Crypto News

The QMJ factor, which tracks the performance of high-quality stocks against lower-quality ones, posted a record 14.3% gain in July, marking a sharp reversal after an unusually long period of speculative stocks outperforming. The shift has coincided with losses in unprofitable technology shares and a rebound in consumer staples such as Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. Porter and Company founder F. Porter Stansberry said the move is a reason for caution. Historically, QMJ’s second- and third-largest monthly gains occurred in November 2000 and October 2008, ahead of major bear markets. The article says the recent rally in lower-quality stocks was driven by AI enthusiasm, rather than a recovery from a market crash. The historical comparisons are a warning, not proof that a bear market is imminent. For traders, the reversal may indicate a rotation away from speculative technology shares and toward profitable, financially resilient companies. It could also heighten volatility across risk assets, including crypto, if investors broadly reduce exposure.

European banks that prepared early for the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) are better positioned to capture stablecoin business, according to a report by Tiger Research. The report warns that banks waiting for local rules to be finalised may lose ground to competitors that have already selected their business models, assessed costs and lined up partners. MiCA provides a regulatory benchmark for euro-denominated electronic money tokens (EMTs). Banks can issue tokens directly, use a licensed electronic money institution subsidiary, or offer services such as custody and transfers without issuing their own stablecoin. Each route carries different capital, compliance and operational requirements. Under MiCA, EMT holders have the right to redeem tokens at face value. Issuers must disclose redemption terms and risks, and prepare recovery and orderly wind-down plans. EMI issuers must keep at least 30% of funds in segregated bank deposits, with the remainder held in permitted low-risk assets. For tokens designated as significant, the deposit requirement rises to 60%, while EMI issuers must hold own funds of at least 3% of average reserve assets. The report identifies USDC as the only EMT among 45 reported to EU regulators that currently meets the significance criteria. Tiger Research advises banks to assess profitability, target customers and partnerships before regulation takes effect. Early preparation could help banks secure corporate payment and cross-border transfer business, while late entrants risk losing market share. The report describes a regulatory and business strategy, not a new token launch.

South Korean prosecutors searched Bithumb’s Seoul headquarters on October 29 as they continued investigating allegations that company funds for executive housing were misused. The case concerns 11.6 billion won in housing benefits provided to four former and current executives. Some funds are suspected of having been used for personal purposes, but authorities have not disclosed their conclusions. The Financial Supervisory Service referred the matter to prosecutors after identifying suspected irregularities. Prosecutors first searched Bithumb in March 2025, including over claims that a 3 billion won lease deposit for former CEO Kim Dae-sik may have been used to buy an apartment. The latest search reportedly seeks evidence to resolve outstanding questions in the case. Bithumb has also faced scrutiny over internal controls, anti-money laundering compliance and alleged payments related to token listings. The renewed probe could add to concerns about governance and regulatory risk at the exchange, but no direct impact on wider crypto markets is reported.

Binance Wallet users need at least 60 Binance Alpha Points to join the predict.fun (PREDICT) Prime Sale through the Alpha event page, according to an official announcement. Participation will consume 15 points. The PREDICT Prime Sale is a token-sale event; the announcement does not provide further details on sale pricing or allocation.

Three wallets suspected of belonging to one whale initially deposited 494,300 HYPE, worth about $37.83 million, to Coinbase within 24 hours, according to Lookonchain. A later update from on-chain analyst Ember put the total at 694,300 HYPE, worth about $53.26 million, transferred over four days. The larger HYPE exchange inflow may signal an intention to sell and could add near-term supply pressure, but deposits alone do not confirm that the tokens have been sold. Traders may watch HYPE’s price, trading volume and further Coinbase inflows for confirmation.

HTX listed JIO/USDT and PREDICT/USDT perpetual contracts on 29 October 2026, according to an official announcement. Both contracts support long and short positions with leverage of 1x to 20x. The JIO and PREDICT perpetual contracts give traders new leveraged trading options, but the announcement provided no further details on contract specifications or market activity.

The North Dakota State Investment Board increased its Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) holdings by 10% to 10,275 shares, valued at about $1.4 million, according to Bitcoin Treasuries. The board manages approximately $29 billion in assets. The report said state investment funds are using Bitcoin treasury companies such as Strategy to gain exposure to Bitcoin. The disclosed position is relatively small, so it signals institutional interest rather than a major shift in market demand.

