Crypto News

Animoca Brands-backed Moca Foundation and Moca Network have launched the Moca Chain mainnet, a blockchain designed for decentralized digital identity and verifiable credentials. Moca Chain allows users to retain custody of verified credentials and share them across applications without repeatedly exposing sensitive personal data. Organizations can issue tamper-resistant credentials for identity checks, memberships and other verified attributes. Moca Network’s AIR infrastructure provides businesses with a unified access layer for onboarding users and AI agents. It is designed to let platforms issue or accept credentials from trusted providers while reducing data-storage and privacy risks. Moca Network said annual data-custody costs exceed $100 billion and that decentralized identity could become more important as AI agents conduct more online transactions. More than nine partners, including SK Planet, Biletinial, Oyunfor, Open Campus, OneFootball, Automobili Lamborghini, Inveo Kripto, Plume and Nansen, are expected to integrate AIR in 2026. The Moca Chain mainnet launch strengthens the project’s position in decentralized identity, AI agents and agentic commerce. However, the announcements provided no major token-economy changes, revenue figures, transaction data, locked value, exchange listings or confirmed user metrics. The immediate trading impact on MOCA is therefore likely to remain limited, while adoption and integration progress will be key longer-term indicators.

The Bitget hack has entered a more difficult recovery phase after attackers moved about 2,700 ZEC, worth roughly $3.8 million, into Zcash’s Ironwood shielded pool. The transfer represents about one-seventh of the ZEC linked to the $387.5 million Bitget hack. Shielded transactions hide wallet addresses and amounts, making the Bitget hack harder to trace and potentially limiting asset recovery. The attack began on 24 September after unauthorised transfers left Bitget hot wallets. Bitget said attackers compromised backend systems and manipulated transaction data rather than directly stealing private keys. The exchange has pledged to cover customer losses through its protection fund, so user balances are not expected to be affected. Investigators said the stolen assets were divided among new wallets and routed through THORChain, Across, Chainflip and FixedFloat. Near Intents said its SHIELD system rejected more than $50 million in suspicious swap requests, froze about $503,000 and allowed roughly $166,000 to pass through. On-chain data also showed about 2,390 ETH, worth around $6.3 million, converted into 75.2 BTC through THORChain. THORChain rejected Bitget’s request to block specific addresses, saying network halts are intended for protocol emergencies rather than selective fund freezes. Bitget CEO Gracy Chen and Elliptic have linked the attack to North Korean hackers, although no government has confirmed the attribution. Bitget is offering a 5% bounty for frozen funds and another 5% for recovered assets.

Nvidia remains a Buy after strong fiscal 2027 second-quarter results and optimistic guidance. Data centre revenue rose 117% year on year to $89 billion, driven by hyperscale customers and ACIE clients across accelerated computing, networking, storage and other infrastructure. The results strengthen Nvidia’s position in full-stack AI and suggest demand is broader than a short-term artificial intelligence spending surge. Management’s outlook points to roughly 70% revenue growth by fiscal 2028. GAAP gross margin reached 75% in the quarter, although Nvidia expects a temporary decline before margins stabilise at 72%–73% in fiscal 2028 as pricing resets offset higher costs. The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.4 times, while its PEG ratio of 0.47 suggests the Nvidia valuation remains relatively attractive against expected earnings growth. Major hyperscaler commitments and evidence of external AI demand support the long-term investment case. Growing application-layer monetisation could also cushion Nvidia if AI infrastructure spending moderates, while concerns over circular financing appear overstated. Traders should monitor Nvidia earnings guidance, cloud-provider capital expenditure, inventory, supply commitments and forward valuation multiples. Slower data centre demand, margin pressure or weaker hyperscaler spending could increase volatility across technology stocks and indirectly affect crypto-market risk appetite.

