Kalshi’s ETH-PERP market faces wash trading allegations after analysts questioned its reported volume and liquidity. On 20 September, Kalshi said it processed $363.9 million in crypto volume and held a 96.7% share, compared with Polymarket’s $12.3 million. Critics later cited public API data showing that fixed $5,500 trades represented 48% to 58% of reported ETH-PERP volume from 16 to 20 September 2026. A 24-hour volume window showed about $538.6 million to $539 million in notional turnover, against roughly $3.1 million in open interest. This implies turnover of about 174 times per day, while the largest visible position was approximately $17,598.
Quant trader Beni raised the concerns, while Kalshi’s crypto lead rejected the interpretation. Kalshi said its prediction-market accounting can produce higher reported volume than traditional perpetual futures exchanges. The exchange also pointed to a CFTC-filed fee-rebate programme that began on 16 September and excludes wash trades and self-matched trades from eligibility. Critics separately questioned whether parlays and payout-based accounting inflate event-contract volume, estimating actual daily trading at $136 million versus reported volume of $1.91 billion.
The CFTC had taken no public enforcement action as of 21 September, and the allegations do not establish wrongdoing. However, the dispute may weaken confidence in Kalshi’s ETH-PERP volume and liquidity. Traders should assess order-book depth, execution quality, open interest, fee incentives and volume methodology before treating the ETH-PERP figures as evidence of genuine demand. Kalshi ETH-PERP remains a market-quality and reputational risk rather than a confirmed market-manipulation case.
Crypto casino cashback offers can appear similar but vary significantly in value. Earlier comparisons focused on whether cashback is calculated from net losses or total wagered volume. A 10% net-loss rebate may equal a much lower percentage paid on all bets, so traders and bettors should review activity thresholds, payout timing, cashback tiers and withdrawal rules.
The later analysis adds that payout currency is also critical. Weekly cashback is often calculated from the previous week’s results and paid several days later. A volatile cryptocurrency or casino platform token can lose value before payment arrives, making a stated 10% rebate worth less in dollar terms. Stablecoin cashback offers more predictable value, although issuer, regulatory and de-pegging risks remain. Platform tokens may also face weak liquidity and strong dependence on the casino’s performance.
Dexsport is highlighted for a weekly stablecoin cashback programme paid every Monday. It reportedly offers five tiers from 5% to 15%, requires at least five settled bets and a net loss, and does not require opt-in. Stake, BC.Game, Cloudbet, Rollbit, Vave and BetPanda offer other rewards or rebates, but their calculation methods, qualification rules and payout currencies differ. Some programmes use gross betting volume, while others pay in site credit or platform tokens.
Crypto casino cashback is a discount on gambling losses, not a profit strategy. Users should compare the calculation basis, payout currency and eligibility requirements, while also checking local laws, KYC rules and responsible-gambling limits.
The CFTC has submitted proposed crypto market rules to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review. The filing remains at the prerule stage and does not mean the CFTC crypto market rules have been finalised or that formal rulemaking has begun.
The move follows the US Senate’s failure to advance the Clarity Act in a 49-50 vote. Prediction-market odds of the bill passing in 2026 reportedly fell from 28% to 7.3% YES over the past week. The developments suggest US crypto regulation could rely increasingly on agency action rather than new legislation.
Traders will monitor the White House review, the Senate Banking Committee, President Donald Trump, Senate leaders and crypto adviser David Sacks. The CFTC has also explored allowing certain registered and unregistered exchanges to operate as supervised crypto asset markets offering leveraged or margined trading. Recent CFTC and SEC relief measures indicate continued regulatory activity, but the lack of rule details limits the immediate market impact. Further legislative delays could increase volatility and uncertainty for exchanges, token issuers and other digital-asset participants.
An ETH whale or institutional investor has begun taking profits after holding Ethereum for three years. An earlier report said the entity withdrew 112,100 ETH from Bitfinex at an average price of about $2,030. A later on-chain analysis from Ember estimated that the investor accumulated 124,021 ETH at an average price of $2,028, then sold 81,228 ETH over two days near $2,669 for an estimated profit of $52.07 million. The total reported investment profit was about $66.45 million, or a 29% return. The ETH whale also transferred 48,048 ETH, worth roughly $130 million, to Bitfinex shortly before the latest report. The exchange deposit could signal further selling and increase short-term ETH supply and volatility. Traders should monitor the whale’s remaining holdings and subsequent transfers. The activity may reflect routine profit-taking rather than a change in Ethereum’s long-term outlook.
