World Gold Council: Global gold ETFs increased by US$38 billion in the first half of the year, with average daily trading volume setting a semi-annual record

Solana (SOL) ticks marginally higher on Tuesday as the selling pressure persists following the near 2% drop on Monday. The technical outlook indicates mixed signals as the trend momentum subsides while SOL stands at a crucial crossroads.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has made a new investment in Crystal Intelligence, a blockchain analytics firm. In a blog post, Tether shares its growing focus on improving transparency and combating illicit use of stablecoins across blockchain networks. Tether Announces Strategic Investment in Crystal Intelligence, Strengthening Blockchain Forensics and Efforts to Combat Illicit Stablecoin Activity https://t.co/u0BB2cITrq — Tether (@Tether_to) July 8, 2025 Crystal Intelligence, originally launched by blockchain software firm Bitfury, provides data-driven tools for analyzing blockchain transactions. The firm is used by law enforcement, regulators, and financial institutions to detect and investigate suspicious crypto activity. With this investment, Tether said it aims to deepen its collaboration with Crystal and further integrate advanced analytics into its compliance and monitoring systems. Building on Past Collaboration: Scam Alert Platform Earlier this year, the two firm’s launched Scam Alert, a public platform that flags wallet addresses linked to fraud, hacks, and other malicious activity. The platform is designed to enhance transparency and give the crypto community and regulators more visibility into bad actors. Through the Scam Alert initiative, Tether and Crystal said they have already provided insights into addresses associated with phishing schemes and other illicit activity. The continued partnership will likely lead to broader data-sharing efforts and more sophisticated tools aimed at preventing criminal use of stablecoins. A Proactive Approach to Stablecoin Risk Tether said it has frequently faced criticism for its role in the broader crypto space, particularly regarding the potential misuse of its USDT token in illicit finance. However, this investment shows a more proactive and cooperative approach to addressing regulatory concerns. “We believe that combining Tether’s resources with Crystal’s analytics capabilities will significantly enhance our ability to identify and respond to illicit activities,” said Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino. The company has also emphasized its ongoing commitment to working closely with global regulators and law enforcement agencies to ensure its stablecoin remains a safe and transparent tool for global finance. As the demand for stablecoins continues to grow, so does the need for stronger compliance frameworks. Tether Unveils Plans for Decentralized AI Platform Tether is expanding beyond stablecoins and into artificial intelligence with the upcoming launch of Tether AI , a decentralized, open-source AI platform designed to run on peer-to-peer networks. Unveiled by CEO Paolo Ardoino on May 5, Tether AI will support direct payments in USDT and Bitcoin, and will operate without centralized servers or API keys. It’s described as a modular AI runtime capable of running on any device, offering developers greater privacy, autonomy, and security. At its core is a concept called “Personal Infinite Intelligence”, suggesting customizable AI agents tailored to user needs and hardware. Tether’s in-house AI models are already powering tools like a translation service, voice assistant, and Bitcoin wallet assistant, according to Ardoino.