Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Coinbase and Marqeta are expanding their partnership to help businesses build stablecoin payment card programmes. The infrastructure would let customers spend stablecoins at merchants that accept conventional card payments, while blockchain transfers and settlement take place behind the scenes. Marqeta will provide card-issuing technology and payment processing; Coinbase will provide custody, stablecoin-to-fiat conversion and settlement services. Some settlement processes could use Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer-2 network. Businesses may be able to fund programmes around the clock, but the announcement does not describe a new card for all Coinbase customers. Fees, supported stablecoins and a launch date have not been disclosed, and traditional card costs and regulatory requirements still apply. The partnership could extend stablecoin payments into everyday commerce, though adoption and commercial impact remain uncertain.

Polygon Labs has completed its acquisition of Coinme, the final step in a deal announced in January worth more than $250 million that also included wallet infrastructure provider Sequence. Coinme adds 37 money transmitter licences, 11 state-level exemptions and US money services registration, enabling Polygon’s payments business to offer fiat-to-crypto conversions in 48 states. Its retail network spans 50,000 locations and had more than one million users when the deal was announced. The businesses will operate under Polygon’s Open Money Stack brand, targeting stablecoin and cross-border payments. Polygon says the acquisition could help it retain customer relationships and earn fees previously collected by third-party providers. CEO Marc Boiron expects its regulated payments business to become profitable in 2027, but the unified platform is still in technical preview with a limited group of users. Polygon faces competition from payment giants Visa and Stripe, and adoption remains unproven. The deal expands Polygon’s regulated payments reach, but does not guarantee greater network or token use.

Situational Awareness, the fund led by Leopold Aschenbrenner, is set to disclose its third-quarter stock holdings on Nov. 16, covering the period from July 1 to Sept. 30. The fund reportedly returned 439% in the first half of 2026, driven mainly by bets on SanDisk (SNDK) and Micron (MU) and the use of roughly four times leverage. Its portfolio was then said to have fallen about 67% during a July sell-off in AI-related stocks, after which the fund sold related positions. Citadel reportedly bought a significant portion of those shares. Situational Awareness also held positions in AMD, Bloom Energy and CoreWeave, with investments reportedly totaling about $315 million. The upcoming filing may offer traders a clearer view of how the fund adjusted its exposure to AI and semiconductor stocks after the sell-off.

SecuX’s wallet app remained inaccessible on 17 October, despite the company saying emergency maintenance had ended and service was restored a day earlier. Ripple CTO David Schwartz reported that SecuX’s Android app had sent a fraudulent notification directing users to a phishing page that requested their 12- or 24-word recovery phrase. SecuX has not explained the incident and reiterated that it will never ask users for a recovery phrase. The outage and phishing alert raise security concerns for SecuX users, but the report provides no evidence of a wider crypto-market impact.

Social Security benefits have risen by a cumulative 29.7% since 2020, according to financial planner Brett Ashcroft Green. The article’s headline highlights a 3.6% raise, while its central point is that recent cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) have boosted retirees’ income and may reduce the portfolio savings some households need to fund retirement. For frugal retirees whose spending has grown more slowly than benefits, the increases could leave extra cash available to invest. The author cautions that future COLAs could be lower, including a possible 0% adjustment, and flags projected Social Security trust fund pressure that could lead to benefit cuts around 2032. The suggested response is to assess personal retirement income needs and consider investing surplus benefits in inflation-resilient, income-producing assets. These are retirement-planning considerations, not direct cryptocurrency market developments.

Tesla remains a high-risk, high-reward investment, and the article reiterates a Buy rating based on the company’s long-term growth prospects. Tesla’s third-quarter deliveries exceeded consensus expectations, suggesting resilient demand. However, profitability remains a concern after earlier margin weakness and rising selling, general and administrative expenses. Potential catalysts include Tesla Semi deliveries, a Roadster launch, and progress on Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi development. Regulatory hurdles and execution risks remain important factors for investors to monitor. The article argues that Tesla’s valuation looks more reasonable at 52.6 times projected 2029 earnings, but the bullish outlook depends on the company delivering on its AI and autonomous-driving ambitions.

Viavi Solutions (VIAV) has been upgraded to a buy after its share price fell 22%, improving the stock’s valuation and potential upside. The company is expected to report fiscal Q1 2027 results in early November, with the analyst anticipating revenue and earnings per share above estimates. The outlook is supported by demand for equipment used in AI data centres and growth in Viavi’s Network and Service Enablement (NSE) segment. Operating-margin expansion, visibility into demand and possible growth in aerospace and defence are also cited as drivers. The main risk is that margins could come under pressure if hyperscaler demand weakens. The article’s investment case is focused on VIAV and the technology supply chain, not cryptocurrency markets.

