Crypto News

Ethereum’s EIP-8450 has been updated with a proposal for registering quantum-resistant public keys for validators. It would use hash-based cryptography, including leanXMSS keys and a VRF tree root. Under EIP-8450, validators’ existing BLS signing keys would authorize registration and replacement of the new keys. Key changes would face a delay of at least one epoch, alongside replay protection. The proposal remains in Draft status and has not been deployed, so it does not currently change Ethereum’s validator operations or network security in practice.

Australia’s financial regulator says it has received no licence applications from prediction market operators. ASIC Chair Sarah Court told a parliamentary hearing that prediction markets could fall under gambling rules rather than financial-market regulation, and that any licence application would face strict scrutiny. She compared their all-or-nothing trading structure with binary options, which are banned in Australia, and warned that users of overseas platforms may lack local protections for disputes and customer funds. Polymarket was blocked by Australian internet providers in August after the communications regulator classified it as an illegal online gambling site. The action adds regulatory pressure on prediction markets in Australia, but its direct effect on broader crypto trading is likely limited.

Bitcoin may struggle to hold $80,000 in the near term, according to market commentator Digital Currency Trend Maniac, who says the medium- to long-term buy zone remains $75,000–$80,000. The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, while markets reportedly priced in an 80% chance of a rate hike in December. Traders were also watching the 20:30 PCE inflation release; the commentator said high oil prices made a lower-than-expected reading less likely. The article says Fed Governor Kevin Warsh discussed changing two of the eight annual policy meetings into strategy-only sessions, leaving six meetings for rate decisions from next year. That could make each rate-setting meeting more consequential for Bitcoin volatility. The near-term Bitcoin outlook is therefore cautious, while the stated longer-term accumulation strategy remains unchanged.

Hyperliquid has permanently burned 49.87 million HYPE tokens, valued at about $3.89 billion and equal to nearly 5% of its 1 billion maximum supply, according to reports. The burn reduces available supply, but does not guarantee a price rise. Over the 24 hours reported, another 19,700 HYPE, worth about $1.59 million, was burned; estimated fees were $1.69 million. Cumulative fee revenue reached $1.38 billion. Meanwhile, prediction-market odds of HYPE reaching $100 by 31 December fell to 23%, suggesting limited confidence in that target. Traders may monitor HYPE’s price and trading volume for signs of a market response.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled the DSX POD at GTC Berlin, a container-sized system designed to speed up AI data-centre construction. Each pod combines seven liquid-cooled Vera Rubin NVL72 racks, with 504 Rubin GPUs and 252 Vera CPUs. Nvidia says prepared sites could be connected to existing power and cooling in as little as 14 days, compared with deployments that can take up to six months. Deliveries are expected to begin in early 2027, with 17 partners, including Dell, HPE and Lenovo, involved. Nvidia also claims the design can cut power use by up to 30% and nearly eliminate cooling-water consumption. The 14-day timeline depends on sites already having suitable infrastructure, while Huang’s projections for AI-factory revenue rely on sustained demand. The launch strengthens Nvidia’s position in AI infrastructure, but does not directly signal a change in cryptocurrency market conditions.

Sui is adding optional address-alias checking to its gRPC VerifySignature request. When enabled, the request must include an address, and the signature is checked against that address’s current aliases. If no aliases are configured, the address itself is treated as the only alias. The response includes an address_aliases_checked field to indicate whether the server applied the check. Clients must treat a missing field as meaning the check was not performed, since older servers ignore the new request option. With the option disabled, existing behaviour remains unchanged. The update also adds support through a revised Sui Rust SDK dependency and includes simulation tests for alias and signature scenarios.

Ethereum co-founder Mihai Alisie has become a core backer of Ethlabs, an independent nonprofit research and development organization focused on Ethereum. Kraken parent company Payward and Gattaca have also joined as new funders. Founded in June by five former Ethereum Foundation researchers, Ethlabs had previously received support from Ethereum treasury companies BitMine and SharpLink, as well as Ethereum co-founder and Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin. The funding announcement adds to the organization’s backing, but no funding amounts or specific research plans were disclosed.

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest-rate range at 3.75%–4% and said it will create more time for long-term policy discussions. From 2027, one of its eight annual meetings will focus on monetary strategy, without a rate vote or policy statement. In 2028, two meetings are expected to be devoted to strategy, leaving six for rate decisions. Chair Worsh said the Fed needs more information before determining the appropriate policy stance and declined to predict the outcome of the December meeting. He said inflation remains above the 2% target, while economic activity, consumer spending and business investment are strong. Financial and credit conditions have tightened somewhat since the September rate increase, but he did not describe them as broadly restrictive. Worsh also argued that interest rates still influence AI-related investment and capital allocation. The meeting changes signal a shift in how the Fed will conduct policy discussions, but do not indicate an immediate change in interest rates.

