Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

NEAR Protocol has released nearcore 2.14.0-rc.1, the first release candidate for a major protocol and database upgrade. The release raises the protocol version from 85 to 87, with validator voting scheduled to begin on 23 September at 00:00 UTC. If approved, activation is expected 7–14 hours after the voting epoch ends. Validators must upgrade before voting to remain in consensus. The nearcore 2.14.0 upgrade removes FunctionCall gas rewards by reducing the burnt-gas reward from 30% to zero. It also introduces stricter receipt limits, including a 4,194,944-byte cap for promise inputs and a 4 MB storage-proof limit per receipt. Other changes include ML-DSA-65 post-quantum signature verification, SHA-3 host functions, early chunk-producer reassignment and updated contract-loading fees. The release rejects DelegateV2 actions, nested WithdrawFromGasKey actions, empty FunctionCall method names and oversized state-init receipts. Its database upgrade raises DB_VERSION to 51 and requires operators to review state-sync and epoch-snapshot configuration changes. As a release candidate, nearcore 2.14.0 still requires testing and compatibility checks; ordinary NEAR users do not need to install it directly. For traders, this is mainly a network infrastructure event rather than a direct token-demand catalyst. NEAR could see short-term volatility around validator voting and upgrade activation, but the immediate price impact is likely limited unless the rollout encounters technical problems or improves market confidence in the network.

Web3Caff Research’s weekly report highlights the growing focus on tokenised assets, blockchain infrastructure, payments and regulatory frameworks. Its featured analysis examines how traditional financial institutions are adopting distributed ledger technology through established systems rather than replacing them with public blockchains. The report compares SWIFT and Chainlink’s CCIP in financial messaging and interoperability, Canton Network in settlement, and DTCC in custody and market infrastructure. It argues that institutions prioritise permissioned access, privacy, identity controls, legal ownership and regulatory compliance. This model of institutional blockchain infrastructure is intended to improve settlement and asset servicing while limiting the risks associated with open networks. Key challenges include cross-ledger interoperability, global standards, cross-border rules and coordination between regulators and financial institutions. The report provides no specific fundraising figures or token launches, so its direct impact on crypto prices is likely limited. However, the analysis is relevant to traders monitoring tokenisation, stablecoin payments, blockchain infrastructure and the long-term institutional adoption of digital assets.

DIY Bitcoin hardware signing devices have evolved from simple open-source experiments into a coordinated ecosystem focused on self-custody, air-gapped signing and verifiable software. The movement began in 2018 with PiTrezor, which ported Trezor One’s open-source firmware to Raspberry Pi hardware. The project demonstrated that users could build a low-cost Bitcoin signing device, but also highlighted the need for reproducible builds and firmware verification. Projects including BitBoy and Bowser later explored DIY hardware as educational tools. Specter-DIY, launched in 2019 by Stepan Snigirev and the CryptoAdvance team, introduced fully air-gapped QR communication and stateless signing. Its reusable embit library later became core infrastructure for SeedSigner and Krux. SeedSigner used a roughly $5 Raspberry Pi Zero without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, combining a camera and display for QR-based transaction signing. Its emphasis on user experience helped make DIY Bitcoin hardware signing devices more accessible. Krux adopted integrated Kendryte K210 development boards, reducing assembly requirements. Blockstream Jade also retained a DIY option through compatible third-party hardware. Related projects include ShieldSigner, which adds Satochip smart-card support, and Kern, an experimental firmware project. In November 2025, developers from Specter-DIY, SeedSigner and Krux met in São Paulo, with support from Vinteum and the Human Rights Foundation. They agreed to share responsibility for maintaining embit and exchanged work on secure boot, user experience and advanced multisignature functions. For traders, the development is strategically positive for Bitcoin’s decentralisation and self-custody infrastructure, but it is unlikely to create an immediate price catalyst. Security, supply-chain resilience and open-source verification may support long-term adoption, while the technical nature of DIY Bitcoin hardware signing devices limits near-term mainstream demand.

