Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Mastercard is finalizing its acquisition of Zerohash for approximately $1.5–2 billion. Zerohash offers API-driven crypto infrastructure, including stablecoin transactions, tokenization, custody and on/off ramps. The deal follows earlier talks with BVNK and marks Mastercard’s largest stablecoin investment to date. By integrating Zerohash’s stablecoin rails and enterprise-grade compliance tools, Mastercard gains direct control over fiat and digital asset settlements. The move supports its push into 24/7 blockchain payments and strengthens its crypto infrastructure against competitors like Stripe and Coinbase. Although fragmented chains and varying compliance frameworks pose challenges, standardizing these rails could accelerate stablecoin integration, crypto payments and cross-border transfers for banks, brokerages and fintechs.

Evernorth has agreed to merge with SPAC Armada Acquisition Corp. II to raise more than $1 billion and list on Nasdaq as XRPN in Q1 2026. The funds will build a $1 billion XRP corporate treasury through open-market purchases. SBI Holdings leads with a $200 million commitment, joined by Ripple, Pantera Capital, Kraken and GSR. As an equity vehicle—not a spot ETF—Evernorth will actively manage XRP per share. Strategies include market buys, institutional lending, liquidity provisioning and DeFi yield. The plan also integrates Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin to bridge centralized and decentralized finance. Former Ripple board member Asheesh Birla will serve as CEO while Ripple remains a strategic investor. Evernorth will follow standard SEC reporting and audited disclosures. Market-hours liquidity aims to simplify XRP exposure for corporate treasurers and institutional investors. Traders should watch SPAC filings, PIPE allocations and redemption levels. Quarterly XRP purchase reports will offer transparency. If approved by shareholders and regulators by early 2026, this SPAC deal could drive systematic institutional buying, boost XRP demand and enhance token utility.

Bitwise’s Solana Staking ETF launched on October 29, 2025, with a debut trading volume of $55.4 million ― the largest crypto ETF launch of 2025. It attracted $223 million in assets before trading, highlighting robust institutional demand for staking-based crypto ETFs. In the first 30 minutes, BSOL traded $10 million, outperforming Canary Capital’s Hedera (HBAR) and Litecoin (LTC) ETFs, which saw $4 million and $0.4 million respectively. Over the full first trading day, Canary’s HBAR and LTC ETFs recorded $8 million and $1 million in volume, both falling short of expectations. Despite topping analyst forecasts, Bitwise’s debut volume still trails the $1.08 billion posted by nine spot Ether ETF launches in July. This strong performance underlines the growing confidence in diversified altcoin ETFs and positions staking rewards as a key driver for future inflows into the crypto ETF market.

Ethereum price advanced beyond $4,200 on OKX for two consecutive days, climbing to $4,202.15 on October 27 (+3.12%) and reaching $4,205.23 on October 28 (+0.77%). The break above the psychological resistance at $4,200 signals sustained bullish momentum. Key technical indicators remain above critical support around $4,000, while healthy trading volumes and positive market sentiment underpin price stability. Traders are monitoring whether $4,200 will hold as new support. Upcoming regulatory announcements and potential institutional inflows could further fuel demand. Short-term outlook remains bullish, though long-term performance depends on Ethereum network upgrades and broader macroeconomic trends.

UK crypto tax enforcement is intensifying. HMRC sent nearly 65,000 nudge letters to crypto investors in 2024-25, more than double the prior year. The agency now mines exchange data, bank records and partnerships under the upcoming OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) to spot undeclared gains. Crypto tax applies to all digital-asset activities—fiat conversions, token swaps, staking rewards, airdrops and yield farming—while only fiat purchases or wallet-to-wallet transfers are exempt. HMRC’s three-tier pooling method for gain calculations adds complexity for active traders. Tax experts advise proactive reporting using specialized crypto tax software to produce accurate transaction records. To comply with crypto tax rules, traders should prepare detailed statements and seek professional advice upon receiving a letter to avoid penalties. US lawmakers are reviewing de minimis exemptions and clearer rules on staking rewards. Voluntary compliance becomes critical as global exchanges prepare to share full transaction data by 2026.

OpenSea will launch its SEA token in Q1 2026, marking the platform’s evolution into a multi-chain on-chain trading venue. The SEA token will allocate 50% of its total supply to the community, with active users and OG participants eligible for token airdrops. At launch, 50% of OpenSea’s revenue will be used for SEA token buybacks to support price stability and long-term growth. The SEA token will also be integrated into staking functions tied to NFT collections and listed tokens, further embedding the token into user activity. Future developments include a mobile app, perpetual futures and cross-chain abstraction to streamline the trading experience. This initiative follows strong growth in token trading on OpenSea, with $2.6 billion in trading volume reported for October 2025—over 90% driven by tokens rather than NFTs. By tying SEA token value directly to platform performance, OpenSea aims to boost liquidity, enhance user engagement and drive sustainable demand.

