Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to avoid nonessential gold purchases for the second time this year, as a widening trade deficit and a weakening rupee pressure the economy. Gold is India’s second-largest import after oil and a major contributor to the trade gap. Gold imports rose more than 32% year on year during the first four months of the fiscal year beginning in April. India’s trade deficit widened to nearly $32 billion in July, its highest level since January. Modi said reducing gold demand would help conserve foreign exchange reserves and strengthen economic self-reliance amid global supply-chain disruption. He also encouraged consumers to buy domestic products and avoid overseas travel for tourism and weddings. The comments came as Indian media reported that the government may cut gold and silver import duties, after previous tax increases failed to curb inflows. For traders, the policy highlights continued pressure on India’s gold demand, imports and currency stability.

PONS, the native token of the Robinhood Chain launchpad, reached an all-time high of $0.4714 on 1 September, gaining about 38% in 24 hours and lifting its market capitalisation to roughly $331 million. The rally followed strong launchpad activity and rising DeFi fees. Pons V2 generated $4.22 million in fees over the previous 24 hours, compared with $1.72 million for pump.fun. Including Pons V1’s $510,000, total Pons fees reached $4.89 million, placing the protocol first among 141 launchpads. Earlier data showed approximately $5.03 million in daily fees. Pons also recorded $21.04 million in seven-day fees and $31.03 million over 30 days, with roughly 60% of its cumulative fees generated during the latest month. Pons charges a 1% transaction fee on token launches, with revenue returned to the protocol. About 712 million PONS tokens are circulating, and its market capitalisation is close to its $329 million fully diluted valuation, indicating limited near-term unlock risk. However, PONS fees fell about 8% day on day, while revenue remains heavily dependent on speculative memecoin activity. Traders should treat the record high as bullish but monitor liquidity, launch volumes, user activity and fee sustainability.

Ireland plans to launch tax-advantaged investment accounts in 2027 to encourage household savings into capital markets. Eligible products will include listed shares, bonds, regulated funds, ETFs and certain insurance-based investments. Direct crypto assets and crypto derivatives will be excluded because authorities view them as complex and high-risk products. Crypto ETFs could qualify only if they meet applicable European regulatory requirements, although the final rules remain unclear. The accounts will remove Ireland’s eight-year deemed-disposal tax on unrealised gains. Providers will calculate and report taxes, while investors will not face mandatory minimum deposits, holding periods or withdrawal limits. The government will set the tax-free threshold, annual contribution limit, income rules and flat-rate levy in the October 2027 Budget. Balances above the exemption may face an annual charge based on average account value. The scheme aims to redirect savings from bank deposits into capital markets, as Irish households hold a relatively large share of their financial assets in cash. For crypto traders, Ireland’s investment accounts create no tax-advantaged route for direct exposure to Bitcoin or Ether. The exclusion could reduce potential retail and institutional demand through these vehicles, but the immediate market impact is likely limited because the accounts have not launched and the policy applies only in Ireland. Crypto trading remains permitted under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, subject to regulatory and anti-money-laundering requirements.

Bitcoin posted one of its strongest monthly gains of 2026 in August, closing 24.5% higher. The top 100 altcoins performed even better, with their combined market capitalisation rising 26.5%. The average altcoin also gained 24.5%, while the average excluding outliers rose 17.1%, indicating broad-based market participation. DeFi lending activity strengthened alongside prices. Active loans across major protocols increased from $20.1 billion in June to $26.1 billion in August, a 30% rise over two months. Aave accounted for more than half of the total at $12.5 billion, followed by Morpho and Spark. However, the Bitcoin rally may be vulnerable. Bitcoin climbed from roughly $63,000 to $81,500 in two weeks, triggering heavy profit-taking by long-term holders. CryptoQuant data showed two major selling waves in one week, among the largest non-crash sell-offs of the year. US demand briefly turned positive before weakening again, while funding rates reached a yearly high, suggesting elevated leverage. The August Bitcoin rally was supported by stronger altcoin performance and DeFi usage, but fading US demand, profit-taking and high leverage could increase volatility and limit further gains.

