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Solana price rose 3.38% to $121.82 over 24 hours, extending recent gains as the broader cryptocurrency market recovered. 

The SOL has climbed 25% over the past month, bringing the $130 level into focus during the recovery.

Bitcoin price gained 2.88% as easing Treasury yields and short covering helped lift sentiment ahead of key U.S. economic data.

More than $244 million in short positions were liquidated across the cryptocurrency market during the same 24-hour period. Ethereum also joined the rebound, rising 2.06% to $2,761 as the recovery extended beyond Bitcoin into other major cryptocurrencies.

Solana Open Interest Climbs to $7.29 Billion as Volume Falls The Solana derivatives market was mixed, as the volume of trading fell by 4.48% to trade at 8.67 billion. The open interest increased by 1.74% to reach an amount of $7.29 billion, the total amount of open derivatives contracts. 

The volume of options rose by 11.03% to $19.56 million, which means that people are more interested in that part. But options open interest fell 11.19% to $87.32 million, signaling reduced outstanding exposure amid increased trading volume.

Solana Records Strong App Revenue and Record Equity Participation The Solana network earned $6.04 million in daily DApp revenues, outperforming Ethereum, Hyperliquid and BSC, together. Ethereum’s figure was $2.48 million, Hyperliquid’s was $1.63 million and BSC’s was $1.48 million.

NEW: @Solana surpasses Ethereum, Hyperliquid and BSC combined in 24-hour dApps revenue. pic.twitter.com/yfLPI3eOFa

— SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) October 2, 2026

The three competitors combined for $5.59 million, which is $450,000 more than Solana has over the reported period. In a separate report, data from Blockworks revealed that, as of October 1, 2026, there were a record 1,278,009 addresses on Solana that held tokenized equities.

Blockworks The accompanying post stated 775,000 new tokenised equity holders in just one month, a huge jump in participation. The figures represent addresses that have tokenized equity products, which could not necessarily correspond to the number of individual investors.

Solana Price Eyes $130 as Bullish Momentum Builds Above $120 The SOL price rose to $121.87 on October 2nd, after a few trading periods that saw the SOL price trending around $120. 

The Relative Strength Index was at 6.3. That reading showed strong uptrend around the 60 level, which was still lower than the overbought threshold of 70.

The MACD line stood at 0.50, exceeding the signal line’s 0.06 reading. Its histogram increased to 0.44, supporting the bullish crossover visible in the supplied analysis. 

Source: TradingView Immediate upside resistance remained at $125, close to the late-September peak. A sustained four-hour close above that barrier could open the way toward the marked $130 target as per Solana price outlook for long term. Reaching that level would represent approximately 6.7% upside from the displayed quote.

However, holding $120 remained central to the bullish scenario outlined by this setup. A decisive break below that area could expose the next marked support at $115.

Bitget’s attacker has moved much of the exchange’s $387.5 million theft toward Bitcoin through cross-chain services, while only around $840,000 had been publicly frozen five days after the Sept. 24 breach.

Summary

Bitget says attackers moved $387.5 million from hot and warm wallets across blockchains in September. BlockSec estimates attackers still controlled roughly $342 million five days after the Bitget theft began. Tether, Circle and NEAR Intents froze roughly $840,000, equal to only 0.2% of stolen funds. THORChain handled about $269 million in pass-through value, while Bitcoin became the main consolidation asset. North Korea remains suspected, but BlockSec says current onchain evidence does not establish attacker identity. BlockSec reported that the stolen funds followed three main paths: quickly converting assets that issuers could freeze, consolidating value from several chains into Bitcoin and gradually sending BTC into CoinJoin transactions.

The security firm based its analysis on addresses published through Bitget’s tracking dashboard and a Sept. 29 snapshot, meaning the balances and laundering totals can continue changing as funds move.

How did the Bitget hacker move the stolen money? Bitget said the breach began at 18:31 UTC on Sept. 24 with unauthorized transfers from portions of its hot and warm wallet infrastructure.

BlockSec found that the first transactions involved tiny test transfers of 0.84 ETH and 93 TRX. Larger withdrawals started at 18:58 UTC, while Bitget’s reconciliation system detected a discrepancy seven minutes later and blocked ordinary customer withdrawals.

The attackers were not relying on the normal customer withdrawal process, according to Bitget. The exchange said a vulnerability in a third-party security product gave the attackers high-level internal credentials, which were then used to submit forged withdrawal commands directly into its wallet system.

Private keys were not compromised, Bitget said, while its cold wallets remained unaffected. Independent investigations by Mandiant and SlowMist later confirmed that compromised third-party security software enabled unauthorized access to the exchange’s wallet environment.

The loss was initially estimated at $351.6 million before Bitget expanded the figure to roughly $387.5 million after accounting for Zcash and Tron transfers. BlockSec counted 13 stolen assets across 12 chains, with XRP representing the largest single-chain loss.

Assets that could be frozen were moved first. BlockSec found roughly $75.48 million in USDT, USDC and USDT0, plus 3,000 XAUt tokens, were converted into ETH or AVAX within 41 minutes of their theft.

Uniswap, UniswapX, 1inch and MetaMask’s built-in swap service appeared among the routes used. BlockSec said all those conversions were completed before Bitget CEO Gracy Chen publicly disclosed the breach.

Why has only $840K of Bitget’s $387M been frozen? Once the assets had been converted, the attacker began moving value between chains and toward Bitcoin.

BlockSec estimated that around $269 million in pass-through value moved through THORChain across 7,804 transactions by its Sept. 29 snapshot. Chainflip handled roughly $37.27 million, while USDT0/LayerZero, Circle’s CCTP, Across and Stargate appeared in other routes.

Those figures cannot be added together as separate stolen amounts. BlockSec cautioned that the same funds can move through more than one protocol while traveling between chains.

Nearly five days into the laundering process, BlockSec estimated attacker-controlled wallets still held approximately $342 million, equal to 88.3% of the original stolen amount. Bitcoin accounted for around 83.7% of that balance, or roughly 3,386 BTC.

Publicly visible freezes were much smaller.

Tether and Circle had immobilized around $340,000 in stablecoins. Much of that money became vulnerable to freezing because it remained at addresses long enough for the issuers to respond.

NEAR Intents separately said its SHIELD risk system caught attempts to route more than $50 million through the service. BlockSec’s review of the disclosure found roughly $503,000 was stopped during execution, while around $166,000 passed through.

The NEAR Intents figures carry an estimated error margin of up to 10%, according to the service’s own disclosure.

Earlier coverage of NEAR Intents blocking Bitget-linked transfers found that some funds were left in pending transactions after being flagged during the swap process.

Combined, the Tether, Circle and NEAR Intents actions put publicly visible frozen funds near $840,000, just 0.2% of the amount stolen.

Why did so much Bitget crypto move through THORChain? THORChain became the largest cross-chain route identified by BlockSec, drawing criticism from Bitget as stolen ETH continued to be converted into BTC.

Chen publicly asked THORChain to reject known attacker addresses, arguing that “decentralization is a design principle, not a shield” for stolen funds.

THORChain rejected the request and said its emergency halt functions are designed to protect the protocol as a whole, not selectively censor individual transactions.

The network said an emergency halt “is not a selective freeze” of a specific transaction or user.

A Bitget-linked wallet later swapped about $6.3 million of ETH into Bitcoin through THORChain, completing 27 swaps that produced approximately 75.2 BTC.

Other stolen funds reached Bitcoin mixers. BlockSec counted about $3.94 million entering CoinJoin transactions by Sept. 29.

One Sept. 27 CoinJoin transaction contained 356 inputs and 401 outputs. Four inputs, each containing 2.5 BTC, came from addresses Bitget’s tracker identified as belonging to the attacker.

Separate tracking of Bitget funds entering Wasabi CoinJoin previously found a route starting on Tron, passing through Ethereum and THORChain, then reaching Bitcoin before mixing.

Did North Korea carry out the Bitget hack? North Korean involvement remains an assessment, not a confirmed attribution by law enforcement.

Chen has said IP behavior and onchain patterns were “consistent with techniques used by DPRK-linked hacker groups.” Bitget said some IP addresses matched VPN infrastructure previously associated with a North Korean group, but the technical evidence behind that comparison has not been made public.

BlockSec found other possible links, including overlap with laundering methods used in attacks attributed to TraderTraitor and the use of THORChain to convert assets into Bitcoin.

