The best crypto to buy right now comes down to one number: market cap. Bitcoin has reclaimed $82,000, Ethereum is holding $2,400, and Solana is two days from the largest consensus change in its history — three dated setups where the arithmetic, not the chart, decides which one gives $1,000 the most room to run. As of 01:00 UTC on October 19, 2026, the only one of the three where a 10x is still mathematically possible is Solana, whose Alpenglow upgrade goes live at about 14:50 UTC on October 21, according to Solana’s official upgrade page.
The 10x arithmetic that rules Bitcoin out of the moonshot Bitcoin trades at $82,249, up 0.9% over 24 hours, with a market cap near $1.65 trillion and dominance still north of 60%, per CoinGecko. The size is now the whole story. A 10x from here would value Bitcoin at roughly $16.5 trillion — about six times the value of the entire crypto market today. That is arithmetic, not a forecast, and it makes Bitcoin the capital-preservation pick rather than the upside pick. The reclaim of $82,000 after a Saturday dip below $81,000 follows the same pattern our last look at a Bitcoin reclaim described: round levels hold until a macro catalyst moves them, then they give way. A return to the $126,080 all-time high is a slow grind, not a rerating.
Ethereum’s catalyst is a schedule, not a candle Ethereum trades at $2,414, up 0.3% on the day, with a market cap near $295 billion. The story is the upgrade calendar, not the price. Glamsterdam — the largest change since the Merge — bundles enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732) with Block-Level Access Lists (EIP-7928), and it is moving through its testnets: Sepolia ran first, Hoodi is next, and mainnet is targeted for the fourth quarter. A 2x from here is a $590 billion outcome, credible for the network that still settles more value than any other, but the trade carries no hard date yet. Ethereum is the middle-risk pick — bigger than Solana, smaller than Bitcoin, still waiting on its catalyst instead of counting down to one.
Why Solana’s Alpenglow is a dated event, not a rumor Solana trades at $104.23, up 0.6% on the day, with a market cap near $61 billion. The catalyst is Alpenglow, which replaces TowerBFT — the consensus mechanism Solana has run since launch — with a voting protocol called Votor. Under TowerBFT, validators post their votes as on-chain transactions and a block becomes final only after 32 slots of votes pile up, a process that takes about 12.8 seconds. Votor changes the mechanics: validators message each other directly, bundle those votes into certificates, and lock a block in one or two rounds of voting. The target is roughly 150 milliseconds to finality — about 99% faster.
Mainnet activation begins at epoch 1064, around 15:00 UTC on October 21, behind feature gate SIMD-0384. That is a hard date attached to a specific mechanism, and our full breakdown of the Alpenglow upgrade walks through what the handoff requires — validators certifying a new genesis block with at least 82% of stake — and what breaks if it misfires.
The arithmetic is where Solana separates. A 10x from a $61 billion market cap is $614 billion, roughly Ethereum’s size today. Solana is the only one of the three where that multiple is still on the table, and the only one with a dated catalyst firing this week. The risk is execution: a consensus migration of this size has never been done mid-flight on a network settling this much volume, and 150 milliseconds is a target, not a measured result. Bitcoin offers safety with the 10x math closed. Ethereum offers a credible 2x with no hard date. Solana offers the only live 10x path, gated on a handoff that has to go right in a single slot. That is the arithmetic and the calendar — the only honest way to answer “what to buy now” while the market chops sideways.
Frequently Asked Questions What is the best crypto to buy now? It depends on the goal. Bitcoin is the capital-preservation pick with the 10x arithmetic closed, Ethereum is a credible 2x play still waiting on its Glamsterdam upgrade, and Solana carries the only live 10x path via the Alpenglow consensus upgrade on October 21 — at the highest execution risk.
Why can’t Bitcoin deliver another 10x? Market-cap arithmetic. A 10x from Bitcoin’s $1.65 trillion market cap would value it near $16.5 trillion, roughly six times the entire crypto market. Larger assets need far more capital to move the same percentage.
When does Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade go live? Mainnet activation begins at epoch 1064, around 15:00 UTC on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, behind feature gate SIMD-0384. It replaces TowerBFT with Votor and targets about 150-millisecond finality, down from roughly 12.8 seconds.
Is Solana’s 150-millisecond finality guaranteed? No. 150 milliseconds is a design target, not a measured result. The migration happens in a single slot and the handoff must be certified by validators holding at least 82% of stake, so execution risk is real.
AUTHOR
Tokoni Uti is a Lagos-based writer with several years of experience. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Free Press and the San Diego Free press among others. She is a graduate of Bowen University.
A recent forecast from cryptocurrency YouTuber Crypto Rover has generated significant conversation, with bold predictions for the leading digital assets over the next 8 to 16 months.
High targets for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRPCrypto Rover projected that Bitcoin could reach $200,000 during this period, while Ethereum may surpass $10,000. He also expects Solana to climb to $1,000, and sees the possibility for XRP to rally to $5.
He expanded on his XRP outlook, suggesting that in a potential super bull market, XRP’s price could range between $11 and $15. He called on investors to be prepared if such a scenario unfolds.
Crypto Rover envisions a scenario where Bitcoin targets $200,000, Ethereum moves above $10,000, Solana advances to $1,000, and XRP approaches $5, with the possibility of XRP reaching as high as $11 to $15 during a strong market surge.
Currently, Bitcoin trades around $81,500, Ethereum sits near $2,430, Solana is about $104, and XRP is around $1.30. These figures illustrate the substantial growth needed to achieve his targets: Bitcoin would have to increase by 145%, Ethereum by 312%, Solana by 860%, and XRP by approximately 285% to hit $5.
XRP’s biggest potential upsideAmong the projected gains, XRP’s targets are particularly notable. Achieving $5 would mean a 285% jump from current prices. The upper end of his super bull market forecast, between $11 and $15, equates to gains of roughly 746% to 1054%.
This outlook for XRP comes as CoinDesk recently highlighted that the token remains below its 2018 peak and has not delivered returns comparable to Bitcoin or Ethereum. If Crypto Rover’s projections materialize, XRP would surpass its all-time high of $3.65, a move that some proponents expect could attract new institutional interest, especially with regulatory headwinds potentially waning and growing adoption in cross-border payment solutions.
Community reaction and need for liquidityReactions within the crypto community were mixed. Some users voiced support for these ambitious predictions, while others questioned their probability. One observer underscored the critical role of liquidity and Bitcoin confirmation before major altcoins could follow such substantial upward moves.
Doubts also surfaced regarding XRP’s specific targets. While some agreed Solana could reach $1,000, they remained unconvinced about XRP hitting $5, raising skepticism over the credibility of such forecasts. Further skepticism was expressed in light of possible macroeconomic challenges, including inflation, interest rate hikes, geopolitical tensions, and oil price volatility, which could all impact overall crypto market momentum.
Other commentators stated that a proper market-wide bull run would be essential for these levels to become realistic, suggesting that broader market conditions would ultimately dictate any potential surge in large-cap altcoins like XRP.
Given the market’s sensitivity to major macro events and rapid shifts—such as a single decision by the Federal Reserve or an unexpected altcoin listing—retail traders are increasingly moving toward privacy-focused solutions like CryptoAppsy to streamline their trading workflow. By using platforms that offer real-time charts, smart price alerts, coin-specific news, and integrated macro data on one screen and without requiring account creation, investors are able to react quickly and efficiently to emerging trends.
The next 8 to 16 months could see significant changes for crypto investors, given the volatility and unpredictability of the current market environment.
Nearly half of Binance-listed altcoins have dropped back below their 200-day moving average. That share reached 48.4% on October 18, up from under 10% in early October.
Blockchaincenter’s 90-day Altcoin Season Index still reads a neutral 51. However, its 30-day Altcoin Month Index has dropped to 29, close to the 25 level that marks Bitcoin season.
The Rally That Pulled 9 in 10 Altcoins Above Their TrendThe breadth reversal follows a run that started in late August. At that point, 81% of Binance altcoins traded below their 200-day average, analyst Darkfost wrote in a post.
By early October, that share had shrunk to less than 10%. That left roughly 9 in 10 of the exchange’s altcoins in a confirmed uptrend. Darkfost estimated that more than $814 billion flowed into altcoins over those two months.
However, over the past 15 days, more than $134 billion has left altcoins, the analyst estimated. He said quick profit-taking likely drove a large part of that exit.
Percentage of Altcoins Below 200 MA. Source: X/DarkfostFollow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Bitcoin Takes Back the Lead While Exchange Stablecoins ShrinkThe cooling also appears when altcoins are measured against Bitcoin (BTC). Blockchaincenter’s indexes track how many of the top 50 coins beat Bitcoin over a set period.
Its 30-day gauge rose above the 75 altcoin season threshold in late September before falling to 29. The 90-day index has held up better because its window still includes the August and September gains.
Altcoin Month Index Falling From Above 75 to 29 in October 2026. Source: BlockchaincenterOver the past 90 days, Bitway (BTW) led the top 50 with a 2,993.3% gain. The token of the Bitcoin-compatible blockchain only began trading on March 2, 2026.
Quant (QNT) and NEAR Protocol (NEAR) followed with gains of 199.3% and 163.3%, compared with Bitcoin’s 25.9%. Among the top 50, 7 coins more than doubled, while Ethereum (ETH) beat Bitcoin by just 1.5 points.
Still, the Altcoin Season Index has gone 388 days without reaching altcoin season.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin dominance has climbed to about 60.7%. The metric tracks Bitcoin’s share of total crypto market value, so a rising reading means Bitcoin is holding its value better than the rest of the market.
The reading has risen from roughly 59% in late September. Dominance pushed back above 60% in the second week of October and now sits above its early-September high near 60.4%. That puts it at the highest level on the daily chart since at least late May.
Bitcoin Dominance Daily Chart Climbing to About 60.7%. Source: TradingViewOn the buying side, CryptoQuant data puts exchange reserves of Ethereum-based (ERC-20) stablecoins at $57.4 billion. That compares with almost $78 billion in November 2025. Smaller reserves leave less stablecoin capital parked on exchanges for fresh purchases.
Darkfost noted that altcoin sentiment shifts quickly, but he pointed to a pattern for patient buyers.
“Yet history shows that it is when interest in and performance of altcoins are at their lowest that it becomes worthwhile to consider building an appropriate exposure,” he said.
For now, the 30-day index sits 4 points above Bitcoin season territory, while stablecoin reserves on exchanges continue to shrink.
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PANews reported on October 19, citing SoSoValue data, that crypto sectors were mixed, with the PayFi sector up 1.12% over 24 hours, led by Monero (XMR) up 2.37% and Zcash (ZEC) up 2.32%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.89%, breaking above $82,000; Ethereum (ETH) rose 0.45%, oscillating narrowly around the $2,400 level.
In other sectors, the Layer1 sector rose 0.48% over 24 hours, with NEAR Protocol (NEAR) up 2.22%; the CeFi sector rose 0.48%, with Binance Coin (BNB) up 0.77%; the DeFi sector rose 0.14%, with Convex Finance (CVX) up 6.06%.
In addition, the Meme sector fell 0.02%, with Pons (PONS) down 10.35%; the Layer2 sector fell 0.32%, with Starknet (STRK) down 4.31%; the RWA sector fell 1.32%, with Maple Finance (SYRUP) down 3.82%; the DePIN sector fell 1.57%, with Grass (GRASS) down 3.56%.
According to HTX market data, Bitcoin briefly broke through $83,000, with a 24-hour gain of 1.54%.
4 minutes ago
Over the past 12 hours, UNITREE saw total liquidations of $1.9284 million across its network, including $1.9049 million in short position liquidations.
According to Coinglass data, UNITREE saw $1.9284 million in total liquidations across the network over the past 12 hours, with short positions accounting for $1.9049 million and long positions only $23,500. Unitree Technology’s stock rose 16.15% today, pushing its market capitalization to 200.58 billion yuan. Meanwhile, UNITREE perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid have recorded five consecutive negative funding rate settlements between 10:00 and 14:00 today, with a cumulative rate of approximately -0.47087%. Hyperliquid’s current funding rate is around -0.13732% per hour, with the estimated annualized funding rate rising to 1,240%. On Binance, UNITREE contracts currently carry a rate of approximately -0.777501% per 4 hours, with the next settlement scheduled for 16:00 Beijing Time, roughly 38% higher than Hyperliquid’s rate. If prices and funding rates remain at current levels, the 24-hour funding cost for a $10,000 short position would be around $338 on Hyperliquid and $467 on Binance.
4 minutes ago
Google open-sources Harness²: Allows AI to autonomously improve toolchains, lifting GLM-5's benchmark score by 11.5 points.
Insight: Beating AI Flash News, Google Research has open-sourced Harness2, enabling AI agents to automatically modify system prompts, memory, skills, tool rules, and even scripts and plugins without retraining the underlying model. The project is licensed under Apache 2.0 and supports OpenCode and Codex. Its core mechanism lets agents learn through trial and error: when facing a new task, the system first proposes multiple improvement plans, has different agent versions execute them separately, compares their performance, and finally combines the best elements to form a more suitable solution. Even without a standard answer, it can identify improvement directions based on actual execution processes. After a task is completed, the system retains records of which modifications worked and why, so it can reference this data for similar tasks in the future instead of starting from scratch each time. Google tested Harness2 using GLM-5 and Gemini 3.5 Flash. On WorkBuddy-Bench, GLM-5 paired with OpenCode saw its average score jump from 64.2 to 75.7 after just one round of optimization, outperforming unoptimized Gemini 3.5 Flash’s 72.4 points. In legal task tests, GLM-5’s pass rate for some scoring criteria also rose from 59.6% to 71.4%. However, the experiment defaulted to Claude Opus 4.8 for proposing and implementing improvements, with GLM-5 and Gemini primarily responsible for executing tasks—meaning the evolution was not achieved entirely by these models on their own. Chinese developer Joseph Zhou also demonstrated an experiment integrating Harness2 with Jev 1.14, noting consistent improvements in performance on visual tasks.
4 minutes ago
Brent crude oil slipped below the $105 level, posting an intraday decline of 2.43%.
According to Bitget's market data, Brent crude oil fell below $105 per barrel, with an intraday drop of 2.43%; WTI crude oil declined by 2.21%, trading at $96.76 per barrel.
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According to HTX market data, Bitcoin briefly broke through $83,000, with a 24-hour gain of 1.54%.
4 minutes ago
Over the past 12 hours, UNITREE saw total liquidations of $1.9284 million across its network, including $1.9049 million in short position liquidations.
According to Coinglass data, UNITREE saw $1.9284 million in total liquidations across the network over the past 12 hours, with short positions accounting for $1.9049 million and long positions only $23,500. Unitree Technology’s stock rose 16.15% today, pushing its market capitalization to 200.58 billion yuan. Meanwhile, UNITREE perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid have recorded five consecutive negative funding rate settlements between 10:00 and 14:00 today, with a cumulative rate of approximately -0.47087%. Hyperliquid’s current funding rate is around -0.13732% per hour, with the estimated annualized funding rate rising to 1,240%. On Binance, UNITREE contracts currently carry a rate of approximately -0.777501% per 4 hours, with the next settlement scheduled for 16:00 Beijing Time, roughly 38% higher than Hyperliquid’s rate. If prices and funding rates remain at current levels, the 24-hour funding cost for a $10,000 short position would be around $338 on Hyperliquid and $467 on Binance.