Bearish
ETH whaleEthereumWhale sellingOn-chain analysisBitfinex
Turkey’s fund crisis has escalated after the Capital Markets Board (SPK) began liquidating 131 investment funds holding about $18.3 billion, or 890 billion Turkish lira, and affecting roughly 350,000 investors. The action followed failed redemption requests by Pusula Portföy and Tera Portföy. Tera reportedly faced withdrawals worth about 300 billion lira, or $6.15 billion.
The affected funds were managed by seven portfolio companies, including Tera Portföy, Hedef, Atlas, A1 Capital, Pardus, Bulls and Pusula. They reportedly held concentrated positions in thinly traded Turkish small-cap stocks. Heavy outflows and alleged price manipulation intensified selling pressure, with Borsa Istanbul’s benchmark index falling as much as 6% to 8% during the broader episode and 2.6% intraday after the latest disclosures.
The SPK suspended trading on the TEFAS platform, froze assets linked to several executives and opened criminal investigations into possible market manipulation and Ponzi-like practices. Türkiye İş Bankası will oversee Tera-related funds, while Ziraat Bank will manage funds linked to A1 Capital and other firms. Authorities may pool frozen assets to simplify repayments.
Pending redemption requests will receive priority, followed by proportional distributions as holdings are sold. The liquidation began on September 18 and is targeted for completion within three months, although extensions are possible. No fixed repayment date has been announced. Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said the Turkey fund crisis remains localized and does not pose a systemic risk. For crypto traders, the episode may increase short-term regional risk aversion and highlight liquidity, concentration and forced-selling risks, but it has no direct fundamental impact on major cryptocurrencies.
Neutral
Turkey fund crisisInvestment fund liquidationRedemption failuresMarket manipulationBorsa Istanbul
A family of four in Vendin-le-Vieil, northern France, was held hostage for more than three hours by four masked attackers demanding cryptocurrency. The suspects bound the parents and their two children, aged eight and 12, before separating and assaulting the 40-year-old father, an IT worker in the crypto sector. He was forced to disclose account details and access codes.
The attackers stole about €40,000 in cryptocurrency, roughly $46,000, and fled by car. The 12-year-old daughter was reportedly struck with car keys. The family freed themselves after the suspects left and contacted emergency services at about 7–8 a.m. No life-threatening injuries were reported, but all four suspects remained at large.
French authorities are investigating the case as kidnapping and extortion by an organized gang. Police and France’s anti-cybercrime office are examining the crypto transfer, although the asset involved and any recovery of funds have not been disclosed.
The crypto home invasion highlights the growing risk of wrench attacks, in which criminals use physical violence to obtain digital assets. France recorded 77 crypto-linked cases involving kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion or attempted offenses in 2026, compared with 45 in all of 2025. Chainalysis and CertiK also reported dozens of physical attacks against crypto holders globally during the first half of 2026. The incident raises security concerns for investors and industry employees but does not indicate a systemic failure in cryptocurrency markets.
US AI stocks posted modest pre-market gains on 11 September 2026, led by Marvell Technology, Micron Technology, Nvidia and Broadcom. By 21 September, the move had broadened and strengthened. Intel rose 5.95%, Accenture gained 5.74%, Arm advanced 4.53%, Dell climbed 2.89% and Marvell added 2.74%, according to MSX.COM data. The latest performance highlights strong investor interest in AI hardware, semiconductors and the wider tech sector ahead of the US open. MSX.COM is a decentralised real-world asset platform offering tokenised exposure to US stocks and ETFs, including major technology companies. The rise in AI stocks may improve sentiment in tokenised equities and crypto-linked technology assets, but no direct cryptocurrency catalyst was identified. Traders should also watch whether the pre-market gains hold after the opening bell.
