Bitcoin
Affairs
 
No. 081  ·  16 Aug 2026

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MARKET SNAPSHOT
BTC / USD
$63,034 		  24H CHANGE
+0.1%
 
ALL-TIME HIGH
$124,749 		  FROM ATH
-49.5%
◎
 NEWS
4 STORIES TODAY
Hormuz war tensions keep oil tail risk and Bitcoin macro pressure elevated
The U.S.-Iran conflict remains a live macro threat after Central Command’s regional tour underscored the ongoing blockade around Iranian ports and the lack of a visible extension to the current negotiating window. Because roughly one-fifth of traded oil and gas normally moves through Hormuz in peacetime, continued disruption keeps inflation and higher-for-longer rate risk in play for bitcoin and other risk assets.
Geopolitics  Macro  Rates
Bank push against stablecoin yield again clouds U.S. crypto market-structure bill
CoinDesk reports that bank lobbyists have revived their campaign against stablecoin rewards, arguing they threaten deposits and lending, just as the Clarity Act faces a narrowing Senate runway. The fight matters for bitcoin’s macro environment because it shapes how digital dollars compete with banks and whether the broader U.S. crypto rulebook advances at all.
Regulation  Rates  Macro
Trillion-dollar institutions quietly expand crypto access as bank resistance keeps fading
Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley told CoinDesk that two financial institutions managing more than $1 trillion each approved crypto products this summer, signaling deeper traditional-finance distribution even in a weak market. That shift suggests bitcoin access is moving further into mainstream wealth and custody channels rather than relying only on native crypto platforms.
Macro  Regulation
SafePal data breach exposes nearly 40,000 hardware-wallet customers to phishing risks
SafePal said an authorization flaw exposed names, physical addresses and contact details for 39,798 customers who placed orders between March 2025 and April 2026. The company says no funds, private keys or seed phrases were compromised, but the leak materially raises phishing and physical-security risks for self-custody users.
On-chain
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CryptoBullet
@CryptoBullet1
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$BTC 2018 vs 2026 update

The same 313 Days and we're still trading below the 200-Day MA 🌚 https://t.co/gTouXoPKc1
 
 
 
 
42 reposts    55 replies    422 likes
Quinten
@QuintenFrancois
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Only a few times in history Bitcoin reached this undervalued levels https://t.co/4QTGJsEudC
 
 
 
 
11 reposts    12 replies    140 likes
Adam Livingston
@AdamBLiv
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Bitcoin bottom signals are all over Reddit.

Capitulation is underway. https://t.co/o4iKv1y8Fj
 
 
 
 
66 reposts    162 replies    1.5K likes
Coin Bureau
@coinbureau
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🔥JUST IN: Tether holds 150 TONS of gold and more than 100,000 Bitcoin, per CEO Paolo Ardoino.

Ardoino says KPMG's audit meant physically checking every single gold bar.

"You have just to be good at lifting and have good muscles." https://t.co/Gf94TxPbd2
 
 
 
 
 
16 reposts    42 replies    170 likes
Ted
@TedPillows
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Bitcoin Open Interest is now at its highest level in 3 years.

Too much leverage is back, and this only ends with people getting rekt. https://t.co/N2WbQATT0x
 
 
 
 
92 reposts    155 replies    821 likes