Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Sandisk (SNDK) has moved from a cautious earnings outlook to a Strong Buy view as AI infrastructure supports NAND flash demand. Enterprise SSDs for AI inference, non-volatile memory and data-intensive workloads could sustain demand even as NAND supply stabilises and pricing becomes less favourable. Sandisk’s New Business Model agreements cover about half of projected fiscal 2027 bit shipments and roughly two-thirds of fiscal 2028 shipments. These multi-year contracts could improve revenue visibility and reduce exposure to NAND price cycles. UltraQLC, BiCS9, BiCS10 and High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) initiatives may also support storage density, cost efficiency and margins. The latest analysis highlights scalable process-node transitions, relatively low capital intensity, high operating leverage and potential free cash flow growth. Wider adoption of agentic AI and HBF could provide further upside. SNDK is valued at about 7.2 times estimated fiscal 2029 earnings, although risks include NAND oversupply, weaker pricing and execution challenges. The author disclosed a long position in SNDK. This is an AI semiconductor and data-storage development, not a direct cryptocurrency catalyst, so crypto traders should monitor it mainly as a broader technology-sector sentiment signal.

A-shares rallied last week as higher turnover, easing geopolitical tensions and clearer economic policy improved investor risk appetite. Technology and growth stocks returned to market leadership, with electronics and communications outperforming. China’s domestic demand remains weak, highlighted by soft August retail sales. However, manufacturing activity and exports stayed resilient. Policymakers continue to emphasise economic transformation and structural growth. Concerns about artificial intelligence spending eased as Chinese technology companies upgraded models and expanded computing infrastructure. Improving external conditions and stronger risk appetite could support A-shares after the market’s second bottom since July. For traders, the recovery favours technology, communications and other growth sectors, although weak consumption remains a key downside risk.

Solana price analysis shows that SOL’s broader trend remains bullish while key support levels hold. After trading between $72 and $80 in August, SOL broke higher in September and reached about $120 on September 22 before pulling back. The daily chart identifies a major demand zone between $76 and $81, supported by a rising trendline from the June low. On the four-hour chart, the main order block sits between $107 and $109.50. The one-hour chart highlights $115 to $116.80 as the first support zone to watch during the current retracement. A sustained move above $120 could trigger short liquidations because Binance’s SOL/USDT liquidation heatmap shows leveraged short positions concentrated near that level. However, a decisive break below $112 could expose the $107-$109.50 zone. A daily close under $108 would threaten the broader June uptrend. This Solana price analysis suggests that traders are watching liquidity, order blocks and trendline support rather than relying on a single price prediction. Coinbase’s reported opening of IPO access to retail traders also contributed to a wider risk-on mood in crypto markets, although the technical setup could invalidate quickly.

China’s Cyberspace Administration has reportedly opened investigations into DeepSeek and Moonshot over alleged unauthorised data transfers to Anthropic’s Claude. The allegations emerged after Anthropic said seven Chinese companies, including DeepSeek, Moonshot, Alibaba, Zhipu, SenseTime, MiniMax and Xiaomi, used Claude at scale for model distillation and user-request processing. Anthropic said DeepSeek generated 12.1 million requests through Claude in 14 days in July 2026. Moonshot allegedly transferred more than 23 million conversations between May and July, with a separate report linking thousands of accounts to hundreds of thousands of customer requests. Anthropic also said roughly 24,000 fraudulent accounts generated more than 16 million exchanges. Proxy networks were allegedly used to bypass restrictions on China-based access. Some requests may have contained sensitive information connected to police, military and government-affiliated organisations, including movement records, police data and national identification numbers. The DeepSeek investigation therefore involves data sovereignty, privacy compliance and national-security concerns, not only model licensing. US agencies have also warned that Chinese companies conducted large-scale model-distillation campaigns, with possible government awareness. The DeepSeek investigation adds geopolitical sensitivity ahead of a reported meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Washington and Beijing consider an AI incident-reporting mechanism. For crypto traders, the event is primarily an AI and US-China technology risk. It could increase volatility in AI stocks, cloud-computing companies and technology markets, while encouraging tighter data controls and cross-border restrictions. Direct effects on major cryptocurrencies are likely limited unless the dispute escalates into technology sanctions or triggers a broader risk-off move.

