Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

The Philippines’ DICT leadership is in transition after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Secretary Henry Aguda’s departure. Aguda will remain in a temporary holdover role while Malacañang considers potential successors. The DICT leadership decision follows public backlash over platform restrictions and comes as the agency faces concerns over public trust, including allegations involving “ghost internet” procurements. Three reported contenders represent different priorities. Undersecretary for e-Government David “Dave” Almirol Jr. is associated with digital government services and the eGovPH Super App, but has faced questions about conflicts of interest and source-code ownership. Former presidential spokesperson and fintech executive Edwin Lacierda could focus on digital commerce, payments and startups, though his political background may draw criticism. Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center head Renato “Aboy” Paraiso is linked to cybersecurity and anti-fraud enforcement; his role in controversial platform restrictions has raised concerns about over-regulation and digital rights. The choice could shape the Philippines’ approach to e-government, fintech, cybersecurity and internet regulation. For crypto traders, the story is a policy and digital-rights development, not a direct market catalyst: it reports no crypto-specific measures or immediate changes to trading conditions.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella say expectations for AI may be running ahead of the technology’s current capabilities. Chew told the DBS Asia Future Forward 2026 Conference that society may overestimate AI in the short term while underestimating its long-term impact. He called for humans to retain final decision-making authority and warned that autonomous AI could create cybersecurity risks. Nadella urged companies to treat advanced AI models as potential insider threats, with emergency-stop controls, audits and safeguards in place. The comments reinforce growing calls for AI oversight and human supervision. For crypto traders, the immediate market impact is limited, but AI regulation and investment in AI infrastructure remain relevant themes across technology markets.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said objections from the judiciary could block government appointments, highlighting limits on presidential authority and potential friction between Iran’s executive and judicial branches. The judiciary operates within a political system overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The remarks come as prediction-market traders assign a 10% probability to Pezeshkian leaving office by December 31. The article also reports 3.4% odds for Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon before 2027. These figures reflect market pricing, not confirmed outcomes. Traders will watch for further signals from Iran’s leadership and any impact on domestic policy or international negotiations.

Recent AI advances in mathematics have not shown that existing cryptographic assumptions are weaker or that elliptic-curve cryptography can be broken, according to Stanford professor Dan Boneh and a16z crypto researchers. They said cryptography relies on computational-hardness assumptions that cannot be proven in general, so stronger AI alone does not establish a way to defeat current systems. The immediate opportunity may be using AI to test cryptographic designs and software faster, potentially shortening years of review. Quantum-security preparations, including post-quantum methods, offer relevant experience, but those systems also need scrutiny. The experts urged cryptographic agility so projects can change methods if weaknesses emerge. For crypto markets, there is no confirmed near-term blockchain cryptography crisis; audits, secure implementation and upgrade readiness remain important.

Coinbase says its AI fraud detection system cut fraudulent transactions on its Onramp crypto-buying service by 30% and reduced the dollar value of fraud by 22% in an online A/B test. Onramp lets users buy crypto through partner apps, including via guest checkout. Coinbase first added an AI risk agent to its existing machine-learning checks and rules engine. The agent reviews transaction sequences and returns a risk rating for payments that passed earlier checks; application code makes the final decision. It cannot reverse a block made by an upstream system. The company then fine-tuned the open-weight Qwen3.5-9B model on proprietary transaction data. On a benchmark of 16,140 transactions from 7,293 users, including 813 confirmed fraud cases, Coinbase says the model outperformed Anthropic’s Opus 4.5 on precision, recall, F1 score and dollar-weighted recall. It reported a median response time of 0.683 seconds—55% faster than Opus 4.5—and training costs of less than $100 on a single GPU. Coinbase also said some newer frontier-model versions scored worse than earlier ones on parts of the benchmark; GPT-5.6 improved precision but had lower recall. The results suggest task-specific AI fraud detection could help crypto platforms reduce fraud losses, latency and operating costs. However, Coinbase’s proprietary benchmark has not been independently verified and covers one product and use case, so the findings do not establish broader performance across the industry.

Figure Technology Solutions is expanding its blockchain-based lending platform and credit-market business. The article reports that Q3 loan marketplace volume rose 107% year over year, while Q2 adjusted EBITDA margins exceeded 50%. It also says the acquisition of real-estate lender Kiavi could broaden Figure’s lending capabilities and diversify revenue. The author views Figure Technology Solutions’ valuation as reasonable relative to its growth and earnings potential, maintaining a Strong Buy rating. These figures and the rating reflect the article author’s analysis, not independent investment advice.

