Crypto News

Grok AI outlined a highly speculative scenario in which NEAR could reach $45–$80 by January 1, 2027, with a stretch target above $120. The scenario depends on major technology companies and AI research institutions choosing NEAR as infrastructure for a large decentralized AI agent network and data marketplace. The article says such coordination is currently highly unlikely; the forecast is not a base-case outlook. NEAR was described as consolidating around $4.40–$4.70, with resistance near $5.00–$5.50. A sustained move above $6–$7 could indicate stronger momentum, while support is cited around $4.20–$4.30 and $3.80–$4.00. The article also points to broader conditions—including crypto market liquidity, institutional adoption, and interest in AI-related blockchain projects—as potential influences. The NEAR price targets are scenario-based speculation, not a reliable prediction.

China AI stocks have lost about $480 billion in market value, with the STAR50 index falling roughly 40% in less than four months. The selloff reflects growing doubts about AI demand, corporate profits and high valuations. Despite the decline, the STAR50 trades at around 100 times trailing earnings, compared with about 30 times for the Nasdaq 100. The slump comes as Nvidia faces stronger competition in China. IDC data cited by Reuters puts Nvidia’s share of China’s data-centre AI accelerator market at 34% in the first half of 2026, while its shipments fell 44% year over year to about 678,000 units. US export controls and Beijing’s support for domestic suppliers, including Huawei, have helped local competitors gain ground. The losses are market-value declines, not an equivalent outflow of cash or a halt to AI investment. Still, lower valuations could make it harder for Chinese AI startups to raise capital. The story also highlights the tension between China AI stocks’ sharp correction and the continued global demand for AI infrastructure.

A wallet linked to the Ethereum Foundation sold 2,785 ETH for about $6.42 million on October 26, according to Lookonchain. The report revived concerns about selling pressure; a similar suspected Foundation-linked sale two weeks earlier was followed by a 9% ETH price decline. An early Ethereum investor also sold 1,500 ETH, while Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes said he had sold 6,400 ETH and other tokens, citing uncertain macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions. The sales have weighed on sentiment, with ETH’s Fear and Greed Index falling to 31, a reading in fear territory. Selling can add to the available supply and unsettle investors, though it does not guarantee further price declines. Buying activity offers a counterpoint. BitMine added 10,452 ETH, bringing its reported holdings to 6,051,933 ETH, or about 4.95% of supply, close to its 5% target. Ethereum staking also increased by nearly 2 million ETH in the third quarter, taking the total to 43.8 million, despite the annualized yield slipping from 2.81% to 2.63%. For ETH traders, the near-term outlook may hinge on whether selling pressure outpaces demand and accumulation.

Foundation Devices says attackers used customer records left accessible in legacy database tables to launch more than 23,000 phishing email attempts targeting its hardware wallet customers. Investigators confirmed 19,057 emails were sent through Mailgun and 1,503 through Google Workspace; the number of affected customers is not yet known. The Foundation Devices phishing incident involved names, shipping details, refund records and abandoned checkout information left behind after a legacy WooCommerce database migration. Recent Shopify order information may also have been exposed. The company said it has found no evidence that Passport hardware wallets or private keys were compromised, and its investigation is ongoing. The Foundation Devices phishing campaign raises customer privacy and security concerns, but no wallet compromise has been confirmed.

A prediction market account identified as 0x6ac5bb06a9eb05641fd5e82640268b92f3ab4b6e bought $195,000 worth of shares backing T1 to beat CFO in the League of Legends S16 World Championship Swiss Stage. The position was opened at an average price of 86.5 cents per share, for a total of 226,173.3 shares. The match is part of the third Swiss Stage round, where games are played as best-of-one. The trade reflects a sizable prediction market position on the esports match outcome; it does not directly indicate a move in cryptocurrency prices.

A certificate authority’s private key was reportedly set to the number 4 for more than a year, raising concerns about internet security and digital trust. Security expert Taylor Monahan said eMudhra passed two audits despite having eight weak keys. The discussion also questioned why revoking compromised certificates depends on coordination by email among Google, Mozilla and Apple. The episode argues that systems built on the assumption that few people would probe for weaknesses are increasingly exposed to persistent AI agents. It also covers PHP remote-code-execution vulnerabilities and a test transaction that attracted three competing theft attempts. These cases highlight wider risks to online infrastructure, though the article does not identify a direct cryptocurrency market catalyst.

