Crypto Market on July 30: Binance Prepares Metal Options, Gumi Launches Fund, Luno Cuts Staff

The crypto market on July 30 started the day without sharp movements among the largest coins, but the news backdrop was rich: Binance is entering the gold and silver options segment, Japanese Gumi is creating a crypto fund worth $18.3 million, and Luno is cutting one-fifth of its team.

• The Japanese gaming company Gumi is launching a cryptocurrency fund worth 3 billion yen, or approximately $18.3 million.
• The crypto exchange Luno is undergoing restructuring and laying off about 20% of its employees worldwide.
• Binance is adding gold and silver options with settlements in USDT through a regulated platform in Abu Dhabi.

Major cryptocurrencies started the day calmly

Bitcoin, according to TradingView, was moving sideways in the morning. At 07:35 Moscow time, the coin was trading around $64,010, which corresponds to approximately ₽5,079,641 per token. Over the past 24 hours, the minimum for Bitcoin was $63,206, and the maximum was $64,638.

Bitcoin price chart. Source: TradingView.

Ethereum, the second cryptocurrency by market capitalization, also started the day without a pronounced trend. At the time of preparing this review, the coin was priced at $1,902, or about ₽150,957 per token.

Ethereum price chart. Source: TradingView.

Key movements among the largest coins looked like this:

• BNB --- up 0.67%, down 0.21%.
• Hyperliquid --- down 0.71% over the day, down 9.20% over the week.
• Uniswap --- down 0.79% among the top 100 coins by capitalization.
• Audiera --- down 0.15% among the top 100 coins by capitalization.
• Venice Token --- down 4.23% over the day among the top 100 coins by capitalization.
• Worldcoin --- down 19.87% over the week among the top 100 coins by capitalization.

Top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Source: CoinMarketCap.

Gumi is preparing a crypto fund worth $18.3 million

Japanese game developer Gumi plans to launch a cryptocurrency fund worth 3 billion yen, which is approximately $18.3 million. SBI Financial Services will be the partner, and the project will receive support from Daiwa Securities Group and other investors.

The fund will be managed by SBI Crypto Fund --- a joint structure where 51% belongs to SBI Financial Services, and 49% is controlled by Gumi's subsidiary called gC Labs.

The main focus of the fund is Bitcoin and major altcoins. The strategy involves staking, portfolio rebalancing, and risk hedging. This approach is closer to professional capital management: a cryptocurrency asset in the company's accounting requires separate accounting, especially if there are traditional stocks or other financial instruments in the portfolio.

Gumi aims to connect Japan's corporate sector with the crypto market and gain practical experience ahead of a potential lifting of the ban on crypto ETFs in the country. For investments in digital assets, this is an important context: companies are increasingly evaluating not only the price of the token but also the infrastructure around it—blockchain, software, storage, and control procedures.

Luno Cuts 20% of Staff

The cryptocurrency exchange Luno is laying off about 20% of its global workforce. The cuts are part of a restructuring: the company is shifting its focus towards institutional clients, financial infrastructure, and B2B services.

Luno's CEO James Lanigan explained that the exchange has invested in automation and operational improvements, which has changed the need for resources. The company also intends to reduce expenses in light of the current market situation.

This is not Luno's first major layoff. In January 2023, the exchange already laid off 35% of its staff.

Binance Launches Gold and Silver Options

Binance is set to launch options on gold and silver settled in USDT through a regulated platform in Abu Dhabi. This expands the exchange's product line at the intersection of traditional finance and cryptocurrencies.

Trading of the contracts will take place through Nest Exchange Limited—a recognized investment exchange of Binance operating under the regulation of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The options will allow betting on the price changes of gold and silver without the actual delivery of the metals.

Retail clients will only be able to buy options. Institutional participants and market makers will also be allowed to write contracts. Binance believes that this separation reduces risks for retail traders: their potential losses are limited to the amount of the premium paid.

Why These News Are Important for the Market

The morning backdrop shows that the crypto industry continues to converge with traditional finance. On one hand, exchanges are adding tools similar to traditional derivatives. On the other hand, companies like Gumi are preparing funds where traditional risk management methods appear alongside cryptocurrencies.

The convergence of crypto exchanges with traditional instruments makes the market more mature, but it does not negate the main rule: investors still need to assess risk, liquidity, and the structure of the asset itself.

At the same time, the fundamental principles of the industry remain unchanged. Blockchain relies on cryptography, and mining and consensus mechanisms help protect networks from issues like double spending. Unlike bank transactions, where confirmation goes through centralized infrastructure, operations with digital coins depend on the rules of the specific network.

Investors are keeping an eye not only on Bitcoin and Ethereum. The focus remains on assets and market parameters that help assess the situation more quickly:

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Litecoin
• Dogecoin
• liquidity
• demand dynamics
• overall sentiment of participants

Against this backdrop, even calm morning trading can quickly shift to more volatile movements.

A Brief Guide to Types of Cryptocurrencies

The crypto market consists of more than one type of asset. Bitcoin is often seen as the market's baseline reference. Altcoins are all coins outside of Bitcoin, including Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, BNB, and other projects. Stablecoins aim to maintain a stable price and are often used for settlements, like USDT in Binance options. Tokens are usually issued within a specific ecosystem and can be linked to a service, governance, or access to a product.

How to Choose Cryptocurrencies and Understand Their Prices

For investments, people usually look at popular and liquid assets: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, BNB, Uniswap, and other coins with significant market capitalization and active trading. The choice should not be limited to past growth; important factors include market capitalization, liquidity, project reputation, innovation, demand, and the overall sentiment of participants.

The price of a cryptocurrency is determined by supply and demand. It is influenced by news, trading volume, investor expectations, and liquidity. Market capitalization indicates the total size of the asset in the market: the higher it is, the easier it is to assess the scale of the project and its position among competitors.

Buying, Storing, Earning, and Security

Cryptocurrencies can be purchased on exchanges, through exchanges, and P2P platforms. Assets can be stored in hot wallets for quick transactions or in cold wallets if long-term protection is more important. Exchanges, exchange services, or P2P transactions usually facilitate the exchange.

Earning in the crypto market is associated with trading, long-term investments, staking, and mining. Options without investments also exist: airdrops, bounty programs, and faucets, but they should be checked especially carefully.

The main risks include high volatility, theft, weak regulation, technical errors, phishing, scam projects, and pyramids. Basic protection is simple: use reliable exchanges, enable two-factor authentication, store large amounts in cold wallets, and avoid clicking on suspicious links.

Beginners are better off taking steps: first, understand what blockchain, wallet, transaction, market capitalization, liquidity, and volatility are; then learn to read charts and news; after that, test small trades. For up-to-date data, TradingView, CoinMarketCap, official project and exchange channels, as well as analytical platforms are useful.