☕️ Crypto Lending Sinks 16.8% in Q2 Crypto lending platforms saw an $11.3 billion contraction in outstanding debt during the second quarter, while the EU and UK readied new regulatory and tax enforcement measures.
1. Crypto Lending Contracts 16.8% in Q2 2026 as Deleveraging Continues — Crypto-collateralized lending dropped by $11.33 billion to $56.16 billion in the second quarter, marking a 40.13% decline from the Q3 2025 peak. Outstanding DeFi borrows fell 53.45% from their all-time high to $21.94 billion in July, reflecting a steady deleve 2. Ethereum Foundation Details L1 Cost Reductions and Roadmap Through Glamsterdam — Recent hard forks reduced Ethereum base-layer gas fees to roughly 0.15 gwei, lowering standard transfer costs to single-digit cents. The Foundation is preparing the Glamsterdam upgrade for the second half of 2026, aiming to eventually support a 200 million gas 3. ESMA Orders Halt to Non-Compliant Stablecoin Services, Proposes MiCA Expansion — The European Securities and Markets Authority mandated that MiCA-authorized providers immediately stop servicing non-compliant stablecoins for EU clients. The regulator also recommended updating the MiCA framework to regulate DeFi protocol access and impose st 4. IMF Analyzes Tokenized Markets as Daily Activity Nears $415 Billion — Tokenized repo transactions are generating up to $350 billion in daily volume. The IMF cautioned that fragmented platforms and the removal of traditional delayed settlement buffers could accelerate leverage runs and financial contagion. 5. DOJ Secures Guilty Plea from Operator of $14.7M Cybercrime Money Mule Ring — Oleg Korniev pleaded guilty to laundering at least $7 million stolen by global hackers. The network allegedly recruited over 15,000 U.S. money mules to drain funds from more than 750 domestic bank accounts.
📊 Bitcoin fell 2.0% to $81,726, Ethereum dropped 3.9% to $2,473, and the total market cap declined 3.6% to $2.72 trillion.
