Crypto News

The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is encouraging community banks to seek approval to issue payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act, directly or through eligible subsidiaries. The regulator says stablecoin issuance could help smaller lenders compete in digital payments, while its guidance addresses concerns about deposit outflows, issuer yields and competition. The application process is not open yet: the OCC is awaiting federal approval of its application forms. The GENIUS Act’s requirements take effect on Jan. 18, 2027. Issuers operating without approval after that date could face criminal penalties; existing issuers with substantially complete applications submitted by then may seek temporary waivers during review. The OCC expects to assess application completeness within 30 days and issue decisions within 120 days. The OCC’s outreach comes as community banks challenge the regulator’s national trust-charter approvals for crypto firms. The move could widen banks’ role in the stablecoin market, but its immediate effect is limited until applications open. Stablecoin issuance and the treatment of yield-bearing products may influence future competition for deposits and the direction of US crypto regulation.

Ripple and South Korean securities firm Meritz Securities have agreed to explore digital asset custody and tokenisation infrastructure for regulated capital markets. The partnership, Ripple’s first with a Korean securities firm, will assess Ripple Custody within Meritz’s existing regulatory permissions. Any broader rollout will depend on South Korea’s evolving rules; no commercial launch or implementation timeline has been announced. Meritz is considering potential services including spot ETFs, fractional investing, security tokens and won-linked stablecoins. These remain possible business areas, not products launched under the agreement. Ripple has also worked with South Korean firms on tokenised government-bond settlement, digital wallets and cross-border payments. For crypto traders, the Ripple-Meritz agreement is an infrastructure development rather than a direct source of XRP demand. Meritz and its customers are not required to buy XRP, and the partnership’s effect on XRP’s price is uncertain. Commercial impact will depend on whether the companies move beyond exploration and introduce services under South Korea’s regulatory framework.

Ripple Prime has launched 24/7 real-world asset (RWA) perpetual swaps for eligible institutional clients, covering more than 100 markets, including stocks, indexes, ETFs, commodities and currencies. Announced on October 15, the contracts reference Trade.xyz perpetual futures listed on Hyperliquid, with Ripple Prime acting as principal to its institutional customers. Ripple says trading firm Virtu is already using the service. Ripple Prime clients can cross-margin positions with supported assets and, where available, use RLUSD as collateral. The swaps provide derivative exposure rather than ownership of underlying assets, and carry funding, margin, counterparty and liquidation risks. While contracts trade around the clock, traditional markets do not provide continuous price discovery. Limited liquidity—especially outside regular market hours—could make large trades costly or move prices. A reported episode saw nearly $52 million in leveraged chip-stock positions liquidated in 10 minutes while the underlying shares were closed. The service is currently available through Ripple Prime’s British Virgin Islands-licensed operation, with access subject to jurisdiction and licensing; Ripple has not disclosed trading volumes. The launch expands Ripple Prime’s cross-asset brokerage and offers institutions a crypto-native route to 24/7 exposure to traditional markets. RLUSD, not XRP, is the stated collateral, and Ripple has announced no direct role for XRP in settlement or collateral transfers. The development therefore signals institutional growth in token-linked derivatives, but does not establish an immediate catalyst for XRP demand.

Anthropic’s proposed Nasdaq IPO highlights rapid growth, heavy computing costs and governance questions. Its filing reported revenue of $4.7 billion in Q1 2026, $11.6 billion in Q2 and $16.8 billion in Q3, while quarterly growth slowed from 132% to 45%. The company recorded a $693 million operating loss in the first half of 2026 and held $131.65 billion in cash and short-term investments at June 30. An earlier report put minimum compute, infrastructure and commercial commitments at about $417 billion, with a further $125 billion to $150 billion in potential payments; the later summary says the filing names major providers, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft, but gives no consolidated total. The filing also flags reliance on a limited group of customers and cloud providers, alongside net revenue retention of about 900% as of September 30, 2026. Founders and a long-term benefit trust would retain substantial voting influence, and five co-founders are listed as selling shareholders. The proposed offering’s price, share count and final mix of new and existing shares remain undisclosed. The Anthropic IPO is a significant signal for AI and technology stocks, but it has no direct cryptocurrency token catalyst.