MediaTek stock hit Taipei’s daily trading limit on Tuesday, rising 10% after Nvidia agreed to purchase $3.5 billion in convertible bonds issued by the Taiwanese chipmaker. The transaction is Nvidia’s largest direct investment outside the United States. Analysts described the deal as a strategic endorsement of MediaTek’s expansion beyond smartphone processors into artificial intelligence semiconductors. MediaTek stock also benefited from its partnership with Google and speculation that SpaceX could become a future customer. The news lifted MediaTek’s market value and highlights growing investor interest in AI chip suppliers. For crypto traders, the development is an indirect signal of continued institutional confidence in artificial intelligence and semiconductor infrastructure, rather than a direct cryptocurrency catalyst.

Bitcoin long-term holder distribution accelerated in late August, according to analyst Axel Adler Jr. The 30-day cumulative distribution rose from 174,500 BTC on 18 August to 281,900 BTC on 28 August, an increase of 61.5% and the highest level recorded in 2026. Bitcoin long-term holders increased selling or transfer activity during the rebound that followed a short squeeze. The Bitcoin long-term holder MVRV ratio also climbed from 1.31 on 18 August to 1.64 on 27 August, before easing to 1.60 on 31 August. This indicates that long-term holders were holding Bitcoin at market values roughly 60% above their average realised cost. For traders, the data points to rising profit-taking and potential overhead selling pressure, although it does not confirm a broader market reversal.

La Mint, a BSV blockchain-based social network, has launched a digital collectibles marketplace for creator content. The platform allows influencers and creators to issue limited-edition photos and other digital content that fans can collect, own and trade. The digital collectibles use the 1Sat Ordinals tokenisation protocol. HandCash provides the wallet infrastructure, while La Mint operates the content platform and marketplace. Users can view, transfer or resell collectibles through their La Mint collection and HandCash inventory without directly managing blockchain wallets or addresses. Creators receive 80% of each primary sale. On secondary-market transactions, sellers keep 90% of the sale price, while the original creator receives an automatic 2.5% royalty. La Mint founder and CEO Daniel Street described the product as “NFTs, but for pay-per-view content”, emphasising creator monetisation rather than speculative NFT trading. La Mint, formerly known as Memento and Relica, has operated in various forms since 2020. It targets lifestyle creators in areas such as travel, fashion, food, health and fitness. Its broader business model uses micropayments instead of advertising, with BSV’s low transaction costs supporting small-value content purchases. For crypto traders, the launch is a product and adoption development for the BSV ecosystem, but it does not announce a major token sale, investment or network upgrade. Its market impact is therefore likely to depend on user adoption, transaction growth and activity in the secondary marketplace.

South Korea’s KOSPI index closed 0.23% higher at 6,835.80 points on 1 September 2026, according to Gate data. Semiconductor shares led the move, with SK Hynix rising 1.13% and Samsung Electronics gaining 0.38%. The KOSPI performance provides a modest indicator of sentiment in Asian equities and the technology sector, but the limited gains offer no strong signal for cryptocurrency traders. The KOSPI’s direction may still influence risk appetite and trading in technology-linked digital assets, particularly if semiconductor momentum strengthens. Traders should monitor broader equity markets, chip-sector performance and macroeconomic data for clearer signals.

Kalshi permanently banned former US Congressman George Santos and fined him $71,356 for manipulating a prediction-market contract on attendance at the 2026 State of the Union address. The platform said Santos bought “Yes” positions, publicly suggested he would attend and helped lift the contract price from $0.15 to $0.70. He later bought “No” positions while maintaining that he would attend, before failing to appear and profiting as the “Yes” price fell from $0.73 to $0.02. His trading profit was about $17,800. The lifetime ban is Kalshi’s first. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission separately ordered Santos to repay $17,569.98, pay a $17,500 civil penalty and accept a three-year ban from CFTC-registered entities. Kalshi also investigated four other cases. Former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez received a fine of more than $170,000 and a three-year ban after trading on advance knowledge of words expected in a presidential speech. Four cooperating individuals received temporary bans, while Santos did not cooperate. Kalshi’s enforcement action highlights insider trading, market manipulation and non-public information risks in prediction markets. Rival Polymarket said it uses machine learning, blockchain analytics, transaction monitoring and open-source investigations, and has referred more than 100 cases to regulators. With the 2026 US midterm elections approaching, stricter compliance could raise operating costs and affect liquidity, spreads and risk management across prediction markets. Kalshi’s case is not expected to have a direct price effect on major cryptocurrencies.