PaperTrade attracted $140 million in pre-deposits by offering traders up to 1,000x leverage and PAPER tokens as rebates for losses. The protocol later said it no longer plans to make PAPER transferable, reversing a key expectation for early depositors. Delphi Research Head of Markets Jason Pagoulatos said the decision could reduce the risk of attacks on the platform, but described the change as a bait and switch for users who deposited under the original terms. One tracker showed PaperTrade staking revenue fell 93% in a day. The reversal raises questions about PAPER’s utility and demand, as well as whether the protocol can sustain a business without relying on its token.

A discussion on The Chopping Block covered a wave of critical software vulnerabilities dubbed “Black October,” banks restricting AI agents, Hyperliquid’s growing profile and a reported Visa bid for Fireblocks. The vulnerabilities hit PHP, Node and Railway within 48 hours. The discussion also cited Linux kernel exploits, a QUIC zero-day and millions of attempted exploits reported by Cloudflare. The hosts said the damage was limited relative to the scale of the security risks, and argued that open-source tools helped defenders respond. JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Schwab and Citi are restricting AI agents from interacting with customer accounts, reflecting concerns about automated access to financial services. The hosts also discussed Joe Weisenthal’s more positive view of Hyperliquid, a crypto trading platform, and a rumor that Visa may acquire Fireblocks for about $2.5 billion—below Fireblocks’ reported $8 billion valuation. The deal has not been confirmed. For crypto traders, Hyperliquid’s increased visibility is a notable sector signal, but the episode offers no new market data or confirmed transaction likely to drive prices on its own.

Altcoin season has yet to take hold, with Bitcoin dominance near 60% and the Altcoin Season Index around 52—below the 75 level often associated with a broad rally. On October 26, Solana traded near $101, XRP around $1.29 and Cardano near $0.20, while most major altcoins were slightly lower or nearly flat. The figures point to continued concentration in Bitcoin rather than a market-wide rotation. Institutional access is growing but remains selective. US Solana ETFs held about $1.69 billion in assets as of October 21, with roughly $1.56 billion in cumulative net inflows, although recent daily flows weakened. CME Group has also expanded its Emerging Crypto Index to include ten assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, including XRP, BNB and Solana. Traders are watching the Federal Reserve’s October 27–28 meeting. Economists generally expect rates to remain at 3.75%–4.00%, but a hawkish outlook could weigh on higher-risk altcoins. A durable decline in Bitcoin dominance, an Altcoin Season Index above 75, broader market gains and sustained institutional inflows would offer stronger confirmation that altcoin season is beginning.

A comparison of Deel and Remote finds that both start at $599 per employee per month for employer-of-record (EOR) services and charge $29 per employee for global payroll. Remote is cheaper for contractor management at $29 per month, compared with Deel’s $49, and offers eligible startups a 15% first-year discount on EOR and contractor plans. Remote also has no standard EOR deposit. Deel stands out for crypto payroll. It accepts USDC and USDT to fund eligible invoices, lets contractors withdraw USDC or USDT through supported wallets and networks, and allows some employees to receive 10% to 25% of net pay in stablecoins. Remote offers USDC payouts to eligible contractors in about 67 countries, but does not support stablecoin payments to employees or crypto-funded invoices. Its payout route is limited to individuals and sole proprietors. For a hypothetical team with 10 contractors and two EOR employees, list-price fees are $1,688 a month at Deel and $1,488 at Remote. The choice therefore depends on priorities: Remote may suit teams focused on lower contractor costs, while Deel may better serve crypto businesses seeking stablecoin funding and payouts. The comparison is based partly on company pricing and help pages reviewed on 26 October 2026; the author says their own Deel experience involved bank transfers, not crypto payouts.

Kraken Pro has launched BTC and ETH options for eligible clients in the European Economic Area (EEA). The European-style, cash-settled contracts are available through clients’ existing Derivatives accounts on web and mobile, with weekly, monthly, quarterly and semi-annual expiries. Options are linear and settled in USD, while more than 30 currencies can be used as collateral. Kraken options trade through a request-for-quote (RFQ) system, allowing up to five legs per trade. Portfolio margin is enabled by default, and options share collateral with Futures. Unlike perpetual contracts, options do not incur funding payments. Clients must complete an appropriateness assessment before trading. The launch expands access to crypto derivatives on Kraken Pro and gives eligible EEA traders tools to trade volatility, hedge holdings or take a defined-risk directional position. Options can also carry substantial risk: buyers may lose their full position value, while losses for sellers can exceed posted margin and may be unlimited.