Shinhan Card, SBI VC Trade and SBI XDC Network APAC have agreed to explore yen stablecoin payments at South Korean merchants. The planned yen stablecoin pilot would let Japanese visitors pay through a familiar card experience, without handling blockchain transfers themselves. Shinhan Card has about 20 million cardholders, but the project remains at the proof-of-concept stage, with no stablecoin, blockchain, launch date, participating merchants, fees or conversion arrangements confirmed. The partners will test customer experience, transaction processing and technical operations, and explore cross-border remittances, trade settlement and links to existing payment systems. They will also examine wallet transfers, anti-money-laundering controls and fraud detection. The agreement does not name SBI’s JPYSC token, which is limited to SBI VC Trade accounts and cannot be sent to external wallets. A separate SBI QR-code payment test with Korean partners is also underway. More than 10.1 million two-way visitor trips between Japan and South Korea in the first eight months of 2026 point to potential demand. The yen stablecoin initiative comes as the global stablecoin market is valued at about $301.4 billion, with USDT and USDC accounting for roughly 84.7%. For crypto traders, this is an early adoption signal rather than an immediate token catalyst: any longer-term impact will depend on regulatory approval and demonstrable cost or speed benefits over card and bank payments.

Zcash’s NU7 upgrade is targeting a proposed mainnet activation at block 3,543,405, around 5 November, but the date is not final. Developer Sean Bowe’s proposal had support from two developers but had not yet been merged into the deployment specification. Software releases, syncing fixes and node-operator preparations remain important steps; NU7 is also running on testnet. The Zcash NU7 upgrade would reduce block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, potentially cutting the time for three confirmations from nearly four minutes to about 75 seconds. It would also retire the legacy Sprout privacy system, so users need to move Sprout-held funds before activation or risk being unable to spend them. Under the Network Sustainability Mechanism, 60% of block fees would be withheld temporarily until February 2031, while the existing halving schedule remains unchanged. Traders should monitor the final activation specification, software and node upgrades, and mainnet block-time stability. Faster confirmations may improve ZEC’s payment and exchange-deposit usability, but the upgrade is primarily a technical and compatibility change, not a redesign of Zcash’s privacy architecture, and does not guarantee a price rise.

Standard Chartered has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of crypto custodian Zodia Custody, expanding the bank’s institutional digital asset custody business. Zodia shareholders approved the offer in May, but the deal still requires regulatory approval and completion of customary closing conditions; no price or completion date has been disclosed. Zodia’s regulated custody operations are expected to join Standard Chartered’s Securities Services business. Its software and professional-services operations will be separated into Zodia Solutions under SC Ventures, with participation from existing institutional backers. The bank says custody clients should face no disruption during the transition. Zodia says the integration will combine its institutional expertise with Standard Chartered’s global banking network. The acquisition builds on Standard Chartered’s crypto custody services in the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong, its planned institutional service in Singapore, and a London trading desk for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies established in 2025. The deal reflects growing interest in regulated digital asset custody among major banks, including State Street, U.S. Bank and Citigroup. It may improve institutional access to crypto infrastructure, but it does not announce a token launch or directly signal a change in cryptocurrency prices.

Wallets linked to the April 1 Drift Protocol exploit deposited 44,510 ETH, worth about $109 million, into Tornado Cash on October 20–21, according to blockchain trackers. The transfers included about 25,710 ETH on Tuesday and 18,800 ETH on Wednesday. Afterward, Arkham-labeled wallets still held approximately 56,569 ETH, valued at $138 million. The attack on the Solana-based decentralized exchange caused losses of about $295.7 million and ranks among this year’s largest crypto exploits. Drift said Mandiant attributed the attack to North Korean threat group UNC6862. Tornado Cash can make funds harder to trace, but the transfers do not establish that the ETH has been sold or recovered. Drift opened claims and redemptions for its DFX recovery token on October 1. The pool began with about 3.1 million USDT, with partner commitments and future protocol revenue intended to support further compensation. The latest ETH movement renews attention on the stolen assets and the prospects for victim repayment, while leaving a substantial potential selling overhang.

