Crypto News

Credo Technology (CRDO) reported revenue and earnings above expectations, with revenue rising 114.7% year on year. Management expects full-year revenue growth of more than 85%, reinforcing the Credo Technology growth story amid continued AI infrastructure and data-centre investment. Shares initially fell sharply, at one point dropping about 20%, as investors focused on margin pressure and the company’s outlook. The pressure includes non-cash amortisation linked to the DustPhotonics acquisition and rising stock-based compensation. However, non-GAAP gross margin remained around 68%, while the company retains a net cash balance sheet and strong GAAP margins. The DustPhotonics acquisition expands Credo Technology’s optical connectivity capabilities and supports greater vertical integration. Its product portfolio may also be less exposed to the industry-wide indium phosphide laser shortage, potentially helping the company increase module production as data centres transition to 1.6-terabit networking. Key catalysts include sustained AI capital spending, rising demand for high-speed optical connectivity and possible requirements from agentic AI projects such as Meta’s Muse. The analysis sees CRDO as a high-growth, growth-at-a-reasonable-price opportunity, with potential upside if fiscal 2028 growth expectations are achieved. Traders should nevertheless monitor valuation, acquisition integration, stock-based compensation, margin compression and any slowdown in AI infrastructure spending. CRDO is an equity, not a cryptocurrency, so the direct impact on crypto prices and market stability is likely neutral.

The XRP Ledger PermissionDelegationV1_1 amendment entered a 14-day activation countdown on September 21 after 29 of 35 trusted validators supported it, exceeding the 80% threshold. The XRP Ledger upgrade is expected to activate on October 5 if support remains above the required level throughout the voting period. Permission delegation would let accounts grant narrowly defined authority to submit selected transactions without sharing private signing keys. This role-based access could support institutional payments, compliance workflows, stablecoin operations and tokenised real-world assets. The amendment replaces an earlier proposal that was halted before mainnet activation after devnet testing revealed a vulnerability that could have enabled unauthorised transactions to charge fees to another account. PermissionDelegationV1_1 is designed to address that flaw. For XRP traders, the upgrade is an important XRP Ledger infrastructure milestone, but its immediate price impact is likely to be limited. Successful activation could improve long-term confidence in XRPL’s institutional use cases. A loss of validator support or another delay could weaken sentiment around XRP Ledger development progress.

PONS, a memecoin launchpad on Robinhood Chain, briefly surpassed Solana-based Pump.fun in daily protocol fees, highlighting a surge in speculative activity on the new network. CoinDesk-reported data showed PONS generated about $5.95 million in 24-hour fees on 3 September, compared with roughly $4.64 million for Pump.fun. PONS recorded about $544 million in daily trading volume and nearly 25,000 token launches on 2 September. Since July, it had reportedly facilitated around 646,000 tokens through more than 167,000 creator addresses. Robinhood Chain, which uses Arbitrum technology, reportedly reached approximately $757 million in total value locked and $1.69 billion in daily DEX volume. Earlier data also showed the chain generating $4.01 million in daily revenue, compared with $81,700 for Solana, although low Layer 2 costs, self-trading and fee rebates may have inflated the figures. Uniswap activity on Robinhood Chain has also grown, and Uniswap Labs reportedly bought PONS tokens in an undisclosed transaction. PONS charges a 1% trading fee, with about 70% returned to creators and roughly 80% of the remaining revenue directed to buybacks. More than 28% of its supply, or about 300 million tokens, had reportedly been burned, while PONS briefly approached $1 and exceeded a $600 million market capitalisation. Another launchpad, LONG, has linked memecoins to tokenised stocks, while Pools.trade has introduced zero-fee trading. Pump.fun, BONK.fun, LaunchLab, Zora, Virtuals and Clanker are also competing through launchpad incentives, buybacks or burns. Pump.fun retains major advantages from Solana’s liquidity, established users and network effects. PONS’s fee lead was temporary, and revenue figures across the two ecosystems may not be directly comparable. Traders should monitor PONS volume, token launches, seven-day and 30-day fees, buybacks, burns, active addresses, liquidity and Robinhood Chain DEX activity. Sustained growth could support a longer-term infrastructure narrative, but a rapid decline would suggest a short-lived liquidity cycle. PONS and newly launched memecoins remain highly volatile and risky.

