Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Bitcoin Core has changed its security disclosure policy as AI tools make some software vulnerabilities easier to find or rediscover. The update, proposed by Chaincode Labs developer Antoine Poinsot and merged on Thursday, targets bugs considered “easily discoverable.” Bitcoin Core will backport fixes for these vulnerabilities to all maintained major versions, release point updates as soon as possible and publish security advisories alongside the patches. Previously, medium- and high-severity flaws could remain under embargo for months, sometimes until two weeks after affected software reached end of life. Other vulnerabilities will generally retain existing disclosure timelines, while critical protocol-level risks will be handled case by case. The faster process may leave releases with less time for testing. The change comes amid growing use of AI in crypto security. In July, the volunteer Bitcoin Red Team scanned 390 Bitcoin repositories and reported 4,962 findings, including 85 rated critical. A reported BTCPay Server vulnerability was exploited on live merchant servers, while Core Lightning developers urged users to upgrade or disconnect after validating AI-generated reports. AI-assisted research has also identified issues affecting hardware wallets. For Bitcoin traders, the policy is a security and network-reliability development rather than a direct price catalyst: quicker fixes could reduce exposure to exploitable bugs, but rushed upgrades may create operational risks.

NEAR says all Chain Signatures operations now run inside trusted execution environments (TEEs), allowing their execution to be independently verified onchain. The network uses Intel TDX hardware and a threshold of 11 signers out of 17 independent operators, including Everstake, Nansen and Bitwise. Chain Signatures lets a NEAR account authorize transactions across blockchains without an intermediary bridge or custodian. It underpins NEAR Intents, which the article says has processed more than $35 billion in cumulative volume in under two years; the system supports more than 35 networks. A new Read MPC process also checks cross-chain deposits against a quorum of RPC providers. The upgrades strengthen the security and transparency of NEAR’s cross-chain infrastructure, though the article notes that post-quantum protection remains under research. For traders, the development may support confidence in NEAR’s long-term ecosystem, but it does not by itself establish an immediate token-price catalyst.

SLB Q3 results showed broad-based growth despite uncertainty in the Middle East. Revenue rose 5% quarter on quarter and 6% year on year, while the Middle East and Asia segment—SLB’s largest region—increased revenue by 9% quarter on quarter. The article highlights Digital and Data Center Solutions as growth drivers, with double-digit growth expected from 2027 onward amid demand for AI and modular infrastructure. Acquisitions including Kelvion and S&P Global Energy’s software portfolio are expected to strengthen SLB’s digital, thermal-management and North American offerings. Potential upside could also come from Venezuela and improved Middle East conditions. Overall, the article sees SLB Q3 results as supporting a positive longer-term outlook, though its business remains exposed to energy-market and geopolitical risks.

First Hawaiian, Inc. published a presentation alongside its 2026 third-quarter earnings call. The provided article contains no earnings figures, guidance or other company-specific results, so the bank’s financial performance cannot be assessed from this information.

Ferguson (FERG) shares look more attractive near $228, according to the article, after valuation multiples compressed despite resilient organic growth and disciplined capital allocation. The company’s $1.6 billion acquisition of FloWorks was valued at about 10 times EBITDA after expected synergies. The deal adds to Ferguson’s merger-and-acquisition strategy, while continued organic growth supports its outlook. The article presents the combination of a lower valuation, ongoing acquisitions and internal growth as a more constructive setup for Ferguson shares.

Artenis (ATNS) began trading against USDT on LBank on October 7, 2026, following the close of its presale. The ERC-20 token has a stated fixed supply of 50 million and is intended to support participation in GMA’s art- and culture-focused Web3 ecosystem. GMA plans to connect an art and design marketplace, digital certification, community features and a Virtual Museum that remains in development. Its white paper describes possible ATNS uses such as marketplace activity, memberships, events, digital access and NFT integrations. These services and token functions are still being developed, so their adoption will be important to ATNS’s longer-term utility. Hacken’s public assessment describes the token contract as immutable and non-upgradeable, with no further minting or burning. It reports two findings as resolved and flags the concentration of the initial supply in a Safe multisignature treasury as an operational consideration. The audit does not assess the wider ecosystem or predict market performance. GMA says ATNS does not confer ownership, profit rights or guaranteed returns. The LBank listing adds a live trading venue, but ATNS remains a volatile digital asset.

