Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

The Baby Shark Token, a meme token launched on Story Protocol, plunged 90% after Pinkfong Co. officially denied any affiliation. The token’s price fell from a peak of $0.35 to just $0.00064, wiping out nearly $200 million in market value. Issued via IP.World, the project team only realized post-launch that they lacked authorization to use the Pinkfong IP. Pinkfong clarified that only two Baby Shark tokens—on Solana and BNB Chain—are officially recognized, rejecting the Story Protocol version. The denial, amplified by influencer endorsements and Story Protocol marketing, spooked traders and triggered a massive sell-off. This incident highlights the risks of unauthorized IP-backed meme tokens and reinforces the need for thorough due diligence in crypto launches.

Citigroup forecasts global economic growth will slow to under 2% in the second half of 2025, citing rising tariffs and trade tensions as key headwinds. The bank expects a rebound to about 2.5% growth in 2026 as tariff impacts peak. This global economic growth slowdown could intensify risk‐off sentiment across financial markets, including cryptocurrencies. Traders should watch for increased volatility in BTC and ETH as investor appetite for risk assets may wane. Key drivers include tariff policies, GDP growth estimates, and central bank reactions to weaker activity. Monitoring Citigroup’s outlook on tariffs and fiscal impact can help crypto traders adjust strategies amid shifting market conditions.

Coinglass data shows crypto futures liquidations jumped to $849 million over the past 24 hours, driven by $714 million in short position liquidations and $135 million in longs. Bitcoin saw $212 million in forced closures and Ethereum $278 million. The surge in crypto futures liquidations, dominated by short squeezes, reflects a sudden price rebound that squeezed bearish traders and could fuel further upward momentum. Traders should monitor funding rates and open interest for signs of sustained volatility and market shifts.

Chainlink LINK fell nearly 28% from its August highs, sliding to a six-week low around $19.95 amid broader crypto market weakness. Institutional investors stepped in during the sell-off. Wealth manager Caliber added $4 million of LINK to its digital asset treasury, bringing its total to $10 million. The Chainlink Reserve bought 47,903 LINK (about $1 million), part of 370,000 tokens acquired since August. LINK rebounded above the $20 support level on strong volume exceeding 5 million units. Technical models point to crucial resistance at $20.30–20.35 and a more decisive barrier at $20.57. Bitcoin’s dip below $109,000 mirrored the risk-off sentiment. While short-term volatility may persist, firm support at $20.00 and ongoing institutional buying suggest Chainlink LINK could stabilise ahead of any sustained upswing.

JPMorgan and Citi have both upgraded Riot Platforms, the leading bitcoin miner, on expectations of strong AI-driven high-performance computing (HPC) colocation revenues. JPMorgan raised its rating to overweight from neutral and lifted its price target to $19 (from $15), while Citigroup upgraded to buy with a $24 target, citing partnerships like FluidStack and planned capacity as upside drivers. After an initial 5.3% pre-market jump, Riot Platforms’ shares traded at $16.55, down 1.2% on the day. Both banks downgraded fellow miners: IREN to underweight over deal-execution risks and CleanSpark to neutral due to priced-in expansion risks. JPMorgan retains buy ratings on Cipher Mining (CIFR, $12 target) and Marathon Digital (MARA, $20 target). It assigns a 50% probability of near-term HPC contracts for Riot Platforms, CIFR and IREN, valuing each at $3.7M–$8.6M per megawatt. Traders should monitor AI/HPC integrations and colocation deal progress as key catalysts for miner stocks.

In the past 24 hours, crypto liquidations topped $1.19 billion as ETH and BTC prices broke key support levels. Data from CoinGlass shows around 90% of the wiped-out value stemmed from long leveraged positions, with Ethereum longs accounting for $400 million–$448 million when ETH plunged 8% to $3,829, and Bitcoin longs losing $266 million–$278 million after BTC dipped 4% to $109,129. The largest single trade was a $29.1 million ETH long liquidation on Hyperliquid. Bybit led exchanges with $311 million in liquidations, followed by Hyperliquid’s $281 million and Binance’s $243 million. Trader @CryptoGucci noted this was the biggest ETH long liquidation since September 2021, which preceded a 46% rally. Glassnode flagged exhaustion in Bitcoin’s post-FOMC rally and slowing ETF inflows, while economist Alex Kruger warned leveraged traders are in a “desperate zone.” The surge in liquidations underscores heightened DeFi risk-taking, market fragility around BTC’s $110,000–$111,000 range, and the potential for further volatility.