US equities weakened further as AI stocks came under pressure. On 15 September, the Dow fell 0.29%, the S&P 500 declined 0.48% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.56%. The VIX rose 7.95%, while major AI stocks including Teradyne, Astera Labs, Arm, Super Micro Computer and Marvell Technology recorded sharp losses. By 24 September, selling had broadened. The Dow fell 0.68%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.75% and the Nasdaq declined 1.13%. The VIX gained another 6.83%. Alphabet fell 3.8%, while The Trade Desk, Oracle, Symbotic and Baidu also declined. The renewed weakness in AI stocks and the wider tech sector signals greater risk aversion and may pressure high-beta assets, tokenised US equities and related real-world asset markets. Crypto traders should monitor US technology stocks, volatility and interest-rate expectations. The reports identify no direct cryptocurrency catalyst.

AI stocks showed stronger gains in US premarket trading on 21 September 2026, with Intel up 5.95%, Accenture 5.74%, Arm 4.53%, Dell Technologies 2.89% and Marvell Technology 2.74%, according to MSX.COM data. By 23 September, AI stocks remained broadly higher but momentum had eased. Palo Alto Networks rose 0.85%, Microsoft gained 0.84%, Meta Platforms added 0.81%, Dell increased 0.65% and ServiceNow advanced 0.60%. The latest figures point to mild positive sentiment in the AI stocks and wider tech sector rather than a decisive trend. For crypto traders, AI stocks are a useful risk-sentiment indicator, particularly for technology-linked and AI-related digital assets. However, the limited gains provide no clear evidence of a major shift in crypto demand. MSX.COM describes itself as a decentralised real-world asset (RWA) platform offering tokenised exposure to US stocks and ETFs. No direct catalyst was identified, and the premarket moves may not persist after the opening bell.

Coinbase has expanded its tokenized stocks offering on Base, its Ethereum layer-2 network, for eligible users outside the United States. The first four assets—Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Nvidia—have been joined by six new tokens linked to Amazon, Microsoft, Strategy, SanDisk, SpaceX and Tesla, bringing the total to 10. Coinbase-issued tokenized stocks recorded $227.7 million in decentralised exchange volume on Base during the 30 days before the expansion. Daily volume exceeded $33 million at its peak. Aerodrome is providing launch liquidity, which could improve trading depth and support integration with Base DeFi applications, including lending, borrowing and collateral markets. The tokenized stocks can trade outside traditional US market hours. They are issued by Coinbase Onchain SPV Ltd under Regulation S and backed by shares or eligible equity interests held in segregated custody. US persons remain excluded. Prices may diverge from underlying stocks during market closures or periods of low liquidity. Dividends are generally reinvested, while stock splits and other corporate actions are handled onchain. For crypto traders, the expansion could increase Base activity and demand for Ethereum layer-2 infrastructure, decentralised exchanges and oracle services. However, Base has no announced native token, so the launch provides no direct token catalyst. Traders should monitor ETH and AERO activity, liquidity, regulatory developments, redemption conditions and future Coinbase announcements.

The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Iran-based BitBank, alleging that the exchange helped process and transfer hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin linked to Iran’s financial networks and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said Bitcoin payments connected to vessels under the Hormuz security insurance plan were transferred to the IRGC as of June. Treasury officials also alleged that a network linked to Iranian financier Babak Zanjani used BitBank to move substantial Bitcoin funds. The sanctions cover BitBank, its developer Pishtaz Simorgh Electronic Trade Company and three executives linked to Zanjani. The action follows earlier U.S. sanctions on other Iranian exchanges, including Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Bitcoin payment channels remain subject to OFAC oversight. The BitBank sanctions increase compliance, counterparty and enforcement risks for crypto exchanges and traders handling Iran-linked flows. Traders should monitor sanctioned addresses, exchange restrictions and further enforcement. The measures do not change Bitcoin’s network or protocol, so the direct impact on BTC prices may remain limited.

