Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

BNB Chain is developing a high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 to run alongside—not replace—BNB Smart Chain (BSC). It plans to use BNB for gas, staking and governance, with no new cryptocurrency planned. Staked BNB is expected to generate non-transferable govBNB voting rights, and users will need to bridge BNB from BSC; the native bridge is still in development. The proposed network targets 200-millisecond blocks and transaction pre-confirmations in about 20 milliseconds. Its design separates transaction ordering from execution and includes dedicated transaction lanes, native account abstraction and an optional privacy pool. Pre-confirmations are not final settlement and may be revoked. Privacy features need further security work, and current documentation warns against using the shielded pool with real funds. An internal multi-validator devnet is running, but public testnet infrastructure, RPC endpoints, a block explorer and the bridge are not yet available. BNB Chain targets a testnet by the end of 2026 and a mainnet in early 2027, though the schedule may change. On 26 October, BNB was quoted at about $736.25, down 1.1% over 24 hours and up around 1.1% over seven days. BSC had about $5.79 billion in DeFi total value locked, $13.1 billion in stablecoins and $660 million in 24-hour DEX volume. The new BNB Chain could support BNB demand if it attracts additional users and activity, but adoption, fees, staking and cross-chain use will determine the effect. Traders will also watch whether the network creates new demand or shifts activity away from BSC, potentially fragmenting liquidity.

McDonald’s says the McRib will return for a limited time from October 27 in selected US cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Dallas. The announcement has revived the crypto community’s McRib indicator meme, which claims the sandwich’s appearances coincide with Bitcoin rallies. A review of about eight launches between 2017 and 2025 found roughly five periods followed by gains and three by declines, with no statistically significant pattern. Bull-market trends, later sell-offs and seasonal effects may make selected examples seem more convincing than they are. The McRib indicator is a social-media joke, not a reliable Bitcoin trading signal; traders should not use it as a basis for market decisions.

Mitrade is a multi-asset CFD broker that the article says has operated since 2011 and serves more than 7 million users. It offers over 1,100 instruments, including stocks, forex, commodities and cryptocurrency CFDs such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). The promotional article highlights its stated regulatory licences, segregated client funds, negative-balance protection and Lloyd’s-insured coverage, alongside TradingView tools and risk-management features. It also advertises a reader promotion offering eligible new users up to $1,300 in trading credit after completing specified tasks. Mitrade’s products use CFDs, and leverage can magnify losses; fees may include spreads and overnight financing. Traders should verify the applicable entity, regulatory protections, bonus terms and product risks before opening an account.

Bitcoin is struggling to hold $80,000 after falling from about $85,000 to a weekend low near $79,100. Traders are watching the Federal Reserve’s October 28 rate decision, followed on October 29 by U.S. third-quarter GDP and September PCE inflation data, the Fed’s preferred inflation measure. Markets broadly expect rates to remain at 3.75%–4.00%, so policymakers’ guidance could be a key driver for Bitcoin. Persistent inflation alongside resilient growth could reinforce expectations for restrictive rates and weigh on BTC; cooling inflation or weaker growth could ease that pressure, though neither outcome guarantees a recovery. A sustained break below $79,100 could invite further selling, while $84,000–$85,000 is a key resistance zone. Earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Intel may also affect risk appetite. Bitcoin ETF inflows last week did not produce a clear price rebound.