US spot Ether ETF outflows rose from about $955 million earlier in October to $1.08 billion, the largest monthly total of 2026 so far, according to SoSoValue. The withdrawals followed $320 million in weekly outflows and erased September’s $832 million of inflows. Ether ETFs recorded $26 million in net inflows on Tuesday, while year-to-date inflows stood at about $485 million with eight trading sessions left in the month. Ether ETF outflows have coincided with ETH falling 9.7% in October to about $2,438 and nearly 18% in 2026. US spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $229 million in the earlier week, but later attracted $527 million on Monday and $23 million on Tuesday. Bitcoin ETFs were still down about $67 million for October, but their year-to-date net inflows had reached roughly $809 million. BTC traded near $82,954, down 2.2% since the start of October. Solana, Zcash and Hyperliquid funds also recorded weekly outflows.

The Blockchain Association has asked the US Treasury to clarify how the GENIUS Act will apply to digital asset service providers, foreign-issued stablecoins and yield arrangements. In a November 4, 2025 letter, it urged Treasury to keep definitions narrow and tied to the statute, distinguishing customer-facing financial businesses from self-custody software and validators. It also said liability for knowingly facilitating unlawful stablecoin issuance should require actual knowledge and meaningful assistance, and that foreign-stablecoin obligations should rely on information platforms can reasonably access. The Association called for clearer compliance paths for smaller issuers and new entrants. The GENIUS Act sets two timelines for foreign stablecoins: conditions on platforms offering or selling foreign-issued payment stablecoins apply from the Act’s effective date, while a broader restriction on stablecoins from non-permitted issuers is scheduled for July 18, 2028. The effective date could come sooner than 18 months after enactment if primary federal regulators issue final rules, with the Act taking effect 120 days later. The rules could affect a stablecoin market valued at about $301.5 billion on October 20, 2026; USDT represented roughly 60.7%, according to DefiLlama. These are industry recommendations, not adopted rules. Treasury and other agencies’ decisions could shape platform compliance, DeFi infrastructure and access to foreign stablecoins, leaving uncertainty for traders and settlement markets.

Visa and Mesh have partnered to let users of participating wallet apps spend eligible cryptocurrency and stablecoin balances at merchants that accept Visa. Mesh will connect wallet balances to payments and manage conversion to fiat, while Visa provides access to a network of more than 175 million merchant locations across over 200 countries and territories. The service is intended for online and in-person purchases, without requiring users to cash out or manually convert tokens for each transaction. Merchants would continue using existing payment infrastructure and would not need to accept crypto directly. The companies have not announced participating wallets, supported devices or a rollout schedule, so the partnership does not make crypto payments available across Visa’s network immediately. The integration could expand everyday crypto payments, but adoption will depend on market availability and a seamless customer experience.

Mastercard has launched Stablecoin Security, an API-based service that helps financial institutions screen stablecoin payments for fraud, scams, sanctions exposure and other financial-crime risks before transactions are completed. Its platform-agnostic tools analyze payment context, fund origins, restricted-party links and scam indicators, then provide risk scores for use in existing compliance and fraud workflows. Mastercard has not disclosed how it weights these signals or what risk thresholds institutions should apply. The service is initially planned for North America, with Borderless.xyz and Keyrails as partners; worldwide commercial availability is expected in 2027. Mastercard cited a 2025 Bank for International Settlements sample covering more than 593 million stablecoin transfer events across 141 million Ethereum transactions. Nearly 60% of the events took place within complex, multi-step transactions—a measure of transaction complexity, not fraud. Stablecoin Security aims to give institutions earlier visibility into on-chain risks and support broader adoption of stablecoin payments. The launch is unlikely to have an immediate effect on crypto prices, but could help strengthen institutional confidence over time.

A suspected operator of a task scam lost more than 60 BTC, worth about $4.8 million, after the funds were stolen from Ledger hardware wallets. Chainalysis said the Bitcoin was moved to three Ledger addresses on 22 September and drained to one wallet on 9 October. The funds reportedly came from a fake job scheme that tricked victims into paying deposits to cover a supposed negative balance. The theft is linked to reports of tampered Ledger devices sold through third-party channels, including Malaysian reseller CryptoBilis. Ledger said implants in affected devices could capture recovery phrases; the investigation did not establish that the company’s own manufacturing systems were compromised. Ledger has not disclosed confirmed losses from the wider incident, while investigator Specter estimated that about $86 million had been drained. The case highlights hardware-wallet supply-chain risks and the importance of device provenance, but it points to no flaw in Bitcoin itself and is unlikely to affect BTC’s fundamentals.

