Cryptocurrency News: Saturday, August 1, 2026 — The Market Ends the Best Month of the Year, Bitcoin Consolidates Around $64,000 After the Fed's Pause
The cryptocurrency market enters August on a positive note, as July marked the best month for digital assets in the last year. Bitcoin holds above $64,000, institutional capital is returning to spot ETFs, and altcoins—from XRP to Solana—are showing a steady influx of funds through exchange-traded products. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve has maintained a wait-and-see approach on rates, leaving investors with room for cautious optimism. Let’s break down the key cryptocurrency news and the current market landscape for global investors.
Key Events in the Crypto Market
- Bitcoin is trading between $64,700 and $64,900, with a market cap of approximately $1.3 trillion; BTC dominance is at 57%.
- The U.S. Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate in the range of 3.5%–3.75%, providing no new signals regarding future trajectory.
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net inflow of $233 million during the session on July 30 — led by BlackRock's IBIT fund.
- The CoinDesk 20 index closed July with its largest monthly gain since July 2025.
- The share of institutional participants in trading volume reached a record 72%.
- Industry losses from hacks in the first half of 2026 exceeded $1 billion, marking a historical low.
Bitcoin: Consolidation Above $64,000 After a Volatile Month
Bitcoin's price stabilized between $63,800 and $65,300 heading into the first weekend of August. Daily trading volume exceeds $26 billion, and the first cryptocurrency's market cap remains around $1.3 trillion. Despite the positive trend in July, BTC is still approximately 49% below its all-time high of $126,198 reached in October 2025.
Analysts note a decrease in 30-day implied volatility—a sign that the market has entered an accumulation phase. At the same time, options traders are showing caution: the most popular contract for August has been a put option with a strike price of $60,000. Key levels for investors include support in the $63,000–$64,000 range and resistance at $66,000, the monthly high. A breakout from either boundary will determine the direction of movement for August.
The Fed's Decision: Rate Unchanged, Inflation Remains a Concern
The main macroeconomic event of the past week was the meeting of the Federal Reserve. The regulator, led by Kevin Warsh, maintained the federal funds rate in the range of 3.5%–3.75% and refrained from making forecasts regarding future decisions. Inflation in the U.S. hovers around 4.1%, preventing the exclusion of scenarios involving a rate increase by the end of the year.
For the cryptocurrency market, this means continued uncertainty: soft rhetoric from the regulator traditionally directs capital towards riskier assets, while tough signals increase pressure on prices. An additional risk factor remains the geopolitical tension in the Middle East. Investors should closely monitor upcoming inflation data, as it will be critical for the dynamics of digital assets in August.
ETF Flows: Institutional Capital Returns to the Market
After a tough June, when net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs amounted to approximately $4.5 billion, marking the worst monthly result since the products launched, July brought a trend reversal. The market recorded three consecutive weeks of inflow, with funds attracting $233 million in a single session on July 30, of which about $183 million came from BlackRock's IBIT.
Notably, the statistics for altcoin ETFs launched since late 2025 are as follows:
- XRP ETFs attracted approximately $1.5 billion since November 2025, showing only one negative month.
- Funds for Solana gathered over $1.1 billion in total inflow.
- Hyperliquid ETFs exceeded $190 million in less than three months—recording a remarkable speed of fundraising.
- Chainlink products accumulated more than $125 million without a single negative month since December 2025.
Researchers estimate that ETF flows explain about 45% of weekly Bitcoin price movements, transforming daily fund statistics from sentiment indicators into structural market drivers.
Ethereum Enters Its Second Decade
Ethereum celebrated its eleventh anniversary, completing a year of significant changes—from personnel reshuffles at the Ethereum Foundation to accelerated institutional adoption. The price of ETH holds at around $1,920, with a market capitalization of approximately $230 billion, and since the beginning of 2026, the asset has gained about 40%, maintaining the best performance among major cryptocurrencies.
Institutional interest in the asset is growing: Morgan Stanley Investment Management has launched trust products on Ethereum and Solana on NYSE Arca with a fee of 0.14%, one of the lowest in the segment. However, inflows into spot ETH ETFs are still noticeably lagging behind Bitcoin, reflecting the current preferences of large capital.
Altcoins: XRP, Solana, and BNB in Investors' Focus
The altcoin segment ended July on a mixed note but with a prevailing positive sentiment. BNB gained over 4% in the last session of the week and is trading around $592. XRP remains above $1.09 amidst the formation of an institutional pipeline around the XRP Ledger, valued at $4 billion. Solana is quoted around $74–75: interest in the ecosystem is fueled by a decision from a South Korean digital bank with 15 million clients to use stablecoins on the Solana network for cross-border transfers.
A particular mention is warranted for the new S&P Pantera digital asset index, from which Bitcoin and XRP have been excluded — an event that sparked lively discussions about the classification criteria for crypto assets among major index providers.
Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies: Current Quotes
Estimated prices as of the morning of August 1, 2026:
- Bitcoin (BTC) — around $64,800; market cap ~$1.3 trillion, dominance 57%.
- Ethereum (ETH) — around $1,920; market cap ~$230 billion.
- Tether (USDT) — $1.00; stablecoin market cap exceeds $183 billion.
- XRP (XRP) — around $1.09; leader in inflows to altcoin ETFs.
- BNB (BNB) — around $592; best daily performance among major assets (+4%).
- Solana (SOL) — around $74.7; growing application in stablecoin payments.
- USD Coin (USDC) — $1.00; second-largest stablecoin by market cap.
- Hyperliquid (HYPE) — around $55; record speed of inflow into specialized ETFs.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) — around $0.07; the largest meme cryptocurrency.
- Cardano (ADA) — around $0.17; gaining over 3% in a day.
Security: Losses from Hacks Exceeded $1 Billion in the First Half of the Year
The first half of 2026 was record-breaking for losses due to cyberattacks: according to industry researchers, the industry lost over $1 billion, with the number of incidents exceeding the total for all of 2025. Nearly $600 million is attributed to groups linked to North Korea, including attacks on Drift ($285 million) and KelpDAO ($292 million).
A recent incident also affected the hardware wallet segment: due to a vulnerability in the firmware of one popular device, attackers withdrew 594 BTC worth about $38 million. For investors, this serves as a reminder of the necessity for regular firmware updates, integrity checks of devices, and diversification of asset storage methods.
Market Institutionalization: 72% of Trading Volume by Professionals
According to a recent industry report, the share of institutional participants in cryptocurrency trading has reached a record 72%. The result is a decrease in volatility, more selective flows into altcoins, and accelerated growth in the tokenized asset segment. The digital assets market increasingly resembles traditional financial markets in structure—with dominance in algorithmic trading, market makers, and regulated products.
Outlook: What Investors Should Watch in August
Key factors for the coming weeks:
- U.S. Inflation Data — will determine the Fed's rhetoric and risk appetite in global markets.
- Dynamics of ETF Flows — the sustainability of inflows will be a key indicator of institutional demand.
- $63,000 and $66,000 Levels for Bitcoin — the boundaries of the range, a breakout of which will establish the medium-term trend.
- U.S. Regulatory Agenda — progress in crypto legislation following delays in July.
The July flow reversal and record institutionalization create a constructive backdrop; however, the combination of high inflation and uncertainty regarding rates requires investors to maintain discipline in risk management. Cryptocurrencies remain a highly volatile asset class, and one strong month does not negate the need for portfolio diversification.
This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended as individual investment advice.