Bernstein projects Bitcoin could reach $150,000 by mid-2027, while BlackRock encourages investors to consider a 1–2% portfolio allocation through its spot Bitcoin fund. BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink has shifted from criticising Bitcoin to describing it as “digital gold”, highlighting the cryptocurrency’s transition from a fringe asset to an institutional investment product. The article argues that Bitcoin’s institutional adoption has changed its original purpose. Instead of focusing on privacy, permissionless payments and independence from banks, Wall Street increasingly presents Bitcoin as a macroeconomic hedge against currency debasement and government debt. Bitcoin is also traded as a risk asset, reacting to interest-rate decisions, tariffs and fund flows. The article notes that Bitcoin transactions remain visible on a public blockchain, while privacy-focused projects such as Monero and Zcash offer stronger transaction privacy but have faced delistings from major regulated exchanges. This contrast suggests that the financial system has embraced the more transparent and easily regulated Bitcoin rather than privacy-oriented alternatives. For traders, the key message is that Bitcoin’s institutionalisation may support long-term liquidity and demand, but it also makes BTC more sensitive to macroeconomic conditions, ETF flows and traditional market sentiment. The article presents this as a trade-off rather than a direct buy or sell recommendation.

CoinST will attend TOKEN2049 Singapore 2026 on October 7–8 at Marina Bay Sands. The event is expected to attract more than 25,000 attendees, 7,000 companies, 300 speakers and 500 exhibitors from the global crypto and Web3 industry. CoinST said it plans to meet traders, investors, project teams, builders and potential partners to discuss digital asset markets, crypto trading and future industry opportunities. The platform highlighted its focus on spot trading, futures, copy trading, earn products and emerging digital asset narratives. The CoinST appearance is primarily an industry networking and business-development initiative. The company did not announce a new token, product launch, investment, listing or trading incentive. For traders, the event may offer insight into CoinST’s product roadmap and partnership strategy, but it is unlikely to create a direct market catalyst for major cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin (BTC) has rallied above $85,000 after breaking through $75,000, giving traders a clearer view of how different crypto strategies performed during months of uncertainty. A June 2026 Strategy& survey found that 56% of 2,500 retail investors used market volatility to buy the dip, while more than 80% planned to increase their digital-asset allocations over the following year. Buy-and-hold remained the most popular approach. Some investors instead held stablecoins and waited for stronger confirmation. This reduced their exposure to the rally but preserved liquidity for future entries. Institutional investors faced a similar trade-off. An EY-Parthenon and Coinbase survey found that 73% planned to increase digital-asset allocations, while nearly half said volatility had increased their focus on risk management, liquidity and position sizing. The article highlights several ways to put waiting capital to work. Galaxy Institutional Lending offers lending and treasury-management solutions, including the GOFR model, which allocates across on-chain markets such as Aave, Morpho, Spark and Kamino. Galaxy has committed $100 million in first-loss capital to GOFR, subject to applicable terms. Zero Hash offers enterprise staking through an API, although assets remain subject to network unstaking periods. WhiteBIT Crypto Lending for Business offers institutional plans starting at 600,000 USDT, with terms from 10 days to several years. The main lesson for crypto traders is that yield should not be assessed separately from liquidity. These crypto strategies can generate returns while capital is waiting, but long lock-ups, early-exit conditions and unstaking periods may limit the ability to respond to sudden market moves.

Bitfinex has restricted access to certain pages for customers in European Economic Area (EEA) countries, citing new regulatory requirements. The exchange has not identified the affected pages or services, and has not announced changes to cryptocurrency prices, trading pairs, withdrawals or account access. Bitfinex advises EEA customers seeking clarification to contact support. Traders should monitor further updates and assess whether the restrictions affect account access or trading activity. The notice highlights growing regulatory compliance requirements for crypto exchanges in Europe.

