Bitcoin News Roundup for Aug. 12, 2020
With bitcoin prices sitting around $12K and Russia developing “Transparent Blockchain” AI, CoinDesk's Markets Daily is back for your latest crypto news roundup!

With bitcoin prices sitting around $12K and Russia developing “Transparent Blockchain” AI, CoinDesk's Markets Daily is back for your latest crypto news roundup!
For early access before our regular noon Eastern time releases , subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica or RSS.
This episode is sponsored by Crypto.com, Bitstamp and Nexo.io.
Today's Stories
First Mover: How a DeFi Trader Made an 89% Profit in Minutes Slinging Stablecoins
So-called stablecoins like tether and USDC are $1 tokens in theory, but a complex arbitrage transaction seems to have netted one trader an 89% profit in just minutes.
Some Traders Now Taking Bets Ether Will Break $1K by December
Some option traders are now betting ether will rise to $1,000 by year’s end.
The Linux Foundation Wants Open-Source Tech to Address Future Pandemics
The Linux Foundation hopes open-source apps will play a key role in tracing exposure to diseases like COVID-19 while being fully transparent.
Russian Financial Crime Agency Plans AI Tool to Link Crypto Transfers to Users
Russia's anti-money laundering agency Rosfinmonitoring has already built a prototype blockchain analytics tool, according to a report.
For early access before our regular noon Eastern time releases , subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica or RSS.
More For You
KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
How a 'perpetual’ stock trick could solve Michael Saylor’s $8 billion debt problem

The bitcoin treasury firm is using perpetual preferreds to retire convertibles, offering a potential framework for managing long-dated leverage.
What to know:
- Strive upsized its SATA follow on offering beyond $150 million, pricing the perpetual preferred at $90.
- The structure offers a blueprint for replacing fixed maturity convertibles with perpetual equity capital that removes refinancing risk.
- Strategy has a $3 billion convertible tranche due in June 2028 with a $672.40 conversion price, which could be addressed using a similar preferred equity approach.











