Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson warns that corporate blockchains must embrace decentralization or risk obsolescence. He argues that the core value of blockchain lies in decentralization. Corporate blockchains can boost crypto adoption and simplify user experience in the short term but offer limited DeFi benefits and self-custody control. Complex technology and central control will drive users to abandon centralized chains. Ben-Sasson predicts that firms like Stripe, with its layer-1 Tempo, and other financial giants will eventually shelve their chains due to technical hurdles and low user appeal. Critics counter that networks like Base can serve enterprise needs and that some companies may transfer governance to communities over time. The debate highlights tensions between corporate blockchains and the decentralization ethos critical for long-term market growth.

Bitcoin mining difficulty eased 2.7% to 146.7 trillion after the network reached an all-time high hashrate of 1.2 quadrillion hashes per second on October 21, 2025. Despite this temporary relief, CoinWarz forecasts difficulty will climb back above 154 trillion on October 29, increasing competition for block rewards. Rising hashrate signals more computing power securing the Bitcoin network. Yet higher difficulty squeezes mining profitability amid trade tariffs and supply-chain constraints. Equipment costs remain elevated under US–China tensions. To offset tighter margins, miners such as Core Scientific, Hut 8 and IREN are reallocating capacity to AI data centers and high-performance computing. Traders should watch Bitcoin mining difficulty and hashrate trends for signals on miner selling pressure and network security.

US government shutdown, the third-longest in history, is expected to end this week as moderate Democrats push for a funding bill. The impasse has stalled SEC reviews of altcoin ETFs for LTC, XRP and SOL and delayed broader crypto regulation. Industry figures, including Michael Saylor, have met with lawmakers to discuss Trump’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Sen. Lummis’s budget-neutral BITCOIN Act. With a roundtable set to convene executives from Coinbase, Ripple and Circle to advance a U.S. crypto market structure bill, resolution of the shutdown will allow agency staff to resume routine rulemaking, accelerate crypto regulation efforts and digital asset oversight, and unlock ETF approvals. Despite Polymarket odds still favoring a 71% chance the shutdown extends beyond 30 days, a swift resolution could ease uncertainty, boost trading activity and market momentum.

Bybit Card was named Best Performing Crypto Card at Mastercard EDGE 2025 in Dubai’s EEMEA forum, underscoring its rapid adoption since launching in 2024. The card now serves over two million holders and bridges crypto and fiat payments with instant conversion at millions of Mastercard merchants. Key features include no annual fees, up to 8% APR on crypto balances, 100% subscription rebates for services like Netflix and Spotify, airport lounge access and seasonal perks. It supports BTC, ETH, XRP, TON, USDT, USDC, MNT and BNB transactions, offering cashback in USDC, USDT, BTC and AVAX. In September, Bybit Card rolled out across the European Economic Area (excluding Croatia, Ireland, Romania and Norway), driven by regulatory clarity, growing institutional demand and grassroots adoption.

As the US government shutdown enters its fourth week, the Senate scheduled its 11th vote to restore federal operations. Senate Democrats led by Kirsten Gillibrand convened a crypto roundtable with executives from Coinbase, Kraken, Circle and Ripple. They aimed to discuss the stalled Market Structure Bill—the Senate counterpart to the CLARITY Act and a focal point for DeFi regulation. The shutdown has frozen SEC activity and delayed critical crypto ETF approvals for over 16 filings, including funds for Litecoin, HBAR, Solana, XRP and Dogecoin. Another 21 applications from issuers such as Bitwise, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, CoinShares, Grayscale and VanEck also await review. Several issuers have updated S-1 filings to include staking provisions for Solana and Ethereum tokens. Traders should monitor the Market Structure Bill’s progress and the timing of crypto ETF approvals, as both will shape market liquidity and stability.

Dogecoin jumped 2.5% to $0.20 after Elon Musk shared a Shiba Inu image on X, reviving bullish sentiment. The memecoin has rallied over 55% from its April low of $0.13 in two weeks. Technical analysis highlights an Adam & Eve double bottom pattern. The neckline sits at $0.216. A confirmed breakout above this level could catalyze a 25% rally toward $0.26, near the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement on the weekly chart. Futures data reveal heavy short positions between $0.215 and $0.27. This setup suggests a potential short squeeze that may accelerate Dogecoin’s upward momentum. Strong support near $0.18 underpins the recent gains. Renewed social media buzz and improving market sentiment support further upside potential. Traders should watch for a close above $0.216 to capitalize on a possible Dogecoin breakout.