Ondo Finance, a leading real-world asset tokenization project, is facing a major governance and inheritance dispute after founder and CEO Nathan Allman died unexpectedly in May at age 32 without a will. Allman was the company’s sole director and controlling shareholder. His parents inherited an estate containing controlling Ondo interests and a large allocation of ONDO tokens, including vested holdings scheduled to unlock over the next three years. After Allman’s death, former president Ian De Bode became acting CEO. In July, estate representative Kathleen Allman sought to restructure the board, appoint herself chair and interim CEO, and remove De Bode. She also challenged his appointment and an executive compensation package reportedly worth more than $11 million. The package included a $900,000 annual salary and bonus, a $1 million signing bonus, 26 million restricted ONDO tokens, and equity awards that could have significantly increased De Bode’s ownership. The dispute expanded in September when Allman’s daughter Lani Clinton and early investor David Chen sought limited guardianship over Kathleen Allman’s inherited estate share. They alleged capacity and financial-management concerns, which Kathleen denies. The claims have not been established by the courts. A Delaware corporate-control case and a Hawaii inheritance case are now focused on the same core assets: Ondo equity and ONDO token holdings. A September court order allowed De Bode to remain acting CEO and a director. Ondo continues developing tokenized Treasury, fund and equity products, but the Ondo dispute creates uncertainty around leadership, governance and future token supply. Traders should monitor court rulings, potential unlocks, liquidity and volatility in ONDO.

Ethereum (ETH) initially moved above 2,600 USDT, gaining 5.26% in 24 hours on OKX. It later extended the breakout, reaching 2,800.26 USDT with a 6.43% daily gain. Bitcoin (BTC) also climbed above 87,000 USDT, rising 7.24%, suggesting the ETH price rally was part of a broader crypto market recovery rather than an isolated move. Traders should watch whether ETH can hold 2,800 USDT. Sustained trading above this resistance could support further upside, while a failed breakout may trigger profit-taking and a pullback. Trading volume, Bitcoin’s direction and overall market liquidity remain important signals.

The CFTC has submitted a crypto market structure rulemaking to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), two days after the US Senate rejected a procedural vote on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. Filed on September 17 under RIN 3038-AF80, the proposal is classified as a preliminary, non-economically significant Dodd-Frank action, and its detailed contents remain undisclosed. The CFTC crypto market structure proposal must pass OIRA review before returning to the agency for a vote and public comment. A second commission vote would be required before implementation, meaning the process could take several quarters. CFTC Chair Michael Selig previously said the agency could use existing authority to create a crypto market framework if Congress failed to act, potentially allowing exchanges to operate as a new type of designated contract market. The CFTC also issued a no-action position for passive software providers that connect users with registered derivatives firms without holding customer assets or routing orders. Separately, the SEC introduced a five-year innovation exemption for qualifying platforms offering certain tokenised-stock trading, while its broader crypto-assets proposal remains open for comment until October 20. For traders, the CFTC crypto market structure process may improve long-term regulatory clarity, exchange registration expectations and derivatives oversight. However, it creates no immediate binding rules, and the lack of proposal details limits near-term price impact.