Researcher ZachXBT identified several Chinese-speaking underground money launderers that he said were handling funds for the attacker. One had reportedly appeared in laundering activity connected with an earlier exploit.

Arkham separately pointed to the use of a peel-chain technique frequently associated with North Korean-linked operations.

BlockSec cautioned against treating those similarities as proof of attacker identity. Money-laundering services can work for different clients, while protocols such as THORChain and CoinJoin are available to unrelated users.

The security firm said the evidence points more directly to possible reuse of laundering groups than proof that the same hackers carried out earlier North Korean-linked attacks.

The comparison has centered partly on the 2025 Bybit theft. U.S. authorities formally attributed that $1.5 billion attack to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation, while THORChain was heavily used to move the stolen Bybit funds.

No law-enforcement agency has publicly attributed the Bitget breach to North Korea as of the latest verified updates.

What happens next for Bitget and the stolen funds? Bitget continues to trace wallets and is offering a bounty for recoveries. The exchange offers qualifying participants 5% of funds they directly help freeze and another 5% for funds successfully recovered.

The Bitget recovery bounty was launched while Mandiant, SlowMist, exchanges and blockchain investigators continued tracking attacker addresses.

Bitget has already restored Bitcoin, Ether and USDT withdrawals in phases. Its published schedule places other tokens, fiat withdrawals and P2P services at 08:00 UTC on Oct. 2, although the exchange’s official incident page had not yet posted a separate confirmation of that final reopening when checked.

Bitget says the exploited vulnerability has been fixed and user balances remain unaffected. Its forensic investigation, law-enforcement work, fund tracing and recovery effort remain open, while the exchange says further material findings will be published through its official security updates.

Bitcoin tests resistance as Ethereum and XRP consolidate, while Quant and Lighter retreat. Key chart levels and conditional scenarios for October 2, 2026.

Asset Price Rolling 24-hour change Aggregate 24-hour volume Bitcoin (BTC) $85,551 +2.19% $34.93 billion Ethereum (ETH) $2,719.30 +0.89% $14.24 billion XRP $1.51 +0.70% $2.53 billion Quant (QNT) $250.12 −15.80% $453.03 million Lighter (LIT) $3.79 −6.39% $93.07 million Bitcoin Tests $85,520 After a Stronger Daily Close Bitcoin closed October 1 at $84,842, gaining 1.51% from the previous session’s $83,578. The daily high of $85,183 remained below the $85,210–$85,520 resistance zone identified in yesterday’s report, so the completed candle preserved the existing range.

Bitcoin’s October 1 close remained below resistance while its 20-day SMA rose to approximately $81,684. Friday’s later $85,551 quote edged above that zone. This is an intraday move; it does not establish a daily closing breakout. The distinction matters because September 30 also saw price push higher before retreating into the close.

The 20-day simple moving average rose from approximately $81,302 to $81,684. Price remains above this rising average, supporting the broader recovery from mid-September even as the shorter-term range remains unresolved.

A daily close above $85,520, followed by a successful retest, would strengthen the case for revisiting the September 21–23 highs around $87,250–$87,330. A close back inside the range would leave that upside scenario unconfirmed.

On the downside, October 1’s $83,182 low is the nearest session reference, followed by the $82,580–$82,950 support area. Losing $82,580 on a daily close would weaken the consolidation and bring the rising 20-day average into focus.

Ethereum’s MACD Improves Beneath $2,743 Resistance Ethereum ended October 1 at $2,705.30, up 0.77% from $2,684.57. Its $2,720.25 session high remained beneath the $2,737–$2,743 resistance cluster, leaving the same ceiling in place despite a firmer close.

Ethereum remains beneath $2,743; four-hour MACD shows a positive histogram at the completed-candle cutoff. Four-hour MACD, using 12, 26 and 9-period settings, offers a cautiously stronger short-term reading. The MACD line crossed above its signal on the completed candle ending October 1 at 12:00 UTC and remained above it through the chart cutoff.

At 00:00 UTC on October 2, the line stood near 2.95 and the signal near 0.78. The positive histogram widened from 1.44 to 2.17 over the latest bar. That expansion reflects improving momentum after the crossover, rather than a new crossover on the final candle. Both lines were above zero.

Price confirmation remains separate. A daily close above $2,743 would reopen the $2,787–$2,804 September highs. A subsequent fall below the reclaimed resistance would weaken that breakout scenario.

October 1’s $2,674 low provides an initial support reference. Below it, the $2,635–$2,658 area contains several recent session lows. A daily close below $2,635 would break that support structure and undercut the improving short-term momentum signal.

XRP Holds Above Its Bollinger Midpoint XRP again closed near $1.49 on October 1 after trading between approximately $1.48 and $1.51. The rounded daily feed shows little change from September 30, while Friday’s later quote of $1.51 still sat beneath the established $1.53–$1.56 resistance band.

XRP holds above its daily Bollinger midpoint, near the $1.45–$1.47 support zone. Daily Bollinger Bands, calculated with a 20-day simple moving average and two population standard deviations, place the midpoint near $1.448. The upper band stood near $1.629 and the lower band near $1.267 at the completed daily close.

XRP remains above the midpoint but has not reclaimed the recent horizontal highs. The bands provide context for the trading range; being above their midpoint alone does not confirm that another advance has started.

The midpoint now overlaps the lower edge of the $1.45–$1.47 support zone. A daily close below $1.45 would weaken this base and expose earlier trading areas near $1.41 and $1.37. The lower band is a changing volatility measure, not an automatic downside destination.

Conversely, a daily close above $1.56 would clear the nearby resistance band and support a retest of $1.61–$1.66. A return below $1.53 after such a break would weaken the recovery case. Compared with yesterday, the principal horizontal levels remain intact.

Quant Loses Yesterday’s Retracement Support Quant’s October 1 candle closed at $245.16, down 14.54% from $286.87. The session reached $305.07 before falling to $242.22, leaving the close near the day’s low and below the $261.50–$276.75 retracement area discussed yesterday.

Quant closed below the 61.8% retracement of its September 28–30 rebound. The Fibonacci anchors remain the September 28 low of $196.87 and September 30 high of $326.12. Measuring the pullback from that upward swing gives $276.75 at 38.2%, $261.50 at 50%, and $246.24 at 61.8%.

The completed daily close fell just below the 61.8% level. Friday’s $250.12 quote subsequently recovered above it, but a live reclaim does not yet reverse the daily loss of support.

Holding the $242.22 session low and closing back above $246.24 would be an initial stabilization signal. A stronger recovery would require a close above $261.50, followed by a challenge to $276.75. The former support area therefore becomes the immediate recovery test.

A daily close below $242.22 would instead leave the September 29 low of $205.52 and September 28 low of $196.87 as the next visible references. That downside scenario would weaken if QNT reclaimed and held $261.50.

Lighter Remains Near Its Recent Lows Lighter closed October 1 at $3.81, down 3.54% from $3.95. Its daily high stalled at $4.11 for a second consecutive session, while the $3.76 low remained above the September 29–30 lows of $3.65–$3.66.

Lighter consolidates above $3.65–$3.66; four-hour Wilder RSI stands at 36.17. The daily sequence shows a decline from September 24’s $5.54 high toward those lows, with repeated lower highs preceding the latest consolidation. The two sessions capped at $4.11 have not yet reversed that structure.

Four-hour RSI, calculated over 14 periods with Wilder smoothing, fell from 38.90 to 36.17 on the latest completed candle. The reading remains below the neutral 50 line, indicating subdued momentum, but above the conventional 30 oversold threshold. It does not establish a reversal signal.

A daily close above $4.11 would be the first clearer recovery confirmation. Holding that level could bring the earlier $4.32–$4.45 trading area back into view; RSI recovering above 50 would provide supporting momentum evidence.

A daily close below $3.65 would break the recent floor and invalidate the developing base. The available daily window contains no lower established swing low, so a deeper technical target is not assigned. Any recovery above $4.11 would lose credibility if price subsequently fell back below $3.95.

TLDR Core Lightning told node operators running version 26.06.7 or earlier to upgrade right away after reports of attackers targeting unpatched nodes. The team has not said which flaws are being used or whether any funds have been lost. Version 26.06.8, released Sept. 22, fixed bugs that could crash nodes, use up memory or cause lost funds during channel closures. Earlier fixes in August followed a wave of AI generated vulnerability reports. Other Lightning software, including BTCPay Server and Zeus Wallet, faced security incidents this year. Core Lightning has warned Bitcoin Lightning Network node operators to upgrade their software right away. The team said it received reports that attackers are targeting nodes running version 26.06.7 or earlier.

