Sabal Law Week in Review: August 22–29, 2025

Catch up on this week’s key legal and regulatory updates impacting startups, funds, and emerging tech. @SabalLaw breaks it down:

  • Circle and Paxos piloted Bluprynt’s tech to verify stablecoin payments, enhancing transparency and curbing counterfeit token risks.

  • The CFTC invited offshore crypto firms to serve U.S. customers as registered foreign boards of trade, easing market re-entry.

  • Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger advanced as a neutral blockchain for finance, supporting Python-based smart contracts for institutions.

  • Private equity fundraising hit a seven-year low at $592B, with firms offering discounts amid tariff-driven dealmaking challenges.

  • Eight Sleep raised $100M in Series D to enhance AI-driven sleep tech, boosting athletic performance with smart recovery tools.

  • Crypto VC deal values dropped 55% in Q2, but exits like Circle’s IPO and rising valuations signal optimism for stablecoin startups.

  • Aave’s token fell 8% after confusion over a deal with Trump-linked WLFI, though Aave’s DAO confirmed the partnership.

  • Stargate DAO approved a $120M acquisition by LayerZero, reuniting the cross-chain protocol with its founding team.

  • Fintech platforms like iCapital raised $820M to expand private market access, leveraging digital tokenization for wealth advisors.

  • Private equity sponsor equity contributions dropped to 46% in 2025, reflecting a confident lending environment for buyouts.

  • Private markets face SEC scrutiny on fiduciary duty, with volatility raising risks in fee transparency and affiliated transactions.

  • Gemini launched an XRP credit card with Ripple, offering up to 4% crypto rewards and expanding RLUSD trading pairs.

  • • Pantera Capital plans a $1.25B raise to create a Solana treasury via a Nasdaq-listed company acquisition.

  • The U.S. Commerce Department will publish GDP data on blockchains, starting with Ethereum and Bitcoin, to enhance data distribution.

  • Aave’s Horizon platform launched to enable institutional DeFi lending against tokenized real-world assets like U.S. Treasuries.

  • The CFTC deployed Nasdaq’s surveillance tech to enhance fraud detection across crypto and traditional markets.

  • Crypto groups urged Congress to protect developers in market structure bills, emphasizing non-custodial service safeguards.

ICYMI:

  • Wyoming launched the Frontier Stable Token, a fully reserved U.S. dollar stablecoin, on seven blockchains including Solana.

  • PE deal activity in aerospace and defense held steady in H1 2025, with 125 deals despite a Q2 slowdown.

  • Hedge funds saw $37B in net inflows in H1 2025, the highest since 2015, driven by market volatility.

  • GasBuddy forecasted $3.15/gallon gas prices for Labor Day 2025, the lowest since 2020.

Stay ahead with Sabal Law PLLC’s tailored solutions in securities, private funds, co-investments, venture financing, private equity, FinTech, SportsTech, DefenseTech, and blockchain. Schedule a Consultation or visit www.saballaw.com to connect! #SabalLaw #StartupLaw #PrivateFunds #EmergingManagers #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #CoInvestments #FamilyOffices #Crypto #DigitalAssets

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