Cryptocurrency News: Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Market Wraps Up Its Best Month of the Year, Bitcoin Consolidates Around $64,000 After Fed Pause
The cryptocurrency market enters August on a positive note: July marked the best month for digital assets in over a year. Bitcoin maintains levels above $64,000, institutional capital is returning to spot ETFs, and altcoins—ranging from XRP to Solana—are witnessing a steady influx of funds through exchange-traded products. At the same time, the U.S. Federal Reserve has adopted a cautious stance on interest rates, leaving investors with room for cautious optimism. Let’s delve into the key cryptocurrency news and the current market landscape for global investors.
Daily Highlights: Key Events in the Crypto Market
- Bitcoin is trading in the range of $64,700–$64,900 with a market capitalization of approximately $1.3 trillion; BTC dominance stands at 57%.
- The U.S. Federal Reserve has maintained the federal funds rate between 3.5%–3.75% without providing new signals on its future trajectory.
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net inflow of $233 million during the session on July 30, with BlackRock’s IBIT fund leading the way.
- The CoinDesk 20 Index completed July with the highest monthly gain since July 2025.
- The share of institutional participants in the trading volume has reached a record 72%.
- Industry losses from hacks in the first half of 2026 exceeded $1 billion—a historic record.
Bitcoin: Consolidation Above $64,000 After a Volatile Month
As August kicks off, Bitcoin’s price has stabilized in the range of $63,800–$65,300. Daily trading volume exceeds $26 billion, while the market capitalization of the leading cryptocurrency remains around $1.3 trillion. Despite the positive July performance, BTC is still approximately 49% below its all-time high of $126,198 reached in October 2025.
Analysts note a decline in 30-day implied volatility—an indicator that the market has entered an accumulation phase. Meanwhile, options traders are exercising caution: the most popular contract for August is a put option with a strike price of $60,000. Key levels for investors include support in the $63,000–$64,000 zone and resistance at the $66,000 mark, the monthly high. Breaking through any of these boundaries will determine the market direction for August.
Fed Decision: Rates Unchanged, Inflation Remains a Concern
The main macroeconomic highlight of the past week was the Federal Reserve meeting. The regulator, led by Kevin Warsh, kept the federal funds rate at between 3.5%–3.75% and refrained from making predictions about future decisions. Inflation in the U.S. remains around 4.1%, which does not rule out the possibility of a rate increase by the end of the year.
For the cryptocurrency market, this indicates ongoing uncertainty: a dovish tone from the regulator traditionally guides capital towards riskier assets, while hawkish signals increase pressure on prices. Additional risk factors include geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Investors should keep a close eye on upcoming inflation data, as it will be crucial 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 totaled about $4.5 billion—the worst monthly performance since the products' inception—July brought a trend reversal. The market recorded three consecutive weeks of inflows, culminating in a $233 million inflow on July 30, with approximately $183 million coming from BlackRock's IBIT fund.
Notably, the statistics for altcoin ETFs launched since the end of 2025 are as follows:
- XRP ETFs attracted around $1.5 billion since November 2025, registering only one negative month.
- Funds for Solana gathered over $1.1 billion in total inflows.
- Hyperliquid ETFs exceeded $190 million in less than three months—marking a record rate of capital attraction.
- Chainlink products have accumulated over $125 million with no negative months since December 2025.
Researchers estimate that ETF flows account for approximately 45% of weekly Bitcoin price movements, transforming daily fund statistics from sentiment indicators into structural market drivers.
Ethereum Enters Its Second Decade
Ethereum celebrated the 11th anniversary of its network launch, concluding a year of significant changes—from personnel shifts at the Ethereum Foundation to accelerating institutional adoption. The price of ETH is around $1,920, with a market capitalization of approximately $230 billion, and since the beginning of 2026, the asset has gained about 40%, remaining the best performer among major cryptocurrencies.
Institutional interest in the asset is growing: Morgan Stanley Investment Management has launched trust products based on Ethereum and Solana on the NYSE Arca, with a fee of 0.14%—one of the lowest in the segment. However, inflows into spot ETH ETFs still markedly lag behind Bitcoin, reflecting current preferences of large capital.
Altcoins: XRP, Solana, and BNB in the Investor Spotlight
The altcoin segment ended July mixed but predominantly positive. BNB gained more than 4% in the last session of the week and is trading around $592. XRP remains above $1.09 amid the formation of an institutional pipeline around XRP Ledger, valued at $4 billion. Solana is priced around $74–75: interest in the ecosystem has been fueled by a South Korean digital bank with 15 million clients deciding to use stablecoins on the Solana network for cross-border payments.
A noteworthy mention is the new S&P Pantera digital assets index, from which Bitcoin and XRP were excluded—an event that sparked lively discussions about the classification criteria for crypto assets by leading index providers.
Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies: Current Prices
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; leading in inflows to altcoin ETFs.
- BNB (BNB) – around $592; best daily performance among major assets (+4%).
- Solana (SOL) – around $74.7; increasing application in stablecoin payments.
- USD Coin (USDC) – $1.00; second largest stablecoin by market cap.
- Hyperliquid (HYPE) – around $55; record pace of inflows to specialized ETFs.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) – around $0.07; the largest meme cryptocurrency.
- Cardano (ADA) – around $0.17; up over 3% in a day.
Security: Losses from Hacks Exceed $1 Billion for the Half-Year
The first half of 2026 has set a record for losses due to cyberattacks: according to industry researchers, the sector has lost over $1 billion, and the number of incidents exceeded the total for all of 2025. Nearly $600 million is attributed to groups connected 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, hackers extracted 594 BTC worth approximately $38 million. For investors, this serves as a reminder of the importance of regular firmware updates, device integrity checks, and diversifying asset storage methods.
Market Institutionalization: 72% of Turnover Held by Professionals
According to a recent industry study, the share of institutional participants in cryptocurrency trading has reached a record 72%. This has led to decreased volatility, more selective flows into altcoins, and accelerated growth in the tokenized assets segment. The structure of the digital asset market increasingly resembles that of traditional financial markets—with the dominance of algorithmic trading, market makers, and regulated products.
Forecast: Key Points for Investors to Watch in August
Key factors for the upcoming weeks:
- U.S. inflation data—will define Fed rhetoric and risk appetite in global markets.
- ETF flow dynamics—sustained inflows will be the primary indicator of institutional demand.
- $63,000 and $66,000 levels for Bitcoin—breaking these boundaries will set the mid-term trend.
- U.S. regulatory agenda—progress on crypto legislation following July delays.
The trend reversal in flows during July and record institutionalization creates a constructive background, but the combination of high inflation and uncertainty regarding rates requires discipline from investors in managing risks. 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 does not constitute individual investment advice.