Crypto market makers face a trust crisis because the industry lacks clear standards for legitimate market-making. Some firms use the label to disguise price manipulation or artificial trading volume, reinforcing traders’ suspicion of market makers. Such conduct is distinct from genuine market-making, which provides liquidity through two-sided quotes and can help markets function smoothly. Unlike traditional stock markets, crypto markets often lack transparent contracts, entry requirements and defined obligations for market makers. Unpublished agreements between token issuers and trading firms, as well as exchanges taking on market-making roles, add to the concerns. The article notes that placing orders with one’s own funds is not inherently illegal, and that frequent order changes or cancellations can be part of routine risk management. A South Korean case illustrates the risks of unclear rules: regulators initially proposed fines totalling 48.7 billion won (about $35 million) against nine securities firms in 2021 over their market-making orders. In 2022, authorities concluded the firms had not acted illegally, after a year in which market makers had withdrawn. The article argues that crypto regulators should assess genuine trading intent, contractual and risk-management compliance, the provision of two-sided quotes, and whether activity reduces risk—not rely on cancellation rates alone. Clearer standards could help restore confidence and support market liquidity.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) says Japan’s evolving crypto regulation could give Web3 startups more room to raise capital and build global businesses. He noted that Japan’s rules were restrictive from 2017 to 2021, but said the government has become more open in recent years. Binance returned to Japan in 2022 through an acquisition and secured a local licence, according to the article. CZ identified yen stablecoins and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization as key strategic areas. More than 99% of stablecoins are backed by US dollar assets, he said, arguing that Japan risks losing ground in digital payments unless yen-based alternatives develop. Japanese financial institutions and JPYC are already working on yen stablecoins. He also described RWA tokenization as a way to finance assets and infrastructure by selling tokenized claims to global investors. The comments are a broad policy and market outlook, not an announcement of new Japanese rules or a specific token launch. For traders, Japan’s crypto regulation and progress on yen stablecoins are longer-term themes to watch; the article provides no immediate market-moving catalyst.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $301 million in net inflows for the week ending October 24, ending a two-week outflow streak in which funds lost $228 million and $680 million. The weekly rebound followed $1.08 billion in inflows from Monday to Wednesday, as Bitcoin rose to $84,777. Investors then withdrew about $774 million on Thursday and Friday as BTC retreated towards $80,000. BlackRock’s IBIT drew $565.7 million for the week—more than the overall net inflow—while other issuers combined saw net outflows. IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC also recorded redemptions on Friday. Bitcoin was near $80,025 at publication, down 3.3% over seven days, and October’s Bitcoin ETF flows remained about $314 million in the red. DWF Labs said ETF investors recorded net outflows in seven of the eight Bitcoin sell-offs of at least 15% since spot funds launched in January 2024. US spot Ether ETFs also remained under pressure, with about $221 million in outflows for a fourth consecutive week. The return to net inflows offers a tentative sign of demand, but late-week selling and the concentration of Bitcoin ETF inflows in IBIT point to continued caution.

X100 suffered a flash-loan governance attack on 24 October, with attackers taking control of two of the project’s three Senate seats and draining about $4.85 million in USDT. They reportedly borrowed around $1.94 million in USDT through Aave, bought X tokens and used two addresses to gain voting control. The attackers then passed proposals that moved 400,000 X into a pool with only about $100 in liquidity; the treasury received just $35.68. A separate withdrawal transferred about 550,000 X, and the main proceeds were reportedly converted into roughly 2,022 ETH. The attacks unfolded in less than 30 minutes, exploiting rules that allowed newly appointed senators to vote and execute proposals immediately, alongside weak slippage safeguards. About 12.2 million X reportedly remained in the protocol’s Freezer contract at the time of reporting, while X’s market value plunged by more than 96%. X100 had not confirmed a recovery plan or remediation. The incident puts continued pressure on X and highlights risks to DeFi governance and DAO treasury security.

The SEC has created a five-year exemption pathway for trading tokenized US stocks, but the model has yet to launch and faces resistance from issuers and traditional market groups. Three firms have notified the SEC that they plan to operate tokenized securities trading venues (TSVs): OKXICE, TSV LLC and Kephas Corporation. Being listed by the SEC does not mean a venue has met the exemption’s requirements. OKXICE, a 50-50 joint venture between OKX and ICE, plans to list 63 stock codes. By 24 October, 22 of the 62 companies notified had objected. Under the SEC order, an issuer’s valid objection prevents its stock from being listed on that venue. OKXICE has not announced a launch date or service fees. TSV LLC plans to use Canton Network and says it will tokenize stocks only with the issuer’s voluntary authorisation. Kephas, a subsidiary of Perpetuals.com, plans to operate on its Kronos X Public Ethereum layer-2 network. Neither has announced its initial stock list or begun trading. All three platforms require KYC; their proposed trading pools use stablecoins and charge fees, with portions allocated to liquidity providers. The SEC exemption runs for five years, but Nasdaq, SIFMA and Better Markets have raised concerns about market data, issuer consent and the regulatory approach. Tokenized US stocks remain an unproven market, with launch timing and the scope of available listings uncertain.