The Federal Reserve held its policy rate at 3.75%-4.00%, but two members dissented in favour of a 25-basis-point increase. The hawkish split, alongside Brent crude near $115 a barrel, may keep inflation and interest-rate concerns in focus. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 5.05%, a potential headwind for risk assets, including Bitcoin. Big Tech earnings highlighted a growing divide over AI spending. Alphabet reported revenue up 25% year on year, but capital expenditure of $51.4bn pushed free cash flow to negative $9.1bn; its shares fell nearly 10% after hours. Microsoft shares rose 2.9% as Azure grew 48%, suggesting investors are increasingly judging AI investment by returns rather than spending alone. ServiceNow and Fortinet also dropped sharply after forward growth signals disappointed. In crypto-related equities, Strategy disclosed holdings of 848,517 BTC and is due to report quarterly results. Strive reported 43,000 BTC and is using preferred-stock financing to expand its holdings. Datavault AI said it could not withdraw bitcoin held in a custodial wallet and will restate several financial reports, raising concerns about asset verification and custodian risk across digital-asset treasury companies. For crypto traders, the combination of hawkish rate expectations, elevated oil prices and scrutiny of corporate bitcoin holdings points to near-term volatility. Upcoming inflation data and Strategy’s results are key catalysts.

The S&P 500 rose 0.28% on Wednesday, its third consecutive daily gain, after the Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.75%–4.00%. The Nasdaq added 0.27%, while the Dow gained 0.19%. The Fed’s 10–2 vote was not unanimous. Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack supported a 25-basis-point rate increase. The central bank described economic growth as “strong” but said inflation remains “elevated.” Traders priced in about an 85% chance of a December hike, and the 10-year Treasury yield moved above 5%. Technology and energy stocks led, while real estate and utilities lagged. Upcoming Alphabet and Microsoft earnings, particularly cloud results, could influence the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. For markets, the prospect of higher rates and elevated Treasury yields may pressure risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, while economic data and big-tech results could shift rate expectations.

Securitize has responded to an anti-tokenization advertisement in The Wall Street Journal with a full-page ad of its own, arguing that regulated stock tokenization can operate within US Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The original ad, published over the weekend of October 24–25 under the name Common Sense Leadership Fund, urged public company executives to opt out of tokenized stock trading. It cited risks including price differences between tokens and shares, unclear ownership, reduced control over capital raising and possible CEO liability. The fund’s backers were not identified in the article. Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo called the warning misleading. The company’s October 28 response promoted “#TokenizationDoneRight” and sought to distinguish its compliant approach from trading on unregulated platforms. Securitize went public through a SPAC in July 2026 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange as SECZ. It is also pursuing tokenized US stock offerings. The dispute comes as dozens of public companies have objected to plans for certain tokenized stock venues. For traders, the debate is a potential headwind for Securitize and the growth of stock tokenization: issuer resistance could slow adoption, while acceptance of regulated models could support the sector. The immediate issue is who controls tokenized shares and which rules govern their trading.

AI spending and cash flow have become key measures for investors assessing Big Tech. Microsoft reported $18.6 billion in free cash flow for fiscal Q1 2027, beating expectations by nearly $10 billion despite $45.2 billion in infrastructure spending. Azure revenue grew 48%, and Microsoft shares rose more than 3% after hours. Oracle shares gained nearly 11% after the company pledged to cap external financing and forecast a return to positive cash flow in the second half of fiscal 2028. Alphabet’s Q3 2026 revenue reached $127.6 billion but missed estimates. Google Cloud revenue more than doubled to $30.71 billion, while capital expenditure climbed to $51.4 billion and free cash flow turned negative by about $9.1 billion. Shares fell nearly 10% after hours amid slower Search growth and concerns about the cost of its AI buildout. The contrasting reactions show that markets are focusing not only on AI investment, but also on whether companies can fund it while maintaining cash generation. Investors will watch Alphabet’s spending plans, Microsoft’s ability to sustain Azure growth and cash flow, and Oracle’s progress towards its cash-flow target.

China’s AI payments sector is moving from experimentation to commercial testing, with UnionPay, Ant Group, WeChat Pay and JD among the firms introducing AI agent payment products or protocols. The near-term direction is to add AI capabilities to existing payment networks rather than build entirely new systems. The report says the longer-term opportunity will depend on whether autonomous payments, interoperable protocols and cross-border settlement can work together. Digital yuan infrastructure, the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) and the mBridge central bank digital currency project are also developing. For crypto traders, the trend signals growing institutional interest in blockchain-enabled payment infrastructure, but the brief identifies no specific token catalyst or immediate market impact.

World Liberty Financial transferred 156.31 million WLFI tokens, worth about $8.06 million, to Binance, Gate, Coinbase and MEXC, according to Onchain Lens. The WLFI exchange deposits could put the token on traders’ watchlists for potential selling activity. However, the transfer alone does not confirm that WLFI has been sold.