Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

The Westaim Corporation held its 2026 Analyst/Investor Day on 17 September in New York, with virtual participation. CEO and Corporate Secretary John MacDonald said the company had completed substantial work over the previous 18 months, much of which had not yet appeared in shareholder communications or reported financial results. MacDonald said the Aventus platform is now positioned to pursue significant profitable growth. Management teams from Ceres, CCaventus, Aventus and CC Capital were scheduled to present. The event also recognised Deanna Mulligan, Ceres Life’s founding CEO and strategic adviser. Executives said several strategic priorities outlined in Westaim’s 2025 annual letter had been achieved, were on track or remained in progress. The company planned to provide further details on its operating businesses, platform development and growth outlook before taking questions from investors. The Westaim Corporation investor day offered limited near-term financial data or specific earnings guidance. For traders, the main focus is whether the company can convert its recent strategic and organisational work into measurable revenue, profitability and shareholder returns.

Bitcoin rose to a two-week high near $81,000 during a week marked by persistent US inflation, a Federal Reserve rate hike, a 25-basis-point Bank of Japan increase and a Senate setback for the CLARITY Act. Bitcoin initially fell to about $75,000 after the Senate rejected cloture on the bill, but buyers defended the level. The cryptocurrency later recovered above $78,000 and reached $81,000 as US trading began on Friday. Bitcoin was trading at about $80,600, up 0.9% over 24 hours, while total crypto market capitalisation stood at $2.77 trillion. Bitcoin dominance was 58.6%. Ethereum fell 3% to $2,570 and XRP declined 4% to $1.37. The broader market was mixed. Zcash continued its strong rally, NEAR gained 35% and Uniswap rose more than 30%. Hyperliquid and Bitcoin Cash also advanced, while RAIN dropped 22%. Strategy did not report another Bitcoin purchase as it continued rebuilding its US dollar reserves. Strive added 469 Bitcoin. JPMorgan analysts said easing ETF hedging demand could provide Bitcoin with more support than gold. Separately, the SEC introduced an Innovation Exemption aimed at facilitating on-chain trading of tokenised stocks. Seven Democratic senators said efforts to advance the CLARITY Act would continue despite the procedural defeat. CoinEx, meanwhile, announced plans to close by the end of the year, citing difficult market conditions and regulatory pressure.

Bitcoin initially rallied from roughly $76,000-$78,500 to reclaim $78,000, before accelerating above $80,000 in a rapid short squeeze. The move followed range-bound trading that encouraged bearish positioning, while a volatile macro backdrop and recent 25-basis-point rate increases by the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan added to risk-asset pressure. Forced buying from liquidated short positions drove much of the advance. Reported figures vary by data source: one estimate put total crypto liquidations at about $192 million, including more than $183 million in shorts, while another cited roughly $230 million in crypto short liquidations during the one-hour move. Bitcoin accounted for most of the activity. The liquidation pace approached levels seen during previous full-day rallies, when short liquidations reached roughly $220 million-$280 million. The Bitcoin short squeeze attracted momentum buyers but also created significant whipsaw risk. Earlier reactions highlighted a quick retreat after the move, showing that forced buying does not guarantee sustained spot demand. Traders should monitor open interest, funding rates, spot volume and central-bank policy. Continued spot buying could support a breakout, while exhausted short covering and late long positions could trigger a sharp post-squeeze reversal.

Netflix stock fell about 4%-5% after Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall downgraded Netflix to Underweight from Equal Weight. He cut the price target from $80 to $57, implying roughly 25% downside from recent levels. The bearish view centres on weakening user engagement rather than Netflix’s profitability. Wells Fargo estimates viewing averaged about 1.6 hours per subscriber per day in the first half of 2026, down roughly 8% from an adjusted 2023 comparison. Cahall also expects viewing hours from Netflix’s top 100 original programmes to decline 21% year on year in the second half of 2026. The analysis suggests Netflix has expanded into gaming, documentaries, reality television and video podcasts without producing enough breakout series to dominate popular culture. Disney’s stronger hit-driven performance has intensified concerns that Netflix needs another franchise on the scale of Squid Game. Analyst opinion remains divided. The broader average price target is around $94, while Evercore recently raised its target to $110. For traders, the Netflix stock sell-off highlights a key risk to the streaming sector: weaker engagement could reduce the premium investors are willing to pay, even if revenue and profits remain solid. Continued declines in viewing or a lack of major original hits could keep pressure on Netflix stock.