Bloomberg has launched a stablecoin dashboard on its Terminal, giving banks, asset managers and other financial professionals hourly onchain data through the RWAS <GO> function. Powered by blockchain data provider Allium, the stablecoin dashboard tracks supply, issuance, minting, burning, transfer volume and transaction velocity across blockchain networks. The tool covers stablecoins with more than $100 million in circulation, representing over 98% of the market, according to Bloomberg. Users can filter and compare assets by blockchain, peg type and activity metrics. The dashboard is also integrated with Bloomberg’s fixed-income, foreign exchange and money-market data. DeFiLlama data shows that total stablecoin market capitalisation has exceeded $306 billion, with Tether’s USDT accounting for about 60%. For crypto traders, the stablecoin dashboard may improve monitoring of liquidity, issuance, redemptions and cross-chain capital flows. It could support institutional market analysis, but the launch alone does not indicate an immediate change in cryptocurrency prices.

Ondo Finance’s tokenized stocks platform, Ondo Stocks, surpassed $1 billion in total value locked (TVL) at about $1.01 billion on 15 August 2026 and later reached a record $1.26 billion. Launched in September 2025, the platform gives non-US retail and institutional investors tokenized exposure to more than 260 US stocks and ETFs, including returns linked to the underlying assets. Ondo Stocks operates on Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain, and Ondo says its tokenized equities have generated several billion dollars in cumulative trading volume. The assets are also being used in leveraged trading and as collateral in DeFi lending markets. Ondo previously reported more than $18 billion in trading volume across supported chains and claimed over 70% market share in tokenized stocks and ETFs. A September 2026 SEC five-year innovation exemption covering selected tokenized US national market system stocks could support on-chain and 24/7 trading. Ondo executives forecast TVL of $5 billion by the end of 2026. The growth strengthens the tokenized stocks and real-world assets narrative, but traders should consider regulatory limits, liquidity and custody risks, and the platform’s exclusion of US investors.

Netlist has asked the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to block imports of Micron’s HBM3E, HBM4 and HBM4E memory chips, alleging they infringe two patents. Nvidia, Google and Broadcom were also named because their AI accelerators, GPUs and servers may use the disputed memory. No Micron import ban has been issued. The ITC must first investigate, and proceedings could take 12 to 18 months. The dispute is significant because high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is essential for AI accelerators, while demand has tightened supply. A ruling against Micron could raise component costs, create delivery risks and benefit rivals Samsung and SK Hynix. Netlist is also pursuing a separate case involving Micron DDR5 memory used in systems from Supermicro, HPE and Lenovo. Micron has sought a Delaware court ruling that it does not infringe the patents. For crypto traders, the direct impact is limited because the dispute concerns semiconductor companies rather than cryptocurrencies. However, an ITC investigation, settlement or import order could increase volatility in AI semiconductor stocks and influence broader technology sentiment. Any effect on crypto prices would likely be indirect and short term, through changes in risk appetite and AI-related market sentiment.

Ethereum price prediction remains cautiously bullish after ETH gained about 60% in Q3, following an earlier rise of roughly 25% from June to September. Ethereum outperformed Bitcoin during much of that period as capital inflows and improving network economics supported demand. However, Bitcoin’s recovery and ETF-driven liquidity could attract capital back to BTC. Institutional demand remains a key support. US spot Ethereum ETFs recorded about $87 million in net inflows on September 25 and approximately $287.5 million during the five trading days through September 29. Tracked funds held around 5.91 million ETH, worth about $24.17 billion. Ether ETFs also attracted inflows during a period when Bitcoin ETFs recorded significant outflows. The Ethereum price prediction now centres on the $2,800 resistance level. ETH has repeatedly failed to hold above it, while the $2,775-$2,825 area remains an important consolidation zone. A sustained break above $2,800 could send ETH towards $3,000-$3,050. Holding above roughly $2,650 would support the bullish case. A move between $2,600 and $2,800 would signal consolidation, while a fall below $2,600, particularly as risk assets weaken, would make the outlook more bearish.

Crypto liquidations reached about $389 million across the market over 12 hours, with long positions accounting for roughly $352 million. Bitcoin led with about $113 million in liquidations, followed by Ethereum at $89.39 million, XRP at $17.80 million, Zcash at $12.55 million and NEAR at $12.45 million. In the latest one-hour period, total liquidations reached $61.61 million, including $37.64 million in Bitcoin liquidations—more than 60% of the market total. Short positions accounted for $59.17 million of the latest losses, while long liquidations were $2.48 million. The shift suggests a sharp short squeeze and rising leverage-related volatility. Traders should monitor Bitcoin price action, funding rates, open interest and spot buying. Liquidation data can accelerate price moves, but Bitcoin liquidations alone do not confirm a sustained bullish or bearish trend.

