Crypto News

Analysts remain divided on whether Bitcoin can reclaim $100,000 by the end of 2026. Bitwise’s Ryan Rasmussen sees potential support from ETF and corporate buying, demand for hard assets and a clearer regulatory environment. But LO:TECH’s Adam Morgan McCarthy expects Bitcoin to trade mainly between $85,000 and $95,000, as persistent inflation and possible Federal Reserve rate hikes could weigh on prices. US September CPI rose 0.6% month on month and core CPI increased 0.3%; markets were also pricing in a high chance of a December rate hike. Later analysis highlights weaker ETF inflows and slower corporate buying, while Laser Digital’s Luca Invernizzi says high Treasury yields remain a risk. Reduced leverage could amplify a sustained break above $90,000 through short covering, but CoinShares’ James Butterfill says lasting gains need renewed investment flows. Traders are likely to watch inflation data, Fed expectations, Treasury yields and institutional demand for clues to Bitcoin’s next move.

Binance Pool will stop operating at 07:00 UTC on November 10, 2026, Binance said in an October 13 announcement. The closure covers Bitcoin mining, Pool Savings, Cloud Mining, the Transaction Accelerator, mining pool APIs and hashrate alerts. Binance cited a review of its products and services but gave no specific commercial reason. The shutdown does not affect Binance exchange or spot-trading operations. Bitcoin miners must redirect their machines before the cutoff. Binance will stop accepting or crediting new shares and hashrate submissions, while eligible shares submitted before the deadline will be included in its final reward calculation. Users should complete any required identity checks by 23:59 UTC on November 10, review active savings positions and ensure their accounts can receive eligible outstanding rewards or refunds under product terms and compliance requirements. Historical pool pages are due to close on November 24, so users should save account records beforehand. Binance Pool’s estimated Bitcoin hashrate fell to about 9.2 EH/s in October, from roughly 26 EH/s in December, and represented less than 1% of the network in the latest estimate. Foundry USA, AntPool and F2Pool together accounted for about 64.2% of measured hashrate in an October comparison. Binance has not disclosed where its miners will go; they may join other pools, mine independently or take machines offline. Traders can monitor changes in pool hashrate and block shares for signs of shifting concentration, but the closure alone does not establish a direct Bitcoin price impact.

Broadcom’s AI growth outlook remains strong, but its shares have come under pressure. An earlier analysis highlighted the company’s custom AI chips, advanced packaging and partnerships with Google, OpenAI and Meta, alongside robust operating margins despite lower gross margins. At $361.54, it valued Broadcom at 18.7 times estimated FY2027 earnings and said the case depended on continued execution. A later assessment reported that Broadcom shares had fallen 33.6% from a June high of $495 to $328, wiping out about $800 billion in market value. It cited third-quarter revenue growth of 86% and AI semiconductor growth of 221%, and pointed to earnings targets of up to $30 per share and estimates of 17 times FY2027 and 11 times FY2028 earnings. The author sees potential 50%–100% upside if targets are met, arguing custom silicon and software could benefit as AI firms manage infrastructure spending. These are the author’s estimates, not guaranteed returns or company guidance. Execution, customer concentration and credit risk remain key considerations. Broadcom is a technology-stock story rather than a direct cryptocurrency catalyst, though it may inform broader risk appetite for AI and tech assets.

Bitcoin mining difficulty rose 5.92% to 140.58 trillion at block 971,712 on October 16, its highest level since March 5. The adjustment followed faster-than-target block production, with estimated network hashrate exceeding one zettahash per second. It reversed the previous adjustment, which had edged down 0.03% to 132.72 trillion. Over the past month, Bitcoin mining difficulty has increased 10.3%, raising operating pressure on miners. If computing power remains unchanged, miners may earn about 5.6% fewer rewards per unit of time, while electricity and other costs persist. Bitcoin traded near $82,000 on October 18 after briefly touching about $79,800 on October 15. Traders are watching resistance around $83,000 and then $84,000–$85,000, with $81,000 and $80,000 in focus if prices fall. Higher Bitcoin mining difficulty could pressure less efficient miners, but does not by itself indicate selling or determine BTC’s price direction.