Bitwise has filed an S-1 registration statement with the SEC to launch a physically-backed Spot HYPE ETF. The new fund will directly hold Hyperliquid’s native HYPE token, track a Hyperliquid index for NAV calculation, and appoint Coinbase Custody as custodian. Shares will be issued and redeemed in blocks of 10,000 to maintain liquidity and market efficiency. The filing now requires a Form 19b-4 and up to 240 days for approval. Earlier, VanEck unveiled plans for a Hyperliquid staking ETF in Europe. Since its November launch, the HYPE token has surged over 1,200%, trading 28% below its all-time high. Observers view this Spot HYPE ETF as a key step in bridging DeFi and mainstream portfolios, boosting liquidity and regulatory legitimacy for emerging altcoin ETFs.

LYS Labs, a Web3 data infrastructure firm on Solana, has unveiled milestones to become the operating system for automated global finance. The startup closed a seed round with backing from Alchemy Ventures, Auros Global and Frachtis. It also integrated with QuickNode Marketplace to deliver structured Solana data in as low as 14 ms. LYS Labs joined Chainlink’s Build on Solana Program for enhanced security and dApp integrations. The firm’s Phase 1 launch offers public access to ultra-low latency Solana data. Phase 2 will introduce LYS Flash, a smart relay engine that takes machines from signal to settlement in 36 ms. LYS Labs has gained strong developer traction. Its new Developer Portal and Builders Program onboarded 620 active users in a month and processed 16 billion events. Co-founder Marian Oancea said the stack transforms raw blockchain events into AI-ready insights and optimizes execution to power next-generation programmable finance.

Ripple has partnered with Ondo Finance to introduce tokenized U.S. Treasuries (OUSG) on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Institutions designated as “Qualified Purchasers” can mint and redeem OUSG 24/7 using Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD. Both firms will seed initial liquidity, aiming to position XRPL as a hub for real-world asset tokenization beyond cross-border payments. In parallel, retail-focused platform Zexpire has launched $ZX-powered range-betting on Bitcoin’s daily volatility, capping losses with no leverage or liquidations. Early users earn 5% APR pre-TGE staking, cashback on losses, referral bonuses, and benefit from token burns and buybacks funded by platform fees. This dual innovation highlights two DeFi trajectories: one catering to institutional demand for yield-bearing tokenized debt, the other embracing crypto’s volatility for accessible retail trading.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicts Elon Musk’s xAI will achieve 1 gigawatt of AI compute power ahead of rivals. The company’s Colossus II supercomputer is scaling to over 500,000 GPUs, positioning it as the candidate for the first gigawatt-scale AI compute system. Nvidia has already supplied more than 100,000 GPU units to xAI’s projects. Musk aims to expand coherent AI training compute beyond 1 gigawatt to 10 and 100 gigawatts. Reaching 1 gigawatt of AI compute marks a major milestone in AI infrastructure, demanding vast power infrastructure and coordination of hundreds of thousands of processing units.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has opened the e-CNY International Operations Center in Shanghai to accelerate the digital yuan’s role in global payments and cross-border trade. The new hub integrates a cross-border digital payment rail, a blockchain services platform and a crypto on-chain payments system to enable near-instant transfers. Launched as one of eight measures at June’s Lujiazui Forum, this initiative aims to drive CBDC innovation, support fintech development and reduce reliance on the US dollar. PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng and Deputy Governor Lu Lei emphasized China’s pursuit of a multipolar monetary system backed by multiple currencies. Tsinghua University experts say the center will strengthen China’s influence in the global financial system. Complementary efforts include exploring yuan-backed stablecoins and testing the e-CNY in Hong Kong since May 2024. Traders should watch for evolving regulatory support, infrastructure rollouts and blockchain integration in the digital yuan ecosystem.

XRP’s growing spot ETF optimism faces significant headwinds from weak on-chain metrics and declining Open Interest. Despite Franklin Templeton extending its ETF filing and the REX-Osprey XRPR ETF debuting with $37.7 million in volume, Spot Taker CVD data shows sellers still in control. Network growth has slipped to 4,849 new addresses, while daily transactions linger around 617,000—levels that historically fail to sustain price rallies. A negative divergence in Daily Active Addresses indicates traders are hesitating to engage, and Open Interest in XRP derivatives has fallen by 3.34% to $7.33 billion. These signals suggest speculative demand may be insufficient for a lasting rally, even if regulatory catalysts deliver short-term price relief. For a sustained uptrend, XRP needs stronger network expansion, higher transaction activity, and renewed derivative positioning rather than relying solely on ETF approval.