4 minutes ago
Google open-sources Harness²: Allows AI to autonomously improve toolchains, lifting GLM-5's benchmark score by 11.5 points.
Insight: Beating AI Flash News, Google Research has open-sourced Harness2, enabling AI agents to automatically modify system prompts, memory, skills, tool rules, and even scripts and plugins without retraining the underlying model. The project is licensed under Apache 2.0 and supports OpenCode and Codex. Its core mechanism lets agents learn through trial and error: when facing a new task, the system first proposes multiple improvement plans, has different agent versions execute them separately, compares their performance, and finally combines the best elements to form a more suitable solution. Even without a standard answer, it can identify improvement directions based on actual execution processes. After a task is completed, the system retains records of which modifications worked and why, so it can reference this data for similar tasks in the future instead of starting from scratch each time. Google tested Harness2 using GLM-5 and Gemini 3.5 Flash. On WorkBuddy-Bench, GLM-5 paired with OpenCode saw its average score jump from 64.2 to 75.7 after just one round of optimization, outperforming unoptimized Gemini 3.5 Flash’s 72.4 points. In legal task tests, GLM-5’s pass rate for some scoring criteria also rose from 59.6% to 71.4%. However, the experiment defaulted to Claude Opus 4.8 for proposing and implementing improvements, with GLM-5 and Gemini primarily responsible for executing tasks—meaning the evolution was not achieved entirely by these models on their own. Chinese developer Joseph Zhou also demonstrated an experiment integrating Harness2 with Jev 1.14, noting consistent improvements in performance on visual tasks.
4 minutes ago
Brent crude oil slipped below the $105 level, posting an intraday decline of 2.43%.
According to Bitget's market data, Brent crude oil fell below $105 per barrel, with an intraday drop of 2.43%; WTI crude oil declined by 2.21%, trading at $96.76 per barrel.
Bitcoin mining company MARA Holdings has transferred 1,000 BTC worth approximately $82.8 million to cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Gate over the past five days, raising questions about another possible sale from its Bitcoin reserves.
Summary
MARA linked wallets transferred 1,000 BTC worth approximately $82.8 million to Binance and Gate over the past five days, according to Lookonchain. The latest deposits follow an earlier transfer of 996 BTC worth roughly $81 million to a wallet linked to Galaxy Digital on Oct. 8. MARA sold approximately 23,093 BTC for $1.63 billion during the first half of 2026 as the company reduced debt and funded operations. The latest exchange transfers have raised questions about further Bitcoin sales, although no completed sale has been confirmed. Blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported on Oct. 19 that wallets associated with MARA had deposited the Bitcoin into the two exchanges, suggesting the company may be preparing to sell some of its holdings.
The transactions involved wallets identified through blockchain tracking data, including addresses associated with MARA’s mining operations.
According to the wallet activity referenced by Lookonchain, the funds moved through multiple addresses before reaching their reported exchange destinations.
However, the transfers alone do not confirm that MARA has sold the Bitcoin. The company has not publicly established the purpose of the transactions, and the available records do not show whether the funds were converted into cash, used for trading, or transferred for another purpose.
The reported activity follows a series of Bitcoin sales and treasury transactions by MARA during 2026, when the company began using more of its cryptocurrency reserves to fund operations, repay debt, and support investments in digital infrastructure.
MARA Bitcoin transfers follow another $81 million transaction MARA’s latest exchange deposits were reported less than two weeks after another substantial movement of Bitcoin linked to the company.
On Oct. 9, crypto.news reported a transfer of 996.105 BTC worth approximately $81.13 million from a MARA-associated wallet to an address identified as belonging to Galaxy Digital.
Lookonchain flagged the earlier transaction after identifying the movement through blockchain records.
The transfer took place on Oct. 8 and involved Bitcoin moving from a wallet labeled as belonging to a MARA miner.
Although the transaction raised questions about a possible sale, the blockchain activity did not establish whether Galaxy Digital had purchased the assets or received them for another financial arrangement.
The latest deposits involve different reported destinations, with funds moving to Binance and Gate instead of Galaxy Digital.
Lookonchain’s findings identify the exchange transfers but do not establish whether the coins involved were newly mined Bitcoin or assets previously held in MARA’s treasury.
The two reported movements total approximately 1,996 BTC, valued at roughly $164 million using the dollar estimates published for each transaction. However, the available evidence does not establish whether the movements involved distinct coins or whether any assets were subsequently transferred between the identified destinations.
MARA has previously acknowledged that movements involving its Bitcoin reserves can result from activities other than outright sales.
In its third-quarter 2025 shareholder letter, the company disclosed that it had begun actively managing a portion of its Bitcoin holdings through trading activities, which could cause wallet balances to fluctuate.
The company said most of the Bitcoin allocated to its active management strategy remained in lending arrangements.
MARA sold more than $1.6 billion in Bitcoin during the first half MARA’s reported exchange activity comes after the company substantially reduced its Bitcoin reserves during the first six months of 2026.
The miner sold approximately 23,093 BTC for roughly $1.63 billion during the first half of the year, according to its financial disclosures.
Sales were concentrated in the first quarter, when MARA disposed of 20,880 BTC at an average price of approximately $70,137 per coin.
The transactions generated nearly $1.5 billion as the company sought additional liquidity and reduced outstanding debt.
In March, MARA announced that it had sold 15,133 BTC between March 4 and March 25 for approximately $1.1 billion.
According to the company’s official announcement, the proceeds were intended to support the repurchase of convertible senior notes due in 2030 and 2031.
The repurchase transactions were expected to reduce outstanding convertible debt by approximately 30% and generate around $88.1 million in savings before transaction costs.
MARA continued selling Bitcoin during the second quarter, disposing of another 2,213 BTC at an average price of $73,078.
The company produced 2,422 BTC during the same quarter, leaving its total holdings slightly higher than at the end of March.
By June 30, MARA held 35,577 BTC, compared with 53,822 BTC at the end of December 2025.
Its remaining Bitcoin holdings were valued at approximately $2.1 billion at the end of June, based on a reference price of $58,524 per coin.
MARA’s second-quarter financial results showed revenue falling 27% year over year to $174.9 million, while the company recorded a net loss of $611.3 million.
The company attributed part of its financial performance to changes in the fair value of its digital assets, which resulted in approximately $343 million in losses associated with Bitcoin and related receivables.
Despite the weaker financial results, Bitcoin production rose 3% year over year, while energized hashrate reached 70.3 exahashes per second.
MARA’s second-quarter shareholder letter said the company expected to continue monetizing Bitcoin when market conditions and capital requirements supported doing so.
The policy permits sales to fund operations, provide liquidity, and finance capital projects.
Bitcoin reserves are supporting MARA’s financing plans MARA has increasingly used its Bitcoin holdings for financing arrangements alongside direct sales.
In August, the company pledged 18,750 BTC as initial collateral for two credit facilities that provided $600 million in new borrowing.
The arrangements involved Coinbase Credit and Two Prime Lending, with each providing $300 million in additional financing.
Coinbase’s facility included the refinancing of an existing $150 million credit line, bringing its total principal to $450 million.
Two Prime separately provided a $300 million loan carrying a fixed annual interest rate of 7.65%.
The facilities were structured with a weighted average borrowing cost of approximately 7.56% on the incremental financing.
MARA said the proceeds could support general corporate purposes, including part of the cash consideration for its planned acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power.
At the end of June, the company had already allocated 9,270 BTC to its digital asset management strategy.
Of that amount, 4,742 BTC had been loaned to counterparties, while another 4,528 BTC had been pledged as collateral.
The remaining 26,307 BTC were classified as unrestricted holdings at the reporting date.
The company generated approximately $4.3 million in interest income from Bitcoin lending arrangements during the second quarter.
MARA’s filings distinguish between unrestricted Bitcoin, assets loaned to counterparties, and Bitcoin pledged to secure borrowing.
The company has not disclosed whether the latest 1,000 BTC exchange deposits relate to any of those existing financing arrangements.
MARA continues investing in AI and energy infrastructure MARA’s Bitcoin treasury strategy has developed alongside its investments in artificial intelligence, power generation, and high-performance computing infrastructure.
The company has been expanding beyond conventional Bitcoin mining operations by acquiring energy assets and developing facilities that can support computing workloads.
Its planned acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power involves a 505-megawatt natural gas power plant in Ohio and a site that could eventually support more than one gigawatt of computing capacity.
The proposed transaction, valued at approximately $1.5 billion, forms part of MARA’s effort to control energy infrastructure used by its mining and computing operations.
The company has identified Bitcoin-backed borrowing as one source of financing for the acquisition.
MARA has pursued another large development in Texas, where it acquired a 1,200-acre powered site with potential access to as much as two gigawatts of grid capacity over time.
The Texas project is intended to support additional digital infrastructure development as the company expands its computing business.
Management has said its potential power portfolio could reach approximately 4.8 gigawatts when its existing assets and planned developments are considered.
The company previously disclosed that it was evaluating the conversion of some Bitcoin mining capacity to artificial intelligence and other computing applications.
MARA’s strategy has included reviewing up to 90% of its non-hosted mining capacity for possible conversion, although the company has not committed to converting that entire amount.
Its second-quarter shareholder letter identified access to electricity, land, and computing infrastructure as priorities for future investment.
The company reported purchased energy costs of approximately $38,690 per Bitcoin at its owned facilities during the quarter.
MARA mined 2,422 BTC during the period and reported that no Bitcoin was purchased in the second quarter.
Its financial disclosures stated that Bitcoin would remain part of the company’s capital management strategy, with holdings available for lending, collateral arrangements, and sales depending on business requirements.
The company has said its Bitcoin monetization decisions remain subject to market conditions and capital allocation priorities.
MARA Holdings (MARA), considered the largest publicly traded Bitcoin mining company, reportedly transferred a total of 1,000 BTC to cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Gate over the past five days. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain stated that these transactions suggest the company may be selling Bitcoin.
According to data shared by Lookonchain, Bitcoin transfers were made from wallets linked to MARA Holdings to Binance and Gate platforms. The total amount transferred to the exchanges over a five-day period was reportedly 1,000 BTC.
The transfers attracted attention in terms of MARA Holdings’ strategy for managing its Bitcoin assets. In particular, the high-volume Bitcoin transfers made by mining companies to exchanges can be linked to potential sales transactions.
However, transfers to cryptocurrency exchanges do not necessarily mean that the assets have been sold. Such transactions can also be carried out for liquidity management, custody arrangements, or other operational needs.
While Lookonchain speculates that the transfers made by MARA Holdings may be preparations for a sale, there is no definitive confirmation that the Bitcoins were sold on exchanges.
The asset movements of Bitcoin mining companies are closely monitored in terms of supply dynamics in the sector. Whether Bitcoins obtained from mining activities are held or sold varies depending on the financial strategies of the companies.
MARA Holdings’ transfer of 1,000 BTC over the past five days has brought the company’s transactions regarding its Bitcoin reserves back into the spotlight.
However, the total dollar value of the transferred Bitcoins, the price levels at which the transactions were made, and details regarding the company’s potential sales plans were not included in the available information.
It is still unclear whether MARA Holdings has made an official statement regarding the purpose of these transfers.
*This is not investment advice.
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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has proposed a new framework that could allow U.S. cryptocurrency exchanges to opt for federal oversight. This proposed structure aims to create a new registration category known as the “crypto asset market,” which would fall under the CFTC’s jurisdiction. This framework is designed to cover exchanges offering leveraged, margined, or financed retail activity, incorporating requirements like market surveillance, anti-manipulation, customer protection, and proof-of-reserves controls. Basic spot exchanges may continue to operate primarily under state money-transmitter licenses, as the CFTC currently lacks the authority to enforce universal federal registration.
Key Takeaways
The CFTC’s proposal appears to indicate a move towards more structured federal oversight for certain crypto exchanges.
Market pricing suggests that the proposal could be supportive of a YES outcome for Bitcoin price increases in the short term.
The proposal is consistent with efforts to improve regulatory clarity and consumer protection in the cryptocurrency space.
What to Watch
Observers will be keen to see how major exchanges like Coinbase and Binance respond to the CFTC’s proposal. Any indication of support or resistance from key players could impact market sentiment. Additionally, the response from lawmakers and regulators, including any steps towards formal adoption or amendments to the proposal, will be critical in determining its future impact on the market. Markets will be monitoring these developments closely, as they could significantly influence Bitcoin’s price trajectory in the near term.
Altcoin market participation on Binance has dropped sharply since early October, fueling fresh doubts about the strength and duration of the recent rally. Analyst Darkfost reported on October 18 that only 51.6% of tracked Binance altcoins remained above their 200-day moving averages, compared to over 90% just weeks earlier.
Altcoin market retreats as breadth weakensThe 200-day moving average is widely used to evaluate long-term price trends, offering a broader view of market sentiment. When fewer altcoins trade above this threshold, it suggests that positive momentum is waning across the sector—even as some individual coins may still show resilience.
In late August, the altcoin market appeared to enter a brief recovery after a period of heavy losses. At that time, 81% of surveyed altcoins traded below their 200-day average. By September 19, about 70% had risen above this metric—a level not seen since October 2025. Market capitalization excluding Ethereum climbed past $800 billion as participation broadened, and by early October, more than 90% of altcoins had moved above the benchmark.
However, early warning signs emerged. Darkfost pointed to an uptick in exchange deposits, which often signals rising intent to sell. Weekly deposit transactions exceeded 22,700 on Binance and 8,300 on Coinbase during the rally’s peak. As of mid-October, only 51.6% of Binance altcoins traded above the 200-day average, with 48.4% below the line—compared to under 10% earlier in the month.
Darkfost noted the rapid shift: “The Altseason is cooling fast as altcoin breadth drops from over 90% to around 52%.” He added, “[Between] late August and early October, altcoins went through a brief altseason, which is now starting to fade.”
$134 billion leaves altcoins, market indices signal cautionDarkfost estimated over $814 billion flowed into the altcoin market during the preceding two-month rally. In the most recent 15-day period, he observed a $134 billion decrease, though he did not specify whether this amount represents pure capital outflows or a decline in overall market capitalization.
This distinction is important, as falling market value does not always reflect a matching withdrawal of funds. Market observers also referenced key indicators, such as the Altcoin Season Index published by CoinMarketCap, which at press time stood at 54—well below the 75-point threshold needed to confirm an “altcoin season.”
MetricEarly OctoberOctober 18Breadth above 200-day averageOver 90%51.6%Altcoin Season IndexNot stated54BTC dominanceNot stated60.1%Mini dictionary: Altcoin Season Index, a measure designed by CoinMarketCap and other analytics providers, tracks how widespread positive performance is among altcoins relative to Bitcoin. A reading above 75 is generally seen as confirmation that an “altcoin season” is underway.
Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market held steady at 60.1% as its price remained close to $81,500. An alternate index by BlockchainCenter also failed to reach levels signaling a confirmed altcoin season.
While current data do not mark a definitive end to the rally, they highlight diminished participation and greater uncertainty across the altcoin landscape. A rebound in breadth would require a significantly higher number of coins to climb back above their long-term price average.