A VentureBeat Intelligence survey found that 79% of 218 enterprises running AI in production used their GPUs at 50% capacity or less between July and September. In the September survey, the figure was 81%, while 31% of respondents said their GPUs were doing useful work no more than a quarter of the time. Despite low GPU utilization, 70% of respondents reporting underused hardware said they plan to adopt a new, additional or replacement AI compute platform within 12 months. In the September wave, 63% of 102 qualified respondents planned a platform change or addition. Only 10% had a finance-reviewed return on investment for their existing infrastructure, and 12% reported using specialized AI cloud providers such as CoreWeave or Lambda. The findings point to a mismatch between GPU utilization and continued AI infrastructure investment. Some planned changes may replace unsuitable systems rather than add capacity. The trend could create opportunities for providers offering better workload optimization or alternative compute models. Future GPU utilization and spending data will show whether enterprises can reduce idle capacity and demonstrate clearer returns.

Amazon’s AI business and custom chip business each surpassed a $25 billion annualised revenue run rate, with triple-digit year-over-year growth, according to its Q2 2026 report. CEO Andy Jassy said the AI unit reached the milestone in about three years and is growing several hundred times faster than AWS did at a comparable stage. AWS revenue rose 37% year over year to $42.2 billion, while its operating margin was 39.4%. Amazon reported a $496 billion backlog, with demand exceeding available capacity for 2026 and 2027. To expand AI infrastructure and chip capacity, Amazon raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to about $220 billion, from $200 billion. Its trailing 12-month free cash flow was negative $7.6 billion. The company’s Trainium chips are being adopted by Anthropic and OpenAI, while Bedrock usage in Q2 exceeded the total of all previous quarters combined. For investors, the Amazon AI growth story is balanced by heavy spending, capacity constraints and negative free cash flow. AWS growth, backlog conversion, margins and a recovery in cash flow are key indicators to watch.

Six more companies, including Wells Fargo, Arm Holdings and Intuit, have objected to having their shares tokenized on OKXICE, bringing the total number of objectors to 22. Earlier objectors included Microsoft, Alphabet and Goldman Sachs. The objections complicate plans by OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) to offer tokenized versions of 63 US stocks, though the SEC filing does not explain why the companies objected. OKX and ICE filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on 5 October to launch OKXICE under a five-year innovation exemption. Companies can block proposed listings after receiving notice. The platform aims to enable continuous trading and faster blockchain-based settlement. Its proposed permissioned automated market maker pools use Uniswap v4 on X Layer, with tokenized shares trading against USDC, USDG or USDT; the platform says it will not offer leverage or lending. OKXICE co-chair Andrew Cuomo described issuer objections as a natural response to a limited experiment. The objections concern this venue and do not necessarily signal opposition to tokenized equities generally. For crypto traders, the growing pushback underscores that issuer consent and regulatory uncertainty could shape adoption of tokenized shares. The filings do not say the objections have halted the platform’s plans.

Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone warned that Bitcoin could fall to $10,000 if the S&P 500 suffers a prolonged 20% correction. He described Bitcoin’s recent recovery as a possible “bear market bounce” and said its closer link to equities leaves it exposed to a broader sell-off and tighter financial conditions. The scenario is conditional, not a firm price forecast. McGlone also questioned expectations from BlackRock and JPMorgan of roughly 10% annual Bitcoin returns. In the later report, Bitcoin was trading near $82,000, about 35% below its record high above $126,000, and down around 6% over 30 days. The S&P 500 was up 13% year to date. Bitcoin’s price had briefly found support around $80,000, a level technical analysts said traders should watch: holding it may preserve the bullish structure, while a break could add pressure. Spot Bitcoin ETFs swung from three days of inflows, including more than $528 million on October 21, to over $635 million in outflows the following day. An earlier account reported $729 million in withdrawals over two sessions, highlighting the quick change in investor sentiment. There is also disagreement over how far Bitcoin could fall. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju argued that ETF inflows of about $58 billion and corporate treasuries holding 1.3 million BTC imply an onchain cost-basis floor nearer $30,000, even if those holdings were reversed. He said a $10,000 price would put Bitcoin’s MVRV ratio near 0.2, below the 0.6 level he identified as a previous historical bottom. For traders, the key risks are a US equity correction, tighter liquidity and leveraged liquidations; the $10,000 scenario depends on a major stock-market downturn and is not certain.

