Crypto News

Strategy raised its preferred securities buyback authorization by $1 billion to $3 billion, covering STRC, STRF, STRK and STRD. During the week ended October 18, it spent $193.1 million repurchasing 1,938,780 STRC shares—nearly nine times the $22.1 million spent on Bitcoin. About $1.16 billion remains available, but the authorization does not require further purchases. Strategy also bought 267 BTC at an average price of about $82,900, bringing its holdings to 848,517 BTC. The company reported a total Bitcoin acquisition cost of about $64.02 billion, or an average of $75,446 per coin. Most of the latest Bitcoin purchase was funded by selling MSTR shares, while the STRC buyback used existing cash. As of October 18, Strategy held $4.83 billion in a USD Reserve and $447.3 million in USD Cash. The latest figures show Strategy continues Bitcoin accumulation, although its weekly preferred securities buyback was much larger than its BTC purchase—a capital-allocation and liquidity signal traders may monitor.

Cysic suspended its cross-chain bridge after an attacker exploited it on 17 October to mint 10 million unauthorised CYS tokens on BNB Chain—about 1% of the token’s total supply. Cysic said its mainnet was not affected and users’ existing wallet assets were not directly taken. The Cysic bridge exploit involved a false minting request submitted after the attacker accessed a database supporting the bridge; the precise access method and validation failure remain under investigation. Within about 28 minutes, the attacker sold roughly 7.2 million CYS for USDT and BNB, then moved the proceeds across chains and received about 306.6 ETH, worth approximately $727,000 at the time. Cysic blocked the receiving address around 76 minutes after minting, with about 2.8 million unauthorised tokens remaining. The project has not announced how it will handle the tokens or any resulting losses. The Cysic bridge incident may weigh on CYS prices in the short term as traders assess potential dilution, liquidity risks and the project’s response. Longer-term effects will depend on the investigation and remediation; the bridge suspension alone does not indicate that Cysic’s wider network was compromised.

TSMC reported record third-quarter 2026 revenue of NT$1.494 trillion, up 50.9% year over year and 17.6% from the previous quarter. Net income rose 68.7% to NT$763.06 billion, beating analyst expectations. AI-related high-performance computing accounted for 68% of revenue. Chips made on 7nm and more advanced processes contributed 79% of wafer revenue, including 33% from 3nm; 2nm technology’s share rose to 8% from 3% in Q2. TSMC forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $52.3 billion to $54.3 billion and expects 2026 revenue to grow about 44% in US dollar terms. Gross margin eased to 66.4% from 67.7% in Q2, while capital expenditure guidance remained at $60 billion to $64 billion. The company plans to expand 3nm capacity in Taiwan and has committed an additional $100 billion to investment in Arizona. Management flagged uncertainty about 2027, and TSMC shares fell after the results despite the strong figures. Traders will watch TSMC’s Q4 guidance, the 2nm production ramp and investment execution for signals about AI chip and data-centre demand. The results may inform broader technology-sector sentiment, but the reports identify no direct effect on cryptocurrency prices or markets.

HEX plunged nearly 30% after early reports said founder Richard Heart, legally known as Richard James Schueler, had been detained in Istanbul. Later reports said Turkish authorities arrested him on Wednesday, following an Interpol Red Notice requested by Finland over alleged crypto fraud. Authorities said they seized more than $7 million in cash, along with electronic devices, firearms, ammunition, drones and luxury goods. The arrest has renewed scrutiny of HEX, PulseChain and PulseX. In 2023, the US Securities and Exchange Commission accused Heart and companies he controlled of raising more than $1 billion through unregistered crypto offerings and alleged that at least $12 million was misused. A federal judge dismissed the case in 2025 on jurisdictional grounds, and the SEC did not amend its complaint. The allegations have not been established as fact. HEX fell nearly 50% in less than 24 hours on October 14, from about $0.00090 to $0.00046, before recovering to around $0.00060. The sharp move highlights elevated volatility and legal uncertainty for HEX traders; reports so far indicate the selling has been concentrated in HEX, with no clear broader-market effect.