AlphaTON Capital has closed a $71 million financing round to bolster its TON treasury, allocating an initial $30 million to purchase TON tokens. The company raised $36.2 million via a 6.32 million-share private placement at $5.73 per share and secured a $35 million loan facility from BitGo Prime. AlphaTON aims to grow its TON reserve to $100 million by Q4 2025. Its treasury strategy includes direct TON acquisition, network validation, staking operations, and DeFi integrations, positioning TON as the economic backbone of Telegram’s one-billion-user ecosystem. Strategic partners include BitGo, Animoca Brands, SkyBridge Capital, Kraken, Crypto.com and DWF Labs. Executives emphasize that deepening institutional investment in TON and supporting decentralized application development will drive ecosystem growth. This initiative not only provides shareholders with significant market exposure but also underpins further blockchain staking yields and infrastructure builds within Telegram’s mini-app environment.

Technical analyst Egrag Crypto argues that the Bitcoin bull market remains intact despite the recent sharp price crash. He highlights a repeating cycle since December 2022: surge, support retest, rebound, minor correction and new highs. The key level to watch is $103,000; as long as Bitcoin stays above it, further upside is likely. Egrag forecasts one final rally to between $150,000 and $175,000 before the bull market ends. The Bitcoin bull market is expected to culminate after this final surge. Drawing parallels with gold’s squeeze rally, he stresses that corrections are normal within a bullish cycle. He plans to deploy $30,000 in the next macro cycle then shift into altcoins. Traders should monitor the cycle and hold the key support level for sustained bullish momentum.

Ethereum’s relative strength index (RSI) has dropped to its lowest level since April, when ETH traded near $1,384. Since that low, ETH has surged about 189%, indicating strong momentum. Today, more than $5.2 billion worth of ETH options are set to expire, marking one of the largest quarter-end expiries on record. A concentrated cluster of strike prices sits around $3,800, defining a critical pain point for traders. Large options expiries can lead to rapid shifts in implied volatility and liquidity. Rather than bet on a fixed direction post-expiry, prudent traders should monitor open interest, delta positioning and order-book depth. These metrics will reveal whether market makers adjust their hedges and reposition around the $3.8K strike. The combination of an oversold RSI and a key options pain point suggests that a firm move above $3,800 could signal the start of a fresh uptrend for Ethereum.

Crypto brokers act as intermediaries for buying, selling and swapping digital assets. They offer streamlined access to markets, competitive spreads, and tools like portfolio tracking or automated execution. There are two main types: centralized crypto brokers, which hold client funds, aggregate liquidity from exchanges and enforce AML/KYC, and decentralized crypto brokers, where traders retain custody, source liquidity from DeFi pools and trade peer-to-peer. Unlike exchanges that match orders via order books, crypto brokers provide instant quotes, simpler dashboards and may charge wider spreads. They cater to both active traders seeking margin, lending and high-speed execution, and beginners wanting easy entry with stablecoin trading and educational tools. Choosing the right broker depends on priorities: speed, autonomy, regulatory compliance or advanced products. In a fast market, the right crypto broker can improve pricing, execution and access to liquidity.

Steph spots an XRP bull flag breakout setup after a strong rally. XRP has consolidated between $2.70 and $3.10, forming a classic bullish flag pattern. The main signal is a daily close above the flag’s upper trendline with rising trading volume. This XRP bull flag breakout could target gains equal to the prior rally’s height once confirmed. Traders should watch for volume confirmation and set stop-loss orders below $2.60 to manage risk. This crypto trading signal aligns technical analysis with on-chain demand, making it a pivotal moment for XRP price analysis. A decisive breakout may trigger renewed upside and momentum for traders.

Ethereum price fell below $4,000, hitting a low near $3,820 amid intense market selloff. Despite bearish momentum, on-chain data from Lookonchain shows an OTC whale purchased 60,333 ETH (≈$238.7M) at an average price of $4,230 over the past week, currently facing a paper loss exceeding $16M as ETH trades around $3,908. Whale accumulation during downturns often signals institutional confidence, suggesting a potential bottom and future rebound. Ethereum now finds temporary support near its 100-day moving average (~$3,900), with immediate resistance at the 50-day moving average (~$4,400) and a risk of deeper correction toward the 200-day moving average (~$3,200) if support breaks. The heavy OTC buy highlights long-term demand and could underpin a price recovery if selling pressure subsides, though short-term volatility remains.

