[Weekly Web3 News Highlights] Trump signs executive order to include Crypto Assets and other alternative assets in 401(k) plans; US SEC releases latest guidelines: liquid staking is not within the scope of securities law regulation; Fed's Daly: the timing for interest rate cuts is approaching, and the number of cuts this year is more likely to be greater than two.

Weekly Web3 News Highlights by BitPush:

[Trump signs executive order to include cryptocurrencies and other alternative assets in 401(k) plans]

According to BitPush news, Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the Department of Labor to pave the way for the inclusion of cryptocurrencies, private equity, and other alternative assets in 401(k) retirement plans.

The order states: "The SEC should consult with the Secretary to consider how to facilitate participants in participant-directed defined contribution retirement savings plans in investing in alternative assets." "Such facilitation measures may include, but are not limited to, considering revisions to the SEC's existing regulations and guidelines related to the status of accredited investors and qualified purchasers to achieve the policy objectives of this order."

Thursday's executive order is the latest in a series of executive orders signed by Trump since taking office. In January of this year, Trump signed an executive order aimed at enhancing the United States' leadership in the cryptocurrency space, followed by a 168-page report outlining recommendations for cryptocurrency regulation. Trump also signed an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve and a digital asset reserve.

Gerry O'Shea, the Global Market Insights Director at Hashdex, stated that this executive order indicates that the Trump administration is continuing to commit to providing investors access to digital assets.

[US SEC Releases Latest Guidelines: Liquidity Staking Not Subject to Securities Law Regulation]

According to recent guidelines from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (, certain liquid staking activities do not involve securities, and individuals engaging in liquid staking activities do not need to register with the agency under securities laws. Liquid staking parties that may not be subject to securities laws include Lido, Marinade Finance, JitoSOL, and Stakewise. The SEC noted that the issuance and sale of staking receipt tokens in specific methods and circumstances do not constitute the issuance and sale of securities, unless the deposit of cryptocurrency is part of an investment contract. This is particularly applicable to staking cryptocurrency through software protocols or service providers, and then receiving "liquid staking receipt tokens" to demonstrate the staker's ownership of the staked cryptocurrency and any earnings generated.

[SEC vs Ripple legal dispute officially ends, both sides abandon appeal, XRP ruling remains unchanged]

According to the news from Bitpush, one of the most important legal disputes in the cryptocurrency industry seems to have come to an end with the joint dismissal agreement submitted on Thursday. The lawyers for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Ripple Labs have jointly agreed to drop the appeal in the Second Circuit Court. All parties have agreed to bear their own costs and expenses.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse had previously announced that his company intends to abandon the appeal and stated in June: "We will put this phase behind us and focus on what matters most - building the Internet of Value."

As both parties have waived their right to appeal, Judge Analisa Torres ) made a mixed ruling in 2023 that will become the final judgment in this case. Judge Torres ruled that the sale of hundreds of millions of XRP to institutional investors constitutes an illegal sale of securities, but Ripple won on the issue of "blind bidding" sales to retail investors.

[Barry Silbert Returns to Grayscale as Chairman, Will Promote Company's IPO Plans]

According to the report, Grayscale has synchronously introduced four executives from traditional finance: former Bridgewater executive Diana Zhang as COO, former Apollo executive Ramona Boston as CMO, former Goldman Sachs executive Andrea Williams as CCO, and former Citadel executive Maxwell Rosenthal as CHRO.

[Federal Reserve's Daly: The timing for interest rate cuts is approaching, and it's more likely that there will be more than two rate cuts this year]

According to Bitpush News, San Francisco Fed President Daly stated that given the increasing evidence of a weakening labor market and no signs of persistent tariff inflation, the timing for interest rate cuts is approaching.

Daly mentioned regarding the Fed's decision last week, "I am willing to wait another cycle, but I cannot wait forever." Although this does not mean that a rate cut in September is a foregone conclusion, she said, "I would tend to think that every meeting going forward is an instant meeting to consider policy adjustments."

Daly stated that conducting two rate cuts of 25 basis points within the year still seems like an appropriate adjustment. The important question is whether the cuts will happen in both September and December, rather than whether they will happen at all. Daly said, "If inflation rebounds and spreads, or if the labor market warms up, then the cuts could certainly be less than two, but it is more likely that we will have to make more than two cuts. If the labor market appears to be entering a weak phase and we do not see the spillover effects of inflation, we should be prepared for more cuts."

[Harvard University holds $117 million in spot Bitcoin ETF in Q2, with investment exceeding Google parent company Alphabet]

According to the news from BitPush, as per the document released on Friday, Harvard University's portfolio held $117 million worth of shares in the BlackRock Spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) at the end of the second quarter. This investment ranks fifth in Harvard University's holdings, surpassing its investment in Google’s parent company Alphabet (approximately $114 million).

The document shows that Harvard Management Co Inc.'s largest investment is in Microsoft, valued at over $310 million. Besides Harvard, institutional investors' interest in cryptocurrencies continues to heat up. The Michigan Retirement System also reported this week that as of the end of the second quarter, it holds nearly $11 million in the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF.

[Trump plans to push for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac IPO within the year, aiming to raise 30 billion dollars]

According to reports from Bitpush and The Wall Street Journal, Trump is preparing to push for the initial public offerings (IPOs) of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within 2025, aiming to raise $30 billion with a valuation target of $500 billion, which could become the largest IPO in history.

[NASDAQ-listed company Trident Digital plans to raise $500 million to establish corporate XRP reserves]

According to Bitpush news, Nasdaq-listed company Trident Digital Tech Holdings (TDTH) announced today that it plans to apply for stablecoin operating licenses in several African countries to promote the application of RLUSD in the African market. The company also plans to raise $500 million to establish a corporate XRP reserve, strengthening its integration with the Ripple ecosystem.

The company is currently in initial communication with regulatory agencies and financial institutions in various countries, and it is expected to launch a phased deployment in pilot countries by mid-2026.