SoFi has moved its $25 billion SoFi Bank debit and credit card program to on-chain SoFiUSD settlement across Mastercard’s global payments network. The rollout makes SoFiUSD, a US dollar-backed stablecoin issued by nationally chartered SoFi Bank, one of the first bank-issued stablecoins used in live Mastercard settlement. Transactions are already settling on blockchain networks, while merchants can receive US dollar funds through SoFi Bank’s Big Business Banking platform. Merchants do not need to hold SoFiUSD, manage crypto wallets or build blockchain infrastructure. They can withdraw cash around the clock without a withdrawal fee. SoFiUSD is redeemable 1:1 for US dollars and operates on Ethereum and Solana. The stablecoin is available to institutions and SoFi’s nearly 15 million members for payments, settlement and other financial applications. SoFi and Mastercard are also exploring additional uses, including merchant settlement, cross-border payments and remittances. Mastercard previously announced plans to support several regulated stablecoins, including USDC, PYUSD, USDG, USDP, RLUSD and SoFiUSD, across multiple blockchain networks. The launch strengthens the connection between traditional card payments and blockchain settlement. However, the companies have not disclosed a timetable for broader merchant adoption or international expansion.

Former US President Donald Trump said oil prices could fall sharply once the Iran conflict ends. Brent crude has recently moved above $100 a barrel as geopolitical risk and market volatility pushed energy prices higher. Oil prices have also reacted quickly to ceasefire announcements and other signs of de-escalation. Prediction-market data points to limited expectations for a new crude oil record. The probability of oil reaching an all-time high by September 30 has fallen to 0.5%, while the probability for December 31 stands at 10.5%. These figures suggest traders are becoming more cautious about another near-term surge in oil prices. For financial and crypto traders, the key risks remain geopolitical developments, OPEC production decisions and forecasts from the International Energy Agency. A durable ceasefire or peace agreement could reduce the risk premium in oil markets and improve broader market sentiment. However, renewed military escalation could push energy prices higher, increase inflation concerns and pressure risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. Oil prices are likely to remain sensitive to headlines until the Iran conflict shows a clear path toward resolution.

President Donald Trump has described Iran as the leading state sponsor of terrorism, reinforcing Washington’s hardline stance and reducing expectations for a 2026 US-Iran deal. The potential agreement could include Iran reconstruction funding, limits on uranium enrichment, uranium stockpile transfers and the release of frozen assets. Trump also said the United States is rapidly increasing its weapons stockpiles while supporting Iran’s economic isolation. The combination of military preparedness and economic pressure could further hinder diplomatic negotiations. Prediction-market pricing has reportedly shifted lower, signalling reduced confidence in a deal involving reconstruction funding before the end of 2026. Traders are watching statements from US officials, including chief negotiator Mike Vance, and Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Military action, troop or diplomatic withdrawals, sanctions developments, and progress on nuclear or frozen-asset issues could drive further changes in market sentiment. For crypto traders, the main concern is geopolitical risk. A prolonged US-Iran standoff could increase demand for defensive assets, raise volatility and weigh on risk-sensitive cryptocurrencies. The article does not identify a specific crypto asset or provide direct price data.

US-Iran deal prospects weakened after President Joe Biden warned that Iran could pose a greater terror threat if empowered by nuclear weapons. The comments come as nuclear talks remain stalled and international inspectors face restricted access to Iranian sites. Prediction-market pricing puts the probability of a 2026 US-Iran deal that includes reconstruction funding at 18.5% YES, down from earlier levels. The decline signals increased geopolitical risk and reduced expectations for a near-term diplomatic breakthrough. For crypto traders, the Iran warning and broader Middle East tensions could drive short-term volatility through changes in oil prices, inflation expectations, interest-rate forecasts and demand for safe-haven assets. Traders should monitor nuclear negotiations, military activity and statements from key diplomatic actors. The US-Iran deal remains the main market-sensitive issue, while any de-escalation could improve risk sentiment.