Bulgaria’s Postbank plans to add crypto investing to its mobile app in early 2027, alongside stocks, ETFs, commodities and metals such as gold. The service is expected to include fractional investing, making smaller investments possible. Postbank, the country’s fourth-largest bank by assets, says it will work with an international investment platform but has not named its partner. The available assets, fees and custody arrangements are also unknown. The plan follows First Investment Bank’s announcement that it expects to offer crypto investing through its My Fibank app around the same time, with Bitpanda as its partner. Postbank’s multi-asset service could broaden access to crypto investing through traditional banking, but its market significance will depend on launch details, customer uptake and regulatory requirements.

Indian IT stocks rose 11.7% in the week ending October 16, their strongest weekly gain since 2008. The Nifty IT index outperformed the broader Nifty 50, which gained 2.8%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 4.5% as investors reassessed expensive AI-related stocks. Shares of TCS, Infosys, HCLTech and Tech Mahindra climbed between 13.4% and 18.2%. Tech Mahindra reported quarterly revenue of about ₹16,180 crore and net profit of ₹1,610 crore. HCLTech and Wipro also benefited from better-than-expected results. The Indian IT rally reflects improved earnings and renewed interest in established software services firms, as investors weigh the costs and future returns of AI infrastructure spending. However, the sector still faces concerns over outsourcing demand, automation, pricing pressure and cautious corporate technology budgets. Traders will watch whether stronger results translate into sustained revenue growth and margins.

Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark presented scenarios at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok suggesting AI could reshape US economic growth by 2030. The model puts US GDP at $34.1 trillion under modest adoption, $36.3 trillion under substantial adoption and $44.4 trillion in an extreme case, in 2025 dollars. The highest estimate is about 32.4% above the model’s baseline and would depend on highly autonomous AI, recursive self-improvement— which Clark said could emerge by 2027—and the creation of new industries and products, not automation alone. These are scenarios, not established forecasts. Anthropic warns that AI-driven productivity gains may not flow evenly to workers, while automation could displace knowledge workers and raise unemployment, with implications for taxes, labor policy and safety nets. Clark called for international cooperation and safeguards. For traders, the AI growth outlook adds to debate over infrastructure spending and technology valuations, but does not point to a direct impact on cryptocurrency prices.

A US federal judge has rejected Gemini and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) joint request to overturn their January 2025 settlement. Gemini must keep its $5 million penalty and comply with a permanent injunction barring false or misleading statements to the regulator. The case stems from CFTC allegations that Gemini misled the agency in 2017 during its review of a proposed Bitcoin futures product. In 2026, the CFTC supported reopening the case after an internal review questioned the original investigation and some evidence. Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that the parties had not met the legal standard to vacate the judgment, noting that Gemini had defended itself for years before settling. The decision leaves the Gemini settlement in force, with no additional fine. It also shows that changes in regulatory policy or a regulator’s position do not automatically undo a final court judgment. The ruling has limited direct implications for Bitcoin trading, but highlights ongoing legal uncertainty for crypto firms.

Bitcoin traded near $81,500 on October 17 after briefly falling below $80,000. Its November price outlook hinges on Federal Reserve policy, inflation data and demand for U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs. The Fed is scheduled to announce its decision on October 28. September CPI inflation rose to 3.7% year over year, while November’s U.S. jobs report and CPI data are due on November 6 and 10. These releases could shift expectations for interest rates and affect demand for risk assets. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded an estimated net $614.7 million in outflows across the first 12 October trading sessions, according to Farside Investors. The withdrawals were uneven: October 7 alone saw $484.9 million leave the funds. The article notes that ETF flows do not capture all spot-market buying or selling and cannot, by themselves, explain Bitcoin’s price moves. Using $82,000 as a reference, the article outlines conditional scenarios rather than a single forecast: a recovery range of $87,500–$95,000 if buying strengthens and rate expectations ease; a broad range of $78,000–$87,500 if signals remain mixed; and a downside range of $75,000–$78,000 if selling, tighter-policy expectations and leveraged liquidations intensify. These are analytical ranges, not guaranteed targets or probability-weighted predictions.