Strive’s Bitcoin holdings have climbed to 35,595 BTC after weeks of buying. On 16 October, TD Cowen raised its price target for Strive shares from $44 to $56, a 27% increase. Strive also priced an offering of 7 million preferred shares at $90 each, which could raise about $630 million before expenses. The financing avoids immediate dilution of common shares but brings dividend costs and could fund further Bitcoin purchases. Despite the analyst upgrade and growing Bitcoin holdings, Strive shares fell 6.1% on Friday, in line with Strategy. For Bitcoin traders, the purchases add a potential source of corporate demand, but the share-price target is an analyst opinion, not a guarantee; future buying and the broader market remain key factors.

Seven crypto token unlocks are scheduled for next week, with LayerZero (ZRO) representing the largest release by value. The latest figures put ZRO’s October 20 unlock at about 23.28 million tokens worth $43.3 million, or 3.83% of its circulating supply. Earlier estimates cited 23.4 million ZRO worth about $44.7 million; the newer report provides a date and updated valuation. On October 25, Plasma (XPL) is set to unlock about 227 million tokens worth $17.9 million, while Humanity (H) will release about 266 million tokens worth $15 million. Other scheduled token unlocks include SOSO, SOON, KAITO and COAI, with reported values broadly ranging from about $5 million to $6.9 million. Earlier estimates for several projects differed, so traders should check updated schedules and figures. Token unlocks increase circulating supply and may add short-term selling pressure, but do not guarantee that recipients will sell. Traders can monitor prices, trading volume and exchange inflows around each release.

Chainalysis data show tokenized U.S. Treasuries reached $15.42 billion by July 1, 2026, up 125% from $6.86 billion a year earlier. The tokenized U.S. Treasury market represented 42.8% of the $36.07 billion real-world asset (RWA) market covered by the report. Among holdings with identifiable locations, Italy accounted for 29.9% of value, Portugal 18.8% and Singapore 18.2%, giving the three countries a combined 66.9% share; U.S. holders accounted for 10.5%. Japan represented 16.4% of identified holders but just 0.4% of value, indicating comparatively small holdings. These geographic figures cover only holdings whose locations could be identified. Chainalysis cited lower investment minimums and access without a U.S. brokerage account as factors supporting overseas adoption. However, lending activity backed by tokenized Treasuries fell 23%, while private-credit-backed lending grew sharply. BlackRock’s BUIDL fund also regained the lead among tokenized Treasury products in late August. The figures point to expanding on-chain access to government debt, but weaker Treasury-backed lending shows that growth is uneven.

Thai police have arrested a 37-year-old Chinese man wanted in China over alleged money laundering and links to an international criminal network. Investigators say the network handled more than 500 million yuan (about $75 million) in transactions. Police allege the suspect arranged cryptocurrency and foreign-currency exchanges for criminal groups and recruited people to provide bank accounts, cards and account details. The network was linked to more than 133 bank accounts. He was also accused of helping arrange visas and using forged accommodation documents; police say he changed vehicle plates to evade arrest before he was found at a Bangkok home. He will face Thai proceedings over allegedly overstaying his visa by about three years and eight months before authorities coordinate his return to China. The case highlights ongoing law-enforcement scrutiny of crypto money laundering, but officials have reported no direct impact on crypto markets.

Bitget is closing selected accounts after adding Russia and Belarus to its restricted-jurisdiction list in terms updated on October 16. Affected users will receive individual instructions on when to stop trading, close open positions and withdraw funds. Some customers reportedly face an October 21 withdrawal cutoff, but Bitget has not set a universal deadline or disclosed how many accounts are affected. Earlier reports also mentioned Kazakhstan as a possible jurisdiction, but Bitget has not confirmed that users there are included. Bitget describes the closures as a one-time measure and says the wider exchange remains operational. It says affected customers will be contacted by email, in-app message or push notification, with support available for account and withdrawal questions. The exchange has not cited a specific government order or linked the move to its September security breach. Customers who receive no termination notice may continue using their accounts if they meet Bitget’s eligibility rules. Traders facing closure may move funds to another exchange or self-custody; the market impact is likely limited unless withdrawals become widespread.