Bitcoin held near $75,000 after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and the US Senate rejected the Clarity Act, suggesting traders had largely priced in both events. Bitcoin absorbed $571 million in long-position liquidations during the 24 hours after the Senate vote but avoided a deeper sell-off. Analysts expect Bitcoin to trade in a range until a fresh catalyst emerges. A move above $77,950, followed by $79,300 and $80,000, could signal a breakout towards $81,400. A fall below $75,000 would weaken the recovery and raise downside risks. The Clarity Act’s failure leaves statutory uncertainty in the US crypto market. However, analysts expect the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission to continue developing rules under existing authority. The SEC’s temporary conditional exemption for eligible platforms trading tokenised US stocks was cited as evidence that regulatory progress can continue. Market participants remain divided. Some see Bitcoin’s resilience as evidence that liquidity, adoption and broader macroeconomic trends matter more than US legislation. Others, including Sigma Capital’s Vineet Budki, say the recent recovery does not confirm that a market bottom is in. Traders are watching the October 2 jobs report, October 14 Consumer Price Index release, exchange-traded fund flows and renewed spot buying for signs of Bitcoin’s next major move.

Hyperliquid launched manual borrowing on 18 September through its HyperCore infrastructure, allowing users to post HYPE or Bitcoin as collateral and borrow USDC or USDT. The feature supplements the platform’s automated lending system for portfolio-margin accounts. Hyperliquid reported $269 million in borrowed assets on launch day. The maximum loan-to-value ratio is 65% for HYPE and 50% for BTC. Liquidation thresholds are 82.5% and 75%, respectively. Collateral does not earn interest, while users supplying USDC or USDT can earn variable returns. Borrowing rates depend on utilisation, accrue hourly and update hourly. Account-level and global borrowing caps also apply. Manual borrowing is available to manual and unified accounts, while portfolio-margin accounts use automatic lending under the same HyperCore infrastructure. HYPE reportedly reached an all-time high of $90.92 around the launch, but available reports do not prove that manual borrowing caused the price rise. The launch-day borrowing figure also does not show longer-term demand, repayments or liquidations. The manual borrowing feature gives traders stablecoin liquidity while allowing them to retain HYPE or BTC exposure. Traders should monitor utilisation, hourly borrowing rates, collateral volatility and liquidation levels. HYPE offers higher borrowing capacity but may present greater liquidation risk because of its volatility.

WisdomTree is integrating MoonPay’s card and bank-transfer infrastructure into its WisdomTree Prime platform, expanding retail access to tokenized funds. The partnership includes the regulated WisdomTree Government Money Market Digital Fund (WTGXX), which uses blockchain to record ownership and distribution but is not a stablecoin. MoonPay says its ecosystem has more than 30 million registered accounts. Its payment and onboarding tools could reduce friction involving bank accounts, crypto wallets and blockchain transactions, helping tokenized funds reach investors beyond the crypto-native market. WisdomTree may also use MoonPay’s infrastructure for stablecoin reserve management and could extend the partnership to other funds and international markets. WTGXX seeks to maintain a $1 share price and held about $1.23 billion in assets as of September 17, 2026. It recorded roughly $466 million in net inflows over the previous 30 days. The broader tokenized US Treasury market was valued at about $15.4 billion, according to RWA.xyz. Ondo’s USDY was also cited as a product with positive flows. The deal highlights a shift in real-world asset tokenization from issuing blockchain-based funds to improving distribution and payment access. WisdomTree faces competition from BlackRock and Franklin Templeton, which are developing tokenized cash and Treasury products. The partnership could support adoption of tokenized funds, but it does not directly create demand for a major cryptocurrency or guarantee short-term price gains.

