Crypto Gets White House Invite and Binance Ban 🫥

Coinigy Team

17 Aug 2026 • 3 min read

Do you remember that time when crypto was like the rebellious teenager that banks wanted nothing to do with? Yeah... that kid just got invited to the White House. And the banks are asking to sit at the same table now.

Talking about the banks, Israel's biggest, most established bank just announced it's rolling out BTC, ETH, and SOL trading for its customers, while Norway's sovereign wealth fund is quietly sitting on more than half a billion worth of indirect Bitcoin exposure, and they’re just chill about it.

Meanwhile, up in Washington, Trump just invited Coinbase, Ripple, and Chainlink executives to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for what looks like the most powerful crypto dinner since Satoshi’s last known forum post. Even NYSE, Gemini, and Nasdaq all got invites…. Very exclusive club

Here are the highlights:

Binance Implements Access Ban on HTX and 10 Additional Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Trump to meet Coinbase, Ripple and crypto leaders as CLARITY Act odds collapse to 10%
Israel’s largest bank to offer crypto trading with Galaxy
Norway’s sovereign fund reaches record 11,549 BTC exposure without buying more Bitcoin

Binance Implements Access Ban on HTX and 10 Additional Cryptocurrency Exchanges

Beginning August 23, Binance will cease facilitating any transactions connected to HTX alongside ten other cryptocurrency service providers. These enforcement actions stem from recent regulatory sanctions and compliance directives targeting various digital asset platforms. All transactions associated with the designated entities will undergo thorough compliance assessments and may trigger temporary wallet access limitations. Binance Broadens Platform Access Restrictions Starting Aug.

Trump to Meet Coinbase, Ripple and Crypto Leaders as CLARITY Act Odds Collapse to 10%

President Donald Trump and the heads of the SEC and CFTC are expected to meet crypto and prediction-market executives at the White House next week as the industry’s biggest legislative priority faces dwindling odds of becoming law this year. According to reports, the Aug. 19 gathering is expected to include executives from Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, Ripple, Chainlink, Kalshi and Paradigm, along with representatives from the Digital Chamber. Executives from Kraken, Gemini, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq have also been invited.

Israel’s Largest Bank to Offer Crypto Trading With Galaxy

Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank, will offer cryptocurrency trading to customers from early 2027, becoming the first Israeli bank to announce such a service. Customers of Leumi and its mobile banking unit, Pepper, will be able to buy, hold and sell bitcoin, ether and solana (SOL) through a section of the Leumi Trade app, according to a Friday announcement. Galaxy Digital (GLXY) will provide trading and services through GalaxyOne Institutional, its platform for banks and asset managers.

Norway’s Sovereign Fund Reaches Record 11,549 BTC Exposure Without Buying More Bitcoin

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund ended the first half of 2026 with record indirect Bitcoin exposure and a newly disclosed stake in the world’s largest Ethereum treasury company. Norges Bank Investment Management’s (NBIM) public-equity holdings translated into 11,549 BTC of indirect exposure as of June 30, up 60% from a year earlier and marking the sixth consecutive reporting period of growth, K33 Research data showed. The exposure was worth about 6.7 billion kroner, or $676 million, at the end of the period.

Other Highlights Worth Mentioning

Two sentenced in France after crypto ransom home invasion – Protos

Solana Company Q2 Loss Hits $30.3 Million as SOL Treasury Suffers – Yahoo Finance

Israel’s largest crypto broker Bits of Gold hit by data breach affecting 200,000 customers – Coindesk

COINIGY FACT OF THE DAY

On this day in 2021, the NFT market entered another gear as OpenSea processed more than 60,000 NFT sales per day, nearly 8 times its previous peak in March.

On August 17, 2021, it was reported that NFT activity was surging dramatically. OpenSea, then the dominant NFT marketplace, was recording more than 60,000 NFT sales per day, nearly 8× its previous March peak. DappRadar data showed OpenSea's 30-day trading volume had reached approximately $1.22 billion, representing a 933% increase from the preceding 30-day period.