Russia plans to end direct P2P crypto trading between individuals from July 1, 2027. Until June 30, 2027, people may continue trading directly; afterward, most buying and selling must go through licensed brokers or registered exchange operators. The policy is part of a regulated crypto-market framework that took effect on September 1, 2026, and is expected to shift activity towards approved intermediaries.

Mastercard and BVNK have launched the Global Money Platform, an API-based service that lets banks, fintech firms and businesses manage fiat currencies and stablecoins through one system. Announced on October 15, it brings together multicurrency accounts, conversion, payments, cards and treasury tools, linking digital-asset balances with bank transfers and merchant payments. The platform supports USDC and OUSD and connects infrastructure across more than 20 blockchain networks and payment rails. Through Mastercard Move, it reaches a network with more than 17 billion payment endpoints. Mastercard expects local-currency payouts in more than 40 currencies across over 200 countries and territories in 2027. Stablecoin-linked cards can be issued in more than 130 countries and used across Mastercard’s merchant network. Initial integration partners include Nuvei, Marqeta, Ontop, Beem and Almond FinTech. The launch follows Mastercard’s August 3 completion of its BVNK acquisition, valued at up to $1.8 billion. Mastercard says tokenized deposits and payments initiated by AI agents could be added in future; it did not disclose partner launch dates or expected transaction volumes. The Global Money Platform expands stablecoin payment options, but the announcement provides no immediate measure of usage or demand for either supported stablecoin.

Ledger has asked resellers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong to pause hardware wallet sales while it investigates devices with hidden implants. Ledger says confirmed cases involve devices sold by Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis; it has found no evidence of a wider breach, or of compromise to its systems or direct sales channel. The implant can capture a 24-word recovery phrase during setup and send it over LTE. Onchain investigator Specter has linked more than $86 million in suspected thefts to the cases, but Ledger has not verified the total. The company advises CryptoBilis customers not to initialize unused devices and to transfer funds from potentially affected wallets to a new wallet with a fresh recovery phrase. In a later development, German retailer MediaMarkt Saturn also paused Ledger sales after a customer reported an implanted device; no funds were lost. Trezor plans to end reseller authorizations from January 1, 2027, as a precaution, while saying it has no evidence its devices were compromised. The Ledger hardware wallet investigation adds pressure on manufacturers to improve reseller oversight and supply-chain security, but no broader compromise has been established.

Strive’s latest Bitcoin purchase adds to a series of corporate treasury buys. For the week ending October 9, the company bought 3,311 BTC for about $280 million, lifting its holdings to 32,773 BTC and making it the fifth-largest Bitcoin holder among US-listed companies. The purchase was partly funded by $208 million from exercised warrants, and Strive said its Bitcoin holdings grew faster than its effective common shares, increasing Bitcoin exposure per share. In a later update, Strive reported buying another 2,822 BTC for $235 million, bringing its holdings to about 35,600 BTC. It also said 13.7 million of 15.3 million remaining warrants had been exercised, raising $369 million. Traditional warrant exercises reached 94%, with a reported leverage ratio of 47%. The additional Bitcoin buying signals continued corporate demand, while warrant proceeds give Strive more funding capacity. The effect on BTC prices is likely limited relative to larger holders and will depend partly on whether the company continues accumulating.

Bitcoin rebounded from a low near $80,953 to about $83,592, recovering more than 2% and moving back above the $81,848–$82,306 Fibonacci zone. The bounce is a modestly positive signal, but Bitcoin has yet to clear resistance around $84,000–$84,500, where sell orders have been concentrated. A daily close above $84,246 could bring $86,644 and roughly $87,423 into focus; a drop below $81,603 may expose support near $80,000, followed by $77,500 if that level fails. Indicators are mixed: the RSI is slightly positive at 53.4, while the ADX has fallen to 29.9 from 42.8 on 7 October, suggesting the uptrend has lost strength. The 50-day EMA remains above the 200-day EMA. Market sentiment is neutral, with the Fear and Greed Index near 55. Prediction-market traders assign a 54% chance of Bitcoin reaching $80,000 this month and a 45% chance of reaching $87,500. Bitcoin ETF outflows remain a headwind. The reports give different October-to-date estimates—about $451 million in the earlier account and $386.3 million in the later one—alongside weak institutional demand. The earlier report also noted pressure from a sharp decline in South Korean technology shares. Traders are now watching US CPI, expected to show annual inflation rising to 3.6% from 3.4%, as well as Treasury yields and geopolitical developments. Strong inflation or continued outflows could weigh on Bitcoin, while softer data and a break above resistance may support further recovery.