Code Is Law, directed by James Craig and Louis Giles, premieres Oct. 21 on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube Movies. The documentary examines major crypto hacks—from the 2014 Mt. Gox breach and 2016 DAO exploit to the 2020 Indexed Finance attack by teenager Andean Medjedovic—and asks whether exploiting smart contract logic to extract tokens is illegal or simply following the code. Drawing on Lawrence Lessig’s “code is law” theory, it contrasts the rigidity of smart contracts with traditional legal systems and state-backed enforcement. The film highlights security challenges in DeFi governance and ignites debate over smart contract security, decentralized governance and future blockchain regulation. This in-depth look at blockchain ethics and crypto hack morality offers traders key insights into the evolving regulatory landscape.

Astra Nova, a crypto-AI platform, suffered a market maker hack that dumped 860 million RVV tokens (8.6% of supply) for about $10.3 million in USDT. The sell-off crashed RVV from $0.028 to $0.007 before stabilizing near $0.014. Astra Nova confirmed its core smart contracts were secure. The team cut ties with the compromised market maker and engaged blockchain forensics and law enforcement to trace stolen funds. To restore liquidity and investor confidence, it launched an RVV token buyback for unaffected tokens and is offering a 10% bounty for returned RVV sent to an authorized address. After closing a $48.3 million funding round, Astra Nova reaffirmed that its roadmap and development plans remain on track, underscoring its commitment to long-term stability.

Elon Musk’s playful post on X naming his Shiba Inu Floki as ‘CEO’ triggered a 29% surge in the Floki memecoin. CoinGecko data shows FLOKI jumped from $0.00006572 to $0.00008469 before settling near $0.00007998, lifting its market cap above $800 million and marking a ten-day high. This follows earlier Musk-driven rallies, including a 20,000% spike in December 2021 and double-digit gains in February 2023, and mirrors his influence on Dogecoin (DOGE), which led to a dismissed 2022 lawsuit. The meme coin sector has been volatile, shedding nearly 40% of its value on October 11 and another 9–11% last week amid broader market fear. Traders should watch social media catalysts like Musk’s X tweets for potential short-term trading opportunities in memecoin markets.

Ethereum lead developer Péter Szilágyi has publicly released a private letter dated May 22, 2024, accusing the Ethereum Foundation (EF) of unfair compensation and centralized control. Szilágyi says his six years at EF yielded just $625,000 in pre-tax salary while Ethereum’s market cap soared to $450 billion. He warns that the Foundation’s low pay model drives core Geth contributors into external advisory roles, raising conflict-of-interest risks. Szilágyi also criticizes Vitalik Buterin’s disproportionate influence over resource allocation, describing an “elite circle” where key decisions hinge on his approval. He claims public dissent has led to the marginalization of his Geth work and questions EF’s ability to reverse these trends. These governance and compensation issues highlight potential risks for Ethereum network upgrades and market confidence. Traders should monitor developer sentiment and EF reforms, as shifts could influence ETH liquidity and price stability.

An AWS outage in the US-East-1 region on Monday caused major disruptions for crypto traders, knocking Coinbase’s mobile app offline and delaying Robinhood trading. Users faced increased error rates and latency across login, order placement and fund withdrawals, with Coinbase’s Base application also affected. AWS reported early signs of recovery roughly three hours after the incident and said full restoration remains a top priority. This AWS outage follows a similar service failure in April that impacted eight exchanges. The blackout highlights the vulnerability of centralized cloud infrastructure and has renewed calls for decentralized cloud solutions. Industry leaders like Oort CEO Max Li described the incident as a “wake-up call.” Blockchain projects offering distributed compute and storage—such as Internet Computer (ICP), Filecoin (FIL), Akash Network (AKT), Neutron (NTRN) and Render Network (RNDR)—are now positioned as resilient alternatives.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has reaffirmed that crypto investment is accessible to retail investors through the platform’s fractional buys feature. Users can purchase Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) with as little as $0.01, effectively removing high per-coin price barriers. Since Armstrong’s earlier comments on Bitcoin’s rise above $111,000 and Ethereum trading over $4,000, Coinbase has introduced enhanced educational resources and user-friendly tools to simplify crypto onboarding. This strategy aims to broaden crypto adoption by lowering entry thresholds and demystifying digital asset investing. Fractional buys make crypto affordable and encourage more traders to enter the market, bolstering Bitcoin and Ethereum’s mainstream status.