After Bitcoin met resistance near $87,000 and selling pressure intensified, its MVRV indicator fell to 25.7%, below the historical 30th-percentile threshold, according to analyst Darkfost. The Bitcoin MVRV metric compares current market valuation with historical levels; readings in this range have occurred about 25% of the time. Darkfost says the data is consistent with an accumulation phase, but Bitcoin has moved out of the most deeply undervalued range that has often coincided with market bottoms. The indicator may offer context for traders assessing on-chain valuation, but it does not confirm a bottom or signal an imminent rally.

On-chain investigators say funds allegedly stolen in three crypto security incidents have moved into Zcash (ZEC), a privacy-focused cryptocurrency. Specter reported on October 17 that funds linked to the Cryptobills Ledger incident and a $12 million Triple-A exploit had entered Zcash, but did not provide a complete transaction trail or confirm the amounts transferred. The report follows the September 24 Bitget breach. ZachXBT previously traced about 2,700 ZEC, worth roughly $3.8 million at the time, into Zcash’s Ironwood shielded pool. Bitget estimated its total losses at about $387.5 million, said its cold wallets and private keys were not compromised, and pledged to cover the loss. The $387.5 million figure refers to the entire breach, not funds confirmed as sent to Zcash. Zcash’s shielded pools can obscure transaction details, complicating efforts to trace assets after they enter the network. The reports do not establish a new protocol vulnerability, and details about the Cryptobills Ledger and Triple-A transfers remain incomplete. For traders, the activity may draw scrutiny to privacy coins, but there is no confirmed direct effect on ZEC’s price or broader market stability.

Strive increased its Bitcoin holdings from 28,000 BTC at the end of September to 35,595 BTC, adding nearly 7,600 BTC in about two weeks. Reported purchases included 3,311 BTC on 13 October and 2,822 BTC on 14 October. The US-listed company is now the fourth-largest public-company Bitcoin holder, narrowly ahead of MARA Holdings. TD Cowen raised its Strive price target from $44 to $56 after the buying exceeded its estimate for the company’s entire fourth-quarter accumulation. Strive shares nevertheless fell 6.6% to $23.96 on Friday amid dilution from $27 warrant exercises, which have now been completed. The company is also seeking to raise $630 million through preferred shares, with proceeds intended for dividends and further Bitcoin purchases rather than additional common-share issuance. The treasury expansion is a positive signal for Bitcoin demand, although the broader market impact may be limited; the financing plan and Bitcoin price remain important risks for Strive.

London-listed digital-asset company KR1 has launched 10 Ethereum validators through a Lido V3 stVault operated by P2P.org, putting its Ethereum staking plan into operation. KR1 plans to stake up to 6,000 ETH from a treasury of about 6,200 ETH and has said it aims to expand beyond 100 validators. Further deployment will depend partly on Ethereum’s validator entry queue. KR1 retains control over withdrawals, validator fee arrangements and vault permissions, and can mint stETH as a liquidity option. Lido says stVaults combine validator ownership and selection with optional liquid staking; the contracts have been audited by five security firms and are covered by a bug bounty of up to $2 million. The launch adds institutional participation in Ethereum staking, but KR1 has not disclosed expected rewards, costs or net income. Its direct price impact on ETH is likely limited; realized returns will depend on scaling and operating performance.

AI stock perpetual contracts fell sharply and then recovered on 18 October, in a brief bout of volatility reported in market data from Binance and MSX.COM. Between 05:22 and 05:32 Beijing time, Western Digital (WDC) and Nebius (NBIS) fell by nearly 7% at their lows; Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) and IREN also dropped close to 7%. Micron (MU) and SK Hynix (SKHY) lost more than 6%, while SanDisk (SNDK) fell 6.10% and CoreWeave (CRWV) dropped as much as 5.87%. A SpaceX-related contract was also reported down 3.50%. Prices had rebounded from their lows by the time of the reports. The sharp moves highlight short-term volatility in AI stock perpetual contracts and tokenised equity-linked trading. No cause was identified, and the reports do not indicate a direct price impact on cryptocurrencies.

Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley see tokenization as a potential growth opportunity, but none provided revenue forecasts during their third-quarter earnings calls. Goldman Sachs has developed its GS DAP platform and is studying broader use of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s tokenization services; its CEO said activity remains small. Wells Fargo said it is already using tokenized deposits for cross-border payments, with funds reaching recipients in as little as two minutes. The bank is also exploring tokenized securities, real-world assets (RWA) and crypto trading for wealth-management clients, and sees tokenization as a way to expand internationally without building a large branch network. Morgan Stanley said faster, simpler asset transfers could support demand for wealth-management advice, but announced no new tokenization product. The comments show growing institutional interest in tokenization and blockchain settlement, while limited activity and the absence of revenue targets suggest a gradual shift rather than an immediate catalyst for crypto prices or market demand.

Fission has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Pantera Capital, with Circle Ventures, Borderless Capital and Ari Rubenstein participating. The round closed in September, and Fission did not disclose its valuation. The company plans to expand its infrastructure and support more asset managers. Fission provides secondary-market liquidity for tokenized alternative investments, including private equity and private credit funds. It buys qualifying fund shares, enabling eligible investors to sell without relying solely on traditional redemption periods. The process includes legal and transaction support through a digital wallet and may involve a fee. CEO Jonathan Shaffer said some products that can take about 200 days to sell may be liquidated in 90 seconds or less. Founded in 2024 by former Point72 and Securitize employees, Fission serves institutional investors and organisations with on-chain assets. Potential users include hedge funds, crypto treasuries and stablecoin issuers investing reserves in tokenized yield-bearing products. Tokenization can improve ownership records and transfers, but it does not guarantee buyers or remove restrictions, redemption windows or the risk of selling at a discount. The funding signals continued investor interest in liquidity infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets.

Coinbase crypto-backed loans reached $2.3 billion in outstanding balances by October 17, 2026, up from more than $1.4 billion in floating-rate loans by mid-September. Launched in January 2025, the product lets eligible US customers outside New York borrow USDC against Bitcoin without selling their holdings; loans are routed through Morpho on Base. Coinbase later added fixed-rate borrowing and expanded eligible collateral to XRP, DOGE, ADA and LTC. About $3 billion in collateral backed the floating-rate loans in September. The company has also partnered with Better on crypto-collateralized conforming mortgages. Separately, JPMorgan’s JPMD tokenized deposits are operating on Base for institutional users, while Citi, BNY Mellon and several UK banks are developing tokenized deposit services. The growth in Coinbase crypto-backed loans and institutional on-chain finance highlights Base’s expanding role in lending and settlement, although the loan figures cover different dates and product types.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded more than $7.5 billion in trading volume in the week ending October 16, 2026, while weekly net outflows were about $145 million. On October 16 alone, the funds saw $82.39 million in net outflows on $2.66 billion in volume. October’s outflows had reached roughly $535 million month to date, including a $485 million withdrawal on October 7, reversing September’s largely positive trend. Even so, cumulative net inflows remained near $56.88 billion, with assets of about $104.29 billion—suggesting active repositioning rather than evidence of broad, concentrated selling. Bitcoin traded near $82,000. One analyst warned that a fall to $10,000 would imply an exceptionally severe drawdown, while another said Bitcoin had held relatively firm amid renewed stock-market weakness. Traders are watching $80,000 as key support, with $84,000 identified as the point of control and about $86,000 as the range’s upper boundary. Bitcoin ETF flows, equity-market volatility and whether BTC holds $80,000 are important near-term signals.

A Public Citizen report published on October 8 says companies and individuals linked to cancelled or weakened federal enforcement actions contributed or pledged about $210.5 million to pro-Trump political committees. It identified 212 enforcement actions involving 205 corporations; the report was not a new investigation published on October 16. Crypto.com-linked contributions included $35 million to MAGA Inc. and $2 million to another Trump-aligned committee. Gemini gave $20 million to MAGA Inc., while its co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss each gave $10 million, bringing Gemini-linked contributions to $40 million. Andreessen Horowitz and its founders contributed $12 million; nine companies in the firm’s portfolio also had enforcement actions cancelled or weakened. Public Citizen says the scale of crypto political donations merits scrutiny, but the report does not prove that donations secured specific regulatory decisions or establish an illegal arrangement. It adds to debate over crypto lobbying and regulatory influence. For traders, the story raises questions about the durability of US enforcement changes, but is not an immediate price catalyst for the firms’ tokens.

