Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrencymarket news
Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (July 15) as of 10:00 a.m. UTC.
Bitcoin price update
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$64,721.76 , up by 2.1 percent over the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin price chart
Chart via Investing News Network
Bitcoin price performance, July 15, 2026.
Ether and altcoin price update
- Ether (ETH) was priced at US$1,881.82, trading 3.8 percent higher over the last 24 hours.
- XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.11, trading 2.5 percent higher over the past 24 hours.
- Solana (SOL) was trading at US$77.56, trading 2.0 percent higher over the past 24 hours.
Today’s crypto news to know
US, UK unveil joint roadmap to align tokenization regulations
The US and the UK have jointly published a comprehensive roadmap to align regulatory frameworks governing stablecoins, tokenized assets, and digital money.
This coordinated push by the two financial powerhouses aims to reduce transatlantic market friction and allow blockchain-based finance to move seamlessly across borders.
Developed by the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future, the report outlines 10 core recommendations, with five directly addressing digital assets and the remainder focused on traditional capital markets.
Key proposals include identifying common regulatory approaches to tokenized securities settlement and exploring whether stablecoins and tokenized money market funds can serve as clearinghouse collateral. The taskforce also advocates for a private sector-led initiative to test cross-border tokenization use cases over the next year.
Alongside these recommendations, the two governments are drafting a joint statement asserting that payment stablecoins must be fully backed one-to-one by high-quality liquid assets, echoing the newly signed US GENIUS Act.
Ripple joins x402 Foundation
Ripple announced it has officially joined the newly launched x402 Foundation as a Premier Member, embedding its XRP token and dollar-backed RLUSD stablecoin directly into an emerging standard for AI payments.
The foundation launched under the Linux Foundation on July 14 and seeks to standardize the x402 protocol, a system that revives the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code to enable machine-readable payment flows.
Under this framework, autonomous AI agents can instantly pay for APIs, storage, and cloud computing using non-custodial wallets without requiring human approval or traditional bank accounts.
Ripple’s membership places its digital assets alongside 40 major institutional players who are actively building on the new standard.
The XRP Ledger’s technical specifications are highly suited for these micro-transactions, offering deterministic finality in under five seconds and predictable fees fixed at a fraction of a cent. Highlighting the network’s early traction in the space, the XRPL Foundation confirmed the ledger recently surpassed one million agentic transactions shortly after rolling out x402 support.
PayPal draws US$53 billion joint takeover bid
Payment processing giant Stripe has partnered with private equity firm Advent International to launch a massive US$53 billion takeover bid for rival PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL).
According to a Reuters exclusive, the joint consortium reportedly submitted an offer of US$60.50 per share, representing a significant 28 percent premium over PayPal’s closing price on Tuesday.
PayPal’s market dominance has steadily eroded against competitors like Apple Pay, sending its valuation crashing from a 2021 peak of US$360 billion down to roughly US$36 billion this year.
Backed by US$50 billion in committed bank financing, the proposed deal would see Stripe and Advent hold equal stakes while keeping PayPal’s existing corporate structure intact rather than breaking it up.
A successful acquisition would dramatically reshape the digital payments landscape by merging two massive networks under a single unified owner.
The combination also holds particular strategic value for the stablecoin sector by potentially uniting Stripe’s newly acquired Bridge infrastructure with PayPal’s established PYUSD consumer token.
PayPal’s board has yet to officially respond to the offer.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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