Weekly digest covering major DeFi and crypto events including Hyperliquid's record volumes, BitMEX shutdown, AFX Trade exploit, Odos wind-down, Galaxy's $130M Ripple acquisition, and regulatory actions.
Security & Exploits ·
Galaxy Digital led a $130M acquisition of Ripple shares during the week of July 19–26, 2026. The deal underscores continued institutional interest in the crypto payments infrastructure space. Separately, spot XRP exchange-traded funds reached $1.5B in cumulative net inflows but momentum has slowed, with zero flows recorded over three consecutive days, suggesting potential saturation or shifting investor appetite.
The broader crypto market saw mixed signals across ETF activity that week. Bitcoin ETFs recorded $33.9M in net inflows while Ethereum captured significantly stronger demand at $103.8M, though Solana drew only $7.1M and Hyperliquid experienced $8.6M in outflows. Major ecosystem disruptions also emerged: decentralized exchange aggregator Odos announced a wind-down effective July 30, while derivatives platform BitMEX signaled cessation of operations by September 23.
What remains unclear is whether the XRP ETF momentum slowdown reflects broader profit-taking, a temporary consolidation before renewed inflows, or a sustained shift in institutional positioning toward competing assets like Ethereum. The timing relative to the Galaxy acquisition and the sustainability of demand beyond the initial inflow surge warrant monitoring.