Blockworks researcher Jake Koch-Gallup argues that PEARL’s rapid rise is not supported by strong fundamentals, despite its novel Proof of Useful Work (PoUW) model, which uses AI computation to help secure the network. He identifies four key risks for PEARL traders: annual token supply growth of about 85% could create heavy selling pressure; AI customers pay in US dollars, so rising computing demand may not translate into direct demand for PEARL; widely available, rentable data-centre GPUs could leave the network vulnerable to 51% attacks; and early Zcash’s sharp price decline during rapid supply growth offers a cautionary comparison. The article estimates that newly mined PEARL worth about $2.2 million is distributed daily, against average daily trading volume of roughly $8.5 million. It also says the token’s market value has risen about eightfold from its August low, while Coinbase added PEARL to its listing roadmap on 19 October. The bullish case points to PEARL’s 2.1 billion hard supply cap, potential dual revenue for GPU miners and a team with academic and technology-sector credentials. However, the analysis concludes that high inflation and limited token-based demand could weigh on PEARL’s price, even if market enthusiasm continues in the short term.

Trader Kimchi has added Pump.fun back to their social media bio, three days after removing it. The move coincided with a sharp rally in the KIMCHI token, which briefly surged more than 150%. Hours before the bio change, trader ja2trader reportedly spent $28,900 to buy 4.61 million KIMCHI tokens and was later showing an unrealized profit of about $11,000. Pump.fun co-founder Alon announced a collaboration with Kimchi on 21 October, describing the trader as a figure bridging crypto and popular culture. Kimchi removed Pump.fun from their bio two days later. During the two-day period, Pump.fun revenue reportedly fell 16% and active addresses declined 11%. Kimchi may also have received 1.35 billion PUMP tokens, worth about $6.25 million, as a marketing fee. The KIMCHI price move appears tied to social-media attention and is not evidence of a broader crypto-market trend.

Timothy Wadsworth, a 35-year-old from Rochester, New York, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for fraud schemes that caused about $2.06 million in actual and intended losses. The schemes ran from March 2020 to September 2021 and included unauthorized credit-card transactions processed through a Stripe merchant account, fraudulent pandemic relief loan applications, unemployment benefit claims and a romance scam. The card scheme involved 310 payment attempts totaling about $1.67 million; 116 succeeded, causing losses of $730,728.22. Wadsworth also obtained $161,200 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans, about $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans, roughly $65,900 in unemployment benefits and $42,000 through a romance scam. Timothy Wadsworth pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in May 2026. The court ordered him to pay $810,965.19 in restitution and forfeit a similar amount. The case highlights the misuse of payment platforms and pandemic relief programs, but the article reports no direct cryptocurrency involvement.

Samsung began shipping 12-layer HBM4 memory to Nvidia in February 2026 for its Vera Rubin AI accelerators, with reported speeds of up to 11.7 Gbps. Samsung and SK hynix are also preparing 8-layer HBM4 for Nvidia’s Rubin Ultra NVL systems. Initial shipments are planned for February, with volume deliveries targeted for the second quarter of 2027. The shorter HBM4 stacks may help reduce heat and improve manufacturing yields. SK hynix is projected to supply about two-thirds of Nvidia’s HBM4, while Samsung’s reported yield is around 80% and its share could reach 28% or more. The two South Korean suppliers are forecast to control over 80% of the HBM4 market by mid-2027. The ramp-up will be an important test of supply capacity and competition in the AI chip supply chain.

Wisr reported record loan originations of A$254 million in Q1 FY27, up 73% year on year and 28% from the previous quarter. Growth was led by secured vehicle loans, which rose 138% to A$129 million. Wisr’s loan book increased 40% to A$1.2 billion. Revenue grew 32% year on year to A$33.1 million. Portfolio yield was 11.03%, while risk-adjusted margin remained at 3.71%. The Australian lender raised its FY27 cash NPAT guidance by 40%, from at least A$5 million to at least A$7 million. It also expects substantial cash NPAT growth in FY28, citing loan growth, cost control, operational leverage and technology-driven productivity gains.

Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT), a supplier of gas delivery subsystems and integrated modules to wafer-fabrication equipment (WFE) makers, could benefit as semiconductor-equipment spending expands. The article says the WFE total addressable market is expected to exceed $150 billion in 2026, with estimates above $200 billion for 2027 as fabs come online worldwide. Although AI-related volatility has weighed on UCTT and other related sectors, the author expects a sharp recovery over the coming year as business fundamentals regain focus. The outlook is the author’s investment view, not company guidance.

