Argo Blockchain plc, a global leader in cryptocurrency mining, has announced its operational update for July 2023. During the month, the company mined 129 Bitcoin or Bitcoin Equivalents, which is a decrease of 11% from the previous month due to greater downtime at Helios from weather-related curtailment and onsite construction. The mining revenue for July was $3.87 million, similar to the previous month. As of 31 July 2023, the company held 46 BTC.

Despite favorable market conditions for a bull market, the price of Bitcoin has been consolidating in recent days. Microstrategy Inc. has added another 467 BTC to their holdings, worth approximately $14.4 million, which many analysts believe could lead to a bullish market in the future.

Bitwise, a provider of index and beta crypto funds, has filed for two new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum futures. One of the ETFs, the Bitcoin and Ether Market Cap Weight Strategy ETF, aims to offer market capitalization-weighted exposure to Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts without directly investing in the cryptocurrencies.

Hong Kong's only two licensed cryptocurrency exchanges, HashKey Exchange and OSL, have both received upgrades to their licenses, allowing them to serve retail investors with immediate effect. Previously, they were only licensed to serve professional investors with a portfolio of at least $1.02 million.

Bitcoin's address activity has surged to its highest level in 3.5 months in August, indicating a strong likelihood of a short-term price bounce for BTC. Despite consolidating around $29,000 levels, the cryptocurrency has shown some price swings this week. Long-term Bitcoin holders continue to hold with diamond hands, with 55% of the circulating supply remaining unmoved over the past two years.

Circle Internet Financial, a global fintech company responsible for issuing USDC, has partnered with Junior Achievement of Northern California to provide high school students in the Bay Area with a comprehensive financial literacy curriculum focused on Bitcoin, blockchain technology, and NFTs. The program aims to equip students with a deep understanding of decentralized technology and digital assets, enabling them to actively contribute to the development of future financial services.

The SEC has received a surge of applications for Ether futures ETFs, with a total of 11 filings submitted in less than a week. ProShares has filed four separate applications for Ether-based ETFs, including a dual Bitcoin and Ether futures strategy ETF. All of the Ether-related ETF filings have been for futures ETFs, and if approved, they will launch 75 days from their respective filing dates. The difference between futures and spot ETF products is that the former tracks the price of futures contracts while the latter involves purchasing the underlying asset.

ProShares has filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) focused on bitcoin and ethereum.According to the filing, the Bitcoin & Ether Equal Weight ETF will measure "the performance of holding long positions in the nearest maturing monthly bitcoin and ether futures contracts."If approved, the fund will measure "the performance of holding long positions in the nearest maturing monthly bitcoin and ether futures contracts."

Bitcoin and Ether held steady while other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies experienced losses due to unfavorable macroeconomic conditions. Litecoin saw the biggest losses despite its halving event. Coinbase Global reported bullish Q2 earnings and expressed confidence in winning its legal battle with the SEC. The Forkast 500 NFT Index decreased while U.S. equity futures gained, with traders awaiting the release of U.S. jobs data later on Friday.

Altcoin Sherpa, a pseudonymous trader, has identified Maker (MKR), an altcoin based on Ethereum, as having the potential to surge by almost 30% from its current price. The trader believes that MKR has shown "immense strength" in the current market environment and could reach above $1,700 if it overcomes the resistance level of around $1,330.