In the week through October 13, Bitcoin fell 3%, while Ether dropped 7% and XRP declined 9%. By the week through October 27, Bitcoin had fallen another 3% and Ether was down 4%, while XRP was broadly unchanged. Year to date, Bitcoin’s loss widened from about 5% to 8%, and Ether’s from roughly 16% to 21%. The updates point to ongoing pressure on major cryptocurrencies, with Ether underperforming Bitcoin over the year. Neither report identified a specific catalyst, so traders may want to monitor broader market conditions and upcoming events for direction.

Diamond Hill Small-Mid Cap Fund fell 4.75% in Q3 2026, outperforming the Russell 2500 Index, which declined 6.37%. Illumina, Revvity and Waystar were among the fund’s key contributors. Regal Rexnord, Knife River and Red Rock Resorts were notable detractors. The commentary does not provide further performance details for the individual stocks in the excerpt. The Small-Mid Cap Fund’s relative outperformance came during a down quarter for small- and mid-cap equities.

Morpho Blue is nearing Aave V3 in stablecoin supply, with reported deposits of $7.5 billion versus Aave V3’s $7.9 billion. Token Terminal data dated October 25, 2026, puts the two protocols’ combined share at 67.7% of $24 billion in stablecoin deposits across 41 DeFi venues and 31 blockchains. Morpho Blue’s isolated lending markets, managed vaults and integrations on Base have helped attract deposits; its reported utilization has often reached 89%–93% on Ethereum and Base. However, another October snapshot puts Morpho’s stablecoin TVL at $5.32 billion, below the $7.85 billion reported for Aave, highlighting differences in measurement methods. Aave still leads, while Morpho Blue’s growth could narrow the gap further. The concentration of deposits also means a disruption at either protocol could have broader effects on DeFi lending.

Samsung Electronics raised its 2026 semiconductor capital spending plan to 76.8 trillion won, up 62% from the previous year, as demand for AI memory continues to outstrip supply. Total company investment is expected to reach 84.4 trillion won. Samsung’s semiconductor division generated 106.5 trillion won of its record 107.4 trillion won in third-quarter operating profit, while memory revenue rose 427% year over year to 140.7 trillion won. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) is a key growth driver: HBM4 made up about 60% of Samsung’s HBM revenue, and its 2027 HBM supply is fully booked. Samsung expects supply constraints to persist through 2028 and plans further investment in 2027, including a Texas foundry site scheduled to begin mass production that year. Despite the results and increased AI chip spending, Samsung shares fell about 6% as investors raised concerns about shareholder returns and the company’s outlook relative to SK Hynix.

Former FTX COO Constance Wang says she learned of the exchange’s roughly $8 billion liquidity gap only hours before it became public. She recalled seeing a spreadsheet during a war room meeting at about 3 a.m. amid FTX’s November 2022 collapse. Earlier that day, Wang said she had been trying to reassure VIP clients as FTX faced about $6 billion in withdrawals over 72 hours. The pressure intensified after Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao announced plans to sell FTT, FTX’s token. Wang joined FTX in 2019 and briefly served as co-CEO. She said her personal holdings in the exchange once exceeded $1 billion but later fell to about $80,000. She co-founded trading platform Pacifica in 2025, which reported $10 billion in monthly trading volume as of October 2026. Wang’s account adds detail to the timeline of FTX’s collapse but does not indicate a new development affecting current crypto markets.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs drew $176 million on Tuesday and $137 million on Wednesday, extending their inflow streak to three days. The funds attracted about $424 million over the period, recovering from nearly $774 million in outflows late last week and bringing October net inflows to $111 million. The renewed Bitcoin ETF demand suggests institutional buying has returned, although Bitcoin fell about 1% in 24 hours to $79,848. The Federal Reserve held rates at 3.75% to 4%, while Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation remained above the 2% target. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index stayed neutral at 51. Ether ETFs diverged, recording about $149 million in outflows on Monday and Tuesday and a further $21 million on Wednesday, taking October net outflows to $1.35 billion. Ether slipped 1.7% to $2,310, leaving crypto market sentiment mixed despite the Bitcoin ETF inflows.

