Markets moved between regulation, real-world asset growth and security incidents today as tokenised assets continued to gain on-chain traction while new Russian rules and several cybersecurity events tested industry resilience. Product launches and executive moves also underlined the growing intersection of AI, custody and crypto infrastructure.
Russia enacts comprehensive crypto law, restricts payment use
President Vladimir Putin signed Russia’s first comprehensive crypto law, creating a licensed trading market under central bank oversight while preserving a ban on using crypto as a means of payment. Most provisions take effect from September 1, and only registered companies will be allowed to operate exchanges after July 1, 2027. The law sets a minimum capital requirement for those operators of 15 million rubles (about $187,000).
Tokenised RWAs surge as DeFi deposits fall
A report by CoinShares and Token Terminal found tokenised real-world asset (RWA) deposits on lending platforms and DEXs more than tripled year-on-year, rising from $2.3 billion to $7.4 billion even as total DeFi deposits fell 15%. The increase was driven largely by tokenised Treasury bonds and products tied to BlackRock’s BUIDL, with RWA trading volume up 220% overall despite a 70% drop on DEXs. Ethereum-based tokens accounted for roughly 70% of RWA deposits. For readers unfamiliar with the term, RWAs are tokenised representations of off-chain assets — such as bonds or real estate — that can be traded or used as collateral on blockchain platforms.
On Hyperliquid specifically, RWA contracts represented 32.2% of trading volume in Q2, up from 20.7% the prior quarter, with platform volume hitting $213 billion. RWAs generated 6.6% of Hyperliquid’s protocol revenue of $169 million; $141 million of that revenue was returned to holders through HYPE buybacks, and the number of RWA holders on the platform grew 56% to 1.6 million in the last month.
MetaMask launches Agent Wallet with AI execution features
MetaMask unveiled Agent Wallet, a self-custodial product designed to allow AI agents to execute on-chain transactions within user-defined boundaries. The wallet offers Guard Mode and Beast Mode options and integrates tools such as Claude Code, Codex and Cursor. It supports Ethereum and Hyperliquid networks, includes transaction simulation and MEV protection, and MetaMask says it will provide up to $10,000 per month in coverage for transactions that fail after the platform’s checks. A self-custodial wallet gives users control over private keys rather than holding assets on a custodian’s behalf.
Mysten Labs CTO departs as AI focus shifts priorities
Sam Blackshear, co-founder and CTO of Mysten Labs, announced he is leaving to join Anthropic where he will work in security research. Blackshear cited the shifting balance between attackers and defenders as artificial intelligence advances. Evan Cheng, co-founder and CEO of Mysten Labs and creator of the Sui blockchain, will take over technical strategy. Security executives have called for broader access to advanced AI models to help defenders respond to evolving threats.
Coldcard exploit sees funds moved into mixers
CertiK reported that hackers behind the Coldcard exploit transferred roughly 64 Bitcoin (about $4.17 million) and 200 Ether (about $380,000) into mixing services including Wasabi and Tornado Cash. Galaxy Digital has listed the Coldcard incident as the third-largest crypto hack of 2026, with losses of at least $100 million affecting some 7,300 wallets. TRM Labs flagged a 2021 firmware bug that weakened keys from 128 to 40 bits as related to the compromise.
Zeus Lightning wallet halts infrastructure after cyberattack
Self-custodial Bitcoin Lightning wallet Zeus shut down its infrastructure following a cyberattack, saying customer funds were not at risk and that no vulnerability was found in its Lightning software. Founder Evan Kaloudis stated the company contained the attack within hours. The shutdown came after Zeus had already disabled swaps following a prior suspension at service provider Boltz.
Taken together, today’s developments illustrated both growing institutional and product-led adoption of tokenised real-world assets and the persistent operational and security challenges facing crypto infrastructure. Regulation, AI-driven tooling and heightened attention to custody and vulnerabilities all remain central themes as the sector evolves.