Former Mt. Gox chief Mark Karpelès has criticised Ledger’s response to a reported hardware wallet supply-chain attack. He alleges Ledger was warned in December 2025, before the incident came to wider attention, but placed its warning in a Ledger Academy article instead of issuing a more prominent alert. Karpelès says reports of mass-produced, self-aligning implants warranted the strongest response and has questioned how Ledger contacted affected customers. After Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier referred to Karpelès’s Mt. Gox experience, Karpelès said he expected Ledger to learn from that failure. The claims have not been independently confirmed and do not establish a widespread vulnerability in Ledger devices. For traders, the dispute may weigh on confidence in hardware wallets and self-custody, but no direct price impact on a specific cryptocurrency is evident.

Bulgaria’s Postbank plans to add crypto investing to its mobile app in early 2027, alongside stocks, ETFs, commodities and metals such as gold. The service is expected to include fractional investing, making smaller investments possible. Postbank, the country’s fourth-largest bank by assets, says it will work with an international investment platform but has not named its partner. The available assets, fees and custody arrangements are also unknown. The plan follows First Investment Bank’s announcement that it expects to offer crypto investing through its My Fibank app around the same time, with Bitpanda as its partner. Postbank’s multi-asset service could broaden access to crypto investing through traditional banking, but its market significance will depend on launch details, customer uptake and regulatory requirements.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company could stop supplying chips to customers developing unsafe AI, but would speak with them before taking action. He added that Nvidia has limited ability to judge how customers use its general-purpose technology. Nvidia controls about 90% of the AI training chip market, giving its supply decisions significant industry influence, though Huang described any cutoff as conditional and case-specific. Nvidia also pledged $250 million in computing resources over five years for AI agent safety and cybersecurity research in the UK—equivalent to $50 million a year. Most resources will support the wider UK research community, with additional capacity for projects led by Oxford University, University College London and Imperial College London. Providers and commercial terms are not yet finalised. Research will focus on safer AI agents, open-source model security and real-world threat prevention. Huang called safety concerns growing pains and supported using AI to monitor other AI systems. The announcement broadens Nvidia’s role in AI safety, but does not directly change chip supply or its near-term business outlook. It has no clear direct effect on cryptocurrency prices.

DeepSeek has released V4.1-Flash-1017, an update to its V4.1 Flash AI model, across its website, app and API. The company says DeepSeek V4.1 Flash performs better on benchmarks than the previous version, with a focus on compatibility and performance in DeepSeek Harness, Tencent CodeBuddy and WorkBuddy. The report identifies no direct effect on cryptocurrency prices or trading activity.

Eurozone inflation reached 3.8% in September, mainly because of high energy costs. The European Central Bank expects energy-related pressure to ease next year, but inflation may stay above its target until the first half of 2027. President Christine Lagarde said a cautious policy response remains appropriate. The ECB is preparing a digital euro for everyday retail payments. It is intended to complement cash and support innovation and competition in payments. The ECB has also launched Pontes, which allows financial institutions to settle wholesale tokenised-asset transactions in central bank money; full implementation is expected in 2028. The digital euro and Pontes point to deeper integration of digital payments and tokenised finance in Europe, but the announcements do not directly change the outlook for any specific cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin rebounded from a weekly low near $79,800 and traded around $81,400 on Oct. 16. By Oct. 17, it was near $81,731 after briefly slipping below $80,000, but remained 2.44% below its weekly open. The recovery has yet to clear key resistance: Bitcoin was below its daily Bollinger midpoint at $83,478, while traders cited $84,000–$84,200 as the zone a breakout needs to reclaim to strengthen the short-term outlook. One commentator said a move above $84,000 could put $90,000 in view; trader Ardi said a break above $84,200 was needed before considering long positions. CoinGlass data showed estimated liquidation concentrations around $84,300–$84,800 overhead and near $80,000–$80,800 below. Short-term momentum indicators remained weak in the earlier analysis, while weekly RSI readings of 56.39 and later 56.75, along with a bullish weekly Supertrend, offered a more supportive longer-term backdrop without confirming a near-term reversal. A sustained move below $80,000 could bring the $79,800 low back into focus. September US inflation, reported at 3.7% year on year, added to the macroeconomic backdrop for Bitcoin’s volatility.