Several crypto projects have scheduled token unlocks, led by LayerZero (ZRO), which will release 23.4 million tokens worth about $44.7 million. Other reported unlocks include 20.26 million SOON tokens valued at roughly $6.2 million, 23.5 million SOSO worth about $6.91 million, 270 million Humanity Protocol tokens worth around $15.56 million, and 230 million Plasma tokens valued at approximately $18.34 million. Token unlocks increase the circulating supply and can create short-term selling pressure, although the actual market effect depends on recipients’ behavior, trading liquidity and how much of the release was already anticipated. The report does not specify the release dates or allocation details.

The Eredivisie title race is tightly contested after eight rounds of the 2026-27 season. Feyenoord lead with 20 points, while defending champions PSV and AZ have 19 each. Twente are fourth on 17 points, and Ajax have 15. PSV, managed by Peter Bosz, are seeking a fourth consecutive title. Feyenoord, coached by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, have the strongest goal difference among the leading clubs at +20. AZ have kept pace after winning their first four matches. The close standings make the Eredivisie title race competitive, though PSV’s recent dominance keeps them among the favourites. Head-to-head matches, European fixtures, the January transfer window and the winter break could shift the standings and betting prices. The article also discusses outright, head-to-head and points markets, while noting that Dutch residents may bet only with operators licensed by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). Dexsport is not licensed in the Netherlands.

A suspected operator of a task scam lost more than 60 BTC, worth about $4.8 million, after the funds were stolen from Ledger hardware wallets. Chainalysis said the Bitcoin was moved to three Ledger addresses on 22 September and drained to one wallet on 9 October. The funds reportedly came from a fake job scheme that tricked victims into paying deposits to cover a supposed negative balance. The theft is linked to reports of tampered Ledger devices sold through third-party channels, including Malaysian reseller CryptoBilis. Ledger said implants in affected devices could capture recovery phrases; the investigation did not establish that the company’s own manufacturing systems were compromised. Ledger has not disclosed confirmed losses from the wider incident, while investigator Specter estimated that about $86 million had been drained. The case highlights hardware-wallet supply-chain risks and the importance of device provenance, but it points to no flaw in Bitcoin itself and is unlikely to affect BTC’s fundamentals.

Fidelity’s Center for Applied Technology says Solana has improved in network resilience, economic security and performance, with no reported mainnet outages in two years. High staking participation and validator incentives support security, while low latency, expanding capacity and low transaction costs could help Solana scale. However, stake remains concentrated among a relatively small number of validator identities and operators, and concentration in custodians and client software also warrants monitoring. Solana Foundation technology vice-president Jacob Creech said slot times fell to 350 milliseconds on 21 August. Further reductions to 200 milliseconds are planned, followed by three additional 50-millisecond adjustments. For SOL traders, the report supports confidence in Solana’s network fundamentals, but the decentralisation risks remain relevant to longer-term confidence.

STRK fell about 13% against the previous day’s reference price, trading at around $0.0665 on Hyperliquid. The largest STRK long held about 64.2 million tokens, worth roughly $4.25 million, using 5x cross margin. The position showed an unrealised loss of about $1.019 million, with a return of around -96%. A second whale had about 21.36 million STRK, worth approximately $1.466 million, liquidated, realising a loss of about $207,000. The trader then opened a new 5x isolated-margin long of around 4.79 million STRK, worth about $319,000, with a liquidation price near $0.059. The losses and liquidation highlight the risks of leveraged STRK trading during sharp price declines.

Forgent Power Solutions (FPS), a supplier of electrical infrastructure for data centers, is benefiting from rising demand as data center construction expands. The company reported $1.42 billion in FY2026 revenue, and forecasts cited in the article put FY2027 revenue at $2.5 billion to $2.6 billion. Its order book is about $3 billion. FPS trades at roughly 25 times estimated FY2027 earnings. The article sees potential for 39% upside by FY2029 in its base case, but says the valuation leaves limited room for error. Key risks include expanding production capacity quickly enough to meet demand and converting growth into free cash flow. The author rates FPS Hold, pending evidence that its production ramp-up and cash flow are progressing as expected.

Samsara (IOT) could grow by selling more operational software to customers already using its fleet products. As customers adopt multiple workflow applications, Samsara may become more integrated into daily operations, increasing switching costs and recurring revenue. The company’s expanding platform could support long-term earnings growth. However, Samsara trades at about 11.6 times revenue, leaving its valuation exposed if growth slows or margins disappoint. The analyst forecasts $2.60 billion in revenue, a 24% adjusted operating margin and adjusted earnings per share of $0.98 for the next fiscal year. These projections depend on continued rapid growth and margin expansion.