A non-binding Starknet governance poll on 22 October received 93.52% support from 3,236 votes for researching an independent, post-quantum-secure Layer 1 network. The result does not approve a move away from Starknet’s current Ethereum Layer 2 structure or a chain migration. The Starknet Foundation and StarkWare will form a research group to assess technical requirements and economic trade-offs. Key questions include how assets would be bridged, where transaction data would be available, and how independence could affect security, liquidity, validators and applications. A draft whitepaper is expected for community review in November, with further proposals and votes required before any transition. Starknet currently relies on Ethereum for data availability, settlement and parts of its security infrastructure. Its STARK proofs and programmable accounts may support post-quantum security, but do not protect against every quantum threat. Developers are targeting quantum-safe upgrades by 2027, while Ethereum has a December 2029 target for base-layer protections. STRK would remain Starknet’s native token and Ethereum bridges are expected to remain available. For traders, the vote signals research and community interest, not an immediate change to the network or token.

Entrepreneur Laurent Correia says making money and keeping it are separate skills, and argues that business income should support long-term financial security as well as current spending. After ventures in fashion, e-commerce and digital businesses, he says his focus shifted towards building assets and planning for his family’s future. Correia has described real estate as one way to turn active-business income into long-term assets. He said he bought a villa in Dubai’s District One in 2018 for about $3 million, while stressing that property investment involves risks and that location, timing, quality and financing matter. His broader message is to use strong business periods to build flexibility and security, rather than letting lifestyle costs absorb all earnings. The article does not provide independent verification of the investment details.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is asking a court to order NovaTech founders Cynthia and Eddy Petion, the collapsed crypto platform and related entities to pay about $1.37 billion, including investor funds, alleged ill-gotten gains and interest. The request follows an August 2025 default judgment after the founders reportedly left the US and did not respond to the lawsuit; they were also barred from the securities, commodities and crypto industries. The requested payment still has to be collected. New York alleges NovaTech promised weekly returns of 2% to 4% and used new investors’ deposits to pay earlier investors and recruitment bonuses. More than 11,000 New Yorkers invested, many from Haitian communities reached through prayer groups, social media and WhatsApp. State figures say investors deposited about $1.16 billion in cryptocurrency from August 2019 to May 2023, while less than $26 million went to trading provider B2Broker; at least $134.5 million allegedly went to wallets linked to the Petions. The state is also seeking about $6.15 million related to AWS Mining, an earlier scheme that collapsed in 2019. Four NovaTech promoters separately agreed to settlements totaling nearly $6 million for victims and were barred from the relevant industries. NovaTech collapsed in 2023. The case adds to scrutiny of crypto investment fraud, but does not introduce a new trading rule for the wider market or establish a direct price catalyst for major cryptocurrencies.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $635.6 million in outflows on Thursday, according to Farside Investors, as rising oil prices renewed risk-off sentiment. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust saw the largest withdrawals at more than $254 million, followed by Fidelity’s fund at nearly $218 million. Bitcoin briefly fell below $81,000 and was later trading near $81,669, down about 1% over 24 hours. The withdrawals came after tensions in the Middle East pushed Brent crude to a five-month high, raising concerns about energy supply disruptions and the potential for higher interest rates. Higher rates can weigh on Bitcoin and other risk assets by tightening liquidity. Despite Thursday’s outflows, spot Bitcoin ETFs had attracted more than $439 million in net investment over the week. Bitcoin has rebounded in recent months after trading well below its October 2025 record of $126,080. The latest ETF outflows point to renewed short-term caution, although the broader weekly inflow remained positive.

CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund (IGR) has fallen 28% since April, while its distribution yield is about 20%. The article argues that this payout is unsustainable: IGR’s net asset value (NAV) has returned only about 2% annually over the past decade, pointing to long-term value erosion. Despite those concerns, the author says the current setup could still suit a short-term trade. The article does not provide details on the trade thesis or a price target. IGR’s high yield therefore comes with significant distribution and capital risks.

First Bank (FRBA) reported continued improvement in the third quarter of 2026, with both loans and deposits growing. Loans increased by $50 million during the quarter, while deposits rose by $43 million. Chief Executive Patrick Ryan said balance-sheet growth remained healthy and the bank was ahead of plan. The available transcript excerpt does not provide further financial results or detailed outlook. First Bank’s update concerns a regional bank and does not directly address cryptocurrency markets.

Valley National Bancorp (VLY) received a “Buy” rating in an analysis highlighting balance-sheet improvements, reduced commercial real estate exposure and strong capital. The bank’s third-quarter earnings beat expectations, while net interest margin expanded and deposits rose 8% year over year, supported by customer growth. The analysis says the planned Bluevine acquisition could add $2 billion in low-cost deposits, support further margin expansion and potentially boost earnings per share by 2028. It also flags risks from New York City multifamily property exposure and low reserve coverage. The author estimates fair value at $15.50–$15.75, more than 10% above the cited share price, and describes VLY’s 3.2% dividend as secure. These are the analyst’s assessments, not guaranteed outcomes.

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said the network should prioritize applications with substantial assets under management and retail trading volume. He named Phantom, Pump.fun, Fomo, Jupiter and Kamino, placing their needs ahead of validators, developers, market makers and core engineers. Yakovenko made the comments in an Oct. 23 post responding to criticism of Ethereum protocol designers’ use of their own network. He praised the Ethereum Foundation for considering Aave’s need for reliable transaction processing during congestion or outages. The remarks describe a priority for Solana network optimization, not a specific upgrade or change to validator rules. Yakovenko announced no funding, implementation timeline or new arrangements with the named apps. The comments may renew discussion about whether Solana should focus network design on high-volume consumer applications, but they do not by themselves indicate an immediate change to SOL’s fundamentals.

Securitize says 12 tokenized U.S. stocks are now available on Solana through Securitize Stocks. The offering includes Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Microsoft and Amazon, alongside Alphabet, Meta, Netflix, Circle, SpaceX, Strategy and Palantir. The tokens are backed one-for-one by shares held in segregated accounts, which Securitize says are not lent out. Eligible investors in the U.S., EU and other permitted jurisdictions can trade after onboarding and identity checks. Purchases can be made with USDC and tokens held in approved Solana wallets. Holders receive security entitlements through a broker-dealer, not direct shareholder registration; conversion is required for registration, subject to available arrangements. The underlying companies have not sponsored or endorsed the products. The Oct. 23 availability posts confirm the launch announced on Oct. 8 rather than adding a new set of stocks. For crypto traders, the development expands Solana’s tokenized-asset offering, but access restrictions and the distinction between token ownership and conventional share ownership remain important.