Neutral
AI stocksUS pre-market tradingSemiconductor stocksTokenised equitiesReal-world assets
Gen Z investing on Binance is showing a more conservative profile than that of older generations. Binance Research found that younger users trade less frequently, use less leverage and favour diversified ETFs and tokenised stocks over short-term speculation.
Unleveraged ETFs accounted for 25% of Gen Z direct-stock trading volume in early August, up from 14.6% in June. They represented 21.9% of the group’s stock inflows in July. Although Gen Z’s total stock investment fell 17.4% that month, unleveraged ETF inflows declined by only 2%, compared with sharper falls in individual stocks and leveraged products. Gen Z was also the only generation to increase its number of ETF holders, rising 2.9%.
Around 76% of Gen Z tokenised-stock accounts and 77% of direct-stock accounts were net accumulators. Larger average purchases included SCHD and Broadcom, while Tesla and Nvidia attracted smaller average amounts. Gen Z users made an average of 13 traditional-finance perpetual trades per month, and only 14% of their perpetual-futures accounts were high-frequency traders.
The findings suggest that Gen Z investing separates long-term capital from short-term trading: ETFs and tokenised stocks are used for accumulation, while perpetual futures and leverage are used more selectively. For crypto traders, the trend points to steady demand for diversified investment products rather than a broad increase in speculative leverage. It is unlikely to create a direct price catalyst for major cryptocurrencies, but it may influence retail liquidity and risk appetite on Binance.
Neutral
Gen Z investingETFsBinance ResearchTokenised stocksPerpetual futures
Visa has reportedly instructed payment providers to stop classifying meme coin purchases as digital media transactions. The change follows tests showing that users could buy Solana-based dogwifhat (WIF) through Robinhood Wallet and Fomo using Crossmint’s checkout service and a Visa or Mastercard credit card.
Some purchases were processed under merchant category code MCC 5815 for digital media, instead of cryptocurrency-related codes MCC 6012 or 6051. This allowed certain users to receive credit card points or cash back. JPMorgan Chase reviewed a test transaction, deemed the classification incorrect and referred the case to Visa.
Visa has reportedly notified Checkout.com, a Crossmint payment partner, and is seeking to restore the cryptocurrency classification. The policy does not ban credit card purchases of meme coins, but it may remove rewards and reduce credit-card-funded meme coin demand. The development is unlikely to materially affect WIF or broader crypto prices, although it signals tighter standardisation of crypto payments. Mastercard has not confirmed whether it will adopt a similar policy.
Two Robinhood engineers, Hefu Chai and Huaisong Xiang, have been charged by the US Department of Justice with commodities fraud and wire fraud. Prosecutors allege they used confidential information about Robinhood Crypto token listings to trade related perpetual futures on Hyperliquid before public announcements.
According to unsealed complaints, Chai allegedly traded ahead of at least 10 listing announcements, while Xiang allegedly traded before at least 11. Each reportedly earned more than $50,000 between 2025 and 2026. The employees were identified as having access to sensitive listing data and were barred from trading the relevant tokens before, and for 24 hours after, announcements.
The charges carry maximum penalties of 10 years for commodities fraud and 20 years for wire fraud. Robinhood said it has zero tolerance for insider trading, reported the matter to authorities and is cooperating with the investigation.
The case increases scrutiny of crypto insider trading, token listings and perpetual futures on decentralised derivatives platforms. It is unlikely to create a broad immediate price impact, but could lead to tighter exchange surveillance and compliance rules. The allegations also recall a separate Jane Street case involving the sale of about $192 million in TerraUSD (UST) before its May 2022 collapse.
WisdomTree is integrating MoonPay’s card and bank-transfer infrastructure into its WisdomTree Prime platform, expanding retail access to tokenized funds. The partnership includes the regulated WisdomTree Government Money Market Digital Fund (WTGXX), which uses blockchain to record ownership and distribution but is not a stablecoin.
MoonPay says its ecosystem has more than 30 million registered accounts. Its payment and onboarding tools could reduce friction involving bank accounts, crypto wallets and blockchain transactions, helping tokenized funds reach investors beyond the crypto-native market. WisdomTree may also use MoonPay’s infrastructure for stablecoin reserve management and could extend the partnership to other funds and international markets.