X Handles Marketplace is now live for Premium subscribers, offering auctions and priority requests for inactive usernames. The X Handles Marketplace positions rare handles as valuable digital assets, with prices ranging from $2,500 to over $1 million. In beta since early 2025, premium users can bid in handle drop events, join a waitlist, or submit priority requests. The platform treats usernames as online real estate, echoing Ethereum-based naming systems like ENS. With 557 million active users, demand for short, unique handles could surge, creating a new revenue stream for X beyond advertising. This centralized feature reflects growing Web3 identity trends and may reshape digital branding strategies for traders.

Weekly prediction market volume surged to a record $2 billion, led by Polymarket and Kalshi. Polymarket posted $1.1 billion, while Kalshi reached $1.05 billion in weekly volume. This prediction market rally reflects growing interest in crypto event betting and macro derivatives—from US Federal Reserve rate decisions to Ethereum price forecasts. Regulatory progress, including CFTC no-action letters, and expanded US access have drawn both retail and institutional traders. Polymarket’s decentralized platform and Kalshi’s CFTC-regulated exchange have boosted liquidity and deepened order books, improving market efficiency. Recent funding valued Polymarket at $9 billion after ICE’s $2 billion investment, and Kalshi at $5 billion post a $300 million Series D led by a16z and Sequoia. Niche platforms Limitless and Myriad also saw volume gains as industry forecasts predict growth to $95.5 billion by 2035. Traders view these trends as bullish catalysts for related tokens and crypto derivatives innovation.

XRP whale wallets have accumulated a record $480 million in the past 48 hours, driving the number of addresses holding at least 10,000 XRP to 317,500, according to Santiment data. This surge coincided with price dips below $2.30 and an open interest decline in XRP futures to near‐June lows (around $3.5 billion), indicating a shift from leveraged speculation to direct spot buying and a more stable market base. On‐chain and technical analysis show XRP trading above the $2.60–$2.70 resistance zone, with support at $2.25–$2.35; a sustained break above $2.70 could unlock targets near $6.50–$6.80. Institutional catalysts bolster the outlook: Ripple’s $1 billion Digital Asset Treasury and roughly $3 billion in acquisitions (Metaco, Hidden Road, Rail, GTreasury) enhance liquidity and utility, while ongoing XRP ETF speculation adds upside potential. Meanwhile, MAGACOIN FINANCE has gained attention after a successful HashEx security audit, positioning its presale as a credible, growth-oriented opportunity for institutional portfolios.

Elon Musk on X posted an AI video appointing his Shiba Inu Floki as the platform’s “CEO,” triggering a 33% rally in the FLOKI meme coin. The token surged from $0.00006452 to $0.00008930 before stabilizing near $0.000082. The sharp move underscores the volatility of meme coins and the power of celebrity endorsements. Traders saw a spike in FLOKI trading volume but face heightened risk of rapid reversals. Experts warn such social-media-driven rallies are often short-lived and may attract regulatory scrutiny over market manipulation. Investors should monitor market sentiment and liquidity rather than rely solely on influencer posts.

Elon Musk’s AI-generated Shiba Inu video on X triggered a 27%–30% rally in the Floki Inu price, outpacing Dogecoin’s gains. The meme coin soared to a 10-day high of $0.00009, lifting its market cap above $830 million. Trading volume initially rose 45% and then spiked 802% to $540 million as traders flocked to the token. Despite these gains in the Floki Inu price, analysts warn its fundamentals remain weak. Technical indicators show a falling wedge pattern with breakout targets at $0.00011 and $0.00037. Key support sits at $0.00006. A confirmed MACD crossover and rising volume could extend the rally, while a breach below the wedge floor may trigger profit-taking. This event underscores the power of social media and AI content to drive rapid meme coin market movements.