Solana meme coin SI briefly reached a record market capitalisation of $64.54 million, up from an earlier peak above $55 million. GMGN data later showed its market cap at about $58.67 million, with gains exceeding 150% in 24 hours. The rally followed renewed attention to the “superintelligence” narrative after US President Donald Trump said he would refer to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence”, or SI, during AI-related announcements involving technology executives. Traders linked the wording to the SI token, driving speculative demand and rapid capital inflows. SI remains highly sensitive to social-media trends, trading volume and liquidity. The move may support short-term momentum trading, but sharp gains also raise the risk of profit-taking, low-liquidity price swings and rapid reversals. Unless the narrative spreads to other Solana meme coins, the rally is unlikely to have a major direct effect on the broader Solana market.

Tether and Shiga are developing self-custodial crypto products for individuals, businesses, banks and fintech firms across Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The initiative uses Tether’s open-source Wallet Development Kit and supports USDT, Bitcoin and Tether Gold. ENTA will offer self-custodial wallets that users can fund with local currency, US dollars or Bitcoin. Pulse will provide institutional infrastructure for cross-border payments, treasury management and settlement. Clients can use Shiga-managed systems or deploy the technology in their own environments while retaining control of private keys, data and assets. The self-custodial crypto products target costly remittance corridors. The World Bank reported an average remittance cost of 8.46% to Sub-Saharan Africa in the third quarter of 2025. Stablecoins may reduce payment friction, but launch dates, initial markets and fees remain undisclosed. Shiga also said its Nigerian Digital Asset Intermediary licence is still awaiting final approval. The partnership follows Tether’s strategic investment in Shiga in 2025.

Sony-backed Ethereum Layer 2 Soneium has partnered with South Korean entertainment group DayOneDream to develop tokenized K-pop intellectual property and revenue products through the WAVIST platform. The partnership, announced during Korea Blockchain Week 2026, combines Soneium’s blockchain infrastructure with DayOneDream’s artist, concert, publishing and entertainment assets. WAVIST is designed to package defined future cash flows from concerts, streaming, content and music rights into onchain investment products. The structure does not require artists or production companies to sell their underlying intellectual property. WAVIST has already completed the issuance, distribution, repayment and token burning of a K-pop IP-backed note, although the companies have not disclosed its issuer, size, interest terms or underlying catalog. The first Soneium-based asset, launch date and product size remain undisclosed. Future offerings will depend on securities regulations, investor eligibility and the specific rights attached to each token. The deal expands real-world asset tokenization into entertainment royalties and could support long-term Soneium and Ethereum adoption. However, it is unlikely to be an immediate trading catalyst without a confirmed launch, sale or dedicated token.

Tokenized stocks on Robinhood Chain gained liquidity after memecoins were paired directly with stock-backed tokens. The model gives traders a speculative entry point: buying a linked memecoin can route demand into the corresponding tokenized stock and lock that exposure in a liquidity pool. Earlier products, including Terra’s Mirror Protocol, struggled because they offered weak liquidity while traditional brokerages provided cheaper access and real shareholder rights. The newer approach created sharp market imbalances. The BONER-HIMS pool once held about 53% of circulating tokenized HIMS. Supply restrictions outside US trading hours pushed HIMS as much as 37% above the NYSE closing price. After issuance rose 4.8 times, 53.1% of the new tokens reportedly flowed back into the memecoin pool. Artificial Inu used a similar accumulation strategy. It directed 80% of trading fees to a permanently locked NVDA treasury, while sell fees helped burn AI tokens and lock more NVDA. The treasury reportedly reached about $3 million, equivalent at one point to 16% of Robinhood Chain’s tokenized NVDA open interest. A BNB Chain study found that 8.6% of users entering through memecoin speculation later held tokenized stocks, compared with 0.6% among users shown stock products directly. Robinhood Chain reportedly reached $4 million in daily revenue two months after launch. The model may expand tokenized stocks and real-world asset adoption, but traders should watch liquidity concentration, off-hours premiums, supply freezes, smart-contract vulnerabilities and regulatory risk.