Hyperliquid’s HYPE token extended its rally after first reaching a record $92.01 on September 18, then climbed to a new high of $94.48 on September 19. HYPE was trading near $93.50, up about 8% in 24 hours and more than 18% over seven days. Its market capitalisation exceeded $20.7 billion, while daily trading volume reached roughly $1.8 billion. The move above the previous high near $89 puts HYPE into price discovery, with $100 less than 6% away. The rally followed Hyperliquid’s launch of manual borrowing on its HyperCore infrastructure. Users can supply HYPE or BTC as collateral to borrow USDC or USDT. Borrowers took out $269 million in assets on the first day, while more than $400 million in liquidity was supplied. The borrowing layer links lending with portfolio margin, perpetual futures and spot trading. It allows HYPE holders to access liquidity without selling and gives stablecoin suppliers an opportunity to earn interest. The feature adds to HYPE’s use cases in staking, network fees and trading discounts. Hyperliquid’s total open interest previously reached $14.3 billion, while HYPE derivatives open interest later rose to about $2.2 billion. Hourly funding on the HYPE perpetual contract remained positive near 0.0013%, equivalent to roughly 11% annually. This shows that leveraged longs are paying shorts, although funding has not accelerated as quickly as the token price. Institutional access also expanded. A physically backed HYPE exchange-traded product began trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and Kraken parent Payward announced plans for US distribution. A move above $94.50 with strong spot volume could support a test of $100. Traders may view $89-$90 as key breakout support, with $86 as the next downside reference. The main risk is the scheduled release of about 9.92 million HYPE tokens for core contributors on October 6. The unlock represents roughly 1% of maximum supply and could be worth more than $900 million at current prices.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $433 million in net inflows on 18 September, signalling continued institutional demand for Bitcoin. Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) led with $310.72 million, accounting for about 72% of daily inflows. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) added $108.44 million. Together, the two funds captured roughly 97% of total inflows. FBTC’s cumulative net inflows reached about $10.36 billion since its January 2024 launch. Total assets across US spot Bitcoin ETFs rose to $102.53 billion, equal to approximately 6.29% of Bitcoin’s market capitalisation. Historical cumulative ETF inflows stood at $55.16 billion. Large Bitcoin ETF inflows may indicate sustained institutional buying. Issuers and authorised participants typically acquire Bitcoin when creating new ETF shares, potentially reducing available supply and supporting BTC liquidity and price in the short term. However, ETF flows do not guarantee an immediate rally. Profit-taking, macroeconomic shifts and broader risk-off sentiment could offset the bullish effect. The concentration of flows in FBTC and IBIT also points to a winner-take-most market, strengthening liquidity in leading funds while increasing competitive pressure on smaller products.

An attempted $7.7 million rsETH exploit involving an Ethereum Safe wallet was intercepted by the MEV bot Yoink. Blockaid said the attacker abused an over-permissioned custom Uniswap v4 liquidity module and a public keeper multicall, directing the Safe to an attacker-controlled hooked pool. The attacker sought to convert aEthrsETH into rsETH and withdraw the funds. The targeted Safe held about $7.73 million in rsETH. Yoink detected the exploit in the public mempool, paid about $46,000, or 18.93 ETH, to a block-builder address, and ordered its transaction first. The bot captured about 2,882 rsETH before the attacker could take control. The final distribution of the recovered funds remains unclear. Kelp then applied a 24-hour wallet-level pause to the receiving address. It said rsETH remained fully backed and that minting, withdrawals and integrations continued normally. Blockaid and Kelp said the incident involved custom Safe modules, smart-contract permissions and MEV activity, rather than a compromise of Safe’s core contracts, owner keys or Kelp’s core protocol. For traders, the event highlights ongoing DeFi security and third-party module risks, while the limited direct impact on rsETH’s backing and operations is likely to reduce sustained selling pressure.

US spot XRP ETFs have attracted about $1.71 billion in cumulative net inflows, with net assets of roughly $1.39 billion as of 17 September, according to SoSoValue. The funds are estimated to hold more than 1 billion XRP, creating a significant new source of regulated institutional demand. However, XRP ETFs recorded about $5.15 million in net outflows in the latest session, while XRP traded near $1.33—around 64% below its $3.65 all-time high. Earlier inflows included $110.49 million during the strongest week of 2026, extending the ETF accumulation trend. Despite this demand, selling by existing holders, exchange liquidity, derivatives positioning and wider crypto-market weakness have kept XRP under pressure. XRP fell nearly 10% on 15 September after the US Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act in a 49–50 procedural vote. Technical momentum also remains weak, with the two-week RSI reportedly at a 13-year low and price testing support near $1.30. A sustained move above $1.40 could improve the outlook and bring $1.60 into focus, while a break below $1.30 would increase downside risk. XRP ETF inflows may support the long-term case, but a durable recovery requires stronger spot demand, continued institutional accumulation and improved regulatory sentiment.