“Urgent security update: If you’re running version 26.06.7 or earlier, please upgrade to the latest release as soon as possible,” the team said.

The project has not said which flaws the attackers are using. It also has not said whether any attacks have worked or caused users to lose funds.

What the Latest Patch Fixed Version 26.06.8 came out on Sept. 22. It followed a Sept. 16 notice that developers were looking into a possible problem with experimental features that could affect user funds.

Urgent security update: If you’re running version 26.06.7 or earlier, please upgrade to the latest release as soon as possible.

We’ve received reports that attackers are targeting unpatched nodes. Keeping your node up to date is an important step in protecting your funds. https://t.co/E9ggGJsIit

— Core Lightning ⚡️ (@Core_LN) October 2, 2026

The release fixed several security flaws. One bug could crash a sender’s node. Another allowed requests through the REST interface to use up a node’s memory.

A third bug carried a direct financial risk. Under certain conditions, a user could lose funds to a penalty when closing a channel.

Release notes credited the Bitcoin Red Team, 12 named researchers and groups, and several anonymous reporters. Core Lightning said there was no embargo on the update.

Developers did keep a small number of tests private. They said this would make it harder for attackers to reverse engineer the flaws while operators updated.

AI Reports Led to Earlier Fixes The security work began in August. Developers faced a high volume of vulnerability reports as AI models were used to scan open source code.

Not every report described a real problem. Developers reviewed the submissions and confirmed several as genuine.

Version 26.06.7 was released on Aug. 28 to fix those issues. Its source code was held back for two weeks so operators could update before attackers studied the changes.

Operators who could not upgrade at the time were told they could use an offline mode. This cut the node off from peers and stopped payments, but let it keep watching the Bitcoin blockchain for channel transactions.

At that stage, the project did not report evidence of successful attacks or lost funds.

Other Lightning software has also faced problems this year. In August, BTCPay Server warned of an active exploit affecting versions before 2.4.2. The flaw exposed LND administrator credentials, and funds were drained from some nodes.

BTCPay Server backed a 10% recovery bounty, capped at 3 bitcoin. Days earlier, Zeus Wallet took its infrastructure offline after a cyberattack but said no customer funds were lost.

Bitcoin Core also disclosed a high severity bug in May that could let a miner crash vulnerable nodes. It had already been patched in version 29.0 before it was made public.

For Core Lightning users, the current instruction is direct. Nodes running 26.06.7 or older should move to the latest release as soon as possible, while the project has yet to disclose the attack method.

Citigroup raised its 12-month Bitcoin (BTC) price target to $113,000 from $82,000, betting that exchange-traded fund (ETF) buyers keep returning. Its Ethereum (ETH) forecast rose to $3,028, leaving far less room above the current price.

Fund flows turned against that bet the same day. US spot Bitcoin ETFs shed $148.69 million on September 30, the date of Citi’s note.

Why Did Citi Reverse Its June Cut So Quickly?Citi analyst Alex Saunders tied the revision to improvement across every input the bank tracks.

“The increase draws from all three components of our process: activity, macro, and ETF flows. Debasement fears alongside SEC agency rulemaking, spurred paradoxically by the failed Clarity Act, helped crypto reclaim technical levels,” Saunders said.

The flow assumption shows how far the outlook swung. Citi’s June 30 note, reported by Reuters, cut its 12-month ETF inflow estimate to zero from $10 billion.

That note also lowered Bitcoin to $82,000 from $112,000 and Ethereum to $2,240 from $3,175. At the time, BTC traded near $59,000 and ETH near $1,600.

Citi now expects $5 billion of inflows over 12 months, arriving as advisers and brokerages raise Bitcoin allocations gradually.

Saunders also pointed to the charts, saying ETF inflows resumed as prices broke above their 200-day moving averages. Bitcoin logged a September 8 golden cross, when its 50-day average rose above the 200-day line.

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Does Ethereum’s Target Leave Room After a 71% Rally?Bitcoin and Ethereum have gained 42.7% and 70.8% in Q3, Coinglass data showed. Their year-to-date losses have narrowed to about 3% and 8.4%. Bitcoin also posted its first all-green third quarter on record.

BTC traded at $84,591 at press time, up 1.18% over 24 hours, per BeInCrypto Markets data. Citi’s target sits about 34% higher.

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto MarketsIt also tops the $100,000 call for 2027 from VanEck’s head of digital assets research, Matthew Sigel. Demand heading into October looks thinner, though.

Bitcoin ETF demand cooled late in September, while CryptoQuant estimates apparent spot demand shrank by 170,000 BTC in 30 days.

ETH traded at $2,699.46, up 0.34% on the day, so the new forecast implies only about 12% upside. Even the raised figure stays below the $3,175 target Citi held before June 30.

Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto MarketsThe supply factors remain supportive, though. Santiment data last week put just 3.49% of ETH supply on exchanges, leaving fewer coins to sell. Ethereum ETFs, however, ended a 7-day inflow streak on September 29.

Citi’s June cut and latest upgrade both moved with its ETF flow assumption. Fund data through the Fed’s October 27 to 28 meeting should show whether that inflow assumption holds up.

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The team behind Core Lightning, an open-source node software for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, has urged operators running older versions to upgrade immediately after receiving reports of attackers targeting unpatched nodes.

“Urgent security update: If you’re running version 26.06.7 or earlier, please upgrade to the latest release as soon as possible,” the team said on Friday.

Core Lightning did not specify which vulnerabilities attackers were targeting or the potential impact. Cointelegraph reached out to Core Lightning for comment.

Source: Blockstream

On Sept. 16, Core Lightning said it was investigating reports of a potential issue affecting experimental features in Core Lightning that could impact user funds. It then released version 26.06.8 around six days later.

The Sept. 22 update delivered bug fixes alongside patches for “vulnerabilities responsibly reported by a number of sources.” The release notes credit the Bitcoin Red Team and 12 other named individuals and groups, along with anonymous reporters.

Some of the fixes addressed flaws that could crash senders’ nodes, requests that could exhaust memory in its REST interface and a channel-closing bug that could cause users to lose funds to a penalty, according to the changelog.

However, the release deliberately withheld some tests to make it harder for attackers to reverse-engineer and exploit vulnerabilities while operators upgraded.

In August, Core Lightning said it was working on a coordinated fix after assessing a high volume of AI-generated Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) reports over recent weeks.

Two days later, it released 26.06.7 to address the confirmed vulnerabilities.

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Bitcoin surges past the $86,000 mark, logging a 1.35% intraday gain.

Congress is considering a legislative proposal that would allow banks and credit unions to hold cryptocurrencies and issue stablecoins, according to a report. This development comes amid ongoing efforts to integrate digital assets into the financial sector through the GENIUS Act, which established a framework for payment stablecoins in the U.S. The proposal would mark a shift from the current guidance-based approach to statutory permission, potentially broadening institutional participation in the crypto market. The decision could have significant implications for the financial sector, as it would enable federally insured institutions to engage more directly with digital currencies.

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Key Takeaways The proposal appears to reflect a shift towards statutory permission for banks and credit unions to engage in cryptocurrency activities. Market behavior suggests participants may see this development as supportive of increased institutional adoption of digital assets. Pricing in relevant markets indicates a potential rise in confidence regarding Bitcoin’s future price trajectory. What to Watch Observers should monitor any legislative progress on this proposal, as its advancement could be consistent with scenarios where Bitcoin’s price increases. Key dates include congressional sessions where this proposal might be debated or voted on. Additionally, developments regarding related regulations and announcements from major banks and credit unions about their intentions could further influence market expectations.

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What Price Will Bitcoin Hit Before 2027

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31 1% — — View market → December 31 1.4% — — View market → December 31 2.9% — — View market → December 31 3.8% — — View market → December 31 10.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 43% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 1% — — View market → January 1 2027 1.1% — — View market → January 1 2027 1.9% — — View market → January 1 2027 3.2% — — View market → January 1 2027 5.2% — — View market → January 1 2027 18.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 9% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.4% — — View market → January 1 2027 0.8% — — View market → January 1 2027 0.8% — — View market → January 1 2027 6.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 3.1% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.1% — — View market → January 1 2027 1.6% — — View market → January 1 2027 0.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 0.7% — — View market → January 1 2027 0.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 0.2% — — View market → January 1 2027 58% — — View market → January 1 2027 29.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 19.5% — — View market → When Will Bitcoin Hit 150k

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31, 2026 2.4% — — View market →

El Salvador has secured an immediate IMF disbursement of roughly $138 million after the lender completed two reviews of its $1.4 billion program and granted waivers for missed conditions, including one tied to Bitcoin accumulation.

