Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

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.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of $1.23 billion last week. Bitcoin ETFs experienced $366.6 million of redemptions on Friday alone, led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ($268.6 million), followed by Fidelity ($67.2 million) and Grayscale’s GBTC ($25 million). These withdrawals coincided with a $19 billion liquidation event triggered by U.S. tariff announcements and a Bitcoin price slide from above $115,000 to below $104,000. On-chain data shows exchange supply at a six-year low, with over 45,000 BTC withdrawn since early October. Glassnode reports illiquid supply fell just 2% in Q3, while liquid supply rose 12%. CryptoQuant data indicates exchange and OTC desk holdings declined from 4.5 million to 3.1 million BTC, signaling ongoing accumulation by long-term holders. Analysts caution that reclaiming the $108,000–$109,000 zone is key to avoiding a test of $100,000 support and could trigger a move toward $112,000. Meanwhile, institutional adoption remains strong: public companies continue adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets, CME Group plans 24/7 futures trading, and S&P is developing a crypto index. Despite short-term ETF outflows, these factors underpin a broader bullish outlook for Bitcoin.

Jack Dorsey reignited a cryptocurrency debate by tweeting “Bitcoin is not crypto.” He argued that the 2008 Bitcoin white paper never uses the term “crypto,” defining Bitcoin solely as “purely peer-to-peer electronic cash.” Dorsey highlighted Block and Square’s zero-fee BTC payments and growing user adoption to underscore Bitcoin’s payment use case. Critics pointed to Bitcoin’s scalability limits, potential fee spikes and slower transaction speeds versus other cryptocurrencies. Ripple CTO David Schwartz expressed confusion, suggesting Dorsey aims to position Bitcoin as a payment system rather than a speculative asset. The exchange underscores a deep divide between Bitcoin maximalists and supporters of broader cryptocurrencies. Traders should monitor on-chain activity and payment adoption for potential short-term shifts in BTC market sentiment.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled the GKR protocol to speed up ZK-EVM and zk-ML proofs. The GKR protocol commits only to inputs and outputs, cuts costly intermediate steps and processes large computations in logarithmic time. It supports multi-layer low-degree circuits, repeated functions such as Poseidon hashing and neural network inference, and runs millions of hashes per second on consumer GPUs. For ZK-EVM builders, the GKR protocol promises real-time proof generation on standard hardware. While GKR focuses on succinctness rather than privacy, developers can wrap its proofs in ZK-SNARK or ZK-STARK frameworks to add zero-knowledge features. The GKR protocol aligns with the Lean Ethereum vision, offering quantum-resistant design, faster transaction finality and proof-of-stake scalability. In parallel, Buterin criticized the AI industry’s focus on agentic models and urged the use of open-weight AI systems with greater human oversight to improve safety and editability.

The Federal Reserve will host a Payments Innovation Conference on October 21, bringing together regulators, central bankers, blockchain developers and finance experts to discuss stablecoins oversight, blockchain integration into existing payment systems and frameworks for a US central bank digital currency (CBDC). While the Fed’s full agenda remains unpublished, sessions will likely cover tokenized asset growth, updates on the Fed’s digital dollar exploration and the interoperability of private crypto networks with government payment rails. Bitcoin has stabilized above $110,000, gaining roughly 2% in the past 24 hours amid renewed market optimism. Throughout the Payments Innovation Conference, traders should watch for policy signals on crypto payments: a supportive tone could boost institutional adoption and market confidence, while stricter rules may trigger short-term volatility. Consumer protection in DeFi, cross-border efficiency gains and regulatory clarity for stablecoin issuers will also shape future digital finance regulation.

Next-Gen ICO launchpads are reviving public token sales by combining openness with regulatory compliance. Backed by frameworks like MiCA and mandatory KYC across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, platforms such as Legion, BuidlPad, Sonar and Kaito Capital each deploy unique models to screen and reward investors. Legion uses an on-chain/off-chain “Legion Score,” BuidlPad on Sui ranks participants by staked liquidity and a gamified Squad system, Sonar offers customizable sales with KYC proof, and Kaito Capital adds social ‘Yap’ reputation. While short-term hype may fade, structural demand for filtered investor pools and early liquidity via compliant ICO launchpads points to sustained market interest.

