Crypto News

Nunchuk has updated its off-chain, time-locked Bitcoin inheritance protocol to support a wider range of hardware wallets, including Ledger, Trezor, BitBox02, Blockstream Jade, Keystone, Foundation Passport and Krux. Previously, inheritance keys were limited mainly to Tapsigner and Coldcard. The update lets beneficiaries prove control of an inheritance key by signing a short claim message, so most supported devices no longer require an encrypted backup or its password. Users can instead pass on a written seed phrase, provide an encrypted backup where supported, or use both methods. Nunchuk says its servers never access users’ seed phrases. The protocol uses a “Magic Phrase” to identify an inheritance plan. Nunchuk’s platform key co-signs a withdrawal only after the selected off-chain time lock expires. Users can change the inheritance date, beneficiaries and distribution plan without moving their Bitcoin. A claim also requires the relevant inheritance key and Magic Phrase; optional buffer periods and notifications can provide additional safeguards. The feature requires Nunchuk app version 2.9.0 or later. The update concerns Nunchuk’s off-chain protocol; its separate on-chain inheritance option, which uses Miniscript and Bitcoin’s own rules, is not the focus of the announcement.

Gate Money connects fiat payments, asset conversion and everyday spending through partnerships with banks, payment firms, custodians and clearing institutions. Eligible users can manage fiat funds in their own bank accounts and transfer digital assets on supported blockchains, subject to local rules, partner availability and user eligibility. Gate Money’s services are therefore not available on identical terms in every market. Gate reports regulatory credentials across several jurisdictions: MiCA and payment institution licences in the EU, a VARA licence for its Dubai entity, AUSTRAC registration for its Australian entity, and 37 state money transmitter licences for Gate US, which says it serves 47 US states and territories. The company’s latest proof of reserves showed $8.688 billion in total reserves and an overall reserve ratio of 118.49%. BTC reserves were 25,727 BTC, at 121.60%, while ETH reserves were 449,042 ETH, at 123.78%. Gate Money’s banking and payment partnerships, regional licences and disclosed reserves are intended to support services beyond crypto trading, including payments and asset management.

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.

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.

Lookonchain reported that a newly created wallet deposited 4 million USDC into Hyperliquid and opened a 5x leveraged long position in 3,000 XMR, valued at about $1.77 million. The move highlights a sizable leveraged XMR trade, but the report does not identify the trader or indicate whether the position reflects a broader market view.

Janus Henderson and Centrifuge launched JQQQ on October 27, a tokenized fund seeking to track the Nasdaq-100 Index through an underlying investment product. Janus Henderson manages the strategy, Centrifuge provides blockchain issuance and fund-operation infrastructure, and the index is licensed from Nasdaq. JQQQ is issued on Stellar and structured as a segregated portfolio of a British Virgin Islands company. JQQQ offers indirect economic exposure to the index; holders do not own shares in its constituent companies or receive shareholder rights. The fund is available only to eligible investors where lawful, and excludes US persons. Its onchain issuance does not guarantee 24/7 trading or redemption, and the launch announcement does not specify fees, assets, minimum investment or redemption terms. A separately reported $100,000 minimum should be checked against current subscription terms. The launch adds an index-linked product to Stellar’s tokenized-asset ecosystem, but its trading impact remains uncertain. Adoption will depend on subscriptions, distribution, custody and reliable redemptions, as well as measurable onchain activity. The announcement does not establish that JQQQ can be used as collateral or that it will drive significant activity or price moves in Stellar or broader crypto markets.

Tether froze at least 33 addresses on the TRON network, according to monitoring by TrustSniffer. The addresses held about $27 million in USDT combined when the freeze alerts were issued; the largest single balance was approximately 7.8 million USDT. Tether has not disclosed the reason for the action. The freeze highlights Tether’s ability to restrict USDT held at specific addresses, but the report does not indicate a broader interruption to USDT or TRON network activity.

A whale transferred 152,000 AAVE, worth about $21.3 million, and 45.17 million WLD, worth about $21.4 million, to multiple cryptocurrency exchanges over five days, according to Lookonchain. The combined value of the AAVE and WLD transfers was approximately $42.7 million. Exchange deposits can precede selling and may add short-term pressure to both tokens, although the transfers alone do not confirm that the whale has sold.

The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate at 3.75%–4.00%, as expected, but a 10–2 vote revealed clear divisions. Two officials dissented in favor of a 25-basis-point hike. The Fed said economic activity is expanding strongly while inflation remains elevated. Huobi HTX chief analyst Cloud said the pause should not be read as a dovish turn. With no forward guidance and a continued focus on returning inflation to 2%, the possibility of a December hike remains open. September CPI reached a five-month high, and about 76% of surveyed institutions expect another hike in December. The hawkish signals could keep the US dollar and short-term yields supported, tightening liquidity conditions. Cloud warned that rebounds in both could weigh first on altcoins and then test Bitcoin’s ability to hold support. Crypto traders may face heightened volatility through the US midterm elections and the end of earnings season.

Tencent is shifting its AI strategy towards enterprise tools and practical business applications, rather than focusing primarily on competing for the most powerful foundational model. Dowson Tong, CEO of Tencent Cloud and Smart Industries Group, says the company should treat AI as a “marathon” and offer businesses access to multiple models through its cloud platform. Tencent says its CodeBuddy assistant is used by more than 12,000 engineers and generates over half of the company’s new code, cutting coding time by more than 40%. The company has also released more than 30 Hunyuan model updates over the past year, while its research and development spending reached a record in 2025. The strategy follows an AI team reorganisation that began in December 2025, when Tencent appointed Shunyu Yao as chief AI scientist and combined its AI Lab with the Hunyuan team. For Tencent, the shift puts greater emphasis on enterprise adoption and returns from AI investment. The key test will be whether customers take up Tencent Cloud’s AI services at scale.