Summary

IMF approved about $138 million after waiving El Salvador’s breach of Bitcoin accumulation limits Thursday. El Salvador documented recent Bitcoin additions as private donations, with no public resources used directly. IMF expects no further Bitcoin accumulation beyond documented donations under the current lending program commitments. Chivo’s majority ownership and operational control moved to a private operator, according to the IMF. IMF projects El Salvador’s economy will grow 4.5% in 2026 and 4% during 2027 respectively. The IMF said its Executive Board completed the second and third reviews under El Salvador’s 40-month Extended Fund Facility on Oct. 1, releasing SDR 101.96 million, worth about $138 million at the Fund’s stated conversion. Bloomberg reported the amount as $139 million.

The board found that several performance criteria had not been met, including the condition covering Bitcoin accumulation. Waivers were granted after what the IMF described as corrective measures and renewed commitments from Salvadoran authorities.

BREAKING: 🇸🇻 IMF approves a $139 MILLION payout to El Salvador after waiving its Bitcoin accumulation limit breach.

🇸🇻 El Salvador continues its Bitcoin strategy. pic.twitter.com/NFRPSxItzJ

— EyeWhales (@EyeWhales) October 1, 2026 Why did the IMF waive El Salvador’s Bitcoin breach? El Salvador’s original IMF program placed a continuous restriction on voluntary Bitcoin accumulation by the public sector. Earlier program documents defined voluntary accumulation as purchases or mining, while excluding Bitcoin acquired through seizures, forfeitures and similar law-enforcement actions.

By September, however, the IMF and Salvadoran authorities had reached an agreement over Bitcoin that had appeared in government-controlled wallets since the first review. The Fund said documentation supplied by El Salvador showed the accumulation came from private donations and that no public resources were used.

The finding clarified earlier questions over wallet movements that appeared to show El Salvador continuing to add Bitcoin after agreeing to limit state accumulation. El Salvador’s privately donated Bitcoin noted that the IMF accepted documentation tracing those additions to donations, although donor identities and individual donation amounts were not made public.

The Oct. 1 board decision does not authorize a return to government-funded Bitcoin purchases. The IMF said “no further Bitcoin accumulation is expected beyond documented donations,” making the statement a forward-looking program expectation tied to the current agreement.

Earlier IMF documents had recorded smaller technical breaches of the Bitcoin condition because balances held for Chivo customers could fluctuate, even while public-sector holdings remained unchanged. The latest release does not say those earlier technical issues alone explain the new waiver.

El Salvador must keep cutting the state’s crypto role Bitcoin is only one part of the IMF’s conditions. The program has required El Salvador to reduce direct government involvement in the Chivo wallet, which was introduced as part of the country’s Bitcoin rollout.

In September, the Fund confirmed that majority ownership and operational control of Chivo had moved to a private operator. The government retained a minority stake and custodial responsibilities for customer assets at that stage.

The Executive Board now wants the remaining state exposure removed. Dan Katz, the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director and chair of the board discussion, said the residual public-sector involvement “should be fully unwound.”

El Salvador had already changed its Bitcoin Law in 2025, ending mandatory Bitcoin acceptance for private businesses and requiring taxes to be paid in U.S. dollars. The changes formed part of the measures underpinning the IMF program. Previouscoverage of El Salvador ending mandatory Bitcoin acceptance detailed the legal changes and the planned reduction of government involvement in Chivo.

Negotiations over Chivo continued into 2026. By September, the transfer of majority ownership and operational control had been completed, though the IMF’s latest statement shows the government had not fully eliminated its remaining exposure.

IMF lifts El Salvador growth forecast to 4.5% The payout was approved as the IMF reported stronger economic activity than it had expected. The Fund projects El Salvador’s real GDP to grow 4.5% in 2026 after an estimated 3.9% expansion in 2025. Growth is forecast at 4% in 2027.

IMF staff attributed the stronger activity to investment and private consumption, alongside remittances, tourism and capital inflows. It cited improved security and investor confidence among the factors supporting activity.

Reserve and liquidity targets were comfortably met, according to the board review. Gross international reserves are projected at $5.35 billion in 2026 and $6.17 billion in 2027. The primary fiscal balance is forecast at a surplus of 2.9% of GDP this year and 3.7% next year.

The Fund still wants El Salvador to continue its fiscal reforms. Pension and civil-service measures had faced delays, while the IMF called for tighter expenditure controls, improved revenue administration and stronger public financial management.

What happens next for El Salvador’s Bitcoin policy? Bitcoin holdings remain subject to increased disclosure requirements under the IMF program. Authorities are expected to improve reporting for crypto assets controlled by public bodies and maintain updated information on government-controlled wallets.

The Fund wants public Bitcoin exposure kept from expanding beyond verified donations. Its September agreement said authorities had supplied documentation for accumulated coins and committed to no new accumulation outside those documented transfers.

El Salvador’s public-facing Bitcoin strategy had previously created confusion because government-linked channels continued to display growing holdings while IMF documents said no public resources were being used. Earlier coverage of the gap between daily Bitcoin claims and IMF records examined the disagreement between wallet activity and official program accounting.

Under the next stage of the program, the IMF wants stronger rules covering digital-asset companies, public crypto holdings and financial-sector oversight. Katz said authorities should improve disclosure of state crypto assets and strengthen regulatory, supervisory and governance rules for crypto service providers.

The IMF specifically called for amendments to El Salvador’s Digital Asset Issuance Law as part of that regulatory work, while the government is expected to finish unwinding its remaining public-sector exposure to Chivo.

Core Lightning issues urgent update as attackers target unpatched nodes

CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost wrote in a post that large crypto whales holding significant capital are increasing the volume of stablecoin transfers to Binance. Data shows that the 30-day cumulative inflow from whale addresses sending over $1 million in stablecoins per transaction has risen from $21.7 billion to $30.5 billion, a more than 40% increase compared to over a month ago. Typically, stablecoin inflows to exchanges signal that funds are positioning for market moves, so the rise in whale stablecoin inflows may be tied to potential buying pressure. Data indicates that whale stablecoin inflows previously hit a peak of over $61 billion in October before a prolonged decline. Recently, as structural trends in Bitcoin have shifted, whale capital behavior has begun to adjust, though they remain cautious. Darkfost noted that current whale capital deployment is influenced by multiple factors, including market expectations for the "October rally" and macroeconomic factors such as conflicts, inflationary pressures, and rising bond yields.

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Aave founder responds: The module in question is a third-party external adapter, not the Aave v3 contract that was affected.

In response to SlowMist’s report that a Safe module used in Aave v3’s loop strategy was exploited, causing losses of roughly 114.09 ETH (about $310,000), Aave founder Stani Kulechov said the incident was not an attack on the Aave v3 contract itself. Kulechov noted the involved module is a third-party external adapter built on top of Aave v3, adding the event had no impact on Aave v3 itself. Earlier BlockBeats reports indicated the Aave v3 Loop Safe module was attacked, with the attacker exploiting an access control flaw in the FlashLoopAdapter’s open()/close() functions. The hacker stole approximately 114.09 ETH from two Safe multi-sig addresses by forging Safe authentication and executing arbitrary modules, then repaid around 1,300 WETH in debt to unlock collateral.

13 minutes ago

Glassnode: Bitcoin's sell wall above $85,000 has disappeared, potentially paving the way for further gains.

According to Glassnode’s monitoring, the sell-side liquidity wall above Bitcoin (BTC) has vanished. Buyers broke through the sell order wall near $85,000 yesterday, a level that had withstood multiple tests over nearly a week without being breached. Glassnode noted that remaining sell orders now appear to have been withdrawn, reducing sell-side liquidity above BTC, which could create more room for further price gains.

13 minutes ago

Kinetiq ends its kPoints loyalty program, switching to a paid redemption model, which has caused KNTQ’s price to drop by over 23%.