A React Native build update changes the Xcode Cloud bundle phase to use the with-environment.sh wrapper instead of resolving Node directly with command -v. The previous setup bypassed with-environment.sh, preventing Xcode from sourcing .xcode.env and .xcode.env.local. As a result, Xcode Cloud archives could fail with a “Can’t find the ’node’ binary” error. The fix ensures React Native environment files are honored during builds. REACT_NATIVE_PATH is already configured by react_native_post_install. This React Native change improves Xcode Cloud build reliability but is unrelated to cryptocurrency markets.

The CFTC has expanded its no-action relief through Letter 26-25, allowing qualifying passive software providers to connect users with regulated derivatives markets without registering as introducing brokers or associated persons. The CFTC no-action relief does not remove existing registration requirements; it limits enforcement risk for providers that meet strict conditions. Eligible wallets and interfaces may display market data and user positions and transmit orders to registered futures commission merchants, introducing brokers and designated contract markets. The framework may cover regulated products such as event contracts and perpetual contracts. Users must remain direct customers or members of the regulated entity. Providers must not custody assets, operate trades on behalf of users, issue express buy or sell signals, exercise discretion over order routing or execution, or receive transaction-based compensation. The policy expands the company-specific relief granted to Phantom Technologies on 17 March and follows industry lobbying from Phantom and the Hyperliquid Policy Center. For crypto traders, the CFTC no-action relief could gradually widen compliant wallet access to regulated derivatives and prediction markets. However, strict passive-access rules may limit features such as liquidity routing, price aggregation and yield products. The failed US Senate procedural vote on the CLARITY Act also highlights that regulatory progress may continue through agency action rather than new legislation.

Lucid Group secured a deal with ride-hailing platform Bolt to supply at least 25,000 autonomous electric vehicles. The announcement lifted Lucid Group shares by about 6%, strengthening investor confidence in its autonomous-driving strategy and commercial partnerships. However, Lucid’s operating performance remains weak. The company delivered 3,953 vehicles in the second quarter, while its gross profit margin stood at -105%. These figures highlight limited production scale, high costs and continuing execution risks. Partnerships with Bolt and Uber, combined with financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, could provide liquidity and support long-term growth. For traders, the Bolt deal is a positive catalyst, but Lucid’s valuation and share performance remain highly dependent on delivery growth, margin improvement and successful execution. The company therefore remains a high-risk, high-reward EV investment.

The Wall Street Journal reported that ECB President Christine Lagarde allegedly urged Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve Binance’s MiCA license application. The reported concerns included financial sovereignty, the growth of US dollar-backed stablecoins in Europe and competition with the ECB’s planned digital euro. The alleged intervention has not been independently confirmed, and the ECB has no formal authority to approve crypto-asset service providers under MiCA. Binance applied for the Greek MiCA license in January. Greece reportedly told ESMA in early June that it was prepared to approve the application, but Binance withdrew it before the 1 July deadline. Earlier reports also said ESMA had privately urged national regulators to reject Binance applications because of the exchange’s past compliance issues, including its 2023 US settlement and $4.3 billion penalty. The Binance MiCA license setback could lead the exchange to apply in another EU jurisdiction or acquire a licensed European platform. For traders, the episode highlights growing political and regulatory risks for crypto exchanges and stablecoins in Europe. It is not evidence of an EU-wide Binance ban or an immediate threat to market liquidity.