Zcash price rose from about $1,139 on 14 September to $1,535.82 on 18 September, marking gains of more than 190% since August. ZEC later retreated to around $1,455, showing that short-term selling pressure is increasing after the steep rally. The broader Zcash price trend remains bullish, with higher highs and higher lows. However, momentum has weakened. The four-hour RSI fell to 68.35 and moved below its average, while the positive MACD histogram contracted. Resistance is concentrated at $1,500-$1,535. A confirmed break above $1,535 could open a path towards $1,625 and $1,750. Traders are watching support at $1,420, followed by $1,375 and $1,250. Earlier support near $1,100-$1,123 and the $1,000 psychological level remain relevant if the correction deepens. Liquidation liquidity is concentrated near $1,420 and between $1,540 and $1,550, potentially increasing volatility. The rally was supported by Network Upgrade 7 proposals. Nearly 99.9% of voters backed cutting target block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, while 98.9% supported retaining the current halving schedule. Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang also disclosed exposure to Zcash, strengthening institutional interest. Despite the bullish structure, analysts warn that a 10%-15% correction is possible. Traders should also monitor Bitcoin, Federal Reserve policy expectations, profit-taking, futures liquidations and an unconfirmed code-vulnerability report.

Bitcoin’s quantum migration debate is gaining importance as researchers assess how a cryptographically relevant quantum computer could use Shor’s algorithm to break ECDSA and Schnorr signatures. Attackers could derive private keys from exposed public keys and spend vulnerable BTC. The risk includes old pay-to-public-key outputs, reused public keys, Taproot outputs and coins whose public keys have been disclosed. Estimates suggest about 1.7 million BTC remain in old P2PK outputs, while at least 2.6 million BTC could stay vulnerable even if active users migrate to post-quantum wallets. The Bitcoin quantum migration debate has moved towards possible deadlines, quantum-resistant address types and eventual restrictions on vulnerable spending. BIP-361 outlines a phased approach, including migration time before legacy ECDSA and Schnorr spending could be disabled. Supporters, including arguments associated with Pieter Wuille and Matt Corallo, warn that quantum theft could concentrate ownership and destabilise the BTC market. Opponents say a retroactive freeze would violate property rights, increase governance and legal risks, encourage chain splits and raise transaction costs because post-quantum signatures are larger. Other proposals include limiting new vulnerable outputs, temporary locks, rate limits, commit-delay-reveal mechanisms and zero-knowledge recovery proofs. For traders, this is not an immediate BTC price catalyst. However, quantum-computing progress, migration deadlines and consensus coordination could become long-term supply and market-stability risks. Exchanges, custodians, wallets and long-term BTC holders may need early migration plans.

Binance reported that its AI security systems prevented an estimated $10.53 billion in potential user losses from January 2025 through the first quarter of 2026, covering more than 5.4 million users. In a later update covering the first half of 2026, Binance reported approximately $4.6 billion in prevented potential losses and protection for more than 8 million users. The figures refer to estimated losses avoided, not confirmed user losses, and the different reporting periods make direct comparisons difficult. Binance said AI supported 80% to 90% of real-time risk decisions across identity checks, account security, payments and transaction screening. More than 100 AI models reportedly supported its anti-fraud systems, alongside human reviewers. Binance also said it blacklisted more than 36,000 malicious addresses in the earlier period and over 42,000 in the first half of 2026. Daily real-time warnings increased from more than 9,600 to over 14,000, while the exchange later reported blocking millions of scam and phishing attempts. The Binance AI security claims may improve confidence in exchange security, but Binance has not disclosed full detection methods, calculation details or independent verification. For BNB traders, the news is mainly a platform-risk and sentiment signal, rather than a direct catalyst for trading volume, token flows or price.

The US Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act in a 49–50 procedural vote, well short of the 60 votes required. The result disappointed traders who had positioned for a major US crypto market structure bill and removed a near-term regulatory catalyst. Bitcoin fell nearly 4% to about $76,000 after trading above $81,000 earlier in September. Ethereum dropped more than 6% to around $2,400, while XRP fell to roughly $1.29. Bitcoin now faces resistance at $80,000–$82,000. Ethereum must reclaim the $2,400–$2,500 area to signal recovery, while XRP remains vulnerable despite retaining existing legal clarity in the US. Negotiations reportedly stalled over ethics provisions, including restrictions on elected officials profiting from crypto and concerns about President Donald Trump’s family crypto interests. The failed CLARITY Act vote could delay comprehensive US legislation for years, although the SEC and CFTC retain rule-making authority under existing laws. Traders are also watching the Federal Reserve’s 16 September interest-rate decision. A less hawkish message could support a crypto rebound, but signals of further tightening, high Treasury yields, inflation concerns and rising oil prices may keep risk appetite weak. The CLARITY Act setback is bearish for short-term sentiment, while the long-term regulatory outlook remains uncertain.

