from Santiment, the onchain data provider, suggests that the attention behind the rally did not move through the market all at once.
Instead, different assets attracted attention at different points, giving August’s rally a more interesting story than the overall price gains alone suggest.
Zcash and Hyperliquid Stood Out
Zcash recorded one of the biggest changes in social attention. During the ten days after August 19, its social dominance averaged 183% above its pre-rally level.
Hyperliquid also saw a notable increase, with its social dominance averaging 44% above its previous level during the same period.
Bitcoin and Ethereum experienced smaller changes by comparison. Bitcoin dominance increased by around 12%, while Ethereum rose approximately 8% over the same period.
The timing of the price peaks adds another layer to the picture. Ethereum reached its peak on August 11, and Zcash on August 22, while Bitcoin and Hyperliquid both peaked on August 26.
In other words, the assets did not all reach their highs at the same time. Each had its own moment during the month.
Bitcoin’s Strength Adds Another Layer
Bitcoin’s numbers offer another interesting part of the story. Santiment reported that Bitcoin’s social volume increased by roughly 9% in August compared with July, while its price climbed approximately 26%.
This gap also fits into the way capital can move during a rally. Altcoins can perform strongly during an initial move as short positions are closed or squeezed. But when fresh capital returns to the market, Bitcoin can become the stronger performer on subsequent moves.
That does not mean altcoins are left behind permanently. Some can regain their strength and shine again as the rally develops.
Taken together, the figures give August a different shape. The crypto market moved broadly, but the attention was not distributed evenly. Ethereum, Zcash, Bitcoin and Hyperliquid all had their moments, with each reaching its peak at a different point in the month.
August was a rally, but it was not a crowd moving together. It was a queue, with each asset taking its turn.
📉 Bitcoin ETFs Break Their Winning Run as $3B Inflow Streak Fades
Bitcoin’s ETF story has hit a speed bump. After attracting billions of dollars over nine straight trading sessions, spot Bitcoin ETFs finally recorded a day of net withdrawals on August 28. The outflow itself was relatively small compared with the money that had entered the funds in recent weeks, but it comes as Bitcoin struggles to stay above $80,000. That combination has traders wondering whether this is simply investors taking profits or the beginning of a broader shift in sentiment.
💸 Billions flowed in, then investors pulled back
Bitcoin ETFs saw $201.8 million in net outflows on August 28, bringing an end to a nine-day run that generated more than $3 billion in cumulative inflows. ARKB experienced the largest withdrawal at $114.9 million, followed by BITB with $49.7 million and IBIT with $33.4 million. Morgan Stanley’s fund went against the trend, attracting $9.3 million.
Despite the setback, August remains the strongest month of 2026 for Bitcoin ETFs, with approximately $3.3 billion in net inflows. Total assets have slipped to about $97.6 billion after briefly moving above $100 billion.
So, one day of selling does not necessarily mean institutions are walking away. The latest withdrawal represents only around 6.6% of the $3 billion accumulated during the previous streak.
🥇 Ethereum and Solana ETFs tell a different story
While Bitcoin ETFs experienced withdrawals, other crypto investment products continued attracting capital. Ethereum ETFs recorded their 12th consecutive day of inflows, adding $102.2 million on August 28. XRP ETFs also brought in $26.2 million.
Solana’s ETF market has been particularly notable, reaching approximately $1.7 billion in cumulative flows. One Bitwise Solana ETF even crossed the $1 billion mark on its own.
Ether has also recently outperformed Bitcoin, gaining 31.3% for the week compared with Bitcoin’s 23.6%. That performance raises the possibility that some investors are temporarily shifting capital towards alternative cryptocurrencies rather than leaving the crypto market altogether.
📊 Bitcoin faces another test below $80,000
Bitcoin’s price has become the bigger concern. BTC fell from above $81,000 to around $77,500, with the $80,000–$82,000 region proving difficult to overcome.
Glassnode data shows that around 8% of Bitcoin’s supply was acquired within that range, including roughly 5% around $80,000 alone. Bitcoin’s 50-week moving average sits near $81,081, adding another layer of resistance.
The market also had to absorb the expiration of roughly $6.4 billion in Bitcoin options, which may have reduced some of the buying pressure around $80,000.
For now, $77,500 is an important level, while a deeper decline could bring $75,000 into focus. A recovery above $78,500 would offer traders a more encouraging signal.
The bigger test comes next. With employment data and CPI figures due before the Fed’s September 16 meeting, investors have several catalysts to watch. If Bitcoin remains below $80,000 while Ethereum, Solana and other assets continue attracting capital, the current rotation could become more meaningful. But if ETF inflows return, the recent outflow may ultimately prove to be nothing more than a brief pause.
Weekly Recap: The Headlines That Made a Splash!
Like every Monday, here’s your pick of last week’s crypto news that you absolutely shouldn’t have missed!