The September Technology Dashboard finds that software and IT services appear undervalued compared with their 11-year average valuations, while most other technology subsectors remain relatively expensive. The analysis evaluates the tech sector through value, quality and momentum metrics, highlighting eight technology stocks that trade at discounts to industry peers. T Rowe Price Technology ETF (TTEQ) provides broad exposure to the global technology sector, but its short operating history, relatively high expense ratio and average performance reduce the analyst’s conviction. The technology dashboard may help investors assess sector ETFs and identify potential value opportunities, although valuation discounts do not guarantee outperformance. The article’s author disclosed long positions in Adobe (ADBE), Amazon (AMZN), GoDaddy (GDDY) and Meta Platforms (META).

Turkey’s Capital Markets Board, known as the SPK, has ordered the liquidation of 131 investment funds holding more than $18.3 billion in assets and affecting about 350,000 investors. The decision followed heavy redemptions, alleged share-price manipulation and concerns over Ponzi-like practices. The funds were managed by Tera Portföy, Hedef, Atlas, A1 Capital, Pardus, Bulls and Pusula. They reportedly invested heavily in thinly traded small-cap stocks, creating a cycle in which rising prices attracted new capital and supported further purchases. Outflows reached as much as $1 billion in one day, while Turkey’s BIST 100 index fell by roughly 6% to 8%. The SPK suspended trading in the affected funds on the TEFAS platform and filed criminal complaints against several individuals. Executives linked to Tera and related firms were detained during the investigation. Isbank and state-owned Ziraat Bank will oversee the fund liquidation. They are expected to sell the holdings and distribute proceeds to investors within three months, although extensions may be granted. Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek described the incident as localized and said it should not be viewed as evidence of systemic financial risk. For traders, the Turkey fund liquidation could sustain selling pressure in illiquid Turkish equities and increase regional risk aversion. The episode also highlights the dangers of concentrated positions, performance-chasing capital and weak liquidity controls.

Vince Holding Corp. (VNCE) has been rated Buy at $8.62 per share, with an estimated fair value of $10.77, implying about 25% upside. The investment case is based mainly on sustainable wholesale and direct-to-consumer growth, rather than the OVO acquisition or one-off tariff refunds. Management expects fiscal 2026 sales growth of 8% to 10% and an adjusted operating margin of 7.5% to 8.0%. The analyst uses more conservative fiscal 2027 assumptions and argues that Vince Holding’s core business remains worth more than its current market price, even without assigning significant value to OVO’s potential contribution. Key risks include margin pressure, OVO integration challenges and increased working-capital requirements. Investors should also be cautious about treating unusually strong recent margins or tariff-related benefits as recurring earnings. Overall, Vince Holding offers a potential value opportunity, but the thesis depends on continued core operating growth and disciplined execution.

Micron Technology remains rated a Strong Buy as robust earnings, disciplined capital allocation and tight memory supply support its outlook. Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue guidance includes an additional 14th week, which may inflate reported results compared with a normal quarter. On a normalized basis, Micron still trades at a single-digit earnings multiple, suggesting potential undervaluation. The company has $2.16 billion remaining under its current share-buyback programme. Investors will focus on the size of the next authorization, expected around 30 September, as a signal of management’s confidence in free cash flow and the durability of the memory cycle. Labour negotiations in Taiwan pose a margin risk, but multiyear contracts and new production facilities support Micron’s longer-term growth case. Shares have risen about 7% since the previous analysis, closing at $977.50. For traders, the buyback announcement and earnings guidance are the main potential catalysts, while labour costs and cyclical memory demand remain key risks.

