Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrencymarket news
Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (August 12) as of 10:00 a.m. UTC.
Bitcoin price update
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$64,048.61, trading flat over the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin price chart
Chart via The Investing News Network
Bitcoin price performance, August 12, 2026.
Ether and altcoin price update
- Ethereum (ETH) was priced at US$1,904.99, trading 1.1 percent higher over the last 24 hours.
- XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.02, trading 1.2 percent higher over the past 24 hours.
- Solana (SOL) was trading at US$76.70, trading 0.6 percent higher over the past 24 hours.
Today’s crypto news to know
Bank of Russia approves retail crypto trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT
The Bank of Russia published a draft directive on August 11 establishing its first framework to allow non-qualified retail investors to trade digital assets through licensed brokers and exchanges.
The central bank capped non-qualified investor purchases at 300,000 rubles per year across all intermediaries. Regulators approved only three digital assets for public exchange trading: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether’s USDT.
Under new federal digital currency legislation, coins must demonstrate high liquidity, substantial market capitalization, strong average daily volume, and a five-year foreign pricing history to gain public trading access.
The central bank excluded XRP from the approved list despite its market size.
Qualified accredited investors face no annual purchase limits and can trade any cryptocurrency available on exchange or over-the-counter markets. All Russian investors must pass a mandatory risk assessment test before executing any digital asset transactions.
Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina signed the draft directive, which accepts public comments through August 24 and takes effect 10 days after official publication.
SEC schedules vote on registration exemption for crypto startups
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) scheduled an open meeting for August 14 to consider new rules enabling crypto projects to raise capital without registering securities.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins spearheaded the “Regulation Crypto Assets” framework, proposing a startup exemption that grants developers up to four years of regulatory runway to achieve network decentralization. The proposed rule provides an escape hatch from SEC jurisdiction once project founders cease active management of their protocols.
The agency initiated formal rulemaking after the US Senate entered its August recess without advancing the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.
TD Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg identified the proposal as the first in a series of rulemakings intended to establish durable regulatory certainty for digital assets. A finalized administrative rule creates binding legal precedent that outlasts individual commission chairs, unlike non-binding staff guidance on staking, airdrops, and mining.
The SEC is simultaneously developing a joint asset taxonomy with the CFTC to delineate regulatory boundaries between commodities and securities.
CFTC invokes emergency authority to protect Kalshi Trading amid lawsuit
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) invoked its emergency authority to order prediction market platform KalshiEX to maintain continuous trading operations.
The federal regulator intervened after Kalshi issued a formal market emergency notification following a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James. James filed a petition in state court seeking an immediate national shutdown of Kalshi’s event contracts and demanding over us$36 billion in statutory damages.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig rejected New York’s attempt to apply state gaming laws to centralized, interstate financial derivatives venues. The CFTC has now initiated legal action against nine states to protect federal jurisdiction over event contract exchanges under the Commodity Exchange Act.
President Donald Trump directly backed the CFTC’s intervention, criticizing state officials who attempt to shutter prediction markets.
New York’s eight-count complaint classifies Kalshi as an unlicensed gambling operation. Kalshi sought emergency intervention after federal courts in New York, Michigan, and Washington state denied its requests for preliminary injunctions against local regulators.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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