The London Company Small-Mid Cap Portfolio returned 12.1% gross and 11.8% net in Q2 2026. The Small-Mid Cap Portfolio delivered strong absolute gains but lagged its Russell 2500 benchmark on a relative basis. Stock selection was a performance headwind, while sector allocation provided partial support. The Russell 3000 Index rose 15.4% during the quarter, while the S&P 500 recorded its strongest quarterly performance since 2020. The rally was supported by artificial intelligence infrastructure spending and a positive earnings season. Only the technology sector outperformed the Russell 2500. Just 25% of profitable Russell 2500 companies beat the benchmark. Relative performance improved sharply in June, but the portfolio did not meet its expected 85–90% upside capture rate. For traders, the update highlights strong US equity momentum, continued leadership from technology and AI-related themes, and the importance of stock selection in small- and mid-cap markets.

Bitcoin traded near $81,500, with a 24-hour high of $81,849 and a low of $80,126. Ethereum outperformed, rising 2.36% to about $2,689 and briefly reaching $2,707. Crypto liquidations totaled $387 million over 24 hours, affecting nearly 120,000 traders. Short positions accounted for $228 million of the liquidations, compared with $158 million for longs, suggesting the rebound was partly driven by a short squeeze. The largest single liquidation was a $5.34 million Binance ETHUSDT perpetual-contract position. Solana rose 1.20% to $112.26, while XRP gained 1.29% to $1.4245. Bitcoin’s technical structure remained constructive, with its price above the 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages. RSI stood at 64, while resistance was near the $82,075 Bollinger upper band and the recent $82,300 high. Ethereum’s RSI was 66.1 and its price also remained above key moving averages. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index eased to 70 but stayed in the greed zone. Bitcoin’s ability to break above $82,000, alongside derivatives positioning and liquidity flows, will be important for near-term trading direction.

Polymarket traders now assign a 9% probability to the average number of ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait being below 25 at the end of September 2026. The probability fell 38% over the past 24 hours. The Polymarket contract will use IMF PortWatch data, specifically the seven-day moving average of “Arrivals of Ships” on 30 September. The calculation covers container ships, bulk carriers, roll-on/roll-off vessels, general cargo ships and tankers tracked by IMF PortWatch. Settlement will rely on the original unrounded data. The market may use the latest available figure if the 30 September data is delayed for up to 14 days. Any clear official data-entry or integrity error may allow settlement to be postponed until the end of the third day after publication. A difference between IMF data and figures from other organisations will not qualify as an error. The sharp decline in Polymarket odds indicates that traders increasingly expect shipping activity through the strategic waterway to remain above the contract threshold.

Strategy stock gained 47.65% over the month through September 18, making it the best-performing Nasdaq-100 constituent during the period. MSTR closed at $153.92 after rising 16.39% in one session, while Bitcoin climbed more than 5% and reclaimed the $80,000 level. Strategy held 845,050 BTC as of September 13, acquired for approximately $63.73 billion at an average cost of about $75,412 per Bitcoin. The company remains the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder, with its holdings representing slightly more than 4% of Bitcoin’s 21 million supply cap. Strategy did not buy Bitcoin during the two reporting weeks after its latest purchase of 4,603 BTC for $369.7 million. Instead, it repurchased STRC preferred shares, spending about $315.6 million across the two periods. The company has spent roughly $950.8 million on STRC buybacks since July and increased the related authorization to $2 billion. The Strategy stock rally coincided with Bitcoin’s recovery, positive crypto ETF flows and fresh US regulatory developments. However, MSTR remains exposed to leverage, capital-raising activity, preferred-share obligations and Bitcoin volatility. Despite the monthly rebound, the stock was still down more than 55% over the previous 12 months.

