Bitcoin Gets a Name: $handle Brings Identity to the Base Layer

PLUS: BitGo files for IPO as crypto market hits $4T, SEC approves in-kind ETF redemptions, Galaxy quietly sells $9B in BTC, and JPMorgan to enable crypto buying with Chase cards starting 2025.

Author

Michael Stinson
August 01, 2025

Happy Friday, Maestros!

Welcome to another edition of the Bitcoin Renaissance!

This week, BitGo filed for a U.S. IPO as the crypto market caps $4T, signaling renewed institutional confidence. The SEC approved in-kind redemptions for spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, making them more attractive to large investors. Galaxy sold $9B in BTC with minimal market impact, showing improved liquidity. JPMorgan will let Chase users buy crypto through Coinbase and redeem points as USDC starting in 2025.

We’ve been really busy the last two week. Check out this X post for the full details and give us a follow!

🚀 Featured Stories

BitGo joins cryptocurrency IPO wave amid $4T market surge. Custody leader BitGo confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, riding a crypto market now valued at $4 trillion. The news reflects strong institutional momentum and growing regulatory clarity.

SEC greenlights in-kind ETF redemptions. For the first time, U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs can now process creations and redemptions in-kind instead of cash, aligning crypto product structures with traditional commodity ETFs. Analysts say this could boost institutional demand.

Galaxy sells $9B in BTC with no market disruption. Galaxy Digital offloaded 80,000 BTC over several days, yet prices barely budged—highlighting Bitcoin’s growing liquidity depth and institutional maturity. Experts called it one of the cleanest large-scale exits ever.

JPMorgan enables crypto purchases via Chase cards. Starting in fall 2025, Chase credit card users will be able to buy crypto via Coinbase directly, and redeem points as USDC—spotlighting mainstream finance’s embrace of crypto.

💡Spotlight: $handle

$handle is a decentralized, NFT-based naming system that transforms complex wallet addresses into simple, human-readable tags like $yourname. Originally launched on Cardano, $handle now supports Bitcoin—becoming the first identity protocol to bridge UTXO ecosystems at scale.

With over 220,000 handles minted, $handle has become the go-to identity layer for web3 users on Cardano and is rapidly expanding across Bitcoin tooling and infrastructure.

🛠️ Key Features

  • Readable Wallet IDs: Send and receive crypto with just a $handle

  • On-Chain & Decentralized: Built entirely on-chain—no central registry

  • Multi-Chain Addresses: Link multiple wallet addresses to one $handle across Cardano and Bitcoin

  • Developer-Friendly APIs: Easy integration for dApps, block explorers, and wallet applications

  • SubHandle System: Create NFT or Virtual SubHandles like $john@acme for organizations and brands

Recent News

Bitcoin Support is Live The $handle cross-chain integration for Bitcoin is now fully deployed. Users can link a BTC address to any existing handle and use it across supported wallets. Adoption is already underway with support in Lace, Tokeo, and Begin, with VESPR coming next.

H.A.L. NFT Collection: $handle is minting H.A.L., a new NFT collection in partnership with BitcoinOS, further expanding their ecosystem presence and utility across Bitcoin infrastructure.

The Future

$handle's roadmap includes Handle Pay (a mobile app for simplified DeFi access) and Handle Chat (decentralized messaging with point-to-point encryption). As UTXO chains power the next wave of DeFi and Bitcoin-native apps, $handle is building the complete identity and communication infrastructure stack. With expanding wallet integrations and several major Bitcoin wallets in discussions for 2025 support, $handle is positioned to be the standard that connects all UTXO ecosystems.

🎁 Join the BitcoinOS Contest To celebrate Bitcoin expansion, $handle is partnering with BitcoinOS for a giveaway featuring 25 whitelist spots for H.A.L. and 1 rare $hal subhandle NFT. Follow @adahandle and @BTC_OS, then drop your $handle to enter!

Find out more here!

📣 Trending on X

Coinbase is bullish on Bitcoin. They increased their holding by 2,509 BTC in Q2 alone, with no indication that they’ll stop. HODL. Michael Saylor did flex, replying he bought 82, 509.

Midl is now live on Bitcoin testnet, giving users chance to experience Ethereum-like UX natively on Bitcoin and turning BTC from a store of value into a true utility asset.

In a move that shocks no one, Michael Saylor is looking to raise up to $4.2 billion to buy, you guessed it, Bitcoin.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins voices support for Bitcoin and crypto self-custody. “The ability to self-custody private property is a fundamental American principle.”