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The Important Bits
Crypto adoption heated up in July, with stablecoins reaching new retail use cases, major financial institutions expanding access, and MiCA reshaping Europe’s digital asset market. In this issue, we’re covering the latest industry headlines, plus wallet tips, boosted gift cards, merchant updates, crypto travel, and more from across the BitPay ecosystem.
Industry News & Headlines
Industry News
Read news from across the blockchain industry:
Trump Discloses More Than $100 Million in Bitcoin: President Donald Trump reported two Bitcoin wallets valued at more than $50 million each, revealing a sizable personal stake in the asset alongside his family’s broader crypto ventures. (Forbes, 7/1/26)
Bitcoin Whales Accumulate as ETFs See Record Outflows: Large holders acquired more than 270,000 BTC, worth about $16.7 billion, over two weeks while U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded a record $4.06 billion in June outflows. (CoinDesk, 7/3/26)
Lawson Tests Stablecoin Payments in Japan: The convenience store chain will trial payments with yen-pegged JPYC at a Tokyo location, allowing customers to pay by presenting a smartphone barcode at checkout. (BeInCrypto, 7/13/26)
MiCA Rules Take Full Effect Across Europe: With the final transition period over, licensed crypto companies can operate across the EU under a unified framework, while unlicensed providers must restrict or wind down services. (The Block, 7/1/26)
Morgan Stanley Brings Crypto Trading to E*TRADE: E*TRADE customers can now buy and sell BTC, ETH, and SOL through linked brokerage accounts, expanding access to digital assets through a major financial institution. (Yahoo Finance, 7/16/26)
Payments Leaders Back New Global Stablecoin: Visa, Mastercard, Coinbase, and more than 140 other businesses joined Open Standard, a consortium preparing to launch the U.S. dollar-pegged Open USD stablecoin later this year. (Reuters, 6/30/26)
Market Movers
A quick snapshot of notable market activity, trends, and cryptocurrencies driving headlines.
BitPay is MiCA-authorised in Europe
BitPay B.V., the European subsidiary of BitPay, Inc., has been authorised as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) under MiCA by the AFM in the Netherlands. The authorisation covers regulated crypto payment services across the EU, including payment processing, cross-border payments, and access to partner-supported buying, selling, and swapping of digital assets.
Limited-Time Offer: 5% Boost on Select Gift Cards
Now, through the end of July, get 5% more when you buy select gift cards with crypto in the BitPay app! Use your favorite coins to score extra value on brands including Adidas, StubHub, Fanatics, Lowes, and One4all. Terms and conditions apply.
Offer ends July 31st - don’t miss out! Check the BitPay app each month for more boosted gift cards.
Give Your Wallet a Monthly Checkup
A simple monthly routine can help you stay in control of your crypto. Use this checklist to update your software, verify backups, revoke unused approvals, review transactions, and organize assets across purpose-built wallets.
New to Bitcoin? Start Here
Learn what you need to make your first Bitcoin purchase, how exchanges differ from self-custody wallets, and the common mistakes beginners should avoid.
Merchant Shoutouts
Highlighting merchants driving crypto adoption and exciting promotions.
Shop APMEX’s silver and gold popular categories, including pop culture collectibles. Shop now!
OneGold gives you direct ownership of vaulted gold, silver, and platinum at an ultra-low cost. Start your free account today.
Buy a domain name with Namecheap today!
Ready to start accepting crypto with your Shopify business? Get started today with the BitPay app!
Instantly deploy high-performance cloud servers, cloud GPUs, bare metal, and cloud storage worldwide with Vultr. New users receive $100 to test their platform.
Use BrandBucket to name your business.
Shop US stores and have your items reliably shipped back home with Qwintry
BitPay Travel
BitPay Travel is now open to all! In collaboration with Xeni, BitPay Travel allows crypto users to pay for flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities with their cryptocurrency. Book your travel at great prices and pay straight from your cryptocurrency wallet.
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Note: All information herein is for educational purposes only, and shouldn't be interpreted as legal, tax, financial, investment or other advice. BitPay does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information in this publication and we neither endorse, nor are we responsible for, the accuracy or reliability of any information submitted or published by third parties. Nothing contained herein shall constitute a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement or offer to invest, buy, or sell any coins, tokens or other crypto assets. BitPay is not liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies. For legal, tax, investment or financial guidance, a professional should be consulted.