Bitcoin has long carried a reputation for extreme price swings that set it apart from conventional investments. A recent analysis from Grayscale, however, places those movements in a more familiar context by measuring them against individual stocks in the S&P 500.
According to the firm’s research note published on October 14, 2026, Bitcoin’s realized volatility over the past year stood at 43 percent.
That figure sits below the asset’s 10-year average of 64 percent and well under the 81 percent level recorded five years earlier.
Realized volatility tracks actual historical price movements rather than market expectations of future moves.
The one-year reading now falls inside the distribution of volatility observed among S&P 500 constituents.
More specifically, Bitcoin’s recent volatility was lower than that of 19 percent of the companies in the index, meaning a meaningful share of large-cap equities experienced larger price fluctuations over the same period.
The decline is not limited to the most recent twelve months.
Over the past decade, Bitcoin’s price swings have narrowed considerably as the market has matured.
Grayscale attributes the change to several structural developments: deeper market liquidity, broader institutional participation, and the expansion of regulated access points, including the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products approved in the United States in 2024.
These factors have reduced the extremes that characterized the asset’s earlier years, when thin order books and limited institutional involvement amplified moves in both directions.
Even with the reduction, Bitcoin’s volatility remains higher than that of most individual S&P 500 stocks in the comparison sample.
The firm’s researchers note, however, that it no longer occupies a distinctly separate risk category.
The practical implication for portfolio construction is a shift in the central question investors face.
Rather than debating whether to hold an asset perceived as uniquely volatile, the focus moves to determining an appropriate position size that aligns with an investor’s overall risk tolerance and the way the holding interacts with the rest of a portfolio.
The same position-sizing and diversification tools already applied to high-volatility equities can be used for Bitcoin.
A single year of data does not fully capture Bitcoin’s behavior across complete market cycles, and realized volatility is inherently backward-looking. Still, the comparison supplies a concrete reference point against widely owned equities.
For investors who already allocate to volatile stocks—particularly growth-oriented names—the magnitude of Bitcoin’s recent price fluctuations may appear less exceptional than its long-standing reputation suggests.
The research emphasizes that any potential allocation still warrants the same disciplined evaluation of risk and opportunity applied to other holdings.
Grayscale’s analysis draws on data from Artemis as of October 14, 2026.
The findings align with broader observations that 2025 ranked among the least volatile years on record for the asset, according to separate research from K33. Together, the numbers illustrate how market infrastructure and participant mix have altered Bitcoin’s day-to-day behavior, even as larger drawdowns remain possible during periods of stress.
Bitcoin keeps knocking on the door at $87,000. The door keeps not opening.
After repeated rejections near that level, a key on-chain valuation gauge has slipped below its 30th percentile. Crypto analyst Darkfost reported on October 18, 2026 that Bitcoin’s cycle-adjusted MVRV percentile had fallen to 25.7%, a reading tied to what has historically been accumulation territory.
What the MVRV reading actually says For Bitcoin, MVRV compares market value, the current price applied to all coins, against realized value, which prices each coin at the moment it last moved on-chain. When the gap is wide, holders are sitting on fat paper gains. When it narrows, the market is closer to its collective cost basis.
Darkfost’s version adds a twist. Rather than relying on the raw MVRV ratio, the analysis uses a percentile adjusted for current market conditions across cycles, asking how today’s valuation ranks against Bitcoin’s own history.
At 25.7%, Bitcoin is back in a band it has occupied only about 25% of the time. Historically, that region has been associated with accumulation rather than euphoria.
There is a nuance worth noting. The current reading sits in accumulation territory, but it has not entered the extreme undervaluation band that has historically lined up with major market lows.
The $87,000 problem Bitcoin faced at least three price rejections near or above $87,000 between late September and early October 2026.
When Darkfost’s observation landed, Bitcoin’s spot price was sitting between $81,700 and $81,900. That marks a clear pullback from the $87,000 resistance level that buyers have repeatedly failed to clear.
The research describes the recent selling as appearing capitulation-style, and the analysis suggests it may set up a transitional accumulation phase.
Lookonchain, KuCoin, Odaily and Cointelegraph all picked up Darkfost’s findings on the same day.
Long-term holders and ETFs: the supply side The research indicates that long-term Bitcoin holders are currently distributing more coins than they are acquiring.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs have been one candidate to absorb that supply. Net inflows to those products were mildly positive in September 2026. Flows have since flattened or tipped into slight outflows in October.
Why cycle-adjusted metrics are getting attention Raw on-chain metrics have a known weakness. As Bitcoin matures and its market structure changes, thresholds that worked in earlier cycles can drift out of usefulness. A cycle-adjusted percentile tries to correct for that by ranking current conditions against a moving historical backdrop.
What this means for traders and investors The research frames a potential strategic entry as dependent on the market holding around the $81,700 range and showing signs of a bullish reversal.
Long-term holders are net distributing, and ETF demand has cooled from September’s modest gains. If outflows begin to outpace inflows in a meaningful way, the accumulation thesis loses one of its supporting legs.
The current reading has exited the extreme undervaluation band most closely tied to historical market lows, leaving room for the metric to fall further before conditions match past cycle floors.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin may extend its rebound but is unlikely to break above US$100,000 before the end of the year, as rising interest rates and the Iran conflict continue to weigh on crypto assets, according to analysts.
The crypto asset class is likely to end the year higher than it is today, but below the peak reached last October, according to Alice Liu, head of research at crypto data platform CoinMarketCap.
“The worst of this year’s downturn is behind us, but the recovery will be uneven and led almost entirely by bitcoin,” Liu said, describing her outlook for crypto assets in the fourth quarter of this year as “cautiously positive”.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency token, has been mired in a prolonged slump this year. After hitting a historic high of US$126,000 last October, a market rout wiped a record US$19 billion off its value, and for months afterwards the coin largely traded below US$70,000 – just over half its peak price.
Bitcoin surged to near $82,100 on Sunday, coinciding with traders’ anticipation of geopolitical events in Russia, the United States and China. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly put forward a proposal to meet the U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit to find a way out of the conflict in Ukraine. The talks are expected to be held in November, but U.S. officials have yet to officially confirm their attendance.
Bitcoin Price Rebounds Toward $82,100 Bitcoin was up 0.98% to $82,099.25 on Sunday, October 18. The TradingView chart indicates a sudden rebound, seemingly in reaction to the BTC price’s earlier sell-off.
Bitcoin price chart today. Source: TradingView The price of BTC first rose above $81,800 and peaked close to $82,150. Sellers then lowered the price and the steep drop began towards $81,000. The pullback resumed in the second half of the session, dropping Bitcoin to a low of just under $80,800.
Buyers then took the initiative and turned the trend around. It appears that there is a trend of increasing from approximately $80,750 with a few straight green candles that are consecutively increasing. Bitcoin price recovered the $81,000 and $81,500 levels before breaking above $82,000.
BTC is racing toward its earlier highs with the latest candles as it heads toward $82,100. The $82,150 area remains a level to watch, while the $80,750 region marks the session’s visible low.
Putin Proposes Talks With Trump and Xi Jingping The trilateral meeting proposal that pushed Bitcoin upwards was brought up in Putin’s phone call to Trump on October 9, according to reports. The Chinese capital of Shenzhen is next month’s venue for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, and the Russian leader proposed holding the talks there as well.
The discussions would be about the end of the four-year war in Ukraine. However, the proposed framework would leave out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and concern Kyiv’s allies, in Washington and Europe.
It’s a step that would be important in diplomacy for resolving the conflict if the three leaders do not include Ukraine.
A senior U.S. official stated that Trump hasn’t formally accepted it. This is for talks with the Kremlin, which are ongoing but no final agreement and specific agenda have been agreed yet, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The October 9 meeting was also reportedly focused on U.S. demand for Russian diesel fuel. It also explored ways to assist in the sale of Russian fuel in international markets.
Ledger's security statement is under scrutiny: Customer support claims it can detect additional hardware, conflicting with official documentation.
Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès has published a post questioning Ledger Support’s earlier statements. Ledger’s customer service had previously claimed that its secure element can detect physical tampering, and that any additional hardware attempting to intercept signals would fail the authenticity check. Karpelès pointed out that Ledger’s own technical documentation states that if the original secure element remains intact, the authenticity check cannot detect unauthorized physical modifications such as spy implants, directly contradicting the customer service’s assertion. Mark Karpelès also noted that less than two months later, reports emerged showing over $90 million was stolen via signal interception by such “additional hardware”. Additionally, Ledger had already released photos of spy implants for multiple device models in an academic paper published in March 2026. Against the backdrop of known threats, does Ledger’s assurance to users that the authenticity check can detect such modifications constitute misleading advertising?
12 minutes ago
Viewpoint: Analyst sentiment indicates HYPE is the most bullish crypto asset currently.
CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju stated in a post that, based on analyst sentiment metrics, the most bullish crypto asset currently is Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. HYPE’s bullish deviation from analyst sentiment stands at around 2.3 standard deviations, ranking first among the listed mainstream assets. Its primary bullish driver is fee-driven buybacks boosting its price, with no dominant bearish consensus observed. Per analyst sentiment, the tokens next most bullish after HYPE are BNB, SOL, Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, Ethereum, and UNI in that order. For context, BNB’s bullish thesis centers on expansion in real-world payments and tokenized asset adoption; Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bearish factors respectively include inflation and correction signals, plus ETF outflows and inflows to trading platforms.
12 minutes ago
CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
Binance founder CZ announced in a post that the Japanese edition of his autobiography *Freedom of Money* is released today, with more language editions set to roll out soon, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.
12 minutes ago
Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss.
He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage.
Positions:
96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74
158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28
38,529 $SOXL
12 minutes ago
New Wallet Opens 25x Short on 13,826 $ETH ($33.5M), Partially Liquidated as Price Rebounds
Someone created a new wallet 10 hours ago and opened a 25x short on 13,826 $ETH($33.5M).
As the price rebounded, the wallet was partially liquidated.
It still holds a short on 8,849 $ETH ($21.4M), with a new liquidation price of $2,430.28.
12 minutes ago
The central parity rate of the renminbi against the US dollar rose by 12 basis points from the previous day to 6.7208.
According to Bitget market data, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose by 12 points from the previous day to 6.7208, hitting its highest level since February 2, 2023.
Several major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Solana, Near Protocol, and Hyperliquid, are encountering critical support levels amid heightened selling activity and fading momentum. Technical signals point to increased caution across the market, as investors closely monitor whether support zones will hold or further declines are on the horizon.
Near Protocol holds key support amid correctionNear Protocol (NEAR), a layer-1 blockchain platform supporting decentralized applications, has faced heavy selling pressure after failing to break through resistance between $5.80 and $6.00. The cryptocurrency is presently correcting toward the $4.65 to $4.70 support area, with the latest daily candle showing a high of $5.06 and a low of $4.74, underlining ongoing volatility.
NEAR’s technical outlook remains cautiously optimistic as long as buyers defend the $4.60 level. Losing this zone could trigger a slide toward $4.40, and potentially the stronger support band at $4.10 to $4.20. On the upside, a recovery above $5.00 may encourage bulls to target $5.40, followed by renewed attempts at $5.80 and $6.00.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for NEAR has retreated from overbought conditions and is approaching the neutral 50 level, implying diminishing bullish momentum. Meanwhile, trading volume has subsided compared with September’s surge. NEAR continues to trade above its medium- and long-term moving averages, helping to preserve its overarching bullish structure.
NEAR’s broader bullish trend remains intact so long as the $4.60 support area is not breached. Closing below this level could amplify downside risks, while a breakout above $5.40 would bolster bullish confidence for a fresh rally.
NEAR’s outlook now depends on whether buyers can successfully defend critical support and reclaim resistance levels.
Hyperliquid struggles after sharp pullbackHyperliquid (HYPE), a protocol focused on on-chain derivatives trading, is under sustained bearish pressure. After peaking near $98, HYPE has corrected to roughly $77.72. Sellers have dominated recent trading, driving a pronounced shift in short-term price action. Immediate support is seen at $76 to $77, where the moving average lines up with price levels.
A bounce from this area could spark a relief rally to $80 or $82. However, daily closes below $76 may accelerate losses toward $72, with $70 acting as a psychological barrier. On the upside, key resistance is situated between $80 and $82, strengthening at $84 to $86. A clear move above $86 would be needed to signal a positive trend reversal.
The daily RSI in HYPE has slipped below 50, nearing 40, reflecting escalating selling momentum. The token now trades beneath its short- and medium-term moving averages, deepening its cautionary outlook.
Mini dictionary: Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange protocol, enables perpetual futures and spot trading directly on-chain without intermediaries, aiming for high performance and deep liquidity.
Solana approaches crucial $100 markSolana (SOL), a blockchain known for its high throughput and low fees, is experiencing renewed selling after its failure to sustain prices above $120 earlier in October. SOL is now trading near $102.31, with the $100 support level under threat. Ongoing weakness has pulled Solana below several short-term moving averages, signaling that sellers have gained control of near-term momentum.
A break below $100 could expose SOL to deeper losses toward $97 and potentially to the $92–$95 range. For a bullish reversal, SOL would need to reclaim resistance between $105 and $107, with higher targets at $110 and $115 if fresh buying emerges.
The RSI has dropped below 50, approaching 40, indicating softening demand. Despite short-term weakness, SOL remains above its main long-term moving averages, suggesting that the larger recovery trend remains in place for now.
The immediate $100 support is critical for SOL. Failing to hold this level may increase the probability of an extended correction, while a successful defense could pave the way for a rebound toward $110.
Bitcoin tests $80,000 after rally fadesBitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency by market value, is showing weakening momentum after reaching $87,000, with the price now consolidating near $81,184. The previous rally, which started in August from around $63,000, attracted significant buying volume and sparked optimism among traders. However, sellers have returned, pushing BTC toward the key $80,000–$81,000 support area.
If Bitcoin closes below $80,000, the market could see a further decline toward $78,000, with stronger support at $76,000 to $77,000. Conversely, a recovery above the $82,500–$83,000 resistance band would be needed to improve the short-term outlook and target $85,000 and higher. BTC currently trades below its short-term moving average but retains a position above longer-term averages, affirming the broader positive structure.
The market’s next move remains contingent on the defense of immediate support, as buyers and sellers vie for control at these pivotal price levels.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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A new set of bullish cryptocurrency price targets has captured attention in the digital asset community. Crypto analyst Modern Investor, a well-known figure among retail traders and content creators, has outlined significant upside projections for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Cardano in an online video shared by John Squire, also recognized in the crypto sphere under the handle @TheCryptoSquire.
Modern Investor’s bold cycle targetsIn his latest commentary, Modern Investor stated that he expects Bitcoin to reach $295,000 within the ongoing bullish cycle. He also projected that Ethereum could rise to a range of $9,000 to $11,000, while XRP could hit $8.95. Cardano’s potential, according to his outlook, stands at $5 per token.
He framed these projections as consistent with the typical patterns of previous crypto market cycles, noting that although the gains are substantial, they remain within the realm of possibility based on past performance. Modern Investor’s perspective suggested that current conditions leave room for further significant growth across multiple leading assets.