Belgian bank KBC Group bought 39,826 shares of Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR), worth about $5.9 million, adding to its indirect Bitcoin exposure through the company’s stock. Earlier figures cited in the reports say KBC held 311,624 shares, valued at about $50.44 million, at the end of 2025, after adding 88,501 shares in the fourth quarter. Strategy held 848,517 BTC as of October 19, 2026, according to the article; KBC’s share purchase does not indicate a change in those reserves. KBC is also preparing to offer Bitcoin and Ether trading through its Bolero platform under the EU’s MiCA rules. The investment adds to institutional exposure to Bitcoin-linked equities, but its size is unlikely to affect Bitcoin’s spot price directly. KBC’s exposure also depends on Strategy’s financing, leverage and capital-allocation decisions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has requested a plan for an alternative economy using blockchain and digital assets in case banking sanctions restrict the country’s access to traditional financial channels. He named no specific network, token or company, and the proposal has not yet become a concrete financial system. Israel has some existing digital-asset infrastructure: regulators approved BILS, a shekel-backed stablecoin on Solana, in April 2026, and the Bank of Israel updated rules to ease banks’ handling of virtual-currency funds in October. However, a sanctions-resilient economy would also need payment systems, trade settlement, banking links and access to foreign currency. The key developments to watch are whether the requested blockchain plan is published, survives the upcoming elections and identifies specific infrastructure.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has added securities tokenization to its fiscal 2027 examination priorities, expanding its focus compared with the previous year. Examiners will assess tokenization risks at clearing agencies and within critical market infrastructure covered by Regulation SCI, including operational resilience, reliance on third-party and cloud services, and transfer-agent technology. The SEC also highlighted artificial intelligence, extended trading hours and quantum computing as emerging risks. Cryptocurrencies are not a standalone examination priority for the second consecutive year; the SEC last devoted a section of its annual priorities to crypto assets in fiscal 2025. The scrutiny comes as traditional financial firms move into tokenized securities. A joint venture between OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has filed to launch a platform offering tokenized shares in more than 60 US-listed companies. The SEC previously granted temporary conditional relief to certain blockchain venues trading tokenized US stocks, subject to investor protections such as preserving voting and dividend rights and pausing trading when the underlying stock is halted. The examination priorities do not create new legal obligations or change securities laws, and the SEC has not announced a new ban or specific enforcement action. For crypto traders, the move signals closer regulatory scrutiny of tokenization and onchain market infrastructure, but its direct effect on cryptocurrency prices is likely limited. Future examination findings and rulemaking could, however, shape tokenized-securities platforms and institutional adoption.

Dune has launched Market Data Feeds, a service that standardizes spot and perpetual DEX trades across blockchains. The feed includes details such as trading instrument, venue, execution side, price and US dollar value, helping institutional desks compare fragmented on-chain execution. Dune says spot coverage spans more than 200 venues, with data delivered about one second after the transaction’s block. The feed is not a pre-settlement view or a complete record of private and off-chain activity. Dune documents exclusions and sends separate correction messages when blockchain reorganizations alter transaction history. The service could support market makers and data vendors with execution comparisons and transaction-cost analysis. Its usefulness will depend on reliable coverage, consistent pricing and how it handles late or incomplete data. Dune’s launch improves access to normalized crypto market data, but does not itself indicate a change in market direction.

Kraken has opened funding and trading for Saffron’s governance token, SFI, as of October 23, 2026. SFI is an Ethereum ERC-20 token with a maximum supply of 100,000, created through a liquidity-mining programme that ran from October 2020 to mid-2021. Saffron describes itself as a peer-to-peer risk adjustment protocol. Its current vaults use Uniswap concentrated liquidity positions, allowing users to exchange an upfront payment for potential future fees, or vice versa. SFI holders can vote on protocol and treasury decisions through the Saffron DAO. Kraken says app and Instant Buy access will follow once market liquidity is sufficient; geographic restrictions may apply.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $635.6 million in net outflows on Thursday, their largest one-day withdrawal since June 25. The selling erased nearly 60% of the roughly $1.07 billion raised over the previous three sessions and pushed October Bitcoin ETF flows to a net outflow of about $176 million. Weekly flows remained positive at $443 million. Since launch, the funds have attracted $57.8 billion in cumulative net inflows and hold $100.2 billion in net assets. Bitcoin traded around $81,460 on Friday, after ranging from $80,996 to $82,551 on Thursday and retreating from Wednesday’s high of $84,777. Ether ETFs lost $110.6 million, taking their October outflows to about $1.18 billion; Solana ETFs shed $8.9 million, while XRP ETFs gained $3.6 million and Hyperliquid ETFs lost about $8 million. The latest figures put Solana’s October ETF outflows at roughly $68 million. Despite the Bitcoin ETF outflows, prices showed little immediate reaction: Ether was near $2,400 and Solana around $104. Myriad traders cut the odds of Bitcoin topping $87,500 by month-end to 17%, from 20% a day earlier. The outflows signal weaker institutional demand and may weigh on short-term sentiment, although limited price movement suggests the market absorbed the selling so far. Broader market weakness and uncertainty ahead of the Federal Reserve’s next meeting also pressured sentiment.