An analyst has upgraded ASML from Hold to Buy, citing the chip-equipment maker’s long-term growth prospects as AI-related investment drives semiconductor demand. Foundry supply commitments and expanding memory and logic-sector spending are expected to support capacity growth through 2028. The analyst also points to planned price increases from 2027 and substantial customer down payments on ASML’s growing backlog as support for revenue, cash flow and its balance sheet. The upgrade follows a period of share-price consolidation. The analyst sees technical support near $1,550 and sets a long-term price target of $3,140. However, the outlook carries risks: weaker AI sentiment could weigh on the stock, and investors are watching hyperscalers’ cash flow and debt metrics for further guidance during the Q3 2026 earnings season. The ASML Buy call is an analyst’s view, not company guidance.

Bitcoin faces a narrow weekend trading range as ETF withdrawals and leveraged positioning weigh on demand. CoinLab’s October 17 forecast gives a 55% chance that Bitcoin closes between $80,600 and $82,900, a 27% chance of a drop to $78,500–$80,600, and an 18% chance of a rise to $82,900–$84,400. These are model estimates, not guaranteed outcomes. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $82.4 million in net outflows on October 16, including $71.8 million from BlackRock’s IBIT and $10.6 million from Fidelity’s FBTC. Net withdrawals for October 12–16 totalled about $228.4 million. ETF outflows can signal weaker institutional demand, though they do not necessarily represent equivalent immediate spot-market selling. Bitcoin’s $80,000–$81,500 area is the key support zone, while the 20-day exponential moving average near $82,700 is resistance. Elevated Binance futures funding suggests leveraged long positions may be vulnerable to liquidations, particularly in thinner weekend trading. A sustained break below $80,000 could expose the lower forecast range; a move above $82,900 would improve the case for a test of $84,400.

US spot Ethereum ETFs saw $85.4 million in net outflows on October 12, extending the sector’s outflow streak to nine consecutive days. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) accounted for $75.07 million. The week ending October 9 had already brought $542.1 million in net redemptions, the largest weekly outflow since January, with ETHA responsible for about 88%. ETH was trading near $2,500 on October 12, below its earlier October range of $2,600 to $2,715. Outflows continued later in the month: from October 14 to 16, US spot Ethereum ETFs lost a further $259.5 million. ETHA accounted for $223.9 million, or about 86%, including all of Friday’s $69.7 million in withdrawals. Still, cumulative net inflows into US Ethereum ETFs remained around $13 billion through October 16, compared with more than $12.7 billion in ETHA inflows since its 2024 launch. ETF redemptions reflect fund flows and do not establish that an equivalent amount of ETH was immediately sold on exchanges. Bitcoin ETF flows were mixed to positive during the earlier period, suggesting possible rotation between crypto assets. ETH fell to about $2,391 on October 16 and closed near $2,420. Analyst Alejandro Arrieche identified $2,400 as key support; a move above $2,600 could improve the prospect of a recovery towards $2,800, while continued Ethereum ETF outflows or a decisive break below support could increase selling pressure. Traders will be watching ETF flows and these price levels for signs of whether the decline is stabilising.

Zcash (ZEC) fell nearly 6% on October 16, dropping from about $1,222 to $1,149 and briefly reaching $1,133, ahead of a key developer decision on the NU7 network upgrade scheduled for October 20. ZEC later recovered to around $1,160–$1,175. NU7 proposes reducing target block intervals from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, allowing blocks to be produced about three times more frequently. The upgrade would also disable legacy version 4 transactions and introduce a mechanism that temporarily removes around 60% of transaction fees from circulation before returning them through mining rewards from February 2031. The October 20 meeting will determine whether the upgrade can proceed to mainnet and confirm its activation height; a tentative November 5 deployment remains subject to technical review. Analyst Alejandro Arrieche has identified $1,650 as a potential recovery target if developers advance NU7, about 44% above ZEC’s October 16 closing price. He also warned that Zcash could retest $1,000. Traders are watching the $1,100–$1,150 area for support; a sustained move above $1,250 could improve short-term momentum, while a drop below $1,100 would increase downside risk. The upgrade may support sentiment, but it does not directly create additional token demand, and its price impact will also depend on adoption and broader market conditions.