Gate ranked second among global centralized crypto exchanges for net inflows in both reported periods, according to DefiLlama data. Its 30-day net inflows were about $444 million, while the latest 24-hour figure was approximately $57.97 million. These figures indicate substantial net deposits, but do not reveal which assets were involved or whether users intended to trade or hold them. The flows alone do not establish a direct price signal for Gate’s associated token, GT.

BlackRock’s ETHA and ETHB ETF wallets initially transferred 45,240 ETH, worth about $105 million, to Coinbase Prime, according to Onchain Lens. In a later update, Arkham monitoring reported four transfers totaling nearly $200 million over two days, including a latest transfer of 29,814 ETH worth about $70.58 million. The BlackRock ETH transfers to Coinbase could signal potential selling pressure, but exchange inflows alone do not confirm a sale; they may also reflect custody, settlement or other ETF operations. Traders can watch for further ETH inflows, ETF flow data, and changes in ETH price and trading volume for clearer signals of institutional demand.

Coinbase INTX has launched options trading, according to Greeks.live researcher Adam. Its USDC options share liquidity with Deribit, potentially giving traders access to a broader pool of counterparties. The platform’s interface is designed in a style familiar to users of traditional stock-trading software. Coinbase INTX options remain invitation-only, however, and some features are not fully available. Adam said the platform is not yet as complete as Deribit. The launch adds another venue for crypto options trading, but its near-term impact will depend on wider access, product readiness and trading volumes.

Taipei’s mayoral race is emerging as a close contest between incumbent Chiang Wan-an of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Puma Shen, a prominent critic of China who has President Lai Ching-te’s support. Recent polls are mixed: some show Shen ahead, while others point to a tight race. The Taipei mayoral race could affect Chiang’s standing as a potential future presidential candidate and strengthen Lai’s influence within the DPP. Prediction-market pricing indicates a competitive contest, but the article does not specify which candidate corresponds to each quoted probability. The election is scheduled for November 2026.

Bitcoin and broader crypto markets face mixed signals in this 28–29 October news roundup. Glassnode says Bitcoin volatility has fallen to levels last seen in summer 2023, while ETF inflows have slowed to about $67 million over two weeks. It identifies $85,000 as a key recovery threshold and roughly $77,900 as an important support level. CryptoQuant’s Ki Young Ju expects bullish momentum could return if US election uncertainty fades and ETF inflows recover. Bitwise raised its 10-year Bitcoin price target to $1.6 million, citing potential institutional allocations. Regulatory and infrastructure developments are also in focus. DTCC launched a tokenisation service for 34 securities, while Google is testing an MPC-based digital-asset custody product ahead of a planned 2027 launch. The US Federal Reserve held rates at 3.75%–4.00%, with two officials favouring a hike. Separately, the CFTC plans a discussion on 24/7 derivatives trading, and Circle urged the SEC to treat compliant payment stablecoins as cash. Trading risks include a reported suspected spoofing episode in Hyperliquid oil markets and newly disclosed Bitcoin Core vulnerabilities, for which fixes have been released. Overall, Bitcoin’s near-term direction may hinge on ETF flows, key price levels and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Pendle’s Q3 report, citing Alea Research, says real-world assets (RWA) made up 82% of the protocol’s total value locked (TVL). TVL rose 43% in the quarter even as incentives were cut by more than half. Revenue per dollar of TVL increased about 76% year on year, while token buybacks reached 3.2 times the amount of token emissions. Principal token (PT) collateral across Morpho, Aave and Euler doubled to $497 million. The Pendle Q3 report points to stronger capital efficiency, growing RWA activity and increased use of PT as collateral, though the figures alone do not establish future token-price performance.

The ETH price fell below the closely watched 2,300 USDT level, with OKX market data showing ETH at 2,299.46 USDT in the earlier report and 2,299.57 USDT in the later update. Despite the slight price uptick between reports, its 24-hour loss widened from 1.43% to 2.52%. Traders may watch whether ETH can regain 2,300 USDT or faces further weakness; the reports cited no cause for the decline.

The crypto market faces mixed signals from a new research roundup covering meme-coin trading, AI infrastructure and token launches. On Pump.fun, an on-chain investigation identified a network of 43 wallets that allegedly launched more than 6,855 meme coins since January 2026, bundled buys and sold developer holdings within seconds. Profits were routed to a wallet holding about $1.03 million in USDC, highlighting risks for traders chasing new launches. AI-focused Layer 1 Ritual launched its mainnet and RITUAL token on 26 October. The token fell from an early high of $0.08 to about $0.0226, with a reported fully diluted valuation of roughly $220 million. Its initial supply is 10 billion, and 18% unlocked at launch; emissions, future unlocks and whether network fees can support demand remain key factors. Predict.fun announced tokenomics for its PREDICT token: a fixed supply of 1 billion, with 16% circulating at launch. Season 1 users were allocated 70 million tokens, but can claim only 35% immediately or receive the full allocation through 12-month linear vesting. The platform reported $4.01 billion in 30-day trading volume and $10.17 million in TVL as of 28 October. Separately, 29 user accounts reportedly lost about $397,000 in USDT in an incident under investigation. The roundup also warns that AI data-centre investment could outpace real demand, creating financing and valuation risks for GPU suppliers and customers. Together, these developments leave the crypto market sensitive to token unlocks, security concerns, speculative trading and signs of sustainable demand.