KLEA Crypto Daily: Monday, August 18, 2025

Published: August 19, 2025 – 00:04 UTC

Here’s a look back at the key stories from August 18, 2025.

SEC Taps Into Early Crypto Projects With Direct Outreach to Shape New Rules

The SEC is launching direct engagement with early-stage blockchain startups, signaling a major regulatory shift toward proactive dialogue, compliance clarity, and stronger U.S. leadership in crypto.

AI Agents Are Taking Over Game Development: Google

The vast majority of game developers are using AI agents to cut costs, speed up production, and interact with players in real time, a Google study shows.

US Treasury Calls for Public Comment on GENIUS Stablecoin Bill

The US Treasury is seeking public comments on innovative methods to detect illicit activity involving digital assets, as required by the GENIUS Act. The deadline for comments is Oct. 17.

Faraday Future Outlines Multibillion-Dollar Crypto Investment Strategy

Nasdaq-listed electric vehicle firm Faraday Future plans to invest billions in cryptocurrencies and launch a "C10 Treasury" with a $30 million investment in digital assets. This move aligns with the growing trend of publicly traded corporations entering the crypto sector.

Polygon DeFi TVL jumps 43% in 2025 as QuickSwap, Polymarket lead inflows

The total value locked (TVL) in Polygon’s DeFi ecosystem has surged nearly 43% since the beginning of the year, reaching $1.23 billion as of August 18. QuickSwap and Polymarket were the main drivers behind the $80 million increase in TVL, with QuickSwap surpassing $440 million in total deposits for the first time since May 2022.

Bitcoin, Ether set for squeeze as traders go record short ETH at $4.3K

Bitcoin and Ether are facing a potential squeeze as traders go record short on ETH at $4.3K, with price action targeting liquidation clusters after a cross-crypto drawdown.

Google’s pro forma stake in fifth-largest bitcoin miner TeraWulf grows to 14% as miner plans

Google's pro forma stake in the fifth-largest bitcoin miner TeraWulf has grown to 14%, as the miner announces a $400 million fundraising plan, signaling increased interest and investment in the cryptocurrency mining sector.

BitMine Immersion Amasses $6.6B Ethereum Hoard, Tops Corporate Holders

BitMine Immersion Technologies has accumulated approximately 1.52 million Ethereum tokens worth $6.6 billion, making it one of the largest corporate holders of Ethereum.

Tom Lee’s $5 Billion Ethereum Bet Puts Bitcoin Maximalists On Notice

Tom Lee's company, Bitmine Immersion Technologies, has quickly built the largest corporate Ethereum treasury in the world, with holdings worth $5.26 billion, signaling a significant shift towards Ethereum over Bitcoin.

Ethereum Leads Inflows with 77% Share of $3.75 Billion

Ethereum captures the spotlight by attracting $2.87 billion in inflows, comprising 77% of the total $3.75 billion net inflows into digital asset investment products last week. The surge follows a period of market stagnation and contributes to a record $244 billion in total assets under management.

Bybit EU Launches Spot Margin Trading for European Users

Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, introduces Spot Margin Trading on its EU platform, offering European users up to 10x leverage with regulatory compliance, transparency, and risk management features. This move aims to enhance trading flexibility while ensuring user control and regulatory alignment.

Ethereum ICO Wallet Offloads $19 Million in ETH to Kraken Amid Market Dip

An Ethereum ICO wallet has sold $19 million worth of ETH to Kraken during a market dip, as reported by The Block.

NEAR Protocol Price Drops 8% After Network Upgrade Despite Institutional Interest

NEAR Protocol's price falls to $2.57 (-8.22%) following a successful hard fork completion, with mixed signals from technical indicators and institutional selling pressure impacting sentiment, according to Blockchain News.

Faraday Future Bets Big On Web3, Crypto Assets With New $1 Billion Strategy

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric (NASDAQ:FFAI) launched its “EAI + Crypto” Dual-Flywheel & Dual-Bridge Strategy at Pebble Beach on August 16, positioning itself at the intersection of AI mobility and Web3. The company aims to merge Embodied AI (EAI) with the rapid growth of the crypto asset economy, creating a circular growth system between Web2 and Web3.

Dutch firm Amdax plans Bitcoin treasury listing on Euronext Amsterdam

Amdax is launching a Bitcoin treasury firm aiming for a Euronext listing as more European companies join the growing corporate Bitcoin adoption wave.

NFT Market Cap Drops by $1.2B as Ether Rally Loses Steam

The NFT market cap decreased by 12% to $8.1 billion as Ether's decline impacted popular collections like CryptoPunks and Bored Apes, while Pudgy Penguins saw an increase, climbing into second place.

North Korea’s Lazarus Group Linked to £17M Crypto Heist That Shut Down UK Startup Lykke

The UK Treasury has formally accused North Korea’s notorious Lazarus Group of carrying out a cyberattack that stole approximately £17 million ($22.8 million) in digital assets from Lykke, a UK-registered cryptocurrency trading platform. The attack took place in 2024 and involved the theft of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several other cryptocurrencies.

Source: KLEA News