Kinetiq, a liquid staking protocol built on the Hyperliquid ecosystem, has concluded its kPoints loyalty program and opened KNTQ token subscriptions. Point holders can purchase their allocated KNTQ tokens at a price of $0.26 per unit within 10 days. This round’s subscription quota is 50 million KNTQ tokens; if fully sold, it is expected to raise approximately $13 million. Following the announcement, KNTQ’s price dropped by around 23%. Kinetiq previously built its user base through the kPoints points mechanism, and is now offering token access to point holders via paid subscriptions.

13 minutes ago

US media: Trump once asked Grok about arresting Maduro and considered its performance "excellent".

U.S. Time magazine released a lengthy report on Donald Trump on October 1. The report noted that Trump has grown increasingly fascinated by artificial intelligence capabilities since returning to the White House. Last December, Elon Musk secretly returned to the White House Oval Office to meet with Trump, during which Trump spent hours posing questions about his presidential tenure and political legacy to Musk’s AI chatbot Grok. Trump also asked Grok how Venezuelan citizens would react if the U.S. arrested Nicolás Maduro. Grok replied that Maduro was deeply unpopular in Venezuela, with many Venezuelans likely to celebrate his downfall. The following month, Trump ordered the operation to arrest Maduro, and celebrations subsequently erupted on Venezuelan streets. Multiple officials disclosed that this incident led Trump to view Grok’s performance as excellent. (Jinshi)

13 minutes ago

Dolphin (POD) surges over 130% in a short time following its listing on Upbit.

According to GMGN market data, Dolphin (POD) has rallied over 130% following its listing on Upbit, currently trading at $0.682 with a market cap of roughly $338 million. Notably, the token’s 24-hour trading volume is just $3.1 million. Earlier, BlockBeats reported that South Korean exchange Upbit announced it would add support for Dolphin (POD) trading, opening pairs in KRW, BTC, and USDT. BlockBeats Note: Meme coins exhibit extreme volatility, largely driven by market sentiment and conceptual hype rather than tangible value or use cases. Investors should be mindful of the associated risks.

13 minutes ago

In the past hour, global crypto liquidations reached $121 million, with short positions making up the bulk of the liquidations.

According to Coinglass data, as Bitcoin surges past $86,000, it has climbed 1.35% over the past hour, with total liquidations across the crypto network hitting $121 million in the same period—including $2.55 million in long position liquidations and $119 million in short position liquidations.

13 minutes ago

PANews reported on October 2 that Variant Fund investment partner Alana Levin said in her Q4 2026 market outlook that the crypto market bottom most likely appeared at some point in July. She had written in early July that the bottom seemed near, when Bitcoin was at $59,000, Ethereum at $1,600, and ZEC at $420. She said the question has shifted to whether the bull market is a genuine launch or a false rally, and which projects benefit most in an early bull market, assuming the market is in the early stages of a new crypto bull run.

Levin said the growing consensus is that marginal capital is most likely to flow to value-storage protocols that function as money, as well as protocols capable of generating revenue. She believes Bitcoin is currently the dominant digital store-of-value asset, and other competing assets may be valued based on the ratio of their market cap to Bitcoin's market cap and how that ratio changes. For revenue-generating protocols, she expects investors to examine whether revenue comes from crypto-native activity (such as Pump) or traditional finance activity (such as Hyperliquid), whether it persists during market pullbacks, and profit margins; projects with exposure to real-world assets and stablecoin growth, that are positioned to attract institutional users, and that remain founder-led after surviving a bear market are more likely to command higher multiples.

She also listed on-chain projects that can be benchmarked against non-crypto businesses as a third category, believing most of them are narrative trades rather than long-term investments, with themes including AI-related directions such as routing, inference, compute, data collection, and interfaces, and she doubts whether blockchain is needed in most scenarios; if such projects clearly outperform, she would view it as a signal that the market is approaching a top.

3 hours ago

According to Farside’s monitoring, the total net inflow of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs reached $102.7 million yesterday. Breakdown: BlackRock’s IBIT saw a net inflow of $195.6 million; Fidelity’s FBTC posted a net outflow of $60.7 million; Bitwise’s BITB recorded a net outflow of $6.9 million; Ark Invest/21Shares’ ARKB had a net outflow of $7.7 million; Invesco’s BTCO posted a net outflow of $4.2 million; VanEck’s HODL saw a net outflow of $3.6 million; Grayscale’s GBTC recorded a net outflow of $31.4 million; Morgan Stanley’s MSBT posted a net inflow of $7 million; Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) had a net inflow of $14.6 million; Franklin Templeton’s EZBC, CoinShares’ BRRR, and WisdomTree’s BTCW reported no inflows or outflows. Meanwhile, the total net outflow of U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs yesterday stood at $55.4 million. Details: Fidelity’s FETH posted a net outflow of $23.5 million; Bitwise’s ETHW had no inflows or outflows; VanEck’s ETHV recorded a net outflow of $6.9 million; Franklin Templeton’s EZET posted a net outflow of $6.1 million; Grayscale’s ETHE saw a net outflow of $20.4 million; 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF had a net inflow of $1.5 million; BlackRock’s ETHA and ETHB, 21Shares’ TETH, Invesco’s QETH, and Morgan Stanley’s MSSE reported no inflows or outflows.

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Uphold announced on September 29 that it is adding inheritance planning to Vault, its assisted self-custody wallet, letting customers name a beneficiary for their Bitcoin (BTC), XRP and Hedera (HBAR) holdings. The feature, called Vault Inheritance, targets a gap the company says has left almost 4 million BTC, worth roughly $331 billion, stranded in wallets whose owners died or lost their private keys.

Unlike a bank account or brokerage, a crypto wallet cannot be recovered by an heir who lacks the keys. Legal ownership may pass on, but the cryptographic control needed to move the assets often does not. Uphold’s answer is a designated beneficiary who can claim the assets after the owner’s death without ever holding access to them beforehand.

How the inheritance claim works A Vault customer invites a beneficiary directly from the dashboard, and that person is notified and guided to set up an Uphold account to receive the assets later. The beneficiary gets no access while the owner is alive, and the designation can be changed at any time. After the owner passes, Uphold’s compliance team verifies the legal documentation before transferring control into the beneficiary’s Uphold wallet. The company says the beneficiary needs no prior crypto knowledge. Uphold Vault itself launched in December 2023, pairing self-custody with built-in key replacement and instant access to trading.

Pricing and the estate-planning gap Vault Inheritance costs $19.99 a month. Existing Vault customers will see the new plan reflected after December 31, 2026, while U.S. users get a free 30-day trial. “Crypto has become a real part of how people build their financial future, but unlike traditional assets, there are few ways to pass it on securely — especially for XRP holders,” said Nancy Beaton, Uphold’s president of consumer.

A growing self-custody trend The launch lands months after Kresus introduced its own crypto inheritance service for self-custody users in July, a sign that wallet providers are moving to close the estate-planning hole as crypto matures into a long-term holding. Analysts have long warned that billions of dollars in crypto could vanish into dead wallets, and inheritance features are one of the first product-level answers to that risk.

AUTHOR

A freelance writer with a passion for crypto, delivering insightful and accurate content on blockchain and fintech. With a knack for translating complex concepts into accessible content, Eric produces well-researched articles, blog posts, and thought leadership pieces that cover the latest trends and developments in the digital finance space. His writing is aimed at educating and engaging both newcomers and industry experts, offering fresh insights into the world of cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance (DeFi), and blockchain innovations. Eric’s dedication to quality and accuracy makes him a trusted voice in the fintech and crypto communities

3 hours ago

NEAR Intents has identified the individual responsible for the security vulnerability that caused roughly $3.8 million in user fund losses on Thursday, and has given the person a 48-hour deadline to return the funds under the "responsible disclosure" framework. Alex Shevchenko, general manager of NEAR Intents, stated: "We have confirmed your identity." The company also released three distinct wallet addresses to receive Bitcoin, BNB, and Solana. "You understand how responsible disclosure works better than most — this is your final opportunity to take advantage of this mechanism. The window will close after 48 hours," Shevchenko added. On Thursday, NEAR Intents suspended its related services after detecting a vulnerability in the interaction between the Omni deposit and withdrawal infrastructure and NEAR Intents smart contracts.

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Bitcoin’s most stubborn ceiling may have just lost some of its weight. According to a post on X, buyers removed the sell wall that had been sitting at $85,000. That reduces the stack of sell orders overhead and increases the potential for the price to climb.

