Blast Shutdown, Fed Decision and Major Token Unlocks Set a Busy Crypto Week

| panewslab.com
Crypto traders face a busy week of protocol shutdowns, major economic events and token unlocks. Blast is winding down because its operating costs exceed Layer 2 revenue. Users are urged to withdraw assets to Ethereum by 26 October 2026; withdrawals will later require direct interaction with its bridge contract. Upbit plans to delist BLAST, while Coinbase has paused trading and advised users to transfer their tokens. Several other services are closing or changing operations. Ebisu will disable its front end on 30 October, Balancer liquidity pools are scheduled to become withdrawal-only from that date, and MyNearWallet, Cardano Card and Ronin Waypoint are due to stop operating on 31 October. Circle will begin phasing out CCTP V1 on 31 October, with full deprecation set for 1 December. Ethereum has postponed the Glamsterdam Hoodi testnet upgrade, with no new activation date announced. The Federal Reserve is due to announce its rate decision on 29 October. A reported 94% of economists expect rates to remain at 3.75%-4.00%, although traders will watch for signals about the December outlook. US GDP and PCE inflation data are also due that day. Major technology earnings, including Alphabet, Microsoft and Samsung, add to the week’s risk events. Notable scheduled unlocks include Falcon Finance’s 208 million FF tokens, worth about $20.7 million, on 29 October; Collector Crypt’s CARDS and Kamino’s KMNO on 30 October; and SUI and EIGEN on 1 November. Unlocks and withdrawal deadlines could increase near-term selling or liquidity pressure, while Fed guidance and economic data may influence broader risk appetite.
Neutral
The overall market impact is neutral because the article combines negative project-specific developments with macroeconomic events whose outcomes are not yet known. Blast’s shutdown, planned exchange delisting and other service closures may weaken confidence in affected tokens and prompt users to withdraw or sell. Large unlocks, particularly FF’s approximately $20.7 million release, could add short-term supply and volatility. Similar unlock events have often caused temporary selling pressure, although the actual effect depends on the size relative to trading volume, holder behaviour and whether the release was already priced in. The Fed decision is a broader market catalyst. If the Fed holds rates as expected but signals a cautious or hawkish path, Treasury yields could rise and risk assets, including crypto, could face pressure. A more dovish tone or softer inflation data could support risk appetite. Traders may also react to GDP and PCE figures, while major technology earnings could influence sentiment towards growth assets. In the near term, watch BLAST withdrawals and exchange notices, unlock-related trading volume, funding rates and open interest, as well as the Fed statement and bond yields. Over the longer term, shutdowns highlight the importance of sustainable protocol economics and can lead capital and users to migrate to competing networks. However, these developments alone do not establish a market-wide trend; broader liquidity, Bitcoin direction and macroeconomic conditions remain key determinants.