Investor Bill Miller IV, chairman and CEO of Miller Value Partners, says he has “never been more bullish” on Bitcoin. He argues that Bitcoin’s market capitalisation is near the peak of the previous cycle, while global fiscal conditions have deteriorated significantly, creating a wider gap between Bitcoin’s price and its potential fair value. Miller compares Bitcoin’s market cap with the scale of US government borrowing, noting that one year of US deficit spending is roughly comparable to Bitcoin’s entire market value. He views Bitcoin less as a conventional asset and more as a stable denominator for measuring capital when government-issued monetary units are weakened by debt and inflation. The discussion also covers gold’s recent outperformance, capital rotation from artificial intelligence-related trades, liquidity flows involving Japan and US Treasuries, energy prices, inflation and Federal Reserve policy. Miller attributes gold’s lead partly to stronger investor familiarity with the asset, while describing Bitcoin’s relative performance as a form of narrative lag. For crypto traders, the key signal is a strongly bullish long-term Bitcoin thesis tied to fiscal deterioration, monetary debasement and global liquidity. However, the comments are an opinion rather than a new market catalyst. Short-term Bitcoin price action will still depend on liquidity, interest-rate expectations, institutional demand and risk appetite.

The article contains only Seeking Alpha’s guidelines for its daily political discussion forum. It provides no market-moving political developments, economic data, company news or cryptocurrency updates. No information is given on Bitcoin, Ethereum, altcoins, job cuts, the tech sector or fiscal impact. As a result, there is no actionable crypto market news for traders to assess.

MemeToro, an AI-led memecoin launchpad being developed on BNB Chain, has released 1,373 lines of open-source Solidity code across 17 files. The update introduces FairLaunchEscrow.sol, an escrow contract designed to manage contributor funds during a memecoin launch, along with interfaces for future token deployment, liquidity management and claims. The MemeToro release is intended to improve transparency around funding caps, refunds, liquidity and token allocation. Its draft contract has no owner, administrator role or upgrade path. Launch settings are locked at creation, while a fingerprint of the public launch manifest is stored on-chain. The design limits contributor funds to refunds or the planned liquidity process and aims to prevent insider allocations through its supply-accounting rules. MemeToro has reportedly raised more than $139,000 in its Stage 7 presale, with the $MT token priced at $0.00430. The project lists a 1.2 billion token supply and a displayed launch target of $0.05186, although these figures are speculative and do not account for liquidity, slippage, fees or the risk of losses. The code includes Foundry tests covering funding caps, deadlines, refunds, claims and transaction-order risks. However, MemeToro still needs to complete its token executor, factory, deployment scripts, BNB Chain testnet launch, ERC-8004 agent identity and independent security review. For traders, the open-source release is a positive transparency signal, but $MT remains a high-risk presale asset until the platform is deployed, audited and adopted.

This beginner’s guide explains how to buy crypto in the Philippines using GCash, Maya, GoTyme, UnionBank, InstaPay and PESONet. It recommends checking whether a platform has a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licence or appropriate Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight before depositing Philippine pesos. To start, users need a government-issued ID, a local bank or e-wallet account, a verified email and phone number, and authenticator-based two-factor authentication. Crypto exchanges typically require Know Your Customer checks and may request proof of funds under anti-money-laundering rules. The guide highlights Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and dollar-pegged stablecoins such as USDT and USDC as common starting assets. Traders should compare spreads, trading fees, deposit charges and blockchain network fees. Instant buy features are convenient but can be more expensive than pro order-book interfaces. Market orders execute immediately, while limit orders allow users to set a target price. For withdrawals, users should verify the wallet address and blockchain network, then send a small test transaction because crypto transfers are generally irreversible. The guide also warns against phishing, wrong-network transfers and lump-sum buying during price surges. Dollar-cost averaging and reviewing market capitalisation may help reduce avoidable risks. The main message for Philippine crypto traders is to prioritise regulatory checks, fee transparency, account security and careful transaction testing when buying or selling crypto.

The article examines how investors should position portfolios ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections. The available extract identifies portfolio strategy as the main theme and references gold-related exchange-traded products, including DBP, GLTR, GLD, IAU, BAR, SGOL and OUNZ. However, the supplied crawler content ends before the article’s analysis, recommendations, performance data or political scenarios are provided. Investors should therefore treat the election outlook and any potential fiscal impact, market volatility and safe-haven demand as areas for further review. The 2026 midterm elections and portfolio positioning are the central topics, but no specific allocation guidance can be confirmed from the available text.