What a sell wall is, and why this one mattered Technically, a sell wall is a large concentration of limit sell orders parked at a specific price. Before the price can move past that level, buyers need to absorb all of those orders. The bigger the cluster, the more buying power it takes to break through.

On-chain data from Glassnode showed a sell wall on Binance sitting between $85,000 and $85,500. It tripled in size from September 24 to September 30, 2026.

How Bitcoin got stuck at $85,000 On September 21, Bitcoin briefly pushed above $85,000 and printed an intraday high near $85,248. Part of that spike came from roughly $648 million in short liquidations. A short liquidation happens when traders betting on a price drop get forced out of their positions. Closing a short means buying Bitcoin back, which can add fuel to a rally already in motion.

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Once the short squeeze ran its course, Bitcoin struggled to hold above $85,000. It slipped back beneath the line.

Two forces kept it there. The first was cooling demand from US spot Bitcoin ETFs. Net inflows fell sharply after September 22, bottoming at just $24 million on September 28.

The second force came from Bitcoin’s most patient owners. Long-term holders started cashing in. Their share of realized profits jumped from 34% to 55% in the week ending September 29.

The floor beneath the ceiling Bitcoin stayed above several closely watched support levels throughout the period. One is the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis, around $73,300. Another is the True Market Mean, near $77,200.

What this means for traders and investors The first thing to watch is whether the wall stays gone. Sell walls are made of limit orders, and limit orders can be cancelled or re-placed at any time. Order book depth on Binance in the $85,000 to $85,500 zone is worth monitoring.

The second signal is ETF flows. The slide to $24 million on September 28 showed how quickly institutional demand can cool.

The third factor is long-term holder behavior. With their share of realized profits at 55%, the old guard has been one of the main suppliers of coins near current levels.

There is also a lesson from September 21. That push above $85,000 relied partly on roughly $648 million in liquidations, and it did not stick.

On the downside, the True Market Mean near $77,200 and the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis around $73,300 mark the levels where the market’s structure would start to look shakier.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Bitcoin O.G. Peter Todd has joined the MARA Foundation as lead maintainer of Slipstream, the miner’s private Bitcoin mempool service. 

Announced by the foundation on Thursday, the new role will see Todd responsible for developing and running the service.

Slipstream lets users send bitcoin transactions straight to MARA Pool, the company’s mining pool, without going through Bitcoin’s public peer-to-peer network. It was useful after hackers exploited Coldcard hardware wallets in July, stealing over $115 million in user funds. 

Because transactions sent through Slipstream stay private until they’re confirmed in a block, the service helps to keep key information hidden before confirmation — protecting exposure of their public keys. 

“I most look forward to seeing what’s possible on Bitcoin — using Slipstream as a proving ground for experimental development and protocol innovation,” Todd said. 

Todd added: “Working with Slipstream is a natural complement to my work on Libre Relay, and my mempool policy work more broadly. I’ve always believed that Bitcoin is better when we design protocols with economic demand in mind. This is also a good opportunity to build bridges between Bitcoin Core developers and miners.”

MARA’s Slipstream first drew attention in 2024 for publishing large Ordinals inscriptions. More recently it has been used for research projects like Quantum Safe Bitcoin and Binohash, a way to emulate covenants without a soft fork.

Todd is a longtime Bitcoin Core contributor, who co-authored BIP 125 (replace-by-fee), created OpenTimestamps, and in 2024 launched Libre Relay, a Bitcoin Core fork with looser relay rules for non-standard transactions. 

He argues that mempool policy should follow what the market wants miners to mine, rather than restrict how people use Bitcoin.

Mathew Di Salvo

Mathew is a reporter who's covered the space since 2019, reporting on everything from Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele's Bitcoin bet to crypto exchange FTX's bankruptcy.

Las Vegas, NV, October 1st, 2026, Chainwire

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs announced the launch of more than 400 cryptocurrency ATMs across the United States. The machines allow customers to purchase Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and USDC with cash at a stated flat 5% fee. Customers can also pre-register online before visiting an ATM.

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs, a new nationwide low-fee Bitcoin ATM operator, launched today with an initial rollout of more than 400 Bitcoin ATMs across the United States, a footprint that places it amongst the largest Bitcoin ATM operators in the country on its first day. It also launched with a name that does most of the marketing department’s job for it. The brand charges a flat 5% Bitcoin ATM fee to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT or USDC with cash, displays the fee and exchange rate on screen before the customer confirms, and, as of today, lets first-time customers register online in about two minutes so they can skip onboarding at the machine entirely.

400+ Bitcoin ATM locations on day one

Most Bitcoin ATM operators in the U.S. run a few dozen machines. Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs opens with more than 400 Bitcoin ATM locations in the convenience stores, gas stations and shopping centers people already visit, with machines in Florida, California, Arizona and Texas among other states, as the first phase of a larger rollout.

“Four hundred machines is not a pilot. It’s a network,” said Quincy Mathis, Operations Manager at Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs. “We wanted to be one of the biggest Bitcoin ATM operators in the country on the day we opened, because a low fee only matters if there’s a machine near you. This is phase one.”

Buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and USDC with cash: coins, limits and one fee

Every Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATM sells Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) for cash, all at the same 5% fee, all sent directly to the customer’s own wallet. No bank account or credit card is needed. The machines are non-custodial: the company never holds customer funds.

Bitcoin ATM daily limits are set by verification tier:

Tier 1, phone number only: up to $2,000 per day Tier 2, government ID and Tax ID: up to $50,000 per day Bitcoin ATM fees compared: what $1,000 buys

The typical Bitcoin ATM in the United States charges roughly 12% to 15% to buy, and some of the largest national brands charge 20% or more. Here is what that looks like when a customer walks up with $1,000 in cash:

Illustrative, based on posted percentage fees only and before exchange rate. Many operators add an exchange-rate markup on top of the posted fee; Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs shows both the fee and the rate on screen before a transaction is confirmed. Industry figures reflect publicly reported U.S. Bitcoin ATM fee ranges. See how the Bitcoin ATM fees compare.

At a 20% machine, one dollar in every five never becomes crypto. At Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs, it’s one in twenty. The name is not subtle; neither is a 20% fee.

“We wanted a rate people can look at on the receipt and feel good about, not one they have to make peace with,” said Quincy Mathis. “Five percent, shown up front, with the exchange rate right next to it. That’s the whole pitch.”

Stablecoin ATMs are becoming the way people send money overseas

A growing share of customers are using the machines as USDT and USDC ATMs, buying dollar pegged stable coins to send money to family and friends overseas and to pay suppliers and contractors abroad. A customer inserts cash, the stable coins arrive in the recipient’s wallet within minutes, and the recipient holds dollars they can keep or cash out locally. No wire counter, no multi-day wait, and no bank account needed to send.

That makes the fee gap matter more, not less. Someone sending $1,000 home once a month pays about $600 a year in fees at a 5% machine, $1,440 to $1,800 at a typical machine, and $2,400 at a 20% machine. The difference is real money to the people who can least afford to lose it, which is why low fees matter most to remittance customers.

“The people using stable coins to support family abroad are exactly the people who shouldn’t be paying 20% for the privilege,” said Quincy Mathis.

How to use a Bitcoin ATM: four steps, under two minutes, now with online pre-registration

New with today’s launch is online Bitcoin ATM pre-registration. First-time customers can pre-register online before they ever visit a machine, so the first visit is as fast as the tenth. At any of the 400+ machines, they simply enter their phone number.

Register online, once. About two minutes on a phone. Walk up and enter your phone number. The machine recognizes you. No paperwork at the kiosk. Pick a coin, scan your wallet, insert cash. Scan your wallet’s QR code and feed in the bills. Check the screen and confirm. The fee and exchange rate are displayed before you press anything. Crypto lands in your wallet within minutes. Customers who would rather register at the machine still can. It just takes a little longer, and the company would like to gently point out that it no longer has to. A full walkthrough of how a Bitcoin ATM works is on the company’s website.

Compliance, briefly

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs is a FinCEN-registered money services business, and every machine operates in compliance with federal and state regulations. Customer data is encrypted, and transactions are non-custodial and irreversible. No government agency, bank, utility or tech-support line will ever ask anyone to pay them at a Bitcoin ATM; if someone does, it is a scam. Common questions are answered in the company’s Bitcoin ATM FAQ.

