Crypto News

Kalshi and S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) announced a partnership on 26 October 2026, making Kalshi the preferred platform for event contracts linked to S&P DJI benchmarks. Contracts can use official index values, including the S&P 500, for settlement. The firms may also develop prediction market indices based on Kalshi contract prices to track expectations about economic, political and sporting outcomes. They disclosed no financial terms or firm launch dates; financial contracts could arrive by the end of 2026, but this is not confirmed. The partnership brings prediction markets closer to traditional finance and could give traders clearer settlement rules, while thin trading may limit how representative some indices are. Separately, S&P Global completed its acquisition of blockchain security firm OpenZeppelin, whose tools support smart-contract development and audits. The deal’s impact on prediction markets will depend on product launches and trading activity; no direct effect on a specific cryptocurrency was identified.

Polymarket has investigated dozens of bets on US midterm election markets over suspected insider trading or manipulation, its global investigations chief Shana Bautista told NPR. At least two cases have been referred to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), according to a person familiar with the probes. A 16-person team uses a monitoring system that draws on social media, campaign finance records, data from crypto firms and banks, and statistical models. It generates hundreds of alerts a day ahead of the November 3 vote. Polymarket monitors both its identity-verified US exchange and its international crypto-trading platform. Bautista said investigators have been able to identify likely traders despite the use of crypto. The scrutiny reflects broader concerns about insider trading in prediction markets. Rival Kalshi says it has opened more than 150 investigations this year and referred over 20 cases to law enforcement. The CFTC has generally left much of the policing to market operators, while warning that some event contracts may be vulnerable to manipulation. For traders, the probes signal rising compliance and enforcement risks for Polymarket and could prompt stronger monitoring and identity checks across prediction markets.

Nvidia will invest $3 billion in Meta’s equity offering as the companies deepen their AI partnership. Their work will focus on improving the training and inference performance of Meta’s Muse AI assistant and lowering the cost of running AI workloads. Meta plans to deploy more Nvidia technology, including Vera Rubin systems, Vera CPUs, Spectrum-X networking and BlueField-4 processors; specific deployment details have not been confirmed. Meta aims to raise about $95 billion to $97.5 billion through equity financing, including an underwritten share offering and an at-the-market programme, to fund its AI infrastructure expansion. The company has also forecast 2026 capital expenditure of $135 billion to $145 billion. Nvidia’s investment strengthens its ties to a major customer, but also highlights the growing financial links between AI chip suppliers and buyers. Investors will watch whether AI demand translates into revenue and how the scale of fundraising affects risk. The news has no direct cryptocurrency catalyst.

Galaxy Research estimates that about 11.1 million BTC—roughly 55% of the 20.1 million Bitcoin mined so far—cannot be linked to known owners. Its October snapshot attributes the remaining 45% to identifiable holders or groups, including exchanges, investment funds, governments and early-mining addresses. About 1.12 million BTC are associated with the Patoshi mining pattern, though this does not establish who mined them. The unattributed Bitcoin may include self-custodied coins, unidentified institutional wallets and coins that owners can no longer access; the estimate does not distinguish among them. Blockchain addresses show balances and transactions, but do not identify owners without additional evidence. Growth in spot Bitcoin ETFs and corporate holdings has not resolved this attribution challenge, and ETF investors gain price exposure without directly controlling the underlying BTC. The estimate describes what researchers can identify, not a definitive ownership breakdown or a measure of available market liquidity.

Canada’s proposed stablecoin regulations would allow rewards tied to completed transactions but prohibit issuers from paying holders yield simply for holding tokens. Issuers could also face responsibility if they fund or encourage third parties to make those payments. The draft, published on October 24, is open for public comment until December 23, 2026, ahead of a planned fall 2027 start for the rules and the Stablecoin Act; the proposal may change after consultation. The stablecoin rules would require reserves to cover outstanding tokens at each day’s end, with assets held separately at qualified financial institutions domiciled in Canada. Issuers could keep income earned on reserves as long as backing remains at least one-to-one. Holders would be entitled to redemption at par within three business days, and fees would be capped at 1% of the redemption amount. The Bank of Canada is expected to register and supervise issuers. For crypto traders, the stablecoin regulations could shape rewards, custody and redemption access in Canada, affecting projects such as QCAD, CADC and USDC. The distinction between spending incentives and balance-based yield may influence product design and competition among payment-focused stablecoins. The rules are not yet binding, so market effects will depend on the final requirements and implementation.