Revolut has notified 680 customers after scammers used an authenticated email address on a legitimate government domain to submit fraudulent data requests. Staff reportedly processed the requests as routine legal demands before detecting the impersonation. The Revolut data breach may have exposed passports, home addresses, verification selfies, account statements, IBANs and Bitcoin transaction histories. Revolut said customer funds, private keys, passwords, payment-card details and core systems were not compromised. The company blocked the email address and notified law-enforcement agencies, regulators and the affected government body. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office has opened an investigation. Revolut has not independently confirmed the 680-customer figure, describing the affected group as “very limited”. Former Mt. Gox chief Mark Karpelès said he was among those warned. People claiming responsibility have reportedly threatened to publish customer data and demanded a ransom, but several claims remain unverified. The Revolut data breach increases phishing, identity-theft and social-engineering risks for crypto users. Traders should be cautious of fake support messages, account-recovery requests and targeted scams using leaked identity or Bitcoin transaction data. The incident is unlikely to cause a broad Bitcoin price shock, but may increase scrutiny of crypto compliance, data-request verification and platform cybersecurity.

The US Senate is expected to vote on September 20 on whether to advance the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, after an earlier schedule indicated September 15. The bill needs 60 votes, so Republicans, who hold 53 seats, must win support from at least seven Democrats or independents. The latest 635-page draft includes 126 substantive changes and a proposed stablecoin “circuit breaker”. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent could monitor stablecoin yields and restrict them if rapid deposit outflows threaten community banks, particularly in rural states. The measure could limit competition between yield-bearing stablecoins and bank savings products, affecting issuer revenue and crypto-finance innovation. The CLARITY Act would also clarify the regulatory roles of the SEC and CFTC, provide a safe harbour for software developers who do not control customer assets, and give state attorneys general a limited enforcement role. It includes protections for community banks and ethics rules requiring certain officials to sell qualifying digital-asset interests or place them in blind trusts. Existing Trump-related tokens would not automatically be delisted, while restrictions on new issuances could come later. Key disputes remain over anti-money-laundering rules, stablecoin incentives, banking risks and enforcement powers. Traders should monitor the September 20 vote, amendments and stablecoin provisions. The CLARITY Act remains a major regulatory catalyst, but passage is uncertain and could create short-term volatility in crypto and fintech markets.

UNI rose from about $3.16 in mid-August to above $6.70 as traders reassessed Uniswap’s token economics and protocol revenue. The UNIfication governance proposal connected fees to UNI buybacks and burns, including a one-time burn of 100 million UNI from the treasury. Uniswap later burned about 150,000 UNI on 21 August, while total reported burns exceeded 100 million tokens. From late July to mid-August, average daily revenue rose from about $99,800 to $244,000, with Robinhood Chain contributing roughly $925,000 of $1.55 million in revenue over one week. A later update reported daily revenue increasing from $114,000 to $325,000, about $9.3 million worth of UNI burned in August and an annualised burn rate near $100 million. Robinhood Chain became a major catalyst, with Uniswap reportedly processing 76% to 92% of its trading volume. The network generated nearly $18 billion in August, including activity in tokenised equities and meme tokens. Uniswap v4 processed about $38 billion of its $71.1 billion in 30-day volume and had more than 90,000 Hooks. The fee-burn model supports UNI’s supply-contraction narrative, but traders should monitor Robinhood Chain volume, the treasury’s remaining 267 million UNI, future emissions and potential risks from malicious v4 Hooks. Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick warned that the mid-August burn pace could be unsustainable. Slower activity could reduce buybacks and increase selling pressure, so the reported figures and future-dated claims should be independently verified.

