Hyperliquid is scheduled to launch its AQAv2 stablecoin yield mechanism on Aug. 26, extending a system designed to direct 90% of eligible stablecoin yield into HYPE buybacks and token burns. Under the approved framework, all funds routed to the mechanism would be used to acquire and burn HYPE, while projected annual revenue is capped at about $200 million.
The rollout places Hyperliquid’s native token economics at the center of a busy week that also includes blockchain upgrades, exchange-service closures, European sanctions changes, and major macroeconomic events. Hyperliquid expects the first AQAv2 yield payment to reach its Assistance Fund on Oct. 3.
AQAv2 broadens the earlier version of the program, which required stablecoins used in the mechanism to be exclusive assets. The revised framework removes that requirement and applies to HIP-4 standardized markets as well as validator-operated perpetual futures markets. Validators approved the proposal by a 19-to-7 vote, with 26 validators participating.
Circle has already tested the setup on HyperEVM through a transfer of roughly $4.4 billion in USDC, described in the proposal materials as the largest single USDC transfer on the network. Circle was responsible for technical deployment, while Coinbase was designated to deploy funds. Both parties were expected to stake HYPE through the mechanism.
The design gives Hyperliquid a route to connect stablecoin balances and related yield directly to supply reduction in HYPE. Its effect will depend on how much stablecoin liquidity enters eligible markets, the yield available on those funds, and the price at which the protocol buys tokens. The $200 million annual cap limits the scale of the program even if stablecoin deposits grow sharply.
BNB Smart Chain and Conflux prepare Aug. 25 upgrades
BNB Smart Chain will activate its Pasteur hard fork on mainnet at 02:30 UTC on Aug. 25, or 10:30 Beijing time. Node operators must upgrade their clients to version 1.7.7 before activation.
The release includes BEP-682, BEP-695 and BEP-675, proposals covering cross-chain verification, validator key rotation and network throughput. BNB Smart Chain said internal QANet testing of BEP-675 increased throughput from 1,237 transactions per second to 2,324 transactions per second under the same test parameters. Block time remained at 450 milliseconds and the block gas limit stayed at 100 million.
Average gas consumption per block rose from 46.35 million to 84.15 million in that testing environment. Those figures point to a higher capacity ceiling, though mainnet conditions can differ from controlled testnet results because transaction types, validator performance and network demand vary.
Conflux Network is also scheduled to deploy its v3.1.0 hard fork on Aug. 25. The update includes Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility changes, remote procedure call updates, bug fixes and security improvements. Its CIP-173 proposal is expected to activate the following day.
Trading platforms set restrictions and closures
Several platform changes are concentrated around Aug. 26. BitMart is scheduled to halt all trading services at 01:00 UTC, following an earlier suspension of new account registrations, deposits and new order placement on July 26. Withdrawals are expected to remain available until the platform’s stated termination date of Jan. 31, 2027.
BitMEX is scheduled to close on Sept. 23 and plans to impose risk restrictions from Aug. 26. Users would be unable to open new positions after that date but could reduce or close existing positions. Such restrictions can affect hedging and liquidation management for users carrying leveraged trades, particularly in contracts with thin order books.
Coinbase plans to pause trading in 10 perpetual contracts around 21:00 on Aug. 26: MEME-PERP, SAND-PERP, BIRB-PERP, BLUR-PERP, KAT-PERP, SPX-PERP, ZORA-PERP, AXS-PERP, AI-PERP and ZRO-PERP. Any open interest remaining at the halt would be automatically settled using the average index price over the preceding 60 minutes. The last funding-rate period will be set to zero.
Euler Labs’ Telegram mini-app, EulerFinanceBot, is also scheduled to close permanently on Aug. 27 because of network maintenance. Users were told to withdraw balances before the shutdown, after which the application and funds left within it would be inaccessible.
DeFi Kingdoms plans to stop operating DFK Chain, its Avalanche L1 network, on Aug. 28. The project has prioritized asset migration to Avalanche C-Chain and plans to open an SDK for third-party developers. Further migration instructions are expected separately.
Europe expands Belarus-linked crypto restrictions
Crypto-asset service providers regulated under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework will face expanded Belarus-related sanctions restrictions from Aug. 25. The amendment bars Belarusian citizens and residents from owning, controlling or managing MiCA-regulated crypto exchanges and other crypto-asset service providers.
The rules widen earlier restrictions that focused on crypto wallets, accounts and custody services. The sanctions package also extends a transaction ban to 14 foreign crypto-service platforms and establishes a mechanism to restrict dealings with foreign providers used by Russia to circumvent sanctions.
The wider sanctions decision entered force on July 24, while the crypto-specific provisions take effect later. The change puts additional compliance obligations on MiCA-regulated firms, which must assess ownership, control and management relationships rather than focusing only on customer-level service restrictions.
Central bank meetings and Nvidia results add market catalysts
Macro events will arrive after the platform and protocol changes. The Jackson Hole global central banking symposium runs from Aug. 27 through Aug. 29, with Federal Reserve Chair Walsh scheduled to deliver a speech on Aug. 28 at 22:00 UTC. South Korea’s central bank is due to announce its rate decision on Aug. 27.
Nvidia is scheduled to report fiscal 2027 second-quarter results after the U.S. market closes on Aug. 26. The company’s earnings are closely watched across technology and risk-sensitive markets because its sales outlook has become a widely used gauge of spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.
South Korea will also see a first-instance ruling on Aug. 27 in a Bitcoin recovery dispute linked to an erroneous rewards distribution. The case concerns users who received Bitcoin after won-denominated reward points were mistakenly recorded as BTC. The claim amount in related suits against four users was cited at up to about 500 million won, while one user was accused of selling mistakenly received Bitcoin and retaining roughly 194 million won in cash.
According to the case summary, 99% of the 1,788 BTC initially unrecovered had been retrieved by March 10. The ruling may offer a clearer view of how courts treat mistaken crypto distributions when recipients sell assets before recovery efforts are completed.
Explore how stablecoin yields shape markets in Toobit’s guide on what are stablecoins and how do they work for deeper context.
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