Jupiter Ultra V3, the next-generation trading engine from Solana DEX aggregator Jupiter, went live on October 20, 2025. Ultra V3 combines Iris-based meta-aggregation, ShadowLane private routing, and Predictive Execution to deliver faster swaps and exact on-chain quotes. Over a seven-day volume-weighted test, Ultra V3 posted 0.6 bps positive slippage versus competitors’ negative 1–14 bps. It also boosts sandwich attack protection by 34× and cuts execution fees by 8–10×. The engine expands gasless support and lowers the minimum trade size to $10, broadening retail access on Solana. Available across mobile, web, desktop, API, and Pro Tools, Jupiter Ultra V3 features Ultra signaling and JIT market revival to reduce trading friction. These enhancements reinforce Jupiter Ultra V3’s leadership in decentralized aggregation, offering traders institutional-grade tools with high performance and low cost.

Two MIT-educated brothers, Anton and James Peraire-Bueno, are charged for executing a $25M Ethereum MEV exploit called “Omakase” in April 2023. By creating bait transactions and using their validator status, they manipulated MEV-Boost block ordering and drained funds from sandwich trading bots. Flashbots patched the protocol vulnerability within 24 hours to halt further losses. In Manhattan federal court, ex-18decimal employee Travis Chen testified under a cooperation deal and must forfeit $2.4M. A Flashbots developer also disclosed informal talks about similar exploits. This Ethereum MEV exploit underscores risks in decentralized finance, highlighting the need for stronger MEV-Boost oversight, thorough validator due diligence, and rapid protocol fixes to protect traders.

An XRP hack saw a US retiree lose 1.2 million XRP (over $3 million) from a misconfigured Ellipal wallet. On-chain investigator ZachXBT traced the stolen funds across more than 120 rapid cross-chain swaps, converting XRP into TRX via multiple bridges. The attacker then laundered the proceeds through Huione-linked OTC desks in Southeast Asia. This XRP hack underscores growing cross-chain laundering networks abusing wallet vulnerabilities and loosely regulated OTC venues. Earlier allegations by Elliptic led Cambodian authorities to block dozens of Huione-related sites. A TRM Labs report indicates over $2 billion was stolen in 2025 through similar wallet breaches and cross-chain cashouts. Traders should double-check wallet configurations, tighten KYC, and monitor bridge transactions to guard against future XRP thefts and related security risks.

Evernorth Nasdaq IPO is structured as a SPAC merger with Armada Acquisition Corp II. The deal secures over $1 billion in proceeds, including a $200 million investment from SBI Holdings and support from Pantera Capital, Kraken, GSR and Rippleworks. Net proceeds will be used to acquire at least $1 billion worth of XRP tokens, forming the largest institutional XRP treasury. The Evernorth Nasdaq IPO strategy pairs XRP treasury holdings with institutional lending, liquidity provisioning and DeFi yield opportunities. This model offers traders liquid, transparent exposure to XRP beyond passive funds and drives broader institutional adoption. The listing follows Ripple’s own $1 billion XRP treasury launch and GTreasury acquisition, underlining growing demand for diversified digital asset strategies and signaling a bullish outlook ahead of a potential SEC approval for an XRP spot ETF.

On October 20, a whale address on Aave deposited 200 million USDC as collateral and borrowed 22,000 ETH (approximately $89 million), which it then transferred to Binance. This address appears to match one that withdrew 190 million USDC from Binance last week. Combined, it has now collateralized 390 million USDC to borrow a total of 42,000 ETH (around $169 million), all sent to the exchange. Analysts warn this influx could trigger ETH sell pressure and boost market leverage. Traders should watch Aave lending rates, ETH inflows to exchanges, and whale activity for signs of heightened volatility.