MoonPay has launched MoonPay Korea as a base for its Asia-Pacific expansion, focusing on won stablecoins, cross-border payments, remittances and compliant digital asset infrastructure. MoonPay says it will not issue its own won stablecoin. Instead, it plans to provide infrastructure for banks and other issuers, linking Korean stablecoin products to global payment and distribution networks. The company is preparing partnerships with Woori Bank, KB Financial Group, KB Kookmin Card and KakaoBank. Woori and MoonPay will explore cross-border corporate payments and overseas stablecoin distribution. KB will examine fiat-to-crypto conversion, wallets, stablecoin distribution and international settlement, while KB Kookmin Card is considering digital asset payments for foreign visitors. KakaoBank is studying a digital asset settlement model that could transfer funds to US bank accounts within one hour. MoonPay’s infrastructure, supported by fintech firm Finger, is designed to cover identity checks, anti-money-laundering controls, transaction monitoring, deposits, withdrawals, refunds and merchant payments. MoonPay reports more than 32 million verified users, 1,500 global partners, support for 120 fiat currencies and 170 payment methods. It previously signed a memorandum of understanding with Woori Bank and acquired Finger for about $81 million. MoonPay Korea is preparing for virtual asset service provider registration and other licences, with a possible registration target in 2027. South Korea is still developing rules for stablecoin issuance and bank participation. For crypto traders, the MoonPay expansion could support long-term institutional adoption of stablecoin payments and increase demand for compliant digital asset infrastructure. However, near-term market effects are likely to remain limited because the plans depend on partnerships, licensing and regulatory approval.

Australia crypto licensing relief ends on 30 September, requiring affected digital-asset businesses to enter the Australian Financial Services Licence process or lose temporary protection from ASIC enforcement. Firms seeking an AFS licence or variation had to submit applications by the deadline. Businesses requiring an Australian Market Licence or clearing and settlement facility licence had to notify ASIC and attend a pre-application meeting, although formal applications may be filed within 12 months. From 1 October, firms that require authorisation but fail to meet the conditions could breach Australian financial services law. ASIC warned of civil and criminal penalties, including fines of up to 10% of annual turnover. More than 45 businesses have sought authorisation since ASIC updated its INFO 225 guidance in October 2025, compared with about 30 previously. The Australia crypto licensing relief is not a new licence or a permanent exemption. It only limits enforcement action while eligible firms work towards compliance. The guidance may cover brokers, intermediaries, stablecoins, wrapped tokens, staking services and tokenised financial products, depending on their legal characteristics. The deadline is separate from Australia’s new digital-asset framework, scheduled to begin on 9 April 2027. The framework will introduce dedicated rules for digital-asset platforms and tokenised custody platforms, but existing licensing obligations may continue. Traders should monitor affected exchanges and service providers for changes to onboarding, product availability, custody arrangements and operating costs.

The SEC’s 25 September crypto FAQ explains how existing US securities laws may apply to token buybacks, staking receipt tokens, functional networks and secondary-market platforms. It is staff guidance, not a formal rule, and does not change existing law. The SEC says crypto buybacks are not automatically securities transactions. However, a non-functional project could face investment-contract scrutiny if it promotes buybacks as a way to generate returns through managerial efforts. On functional networks, post-launch security, maintenance, upgrades, ecosystem funding and developer support are generally less likely to be viewed as ongoing managerial efforts under the Howey test. Staking receipt tokens should represent ownership of deposited assets without transferring, lending, pledging, rehypothecating or exposing those assets to third-party claims. Secondary-market platforms are not automatically promoters and must still meet the existing Securities Act Rule 405 definition. The guidance comes as token buybacks reportedly reached about $638 million in the first eight months of 2026, compared with roughly $366,000 in all of 2024. Traders should watch issuer communications, yield claims and token-economic changes. The short-term price impact is likely limited, but the FAQ could increase long-term compliance scrutiny, affect listings and create volatility around yield-linked crypto buybacks. A related Regulation Crypto Assets proposal remains open for comments until 20 October.