Ripple has launched 24/7 Returns, a corporate treasury feature that lets eligible businesses earn returns on qualifying digital assets held in Ripple wallets, including RLUSD. The offer’s yield, full eligibility rules and investment mechanism have not been disclosed, so it should not be viewed as a guaranteed-yield savings product. The launch expands Ripple Treasury’s tools for payments, cash positioning, forecasting, liquidity management and reconciliation. Businesses can set AI automation to manual, semi-autonomous or fully autonomous, with policy checks at each level and human review available for unfamiliar cases. Companies can continue using fiat, digital assets or existing banking arrangements. Ripple named American Airlines, Subway, Adecco, Kingfisher, Christian Louboutin and Trax as users of its broader treasury solutions; this does not confirm their use of the new returns feature. The platform builds on GSmart and Ripple’s acquisition of GTreasury. Ripple says its wider platform connects to more than 13,000 banks and has processed over $13 trillion in payments—figures that do not represent RLUSD activity. The company also cited a 2026 AFP survey: 46% of organizations said they increased US cash balances over the previous year, and 86% of treasury professionals expressed interest in real-time money market funds that meet their investment policies. The feature could expand RLUSD’s role in corporate cash management and after-hours payments, but any effect on stablecoin demand will depend on adoption and product terms. Ripple’s announcement does not specify a role for XRP.

Evernorth has filed for a committed equity facility with a Cantor Fitzgerald affiliate that could raise an estimated $80.7 million. The company may sell up to 5,218,935 newly issued Class A shares to CF Principal Investments. The estimate is based on Evernorth’s October 22, 2026 share price; actual proceeds will depend on the number of shares sold and their sale price. The arrangement does not guarantee that the full amount will be raised or used to buy XRP, and new share sales could dilute existing shareholders. Evernorth holds about 473 million XRP and may use the funds for general corporate purposes, including further XRP purchases and products in the XRP ecosystem. After completing its business combination with Armada Acquisition Corp. II, it began trading on Nasdaq as XRPN. The company has partnered with Ripple, Kraken, Coinbase and BitGo, expects to deploy XRP in institutional strategies in the fourth quarter of 2026, and may explore XRP Ledger lending and on-chain credit markets as they develop. The facility offers a potential funding source for Evernorth’s XRP treasury strategy, but does not confirm additional XRP buying.

Blast withdrawals through the network’s standard interface closed on October 26, as Blast begins winding down its Layer 2 network because operating costs exceeded revenue. A report put about $40.4 million in assets in the Ethereum bridge. On October 27, the bridge page remained accessible and estimated withdrawals at roughly one day, but that estimate does not confirm that every route works or that a transfer is complete. Blast withdrawals may now require users to interact directly with Ethereum bridge contracts, submit a cryptographic proof and pay fees on both networks. The challenge period is not a guarantee of total processing time. Withdrawal procedures vary by asset: ETH may arrive as WETH, while USDB, DAI and BLAST can be withdrawn to Ethereum; users withdrawing USDB may also need to claim DAI separately. Users should verify that funds have arrived in their Ethereum wallet and follow Blast’s official documentation. Other support changes are separate from the bridge deadline: Status plans to remove Blast support in wallet release v2.40, KuCoin scheduled BLAST withdrawals to close on October 25 and says deposits will not reopen, and an affected Uniswap quote service is due to stop supporting Blast on October 28. These changes may complicate access and trading, but do not alone prove assets are lost, tokens cannot be sold or liquidity has fallen. Traders should also beware of recovery scams and never share a seed phrase.