Since the mid-October market crash, Chainlink holders have withdrawn over 6.25 million LINK (about $116.7 million) from Binance. On-chain data first highlighted three new Ethereum wallets moving 825,750 LINK (~$15.2 million) on Oct. 20. A broader analysis by Lookonchain shows 30 newly created wallets have pulled out a total of 6,256,893 LINK since Oct. 11. These large LINK withdrawals suggest reduced sell pressure on Chainlink and signal a shift towards long-term holding or use in staking and DeFi activities. Traders should watch Binance flows and on-chain metrics for signs of tightening supply and potential price support for LINK.

On October 22, Senate Democrats led by Kirsten Gillibrand convened a crypto roundtable with executives from Coinbase, Chainlink, Uniswap, Ripple, Circle, Galaxy, Kraken and the Solana Policy Institute. Participants debated stalled bipartisan crypto regulation and responded to backlash over a leaked Democratic DeFi framework. They discussed proposals for market structure legislation, clear regulatory guardrails for wallets, expanded CFTC oversight and protections for decentralized finance. This meeting marks a potential turning point in shaping crypto regulation and market stability before year-end.

Bitcoin ETF outflows surged to $1.22 billion last week, led by BlackRock’s IBIT ($268.6 million), Fidelity’s FBTC ($67.2 million) and Grayscale’s GBTC ($25 million). The heavy withdrawals coincided with Bitcoin’s slide of over $10,000 to a four-month low near $104,000, underscoring growing market volatility and institutional sentiment shifts. Despite this, Charles Schwab reports clients now hold 20% of all US crypto ETP assets and sees a 90% year-on-year surge in platform traffic. Schwab currently offers Bitcoin ETFs and futures and plans to launch spot crypto trading by 2026. Analysts point to historical October rebounds and potential Fed rate cuts later this year as catalysts that could rekindle demand for Bitcoin and other risk assets.

On October 10, six hacker-linked wallets executed a panic selling ETH of 7,816 ETH at an average price of $3,728 amid a sharp market dip. On-chain tracker Lookonchain reports they later rebought the same amount at $4,159, crystallizing a combined loss of $13.4 million. The rapid sell-off and high-priced buyback highlight how even skilled hackers can fall victim to market volatility. Some analysts suggest these large-volume moves may serve as a laundering tactic, swapping tainted funds for clean assets despite the apparent loss. Traders should note that panic selling ETH can exacerbate price pressure and distort trading volumes. Monitoring on-chain signals and maintaining disciplined exit strategies is crucial during extreme market swings.

The Base hackathon, part of the Onchain Summer Awards, attracted over 500 teams competing for $200,000. Community analysts led by Alanas from Ogvio uncovered that two of the top prizes were awarded to AI-generated shell apps with no real functionality, and some entries were linked to Coinbase employees. These conflict-of-interest allegations have sparked demands for greater transparency and stricter judging criteria on Base hackathon events. Organizers have yet to respond publicly, intensifying concerns about fairness and governance in on-chain hackathons. Traders should monitor community backlash on the Base network, though immediate price impact is expected to be neutral.

OpenSea, the leading NFT marketplace, is broadening its scope beyond NFTs into a universal on-chain trading hub. CEO Devin Finzer confirmed October’s $2.6 billion volume, with over 90% from token trades, highlighting users can trade assets—tokens, collectibles, cultural items, even physical goods—across 22 blockchains without relinquishing key control. A unified interface enables seamless cross-chain swaps between Ethereum, Solana and more. OpenSea plans a mobile app by Q1 2026 for instant swaps and portfolio tracking and will launch its SEA governance token next year. Its roadmap also includes perpetual futures, enhanced cross-chain abstraction and extended mobile access, positioning OpenSea’s on-chain trading hub as a streamlined alternative to traditional CEXs and DEXs.

Despite a $19 billion October sell-off that saw Bitcoin tumble from $126,300 to $107,000 and Ethereum slide from $4,800 to $3,500, the next crypto rally remains on track. Galaxy Digital’s Alex Thorn points to excessive leverage, thin order books and automated deleveraging as key triggers, alongside macro headwinds from weak chip stocks, hawkish Fed policy and banking concerns. Thorn identifies three structural drivers for the next crypto rally: massive AI capital expenditure by hyperscalers and chipmakers, deeper liquidity via USD stablecoins, and real-world asset tokenization moving from pilots to full implementation. He views Bitcoin as “digital gold,” while Ethereum and Solana stand to benefit from stablecoin use cases and asset tokenization. Short-term market conditions remain fragile, with thin liquidity and cautious sentiment. However, once markets absorb recent shocks, these long-term tailwinds should underpin a renewed crypto rally.

