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Amid the unresolved dispute between Coinbase and the SEC, a number of esteemed legal academics have weighed in, penning a court statement in support of the cryptocurrency exchange. Their stance is clear: an asset should only be deemed an investment contract if it promises profits, earnings, or assets from investments. Scholars assert that the court must strictly follow this legal definition, otherwise, it may jeopardize belief in existing securities laws.

The U.S. congressional committee on China is conducting an investigation into BlackRock and MSCI, two major asset management and index provider firms. The committee alleges that these companies have been enabling investments into blacklisted Chinese companies, which is causing tensions in the already strained relations between the two countries. The House of Representatives’ claims that BlackRock and MSCI facilitated American capital flow into companies that have been found guilty of supporting China’s military advancements or engaging in human rights abuses.

The venture capital fund has reduced its funding for crypto projects from $585 million to $200 million. Moreover, it's halved investments aimed at backing individual investors. "We made these changes to sharpen our focus on seed-stage opportunities and to provide liquidity to our limited partners," commented representatives from Sequoia Capital.

On Friday, Fidelity Investments and several other firms submitted revised applications for spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) deemed the initial filings inadequate. The companies, including Invesco, VanEck, 21Shares, and WisdomTree, are part of a group of eight firms aiming to launch the first wave of US spot Bitcoin ETFs. BlackRock kickstarted the trend with its unexpected filing in mid-June. In the latest filings, all five firms indicated that Coinbase Global Inc. will provide market surveillance for their ETFs, a detail that was missing from their previous applications.

Grayscale Investments is gearing up for a potential positive outcome in its lawsuit with the SEC, as it begins hiring for its ETF team. The firm is on the lookout for a "Senior Associate, ETFs" to bolster its ETF business development. This move comes as the crypto community eagerly awaits a court decision on Grayscale's proposal to convert its GBTC fund into a spot bitcoin ETF. The outcome could set a precedent for other asset managers seeking approvals for spot bitcoin funds, influencing the future of crypto ETFs.

Bitdeer Technologies Group, based in Singapore, has successfully set up an avant-garde bitcoin mining facility in Gedu, Bhutan – a nation recently recognized for its crypto investments. As the facility approaches the end of its trial run, many of its mining units are already in operation. Reflecting on the progress, Bitdeer's CEO, Linghui Kong remarked: "We made significant strides on both the operational and infrastructure fronts during July."

Grayscale Investments has warned the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that granting approval to certain spot Bitcoin ETF proposals ahead of others could create an "unfairly discriminatory and prejudicial first-mover advantage". The company's comments follow BlackRock's recent application to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF, which reignited hopes and triggered similar filings from other firms. Grayscale had previously attempted to convert its Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) to an ETF but was denied by the SEC. The firm now supports the simultaneous approval of all proposed spot Bitcoin ETFs to maintain a level playing field.