UK Politics & Crypto Donations: Labour MPs plan a parliamentary rebellion to permanently ban political donations in cryptocurrencies, targeting Reform UK after scrutiny over Nigel Farage’s reported crypto-linked gifts. Hong Kong Security Rules: The SFC ordered virtual-asset platforms to adopt phishing-resistant logins within 12 months, banning SMS/email/app one-time codes and pushing passkeys and hardware security keys. Institutional Crypto Push (Russia): Alfa Bank is testing crypto trading for qualified investors and is planning a regulated “digital depository” once Russia’s framework is approved. DeFi Infrastructure: Aave rolled out Stable Vaults to let fintechs embed stablecoin yield via a single connection, without users touching DeFi directly. Cross-Chain Swaps: SwitchFi launched a non-custodial cross-chain swap app using aggregated liquidity and routing across major networks. Bitcoin & Markets: BTC was around $62.7K and ETH about $1,740 amid risk sentiment tied to Iran “deal” headlines, with short liquidations near $100M. Mining Meets AI: MARA agreed to buy 1,200 acres in Texas for up to 1–2 GW of power for AI data centers plus Bitcoin mining. Custody Security Upgrade: BitGo unveiled quantum-protection tools for institutional Bitcoin wallets, including a quantum risk score and workflows to move funds off exposed addresses. Crypto in Real Life: Hyundai Card completed a stablecoin remittance proof-of-concept using Tether on Avalanche, cutting transfer time to minutes. Sports Meets XRP: Kansas Athletics announced an XRP jersey patch partnership with Ripple, plus education funding for students. Regulation Clock (US): CFTC chief warned the Clarity Act could force regulators to “write all the rules” if Congress misses the August recess. Crypto Wallet Planning: Kresus launched an inheritance service for self-custody users to pass digital assets after death without private-key sharing. EU Stablecoin Oversight: EU diplomats say MiCA may be reopened to bring non-EU stablecoin issuers under direct oversight.