

**The combined value of Dogecoin and Shiba Inu has fallen to its lowest level in three years as institutional capital reshapes crypto markets.** The combined market capitalization of Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), the two largest memecoins, fell to $13.27 billion, the lowest since September 2023, as institutional participation in crypto accelerated after the launch of U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs in 2024. The ratio of the two memecoins' combined value to bitcoin's market cap has dropped to 1.02%, the lowest on record, according to TradingView data cited by CoinDesk. At the 2021 peak, DOGE and SHIB together accounted for 7% of bitcoin's market value. Bitcoin has risen 10% in July to around $64,928, pushing its market cap to $1.30 trillion, while DOGE and SHIB have declined 2.3% in the same period. The divergence shows a structural shift in how capital flows through crypto markets, with money consolidating into bitcoin and institutional-grade assets. The introduction of spot bitcoin ETFs in 2024 drew in institutional investors with little interest in meme tokens, while higher interest rates worldwide have reduced the speculative appetite that fueled the 2021 memecoin rally. Options market positioning suggests traders expect bitcoin to reach at least $72,000, according to CoinDesk, a level that would further widen the gap between bitcoin and the memecoin sector. **The Institutional Shift** Spot bitcoin ETFs launched in the U.S. in January 2024 accelerated the institutionalization of the market, drawing in investors who have little interest in meme tokens and significant interest in bitcoin as a macro asset, according to CoinDesk. Capital has also been pulled away by other emerging sectors with links to traditional finance, such as real-world assets. For every dollar invested in bitcoin at the 2021 peak, seven cents were chasing internet joke tokens. Today that figure is just over one cent, the data show. **Global Macro Headwinds** Higher interest rates worldwide have compounded the pressure on speculative assets. Global bonds have been reeling as an oil surge renews inflation threats, with U.K. gilt yields posting their longest stretch of daily closes above 5% in almost two decades and Germany's 10-year yield climbing to the highest since 2011, according to Bloomberg. The U.S. 30-year yield sits just below the highest since 2007. In this environment, capital that once chased high-risk memecoin bets is consolidating into bitcoin and other major market sectors. The era of easy money through memecoins is over, according to CoinDesk. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

Tokenized real-world asset trading on Hyperliquid generated $25.1 billion in weekly volume, surpassing all other asset categories on the decentralized exchange for the first time. "This is a major structural shift in crypto markets, moving away from speculating on endogenous digital commodities," Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO of Circle, said in a Friday X post. RWAs accounted for 52% of Hyperliquid's total $48.2 billion in weekly volume from July 13 to July 19, according to Blockworks data. The RWA category alone was larger than the combined crypto perpetual volume of every other decentralized exchange, ARK Invest research director Lorenzo Valente wrote on X. Over the past month, RWA holders on Hyperliquid grew 32% to 1.25 million users, while total tokenized RWAs rose 3.5% to $36.7 billion, per RWA.xyz. Hyperliquid generated $7.6 million in revenue over the past week, ranking third among crypto applications behind stablecoin issuers Tether ($112 million) and Circle ($45 million), according to DefiLlama. The milestone signals growing demand for tokenized assets onchain and has drawn attention from Wall Street, with NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeffrey Sprecher urging regulators to create a level playing field for 24/7 onchain perpetual futures. The shift toward RWAs reflects a broader push by both crypto-native firms and traditional financial institutions to bring real-world assets onto blockchain rails. In March, the NYSE partnered with tokenization platform Securitize to develop blockchain-based stock trading infrastructure with 24/7 settlement. Pantera Capital said in July that perpetual futures could become a dominant trading instrument beyond crypto, citing structural advantages over traditional derivatives including 24/7 trading, no contract expiries and continuous price discovery. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

**The European Union's 21st sanctions package targets 14 crypto service platforms and introduces a new tool to ban any crypto provider used by Russia.** The European Union on July 23 adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia, targeting 14 crypto service platforms and the A7 cross-border payments network that has processed nearly $120 billion, as the bloc escalates efforts to choke off financial channels fueling Moscow's war in Ukraine. "We're hitting over a hundred banks and crypto operators, 40-plus vessels in Russia's shadow fleet, and several oil refineries in Russia and Belarus," Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said in a statement. "Russia will only negotiate to end its illegal war and stop killing civilians if it is pressured to do so." The package targets 14 unnamed crypto-related service platforms based in Georgia, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, according to the Council of the EU. It also designates four entities linked to the A7 network, a cross-border payments system built for sanctions evasion where the A7A5 stablecoin operates. Chainalysis data shows the network has processed nearly $120 billion to date, while analytics firm Elliptic reported that A7A5 alone moved over $100 billion in a single year. The EU is also freezing assets and banning transactions for 94 banks and extending its transaction ban to 33 additional Russian credit and financial institutions. For the first time, the package introduces an instrument that would allow the EU to ban any transaction between an EU operator and any crypto provider used by Russia, regardless of where that provider is based. The move comes three days after Russia's State Duma passed legislation establishing the country's first comprehensive crypto regulatory framework, set to take effect Sept. 1. Alexey Zyuzin, CEO of the Institute for the Development of the Crypto Industry, said the market is likely to split into two circuits: a legal domestic market under Russian regulatory control and a cross-border segment where sanctions and technological risks will persist. **A Cat-and-Mouse Game That Keeps Escalating** The EU's approach to Russian crypto sanctions has evolved through successive rounds. When the US sanctioned the Garantex exchange in 2022 and the EU followed in early 2025, police seized its website and froze over $26 million in March 2025 — only for the team to relaunch it as a near-copy called Grinex within days. That pattern drove the EU to ban Russia's entire crypto sector in May, and now to target platforms in third countries where Russian users might turn next. **What Changes for Russian Users** Bitcoin and other coins remain legal to own and hold in self-custody wallets. But access is tightening. Exchanges operating under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation must verify fund sources and block any entity tied to sanctions. Some users have already seen accounts frozen after deposits traced back to A7A5. "Working with crypto will become more expensive, slower, and somewhat less transparent," Nikolai Zagvozdkin, product development director for crypto at RBC, said. The package also includes 218 new designations — 48 individuals and 170 legal entities — and suspends the automatic adjustment of the international oil price cap for 12 months, a measure the European Commission estimates could cost Russia about 3.5 billion euros ($3.98 billion) annually. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.