Elliptic says North Korean-linked hackers have stolen about $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency through more than 50 incidents in 2026, making North Korean crypto theft a growing security and market-confidence risk. The figure includes the theft of more than $350 million from Bitget hot and warm wallets on 24 September. ETH, XRP, BNB, AVAX, USDT and USDC were affected across several networks. Bitget said its cold storage was not compromised and suspended withdrawals as a precaution. CEO Gracy Chen attributed the incident to a compromised backend system that spoofed transaction data, rather than a private-key breach. The exchange said its User Protection Fund would cover the losses. Later on-chain analysis linked some Bitget funds to addresses associated with the previous $1.5 billion Bybit hack. The incident was preliminarily attributed to TraderTraitor, a North Korea-linked group, although the assessment remains based on blockchain tracing and address overlap rather than a final legal finding. For traders, the Bitget hack and wider North Korean crypto theft could increase short-term volatility, exchange-security concerns and scrutiny of cross-chain fund flows. Traders may also monitor withdrawal policies, wallet blacklists and regulatory action more closely. Compensation may limit direct contagion, but further laundering activity or restrictions could pressure affected tokens and exchange-related assets.

Binance Funding Account migration will begin on September 29, 2026, moving non-stock crypto assets into Spot Accounts in batches through January 2027. Bitcoin and Ether balances, along with assets linked to Binance Card and gift-card activity, will move automatically without forced sales, liquidations or changes to total asset value. Binance plans to rename Funding Accounts as Stocks Accounts in January 2027. These accounts will support direct US equities, stock options and selected settlement assets, including USD, USDC, USDT, USD1, U and BNB. Tokenised bStocks will remain in Spot Accounts. On-chain deposits and withdrawals will no longer be available through Stocks Accounts, so users must move settlement assets to Spot before withdrawing them. The Binance Funding Account migration will also affect Binance Pay, Convert, Alpha, API integrations and recurring payment settings. P2P advertisers are expected to receive dedicated P2P Accounts in December, while uncompleted migrations may lead to advertisements being closed after January. Traders should monitor balances, API permissions and settlement rules. The restructuring is an operational change linked to Binance’s expansion into stocks, rather than a market-moving transaction.

Coinbase has teased a Pokémon card pack feature that would let users open digital packs through its app while receiving corresponding physical cards. Users could store the cards in Coinbase-managed custody or request delivery. The digital cards may be linked to blockchain-based ownership records, although Coinbase has not confirmed the blockchain, custody provider or whether individual cards will be tradable. Coinbase announced the product on September 28 and said it is coming “soon”. It has not disclosed the launch date, Pokémon sets, pricing, odds, withdrawal fees or supported countries. The preview showed five numbered packs carrying the Pokémon name, but no formal partnership details have been released. The initiative supports Coinbase’s “Everything Exchange” strategy, which aims to combine crypto, tokenized stocks, derivatives and other assets. Coinbase has already expanded tokenized US equities on Base and added perpetual futures and prediction markets to its wallet ecosystem. Tokenized collectibles are an established niche. Platforms such as Collector Crypt and Courtyard have connected stored Pokémon cards with digital ownership records. Reported Pokémon-related activity has reached tens of millions of dollars on these platforms. For crypto traders, the Coinbase Pokémon card feature is primarily an adoption and product-expansion signal, not a direct price catalyst. Its longer-term importance will depend on custody arrangements, blockchain integration, secondary-market liquidity and user demand. The near-term impact on Coinbase stock and broader crypto markets is likely to remain limited until launch details and transaction volumes emerge.

Riot Platforms fully repaid Coinbase Credit’s $200 million Bitcoin-backed credit facility on 21 September, including principal and accrued interest. No early termination fee was charged, and Coinbase’s remaining lending commitment was closed. The facility was amended in April at a fixed 6.15% interest rate, with maturity extended to April 2027. If fully drawn, it would have cost Riot about $12.3 million a year in interest. As of 30 June, Riot had pledged 5,821 BTC, worth roughly $341 million at the time, as collateral. That represented about 51% of its approximately 11,400 BTC holdings. The Bitcoin credit facility repayment released Coinbase’s security interests and returned the pledged Bitcoin to Riot’s control. It reduces debt exposure, interest costs and the risk of forced BTC sales during a price decline. However, it also removes borrowing capacity that could have supported data-centre expansion. For Bitcoin traders, the development is mainly company-specific and is unlikely to be a direct BTC price catalyst. Riot’s second-quarter revenue was $174.2 million, while it produced 1,587 BTC.

