Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

South Korean police have dismantled an international SIM swap fraud ring that stole KRW39 billion in a crypto heist targeting 258 high-net-worth individuals, including corporate executives, celebrities and crypto investors. Between July 2023 and April 2024, the gang breached six government, public institution and financial portals to steal personal data. Using 118 SIM cards opened under 89 names, they bypassed non-face-to-face authentication to siphon funds from bank and crypto wallets, with 16 victims losing KRW39 billion and a single loss peaking at KRW21.3 billion. An attempted KRW8.4 billion HIVE stock transfer by BTS star Jungkook was flagged and blocked. Authorities froze KRW25 billion in attempted thefts, recovered KRW12.8 billion and seized KRW4.4 billion in Ethereum. Sixteen suspects were arrested, including two Chinese ringleaders extradited via Thailand. The SIM swap fraud operation exploited weak SMS verification and non-face-to-face checks, highlighting the need for improved SIM swap fraud safeguards and cybersecurity measures across crypto platforms.

September could prove pivotal for XRP price. The Fed’s Beige Book flags tariff-driven inflation and softer hiring, pushing futures to price a 96% chance of a rate cut. A Fed cut would weaken the dollar and boost liquidity into risk assets. XRP price may retest 3.1–3.2 USD resistance and potentially climb to 3.4 USD. Conversely, persistent inflation could delay easing, capping upside and risking a drop below 2.7 USD toward 2.5 USD. Technically, XRP is consolidating between 2.8 and 3.1 USD after July’s breakout above 3.6 USD. Narrowing Bollinger Bands and a 20-day SMA at 2.93 USD mark a coil pattern. Support near the lower band at 2.73 USD and resistance near 3.13 USD set clear levels for a volatility surge. Macro triggers in September will likely decide the next breakout direction. Traders should monitor Fed communications and tariff developments. A rate cut would favour a bullish rally in XRP price. If inflation persists, XRP could face renewed selling pressure. Prepare for heightened volatility and apply strict risk management.

GAIA, a decentralized AI startup, has launched a limited pre-sale for a new AI smartphone running on Galaxy S25 Edge hardware. Only 7,000 units are available. The phone features a software layer for decentralized AI inference and privacy-first tools. Early buyers earn network rewards in GAIA tokens, secure a pre-loaded web3 domain, and benefit from staking-based incentives. The software stack includes the Gaia AI Platform, local LLM runtime, voice-to-agent interface, and a custom Agent Launcher. GAIA offers developer access to its node infrastructure on GitHub and plans an open marketplace for AI agents. Priced at $1,399, the AI smartphone ships later this year.

The U.S. Federal Reserve will host a public forum on digital payments innovation in October, bringing together regulators, academics, tech experts and financial institutions. The one-day event will cover digital payments topics such as stablecoin business models, asset tokenization, CeFi/DeFi convergence and the role of AI in payments. Governor Christopher Waller emphasized the need for faster, safer options and said the discussions will focus on improving security and efficiency. Proceedings will be livestreamed on the Fed’s website. The forum marks a policy shift: the Fed recently withdrew guidance discouraging banks from engaging in crypto and stablecoin activities, ended special supervisory programs and removed reputational risk designations. July FOMC minutes noted stablecoins could boost payment efficiency and demand for U.S. Treasury collateral.

According to a River report, corporate Bitcoin investment is rising as businesses allocate an average of 22% of net profits to BTC. Real estate firms lead this institutional adoption trend, dedicating roughly 15% of earnings to Bitcoin purchases, accounting for an estimated 84,000 BTC acquired this year. Companies in the hotel, finance and software sectors follow, each investing between 8% and 10% of profits. Various industries—from gyms to religious nonprofits—are also embracing corporate Bitcoin investment on a smaller scale. The report finds over 40% of surveyed firms invest between 1% and 10% of profits in Bitcoin, while only 10% allocate more than half their net income to BTC. This data underlines growing institutional adoption and signals increased market demand for Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset.

Deribit will settle over $4.5 billion of crypto options tomorrow, marking a key liquidity event for short-dated derivatives markets. Bitcoin options dominate with a nominal value of $32.8 billion. The BTC put/call ratio stands at 1.38, and max pain for BTC positions is at $112,000. Open interest clusters between $105,000 and $110,000 strikes, with put positions prevailing. Ethereum options account for $12.7 billion in notional value, with a put/call ratio of 0.78 and max pain around $4,400. Call open interest concentrates above $4,500. Traders should watch for increased volatility near these strike levels as expiries could trigger sharp price swings.