However, if you’re the type who likes to stay updated every day, we’ve got just the thing for you. We’ve set up a Daily on our Substack. In just five minutes, you’ll be fully in the loop on everything happening in the crypto world! 😎
🏠 Bitcoin holders can now use BTC to help buy a home
Bitcoin can now be used as collateral for a home down payment in the United States without selling the cryptocurrency. Better Mortgage and Coinbase have opened the product to eligible Better customers, allowing borrowers to use BTC to cover the initial payment while keeping their Bitcoin exposure. A borrower with $250,000 in Bitcoin could obtain up to $100,000 for the down payment, with collateral required at 250% of the loan amount. The Bitcoin is held in a Better custody account on Coinbase Prime until the loan is repaid or refinanced. The waiting list had already represented more than $260 million in potential loans.
👉 Read the article
📊 Altcoins capture 65% of Binance trading during the rally
Altcoins accounted for 65% of trading volume on Binance at the peak of the recent crypto rally, their highest share since 2024. Bitcoin represented 21% of activity, while Ether accounted for 13.6%. Altcoin market capitalization also increased by about $135 billion during the rally, while total crypto market capitalization approached $2.74 trillion. Zcash gained nearly 70% in one week, XRP rose 51% and HYPE reached $82.43. Yet the Altcoin Season Index remained at 37, well below the 75 threshold used to identify an altseason.
👉 Read the article
⚠️ 77% of Americans consider crypto risky for retirement
A National Institute on Retirement Security survey of 1,203 Americans aged 25 and older found that 77% consider cryptocurrencies risky investments for workplace retirement plans. Among them, 46% described crypto as very risky and 31% as somewhat risky. The survey also found that 53% oppose employers offering crypto as a 401(k) investment option, while 26% support it. Only 9% of respondents said they already hold this type of investment, and 15% described themselves as very familiar with crypto.
👉 Read the article
🤖 Anthropic puts a $30 trillion ceiling on AI’s potential market
Anthropic is reportedly presenting investors with a total addressable market of more than $30 trillion as it prepares for a potential IPO. The figure represents theoretical annual revenue if the company captured 100% of the activities it considers automatable with AI, including programming, research, finance, media, healthcare, logistics and customer service. Anthropic’s annualized revenue run rate exceeded $65 billion at the end of July, while second-quarter revenue reached $11.6 billion. The company is targeting $190 billion to $200 billion in revenue for 2028.
👉 Read the article
⚡XRP surges 71% as activity on its blockchain accelerates
XRP gained 71% in three days, rising from $0.99 on August 19 to a local high of $1.699 on August 22. At the same time, active addresses on the XRP Ledger jumped from 47,180 to 356,070, an increase of 654.71%. XRP also posted a 49% weekly gain, outperforming Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana over the same period. The move came alongside a US Treasury announcement on $4 billion in long-term bond buybacks. Coinbase’s options market was pricing a potential 13.1% move for XRP by August 30.
👉 Read the article
⚽ Chelsea puts USDC on the front of its Premier League shirts
Circle has become Chelsea’s main partner for the 2026/27 season, placing the Circle and USDC logos on the front of the men’s, women’s and academy teams’ shirts. The partnership was announced on August 28, with the USDC logo making its first appearance during Chelsea’s August 30 home match against Brighton. Chelsea had been without a permanent front-of-shirt sponsor since its agreement with telecommunications company Three ended after the 2022/23 season. Circle becomes the first crypto financial services company to occupy the main shirt position in the Premier League.
👉 Read the article
🏦 BIS questions stablecoins as large-scale payment infrastructure
BIS General Manager Pablo Hernández de Cos said at Jackson Hole on August 28 that stablecoins do not provide sufficient guarantees to become the foundation for large-scale payments. The BIS instead favors tokenized bank deposits, which remain within the banking system and under existing prudential rules. A Financial Stability Institute study published the previous day examined stablecoin rules in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore, finding significant differences in issuance requirements and permitted activities. The BIS also raised concerns about banks losing deposits if users shift funds into stablecoins.
👉 Read the article
🪙 Bitcoin moves closer to gold as its link with tech stocks weakens
Bitcoin gained 26% in August, compared with 13.8% for gold, 4.8% for the Nasdaq and 3.2% for the S&P 500. Its 30-day correlation with gold climbed to +0.81, while its correlation with the Dollar Index fell to -0.86. Bitcoin also moved from around $64,000 to nearly $80,000 in one week after the US Treasury announced that long-term bond buybacks would double to $4 billion per operation. The market is now watching Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech for indications about monetary policy and Treasury coordination.
👉 Read the article
That’s the end of our weekly roundup! 😄
A big thank you for reading. We’ll see you next Monday with even more juicy news from the crypto world!
The Newsletter does not provide investment advice, nor does it offer recommendations to buy or sell financial securities. Any opinions or views that the Newsletter may express in the course of its research activities, particularly regarding markets and/or financial instruments, cannot be held financially liable. Any paid promotions will always be clearly indicated so as not to mislead the reader.
Thank you for following our weekly newsletter! To stay at the heart of the news, subscribe for free to our daily edition and receive each day a summary of the most important events in the crypto ecosystem.