Aztec Labs has relaunched zk.money, a self-custodial privacy wallet built on Aztec Network, an Ethereum layer-2 focused on zero-knowledge technology. The wallet can shield balances, transaction amounts and recipients for internal Aztec transfers. Users can claim ENS-based handles such as bob.zk.money and send or request payments through links. The relaunch supports stablecoins including USDC, USDT and DAI. However, Ethereum deposits remain publicly visible before funds enter the shielded Aztec environment. Users generate client-side zero-knowledge proofs, while Aztec says its immutable contracts have no privileged administrator that can freeze or spend funds. Early usage is restricted by a $2,500 transaction cap and a shared $50,000 daily deposit limit. The original zk.money launched in 2021, attracted more than 75,000 wallets and processed about $100 million before being discontinued in 2023 as Aztec Labs developed its own network. A mobile app is planned, while the current wallet is available through its website or a locally run frontend. For crypto traders, the launch reinforces the Ethereum layer-2, privacy and zero-knowledge narratives. Its immediate price impact is likely limited because adoption, liquidity and exchange integrations remain uncertain, the wallet has strict early limits and no related token has been launched.

Nvidia delivered a strong fiscal Q2 FY2027, with revenue up 105.9% year on year to about $96.22 billion, exceeding expectations by roughly $4 billion. Data-centre demand remained the main driver, supported by rapid Blackwell adoption among hyperscalers and AI laboratories. Nvidia’s ACIE revenue rose 138% to $40.3 billion, while edge-computing revenue increased 27.5% to $7.2 billion. Vera Rubin, stronger networking demand and an expanded AWS partnership could extend Nvidia’s AI infrastructure growth through FY2027 and beyond. Multi-year commitments from cloud providers and AI companies also improve demand visibility. The later assessment upgraded the outlook to Buy after NVDA shares gained about 18% since the previous bullish review. Its reported forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.59 times remains below the historical average. However, higher memory costs, supply constraints and elevated expectations could pressure margins and limit near-term upside. An earlier assessment projected gross margin could fall from about 75% to 71–72% by Q4 FY2027, potentially benefiting memory-chip and semiconductor-equipment suppliers. For crypto traders, Nvidia remains an important signal for AI-related risk appetite and demand for data-centre infrastructure, which can influence AI-token sentiment indirectly. NVDA’s strong growth is broadly bullish, but traders should monitor valuation, memory prices, AI capital spending and the stock’s reaction to future earnings. A muted reaction could indicate that much of the growth is already priced in.

Microsoft stock climbed about 37%, from roughly $372 in late June to near $509 by late September 2026, following the company’s 29 July fiscal fourth-quarter results. The gain put Microsoft stock on track for its strongest quarterly performance since 1998. Microsoft reported $90 billion in revenue, up 18% year on year, and GAAP net income of $35.8 billion, up 31%. Azure revenue rose 43%, ahead of expectations near 40%, while annual Azure revenue surpassed $100 billion for the first time. Microsoft’s broader commercial cloud business generated $59.3 billion, up 27%. The results triggered a roughly 15% to 16% one-day jump in Microsoft stock and added about $450 billion to its market value. Commercial backlog reached a record $678 billion. Microsoft 365 Copilot also exceeded 30 million paid seats. Microsoft maintained annual capital expenditure guidance of $175 billion for data centres and AI infrastructure. Capital spending is supporting Azure and artificial intelligence growth, although it is weighing on cloud gross margins. Management expects Azure growth of about 45% in the next quarter and has indicated that infrastructure capacity, rather than weak demand, is limiting some expansion. The main trading risks are whether Azure can meet its forecast, whether Copilot monetisation will justify heavy AI spending, and whether margins can recover. After the sharp rally, valuation has become less attractive, prompting at least one analyst to downgrade Microsoft from Buy to Hold. The strong results also increase competitive pressure on Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen has criticised THORChain after a September 24 security breach left the exchange facing estimated losses of $387.5 million. The initial estimate of $351.6 million rose as investigators identified unauthorised transfers involving Ethereum, XRP Ledger, Zcash and TRON. Chen urged THORChain to block wallets linked to the stolen funds. THORChain rejected the request, saying its permissionless, decentralised design does not censor individual addresses. The protocol said emergency halts are intended to protect the network, not freeze specific funds or swaps. Chen argued that THORChain’s position was inconsistent because the protocol suspended operations for about 39 days after a May 2026 exploit drained roughly $10.7 million from its vaults. THORChain countered that addresses linked to its own exploit were not blacklisted. The stolen assets continued moving through THORChain. GoPlus Security estimated that about 101.5 BTC, worth roughly $8.5 million, had passed through the protocol, while 27.63 million XRP, valued at about $43 million, was reportedly being converted into bitcoin. One tracked transaction swapped around $6.3 million in ETH for approximately 75.2 BTC. Chen suggested possible links to North Korean cyber activity, but authorities have not confirmed the attribution. The dispute has intensified debate over DeFi governance, cross-chain monitoring and responsibility for illicit fund flows. THORChain has also been used to move assets linked to the Kelp DAO exploit and the 2025 Bybit hack. RUNE rose as trading volumes increased, but the controversy could bring regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and higher short-term volatility for THORChain and other cross-chain liquidity assets. Bitget has pledged to cover the full loss through its User Protection Fund.