Since the mid-October market crash, Chainlink holders have withdrawn over 6.25 million LINK (about $116.7 million) from Binance. On-chain data first highlighted three new Ethereum wallets moving 825,750 LINK (~$15.2 million) on Oct. 20. A broader analysis by Lookonchain shows 30 newly created wallets have pulled out a total of 6,256,893 LINK since Oct. 11. These large LINK withdrawals suggest reduced sell pressure on Chainlink and signal a shift towards long-term holding or use in staking and DeFi activities. Traders should watch Binance flows and on-chain metrics for signs of tightening supply and potential price support for LINK.

Kraken acquisition of Small Exchange for $100 million secures a U.S. CFTC-designated contract market license. This acquisition allows Kraken to design and operate regulated U.S. crypto derivatives trading. The deal integrates spot, margin and futures products into a unified onshore liquidity system, with $32.5 million in cash and $67.5 million in parent-company stock. The Kraken acquisition follows prior buyouts of NinjaTrader and Crypto Facilities, creating a global derivatives network across the U.S., EU and U.K. Institutional clients can now move collateral in real time and manage risk efficiently across regions. The move boosts regulated crypto derivatives trading, strengthens market depth and positions Kraken to challenge offshore venues like Binance and Bybit, offering traders improved liquidity and reduced fragmentation.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has lifted its ban on retail crypto ETNs, allowing individuals to trade Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) exchange-traded notes on FCA-regulated platforms. Fully backed by underlying assets and listed on the London Stock Exchange, these crypto ETNs can now be held tax-free in Stocks & Shares ISAs and registered pension schemes. From October 2025, they qualify for pension plans; from April 6, 2026, they gain Innovative Finance ISA status while preserving tax benefits. Major providers such as IG, AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown are updating their platforms for a phased rollout. In the US, Representative Bryan Steil confirms the CLARITY Act—passed by the House in July and awaiting Senate approval—remains on track despite the federal shutdown. Analysts forecast up to 20% growth in the UK crypto sector as 30% of adults express interest in regulated crypto ETNs. Traders should monitor FCA risk controls and US regulatory developments for new market opportunities.

Last week, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw record net inflows of $3.24 billion—up from $2.34 billion earlier—pushing total ETF holdings to 1.32 million BTC and sending Bitcoin above $125,000. BlackRock’s IBIT, Fidelity’s FBTC and Ark’s ARKB led the inflows, while Ethereum ETFs recorded $62 million in outflows, signaling a rotation back into BTC ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. Beyond ETFs, major corporate treasuries bought over 6,700 BTC (≈$1.2 billion), led by Japan’s Metaplanet adding 5,258 BTC. Institutional demand now outpaces miner supply—enterprises acquire 1,755 BTC per day versus miners’ 900—creating a bullish supply squeeze. Analysts warn that continued inflows amid tight liquidity could amplify short-term volatility but sustain the longer-term uptrend and drive ETF holdings toward 10% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.

Lyno AI presale has gained momentum as whale investors have accumulated over 806,600 LYNO tokens at the $0.05 early bird price, raising $40,332. Earlier in September 2025, whales bought 641,010 tokens for $32,050. Meanwhile, Bitcoin remains stable around $115,000 and the total crypto market cap stands at $4.12 trillion. Avalanche (AVAX) saw a 14% price correction to $28.25 in Q3 despite rising transaction volumes, prompting whales to shift focus. The Lyno AI presale features an AI-driven cross-chain arbitrage engine executing millisecond trades across 15 blockchains, including Ethereum (ETH), Polygon (MATIC) and Arbitrum (ARB). Audited smart contracts and community governance give $LYNO holders control over upgrades and fees. A $100,000 giveaway rewards buyers spending over $100. The presale moves to $0.055 and then $0.10 in later rounds. Analysts project potential returns up to 7,100% by 2026. Traders should watch Lyno AI presale security audits and whale-driven FOMO for short-term price spikes and long-term protocol growth.