Nethermind has released v2.2.2, a patch update based on v2.2.1 that incorporates Microsoft’s October 2026 out-of-band .NET security updates. The release updates the .NET runtime in Docker images and self-contained binaries to version 10.0.14, and refreshes related .NET packages. Nethermind v2.2.2 makes no changes to Nethermind code, database formats, configuration, consensus behavior or fork schedules. Operators can upgrade in place from any 2.2.x version; Docker users can pull the new image tag. The update is focused on client security and maintenance, rather than Ethereum network or protocol changes.

MetaMask 8.17.1 is an over-the-air hotfix release focused on correcting a send-flow pricing issue. The update fixes a bug that double-counted a token’s price when converting crypto amounts to fiat currency, which could have made displayed values inaccurate. The release also includes a range of previously developed fixes and updates, including improvements to perpetual trading screens, Android controls, transaction details, and payment flows. The changelog is a software release record, not an announcement of a new token or a change to crypto market fundamentals.

Anthropic’s S-1 filing for its planned IPO shows strong enterprise adoption of Claude and a strategy to retain customers through a connected product ecosystem. As of September 30, more than 11,900 customers spent at least $100,000 a year; over 1,900 spent more than $1 million, and about 250 spent at least $10 million annually. Anthropic sells Claude through APIs, developer tools and enterprise chat products. Using multiple services may make it harder for customers to switch to competitors, although customers relying mainly on API access could move to a cheaper or newer model more easily. The company says it has raised about $12.7 billion. Amazon has committed up to $4 billion, and Google has invested around $2 billion; both also distribute Claude through their cloud platforms. The Anthropic S-1 highlights the potential strength and risk of large enterprise accounts: deep adoption could support recurring revenue, while concentration among major customers leaves the company exposed if they reduce spending. The filing may also offer a signal of public-market appetite for AI companies.

Sakana AI plans to build domestic AI models from scratch in Japan, shifting beyond its earlier focus on refining existing models and combining their capabilities. The Tokyo-based startup says locally developed models could reduce reliance on foreign AI, particularly in sensitive areas such as finance and defense. Founded in 2023 by former Google researchers, Sakana AI raised ¥20 billion (about $135 million) in a November 2025 Series B round at a post-money valuation of $2.65 billion. Its products include the Japan-focused Namazu model series and tools for coordinating AI agents and enterprise work. The company’s new development plans align with Japan’s wider sovereign AI push.

U.S. gasoline prices are near $4.29 per gallon, up about 44% from $2.98 before the Iran conflict began on February 28. President Donald Trump called higher fuel costs a small price to pay to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and predicted gasoline could eventually fall to $1.85 after the war. Oil prices eased on reports of diplomatic efforts, but Brent remained around $114.82 a barrel and U.S. WTI near $101.19. Risks to Middle Eastern production and shipping, including around the Strait of Hormuz, continue to support prices. JPMorgan estimated Brent’s underlying value at about $94, suggesting geopolitical uncertainty accounts for part of the premium. Diesel has risen roughly 69% to about $6.35 per gallon, increasing costs for transport, farming and other businesses. Persistent gasoline and diesel price pressures could feed inflation and complicate the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook. For traders, the direction of oil and fuel prices will depend heavily on diplomacy and the security of regional energy infrastructure.

Unconventional AI, founded by former Nervana Systems and MosaicML entrepreneur Naveen Rao, has acquired Israeli AI-chip startup NeuReality in a cash-and-stock deal with undisclosed terms. About 40 NeuReality employees are expected to join Unconventional AI, which plans to retain operations in Israel. The acquisition adds chip-design and deployment expertise as Unconventional AI develops a new computing architecture intended to make AI hardware up to 1,000 times more energy-efficient. That figure is a company goal, not a proven commercial result. The startup says it has produced an experimental chip and is nearing completion of a second. Unconventional AI raised $475 million at a $4.5 billion valuation before launching a commercial product. Its deal for NeuReality comes as rising data-centre power needs fuel interest in alternatives to conventional AI processors. The technology remains under development, and the key test will be whether it can operate reliably and economically at scale.