Find a low-fee Bitcoin ATM near you

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs are live now at 400+ locations across the United States, with further phases of the rollout to follow. Customers can find a Bitcoin ATM near them and pre-register at lowestfeebitcoinatms.com. New customers can use code LOWEST at the machine for 20% off the transaction fee, which brings the fee on that $1,000 transaction down to $40.

About Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs is a nationwide low-fee Bitcoin ATM operator whose initial network of more than 400 machines ranks among the largest in the United States. Customers can buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and USDC with cash for a flat 5% fee, with the fee and exchange rate displayed on screen before every transaction. The company is a FinCEN-registered money services business. Users can learn more at lowestfeebitcoinatms.com.

Las Vegas, NV, October 1st, 2026, Chainwire

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs announced the launch of more than 400 cryptocurrency ATMs across the United States. The machines allow customers to purchase Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and USDC with cash at a stated flat 5% fee. Customers can also pre-register online before visiting an ATM.

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs, a new nationwide low-fee Bitcoin ATM operator, launched today with an initial rollout of more than 400 Bitcoin ATMs across the United States, a footprint that places it amongst the largest Bitcoin ATM operators in the country on its first day. It also launched with a name that does most of the marketing department's job for it. The brand charges a flat 5% Bitcoin ATM fee to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT or USDC with cash, displays the fee and exchange rate on screen before the customer confirms, and, as of today, lets first-time customers register online in about two minutes so they can skip onboarding at the machine entirely.

400+ Bitcoin ATM locations on day one

Most Bitcoin ATM operators in the U.S. run a few dozen machines. Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs opens with more than 400 Bitcoin ATM locations in the convenience stores, gas stations and shopping centers people already visit, with machines in Florida, California, Arizona and Texas among other states, as the first phase of a larger rollout.

"Four hundred machines is not a pilot. It's a network," said Quincy Mathis, Operations Manager at Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs. "We wanted to be one of the biggest Bitcoin ATM operators in the country on the day we opened, because a low fee only matters if there's a machine near you. This is phase one."

Buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and USDC with cash: coins, limits and one fee

Every Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATM sells Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) for cash, all at the same 5% fee, all sent directly to the customer's own wallet. No bank account or credit card is needed. The machines are non-custodial: the company never holds customer funds.

Bitcoin ATM daily limits are set by verification tier:

Tier 1, phone number only: up to $2,000 per day Tier 2, government ID and Tax ID: up to $50,000 per day Bitcoin ATM fees compared: what $1,000 buys

The typical Bitcoin ATM in the United States charges roughly 12% to 15% to buy, and some of the largest national brands charge 20% or more. Here is what that looks like when a customer walks up with $1,000 in cash:

Illustrative, based on posted percentage fees only and before exchange rate. Many operators add an exchange-rate markup on top of the posted fee; Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs shows both the fee and the rate on screen before a transaction is confirmed. Industry figures reflect publicly reported U.S. Bitcoin ATM fee ranges. See how the Bitcoin ATM fees compare.

At a 20% machine, one dollar in every five never becomes crypto. At Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs, it's one in twenty. The name is not subtle; neither is a 20% fee.

"We wanted a rate people can look at on the receipt and feel good about, not one they have to make peace with," said Quincy Mathis. "Five percent, shown up front, with the exchange rate right next to it. That's the whole pitch."

Stablecoin ATMs are becoming the way people send money overseas

A growing share of customers are using the machines as USDT and USDC ATMs, buying dollar pegged stable coins to send money to family and friends overseas and to pay suppliers and contractors abroad. A customer inserts cash, the stable coins arrive in the recipient's wallet within minutes, and the recipient holds dollars they can keep or cash out locally. No wire counter, no multi-day wait, and no bank account needed to send.

That makes the fee gap matter more, not less. Someone sending $1,000 home once a month pays about $600 a year in fees at a 5% machine, $1,440 to $1,800 at a typical machine, and $2,400 at a 20% machine. The difference is real money to the people who can least afford to lose it, which is why low fees matter most to remittance customers.

"The people using stable coins to support family abroad are exactly the people who shouldn't be paying 20% for the privilege," said Quincy Mathis.

How to use a Bitcoin ATM: four steps, under two minutes, now with online pre-registration

New with today's launch is online Bitcoin ATM pre-registration. First-time customers can pre-register online before they ever visit a machine, so the first visit is as fast as the tenth. At any of the 400+ machines, they simply enter their phone number.

Register online, once. About two minutes on a phone. Walk up and enter your phone number. The machine recognizes you. No paperwork at the kiosk. Pick a coin, scan your wallet, insert cash. Scan your wallet's QR code and feed in the bills. Check the screen and confirm. The fee and exchange rate are displayed before you press anything. Crypto lands in your wallet within minutes. Customers who would rather register at the machine still can. It just takes a little longer, and the company would like to gently point out that it no longer has to. A full walkthrough of how a Bitcoin ATM works is on the company's website.

Compliance, briefly

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs is a FinCEN-registered money services business, and every machine operates in compliance with federal and state regulations. Customer data is encrypted, and transactions are non-custodial and irreversible. No government agency, bank, utility or tech-support line will ever ask anyone to pay them at a Bitcoin ATM; if someone does, it is a scam. Common questions are answered in the company's Bitcoin ATM FAQ.

Find a low-fee Bitcoin ATM near you

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs are live now at 400+ locations across the United States, with further phases of the rollout to follow. Customers can find a Bitcoin ATM near them and pre-register at lowestfeebitcoinatms.com. New customers can use code LOWEST at the machine for 20% off the transaction fee, which brings the fee on that $1,000 transaction down to $40.

About Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs

Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs is a nationwide low-fee Bitcoin ATM operator whose initial network of more than 400 machines ranks among the largest in the United States. Customers can buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and USDC with cash for a flat 5% fee, with the fee and exchange rate displayed on screen before every transaction. The company is a FinCEN-registered money services business. Users can learn more at lowestfeebitcoinatms.com.

ContactMarketing Director
Brian S. Smith
Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs
[email protected]

Disclaimer: Press release sponsored by our commercial partners.

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) kicked off what it calls its first major Bitcoin consumer campaign on October 1, 2026. The target is roughly 60 million Americans the company describes as “Bitcoin-curious.”

The campaign’s central line is short and a little cheeky: “Some things don’t make sense. Bitcoin does.”

What the campaign is selling The pitch leans on Bitcoin’s basic design features rather than its trading history. Block’s messaging highlights the asset’s capped supply and the fact that it runs without middlemen.

The timing of the message is deliberate. The campaign is pitched at people frustrated by the rising cost of living and broader economic instability.

The groundwork Block already laid This consumer push did not appear out of nowhere. In November 2025, Block ran a policy-focused campaign called “Bitcoin is Everyday Money.”

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That earlier effort targeted lawmakers more than shoppers. It advocated for a de minimis tax exemption, which would ease the tax reporting burden on small Bitcoin transactions.

Around the same time, the company expanded the plumbing on the merchant side. Square’s Bitcoin payment services began rolling out to millions of sellers starting November 10, 2025.

Today, Block’s Bitcoin setup spans three main products. Cash App handles buying and sending, Square handles merchant acceptance, and Bitkey serves as a self-custody wallet.

Block has also layered incentives on top. Cash App offers 5% Bitcoin rewards, and the ecosystem includes automatic Bitcoin conversion options.

Block also puts its own balance sheet behind the thesis. The company reportedly held 8,883 BTC in its corporate treasury as of early 2026.

What this means for Block and Bitcoin The most immediate stakes are for Block itself. The company has spent years building Bitcoin rails across Cash App, Square, and Bitkey, and rails only pay off if people actually use them.

A consumer campaign aimed at approximately 60 million people is effectively a demand-generation push for infrastructure Block already owns.

Square’s rollout to millions of sellers created supply, meaning places that can accept Bitcoin. The new campaign is an attempt to create the matching demand, meaning shoppers who want to pay with it.

Tax treatment is another unresolved piece. The de minimis exemption Block lobbied for in November 2025 was the company’s attempt to remove friction from small purchases, and the consumer pitch works best in a world where that friction is gone.

What to watch next: user activity on Cash App’s Bitcoin features, merchant uptake on Square, and any movement on the de minimis tax question in Washington.

Disclosure: This article was edited by John Chen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Jack Dorsey’s Block continues the push to make bitcoin “everyday money.” 

