... been the long-awaited clarity regarding the token's legal status. In July 2023, a U.S. federal court (SEC vs. Ripple case) made a landmark ruling: the token XRP does not, by itself, constitute a security. The court ruled that XRP is not an investment contract under the Howey criteria, although certain methods of selling the token may have violated securities laws. This verdict eliminated significant legal uncertainty that had pressured XRP’s price for years. Following this, many American cryptocurrency ...

... Pre-investment analysis (due diligence). The investor evaluates the company's business, analyzes its financial indicators, development strategy, and competitive environment. The company and its management provide necessary data (financial reports, plans, contracts) in the form of a confidential information memorandum. At this stage, the main risks and potential returns are identified. Negotiations and agreements. Interested investors discuss the terms of the round: the amount of investment, company valuation,...

... in anticipation of clarifications regarding future policy. 15:30 MSK – Durable goods orders in the USA (June). A key industrial indicator for the American economy. A notable increase in total order volume (~+1.0% MoM) is expected, driven by large contracts for aircraft (the aerospace sector traditionally triggers spikes in the indicator). However, the core index excluding transportation is expected to be weaker – around 0% or negative, indicating business caution in investments. Order data reflects ...

... leaders across various corners of the globe. Russia and CIS: Local Trends Amid Global Upturn Against the overall positive backdrop, the question remains: what position do the Russian and nearby startup markets occupy? Venture investments in Russia have contracted in recent years due to a challenging geopolitical and economic landscape. Estimates suggest that the total transaction volume in Russia for the entirety of 2024 was less than 10 billion rubles (approximately $120 million)—a drop in the ocean ...

... platforms for creating decentralized applications. A prime example of the latter is Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Ethereum is not just a cryptocurrency; it is an entire blockchain network platform with smart contracts that allow the creation of new tokens and services leveraging its infrastructure. This has led to the emergence of projects based on Ethereum and similar platforms—decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), etc.—which significantly ...