Institutional Bitcoin investment has risen steadily every month in 2025, according to Sentora (formerly IntoTheBlock). Major funds, pension plans and corporate treasuries view BTC as a strategic asset and inflation hedge. Improved custody solutions, clearer regulatory pathways — including spot Bitcoin ETF approvals — and robust infrastructure have reduced barriers for large investors. Institutions often use dollar-cost averaging (DCA) to manage price swings and build diversified portfolios over time. This sustained accumulation by professional money managers underscores Bitcoin’s growing legitimacy and resilience. However, challenges remain: regulatory uncertainty, ESG concerns over energy consumption and reputational risks. Retail investors can learn from institutional strategies by adopting a long-term mindset, conducting thorough research and implementing DCA to mitigate volatility. Overall, this trend reflects a deepening confidence in Bitcoin’s role as a digital store of value and its potential for significant returns.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has demanded a vote of no confidence in the Cardano Foundation over the $600M ADA scandal. During a Twitter Space, Hoskinson blamed the foundation for spreading unfounded theft rumors and harming the ecosystem’s integrity. He proposed legal action with Swiss authorities and reallocating CF funds to the Cardano treasury. An independent audit cleared Hoskinson and insiders, confirming no basis for the theft claims and revealing unredeemed ADA was held in the Intersect trust. This ADA scandal and Hoskinson’s call for accountability risk dividing the community further. Santiment data shows ADA market sentiment in the fear zone. On-chain analysis identifies support at $0.76–$0.80 and resistance at $0.85–$0.90, suggesting traders watch these levels amid the volatility created by the ADA scandal.

DeFi yield farming has evolved rapidly. Early manual yield farming required constant asset rotations in liquidity pools and loans. Static yield aggregators simplified some tasks but lacked agility. Today, AI agents perform autonomous optimization across protocols. These dynamic, self-learning AI agents offer true autonomous optimization, scanning yields in real time, rebalancing portfolios, and adjusting strategies for risk and volatility. The adoption of AI agents in DeFi marks a leap similar to algorithmic trading in traditional finance. dForce’s new DeFAI initiative will integrate these AI agents with real-world-asset vaults. It promises smarter, safer, and more accessible yield farming. By automating strategies with AI agents, DeFi users can reduce friction, cut gas costs, and minimize manual errors. This trend could attract fresh capital to DeFi and drive market growth.

Crypto assets acquired during marriage are marital property under China’s Civil Code. In divorce proceedings, however, courts rarely divide tokens due to challenges in proving ownership, valuing volatile cryptocurrencies, and enforcing judgments on decentralized networks. Anonymous wallets and fluctuating prices of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) complicate proof and valuation. Stablecoins like USDT can be valued at 1:1 with USD, but NFTs and DeFi tokens lack clear pricing. Enforcement is hindered by the absence of legal channels to freeze or transfer assets on global blockchains. The only reliable solution is a detailed divorce agreement. Parties must agree on yuan-based valuations, division ratios, buyout terms, payment schedules, and wallet disclosures. A 2021 Beijing Xicheng Court case upheld a 2.4 million-yuan valuation with a 50-50 split and RMB buyout, demonstrating that clear agreements are enforceable. Spouses should proactively negotiate comprehensive crypto asset division to avoid post-divorce disputes.

Bitcoin faces seasonal headwinds in September, historically its weakest month with negative returns. Long-term holders are taking profits, while ETF and corporate treasury inflows have slowed significantly. Options markets signal growing bearish sentiment: Bitcoin’s 25-delta skew hit 15%, the highest since March, and MicroStrategy’s put-call premium rose to 8.3%. However, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds are boosting exposure—Wisconsin’s IBIT holdings exceed $600m and Norway’s sovereign fund expanded MicroStrategy and Coinbase stakes. Bitcoin’s price remains above its average cost basis (93,000–120,000 CNY range, 550k BTC supply wall), indicating healthy consolidation rather than trend reversal. Similar to gold’s lead, Bitcoin may catch up if Fed easing and dollar depreciation expectations materialize. Weekly MACD suggests a 6–7 week correction ahead, while Ethereum shows deeper cost-basis deviation and likely 5–10 weeks of adjustment in the 4,000–4,600 CNY range. Traders should prepare for short-term volatility but monitor long-term capital inflows that could underpin a rebound.