The target of $8.95 for XRP indicates a nearly 590% increase from the current price of $1.30. In the same analysis, Modern Investor placed XRP alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, suggesting all three could benefit considerably in the next major market uptrend.
Modern Investor envisions Bitcoin reaching $295,000, Ethereum at $11,000, and XRP climbing to $8.95 in the current market cycle, seeing these levels as aligned with previous bull market patterns.
AssetCurrent PriceTarget PriceProjected IncreaseBitcoin$41,000$295,000~620%Ethereum$2,200$9,000 – $11,000~309% – 400%XRP$1.30$8.95~590%Cardano (ADA)$0.52$5~860%Modern Investor is a digital content creator and market commentator known for his cycle-based analyses and optimistic price forecasts. John Squire, who amplified the predictions on social media, is also recognized for sharing insights and news with the crypto community.
Mini dictionary: Modern Investor — An influential crypto market analyst on multiple digital platforms, known for extensive market cycle analysis and widely-followed forecasts.
XRP positioned for major cycle growthXRP’s long-term development has centered on increasing its adoption in cross-border payments and institutional finance. Modern Investor’s price target for XRP suggests confidence that ongoing efforts to build practical use cases could translate to major price appreciation if market conditions remain favorable.
Squire commented that after years of building, a price target of $8.95 for XRP “doesn’t sound like an impossible dream.” This view resonates with those in the XRP community who believe that the token’s strong fundamentals and expanding utility give it significant upside potential in the next cycle.
These ambitious forecasts sparked active discussion across multiple platforms. Some respondents felt that the projected prices were overly optimistic or out of step with current market realities. Criticism also touched on Bitcoin, with one commentator arguing that it lacked sufficient utility compared to XRP and other alternatives.
A portion of the community expressed skepticism or frustration, seeing such commentary as part of a larger trend of sensationalist predictions designed to drive engagement. One user dismissed the $9 price prediction for XRP as a “joke,” while another urged others to refrain from amplifying what they described as “dishonest” influencer narratives.
A prediction fueling market dialogueThe specificity of Modern Investor’s targets has prompted close scrutiny throughout the crypto community. Whether or not these levels are ultimately reached, his analysis has ensured that XRP, along with Bitcoin and Ethereum, remains a focal point in ongoing discussions surrounding the trajectory of the current market cycle.
TLDR: Bitcoin must hold $81,000, the lower boundary of its daily rising channel, to target $84,000 and $86,500. A break below $81,000 would shift Bitcoin’s focus to $76,000 as the next downside level to watch. Ethereum must hold $2,350 on a daily close to target $2,700 and $3,000; a loss puts $2,000 in focus. XRP needs $1.25 to hold and a sustained close above $1.56 to open the path toward $2; $1 is the downside. Bitcoin rebound prospects depend on whether buyers defend key support levels, according to crypto analyst Ali Charts.
The analyst named $81,000 for Bitcoin, $2,350 for Ethereum, and $1.25 for XRP as the levels to watch. Each asset has reached a technical test on its daily chart.
Holding these zones could trigger recoveries across all three assets in the near term. A breakdown, however, would shift attention toward lower price targets instead.
Bitcoin Rebound Depends on $81,000 Support Ali Charts shared the outlook in a thread on X on October 18. For Bitcoin, the analyst pointed to $81,000 as the key level.
This price marks the lower boundary of its daily rising channel. The channel connects a series of higher lows and higher highs on the daily chart.
2/5 For Bitcoin, the level is $81,000, the lower boundary of its daily rising channel.
If buyers defend it, $BTC could rebound toward the channel’s mid-range at $84,000, then to its upper boundary at $86,500.
A break below $81,000 would shift my focus to $76,000. pic.twitter.com/Ev21vQ1GLz
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) October 18, 2026
If buyers defend that support, BTC could rebound toward the channel’s mid-range at $84,000. The $84,000 mark sits near the midpoint of the channel. From there, the next target sits at the upper boundary near $86,500.
However, a break below $81,000 would change the setup. In that case, the analyst would shift focus to $76,000 as the next level.
The $76,000 level would then become the main area for buyers. The Bitcoin rebound case therefore rests on this single channel boundary.
Ethereum Tests $2,350 Support Ethereum faces a similar test at $2,350. This level acts as the support line of a right-angled ascending broadening pattern. Such patterns form when price swings widen while support rises over time.
A bounce from this zone could lift ETH toward $2,700. A stronger move could extend the rally to $3,000. The $3,000 target would require sustained momentum after the first move. Both targets depend on buyers holding the pattern’s lower boundary.
On the other hand, a daily close below $2,350 would change the outlook. A close below that line would invalidate the support the pattern relies on. In that scenario, the analyst would watch $2,000 instead. Ethereum therefore needs to hold that line on a closing basis.
XRP Watches $1.25 Inverse Head-and-Shoulders For XRP, Ali Charts is watching $1.25. Holding this level could complete the right shoulder of a potential inverse head-and-shoulders pattern.
The pattern appears on the 3-day chart. This formation often signals a potential trend reversal when the price breaks above its neckline.
The rebound would still need confirmation, though. A sustained close above $1.56 could open the path toward $2. The $1.56 level acts as the resistance XRP must clear first. Such a move would confirm the setup on the higher timeframe.
Failure to hold $1.25 would change the picture. In that event, $1 becomes the downside level to watch. That level would mark a drop of roughly 20% from the $1.25 support. All three setups, including the Bitcoin rebound case, depend on support holding in the coming sessions.
Viewpoint: Analyst sentiment indicates HYPE is the most bullish crypto asset currently.
CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju stated in a post that, based on analyst sentiment metrics, the most bullish crypto asset currently is Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. HYPE’s bullish deviation from analyst sentiment stands at around 2.3 standard deviations, ranking first among the listed mainstream assets. Its primary bullish driver is fee-driven buybacks boosting its price, with no dominant bearish consensus observed. Per analyst sentiment, the tokens next most bullish after HYPE are BNB, SOL, Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, Ethereum, and UNI in that order. For context, BNB’s bullish thesis centers on expansion in real-world payments and tokenized asset adoption; Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bearish factors respectively include inflation and correction signals, plus ETF outflows and inflows to trading platforms.
1 minutes ago
CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
Binance founder CZ announced in a post that the Japanese edition of his autobiography *Freedom of Money* is released today, with more language editions set to roll out soon, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.
1 minutes ago
Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss. He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage. Positions: 96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74 158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28 38,529 $SOXL
1 minutes ago
New Wallet Opens 25x Short on 13,826 $ETH ($33.5M), Partially Liquidated as Price Rebounds
Someone created a new wallet 10 hours ago and opened a 25x short on 13,826 $ETH($33.5M). As the price rebounded, the wallet was partially liquidated. It still holds a short on 8,849 $ETH ($21.4M), with a new liquidation price of $2,430.28.
1 minutes ago
The central parity rate of the renminbi against the US dollar rose by 12 basis points from the previous day to 6.7208.
According to Bitget market data, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose by 12 points from the previous day to 6.7208, hitting its highest level since February 2, 2023.
1 minutes ago
ETH addresses that hoarded ETH in September are suspected of liquidating their positions, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa), the address 0xF4B…496eb withdrew 1417.77 ETH from Binance between September 19 and 23, worth $3.78 million. Eight hours ago, it deposited all the ETH into a trading platform at a price of $2364.18; if sold, the asset would shrink by 11.38%, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
Crypto is bleeding into the weekend, and that is exactly when the “best to buy” question gets interesting. Bitcoin has slipped below $81,000, Ethereum is down about 2% on the day, and the whole board is red as of October 18, 2026 — yet three names still carry dated catalysts that outlive a down candle. The question is not whether the market bounces, but which asset has a reason to move that has not already been priced in.
Bitcoin and Solana hold the line, but the 10x math has closed
Bitcoin trades at $80,899, down 0.46% in 24 hours with a $1.63 trillion market cap and roughly 63% dominance, per CoinGecko on October 18. It has spent most of October defending the $80,000 zone rather than challenging highs, and the size is now the whole story: a 10x from here would value Bitcoin above $16 trillion — about six times the entire crypto market. That is arithmetic, not a forecast. Bitcoin is the value-preservation pick, not the upside pick, and a recent slide below $82,000 showed how macro-sensitive it still is.
Solana has the more interesting profile. At $101.37, down 1.6% on the day with a $59.8 billion market cap, it sits about 60% below its all-time high near $295 — and a 10x from here would still only take it to roughly the size of Ethereum today. The catalyst is the Alpenglow upgrade, which reworks how validators agree on blocks and targets finality of about 150 milliseconds, down from 12.8 seconds. It is live on testnet, but with no confirmed mainnet date, SOL is a leveraged bet on altcoin rotation rather than a dated catalyst.
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam is the only hard-dated catalyst
Ethereum trades at $2,357, down 2.0% on the day with a $288 billion market cap, but the story is the schedule, not the candle. Glamsterdam — the biggest upgrade since the Merge — bundles enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732), which pulls block building into the protocol and cuts reliance on MEV-Boost middleware, with Block-Level Access Lists (EIP-7928), which let clients process transactions in parallel. The Foundation says testing supports a gas-limit floor of 200 million after the fork, more than three times current capacity.
The first public test went live on Sepolia on October 6, with a second on Hoodi tentatively set for October 27 and mainnet targeted for the fourth quarter. A hard-dated catalyst is what turns a coiling chart into a breakout, and it is why ETH is the lowest-risk way to play this rotation — a 2x from here is a $576 billion outcome, credible for a network that has been grinding through ETF outflows all month.
Zcash: the quantum bet that pulled back 6%
The wildcard is Zcash (ZEC), down 5.7% on the day to $1,064.85 with an $18.1 billion market cap. The pullback does not change the catalyst: Zcash has set a January target for quantum-resistant payments, moving the network toward signatures a future quantum computer could not forge. That puts ZEC in a small group of assets shipping a quantum-safety timeline rather than talking about one, and the market has been re-rating it accordingly through October — a retracement after a run is normal, not a signal the thesis broke.
The trade is not without risk. A quantum-resistant signature scheme is research-grade work, and the January date is a target, not a guarantee, as our breakdown of the plan makes clear. But the asymmetry is the point: at an $18 billion market cap, a 5x takes ZEC to roughly XRP’s size — credible if quantum-safety becomes a real institutional requirement — while the top of the table is locked into single-digit monthly moves by its own size.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best crypto to buy in October 2026?
It depends on the goal. Ethereum offers the most concrete dated catalyst (the Glamsterdam upgrade) at lower risk, Zcash carries a quantum-resistance timeline with more upside and more risk, and Bitcoin remains the value-preservation pick.
Why can’t Bitcoin deliver another 10x?
Market-cap arithmetic. A 10x from Bitcoin’s $1.63 trillion market cap would value it above $16 trillion — about six times the entire crypto market. Larger assets need far more capital to move the same percentage.
When does the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade launch?
The first public test went live on Sepolia on October 6, 2026, with a second on Hoodi tentatively set for October 27. Mainnet is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, with no exact date confirmed.
Is Zcash’s quantum-resistance real?
Zcash has set a January target for quantum-resistant payments. It is a research-grade upgrade and the date is a target, not a guarantee, but it is a concrete timeline rather than a talking point — which is why the market has been re-rating the token.
AUTHOR
Blockchain analyst specializing in the regulatory impact of government policies on the crypto industry. Known for his thorough research and clear, engaging writing, Emmanuel provides insightful analysis on the latest trends, market shifts, and emerging crypto innovations. His work aims to educate and inform both novice and experienced readers, offering expert perspectives on the fast-evolving world of digital assets. With a passion for staying ahead of the curve, Ogwu is a trusted voice in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
In BriefNear Protocol (NEAR): NEAR is correcting from the $5.80–$6.00 resistance zone, and holding the $4.60–$4.70 support area is key to keeping the broader bullish structure intact.
Hyperliquid (HYPE): HYPE is under growing bearish pressure after reversing from $98, with the $76–$77 support area now the level to watch.
Solana (SOL): SOL is trading near $102.31 and pressing on the $100 psychological support after failing to hold above $120.
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Bitcoin (BTC): BTC is trading around $81,184 with fading momentum, and the $80,000–$81,000 support zone is in focus after the rally toward $87,000 stalled.
NEAR Faces Heavy Selling Pressure NEAR recently encountered strong selling pressure near the $5.80–$6.00 resistance zone, triggering a correction toward its current trading range. The latest daily candle shows a high of $5.06 and a low of $4.74, highlighting continued volatility. The immediate support level sits between $4.65 and $4.70, where the short-term moving average is approaching price. A successful defense of this area should encourage buyers to re-enter the market.
NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewHowever, a decisive daily close below $4.60 could expose NEAR to further downside toward $4.40, followed by the stronger support area around $4.10–$4.20. On the upside, the first major resistance appears near $5.00, followed by $5.20–$5.40. Breaking above those levels could open the door for another attempt at $5.80 and potentially the psychological $6.00 barrier.
NEAR's Relative Strength Index (RSI) has retreated from overbought territory and is approaching the neutral 50 level. This suggests weakening bullish momentum rather than a confirmed bearish reversal. Trading volume has also moderated compared with the explosive activity accompanying September's breakout, suggesting decreased buying enthusiasm. Importantly, NEAR remains above its key medium- and long-term moving averages, keeping the broader bullish structure intact.
NEAR's next directional move will likely depend on whether buyers can defend the $4.60–$4.70 support area. A recovery above $5.00 could restore bullish confidence and set the stage for another rally toward $5.40–$6.00. Conversely, sustained weakness below $4.60 would increase the risk of a deeper correction toward $4.20.
Hyperliquid (HYPE) Faces Growing Bearish Pressure Hyperliquid (HYPE) is experiencing growing bearish pressure following a sharp reversal from its recent high near $98. According to the daily HYPE/USD chart, the cryptocurrency is trading around $77.72, reflecting a significant correction as sellers continue to dominate short-term price action. Despite its impressive rally from August lows near $52, HYPE has struggled to maintain upward momentum, raising concerns about whether the ongoing pullback could turn into a deeper correction.
HYPE/USDT Chart by TradingViewHyperliquid's recent price action shows a series of lower highs and lower lows, suggesting that sellers have gained control of the short-term trend. After reaching approximately $98 in late September, HYPE experienced sustained selling pressure, eventually falling below the psychologically important $80 level. The immediate support area now lies between $76 and $77, where the orange moving average is located. This area represents a crucial technical level that could determine HYPE's next major move.
If buyers successfully defend $76, the cryptocurrency could enjoy a relief rally toward $80–$82. However, a confirmed daily close below $76 would weaken the technical outlook and potentially trigger further declines toward $72, followed by the psychological $70 support level. On the upside, HYPE faces immediate resistance near $80–$82, with stronger barriers around $84–$86. A sustained breakout above $86 would be necessary to signal a meaningful recovery in bullish momentum.
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HYPE's daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) has fallen below the neutral 50 level and is approaching 40, indicating growing selling pressure. The RSI's downward trajectory shows that bearish momentum remains dominant, even though the indicator has not yet entered deeply oversold territory. Additionally, HYPE is trading below its short-term and intermediate moving averages, reinforcing the negative near-term outlook.