The UK House of Lords voted 194–138 to approve a digital asset strategy amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Bill. It requires the Treasury to develop, publish and consult on a national digital asset strategy within 12 months of the legislation taking effect. The digital asset strategy must cover cryptoassets, qualifying stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, tokenised securities and other digital financial assets. It will also assess access to banking, payment and settlement services, including the potential impact of service withdrawals on competition and innovation. The bill still requires a third reading in the House of Lords on 15 September before moving to the House of Commons. The amendment does not create immediate market rules, but the digital asset strategy could improve long-term regulatory clarity for crypto firms and investors. The FCA completed its cryptoasset regulatory framework and guidance on 30 June. Authorisation applications are scheduled to open on 30 September 2026, with the new regime expected to take effect on 25 October 2027. Traders will be watching the parliamentary process, implementation timetable and potential compliance costs. The wider European market faces additional policy pressure. ESMA has warned that stronger links between crypto and traditional finance could increase financial-stability risks. Crypto hacks caused about $1 billion in losses in the first half of 2026, including an estimated $285 million Drift Protocol exploit. Separately, 27 financial and technology groups called for the EU to raise its proposed €100 billion cap on tokenised instruments to at least €1.5 trillion. These developments highlight the tension between investor protection, financial stability and growth in digital assets.

Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin treasury company Strive has increased its Bitcoin holdings to 25,000 BTC, worth nearly $2 billion. The latest purchase added 469 BTC at an average price of about $77,954, following a previous acquisition of 1,375 BTC for roughly $109 million. Strive has reportedly been buying more than 1,000 BTC weekly and is now the fifth-largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder, behind Strategy, Twenty One, Metaplanet and MARA. CEO Matt Cole said the latest capital was raised through SATA, Strive’s perpetual preferred stock, which carries a 13% annualised dividend. Strive shares, traded under the ticker ASST, rose more than 6% after the announcement. The company has indicated it could become the second-largest public corporate Bitcoin holder by the end of 2026. Founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, Strive became a Bitcoin treasury company last year and acquired Semler Scientific in an all-stock deal in January 2026. The company says it has no debt, margin requirements, credit lines or encumbered Bitcoin. This reduces forced-liquidation risk during a Bitcoin downturn, but may limit its purchasing power compared with leveraged peers. The growing Bitcoin treasury strategy supports institutional demand and could provide a modest bullish signal for BTC, while exposing Strive shareholders to Bitcoin volatility, financing costs and execution risk.

Robinhood Chain revenue fell from $943,728 to about $436,300 over successive 24-hour periods, according to DeFiLlama. The later figure marked a fifth consecutive day below $1 million, extending a decline that began on 7 September. Robinhood Chain generated about $485,300 in network fees, while DEX trading volume fell from roughly $1.82 billion to $1.258 billion. Seven-day revenue was about $15.15 million. The data points to weaker fee capture despite substantial on-chain activity. Traders should watch whether Robinhood Chain revenue is experiencing a temporary pullback in user demand or a broader slowdown in network adoption. Sustained weakness could pressure sentiment around Robinhood Chain, its usage and related ecosystem assets, although the data does not confirm a wider crypto-market downturn.

Nasdaq Ventures is investing $100 million in Payward, the parent company of Kraken, in a deal that reportedly values the firm at about $21 billion. The Nasdaq investment expands a partnership focused on regulated tokenized stocks, blockchain infrastructure and 24-hour trading. Nasdaq and Payward are developing Nasdaq Equity Tokens (NETs), with a launch expected as early as the second quarter of 2027. Payward will connect the products to its xStocks infrastructure, while Nasdaq will provide market-surveillance technology across crypto, equities, tokenized equities, futures and options. The planned tokens are intended to preserve shareholder rights, including voting rights, corporate actions and investor participation, unlike some synthetic stock products. Kraken has expanded into stocks, derivatives and tokenized assets. Its European platform offers eligible customers access to thousands of US shares and more than 700 xStocks. xStocks activity rose from more than $25 billion in transaction volume and 85,000 holders in March to over $38 billion in later reports and more than $40 billion cumulatively in subsequent updates. Payward also reported that nearly $20 billion of xStocks volume had been settled on-chain by early September, with almost 200,000 holders. The Nasdaq investment strengthens institutional validation for tokenized stocks and could support growth in real-world assets, stablecoin settlement and round-the-clock markets. However, regulatory approval, shareholder-rights implementation and the 2027 launch timeline remain key risks. For crypto traders, the deal is broadly supportive of blockchain adoption but has no direct token-price catalyst because Payward and Kraken do not have a widely traded native cryptocurrency.

