Crypto News

A crypto address created nine days ago deposited $1.25 million in USDC and began shorting ETH, according to blockchain analytics account Lookonchain. The position was liquidated 13 times, with a cumulative 18,080 ETH in positions valued at $43.9 million liquidated. The address reportedly lost $1.14 million. The incident highlights the risks of leveraged ETH trading, but the report does not indicate a broader market impact.

Blockchain investigator Specter says the Bloom drainer stole nearly $1 million and moved the funds through 2,152 routing and destination addresses. The transfers involved 1,326 Solana addresses, 822 EVM addresses and five Zcash addresses. The pattern of repeatedly splitting and consolidating funds, then moving them across chains, suggests automation. The Bloom drainer also bridged 26.099 ZEC into Zcash’s Sapling shielded pool, potentially making some funds harder to trace.

Former US Justice Department antitrust leaders Jonathan Kanter and Doha Mekki have launched FluxCap, an AI legal technology startup focused on complex litigation. The company raised $6 million in seed funding in March 2026, with litigation finance firm Burford Capital among its backers. FluxCap combines three tools: FluxAlmanac for legal rules and doctrines, FluxFacts for linking case claims to supporting evidence, and Vision Manager for litigation strategy and risk. The platform emphasizes verifiable citations, addressing concerns about errors in AI-generated legal documents. FluxCap says its software is already being used in active cases seeking more than $1 billion in damages. The startup is hiring in New York and Washington, DC. Its focus is on helping smaller legal teams manage high-stakes cases, particularly antitrust disputes.

Swedbank has increased its Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) holding by 27% to 115,464 shares, continuing a series of purchases disclosed in earlier filings. The Swedish bank previously reported 90,590 shares after buying 8,278 shares in the second quarter of 2026. Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, is a major corporate holder of Bitcoin, making MSTR a stock-market proxy for Bitcoin that can magnify both gains and losses. Buying shares also lets investors gain exposure without directly managing Bitcoin custody. Swedbank’s larger position signals institutional interest in Bitcoin-linked equities, but the article does not indicate a direct purchase of Bitcoin. The stake’s market value can fluctuate with MSTR and Bitcoin prices.

Binance has set the claim rules for eligible PREDICT airdrop recipients holding Predict Points (PP). Users must submit a one-time, non-editable choice by November 26 at 17:00 UTC+8; those who miss the deadline will default to Option B. Option A gives users 35% of their allocation, while the remaining 65% is forfeited. Users who choose Option B must stake for one year to receive their full allocation. Option A applicants who submit by October 29 at 17:00 UTC+8 are scheduled to receive tokens on listing day; later applications will be distributed in weekly batches on November 6, 13, 20 or 27. PP earned through Binance Prediction will be credited to Binance Alpha accounts, while points held through Binance Wallet will be paid to those wallets. Final eligibility and distribution remain subject to verification by the PREDICT project. The PREDICT airdrop’s staggered claims and staking terms could shape initial circulating supply and trading activity.

Tokenised stock plans face a practical hurdle in the US: companies can object to their shares being represented on proposed trading venues. Reporting on October 23 said Wells Fargo, Arm and Intuit had objected to a planned venture involving OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). The SEC’s innovation-exemption process allows proposed venues to file notices, but publication is not regulatory endorsement or proof that a platform meets all exemption conditions. The process remains subject to requirements and operating safeguards. Issuer objections could limit the range of tokenised stocks offered and complicate efforts to link liquidity, shareholder rights and corporate actions across separate venues. The key issues to monitor are changes to venue notices, further company responses, launch dates and evidence that dividends, voting and other corporate actions are handled reliably. The filing describes a regulatory development, not an immediate change in asset value or proof of broad adoption.

