SnapShot 216

ETH and SOL lead sustained market rally

Hello SnapShotters,

History was made last Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law. The bill sets a federal framework for stablecoins, requiring full backing by liquid reserves and monthly disclosures. 

Markets responded swiftly: Crypto-linked equities trended upwards, and capital flowed across the board. With the stroke of a pen, crypto edged closer to mainstream legitimacy.

For the first time this year, Ether came close to claiming $4,000; XRP hit a new all-time high at $3.64, and Solana brushed past $200 as DeFi Development Corp boosted its SOL treasury to 999,999 SOL — all while Bitcoin stayed within a price band of $117K and $120K. The Altcoin Season Index jumped 155% as BTC dominance slipped, backing the intensifying narrative: ‘altszn’ is here.

A record was also set for crypto ETFs last week. Spot ETH ETFs posted a record $2.2B in weekly net inflows — the largest since their inception — as U.S. spot BTC ETFs pulled in $2.4B, a slight dip from the week prior.

Let’s get into the other developing headliners in this bull sprint.

Market Spotlight

Note: Market prices captured in USD at the time of sending. Explore more on Crypto‌.com/Price. 
Want more? Get weekly Market and DeFi Updates from Crypto.‌com’s Research Team.

News Snaps

🌊 Altcoin Season Index Jumps 155%

The Altcoin Season Index surged from 20 to 51 in the past 30 days as Bitcoin dominance fell to 60.9%, signaling a pivot into ETH, SOL, and mid-cap names like TON and SUI. With ETH ETFs drawing record inflows and Solana DEX volumes soaring, signs point to a growing altcoin revival.

🏦 Ether Machine Aims to Be ETH’s Strategy

Ether Machine is going public via a Nasdaq SPAC merger, backed by $645M in anchor funding to build the largest public ETH treasury, with staking yield as its edge. It joins a growing cohort of firms pivoting from BTC to ETH as institutional demand shifts.

🇯🇵 84% of Japanese Crypto Holders Want Tax Reform

A new survey shows most Japanese crypto users would buy more BTC, ETH, and altcoins if Tokyo introduced a flat 20% tax on profits. Currently, crypto gains are taxed as miscellaneous income — at rates as high as 55% — deterring wider adoption.

🪂 DeFi Dev Corp All in on SOL Treasury

Nasdaq-listed DeFi Development Corp now holds 999,999 SOL after a $198M acquisition — all staked for yield. It contributed to Solana’s 12% jump to $202, with the firm reasserting its ETH-free, SOL-only treasury strategy.

⛽ Ethereum Validators Back Higher Gas Limits

Ethereum’s gas limit climbed to 37.3M as 47% of validators support raising it to 45M, boosting Layer-1 throughput and lowering fees. The “pump the gas” campaign, backed by Vitalik Buterin, comes amid rising transactions per second (TPS) and a 54% ETH price surge in the past month.

What’s Ahead

🔭 Ethereum Sets November Launch for Fusaka Upgrade

Ethereum core developers have scheduled the Fusaka hard fork for November 2025, with testnets rolling out from late September. The upgrade targets scalability and resilience, while proposals for the follow-up Glamsterdam fork — including a block time cut — are set to be decided by August 1.

Number of the Week

Chart of the Week

📊 Global Crypto Market Cap Tops $4 Trillion for the First Time

Total crypto market capitalization crossed the $4T threshold last Thursday — a new all-time high for the industry. The milestone coincided with a surge in institutional demand and a breakthrough week in U.S. crypto regulation, as the House of Representatives passed three landmark bills.

Crypto Trivia

Which publicly-traded company currently holds the largest corporate treasury of Ether (ETH)?

A) Strategy
B) SharpLink Gaming
C) Tesla

Find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter. 👇

NFT Spotlight

Hark back to the early beginnings of the internet when online pirates rode the digital torrents in ‘Degen Pirates Bay (I)’. The 5,000-profile collection, dropping on Wednesday, July 30, is a love letter to the internet culture of the 2000s, complete with pixels, plugins, and pure digital anarchy.

A pioneering voice in the crypto art space, Jesu Moratiel blurs the line between the physical and digital in his reflective pieces that explore life, death, and love.

The avatars in ‘Degen Pirates Bay (I)’ are a wild fusion of tribal, tropical, and steampunk aesthetics made with traditional drawings and 3D modeling. No two are alike, and each NFT is packed with a unique personality.