The Bank of Korea will not directly operate stablecoin businesses, Governor Hyun Song Shin told lawmakers on October 12. He said private companies should issue and operate stablecoins, while the central bank advises on monetary stability and payment systems. His remarks do not announce new licensing rules or reverse the Bank of Korea’s earlier preference for bank-led issuance of won-backed stablecoins. Shin distinguished private stablecoins from Project Hangang, which tests institutional digital currency for interbank settlement and deposit tokens issued by commercial banks. Banks would continue managing customer accounts and information. The Bank of Korea has not pursued a general-purpose retail CBDC since 2023, and further deposit-token payment trials are planned for 2026. For crypto traders, the comments clarify the central bank’s intended role but do not resolve South Korea’s pending stablecoin regulations. The immediate market impact is therefore likely limited, though future rules on won-backed stablecoins could affect local payment and settlement projects.

Pando Finance plans to list its spot Solana ETF (02831) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on October 13, making it the city’s second ETF to offer direct exposure to SOL. Subscriptions are scheduled for October 6–12, at an indicative price of HK$7.80–HK$8 per share. The minimum lot is 100 shares, or about HK$780–HK$800 before fees. The Pando Solana ETF will charge a 0.6% annual management fee and has an estimated recurring expense ratio of 1.6%, below ChinaAMC’s corresponding rates of 0.99% and 1.99%. It will hold SOL directly, with HashKey Exchange handling transactions and HashKey Custody Services providing custody. The fund will not stake its holdings or use derivatives or leverage, may hold up to 3% of net assets in cash, and does not plan to pay dividends. The listing adds a regulated channel for Hong Kong investors seeking Solana exposure, but does not guarantee new buying pressure for SOL. The ETF remains exposed to SOL’s price volatility, and investors could lose their entire investment.

South Korea’s Jeonbuk Bank has launched Bitcoin-backed won loans, becoming the country’s first bank to accept Bitcoin as collateral. The service is initially limited to corporate customers seeking business operating funds, with Bitcoin the only eligible digital asset. Borrowers pledge BTC through a registered third-party custodian; the bank does not hold or control the cryptocurrency. Jeonbuk Bank values collateral using prices from multiple global exchanges, volatility measures and stress tests. The bank says Bitcoin was selected for its liquidity and market depth, including after assessment of sharp price declines. If a borrower defaults, revised enforcement rules effective October 1 allow the bank to seek a court-ordered auction of the collateral. Loan rates, loan-to-value ratios, lending volumes and the custodian’s identity have not been disclosed. Jeonbuk Bank may consider other assets and services as regulation, demand and operating experience develop. The launch marks a limited step in institutional Bitcoin-backed lending, but its restricted scope is unlikely to create significant near-term buying or selling pressure on BTC.

Solana-based meme coin BATON briefly exceeded a $20 million market capitalisation, setting a new record, according to GMGN market data. It was later reported at $19.74 million, up more than 53% over 24 hours. The BATON name refers to Baton Corporation, Pump.fun’s predecessor, and the community views the token as linked to Pump.fun’s early corporate identity. BATON’s sharp rise may attract short-term momentum traders, but meme coins can be highly volatile and sensitive to sentiment and online narratives.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) says cross-border stablecoin regulation and crisis-management arrangements remain incomplete. Its 2025 review found that only 11 of 28 surveyed jurisdictions had completed a stablecoin regulatory framework. The FSB warns that a stablecoin run could spread stress to traditional markets through forced sales of reserve assets and withdrawals of bank deposits. For stablecoins with multiple issuers, redemption requests could concentrate on one issuer even when reserves are held across different jurisdictions. The FSB also finalized guidance on responsible AI use in finance, warning that AI-enabled cyberattacks could weaken financial institutions and market infrastructure.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has warned G20 policymakers that cross-border stablecoin oversight and crisis-management arrangements remain underdeveloped. In a 2025 review, only 11 of 28 jurisdictions surveyed had finalized stablecoin regulatory frameworks. The watchdog said a stablecoin run could spread into traditional financial markets if issuers are forced to sell reserve assets or users withdraw bank deposits. Multi-issuer stablecoins also pose risks if redemption demand concentrates on one issuer while reserves are held across different jurisdictions. FSB Chair Andrew Bailey also urged G20 members to support the watchdog’s finalized practices for responsible AI use in finance. The guidance covers governance, AI development and deployment, cybersecurity, and third-party service risks. Bailey warned that AI-enabled cyberattacks could threaten financial institutions and market infrastructure. The letter was sent ahead of the G20 finance ministers’ and central bank governors’ meeting.