Pando Finance plans to list a spot Solana ETF on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on October 13, adding a regulated route for investors to gain SOL exposure. The ETF will hold SOL directly and track a regional version of the CME CF Solana-Dollar Reference Rate. It will charge a 0.60% annual management fee, with estimated ongoing expenses of 1.60%. Shares will trade in Hong Kong dollars, with a minimum lot of 100. The fund will not stake SOL, use derivatives or leverage, or pay dividends; it may hold up to 3% of net assets in cash. HashKey Exchange will handle transactions and HashKey Custody Services will safeguard the assets. Its documents warn of significant volatility and the possibility of losing the entire investment. The launch comes as US Solana ETFs recorded $24.8 million in net outflows in the week ending October 9, their largest weekly withdrawals since launch and the end of 14 consecutive weeks of inflows. Bitwise’s BSOL accounted for about $20.9 million of the outflows, while Grayscale and Fidelity products also saw withdrawals; Morgan Stanley’s product had modest inflows. Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs also recorded substantial weekly outflows. The Hong Kong Solana ETF expands regulated access, but the recent US data suggests softer near-term institutional demand for SOL and does not guarantee fresh buying pressure.

Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky has agreed to a lifetime ban from the cryptocurrency, securities and commodities industries in a settlement with New York Attorney General Letitia James. The deal resolves a 2023 civil fraud lawsuit alleging that Mashinsky misled investors about Celsius’s risks and safety. The settlement could require up to $35 million in payments, depending on whether he forfeits an additional $10 million to the federal government and serves his full sentence. Mashinsky is serving 12 years after pleading guilty to securities and commodities fraud, and was ordered to forfeit more than $48 million in his federal criminal case. New York alleged that Celsius presented itself as a safe place to deposit crypto while putting customer assets into risky investments and concealing losses. The state said the conduct affected hundreds of thousands of investors, including more than 26,000 New Yorkers. Celsius halted withdrawals in June 2022 and filed for bankruptcy the following month; more than $3.4 billion had been distributed to creditors by August 2026, according to the state. The settlement adds to separate federal restrictions, including a CFTC trading ban and an FTC settlement. Mashinsky is challenging his federal conviction, while the SEC has reached an agreement in principle in its civil case. The Celsius case highlights continuing legal and investor-protection risks for crypto lenders that make misleading claims about safety, returns or reserves.

Two firms linked to crypto market maker DWF Labs are suing custodian BitGo for $141 million in London’s High Court. DWF Maas and Falcon Digital allege BitGo breached an over-the-counter agreement by transferring Falcon Finance (FF) and ESPORTS tokens to exchanges about two months before their lock-up periods ended. They say BitGo received the tokens at a discount in return for holding them, and that early sales into a thin market depressed prices and reduced the value of their remaining holdings. The firms reportedly raised the issue in April and May before filing suit. The earlier account also cited price declines: FF fell from about $0.08 in early March to $0.07 by late April, while ESPORTS dropped from about $0.28 in mid-March to $0.07 by early June. BitGo declined to comment, and the allegations have not been tested in court. Both parties have links to World Liberty Financial: DWF bought $25 million of its WLFI token, while BitGo holds reserves backing its USD1 stablecoin. The case highlights crypto custody, counterparty and token-liquidity risks; its wider market impact will depend on the court proceedings and evidence of any broader selling.