US and international authorities have dismantled infrastructure used in a crypto scam targeting Russian-speaking investors across the country. In a three-year investigation, officials found that operators used Facebook ads and fake investment platforms to persuade victims to send cryptocurrency, then blocked withdrawals or demanded extra fees and taxes. Some victims were later contacted by scammers posing as asset-recovery services and asked for more money. On 14 October, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said the operation shut down 112 servers and 241 websites, disrupting systems used to run the crypto scam and target victims again. Investigators believe the network stole tens of millions of dollars, while authorities have seized about $300,000 so far. No arrests or victim repayments were announced. The takedown may make it harder for the operators to launch replacement sites or reuse victim data, but it does not establish that stolen funds will be recovered.

Blur will shut down its blur.io front end on November 12, while its NFT marketplace protocol will remain operational on-chain. On the same date, Blend will stop matching new loans; existing borrowers must repay by the deadline or risk default. Blur says it plans to offer a withdrawal tool afterward, but has not provided details. The move follows a steep decline in activity: monthly trading volume was about $12 million in September, and fell from roughly $1.43 billion in March 2023 to less than $7 million in March 2026, according to the reports. Protocol fees have also nearly disappeared over the past 30 days, although BLUR holders retain control of the fee switch. After the announcement, BLUR dropped more than 30% in 24 hours, from $0.018 to $0.0127, and Upbit flagged the token for a trading warning and suspended deposits and withdrawals. The shutdown does not immediately close Blur’s on-chain marketplace, but the loss of its main interface and new lending activity may further weaken user demand and confidence in BLUR.

Evernorth Holdings completed its merger with Armada Acquisition Corp. II and began trading on Nasdaq as XRPN on 12 October. Shares opened at $16.68, climbed to $19.39 and closed regular trading at $16.91, up about 1.4%, with roughly 1.29 million shares traded. The stock later reached $17.49 in after-hours trading. The deal and related private placements raised more than $1 billion, including about $300 million in gross cash proceeds, and drew support from Ripple, SBI Group, Kraken and Pantera Capital. Evernorth holds about 473 million XRP. Led by former Ripple executive Asheesh Birla, it plans to manage the XRP treasury through strategies that may include lending, providing automated market-maker liquidity, options and investment in XRP Ledger infrastructure. It has also discussed using the RLUSD stablecoin in XRP-focused DeFi. The company aims to increase the XRP represented by each share, a model compared with Bitcoin treasury firm Strategy. XRPN’s debut offers institutions that may not be able to hold crypto directly a listed route to XRP exposure, but it does not guarantee demand for XRP or growth in its ecosystem. On the first trading day, XRPN rose while XRP fell 3.5%. XRP was around $1.37, down nearly 9% over seven days and about 62% below its $3.65 all-time high. Analyst Scott Melker said the launch could test demand for crypto treasury stocks after the sector’s speculative boom cooled. Evernorth has also disclosed about $233.7 million in digital-asset impairment for 2025, while cumulative net inflows to XRP spot ETFs have reached $1.8 billion. The longer-term prospects for XRPN and its XRP treasury depend on asset returns, operating performance and sustained investor demand.

On October 9, 2026, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) proposed classifying certain event contracts as swaps, clarifying its oversight of prediction markets traded on federally registered exchanges. The proposal covers contracts linked to sports, politics, culture and weather. A separate interim final rule excludes sportsbook wagers and casino-style games from the swap definition. The measures address a jurisdictional dispute: the CFTC claims federal authority over qualifying markets, while some states argue platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket should be governed by state gambling laws. Court rulings have been divided, and the proposal does not resolve ongoing cases or immediately change rules for every platform. Public comments on both measures are due within 30 days of publication. The outcome could shape where prediction markets operate and how they are regulated, but no direct cryptocurrency price impact has been identified.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal has asked Cantor Fitzgerald to provide records on its relationship with Tether, the issuer of USDT. The 13-item request, sent to Cantor chairman Brandon Lutnick, is due by October 23. It is not a subpoena and does not establish wrongdoing by Cantor or Tether. The request seeks details of Cantor’s sanctions and anti-money-laundering checks, its custody of Tether’s reserve assets, fees, and communications with officials and regulators. Blumenthal also asks about a possible Tether loan connected to former Cantor chief Howard Lutnick’s transfer of his stake to a trust for his children. The letter claims Lutnick received more than $250 million after Donald Trump returned to office and that Cantor’s reported 5% Tether stake rose in estimated value from $600 million to $10 billion. These are claims and estimates cited by Blumenthal, not confirmed valuations or findings. The inquiry follows a Democratic Senate staff report examining 846 wallets sanctioned or targeted for seizure over alleged links to Iran and regional proxies. The report says 84% had transacted exclusively or almost exclusively in USDT; the selected sample does not represent all USDT activity. Tether says it froze about $550 million in Iran-linked USDT during 2026. For traders, the Tether inquiry adds regulatory and reputational scrutiny, but it does not show a reserve shortfall or change USDT’s backing. Cantor’s reported role is custody of reserve assets, while Tether can freeze specified token addresses. Any market reaction is therefore more likely to stem from changing confidence or further regulatory action than from the records request alone.

