Plus: Why flexing profits can put you in danger

GM. Cherry-picked the best bits from the news tree. Zero pits, all juice.

Here's what you're sipping today:

🍍 CPI data dropped.

😬 Crypto kidnappings.

🍋 Trump's crypto guy steps down, the problem of Bitcoin + more

🍍 Market flavor today

Crypto Market Cap: $3.99T -0.14% (24H)
Name		Price	24H	7D
	Bitcoin BTC	$118,844.05	-0.60%	5.06%
	Ethereum ETH	$4,390.57	3.31%	22.85%
	XRP XRP	$3.19	0.34%	7.10%
	BNB BNB	$809.54	1.49%	8.11%
	Solana SOL	$178.62	0.31%	8.52%

Big day for US economic data - we got July’s Consumer CPI inflation report, which basically measures how much more expensive life got for the average American.

Crypto traders care about this data because the Fed looks at it when deciding whether to cut interest rates.

And lower rates → cheaper borrowing → more money moving through the economy → investors tend to take on more risk → crypto starts looking hotter 😏

So, what did the numbers say?

• Headline CPI (the full measure): 2.7%, below the 2.8% expected;

• Core CPI (which removes food and energy to show underlying inflation trends): increased to 3.1%, above the 3.0% forecast.

Which leaves the Fed in a tricky situation, because :

✅ Headline CPI is cool enough to support a rate cut;

❌ But core CPI is still running hot, which argues against a cut.

Even so, plenty of analysts think September’s still a likely rate-cut month, as they believe the Fed will point to a weaker job market as the deciding factor.

What’s next on the macro calendar?

🗓️ Thursday: Producer Price Index (PPI) - which measures inflation at the wholesale level - and new unemployment claims - which show the strength of the labor market.

🗓️ Friday: Retail sales data - a reality check on how much people are still spending.

These could either confirm or challenge the whole “rate cuts are coming” narrative.

And for crypto, this matters because Bitcoin's already close to its all-time highs - a more supportive macro backdrop + continued institutional inflows and spot ETF demand could actually push it through.

Until then, resistance might tempt some profit-taking.

But like QCP analysts said, the market has brushed off big BTC sell-offs from long-term holders, which suggests the overall trend is still bullish.

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BitDegree and BloFin are basically doing a "order the main course, get dessert free" deal - but in futures trading form:

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The catch? You’ve only got until August 18, 8 PM UTC before the kitchen closes.

So yeah - either you’re in, or you’re watching everyone else eat your dessert.

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No roadmap. No utility. Just pure, raw meme energy and bad decisions 🤷

Data as of 03:40 AM EST.

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🫣 Crypto kidnappings on the rise

Most investors know that feeling of pride when your portfolio's in the green.

Some even know about the rush of posting a screenshot of those profits.

"Yeah, Janice, remember when you ghosted me in middle school? Well, look at me now!! Sure, I'm still a little weird... but weird and rich, okay??"

That kind of vibe.

There's this side of flexing profits. But there's also the much, much darker and chilling side.

The side that Alena Vranova, founder of SatoshiLabs, talked about at the Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference in Latvia:

"Every week, there is a Bitcoiner, at least one in the world, who gets kidnapped, tortured, extorted, and sometimes even worse."

And if you're like, "Relaaax, I'm not some Bitcoin millionaire from 2013. Who would bother with me?" - that's the worst part. They would.

Alena says this isn’t just a rich BTC OG problem - people have been kidnapped over as little as $6K worth of crypto.

And how do the criminals even know you’ve got Bitcoin?

That screenshot. Because you randomly told some guy at the bar.

Also, because of data leaks from centralized crypto exchanges, which collect sensitive user info to comply with KYC laws.

Scared? Don’t panic.

Instead, use that energy to protect yourself:

👉 Keep it boring online and offline - don’t post balances, wallet addresses, or profit screenshots. No “I made [insert amount] in Bitcoin” talks with strangers.

👉 Limit exposure - use exchanges and services that require less personal data where legally possible, and avoid linking your real identity to wallets or accounts.

👉 Separate and secure funds - store most crypto in cold storage, keep a smaller hot wallet for trading, and enable 2FA + withdrawal whitelists.

👉 Clean your digital footprint - Google yourself, search your usernames, and delete old posts that might give away any financial info.

👉 Stay physically safe - be mindful of your home security (use safes, locks, and alarms). When traveling, don’t carry seed phrases or devices in obvious places.

Because, you know, crypto gains are great. But actually being there to enjoy them is better. Security beats clout - every. single. time!

🍋 News drops you can't miss

💼 Bo Hines, the guy running Trump’s White House crypto council, announced he’s stepping down. He’s heading back to the private sector.

🤔 Willy Woo said Bitcoin’s problem is this: it needs way more money coming in if it’s ever gonna rival the US dollar or gold.

💰 David Bailey, head of Nakamoto Inc. and co-founder of BTC Inc., is preparing for a huge buy - $762M worth of Bitcoin.

⚖️ Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon will be back in a New York courtroom today, where he might change his plea. Back in January, he pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges.

🔓 Federico Carrone, a core Ethereum dev, says he’s been released after spending 24 hours locked up in Turkey. Authorities accused him of helping people misuse Ethereum through a privacy tool.

🍌 Juicy memes