WTGXX seeks to maintain a $1 share price and held about $1.23 billion in assets as of September 17, 2026. It recorded roughly $466 million in net inflows over the previous 30 days. The broader tokenized US Treasury market was valued at about $15.4 billion, according to RWA.xyz. Ondo’s USDY was also cited as a product with positive flows.
The deal highlights a shift in real-world asset tokenization from issuing blockchain-based funds to improving distribution and payment access. WisdomTree faces competition from BlackRock and Franklin Templeton, which are developing tokenized cash and Treasury products. The partnership could support adoption of tokenized funds, but it does not directly create demand for a major cryptocurrency or guarantee short-term price gains.
BlackRock has upgraded emerging-market equities to overweight, reversing its neutral stance from June. The asset manager expects MSCI Emerging Markets earnings to grow by more than 34% over the next 12 months, compared with about 20% for the MSCI USA Index. Emerging-market stocks trade at roughly 10 times forward earnings, versus nearly 20 times for US equities.
BlackRock is focusing on AI hardware “picks-and-shovels” companies that produce semiconductors, memory chips and physical infrastructure rather than AI models. South Korea and Taiwan are central to the thesis because of their roles in the global semiconductor supply chain. BlackRock cited South Korea’s deleveraging after a July sell-off and improving earnings momentum as reasons for changing its view.
The strategy also covers Latin American commodities, power and infrastructure, which could benefit from rising AI-related demand. The shift may support emerging-market technology and industrial shares and improve broader risk appetite. For crypto traders, it is an indirect signal rather than a cryptocurrency recommendation. Monitor Asian equities, AI-linked assets, the US dollar, commodity prices, liquidity and Taiwan-related geopolitical risks. Renewed leverage in South Korea and high AI hardware valuations remain key risks.
Neutral
BlackRockEmerging marketsAI hardwareSemiconductorsSouth Korea and Taiwan
The SEC’s five-year Innovation Exemption could accelerate tokenized stocks in the US by allowing qualifying venues to trade tokenized US-listed shares through permissioned automated market makers on public blockchains. Eligible tokens must provide the same rights as the underlying shares, while issuers receive notice and an opportunity to object.
The framework could expand revenue beyond trading into custody, issuance, blockchain infrastructure and stablecoin settlement. Goldman Sachs and Citizens analysts identified Coinbase, Robinhood and Circle as potential beneficiaries. Coinbase could leverage its institutional custody business, tokenization infrastructure and Base network. Tokenized stocks had reportedly reached about $3 billion in weekly volume before a clear US framework emerged, helping support a recent rebound in Coinbase shares.
Robinhood already offers offshore stock tokens, but these mainly provide economic exposure rather than direct legal ownership. A compliant US product may require voting rights and share-redemption features, while issuer objections remain a risk. AMC has previously challenged Robinhood’s tokenized-share model.
Circle could benefit from higher USDC demand for settlement, collateral and liquidity. However, implementation details, issuer participation, trading limits and regulatory scrutiny remain uncertain. The tokenized stocks theme is positive for blockchain infrastructure and stablecoins, but near-term gains may reflect expectations rather than confirmed revenue.
Wintermute identifies real-world asset (RWA) tokenization as a leading candidate to drive the next crypto liquidity cycle. Previous market expansions were supported by new capital channels such as ICOs and venture capital, stablecoins, spot ETFs and digital asset treasuries (DATs). However, these channels have become more established. ETF inflows reached about $63 billion during the 2024–25 cycle, while DAT purchases exceeded $115 billion. Recent total crypto liquidity inflows fell to about 2.4% of market capitalisation, although ETF flows and stablecoin issuance have started to recover.
RWA tokenization could create a new route into crypto. Tokenized US Treasuries, money-market funds and equities can share wallets and stablecoin settlement infrastructure with digital assets. This may allow capital initially allocated to traditional assets to move more easily into BTC, ETH and other tokens.