Flap, a token-launch platform, has added pre-market token pools linked to Anthropic and Kalshi. The Anthropic pre-market token is supported by OpenStocks, while Paimon Finance supports the Kalshi pre-market token. The announcement provides no information on token prices, trading volume, launch dates or the projects’ official token symbols. The new Flap pools may expand early access to token markets and attract speculative traders, but liquidity, pricing and counterparty risks remain key factors. Traders should verify the tokens’ official contracts and supporting platforms before trading.

Direxion has filed applications for four thematic exchange-traded funds: an El Niño ETF, a La Niña ETF, an AI Prosperity ETF and a Doomsday ETF, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, who posted the information on X. The proposed El Niño ETF would track weather-related conditions, including hurricanes, while the La Niña ETF would focus on events such as droughts. The AI Prosperity ETF and Doomsday ETF would track prediction markets reflecting changing social conditions. The filings have not yet resulted in approved products or confirmed launch dates. Direxion’s ETF applications could expand access to weather, artificial intelligence and prediction-market themes, but traders should monitor regulatory decisions, underlying index methodology and liquidity before assessing their potential market impact.

Bitcoin price forecast: Bitcoin (BTC) traded near $85,900 on September 22, 2026, after briefly reaching $86,922. The cryptocurrency gained about 2% in 24 hours but pulled back as traders assessed resistance and thin order-book liquidity. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $999 million in net inflows on September 21. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $381.4 million, followed by ARK 21Shares’ ARKB at $289.1 million and Fidelity’s FBTC at $238.8 million. No tracked fund reported outflows. Combined ETF inflows over three sessions reached about $1.59 billion, reversing withdrawals recorded on September 15 and 16. For the Bitcoin price forecast, key levels are $84,000 and $85,000 on the downside and $87,000 and $90,000 as resistance. A sustained move above $87,000 could strengthen the case for a test of $90,000. Conversely, a break below $84,000 could expose support near $82,000, while broader technical analysis identifies $79,000-$80,000 as a deeper support zone. The immediate outlook depends on continued ETF demand, liquidity conditions and market reaction to comments from New York Fed President John Williams. The article also highlights Bitcoin Hyper, a proposed Bitcoin Layer 2 with Solana Virtual Machine integration. Its presale reportedly raised $33.15 million, but the project remains speculative and should not be treated as a direct substitute for Bitcoin exposure.

Kingfisher plc published its 2027 Q2 earnings call presentation. The material was released alongside the company’s quarterly results call and covers the home-improvement retailer’s performance and outlook. However, the provided article contains no detailed financial figures, management guidance, operational metrics or strategic updates. The source is attributed to Seeking Alpha’s SA Transcripts team. For traders, this Kingfisher 2027 Q2 presentation offers limited actionable information without the underlying slides or earnings data. There is no reported cryptocurrency exposure, blockchain initiative or technology-sector development in the available content.

Thermal Energy International (TMG:CA) CEO William Crossland outlined the company’s fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter and full-year performance during an earnings call on 22 September 2026. Management said a solid fourth quarter capped a record fiscal year, although the supplied transcript does not include detailed revenue, earnings or cash-flow figures. The company had invested heavily in sales, marketing and engineering during fiscal 2024 and 2025. Those investments created short-term pressure on profitability, but management expected them to support revenue growth and improve profitability in fiscal 2026. The company’s financial statements and management discussion and analysis were filed on SEDAR and made available on its website. For traders, the key themes are operational execution, the payoff from earlier expansion spending and the company’s forward outlook. More detailed financial figures and guidance would be needed to assess valuation or identify a clear trading catalyst.