Zcash’s development fund is at the centre of a governance dispute after the rally in ZEC lifted its reserves to about $95 million. ZecStats reports that the Zcash development fund holds 63,962 ZEC, funded by a 12% allocation under the NU6 upgrade and kept in a lockbox pending governance decisions. Dragonfly managing partner Haseeb Qureshi said the fund should expire in 2028. He argued that its reserves are sufficient for Zcash’s remaining development and warned that a fund approaching $100 million could become politicised. Winklevoss Capital analyst Maxime Desalle called for the fund to be abolished entirely. Paradigm founder Matt Huang opposed ending the fund, citing the need for continued privacy research as AI-enabled cyberattacks and quantum computing advance. However, Huang and Qureshi both criticised direct control by token holders and favoured a hybrid model in which holders elect a temporary committee. Zcash co-founder Zooko Wilcox defended the fund and said the Community Grants Committee had supported the project’s growth, later clarifying that it receives 40% of the fund’s budget. The debate could affect Zcash’s long-term development, treasury management and investor confidence. Traders are likely to monitor whether the Zcash development fund is retained, redesigned or terminated, alongside the NU7 upgrade and future ZEC supply dynamics. No immediate rule change has been announced.

Ethereum Institutional has backed Ethlabs’ proposal to reduce Ethereum block times, citing growing institutional activity on the smart-contract network. The proposal, EIP-8198, known as “Quick Slots”, would initially cut Ethereum block times from 12 seconds to 10 seconds. Ethlabs said the proposal has support from 20 decentralised finance founders. It is merging the specifications with Ethereum’s main codebase and reviewing downstream dependencies in an effort to include the proposal in the Hegotá upgrade. Developers could begin implementing Hegotá in late 2026, after the Glamsterdam upgrade. The Ethereum block times proposal is part of a wider industry push to improve transaction speed and confirmation times. Zcash holders recently supported reducing its target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, while Solana cut its slot time from 400 milliseconds to 350 milliseconds in August. The Solana Foundation has also proposed a further reduction to 200 milliseconds. For traders, faster Ethereum block times could improve network responsiveness and strengthen Ethereum’s competitiveness. However, the proposal remains under development, and its market impact is likely to depend on technical execution, upgrade timelines and whether faster blocks lead to measurable improvements in fees, throughput and user activity.

The SEC approved a five-year innovation exemption for eligible platforms to trade real tokenized US stocks on public blockchains without registering as national securities exchanges. The framework applies to US-based, permissioned Tokenized Securities Venues and certain liquidity providers. Tokenized stocks must preserve shareholder rights, including dividends and voting, while synthetic stock products remain excluded. Issuers must receive at least 30 days’ notice and can object to third-party tokenization or block trading of their shares. Anti-fraud, market-manipulation and OFAC sanctions rules remain in force. The SEC also discussed extended equity-market hours, including a move towards 23-hour, five-day trading and possible 24/7 trading. The latest decision followed the Senate’s 49-50 rejection of the Clarity Act and strengthens the long-term outlook for tokenized stocks and real-world assets. In the immediate market reaction, Bitcoin rose about 2.2% to $78,000, Ethereum gained 3% to $2,500, Solana climbed 6% to $106 and HYPE increased 13% above $90. UNI, ARB and NEAR gained more than 20%. Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $159 million in net inflows, led by BlackRock’s IBIT, while Ethereum ETFs posted $39 million in outflows. The CFTC separately issued a no-action letter for passive software providers connecting users with regulated derivatives venues. Hyperliquid launched native lending using HYPE and BTC as collateral. Other developments included Coinbase’s partnership with Stablecore, S&P Global’s agreement to acquire OpenZeppelin, and Across Protocol’s plan to retire ACX in January 2027. Solana also reduced its target block time to 250 milliseconds without materially increasing capacity. For traders, the SEC exemption and ETF inflows provide a bullish short-term backdrop, but issuer veto rights, limited eligibility and continued regulatory uncertainty may restrict immediate adoption. The longer-term impact depends on whether tokenized stocks gain meaningful liquidity and user demand.

Evernorth Holdings plans to raise $30 million through convertible preferred notes, expanding on its earlier plan to fund spot XRP purchases before a Nasdaq listing. The notes will be issued to investment trusts represented by NH Investment & Securities and will pay interest in kind, adding accrued interest to the principal balance. Evernorth said the proceeds will support general corporate purposes, including XRP purchases and XRP ecosystem businesses. The financing is conditional on completing its business combination with SPAC Armada Acquisition Corp. II. The transaction is expected to close alongside the merger in the fourth quarter of 2026, after which Evernorth plans to list on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPN. The proposed financing could create additional institutional demand for XRP and strengthen the crypto treasury narrative. However, the XRP purchases and Nasdaq listing remain uncertain until the note sale and SPAC merger are completed.