Decentralised perpetuals platform Papertrade faced a major pricing-risk test around eight hours after launch. A trader reportedly opened highly leveraged ETH positions on Papertrade, then bought and sold large amounts of ETH on Hyperliquid to move the external price reference used by Papertrade. The price shifts were small—about 0.12% on the initial move—but could have outsized effects with leverage of up to 1,000x. Papertrade has no order book and does not hedge users’ positions on Hyperliquid. Trades are executed against a shared USDC liquidity pool, while the platform uses Hyperliquid’s bid-ask midpoint as its reference price and advertises zero slippage and funding fees. The wallet traded about $231 million in ETH on Hyperliquid, paying roughly $52,000 in fees. Its Papertrade account recorded about $3.18 billion in notional volume and an estimated net profit of $1.28 million. A later short position, averaging 660x leverage and worth about $297 million in notional terms, was liquidated after the trader failed to close it quickly, causing a reported loss of around $450,000. Papertrade said it had set initial open-interest limits too high and was tightening controls. Claims that the trader returned much of the profit to the pool have not been independently verified. The incident highlights risks in Papertrade’s price-oracle design, shared liquidity pool and high leverage. It does not by itself indicate a broad directional move in ETH, but may prompt traders to reassess oracle and liquidation risks on similar DeFi derivatives platforms.

Houthi attacks on Saudi airports have killed at least 14 people, in what the article describes as the deadliest strikes in Saudi Arabia since the Iran conflict began. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport were among the facilities targeted, and operations at affected airports were suspended. The strikes mark an escalation from isolated incidents to sustained attacks on civilian infrastructure. Saudi authorities confirmed further targeting and pledged a response. Traders will be watching for updates from Saudi aviation authorities and any airspace restrictions. The article also cites prediction-market odds of a Saudi airspace closure at 7.5% by 1 November 2026 and 18% by 1 January 2027.

Saudi authorities have released CCTV footage of the October 10 attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The article reports 13 deaths and more than 300 injuries, and says Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility. The Riyadh airport attack has heightened concerns about Saudi airspace and regional security. Prediction-market pricing cited in the article puts the probability of a formal Saudi airspace closure at 7.5% by November 1, 2026, and 18% by January 1, 2027. Traders will be watching for announcements from Saudi aviation authorities, further attacks, international aviation guidance and signs of de-escalation. The figures reflect market expectations, not confirmed government action.

The article describes a widening AI capability gap between ordinary users and people with access to advanced AI systems. It attributes to computer scientist Andrej Karpathy an estimate that about 75% of the world’s population has little or no experience with large language models, while roughly 20 million professionals use advanced coding agents and around 5,000 insiders can access the most powerful systems. According to the article, everyday users may judge AI by free or older chatbots, while developers using tools such as OpenAI Codex and Claude Code report rapid gains in coding and research. It also claims that internal AI agent groups are being used for extended software projects, cybersecurity work and mathematical research. These figures and examples are presented as estimates and claims in the article, rather than independently verified data. The article links the AI capability gap to unequal access, the fast pace of model development and the advantage AI training has in fields such as coding and mathematics, where results can be checked. It highlights potential cybersecurity and workforce implications, but does not report a specific cryptocurrency development or market event.

Binance will launch four USDT-margined TradFi perpetual contracts on October 12 between 17:00 and 17:15 Beijing time: ZCSHUSDT, MSTUUSDT, SNPSUSDT and RDWUSDT. The contracts will offer leverage of up to 20x. Binance TradFi perpetual contracts give traders exposure to the prices of traditional-finance assets through perpetual futures, but the announcement does not specify the underlying assets in detail. The listing expands Binance’s range of TradFi derivatives and may attract trading activity in the new contracts.