AAVE buybacks remain suspended months after the Kelp DAO rsETH exploit exposed a major hole in Aave-related markets. The incident involved 152,577 stolen rsETH, creating an estimated shortfall of about 163,183 ETH. Recoveries and liquidations reduced the gap to roughly 75,200 ETH. To support the recovery, ecosystem partners donated about 14,570 ETH, Aave DAO contributed 25,000 ETH from its treasury, and Mantle provided a long-term credit facility of up to 30,000 ETH. Aave also arranged approximately 44,787 ETH in temporary bridge financing. The financial pressure is limiting AAVE’s ability to restart token buybacks. In the 144 days after the incident, Aave DAO retained about $24 million in revenue, or roughly $167,000 per day. That was 41% below the $40.5 million retained during the previous 144-day period. At an ETH price of about $2,639, the maximum Mantle facility was worth approximately $79 million. If Aave used all retained revenue to repay it, repayment would take about 473 days, or 15.6 months. This is a stress-test scenario, not a confirmed repayment plan. AAVE buybacks could resume earlier, but only if protocol revenue improves and the balance sheet stabilises. For traders, the key catalysts are Aave revenue growth, debt repayment progress and any governance proposal to restart buybacks.

Clorox has been downgraded from hold to sell as its fundamentals deteriorate and dividend coverage weakens. Organic sales fell 13% in the fourth quarter despite the company’s acquisition of GOJO. Only Clorox’s international business reported growth. Clorox’s long-term debt has risen to nearly $4 billion, increasing financial pressure in a high-interest-rate environment. Profitability has also declined, while free cash flow no longer covers the company’s dividend. Although Clorox offers an attractive dividend yield of about 6%, the payout may be unsustainable if cash generation does not improve. The downgrade reflects concerns about weak sales, higher leverage and limited upside potential. For investors, Clorox’s dividend yield may not compensate for the risks linked to declining operating performance and elevated borrowing costs.

Brazil stocks are attracting attention as investors look beyond the narrow leadership of US mega-cap technology companies linked to artificial intelligence. Foreign investors withdrew about BRL 3 billion from Brazilian equities between 11 and 18 August, following a BRL 4.7 billion single-day outflow that intensified the market decline. Despite the selling pressure, Brazil stocks appear relatively inexpensive. The MSCI Brazil Index trades at about 8.3 times forward earnings, below its 10-year average of 9.7 times. Its dividend yield is approximately 7.0%, compared with a 10-year average of 5.6%. Brazil also offers one of the highest positive real interest rates among major economies, at around 9.3%. The Selic policy rate remains well above current and expected inflation. The combination of discounted valuations, high dividends, commodities exposure, banks and elevated real rates could provide potential upside into the October election, although political uncertainty and continued foreign outflows remain key risks.

Uniswap founder Hayden Adams said former FTX chief Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly bought the Uniswap.com domain for a seven-figure sum after Uniswap Labs rejected the seller’s asking price. Adams said the domain was later redirected to SushiSwap, a competing Uniswap fork, apparently to antagonise or “flex” against Uniswap Labs. A WIPO panel later ruled that the domain had been acquired and used in bad faith. It found a likelihood of confusion with Uniswap’s trademark and ordered the transfer of Uniswap.com to Uniswap Labs. The company filed its complaint on 18 May 2021, while the domain’s representative said it had acquired the domain on 7 April 2021. The domain was originally registered in 2000. The WIPO ruling did not name Bankman-Fried as the respondent or prove that he personally bought the domain. Evidence showed that the respondent knew of Uniswap and redirected visitors to SushiSwap, which operated in the same DeFi market. The site was later changed to a sea-urchin-themed website. The Uniswap.com dispute highlights the value of crypto branding, domain ownership and DeFi competition. It has limited direct implications for UNI or SUSHI prices, although the case could renew attention on Uniswap, SushiSwap and FTX-era activity.