Deutsche Bank plans to launch a regulated Bitcoin custody service for European institutional and corporate clients by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory review and approval. The bank initially expects to support Bitcoin, Ether, selected stablecoins and e-money tokens, including USDC, EURC and EURAU. It will manage clients’ wallets and private keys, allowing institutions to access digital assets without building their own custody infrastructure. The target customers include portfolio managers, hedge funds, brokers, custodians, sovereign wealth funds and digital-asset companies. Deutsche Bank also plans to explore custody for tokenised financial instruments and blockchain-based payment products. The Bitcoin custody service would operate alongside the bank’s existing systems, with its final structure shaped by customer demand, regulatory requirements and risk appetite. Regulatory approval under Europe’s evolving crypto framework, including MiCA, remains the key condition. The Bitcoin custody plan could improve institutional access and support long-term crypto adoption, but it is unlikely to create a major short-term price catalyst before launch.

EVAS Intelligence, a Chinese AI computing chip unicorn, has completed a new financing round worth nearly 2 billion yuan, or about $280 million. The deal values EVAS Intelligence at nearly 15 billion yuan, equivalent to roughly $2.1 billion. More than 20 investors participated, including Huatai Innovation, Zhongding Capital, SMIC PrimePower, Jiu’an Medical, Tongfu Microelectronics, Saiyi Industrial Fund, XinXin Leasing and other industrial and financial institutions. EVAS Intelligence develops efficient and scalable AI computing acceleration solutions for broader enterprise and industry adoption. The financing highlights continued investor demand for AI chips, computing infrastructure and domestic semiconductor technology. For crypto traders, the deal is an indirect signal of sustained capital interest in high-performance computing, a sector linked to data centres, AI infrastructure and, in some cases, crypto-mining hardware. However, the announcement does not involve any cryptocurrency, token issuance or blockchain project.

French President Emmanuel Macron is considering releasing strategic oil reserves as fuel shortages affect more than 11% of France’s service stations. He is also seeking coordinated G7 action on energy security, including a possible release of strategic oil reserves, increased European gas storage, refinery support and protection for critical infrastructure against cyberattacks. France holds an estimated 15–17 million tonnes of strategic oil reserves, equivalent to about 118 days of net imports. Its contribution to a G7 and International Energy Agency release in March 2026 was approximately 14.5 million barrels, within a wider potential release of up to 400 million barrels. Rising petrol and diesel prices, Middle East tensions and disruption risks around the Strait of Hormuz are increasing pressure on consumers and transport-dependent businesses. A further coordinated reserve release could ease short-term supply concerns, but traders may question how sustainable repeated use of strategic oil reserves would be. The wider focus on gas storage, refineries and energy infrastructure could also increase investment in energy resilience.

The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% on 18 September, the highest level since April 1995. The 7-2 decision was the third rate increase under Governor Kazuo Ueda, following a hike to 1% in June. The BOJ cited persistent inflation risks from higher global energy prices and the weak yen, which increases import costs. Ueda said policy would remain data-dependent and aimed at keeping inflation near the 2% target. Board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato opposed the timing of the move. The yen weakened to about 157 per US dollar after the announcement, suggesting the decision was largely priced in or that traders remained focused on Japan’s interest-rate gap with the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank. Bitcoin remained broadly stable near $76,900, while BTC/JPY rose about 0.5% to roughly ¥12.06 million. Japan’s relatively low rates continue to support yen-funded carry trades, in which investors borrow yen to buy higher-yielding assets such as Bitcoin. The BOJ rate hike could increase crypto volatility if a stronger yen triggers carry-trade unwinding and forced deleveraging. However, continued yen weakness may limit the immediate impact. Traders should monitor USD/JPY, global bond yields, leverage and crypto funding rates.