Canada has proposed stablecoin rules that would take effect in fall 2027, following a 60-day public comment period. The regulations would ban interest or yield for simply holding a stablecoin, require redemptions within three business days, cap redemption fees at 1%, and require issuers to back tokens with specified liquid assets held by qualified Canadian custodians. Issuers would also report monthly to the Bank of Canada. The rules could cover five issuers; named tokens include QCAD, CADC and USDC. The proposed stablecoin rules aim to strengthen oversight and consumer protection, while limiting stablecoins’ competition with bank deposits. In the United States, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency encouraged community banks to consider applying to issue payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act, although applications are not yet open. Banking groups warn that third-party stablecoin rewards could draw deposits away from local banks and reduce lending capacity. Separately, Senator Richard Blumenthal sought records from Tether and former White House crypto official Bo Hines over reported $6.3 million payments to Hines’ consulting firm while it advocated changes to the GENIUS Act. The allegations raise scrutiny of stablecoin lobbying and regulatory compliance.

The United States has announced $5 million for the Pacific Alliance for Combating Illicit Finance and Cybercrime (PACIFIC), a program to strengthen cryptocurrency investigations across the Pacific Islands. The funding is part of a wider US security package worth more than $44 million. PACIFIC will provide training in cryptocurrency tracing, digital forensics and beneficial-ownership investigations, and support updates to regional anti-money laundering and cybercrime laws. The program aims to help authorities examine blockchain transactions and coordinate investigations across borders. The initiative was announced alongside the inaugural US-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers. The announcement sets out planned funding and training; it does not report that assets have been seized or criminal networks dismantled. Its impact will depend on implementation and participating agencies’ ability to apply the new capabilities.

Microsoft and Alphabet are due to report earnings early on 29 October Beijing time. On OKX’s earnings-season prediction markets, the likelihood of results exceeding expectations stood at 62% for Microsoft and 61% for Alphabet. Forecasts that each stock would rise on the first full trading day after its report were 59% and 65%, respectively. The readings show more divided sentiment than earlier forecasts for Robinhood and SK Hynix, which both had above-80% probabilities of beating expectations. OKX is also offering prediction activities with prize pools, including a 10,000 USDT reward for a winning streak.

Japan Bitcoin Industry plans to raise about ¥800 million through a private placement to a Japanese entity of Fulgur Ventures and ANAP Lightning Capital. The investment will be made entirely in Bitcoin and is expected to be paid on 2 November. Japan Bitcoin Industry says the funds will support development of aurora and other Lightning Network payment infrastructure, hiring, routing operations and research. The company has also agreed a routing partnership framework with ANAP Lightning Capital, under which ANAP’s Bitcoin is planned to provide liquidity for Lightning Network channels.

Ripple announced major institutional partnerships and a regulatory milestone on Day 0 of Swell 2026, with potential long-term implications for XRP and RLUSD adoption. Robinhood will use Ripple services across stablecoin settlement, treasury operations and institutional markets. RLUSD is already available on Robinhood Chain and Bitstamp by Robinhood, with a main-app launch expected later this year. BNY Mellon has also added XRP and RLUSD support to its institutional custody platform. Ripple and BNY plan to explore tokenized trade finance on the XRP Ledger, while Ripple and C2FO will use RLUSD for settlement on C2FO’s Instant Pay platform. Ripple Treasury introduced 24/7 Returns, a service designed to help eligible companies put idle cash to work outside traditional banking hours using qualifying digital assets. Separately, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted final approval to Ripple National Trust Bank. The entity will oversee segregated RLUSD reserves and offer fiduciary digital-asset custody. The announcements strengthen Ripple’s institutional positioning and could support broader XRP Ledger and RLUSD use. However, the article does not report new trading volumes, adoption figures or direct market-price effects.