Solana (SOL) Bears Eye $100 Support Solana (SOL) is facing renewed selling pressure after failing to hold its recent rally above $120. The cryptocurrency is trading around $102.31 on the daily chart, reflecting a sizable pullback from its October high near $125.
While the broader recovery from August remains technically intact, weakening momentum and repeated bearish candles suggest that sellers are gaining control of the short-term market structure. SOL's recent decline has pushed the price below several important short-term moving averages, raising concerns about a potential retest of the psychological $100 support level.
SOL/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe current daily candle shows SOL trading between $102.09 and $104.64, with the price settling near $102.31. This places the cryptocurrency dangerously close to the $100–$102 support area, which could determine its next directional move.
A decisive daily close below $100 would weaken the bullish structure and potentially expose SOL to further losses toward $97–$98. If selling pressure intensifies, the next significant support could emerge around $92–$95. Conversely, buyers would need to reclaim the $105–$107 resistance area to stabilize the market. A sustained recovery above this area could encourage renewed buying interest, with subsequent upside targets around $110 and $115.
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Technical signals currently favor caution. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has slipped below the neutral 50 level and is approaching 40, reflecting deteriorating buying momentum. Meanwhile, trading volume has moderated compared with the strong activity accompanying August's breakout.
Nevertheless, SOL remains above its longer-term moving averages, including the rising orange and black trend lines, suggesting that the broader bullish recovery has not yet been invalidated.
Solana's immediate outlook remains cautious as sellers pressure the $100 support level. A successful defense could trigger a rebound toward $107–$110, while a confirmed breakdown would increase the probability of a correction toward $97 and potentially $95.
Bitcoin (BTC) $80,000 Support in FocusBitcoin (BTC) is showing signs of weakening momentum as the cryptocurrency struggles to hold its position above $82,000 following its recent rally toward $87,000. According to the daily BTC/USD chart, Bitcoin is trading around $81,184, with sellers gradually pushing prices lower after several unsuccessful attempts to reclaim higher resistance levels.
BTC/USDT Chart by TradingViewAlthough Bitcoin remains above its major long-term moving averages, the formation of lower highs and growing selling pressure suggest that the market could experience further consolidation before establishing its next significant direction.
Bitcoin's recovery began in August when the cryptocurrency surged from approximately $63,000 to above $80,000, supported by strong buying volume. The bullish momentum continued into September and early October, eventually pushing BTC toward the $87,000 resistance area. However, buyers failed to sustain the advance, allowing sellers to regain control and drive the price toward its current trading range.
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The latest daily candle shows a high of $82,170 and a low of $81,131, with Bitcoin trading near $81,184. This places BTC near the crucial $80,000–$81,000 support zone, where buyers may attempt to stabilize the market.
A decisive daily close below $80,000 could accelerate bearish momentum, exposing Bitcoin to further downside toward $78,000. If this level fails to hold, the next major support area sits around $76,000–$77,000, near the longer-term moving averages.
Conversely, Bitcoin would need to reclaim the $82,500–$83,000 resistance area to improve its short-term technical outlook. A sustained breakout above $83,000 could encourage another recovery toward $85,000, followed by the recent highs around $86,500–$87,000.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin is trading below its short-term moving average but remains above its rising intermediate and long-term averages, indicating that the broader recovery structure remains intact.
Stacks has laid out its fourth-quarter game plan, and it centers on getting more Bitcoin locked into its system.
The Bitcoin layer 2 protocol says Q4 will focus on growing BTC bonds, putting that BTC to work in ecosystem apps, and shipping the Epoch 4.1 network upgrade in early December.
The priorities arrived alongside the protocol’s Q3 Ecosystem Report, released on October 15, 2026.
Monthly bonds and a December upgrade Stacks plans to run Bitcoin Staking bonding periods on a monthly schedule. The first of these monthly windows, Bond 3, is slated to open around November 10, 2026.
Bitcoin Staking has drawn 735 BTC in total across its first two phases. That figure splits into 250 BTC from the inaugural Genesis Bond and 505 BTC from Period 2.
The other big Q4 item is Epoch 4.1, the next network upgrade, which Stacks is targeting for early December. Epoch 4.1 will make Clarity 7 the default for new smart contracts on the network.
Stacks says the exact activation block height will be announced 30 days ahead of time.
Staking growth and a leadership shift The Q3 report also pointed to a jump in STX staking. After the PoX-5 upgrade, the amount of staked STX climbed from 392 million to 493 million, an increase of more than 25%.
STX rose approximately 50% over the four weeks leading to October 13, 2026, outperforming Bitcoin across that stretch. The research findings tie that outperformance to increased institutional participation in liquid staking.
The report landed alongside a leadership change. Stacks founder Muneeb Ali transitioned to CEO of Stacks Labs as the report was released.
With the new role came a long-range strategic vision branded the “Satoshi Upgrades.” The plan aims to expand Bitcoin’s capabilities in three areas: capital markets, privacy, and post-quantum security, with a timeline running through 2030.
What this means for Stacks and BTC holders For developers, Epoch 4.1 is the item to circle on the calendar. Clarity 7 becoming the default for new contracts means teams building in December and beyond should plan around the updated version. The 30-day notice on the activation block height gives node operators, app teams, and anyone running infrastructure a month of notice before the switch flips.
Stacks is juggling a new bonding cadence, an app-integration push, a December upgrade, and a CEO transition, all in a single quarter.
The near-term scorecard is simple: watch Bond 3 intake around November 10, watch for the Epoch 4.1 block height announcement, and watch whether the BTC flowing into Stacks starts showing up inside actual apps.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin is holding above the key $80,000 threshold after recent volatility, with technical and on-chain signals presenting an uncertain outlook for near-term price direction.
Capitulation signs emerge as realized losses spikeGlassnode reported renewed Bitcoin seller capitulation on October 15, as realized losses spiked while BTC traded near the $80,000 level. This type of capitulation, driven by investors selling at a loss, often coincides with moments of increasing market stress or declining prices.
Glassnode’s analysis noted that previous bursts of realized losses in early August, mid-August, and September matched local price bottoms. The most recent spike follows this pattern, though Glassnode cautioned that historical relationships cannot confirm a forthcoming recovery.
Realized losses measure the value relinquished by investors when selling Bitcoin below their purchase price. A sharp rise in this metric may indicate that holders are exiting positions under pressure instead of waiting for a rebound.
According to its October 14 report, Glassnode observed that long-term holder realized losses have declined approximately 85% from the August peak. The share of holders realizing profits has begun to outweigh those locking in losses. While this may offer a potentially constructive signal, capitulation events alone have not been sufficient to establish a lasting price floor in previous cycles.
$80,000 region tested as resistance levels cap upsideDuring the reporting period, Bitcoin traded in the $82,000 to $83,000 range, having briefly dropped below $80,000 earlier in the month. Glassnode highlights the spot Bitcoin ETF cost basis at $81,500 as an important support area, representing the mean purchase price for funds holding BTC in U.S. spot ETFs. Bitcoin briefly slipped below this level on October 8 and October 13 but closed both sessions above it.
A daily close under the ETF cost basis could further weaken the support, while buying interest on Binance near $80,000 creates another focal point. Direct technical analysis from TradingView user Virupandey81 shows $79,821 as a crucial downside threshold. The chart positions initial long entries at $81,263 and underlines $83,014 as a confirmation level for renewed bullish momentum.
If BTC posts a sustained move above $83,014, the next technical targets stand at $87,233 and $91,754. However, a decline below $79,821 could bring $77,839 and $76,377 into view. Technical setups remain vulnerable to invalidation if price action breaches key support levels.
Combining chart structures and key support areas, monitoring price reactions near these technical thresholds becomes increasingly important. In fast-moving markets and alongside volatility observed during periods like these, careful tracking of support and resistance can help contextualize larger trends. Within these volatile conditions, meme token markets have also shown explosive moves. In the meme token market, an internet trend can transform into millions of dollars of interest within days. According to data shared by Fomo App, a trade involving “Niu Lai”—which turned an initial $99 investment into approximately $370,000, stands out as a striking example of this activity. In this market, tracking not only prices but also the timing and token choices of investors is crucial. Fomo App brings token discovery and trading together on a single platform, featuring social feeds, investor rankings, and trade notifications. Discover Fomo App to follow the world of meme tokens alongside investor activity.
Liquidation clusters and ETF outflows spark mixed sentimentCoinGlass identified clusters of liquidations around $82,300 and $80,600 in the Bitcoin derivatives market. The upper zone could be a trigger point for shorts, while the lower level puts leveraged long positions at risk of forced closure.
These liquidation heatmaps track where significant leveraged positions could be liquidated if the price crosses particular points, potentially increasing short-term volatility. However, such events do not inherently guarantee sharp moves in either direction, as traders frequently adjust exposures.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of about $228.6 million over the five sessions ending October 16, pushing month-to-date redemptions close to $615 million. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust accounted for approximately $165 million in weekly net outflows, with $71.8 million withdrawn on October 16. Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund also reported net redemptions.
ETF outflows signal net investor redemptions rather than direct open market sales. While they remove a source of steady demand, such data should not be interpreted as evidence of deliberate price suppression by asset managers. Nonetheless, institutional flows remain a key factor for overall sentiment and liquidity.
These figures suggest ongoing caution among market participants, as investor withdrawals continue to exceed new inflows. Glassnode pointed to renewed net selling after late September’s brief period of ETF inflows failed to persist. Reduced realized losses among long-term holders offer some reassurance, but ongoing outflows raise questions about the strength and sustainability of any potential BTC rebound.
Near-term outlook: Key levels in focusBitcoin’s next directional move is likely to be shaped by how effectively bulls defend the $80,000 support area and counteract continued selling interest. Maintaining levels above the ETF cost basis at $81,500 and breaking through $83,014 could set the stage for gains toward $87,233 and $91,754, if market conditions align favorably.
Conversely, a decisive close below $79,821 would undermine the current bullish scenario and could trigger further declines toward lower support zones identified by technical analysis. Accelerated liquidations may amplify these moves on both upswings and downturns.
Although on-chain capitulation metrics indicate that some selling may have reached extreme levels, ETF flows, liquidity, and spot demand will remain decisive elements in projecting whether the $80,000 region endures as a base for renewed strength or gives way to deeper correction.
TLDR: Michael Saylor’s October 18 post hinted at another Strategy Bitcoin buy but confirmed no transaction. Strategy acquired 250 BTC for $21.5 million, taking its holdings to 848,250 coins as of October 11, 2026. Strategy reported a $4.88 billion reserve and $640.5 million in separate USD Cash as of October 11, 2026. Bitcoin traded near $81,616 on October 18 as its 14-day RSI stood at 46.5, indicating neutral momentum. Michael Saylor renewed attention on corporate cryptocurrency buying Sunday, October 18, after signaling that Strategy could add to its substantial Bitcoin holdings. “We found room for more orange,” the executive chairman posted on X, accompanying his message with an updated acquisition chart.
The comment, however, offered no purchase figure or confirmation that a transaction had occurred. The chart listed approximately 848,250 BTC, valued at $69.45 billion, with an average acquisition cost of $75,444 per coin.
Separately, a momentum indicator drew attention to Bitcoin’s price resilience. That technical signal measures market behavior rather than corporate demand, and does not establish that an advance is underway.
Michael Saylor Hints at New Strategy Buy After $21.5M Purchase A similar October 11 post preceded an October 12 acquisition disclosure. However, that pattern does not establish whether a new purchase occurred. The company reported buying 250 coins for approximately $21.5 million between October 5 and 11, at an average price of $86,194.
That brought total holdings to 848,250 coins, representing approximately 4.04% of the asset’s fixed 21 million supply. Common-stock sales funded $21 million of the purchase, while cash covered the remaining $500,000.
The funding mix illustrates how share issuance, rather than cash alone, supported that acquisition. Meanwhile, it spent $192.4 million repurchasing STRC preferred shares. On October 11, it reported a $4.88 billion reserve for dividend and interest obligations, plus $640.5 million in separate USD Cash.
The latter could support acquisitions and other corporate activities, although neither balance establishes the scale of any future purchase. Meanwhile, attention turns to a potential October 19 announcement, with Saylor yet to confirm another transaction.
Bitcoin RSI Near 46.5 as Traders Watch $80,000 Support Alongside the corporate buying discussion, analyst OxSweep highlighted a contrast between recent price behavior and the Relative Strength Index on October 18. The analyst compared the latest RSI decline with a May episode, when weakening momentum accompanied a sharper market drop.
$BTC current structure is very different than the one that happened in May
Back then the RSI reset and the price crashed
Right now the RSI reset is happening but the price is holding well
This is what happens when an asset enters a bull run pic.twitter.com/jksAcjrSsT
— Sweep (@0xSweep) October 18, 2026
This time, prices held comparatively higher levels despite the indicator’s retreat. That distinction underpinned the analyst’s bullish interpretation, rather than confirming that another advance had begun. RSI measures price-change speed and magnitude on a scale of zero to 100.
Fidelity’s technical guide identifies the 40–50 range as potential momentum support during established uptrends. Still, an October 18 snapshot showed the asset near $81,616, with its 14-day RSI around 46.5. That reading indicates neutral momentum, not a confirmed breakout.
Bitcoin’s price support near $80,000–$81,000 and a recovery toward $84,000 remain the immediate technical reference points. A subsequent regulatory disclosure would determine whether the latest orange-themed post reflected a purchase; price action would then provide the separate test of bullish momentum.
In brief U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted net outflows of $228.6 million this week, after losing $681.1 million the week before. Outflows topped inflows on three of five trading days, with Wednesday’s $261.4 million exit the week’s worst session. The funds are down about $615 million for October, though cumulative net inflows since launch still stand at $57.3 billion. Bitcoin ETF investors spent another week heading for the exits.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs shed $82.4 million on Friday, according to Decrypt’s ETF tracker, capping a week in which outflows outweighed inflows on three of five trading days.
Myriad: How low will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.The funds lost a net $228.6 million for the week, according to SoSoValue, following a $681.1 million drain the week before. Over the two weeks, about $910 million has left the funds.
It was a choppy stretch. A $175.7 million inflow on Tuesday was wiped out a day later by $261.4 million in redemptions, the week’s worst session. Thursday brought a modest $5.1 million inflow before selling resumed Friday.
Wednesday’s selling coincided with a hot inflation print. The consumer price index showed prices up 3.7% year over year in September, above the 3.6% forecast. A hotter-than-expected producer price reading followed Thursday, reviving bets on another Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
Bitcoin ETF flows. Image: DecryptBitcoin briefly slipped below $80,000 on Thursday, and nearly $950 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours, about 90% of them bullish longs, according to CoinGlass. The drop also pushed Bitcoin below the average ETF holder’s estimated cost basis near $82,300, Nexo analyst Iliya Kalchev told Decrypt.
When inflation runs hot, the Fed tends to keep raising rates, pushing up Treasury yields and making a nearly risk-free return of around 5% a tough competitor for riskier bets like Bitcoin. Higher rates also make borrowing costlier and lift the dollar, squeezing the cheap credit that leveraged crypto traders depend on.