Strive bought 6,182 BTC for about $511 million between 17 and 23 October, lifting its Bitcoin treasury to roughly 43,000 BTC, according to an SEC filing. It is close to Metaplanet’s 44,000 BTC and Twenty One Capital’s 43,514 BTC, but still needs to pass both to reach second place among public corporate holders. Strategy remains far ahead with 848,517 BTC. Strive’s purchases were funded by a $630 million preferred-stock IPO carrying a 15% annual dividend. It has also filed for a preferred-stock at-the-market offering of up to $1 billion, which could fund further Bitcoin purchases as well as other corporate needs. The financing may support continued BTC accumulation, but its dividend costs and potential dilution are risks. Strive’s buying adds to corporate Bitcoin demand; meanwhile, Strategy has paused BTC purchases and bought back preferred shares. Holdings rankings may shift as treasury firms compete to accumulate Bitcoin.

Galaxy Research says Bitcoin’s bear market likely ended in June 2026, when BTC held near $76,540, and the market has since entered an accumulation phase. The firm said Bitcoin recovered above its 50-week moving average after spending 44 weeks below it, then recorded five consecutive weekly closes above the line by October 18. The 200-week average also held as support. Bitcoin was near $80,000 when the report was published, about 35% below its roughly $126,000 October 2025 peak and 39% above the June low. Galaxy cited reduced selling pressure as a potential support for Bitcoin accumulation: monthly transfers of coins dormant for at least five years averaged 34,000 BTC in 2026, down from 67,000 BTC in 2024. Spot Bitcoin ETFs had added 87,000 BTC since the June low, although institutional positioning was mixed. Nine major hedge funds reportedly cut futures and ETF exposure by more than half from the peak, while asset managers’ net-long CME Bitcoin futures positions fell 57%; some institutional investors reduced ETF holdings as others added to them. Galaxy also pointed to rising US debt, a $1.99 trillion fiscal 2026 deficit and elevated Treasury yields as factors that could support Bitcoin demand. The firm said its bullish market-cycle view would be challenged if Bitcoin closes below its 50-week moving average—about $76,540—and fails to reclaim it within a month. The accumulation case may support long-term buyer interest, but weaker institutional positioning and a loss of key technical support remain risks; Galaxy’s outlook is not a guarantee of recovery.

Polymarket gave Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva about a 20% chance of winning Brazil’s presidential election, while Flávio Bolsonaro was priced at roughly 80%. Lula went on to win a fourth term, exposing the limits of prediction markets when liquidity is thin and local information is hard to access. A trader blamed retail bets for keeping Bolsonaro’s odds elevated, but researchers cautioned against attributing the miss to retail participation alone. They pointed to Brazil’s ban on prediction market platforms, which restricted local participation, and noted that traders may have over-weighted Bolsonaro’s first-round performance and polling headlines. The market’s volume was just 4.5% of Polymarket’s 2024 US presidential election market. Analysts stressed that a 20% chance still allows for an outcome to happen, and that one election is not enough to judge prediction markets’ overall accuracy. For crypto traders, the episode is a reminder to assess liquidity, participation and uncertainty when interpreting market-implied probabilities; it has no direct price implication for a specific cryptocurrency.

Ethereum traded near $2,320 after falling to about $2,285 on October 24 and recovering to around $2,360. ETH remained roughly 12% below its early-October level, with $2,300 acting as near-term support and $2,400 as a key hurdle. A sustained move above $2,400 could bring the $2,480–$2,500 resistance zone into focus, while a break below $2,285 may expose $2,200 and potentially $2,000 in a broader market downturn. Ethereum ETF flows remain uneven. US spot Ethereum ETFs recorded a $4.3 million net inflow on October 23, following $110.6 million in outflows the previous day. Withdrawals over the five sessions through October 23 totalled about $220.7 million, while net outflows over the prior 21 trading days reached roughly $1.13 billion. ETF assets stood near $14.6 billion. Sustained inflows could support institutional demand for ETH, but continued redemptions may add pressure. Developers postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade’s planned October 26 activation on the Hoodi testnet to investigate how EIP-8037 interacts with existing smart contracts. No replacement date has been set. The delay affects a testnet milestone, not Ethereum’s live network, and no mainnet schedule was announced. It postpones testing for planned scaling and efficiency improvements; no direct link between the delay and ETH’s price decline has been established. The Federal Reserve’s October 27–28 meeting is another near-term catalyst. Most economists surveyed by Reuters expected rates to remain at 3.75%–4.00%, but inflation keeps the outlook uncertain. A hawkish signal could weigh on ETH, while a softer stance may improve risk appetite. Traders are watching ETF flows, upgrade updates and interest-rate expectations for direction.

