https://hodluppod.com/blogs Independent crypto, markets and Web3 news, research and analysis from the Hodl Up editorial desk. en © 2026 Hodl Up Podcast Wed, 22 Jul 2026 21:09:07 GMT https://hodluppod.com/assets/brand/hodlup-logo.png https://hodluppod.com/blogs https://hodluppod.com/news/russian-duma-passes-crypto-law-with-3-800-retail-cap https://hodluppod.com/news/russian-duma-passes-crypto-law-with-3-800-retail-cap Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation Russia's State Duma has passed a comprehensive crypto market law, introducing a $3,800 annual investment cap for retail investors and legalizing crypto for cross-border trade. https://hodluppod.com/news/augustus-secures-180m-seriesb-for-ai-powered-clearing-bank https://hodluppod.com/news/augustus-secures-180m-seriesb-for-ai-powered-clearing-bank Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Crypto Banks Augustus recently raised $180 million in Series B funding at a $1 billion valuation to expand its AI-driven clearing bank infrastructure for global dollar access and stablecoin transactions. https://hodluppod.com/news/network-school-malaysia-license-revoked-cease-operations https://hodluppod.com/news/network-school-malaysia-license-revoked-cease-operations Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation Malaysia's Iskandar Puteri City Council has revoked the business license of Balaji Srinivasan's Network School in Forest City, ordering it to cease operations by July 22, 2026, due to licensing and premises-use violations. https://hodluppod.com/news/exodus-cuts-25-workforce-pivots-to-stablecoin-payments https://hodluppod.com/news/exodus-cuts-25-workforce-pivots-to-stablecoin-payments Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Crypto Banks Exodus Movement, Inc. recently announced a 25% global workforce reduction to streamline operations and focus on building a full-stack stablecoin payments platform. https://hodluppod.com/news/hut-8-secures-ai-data-center-lease-iren https://hodluppod.com/news/hut-8-secures-ai-data-center-lease-iren Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala DePIN Hut 8 secured a second 15-year, $9.8 billion lease for its Beacon Point AI data center, while IREN announced $2.8 billion in new AI cloud contracts. https://hodluppod.com/news/tether-usdt-faces-july-2028-us-platform-deadline-genius-act https://hodluppod.com/news/tether-usdt-faces-july-2028-us-platform-deadline-genius-act Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation Tether's USDT faces a critical July 2028 deadline to comply with the U.S. GENIUS Act, which could restrict its availability on American crypto platforms. https://hodluppod.com/news/us-regulators-miss-genius-act-stablecoin-rule-deadline https://hodluppod.com/news/us-regulators-miss-genius-act-stablecoin-rule-deadline Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation U.S. federal agencies, including the Treasury and Federal Reserve, failed to issue final stablecoin regulations by the July 18, 2026, deadline set by the GENIUS Act. https://hodluppod.com/news/dunamu-faces-south-korean-fss-sanctions-over-upbits-32m-hack https://hodluppod.com/news/dunamu-faces-south-korean-fss-sanctions-over-upbits-32m-hack Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service has initiated formal sanctions proceedings against Dunamu, Upbit's operator, following a November 2025 hack that resulted in 44.5 billion won ($32 million) in losses. https://hodluppod.com/news/broadridge-survey-84-of-firms-prioritize-tokenization https://hodluppod.com/news/broadridge-survey-84-of-firms-prioritize-tokenization Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala RWAs A recent Broadridge survey indicates that 84% of financial institutions now consider tokenization a strategic priority, accelerating efforts in hybrid markets. https://hodluppod.com/news/anj-orders-isps-to-block-polymarket-in-france-over-illegal https://hodluppod.com/news/anj-orders-isps-to-block-polymarket-in-france-over-illegal Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation France's Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, deeming the prediction market an illegal gambling platform. https://hodluppod.com/news/ftx-to-distribute-900m-in-fifth-creditor-payout-round https://hodluppod.com/news/ftx-to-distribute-900m-in-fifth-creditor-payout-round Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation FTX will commence its fifth distribution of approximately $900 million to eligible creditors on July 31, 2026, as part of its Chapter 11 reorganization plan. https://hodluppod.com/news/sbi-holdings-completes-coinhako-acquisition-after-mas-approval https://hodluppod.com/news/sbi-holdings-completes-coinhako-acquisition-after-mas-approval Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Crypto Banks SBI Holdings has finalized its majority acquisition of Singapore-based crypto platform Coinhako, a move approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). https://hodluppod.com/news/knaken-declared-bankrupt-by-dutch-court-over-7m-missing-funds https://hodluppod.com/news/knaken-declared-bankrupt-by-dutch-court-over-7m-missing-funds Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Regulation Dutch crypto platform Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. and its affiliated foundation were declared bankrupt by a Rotterdam court, with €7 million in client funds missing. https://hodluppod.com/news/visa-launches-stablecoin-platform-vsp-with-open-usd-access https://hodluppod.com/news/visa-launches-stablecoin-platform-vsp-with-open-usd-access Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Stablecoins Visa has launched its new Stablecoin Platform (VSP) for financial institutions and fintechs, providing a unified environment to access, store, and redeem stablecoins, starting with Open USD (OUSD). https://hodluppod.com/news/ondo-finance-sbi-group-partner-to-tokenize-japanese-equities https://hodluppod.com/news/ondo-finance-sbi-group-partner-to-tokenize-japanese-equities Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala RWAs Ondo Finance and SBI Group have announced a strategic partnership to tokenize Japanese equities, utilizing SBI's JPYSC stablecoin for onchain settlement and collateral. https://hodluppod.com/news/alpaca-secures-135m-equity-for-tokenized-markets-infrastructure https://hodluppod.com/news/alpaca-secures-135m-equity-for-tokenized-markets-infrastructure Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala RWAs Alpaca has raised $135 million in equity funding, part of a $435 million total financing, to expand its brokerage infrastructure for tokenized markets and AI-native financial services. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-blockchain-a-beginner-s-guide-to-how-it-works https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-blockchain-a-beginner-s-guide-to-how-it-works Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A blockchain is a shared digital ledger recorded across many computers at once, so no single party controls it and no past entry can be quietly changed. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-cryptocurrency-everything-beginners-need-to-know https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-cryptocurrency-everything-beginners-need-to-know Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Cryptocurrency is digital money that lives on a blockchain and can be sent directly between people without a bank in the middle. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-bitcoin-a-complete-beginner-s-guide https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-bitcoin-a-complete-beginner-s-guide Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Bitcoin is the first and largest cryptocurrency, a form of digital money that lets people send value directly to one another over the internet. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-ethereum-a-beginner-s-guide-to-eth-and-smart-contracts https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-ethereum-a-beginner-s-guide-to-eth-and-smart-contracts Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Ethereum is a decentralized network that lets people run software and agreements directly on a blockchain, without any company hosting them. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-solana-a-beginner-s-guide-to-sol https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-solana-a-beginner-s-guide-to-sol Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Solana is a high-speed blockchain built to process large numbers of transactions quickly and cheaply. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-are-stablecoins-a-complete-guide https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-are-stablecoins-a-complete-guide Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to hold a steady value, usually pegged one-to-one to a currency like the US dollar. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-a-crypto-wallet-and-how-do-you-choose-one https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-a-crypto-wallet-and-how-do-you-choose-one Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A crypto wallet is a tool that stores the keys used to access and manage your cryptocurrency. It does not hold coins the way a physical wallet holds cash. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-are-crypto-tokens-types-and-use-cases https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-are-crypto-tokens-types-and-use-cases Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Crypto tokens are digital assets created on top of an existing blockchain rather than having a blockchain of their own. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-defi-a-beginner-s-guide-to-decentralized-finance https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-defi-a-beginner-s-guide-to-decentralized-finance Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education DeFi, short for decentralized finance, is a set of financial services that run on public blockchains instead of through banks or brokers. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-does-hodl-mean-in-crypto https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-does-hodl-mean-in-crypto Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education HODL means holding onto your cryptocurrency for the long term instead of selling during price swings. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-start-investing-in-crypto-a-step-by-step-guide https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-start-investing-in-crypto-a-step-by-step-guide Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Starting to invest in crypto comes down to a few clear steps: learn the basics, choose a reputable platform, set up a wallet, make a first small purchase. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-crypto-safe-a-security-checklist https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-crypto-safe-a-security-checklist Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Keeping your crypto safe comes down to protecting your keys, guarding against scams, and following a few consistent habits. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-a-seed-phrase-and-how-do-you-keep-it-safe https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-a-seed-phrase-and-how-do-you-keep-it-safe Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A seed phrase is a list of 12 or 24 random words generated when you set up a crypto wallet. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-set-up-your-first-crypto-wallet-step-by-step https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-set-up-your-first-crypto-wallet-step-by-step Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Setting up a crypto wallet takes about ten minutes: pick a wallet type, install it, back up your seed phrase, and send a small test transaction first. https://hodluppod.com/blog/dollar-cost-averaging-dca-in-crypto-a-beginner-s-guide https://hodluppod.com/blog/dollar-cost-averaging-dca-in-crypto-a-beginner-s-guide Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) means investing a fixed amount at regular intervals, say $50 every week, instead of trying to time a single "best" moment to buy. https://hodluppod.com/blog/common-crypto-scams-and-how-to-spot-them https://hodluppod.com/blog/common-crypto-scams-and-how-to-spot-them Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Crypto scams follow a small number of repeating patterns, such as fake support, fake giveaways, and promises of guaranteed returns. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-does-a-blockchain-actually-work-blocks-nodes-and-consensus https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-does-a-blockchain-actually-work-blocks-nodes-and-consensus Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A blockchain groups transactions into blocks, links each to the last with a cryptographic fingerprint, and has independent nodes agree on what comes next. https://hodluppod.com/blog/proof-of-work-vs-proof-of-stake-explained-simply https://hodluppod.com/blog/proof-of-work-vs-proof-of-stake-explained-simply Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Proof of Work and Proof of Stake are the two main ways a blockchain gets its network of computers to agree on what's true, without a central authority. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-do-cryptocurrencies-get-their-value https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-do-cryptocurrencies-get-their-value Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Cryptocurrencies get their value the same basic way any asset does: from what buyers and sellers agree it's worth, shaped by supply and demand. https://hodluppod.com/blog/coins-vs-tokens-what-s-the-difference https://hodluppod.com/blog/coins-vs-tokens-what-s-the-difference Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A coin is the native asset of its own blockchain, while a token is built on top of someone else's blockchain rather than having one of its own. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-evaluate-a-cryptocurrency-before-you-buy https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-to-evaluate-a-cryptocurrency-before-you-buy Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Evaluating a cryptocurrency means checking who is behind it, what problem it solves, how its supply is structured, and whether it has real usage. https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-does-bitcoin-mining-work https://hodluppod.com/blog/how-does-bitcoin-mining-work Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Bitcoin mining is the process of using specialized computers to solve a cryptographic puzzle, in competition with everyone else on the network. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-the-bitcoin-halving-and-why-does-it-matter https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-the-bitcoin-halving-and-why-does-it-matter Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education The Bitcoin halving is a built-in event, roughly every four years, that cuts the reward miners earn for adding a new block in half. https://hodluppod.com/blog/bitcoin-vs-ethereum-key-differences-explained https://hodluppod.com/blog/bitcoin-vs-ethereum-key-differences-explained Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two largest cryptocurrencies, but they are built for different jobs: Bitcoin stores value, Ethereum runs programs. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-are-smart-contracts-and-how-do-they-work https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-are-smart-contracts-and-how-do-they-work Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A smart contract is a program stored on a blockchain that runs automatically when its predefined conditions are met. https://hodluppod.com/blog/solana-vs-ethereum-how-do-they-compare https://hodluppod.com/blog/solana-vs-ethereum-how-do-they-compare Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Solana and Ethereum are both programmable blockchains, but they trade off differently: Solana prioritizes speed and low fees, Ethereum decentralization. https://hodluppod.com/blog/types-of-stablecoins-fiat-backed-crypto-backed-and-algorithmic https://hodluppod.com/blog/types-of-stablecoins-fiat-backed-crypto-backed-and-algorithmic Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education The three types of stablecoin hold a steady value differently: backed by fiat reserves, backed by crypto collateral, or managed by an algorithm. https://hodluppod.com/blog/usdt-vs-usdc-what-s-the-difference https://hodluppod.com/blog/usdt-vs-usdc-what-s-the-difference Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education USDT (Tether) and USDC (Circle) are the two largest fiat-backed stablecoins, both aiming to hold a steady $1 value, but they differ in who issues them. https://hodluppod.com/blog/are-stablecoins-safe-risks-you-should-understand https://hodluppod.com/blog/are-stablecoins-safe-risks-you-should-understand Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Stablecoins are generally safer than volatile cryptocurrencies but are not risk-free. https://hodluppod.com/blog/hot-wallets-vs-cold-wallets-which-do-you-need https://hodluppod.com/blog/hot-wallets-vs-cold-wallets-which-do-you-need Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A hot wallet is connected to the internet and convenient for everyday use; a cold wallet stores your keys offline and is built for security. https://hodluppod.com/blog/custodial-vs-non-custodial-wallets-explained https://hodluppod.com/blog/custodial-vs-non-custodial-wallets-explained Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A custodial wallet means a third party, like an exchange, holds your private keys on your behalf. https://hodluppod.com/blog/utility-security-and-governance-tokens-compared https://hodluppod.com/blog/utility-security-and-governance-tokens-compared Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education The three types of crypto token: utility tokens granting access, security tokens representing an investment, and governance tokens giving a vote. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-a-meme-coin-and-what-are-the-risks https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-a-meme-coin-and-what-are-the-risks Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education A meme coin is a cryptocurrency created around a joke, internet trend, or cultural reference rather than a specific technical use case. https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-staking-and-how-does-it-work https://hodluppod.com/blog/what-is-staking-and-how-does-it-work Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Atis Shala Education Staking means locking up cryptocurrency to help secure a Proof of Stake network, in exchange for a share of the rewards that network pays out.