Bitcoin is on track for its weakest October since 2020, trading near $80,800 compared with September’s close of about $83,567. That leaves Bitcoin down roughly 4% this month, despite October’s historical average gain of 18.1% since 2020. CryptoQuant reported that the Coinbase Premium stayed negative throughout October, averaging -0.093 and reaching about -0.146, its lowest level since late June. The readings suggest weaker US spot demand relative to offshore exchanges. CryptoQuant’s Bull Score Index also fell from 90 to 60, although six of its ten indicators remained bullish; a score below 50 would signal a clearer shift in conditions. Short-term holders have less unrealized profit to cushion losses: Bitcoin was 8.1% above the realized price for coins held one to three months on October 26, down from 33.4% on September 22. Traders are watching the Federal Reserve’s policy decision and comments for clues about rates and risk appetite. A softer tone could support a rebound, while a more cautious outlook may add pressure, but neither guarantees Bitcoin’s next move.

An on-chain monitored trading address with cumulative profits of about $30.4 million closed an XYZ100 short position worth roughly $3.82 million, then opened a new XYZ100 short worth about $3.69 million. The position data was reported by Odaily on 29 October 2026. The address is 0xfc667adba8d4837586078f4fdcdc29804337ca06. The renewed XYZ100 short indicates that this trader is maintaining a bearish position on the instrument, but a single address’s trades do not establish a broader market trend. Traders may monitor XYZ100 price action and subsequent position changes for further signals.

Strive bought 6,182 BTC for about $511.4 million between October 17 and 23, its largest Bitcoin purchase to date. The SEC filing put the average all-in price at $82,732 per BTC, raising the company’s holdings from 36,818 to 43,000 BTC. That follows a rapid October expansion from 28,000 BTC at September’s end. Strive reported $504.4 million in cash and cash equivalents on October 23, up $186.9 million in a week, while its total Bitcoin holdings had cost about $3.8 billion at an average of roughly $87,785 per BTC. Bitcoin was trading near $81,000, below that average cost. Strive also announced a $1 billion at-the-market programme for its 15% Series A Perpetual SATS preferred stock, alongside reported preferred-stock fundraising. However, disclosures do not establish that these financing measures funded the Bitcoin purchase. The acquisition adds to corporate Bitcoin demand, but price volatility, financing costs and potential dilution remain risks.

The TCW MetWest Investment Grade Credit Fund I-Class fell 2.57% net of fees in the third quarter of 2026, underperforming the Bloomberg Intermediate Credit Index by about 32 basis points. The TCW MetWest fund faced pressure as rising Treasury yields weighed on fixed-income markets. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index declined 3.5%, while Treasuries fell 3.0% during the quarter. Market themes from the second quarter continued, with Middle East tensions also affecting energy markets. The article provides limited detail on the fund’s positioning or the outlook for interest rates.

BlackRock has filed to launch the iShares Bitcoin Managed Protection ETF (PBIT), an actively managed Bitcoin ETF that would use options linked to its IBIT fund rather than hold Bitcoin or IBIT shares directly. The filing does not set a launch date; it could become effective around 2 January 2027, but that would not necessarily mean trading starts then. Fees and the listing venue also remain undisclosed. PBIT would combine fixed-income assets with three staggered options tranches. Each tranche aims to limit its initial maximum loss to about 10%, excluding fees, by buying in-the-money calls and selling calls at higher strike prices. The sold calls cap potential gains. The 10% figure is not a fund-wide loss limit or a guarantee: overlapping tranches, market conditions and option terms mean the portfolio has no fixed protection floor. Cash, money-market funds, short-term Treasuries and investment-grade bonds are also planned. BNY Mellon is named for custody and administration. PBIT would be BlackRock’s third Bitcoin-related ETF filing, after spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT and Bitcoin Premium Income ETF BITA, which sells calls to generate income. The strategy may interest investors seeking managed downside exposure, but the filing itself does not create immediate Bitcoin demand, and investors would surrender gains above the options’ caps.

Three AI chatbots see Cardano’s ADA as more likely than Pi Network’s PI to outperform in Q4 2026. Gemini cited ADA’s broad exchange availability, deeper liquidity and lower perceived risk. It warned that PI’s token unlocks could add selling pressure, particularly given thin trading liquidity and limited demand. Gemini identified roughly $0.070 as a potential PI support level and said a break could leave the token vulnerable to a move towards $0.05. Perplexity pointed to Cardano’s planned Dijkstra hard fork, scheduled for December 2026, as a possible catalyst. The upgrade aims to increase transaction throughput, though its market effect will depend on delivery and whether it drives greater network use. ChatGPT also favored ADA for sustained performance but said PI could see a short-term, catalyst-driven surge. It highlighted Pi Network’s first Ecosystem Summit, scheduled for 17–19 November, where platform updates and developer demonstrations could be followed by announcements on ecosystem progress or partnerships. These are chatbot forecasts, not guarantees of future price performance.