The NYSE-listed company announced Thursday it had debuted an advertising campaign to make the push for people to use the leading cryptocurrency as a medium of exchange. 

It comes as the U.S. is in the midst of an affordability crisis, with high prices a hot topic — perhaps the most pressing — amongst voters ahead of the midterm elections. Dorsey and Block have constantly pushed for bitcoin to be used to pay for goods. 

“At Block, we’re focused on building financial products that make everyday life easier,” said Bitcoin Lead at Block Miles Suter said in a statement. 

He added: “This campaign is our first major illustration of what a Bitcoin-centric financial system could look like, and we’re excited to show how it can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

An advert accompanied the announcement on X. It featured everyday Americans complaining about the cost of living and other things, such as Wall Street bankers getting bailed out by the government. 

The ad contained the slogan, “Some things don’t make sense. Bitcoin does.”

Block said in its announcement that the campaign starts rolling out on Thursday across YouTube, X, Meta, Instagram, and on television through Fox Sports until December 31. The ads will also run in theaters at select screenings of movies Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3. 

The billionaire founder of Twitter left the social media company to focus his efforts on payments and Bitcoin adoption in 2021, saying he wants the cryptocurrency to be the global currency.

He has also described Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper as “poetry.”

Cash App allows users to send and receive and buy and sell Bitcoin and point-of-sale terminals. Square accepts the orange coin via the Lightning Network. 

Block also last year debuted a Bitcoin mining rig with swappable parts, with the idea that miners could cut costs on repairing and replacing the devices. 

Mathew Di Salvo

Mathew is a reporter who's covered the space since 2019, reporting on everything from Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele's Bitcoin bet to crypto exchange FTX's bankruptcy.

Sazmining, a Bitcoin Mining as a Service company founded in 2020 and led by CEO and Co-Founder Kent Halliburton, today launched the Wild Sats Club, a loyalty program with four tiers that lowers the management fee customers pay as their petahash under management grows. The program is open to existing and new customers starting today.

Most mining customers pay the same management fee whether they run a quarter of a petahash or twenty-five. The Wild Sats Club ties that fee to the hashrate a customer already runs with Sazmining, and applies the lower rate across their entire fleet, not just to newly purchased machines.

The Phase 1 discount starts at 1.0 PH with a 1% management fee discount, rising to 3% from 2.5 PH and 6% from 5.0 PH, with the tier recalculated every month. A customer activates once with a qualifying purchase from Sazmining that meets the hashrate to activate: 0.25 PH for Bronze, 0.50 PH for Silver, or 1.0 PH for Gold, in a single order or in orders within a 30 day period. New, pre-owned, and refurbished rigs purchased from Sazmining can qualify. Full terms are at https://www.sazmining.com/wildsatsclub/terms

Customers who make a qualifying purchase during the founding-member window, September 1 to December 31, 2026, activate at their full earned tier, with the lower fee starting on their first monthly recalculation after their new hardware is energized. Every benefit at launch is a management fee discount, never cash or transferable value.

“Mining customers have been asked to accept the same fee whether they run a quarter of a petahash or twenty-five,” said Kent Halliburton, CEO and Co-Founder of Sazmining. “This program fixes that. As a customer’s hashrate grows, their cost of having us run it comes down, and it comes down on everything they already own. We are building long-term relationships with our clients, not one-off transactions, which means advising them on what fleet growth can realistically look like against the goals they are actually trying to reach. We expect this program to appeal in particular to the family offices that want Bitcoin exposure with the depreciation benefits of owning the equipment, real estate investors looking to diversify, and the customers who are simply growing one rig at a time. We are looking forward to adapting and evolving the program so that Sazmining customers keep getting the very best product we can build.”

The program is built to keep opening up as customers grow with Sazmining. Further member benefits will be announced as each becomes available.

To learn more about the Wild Sats Club, visit the program page, or book a consultation with one of Sazmining’s Bitcoin Strategy Advisors here. 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release. Readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence before acting on any information presented in this article.

Bitcoin Magazine

Established in 2012, Bitcoin Magazine is the oldest and most established source of trustworthy news, information and thought leadership on Bitcoin.

Are we headed for a period of chop before a bigger move in Bitcoin? Darius Dale, founder of 42 Macro, says a decline in funding liquidity could mean near-term volatility, but that if liquidity comes back in 2027, which he sees as more likely than not, Bitcoin could resolve higher over the following 12 to 18 months. He also explains why Bitcoin deserves a portfolio allocation as a different exposure from stocks and gold.

Chapters:
0:00 Darius Dale on Who Benefits From Rising Treasury Yields
1:06 Why Higher Rates Haven’t Hit the Economy Yet: The AI Capex Boom
2:02 Default via Debasement and a Fed–Treasury Accord 2.0
4:30 Five Paths Out of the Debt Problem, and Only Three Are Acceptable
6:32 Risk Management, Asset Allocation, and Why No Bonds
8:22 Bitcoin Outlook: Near-Term Chop and the 2027 Liquidity Case
9:34 Bitcoin’s Role vs. Gold and Stocks, and Where Bond Yields Reach Fair Value
10:53 The “Wealth Pump” and Money in Politics
17:09 Why AI Is Too Big to Fail and What a Bust Would Look Like
19:11 Running for Office, Why He’s Not a Socialist, and Jackie Robinson

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

Patrick Green

Patrick Green is an Assistant Producer and Channel Manager on the multimedia team at Bitcoin Magazine, focusing on production, content distribution, and channel strategy across the network.

Robinhood Stock traded near $113.24 on October 1 as investors assessed unemployment claims and softer inflation. 

Bitcoin price stood around $83,975, while Ethereum (ETH) traded near $2,700 and XRP price hovered at $1.49. The economic combination could support risk appetite, although stronger employment also complicates expectations for lower interest rates.

U.S. Initial Jobless Claims came in LOWER than expected this week. Initial unemployment claims totaled 197,000 for the week ended September 26, according to the Labor Department. That result undershot the 201,000 forecast reported by Bloomingbit, reinforcing evidence that layoffs remain limited.

The previous reading was revised from 197,000 to 198,000, making the latest result a modest weekly decline. The four-week average fell to 200,000, offering a steadier indication of labor conditions than one weekly reading.

JOBS DATA: 🇺🇸U.S. initial jobless claims hit 197K vs. 201K expected, unchanged from the prior week.

The combination of resilient employment and cooler inflation keeps the soft-landing narrative alive.

A potentially favorable macro setup for risk assets 📈 https://t.co/vnso6lMbVL pic.twitter.com/GGgYo1slze

— CryptosRus (@CryptosR_Us) October 1, 2026

Continuing claims declined by 11,000 to 1.701 million, pointing to fewer people receiving benefits beyond their first week. 

However, low claims measure limited layoffs and cannot establish that employers are accelerating recruitment across the economy. The separate September payroll report is scheduled for October 2 and will provide broader evidence on hiring.

Softer Inflation Shapes Robinhood Stock Rate Outlook Wednesday’s inflation release showed annual core PCE inflation at 3.0%, with the monthly measure increasing 0.2%. Headline PCE inflation reached 3.4%, leaving overall price pressures above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. 

These figures may reduce pressure for additional tightening, but they do not establish an immediate shift toward rate cuts.

In September, policymakers hiked their benchmark rate to 3.75%–4.00%, so expectations for an easing anytime soon proved to be misplaced. Investor confidence and trading activity in equities, options, and cryptocurrencies are the potential draws for Robinhood Stock.

Higher cryptocurrency prices would help sentiment, and revenue would require customers to up their trading volumes. The link to business performance remains conditional, with customer engagement requiring confirmation from future company disclosures

Lower rates could eventually encourage trading, although they could also reduce earnings from interest-bearing customer balances. 

Robinhood’s latest quarterly results showed that lower short-term rates partially offset growth in its interest-earning assets. The company reported $100 million in second-quarter cryptocurrency revenue, down 38% from a year earlier.

Robinhood Stock Prediction: Will HOOD Reach $114? The next technical challenge encountered by Robinhood Stock is the $113.60-$113.70 zone in the provided intraday analysis. The recurring closes over this level would enhance the argument over 114.00, an estimated round-number objective.

Robinhood Stock Maintaining the upside structure would require holding $113.00, with the next material pivot being $112.50 for HOOD stock. A loss of that pivot would put the $112.00 in perspective, and then the surrounding low, which is at $111.50.