QNT rose 13% on Monday to about $214, briefly reaching $223.96, while Bitcoin, Ethereum and the wider crypto market fell. The token has gained nearly 100% in a month, with Binance spot volume reaching $27.4 million by 15:00 UTC—more than twice its recent daily average. Coinbase and Kraken also recorded strong dollar-pair activity, while derivatives open interest remained low and funding was slightly negative, suggesting the rally was driven mainly by spot buying rather than leverage. Interest centres on Quant’s role in The Clearing House’s On-Chain Money Initiative. Announced in September, the project aims to connect banks’ tokenized deposits with the RTP and CHIPS payment systems. Bank onboarding is expected in the first quarter of 2027, with live transactions targeted for the second quarter; revenue for Quant is therefore not an immediate catalyst. Nearly all of QNT’s 14.6 million maximum supply is already circulating. Technically, QNT rebounded from around $173.50 and broke above $212.87. Traders are watching $200 as near-term support and $251.60–$255 as resistance. A daily close below $200 could undermine the breakout, while a close above resistance may put the $270 area in view.

Bitcoin recovered towards $82,000 after sliding to about $80,100 as hotter-than-expected inflation and a sell-off in AI-linked stocks pressured risk assets. It was down about 0.6% over the week, while the wider crypto market fell 2.1% to roughly $2.76 trillion. Bitcoin’s market share remained near 60%. Crypto investment products recorded $593.3 million in weekly outflows. Ethereum funds led losses with $320.1 million withdrawn, compared with $228.4 million from Bitcoin products. Ether traded near $2,403, down 3.4% for the week; XRP and Solana also fell. A new MSCI rule taking effect on November 30 could remove companies classified as non-operating from its benchmarks if digital assets make up more than half their holdings. Strategy and Metaplanet have been cited as possible candidates. JPMorgan estimates Strategy could face as much as $2.8 billion in outflows. Meanwhile, Strategy added 267 BTC, bringing its holdings to 848,517 BTC. Institutional developments offered a counterpoint: the European Banking Authority designated Circle’s USDC a significant e-money token under MiCA, and JPMorgan expanded its deposit token to Ethereum. BlackRock’s crypto ETF assets rose 63% in the third quarter to $79.6 billion. In the US, crypto adviser Patrick Witt is leaving, while the CLARITY Act remains stalled.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $909 million in net outflows over two weeks, their biggest pullback since April. Withdrawals reached about $228 million from October 12 to 16, after $681 million the previous week. Bitcoin fell below $82,000 and ended the week near $81,400. Liquidations approached $1 billion on October 15 as Bitcoin, Ether and XRP dropped together. Despite the institutional outflows, Charles Schwab launched Bitcoin and Ether trading for eligible US clients, charging 0.75% per trade. Separately, an OCC review found that all nine major US national banks have policies allowing them to restrict services to crypto businesses. In Europe, the EBA designated Circle’s USDC a “significant” e-money token under MiCA, bringing it under direct oversight from November 12. Tether’s USDT remains outside the framework, while EU platforms have three months to unwind exposure to non-compliant stablecoins. MSCI may remove Bitcoin-heavy firms Strategy and Metaplanet from its indexes, with a final decision due November 11 and any changes taking effect after November 30. The White House digital-assets office also lost its final adviser without a named successor. Meanwhile, five CFTC-registered exchanges have applied to list security futures, with at least four potentially offering regulated securities perpetual futures before year-end.

The CFTC is developing a voluntary federal registration pathway for crypto exchanges offering retail customers leveraged, margined or financed trading. Chairman Mike Selig says the plan would bring participating platforms closer to safeguards used in US derivatives markets, while Congress has yet to pass a crypto market-structure law. The proposal is still under consultation, not in force. The CFTC’s notice seeks input on requirements for token listings, market surveillance, customer funds, conflicts of interest and proof of reserves. The agency is also considering whether an offer of financing could bring transactions into scope even when customers pay in full. The comment deadline is Dec. 14, 2026. For traders, the CFTC crypto exchange registration pathway could eventually mean stronger customer protections and clearer rules for eligible platforms, but it may also raise compliance costs and affect which venues offer financed trading. The framework’s scope, state-law implications and final requirements remain unresolved.