Crypto liquidations approached $1 billion over 24 hours as leveraged traders unwound positions amid sharp corrections in Bitcoin and Ethereum. This wave of crypto liquidations underscores deteriorating market confidence. Data from CoinGlass shows total liquidations reached $966 million, with Ethereum leading at $311 million and Bitcoin following at $245 million. Altcoins also felt the squeeze, with Solana liquidations of $66 million and roughly $20 million each for XRP and Dogecoin. The sell-off was driven by a fragile market structure, slowing spot ETF inflows, and profit-taking by long-term holders. Volatility spiked, options skew turned negative, and market participants increased short positions in ETH futures. Implied odds of Bitcoin revisiting $100,000 by September-end rose to 35%, while Ethereum’s chance of retesting $4,000 climbed to 55%. With U.S. GDP and unemployment reports due, traders should monitor ETF flow trends and market exhaustion as key indicators for potential fresh liquidations.

Galaxy Digital’s recent on-chain moves have seen it acquire 1.2 million SOL on Sept 15 and transfer over 700,000 SOL to Coinbase—including 500,000 SOL over five days and a further 200,000 SOL on Sept 26. These sizeable transactions coincide with Solana’s struggle to breach resistance at $210–$220 and a 4.5% price drop to a 23-day low of $193 amid broader altcoin liquidations. While Solana’s 50-, 100- and 200-day moving averages remain bullish, the heavy institutional flows risk short-term turbulence. Traders will watch for a decisive break above $220 to signal renewed upside toward $240–$260, or a breach below $200 that could pull SOL down to $180 or lower support at $165.

Vanguard is set to allow U.S. brokerage clients to trade select third-party crypto ETFs. This marks a reversal from its prior cautious stance on digital assets. The decision follows strong client demand and clearer regulatory guidance under CEO Salim Ramji. Vanguard will not launch its own crypto ETFs but plans to list established products from firms like BlackRock, Fidelity and Morgan Stanley. This move aligns Vanguard with peers such as BlackRock and Fidelity, whose Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) ETFs have seen record inflows. Access to crypto ETFs could attract new capital, conservative investors and boost broader market adoption.

The REX-Osprey ETH + Staking ETF (ticker ESK) launched on September 25, 2025 on the Cboe BZX Exchange as the first U.S. Ethereum staking ETF. Structured under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a C corporation, ESK combines spot ETH exposure with monthly staking rewards by directly staking purchased Ethereum and distributing income evenly to shareholders. It opened with $625,000 in assets under management and 25,000 shares outstanding. Joining existing Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE) and XRP (XRP) ETFs on Cboe, this Ethereum staking ETF removes technical barriers and lock-up risks, offering a passive income stream for institutional and retail investors. Launched with ETH trading below $4,000, ESK’s transparent pricing and regulated ETF wrapper could drive new inflows into Ether, boosting demand and staking adoption in the U.S. Other issuers are awaiting SEC approval to add staking features to spot crypto ETFs, marking a milestone that may enhance market stability and trader confidence.

Kraken has enabled trading of SOON Stack (SOON) on its exchange as of September 26, 2025. SOON Stack is a high-performance rollup stack powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM). It offers scalable rollups across layer-1 networks with built-in fraud proofs, data availability cost reductions, and horizontal scaling. Its Super Adoption Stack connects SOON rollups with Solana (SOL) and TON, improving interoperability and user growth. Users can deposit SOON tokens via supported networks under Funding. Trading through the Kraken App and Instant Buy will activate once sufficient liquidity is established. Geographic restrictions may apply. This asset listing expands Kraken’s offerings, giving traders new opportunities to engage with SVM rollup technology.

Eric Trump, son of former President Donald Trump, told the New York Post that stablecoins could preserve the strength of the US dollar. He cited USD1, the stablecoin issued by the family’s crypto venture World Liberty Financial (WLFI), as a tool to “save” the dollar. The WLFI project has drawn conflict of interest warnings from US Representative Maxine Waters and a group of five Democratic senators, who fear a sitting president’s financial stake in stablecoin issuance could undermine constitutional safeguards. In July, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law to regulate stablecoins, prompting further scrutiny from Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Ron Wyden. Proponents such as Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller and LayerZero Labs CEO Bryan Pellegrino argue that regulated stablecoin adoption will broaden the US dollar’s global reach and cement its reserve status. Critics including asset manager Amundi warn that Europe’s emerging stablecoin regulations could challenge the long-term dominance of the US dollar. The debate underscores tensions between innovation, regulation and financial stability as lawmakers shape the future of US stablecoin policy.

