Citigroup plans to launch Bitcoin custody services within the year, enabling institutional clients to hold the cryptocurrency alongside their traditional assets.

According to market data from BIT (Bit.com), Meta Platforms (META.O) shares hit a two-week low, with the latest decline standing at 3.63%. In related news, the high-profile lawsuit against Meta Platforms over alleged child safety risks and privacy violations will begin trial on local time Tuesday.

According to HTX market data, Bitcoin has broken through the $65,000 mark, with a 2.20% gain in the past 24 hours.

Securitize has launched the Neuberger Securitize High Income Tokenized Fund ($HINC), marking Neuberger Berman’s first participation in a tokenized fund as a sub-adviser. The fund primarily invests in high-yield bonds and other income-generating fixed-income assets, is open to eligible investors, and is deployed simultaneously across four blockchains: Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Sui.

August 18 Update: #Bitcoin ETFs: 1D NetFlow: +4,436 $BTC(+$284.05M)?? 7D NetFlow: +13 $BTC(+$819.51K)?? #Ethereum ETFs: 1D NetFlow: +16,091 $ETH(+$30.46M)?? 7D NetFlow: +27,042 $ETH(+$51.19M)??

Arthur Hayes announced in a post that he is ending his retirement to return to lead Flop Labs, and is launching the FLOP token. He explained that FLOP will function as "the food for AI Agents", adding that the project will not conduct a pre-sale or secure venture capital (VC) funding, adopting a 100% fair launch model aimed at serving as a currency for the Agentic Economy. Hayes noted that more project details will be revealed later, with a large-scale airdrop expected in Q4 2026 and the genesis block set to launch in Q1 2027.

As the 60-day interim memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran technically expired, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. meets relevant conditions, adding that it has shifted to a "full offensive" strategic posture. Iran’s chief negotiator Kalibaf stated that the U.S. must lift its blockade on Iranian ports, remove oil sanctions, unfreeze Iran’s frozen assets, and completely halt military operations and threats across all fronts; until these demands are fulfilled, the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said Iran will persist in its fight until the other side accepts its terms before agreeing to a ceasefire, noting that "Iran has won both the war and the diplomacy." For his part, Trump said no negotiations or talks are currently underway or scheduled between the U.S. and Iran, adding that the naval blockade remains fully effective, and claiming the Strait of Hormuz is open and operating normally, with all relevant mines either removed or detonated. Meanwhile, Iran is holding bilateral talks with Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Iranian media reported that Iran’s military is investigating commercial shipping networks that provide logistics support to the U.S. military, warning that companies or ship operators transporting materials for U.S. operations against Iran may face economic, legal, and retaliatory countermeasures.