Cleanspark, the Nasdaq-listed bitcoin mining firm, is diversifying its business by launching dedicated AI data centers alongside its core mining operations. The company has appointed industry veteran Jeffrey Thomas as Senior Vice President of AI Data Centers to lead design, construction and strategic partnerships. Leveraging its vertically integrated model—built on efficient bitcoin mining—Cleanspark is evaluating a new power and real estate contract in College Park, Georgia, and exploring “giga-campus” opportunities to meet growing AI and high-performance computing demand. This expansion aims to stabilize cash flow amid BTC price volatility and capitalize on accelerating demand for AI infrastructure and HPC services.

DeFiLlama has reinstated Aster volume data after an earlier delisting over missing order-level data and transparency concerns. The relisted Aster volume data still shows significant gaps for September and October. Founder 0xngmi describes Aster as a “black box” with unverified figures. At Aster’s request, DeFiLlama will develop enhanced verification tools, adding metrics over the next few weeks. Traders should note that the restored Aster volume data may not reflect true market activity until full verification. This update underscores ongoing challenges in crypto transparency and data integrity.

BitMEX will list fjUSDT, Fija Finance’s yield-bearing USDT token, on October 23, 2025. Traders can convert USDT to fjUSDT via BitMEX Convert with zero fees. The ERC-4626 vault token tracks the USDT Yield Master Strategy, deploying liquidity on Curve and Convex. Rewards in CRV and CVX are auto-sold and reinvested, with a 90-day rebalance and safety safeguards against stablecoin depeg and pool overexposure. Users earn 75% of generated yield and share a $15,000 USDT prize pool for early conversion. This integration offers secure, “set-and-forget” DeFi yield access within BitMEX, marking a major step toward centralized DeFi product adoption.

An XRP cold wallet hack siphoned 1.21 million XRP (over $3 million) from a trader’s Ellipal hardware wallet overnight. The attacker performed small test transfers before sweeping the full balance into a new wallet and dispersing funds across hundreds of addresses. Other assets on the device, including XLM and FLR, remained untouched. The victim reported the breach to the FBI, IC3 and local law enforcement while blockchain investigators trace the stolen XRP, though the dispersal strategy complicates recovery. This XRP cold wallet hack highlights the critical importance of hardware wallet security, firmware updates, robust seed phrase protection, multisig wallets and diversified storage for crypto traders.

Deribit crypto options risk reversals for XRP & Solana have turned bullish across all expiries as traders pay up for calls over puts. After October’s crash that saw XRP fall to $1.77 and SOL to $188, both have stabilised near $2.33 and $190. Positive risk-reversal and implied volatility metrics signal escalating altcoin confidence and potential altseason. Meanwhile, Bitcoin and Ethereum risk reversals remain negative, reflecting continued bearish bias and call overwriting. Perpetual futures funding rates for BTC, ETH, XRP and SOL hover close to zero, indicating neutral market sentiment. Traders eye funding rate turnarounds and BTC/ETH risk reversals to confirm a broader market rally.

An analysis forecasts the 2026 crypto bull market will begin in Q2 2026. Four macro factors drive the outlook: a gold rally as nations diversify from US Treasuries, steady US equity gains from passive retirement flows, frozen US home equity due to high mortgage rates, and crypto’s rebound lacking fresh liquidity. Drawing on the 2021 bull run sparked by home equity withdrawals, the report expects rate cuts in mid-2026 to unlock real estate liquidity and fund digital assets. Traders should accumulate positions ahead of six quarters of rally and prepare for a potential late-2027/early-2028 correction amid election uncertainty. This 2026 crypto bull market cycle may offer traders a multi-year opportunity to HODL for sustained gains.

Finternet 2025 Summit will gather regulators, institutional investors and Web3 leaders in Hong Kong on November 4. The Asia Digital Finance Summit focuses on digital asset compliance through three pillars. These include Asian regulatory dialogue, institutional participation via ETFs and DATs, and real-world application of RWA tokenization and stablecoin cross-border payments. Speakers include Alex Manson from SC Ventures and Lily Liu of the Solana Foundation. Representatives from BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Visa and Circle will also take part. The summit aims to bridge Web2 and Web3. It will support compliant digital asset solutions and reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a global digital finance hub. By addressing digital asset compliance and institutional adoption, the Finternet 2025 Summit could shape market behavior. Traders should watch for regulatory updates and new tokenization products that may influence digital finance markets.