The back-to-back red weeks have dragged October deep into negative territory. After opening the month with roughly $293 million in inflows, the funds are now down about $615 million for October, based on Decrypt’s tracker. The slide began in earnest on Oct. 7, when a $484.9 million exit marked the funds’ worst day since June. Ethereum and Solana ETFs have also been in the red this month.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs are exchange-traded funds that hold actual Bitcoin. They trade on stock exchanges like ordinary shares, giving investors exposure through a regular brokerage account without buying or storing the asset themselves.
Since launching in January 2024, they’ve drawn $57.3 billion in cumulative net inflows, according to Decrypt’s tracker, making them a fixture of Wall Street’s crypto exposure. Because issuers report flows daily, and institutions and financial advisers account for much of the money, the figures have become a closely watched gauge of investor sentiment.
Total net assets stand at $104.29 billion, according to SoSoValue, while Decrypt’s tracker puts the figure at $100.2 billion. Bitcoin closed Friday near $81,590, down from about $82,337 a week earlier.
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In brief
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted net outflows of $228.6 million this week, after losing $681.1 million the week before.
Outflows topped inflows on three of five trading days, with Wednesday’s $261.4 million exit the week’s worst session.
The funds are down about $615 million for October, though cumulative net inflows since launch still stand at $57.3 billion.
Bitcoin ETF investors spent another week heading for the exits.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs shed $82.4 million on Friday, according to Decrypt’s ETF tracker, capping a week in which outflows outweighed inflows on three of five trading days.
Myriad: How low will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.The funds lost a net $228.6 million for the week, according to SoSoValue, following a $681.1 million drain the week before. Over the two weeks, about $910 million has left the funds.
It was a choppy stretch. A $175.7 million inflow on Tuesday was wiped out a day later by $261.4 million in redemptions, the week’s worst session. Thursday brought a modest $5.1 million inflow before selling resumed Friday.
Wednesday’s selling coincided with a hot inflation print. The consumer price index showed prices up 3.7% year over year in September, above the 3.6% forecast. A hotter-than-expected producer price reading followed Thursday, reviving bets on another Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
Bitcoin ETF flows. Image: DecryptBitcoin briefly slipped below $80,000 on Thursday, and nearly $950 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours, about 90% of them bullish longs, according to CoinGlass. The drop also pushed Bitcoin below the average ETF holder’s estimated cost basis near $82,300, Nexo analyst Iliya Kalchev told Decrypt.
When inflation runs hot, the Fed tends to keep raising rates, pushing up Treasury yields and making a nearly risk-free return of around 5% a tough competitor for riskier bets like Bitcoin. Higher rates also make borrowing costlier and lift the dollar, squeezing the cheap credit that leveraged crypto traders depend on.
The back-to-back red weeks have dragged October deep into negative territory. After opening the month with roughly $293 million in inflows, the funds are now down about $615 million for October, based on Decrypt’s tracker. The slide began in earnest on Oct. 7, when a $484.9 million exit marked the funds’ worst day since June. Ethereum and Solana ETFs have also been in the red this month.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs are exchange-traded funds that hold actual Bitcoin. They trade on stock exchanges like ordinary shares, giving investors exposure through a regular brokerage account without buying or storing the asset themselves.
Since launching in January 2024, they’ve drawn $57.3 billion in cumulative net inflows, according to Decrypt’s tracker, making them a fixture of Wall Street’s crypto exposure. Because issuers report flows daily, and institutions and financial advisers account for much of the money, the figures have become a closely watched gauge of investor sentiment.
Total net assets stand at $104.29 billion, according to SoSoValue, while Decrypt’s tracker puts the figure at $100.2 billion. Bitcoin closed Friday near $81,590, down from about $82,337 a week earlier.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The founder of Strategy Inc., Michael Saylor, published a tweet, "We found room for more orange," illustrating the intention to continue accumulating the asset with a new purchase chart in which each transaction is marked with an orange marker. This media signal coincided with an update to the corporate dashboard: by mid-October 2026, the company controls 848,250 BTC, equivalent to 4.04% of the total global supply.
We found room for more orange. https://t.co/XAgiEZbXgO
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) October 18, 2026
The current market value of these reserves has reached $69.45 billion at an average purchase price of $75,444 per coin, which puts Strategy Inc.'s net unrealized profit at 8.15% and the portfolio's year-to-date growth at 26.1%.
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What is actually happening with the company's moneyDespite Saylor's stated readiness to expand the balance sheet, the company's fresh operating reports for October show a parallel change in its spending structure. Direct Bitcoin purchases have fallen to an annual low: over the reporting week, the company acquired just 250 BTC (about $21.5 million).
This decline is directly linked to the reallocation of capital within the internal debt market, where Strategy Inc. directed $192.4 million to buy back its own Series STRC preferred shares. Because their yield jumped to 12.31%, management considered reducing the future dividend burden a higher priority than buying the crypto asset at current price levels.
At the same time, to maintain operational stability, the company keeps a $5.5 billion safety cushion in dollar instruments.
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The need for delicate liquidity maneuvering is sharpened by infrastructure challenges, against the backdrop of which Saylor's post was published. MSCI, the global index provider, has updated its selection criteria, as a result of which Strategy Inc. faces exclusion from global investment benchmarks, as the value of the Bitcoins on its balance sheet has completely eclipsed the company's core software business.
MSCI's official decision is expected on November 11, 2026, and JPMorgan analysts already estimate the potential forced outflow of passive-fund capital from MSTR shares at $2.8 billion. Investors reacted to this risk with a preemptive sell-off: the company's shares fell 9.56% to $136.83. Current quotes already price in a discount to net asset value, which caused the basic MNAV ratio to slip to 0.83x.
Under these conditions, Strategy Inc. retains its status as the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, but the pace of filling the "orange vault" is now directly limited by debt obligations and the November risks from MSCI.
Michael Saylor reignited discussion around corporate Bitcoin buying on Sunday, October 18, signaling that Strategy could expand its already significant Bitcoin reserves. Posting on X, Saylor wrote, “We found room for more orange,” sharing an updated acquisition chart. His message, however, did not confirm a transaction or include any specific purchase amount.
Strategy adds 250 BTC, reserves and cash detailedThe latest company data places Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings at 848,250 BTC, with a portfolio valued at approximately $69.45 billion and an average acquisition price of $75,444 per coin. These figures reflect an October 11 report confirming the purchase of 250 BTC for $21.5 million between October 5 and 11, acquired at an average cost of $86,194 each.
This acquisition represented about 4.04% of Bitcoin’s fixed 21 million coin supply. Of the $21.5 million spent, $21 million came from common stock sales, while $500,000 was paid in cash. The company also spent $192.4 million repurchasing STRC preferred shares, as part of its broader financial strategy.
Strategy reported holding $4.88 billion reserved for dividend and interest payments, along with $640.5 million in separate cash as of October 11. These balances provide flexibility for future purchases and other corporate activities, though they do not specify how much might be used for additional Bitcoin acquisitions.
Strategy’s last reported transaction, disclosed on October 12, shows a $21.5 million Bitcoin purchase funded primarily through stock sales rather than solely cash, highlighting the company’s financing approach while increasing its total holdings to 848,250 BTC.
Momentum signals and technical overviewRecent attention has shifted to Bitcoin’s price momentum indicators, rather than just corporate accumulation. Price held steady near $81,616 on October 18, as the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stood at 46.5—reflecting neutral momentum rather than a strong directional trend.
Analyst OxSweep contrasted the current RSI environment with previous market cycles. While a similar decline in May saw Bitcoin’s price fall sharply as the RSI reset, this time the asset maintained high trading levels even as the indicator retreated.
Comparing the recent RSI reset to May, analysts observed that Bitcoin’s price has remained more resilient, pointing to continued market strength even during momentum shifts.
Fidelity’s technical manuals note the 40–50 RSI range as potential support within established bull markets. For now, Bitcoin remains within this band, suggesting consolidation rather than a confirmed new rally. The immediate focus is on whether the $80,000–$81,000 support zone holds and if a push toward $84,000 occurs.
Meme token market and investor behaviorAmid growing technical scrutiny and trading signal analysis, timing and token selection have become increasingly important across digital asset markets. In the meme token sector, a viral trend can rapidly translate into multimillion-dollar trading volumes. Data from Fomo App recently highlighted a striking example: an investment of just $99 in the “Niu Lai” token reportedly grew to about $370,000—all within a few days. These sharp moves underscore the need for careful monitoring, not just of prices but also investor behavior and strategic entry points.
Fomo App offers features such as integrated token discovery, social feeds, investor leaderboards, and trade notifications, helping users keep pace with the fast-changing meme token landscape and community activity.
Corporate buying activity, technical analysis, and the evolution of meme tokens all reflect the evolving complexity of digital asset markets. Market participants continue to watch for official disclosures that could confirm the next major acquisition or signal a shift in momentum for Bitcoin.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Galaxy Research analyzes why Bitcoin weakened in October, pointing to weak corporate treasury buying and ETF outflows as the primary causes.
Galaxy Research Head of Research Alex Thorn points out that Bitcoin’s weakness in October is tied to weak growth in corporate Bitcoin reserves and net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs. Using the “institutional absorption vs. long-term holder address distribution” metric for analysis, the calculation is: spot ETF net inflows plus net additions to corporate reserves, minus the amount of Bitcoin that has been dormant on-chain for over five years and reactivated. Data shows that as of October 18, the year-to-date net value of this metric stood at roughly negative 127,300 BTC, meaning the distribution of old coins from long-term holding addresses has overall outpaced institutional uptake. The analyst also noted that the year-to-date net inflow of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs returned to positive territory in September and has barely held steady since, currently at around $355 million, with a small net outflow recorded so far in October.
52 minutes ago
Qubic discloses security incident: Approximately $1.3 million in QU tokens stolen, affecting 1,404 Qubic wallets.
Qubic announced that between 23:42 UTC yesterday and 01:26 UTC today, attackers exploited insufficient randomness in the seed of some wallets to access and siphon approximately 2.94 trillion QU tokens from 1,404 Qubic wallets. The root cause lies in the seed generation mechanism, not the Qubic protocol itself. Affected seeds include those created in any iPhone or iPad browser before October 18, 2026, those created in Mac Safari on the same date, and those generated via the Qubic iOS App before July 2025. The network has been halted at tick 85,371,949. 87.1% of the stolen funds remain in the Qubic network and are frozen, while the remaining 12.9% has been transferred to MEXC, with the associated receiving accounts also frozen. Qubic said the seed generation issue has been fixed in version 4.26.4. Subsequent actions will be decided by the Computor quorum per network rules, and a full technical report will be published after a fund recovery plan is finalized.
52 minutes ago
US and South Korean stock market price preview for Monday: SK Hynix and Samsung are expected to open nearly 5% lower, while US stocks are set to open nearly flat in pre-market trading.
During the weekend when traditional markets are closed, Trade.xyz — dubbed the "On-Chain Nasdaq" — leverages perpetual contracts to enable continuous trading and real-time price discovery that traditional finance cannot achieve, pricing in advance the upcoming Monday’s U.S. and South Korean stock market trends. Most popular U.S. stock assets on Trade.xyz saw minor declines from their Friday after-hours levels, with an overall flat-to-slightly-weak opening expected on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: SpaceX is currently priced at $144.66, down from $145.47 in U.S. Friday after-hours trading; Micron (MU) is at $869.99, versus $875.98 in Friday after-hours; SanDisk (SNDK) is at $1,275.4, compared to $1,292.43 in Friday after-hours; NVIDIA is at $213.57, versus $213.75 in Friday after-hours; Marvell Technology (MRVL) is at $225.84, versus $226.9 in Friday after-hours; Intel is at $88.89, versus $89.33 in Friday after-hours; Google is at $339.68, versus $339.22 in Friday after-hours; AMD is at $527.09, matching its Friday after-hours level. Popular South Korean stocks on Trade.xyz have dropped notably from their Friday closing prices, with an expected opening decline of 4%–5% on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: Samsung Electronics is currently priced at $155.81, down from $161.75 at Friday’s close; SK Hynix is at $907.95, versus $954.75 at Friday’s close.
52 minutes ago
Bitcoin Jesus renounced his U.S. citizenship to evade taxes, only to be ordered to pay nearly $50 million in expatriation tax a decade later.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement with Roger Ver, known as "Bitcoin Jesus", under which fraud and tax evasion charges against him will be dropped in exchange for a maximum fine of $49.9 million. As one of the earliest Bitcoin evangelists, Ver purchased large amounts of Bitcoin in 2011 for less than $3 million. In February 2014, to avoid high tax burdens, he obtained citizenship of the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and renounced his U.S. citizenship the following month. At that time, he and his companies held at least 131,000 Bitcoin, worth over $70 million at the then-current price. He thought changing his nationality would let him escape the U.S.'s high taxes, but the U.S.'s strict "expatriation tax" foiled his plan. Under U.S. tax law, eligible expatriates must treat their global assets as if sold on the day before expatriation and pay capital gains tax. Ver reported $1.03 million in taxes, but not only failed to disclose his personal Bitcoin holdings, he also severely undervalued his company assets. A decade later, the IRS uncovered his fraudulent tax evasion (fraud and tax evasion are not subject to statute of limitations), ultimately forcing him to pay up to $49.9 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest—48 times the amount he had self-reported paying that year.
52 minutes ago
Justin Sun resumes trading PEPE after a two-year hiatus, receiving $28.44 million worth of the token from Poloniex's multi-signature address.
On-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa) has monitored that Justin Sun is trading PEPE again after a two-year hiatus. 22 hours ago, Sun’s address 0x176…0a132 received 7.2 trillion PEPE tokens from Poloniex’s multi-sig address, valued at $28.44 million. This marks his first on-chain PEPE transaction since June 2024, when the token was priced at $0.00001256.
52 minutes ago
CZ responds to the proposal to launch a BNB phone: Carrying a crypto phone around everywhere isn't necessarily a good idea.
Binance founder CZ responded to community user Spigg’s suggestion to launch a BNB phone, noting he rarely disagrees with Spigg but has reservations about the idea of “carrying a cryptocurrency phone around”. Earlier, Spigg had proposed a BNB phone that natively supports wallets, instant payments and transfers, and integrates access to BNB Chain ecosystem dApps, arguing this model would deliver a distinct experience on BNB Chain.
Exchange reserves rose from about 2.67 million BTC to 2.68 million BTC but remain low versus January.
Spot demand neared zero before turning negative, while perpetual futures demand stayed positive.
Holders of 100–1,000 BTC remain net accumulators, while the over-10,000 BTC cohort is still negative.
A durable recovery needs positive spot demand, buyers absorbing exchange inflows, and wider accumulation.
Bitcoin recovery remains uneven, according to updated CryptoQuant charts reviewed in a new XWIN Japan column. Exchange reserves, spot demand, and whale behavior show mixed signals as the U.S. midterms approach.
Low reserves, whale accumulation, and improving estimated demand still support a possible base. However, the latest data shows that buying strength is not yet consistent across the market. The column examines three charts that explain where support holds and where it weakens.
Exchange Reserves Edge Higher
Exchange reserves measure the amount of BTC held on trading platforms. They have risen from roughly 2.67 million BTC in early October to around 2.68 million BTC. Despite the increase, reserves remain low compared with January. Low reserves do not mean supply keeps shrinking.