The 2.14.0-rc.7 testnet release includes change #16637 on top of release candidate 6. It does not include a protocol, database or security upgrade. The notice provides no further details about the change. This testnet release is a software update for testing, not a confirmed mainnet upgrade.

The Justin Sun Prize has launched a pilot with MathDB covering 50 mathematical problems, with Caltech Professor Tony Yue Yu leading the scientific work. Problem-level prize pools can reach $1 million, subject to eligibility and program rules. The Justin Sun Prize will assess eligibility, attribution and award terms, while MathDB will handle submissions, Lean proof verification and review of explanatory materials. Rewards are allocated 50% to the solution, 30% to Lean formalization and 20% to qualifying exposition. The pilot includes high-profile challenges such as P versus NP and the Riemann Hypothesis. The announcement has no stated changes to TRON or its token economics.

Former White House Council of Economic Advisers chair Jason Furman says he would choose current AI systems over a team of 20 economists for much of the CEA’s routine analytical work. He cited AI’s speed and reliability in research, data synthesis and routine analysis, provided its output is checked for accuracy. Furman said human economists are still needed for communication, judgment and original research. He also launched Econvitals, a public website that compiles US economic data and publishes research summaries and AI-generated papers. The project uses Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s Codex. The comments highlight how AI could change policy research and the economics profession, while underscoring the importance of human oversight. The story has no direct cryptocurrency catalyst, but adds to broader discussion of AI adoption and its potential effects on productivity and employment.

Coinbase has opened spot trading for Ritual’s RITUAL token in supported jurisdictions. The exchange added RITUAL to its listing roadmap on September 16, 2026. An EU MiCAR white paper also names Coinbase, OKX and Bitvavo as trading venues. Ritual is building a Layer 1 blockchain for autonomous AI agents. RITUAL is used for network fees, AI inference payments, staking and governance. The project’s initial supply is 10 billion tokens, with 1.8 billion (18%) set to unlock at public mainnet launch. Core contributors are allocated 29%, with their tokens locked for at least one year. Traders should check regional availability and monitor the relatively limited initial float and future unlocks.

Investor Victor Dergunov argues that high US debt and deficits make persistently low interest rates increasingly important, and says the Federal Reserve should consider easing monetary policy and restarting quantitative easing (QE), including purchases of longer-term bonds. He says the Fed’s hawkish stance reflects elevated inflation and oil prices, even as AI investment adds to market pressures. Dergunov estimates that the Fed’s balance sheet could expand quietly, adding about $200 billion in liquidity this year. He maintains a bullish outlook for US equities, with an early-2027 S&P 500 target of 8,200–8,500, but says that forecast depends on a dovish Fed pivot and easing geopolitical risks. These are the author’s views, not an announced change in Fed policy. For crypto traders, a shift toward Fed QE could support risk appetite by easing financial conditions, while persistent inflation or continued hawkish policy could limit that effect.

Intel’s turnaround could gain momentum as demand for server CPUs used in AI inference workloads rises, tightening supply and potentially supporting chip pricing. The article’s author maintains a Strong Buy rating on Intel (INTC), with a $164 price target, and cites a forecast of $63.66 billion in FY2026 revenue. Potential growth drivers include improving margins, foundry expansion and strategic partnerships. However, the outlook depends partly on securing major foundry agreements, while continued foundry losses remain a risk if prospective deals with companies such as SK hynix and Apple do not materialize. The article presents an analyst’s view, not confirmed company guidance.

Aave said on X that deposits on Aave V4 have surpassed $1.5 billion, setting a record. The milestone points to growing activity on the decentralized lending platform, although the announcement did not provide further details on the sources of deposits or how the increase may affect the AAVE token.

Trader Bonk Guy says his FOMO portfolio has fallen 69% from a peak of $28.5 million about six weeks ago to around $8.9 million. He continues to hold major positions in PONS, USELESS and MARSCOIN, and says he has recently added MASK and SI. Bonk Guy also sees potential in PANGEA and VRAX, although he considers them higher-risk bets. He believes most of the portfolio’s decline is behind him and sees the risk-reward balance favoring a rebound. He also says cross-chain diversification gives him a better chance of setting a new portfolio high. Bonk Guy says he has ranked first on the FOMO platform for more than two months.