NEAR Protocol’s NEAR token rose about 81% in seven days to roughly $4.17 on September 21, driven by growing demand for confidential trading through NEAR Intents. The token gained about 17% in 24 hours, while daily trading volume approached $2 billion and market capitalisation reached approximately $5.45 billion. The rally followed a September 17 update that made Hyperliquid perpetual futures confidential by default on near.com. Traders can access more than 50 markets with leverage of up to 40x. Hyperliquid continues to handle public execution and liquidity, while NEAR’s privacy layer obscures the connection between funding activity and the account holding a position. NEAR Intents supports cross-chain funding across more than 30 blockchains and 100 assets, automatically converting collateral into the required margin currency. Confidential Intents also surpassed $70 million in total value locked, triggering the first snapshot for the NEAR@3.33 incentive programme, linked to 333,333 NEAR in allocations. NEAR Intents has processed more than $29 billion in cumulative cross-chain volume across 35 chains. Traders should note that NEAR’s rapid price rise, elevated volume and leverage availability may increase volatility and the risk of a sharp pullback.

Bitcoin has closed above its 50-week moving average for the first time in 45 weeks, strengthening the case that its prolonged bear phase may have ended. BTC was trading near $81,450 after rising nearly 6% in the latest week and 29% over the past 35 days. The 50-week moving average, currently around $78,115, is widely used as a measure of Bitcoin’s long-term trend. Historical data from Galaxy Research shows that Bitcoin reclaimed this level 13 times after major declines. In 11 cases, BTC did not establish a new low afterward, and several reclaims preceded major bull markets. However, the indicator is not infallible. Two failed breakouts occurred during the volatile 2021–2022 period, when Bitcoin briefly moved above the average before falling towards $16,000. Traders are therefore watching whether BTC can maintain weekly closes above approximately $78,115. A sustained hold could support further gains and increase confidence that the recent low near $60,000 was the cycle bottom. A move back below the 50-week average would weaken the bullish signal and raise the risk of a failed breakout.

MemeToro’s crypto presale has reached Stage 7 at $0.00430 per $MT and reportedly raised more than $139,000. The BNB Chain project is developing an AI-guided launchpad intended to help creators configure token allocations, funding rules and memecoin launches. MemeToro has also published 1,373 lines of Solidity across 17 MIT-licensed files. The code includes a proposed fair-launch escrow contract, interfaces, tests and documentation. The design aims to make launch rules visible, limit insider allocations and restrict fund movements to refunds or planned liquidity routes. The project says $MT could support platform access, launch funding, transactions, staking and rewards. Planned features include memecoin trading tools, prediction markets, a crypto news portal and AI-assisted discovery. These products are not yet fully operational, so the MemeToro presale remains highly speculative. The stated total supply is 1.2 billion $MT. The public sale represents 71%, while exchange reserves account for 10%, marketing partners 7.56%, platform liquidity 5%, network rewards 4.44% and the team 2%. The article also cites a target price of $0.05186 and staking yields of up to 35% APR. Investors should verify audit claims, contract security, vesting terms, liquidity plans and product delivery before trading or participating. The MemeToro presale does not by itself provide evidence of broader cryptocurrency market demand.