Former CFTC acting chair Caroline Pham says existing U.S. commodity law gives the agency significant authority over crypto markets, though its powers vary by transaction type. Her comments follow the CFTC’s October 5 proposal seeking public feedback on rules for leveraged, margined and financed retail crypto trading. The proposal could create a federal oversight path for eligible trading platforms, but it is not yet a final rule. Pham said the framework could improve protections for U.S. retail traders as Congress considers broader legislation. She also argued tokenized bank deposits may better support wholesale settlement than stablecoins, estimating that immediate settlement of a full day’s obligations could require about $15 trillion in cash. Pham separately predicted that tokenized stocks with shareholder rights could see meaningful activity on major U.S. exchanges by around 2028. The regulatory proposals and market forecasts are not guarantees of implementation or adoption.

France’s National Assembly Finance Committee has backed a proposal requiring individuals to declare self-custodied crypto assets worth at least €100,000. The France crypto wallet reporting plan would require holders to report the value of qualifying assets on December 31 each year; failure to declare them could bring fines of up to €10,000. It applies to assets held outside regulated crypto service providers and does not ban self-custody or require investors to move their holdings. Sponsors cited a parliamentary inquiry estimating €3.5 billion in crypto capital gains in 2021, compared with €400 million in declared crypto holdings—a comparison of different measures. Other proposed tax changes include stablecoin taxation, longer loss carryforwards and an exit tax on some large holdings. These proposals are not law: after the committee rejected the revenue section of the proposed 2027 budget, the measures must be resubmitted and approved in parliamentary debate. There is no immediate change to investors’ reporting obligations, leaving the France crypto wallet plan uncertain.

Binance will launch USDT-margined perpetual contracts for ZCSH, MSTU, SNPS and RDW between 09:00 and 09:15 UTC on 12 October 2026, according to an official announcement. The Binance perpetual contracts will offer leverage of up to 20x. The announcement does not specify which contract will launch at each time within that window.

F2Pool co-founder Wang Chun transferred 2,160 ETH, worth about $5.52 million, from a F2Pool Gnosis Safe wallet to Binance, according to Onchain Lens. The transfer consisted of two deposits: 1,150 ETH valued at $2.94 million and 1,010 ETH valued at $2.58 million. The ETH transfer to Binance is a notable whale transaction, but the deposit alone does not confirm that Wang Chun has sold the tokens.

Polymarket traders put the chance of Anthropic releasing a qualifying Fable model by 24 October at 65%, up 13% over 24 hours, according to PPP’s prediction-market monitoring. The market resolves to “Yes” if Anthropic makes Fable 5.2 or a later version publicly available by the deadline; a public test or open waitlist counts, but closed or private access does not. A model name appearing on Anthropic’s website without the model being available is not enough. Settlement will rely mainly on Anthropic’s official announcements and website, alongside consistent reporting from credible media. The odds reflect a change in prediction-market sentiment, not confirmation of a launch, and the news has no direct impact on cryptocurrency prices.

Bitcoin briefly rose above $84,000 after rebounding from near $80,000, but was trading around $83,863 on 12 October and had not held the level. Repeated resistance near $85,000 has limited the recovery, leaving the $85,000–$87,000 range in focus if buyers regain momentum. A fall below $83,000 could indicate that the rebound is corrective; a daily close below the 20-day EMA near $83,386 would put $82,000 and then $80,000 in view. Technical indicators offer some support: Bitcoin is above its 50-day EMA near $80,217, while the four-hour MACD has turned positive and Chaikin Money Flow is at 0.20. However, US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded about $679 million in net outflows over five trading days last week. BlackRock’s IBIT saw inflows on 9 October, but Fidelity’s FBTC had sizeable withdrawals earlier in the week. Lower oil prices eased some inflation concerns, although Brent crude remained above $103 a barrel. A strong US dollar and geopolitical tensions continued to weigh on risk appetite. Traders are watching US CPI data due on 14 October, with headline inflation expected to reach about 3.7%. For Bitcoin to establish a stronger recovery, ETF flows may need to stabilize and inflation pressures ease. Until then, the move looks more like a rebound from recent lows than a confirmed trend reversal.

The Trump administration is framing AI development as a strategic contest with China, while US companies are reportedly adopting lower-cost Chinese AI models. President Donald Trump said “whoever wins AI, wins” before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2026. The countries established an AI dialogue and incident-communication channels, but Trump opposed deeper cooperation over concerns about sensitive information. US officials have accused Chinese firms, including DeepSeek, of using model distillation to replicate American AI capabilities. Meanwhile, reports say some US companies have cut costs by 60% to 90% by switching to Chinese models, which are also being used in major enterprise AI workloads. The trend highlights a tension in the AI race: US policy seeks to restrict technology transfers, yet businesses are drawn to cheaper Chinese AI. Separate cases involving alleged Nvidia chip and server smuggling into China have reported losses exceeding $2.5 billion. The developments could keep US-China technology policy and AI supply chains in focus, but the article identifies no direct cryptocurrency market catalyst.