Securitize has launched 12 tokenized US stocks on Solana for eligible investors, including Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Tesla, Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Circle, SpaceX, Strategy and Palantir. The tokens are described as 1:1-backed security entitlements under UCC Article 8, rather than direct shareholdings or price-only synthetic products. Securitize says the underlying shares will not be lent. USDC is used for settlement. Trading initially runs on Securitize’s Solana PropAMM, with Jump Trading providing liquidity during extended hours. Holders are not registered shareholders by default. Applicable dividends, voting instructions and corporate actions depend on brokerage and custody processes, and holders must convert their entitlements to obtain registered shareholder status. The companies have not sponsored or endorsed the tokens. Securitize plans to work towards 24/7 trading, while potential listings on planned NYSE- and OKXICE-operated digital venues remain subject to regulatory and operational requirements. For crypto traders, the launch marks a notable Solana tokenization development, but eligibility restrictions, thin extended-hours liquidity, market halts and reliance on intermediaries remain important risks. Around-the-clock access is not yet a launch-day feature.

Ethereum’s Sepolia testnet activated the Glamsterdam upgrade on October 6, raising its block gas limit from about 60 million to nearly 200 million. A review of 25 blocks found gas use of 47.1 million to 85.9 million, roughly 24% to 43% of the new limit. Separately, Sepolia produced all 32 scheduled blocks during a six-minute voting period, with 99.97% of eligible stake voting for finality. These results are encouraging, but they do not show that validators can safely sustain blocks close to the new Ethereum gas limit. The higher limit also does not mean transaction capacity will triple or fees will automatically fall; larger blocks can increase validator and network-propagation demands. Glamsterdam changes transaction processing and data-access costs, so developers may need to retest contracts and tools. The earlier plan for a Hoodi testnet upgrade around October 27 was tentative; the later update says no date has been announced. Ethereum mainnet remains at a 60 million gas limit, with no mainnet upgrade scheduled. For ETH traders, this is a measured scaling milestone rather than an immediate change to network capacity or transaction fees.

Standard Chartered plans to launch digital asset custody in Singapore, subject to regulatory requirements, for institutional clients and accredited corporate investors—not retail customers. The service is expected to cover selected cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, and support clients across the asset lifecycle, including safeguarding assets and issuing and holding tokenized versions. The bank has not disclosed supported assets or a launch date. The plan extends its digital asset custody operations in the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong. Standard Chartered is also expanding its Zodia custody business and developing crypto trading and tokenization, including spot bitcoin and ether trading through its Dubai branch, a London bitcoin trading desk and blockchain unit Libeara. The Singapore expansion adds to institutional digital asset custody options in a major Asian financial hub, but does not by itself signal an immediate change in cryptocurrency prices.

Greece has proposed a 10% crypto tax on individual gains, lower than the 15% rate officials discussed in June. The draft bill exempts the first €500 of annual gains, treats crypto-to-crypto swaps as non-taxable and applies the same 10% rate to income from staking, lending and liquidity provision. The proposal is open for public consultation until October 22 and is expected to go to parliament in November; it is not yet law. Greece currently lacks a comprehensive crypto tax framework, and officials say overseas platforms make the market difficult to assess. No revenue forecast has been reported. The proposal would clarify crypto tax treatment in Greece, as European countries move towards clearer digital-asset tax reporting, though rules and rates differ across the region.