Crypto traders face a complex week as the Federal Reserve’s September policy meeting hinges on the latest US nonfarm payroll report and ongoing pressure from former President Donald Trump. Economists forecast a modest rise in US job gains to 75,000, with an unemployment rate near 4.3%, which could either reinforce a Fed hold or trigger a rate cut if conditions worsen. Meanwhile, Trump continues to lobby for lower rates and fights a court ruling invalidating most IEEPA-based tariffs, adding uncertainty to US fiscal policy. On-chain metrics reveal stable Bitcoin reserves on major exchanges, a notable outflow from Kraken, and subdued ETF inflows for BTC versus stronger Ethereum demand. Bitcoin open interest remains elevated, signaling potential volatility, while Ethereum ETF and spot volumes hold up, reflecting higher investor confidence. Solana shows rising futures and spot volumes amid strategic reserve plans. Traders should monitor nonfarm data, Fed dot plot updates, and legal developments on tariffs, as these factors will likely drive crypto price movements in both the short and medium term.

Litecoin’s official X (formerly Twitter) account labeled Ripple’s XRP token “unwanted,” prompting a swift rebuttal from analysts and community members. Critics pointed out that XRP’s $168.4 billion market capitalization far exceeds Litecoin’s $8.6 billion, underscoring continued investor support for XRP. The exchange revived long-standing debates over XRP’s pre-mined supply and governance centralization versus community loyalty. Separately, Litecoin touted strong fundamentals—over 300 million transactions processed in 2025, a record 2.7 PH/s hashrate, integrations with PayPal, Venmo, and Telegram Wallet, and pending U.S. ETF applications. At press time, XRP traded at $2.83, down 5.6% over the past week, while LTC stood at $111.27, off 1.9%. Technical analysts remain divided, with some projecting XRP could climb to $4.50 if support holds. Overall, the social-media spat had little bearing on the tokens’ core metrics.

Ethereum DeFi TVL has surged 114% from $43B in April to $92B, driven by yield strategies on Layer-2 networks, institutional inflows, and ETH’s 84% annual price rally. Large protocols such as Lido DAO (LDO) and Aave (AAVE) now hold over $30B each, while EigenCloud (EIGEN) offers stablecoin yields up to 25%. Growth in Ethereum stablecoins supply, now exceeding $150B, underpins robust liquidity. Ethereum DeFi TVL momentum underscores renewed confidence and scaling prospects. By contrast, Solana TVL remains range-bound at $25.7B, supported by $12.5B in stablecoins and $118.4B in 30-day DEX volume. Despite low fees and high throughput attracting 2.6M daily users, Solana relies heavily on $28.3M in daily token incentives versus $1.49M in chain fees. An 8.3% weekly drop in DEX activity raises sustainability questions. Sentora’s analysis highlights Ethereum’s clear DeFi momentum, while Solana must convert short-lived spikes into lasting growth to challenge the TVL lead.

Coinglass data on September 4 reveal that Bitcoin led net outflows in the crypto spot market with $49M withdrawn, followed by WLFI ($32.2M), SOL ($27M), DOLO ($22M) and DOGE ($21M). In contrast, XRP topped net inflows at $16.78M, with HOME ($10M), Ethereum ($5.95M), AAVE ($5.38M) and TRON ($4.2M) also drawing significant purchases. These net flow metrics provide a real-time snapshot of liquidity rotation and investor allocation, enabling traders to assess spot liquidity dynamics, detect accumulation trends and manage portfolio risk exposure effectively. In the crypto spot market, tracking net flows across major tokens helps traders identify potential entry and exit points.

Ethena ENA price shows strong bullish momentum after a 15% inflow-driven gain over four weeks. Q3 earnings rebounded sharply to a record $7.43 million, up from $1.15 million in Q2, reflecting growing demand for Ethena’s synthetic dollar utility. On-chain data reveals a significant liquidity shift: one investor sold PEPE to accumulate $1.29 million worth of ENA, while the total number of ENA holders rose to 76,440 and market cap reached $4.33 billion. Spot investors added over $50 million of ENA in private wallets in the past two weeks, signaling long-term holding sentiment. Total value locked (TVL) in the protocol hit an all-time high of $12.66 billion. Technical analysis shows a bullish flag breakout on TradingView, suggesting Ethena ENA price could rally to $0.88 and potentially extend toward $1 if liquidity inflows continue.