The NFL has backed New Jersey’s request for the US Supreme Court to review whether states can regulate sports contracts on prediction markets such as Kalshi. The league argues the contracts are not swaps under the Dodd-Frank Act and should not fall exclusively under Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversight. It says state rules are important for consumer protection and game integrity. The case follows an April ruling by the Third Circuit in Kalshi’s favor, while the Sixth and Ninth Circuits have reached opposing conclusions. The Supreme Court has not said whether it will hear the case. Kalshi’s response is due November 9, 2026. The NFL says $1.8 billion of the $3.3 billion traded on prediction markets during the first Sunday of the 2026 season involved NFL games. It has raised concerns about age limits, sensitive information, injuries, officiating and markets that participants could manipulate. Kalshi says it works with leagues and integrity partners, and that federal oversight can address such risks. Former CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler and former Senator Chris Dodd also opposed shifting sports-betting oversight away from states. The dispute could affect prediction-market access and rules across US states, but the petition does not itself impose new restrictions. A Supreme Court decision could clarify the boundary between federal derivatives oversight and state gaming laws. It has no direct effect on cryptocurrency prices or trading rules.

ESMA has asked national regulators to ensure MiCA-authorised crypto firms end services for stablecoins that do not meet EU rules. Following ESMA’s October 8 opinion, firms have up to three months—until January 8, 2027—to resolve customer positions. The guidance expands scrutiny to custody and transfers, alongside trading, advice and order execution; investor warnings alone are not enough, and firms should block new purchases. During the supervised exit, providers may offer limited help to sell, convert, withdraw, transfer or safeguard existing balances, but cannot enable customers to buy more or increase exposure. The rules govern regulated providers, not personal ownership or every public-blockchain transfer. USDT is a prominent example, though compliance depends on the token and issuer, not simply its currency peg. Binance delisted nine non-MiCA stablecoins, including USDT, for European users in March 2025. Platforms may set different procedures, fees and deadlines. Traders should check exchange notices, supported networks, conversion rates, open orders and collateral treatment. Reduced access to USDT pairs could affect liquidity and spreads on EU venues, although the reports give no estimate of affected balances. MiCA stablecoin compliance and the pace of firms’ exits will remain key points to watch.

Ripple Prime is expanding into leveraged ETF financing, a business traditionally dominated by banks. After acquiring Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, Ripple began offering prime brokerage, clearing and financing services to investment firms; on October 6, it announced services for hedge fund Brevan Howard. The report also says Ripple Prime is providing total-return-swap financing to leveraged ETF issuers, though its client volume and revenue have not been disclosed. Morningstar Direct data cited in the report counts 593 U.S. leveraged ETFs with more than $256 billion in combined assets. That is the sector’s total, not Ripple Prime’s financing volume. Swaps provide amplified daily exposure to stocks or indexes in return for financing charges. One Tradr ETF had a variable financing rate of about 8% annualized on October 7, but that example is not a disclosed rate for Ripple Prime clients. Financing can generate fees while exposing providers to hedging, market and counterparty risks, particularly during sharp declines. The expansion diversifies Ripple Prime’s institutional finance business beyond crypto and may benefit from tighter bank capital constraints. However, the report does not establish that XRP or RLUSD is used in these transactions, and Ripple Prime’s scale and revenue remain unknown. The direct implications for XRP and broader crypto trading appear limited for now.

Meme coin trading remained active across Base, BNB Chain, Robinhood Chain and Solana from 8 to 9 October 2026, but turnover shifted notably between networks. Base led both reports, with its top 10 tokens’ combined volume rising from $260 million to $330 million; XDP remained the main driver, increasing from $250 million to $280 million. BNB Chain volume edged up from $150 million to $160 million, with pPOLY leading at $89.96 million in the later report. Solana rose from $110 million to $120 million, led by ZEC at $36.24 million. Robinhood Chain fell from $170 million to $130 million, while NVDA’s reported volume dropped from about $110 million to $32.98 million. Price moves were also sharp: TITS was up 5,650.8% in the earlier report, while TikTok rose 8,344.6% in the later one; DRV gained 19.9%, and PONS and AI fell 14.6% and 19.1%. Meme coin volume and momentum varied widely by chain and token, underscoring the market’s high volatility rather than indicating a broad-based trend.