Polymarket began production canary testing Protocol V2 on October 5. The trial is scheduled to run through October 30, with November 2 tentatively set for new markets to begin using the upgraded system. No broader migration plan for existing markets has been announced; they can continue settling through their original contracts. The Polymarket Protocol V2 upgrade rebuilds the prediction market’s smart-contract infrastructure. It unifies positions through ERC-1155, standardizes pUSD as collateral for new markets, and updates routing and oracle components. Polymarket says pUSD is an ERC-20 token on Polygon backed 1:1 by USDC. V2 is designed to support Binary, Atomic Neg-risk, Incremental Neg-risk and Combinatorial markets, with an OracleAggregator intended to connect resolution sources including UMA and Chainlink. The code has undergone several audits and formal verification by Certora. For traders, this is primarily an infrastructure change, not a user-interface overhaul or a direct token catalyst. The near-term focus is whether testing proceeds smoothly and whether the tentative launch date holds. A successful rollout could support platform growth and more complex prediction markets, while the limited immediate market impact may leave trading activity largely unchanged.

OKX has launched OKX Money, a standalone mobile app for stablecoin savings, cross-border transfers and everyday payments. The OKX Money app is initially available in selected markets across Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, with access determined by local regulations, licensing and identity checks. Users can fund accounts with more than 50 currencies and convert balances into USDG, USDC or USDT. OKX says supported stablecoins can be held and converted without conversion fees. The app is designed to reduce foreign-exchange costs, which can reach about 2% to 5% through traditional providers, although rates and features vary by market. Eligible users can earn up to 10% APY on USDG without staking or a fixed lock-up. Rewards are paid weekly, but eligibility may depend on deposits, spending activity or VIP status. OKX has not explained how the advertised yield is funded, so traders should distinguish the reward from USDG’s reserves, which Paxos says are backed by cash and short-term US government securities. OKX Money also offers virtual and physical cards, up to 10% cashback through a five-tier loyalty programme and referral rewards. OKX says the service uses its existing security infrastructure and operates within regulatory frameworks across more than 30 jurisdictions. The launch expands OKX beyond crypto trading into stablecoin savings, remittances and payments. It could support longer-term demand for USDG, USDC and USDT, but limited availability, regulatory uncertainty and undisclosed yield funding reduce the immediate price impact.

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT says he infiltrated a Chinese-linked crypto laundering network allegedly handling more than $1 billion for North Korea’s Lazarus Group-related operations. The investigation followed the February 2025 Bybit exploit, in which about $1.5 billion was stolen and attributed to the DPRK-linked TraderTraitor group. ZachXBT posed as a client and used 349,700 USDC to contact a Telegram broker known as “Jimmy Green”. On-chain data linked the broker’s wallet to Bybit hack proceeds. The broker allegedly disclosed laundering activity in Hong Kong and mainland China, including planned transfers to Solana. The investigation traced more than $12 million in Bybit-linked assets across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Tron. Tether later froze about $442,000 in related USDT. ZachXBT also identified the use of THORChain, Uniswap liquidity pools and illiquid tokens to obscure stolen funds. The network was allegedly connected to the Poloniex exploit and scam proceeds linked to the sanctioned Huione Guarantee platform. Evidence was shared with private investigators and law enforcement. ZachXBT said he has helped freeze more than $75 million linked to North Korean hacking operations since 2022. The findings highlight persistent cross-chain laundering risks and could lead to further exchange compliance action, stablecoin freezes and short-term volatility in affected assets. However, the news is unlikely to create a broad market move.

OKX has applied to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a US tokenized stock trading platform, according to Bloomberg. The application was not yet visible in the SEC’s public records at the time of reporting. The proposal follows an earlier OKXICE filing for a regulated tokenized stock exchange. OKXICE is a joint venture between OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. The initial proposal covered 63 NYSE-listed companies. OKX would provide blockchain infrastructure, while ICE would contribute market technology. OKX already offers more than 70 tokenized US stocks and ETFs through its Unified Tokenized Stocks product, powered by xStocks. These assets trade 24/7 in USDT and settle on Solana and OKX’s X Layer network. However, the offshore products are sold under Regulation S and classified as synthetic instruments. They provide price exposure but no dividends or voting rights. The SEC’s five-year Innovation Exemption, introduced on 17 September 2026, allows qualified Tokenized Securities Venues to support secondary trading in tokenized NMS stocks through approved automated market makers and liquidity pools. The rules require tokens to preserve genuine shareholder rights, use auditable smart contracts on public, permissionless blockchains, and halt trading if the underlying stock is suspended. This could force OKX to redesign its existing tokenized stock model for the US market. OKXICE is also seeking broker-dealer and futures commission merchant approvals from the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. If approved, the platform could support near-24-hour trading of US equities, subject to regulatory limits. For crypto traders, the key catalysts are the SEC’s licensing decision and whether OKX can add dividends and voting rights. The OKX tokenized stock platform is strategically significant, but the direct price impact on OKX-related crypto assets is likely limited until approvals and product changes become clearer.