Security firm ReversingLabs has uncovered a new form of Ethereum smart contract malware that uses the blockchain to mask malicious code. Hackers hid hidden URLs inside open-source NPM packages. When developers install these packages, the URLs trigger external downloads of harmful software. Because the malicious code resides within immutable smart contracts, traditional antivirus tools and endpoint security often miss it. This Ethereum smart contract malware method poses a significant threat to blockchain security. The immutable nature of smart contracts allows embedded triggers to persist indefinitely. Attackers benefit from increased evasion, persistence, and perceived legitimacy. Developers relying on open-source libraries face heightened risks in their supply chain security. To counter this threat, teams should perform in-depth code audits, adopt robust supply chain security tools, and monitor system behaviour for unusual network requests. Regular updates and developer education on new attack vectors are also vital. By combining these measures, stakeholders can strengthen their blockchain security posture and safeguard decentralized applications against similar threats.

Prediction markets now favor Fed Governor Christopher Waller to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair, with his odds rising above 50% after his dissent vote at July’s FOMC to cut interest rates by 25 basis points. Backed by former President Trump’s criticism of Powell’s high rate stance and data from Polymarket, Waller has consistently advocated for rate reductions to stimulate growth. A known supporter of private stablecoin innovation, he argues stablecoins can enhance payments competition and complement the U.S. dollar, while opposing a central bank digital currency. Traders should watch for potential policy shifts under a Waller-led Fed Chair administration, including more flexible rate adjustments and clearer regulation for stablecoin issuers, which could free capital for risk assets and bolster crypto market confidence.

Bitcoin and Ethereum open interest have climbed near their respective all-time highs, reflecting elevated trading volumes amid recent volatility. Ethereum’s open interest peaked at over $70 billion on August 23, driven by large treasury buys, then retraced to around $55 billion but remains high. Bitcoin open interest similarly holds around $80 billion, close to its $86 billion record. Historically, spikes in open interest often precede consolidation phases before another surge in both open interest and price. After February’s and June’s peaks, brief consolidations led to fresh rallies. If Bitcoin open interest and Ethereum open interest hit new highs again, traders may see renewed bullish momentum. Market participants should watch open interest levels toward late September to gauge the next price moves in BTC and ETH.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the world’s largest Ethereum treasury firm, has purchased 14,665 ETH (~$64.7M) as Ether dipped below $4,300, boosting its holdings to 1,866,974 ETH (~$8.2B). The acquisition follows a bullish Ethereum price forecast from Fundstrat, which projects a 54x rally from April’s $1,400 low to around $75,000. Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick has also raised the ETH price year-end target to $7,500, with a 2028 outlook of $25,000. Meanwhile, Ethereum infrastructure startup Etherealize closed a $40M funding round led by Electric Capital and Paradigm to advance institutional Ethereum adoption. ETH price rebounded to $4,480 before a minor sell-off by Asian traders, remaining in a sideways pattern, down 11% from late August highs.

CryptoQuant analysis highlights a critical BTC monthly support level at $107,600, identified as the short-term holder realized price (STH RP). BTC currently trades around $110,700, well above both the STH RP and the overall realized price of $52,800, confirming a structural uptrend. The NUPL indicator, at 0.53, signals broad market profitability without extreme euphoria. Higher time frames remain bullish, though the market is in a recovery phase and vulnerable to profit-taking. Holding the BTC monthly support at $107,600 is key to sustaining the uptrend. The lack of mania in the NUPL suggests further upside potential after consolidation.

Gate Exchange has launched its 79th CandyDrop campaign in partnership with Ondo, running from September 4 to September 17 (UTC+8). Traders can unlock a share of the 384,615 ONDO reward pool by completing tasks such as new-user spot trades, regular spot trading, and inviting friends. Each participant can earn up to 220 ONDO. This airdrop aims to boost ONDO token liquidity and platform engagement, providing an incentive for both existing and new users to increase trading volume. Crypto traders should note the low barrier to entry and the potential for short-term price movements in ONDO as participants claim rewards.

HashKey Exchange, Hong Kong’s largest licensed digital asset platform, has launched its new OTC Marketplace feature to streamline large-block over-the-counter trades. The OTC marketplace offers real-time price comparisons across multiple liquidity providers with an all-in pricing model, covering trade sizes from USD 10 to USD 10 million. It supports both instant and delayed settlement options, generating unique order IDs for full traceability. By automating pricing quotes and displaying transparent, bundled cost estimates, the OTC marketplace improves trade efficiency, reduces manual inquiries, and enhances transaction security for institutional investors, asset managers, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and select retail users. HashKey plans further ecosystem development and service expansion to foster a compliant, collaborative environment that drives healthy growth in the virtual asset market.