Nextrade, South Korea’s new alternative trading system (ATS), has rapidly secured nearly 30% of the country’s $2.4 trillion stock market since its March launch. The platform offers 12-hour trading sessions—from before the Korea Exchange bell until 8 p.m.—and 20–40% lower fees. Retail investors account for 86% of Nextrade’s volume, while foreign participation has risen to 11%. Domestic institutions remain cautious over system stability. Regulators temporarily lifted the 30% single-stock cap after more than 500 issues hit the limit but maintained the overall 15% volume ceiling, forcing Nextrade to suspend trading in about 150 stocks. Nextrade’s rapid growth is pressuring KRX to consider extending its trading hours and underscores regulatory challenges in modernizing South Korea’s capital markets.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has warned that hackers are targeting weak social media accounts to post fake memecoin smart contract addresses. These memecoin scams aim to trick crypto traders into interacting with fraudulent tokens, leading to asset loss. CZ emphasized that official Binance channels never endorse specific memecoins and urged users to verify contract addresses and follow announcements only from verified sources. The surge in memecoin scams highlights the need for stronger social media security measures. Experts recommend using secure wallets, double-checking smart contract addresses, and conducting thorough due diligence before investing in any token.

BitMine Immersion Technologies has bought a total of 379,271 ETH, worth $1.5 billion, in three tranches following last weekend’s Ethereum market sell-off. This took BitMine’s holdings above 3 million ETH, equal to 2.5% of total supply and halfway to its 5% accumulation target set in July when Ethereum traded near $2,500. Fundstrat’s Tom Lee has also added $1.5 billion in ETH since the crash but cautioned that many digital asset treasuries (DATs) now trade at or below net asset value. Meanwhile, Huobi founder Li Lin is raising around $1 billion for an Ether treasury. Despite network strain and spiking gas fees during congestion, these large-scale purchases underscore institutional confidence in a rebound for Ethereum. BitMine’s aggressive accumulation amid DAT warnings could support a price recovery and influence market stability.

Bitcoin’s Taker Buy Ratio (TBR) plummeted to 0.47 on major exchanges, marking multi-year lows and signaling potential capitulation and a market bottom. Data from CryptoQuant and Binance show a surge in exchange inflows as sellers overwhelm buyers, pointing to panic-driven liquidation. At the same time, investors rotate out of tokenized gold (PAXG) into Bitcoin, seeking higher-beta hedges amid gold fatigue. Historically, Bitcoin’s correlation with gold hovered around 5–7%, but improved USD liquidity and recent deleveraging are bolstering BTC’s emerging safe-haven role. While further downside cannot be ruled out, a rebound in TBR above 0.5 could trigger a short squeeze. Traders should monitor the Taker Buy Ratio, exchange flows, and gold-to-BTC rotation for early signals of a Bitcoin rebound.

In early 2025, crypto presale activity focuses on three meme-token projects—BullZilla (BZIL), MoonBull (MOBU) and La Culex (CULEX). Each offers multi-stage sales, deflationary mechanics, and high APY staking or vault rewards. BullZilla’s stage 7 crypto presale has raised $930K at $0.0001724 per token. It features 70% APY and 10% referral bonuses in its HODL Furnace. The project targets a $0.00527 listing price, projecting 2,957% ROI. MoonBull’s 23-stage sale uses AI-driven staking with 95% APY, auto-liquidity, and 15% referral rewards. La Culex’s 32-stage sale aims for a $0.007 listing price. It offers up to 80% APY in a deflationary Hive Vault, a 0% transaction tax, and 18-month liquidity locks. Outside presales, Chainlink (LINK) and Avalanche (AVAX) remain key DeFi players. LINK powers oracle services while AVAX provides scalable subnet solutions. Traders should note each crypto presale stage’s automatic price ramp. Timing, tokenomics, and on-chain proof will be vital for capitalizing on potential breakouts.