Bitcoin extended its decline from near $84,000, first reaching a reported monthly low of $80,200 and later briefly falling below $80,000. It then rebounded by nearly $3,000, but sellers emerged near $83,000; Bitcoin was most recently trading around $81,500, below $82,000. Its market capitalisation was about $1.63 trillion, while Bitcoin dominance slipped from above 60% to below that level. Selling spread across altcoins. Ethereum fell to a two-month low of $2,315 before recovering to around $2,370, while XRP traded near $1.31, down 2.4%, and ZEC fell 5.2% after losing the $1,200 level. ZRO, STRK and PYTH posted double-digit losses. The total crypto market capitalisation fell by roughly $100 billion in the earlier report and was later put at $2.74 trillion, down 1% over 24 hours. Higher-than-expected September inflation and weakness in Asian equity markets, including a sharp fall in South Korea’s KOSPI, added to pressure on risk assets. Bitcoin’s failed recovery and broad altcoin losses point to fragile sentiment and elevated short-term volatility for crypto traders.

Comfort Systems USA reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $3.27 billion, up 50% year over year, with technology-related projects accounting for 58% of sales. Its record $14.06 billion backlog and expanding modular construction capacity support growth in AI data centers and healthcare. Capacity is expected to exceed 4 million square feet by the end of 2026 and 5 million by late summer 2027. The later outlook retains a Buy rating and sets a 12-month price target of $2,150, citing execution, long-term demand and rising service and maintenance revenue. Comfort Systems USA could still face margin pressure from wages and materials, alongside risks from construction pauses, copper prices and tariffs, changing cooling technologies, and higher interest rates. This company-specific news has no direct stated link to cryptocurrency prices.

Fidelity Digital Assets reports that Bitcoin’s correlation with 10-year US Treasury real yields rose above 0.6 in 2026, a record high. Historically, Bitcoin had little or a negative relationship with real yields, but the connection has turned more positive in recent years. Over a recent two-month period, Bitcoin gained nearly 30% as Treasury rates rose by more than 10%. Fidelity links growing interest in Bitcoin’s capped supply of 21 million coins to US fiscal concerns. Federal debt has exceeded $40 trillion. The 2026 fiscal-year deficit reached about $1.99 trillion, up from $1.78 trillion in 2025, while net interest costs rose to $1.05 trillion. The firm says Bitcoin may appeal to investors seeking a potential store of value against currency depreciation and portfolio diversification. The correlation does not prove that rising real yields caused Bitcoin’s gains. Traders should monitor whether the relationship persists as fiscal policy, Treasury auctions and market conditions change, since it may affect Bitcoin’s role as a hedge and the performance of interest-rate-based strategies.

Jump Trading and DRW are expanding into AI compute derivatives, bringing institutional trading firms into a market built around GPU capacity. Jump hired the founding team of compute-trading startup Itô and initially focused on private bilateral deals worth tens to hundreds of millions of dollars, typically lasting three to five years. It now plans to use its balance sheet to make markets in anticipated CME and Silicon Data GPU futures, as well as competing contracts from ICE and Ornn. DRW has incubated Compute Exchange and Silicon Data, which publishes compute-price indices. It has also signed a GPU-as-a-Service deal for a Nvidia Blackwell B300 cluster. DRW plans to participate through three teams with different strategies, including trading Silicon Data products, but has not decided whether to enter other contracts. CME’s proposed contracts are linked to Silicon Data rental-price indices for Nvidia H100 and B200 GPUs, with each contract representing 730 GPU-hours. They were awaiting US regulatory approval as of mid-October 2026. AI compute derivatives could help companies hedge computing costs and data-centre operators secure future revenue, but price differences across regions and GPU configurations, limited transparency and the fact that capacity cannot be stored create valuation challenges. This expansion of AI compute derivatives is not a direct cryptocurrency-market catalyst; traders should watch regulatory approval and market adoption, rather than expect an immediate crypto-price impact.