Tokenized RWA value has tripled in roughly 12 months to more than $30 billion, while the sector attracted about $16 billion over the past year. That remains around one-tenth of the strongest 12-month inflows recorded by ETFs and DATs, suggesting the market is still at an early stage. Wintermute says regulatory progress, broader transferability and the use of tokenized Treasuries as DeFi collateral will determine whether RWA develops from a passive investment wrapper into an active liquidity channel.
For traders, the impact is more likely to build gradually than produce an ETF-style price shock. Key indicators include RWA growth, collateral adoption, DeFi lending activity, secondary-market trading and whether tokenized-asset balances begin moving into crypto markets.
Binance Futures will launch 24/7 USD/BRL FX perpetuals on 21 September 2026 at 14:00 UTC. The USDBRLUSDT contract will be settled in USDT and offer leverage of up to 100x, allowing traders to gain synthetic exposure to the US dollar and Brazilian real beyond traditional FX market hours.
The USD/BRL FX perpetuals will trade during weekends and public holidays. During regular foreign-exchange hours, pricing will follow a weighted index from a third-party provider. Outside those hours, Binance will use an order-book-based weighted moving-average mechanism rather than relying solely on external FX feeds.
The model creates pricing, basis and liquidation risks. Weekend prices may diverge from the underlying FX market when it reopens, especially after political, economic or central-bank developments. At 100x leverage, small price movements can trigger large gains, losses and forced liquidations.
The initial launch covers only USD/BRL, while Bybit has already introduced perpetual contracts linked to the euro, pound and yen against the US dollar. Strong demand could encourage Binance to add more FX perpetuals. The move highlights the growing convergence between crypto derivatives and traditional markets, but its direct impact on cryptocurrency prices is likely to remain limited.
Circle has launched Arc, an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain built for AI agents, USDC payments and institutional finance. Circle initially announced Arc in August 2025, opened its public testnet in October and launched the public mainnet on 16 September, according to the reports.
Arc is designed for payments, foreign exchange, tokenised assets, treasury management, lending and institutional markets. Its Agent Stack includes provenance proofs, reputation systems and nanopayments for autonomous on-chain activity. Arc uses USDC as its native gas token, giving users dollar-denominated fees and reducing reliance on volatile fee assets such as ETH and SOL. Circle says its Malachite consensus engine provides sub-second deterministic finality.
The network uses a permissioned validator model. BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Sumitomo Corporation, Visa and Standard Chartered are among the institutions linked to its validator base, with BlackRock, Visa and Mastercard highlighted at launch. Arc is also connected to Circle Mint, CCTP and Gateway, while a planned Privacy Sector is intended to support confidential payroll, lending, asset issuance and repo-market transactions.
ARC has a fixed initial supply of 10 billion tokens. Circle raised $222 million through a private presale involving 740 million ARC at $0.30 per token, implying a post-sale valuation of about $3 billion. For crypto traders, Arc is a significant infrastructure bet on AI agents and institutional stablecoin adoption. The launch could support long-term ARC and USDC demand if the network attracts meaningful applications, liquidity and transaction volume. Near-term performance may remain volatile because the ecosystem is early-stage, validator participation is permissioned and adoption must extend beyond institutional support.
SHR Miner is promoting Dogecoin cloud mining as a way to earn passive income without buying or maintaining mining hardware. The platform says users can lease computing power, track rewards through an online dashboard and withdraw supported cryptocurrencies.
The advertised contracts last from one to 50 days, with prices ranging from $100 to $30,000. SHR Miner also claims to offer a $15 registration bonus and a free hashing-power contract generating an estimated $0.60 per day. Examples include a $100 two-day contract with a claimed $8 return and a $30,000 40-day contract advertising a $20,520 return. The article also highlights UK-compliant operations, 24/7 support, real-time reward tracking and no hidden fees.
The material is promotional rather than independent reporting. SHR Miner’s licensing, hash rate, profitability figures and withdrawal reliability have not been independently verified. Dogecoin cloud mining returns depend on DOGE prices, fees, mining economics, contract terms and counterparty risk. Traders should conduct due diligence and should not interpret the promotion as a bullish signal for DOGE or the wider crypto market.