Ripple says the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) gave final approval on October 26, 2026, for Ripple National Trust Bank. The charter adds a federal oversight framework for RLUSD reserve management and, once the bank opens, institutional digital-asset custody and collateral-trust services. It is not a conventional commercial bank: it cannot take ordinary retail deposits or make loans, and no opening date has been announced. The approval does not change RLUSD’s issuer. Ripple subsidiary Standard Custody & Trust Company, regulated in New York, remains responsible for issuing the stablecoin. Ripple’s October 22 transparency snapshot reported $2.3828 billion of RLUSD in circulation and $2.5280 billion in reserves, or about 106.1% coverage. The snapshot is not a guarantee of immediate redemption: direct redemption is limited to eligible customers under separate agreements, and RLUSD is not FDIC-insured. CoinGecko data cited in the earlier report put RLUSD’s market capitalisation at about $2.615 billion on October 28, nearly double its roughly $1.3 billion level when conditional approval was reported in December 2025; trading volume was about $429 million on October 27. There is a disclosure caveat: as of October 28, the OCC’s public decisions page showed the December 2025 conditional approval, but the corresponding final decision letter was not identified there. Ripple announced the final approval, so traders may want to watch for the public record, bank opening details and updated reserve disclosures. BNY has expanded institutional custody to XRP and RLUSD, while direct bank-facilitated RLUSD minting and redemption remain under exploration. The OCC approval strengthens Ripple’s regulatory position and could support institutional adoption of RLUSD. However, it does not directly establish new demand for XRP or change RLUSD’s issuer. RLUSD operates across multiple blockchains, so growth in its market capitalisation may not translate proportionally into XRP Ledger fees or XRP demand. The key market signal will be whether the new oversight leads to greater institutional payment and settlement use.

South Korea’s National Office of Investigation has opened a preliminary inquiry into a series of hacks targeting securities firms and cryptocurrency exchanges. A dedicated team handling financial-sector cyberattacks will investigate whether the incidents are connected. Recent cases include a data leak affecting 38,500 customers of Daishin Securities, employee information exposed at Bithumb, and information leaked from some business systems at Mirae Asset Management. Earlier attacks on 16 financial institutions, including KB Kookmin Bank, exposed about 100,000 personal records. The crypto exchange hacks and related financial-sector breaches have not been publicly linked to stolen funds or trading disruptions. The investigation may nevertheless keep cybersecurity and exchange trust in focus for traders.

Quake AI, the cloud business formed from Rumble’s acquisition of Northern Data, plans to build infrastructure primarily for AI agents rather than human users. Its services are expected to let autonomous software interact directly with cloud infrastructure. Quake AI currently operates about 22,000 NVIDIA H100 and H200 GPUs across nine data centers in Europe and North America. It is targeting around 250 MW of energized and planned power capacity by 2027. Northern Data’s 2026 revenue outlook was raised to €170 million–€190 million, while GPU utilization was about 85% as of March. A multi-year, $270 million GPU capacity deal with Together AI has supported demand. Quake AI is also working with Tether on a proposed blockchain-based “trust layer” to coordinate AI agents. The companies have not yet provided details on how the integration will work, so the plan remains an intention rather than a launched product. Traders will be watching for product announcements, execution of the Tether partnership and progress toward the revenue and capacity targets. The Quake AI strategy combines established GPU-cloud demand with a less-proven AI-agent and blockchain opportunity.

Binance has applied for authorization from Brazil’s central bank to continue offering crypto services, but approval is still pending. The application was filed on Oct. 23 by its local entity, BBrasil Sociedade Prestadora de Serviços de Ativos Virtuais, ahead of the Oct. 30 deadline for crypto firms already operating in the country. From Oct. 27, Binance Brazil users cannot open new positions in eight products, including Loans and Margin. Existing loans can only be repaid, and margin positions cannot be increased. Binance has also restricted trading in 22 tokens for Brazilian users, including USDe, USTC, OM, ZIL, RVN and SCRT. Customers can withdraw affected assets, and the newer update says they can reinvest remaining balances. These are local service restrictions, not global delistings; spot trading and supported stablecoin transactions remain available. The changes reflect Brazil’s crypto licensing rules and do not mean Binance has been approved. The exchange says it hopes to restore affected products after further discussions with the central bank. For traders, the restrictions affect access and liquidity in Brazil, but their localized scope limits the likely impact on Binance’s wider token support and BNB.

