Bitcoin Surges Past $64K as Circle’s National Trust Bank Gains OCC Approval — July 10, 2026 Crypto Update

Key points

• •Circle Internet Group achieved a significant regulatory milestone by receiving OCC approval to establish Circle National Trust, a federally regulated digital asset custody bank that will bolster USDC stablecoin infrastructure and expand regulated crypto banking in the US. This approval triggered a 10% surge in Circle’s stock, underscoring investor enthusiasm for regulated crypto financial services.[Bitcoin News][Coingape]
• •Standard Chartered reiterated its bullish outlook on Bitcoin, maintaining a $100,000 price target by 2026 and dismissing concerns arising from MicroStrategy's recent Bitcoin sell-off. This institutional confidence coincides with Bitcoin's price rally above $64,000, a 2% gain recovering from prior geopolitical-related losses and boosting the overall crypto market cap to $2.28 trillion.[Bitcoin Magazine][Bitcoin News][U.Today]
• •Bitcoin miner Cleanspark demonstrated strong accumulation strategy during the bear market by purchasing 454 BTC at an average price of $64,000, investing nearly $29 million and increasing total holdings to 13,924 BTC. This move contrasts with industry-wide selling trends and indicates strategic confidence in Bitcoin's medium-term price recovery.[Bitcoin News]
• •Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF continues to attract institutional investors, registering continuous inflows despite ongoing market volatility, reflecting sustained demand for regulated Bitcoin exposure. Concurrently, VanEck is competing aggressively in the ETF space by waiving fees on its Ethereum ETF to capture early institutional flows, signaling robust interest in crypto-focused ETFs beyond Bitcoin.[Bitcoinist][Bitcoinist]
• •Bitcoin’s short-term holders are currently about 15% underwater, but market data shows easing selling pressure. This reduction in selling suggests a potential bullish turnaround could occur if Bitcoin prices reclaim the $71,000 level, signaling investor confidence returning in the short-term holding base.[AMBCrypto]
• •Regulatory enforcement continues with the US charging Rossen Iossifov over laundering $290,000 in cryptocurrency seized from Kraken accounts, demonstrating active US efforts to combat crypto-related financial crimes and maintain oversight of digital asset transactions.[Cointelegraph]
• •Criticism of XRP’s market positioning emerged as Chainlink’s community lead Zach Rynes questioned XRP’s tangible adoption and meaningful financial system role. This commentary fuels doubts about XRP’s long-term viability amid significant price declines and heavily bearish funding rates in the market.[U.Today]

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