BlackRock has upgraded emerging-market equities to overweight, reversing its neutral stance from June. The asset manager expects MSCI Emerging Markets earnings to grow by more than 34% over the next 12 months, compared with about 20% for the MSCI USA Index. Emerging-market stocks trade at roughly 10 times forward earnings, versus nearly 20 times for US equities. BlackRock is focusing on AI hardware “picks-and-shovels” companies that produce semiconductors, memory chips and physical infrastructure rather than AI models. South Korea and Taiwan are central to the thesis because of their roles in the global semiconductor supply chain. BlackRock cited South Korea’s deleveraging after a July sell-off and improving earnings momentum as reasons for changing its view. The strategy also covers Latin American commodities, power and infrastructure, which could benefit from rising AI-related demand. The shift may support emerging-market technology and industrial shares and improve broader risk appetite. For crypto traders, it is an indirect signal rather than a cryptocurrency recommendation. Monitor Asian equities, AI-linked assets, the US dollar, commodity prices, liquidity and Taiwan-related geopolitical risks. Renewed leverage in South Korea and high AI hardware valuations remain key risks.

The CLARITY Act failed to advance in the US Senate after a cloture vote ended 49-50, falling short of the 60 votes required. Although Senator Thom Tillis said his opposition could enable a future vote, limited legislative days and continued partisan disagreements make passage in 2026 unlikely. The CLARITY Act remains a key crypto market-structure keyword for traders monitoring US regulation. Following the setback, the SEC introduced a five-year Innovation Exemption allowing limited trading of tokenized US stocks on public blockchains and through automated market makers. Synthetic stock tokens that do not provide traditional shareholder rights remain excluded. The CFTC also proposed relief for qualifying passive software providers and is preparing broader crypto-market rules. Coinbase and Kalshi filed proposals for individual US stock perpetual futures. The US House Financial Services Committee advanced the American Reserve Modernization Act, which would formalize the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, require digital-asset audits and quarterly proof-of-reserve reports. The House Ways and Means Committee also advanced a digital-asset tax bill. Bitcoin rose 5.9% to $81,185, while Ethereum gained 6.6% to $2,639 and XRP rose 5.4% to $1.40. Arbitrum gained 64.3% during the week. Standard Chartered said ARB could reach $10 by 2030, implying roughly 70 times upside, supported by Arbitrum’s share of network revenue. It cited slower tokenization and competing blockchains as key risks. The CLARITY Act and US crypto regulation remain major catalysts for future volatility.

T. Rowe Price digital-assets executive Blue Macellari says Bitcoin is increasingly central to institutional discussions about currency debasement, fiscal risk and global liquidity. In a Bitcoin Magazine interview, she examined the return of bond vigilantes, rising concerns about US Treasury financing and the shift from foreign to domestic buyers of US government debt. Macellari argued that comparisons between the US, Japan and Italy do not fully align because their investor bases and financing structures differ. She also questioned whether stablecoin demand encouraged by the GENIUS Act would create significant new demand for Treasury bills, rather than simply redirecting existing liquidity. The discussion covered T. Rowe Price’s digital-assets strategy, including its actively managed multi-token ETF, asset tokenisation and the risks of fragmented liquidity in 24-hour markets. Macellari said Bitcoin’s volatility can serve as a portfolio tool and highlighted a generational divide in how investors approach digital assets. For traders, the interview reinforces Bitcoin’s role as a macro asset linked to fiscal policy, Treasury yields, liquidity and inflation expectations. However, it presents institutional adoption and stablecoin-driven Treasury demand as developing themes, not immediate market catalysts.

The Crypto Wallets in the Philippines guide explains how crypto holders can protect assets through exchange custody, hot wallets and cold storage. Cryptocurrency remains on the blockchain; wallets manage the public and private keys needed to receive and authorize transactions. Exchange wallets, including those offered by Coins.ph, PDAX, Maya and Binance, are convenient for active trading, PHP conversion and fiat transfers. However, users face counterparty risks, account restrictions, platform outages and potential hacks because the exchange controls the private keys. Hot wallets such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Phantom, Coinbase Wallet and Rabby provide direct self-custody and access to DeFi, NFTs and Web3 applications. Their internet connection increases exposure to malware, phishing and malicious smart-contract approvals. Hardware wallets from Ledger, Trezor, Tangem and Keystone keep keys offline and are recommended for long-term holdings or high-value portfolios. The guide stresses that a seed phrase is the master key. It should be written on paper or steel, stored securely and never entered online, photographed or shared. Lost seed phrases cannot be recovered. Users should also verify wallet addresses, select the correct blockchain network, maintain sufficient gas tokens and send a small test transaction before moving large balances. The recommended approach is hybrid: keep trading funds on an exchange, use hot wallets for Web3 activity and store long-term holdings in cold storage. The guidance is primarily a security reference rather than a market catalyst, but stronger self-custody practices may reduce losses from hacks and scams over time.