Franklin Templeton has registered two proposed Bitcoin ETFs for Nasdaq trading: the Franklin US Equity Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF (FBEQ) and Franklin US Innovation Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF (FIBT). ETF analyst Nate Geraci says the funds are expected to launch soon. SEC filings list October 27 as the registration effective date, but that does not confirm when trading will begin; Franklin Templeton has not announced a launch date. The Bitcoin ETFs target an initial allocation of about 95% to US equities and 5% to Bitcoin-linked investments. They would automatically direct equity dividends into their Bitcoin exposure rather than pay them to investors. The Bitcoin allocation is reviewed quarterly, with a separate 20% cap between reviews. The funds may use Bitcoin exchange-traded products, futures, options and other eligible instruments, so investors would not hold Bitcoin directly. FBEQ tracks a large-cap US equity index covering about 500 companies and charges a 0.09% annual management fee. FIBT follows an innovation-focused index of 100 US companies and charges 0.19%. The registration and expected launch add a new way to combine US stock exposure with Bitcoin-linked investments, but neither filing nor the stated effective date means the ETFs are already trading.

Brazil’s stock market plunged after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s presidential runoff, surprising investors who had favored Bolsonaro. The Ibovespa fell as much as 17%, triggering a 30-minute trading halt at exchange operator B3. More than $200 billion in market value was wiped out at Monday’s open, while the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) dropped as much as 26% before recovering some losses. The Brazilian real weakened sharply, with the US dollar rising above 5.60 reais from about 4.99 before the vote. Interest-rate futures climbed, and Brazil’s Treasury cancelled planned fixed-rate and inflation-linked bond auctions. Investors are assessing concerns about government spending, fiscal policy and debt sustainability, as a weaker currency could raise import costs and add to inflation pressure. Lula won 51.79% of the vote against Bolsonaro’s 48.21%, despite prediction markets putting Bolsonaro’s chances near 80%. Bolsonaro said he would challenge the result in court and seek to annul the election. The Brazil stock market sell-off and currency volatility put political and fiscal risks in focus. Crypto traders may monitor broader risk sentiment and emerging-market flows, but the news has no direct impact on a specific cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin is approaching a volatile week as traders weigh the Federal Reserve’s rate decision, US inflation and growth data, and major company earnings. The Fed is widely expected to hold rates steady, but its guidance could shift expectations for future policy and move the dollar and bond yields. September PCE inflation and third-quarter GDP are due on October 29; persistent inflation and resilient growth could keep rates restrictive and pressure Bitcoin, while softer data may improve the outlook for risk assets. Neither outcome guarantees a sustained Bitcoin rebound. Bitcoin recently fell from around $85,000 to a low near $79,100 and was trading close to $80,338 in the later update. The $80,000 level remains in focus, with $84,000–$85,000 acting as resistance. A sustained break below the recent low could prompt further selling. ETF flows, derivatives positioning and spot demand may also influence price action. Earnings from Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon will put cloud growth and AI investment returns in focus; Intel is also among the companies reporting. Coinbase and Strategy results may offer clues about crypto trading revenue and Bitcoin holdings. Token unlocks scheduled for KNTQ, B2, GUN and P add a supply-related factor, with P’s planned release equal to about 15.5% of its current circulating supply.

Tokenized stocks face growing resistance as 22 listed companies reportedly opt out of a proposed OKX-ICE platform that could cover 63 US shares. A Wall Street Journal advertisement funded by the Common Sense Leadership Fund warned CEOs of risks including price divergence, unclear ownership, cybersecurity threats, manipulation, money laundering and legal liability. The objections add to earlier concerns from issuers about unfamiliar market structures, limited benefits and weakened price discovery. Nasdaq supports tokenized securities in principle but argues they should use existing regulated exchange and settlement safeguards rather than a parallel venue. The SEC framework described in the reports gives issuers 30 days after notification to opt out. The pushback could constrain the platform’s early liquidity and increase compliance scrutiny, while approaches integrated with existing infrastructure, such as the Nasdaq-DTC model, may gain traction. For crypto traders, the dispute is a regulatory and adoption headwind for tokenized real-world assets, though it does not by itself establish a direct price impact on major cryptocurrencies.