XRPPower is promoting AI trading and digital asset yield plans for XRP holders, with support for XRP, BTC, ETH and USDT. The platform says its automated system uses data analysis to reduce manual trading and offers fixed-term contracts with stated daily returns. Examples include a $1,000 seven-day plan paying $13.20 per day and a $5,000 15-day plan paying $70.50 per day, with principal supposedly returned at maturity. XRPPower also claims some plans can generate daily returns of up to $70,000. Results depend on the selected plan, market conditions and platform rules, and are not guaranteed. The platform advertises a $21 registration bonus, plus referral rewards of 3% for direct referrals and 2% for second-level referrals. It cites encryption, two-factor authentication, multisignature wallets, wallet segregation, DDoS protection and a web application firewall. XRPPower says references to PwC-related industry practices do not mean PwC audited or endorsed the platform. For crypto traders, the announcement is promotional and offers no clear change to XRP, BTC or broader market fundamentals. High yield claims create counterparty, liquidity, withdrawal, custody and regulatory risks. Users should independently verify XRPPower’s licensing, reserves, contract terms and security before committing funds.

Liquid Network has resumed block production after an exploit enabled the withdrawal of about 3,996 BTC, worth roughly $320 million at the time. The attack created unbacked L-BTC and redeemed it for real BTC through SideSwap’s authorised peg-out service. No federation signing key was reported stolen. The restart is limited. Liquid is producing blocks without regular transactions, while transfers, BTC peg-ins and peg-outs, and other bridge services remain suspended. Functionary and bridge nodes installed the emergency Elements v23.3.4 update, which changes how range-proof verification results are cached and addresses the vulnerability linked to the exploit. The attackers later returned about 3,400 BTC, worth roughly $270 million when transferred back. Around 598.5 BTC, valued at approximately $46 million based on the cited price, remained outside the federation wallet as of 7 September. The withdrawal represented about 95% of the federation wallet’s estimated 4,200 BTC balance. For crypto traders, Liquid Network’s recovery reduces the immediate risk of a wider cross-chain disruption, but it is not a full restoration. Continued suspension of transactions and peg operations limits L-BTC liquidity and redemption access. The incident remains a major Bitcoin bridge security event and could weigh on confidence in federated sidechains until independent reviews and a full reopening are completed.

The CLARITY Act is scheduled for a key procedural vote in the US Senate on September 15. The vote requires at least 60 senators to support cloture before the bill can move to formal debate, but it would not guarantee final passage. Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty is urging senators to back the CLARITY Act, which would create a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and assign oversight of digital commodity spot markets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). CFTC Chair Michael Selig has said the agency can use its existing authority to pursue limited crypto regulation, but current powers cannot replace the broader framework under consideration. Ripple estimates that the US has 67 million crypto holders, while the digital-asset sector supports 232,000 jobs and generates about $55 billion in economic activity. The vote could become an important regulatory catalyst for crypto markets, although support for final passage remains uncertain.

US-Iran tensions have escalated following reported US strikes near Hormuz Island and Jask, allegedly targeting Iranian oil tankers and crude-export capacity. Earlier Iranian attacks on US military targets had already increased pressure around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route. The reported US action could signal a shift towards economic warfare and raises the risk of oil-price spikes, shipping disruptions and wider inflation concerns. Prediction markets now put the probability of a US invasion of Iran by the end of 2026 at 14.5%, slightly above earlier levels. Crypto traders should watch official Pentagon statements, Iran’s response, oil prices, shipping activity and broader risk sentiment. Confirmed escalation could strengthen demand for the US dollar, Treasury bonds and other safe havens, putting short-term pressure on Bitcoin and increasing crypto market volatility.