BlackRock has extended its crypto buying streak to eight consecutive sessions, adding 27,722 BTC and 385,633 ETH, according to on-chain data. The purchases are valued at roughly $3.16B, pointing to sustained institutional demand for spot crypto exposure as the firm continues to channel liquidity through its IBIT and ETHA funds. In total, the world's largest asset manager has deployed about $2.2B into BTC and $961M into ETH to expand its crypto holdings.

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack argues that the dividing line between tight and easy monetary policy sits higher than many of her colleagues assume, raising the risk that the Fed is doing less to restrain inflation than it believes. Hammack places the neutral interest rate—the level at which policy neither boosts nor slows growth—at roughly 1.4% to 1.5% in real terms. That view lands near the upper end of the Federal Open Market Committee's estimates. Recent Summary of Economic Projections have shown a median longer-run nominal policy rate around 3%. Neutral rate, in brief Often referred to as r-star (r*), the neutral rate is the interest-rate "sweet spot": high enough to prevent inflation from accelerating, but not so high that it suffocates economic activity. Economists infer it from inputs such as productivity trends, demographics and global capital flows. Model-based approaches, including the Laubach–Williams framework, have estimated it around 1.4%, while Cleveland Fed research has pointed closer to 1.5%. Both sets of estimates were trending higher as of mid-2025. Hammack's implication is direct. If r* is higher than the committee consensus, the current federal funds rate—roughly 3.5% to 3.75%—may be delivering less restraint than policymakers assume. In December 2025, she described the prevailing policy rate as "maybe a little bit below" her neutral estimate. From dissent to a push for action Hammack dissented at the July 2026 FOMC meeting, voting for an immediate rate increase as inflation remained above the Fed's 2% target. By August 2026, she sharpened her message, saying rates were not "meaningfully restricting" economic activity and suggesting it could take more than one 25-basis-point hike to bring inflation back toward target. Her logic is that if the neutral rate is higher, what appears restrictive may actually be neutral or even accommodative. With inflation still running above 2%, an accommodative stance would mean policy is not merely falling short—it may be pushing in the wrong direction. Market implications Higher policy rates typically lift borrowing costs throughout the economy, affecting corporate debt, mortgages and credit cards. That tends to pressure equity valuations by increasing the discount rate applied to future earnings, a headwind that is often most pronounced for growth stocks. Bond prices generally move inversely to yields, so a faster or larger-than-expected tightening cycle can translate into losses for holders of longer-duration bonds. Housing could face added strain as mortgage rates track Treasury yields closely and policy-rate increases ripple through to homebuyer financing costs. A wider U.S. rate advantage versus other major economies often supports the dollar, with follow-on effects that include cheaper imports, pricier exports and tighter conditions for emerging-market borrowers with dollar-denominated debt. If neutral is indeed higher than the prevailing view, then strong consumer demand and persistent inflation would be less of a mystery—and more consistent with a policy stance that is not as restrictive as it appears.

Moonwell suffered an estimated $8.7 million loss after an attacker allegedly manipulated the price of MAMO used as collateral, according to blockchain security firm PeckShield. PeckShield said the stolen funds—denominated in DAI—were traced to an Ethereum address beginning with 0xD71d. The incident occurred on Aug. 27 on Base, where Moonwell's lending markets operate. Moonwell moved quickly to curb further risk, cutting borrowing caps across its Base Core Markets to 1 wei—effectively halting new borrowing while the team investigates. Supply caps for MAMO and the WELL governance token were also reduced to 1 wei, while other supply caps were left unchanged. Moonwell said additional updates would follow. Blockaid's initial review flagged 50.6 cbBTC leaving the protocol, valued at more than $4 million, noting that the figure did not capture all affected lending markets. Researchers said the attacker inflated MAMO's quoted value in thin markets and then used the overvalued collateral to borrow assets including cbBTC, USDC, wstETH and ETH, later consolidating the proceeds on Ethereum. The episode appears to center on price manipulation rather than a direct compromise of Moonwell's core smart contracts. Investigators said Moonwell's oracle reflected the higher MAMO price, increasing borrowing capacity beyond what the token's real liquidity could support. The $8.7 million figure is a preliminary estimate and may change depending on recoveries and any remaining collateral value. The exploit follows earlier oracle-related issues at Moonwell. A wrsETH oracle malfunction in November 2025 reportedly led to about $3.7 million in bad debt, while a cbETH pricing misconfiguration added $1.78 million in February 2026. Separately, Term Finance vaults were estimated to have lost $8.5 million in a governance attack on Aug. 23. Term Labs subsequently closed Meta Vaults to new deposits and removed their DAO governance roles. Market reaction: MAMO was down 11.01% over the past 24 hours to $0.00929 at the time of reporting. Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Readers should do their own research before making financial decisions.