The SEC’s five-year Innovation Exemption could accelerate tokenized stocks in the US by allowing qualifying venues to trade tokenized US-listed shares through permissioned automated market makers on public blockchains. Eligible tokens must provide the same rights as the underlying shares, while issuers receive notice and an opportunity to object. The framework could expand revenue beyond trading into custody, issuance, blockchain infrastructure and stablecoin settlement. Goldman Sachs and Citizens analysts identified Coinbase, Robinhood and Circle as potential beneficiaries. Coinbase could leverage its institutional custody business, tokenization infrastructure and Base network. Tokenized stocks had reportedly reached about $3 billion in weekly volume before a clear US framework emerged, helping support a recent rebound in Coinbase shares. Robinhood already offers offshore stock tokens, but these mainly provide economic exposure rather than direct legal ownership. A compliant US product may require voting rights and share-redemption features, while issuer objections remain a risk. AMC has previously challenged Robinhood’s tokenized-share model. Circle could benefit from higher USDC demand for settlement, collateral and liquidity. However, implementation details, issuer participation, trading limits and regulatory scrutiny remain uncertain. The tokenized stocks theme is positive for blockchain infrastructure and stablecoins, but near-term gains may reflect expectations rather than confirmed revenue.

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, known as Toly, said the code for his experimental project Percolator is still unfinished and that current development work cannot be fully handed over to artificial intelligence. He argued that artificial general intelligence remains a distant goal. Toly said AI is most useful during design, specification research and fuzz testing to identify software bugs. However, he suggested that relying on AI alone is unlikely to increase the number of high-quality products reaching the market compared with the period before large language models became widespread. Percolator is a planned, open-source perpetual futures decentralised exchange built on Solana. It is designed to use a sharded order book to deliver execution speeds comparable with centralised exchanges. The update does not indicate a change to Solana’s network or token fundamentals, but it highlights the development and security risks facing AI-assisted crypto projects.

Best Buy delivered strong quarterly results, but analyst Bela Lakos downgraded Best Buy from hold to sell. The downgrade reflects persistent macroeconomic headwinds, including weaker consumer sentiment, elevated inflation and high energy prices. The analyst argues that Best Buy’s growth does not justify its current valuation. A dividend discount model indicates limited upside and suggests that a significant share-price decline may be possible. The assessment highlights ongoing risks for consumer electronics retailers as households face higher living costs and potentially reduce discretionary spending. Best Buy had previously received hold or buy ratings from the analyst over more than four years. However, the latest valuation analysis points to a less favourable risk-reward balance. Traders should monitor consumer spending data, inflation, energy prices and future earnings guidance for signs of pressure on Best Buy and the wider retail sector.

Bitmine’s ETH holdings loss has narrowed to approximately $2.71 billion as Ethereum trades near $2,700. The company holds 5.956378 million ETH at an average cost of about $3,340 per coin. Around 5.067309 million ETH, or 85% of its portfolio, is staked. The staked holdings are worth roughly $12.7 billion and generate an estimated annualised yield of $330 million. Bitmine’s ETH holdings remain significantly exposed to Ethereum’s price, with the company still facing a large unrealised loss below its average acquisition cost. Traders are likely to monitor ETH’s ability to sustain momentum above $2,700, as well as potential changes in Bitmine’s staking or selling activity.