On-chain data shows Garrett Jin, linked to the “1011 insider whale”, previously expanded a 3x leveraged ZEC short to 37,759.57 ZEC, worth about $47.21 million. The position had unrealised losses of more than $22 million and a reported return of -140.22%. According to the latest update from Onchain Lens, Garrett Jin later closed the ZEC short after holding it for about three months, realising a reported loss of $36.13 million. Historical loss estimates of $12.77 million may reflect different calculation methods or position records. Garrett Jin now holds a 1,330 BTC long position worth about $108 million, with unrealised profits of roughly $3.71 million. The ZEC short closure is a notable whale-trading event, but it does not confirm a broader market trend. Traders should monitor ZEC price momentum, liquidation data and further wallet activity. The closure may reduce immediate forced-selling risk, while the BTC long shows continued exposure to Bitcoin.
Neutral
ZEC short positionWhale tradingBTC long positionCrypto lossesOn-chain data
The altcoin season narrative has strengthened as capital rotates from Bitcoin into higher-beta cryptocurrencies. Bankless co-founder David Hoffman said he sold ETH and moved into VVV, NEAR, ZEC, HYPE and LIT, claiming they outperformed ETH.
The market rally saw Bitcoin rise above $81,000 and ETH move above $2,600. UNI gained nearly 35% in one day, while ARB and NEAR advanced more than 20%. Regulatory optimism around DeFi, tokenised assets and compliant privacy applications has added to bullish sentiment. Glassnode said altcoin leverage remained below historical overheating levels, although rising leverage could increase volatility.
Hyperliquid recorded a reported $16.36 billion in open interest. HIP-3 markets contributed nearly half of its perpetual-futures volume in summer 2026, helped by equity and index contracts. HYPE rose above $94, supported partly by reported ecosystem buybacks exceeding $1.3 billion.
ZEC was among the strongest performers, gaining more than 2,500% over 12 months and briefly approaching $1,595. The combined developments reinforce the altcoin season theme, but traders should independently verify the figures and monitor Bitcoin dominance, funding rates, futures open interest, liquidity, token unlocks and liquidation risk. Fast-moving altcoin rallies can reverse sharply.
Bitcoin briefly fell below 81,000 USDT, trading at 80,990.7 USDT with a 0.26% 24-hour decline, according to OKX data. In the latest update, Bitcoin rose back above the psychological level to 81,002.8 USDT, although it remained down 0.75% over 24 hours. The recovery puts BTC near an important technical and psychological threshold for short-term traders. Market participants are likely to watch whether Bitcoin can hold above 81,000 USDT, supported by stronger volume and liquidity, or face renewed resistance. No specific catalyst was reported. Bitcoin’s next move could influence broader crypto market sentiment, but the modest price change does not yet signal a major sell-off or sustained breakout.
Nine major technology companies have accumulated about $3.1 trillion in off-balance-sheet AI commitments, up $1.3 trillion in three months, according to Morgan Stanley-related estimates. The exposure includes roughly $1.2 trillion in future data-centre leases and $1.9 trillion in purchase agreements for chips, equipment and other AI infrastructure. It is about five times the companies’ combined trailing 12-month capital expenditure of $600 billion and roughly three times their on-balance-sheet leases and long-term debt.
The commitments are generally disclosed in US GAAP footnotes and may not appear as liabilities until contracts become active. Some firms have also used special-purpose vehicles to finance infrastructure outside consolidated balance sheets. Alphabet’s contractual obligations rose from $332 billion in March to $811 billion in June 2026. Oracle’s off-balance-sheet commitments reached about $273 billion, while Meta’s were estimated at $420 billion, nearly five times its reported debt. A separate Nikkei Asia analysis put similar obligations at five hyperscalers at $1.65 trillion, above their combined reported debt of $1.35 trillion.
The scale of these off-balance-sheet AI commitments could make leverage and net-debt metrics understate financial risk. If AI revenue growth fails to match infrastructure spending, companies may face weaker free cash flow, higher capital needs, write-offs, renegotiations and refinancing pressure. Some hyperscalers have already moved into negative free cash flow. For crypto traders, the impact is indirect but important: a reassessment of Big Tech AI spending could pressure technology valuations and semiconductor demand, reduce risk appetite and tighten liquidity across digital-asset markets.