US President Donald Trump said on 31 August that interest rates were too high and that the United States should have the world’s lowest rates. However, when asked whether he opposed Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh raising rates or had discussed the issue with him, Trump answered “no” to both questions and said Warsh would do what he had to do. Trump also claimed US GDP could reach 14%, 15%, 16% or even 20%, without causing inflation. Official data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed real GDP grew at an annualised 1.5% in the second quarter of 2026, following 2.1% growth in the first quarter. The gap highlights the highly optimistic nature of Trump’s forecast. Inflation remains the key Federal Reserve concern. The article cited July PCE inflation at 3.7%, above the Fed’s 2% target. Tariffs and higher energy prices linked to Middle East tensions could add further inflationary pressure. The Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting is scheduled for 16 September, with the federal funds target range at 3.5%-3.75%. CME FedWatch reportedly put the probability of a rate hike at about 65%, while Barclays and Société Générale expected hikes in September and December. For crypto traders, rising Federal Reserve rate-hike expectations could strengthen the US dollar and pressure risk assets, including Bitcoin and altcoins. Trump’s stated respect for the Fed’s independence may reduce immediate political uncertainty, but inflation data and upcoming policy signals remain the main market catalysts.

Crypto hacks became more frequent in August, but total estimated losses nearly halved, according to blockchain security firm PeckShield. The firm recorded 50 major crypto hacks, up 67% from 30 incidents in July. Estimated losses fell 49.5% month on month to $136.3 million, compared with about $270 million in July. The Tectonic lending-protocol exploit accounted for roughly $74 million, or more than half of August’s losses. The attacker reportedly manipulated collateral pricing and borrowed assets on Cronos. Cronos validators halted block production after detecting the exploit, limiting the attacker’s ability to move funds. About $6 million was transferred to Ethereum before the halt, while most identified assets remained on Cronos. Validators later rolled the network back to a pre-exploit state and resumed block production. Other large incidents included Moonwell at $8.7 million, Term Labs at $8.5 million, Coinsbuy at $7.9 million and TAC at $7.5 million. PeckShield also listed losses involving Injective, MANTRA, BounceBit, Cosmos Labs and Aquifer. The estimates may change as projects investigate transactions, freeze assets or recover funds. For crypto traders, the data highlights a higher frequency of attacks and continued concentration of losses in a few major DeFi exploits. Traders should monitor affected tokens, exchange wallet restrictions, network rollbacks and post-incident recovery announcements. Crypto hacks remain a key risk for DeFi liquidity and short-term market confidence, even though August’s aggregate losses declined.

Polymarket is reportedly targeting a $21 billion valuation through a $1 billion funding round led by 1789 Capital, whose partners include Donald Trump Jr. The firm plans to invest about $300 million, bringing its disclosed investment in Polymarket to roughly $500 million. The deal would raise Polymarket’s valuation from about $15 billion. The Polymarket funding round follows investment from Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, and comes as rival prediction market Kalshi raises $1 billion at a $22 billion valuation. Polymarket also acquired CFTC-licensed exchange operator QCEX for $112 million in 2025, supporting its return to the US market after a 2022 CFTC settlement that restricted American users and imposed a $1.4 million penalty. Donald Trump Jr. advises both Polymarket and Kalshi, increasing the sector’s political visibility and prompting questions about potential conflicts of interest. US regulators continue to debate whether prediction markets should fall under federal derivatives oversight or state gambling laws. The Polymarket funding round signals strong institutional interest in prediction markets and blockchain-based event contracts. However, Polymarket has no widely traded native token, so the immediate price impact on major cryptocurrencies is likely limited. Traders should monitor regulation, competition with Kalshi and changes in platform trading volumes. The broader market impact is neutral, with longer-term significance for crypto-based financial products rather than direct catalysts for BTC or other major tokens.