Bitcoin rose about 1% to above $86,000 after a weak September US jobs report reduced expectations of an October Federal Reserve rate hike. Employers added only 29,000 jobs, below the roughly 84,000 forecast. Unemployment increased to 4.2%, while annual wage growth slowed to 3%, its weakest level since May 2021. Payroll growth for July and August was also revised down by 60,000 jobs. The data reduced futures-market expectations of an October rate hike from about 66% at the start of the week to 22%. Softer inflation and dovish comments from Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee further supported expectations of a policy pause. Bitcoin later eased towards $85,300 but remained above $86,000 in the latest trading update. QCP Capital said Bitcoin must decisively clear $87,200, with resistance extending towards $87,500, to confirm another upward move. A break above that area could support a move towards $90,000, while rejection may trigger profit-taking. Weekend crypto liquidations were relatively limited at $62.7 million, with short positions accounting for 68%. Other major cryptocurrencies were mixed. DOGE gained more than 3%, HYPE rose nearly 3% to about $93, and ETH and XRP advanced by up to 1%. SOL, BNB and ZEC slipped by less than 1%. Despite the weaker jobs data, the 10-year US Treasury yield remained elevated at 5.25%, reflecting heavy bond supply and higher long-term debt risk premiums. Institutional demand remains supportive. US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted about $6.34 billion in the third quarter, including $2.65 billion in September, while Bitcoin gained nearly 43% during the quarter. Traders will watch the Federal Reserve meeting minutes, due Wednesday, as well as ETF flows, Treasury yields and further labor-market data for signals on interest rates, liquidity and Bitcoin’s next direction.

Strategy faces possible removal from MSCI’s global equity indexes under proposed rules for companies with limited operating assets and concentrated financial holdings. MSCI is expected to name affected companies on November 11, with changes scheduled after the market close on November 30, 2026. The decision on Strategy is not final. The proposed framework considers operating assets and financial tests, and includes safeguards for existing index constituents. Other firms, potentially including digital-asset treasury company Metaplanet and uranium investor Yellow Cake, could also be affected. JPMorgan estimates that Strategy’s removal could prompt about $2.8 billion in passive selling of its shares. If other major index providers adopt similar rules, the total could reach $8.8 billion. These estimates concern Strategy stock, not its Bitcoin holdings. MSCI’s classification could therefore pressure Strategy shares without requiring direct BTC sales. Strategy says its financing and capital-allocation model—including common stock, preferred securities and convertible debt—makes it more than a vehicle holding Bitcoin. MSCI says its rules must distinguish operating companies from firms that primarily hold financial assets. Chairman Michael Saylor has played down MSCI’s influence on capital flows and criticised its approach. For traders, the main risks are index-driven selling and potentially more difficult fundraising. A weaker share premium or softer demand for securities could constrain Strategy’s ability to finance further Bitcoin purchases. The ruling may also shape how index providers classify Bitcoin treasury companies. It could weigh indirectly on BTC sentiment, but it does not change Bitcoin’s fundamentals or automatically trigger Bitcoin sales.

Coinbase added Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin to its retail app, Coinbase Exchange and Coinbase Prime on 28 October. Customers can deposit and withdraw RLUSD across the XRP Ledger, Ethereum and Base, and convert US dollars and eligible dollar-denominated stablecoins into RLUSD at a 1:1 rate. Ripple says RLUSD’s market capitalisation has surpassed $2.4 billion since its December 2024 launch. Ripple will provide liquidity on Base, while support for RLUSD as collateral on Coinbase Global Exchange is planned for a later stage, with terms and timing undisclosed. The expanded listing gives RLUSD holders more trading and transfer options, but exchange access does not guarantee direct dollar redemption. Redemption depends on issuer eligibility, platform rules, liquidity and banking arrangements. RLUSD is issued by Standard Custody & Trust Company, with BNY as its primary reserve custodian; Ripple says reserves include dollar deposits, short-term US Treasuries and cash equivalents. The listing comes as Ripple reports broader institutional growth. More than 1,700 institutions and businesses use its infrastructure, and the company says its customer count has tripled this year. Ripple products enabled more than $16 trillion in transactions during 2025, while Ripple Payments has recorded nearly $150 billion in lifetime volume across more than 60 payout markets. Ripple also targets an annualised product revenue run rate of nearly $900 million by the end of 2026. Wider RLUSD access could support adoption, but its market capitalisation does not prove Coinbase inflows or real-world payment use, and any effect on XRP demand will depend on actual activity.