Google DeepMind unveiled Genie 4, a real-time interactive world model, while Predict.fun released PREDICT tokenomics: a 1 billion total supply, 16% unlocked at TGE and 7% allocated to its first-season airdrop. Binance Wallet plans a PREDICT pre-TGE sale. Crypto market indicators were mixed. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $176 million in net inflows, led by BlackRock’s IBIT, while options with a combined notional value of nearly $11.7 billion in BTC and ETH are due to expire on Friday. Large XRP holders control 68.5% of supply, a nearly four-year high. Analysts say Binance ETH open interest remains high in ETH terms, despite falling in dollar terms. Security and regulatory developments added risks. Coinbase said a third-party Amplitude incident exposed some customer contact information, but its own systems and customer funds were not affected. Coinbase also plans to convert certain EEA retail users’ non-MiCA-authorized token balances on 30 October 2026 unless withdrawn beforehand. Separately, an attack on Avalanche’s Tranche Vault reportedly drained about $1.01 million. Overall, ETF demand and whale accumulation offer supportive signals, but concentrated holdings, leverage, options expiry and security incidents may increase volatility.

TTM Technologies has shifted from a cyclical, lower-margin business towards higher-growth data centre and aerospace and defence markets. Its shares rose from about $20 to $220 before pulling back to around $80, as valuation concerns and strong operating momentum drove volatility. Recent acquisitions, including Ophir Optics and Epiq Design Solutions, expand TTM Technologies’ capabilities in AI infrastructure and defence. The company’s CEO has said earnings could double by 2027, supporting a forward price-to-earnings ratio of about 20 times. However, sequential earnings growth has slowed, and the outlook depends on successful integration and execution. The investment commentary sees potential for further growth but highlights that the sharp share-price swings reflect meaningful risk.

Bitcoin rose about $2,000 in 24 hours to around $81,500 on October 28, ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s FOMC decision and a speech by Kevin Warsh. The move followed a drop to a five-week low of $79,100 over the weekend. Bitcoin’s market capitalisation climbed to $1.63 trillion, and its market dominance returned to 60%. Traders may see further volatility as they respond to the Fed meeting and its policy signals. The broader crypto market also advanced. Ethereum gained 3% and approached $2,400, while XRP rose 3% and held above $1.30. BNB traded above $750, and Solana recovered from below $100. BTW jumped nearly 30%, PEPE rose 16%, and M gained 12%. Total crypto market capitalisation increased by more than $40 billion to above $2.71 trillion. Bitcoin’s rebound is a short-term positive, but the Fed’s outlook could quickly shift market sentiment.

Bitcoin payments infrastructure has expanded, but everyday customer demand remains weak, according to Block-backed development group Spiral. More than one million US merchants can accept Bitcoin through Square, and Lightning Network integrations have become easier. However, merchant availability does not show how many customers complete purchases or return to spend BTC, and Square’s Lightning checkout can pay merchants in dollars by default. Spiral says Bitcoin payments face barriers including price volatility, holders’ preference to save BTC, the steps required to acquire it and US tax rules that may treat spending crypto as a taxable disposal. Stablecoins offer a more predictable dollar value: Spiral estimates USDC makes up about 99% of payments through Coinbase’s x402 protocol. Recent integrations show continued development of Bitcoin payment infrastructure, not confirmed growth in consumer use. Block added Lightning support to x402 in September 2026, while Lightning Labs expanded access to its Wavelength agent-wallet service in October, initially capping balances at 300,000 satoshis. Spiral is seeking proposals for changes that could increase Bitcoin payments over the next five years, including shared payment rails, incentives and micropayments for digital services and AI applications. It recommends tracking completed sales, repeat buyers, transaction values and the asset actually spent. For traders, the report is a longer-term adoption signal, not an immediate price catalyst.