BNB Chain is developing a high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 to run alongside—not replace—BNB Smart Chain (BSC). It plans to use BNB for gas, staking and governance, with no new cryptocurrency planned. Staked BNB is expected to generate non-transferable govBNB voting rights, and users will need to bridge BNB from BSC; the native bridge is still in development. The proposed network targets 200-millisecond blocks and transaction pre-confirmations in about 20 milliseconds. Its design separates transaction ordering from execution and includes dedicated transaction lanes, native account abstraction and an optional privacy pool. Pre-confirmations are not final settlement and may be revoked. Privacy features need further security work, and current documentation warns against using the shielded pool with real funds. An internal multi-validator devnet is running, but public testnet infrastructure, RPC endpoints, a block explorer and the bridge are not yet available. BNB Chain targets a testnet by the end of 2026 and a mainnet in early 2027, though the schedule may change. On 26 October, BNB was quoted at about $736.25, down 1.1% over 24 hours and up around 1.1% over seven days. BSC had about $5.79 billion in DeFi total value locked, $13.1 billion in stablecoins and $660 million in 24-hour DEX volume. The new BNB Chain could support BNB demand if it attracts additional users and activity, but adoption, fees, staking and cross-chain use will determine the effect. Traders will also watch whether the network creates new demand or shifts activity away from BSC, potentially fragmenting liquidity.

The European Central Bank (ECB) plans a 12-month digital euro pilot in the second half of 2027, involving 36 payment service providers, including seven from Italy. ECB and national central bank staff are expected to test real transactions, while e-commerce and mobile-commerce operators have also been invited to participate. The digital euro is intended to reduce Europe’s reliance on non-European payment networks. ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone says non-European companies handle about two-thirds of euro-area card transactions; in Italy, two-thirds of online card payments rely on non-European card schemes. Online payments accounted for 24% of payments in Italy in 2024, up from 6% in 2019. The ECB says a digital euro could increase competition and reduce fees, which can be up to four times higher for small merchants than for large businesses. The proposed digital euro would support online and offline payments, with wallet holding limits to safeguard financial stability. Larger purchases could be completed using funds from a linked bank account. The pilot’s beta currency would not have legal tender status. The ECB Governing Council will decide whether to issue the digital euro after EU lawmakers conclude negotiations and approve the necessary legislation. If legislation is approved by the end of 2026, issuance could begin as early as 2029. This is a payments and policy development, not a direct catalyst for cryptocurrency prices.

BloomTrading says it will fully reimburse nine wallets after users reported unauthorized Solana (SOL) withdrawals from wallets linked to its trading bot. The platform is investigating whether a third-party service was compromised, but has not confirmed the cause or set a refund timeline. It has also denied that the incident is an exit scam. An earlier update said some services had been temporarily disabled, though reports of paused trading services have not been independently confirmed. Blockchain monitor Onchain Lens traced about 9,408 SOL, worth roughly $954,000 at the time, to a suspected receiving address. The transfers may have affected 49 wallets, but BloomTrading has confirmed nine wallets for reimbursement; the discrepancy remains unresolved. One reported trader lost 1,636 SOL, then valued at about $166,000. Some complaints involved wallets whose private keys were reportedly imported into the bot. No technical report has established how the withdrawals were authorized, and the incident does not show that the Solana network itself was compromised. The BloomTrading investigation highlights private-key and custody risks tied to crypto trading bots. SOL traders should monitor the reimbursement process and investigation, and review the security of wallets connected to third-party tools.