Japanese firm Metaplanet has steadily expanded its Bitcoin treasury through significant capital allocations. In mid-September, it deployed approximately $632 million to acquire 5,419 BTC, bringing its holdings to 25,555 BTC. The company also announced plans to invest up to $1.25 billion by October, including $139 million in its bitcoin yield-generation unit. On October 1, Metaplanet added another 5,268 BTC, raising its total treasury to 30,823 BTC. As a leading corporate Bitcoin holder, Metaplanet’s growing reserves underscore rising institutional demand, reduce circulating supply, and could support BTC price momentum. Traders should watch market liquidity and price trends for potential trading opportunities.

Kraken is in talks to raise an additional $200–300 million in a pre-IPO funding round, targeting a $20 billion valuation ahead of its planned 2026 IPO. This follows a $500 million private raise nine months ago that valued the US-based crypto exchange at $15 billion. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are advising Kraken on its S-1 registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Kraken reported Q2 revenue of $411 million and EBITDA of $80 million, relying on cash flow rather than aggressive burn. The exchange expanded its offerings with last year’s $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader and is testing on-chain tokenization of Apple and Tesla shares. It has also branched into stock and ETF trading. The move comes amid a wave of crypto IPOs—including Circle’s USDC, Figure, Bullish and Gemini—driven by pro-crypto US regulatory policies. At press time, the total crypto market cap stands at $3.73 trillion, up 1.1% in 24 hours.

On September 17, the SEC approved generic listing standards for commodity trusts, allowing exchanges to list products backed by existing futures or derivatives. The change removes separate S-1 and 19b-4 filings. This streamlined process accelerates spot crypto ETF approvals. Analysts at Bloomberg predict 22 assets with Coinbase futures—including BTC, XRP, SOL and XLM—could quickly convert to spot crypto ETFs. Industry leaders like Federico Brokate and Greg Benhaim say the SEC listing standards boost listing predictability. Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw warns that faster approvals may sidestep investor-protection reviews. Core disclosure and diligence requirements under the ’33 and ’40 Acts remain intact. Traders should review ETF prospectuses, surveillance arrangements and liquidity metrics before trading coin-based spot crypto ETFs. Overall, the updated SEC listing standards mark a structural shift toward broader spot crypto ETF access but underscore the need for robust market surveillance and risk assessment.

OKX data from September 19 and 22 show Bitcoin price dipping below key support levels. Initially, BTC slid below $117,000, trading at $116,796 on Sept 19, before slipping under $115,000 to $114,996 on Sept 22. These moves reflect ongoing volatility and short-term selling pressure as the cryptocurrency tests psychological thresholds. Traders are closely watching whether Bitcoin price can reclaim $115K and $117K or extend its pullback amid macroeconomic uncertainty and profit-taking. Short-term indicators point to bearish momentum, while the long-term outlook hinges on major resistance levels and upcoming on-chain metrics.

Layer Brett has quickly risen as the top meme coin among new crypto investors, with recent polls showing 85% favorability over Dogecoin. Built on Ethereum’s Layer 2 network, Layer Brett enables near-instant transactions and fees as low as $0.0001. Its presale has raised over $3.7 million at $0.0058 per token. The token’s no-KYC model and community-driven campaigns support staking rewards of up to 691% APY. In contrast, Dogecoin trades near $0.21–$0.26 and lags in structured incentives. Dogecoin’s pending ETF filings, including a key approval date on September 18, 2025 for Rex Shares and Osprey, have yet to reinvigorate its price. Analysts note that traders are shifting toward utility-driven meme coins and Ethereum Layer 2 solutions. This trend suggests a bullish outlook for Layer Brett and similar presale tokens in the evolving meme coin market.

Canadian firm SOL Strategies will list its common shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker STKE on September 9. The move transitions trading from the OTCQB and complements its Toronto Stock Exchange “HODL” listing. CEO Leah Wald says the Nasdaq listing will enhance liquidity and attract institutional capital to fund validator operations and ecosystem investments on Solana. In April, SOL Strategies raised $500 million via convertible bonds to acquire SOL tokens. Following the announcement, its HODL shares jumped nearly 20%. Meanwhile, Solana governance approved the Alpenglow upgrade to cut transaction finality to Web2 speeds. Additionally, Fonte Capital’s SETF, the first spot SOL ETF with staking yield, launched on Kazakhstan’s Astana International Exchange under BitGo custody.