Owning one gets you more than a killer avatar — think potential access to exclusive contests, community perks, and limited-edition merch from LABS MORATIEL.

The old web is calling. Time to weigh anchor and set sail!

Product Updates

Transact Instantly With Quick Buy on the Crypto.com Exchange

The Quick Buy feature lets you purchase tokens with a single click. You can buy more than 400 cryptocurrencies with various payment methods, including credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and cash — available on both the Crypto.com Exchange web and app. Try Quick Buy now. 

60,000 USDC to Be Won in the Onchain Royal Trading Competition 

We’re halfway through Onchain Royale, jointly hosted by dYdX and Crypto.com. The top trader will walk away with 8,000 USDC from a pool of 60,000 USDC. To be eligible for the USDC prizes, be sure to achieve a trading volume of at least US$25,000. The competition is available in Crypto.com Onchain Wallet, and ends on July 29. Hurry and join now. T&Cs Apply. 

Get up to 3% on TAO With Crypto Earn

Bittensor (TAO) has been added to Crypto Earn in the Crypto.com App, which currently supports more than 20 tokens. Explore them all and their respective yields by simply going into the Earn tab in the Crypto.com App. Get started with Earn now. 

The Loaded Lions: Mane City Blazing the Trail  Blitz Is Coming Soon!

Gear up for the very first Blitz to kick off the Loaded Lions: Mane City competitive season III, featuring the Blazing the Trail Blitz. You can stand to win from a starting prize pool of $25,000 worth of CRO and NFTs. In addition, 100% of diamond spend will be added to all prize pools, with 70% allocated to this Blitz. The Blazing the Trail Blitz takes place from July 25, 2025, 13:00 UTC to August 1, 2025, 13:00 UTC. Start playing Mane City now. T&Cs Apply.

This is informational content only and should not be considered as an investment recommendation. Some Crypto.com products may not be available in some jurisdictions.

Crypto Learn

5 Things to Know About AI Agents in Web3

AI agents are quickly becoming the behind-the-scenes powerhouses of Web3. From managing crypto wallets to generating NFT campaigns, these bots have gone beyond just tools to be autonomous digital workers.

Here’s what they’re already doing:

1. DeFi Auto-Pilots
They’re like robo-advisors, but smarter. These agents manage wallets, rebalance assets, and chase yield across protocols in real time.

2. Content Machines
Agents generate copy, visuals, and videos for campaigns attuned to your Web3 audience.

3. Smarter NPCs
Non-playable characters (NPCs) no longer stick to static scripts. They can respond to token prices, player behavior, and market dynamics in blockchain games.

4. Research Bots
Agents now track GitHub comments, DAO chatter, DEX trades, and wallet flows to identify trends before they go viral.

5. Security Scanners
Agents function like a 24/7 on-chain auditor, detecting sketchy contracts, frontrunning bots, and exploiting patterns before they strike.Interested in learning more? Check out our University article for the intel on AI agents.

CryptoIRL

@disn0tkim soaking in some nature at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore with the Jade Card. What are your weekend plans?

Hashtag #CryptoIRL with your Crypto.‌com Card on your social profiles to get featured! Your 15 minutes of fame in the #CROFam awaits you!

Security Tips

Retired Cop Loses US$1.1M in Crypto Scam

A 65-year-old retired Australian police officer has reportedly been scammed out of approximately US$1.1 million in a cryptocurrency investment scheme.

The victim met a man known as ‘Alex’ on social media and was later invited to Phuket, where Alex pitched a crypto opportunity promising 5% to 10% monthly returns. Convinced by Alex’s confident pitch and in-person meeting, Reinecke invested, only to be told shortly after that the platform had collapsed.

Since then, Alex has vanished, and Reinecke has been unable to make contact.

How to stay safe from crypto scams:

1. Never trust high guaranteed returns. Promises like “5 to 10% per month” are major red flags.
   
2. Verify platforms and people. Research thoroughly. Don’t rely on face value or social media connections.
   
3. Use secure, regulated platforms. Stick to exchanges and wallets with strong reputations and security standards.

Crypto can offer real opportunities, but always protect your funds with the same care you would your life savings.

Crypto Trivia Answer

B) SharpLink Gaming
SharpLink Gaming recently surpassed the Ethereum Foundation in ETH holdings, with approximately 205,634 to 280,706 ETH in its treasury — roughly $500 million to $840 million — staked to earn yield.

That’s it for this week’s SnapShot. Want more? Find out what’s trending in the crypto world.