Source: Cryptoquant
Transfers may reflect custody changes rather than selling. Therefore, rising reserves alone do not prove that holders are selling.
The increase is modest, and it comes from a low base. The supports from the earlier column remain, yet the Bitcoin recovery is uneven.
The earlier column, published six days ago, listed low reserves among the signs of base building. That earlier analysis centered on Bitcoin base building ahead of the U.S. midterms.
A durable Bitcoin recovery now requires buyers to absorb BTC that returns to exchanges. Reserves are rising, so that condition matters more.
Spot Demand Loses Momentum
The 30-day demand chart shows spot demand approaching zero before turning negative again. Spot demand reflects direct BTC purchases, while perpetual futures involve derivatives.
Meanwhile, positive perpetual futures demand supports total demand. Spot buying therefore remains weaker than futures activity.
Source: Cryptoquant
The earlier column cited improving estimated demand. This new breakdown differs from the Apparent Demand metric discussed previously. Their values are not directly comparable, so the readings should be viewed separately.
Sustained positive spot demand is one of three conditions for a durable Bitcoin recovery. Without it, futures demand carries the total figure. Positive spot readings would show buyers acting directly in the market.
Whale Cohorts Show Mixed Behavior
Holders of 100–1,000 BTC remain net accumulators over 60 days. Their buying sits below the late-September peak despite a modest rebound. The cohort has kept buying through the past two months.
Net holding declines among the 1,000–10,000 BTC cohort have narrowed toward zero. Meanwhile, the cohort above 10,000 BTC remains negative.
Source: Cryptoquant
Accumulation is therefore not broad-based across holder groups. A durable recovery also needs accumulation to spread more widely.
These rolling figures include pre-October activity and can reflect transfers between cohorts. Conditions that could support a base still exist. Expectations around the midterms and monetary policy must translate into actual buying.
The key is whether rallies gain a growing, lasting base of buyers. Until then, the Bitcoin recovery depends on whether buying broadens beyond a single holder group.
Rising uncertainty on Wall Street and the problems faced by hedge funds could create a new bullish opportunity for Bitcoin (BTC). Jordi Visser, a macro investor with over 30 years of experience in financial markets, suggests that Bitcoin is beginning to diverge from traditional markets and that a strong rally could occur before the end of the year.
Evaluating recent market developments in a program he participated in, Visser argued that fluctuations in the artificial intelligence sector and losses experienced by hedge funds could create a favorable environment for Bitcoin.
According to Visser, a significant transformation is taking place in the traditional financial world. As artificial intelligence changes investment strategies, hedge funds that trade with high leverage are under increasing pressure, while Bitcoin is showing remarkable resilience in this process.
He Pointed to Late October and December for Bitcoin Answering the question of when Bitcoin’s next big surge might begin, Visser pointed to two key periods for the remainder of the year.
According to the renowned investor, the first opportunity may arise at the end of October, when major technology companies announce their financial results. Visser noted that renewed optimism in AI investments could also impact Bitcoin, and reminded that the US midterm elections on November 3rd coincide with this period.
Visser stated that the second potential upward trend would be in December, adding that hedge funds readjusting their positions as the year draws to a close could lead to sharp market movements.
Visser stated that he expects Bitcoin to move back towards its previous highs, but did not share any specific price target.
One of the main reasons Visser is optimistic about Bitcoin is the performance of the cryptocurrency market against traditional financial assets.
The analyst noted that Bitcoin has gained approximately 30% and Ethereum (ETH) has gained over 30% since June, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices have remained flat during the same period.
Visser noted that Bitcoin’s resistance in the $82,000-$85,000 range, despite selling pressure on stocks, could indicate a shift in investors’ approach to cryptocurrencies.
Visser also argued that Bitcoin’s risk-return performance over the past four months has been outstanding compared to many investment options in traditional markets.
“If I’m Right, the Thing to Do Is Buy Bitcoin” The renowned investor believes that artificial intelligence and tokenization technologies could fundamentally change the way the traditional financial sector operates.
He believes that making real-world assets tradable through tokenization could allow for freer movement of capital currently locked up in hedge funds and private credit markets.
Visser, arguing that this transformation could increase interest in Bitcoin, made a noteworthy assessment:
“If I’m right, the best way to protect against this is to buy Bitcoin.”
According to Visser, in a world where artificial intelligence is transforming companies and existing business models, Bitcoin could emerge as an alternative store of value for the financial world.
On the other hand, the analyst believes that developments in the tokenization field may become more pronounced in 2027 and could support new capital inflows into the sector.
*This is not investment advice.
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Bitcoin’s recovery is showing mixed signals, with recent CryptoQuant data indicating uneven market strength despite some signs of improvement. As the U.S. midterms approach, observers are closely watching trends in exchange reserves, spot demand, and large holder activity for clues about the market’s direction.
Exchange reserves rise from lowsThe amount of BTC held on exchanges increased slightly, reaching 2.68 million BTC from around 2.67 million BTC in early October. While this marks a modest uptick, reserves remain low compared to levels seen in January. Analysts note that such transfer patterns may reflect custody changes instead of outright selling, indicating that a rise in reserves does not necessarily equate to increased sell pressure.
Even so, the trend merits attention because past analysis linked low exchange reserves to a stronger Bitcoin base. As reserves grow, buyers may need to absorb larger inflows of BTC if a sustained recovery is to develop.
Reserves on exchanges are moving higher from a low starting point, but this alone does not confirm renewed selling or a clear change in market supply dynamics.
A lasting recovery could depend on whether the market is able to handle these higher reserves without seeing increased liquidation pressure.
Spot demand remains tepidLatest data shows that spot demand, reflected by direct purchases of BTC, has faded again. The 30-day metric recently fell to near zero and briefly turned negative. In contrast, demand from perpetual futures, or derivatives trading with no expiration, has remained positive, supporting overall demand but highlighting a reliance on leveraged traders rather than direct buyers.
This divergence between spot and derivative demand is seen as a weak point for market strength. Solid and sustained spot demand is considered one of the key requirements for building a durable market base.
For a stable and lasting recovery, buyers must show consistent spot demand and absorb any BTC returning to exchanges. The market now relies more on positive perpetual futures activity.
Positive spot readings would demonstrate buyer confidence and direct market support, something that is currently lacking.
Mini dictionary: Perpetual futures, a type of derivative contract traded on cryptocurrency exchanges, do not have an expiry date and allow traders to speculate on the price of digital assets using leverage. This instrument is popular for managing risk or seeking additional returns, but it increases market volatility due to leveraged positions.
Whale cohorts send mixed signalsSegmented data on Bitcoin holders shows disparate trends among large wallet groups. Holders of 100 to 1,000 BTC have maintained net accumulation over the last 60 days, though their pace of buying is below September’s highs. Meanwhile, entities holding 1,000 to 10,000 BTC have stabilized their positions, with net changes nearing zero. The largest group—holders of more than 10,000 BTC—remains net sellers according to recent figures.
Because accumulation is limited to select cohorts, the broad base needed for a strong recovery is lacking. Cross-group transfers and cohort activity sometimes obscure these patterns, but the absence of widespread accumulation underscores the caution among larger players.
Analysts believe that for Bitcoin to regain solid momentum, accumulation must extend beyond a single group and include a diverse set of market participants. News flow around macro events such as the U.S. midterm elections and shifts in monetary policy may eventually drive renewed interest, but this has yet to translate into widespread buying.
Until rally participation broadens, Bitcoin’s recovery will likely remain uneven and vulnerable to further swings driven by limited support.
Michael Saylor has hinted at another Bitcoin purchase for Strategy after the company reported holdings of 848,250 BTC, acquired for approximately $64 billion, in its latest weekly disclosure.
Summary
Michael Saylor hinted at further Bitcoin accumulation, although Strategy has not confirmed another purchase this weekend. Strategy’s latest filing shows holdings of 848,250 BTC, acquired for approximately $64 billion including transaction costs. The company bought 250 Bitcoin for $21.5 million during the week ending October 11, its latest disclosure. Strategy spent $192.4 million buying back STRC shares, nearly nine times its weekly Bitcoin purchase expenditure. Bitcoin traded near $81,000 on October 18, keeping Strategy’s holdings above their reported average acquisition cost. In an October 18 post on X, the Strategy co-founder wrote, “We found room for more orange,” alongside a chart showing the company’s Bitcoin buying history. The message suggested further accumulation but did not disclose a transaction amount, purchase date or confirmation of an executed trade.
Strategy’s latest official report, released October 12, showed that the company had purchased 250 BTC for 21.5millionduringtheweekendingOctober11.Ithadspentconsiderablymore—192.4 million—buying back its STRC preferred shares during the same period.
Bitcoin was trading near $81,000 on October 18, according to CoinGecko, placing the market price above Strategy’s reported average Bitcoin acquisition cost of $75,444.
Saylor hints at another Bitcoin purchase without confirming a deal Saylor’s Sunday post continued his practice of publishing charts showing Strategy’s Bitcoin transactions, with purchases represented by orange markers.
His message did not say how many coins the company might acquire or whether an additional transaction had already taken place.
The latest confirmed ownership figure remains 848,250 BTC, according to the company’s October 12 regulatory disclosure, covering activity through October 11.
Strategy’s purchases can be funded through several sources, including sales of common shares, preferred stock offerings and available company cash.
A new chart or social media message, however, does not establish that a transaction has been completed. Confirmation normally comes through the company’s financial disclosures, which identify the number of Bitcoin acquired, total spending and the resulting balance. Earlier this month, Saylor shared a similar message before the company announced its next weekly transactions.
On October 4, he posted another accumulation chart with the words “More orange than ever,” while Strategy’s latest disclosed Bitcoin holdings stood at 847,666 BTC. Crypto.news previously covered the October teaser, which followed a confirmed purchase of 1,665 BTC during the preceding reporting period. The October 18 post comes after Strategy released another set of figures showing a smaller weekly Bitcoin acquisition and substantial preferred-share repurchases.
A new filing covering purchases after October 11 would be needed to determine whether the latest message preceded an actual transaction.
In its October 12 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Strategy reported purchasing 250 BTC between October 5 and October 11.
The company spent approximately $21.5 million on those coins, paying an average of $86,194 per Bitcoin, including fees and expenses. Following that purchase, total holdings reached 848,250 BTC. Strategy reported aggregate acquisition costs of approximately $64 billion and an average purchase price of $75,444 per coin.
The holding represents roughly 4.04% of Bitcoin’s maximum supply of 21 million coins. That comparison uses Bitcoin’s fixed maximum issuance, not the number of coins currently circulating or available on exchanges. Strategy funded $21 million of the latest purchase using proceeds from sales of its Class A common stock, MSTR. Another $500,000 came from existing company cash.
The company sold 125,183 MSTR shares during the week, generating approximately $21 million in net proceeds. Its filing showed that approximately $18.81 billion of MSTR shares remained available for future issuance and sale under its existing at-the-market program as of October 11.
The availability of that issuance capacity does not mean the company has already sold those shares or committed the proceeds to Bitcoin purchases. Strategy’s reported average cost of $75,444 remains below Bitcoin’s October 18 market price. CoinGecko placed BTC at approximately $81,059 during the market check, with its 24-hour trading range running from $80,823 to $82,178.
At that price, multiplying 848,250 BTC by $81,059 gives an indicative portfolio value of approximately $68.76 billion. Compared with its reported $64 billion acquisition cost, the difference is around $4.76 billion before accounting for other company financial obligations, taxes or valuation adjustments. Those estimates depend on the market price used for the calculation and are not equivalent to Strategy’s company-level net profit.
STRC buybacks exceed latest Bitcoin spending Although Strategy continued buying Bitcoin during the week ending October 11, most of the spending disclosed across its Bitcoin acquisitions and preferred-share repurchases went toward STRC.
The company bought back 1,932,145 shares of its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock for approximately $192.4 million. That compares with the $21.5 million spent purchasing Bitcoin during the same seven-day reporting period.
Dividing the two amounts shows that the STRC repurchase was approximately 8.95 times the value of the Bitcoin purchase. The comparison covers two disclosed transactions, not all of Strategy’s corporate spending. STRC is one of several preferred-stock instruments issued by Strategy to raise capital and finance its operations. The security pays variable dividends, creating ongoing financial obligations for the company.
Repurchasing preferred shares can reduce the number of outstanding securities on which Strategy must make future dividend payments.
However, the October 12 filing does not establish that management chose to repurchase STRC specifically because its yield had reached 12.31%, as asserted in the supplied report. Strategy’s previous weekly capital allocation report covered the same $192.4 million buyback alongside the acquisition of 250 BTC.
A subsequent analysis of its share repurchases examined the distinction between funds used to buy cryptocurrency and those used to manage the company’s preferred-stock obligations.
According to the company’s official filing, approximately $354.8 million remained authorized under its digital credit securities repurchase program after the latest transactions. An additional $1 billion authorization remained available under its separate MSTR common-stock repurchase program. Neither authorization represents a completed transaction. The amounts establish the remaining capacity under the announced programs.
Strategy retains $5.52 billion in dollar assets Alongside its cryptocurrency holdings and preferred-share repurchases, Strategy reported substantial dollar-denominated assets. As of October 11, its designated USD Reserve totaled $4.88 billion, while other USD Cash stood at $640.5 million.
Combined, those balances equaled approximately $5.52 billion. The company’s filings describe the USD Reserve as money maintained to support preferred-stock dividends and interest payments on outstanding debt. Its separate USD Cash balance serves a different purpose, supporting general Bitcoin treasury activities, possible Bitcoin acquisitions, reserve additions and other capital-management uses.
During the October 5–11 period, Strategy used $500,000 of USD Cash to supplement the proceeds from common-stock sales used to purchase Bitcoin. The filing does not indicate that the entire combined $5.52 billion is intended for new Bitcoin acquisitions. The company had previously reported using part of its available cash to repurchase preferred shares, making its capital position dependent on more than the size of its Bitcoin holdings.
In related corporate treasury activity, an October 14 comparison of share buybacks examined how Strategy and Japanese Bitcoin holder Metaplanet were managing purchases of their own securities alongside cryptocurrency exposure. Strategy’s October 12 filing specified that $17.51 billion of STRC shares remained available for issuance and sale under its at-the-market offering program.
It reported no STRC shares sold during the latest week, while its common-stock sales supplied nearly all the funding for the newly acquired 250 BTC. The company ended that reporting period with $640.5 million in general-purpose USD Cash and $4.88 billion in its designated reserve.
Qubic discloses security incident: Approximately $1.3 million in QU tokens stolen, affecting 1,404 Qubic wallets.
Qubic announced that between 23:42 UTC yesterday and 01:26 UTC today, attackers exploited insufficient randomness in the seed of some wallets to access and siphon approximately 2.94 trillion QU tokens from 1,404 Qubic wallets. The root cause lies in the seed generation mechanism, not the Qubic protocol itself. Affected seeds include those created in any iPhone or iPad browser before October 18, 2026, those created in Mac Safari on the same date, and those generated via the Qubic iOS App before July 2025. The network has been halted at tick 85,371,949. 87.1% of the stolen funds remain in the Qubic network and are frozen, while the remaining 12.9% has been transferred to MEXC, with the associated receiving accounts also frozen. Qubic said the seed generation issue has been fixed in version 4.26.4. Subsequent actions will be decided by the Computor quorum per network rules, and a full technical report will be published after a fund recovery plan is finalized.