Ramelius Resources (ASX: RML; OTC: RMLRF) held its September 2026 quarterly results call, covering the first quarter of FY2027. Managing Director and CEO Mark Zeptner introduced the results and said the quarterly report and presentation were available through the ASX and the company website. COO Tim Hewitt was scheduled to discuss operations and projects, including the Mt Magnet plant upgrade, the Dalgaranga mine development ramp-up, and Rebecca-Roe. CFO Darren Millman was set to review the financial results. The supplied transcript excerpt contains no production, cost, revenue, earnings, or guidance figures, so it does not establish whether Ramelius Resources’ operating or financial performance changed. The call was to conclude with questions from participants.

Trader Mk4 holds a NEAR long position worth more than $25 million, with an unrealized profit of about $12.15 million, according to Odaily. That is down from roughly $20.88 million two weeks ago, when NEAR was trading at a higher price. Mk4 also has short positions worth a combined $13.1 million in BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, BNB, ADA and AVAX. The position data highlights one trader’s exposure to NEAR and other major tokens, but does not establish whether the trades have been closed or indicate a broader market trend.

Bitget is upgrading its stock dual investment products with liquidity provider VETA Finance, expanding its range of tokenized US stock offerings. The product pool will add to existing assets including rNVDA, rGOOGL and rAMD, while offering more investment terms and potentially more competitive annualized yields through deeper liquidity. Bitget stock dual investment supports “buy low” and “sell high” strategies. Users can subscribe with USDT or eligible tokenized US stocks, with assets converted at settlement according to the chosen target price and term; users may also receive interest. Bitget plans to work with VETA Finance on additional structured products, including accumulation and decumulation options, broadening its multi-asset investment services.

Gate has added INDEX markets and one-click trading to its event contracts, alongside a limited-time rewards campaign worth 100,000 USDT. The campaign runs from 22 October at 16:00 to 5 November at 08:00 (UTC+8), and users must register before trading. INDEX markets cover BTC and ETH on five- and 15-minute timeframes, with settlement based on Gate contract index prices and separate operation from the existing TWAP markets. One-click trading offers preset amounts of 5, 20 and 100 USDT, as well as a custom option. Rewards include a 5.5 USDT first-trade incentive for the first 1,000 eligible new users, plus pools for trading check-ins and qualifying trading volume. Users who meet the activity requirements can also compete for leaderboard rewards, including a 1,000 USDT minimum prize for traders reaching 150,000 USDT in cumulative volume and an additional 4,000 USDT for the top-ranked trader. Rewards are issued as event contract vouchers. The promotion may encourage activity on Gate’s short-term BTC and ETH markets, but does not itself signal a change in the broader crypto market direction.

Foundation disclosed a security breach after attackers used compromised Cloudflare API keys to send phishing emails from domains resembling the Bitcoin hardware wallet maker’s official addresses. The company revoked the affected keys and removed the malicious domain after customers reported the emails; unauthorised sending was stopped within 10 minutes of the reports. CEO Zach Herbert said attackers exploited a vulnerability in a self-hosted application and may have accessed the customer support inbox. The source of phone numbers or mailing addresses reportedly included in some messages remains under investigation. Foundation has not confirmed a full customer database breach, how many people received the emails, or whether anyone shared a recovery phrase. It says Passport devices, Bitcoin holdings and private keys remain safe, and there is no indication that the hardware was compromised. The Foundation security breach is so far limited to email and backend infrastructure. Users should avoid suspicious links and never enter a recovery phrase in response to an email. The company plans to publish a formal incident report after its investigation.

Ethena price rose nearly 8% in 24 hours to about $0.207 on October 26, even as Arthur Hayes-linked selling added pressure. ENA’s daily trading volume reached roughly $420 million, but the token remained down about 22% over the past month. The rebound has no confirmed new protocol announcement behind it; increased trading activity and social attention appear to be supporting the move. The technical picture is mixed: $0.20 is a key support level, while resistance near $0.23 could determine whether Ethena price extends its recovery. A break below $0.20 could expose support around $0.18 and then $0.16. Hayes cited macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty as he reported closing his directional trading book. Separately, a tracker reported a further sale of about 14 million ENA, worth roughly $2.73 million. Ethena’s proposed revenue-linked buybacks and expansion of USDe use cases may matter to its longer-term outlook, but the proposal’s purchases depend on specified revenue and supply conditions.