The Federal Reserve decision and major technology earnings will shape markets this week, with newer developments adding pressure to risk assets. The Fed is widely expected to hold rates at 3.75%-4.00%, although traders will scrutinise Chair Kevin Warsh’s comments for signals on a possible December increase. Markets now put the odds of a December hike at 72%-80%; an earlier outlook had indicated only about a 10% chance of a 25-basis-point increase at the immediate decision. Traders are also watching third-quarter GDP and October core PCE inflation, with economists previously expecting annualised GDP growth of 3.0%. Market conditions have weakened ahead of the events: the Dow fell 1.23% and the S&P 500 dropped 0.52% on Friday. Middle East oil disruption lifted Brent crude to $117 a barrel, while the 10-year US Treasury yield neared 5%. These higher yields could weigh on growth-stock valuations and broader risk appetite. Microsoft and Alphabet are due to report, followed by Amazon. Investors will assess cloud growth and whether record AI and data-centre spending is generating returns, amid rising infrastructure costs, tight supplies of advanced chips and memory, and scrutiny of debt-funded expansion. Microsoft’s Azure demand and capital expenditure are key areas of focus. Hedge funds have been net sellers of US equities for three weeks, though some major banks still forecast the S&P 500 at 8,000 by year-end. Apple also has a product event, and Oracle’s AI World conference is under way. For crypto traders, the Fed decision and tech earnings could steer risk sentiment. Elevated yields, geopolitical uncertainty and hawkish Fed signals may tighten financial conditions and reduce demand for volatile assets, creating near-term pressure on the crypto market. A less hawkish message or stronger-than-expected technology results could help stabilise risk appetite.

Unitree Robotics stock rose more than 15% on 26 October to 728 yuan, with its market capitalisation topping 285 billion yuan and monthly gains exceeding 56%. An earlier report put the stock at 654.99 yuan, up 4.97% at the close after rising as much as 7% that day, so the reported figures differ. Neither report identified a specific catalyst. Unitree Robotics stock is not a cryptocurrency, and the rally has no direct impact on crypto prices or digital-asset trading.

AI data center financing is tightening, with lenders increasingly wary of providers that lack income beyond AI computing. Elon Musk warned that more than 200 neocloud firms, many borrowing heavily to expand computing capacity, could face failures and consolidation; he expects only a few to survive. The pressure is underscored by falling CoreWeave shares and bond yields that have approached 15%. By contrast, SpaceX secured about $40 billion in debt financing, largely to buy Nvidia GPUs, with deliveries expected in the first half of 2027. Musk said its investment-grade credit rating and revenue from Starlink and rocket launches helped it obtain funding. The divide highlights growing scrutiny of leveraged AI infrastructure businesses, but the news does not directly identify an impact on cryptocurrency prices.

An institution that has invested in Aave and Worldcoin may have sold about $45.38 million in crypto assets over two days, according to on-chain analyst Ember. Recent exchange transfers included 16.1 million WLD, worth about $7.39 million, and 35,000 AAVE, worth about $4.81 million. The broader two-day transfers potentially involved 35.1 million WLD ($17.06 million), 6,000 ETH ($14.4 million) and 97,000 AAVE ($13.92 million). Transfers to centralized exchanges can signal possible selling, but do not confirm that trades took place. If sold, the WLD, ETH and AAVE inflows could add short-term supply pressure; traders may monitor exchange activity and price reactions for confirmation.

EWZ’s sell-off deepened in the later update on 26 October 2026. Earlier MSX.COM data cited by Odaily showed the token down 16.8% over 24 hours and 6.8% in the latest hour, at 37.8 USDT at 07:44 UTC+8. Later data showed EWZ down 22.9% over 24 hours and 12.0% in the latest hour, at 34.96 USDT. The worsening decline points to stronger short-term selling pressure and higher volatility. No cause, trading-volume data or broader market context was provided, so traders should monitor liquidity and further price updates rather than assume a specific trigger.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw heavy withdrawals late in the week: Thursday’s $635.6 million outflow was followed by $137.9 million on Friday, bringing reported two-day withdrawals to about $773.5 million. Yet Bitcoin ETFs still recorded roughly $301 million in weekly net inflows, ending a two-week run of weekly losses. October outflows reached about $314 million, while cumulative net inflows stood at $57.6 billion. Ethereum ETFs took in $4.4 million on Friday but lost about $221 million over the week and roughly $1.18 billion in October. Solana ETFs recorded no net flows Friday and remained down about $68 million for the month. In the latest snapshot, Bitcoin fell about 1.1% over 24 hours to around $80,490, with Ether and Solana also lower. Myriad traders raised the odds of Bitcoin falling to $77,500 by month-end to 43%, from 32% a day earlier. The outflows and weaker price outlook signal cautious sentiment, although Bitcoin ETFs’ positive weekly total and large cumulative inflows suggest institutional demand has not disappeared.