On October 8, a US government wallet linked to the 2016 Bitfinex hack transferred 12,267.02 BTC, worth about $1.01 billion, to a newly created address. Arkham later marked the funds as spent, indicating another movement, but the Bitcoin has not been confirmed as sent to an exchange or sold. The US government Bitcoin transfer has raised questions about potential selling pressure, although it may be routine custody management. A separate movement the previous day saw wallets linked to Bitfinex and FTX send about 3,200 BTC and $119 million in USDT to Coinbase Prime; public data does not establish a link to the government transfer. A 2025 executive order directs the government to retain forfeited Bitcoin in a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. More than 94,000 BTC linked to the hack are reportedly under government control, while Arkham estimates total US government holdings at about 306,795 BTC, worth roughly $24.85 billion at a BTC price of $81,000. For traders, the transfers warrant monitoring, but there is no confirmed sale indicating immediate supply pressure.

Robinhood has added $25 million in Bitcoin (BTC) to its corporate balance sheet, marking its first proprietary BTC holding separate from customer assets. Crypto executive Johann Kerbrat said the purchase signals the company’s commitment to Bitcoin and the wider crypto ecosystem. The allocation is small relative to Robinhood’s roughly $100 billion market value, and the company has not announced regular Bitcoin purchases. The purchase comes as Robinhood expands its crypto services. It plans to offer perpetual futures on BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, DOGE, ADA, LINK and HYPE to eligible US users in the coming months. Its Arbitrum-based Robinhood Chain has reported more than $1.05 billion in total value locked, and the company is developing 24-hour trading for tokenized US stocks. Kerbrat also said tokenized stock trading could approach limits under the SEC’s innovation exemption framework; the US regulatory outlook for crypto perpetual futures remains uncertain. For Bitcoin traders, the treasury purchase is mainly a symbolic signal, while Robinhood’s broader plans could support access to crypto markets if regulation allows them to proceed.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warns that AI-accelerated mathematical research could weaken lattice cryptography, potentially within two years. The concern applies to systems such as ML-DSA and technologies used in fully homomorphic encryption, and he has also flagged possible risks to ECDSA. While lattice cryptography is considered resistant to quantum attacks and has been explored by projects including Cardano, the warning highlights that AI-driven breakthroughs could create separate risks. No cryptographic break has been demonstrated, and two years is not a confirmed deadline. The discussion follows Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake’s call for “bunker mode,” including moving funds to addresses with unexposed public keys. Buterin cautions against rushed, large-scale fund migrations. He recommends larger parameters for lattice-based systems, avoiding storage of encrypted data directly on-chain, rotating multisig keys after use and collecting signatures off-chain where possible. For Ethereum’s long-term security roadmap, he has pointed to hash-based signatures such as WOTS and SPHINCS+, while acknowledging no method is theoretically risk-free. The warnings raise long-term security and upgrade questions, but do not by themselves signal an immediate market catalyst.

Europol has urged the crypto industry to prepare for quantum computing threats, while stressing that no known quantum computer can currently break cryptocurrency wallets and the timing of a practical threat remains uncertain. Its reports, published on October 7, identify exposed wallet public keys as the main risk: a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive the corresponding private keys and steal funds. Blockchain hash functions are considered more resistant, and Europol said there is no clear evidence of large-scale collection of encrypted data for future decryption, though long-lived sensitive information could still be targeted. Europol recommends that wallet providers test post-quantum cryptography, blockchain projects plan protocol upgrades, and the industry improve key management. Users may need to move funds to quantum-resistant wallets when available; for wallets whose public keys are already exposed, moving funds to a new wallet with an unexposed key is the proposed safeguard. The transition will require coordination among developers, platforms, custodians and users, and could take years. NIST finalized three post-quantum standards in 2024 and recommends beginning the transition, with vulnerable algorithms scheduled to be phased out by 2035 and higher-risk systems moving sooner. Bitcoin faces particular migration challenges. A cited study estimates that migrating all Bitcoin UTXOs could require at least 76 days of cumulative network downtime, or about 300 days if a quarter of block capacity were allocated to the process. Post-quantum signatures could be 10 to 120 times larger than current ECDSA signatures, potentially increasing congestion and transaction fees. Bitcoin developers are debating migration proposals, including draft BIP-361, while other blockchain projects and custodians test quantum-resistant controls. Europol’s message is to prepare for a long-term risk—not to expect an imminent crypto collapse.