Galaxy Research estimates that about 11.1 million BTC—55% of the roughly 20.1 million bitcoin mined—cannot be linked to a known owner. The October 2026 snapshot suggests that substantial Bitcoin holdings remain unattributed despite institutional buying, spot Bitcoin ETFs and expanding crypto custody services. Galaxy research chief Alex Thorn said the figures may reflect continued self-custody by individual investors. However, unattributed Bitcoin could also include lost coins, unidentified institutional wallets, over-the-counter trading balances and holdings spread across complex custody arrangements. The estimate does not distinguish among these possibilities. Galaxy attributes the remaining 45% of Bitcoin supply to known entities or groups, including exchanges, ETFs, the U.S. government and early miners. About 1.12 million BTC are associated with the Patoshi mining pattern, which is linked to Bitcoin’s early mining activity but does not establish the miner’s identity. For traders, the estimate offers context on Bitcoin ownership and the limits of blockchain attribution, not a direct price signal; unidentified supply should not be treated as available market liquidity.

Stablecoin payments are growing, but the figures do not yet prove a comparable rise in verified commercial transactions. Allium estimates that stablecoin transfers classified as payments reached $482 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 45.4% from the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, total stablecoin supply was $304.9 billion at September’s end, just 0.4% above its December level. The payment estimate is based on wallet labels and transaction patterns, not verified invoices or merchant receipts. Allium counted $97.9 trillion in raw transfers before filtering out infrastructure and trading activity; its $482 billion payment estimate is a subset, not a confirmed measure of commerce. Tether and Circle accounted for about 84.7% of supply. USDT represented 84.2% of Allium’s classified payment volume, indicating a stronger concentration in payment activity than in supply. But transaction volume does not show which companies capture the profits. Issuers earn returns on reserves, while distributors negotiate a share and payment providers charge for conversion, settlement and local banking access. Circle reported $667.7 million in reserve income in the second quarter of 2026, with $412.5 million in distribution, transaction and other costs. The article highlights how lower interest rates, partner revenue-sharing and tighter fees could squeeze margins. For traders, stablecoin payments signal continued adoption, but the data does not establish a direct near-term catalyst for token prices. Supply, verified repeat business, liquidity and issuer economics are more useful indicators than raw transfer totals.

Eliza Labs founder Shaw says he has reverse-engineered about 90% of Pump.fun’s Solana smart contracts and expects to finish the work soon. His goal is not to build a similar launchpad, but to reproduce the deployed programs byte for byte, including any original bugs. The public GitHub repository contains deployment evidence and partial implementations, but the four core programs have not been fully reconstructed or audited. Shaw argues that closed-source contracts create security risks, citing more than $40 million in funds stolen over the past year from projects with critical vulnerabilities in closed-source contracts. Critics counter that publishing unrepaired flaws could make attacks easier. Shaw is also promoting slop.cash, a security and private bug-bounty project, and says fees from a related meme coin could fund rewards for contributors. The effort could increase scrutiny of Pump.fun and highlight the risks of opaque Solana contracts. However, market observers say an open-source copy alone is unlikely to dislodge Pump.fun: integrations, user trust and network effects remain important advantages. Pump.fun has not publicly responded. The development is primarily a protocol-security and competitive story, with no clear immediate market-wide trading signal.

A packed earnings week puts AI investment and cash flow in focus. Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon are expected to face questions about whether rising cloud and AI demand can generate returns fast enough to justify record capital spending. Their combined property and equipment spending was about $134.9 billion last quarter, roughly double a year earlier. Alphabet’s 2026 capital expenditure guidance implies a sharp further increase, while Amazon has reported consecutive quarters of negative free cash flow. Microsoft’s capital spending has surged, but its free cash flow has grown much more slowly. Investors will watch capital expenditure guidance, depreciation, cloud order conversion and profit margins. Large backlogs support the demand outlook, but orders do not guarantee timely revenue or cash collection. With US 10-year Treasury yields near 5%, comparatively low free-cash-flow yields at major technology firms may leave valuations more sensitive to evidence of future returns. Exxon Mobil and Chevron offer a contrast: analysts expect strong profit growth, and recent cash generation supports dividends, buybacks and debt reduction. Caterpillar’s backlog will test whether AI-related data-centre demand is translating into equipment sales. For traders, the earnings reports could influence sentiment across technology, energy and other risk assets, including crypto, mainly through changes in rates expectations and risk appetite. The central issue is whether AI spending can deliver durable cash flow—not demand alone.