Tokenized stocks reached a combined market value of $4.63 billion on Oct. 28, 2026, according to Token Terminal. The market began 2026 below $1 billion and surpassed $3 billion in early September. Its current size matches the stablecoin market in March 2020, although stablecoins have since grown to about $297 billion—a roughly 64-fold increase. The tokenized stocks sector is highly concentrated: Binance’s bStocks, Ondo Global Markets and Backed Finance’s xStocks account for about 81% of the market. BNB Chain hosts the largest share, estimated at 30% to 47%, followed by Ethereum and Solana. Tokenized exchange-traded funds represent the largest asset category, worth between $700 million and $1.1 billion. The comparison with stablecoins highlights potential growth but does not guarantee a similar trajectory. For traders, issuer concentration, custody and redemption arrangements, regulatory treatment, and shifting blockchain market shares remain key risks to monitor.

A guide warns crypto users to verify anyone claiming to represent an exchange, recruiter or business before sharing information, clicking links or sending funds. It cites FTC data showing $3.5 billion in reported losses to imposter scams in 2025, including nearly $1 billion involving people posing as businesses. The FBI’s IC3 said crypto-related crime losses reached $11.4 billion that year. Recommended crypto scam checks include contacting the company through its official website, using exchange verification tools, checking email domains and SPF, DKIM and DMARC results, and confirming identities through company channels. Traders should also inspect links and domain registration dates, and avoid treating social media profiles or video calls as proof. Never share a seed phrase, password or one-time code, install unsolicited software, grant remote access, or move assets to a supposed “safe” wallet. The article advises stopping contact and securing accounts if a user has already engaged with a suspected scam.

Investor Rick says frontier AI companies may ultimately earn more by delivering scientific and commercial outcomes than by selling subscriptions or API tokens. He argues that conventional ARR metrics may therefore fail to capture AI’s long-term value, while the development of AI for Science could create opportunities in drug discovery, materials and energy. Rick’s AI investment preferences are storage, chips, biotechnology and semiconductor equipment. He says he has sold most of his NVIDIA shares, citing competition around chip design, and favors businesses with manufacturing capacity, customer qualification requirements and other time-based barriers. He remains optimistic about memory suppliers and sees potential value in neocloud firms’ contracted power capacity. He also warns that heavy AI infrastructure spending could keep long-term interest rates high, pressuring real estate and emerging markets. On crypto, Rick is bullish over the long term on an agent-based economy using crypto-native payments, but says he has sold most of his Bitcoin (BTC). He cites uncertainty about whether AI could accelerate advances in mathematics, cryptography and quantum computing, potentially increasing concerns about future security. He does not claim Bitcoin is about to be cracked. His comments are an investor’s view, not evidence of an active cryptographic vulnerability.

Beijing’s Haidian District market regulator has fined a technology company more than 930,000 yuan in total in the city’s first case involving the use of blockchain and virtual currencies to assist a pyramid scheme. The company, an outsourced service provider for an unnamed public blockchain, supported its operations, marketing, promotion, exchange links and maintenance. The chain’s “Atomic Plan” and “Hathaway Plan” rewarded participants for recruiting more people and required them to invest funds to qualify. Authorities said the company continued providing technical and promotional support, as well as maintaining virtual currency trading channels, despite being expected to know about the scheme. The case highlights regulatory scrutiny of blockchain services and virtual currency channels used to support pyramid schemes.