21Shares has filed an S-1 registration with the U.S. SEC to launch a spot SEI ETF, with Coinbase Custody Trust Company as custodian. The SEI ETF will passively track the CF SEI-Dollar Reference Rate, aggregating prices across multiple venues while excluding leverage and derivatives. It offers cash or in-kind SEI subscriptions and redemptions via Authorized Participants, and staking or liquid staking options remain under legal, tax, and regulatory review. The fund is seeded with initial capital and will list under a ticker post-approval, remaining open for up to three years. On the filing day, SEI token rose over 4% to $0.30, and on-chain data shows a TVL of $682 million. Approval could lower barriers for institutional capital, boosting liquidity and long-term access to the SEI network.

Justin Sun, founder of TRON, has sued Bloomberg Media in Delaware after the outlet published his TRX holdings without consent. Sun alleges the disclosure of 60 billion TRX tokens, along with 17,000 BTC and 224,000 ETH, violated confidentiality agreements and jeopardized his personal safety. Bloomberg defends its report under First Amendment and public interest, arguing no prior restraint is warranted. The lawsuit highlights a clash between media transparency and crypto data privacy, as Sun warns of security risks from exposed holdings. Traders should monitor TRX for potential volatility and watch for regulatory responses and strengthened privacy guidelines in the crypto sector.

Coinbase has completed its $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit, integrating the leading crypto options platform into its Everything Exchange. This is Coinbase’s sixth deal in 2025 as it builds a comprehensive digital-asset ecosystem. Deribit posted over $1 trillion in trading volume in 2024. In July alone, volumes reached $180 billion, with $60 billion in open interest. The acquisition deepens Coinbase’s derivatives suite by combining spot, futures, perpetuals and options on one public exchange. Institutional traders will gain seamless access to advanced derivatives, prime brokerage and custody services. Coinbase expects the Deribit team to accelerate global rollout, improving liquidity and market depth. The deal intensifies competition with Binance, Kraken and Robinhood. Coinbase also plans US DEX trading, Solana token support, tokenized stocks and prediction markets. Despite a 2% dip in COIN stock amid regulatory and integration concerns, the move positions Coinbase for long-term growth in crypto derivatives.

Bullish IPO raised $1.11B at $37 per share in its NYSE debut, drawing 20× oversubscription and strong institutional demand. Shares surged 218% intraday to $118, triggering trading halts amid volatility, before settling near $71 and pushing peak market cap above $16B. Led by Peter Thiel and underwriters JPMorgan, Jefferies, and Citigroup, the exchange sold 30M shares plus a 4.5M over-allotment. Major backers BlackRock and ARK Invest committed $200M. Bullish IPO funds will convert to stablecoins under the Genius Act. Owner of CoinDesk, Bullish offers spot, margin, and derivatives trading. After a Q1 loss, it forecasts $106M–$109M profit in Q2. Trading volume jumped from $72.7B in 2022 to $250B in 2024. With $2B in crypto assets (mainly BTC) and facing Binance and Coinbase, this listing signals revived institutional confidence and may encourage more public blockchain listings.

South Korea FSS has issued a non-binding advisory urging local asset managers to reduce and refrain from increasing holdings of U.S.-listed crypto stocks such as Coinbase (COIN) and MicroStrategy (MSTR) in exchange-traded funds. Citing the 2017 Virtual Currency Guidelines that bar regulated institutions from holding crypto assets or derivatives and accepting them as collateral, South Korea FSS aims to curb rising foreign crypto stock ETF exposure ahead of a new domestic crypto framework. Some Korean ETF portfolios hold over 10% in crypto-themed stocks, prompting warnings of index-tracking distortions and potential shifts by retail investors to U.S.-listed crypto equity ETFs. While retail clients remain exempt, passive funds may struggle to realign portfolios, underscoring regulatory caution amid pro-crypto political developments.

Ark Invest’s latest report shows long-term Bitcoin holders—addresses holding BTC for over 155 days—now control 74% of circulating supply, a 15-year high. Institutional investment via ETFs led by BlackRock and corporate treasuries such as MicroStrategy has fueled this trend, pushing Bitcoin price to multiple all-time highs above $123,000. Global liquidity per BTC also hit $5.7 million, a 12-year peak. On-chain support remains firm between $96,000 and $99,000, with the short-term holder cost basis at $98,888 and the 200-day moving average at $96,278. Pseudonymous analyst Mr. Wall Street sees a local bottom near $116,000. He expects a short-term rally to $120,000–$123,500 and a mid-term surge toward $133,000–$140,000. However, on-chain data warn of growing sell-side pressure: wallets that accumulated at $16,000–$20,000 are offloading, and centralized exchange reserves have climbed to multi-week highs. Traders should weigh near-term bullish momentum in Bitcoin price against emerging distribution signals and potential ‘sell the news’ events around Fed meetings.