HashKey RWA has launched the first product in its hToken tokenised securities series through HashKey Exchange’s wealth-management channel. Available from 22 October to eligible professional investors, the product is backed by Class A shares in HashKey Fintech Opportunities Limited (HFOL) and can be subscribed to with USDT. Its tokenised certificates provide exposure through the existing fund structure. The offering is not authorised by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission and carries smart-contract, custody and counterparty risks. The launch is the first commercial deployment of HashKey RWA’s end-to-end issuance service, which covers product structuring, legal and compliance work, custody, on-chain registration, token lifecycle management, distribution and ongoing operations. The tokens are issued on HSK Chain. HashKey says the service could later support tokenised funds, bonds, equities and structured products. Its aim is to reduce the cost and coordination involved in RWA issuance, though the first product alone does not establish that the model can scale. HashKey reported that its on-chain RWA value reached HK$2.68 billion in the first half of 2026, a 167.8% year-on-year increase. RWA.xyz data cited in the article put publicly distributed tokenised assets on public blockchains at US$38.6 billion at the end of September 2026, with tokenised Treasuries, money-market funds and gold accounting for more than half. Further growth will depend on repeat issuance, adoption by independent asset managers, lower operating costs and broader uses for trading, collateral and liquidity. The hToken launch expands HashKey RWA’s offering, but is unlikely by itself to materially move broad crypto prices.

A Tiger Research analysis argues that crypto market makers provide essential liquidity but are often confused with firms that manipulate prices or fabricate trading volume. Genuine market making can narrow spreads, reduce slippage and help traders buy or sell without waiting for a counterparty. It can also support more orderly token markets. The article says the crypto market lacks clear standards for market-making contracts, disclosures and oversight. Risks include undisclosed or conflicted arrangements, exchange-affiliated trading firms receiving special treatment, and market makers withdrawing quotes during sharp sell-offs. It cites the MOVE token case, in which an intermediary allegedly handled both sides of a liquidity agreement and tokens were sold into a market with little demand. It also references the FTX-Alameda collapse and the Gotbit case involving alleged wash trading. The analysis recommends assessing real order-book depth, spreads, slippage and two-sided quote availability rather than trading volume alone. It also calls for transparent contracts, safeguards against conflicts of interest, and clear obligations and incentives for market makers during market stress. These proposals could improve trust and market stability, but the article does not report a new market-wide rule or immediate change in trading conditions.

MetaMask 8.17.0 introduces a broad set of mobile wallet and trading updates, with notable changes to perpetual futures (Perps), token details and account features. Perps improvements include percent-change price alerts, market suggestions, clearer fee and balance information, and support for advanced orders on Lighter. The release also adds open-position profit and loss details, position sharing, and a refreshed token-details security and social experience. Other changes include email one-time passwords and passkey support for account security, improvements to card and Money features, and updates to Virtual Bank Account onboarding. MetaMask 8.17.0 also includes usability fixes for Android, transaction details, swaps and limit orders. These are product and app updates; the release notes do not announce a new token, protocol launch or market-moving financial development.

Sturm, Ruger & Company (RGR) has a Buy rating from Seeking Alpha contributor Sorrento Research, who expects strong third-quarter 2026 earnings. The outlook is supported by rising US firearm background-check activity and a product mix that may lift margins. Sturm Ruger reported second-quarter sales growth of 19% year on year, outpacing background-check growth; premium products accounted for 29% of sales. The author says Beretta’s 25% strategic stake could expand Sturm Ruger’s international reach and create synergies that support long-term earnings growth. RGR trades at an estimated 28% EV/EBITDA premium to competitor Smith & Wesson (SWBI), but the author argues that the partnership and industry demand could provide further upside. These are the article author’s views, not a guarantee of future performance.