1 hours ago
Viewpoint: Bitcoin has completed bottom hunting to liquidate long positions, may shift to a short squeeze next week, and maintains a bullish stance above $79,800.
Renowned trader Killa reviewed Bitcoin’s weekly chart trends, noting that last week, BTC fell from $87,000 to the $80,000 range before bouncing back 50%. After the current weekly chart opened, the token rallied on Monday but faced persistent resistance, eventually retesting the prior week’s low around $80,000. Currently, longs are the main targets of market liquidations, so there’s a high chance the trend will shift to targeting shorts next week. For short-term trades, closely watch for a retest of this week’s low at $79,800; if that occurs, look for long entry opportunities. Killa laid out a clear observation framework: If BTC does not retest the lows, focus on the $83,600 level. If the price fails to break above this level, the market will remain in a range-bound capitulation phase; if it breaks through successfully, the rally will push higher. He expects next week’s weekly chart open will move upward, forcing late shorts who entered short positions against the recent rally to cover their positions. In the worst-case scenario for bulls, BTC could dip to the $76,000–$78,000 range. The analyst also explicitly ruled out the extreme scenario of a retest of $74,000.
1 hours ago
US and South Korean stock market price preview for Monday: SK Hynix and Samsung are expected to open nearly 5% lower, while US stocks are set to open nearly flat in pre-market trading.
During the weekend when traditional markets are closed, Trade.xyz — dubbed the "On-Chain Nasdaq" — leverages perpetual contracts to enable continuous trading and real-time price discovery that traditional finance cannot achieve, pricing in advance the upcoming Monday’s U.S. and South Korean stock market trends. Most popular U.S. stock assets on Trade.xyz saw minor declines from their Friday after-hours levels, with an overall flat-to-slightly-weak opening expected on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: SpaceX is currently priced at $144.66, down from $145.47 in U.S. Friday after-hours trading; Micron (MU) is at $869.99, versus $875.98 in Friday after-hours; SanDisk (SNDK) is at $1,275.4, compared to $1,292.43 in Friday after-hours; NVIDIA is at $213.57, versus $213.75 in Friday after-hours; Marvell Technology (MRVL) is at $225.84, versus $226.9 in Friday after-hours; Intel is at $88.89, versus $89.33 in Friday after-hours; Google is at $339.68, versus $339.22 in Friday after-hours; AMD is at $527.09, matching its Friday after-hours level. Popular South Korean stocks on Trade.xyz have dropped notably from their Friday closing prices, with an expected opening decline of 4%–5% on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: Samsung Electronics is currently priced at $155.81, down from $161.75 at Friday’s close; SK Hynix is at $907.95, versus $954.75 at Friday’s close.
1 hours ago
Bitcoin Jesus renounced his U.S. citizenship to evade taxes, only to be ordered to pay nearly $50 million in expatriation tax a decade later.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement with Roger Ver, known as "Bitcoin Jesus", under which fraud and tax evasion charges against him will be dropped in exchange for a maximum fine of $49.9 million. As one of the earliest Bitcoin evangelists, Ver purchased large amounts of Bitcoin in 2011 for less than $3 million. In February 2014, to avoid high tax burdens, he obtained citizenship of the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and renounced his U.S. citizenship the following month. At that time, he and his companies held at least 131,000 Bitcoin, worth over $70 million at the then-current price. He thought changing his nationality would let him escape the U.S.'s high taxes, but the U.S.'s strict "expatriation tax" foiled his plan. Under U.S. tax law, eligible expatriates must treat their global assets as if sold on the day before expatriation and pay capital gains tax. Ver reported $1.03 million in taxes, but not only failed to disclose his personal Bitcoin holdings, he also severely undervalued his company assets. A decade later, the IRS uncovered his fraudulent tax evasion (fraud and tax evasion are not subject to statute of limitations), ultimately forcing him to pay up to $49.9 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest—48 times the amount he had self-reported paying that year.
1 hours ago
Justin Sun resumes trading PEPE after a two-year hiatus, receiving $28.44 million worth of the token from Poloniex's multi-signature address.
On-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa) has monitored that Justin Sun is trading PEPE again after a two-year hiatus. 22 hours ago, Sun’s address 0x176…0a132 received 7.2 trillion PEPE tokens from Poloniex’s multi-sig address, valued at $28.44 million. This marks his first on-chain PEPE transaction since June 2024, when the token was priced at $0.00001256.
1 hours ago
CZ responds to the proposal to launch a BNB phone: Carrying a crypto phone around everywhere isn't necessarily a good idea.
Binance founder CZ responded to community user Spigg’s suggestion to launch a BNB phone, noting he rarely disagrees with Spigg but has reservations about the idea of “carrying a cryptocurrency phone around”. Earlier, Spigg had proposed a BNB phone that natively supports wallets, instant payments and transfers, and integrates access to BNB Chain ecosystem dApps, arguing this model would deliver a distinct experience on BNB Chain.
Bitcoin traded near $81,800 on Thursday, with market participants closely monitoring whether the cryptocurrency will maintain key support or break higher toward the next resistance levels. As of the latest CoinGecko data, Bitcoin posted a modest 0.55% daily gain, though it remains down 1.16% over the past week. The price currently hovers in a narrow range as buyers and sellers test their resolve at significant support and resistance zones.
Key price levels: $80,700 support and $83,500 resistanceMarket analyst Don (@DonWedge), known for technical analysis in the crypto world, highlighted that Bitcoin successfully retested $80,700—a price level marked as the upper limit of its recent consolidation. Don noted that this level, previously resistance, has flipped to support since the September breakout. He emphasized that a daily close below $80,700 would potentially move Bitcoin back into its consolidation range, with $75,500 as the next major level to watch on the downside.
According to CoinGecko, Bitcoin’s latest price reached $81,778.53 with a 24-hour trading volume of about $15.8 billion. Price action has remained relatively flat this week, signaling hesitation from both bulls and bears.
If $80,700 continues to hold, buyers could aim for higher targets, while a close below this support likely brings the $75,500 zone into focus.
Despite a strong recovery from the $63,000–$65,000 zone in August, Bitcoin remains unable to post a decisive daily close above the $82,000–$83,000 resistance area, leaving the current rally without clear follow-through momentum.
Mixed technical signals and momentum indicatorsTechnical indicators present a mixed picture for Bitcoin. The Ichimoku Cloud, a technical system based on dynamic averages, shows the coin trading just below its short-term Tenkan-sen line at $82,076, and under the longer-term Kijun-sen baseline at $83,539, both of which act as resistance. On the positive side, the projected cloud remains green, suggesting a continued bias for recovery in the longer term.
Mini dictionary: Ichimoku Cloud, a technical indicator providing support/resistance and momentum signals, built on multiple moving averages and visually represented as a “cloud” on the price chart.
Momentum analysis via the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) points to a reading of 48.29, slightly below its moving average (51.48) and under the neutral 50 mark. This suggests a lack of strong trend in either direction, while still remaining distant from the oversold region at 30. Trade volume is also subdued compared to the activity during the August surge.
IndicatorValueSignalTenkan-sen$82,076Below price, resistanceKijun-sen$83,539Above price, major resistanceRSI (14-day)48.29Neutral-bearishVolumeModerateNo clear trendPivotal scenarios: breakout or return to the consolidation boxA bullish scenario would require a daily close above $83,500, ideally accompanied by increasing trading volume. That could pave the way for moves toward $85,000 and the next resistance zone near $86,200 marked by the descending trendline Don referenced.
Mister Crypto (@misterrcrypto), another popular analyst, observed relatively thin sell orders on the order books until $87,000, suggesting less resistance above. However, he cautioned that order books shift rapidly, and thin sell zones do not ensure an immediate rally. Whale buy clusters are concentrated between $70,000 and $80,000, which could act as strong support should the price test lower regions.
Whale buy orders are accumulating in the $70,000 to $80,000 band, while a rally could unfold if Bitcoin closes above $83,500 on strong volume.
Sustained sideways movement between $81,000 and $83,500 remains a realistic scenario, with momentum and order flow balanced for now. Should Bitcoin close below $80,700, analysts expect support at $79,000–$80,000 and $76,000–$77,000, while clusters of large buy orders may limit further downside and possibly set a higher low for the next trend attempt.
HONG KONG, October 18, 2026 – As quantum computing advances, the challenge extends beyond Bitcoin’s cryptography to the financial infrastructure built around it.
Quantum computing is emerging as one of Bitcoin’s long-term security challenges. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could theoretically compromise the digital signatures protecting Bitcoin transactions, potentially exposing funds associated with vulnerable public keys.
While no publicly demonstrated quantum computer is currently capable of such an attack at scale, the implications extend beyond Bitcoin itself. As Bitcoin becomes increasingly integrated into decentralized finance (DeFi) through tokenized assets such as Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), a future cryptographic transition would affect not only the Bitcoin network, but also the financial infrastructure built around it.
The question is no longer simply whether Bitcoin can become quantum-resistant, but whether the broader ecosystem can evolve alongside it.
Beyond the Bitcoin Network
Bitcoin’s transition to quantum-resistant cryptography would require more than introducing new signature schemes. Wallets, exchanges, custodians and infrastructure providers would need to adapt their systems, potentially migrating existing BTC holdings to new security standards.
Proposals such as BIP-360 reflect ongoing efforts to explore Bitcoin’s future cryptographic architecture. Yet coordinating adoption across a decentralized ecosystem could take years.
For tokenized Bitcoin, the challenge becomes more complex. Even if Bitcoin adopts quantum-resistant cryptography, the custody systems, smart contracts and networks supporting tokenized assets would still require independent security assessments.
Securing Bitcoin itself does not automatically secure everything built around it.
WBTC and the Next Generation of Bitcoin Infrastructure
As an established tokenized Bitcoin asset in DeFi, WBTC illustrates the scale and complexity of securing Bitcoin across multiple financial ecosystems.
With 116,000 WBTC in circulation, representing approximately $9.5 billion in Bitcoin-backed assets, WBTC’s infrastructure supports Bitcoin liquidity across lending protocols, decentralized exchanges and multiple blockchain networks.
Backed 1:1 by BTC held in custody, WBTC’s long-term resilience depends not only on Bitcoin’s underlying cryptography, but also on reserve security, custody operations and the infrastructure supporting minting and redemption.
A future quantum-resistant transition could require custodians to evaluate their key-management systems, migrate underlying BTC reserves and maintain operational continuity throughout the process.
Against this backdrop, WBTC is preparing to migrate to new Custodian Bitcoin Deposit Addresses (CBDAs) as part of its custody infrastructure management. Bitcoin address management is relevant to long-term security because public-key exposure can influence vulnerability to potential quantum attacks. However, the security implications depend on address types and transaction histories, and address migration alone does not establish quantum resistance.
WBTC has also publicly announced its exploration of a multi-custodian reserve model, aimed at reducing custody concentration risk and strengthening operational resilience. While diversification does not directly address quantum vulnerabilities, it could provide greater flexibility as security standards evolve, depending on implementation.
Together, these initiatives highlight the importance of both reserve security and operational resilience as Bitcoin’s financial ecosystem expands. Neither replaces the need for quantum-resistant cryptography, but both illustrate the infrastructure considerations involved in preparing for future changes.
Preparing for the Next Era
The timeline for quantum computing remains uncertain, but preparing for potential cryptographic changes is a long-term challenge for the entire Bitcoin ecosystem.
For WBTC, this means considering how custody arrangements, reserve management and supporting blockchain infrastructure could evolve alongside Bitcoin’s security standards.
Bitcoin’s quantum transition may begin with cryptography, but its success will depend on the resilience of the infrastructure connecting Bitcoin to the wider financial ecosystem.
About WBTC – Bitcoin’s Passport to DEFI
WBTC is the new Bitcoin standard. A singular identity for Bitcoin across multiple chains. It brings Bitcoin into environments where speed, capital efficiency, and scale are essential, while maintaining fidelity to Bitcoin’s original principles. There is no second. WBTC stands alone in its role, trusted, verifiable, and engineered for a multichain world.
Disclaimer: Information provided is for information purposes only and is not financial advice. No representation or warranty has been made as to the content, accuracy, timeliness, suitability or completeness of such information. Participation in DeFi carries risks, always do your own research.
Bitcoin and XRP price trends remained weak ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, with recent recovery attempts losing momentum.
Bitcoin traded above $81,800, while XRP struggled below $1.30 as the broader cryptocurrency market sought firmer footing.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister outlined a conditional timetable for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Abbas Araghchi said shipping could resume within six days if Washington accepted Tehran’s terms. Negotiations would restart on the seventh day under the proposal, which still requires American approval.
BREAKING: 🇮🇷 Iran’s Foreign Minister says the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within 6 days if the US accepts its terms with negotiations set to resume on day 7.
— Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) October 18, 2026
U.S. Midterm Elections 2026: Americans Vote on November 3 Midterm elections for the U.S. Congress are Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, to decide control of both chambers. Voters will elect all 435 House members and 35 senators, including seats contested through special elections.
The nationwide vote comes halfway through President Donald Trump’s second term, with his legislative agenda facing a crucial test. There will also be races for governorships in 36 states and many other state legislative and local government races.
Some Americans get to vote early in the states where early voting is available, with different states having different schedules and deadlines for early voting.
The November elections are set for across-the-country contests that will kick off new congressional terms on Jan. 3, 2027. The results will shape federal spending, lawmaking, and oversight for two years.
Bitcoin and XRP price action remains under scrutiny on Sunday as ETF withdrawals and Michael Saylor’s message draw market attention.
The SEC’s proposed crypto framework remains open for comments until October 20, leaving claims of Monday’s rollout unconfirmed.
Saylor Signals Buying as ETF Demand Weakens Michael Saylor’s message, “We found room for more orange,” has renewed speculation about another Bitcoin purchase by Strategy. The company reports 848,250 BTC, while the size and timing of its next purchase remain undisclosed.
We found room for more orange. https://t.co/XAgiEZbXgO
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) October 18, 2026
The Federal Reserve meets October 27–28, with its decision due October 28 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
Fedmatch data U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $82.39 million on October 16, including $71.78 million withdrawn from BlackRock’s IBIT.
Meanwhile, XRP ETFs recorded $1.84 million in weekly outflows, ending 13 consecutive weeks of positive flows. The funds attracted fresh capital on only one trading day during the week, according to reported flow data.
Source: Sosovalue data XRP ETFs recorded daily net outflows of $2.47 million, with total net assets of $1.47 billion.
Bitcoin and XRP Price Levels to Watch Bitcoin long-term prediction faces resistance near $82,000, with $82,500 becoming a potential recovery target if buyers secure a sustained breakout. Support is near $81,000, and a breakdown could lead to $80,700 and then $80k.
Source: BTC/USDT 4-hour chart: TradingView XRP price is currently consolidating around $1.29, initially supported by $1.27, and with a resistance level between $1.31 and $1.32. Based on current chart analysis, a breakout above $1.35 will leave $1.25 exposed, should the support level be broken.
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