Binance says its bStocks tokenized-equity platform surpassed $1 billion in assets under management about four months after launching on June 11, 2026, making it the fastest tokenized-equity product to reach the milestone, according to Dune Research data cited by the exchange. The platform lists nearly 100 US stocks and ETFs and has recorded more than $40 billion in cumulative trading volume. Binance bStocks tokens are backed 1:1 by underlying securities and can be redeemed for them; users have also transferred $6 billion between direct stock positions and bStocks at parity. The tokens trade around the clock and settle on-chain. In July, 38% of bStocks volume took place during regular US market hours, compared with 89.2% for conventional US equities. Eligible users can use supported tokens as margin and futures collateral, with leverage of up to 5x. The later account also highlights potential fractional access and integration with digital-asset products, while noting that token holders may not have the voting or shareholder rights of direct stock owners. Offered under an approved prospectus in Abu Dhabi Global Market, bStocks is restricted to eligible users in permitted jurisdictions and is unavailable to US persons. The milestone points to growing interest in tokenized shares, but does not establish durable demand. Traders will be watching the transparency of asset backing, liquidity, custody, counterparty exposure and regulatory developments.

A Shanghai company named Solana Enterprise Management Co. was registered in June with 5 million yuan in capital. Claire Du, a co-lead of Solana China, is its legal representative. In August, the company took a 45% stake in a joint venture, Shanghai Yaokun Qiusuo Digital Technology Co., which has 10 million yuan in registered capital. Solana Foundation China co-lead Even Jiang is the joint venture’s chair, while Du is a director. The companies’ stated business scope includes technology development, systems integration and events. Although Solana team members recently announced an office in Shanghai, available company records show no direct legal ownership link to the Solana blockchain, Solana Labs or the SOL token. The registrations therefore indicate local business activity, but do not establish a formal corporate connection to Solana.

Tokenmaxxing is about getting more value from AI tokens, not simply using more of them. The article says leading AI models can cost up to 100 times more per token than smaller models, so using a flagship model for routine tasks can waste money and subscription limits. Practical ways to cut AI costs include routing simple tasks to cheaper models, writing clear prompts, starting new chats when topics change, limiting answer length, and using code for calculations. Developers can also reduce spending with prompt caching, discounted batch processing, smaller agent contexts, and strict limits on an agent’s steps and budget. The article cites Meta employees using 60 trillion tokens in 30 days and estimates the usage could have cost about $900 million at Anthropic’s list prices, though Meta likely pays less. Uber reportedly used up its 2026 AI tools budget in about four months. Despite falling token prices, overall AI usage is rising—a version of the Jevons paradox. Tokenmaxxing, applied as cost-efficient model use, can improve results while controlling AI spending.

A review of nine Web3 casinos finds wide differences in how clearly they disclose their operators and gambling licences. Dexsport ranks highest for naming its operator, dating its terms and linking its Anjouan licence to a domain-searchable register. Cloudbet, Stake, BC.Game, Roobet, Shuffle, Rollbit and BitStarz also identify their operators and licensing arrangements, though players should verify the specific domain and product. Metaspins presents a less consistent picture, with references to both Anjouan and a Curaçao register entry. The review says clear Web3 casino licence details should include the legal operator, regulator, working link to an official register, consistent information across site pages and restricted territories. It cautions that a gambling licence may not cover every product, such as tokens or crypto futures. Licence disclosure does not guarantee safety; players should check current regulator records and local laws before depositing.

Canada’s online gambling rules vary by province, with three models shaping which operators can serve players and what protections apply. Ontario opened a regulated market to private operators in April 2022, and Alberta launched a similar model on 13 July 2026. Both require private operators to register and enter provincial agreements. Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission sets standards, while iGaming Ontario manages commercial agreements. Alberta uses a comparable split between its regulator and iGaming corporation. British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec rely on provincial platforms, while the four Atlantic provinces use the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. These Crown-led models exclude private operators from their legal markets. Single-event sports betting has been legal nationally since August 2021, but provinces determine how it is offered. Minimum ages differ: Ontario sets 19, while Alberta sets 18. Regulated Canadian gambling platforms use conventional payment methods, such as Interac, cards and bank transfers; they do not offer crypto deposits. Offshore crypto gambling platforms operate outside provincial systems, and players should check local laws before using them. The article describes regulatory differences rather than a change to cryptocurrency markets.

CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju says the team behind the TRUMP token made an estimated $779 million to $1.16 billion from holders, while buyers have lost 97%. The claim highlights the sharp losses facing TRUMP investors and the large gap between buyer outcomes and the team’s reported profits. The article does not provide further details on the estimate or its calculation.