Cango reported second-quarter 2026 results for the period ended 30 June, posting revenue of $50.8 million, including $47.4 million from Bitcoin mining. Revenue fell about 50% quarter on quarter after the company reduced operating capacity, retired older S19 machines and shifted some capacity to leasing. Cango Q2 earnings also showed a net loss of $81.6 million, mainly caused by non-cash mining-machine impairment and disposal losses. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $10.7 million, a major improvement from the previous quarter’s negative $154.1 million. Cango operated 27.58 EH/s of computing power, comprising 19.84 EH/s of owned capacity and 7.74 EH/s of leased capacity. It mined 656 BTC during the quarter, while average cash costs per Bitcoin declined 5% sequentially to $73,313. The company held 1,056 BTC, $10.1 million in cash and $31.2 million in long-term related-party debt at quarter-end. Cango Q2 earnings also highlighted the company’s diversification into AI computing. Its Georgia site has been upgraded to support up to 3 MW, with GPU equipment being installed in phases. The company plans to offer bare-metal GPU hosting and colocation services, and expects to recognise initial revenue in the third quarter. Cango has also started testing nodes in Texas and on the US West Coast. The company began selectively hedging Bitcoin exposure to reduce price volatility and improve cash-flow visibility. Management said the hedges are intended for risk management rather than speculation.

A new wave of clipboard attack malware is increasing risks for crypto traders and holders. The malware replaces a copied wallet address with an attacker-controlled address before a transaction is confirmed. The replacement address remains valid, so wallet software and blockchain checksums usually cannot detect the fraud. Microsoft reported a Windows campaign active since February 2026 that checks the clipboard roughly every 500 milliseconds. It can identify Bitcoin, Tron and Monero addresses, as well as seed phrases and private keys. The malware spreads through infected USB devices, scheduled tasks and Tor-based communications. ClickFix scams are another major entry route. Compromised websites instruct users to paste commands into a terminal, often under the guise of a browser update or CAPTCHA verification. Microsoft said one campaign used a BNB Smart Chain smart contract to retrieve instructions and distribute malware such as Lumma Stealer, Xworm, AsyncRAT and MintsLoader. A separate macOS variant reported in August targets Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Monero, Ethereum and XRP. It can reportedly drain only part of a wallet balance, making the theft harder to notice and allowing the infection to remain active. The most effective protection against a clipboard attack is to verify the destination on a hardware wallet’s independent screen before signing. Traders should compare characters from the beginning, middle and end of the address. Exchange withdrawal whitelists also help, but the address must be verified when it is first added. Anyone suspecting infection should stop using the device and move funds from a clean machine.

Singapore’s Monetary Authority (MAS) has opened a public consultation on amendments to the 2019 Payment Services Act, proposing to place its stablecoin framework into law. The consultation closes on 16 October 2026, and the proposals are not yet enacted. The proposed stablecoin regulations would enforce requirements for reserve assets, capital, redemption at par, value stability and user disclosures. Issuers would also need stress tests, recovery plans and orderly wind-down procedures. Regulated issuers would be barred from paying interest on stablecoins. MAS is considering allowing qualifying jointly issued Singapore-foreign stablecoins to use the “MAS-regulated stablecoin” designation. It may also recognise a limited number of overseas-issued stablecoins operating under comparable rules, mainly for cross-border wholesale use. Only licensed issuers could market tokens under the MAS-regulated label; other stablecoins would remain digital payment tokens under Singapore’s Payment Services Act. The stablecoin regulations could improve confidence, liquidity quality and institutional participation over the long term, but may raise compliance costs and reduce access to yield-bearing products. The proposals are relevant to Singapore’s payment and tokenised-finance projects, including BLOOM and a Visa-Nium settlement pilot. A separate market view suggested a modestly higher chance of STRC reaching $100, but that forecast is unrelated to MAS policy and is not a direct trading signal.

