We’ve got some exciting news — we’re applying for the Sei Network Creator Grant! As researchers and content creators, grant funding helps us continue pushing out valuable content that makes blockchain more accessible.

However, with Gitcoin, we need donations from the community to unlock the full potential of the $200k matching pool.

Check out our announcement thread to learn more about the grant, why Sei Network is so special, and how you can help us secure this opportunity. Every bit of support counts, so if you can, please donate and spread the word!

Thanks for being part of our journey — let’s make this happen together!

🔑 KEY NEWS

MAJOR HEADLINES

• July CPI inflation rate falls to 2.9%, below expectations of 3.0%.

• Core CPI inflation fell to 3.2%, in line with expectations of 3.2%.

• Binance registers officially in India

• Morgan Stanley discloses $187M BTC ETF holdings

• Franklin Templeton files for Crypto Index ETF

• Balajis introduces The Network School

• SEC rejected Cboe’s 19b-4 filings for Solana ETFs

PROJECT UPDATES

• Metamask launches Debit Card

• Coinbase is launching cbBTC soon

• Andre Cronje becomes Sonic Labs's CTO

• Swell introduces swBTC while Renzo introduces ezSOL

• Grass beta ends, announces snapshot & bonus epoch

• Eigen Labs employee wallet drama

• Aavegotchi introduces their new L3 Geist

• Gamma Swap Labs announces TGE on Aug 30th

• Babylon announces Mainnet Launch Phase 1

• Drift Protocol introduces BET

• ClearpoolFin develops Caldera-powered Layer 2 chain

• Galxe launches alpha mainnet of Gravity Chain

INTERESTING PROJECTS

• Infinit Labs: DeFi Abstraction Layer by Infinit Capital

• CrunchLabs: Data analytics for institutions

• SunDog: Biggest meme on Tron

• Puffer Unifi: Protocol from Puffer Finance

• Fabric Crypto: Custom chips for advanced cryptography

⛓️ IS A DEFI RENAISSANCE BREWING?

In the last few weeks, we have witnessed different DeFi tokens performing quite well. For example, $AAVE, $CRV, or even $UNI.

Some big accounts on CT are now calling for a DeFi renaissance

But what should interest us the most now is what could truly power this renaissance and IMO, it will be the release of UNISWAP V4.

V4 will introduce the concept of « HOOKS » which will help developers tailor their decentralized pools at their will with different features that are currently impossible to add.

See some examples here: https://github.com/ora-io/awesome-uniswap-hooks

I encourage the readers to have a look at GitHub, but some of my favorite hooks are:

As Arthur_0x said, I truly think that we are slowly witnessing a DEFI renaissance. $AAVE has been leading the way in the last 2 weeks. But imo, the real awakening will materialize itself in a couple of weeks once UNI V4 is officially released & a new wave of DEFI innovation hits the market.

🔍️ MARKET WATCH

WHAT’S TO COME THIS WEEK

DATA BITES

Since $AVAX launched, the project has unlocked $7.76 billion worth of tokens over time, with the last $219 million cliff unlock yesterday. Going forward, there are no more large cliff unlocks on $AVAX till 2029.. 

The token is down from a $32 billion ATH market cap to $9.40 billion now, with the token price down from an ATH of $145 to $22.

📈 HTF PRICE ACTION

Gm frens!

It’s yet another boring week with nothing to do. There are no major developments in price. I’m staying side-lined until major strength shows up that takes us above all these moving averages again.

• Supply respected

• Demand broken through

• Bullish trend structure lost

• Sellers in control

Imho, the best thing to do during times like these is simply ignore the market and do something else (or trade different markets).

Until then - Trade responsibly and I’ll see y’all next time!

OUR ECOSYSTEM ALIGNMENT

⚔️ A CALL TO ARMS

Think you have what it takes to enter the Castle and contribute to research and writing in the collective, or maybe you want to invest in and advise projects?

We are always looking for well connected, talented, or simply hungry contributors that can get involved across a range of activities.

Fill out an application form!

Make sure to open up next week for we should have 2 brand new feature sections to unveil…

That’s all for this week gang, please give us a follow on Twitter at @Castle__Cap 🙏 

In our newsletter, we may discuss projects or tokens in which we hold positions. While we aim to provide informative content, our views are not financial advice. Please conduct your research and consult professionals before making investment decisions. Crypto markets are volatile, and past performance doesn't guarantee future results. Invest responsibly, and be aware of the risks. Your capital is at risk, and we do not accept liability for any losses.