Neutral
AI infrastructureoff-balance-sheet liabilitiesBig Techhyperscalerscrypto market liquidity
British AI cloud provider Nscale has filed an S-1 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed New York Stock Exchange listing under the ticker NSCL. The Nscale IPO targets a valuation of up to $35 billion and could test investor appetite for high-growth, capital-intensive AI infrastructure companies.
Nscale was spun out of a cryptocurrency mining business in 2024. Nvidia is both a GPU supplier and customer, has invested more than $2 billion in the company, and signed a $1.2 billion capacity-leasing agreement with it.
Nscale reported first-half 2026 revenue of $140.6 million, up 1,252% year on year. However, it recorded a net loss of about $1.02 billion, including approximately $457 million from fair-value adjustments and $492 million in operating losses. The company also reported about $103.4 billion in active and contracted total contract value as of 31 August, linked to roughly 461,000 GPUs.
The Nscale IPO will likely be compared with Nvidia-backed AI infrastructure provider CoreWeave. For crypto traders, the listing may offer a signal on demand for GPU cloud services, data centres and AI computing, as well as market valuations and financing conditions. It has no direct effect on cryptocurrency supply, blockchain activity or token fundamentals.
Switchboard, a multichain oracle network, announced on September 19 that it would cease operations immediately. Switchboard Technology Labs is winding down the project, deprecating its implementations and ending remaining support on September 25, 2026. Users must migrate to alternative oracle providers, including Pyth and RedStone.
Switchboard served networks such as Solana, Aptos, Sui, IOTA and Movement. The shutdown follows an earlier service halt on Aptos, Sui, IOTA and Movement around August 29–30, which reportedly caused losses for DeFi protocols relying on Switchboard price feeds. Migration may require smart-contract updates, testing and the replacement of custom or niche data feeds.
The company cited lower oracle development costs from AI tools, prolonged bear-market pressure, direct partnerships between protocols and data providers, and declining trust after oracle security incidents. For traders, the main risk is localised instability rather than an immediate market-wide sell-off. Oracle failures can trigger inaccurate prices, liquidations, frozen markets and losses in lending or derivatives protocols. Traders should monitor affected projects, oracle-feed changes, liquidity and liquidation activity through the migration deadline.
The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will require manufacturers to report actively exploited vulnerabilities in products with digital elements within 24 hours of becoming aware of them. A full notification is due within 72 hours, followed by a final report after corrective measures become available.
Commercial hardware wallets and wallet software sold or distributed in the European Union may fall under the CRA. The law is not crypto-specific, and purely non-commercial open-source software receives different treatment. Providers will need rapid escalation procedures involving security, engineering and legal teams.
Breaches could result in fines of up to €15 million or 2.5% of worldwide annual turnover, while false or misleading information could trigger fines of up to €5 million. The CRA adds to existing financial, privacy and data-protection obligations for crypto companies. Recent wallet-related phishing incidents and a reported Zilliqa Ledger application vulnerability highlight the security risks behind the rule.
For crypto traders, the Cyber Resilience Act is primarily a long-term compliance and operational development. It could increase costs, accelerate vulnerability disclosures and prompt faster software updates, but it is unlikely to create an immediate price catalyst. The CRA may improve wallet security and transparency over time, supporting market stability rather than directly driving cryptocurrency prices.
Neutral
EU Cyber Resilience ActCrypto walletsVulnerability reportingCybersecurityCrypto regulation
S&P Global has agreed to acquire smart contract security firm OpenZeppelin for undisclosed terms, subject to customary closing conditions. OpenZeppelin will join S&P Global Ratings while continuing to operate as an independent business unit under its existing name. CEO Demian Brener will remain in charge and report to Yann Le Pallec.
Founded in 2015, OpenZeppelin provides smart contract audits and development services for DeFi protocols, blockchain networks and financial institutions. Its open-source Contracts library supports more than $37 trillion in transferred value and is used by major stablecoins and tokenised funds. The company has completed more than 900 security engagements, including an audit that identified a vulnerability potentially affecting about $15 billion in Convex Finance deposits in 2021.