The Indian rupee has strengthened to a two-month high against the US dollar, supported by a softer dollar, foreign portfolio inflows into Indian equities and debt, and lower crude oil prices. Shifting expectations for Federal Reserve policy have also improved investor sentiment. The rupee’s rise may reduce imported inflation and lower the cost of oil and other commodities. However, a stronger rupee could weaken export competitiveness and pressure sectors such as information technology and pharmaceuticals. The Reserve Bank of India may intervene to limit excessive volatility. Traders should monitor Federal Reserve policy signals, the US Dollar Index, crude oil prices, foreign capital flows and global risk appetite. The rupee’s outlook remains dependent on these factors, while sustained Indian rupee gains could influence emerging-market currencies and broader cross-asset trading.

Crypto payment cards recorded their strongest month in August, as stablecoin card spending, transactions and active users all reached record highs. Spending reached $1.076 billion, marking the second consecutive month above $1 billion. Transactions rose to about 10.67 million, while active addresses increased to 283,653 from 261,000 in July. Crypto payment cards averaged roughly $100.80 per transaction. RedotPay processed about $390.1 million, or 36% of total volume, and handled more than 6.34 million transactions. Its estimated average purchase was about $61.50, suggesting frequent, smaller retail payments. EtherFi and KAST ranked second and third by monthly volume. Growth was strongest in emerging markets. StraitsX reported a 600% increase in gross transaction value across lower-income regions between early 2025 and 2026. Binance said average users of its Brazil card increased 53% from its launch quarter to the second quarter of 2026, while average spending rose 80%. Kraken also reported that weekly Krak Card payments more than doubled year on year. The expansion comes as payment infrastructure becomes cheaper. Mastercard added stablecoin settlement support, while Visa said more than 160 stablecoin card programmes are live or in development. However, concentration and data-quality risks remain. Three programmes account for 55.6% of tracked volume, and RedotPay’s figures are self-reported. The trend is notable because stablecoin supply has fallen 3.6% from its May peak to about $304 billion, even as crypto payment cards reached record usage. This may indicate that users are funding cards for direct spending rather than relying on excess speculative capital. The sector remains small, however, representing only about 0.06% of the traditional card market.

Avalanche (AVAX) has rebounded above $7 after defending a multi-month support zone between $6 and $7. The token is trading near $7.17 after reaching a recent high of $8.30. Traders are watching $7.05 as the key level that must hold to preserve the current bullish setup. A move above $7.80 could put the $8.30 resistance level back in focus. A decisive breakout above $8.30 may open a path toward $9.50 to $10, while longer-term resistance sits near $17 and $21. Conversely, losing $7.05 could trigger a retreat toward $6.60–$6.80. A deeper decline below $6.20–$6.30 would weaken the recovery structure. Institutional activity is adding support to the AVAX outlook. Bitwise, VanEck and Grayscale collectively hold more than 5 million AVAX, valued at about $38.27 million. Around 3.49 million tokens are staked, including most of VanEck’s allocation. ETF-related holdings have increased 34.2% over the past 13 weeks, while roughly 80% of VanEck’s AVAX is staked. Higher staking participation reduces the liquid supply and could amplify price movements if demand increases. However, AVAX remains well below major monthly resistance levels, so the recent rebound signals improving momentum rather than a confirmed long-term trend reversal. Traders should monitor support at $7.05 and resistance at $8.30 for confirmation.

Robinhood Chain recorded a single-day record of $989 million in decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume. Total value locked (TVL) reached $708 million, roughly doubling in one month, while stablecoin supply rose 47% month on month to about $770 million. The growth on Robinhood Chain is also shifting from memecoin speculation towards utility and infrastructure projects. Token launch platform PONS saw its market capitalisation rise from $20 million to more than $200 million in August. LONG, another launch platform, links tokens—mainly memecoins—to tokenised equities. Artificial Inu (AI), launched on LONG and paired with tokenised Nvidia shares (NVDA), rose from a market capitalisation of $1.5 million on 1 August to a peak of $135 million on 30 August. Liquidity in its NVDA pool exceeded $3.3 million, more than three times the WETH pool. Share-linked memecoins represented about a quarter of Robinhood Chain’s total share-linked trading volume. Other projects, including Delta, UP and NetNet, reportedly increased their valuations by about tenfold. The surge in Robinhood Chain DEX activity and liquidity is a positive ecosystem signal, but the sharp gains in smaller tokens also indicate elevated volatility and speculative risk.