Mizuho cut its price target for Circle (CRCL) to $43 from $45 and maintained its Underperform rating, warning that AI assistants could steer users away from USDC and towards higher-yielding alternatives. The bank estimates that weaker demand could reduce USDC’s market capitalisation by $4 billion to $9 billion over the medium term and cut Circle’s reserve revenue by 10% to 20%. A chatbot test found that assistants generally recommended FDIC-insured bank accounts over USDC; even users who preferred crypto were often directed to alternatives. The test measures recommendations, not actual withdrawals. Mizuho now forecasts average USDC supply of $101 billion in 2027, down from $108 billion, and reserve revenue of $4.1 billion, compared with its previous $4.3 billion estimate. Reserve income is central to Circle: it represented about 95% of the company’s $701 million in second-quarter revenue and reserve income. Circle shares reportedly fell 3% to 7% after the report. They later closed at $81.57, around 47% above Mizuho’s target. Bernstein took the opposite view, raising its target to $145 and retaining an Outperform rating. Circle’s third-quarter results are due on November 4. The concerns centre on USDC demand and supply, not the stablecoin’s backing or redeemability.

NEAR rose on Wednesday after rebounding about 6% the previous day. The move followed the launch of confidential perpetual contracts tied to Jio Platforms on NEAR Intents. The derivatives offer price exposure ahead of Jio’s scheduled listing, but do not represent ownership of its shares. The launch adds a use case to the NEAR ecosystem; its effect on demand for the NEAR token remains uncertain. Fund flows were a counterweight. Bitwise’s NEAR-focused ETF saw $4.84 million in outflows on Tuesday, after $1.40 million in inflows on Monday. That amounts to roughly $3.44 million in net outflows over the two sessions, reversing a four-week run of inflows. The data do not establish why investors withdrew funds or whether outflows will continue. NEAR traded near $4.74, above its 50-day EMA at $4.33 but below a descending trendline around $5.02. A sustained move above $5.02 could put $5.57 in view. Support sits near $4.43 and $4.33; a break below could expose $3.91. Momentum remains mixed, with RSI near neutral at 49 and MACD below its signal line. Traders are watching whether NEAR can reclaim $5 while holding support, and whether ETF flows recover.

Coinbase’s status information cited an October 26, 2026 deadline related to the Blast network shutdown. It warned that BLAST assets not moved from Coinbase before the cutoff would no longer be accessible through the platform. Users should check Coinbase’s latest status and help notices for account-specific instructions and avoid depositing assets through an unsupported network. The notice concerns platform access and network support; it does not make a claim about the BLAST token’s market price. The impact on BLAST holders depends on the precise deadline, available transfer routes and whether destination wallets support the asset.

The S&P 500 Quanto USD-BRL Currency Adjusted Index tracks U.S. equity futures while mitigating fluctuations in the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian real. It measures the nearest-maturing quarterly E-mini S&P 500 futures contract traded on Brazil’s B3 exchange and rolls to a new contract quarterly. The index offers Brazilian investors a way to assess U.S. equity performance with less exposure to USD-BRL currency movements. The article also notes that benchmark selection can materially affect comparisons of active U.S. equity funds domiciled in Brazil.

Polymarket’s October ETH price markets show heightened expectations around two thresholds. In the earlier update, traders assigned a 54% probability—up 20 percentage points in 24 hours—that ETH would touch $2,600. The later update put the probability of ETH touching $2,400 at 84%, up 34 percentage points in 24 hours. These are separate contracts with different conditions: the $2,600 market resolves “Yes” if a one-minute Binance ETH/USDT candle records a high of at least $2,600, while the $2,400 market resolves “Yes” if a candle records a low of $2,400 or less. Both rely only on Binance ETH/USDT data. The changing Polymarket odds reflect traders’ expectations, not confirmation that ETH has reached either price or an indication of its eventual closing level.