S&P Global said the acquisition is not expected to materially affect its financial results. The deal expands S&P Global’s risk assessment and digital asset data capabilities as institutional adoption, tokenisation and on-chain trading grow. OpenZeppelin will gain access to more traditional finance clients. For crypto traders, the acquisition signals rising institutional demand for smart contract security, but it is unlikely to create an immediate price catalyst for major cryptocurrencies.
Kalshi has filed proposals with the SEC and CFTC to launch US stock perpetual futures, but the products have not yet been approved. The Kalshi stock perpetual futures would have no fixed expiry and use periodic funding payments between long and short positions to track underlying share prices. Kalshi says the contracts would be treated as security futures and cleared through its registered clearinghouse, Kalshi Klear.
The filing intensifies competition with Bitnomial, backed by Payward, which plans to list perpetual futures linked to 10 US stocks, including Tesla, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, with 24/5 trading. Coinbase is also pursuing similar equity derivatives through Bitnomial. Kalshi already offers crypto perpetual futures linked to BTC, ETH, SOL and XRP.
The proposals could expand regulated access to leveraged equity derivatives, but approval, margin requirements, funding costs and market-structure risks remain uncertain. The regulatory backdrop is also unsettled after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate on 15 September. For crypto traders, the immediate price impact is likely limited, while the longer-term development could increase competition between crypto and traditional derivatives venues.
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has included Cristiano Ronaldo in his first 25-man squad, confirming the 41-year-old has not retired from international football. However, Cristiano Ronaldo will not receive an automatic starting place. Selection will depend on current form, training performance and tactical needs.
Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 233 international appearances and could feature in UEFA Nations League matches against Wales, Norway and Denmark. Four players are uncapped, while 13 squad members previously worked with Jesus at Al-Nassr, where Ronaldo plays.
Jesus took charge on 10 July 2026 after Portugal’s World Cup round-of-16 exit and has signed through the 2030 World Cup. The coach appears to favour continuity while preparing for a gradual rebuild. Ronaldo has suggested the 2026 World Cup may have been his final major tournament but has not confirmed his retirement.
The news has no direct effect on cryptocurrency prices. Crypto traders should treat it as a neutral sports development rather than a market catalyst.
The Politics and Markets Forum on Seeking Alpha is a daily space for political discussion and commentary on potential links between politics and financial markets. The Politics and Markets Forum provides no specific cryptocurrency news, market event, economic data or trading recommendation. Its content comes from third-party contributors and may be highly opinionated. Seeking Alpha says these views do not necessarily represent the company and warns that past performance does not guarantee future results. Users are prohibited from posting personal attacks, hate speech, misinformation, stereotyping or incitement of violence. For crypto traders, the forum offers no identifiable catalyst involving job cuts, the tech sector, fiscal impact or digital assets. The expected crypto market impact is therefore limited.
Neutral
Political discussionMarket commentarySeeking AlphaTrading riskCrypto market neutrality
Bitcoin initially gained about 1% to $78,732, before extending its rebound to 6.6% and reaching $81,690, its highest level in nearly two weeks. Bitcoin held above $80,000, while Ethereum climbed above $2,600 and reached $2,646.
The stronger rally drove $652 million in crypto liquidations, up sharply from the earlier $157 million total. Short positions accounted for $583 million, or 89.4%, indicating a major short squeeze. About 125,002 traders were liquidated, including an $8.53 million BTC-USD position on Hyperliquid.
Market sentiment improved as the Crypto Fear and Greed Index rose from 56 to 71. Bitcoin resistance stands near $81,282 and $82,300. Support is around the 20-day moving average at $78,164, followed by $75,046 and $72,504. Bitcoin remains above its major moving averages, although the MACD is still bearish and earlier RSI readings showed overbought risk.
Ethereum also trades above its 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages. Solana rose 12% to $113.69 and XRP gained 8.3% to $1.41, while Bitcoin’s slightly lower market share suggests rotation into altcoins. The short-term outlook remains bullish, but traders should watch leverage, profit-taking, volatility, macro risks and a possible Bitcoin pullback towards its 20-day moving average.