PaperTrade co-builder Jez says most traders are better off holding spot crypto than using leverage, arguing that volatility can turn even a correct directional call into a losing trade. He says concentrated positions may help small accounts grow when conviction and research are strong, while diversification is primarily for protecting capital. His advice to traders includes keeping a job as a source of income, saving capital for the strongest opportunities and avoiding impulsive trades driven by social media. Jez also argues that crypto prices depend on future demand and cash flows, not simply whether an asset looks expensive. In his view, newer tokens may face less selling pressure from holders waiting to break even. He attributes his own recovery from major losses to research, emotional resets and high-conviction spot positions, while warning that repeated blow-ups cost investors the benefits of compounding. The interview also covers PaperTrade, an on-chain derivatives project built around perpetual trading. Jez believes speculative demand is structural and expects the perps market to expand, but acknowledges that poor risk management and excessive leverage can be damaging. His experience offers traders a mix of bullish long-term views on crypto derivatives and caution about personal trading risk.

Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song said inflation trends remain the top priority in monetary policy decisions. Speaking at a parliamentary audit on 12 October, he did not confirm whether the central bank would raise rates again in October or November. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of inflation on low-income and vulnerable groups, while noting that high interest rates also put pressure on vulnerable borrowers. The Bank of Korea is weighing inflation control against the strain high rates place on households and businesses.

SWI Group paid $500 million for an approximately 77% economic interest in Genesis Digital Assets (GDA), an operator linked to FTX’s former Bitcoin mining operations. The deal closed on June 15, 2026, and SWI plans to adapt GDA’s infrastructure for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. GDA has 1.3 gigawatts of energized and approved grid connections across 15 sites, mainly in Texas, with additional facilities in Sweden. The acquisition brings SWI’s stated AI-ready capacity to 3.6 GW. However, Bitcoin mining infrastructure is not automatically suitable for AI data centres: conversion may require better cooling, networking and uptime, so the 1.3 GW figure represents potential rather than completed AI capacity. The deal highlights demand for power access as mining infrastructure finds new uses. Its direct effect on Bitcoin trading is limited; the pace and cost of conversion will determine how much of the capacity becomes operational for AI.

Solana Policy Institute president Kristin Smith warns that US crypto rules finalized before summer 2028 could be difficult to reverse. Agency rulemaking typically takes 18 to 24 months, and the Congressional Review Act gives lawmakers a limited period to overturn new rules. Once that window closes—and businesses build around the framework—reversing crypto rules may become more disruptive. Her warning comes after the Clarity Act failed to advance in the Senate on September 15, 2026, with a 49–50 vote, leaving the SEC and CFTC as the main venues for crypto policy. The agencies have already issued joint guidance classifying several digital assets, including Solana, as digital commodities rather than securities. The Solana Policy Institute says it held more than 300 policymaker meetings in 2026. In a July 9 letter to the CFTC, it sought exemptions for non-custodial wallet software, rules for 24/7 compliance and recognition of blockchain recordkeeping. Traders will be watching for formal SEC and CFTC rulemaking, the CFTC’s response and renewed efforts in Congress. Durable rules could provide clarity, but unfavorable rules could also become entrenched.

Asbis Enterprises, a Cyprus-based IT distributor, is shifting its focus towards data centres and AI infrastructure as demand for servers surges. Its Warsaw-listed shares have risen about 476% in 2026, lifting its market capitalisation above $2.5 billion. Second-quarter revenue climbed 79% year on year to $1.69 billion, while net income rose 265% to a record $44.3 million. Server and server-block sales reached $723.4 million, or 43% of revenue, up 285%. NVIDIA GPU servers accounted for about 80% of those sales. Asbis Enterprises also reported an $860 million server pipeline and estimated August revenue of $604 million, up 91% year on year. For investors, key factors to watch include whether the pipeline converts into sales and whether AI server demand continues to grow. The heavy reliance on NVIDIA products also leaves Asbis Enterprises exposed to one supplier’s availability, pricing and product cycles.