Vietnam is launching a national crypto asset pilot focused on real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and foreign investment. Under a government resolution issued in September 2025, crypto assets issued domestically must be backed by real-world assets, excluding securities and fiat currencies. Initial offerings will be available only to foreign investors. The framework aims to bring digital asset activity under state oversight while helping Vietnamese companies raise capital from international investors. Boston Consulting Group estimates that the global tokenized RWA market could exceed $14 trillion by 2030. Vietnam’s State Securities Commission said five companies have passed an initial assessment to establish crypto exchanges. Final approval requires Level 4 information-security compliance and minimum chartered capital of about $383 million, or 10 trillion Vietnamese dong, per applicant. The government has also introduced penalties of roughly $1,150 to $1,918 for domestic investors using unlicensed platforms. However, the restriction will take effect six months after the Ministry of Finance grants the first exchange licence, meaning immediate fines are not expected. The crypto asset framework could support regulated tokenization and institutional participation, but strict licensing, foreign-investor limits and a possible ban on overseas crypto trading may reduce retail access and market liquidity.

1789 Capital, whose partners include Donald Trump Jr, reportedly plans to invest about $300 million more in Polymarket as part of a funding round worth roughly $1 billion. The deal could value the prediction-market platform at about $3.5 billion, although the terms have not been officially confirmed. The investment would build on 1789 Capital’s strategic investment in Polymarket in August 2025, estimated at a valuation of about $300 million. Trump Jr also joined Polymarket’s advisory board. By spring 2026, Polymarket’s estimated valuation had reportedly risen to about $15 billion, highlighting the platform’s rapid revaluation. Polymarket later reportedly received clearance from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to operate as a regulated US platform. The move could expand access to prediction markets among institutional investors, including pension funds and endowments, while the company considers a potential initial public offering. The latest funding plan could strengthen Polymarket’s capital base, political connections and US expansion prospects. However, the platform faces regulatory and market-integrity risks, including scrutiny of election contracts, insider trading and potential conflicts of interest. A congressional inquiry opened by Representative Jamie Raskin in August 2026 is examining 1789 Capital’s rapid growth and whether political relationships influenced regulatory developments. For crypto traders, the news signals growing institutional interest in crypto-adjacent prediction markets, but it does not provide a direct catalyst for any cryptocurrency price.

Gold and silver prices are stabilizing after a sharp sell-off linked to a hawkish message from Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh at the annual Jackson Hole meeting. Markets now assign more than a 50% probability to a September rate hike. Gold prices ended the week at about $4,467 an ounce, down 3.2%, ending a three-week winning streak. Silver fell around 3.8% to just above $67 an ounce. Higher short-term Treasury yields and a stronger US dollar weighed on precious metals, as higher interest rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets. Gold prices remain sensitive to further changes in Federal Reserve policy expectations, the dollar and bond yields. For traders, the immediate focus is whether the market continues to price in a September rate hike. A sustained rise in yields and the dollar could keep pressure on gold, silver and other risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. However, the recent decline may also reflect an initial overreaction, leaving room for a technical rebound if economic data weakens or rate expectations ease.

Solana-based automated market maker Aquifer was attacked on 31 August, with losses estimated at about $2.5 million. After the Aquifer attack, the project posted an on-chain white-hat offer asking the attacker to return at least 80% of the stolen assets to designated Solana and Ethereum recovery addresses by 22:00 on 3 September. The attacker may retain up to 20% as a bounty. Aquifer said it would not pursue civil litigation if the terms are met. The incident highlights security and smart-contract risks in Solana DeFi and could increase scrutiny of liquidity providers, automated market makers and smaller crypto protocols.

Bybit has launched the SHEINUSDT Hong Kong stock perpetual contract, giving traders exposure to SHEIN-related price movements through a derivatives product. The contract supports leverage of up to 25x. Bybit is also offering a limited-time fee promotion, with maker fees set at 0% and taker fees reduced by 50%. The listing may attract short-term speculative trading and increase liquidity around the SHEINUSDT contract. However, it does not represent the launch of a cryptocurrency or a spot listing of SHEIN shares. Traders should monitor leverage, funding rates, contract liquidity and volatility before opening positions on Bybit.