Arthur Hayes says the AI boom could create major AI debt and insurance risks that eventually support Bitcoin. He argues that Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX may be slowing AGI development because of weaker demand, falling AI prices and competition from low-cost Chinese models, rather than safety concerns alone. The leading AI laboratories remain unprofitable and rely on sustained demand for computing power. Their long-term commitments support data-centre construction, chip purchases and more than $1 trillion in investment-grade debt, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in lower-rated loans. Reduced spending on model training and inference could weaken cash flows and reprice AI debt before defaults occur. Hayes also points to possible exposure among private-credit funds, insurers and captive-reinsurance structures. Nick Nameth estimates that questionable captive-reinsurance assets could total $1.54 trillion, although this figure is difficult to verify independently. A sharp repricing could initially trigger risk-off trading and pressure Bitcoin. Possible policy responses include government-backed AI compute contracts, insurer bailouts, additional borrowing and monetary expansion. Hayes argues that such fiscal and liquidity support could later benefit Bitcoin by strengthening risk assets and increasing concerns about currency debasement. The thesis remains speculative. Traders should monitor AI capital spending, data-centre debt ratings, private-credit stress, insurer disclosures, US Treasury issuance, Federal Reserve policy, real yields, the dollar and Bitcoin liquidity.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory authorities reported a record single-case default settlement involving copper-clad laminate maker Lianmao (6213). Beicheng Securities reported an unpaid transaction worth NT$319.306 million, the largest single default settlement among Taiwan-listed and OTC stocks this year. The trade took place on 17 September under Taiwan’s T+2 settlement system. Lianmao shares fell to the daily limit-down price of NT$495, while trading volume reached 37.38 million shares and turnover hit NT$19.14 billion. The default settlement represented about 1.7% of that day’s turnover. The sell-off followed market concerns that the wider adoption of co-packaged optics (CPO) could reduce demand for high-end copper-clad laminates. Lianmao recovered to NT$542 by 21 September. This default settlement was Taiwan’s 25th large case this year, comprising 12 listed-market cases and 13 OTC cases. Authorities recently approved tougher rules, including a five-year monitoring period for first-time default cases and advance payment of cash and securities before trading resumes. The default settlement highlights elevated leverage and execution risks in volatile technology stocks.

Google Cloud is hiring a Hong Kong-based Industry Principal Architect, Web3, with expertise in real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation, stablecoin payment rails, tokenised deposits and digital-asset custody. The role is focused on helping banks, blockchain firms, institutional exchanges, custodians and protocol foundations deploy nodes, validators, indexing systems, key-management tools and compliance infrastructure on Google Cloud. The appointment does not indicate that Google is preparing to issue its own stablecoin. Instead, it highlights Google Cloud’s push into regulated financial infrastructure. The job description specifically references compliance with requirements from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Securities and Futures Commission. Hong Kong’s regulatory market is expanding. Its Stablecoins Ordinance took effect in August 2025. The city is also progressing Project Ensemble and exploring tokenised deposits and tokenised central-bank money for digital-asset settlement. By March 2026, Hong Kong had 13 publicly offered tokenised products, with tokenised assets under management reaching HK$10.7 billion, around seven times higher year on year. Market data cited in the article put global distributed RWA value at about $38.5 billion and represented asset value at roughly $368 billion. Stablecoin market capitalisation was approximately $305 billion to $307 billion. The development is broadly neutral to mildly bullish for infrastructure providers, RWA, stablecoins and institutional blockchain adoption, but it is unlikely to create an immediate trading catalyst for Bitcoin or major altcoins.

The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) rose 2.77% on Monday to close at $741.47, extending its winning streak to four sessions. The technology-focused ETF reached an intraday high of $743.22, leaving it less than 1% below its 52-week high of $748.65. Trading volume was about 46.7 million shares. QQQ has gained roughly 20.7% in 2026, supported by renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence stocks. The Nasdaq Composite also reached a record closing high, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed 4.3%. AMD reached a $1 trillion market capitalisation, and Meta gained 11.4% after a price-target upgrade tied to optimism about its AI strategy. Lower Treasury yields and declining oil prices also supported growth stocks by easing some concerns about borrowing costs and inflation. QQQ is particularly sensitive to these trends because its major holdings include Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Micron, Amazon and AMD. The short-term outlook remains cautious. StockInvest.us upgraded QQQ to Buy but forecasts only a 0.42% gain over three months, with a 90% projected range of $666.37 to $744.60. TipRanks shows a much more bullish average 12-month estimate of $880, based on analyst targets for 101 companies held by the ETF. Traders are now watching whether QQQ can break above $748.65 and sustain a move through the psychological $750 level.