The collapse of stablecoin card issuer Kulipa on 29 July 2026 reportedly disrupted card programmes serving around 20 wallet and fintech clients, including Solflare, Ready, Flutterwave and nSave. Solflare’s virtual and physical cards stopped working, while Ready said its issuer was winding down. Kulipa had raised $6.2 million less than six months earlier. The incident highlights the structural risks of crypto cards built on BIN sponsorship. Most crypto companies do not hold their own card-issuing licences. Instead, they rent access from regulated banks or electronic-money institutions. If the sponsoring issuer loses its licence, exits the market or becomes insolvent, customer cards can fail with little warning. Other reported disruptions include the revocation of Quicko’s Polish payment licence, which affected CEX.IO Card, Trustee Plus and IN1, and Mastercard’s shutdown of UnCash’s no-KYC card programme. At the same time, Visa’s stablecoin settlement volume reportedly reached a $20 billion annualised run rate in fiscal 2026’s second quarter, while more than 160 stablecoin card programmes were active globally. The article argues that digital nomads need more than a crypto card for spending. They need an integrated financial platform combining a personal bank account, stablecoin wallet, cross-border payments, card services and business accounts. Embedded banking models, which link users directly to regulated banks, may offer greater resilience than pooled corporate accounts, but traders should still assess licensing, custody, issuer exposure and redemption risks.

The $7 trillion quad-witching expiration on September 18 became the second-largest event of its kind, behind June’s estimated $7.7 trillion and March’s $7.1 trillion. Quad-witching involves the simultaneous expiry of stock index futures, stock index options, single-stock options and single-stock futures. Trading volume can surge sharply during the final hour as investors roll over or close positions. The event followed the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate hike in more than three years. The Fed raised rates by 25 basis points to 3.75%-4.00% on September 16, adding macroeconomic uncertainty to the derivatives market. The Bank of Japan also raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, its highest level since 1995, although the yen weakened to about 157 per dollar. For crypto traders, the quad-witching expiration is relevant because cross-asset hedging, liquidity shifts and risk reduction in traditional markets can affect Bitcoin and other digital assets. The main near-term signal is elevated volatility rather than a clear market direction.

SM Energy is presented as a potential value opportunity after a recent sell-off, despite short-term volatility and concerns about capital spending. Elevated oil prices and geopolitical risks are supporting US oil producers. The company has made progress on production growth, balance-sheet improvement, cost reductions and asset divestitures, while advancing merger synergies and debt reduction. In the second quarter, SM Energy reported adjusted EBITDAX of about $1.4 billion, strong free cash flow and significant share buybacks. Management expects leverage to decline further, which could support additional shareholder returns. Analyst price targets reportedly reach $61 per share. The investment case is most attractive for risk-tolerant investors who expect oil prices to remain near elevated levels, although weaker crude prices, higher capital expenditure and execution risks could pressure SM Energy’s valuation. The article does not provide a direct cryptocurrency catalyst.

Paycom Software (PAYC) reported strong second-quarter 2026 results, with revenue rising 10% year on year and earnings per share increasing 48%. Operating leverage and share buybacks supported profitability. Paycom raised its full-year 2026 guidance, forecasting revenue growth of 7% to 8% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of about 46%. The company said new product releases and continued business momentum are supporting its outlook. Capital allocation remains focused on opportunistic repurchases funded mainly by free cash flow, with some debt. Leverage is expected to remain moderate. The analyst maintained a Buy rating on PAYC and expects annual returns of about 12%, citing stronger growth prospects than ADP and Paychex, as well as efficient capital deployment. The results suggest an improving recovery for Paycom, although investors will continue to monitor competition, artificial-intelligence concerns and the sustainability of buybacks.