Kazakhstan is drafting rules for Bitcoin mining powered by associated gas that is currently flared at oilfields. The initiative follows a July decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and could involve up to 60 oilfields, according to the Energy Ministry. The Blockchain and Digital Mining Association estimates the gas could generate 1.2 to 1.3 terawatt-hours of electricity, supporting data centres and Bitcoin mining facilities. The programme is part of a wider effort to reduce miners’ reliance on Kazakhstan’s ageing power grid, including electricity auctions and measures encouraging mining operations to use alternative energy sources. Oil companies could reduce gas-disposal costs, while miners may gain access to more stable, multi-year power prices. Planned legislation will address operating rules, market oversight and taxation. For traders, the Bitcoin mining policy could strengthen Kazakhstan’s mining capacity and affect regional energy markets, but its short-term impact on Bitcoin prices is likely to remain limited. The longer-term effects will depend on implementation, investment and the programme’s influence on Bitcoin network hashrate.

The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield initially moved above 5.5% on September 25 before rising to 5.59% on September 29, 2026, its highest level since 2002. The latest increase points to higher long-term borrowing costs and continued concerns about inflation, fiscal pressures and the growing supply of U.S. government debt. Earlier data showed one-year inflation expectations holding at 4.6%, while consumer sentiment improved slightly to 48.1. The 30-year Treasury yield is a key benchmark for global asset pricing. If the Treasury yield remains elevated, tighter financial conditions and a stronger U.S. dollar could reduce liquidity and investor appetite for speculative assets. Crypto traders should monitor long-term and real yields, dollar strength, Federal Reserve policy expectations and broader liquidity conditions for signs of further risk-off pressure.

WTI crude oil extended its decline, falling 1.45% to $95.18 a barrel on 22 September 2026 before dropping a further 3.27% to $93.90 on 29 September. Brent crude also fell, from $100.09 to $100.94 after a 1.29% earlier decline, remaining near $101 a barrel. The latest move showed stronger cross-asset divergence. Gold initially fell 0.27% to $4,332.40 but later rose 1.04% to $4,158.66, while silver moved from broadly stable at $65.681 to a 0.7% gain at $60.914. European equities were modestly firmer in the earlier session, but later trading was mixed, with the Euro Stoxx 50 up 0.17%, the FTSE 100 down 0.49% and Germany’s DAX 40 down 0.03%. Currency moves were limited. The US dollar rose slightly against the offshore yuan and Japanese yen on 22 September, then fell 0.06% against the yuan while gaining 0.01% against the yen on 29 September. For crypto traders, falling WTI crude oil could ease inflation concerns and support expectations of less restrictive interest-rate policy if the trend persists. However, stronger gold and mixed equities point to defensive positioning rather than a broad risk-on move. Bitcoin and other digital assets are therefore likely to remain more sensitive to rates, the US dollar and liquidity than to oil prices alone.

Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0 on 28 September 2026, adding optional Cross-Chain Verifiers (CCVs) to its cross-chain interoperability protocol. Token issuers can require an additional verifier to approve transfers before tokens are released or minted on the destination chain. The CCV must operate alongside CCIP’s existing 16-operator Committee Verifier. The system can support KYC, anti-money-laundering and sanctions checks, while issuers may also set transfer-finality delays. Infosys and Nethermind are developing CCV services. Aave, Maple and Re have reportedly adopted the faster transfer option, and Lombard is developing custom verification for its tokens. A required verifier that fails to respond could leave tokens locked or burned on the source chain while the transfer waits for approval. Transfers lacking the required attestations cannot be forced through, although failed submissions can be retried. Chainlink has not confirmed that an issuer-operated CCV has blocked a specific asset or transfer lane. The upgrade replaces Chainlink’s standalone Risk Management Network with optional verifier controls. Kelp DAO is also moving its rsETH bridge to Chainlink after an April exploit involving LayerZero, in which 116,500 rsETH worth about $292 million was released without matching deposits. Chainlink says CCIP now secures more than $84 billion in cross-chain token value and handled over $15 billion in transfers during the past four months, including WBTC and cbBTC. LINK traded near $15.20-$15.28, up more than 10% in 24 hours and about 17% over seven days. The move was not directly attributed to the CCIP 2.0 launch. LINK faces resistance around $16-$17, with a sustained breakout potentially opening a path towards $20, although it remains well below its $52.70 all-time high. CCIP 2.0 strengthens the institutional crypto infrastructure narrative, but the immediate price impact on LINK remains uncertain.

The Compound Foundation faces scrutiny over the conversion of 8.42 million DAI from a DAO-controlled treasury into USDC and then COMP. About 344,780 COMP was returned to a foundation-linked multisig wallet shortly before governance snapshots for Proposals 580 and 582. The funds originated under Proposal 536, which required them to support protocol operations, prohibited speculative trading and preserved DAO ownership. Bitquery largely confirmed the on-chain transactions. The Compound Foundation said the trades were authorised to preserve governance capacity for its Compound V4 development programme, valued at about $52 million, and that the assets remained owned by the DAO rather than funding foundation expenses. Earlier concerns focused on the timing of the delegation and whether the assets were inaccurately described as liquid DAI after being converted into COMP. The dispute later expanded after accuser ugurmersin reportedly received support from wallets linked to governance whale Humpy. Bitquery identified 33 related wallets controlling about 1.61 million COMP votes. The bloc later supported Proposal 608, drafted by ugurmersin, and rejected Proposal 609. The treasury purchase may have helped protect Proposals 580 and 582 from being overturned. COMP initially fell about 1% before recovering to roughly $24.55. Traders should monitor Compound governance, wallet movements, voting-power concentration, liquidity and any legal or community action. Compound fundamentals have not changed materially, but the Compound Foundation dispute could increase short-term volatility and create a governance-risk discount for COMP.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) burn activity reversed sharply after a brief surge. The daily burn rate initially jumped 1,020%, with about 20.82 million SHIB sent to dead wallets. However, Shibburn data later showed a 91.31% drop on September 28, when only about 338,050 SHIB were removed from circulation, compared with nearly 3.9 million previously. The latest decline came as SHIB retreated from resistance between $0.0000060 and $0.0000062. SHIB rose from below $0.0000050 to above $0.0000060 but failed to hold the breakout, closing near $0.00000566 after reaching about $0.00000598. The $0.0000056 area is a key short-term support, while the 200-day moving average is near $0.0000058. A break below $0.0000055 could expose the $0.0000051-$0.0000052 range. The burn rate is unlikely to drive SHIB’s price directly because daily burns remain tiny relative to its circulating supply of hundreds of trillions of tokens. Historical data also shows that sharp changes in SHIB burn activity do not reliably predict price direction. Traders are likely to focus more on technical support, meme-coin demand, liquidity and broader crypto-market sentiment. Sustained burns could improve SHIB’s scarcity narrative, but the latest reversal is primarily a sentiment signal rather than a fundamental price catalyst.