XRP recorded $134.1 million in weekly inflows into XRP-based products, marking the third-largest inflow on record. According to the CoinShares report, this surge follows $189.6 million in July and $145 million in December. XRP inflows of this scale reflect growing institutional demand for altcoins beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. Investment vehicles such as trusts and exchange-traded products saw most of the capital. Institutional investors are diversifying into XRP, drawn by its cross-border payment use cases and strategic partnerships. On the price chart, bulls have held support between $2.70 and $2.80. This range is a key battleground. A sustained hold could lead to a retest of $3.00. Conversely, a drop below $2.60 may trigger a sharp selloff toward $2.30. Traders should watch these levels closely. Volatility remains high. The next move could define XRP’s short-term trend.

ChainUp has been named a double finalist at the 2025 Thomson Reuters ALB Pan-Asian Regulatory Awards, with nominations for VASP Compliance Team of the Year and Transaction Monitoring Solution Provider of the Year. The recognition underscores ChainUp’s institutional-grade security and digital asset compliance infrastructure. Founder & CEO Sailor Zhong emphasised the firm’s commitment to robust technology for sanctions screening and financial crime prevention. An independent panel of legal experts will announce the ALB Pan-Asian Regulatory Awards winners on September 18, 2025, in Singapore. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Singapore, ChainUp offers a comprehensive suite of solutions—including crypto exchange services, liquidity-as-a-service, MPC wallets, KYT analytics, asset tokenisation, and Web3 infrastructure like mining and staking—designed to meet evolving regulatory mandates across the digital asset ecosystem.

Financial analyst Suliman Mulhem says Ethereum (ETH) still has significant upside potential despite a 150% rally from its April lows. While Ether fell below $1,700 in April and retraced to under $4,500 after an August all-time high, Mulhem expects ETH to rebound above $4,500 in September. He identifies September’s ADP and BLS employment reports as key catalysts. Moderate jobs growth (60,000–80,000) could prompt a Fed rate cut without stoking recession fears. Conversely, strong payrolls may delay easing, while weak data paired with tame inflation could spur a 50bps cut and a V-shaped ETH recovery. Looking ahead, Mulhem forecasts ETH reaching a $6,500 base case in Q4, driven by record ETF inflows, corporate accumulation, rising retail interest, tokenization growth, and potential approval of ETH ETF staking by year-end. These factors create a bullish outlook for ETH traders.

Project Babbage has launched a new AI assistant, BitGenius, specifically trained on the BSV blockchain. Based on GPT-5 and powered by a vector database and the ShopRAG pipeline, the BitGenius AI assistant helps developers brainstorm app ideas, write promotional content, and generate starter code for next-gen BSV and Metanet applications. It provides up-to-date technical guidance on features like Overlay Services, UHRP for multimedia content, and BRC100 wallet integrations. Free to use with email registration, the platform may later adopt BSV micropayments via Metanet payment tools. While not yet capable of full-stack development, BitGenius directs users to Project Babbage’s documentation and Slack for human support. By leveraging enterprise-grade AI and blockchain, the BitGenius AI assistant strengthens the developer toolkit for BSV’s stable protocol and scalable network.

Institutional interest is shifting from Bitcoin to other altcoins as Ethereum ETF inflows topped $4 billion in August. The Ethereum ETF boom has fueled an 18% ETH rally and prompted analysts to forecast capital rotation into high-conviction altcoins. XRP leads on growing U.S. spot ETF prospects, with major whale accumulation and regulatory clarity boosting demand. Cardano (ADA) shows quiet momentum near $0.80, driven by academic rigor, staking growth and potential ETF packaging. Meanwhile, MAGACOIN Finance emerges as a retail-focused play, offering presale tokens with asymmetric upside outside institutional ETFs. These developments underscore a dual trend: institutional capital fueling altcoin breakout candidates, and a parallel retail hunt for high-risk, high-return tokens. Traders should watch ETF filings, whale activity and presale dynamics to navigate this evolving altcoin landscape.

Bitcoin’s recent 11% dip may represent a healthy reset rather than capitulation, according to on-chain metrics. Despite a $943 million sell-off that pushed BTC under $110,000, net realized profit/loss (NRPL) surged to $4.2 billion, a one-month high. At around $110,000, only 9% of Bitcoin’s supply sits underwater with unrealized losses up to 10%, compared to over 25% and 23% in prior bear markets and more than 50% during full bear cycles. These low loss-supply signals, paired with strong net profits, indicate profit-taking instead of panic selling. Moreover, Bitcoin is poised for three consecutive daily gains to start September, a bullish setup last seen in early August when BTC rose from $113,000 to $124,000 in two weeks. Together, these key indicators support a healthy reset theory and point to sustained market conviction in Bitcoin’s near-term trajectory.