The White House is evaluating five pro-crypto contenders for the next CFTC chair amid growing calls for clearer regulation. Reported candidates include Michael Selig, chief counsel to the SEC’s Crypto Task Force; Tyler Williams, Treasury digital assets advisor; former commissioner Jill Sommers; NCUA Chair Kyle Hauptman; and lawyer Josh Stirling. Each brings experience in financial policy and digital assets, with most advocating a “do no harm” approach to crypto and durable regulatory frameworks. The appointment of a new CFTC chair is critical as Congress considers a market infrastructure bill that would expand the commission’s oversight of digital asset markets. Traders should watch the nominee’s stance on enforcement, derivatives regulation and industry engagement, since a pro-crypto CFTC chair could foster clearer rules, boost institutional adoption and improve market stability.

Altcoin season occurs when most altcoins outperform Bitcoin, typically after a BTC bull run triggers profit rotation into assets like ETH, SOL and ADA. Key drivers include Bitcoin price cycles and dominance shifts—when BTC dominance falls below 55%–60%—as well as market sentiment and FOMO fueled by social media hype. Macroeconomic conditions, such as anticipated Fed rate cuts and liquidity injections, boost risk appetite. Technological narratives in DeFi, NFTs, AI-integrated blockchains and Layer-2 solutions provide fresh catalysts. Institutional inflows via ETH ETFs, Solana ETPs and approving XRP ETFs are channeling billions into alt markets, while retail FOMO amplifies momentum. Traders should monitor the Altcoin Season Index (above 75), BTC dominance, altcoin trading volumes and technical indicators (RSI, MACD), and apply diversification and stop-loss strategies to navigate high volatility.

Forward Industries has secured a $1.65 billion PIPE on Solana to launch a Solana-based digital asset treasury (DAT). Co-led by Multicoin Capital, Jump Crypto and Galaxy Financial, the round includes a $25 million personal investment from Multicoin co-founder Kyle Samani. Forward’s DAT strategy focuses on growing “SOL per share” through three pillars: staking SOL at around 8% yield (with 1.86% real yield from MEV), forging DeFi partnerships for yield boosts and engaging in yield arbitrage between on-chain finance and traditional markets. The company will deploy low-cost USD loans into Solana yield strategies targeting 15% returns and pursue M&A arbitrage to expand its on-chain SOL holdings. Forward prefers at-the-market issuance and perpetual preferred shares for financing, with all SOL acquired on secondary markets to avoid conflicts. The firm plans to tokenize equity, fundraising, dividends and governance on Solana. Kyle Samani will chair the board, with observers from Jump Crypto and Galaxy joining. Ultimately, Forward aims to build a 24/7 Solana capital market infrastructure capable of 10 billion daily transactions, reflecting growing institutional confidence in Solana.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Trump family–backed DeFi project, has approved a 100% buyback and burn proposal. The governance vote passed with 99% support, directing liquidity fees from Ethereum (ETH), BNB Chain (BNB) and Solana (SOL) pools to repurchase WLFI tokens. These tokens will be permanently burned to reduce circulating supply and ease selling pressure after WLFI’s 60% drop to $0.18. Analysts, led by Captain Faibik, predict a 25% price rally following the buyback and burn. All buyback transactions will be transparent on-chain. Beyond the token burn, WLFI is launching a debit card with Apple Pay support and a retail payments app tied to its USD1 stablecoin. A new partnership with South Korea’s Bithumb exchange will expand market access. These product rollouts and the Bithumb partnership aim to boost WLFI’s ecosystem, increase token utility and attract new investors. Traders should monitor on-chain buyback activity and token supply changes as combined supply reduction and new features could underpin bullish momentum for WLFI.

Fadai Mammadov revisits the pervasive crypto momentum anomaly, exploring how discrete information arrivals shape cross-sectional returns across digital assets. Momentum—the practice of buying recent winners and shorting losers—remains an enduring yet unexplained phenomenon in financial markets, including cryptocurrencies. His article introduces the concept of information discreteness, using the “boiling frog” analogy to illustrate investors’ muted response to gradual news. Mammadov outlines his methodology for analyzing the conditional relationship between discrete data releases and momentum profits within crypto cross-sectional returns, drawing on his experience trading a low-frequency momentum strategy on Binance. By quantifying how chunked updates in market information affect momentum’s strength and persistence across diverse assets, traders may optimize entry and exit timing. This insight into crypto momentum and information discreteness equips market participants with strategies for enhanced risk-adjusted returns.