Senator Richard Blumenthal has asked Tether and Nxum Group to provide records of payments and communications by Nov. 3, 2026. The inquiry focuses on reported payments from Tether to Nxum, a consulting firm co-founded by former White House crypto official Bo Hines, while he was involved in stablecoin policy. Citing Wall Street Journal reporting, Blumenthal’s letters say Tether agreed to pay Nxum $415,000 a month in 2025 and that more than $6 million was transferred overall. The senator is seeking contracts, payment breakdowns—including wallet addresses—and communications involving Hines. The letters also ask whether Tether discussed buying a stake in Nxum. The claims raise questions about potential ethics and lobbying issues, but they have not been established as violations. Hines left government in August 2025 and later joined Tether as a strategic adviser; he now leads its US operations. The inquiry could increase regulatory scrutiny of Tether and stablecoin policy.

Gold prices briefly fell below $4,000 on October 23, reaching $3,986.50, and were on track for a weekly loss of about 3.5%. Spot gold later traded near $4,024. The decline came as Brent crude approached $115 a barrel after attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure raised supply concerns. Higher oil prices may keep inflation elevated and make the Federal Reserve less likely to cut interest rates. That outlook can weigh on gold, which pays no interest, even as geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns typically support demand for bullion. US consumer prices rose 3.7% year on year in September. Goldman Sachs estimated central banks bought 79 tonnes of gold in August, but that demand has not stopped the recent decline. The Fed’s October 27–28 meeting is the next major catalyst. Gold’s near-term levels include $4,000 as psychological support, with $4,050 and $4,100 as potential recovery thresholds. A sustained break below $4,000 could put $3,950 and then $3,900 in focus. For traders, the gold price outlook will depend heavily on interest-rate signals, inflation data and movements in oil and Treasury yields.

Aave V4 has launched three independently curated lending markets on Ethereum, managed by institutional DeFi platform Sentora and accessible through Aave Pro. Users can borrow RLUSD, PYUSD and OUSD against specified collateral: USDe, PRIME, mWIN and PST in the RLUSD and OUSD yield markets, and kBTC in the Bluechip market. Sentora sets collateral rules, interest rates, price oracles and liquidation parameters. Aave V4’s Hub-and-Spoke architecture separates shared liquidity from individual markets, allowing each to use distinct risk settings. Aave DAO retains control of the underlying contracts and asset listings, applies a 48-hour timelock to risk-increasing changes, and receives 50% of the instance’s revenue. Aave said V4 deposits exceeded $1 billion in September. The launch expands RLUSD’s use in Ethereum DeFi, but does not create new lending activity on the XRP Ledger or guarantee more demand for XRP. Trading impact will depend on market uptake, liquidity and risk management.

HSBC has launched its Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, RedCoin (RCHKD), on PayMe, expanding access to the regulated token through a payment app with more than 3.3 million users and over 100,000 merchant locations. Wallet access is expected to roll out to PayMe customers in the coming days. Users can transfer RedCoin to one another and pay participating merchants, although HSBC has not disclosed expected uptake or transaction volumes. RedCoin is licensed under Hong Kong’s Stablecoins Ordinance and is designed to be redeemable one-for-one for HKD, backed by segregated liquid reserves. On October 23, 2026, HSBC reported HK$80.58 million of RedCoin in circulation against HK$81.58 million in cash reserves; circulation had risen by HK$79.32 million over the prior seven days. HSBC plans to publish independent reserve attestations, with its first report expected after the fourth quarter of 2026. The bank also plans to add RedCoin to its HSBC HK App and explore tokenized investment products. PayMe gives RedCoin a substantial retail distribution channel, but adoption remains unproven in a market led by US dollar stablecoins such as USDT and USDC. The stablecoin’s broader crypto-market effect will depend on payment usage and whether its investment features gain traction.