UK banks received 10,092 complaints about restricted or blocked crypto payments between May and August, according to advocacy group Stand With Crypto UK. The submissions came from 9,803 people using its online tool; an earlier account put the number at 9,800. The reports were voluntary and do not represent verified rejection rates across the banking sector. They covered all 650 UK parliamentary constituencies, but were not adjusted for banks’ customer numbers or payment volumes. Lloyds Banking Group recorded the most complaints, with 2,297, followed by Barclays with 1,569 and NatWest Group with 1,278. Together, they accounted for about 51% of submissions. Banks have varying policies: some set transaction limits, while others prohibit crypto payments or do not clearly publish their rules. Coinbase’s European policy head also cited separate industry research suggesting that 40% of attempted transfers to FCA-registered exchanges were blocked or delayed in the preceding year. Banks say restrictions help prevent fraud, scams and money laundering. Campaigners argue that unclear or blanket restrictions can obstruct legitimate transfers to regulated crypto businesses. The UK plans to bring more crypto activities under FCA authorization from October 2027, but the rules will not require banks to process payments to authorized firms, leaving access to banking unresolved. For traders, UK bank restrictions may complicate exchange funding, but the complaint figures do not establish a market-wide change in crypto demand or prices.

Robinhood says Bitcoin, gold and crude oil prediction contracts are among its fastest-growing products, though sports remains its largest event-contract category. At a September conference, the company said the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision was its biggest event contract that month, exceeding any single sporting event. Robinhood offers event contracts through Kalshi, and some Bitcoin prediction markets now settle in as little as 15 minutes, compared with settlement periods of a week or a day previously. Faster Bitcoin prediction markets create more opportunities for short-term speculation, but can also magnify losses and make liquidity and spreads more important. In the second quarter of 2026, event contracts generated $156 million in revenue, above equity trading at $129 million and cryptocurrency transactions at $100 million. Customers traded about 13.6 billion contracts, more than ten times the year-earlier total. Robinhood says prediction markets can bring customers into its other products, including crypto, while legal challenges to sports contracts may make financial markets a growth avenue. It has not disclosed separate volumes or growth rates for individual financial contracts, or how much prediction-market users contribute to other businesses.

Cardano’s community treasury is voting on a Toto Finance proposal to allocate 22 million ADA, worth about $5 million, to a strategic copper reserve. The Cardano treasury proposal would spend about 14.72 million ADA on exchange-grade copper, with the remainder covering storage, insurance, audits and administration. The copper would be tokenized as CuTT and held for 18 to 24 months. Toto estimates a purchase price of $6.73 per pound and a sale price of about $10.06; if ADA’s dollar value remains unchanged, copper would need to rise roughly 49.4% for the project to recoup its full cost. Toto would retain legal title under proposed safeguards and could receive up to about 3.36 million ADA in fees and operating payments, while keeping commercial rights and income from its separately funded CuTT business. The vote closes on November 15, and no withdrawal has been approved. With 457.4 million ADA already used from a 500 million ADA withdrawal allowance, approval would use about 51.6% of the remaining capacity, raising concerns about treasury risk and funding available for other projects.

Chinese national Zheng Zhao was extradited from the Netherlands to the US and appeared in a California federal court on 23 October, where he was ordered detained. He faces a money-laundering conspiracy charge tied to an alleged Cambodia-based investment and crypto scam that targeted 174 Americans and moved more than $36.9 million. Prosecutors say funds passed through accounts in the US and a Deltec Bank account in the Bahamas, were converted into Tether (USDT), and sent to wallets in Cambodia. The US Department of Justice says scam centres in Cambodia operated the scheme. Eight alleged co-conspirators have pleaded guilty; two received prison sentences of 51 and 46 months, with restitution orders of about $26.9 million in each case. Zhao is scheduled for arraignment on 30 November and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He is presumed innocent. The case highlights the alleged use of stablecoins and cross-border transfers in crypto fraud, but does not point to a flaw in USDT or a broader market risk.