SharpLink Gaming has filed a prospectus supplement with the US SEC to expand its common stock offering from $1 billion to $6 billion. The company plans to deploy most proceeds to purchase Ether, boosting its treasury to over 280,000 ETH—including an extra 32,892 ETH after the filing—with 99.7% staked. SharpLink Gaming bought $515 million worth of ETH in nine days and has earned 415 ETH in staking rewards since June. Its aggressive ETH accumulation could secure up to 1.38% of Ethereum’s circulating supply. Despite ETH purchases, SharpLink’s stock (SBET) slipped following Q1 results, showing a 24% revenue decline and 110% net profit margin drop; Q2 results are due August 13. Traders should watch SharpLink Gaming’s ETH purchases and staking strategy, which could support Ethereum’s price and signal institutional confidence.

Deutsche Bank’s recent studies show Bitcoin volatility has fallen sharply even as the price surged to a record $123,000 before a minor pullback to around $117,000. Lower Bitcoin volatility now stems from deeper liquidity, stronger market depth and growing institutional adoption by pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and asset managers. Clearer regulatory frameworks, including spot ETF approvals and defined custody rules, have reduced risk premiums and drawn more traditional investors. Macro factors such as geopolitical tensions and de-dollarization also support this trend. While volatility remains above most major assets, ongoing discussions during US Crypto Week and fresh institutional flows could reinforce Bitcoin’s shift from a speculative token to a mainstream investment. Traders should monitor regulatory developments and institutional demand for future price signals.

Bitcoin market cap has surged to $2.43 trillion, overtaking Amazon’s $2.3 trillion valuation and ranking just behind Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia and gold. The rally was driven by record institutional inflows, with $3.7 billion entering crypto investment products last week and spot Bitcoin ETFs now holding over $150 billion—6.4 % of Bitcoin market cap. Corporate adoption accelerated as MicroStrategy added 4,225 BTC at an average price of $111,827, bringing its total to 601,550 BTC, while Metaplanet purchased 800 BTC and aims for 210,000 BTC by 2027. A continued decline in exchange supply is intensifying a supply squeeze. At press time, Bitcoin traded near $121,000, reflecting a 2 % gain over 24 hours and underscoring a bullish outlook fueled by sustained demand and ETF inflows. Traders should monitor regulatory developments and on-chain indicators for potential volatility amid this market cap expansion.

Bitcoin extended its relentless rally to reach record highs above $123,000 after breaking out of a broadening wedge pattern. The decisive breakout invalidated a potential dip to $92,000 and triggered over $45 billion in potential short liquidations. Year-to-date gains of 29% outpace gold’s 27%, with the BTC/gold ratio hitting a 23-week high. Institutional demand remains robust, with more than $2 billion in net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs last week. On-chain data from Glassnode shows daily dollar-denominated highs and peak gold ratios since February. Technical indicators stay bullish: Bitcoin trades within an ascending parallel channel on the hourly chart, with resistance at the channel midpoint and targets between $125,000 and $140,000. Macro tailwinds from the US debt ceiling deal and expected M2 money supply expansion add to the positive outlook. Traders await US CPI data for volatility and watch liquidity clusters around $123,000–$125,000 for potential pullbacks before the next upward leg.

Pump.fun acquires Kolscan, integrating its real-time on-chain trading data, leaderboards and profit analytics into the memecoin creation platform. Kolscan will remain free while receiving faster updates, improved accuracy and new strategy insights. Founder Alon Cohen calls on-chain trading a social sport. New features will shift leaderboards to reward profitable trades and add copy-trading data for users to follow and learn from top wallets. Pump.fun acquires Kolscan underscores the platform’s commitment to user growth after its market share decline. The deal also sets the stage for enhanced engagement ahead of the planned ICO. The acquisition strengthens Pump.fun’s position in the Solana ecosystem and may drive token adoption.

SEC officials, including Commissioner Hester Peirce and Crypto Assets head David Hirsch, clarified that tokenized assets remain regulated under U.S. securities laws. Tokenized assets are a technical wrapper and do not change an underlying asset’s legal status. Registration, disclosure and investor protection requirements still apply. The SEC reiterated its scrutiny following a Senate Banking Committee hearing on the Clarity Act and previous court setbacks. Ongoing enforcement actions and oversight focus on major institutions exploring tokenized treasuries and money market funds, such as BlackRock and Franklin Templeton. Coinbase and Kraken’s plans to launch tokenized stocks in the U.S. further highlight the need for compliance. Traders should prepare for continued regulatory scrutiny as tokenized assets evolve.