Bitcoin’s Kimchi Premium has returned in South Korea, with the BTC price on Upbit trading about 1% above Binance’s dollar-denominated price on 1 September. The premium has remained positive for one week, marking its longest sustained period since early May. Bitcoin traded near $79,000 in early September after briefly exceeding $80,000 in August. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded approximately $1.92 billion in net inflows during the week of 17 August, the strongest weekly figure in 10 months. A further $923 million entered the products in the following week. Upbit data showed that Bitcoin traded at a discount to international prices for most of the summer. The discount reached 3.1% in early June, while the average discount was 0.25% in August. However, 10x Research noted that the return of the Bitcoin Kimchi Premium has not been accompanied by a comparable increase in spot trading volume.

Anthropic is warning Claude users that infostealer malware can steal browser cookies and active login sessions, allowing attackers to access accounts and consume paid Claude credits without the password. Because the stolen session represents an already authenticated login, attackers may bypass MFA or 2FA. Anthropic said it began contacting affected users on 30 August. Malware identified in the campaign includes Vidar, LummaC2, StealC, RedLine and Acreed on Windows, as well as Atomic Stealer on some Mac devices. These threats are commonly spread through unofficial downloads and malicious applications. Anthropic has forcibly logged out affected accounts, removed stored payment methods and said it will refund unauthorised Claude charges. The company stressed that the malware did not originate from Claude or result from activity on the platform. Users should remove the malware, change credentials and revoke sessions on other devices. For crypto traders, the incident highlights the wider risk of endpoint compromise: infected devices may also expose exchange logins, API keys, wallet credentials and browser-based trading sessions.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed rules for regulated access to overseas crypto derivatives. The proposal, published on 31 August, would allow licensed intermediaries to offer qualifying products to retail, high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth investors. To qualify, crypto derivatives must have underlying assets, maturities, leverage and settlement methods similar to products permitted in Thailand. They must also trade on an exchange with central counterparty (CCP) clearing and be supervised by a regulator recognised under designated international regulatory or exchange organisations. Products that fail any requirement would remain restricted to institutional investors, which the SEC says are better equipped to manage complex, high-risk derivatives. The consultation is open until 30 September 2026. No final implementation date has been announced, although the framework could take effect as early as the first half of 2027 if changes are limited. Details such as eligible cryptocurrencies, exchanges and leverage limits remain undecided and may be developed with the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), which currently lists no crypto futures or options. The proposal forms part of Thailand’s wider crypto capital-market plans, including frameworks for Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds and the use of crypto assets and digital tokens as derivatives underlyings. For traders, the rules could improve institutional participation and market credibility over time. However, the immediate impact on crypto prices is likely to be limited because the framework remains under consultation and no specific asset or exchange has been approved.

AI is creating a new growth opportunity for the cybersecurity sector, but recent earnings show that investors are becoming more selective. CrowdStrike (CRWD) rose 20.5% and Okta (OKTA) gained nearly 29%, while Zscaler (ZS) previously fell more than 30% after its results and SentinelOne (S) weakened in after-hours trading. The key market shift is from AI narratives to measurable growth. CrowdStrike’s Q2 FY27 net new ARR reached about $333 million, up 51% year on year, accelerating sharply from $256 million in Q1. Cloudflare (NET) reported Q2 2026 revenue of $696.1 million, up 36%, while cRPO growth improved to 35%. Okta’s revenue grew 11%, but cRPO growth improved from 12% to 14% and RPO growth reached 17%. Cybersecurity may benefit from AI because agents create more machine identities, API connections, cloud workloads and data-access points, even if they reduce the need for some human software seats. CrowdStrike is expanding toward an integrated security platform, Cloudflare is benefiting from rising non-human internet traffic, and Okta is developing agent identity management. For traders, the main signal is that accelerating bookings and forward indicators now matter more than headline revenue growth. Companies with clear AI-driven demand may continue to receive valuation support, while firms that only offer stable growth could face pressure. This trend could make cybersecurity an important destination for AI-related enterprise spending, but stock performance is likely to remain highly sensitive to guidance, ARR and execution.