Resistance to tokenized US stocks has grown since 22 companies were initially reported to have objected to OKXICE’s planned service. The later update put the number at 33 issuers, representing about $17 trillion in combined market value. OKXICE, a joint venture between OKX and Intercontinental Exchange, plans to offer around 63 US stocks on OKX’s X Layer network under an SEC innovation exemption. The framework gives companies 30 days to object to third-party tokens of their shares. Issuers have raised concerns about investor confusion, share prices, liquidity, volatility, transparency and market oversight. OKXICE co-chair Andrew Cuomo said a cautious response was expected and that companies can opt out. The objections do not rule out tokenized stocks altogether, but they add uncertainty to third-party offerings and the wider tokenization sector. A separate model is advancing through established financial infrastructure. On 28 October, the Depository Trust Company, part of DTCC, launched a service covering 34 securities, backed one-to-one by assets held in its existing custody system; 20 financial institutions have signed up. The competing approaches—third-party tokenized stock platforms and services integrated with traditional securities infrastructure—could shape regulation and adoption. For crypto traders, the immediate effects are likely to be concentrated in digital-asset tokenization rather than broad market prices.

Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $137 million in net inflows on 28 October, marking a third consecutive day of inflows, according to SoSoValue. BlackRock’s IBIT attracted $136 million, while Bitwise’s BITB received about $1.32 million, meaning most of the latest daily total went to IBIT. Bitcoin spot ETFs held $104.877 billion in net assets, equal to 6.41% of Bitcoin’s market capitalisation, and cumulative net inflows reached $57.607 billion. The three-day inflow run suggests renewed demand for Bitcoin exposure through ETFs, though the concentration in IBIT is worth watching.

Strategy shareholders approved daily dividends for preferred stocks STRF, STRC, STRK and STRD, with 99.3% of votes cast in favor. Dividends will accrue every calendar day, including weekends and holidays, but payments will be made on business days. The change affects payment timing, not annualized rates or total dividend income, which remain roughly 8% to 12%. STRC is scheduled to begin daily payments on November 2; STRF, STRK and STRD are due to follow on January 4, 2027. Strategy says daily dividends could support liquidity and price stability by shortening the wait between accrual and payment. The move comes as Bitcoin treasury firm Strive competes for income-focused investors with its SATS preferred stock, which offers a 15% annualized rate and plans to start daily payments on November 9. Strategy recently repurchased $204.9 million of STRC as it traded just below its $100 par value, while pausing Bitcoin purchases. Traders will watch whether daily dividends help the preferred shares narrow their discounts to par and reduce future funding costs for Bitcoin purchases. The impact is uncertain and may be offset by competition and potential MSCI index-removal risk for Strategy.

Itaú Unibanco, Brazil’s largest private bank, filed a crypto notice with the central bank on 27 October, ahead of the 30 October deadline for regulated firms already offering digital-asset services. The Itaú crypto filing covers client crypto trading and custody, which Brazil classifies as brokerage services. It is a formal notification, not a licence application, and requires independent technical certification. The central bank can request more information or order the bank to wind down its operations. Itaú has offered crypto trading since December 2023 and supports more than 14 assets, including Bitcoin, Ether and USDC. Brazil’s licensing framework also sets requirements for asset segregation, capital, governance and anti-money-laundering controls, with further security requirements due from 2027. From 6 November, regulated firms will also be barred from facilitating certain transactions involving unauthorised providers. The filing reflects tighter oversight and growing bank involvement, but does not itself signal a change in Itaú’s services or a direct shift in crypto demand.