CoreWeave’s mounting debt and rising borrowing costs are putting pressure on AI infrastructure stocks and fuelling concerns about financing across the sector. Earlier reports put its debt at roughly $50 billion and said some bond yields had topped 15%, while estimates of default-protection costs later climbed to about 1,000 basis points. CoreWeave shares fell around 30% in October as investors reassessed the risks of debt-funded expansion. The company reported $5.1 billion in 2025 revenue and a $1.2 billion net loss. It had a $104.2 billion revenue backlog at the end of the second quarter of 2026 and secured more than $25 billion in additional commitments. But investors are questioning whether those contracts will convert into cash quickly enough to cover debt and operating costs. Nvidia has agreed to buy CoreWeave capacity that remains unsold through April 2032. The pressure has spread to other neocloud providers and Oracle. Separate figures cited earlier showed AI-related debt issuance falling from $113 billion in June to $23 billion in September, while bankruptcy-market estimates put CoreWeave’s odds of bankruptcy at 14.5% by January 2028, 22.5% by January 2029 and 28.5% by January 2030. Analysts point to financing and execution risks, rather than weak AI demand, as the main concern. For crypto traders, the episode is a broader signal of tighter funding conditions for AI infrastructure, but its direct impact on any cryptocurrency is unclear.

BNB Chain contract deployments rose to 12.3 million in Q3 2026, up about 173% from 4.5 million in Q2, according to a Blockworks report cited by BNB Chain. Unique daily deployers increased 13% to about 5,100, even as average daily active addresses fell 14% to 2.10 million. Quarterly transactions grew 7.5% to 1.51 billion, with activity concentrated in applications including Predict.fun, GMGN and token launchpads. BNB Chain contract deployments grew much faster than the number of deployers, but the report does not establish how many contracts support active applications or AI agents. BNB Agent Studio released four software versions during Q3, adding payment, earnings, wallet-control and deployment features. By early October, BNB Smart Chain accounted for about 61% of tracked ERC-8004 agent registrations; registrations do not necessarily indicate sustained use or revenue. Tokenized-equity trading reached $25.6 billion, while network revenue rose 54% to $54.2 million. The figures point to stronger builder, trading and tokenized-asset activity, alongside weaker daily address counts and questions about deployment quality.

The article reports that the seasonally adjusted US money supply increased by $113 billion in September, equivalent to an annualized growth pace of 6%. It says money supply has risen consistently month by month since November 2023. The author argues that money supply offers a measure of financial conditions alongside interest rates, and claims that elevated inflation may limit the Federal Reserve’s ability to keep rates high. The article does not provide detailed data sources or discuss cryptocurrency markets directly.

The article says Bitcoin (BTC) is trading below $80,000 and predicts that the next crypto bull run may not begin until after the US midterm elections. This is the author’s market view, not a confirmed forecast. The piece also briefly mentions a forthcoming FTX drama series and praises Ripple Labs, but gives no details about either. Most of the article focuses on UK tax authority HMRC: it criticises proposed changes that would shorten the period for individuals to reclaim overpaid National Insurance from six years to four, while extending HMRC’s window to pursue some underpayments from six years to 20. It also raises concerns about HMRC seeking more information on wealthy individuals’ assets. For traders, the main market signal is the author’s cautious outlook on Bitcoin; the article reports no new crypto policy or project developments.

The Ethereum Foundation is backing default privacy in wallets, saying it can strengthen security by limiting attackers’ access to users’ on-chain histories. Its open-source Kohaku SDK integrates Railgun, Privacy Pools and Tornado Cash, and developer Jordan Enev says the project aims to make privacy a standard Ethereum feature. Wallet provider Ambire has tested Kohaku integrations for several months and provided feedback, but no public launch date has been announced. Ethereum researcher Nicolas Consigny and co-founder Vitalik Buterin are scheduled to demonstrate Kohaku with Ambire Wallet at Devcon on Nov. 3. Planned features include privacy protocols, light clients and post-quantum accounts. The code remains partly experimental and unaudited. The development brings Ethereum privacy and wallet security into focus, but is not a network upgrade or a confirmed product release, and provides no direct token-market catalyst.