Wintermute identifies real-world asset (RWA) tokenization as a leading candidate to drive the next crypto liquidity cycle. Previous market expansions were supported by new capital channels such as ICOs and venture capital, stablecoins, spot ETFs and digital asset treasuries (DATs). However, these channels have become more established. ETF inflows reached about $63 billion during the 2024–25 cycle, while DAT purchases exceeded $115 billion. Recent total crypto liquidity inflows fell to about 2.4% of market capitalisation, although ETF flows and stablecoin issuance have started to recover. RWA tokenization could create a new route into crypto. Tokenized US Treasuries, money-market funds and equities can share wallets and stablecoin settlement infrastructure with digital assets. This may allow capital initially allocated to traditional assets to move more easily into BTC, ETH and other tokens. Tokenized RWA value has tripled in roughly 12 months to more than $30 billion, while the sector attracted about $16 billion over the past year. That remains around one-tenth of the strongest 12-month inflows recorded by ETFs and DATs, suggesting the market is still at an early stage. Wintermute says regulatory progress, broader transferability and the use of tokenized Treasuries as DeFi collateral will determine whether RWA develops from a passive investment wrapper into an active liquidity channel. For traders, the impact is more likely to build gradually than produce an ETF-style price shock. Key indicators include RWA growth, collateral adoption, DeFi lending activity, secondary-market trading and whether tokenized-asset balances begin moving into crypto markets.

Binance Futures will launch 24/7 USD/BRL FX perpetuals on 21 September 2026 at 14:00 UTC. The USDBRLUSDT contract will be settled in USDT and offer leverage of up to 100x, allowing traders to gain synthetic exposure to the US dollar and Brazilian real beyond traditional FX market hours. The USD/BRL FX perpetuals will trade during weekends and public holidays. During regular foreign-exchange hours, pricing will follow a weighted index from a third-party provider. Outside those hours, Binance will use an order-book-based weighted moving-average mechanism rather than relying solely on external FX feeds. The model creates pricing, basis and liquidation risks. Weekend prices may diverge from the underlying FX market when it reopens, especially after political, economic or central-bank developments. At 100x leverage, small price movements can trigger large gains, losses and forced liquidations. The initial launch covers only USD/BRL, while Bybit has already introduced perpetual contracts linked to the euro, pound and yen against the US dollar. Strong demand could encourage Binance to add more FX perpetuals. The move highlights the growing convergence between crypto derivatives and traditional markets, but its direct impact on cryptocurrency prices is likely to remain limited.

Circle has launched Arc, an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain built for AI agents, USDC payments and institutional finance. Circle initially announced Arc in August 2025, opened its public testnet in October and launched the public mainnet on 16 September, according to the reports. Arc is designed for payments, foreign exchange, tokenised assets, treasury management, lending and institutional markets. Its Agent Stack includes provenance proofs, reputation systems and nanopayments for autonomous on-chain activity. Arc uses USDC as its native gas token, giving users dollar-denominated fees and reducing reliance on volatile fee assets such as ETH and SOL. Circle says its Malachite consensus engine provides sub-second deterministic finality. The network uses a permissioned validator model. BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Sumitomo Corporation, Visa and Standard Chartered are among the institutions linked to its validator base, with BlackRock, Visa and Mastercard highlighted at launch. Arc is also connected to Circle Mint, CCTP and Gateway, while a planned Privacy Sector is intended to support confidential payroll, lending, asset issuance and repo-market transactions. ARC has a fixed initial supply of 10 billion tokens. Circle raised $222 million through a private presale involving 740 million ARC at $0.30 per token, implying a post-sale valuation of about $3 billion. For crypto traders, Arc is a significant infrastructure bet on AI agents and institutional stablecoin adoption. The launch could support long-term ARC and USDC demand if the network attracts meaningful applications, liquidity and transaction volume. Near-term performance may remain volatile because the ecosystem is early-stage, validator participation is permissioned and adoption must extend beyond institutional support.