Aug. 27 — Huo Xing Finance cited Lookonchain data showing BlackRock has purchased large amounts of Bitcoin and Ether for eight consecutive trading days. Over that span, BlackRock accumulated 27,722 BTC (about $2.2 billion) and 385,633 ETH (about $961 million), bringing the combined total to roughly $3.161 billion.

BlackRock has continued to add to its crypto holdings, buying Bitcoin and Ether for eight consecutive trading days, according to Lookonchain data cited by Odaily Planet Daily. Over the period, the firm accumulated 27,700 BTC valued at about $2.2 billion and 385,600 ETH worth roughly $961 million.

Blockchain tracker Lookonchain reports that BlackRock has been building positions in Bitcoin and Ether for eight consecutive trading days. Over the period, it accumulated 27,722 BTC (about $2.2 billion) and 385,633 ETH (about $961 million), bringing the combined total to roughly $3.161 billion.

India's retail sugar prices eased from record highs for the first time in a week, with the average falling to 64.33 rupees per kilogram. The pullback follows the government's Aug. 20 decision to allow duty-free imports of 1 million metric tons of raw sugar to boost domestic supply and ease pressure ahead of the festival season. Officials said ex-mill prices have already retreated by about 18%. Despite the decline, retail sugar remains 31% higher than a month ago and 39% above year-earlier levels.

BlackRock has stepped up purchases of $BTC and $ETH for eight consecutive trading days. Over the period, it bought a total of 27,722 $BTC (about $2.2B) and 385,633 $ETH (about $961M).

Radosław Piesiewicz, head of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl), was detained on August 27 amid an expanding probe into suspected fraud and money laundering tied to crypto platform Zondacrypto. Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek confirmed the detention, intensifying scrutiny of one of Poland's most influential sports officials. Authorities opened the case on April 17, focusing on Zondacrypto's brief stint as PKOl's general sponsor. The company signed on in October 2025, touting token-based rewards for athletes. Within weeks, the platform effectively ceased operating, with customers reporting they could not withdraw funds and athletes saying the promised tokens had become essentially worthless. Investigators estimate customer losses may range from about 350 million zł to as much as 2.4 billion zł (around €540 million), a level that would rank among the largest crypto-related financial scandals in Central Europe. Thousands of customers have filed complaints. Prosecutors allege Piesiewicz personally received benefits linked to the Zondacrypto relationship beyond standard sponsorship practices. Items cited include a luxury watch valued at roughly €40,000, along with travel costs and match tickets. The alleged total benefit is put at 190,000–216,000 zł, or approximately €40,000–€45,000. Piesiewicz has denied wrongdoing, saying the watch was bought with his own funds and describing the accusations as politically motivated. He has also previously faced questions over alleged fake invoices worth around 9.3 million zł connected to earlier roles in sports institutions. Zondacrypto became PKOl's general sponsor on October 22, 2025, presenting itself as a bridge between crypto and athletic achievement, with athletes to receive tokens convertible into cash. The arrangement unraveled quickly, triggering calls for accountability. By April 2026, most of Poland's sports federations had demanded Piesiewicz's resignation; he refused, setting the stage for the high-profile detention.