Ethereum developers have postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet, which was scheduled for October 26, while they investigate how EIP-8037 interacts with existing smart contracts. The Ethereum Foundation said on October 22 that no replacement activation date has been set and no confirmed exploit or failure has been identified. The change removes the planned Amsterdam execution-layer and Gloas consensus-layer activations from Hoodi’s schedule, as well as a planned increase in the testnet gas limit to 200 million. Hoodi operators should follow updated execution- and consensus-client instructions. The Foundation said Ethereum mainnet users do not need to take action. The Glamsterdam delay is a testnet readiness measure, not a mainnet rollback or a confirmed change to network performance. Its immediate impact on ETH trading is likely limited, though traders may watch for findings from the EIP-8037 investigation, client updates and a revised Hoodi schedule.

Samsung and the Solana Foundation plan to launch cross-border USDC transfers on Solana through Samsung Wallet in the final week of October 2026. The initial programme could reach users across 82 million US Galaxy devices, with fiat on- and off-ramps designed to convert funds to and from local currencies. The Samsung Wallet Solana USDC feature is planned, not confirmed as available on every eligible device or in every country. The announcement provides no transfer volumes, fees or confirmed adoption figures; expansion will depend on local regulations. For SOL traders, the integration could support Solana’s stablecoin payments narrative, but its market impact will depend on supported remittance corridors, conversion partners and actual transaction activity.

BNY has added XRP and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin to its Digital Asset Custody platform, allowing eligible institutional clients to safeguard, hold and transfer the assets. The bank, which reported $63.4 trillion in assets under custody or administration as of September 30, already serves as RLUSD’s primary reserve custodian and has a separate custody relationship with Ripple Prime. BNY and Ripple plan to explore direct RLUSD minting and redemption for BNY clients, subject to bank and regulatory approvals. They are also examining tokenized investment products on the XRP Ledger and a C2FO-backed trade-finance initiative that could represent approved receivables on-chain. These remain proposed applications, with no launch dates announced. The expanded XRP and RLUSD custody support may strengthen institutional digital-asset infrastructure, but it does not indicate regulatory endorsement, confirmed token purchases or broad adoption. Traders should watch for approval details, client availability and transaction volumes. The announcement alone does not establish a near-term effect on XRP’s price or on-chain activity.

Janus Henderson and Centrifuge have launched JQQQ, a tokenized fund tracking the Nasdaq-100 Index on the Stellar blockchain. The fund is the first officially licensed tokenized product to track the index and is initially available to eligible professional investors outside the US, with a reported $100,000 minimum investment. It provides indirect exposure to the index, not direct ownership of its constituent stocks. The launch expands Janus Henderson’s blockchain-based fund offerings, which the firm says exceed $1 billion and include products accessed by about 200 crypto wallets. Stellar has around $3.8 billion in tokenized assets, ranking fourth among blockchains, according to RWA.xyz. Other institutional activity includes Aviva Investors’ tokenized share class on XRP Ledger and planned links between the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s tokenization service and Stellar, with assets potentially available in the first half of 2027. Franklin Templeton and Animoca Brands are also pursuing tokenized-asset initiatives. JQQQ is not a direct crypto investment, so its immediate effect on crypto trading may be limited. The launch supports the longer-term institutional adoption of tokenized funds, though liquidity, regulation and interoperability remain challenges. Stellar’s XLM was reported down about 16% year to date and near $0.17, underscoring that growing RWA activity has not necessarily translated into near-term token-price gains.

BlackRock Financial Management, BlackRock Japan, SBI Holdings and Startale Group signed a memorandum of understanding on 27 October to explore linking tokenised money market funds with JPYSC, a regulated yen-denominated stablecoin. The partners will assess technical interfaces, business and distribution models, and regulatory requirements in Japan. The proposal remains exploratory: no fund, blockchain, launch date, eligible investors or completed JPYSC settlement transactions have been announced. It does not confirm an integration with BlackRock’s BUIDL fund or the launch of a new fund or service. Any connection between JPYSC and tokenised fund shares would need clear rules for investor eligibility, custody, liquidity, ownership records and settlement. For crypto traders, the announcement signals institutional interest in Japanese tokenisation infrastructure, but it is not evidence of live demand or an immediate trading catalyst for JPYSC. A defined pilot and verified settlement activity would mark more concrete progress.