Bitcoin miner stocks have surged over 150% year-to-date, outpacing Bitcoin’s 14% gain, as firms reposition from cryptocurrency production to AI and HPC power providers. Leading companies like Cipher Mining and IREN saw shares jump 300%–500% after securing AI workload hosting deals, including Cipher’s $3 billion, 10-year collaboration with Fluidstack. Singapore-based Bitdeer plans to convert its 570 MW Clarington site into an AI data center, targeting up to $2 billion annual revenue by 2026. US miners control 6.3 GW of operational and 2.5 GW of under-construction capacity, offering the fastest route to grid power amid a projected 45 GW data center shortfall by 2028. With mining rewards halved in 2024, firms are turning to AI and HPC to boost per-megawatt revenue and EBITDA margins. Pre-approved grid connections now cut interconnection times to under two years, unlocking new value beyond traditional Bitcoin mining.

MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor has signaled that his company will likely continue adding to its Bitcoin treasury despite a sharp drop in its net asset value (NAV). In a recent X post, Saylor shared the Saylor Bitcoin Tracker chart, which records 82 separate purchases totalling 640,250 BTC—about 2.5% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply—acquired at an average cost of $74,000 per coin. At Bitcoin’s current price near $108,000, Strategy’s holdings are worth roughly $69 billion, reflecting a 45.6% unrealized gain. Traders have seized on Saylor’s remark that “the most important orange dot is always the next one” as a cue for imminent accumulation. Data from BitcoinTreasuries.Net show MicroStrategy far ahead of other public holders such as Marathon Digital (MARA), 21Shares (CEP), Metaplanet (MTPLF), Riot Platforms, CleanSpark, Coinbase, and Tesla. Together, the top 15 corporate treasuries now hold over 900,000 BTC. A 10x Research report highlights how market volatility has driven NAVs of these companies down, erasing billions in paper value and exposing investors—given many firms’ shares trade at large premiums to their Bitcoin reserves. Notably, Metaplanet’s enterprise value recently plunged below its Bitcoin reserve value, trading at a 0.99 NAV ratio. Saylor’s cryptic posts have historically preceded fresh purchases, suggesting that Strategy’s next buy could boost market sentiment and underscore ongoing institutional demand for Bitcoin.

Virtuals has replaced its Genesis model with the Unicorn launch mechanism to bring fairness and quality to AI token sales. It eliminates the old points system and uses an FDV-based pricing curve: lower FDV yields lower token prices, which rise as funding increases. To deter bot sniping, buyers face a decaying tax starting at 99% and dropping to 1% over the first 100 minutes. The protocol allocates 5% of tokens for community airdrops—2% to VIRTUAL stakers and 3% to active users—and offers up to 3× leverage for long and short positions. Project teams receive 50% of tokens with FDV-linked vesting and gradual release, while up to 45% of the public launch pool can be purchased by teams to signal long-term commitment. This strategic shift under the ACP plan moves Virtuals from user loyalty incentives to rigorous AI project vetting, aiming to deter rug pulls and reward genuine builders. Traders should watch dynamic pricing and tax decay to optimize entry points. Overall, the Unicorn launch mechanism enhances token launch fairness, boosts project quality, and supports bullish long-term growth in the AI crypto ecosystem.

China has imposed strict limits on rare earth exports to the US military sector, cutting off over 90% of global supply. The move aims to pressure Washington by disrupting key tech and defense supply chains. Macro analyst Luke Gromen says this signals a weakening US dollar and accelerating currency debasement. He predicts investors will shift to hard money assets such as Bitcoin to hedge against inflation and dollar weakness, while stablecoins offer only a temporary fix. The US Dollar Currency Index is down more than 10% year-to-date—its worst performance since 1973—and the dollar has lost 40% of purchasing power since 2000. As confidence in the US dollar falls, Bitcoin and gold have reached new highs. Meanwhile, President Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, further escalating tensions. China’s third-quarter GDP growth may hit a one-year low due to a property slump and weak trade demand, prompting Beijing to consider broader stimulus. Crypto traders should monitor rare earth export restrictions and dollar trends when adjusting their Bitcoin allocations.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has proposed guidelines to allow banks to hold crypto assets like Bitcoin and XRP. This bank crypto investment policy will reclassify cryptocurrencies as financial products, cutting tax rates on gains from over 50% to 20%. A government working group is evaluating volatility safeguards and best practices from U.S. and U.K. markets. Chainalysis reports Japan led the Asia-Pacific region in 2025 with a 120% rise in crypto users, adding 12 million new accounts. If approved, banks will be able to offer direct crypto exposure and exchange services under regulated risk controls. This bank crypto investment push could accelerate institutional participation, boost market liquidity, and strengthen Japan’s leadership in Asia’s digital-asset boom. Traders should monitor FSA updates for potential shifts in market stability and adoption.