Binance will launch its next-quarter March 2026 delivery futures contracts at 16:00 UTC+8 on 25 September 2026. The Binance futures launch will include USDT-margined BTCUSDT and ETHUSDT contracts, with leverage of up to 50x. Coin-margined contracts will cover BTCUSD CM, ETHUSD CM, BNBUSD CM, XRPUSD CM and SOLUSD CM. These contracts will also offer leverage of up to 50x, although some products will be capped at 20x. The launch expands Binance’s listed quarterly futures instruments and gives traders additional tools for hedging and directional exposure. It does not, by itself, signal a change in the fundamental outlook for Bitcoin, Ethereum or other listed assets. Traders should monitor initial open interest, funding conditions, basis spreads and liquidation risks after the Binance futures launch.

Crypto.com is expanding into US stock derivatives as regulators examine the future of 24/7 stock trading. Its US-regulated Nadex exchange registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to trade security futures products, with the registration becoming effective on 14 September 2026. The registration does not approve Nvidia perpetual futures or make them available to US traders. However, Crypto.com chief executive Kris Marszalek said the company is working with the SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to introduce single-stock perpetual futures in the US. Crypto.com’s 24/7 stock trading push comes as the SEC holds discussions on overnight liquidity, market surveillance, settlement, cybersecurity and investor protection. These issues remain major obstacles to continuous US equity trading. Stock perpetuals provide synthetic exposure to an asset rather than ownership of its shares. Traders would not receive voting rights or dividends, and contracts may use funding payments to track the underlying stock. Coinbase already offers 24/7 stock perpetuals to eligible non-US customers, with leverage of up to 10 times on companies including Nvidia, Tesla, Apple and Amazon. The development could increase competition between crypto exchanges and traditional markets. It may also expand access to around-the-clock equity exposure, although thin liquidity, wider spreads and regulatory uncertainty could limit adoption. For traders, Crypto.com’s 24/7 stock trading initiative is a long-term market-structure development, not an immediate launch of Nvidia perpetuals in the US.

AI video generation is moving from faster output to greater control, according to fal co-founder Gorkem Yurtseven and Head of Engineering Batuhan Taskaya in a16z General Partner Jennifer Li’s discussion. fal’s H3 Max, a post-trained version of MiniMax’s open-weight video model, combines model post-training with systems and hardware optimisation to reduce generation time while preserving video quality. The improved speed enables real-time and continuous video experiments. These streams can remember earlier scenes and respond to new creative directions while running. However, the discussion suggests that AI video control is becoming more important than speed alone. Key challenges include directing camera movement, lighting, characters, motion and lip synchronisation. The technology could reshape professional creative workflows, but artists and studios need predictable AI video tools rather than simple prompt-based generation. The development highlights broader progress in generative AI infrastructure and real-time media, although the article does not report revenue, funding, token launches or cryptocurrency market data.

Kraken began forcibly liquidating UAE users’ holdings of seven assets on 15 September: XMR, ZEC, DASH, USDD, DAI, USDS and USDe. The liquidation window will remain open until 25 September. Withdrawals were suspended on 14 September at 14:00 UTC, while trading and deposits had already been closed on 16 June, leaving users unable to take corrective action. Kraken said the delisting followed a routine asset review and did not cite regulatory requirements. The exchange also said it could not confirm in advance which currency would be used to settle liquidation proceeds. The move may increase short-term selling pressure in the affected tokens, although its broader market impact is likely to remain limited unless liquidation volumes are substantial.

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (GOF) has suffered a major sell-off and now trades at a near double-digit discount to net asset value (NAV), a level not seen since 2016. The discount marks a sharp shift for a closed-end fund previously popular with income investors because of its high monthly distribution. GOF’s at-the-market (ATM) share issuance has historically been accretive to NAV and helped support its 22.7% distribution rate. However, the fund has halted new share issuance while its market price remains below NAV. This could reduce a key source of funding and may weaken future NAV returns. The fund could eventually cut its distribution, which may put further pressure on the GOF share price and widen the discount. However, a larger discount could also create a potential buying opportunity for investors willing to accept elevated income and valuation risk. Traders should monitor NAV performance, distribution coverage, leverage, and any changes to the ATM programme.