The Federal Reserve held its federal funds target range at 3.75%–4.00% in a 10–2 vote on October 28. Two officials dissented in favor of a 25-basis-point rate increase. The Fed upgraded its assessment of economic activity but said inflation remains elevated. US stocks rose for a third consecutive session, with the S&P 500 up 0.28%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.19% and the Nasdaq Composite up about 0.27%. After earnings, Microsoft shares gained more than 3% in after-hours trading, supported by 48% year-on-year Azure growth and free cash flow of about $18.6 billion. Alphabet shares fell nearly 10% at one point. Its search advertising growth missed expectations, while higher AI infrastructure spending weighed on cash flow, which was negative $9.07 billion for the quarter. The contrasting reactions show that investors are scrutinizing AI investment returns, earnings quality and cash generation—not just interest rates or revenue growth. The Fed rate hold removes one immediate source of uncertainty, but future inflation and economic data will shape rate expectations. Treasury yields and company cash flows remain important factors for technology valuations. For crypto traders, the policy decision may affect liquidity and risk appetite, but it does not determine Bitcoin’s direction on its own.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s crypto economy grew 13.4% to $101 billion between July 2025 and June 2026, making it the fastest-growing region worldwide, according to Chainalysis. The Sub-Saharan Africa crypto market is being driven by practical demand for remittances, cross-border business payments, and access to foreign-currency value. South Africa’s crypto activity rose 52% to $39.3 billion, while Nigeria recorded $38.1 billion, down 3%. Together, the countries accounted for more than three-quarters of regional activity. Ghana grew 80% to $5.1 billion, and Senegal surged 215% to $2.3 billion. Stablecoins are gaining ground as a payment and savings tool. The value of stablecoins received through peer-to-peer channels climbed more than sixfold, from $2.3 billion in 2022 to $14.6 billion in 2026. Personal wallets accounted for 32.3% of regional crypto value received, the highest share globally. Intra-regional crypto payment corridors nearly doubled to 152, while transaction volume more than tripled to $116.5 million. The report also highlights differences in local markets: South Africa saw rising business-like payments and is emerging as a regional crypto hub, while Nigeria’s domestic exchanges expanded and Bitcoin remained prominent in smaller peer-to-peer transfers. Chainalysis says regulatory clarity and integration with banks and existing payment systems will be important to sustaining Sub-Saharan Africa crypto growth.

Rosatom is in preliminary talks with US counterparts about using small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors to power AI data centers. Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev raised the idea on 16 October 2026, and Rosatom chief executive Alexey Likhachev confirmed the discussions on 29 October. The talks remain exploratory: no US partners, contracts, sites, funding or timeline have been announced. US sanctions, payment restrictions and regulatory complexity are significant obstacles. Rosatom says it has experience with small reactors and nuclear-powered data centers. Its operating units include two 35 MW reactors commissioned in 2020, while its domestic microreactor designs are rated at 5–50 MWe. The company aims to capture 15–20% of the global SMR market by 2030. The Rosatom-US talks reflect growing demand for reliable electricity to support AI computing, but do not yet represent a confirmed project. For crypto traders, the news is not a direct catalyst for any cryptocurrency; its relevance is indirect, reflecting broader energy needs across digital infrastructure.

Ethereum spot ETFs saw $60.22 million in net outflows on 27 October, followed by a further $21.41 million outflow on 28 October, extending the outflow streak to three days. BlackRock’s ETHA recorded the largest daily outflow on both days, while Fidelity’s FETH and Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) attracted inflows. On 28 October, FETH added $18.78 million and the Mini Trust $3.62 million, against $44.83 million in outflows from ETHA. Total net assets rose from $14.18 billion to $14.27 billion, or 4.95% of Ethereum’s market capitalisation. Cumulative net inflows eased from $12.57 billion to $12.55 billion. The latest Ethereum ETF flows suggest near-term selling pressure, although the sizable accumulated inflows indicate that institutional exposure remains significant.

Today’s crypto market news highlights opposing supply and trading signals. Hyperliquid permanently destroyed 49.87 million HYPE, nearly 5% of its maximum supply, a move that reduces token supply. BlackRock transferred nearly $200 million in ETH to Coinbase over two days, while an Ethereum early adopter deposited all 2,119 ETH held in a dormant wallet to Coinbase; neither transfer confirms an immediate sale. Bitcoin faces the expiry of $11 billion in options, with US midterm elections cited as another potential source of volatility. A whale also sold 1.02 million SOL over five days, worth about $104 million. Elsewhere, Australia’s regulator said no prediction-market operators had applied for licences, and Polymarket has been blocked in the country. The crypto market news presents mixed signals: token supply reduction may support HYPE, while large exchange transfers, SOL selling and options expiry could raise volatility.

Stellar has launched Project Thruput, a new execution model now running on FutureNet. Early benchmark tests reported that Project Thruput processed up to 7.02 million payments per second by scaling across multiple machines. The report did not provide further details on the testing methodology or real-world performance, so the figure should be treated as an early benchmark rather than a measure of live network capacity.