Bloomberg senior commodity strategist Mike McGlone said US Treasury bonds offering a 5% yield have become attractive enough to sell in order to fund a Bitcoin allocation. The comment, reported by Bitcoin News on X, highlights the growing competition between high-yielding US government debt and Bitcoin as investment options. McGlone did not provide details on the timing, allocation size or specific Treasury securities involved. The statement is an individual market view rather than evidence of actual institutional fund flows. Traders should monitor Treasury yields, Federal Reserve policy, the US dollar and Bitcoin spot-market demand when assessing its potential impact.

Bitcoin recovered from Asian-session lows near $85,000 and traded around $86,000 as falling oil prices and stronger global equity markets improved risk appetite. WTI crude fell more than 2% below $90 a barrel after reports that Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US eased its blockade. Lower energy prices may reduce inflation pressure and weaken expectations for further Federal Reserve rate increases, supporting Bitcoin and other risk assets. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $1 billion in inflows on Monday, their strongest daily performance since October. The CoinDesk 20 Index rose 2.2% over 24 hours, while memecoins including PEPE, DOGE and SHIB also posted strong gains. However, derivatives data suggest the Bitcoin rally was driven mainly by short covering rather than aggressive new long positions. Crypto futures volume rose 38% to $292 billion, while open interest increased only 1% to $157 billion. About $768 million in positions were liquidated, mostly shorts. Bitcoin futures open interest reached 716,000 BTC, while negative cumulative volume delta across major assets pointed to continued aggressive futures selling despite rising prices. Options traders were active in BTC calls at $90,000 and $95,000, indicating expectations of further upside, although volatility remained contained. DOGE open interest jumped 10%, highlighting increased speculative risk. Separately, ZetaChain holders voted by more than 99% to retire the blockchain and move ZETA to Solana, with a further vote required. ZETA initially doubled before falling 16% in 24 hours to below $0.06.

The article examines MiCA, the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, and its potential impact on crypto businesses and traders. MiCA provides a regulatory framework for firms seeking to conduct regulated crypto activities in the EU. Companies must apply for authorisation through one of the 27 national regulators, creating a common compliance structure across the bloc. The article also offers a market outlook. Bitcoin briefly moved above $82,000 in May, but had not sustained that level since January. The author believes the July low near $58,000 may have marked the bottom of the current market cycle. Bitcoin dominance is beginning to decline, which could support selected altcoins. However, the author does not expect a broad altcoin rally similar to previous cycles, citing the large number of tokens and losses suffered by retail investors. For traders, MiCA is a key crypto regulation and market-structure development. It may improve institutional confidence and provide greater legal clarity over the long term, while compliance costs could pressure smaller businesses in the short term.

Glassnode’s Altcoin Cycle Signal has shifted from Bitcoin Season to Altcoin Season, indicating that gains are spreading across a broader section of the crypto market. The change followed Bitcoin’s breakout above $85,000, with BTC trading near $85,500 on September 22 after reaching more than $87,300 in the previous session. Ethereum traded around $2,730, while XRP rose about 6%, Solana gained roughly 4.5% and Dogecoin posted a double-digit 24-hour increase. Bitcoin dominance remained high at about 59.1%, suggesting that BTC still controls most market capitalisation despite stronger short-term altcoin returns. The rally was supported by almost $1 billion in US spot Bitcoin ETF inflows and heavy short liquidations. Market-wide open interest rose 7.6%, while approximately $648 million in short positions were liquidated. Bullish social-media discussion reached its highest level since 2024 as Bitcoin moved above $87,000. However, CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index stood at 49, below its 75-point threshold. The difference reflects contrasting methodologies: Glassnode’s signal captures recent relative-performance improvements, while CoinMarketCap measures the share of the top 100 tokens that outperformed Bitcoin over 90 days. Traders may view the Altcoin Season signal as an early rotation indicator, but broader confirmation remains pending.